Chapter 448 The Feeling of Filming
"How was your first day of filming?"
In the evening, Lu Yanhe took several people to Sister Jing's Private Kitchen for dinner, including Zhang Ruozhi and her mother, as well as her friend Liu Lingmeng.
Besides them, Chen Bige, Liu Bige, Xin Zixing, and Zhao Yuheng were also there.
Zhang Ruozhi smiled shyly and said, "It feels... okay."
"You acted very well." Xin Zixing said to Zhang Ruozhi with a smile. "Before watching you act today, I was a little worried. You've never acted before, so I didn't know how well you would do. I thought it was risky for Yan He to choose a high school student who is currently in his second year of high school to act. But after watching it today, I understand why Yan He chose you to act."
Zhang Ruozhi lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Thank you."
“However, at this filming speed, it might not be enough to finish filming in two weeks?” Xin Zixing asked directly. “Yan He, I didn’t expect that you would be the one holding us back later on.”
She was actually saying that on purpose, to put Zhang Ruozhi at ease.
Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "It's okay. The first few days of filming are just for getting familiar with the characters and the filming environment. As everyone becomes more familiar with the movie, the filming speed will increase."
Zhao Yuheng said, "All the summer scenes are set in high school, and there aren't many scenes. When I was making the shooting plan, the two-week shooting period was actually a bit longer than planned. Even if it goes over the deadline, it doesn't matter. We signed a 40-day contract with the entire crew for this summer, so the director can take his time shooting."
"Reliable." Lu Yanhe nodded. "However, it should be no problem to finish filming in two weeks."
Chen Bige is not on set today.
She went hiking in the mountains outside Jiangzhi City with her assistant.
She deliberately didn't go. On the first day of filming, she could foresee that Lu Yanhe, as a first-time director, and Zhang Ruozhi, as a first-time actress, would definitely be a little lost on set.
If she goes again, it will probably distract them even more.
Hearing everyone say that although today's filming took longer than expected, things went quite well, she breathed a sigh of relief with delight.
“Yan He, I have to wonder if you’re really protected by some kind of luck,” Chen Bige said. “I thought that today would be the first day of filming for you, and the set would be chaotic.”
“I’ve brought in so many big shots to help me oversee things, and everything in the departments is running smoothly. How could I be in such a mess?” Lu Yanhe said to Chen Bige. “Sister Bige, I didn’t realize you didn’t trust me at all.”
Chen Bige: "That's right. Even though I didn't trust you, I still agreed to play the female lead for you. I even broke my own rule. Not long after 'Rouge' finished filming, I took on this role."
Lu Yanhe smiled and raised his glass to Chen Bige.
They're drinking local fruit wine tonight; it's not very strong and has a sweet taste.
The two looked at each other and laughed.
-
Liu Lingmeng whispered in Zhang Ruozhi's ear, "Ruo Ruo, these celebrities don't seem any different from our parents in private."
Zhang Ruozhi said softly, "Yes."
Liu Lingmeng seemed to be thinking, "They don't mind your shy personality at all."
"Huh?" Zhang Ruozhi glanced at her friend. "Why do they dislike me?"
Liu Lingmeng said, "Isn't it said that people with social anxiety can't survive in the entertainment industry?"
Zhang Ruozhi: "..."
Liu Lingmeng crossed her arms and snorted, "However, people can change. Look at Lu Yanhe when he first debuted; he was even more socially awkward than you."
Zhang Ruozhi: "Keep your voice down."
"They were chatting and didn't notice us," Liu Lingmeng said while eating. "But I really didn't expect Director Liu Bige to be so handsome."
Zhang Ruozhi: "Didn't you see director Liu Bige's photos online before?"
“I thought it was photoshopped,” Liu Lingmeng said. “At the time, I even thought, how come this director, who isn’t an actor, photoshopped himself so much to look so handsome?”
The two of them thought no one was listening to them.
But Xin Zixing heard it all.
She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The two girls immediately looked at her.
Xin Zixing immediately made a zipper-up gesture over her mouth.
-
On the second day of filming, Lu Yanhe went to the dressing room at eight o'clock in the morning to change into his school uniform.
The first scene we're shooting today is a direct continuation of yesterday's filming. We'll be filming a few boys suddenly popping out of the door, teasing the two boys on duty, and then running away after they've finished teasing them.
Lu Yanhe specifically found several boys from Zhang Ruozhi's class to play these roles.
Upon arrival at the scene, all departments were already in place.
He went to talk to a few boys about the play and asked them to rehearse first.
Zhang Ruozhi had already taken her seat in the classroom.
Suddenly, he heard Liu Bige ask, "Where is Bao Wenliang?"
Lu Yanhe looked back.
Wu Zhou said to Liu Bige, "Brother Bao... hasn't arrived yet."
Liu Bige: "Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
Wu Zhou looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Liu Bige took out his phone and made a call.
But it seems no one is answering the phone.
Lu Yanhe withdrew his gaze and continued discussing the play with the others.
Since Liu Bige is in charge, he doesn't need to interfere.
However, even after the scene was successfully filmed, Bao Wenliang still hadn't appeared.
The entire scene was filmed by Wu Zhou using a single camera; there were no dual cameras. As a result, they could only film Zhang Ruozhi's reaction first, and then film the scene with the boys at the door. The actors had to perform the scene several times.
The actors, of course, didn't mind at all—it was their first time acting, and they were very excited.
Especially the boys, who were clearly going through the turbulent phase of puberty, were excited about everything they did. And this was a movie shoot—they had no idea that they had just run into a coffee shop and suddenly found themselves in a movie.
It wasn't until almost noon that Bao Wenliang rushed over, looking very flustered.
Liu Bige's face darkened immediately, and he asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Bao Wenliang looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Director Bige, I wasn't feeling well this morning and went to the hospital."
Liu Bige's gaze swept over Bao Wenliang's hair, which clearly showed he had just gotten out of bed.
Bao Wenliang realized something, raised his hand to smooth his hair, chuckled, and said, "I was in such a rush this morning that I forgot to comb my hair. I was thinking of finishing the show as soon as possible and getting back to the set."
Liu Bige: "Did you know there was filming this morning?"
“I…I know.” Bao Wenliang nodded.
"Since you knew there was filming this morning, even if you weren't feeling well, couldn't you have asked the crew for leave in advance?" Liu Bige said. "Don't you even know this basic rule?"
Liu Bige said these words in front of everyone, showing absolutely no mercy to Bao Wenliang.
Bao Wenliang wanted to explain himself a bit more, but after seeing Liu Bige's stern face, he hesitated for a moment, then didn't say anything and honestly admitted his mistake.
-
At noon, everyone went to the school cafeteria for lunch.
The film crew signed a contract directly with the school cafeteria, asking them to provide three meals a day for the crew.
This is also convenient.
Hiring a local cook to cook for dozens of people on the film crew earns more than usual, and it's not as strenuous as cooking for thousands of students, so the cook is happy to take on this job.
Xin Zixing manages the logistics of the film crew, and she handles everything very well. Generally speaking, the person in charge of logistics on a film crew is always the most trusted person. Because that's where the most shady dealings and the most opportunities for personal gain can be found. How things are handled really depends entirely on who's in charge.
For Lu Yanhe, the only person around him capable of doing this was Xin Zixing. Only she was trustworthy, experienced, and unlikely to cause any problems.
Just as Lu Yanhe had hoped, Xin Zixing's food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all taken care of without any mishaps.
Eating in the cafeteria is a self-service activity; everyone uses their own trays to serve themselves.
Lu Yanhe and Zhang Ruozhi's meals were prepared separately, one of a kind. It wasn't to make sure they ate better or to highlight their importance as the main characters, but rather because Lu Yanhe insisted that their meals be low in oil and salt, and that the dishes be chosen with controlled calories so that they could both be in top condition.
One of the most important professional ethics for actors on set is to maintain their best condition and be ready to go at any time.
The camera doesn't lie.
If your eyes look even slightly tired, the camera will magnify it infinitely.
-
"Old Bao, you got a real scolding from Liu Bige today." Bao Wenliang was being laughed at by the people he had been drinking with the night before.
Bao Wenliang's table was quite far from Lu Yanhe's table, so the message couldn't reach them no matter what.
However, he still glanced warily in Liu Bige's direction before spitting at the person who had just laughed at him and saying, "If you hadn't forced me to drink so much yesterday, I wouldn't be unable to get up today."
"Come on, you insisted on drinking yesterday, and we couldn't stop you."
Bao Wenliang: "Enough with the nonsense."
"Liu Bige went too far. You are the chief cinematographer for this film. He showed you no mercy at all. It makes me feel disheartened."
Bao Wenliang waved his hand and said, "Liu Bige was speaking up for me."
"You're really funny. They've scolded you so badly, and you're still defending yourself."
“He insulted me, so no one else can say anything. Look, did Lu Yanhe say anything to me?” Bao Wenliang said confidently. “You guys really don’t understand.”
"You were originally invited by Lu Yanhe to help out. Do you think he would dare to scold you over such a small matter? Lao Bao, if he really did scold you, could you tolerate it?"
"Damn it, I was officially late, otherwise, would I have argued back? Are you trying to drag me into this mess?" Bao Wenliang laughed and cursed.
"Didn't you say it yourself last night? Not much money, lots of hassle." Someone laughed. "What do you guys think of the movie 'Love Letter'? Do you think it'll be a hit?"
"It's just a sentimental love story, it's not going to amount to anything." Someone laughed.
"Only Lu Yanhe can direct this show. If you change the script and direct it, who would come?"
"Indeed, it says it's not an art film, but the lines in the script are so pretentious."
"Maybe we people in our forties are already outdated."
"Anyway, we're just doing the work for money. You don't care if it works or not. If it works, it doesn't really matter to us. If it doesn't work, it won't affect our getting paid."
That makes sense.
...
Wu Zhou, who was sitting at the next table, heard these words and ate his meal in silence.
There are really a lot of these "veterans" in this industry.
Not everyone who works in the entertainment industry is an idealist who hopes to make a good film.
It's not like what's depicted in many movies, TV dramas, and novels, where everyone can be inspired to work hard.
The reality is that only a very small number of people work with the drive to "make a good show," while the vast majority, like people in other industries, are simply doing their jobs with a "just getting a job" mentality. Some even slack off whenever possible.
Bao Wenliang is like a senior middle manager in a company—he has some experience and some capital, so he tends to be a bit arrogant. You can't say he's incompetent, but he has his own skills. You can't say he's exceptionally capable either. At over forty years old, he's already a seasoned veteran, and the fact that he's still doing frontline photography work as an ordinary photographer speaks volumes.
Wu Zhou disapproved of this approach, but Bao Wenliang was more experienced and technically superior. In the photography industry, Wu Zhou was just a novice with only a few years of experience, while Bao Wenliang was already a seasoned veteran. When it comes to technique, heart is irrelevant. The spirit of the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains is admirable, but it's no match for a heartless bomb.
Wu Zhou herself attached great importance to the filming of this play.
The movie "Love Letter" is sure to be a film that attracts attention within the industry.
For a relatively inexperienced photographer like him, participating as the second-ranked member of the photography team in a film written, directed, and starring Lu Yanhe and featuring Chen Bige is a significant achievement in his resume.
Wu Zhou knew that this was an opportunity Liu Bige had specifically given him. During the filming of "Late Spring," he was just a camera assistant, not even a credited cinematographer, only appearing as a member of the cinematography team at the end of the film. He cherished this opportunity.
-
After a few days on set, Lu Yanhe gradually adapted to the rhythm of the film.
He focused entirely on his work on the film set, ignoring everything else. He no longer needed to worry about his studies at school, nor did he have any other work to distract him. Although tired, he was full of energy.
Lu Yanhe then realized that he might have been doing too many different things. Managing everything meant that one person had to break down into several parts to do things, and one's mind had to be divided into different areas to deal with different situations.
Now, being able to concentrate on just one thing makes him feel relaxed and happy.
When Chen Ziyan brought Tu Song and Wen Minglan to visit the set, she could clearly sense that Lu Yanhe was in a different state—he was very tired, but very energetic.
This seemingly contradictory set of words appears perfectly natural on Lu Yanhe.
Tu Song asked, "Sister Ziyan, is there really no theme song or incidental music for this movie that I can sing?"
Chen Ziyan gave him a helpless look. "How many times have I told you? Of course I will recommend you if there is a suitable opportunity, but if there is no suitable opportunity, a forced relationship will not be sweet."
Tu Song: "I don't mean to force it, but there are bound to be a lot of people looking for Lu Yanhe, and I'm afraid someone else will beat me to it."
Chen Ziyan: "Are you telling me you're afraid someone else will beat you to it? Have you forgotten that besides being your manager, I'm also Lu Yanhe's manager?"
Tu Song: "Ah... I forgot."
Chen Ziyan: "Don't say this to Lu Yanhe. He's already tired enough from filming movies, don't add to his worries."
"How did my singing for him become adding to his troubles?" Tu Song complained. "Sister Ziyan, you're so biased."
"You should know your place." Chen Ziyan glanced at him sideways. "If Lu Yanhe insisted on asking you for a music video shooting opportunity while you were making an album, wouldn't you find it annoying?"
Tu Song was shocked. "If Lu Yanhe is willing to come and film my music video, why should I bother? Am I crazy to bother him?"
Chen Ziyan: "...What if it was Lu Yanhe before his senior year of high school?"
Tu Song was taken aback.
His expression changed.
"I……"
-
I have something to do today, so I can only post a short update.
(End of this chapter)
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