Chapter 387 How can compensation be obtained?
The mountain road was rugged and winding.
Huang Kairen sat in a minivan, bouncing along the uneven mountain road.
When he arrived at the filming location, the sun had already set halfway down, leaving only half a circle above the horizon.
Originally, Huang Kairen wasn't supposed to go here, but due to a last-minute change in filming schedule, in order to shoot night scenes in time for daylight, he was moved here instead.
When the car stopped, Huang Kairen felt like his internal organs were about to be shaken out.
He forced himself to get out of the car, enduring the discomfort and nausea, and found himself in a forest.
"Where is everyone?" Huang Kairen was taken aback, because there was no one around.
He turned around in surprise to look at the driver and the people who came to pick him up.
"Teacher Huang, please wait a moment. We're not there yet. It's just that the road behind is difficult for cars to drive on, so we have to walk," the other person said.
Huang Kairen was extremely surprised.
Then, after walking for about ten more minutes, I finally saw a group of people in the distance and recognized the familiar film set.
The lights have been set up.
The twilight was deep, with a sense of oppression that threatened to engulf everything.
The staff member who came to pick him up said, "Teacher Huang, we've arrived."
Between heaven and earth, only the last vestiges of twilight remained.
The dappled shadows of the trees intertwined with the sounds of people coming and going, like a mirage on the verge of waking up.
He wasn't sure if it was because of the bumpy ride that made him feel dizzy and disoriented, or if the scene before him was too detached from his usual reality.
Huang Kairen felt as if someone had gently tapped his chest with a hammer.
The chanting echoed from the ancient temple deep in the mountains.
"Teacher Huang?" the staff member called out again.
He seemed to wake from a dream, and for a moment, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
Why become an actor?
The question resurfaced in Huang Kairen's mind.
Before he came, he had a rough idea that his reluctance to act in "Rouge" would waver, but he did not expect his heart to waver so quickly.
It wasn't some divine revelation, but rather the atmosphere itself.
Besides fame and fortune, what else do actors pursue?
Others may not know, but Huang Kairen enjoys the process of playing a character.
Why do so many actors say they want to act in movies rather than TV series? Especially the top actors. Is it purely because of a hierarchy where movies are considered superior to TV series? People who think this way overlook the most basic human yearning for goodness and beauty. This is especially true for actors like Huang Kairen, who love acting and possess a more acute sensitivity than most. He too yearns for movies, for that more demanding acting environment.
In today's film and television production environment, absolutely no TV series crew would travel to such a desolate and uninhabited place, requiring such a long journey, just to film a single scene.
So, why was Huang Kairen touched just now?
Because this group of people, in order to obtain the most extreme and realistic filming environment, are willing to disregard time, location, and how far the environment is from human society and how harsh it is.
Huang Kairen is not the kind of actor who craves comfort; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to change his image. He is also not the kind of actor who would refuse a role or film because of a bad filming environment or a lot of suffering. On the contrary, he actually enjoys the state of putting himself through various challenges and hardships in order to act in a film. He likes to take on burdens, and when he overcomes these burdens, he gets a sense of pleasure.
However, such moments are rare in his past filming experience.
Even Xun knew.
But Lian Xun said, "It's not that actors who are like ascetics are good actors. You've already surpassed many of your peers. No one has ever said your acting is bad. Why make things harder for yourself?"
Huang Kairen thought to himself that Lian Xun had never truly understood him from beginning to end.
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"He thought I didn't understand him, and that I was just a profit-driven agent."
Lianxun was drinking with friends and complaining. He got emotional and felt annoyed, dissatisfied and disappointed.
My friend said, "Then why don't you let him act in a movie he wants to act in?"
“Because his acting skills aren’t that good. He can show excellent acting skills in the roles I’ve chosen for him, but that doesn’t mean he can act in anything!” Lian Xun said with dissatisfaction. “Look at Lu Yanhe. He can act. Even a fool can see that. He can act in anything, so of course he’s not afraid to act in anything. Even if he plays a villain, he can act very charmingly. But does Huang Kairen have that ability?”
"He hasn't acted in any of them, how do you know he hasn't?"
“I’m his agent. If I don’t even know if he has the ability in this area, then what’s the point of all this work? Don’t think I just treat him as a job to make money. Let me tell you, I really treat him like a brother. Do you think I’m just a money-grubber? I also hope his career develops well and that he can reach a high level in the future. But everyone has their limitations. You also have to consider what kind of material someone is made of. If someone is clearly destined to be a star, why force him to become an actor? If he can’t handle this job, why force him?”
My friend laughed and said, "What are you saying? Who doesn't want to reach greater heights?"
"Who says that the level of a true actor is necessarily higher than that of a star?" Lian Xun said with great dissatisfaction. "That's all just hype from people like you. This is the entertainment industry, the performing arts industry, not a stage play or any kind of performing arts circle. This is a stage for creating stars. Even if you're hyping up actors as actors, it's just to create a star based on acting skills. Over the years, have every famous legend and big star been a true actor? Professional skills are necessary, but if we're really choosing actors based on acting skills, then everyone should just go to the stage. Film and television are about the times creating heroes, not acting skills creating heroes."
"You say that, but other people don't agree."
"But why can't Huang Kairen see this point? When he saw Lu Yanhe suddenly appear, he got all excited and immature and thought he could do it too." Lian Xun was extremely annoyed. "I don't know who was encouraging him behind the scenes, thinking that he also had that level of ability."
-
Huang Kairen sat in a corner, completely as a spectator, quietly watching everything unfold before him.
The makeup artist is touching up Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige's makeup.
Both of them should look somewhat disheveled at this point, since they had run away overnight.
Huang Kairen heard Lu Yanhe say, "Shouldn't my mouth be a little drier right now?"
The makeup artist turned to look at Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong stood right in front of them.
He said, "It wouldn't look good if it were too dry. At this point, I didn't want the scene between you and her to be unpleasant. This night scene is the most story-rich part of the whole story. It wouldn't look good if it were too realistic."
Lu Yanhe smiled and did not refute.
This story, set against the backdrop of the Republic of China era, tells of a young man who secretly falls in love with the lady next door. Her husband dies in battle, leaving her a widow.
However, her husband's superior—a ruthless warlord—forced her to marry into his household as a concubine.
In a moment of impulsiveness, the young man eloped with her one night. The woman followed him all the way, spending the night in an ancient temple, where she listened to him tell stories of his unrequited love for her. As he spoke, he leaned against the wall and fell into a deep sleep.
Before dawn, the woman rose, draped her cloak over the boy, and went home alone to marry the warlord.
There isn't much of a story; it's all about the atmosphere and the mood.
It's very difficult for actors to perform.
However, for talented actors, there is a lot of room for them to perform.
"You ran away with the lady you've always loved—that's just the shell of the story. But I don't want to film a realistic scene. That night was like a sudden firework, it happened very suddenly, but even so, your disheveled state and your tension and anxiety were intertwined with a rapidly rising, unconventional, and intense passion. You should understand what I mean, right? It's like a butterfly trapped in a spider web finally breaking free on this night and flying towards the campfire—that kind of scene."
Lu Yanhe thought about it carefully and nodded.
"Impulsive and passionate, with a youthful, idealistic fervor."
Chen Bige said, "I already had an idea. In fact, I didn't do anything proactively from beginning to end in this short film. The perspective of the short film is that of a boy. From the boy's perspective, I am dignified and generous, gentle and composed. The director wanted to create a dreamlike passion, but in reality, even in such passion, I remained calm and taciturn. I wanted to portray a breathless, portrait-like presence beside the boy, as if all of this was a dream of his. Only at dawn did the perspective of the short film change, and I took my first proactive action: leaving him and going back."
“I have a kind of tolerance for him that is definitely more than just love. In fact, in my understanding, I don’t actually have love for this young man,” Chen Bige said. “I just see the person who used to be by my side in him, and I project my deceased husband onto him.”
Wang Zhong sighed deeply.
"I was worried you would design it this way."
"Huh?" Chen Bige was taken aback.
“But I hope you are moved by this boy,” Wang Zhong said. “You put yourself in the shoes of your deceased husband and see his shadow in the boy, and you feel a sense of acceptance towards him. All of this is fine, I don’t object to it. You can develop your own interpretation. But one thing is certain: you must be moved by the boy. If this layer is not there, I think the story will be cliché. You can make the performance more complex, but you can’t make it too logical to reduce the audience’s discomfort. You yourself still feel that you are much older than him. If you really fall in love with him, others will feel uncomfortable to some extent. That’s why you designed this line of reasoning for yourself. You can convince yourself and the audience.”
Wang Zhong astutely pointed out this line of logic in Chen Bige's character.
“But we’re not making a film to please the audience. Even if it’s a little offensive, I hope this short film can have something unconventional.”
Chen Bige fell silent.
Seeing this, Lu Yanhe also shut his mouth and remained quiet, giving Chen Bige space to think.
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"Pursuing art, pursuing the richness and literary quality of characters—to be honest, do you still think this is the era we live in?" Lian asked his friend.
“A good persona can sustain an artist for a lifetime, while a bad persona will lead to the actor being criticized. There are far too many examples of this,” Lian Xun said. “Instead of playing a role that would be well-received by the audience, he insists on playing a character who betrays his lover and is selfish and fickle. Yes, such a role is very different, and he has never played it before. But why doesn’t he think about why he hasn’t played it before? Is it because I have poor judgment and can’t think of a role like this for him?”
My friend said, "Lianxun, you're absolutely right, but you also have to think about it. Even if you see Huang Kairen as just a celebrity or an entertainer, not an artist, that doesn't stop him from having a heart that pursues art. If you keep blocking him, how do you think he'll feel?"
Lian Xun wanted to continue speaking.
His friend interrupted him, preventing him from speaking.
"Don't you know your mom's telling you to stay up less late is for your own good? Have you done that?"
"Don't you know that it's good for you to change your perspective on this? Have you accepted that?"
Lian Xun was so rebuked that he couldn't utter a single word.
“He’s not a puppet in your hands. If he’s going to run into a wall, you have to let him. On the one hand, he might exceed your expectations and break through the wall. On the other hand, if he doesn’t break through, OK, then he’ll know you’re right.” My friend said, “If you never let him run into a wall, in his eyes, you’ll be the biggest obstacle for him to overcome. Then be prepared to part ways with him in the future.”
He couldn't even utter a single word.
A breeze seemed to pass through my heart.
-
The wind is picking up.
Chen Bige raised her hand and adjusted her cloak.
A gentle smile flickered in her eyes.
Her smile seemed to stop the boy's heart. He stared blankly for a moment, then quickly looked away and said, "Madam, there's an ancient temple ahead. Let's go and rest for a bit."
The boy's voice betrayed his embarrassment.
Chen Bige nodded gently, "Okay."
She had very few lines and her expressions were also very limited, but her face and eyes were full of stories.
Every glance she gave the boy was filled with deep, complex emotions, yet they were concealed within, veiled by a mist, revealing only a vague outline.
Even though they were some distance apart, Huang Kairen didn't watch the close-up on the monitor; he could still feel the atmosphere between the two actors just by looking at them with his own eyes.
Night falls in the forest, where the cold moonlight filters through the branches and shadows of the trees.
The water vapor rises gently, and the birds sing sweetly.
At this moment, the natural environment and the artificial effects blend together seamlessly.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige stood less than five meters away from Huang Kairen, yet it felt as if they were separated from him by a different time and space.
This clear sense of separation, as if seeing scenes from the past in the light and shadow of a mirage, was a shooting location that Huang Kairen had never seen before.
The filming location itself seemed to become a work of art.
Huang Kairen silently pursed his lips.
He didn't notice that Xin Zixing was standing right behind him, studying his absorbed expression, looking at him quietly, intently, as if she were staring at him.
Xin Zixing never believed that Huang Kairen's acting talent was enough to make him a great acting master.
But she knew of his devotion and love for acting.
So even if he can't act very well, isn't the process of performing a kind of fulfilling satisfaction?
Xin Zixing doesn't care whether Huang Kairen wins the award or not, but she hopes he can get what he wants.
She had never said these words to him.
Huang Kairen always felt that she didn't understand his feelings about acting as an actor.
Xin Zixing really doesn't understand the appeal of acting. If she did, she might have become an actress herself.
But she doesn't need to understand. She only needs to know what he cares about, what he cares about, and what he truly wants. As his lover, she will use all her strength to help him achieve these goals.
I haven't written much yet; these chapters were quite difficult to write, but now that I've finished the difficult parts, the rest should flow more smoothly. I hope you enjoy them.
(End of this chapter)
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