Chapter 437 Reflections (5000-word update!)
In May, the weather begins to warm up.
Lu Yanhe got out of the car and walked into the photography studio.
The filming of "Squid Game" has been underway for almost two months now.
This drama is about to wrap up filming.
Lu Yanhe is about to leave for the Jose Film Festival, so he came here this weekend to check on the progress of the filming and visit the set.
The all-star cast of this drama has made it a target of intense media scrutiny since filming began.
Lu Yanhe often saw Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan being photographed on the street, and sometimes it would even make it to the trending topics.
Although Lu Yanhe was not the lead actor in "Squid Game", everyone in the crew knew that he was the screenwriter.
His sudden appearance in the studio surprised everyone.
Only a handful of people knew that Lu Yanhe would be coming today.
The scene we're filming today is the one on the glass bridge.
This scene depicts them encountering a new challenge—a glass bridge suspended high in the air. The bridge surface is composed of glass from different sides. Some of the glass is solid and safe to step on, while others will shatter once stepped on, causing the person to fall directly from the sky and be smashed into a bloody mess.
To allow the actors to experience the true, overwhelming fear, director Yao Yuanzhi moved the filming location to a real glass bridge five meters above the ground. Of course, this glass bridge was safe and wouldn't break if stepped on.
Furthermore, an air cushion was also installed under this real-life glass bridge, just in case.
However, despite this, the actors were still terrified by the height of the glass bridge. The feeling of being cautious and fearful while standing on the glass bridge came naturally without any acting.
Lu Yanhe could see the actors standing on the high platform from afar.
Yao Yuanzhi stood on a lift, which was located right next to the glass bridge.
Yao Yuanzhi is talking to the actors.
The show's producer, Wei Lai, was on set. When she saw Lu Yanhe coming over, she immediately came over to greet him.
"Yan He, you're here. Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could have met you at the door."
Wei Lai was sent by Aurora Video, and he knew very well how Aurora Video treated this young boy. Therefore, in front of Lu Yanhe, Wei Lai did not dare to be presumptuous at all, and his attitude was very enthusiastic.
Lu Yanhe smiled at Wei Lai and said, "Is Jiang Zixin not here today?"
Lu Yanhe had relatively little contact with Wei Lai; Jiang Zixin was usually the one who represented Aurora Borealis in dealing with Lu Yanhe.
Jiang Zixin is also one of the executive producers of "Squid Game" and "My Own Swordsman".
Wei Lai said, "Zi Xin has some things to do at the company today."
"When will we be able to wrap up filming for this movie?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Wei Lai said, "The studio scenes are expected to be filmed in about a week. After that, there are a few outdoor scenes to film, which should be completed in about three or four days."
Lu Yanhe: "Then filming will be wrapped up soon."
“Yes.” Wei Lai nodded. “The filming of this drama went quite smoothly, and all departments cooperated very well.”
"That's good."
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream came from above them, startling them so much that they immediately looked up.
It was discovered that actress Zhang Meisu, who plays Liu Meiren, was getting into character.
She crouched on the glass bridge and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Lu Yanhe could still hear Yao Yuanzhi's voice telling her, "It needs to be even more heart-wrenching; the force just now wasn't enough."
It was a false alarm.
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought something serious had really happened.
When Wei Lai saw Lu Yanhe breathe a sigh of relief, she smiled too.
"Now you know what our filming environment is like every day, right?" Wei Lai said with a smile. "We staff members are often startled on set by the actors suddenly rehearsing or trying to get into character. I'm almost having a nervous breakdown."
Lu Yanhe laughed along with him.
"I can roughly imagine the scene; it's definitely not easy," Lu Yanhe said. "Hearing you say that, I feel that everyone involved in filming this movie was very dedicated."
"They were very dedicated, and they often went to play escape rooms together after work."
Jiang Yuqian had mentioned this to him before.
She said that the actors from "The Squid Game" often went to escape rooms together to try and recreate the feeling from the movie. They mostly played the thrilling and suspenseful kind.
The biggest draw of this film isn't any of the stars, but rather the subject matter. The actors used various methods to make themselves more convinced of the story's background and to immerse themselves in the performance, which in turn allowed the audience to better connect with the film.
Lu Yanhe watched from below for about half an hour.
Because he didn't want anyone to remind them that he was there, and he didn't want to interrupt them.
Half an hour later, Yao Yuanzhi finally came down in the elevator.
He saw Lu Yanhe as soon as he came down.
"Hey!" Yao Yuanzhi waved to Lu Yanhe with great joy.
Lu Yanhe stepped forward and greeted him, "Director, you've been working hard lately. Your dark circles seem even worse than the last time I saw you."
Yao Yuanzhi said with a smile, "There's nothing I can do about it. I'll take a good rest and catch up on my sleep after filming this movie. Your script is so good that every scene can be used as a direct shooting guide for each department. I don't need to explain much; everyone will clearly know what to do. I have a feeling that this movie will be very popular and will be no worse than 'The Seventeen Floors'."
Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
“I think so too,” he said. “Once this show airs, you’ll be one of the highest-paid directors.”
Yao Yuanzhi looked excited and said, "Actually, I have an idea that I was just about to tell you."
"What are your thoughts?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Yao Yuanzhi said, "I really like this story. If it does well after airing, I'd like to make a second season. I wonder if you have any plans to write a second season script?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Not for now, but if it does well, this show is quite suitable for a sequel. It has a world view that is quite suitable for developing a sequel."
“Yes,” Yao Yuanzhi nodded. “Moreover, we can develop many stories from them.”
Seeing Yao Yuanzhi's excited expression, Lu Yanhe smiled, nodded, and said, "If you're interested, Director, go ahead and do it. I have no problem with that."
"Are you willing to grant me authorization?" Yao Yuanzhi asked with delight.
“Yes, of course.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “However, I don’t have time to continue writing the rest of the script myself, so you’ll have to do it yourself.”
Yao Yuanzhi was eager to try his hand at it.
Lu Yanhe was naturally willing to accept Yao Yuanzhi's idea of filming a sequel or spin-off of "The Squid Game." The film itself was a very commercial story, and if it could be made into a series, it would mean greater influence and more revenue.
The fact that Yao Yuanzhi was chosen as the director of "The Squid Game" already indicated that he was the most suitable director for the show; otherwise, Aurora Studios wouldn't have approached him. With someone like Yao willing to take over and continue developing "The Squid Game," Lu Yanhe only needed to act as the screenwriter for the first part and authorize the copyright holder to easily collect royalties and subsequent revenue sharing.
Upon hearing their conversation, Wei Lai immediately took it to heart and took the time to report Lu Yanhe and Yao Yuanzhi's conversation to Zheng Huai Ren.
-
Lu Yanhe's visit to the set was mainly to check on the progress of the filming and to see how things were going.
After inspecting the set and reviewing some of the footage shot over the past few days, Lu Yanhe knew in his heart that the project should be approved.
Yao Yuanzhi is a very competent director. He didn't try anything fancy in this series; every shot is crisp and clean, perfectly matching the style of the story "The Squid Game."
Especially concerning was his reluctance to focus on close-ups of the actors during the "Red Light, Green Light" scenes; this was completely eliminated later on. Clearly, Yao Yuanzhi is a director with a very well-thought-out plan; he knows exactly what he wants to film and how he wants it to look. In "Red Light, Green Light," he aimed to showcase the cruelty and realism of this death game as comprehensively as possible. Later, as the plot developed and the characters became more complex and three-dimensional, he began using closer shots to express the characters' inner struggles.
He didn't use the perspective of an art film to depict human nature, but rather the approach of a commercial film. The actors' performances were quite extroverted, a restrained extroversion. Whether it was anger or rumors, many scenes fully showcased the actors' skills, giving them ample room to perform.
At noon, Lu Yanhe ate the crew's boxed lunch with the actors.
Filming in a studio has one advantage: the dining conditions are better. The crew specially set up a large table for them so they could sit together and have a more substantial lunch.
Jiang Yuqian asked Lu Yanhe, "When are you leaving for Jose?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Rouge is scheduled to be shown in the middle of the screenings, so I plan to go there a day early. I have to come back after the premiere."
Jiang Yuqian asked, "Is the schedule so tight again?"
"My classes this semester aren't over yet, so I have to rush back to teach," Lu Yanhe explained. "I'll be much better next semester. I won't have any classes, and I've already finished the first draft of my graduation thesis, so I'll have more free time."
Jiang Jun smiled and said, "Then you're completely free from time constraints and can do more projects now. Do you have any projects planned?"
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Besides ‘Love Letter,’ there is another youth romance film to be shot, but it hasn’t started yet. I’ve been busy with ‘Love Letter’ lately.”
Jiang Jun asked, "Are there any roles I can play?"
"In movies about youth romance, I only have cameo roles," Lu Yanhe said.
“A cameo role would be fine too. After filming ‘Squid Game,’ I don’t have any other projects lined up,” Jiang Jun said. “I need to find myself some new work.”
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Okay."
He noticed that Liu Zefan and Wang Jing also seemed eager to speak.
Lu Yanhe quickly said, "I plan to play the male lead myself, and I already have a candidate in mind for the female lead."
Lu Yanhe originally intended that after saying this, the two of them would no longer need to ask for roles.
To everyone's surprise, Liu Zefan, the currently popular actor, seemed to have mustered up his courage after hearing this, and said, "Wouldn't the second male lead role be suitable for me? I'm not even two years older than you, so acting in a youth romance movie should be quite appropriate, right?"
After Liu Zefan spoke up, Wang Jing immediately said, "I'm still in college, so it's definitely suitable for me too."
Director Yao Yuanzhi laughed and said, "Can't you two be a little more ambitious? Xiao Jing is still on the rise, which is fine, but Liu Zefan, you're a popular actor. You get a lot of offers to play leading roles, and you're only playing a supporting role in our film? Do you want to go on to play supporting roles in Lu Yanhe's movies?"
Liu Zefan said, "My agent told me that I wouldn't consider supporting roles in other dramas, but playing a supporting role in Yan He's drama is no problem."
"Why? Is it because Yan He's dramas are all very popular?" Yao Yuanzhi asked. "It's infuriating to compare yourself to others. If I asked you to play a supporting role, your agent definitely wouldn't agree."
Liu Zefan shook his head and said very seriously, "Yan He's dramas are very popular, but more importantly, the supporting male characters in Yan He's dramas are just as outstanding as the male leads. That's what my agent told me."
Lu Yanhe never expected to receive such high praise from Liu Zefan's agent.
He clasped his hands together and said, "Please thank your agent for me."
Liu Zefan asked, "Can I play the second male lead in your movie?"
“Uh… what I actually wanted to say is that the second male lead in the movie might not be as outstanding as the policeman you played in ‘The Squid Game,’” Lu Yanhe said. “If you’re willing to act in it, I’d certainly welcome you, but don’t take on roles or make decisions haphazardly. I’ll send the script to your agent later, and you can study it carefully before getting back to me.”
Liu Zefan said, "My agent said that if it's a drama of yours, you can act in it if you have the opportunity. You don't need to ask him, just agree."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Who's your manager? Why does he trust me so much?"
Liu Zefan said, "Li Xia."
"This name sounds familiar." Lu Yanhe felt a vague recollection of it, but couldn't quite place it.
He does know quite a lot of people in the entertainment industry, so he can't immediately recall who's who.
Jiang Yuqian reminded her, "Li Xia also brought another actor, you know him, Meng Li."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized, "Huh? You and Meng Li have the same agent?"
Liu Zefan nodded.
He added, "However, Mengli is Mengli, and I am me, and I also hate Mengli."
Their attitude was made very clear at once.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
Li Xia.
He remembered that person, who was just as worldly and shrewd as Zhou Ping'an.
Lu Yanhe suddenly had a very different opinion of Li Xia.
Perhaps because of Meng Li, Lu Yanhe's previous impression of Li Xia was that she was a very worldly and cunning woman.
But after Liu Zefan's words, Lu Yanhe suddenly felt that Li Xia was just doing her job, fulfilling her responsibilities, and planning her affairs.
After several conversations with Liu Zefan, Lu Yanhe realized that Liu Zefan was a young actor who was perhaps even more naive and naive than himself. However, his ability to achieve stardom under such circumstances was undoubtedly due in large part to his agent.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Okay, I'll contact your agent later."
Liu Zefan's face lit up with joy.
Wang Jing couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "What about me? What about me? You can't just choose Liu Zefan and not me!"
Lu Yanhe looked at the girl who had worked with him on "Late Spring" and whose acting talent was outstanding, smiled, and said, "You don't need to act in this play. I have another role for you."
"Huh?" Wang Jing was taken aback at first, then overjoyed, her eyes lighting up instantly.
Jiang Yuqian suddenly thought of something and looked at Lu Yanhe.
Her eyes seemed to ask, "Is it about that movie of hers?"
Lu Yanhe nodded slightly.
In "The Telephone," besides the character played by Jiang Yuqian, there is another young girl character; the two female leads of this film are the two of them.
This role of a young girl requires exceptional acting skills. Among the actresses Lu Yanhe knows, only Wang Jing and Sui Fangran from "Three Mountains" are capable of portraying a student with such acting ability. Naturally, Lu Yanhe prefers Wang Jing, whom he is more familiar with.
In the time it takes to eat a meal, Liu Zefan and Wang Jing both received offers for Lu Yanhe's next film, making the other actors inexplicably envious.
However, they were either not as famous as Liu Zefan, or unlike Wang Jing, who had worked with Lu Yanhe on "Late Spring" and was therefore more familiar with him, none of them dared to ask Lu Yanhe for a role.
Being able to act in "The Squid Game" is already a great achievement.
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Everyone, don't rush to take on roles. After 'Squid Game' airs, your pay will definitely go up, and you'll receive more scripts and have more choices."
As soon as he said this, everyone laughed and agreed with him.
Which actor involved in this production wouldn't want this?
Isn't that why everyone is so eager to get involved in Lu Yanhe's project?
Lu Yanhe finished the meal with everyone before saying goodbye and leaving.
Before leaving, Jiang Yuqian chatted with Lu Yanhe for a while by his car.
Jiang Yuqian said, "I've been seriously thinking about something while filming 'Squid Game' recently."
"What is it?" Lu Yanhe asked.
“Do I need to change my career path, or rather, do I need to be single-mindedly focused on winning an award?” Jiang Yuqian said. “Neither ‘Squid Game’ nor ‘Telephone’ are films that I think can win awards. However, I resonate with both characters very much, especially Jiang Cao. I’ve been with her for almost two months. I even dream about being in the story of the play, experiencing the ups and downs of her emotions.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“I was thinking that maybe my acting skills are not good enough for me to act in the kind of films that can win awards. However, playing these roles that I can relate to allows me to dig out my true emotions and become one with the characters,” Jiang Yuqian said. “These two films have indeed made me think like this.”
(End of this chapter)
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