Chapter 447 Filming Set (Second Update, Please Vote!)
Zhang Ruozhi has never acted before and has never had any filming experience.
However, Lu Yanhe chose her without hesitation.
With the school on summer vacation, it's much easier to manage the film crew. Before, when shooting outdoor scenes and establishing shots, many people would gather around, curiously observing. Now, school security guards have been assigned to help the crew clear some areas near the school gate, allowing them to film without being disturbed by the surroundings.
The first shot that Lu Yanhe and Zhang Ruozhi were preparing to film was a scene of the two of them riding bicycles home from school along a small path.
This scene is a recollection of the high school days between female Kawai Itsuki and male Kawai Itsuki in the film, presented in a nostalgic tone.
"I never imagined that we would be in the same class for three whole years. During those dark three years, I was subjected to unfair discrimination everywhere... It may sound funny to outsiders, but those who were in it had no way to express their suffering. We gradually had to avoid each other, and I can't even remember if we ever talked."
The first problem arose: Zhang Ruozhi couldn't ride a bicycle.
Lu Yanhe had never even thought about this question before.
Zhang Ruozhi blushed slightly and immediately apologized.
Lu Yanhe smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's okay, I'll learn it. We'll film the bicycle scene later."
Zhang Ruozhi pursed her lips and nodded.
Her classmate Liu Lingmeng accompanied Zhang Ruozhi on set under the guise of being her "assistant".
Upon hearing this, Liu Lingmeng immediately said, "I'll teach Ruoruo to ride a bicycle. Don't worry, she'll learn in three days."
Lu Yanhe smiled, "No rush."
Therefore, the filming of the first shot had to be postponed before it even began.
At this moment, Bao Wenliang from the photography crew suddenly complained in a low voice, "Couldn't you have said earlier that you couldn't ride a bicycle? You only said that after the equipment was already set up. Isn't this just making things difficult for us?"
They all heard Bao Wenliang's voice.
Zhang Ruozhi's cheeks flushed red, and she immediately bowed to Bao Wenliang, saying, "I'm sorry."
Liu Lingmeng spoke up in protest, saying, "You didn't ask Ruoruo beforehand if she could ride a bicycle, and we didn't know that Ruoruo would need to ride by herself."
Bao Wenliang chuckled, "If no one rides a bicycle, will the two wheels turn by themselves?"
Liu Lingmeng: "..."
Lu Yanhe didn't want to see them bickering at this time.
"I apologize for not telling Ruozhi in advance that she would need to ride a bicycle herself, which caused inconvenience to everyone."
Lu Yanhe glanced at Bao Wenliang in a calm tone and said to everyone in the crew, "This is no big deal. We can film this scene after Ruozhi learns to ride a bicycle."
Lu Yanhe's calm and composed demeanor, along with his generous apology, brought a moment of silence to the scene.
He turned to look at Zhao Yuheng.
"Yuheng, let's move on to another location and film the scene with Ruozhi in the classroom, the one where we're on duty."
Zhao Yuheng nodded.
-
"Brother Wenliang, why did you complain about those things at that time?" Wu Zhou asked.
Bao Wenliang said, "Why can't we complain? One of them has never been a director, and the other has never acted. They know nothing, but they just impulsively decided to make a film, causing us so much trouble."
Wu Zhou said, "But Lu Yanhe is the director. Although he is indeed very young, is it really okay for you to disrespect him and complain about the female lead in front of him?"
Bao Wenliang shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter. What kind of female lead is Zhang Ruozhi? There's only one female lead in this movie, and that's Chen Bige. What are you so timid about? We were borrowed by him from Liu Bige. There are only two of us cinematographers in this movie. Do you think he can blame us for something like this?"
Wu Zhou wondered if Bao Wenliang's ideas were a bit too arrogant. However, Bao Wenliang was his senior, and he couldn't criticize him. He could only keep these thoughts to himself and remain silent.
Bao Wenliang said, "Let me tell you, Wu Zhou, those of us who do this kind of technical work may not make big money, but we don't have to be afraid of offending people. As long as you have real skills, you can make a living wherever you go."
Wu Zhou nodded and hummed in agreement.
At this moment, Luo Yuzhong walked over from the front.
Bao Wenliang's expression immediately changed, and he put on a warm smile, calling out to Director Luo.
Luo Yuzhong glanced at him, nodded, and went to find Lu Yanhe.
-
Luo Yuzhong said, “I have to go back to Yuming first. There are some things at my company that I need to check on. I've sorted things out for you here for now, so it's not a big problem. As a director, it's not that you're afraid to make requests, it's that you keep your ideas to yourself and have everyone guess your thoughts. So, you must communicate with all departments in a timely manner. Don't be afraid that it will be difficult to implement. The job of a director is the brain, and the other technical departments are your hands and feet. They are there to help you realize those ideas, understand? A new director should avoid being unrealistic and not seeking practicality. Of course, you are not that kind of person, but you should also avoid being timid and afraid to say anything or think anything. You are more likely to be like that.”
Luo Yuzhong's reminder hit the nail on the head regarding Lu Yanhe's problem.
Lu Yanhe smiled and thanked him, saying to Luo Yuzhong, "Thank you, teacher. Without your help, I don't know when my film crew would have been able to get things in order."
“You’ve already called me ‘teacher,’ so isn’t it normal for me to help you with these things?” Luo Yuzhong said. “I have a film that’s about to start production, and if you’re interested, you can invest a little.”
Luo Yuzhong truly considers Lu Yanhe one of his own.
TV series and movies really do have different approaches.
The TV series are basically sold on a lump-sum basis—the platform buys the goods, pays the money, and delivers the goods. As for how well the series is broadcast and whether the revenue is high or low, that is the responsibility of the platform itself.
For a director of Luo Yuzhong's caliber, every project he undertakes is basically guaranteed to be profitable, no matter the circumstances.
He took the initiative to suggest that Lu Yanhe invest a small amount if he was interested, essentially meaning he wanted to make money with him. But making money was secondary; the most crucial and important resource for Lu Yanhe's future was gaining access to the capital circle of his project and making more connections.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "You can name a number and I'll take it."
Luo Yuzhong did invest in the filming of "Love Letter," though not a large sum—only 800,000 yuan. It's important to understand that film investment and television series investment are completely different concepts. The former is a high-risk project, while the latter is not. His willingness to invest is, in fact, his strongest form of support for Lu Yanhe.
Luo Yuzhong: "I probably won't be back for another week. If you encounter any problems, for minor issues, contact Zhao Yuheng. He's very capable and experienced; he can handle it. For major problems, it's better to delay for a few days and lose some money than to rush into a hasty solution. Otherwise, you might seem to have patched up the hole but actually created an even bigger mess. Call me and ask others for advice. You're different from other new directors; your biggest asset is that you have many people who can help you. Don't waste this advantage."
Lu Yanhe nodded, hummed in agreement, and smiled at him.
"Thank you, teacher."
"Oh, right." After explaining all that, Luo Yuzhong remembered something, "Didn't a photographer just argue with you?"
Lu Yanhe: "He didn't exactly shut me up, but he wasn't very polite in his words."
Luo Yuzhong: "If it's just this once or twice and he tones it down afterward, then we won't say anything. But if he escalates his behavior, you need to deal with him. Don't forget, he's someone Liu Bige borrowed. No matter what, don't let it affect your relationship with Liu Bige. If something really happens, contact Liu Bige and let him handle it. This will save face for him and also establish your authority. This film crew is like a small martial arts world. Don't listen to what the media says about art or aesthetics. Just think of it as a newly established small sect. No matter how skilled you are, everyone under you has their own agenda and may not necessarily obey you. You need to establish your authority so that no matter what they think in their hearts, their words and actions must obey you."
Lu Yanhe nodded and replied with a "Okay".
These are all based on Luo Yuzhong's many years of experience as a director, and every word is invaluable.
“You have a clear vision for this film, which is a good thing. It puts my mind at ease and I know it will be well-made.” Luo Yuzhong patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder. “Knowing how you want to present this film, all you have to do now is shoot it.”
-
The scene was moved to the classroom.
This scene takes place after school, when only the boy and girl, Kaii Itsuki, remain in the classroom as students on duty.
Lu Yanhe's script only included a few lines about this scene.
However, because the filming schedule was changed at the last minute and the classroom setup was not yet complete, they took a break for the time being.
Lu Yanhe called Zhang Ruozhi to the corridor.
"Don't worry about the bicycle thing," Lu Yanhe said. "It's nothing."
Zhang Ruozhi nodded slightly and hummed in agreement.
Lu Yanhe laughed and asked, "Do you have someone you like?"
"Huh?!" Zhang Ruozhi suddenly opened her eyes wide like a deer, looking at Lu Yanhe in surprise, seemingly not understanding why Lu Yanhe suddenly asked this.
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "If you have that feeling, you can try to put yourself in that mood and state of mind when you perform."
Zhang Ruozhi gently pursed her lips.
A gentle breeze was blowing in the corridor.
The sunlight shone down, casting a golden hue over the campus.
Zhang Ruozhi's youthful expression reassured Lu Yanhe.
She doesn't need to act; she is Huaijingshu in the script.
-
Filming didn't actually begin until three hours later.
In the afternoon, Wu Zhou and Bao Wenliang each took charge of one of the two camera positions.
One filmed Lu Yanhe, and the other filmed Zhang Ruozhi.
We were very lucky; the light was at its most saturated right now, and the shot turned out beautifully. In the classroom setting, the youthful energy was almost overflowing.
Lu Yanhe sat by the window, looking down at his book and organizing his notes.
The person he was looking up to was actually Li Pengfei, his high school classmate.
Although not explicitly stated in the script, Lu Yanhe felt that Huai Jingshu was not a particularly outstanding student. Many details in the original film's dialogue also indirectly reflected this. Therefore, Lu Yanhe's face could not display any confident or assured air of certainty.
Beneath that seemingly expressionless and silent exterior lies a deeply hidden awkwardness typical of a high school student going through puberty—just a little bit is enough.
This is the result of Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi's numerous video calls and many attempts.
He specifically got a student-style haircut, not so glamorous or handsome. Kaii Itsuki's good looks are a kind of ordinary, student-like good looks, and that touch of adolescent melancholy adds to his charm. If his image were fashionable and strikingly handsome, the atmosphere of this story wouldn't be either "everyday" or "ordinary student."
Then, Lu Yanhe also refused to have his makeup done. The makeup artist had asked if he wanted at least a base, but Lu Yanhe said, "Not at all."
"We relied entirely on lighting. Neither I nor Ruozhi wore any makeup. We used natural light and artificial light to adjust the condition of our faces," Lu Yanhe said. "I even hoped that the camera could clearly show the distinct texture on our faces."
Regarding this point, Lu Yanhe also had to work with several departments several times during the test shoot before finding the ideal shot for him.
So, as soon as filming began, Lu Yanhe got into character.
Zhang Ruozhi stood to the right of the podium, erased the name "Huai Jingshu" written on the duty student column, then turned to look at Lu Yanhe and asked in a low voice, "Huai Jingshu, who is the duty student tomorrow?"
Lu Yanhe glanced at her and said two names.
Zhang Ruozhi nodded and wrote her name on the chalk.
"What did you learn in math class today?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Zhang Ruozhi said: "Equation."
Lu Yanhe asked, "What equation?"
At this moment, other classmates would suddenly appear at the classroom door and tease the two of them.
However, because this scene was filmed at the last minute, the student actors haven't arrived yet.
The student actors we found were the boys who suddenly ran into Lu Yanhe, Zhang Ruozhi, and Liu Lingmeng's coffee shop that day.
Lu Yanhe felt that their temperament was very similar to the boys in the script.
His restlessness was barely concealed, along with his desire to play tricks on others.
Liu Bige called "Cut" for Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe pulled Zhang Ruozhi to the monitor to watch the playback they had just recorded.
When Zhang Ruozhi appeared on camera, her eyes seemed to peek out from behind a mask in winter, filled with a clear, watery light, and also possessed the unique timidity and shyness of a young girl.
Lu Yanhe felt a sense of relief.
very nice.
He glanced back at Liu Bige.
Liu Bige nodded to him as well. The meaning was the same, indicating to Lu Yanhe that Zhang Ruozhi was indeed quite good.
-
However, although Zhang Ruozhi was very suitable for the role, in Lu Yanhe's opinion, she was indeed a newcomer and did not know how to act. Even in a very simple scene, she exposed many problems.
Lu Yanhe pulled Zhang Ruozhi aside and said to her, "Ruozhi, you look beautiful in the photos, didn't you see that?"
Zhang Ruozhi nodded somewhat shyly.
She is very shy.
“However, acting isn’t just about looking good on screen. The first film I ever made was Luo Yuzhong’s ‘The Golden Era.’ Director Luo told me that acting isn’t about playing yourself, but about reacting.” Lu Yanhe continued, referring to the scene he had just acted in, “In that scene, you were the main perspective because you were an adult recalling things that happened during your high school years, right?”
Zhang Ruozhi nodded.
“So, you see in the script, all the scenes between you and me are actually seen from your perspective,” Lu Yanhe said. “Even though you are wiping the blackboard with your back to me and writing the names of the students on duty tomorrow, when the camera is on me, it will definitely include your profile or a certain part of your body, because every shot of me is a memory of yours.”
Zhang Ruozhi seemed to be deep in thought.
“When you were talking to me just now, it wasn’t a normal, two-dimensional conversation between two people. It was all happening from your perspective,” Lu Yanhe said. “When you’re reciting your lines, before and after you say them, you have to be aware that you’re talking to me. Like just now, you handled it very well at the beginning. Before you spoke to me, you glanced at me and asked me who was on duty tomorrow. But after that, your lines and performance had nothing to do with me. You just waited for me to say my lines and then you went on smoothly. There was no communication between us.”
Lu Yanhe then took Zhang Ruozhi to watch the replay of the scene from earlier.
“You see, if you could pause for a moment and show surprise when I ask you a question, since I rarely talk to you, and in your eyes I’m a bit aloof and quiet, wouldn’t it be more reasonable for you to be surprised when I suddenly ask you a question?” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
“Actually—” Zhang Ruozhi hesitated before speaking.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Actually what?"
“I don’t know if Huai Jingshu has fallen for the boy with the same name as her at this time, so I don’t quite understand her feelings,” Zhang Ruozhi said. “I’m always a little embarrassed to look at you. You asked me before if I had someone I liked, and asked me to put myself in your shoes when I was facing someone I liked. I don’t dare to look at the person I like.”
Lu Yanhe immediately realized what Zhang Ruozhi was thinking.
"Do you want to see him?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Ruozhi asked.
"So, under normal circumstances, when you know he's not looking at you and nobody else is looking at you, wouldn't you want to sneak a peek at him?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Zhang Ruozhi nodded hesitantly, "Sometimes I'll sneak a peek."
"If a guy you like, or someone you're even a little curious about, suddenly talks to you and asks you a question, wouldn't you also feel justified in glancing at him at that moment?"
Zhang Ruozhi put herself in that shoes for a moment and nodded.
Will you keep watching?
"No," Zhang Ruozhi immediately shook her head.
“Yes, that’s it,” Lu Yanhe said. “Actually, this is exactly how you are right now.”
Zhang Ruozhi came to her senses and seemed to be deep in thought.
After Lu Yanhe finished speaking with Zhang Ruozhi, he gave her five minutes to think about it again.
-
Liu Bige stood in the corridor with Lu Yanhe, his arms crossed.
"How did you suddenly come up with the idea of filming such a story?" Liu Bige asked Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe said, "There was no particular reason. At the time, I just wanted to shoot a story that could start filming quickly, so I came up with this idea."
Liu Bige: "I haven't read such a...pure love story in a long time."
Lu Yanhe laughed.
Liu Bige: "Really, it's probably because times have changed. You can't see love stories like this anymore. They'd only be possible if they happened more than ten years ago. Your setting of time and space is really ingenious. It uses a time span to create a natural sense of nostalgia, and it makes people my age easily think back to when we were in school."
Liu Bige looked at him with some suspicion: "But, is this story based on yourself? Did you ever have a secret crush on someone?"
Lu Yanhe: "...The person I like is already with me, so I don't need to make a movie to commemorate the person I had a crush on."
Liu Bige: "Anyway, after the movie is released, there will definitely be a lot of people who think this way. You should think carefully about how you want to answer this question from the media."
Lu Yanhe said, "What's the point of answering? Did you make 'Late Spring' because you experienced that kind of youth?"
Liu Bige: "Everyone knows that this is based on an original story."
"That's not something Miao Yue has experienced."
“We certainly know that creation is fiction, but for many viewers, that is not the case,” Liu Bige said. “People tend to easily assume that the stories written by creators are stories that the creators have experienced themselves.”
This is indeed a dilemma that many creators have to face.
-
That afternoon, everyone witnessed Lu Yanhe's meticulous attention to detail regarding a single shot.
In fact, Zhang Ruozhi had already shown a very good performance starting from the third point.
She fully understood what Lu Yanhe had told her.
However, Lu Yanhe was not very satisfied with his condition.
He always felt that his acting was too expressionless.
However, this character does indeed have little to no expression most of the time.
Lu Yanhe himself found it difficult to play a role that had few or no lines most of the time.
Especially when trying to imitate the version starring Takashi Kashiwabara from my memory, the more I try to imitate it, the worse it gets.
Even Liu Bige could see his discomfort.
If the beginning was about Lu Yanhe helping Zhang Ruozhi find her rhythm, then the end became about Zhang Ruozhi helping Lu Yanhe find his rhythm.
However, Lu Yanhe was not in a hurry.
Having filmed so many dramas, Lu Yanhe has gradually gotten used to his own creative rhythm. The earlier scenes are always the most difficult to film because it's hard to find the right state of mind; you need to adjust slowly and gradually get closer to it.
Lu Yanhe believed he could find it.
After each take, Lu Yanhe would pull Zhang Ruozhi aside to watch the scene on the monitor.
"No, still no." This is a phrase that Lu Yanhe always utters when watching his own performance.
But apart from him, no one else knew what was wrong.
Liu Bige might have known, but he didn't speak. On set, he remained largely silent. This was his way of showing respect to Lu Yanhe as a director. You can't just speak up and point fingers on someone else's set. This wasn't his crew; this was Lu Yanhe's crew. A crew only needs one voice.
In fact, Liu Bige knew that Lu Yanhe was saying something was wrong.
Lu Yanhe was looking for the state of mind behind his taciturn high school student persona, where he had developed some curiosity or even affection for girls.
If you can't sense this subtle emotion from him, then he really is just "expressionless".
At 5 p.m., after eight takes, Lu Yanhe finally got a satisfactory shot and yelled "Cut!"
knock off.
One shot took an entire afternoon to film.
For a film, this isn't too long.
However, filming it eight times was considered a lot. This shot wasn't particularly difficult, nor was it a crucial shot in the film. Initially, this scene wasn't planned to take an entire afternoon to film. Zhao Yuheng was even considering whether the filming schedule should be changed.
At Lu Yanhe's shooting style, it's really not certain that they'll be able to finish shooting the summer scenes in two weeks.
Of course, it's okay even if it's overdue. Summer vacation is so long, they've already rented the place for a month.
Lu Yanhe and the others left first.
Everyone else packed up their assigned items.
Everyone gathered together and started chatting.
"I feel that Zhang Ruozhi is a very talented actress. She looks great on camera."
"Yes, she is really pretty. I think this girl will become famous in the future."
"Don't you guys think about it? Lu Yanhe chose her from so many newcomers, how could she not be good-looking?"
Wu Zhou packed up the camera and turned to look at Bao Wenliang, who was sitting in the last row of chairs in the classroom smoking.
He also confiscated his camera.
"Brother Wenliang—"
"Are you all packed up?" Bao Wenliang pointed to his camera. "Could you pack it up for me? I'm really exhausted. Damn it, shooting one scene eight times, what's the difference between them? I'm fed up."
Wu Zhou smiled awkwardly and went forward to help him pack up his equipment.
Bao Wenliang: "Actually, we could have finished work a long time ago, but he insisted on dragging it out until now."
"It's not too late to wrap up now, it's not even dark yet," Wu Zhou said. "It's much better than other film crews."
Bao Wenliang: "Other film crews work overtime because they have too many scenes to shoot, so they have no choice but to work overtime. But this one scene takes a whole day to shoot, and it's such a simple shot. Have you ever seen any film crew shoot like this?"
Wu Zhou: "I don't understand either. I'm just a photographer."
"Old Bao, stop babbling. We finished work early today, and we're planning to go out for a drink tonight. Are you coming?"
"Let's go."
"OK."
Bao Wenliang said to Wu Zhou, "Xiao Wu, then help me take these back."
Wu Zhou nodded hesitantly and said "Oh".
Bao Wenliang left with several people.
Those who stayed in the classroom to finish up were all young people from various departments. They were either assistants, apprentices, or juniors like Wu Zhou.
Wu Zhou and the others exchanged glances, silently smiling at each other.
Wu Zhou said, "If we don't have anything else to do after we get back, let's get together and have a get-together."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
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Second update, 7,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets.
(End of this chapter)
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