Chapter 571 Saving the Day
Liu Manbo has shoulder-length, slightly curly hair, but because of her robust build and somewhat unkempt appearance, she wouldn't be mistaken for a girl.
But when he sat at the table, Lu Yanhe could clearly sense his unease and discomfort.
Lu Yanhe knew that this was because, in Liu Manbo's eyes, he had the ability to change his career situation.
"Have you had dinner? I've been recording the show the whole time. I ate some of the boxed lunches the production team provided, but I didn't dare eat too much, afraid of getting dizzy from food poisoning," Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
Liu Manbo said, "I just ate a bowl of instant noodles at the hotel."
Lu Yanhe is not actually a person who is good at starting conversations with people.
Liu Manbo didn't like her either.
Lu Yanhe immediately glanced at Wang Biao.
Upon hearing this, Wang Biao, who was eating fish, immediately understood and put down his chopsticks, asking, "Teacher Mambo—"
"I'm not fit to be a teacher," Liu Manbo immediately waved her hand.
Wang Biao laughed and said, "I called you by the wrong name. I should have called you Director Liu."
Liu Manbo waved her hand, even more embarrassed.
"I haven't filmed anything here, what kind of director am I?"
Lu Yanhe asked, "The short films you directed before received very high praise."
Liu Manbo gave a slightly embarrassed smile and said, "It's...it's alright. The teachers have been quite encouraging."
"You should have seen the news about the start of filming for the TV series 'Nineteen Years of Crime Records,' right?"
Liu Manbo nodded.
"I saw it. This kind of thing broke out on the first day of filming. The crew must be in a real bind. Is Mr. Lu one of the producers of this show?" Liu Manbo asked.
When Lu Yanhe heard himself being called "Little President Lu", he couldn't help but laugh.
"What's wrong?" Liu Manbo immediately became a little nervous.
"It's nothing, it's just that I've never been called 'Young Master Lu' before, haha." Lu Yanhe laughed, "It sounds novel, thank you."
Wang Biao said, "Brother Lu, you're already the boss of Linghe now, and more and more people will call you 'boss' in the future."
Lu Yanhe: "I feel like I can go for the domineering CEO route from now on."
Wang Biao immediately said, "Let's not, Brother Lu. 'General' is fine, 'Domineering' is too much."
Liu Manbo glanced at the two of them with some surprise.
With Lu Yanhe and Wang Biao's deliberate "one-two singing" approach, Liu Manbo finally became less reserved around Lu Yanhe than before.
"Director Chen Lingling said your cinematography skills are excellent." Lu Yanhe asked curiously, "Why didn't you go directly to be a cinematographer, but instead came to 'The Birth of an Actor' as a director?"
Liu Manbo said, "To be honest, the photographer still has to cooperate with the director and shoot in the style the director wants. I still hope to have more autonomy."
He added, "In fact, I originally wanted to apply to the directing department, but I didn't get in. I was admitted to the cinematography department instead."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Your photography style is indeed unique. At first glance, it seems very simple and not the kind of big filter that immediately catches the eye. However, the images are particularly clean and comfortable to look at, with a bit of a Japanese feel. But their feel relies more on the handling of light and color. You are different from them."
Liu Manbo looked at Lu Yanhe with surprise and said, "Many people say that my shots are very Japanese style. Every time I try to explain to them that it's not the same thing, I don't know how to say it. You actually pointed it out directly. I really don't like to modify the images by adding lighting and color tones in post-production. I prefer to shoot with natural light."
“Shooting in natural light is much more difficult. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for the light to come, which is very limited by the circumstances at the time of shooting.”
"Yes." Liu Manbo nodded. "If the conditions really don't allow it, then we can only adjust it through technical means."
Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, it's difficult to shoot a TV series according to your own ideas. The amount of shooting is large, and the time is tight."
Liu Manbo nodded: "These are all technical issues. Anyway, once we get to the site, we'll make choices based on the situation. The most important priority is definitely completing the filming as planned."
“I see you’ve also worked as an assistant director,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
"Yes, actually, the filming of that movie was quite bumpy. The director was basically just a figurehead and didn't come to the set for half the time. Most of the scenes were filmed by the three of us assistant directors." Liu Manbo said frankly, "I was very happy, because I only had the opportunity to be the director on set when he didn't come."
The corners of his mouth turned up.
Lu Yanhe also smiled.
"Did you not get another opportunity to direct a film independently after that?" he asked.
“No, there’s basically no chance.” Liu Manbo shook her head. “I haven’t signed with any film or television companies or platforms, so these kinds of opportunities usually don’t come my way. I also missed the boom period when video websites were all the rage. Back then, there were many opportunities. Even if you hadn’t been a director, as long as you had a good short film, you could get opportunities from the platforms.”
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Now there are fewer projects on various platforms, and there are indeed not as many opportunities for new directors as before."
Lu Yanhe didn't really have any questions he wanted to ask him; they were just sitting together and chatting, going about their business as it came.
Of course, some questions about "Nineteen Years of Crime Records" were also interspersed throughout.
"Have you read this novel?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Liu Manbo shook her head, "I watched a movie."
What did you think of the movie?
Liu Manbo hesitated for a moment and said, "I feel that the filming process was not very smooth, and the overall tone of the film is inconsistent."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"really."
"Actually, I was quite shocked when I heard that this novel was going to be adapted into a TV series, after all, the movie flopped. It's rare for a movie to flop and then be adapted into a TV series."
"It did take some effort in the middle."
“I know you’re very familiar with the author of this novel,” Liu Manbo said. “Liujia Town is my hometown.”
He smiled.
"I'm quite envious of him. You happened to read his first book and recommended it, and then he caught the hot sales of the magazine 'Jump Up'."
Lu Yanhe said, "If you were to direct this story, how would you film it?"
"Huh?" Liu Manbo looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise.
"I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just curious. Since the movie version was a flop, I'm curious what style someone else would have taken to make this manhunt story," Lu Yanhe explained.
Liu Manbo pondered for a moment and said, "I haven't thought of a specific way to shoot it yet, but I will definitely reject that kind of film style, that dark, decadent, and obviously heavy and tragic atmosphere. Actually, I prefer to use the most ordinary expression techniques to package all the stories, especially this kind of story involving a long crime chase, in which many heavy things happen. The story itself is enough to make people feel depressed, so there is no need to create such an atmosphere in the visuals and editing. I especially like the ending of the movie 'Late Spring,' the ending shot where you actors look at each other one by one in the classroom, and the sunlight shines in from outside the classroom—actually, at this point, the movie has already finished telling a cruel coming-of-age story, but this shot suddenly pulls the emotion out of the story's mood and tone. These young students have experienced a period of pain and collapse that no one else can understand except themselves, and the sunlight is still sunlight."
Wang Biao glanced at Liu Manbo with some surprise.
“I was particularly afraid that the ending would be filmed as a torrential downpour, as if the whole world was shaking along with the cruel youth of these people,” Liu Manbo said. “That’s why I like to use natural light. I think the true expression is that the more ordinary and mundane the scene, the more real it feels, directly reaching the truth.”
At this moment, Wang Biao was inexplicably curious: Had Liu Manbo done her homework before coming here?
His interpretation of the final shot of "Late Spring" must have resonated deeply with Lu Yanhe.
As Lu Yanhe's assistant, Wang Biao was well aware of his opinion on the film "Late Spring," especially regarding the final scene.
Wang Biao thought to himself that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Yanhe would likely recommend Liu Manbo to the TV series "Nineteen Years of Crime Records".
-
"Should we bring in a director who has never independently directed a film before?"
There are significant disagreements within Lighthouse Video.
“We have already been communicating with Ji Huai, and he is actually interested in taking over.”
“Ji Huai? He’s already had three dramas flop.” Someone immediately objected to this choice. “Have you forgotten his drama ‘Yun Luo’ starring Zhen Hongyu? It was supposed to be a huge hit, but it flopped. It didn’t even get A-level ratings, causing Bingyuan Video to lose a lot of money.”
"But who is this Liu Manbo? I've never heard of him before. How can someone with no experience, only in his twenties, direct such a big production right away? This isn't some B-movie; we've invested over 100 million in this film."
"Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun have both expressed their support for Liu Manbo to direct the film."
"That's because Liu Manbo was recommended by Lu Yanhe. Given their relationship with Lu Yanhe, of course they would support her."
"Since this person was recommended by Lu Yanhe, it means he must have some ability."
"The position of director is not real until you have actually directed a film. Whether you have the ability and can do the job can only be known after you have been on the set. Who knows how Lu Yanhe took a liking to him?"
"He filmed a short film on the show 'The Birth of an Actor' before, and the feedback was very good." Someone immediately explained, "Not only Lu Yanhe, but director Chen Lingling also gave it high praise. The short film he filmed will be broadcast on the show this Friday."
"Let's wait and see how his short film turns out. Besides, making a short film is completely different from making a feature film."
"Can we wait until Friday to make a decision? Right now, the assistant director is filming on set and has no control over the situation. Li Zhibai is very dissatisfied with the footage and has already told us several times."
"Were all the shots we filmed these past two days unusable?"
"Anyway, I can't wait any longer."
"Has any of you actually met Liu Manbo? Ji Huai is definitely out of the question. If there are no other candidates, then quickly arrange for someone to meet with Liu Manbo and see what his situation is. If all else fails, we'll have to stop this project and cut our losses in time."
"Cut your losses now? This drama stars Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun. Just the two of them as the leads means we can sign a performance agreement before Jiang Jun's salary goes up, which will save us eight figures. Besides, we've already evaluated the script. This script is much better than the movie version. Don't they say that if it's well-made, it'll definitely be a well-received drama?"
"The problem is that there's no director right now, so it won't be filmed well."
...
Regardless of the extent of the internal disagreements and debates within Lighthouse Video, the tight timeframe forced them to make a decision.
Every extra day of delay is an extra day wasted.
The assistant director was a complete disappointment; he was forced into the role and couldn't handle it. On set, it became just Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun directing the filming.
But in reality, they didn't understand that much either—
The actor's perspective and the director's perspective are completely different things.
It's a complete mess.
By evening, Liu Manbo had already rushed to the filming location.
The person was summoned by Li Zhibai.
Upon her arrival, the producer and executive producer from Lighthouse Video were quite surprised, saying, "The company hasn't agreed to let Liu Manbo take over yet, this is—"
Li Zhibai said, "You guys keep discussing, I'm too lazy to waste time with you. I'll pay out of my own pocket to hire Liu Manbo to help us get through these next two days. If you want to complain, go complain to your company leaders. If you're not happy, fine, have the director you've chosen be on set by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, don't waste our time coming to the set. I don't want the footage we've shot to be broadcast. It's a small matter if it drags me down, but don't drag down Teacher Jiang Jun. He's such a good actor, don't let our garbage filming ruin him."
Li Zhibai has a terrible temper; he has no good temper at all now.
After he finished speaking, he stopped arguing with them and grabbed the main people in charge of each department of the crew, along with Teacher Jiang Jun, to go directly to a meeting with Liu Manbo.
"Bring the boxed lunches directly to the conference room." He told the crew, "That's it for today, no more filming. Everyone who's free should go home and rest early. The filming pressure will be high later, so take a good rest whenever you can."
When he speaks, the production crew listens to him.
After all, he's the producer, investor, and lead actor. After the production ran into trouble, Li Zhibai was the first to step forward, gathering everyone for a meeting. He told them that the series would definitely continue filming, and they didn't need to worry about their wages being affected. He assured them that if Lighthouse Video withdrew its investment, he wouldn't let them work for nothing; he would personally cover their wages. In short, he assured them that they would definitely not be owed money, but there were difficulties at the moment, and everyone needed to work together to overcome them.
Once this attitude was expressed, the crew knew whose advice to follow.
“Director Liu, you were introduced by Yan He. He’s like a brother to me, and his judgment of people is impeccable. He’s never misjudged anyone, so I have complete faith in you.” Li Zhibai stated his position in front of all the project leaders, leaving no room for further discussion. “I’ve already discussed the specifics with you over the phone. I don’t know if Lighthouse Video will ultimately agree to let you direct, but we’re all here, and filming can’t stop no matter what. If they do find someone else, I promise you in front of all of you that I will use all my resources to support you in directing another film. So, please help us, at least starting tomorrow, so we can produce something truly usable.”
Liu Manbo nodded.
"Thank you for your trust, and thank you everyone for your support. Time is tight, so I won't say anything fancy. In short, I will do my best to do what I can. On the way here, I first went over the whole story outline and the script with the set design already done. I'll just say my thoughts directly. Before I finish, please don't interrupt me, because I've just sorted out my ideas, and I'm afraid I'll get confused if you interrupt me. After I finish, please feel free to ask any questions."
He opened the script in his hand, and in just a day and a half, the thick script in Liu Manbo's hand was covered with many labels and stickers, and had many notes on it.
"Tomorrow and the day after, I'd like to shoot scenes 24, 28, and 31 first. These three scenes are all dialogue scenes, indoor scenes, and the focus is entirely on you two, without involving other actors. For me, since I'm not very familiar with the crew, this minimizes the complexity of the operation." Liu Manbo frankly stated that she initially wanted to shoot the simpler scenes first when she took over the project. "But I'll have to ask Zhibai and Jiang Jun for help, because the emotions in these three scenes are not continuous. I'm saving myself the trouble, but it places higher demands on you."
When Jiang Jun heard Liu Manbo select these three scenes, he immediately felt a sense of relief.
When it comes to filming, the difference between experienced and novice filmmakers can be seen from their choice of roles—which part presents the least technical difficulty in execution.
These three scenes are all dialogues between Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun, set in a single indoor location. The limited space means that the camera work and staging are not complicated.
The focus of these three scenes is on the performances of the two actors, rather than on technical aspects.
Liu Manbo clearly understood.
"I'm fine," Jiang Jun nodded.
“I’m OK with that too.” Li Zhibai nodded.
Liu Manbo said, "Okay, Teacher Jiang, Zhibai, shall we go directly to the set to test shoot a scene later? I'll also take this opportunity to get to know everyone."
“I’ve already told them to pack up and go home,” Li Zhibai said.
"It's okay, I'm not going to start a formal shoot," Liu Manbo said. "My work habits require me to be in the scene to be able to explain clearly what kind of shots I want to shoot. It won't take up too much of everyone's time."
Li Zhibai felt that he should support Liu Manbo's work.
So he exchanged a glance with Jiang Jun, and seeing that Jiang Jun had no objection, he nodded.
In fact, Liu Manbo's efficiency was indeed high.
Once inside the set, Liu Manbo walked around and looked at every spot before immediately offering a suggestion.
"Can we remove this wall?" he asked. "In this space, the camera's movement is too restricted. The three scenes that take place here are all dialogue scenes with a lot of lines and the characters have basically no movement. If the camera's movement is also restricted, it will make the shots too monotonous. I want to make the picture have more depth."
(End of this chapter)
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