Chapter 730 Honestly, First Place
The person who came to see Su Xiao was Yu Qin, the director of "Happy Time".
A salary of 100,000 yuan, a six-month filming period, and one movie.
That's right, it's the movie where they approached Jiang Yuqian but were ultimately rejected by her.
Before Yu Qin approached her, Su Xiao never imagined that she would one day be noticed by a famous director like Yu Qin.
However, it costs 100,000 for six months.
After hearing these keywords, Su Xiao knew very well that the company would definitely not agree.
She doesn't have the resources to spend six months making a movie for only 100,000 yuan.
She herself is willing to pursue art, but her team and her company are not willing to starve because of her.
However, Yu Qin's producer said to her, "Do you want to be seen as just a traffic star for the rest of your life?"
Upon hearing this, Su Xiao instinctively bit her lip.
She was actually very angry with herself.
She's already a popular star, even if she's a traffic star who's "discriminated against" by the mainstream circle. If she doesn't think about becoming an exceptionally great actress, she's already at the top of the industry.
Is the data usage really bad? Is it terrible?
Being a top influencer also means high commercial value, which means that she will be the first to choose every project.
However, Su Xiao also truly felt this. As a top star, if you're not recognized, you'll be looked down upon when you interact with the real people in the entertainment industry.
You might even be looked down upon and ridiculed by many media outlets.
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“We really don’t need to take on a film like this. Although Yu Qin’s films are said to be very high-class, who knows what the outcome will be? Will it be nominated for one of the top four international films? If it is nominated, will it win an award? It’s too much of a risk to gamble half a year on a film like this.”
As expected, the agent's attitude was not supportive of Su Xiao taking on this movie.
"Think about it, Yu Qin's last film earned Ning Xiulian the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival. Logically, her new film should be highly sought after by many actresses. However, it has been so long and nothing has been decided yet. Now they've sent the script to us again."
The agent's words were certainly not without merit.
Su Xiao was also aware of her own limitations.
Now that this movie has been offered to me, I'm sure none of the other actresses would want to take it.
Su Xiao asked, "When will I have the opportunity to make a proper movie in the future?"
The agent said, "There will definitely be suitable opportunities in the future, but we don't need to make movies just for the sake of making movies, right?"
Su Xiao: "This is not a movie made just for the sake of making a movie."
Agent: "I'll contact Linghe later. If you want to make a movie, I'll go there and see if there are any opportunities for collaboration."
Su Xiao: "If the company insists that I can only play the female lead, Linghe will definitely not use me, right? Xiao Yun played the second female lead in 'You Are the Apple of My Eye'."
"Is Xiao Yun as famous as you?" the agent immediately retorted. "Besides, Xiao Yun doesn't have an organized group of haters like you, does she? If you ever played a supporting role, do you believe those haters would immediately ruin your career?"
Su Xiao remained silent.
"Even now, there are still a lot of trolls online mocking you for what that reporter said, saying that you are looked down upon by the mainstream."
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"Su Xiao is indeed in a bit of a dilemma right now."
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Su Xiao online.
In "The Days of Youth," all the other actors have already embarked on mainstream careers, but Su Xiao is still stuck in idol dramas.
Moreover, Lu Yanhe didn't use her at all.
There's some unverified voice claiming that Lu Yanhe looks down on Su Xiao's acting skills, so he's dragged all his friends into his projects, but Su Xiao has never collaborated with him on any projects other than "Young Days," not even "The Birth of an Actor."
Amidst this controversy, Lu Yanhe remained completely silent.
Based on his past habits, if it were truly his friend who had been criticized, he would definitely stand up for them.
Even more people ridiculed Su Xiao.
Two or three days later, Lu Yanhe posted a Weibo late at night: He plunged into the film crew and filmed until he was exhausted, but then there was a commotion. Everyone had to prove themselves. It's a pity that the show has been going on for six years and it hasn't caught other people's attention. How can you see the whole picture from a small part? Who knows how long the story has been going on?
Then, he sent a smiley face, jokingly saying that he had written a limerick late at night and asked people not to laugh at it.
In "The Days of Youth," Lu Yanhe tagged Su Xiao: "I've been filming lately and haven't had my phone with me. I just learned about the recent controversy from my assistant, so I'm responding lately."
Su Xiao: Sigh, I made you respond. I'm sorry for dragging you into this trouble.
Lu Yanhe: Who hasn't been caught up in an undeserved disaster? I'm completely dumbfounded. You've become so famous, yet in the eyes of some brainless media outlets, your achievements are worthless.
Su Xiao: Who told me to always act in idol dramas? I'm at the bottom of the food chain.
Lu Yanhe: There are so many people who act in idol dramas, but I've never seen anyone who is more popular than you.
Su Xiao's idol dramas are truly popular, each one generating more buzz than the last. Every drama can launch one, or even two, male stars into stardom. In this era of hyping up various data, it seems that the only standard to judge whether a drama is popular or not is whether it has launched a star.
Su Xiao: Sigh, a really good movie recently came to me, but because it would take six months to film and the pay would be very low, the company firmly refused to let me take it. And it's not just movies; basically, the roles I get are limited to idol dramas.
It's not anything else, it's because Su Xiao can command the highest salary for idol dramas, which is one-third higher than the salary for other types of dramas.
This is the appeal that Su Xiao has built up in the idol drama field.
Liu Zhiyin: Touch.
Su Xiao: Sister Zhiyin, why aren't you asleep yet?
It's already 1 a.m.
Liu Zhiyin: The plane just landed. I just took a nap on the plane.
Su Xiao: A true model worker.
Liu Zhiyin: Would you like to act in other genres? Don't you like acting in idol dramas?
Su Xiao: No, I quite like acting in idol dramas, it's just that people always say I'm always stuck in the idol drama circle.
Li Zhibai: Hey, just like me, in other people's eyes, I can only act in romantic comedies.
Su Xiao: Your situation is much better than mine, stop trying to play the victim, okay?
Liu Zhiyin: However, filming a movie for half a year with very low pay is indeed a bit of a low cost-performance ratio for an actress like Xiaoxiao who is on the rise. If the movie fails, these six months will be wasted.
Su Xiao: That's what the company told me too. They even said that even if I were to act in a movie, my acting skills would only be that good.
Liu Zhiyin: What a lousy company you have.
Su Xiao: However, I am also aware of my own limitations. I am indeed good at acting in slice-of-life dramas, but if you ask me to play a character that is not like me, I really wouldn't be able to act well.
Lu Yanhe: Putting aside the outside world's evaluation of you, do you want to try new types of content?
Su Xiao: Do you have any roles for me to play? If you do, I'm willing. But if it's someone from another company... to be honest, unless it's a production team that looks really good, I'm hesitant. I know I'm not a very good actor.
Lu Yanhe: To be honest, in all the projects I've done, there really isn't a major role that would suit you.
Su Xiao: Because I look too much like the girl next door, right?
Lu Yanhe: ? What?
Su Xiao: Many directors have said that I can only play cute girls and that I am not suitable for period dramas, so I haven't filmed many period dramas.
Most of her roles are modern romance dramas.
Lu Yanhe: If that's the case, don't force yourself to switch careers immediately. You're already doing so well in idol dramas, you're unique, the queen of idol dramas, why let those people influence you?
Su Xiao: It's all your fault. You single-handedly dragged us young actors down to our deaths. Not winning an award is considered our original sin, even though we're only in our twenties!
Lu Yanhe: Bows in apology.
Su Xiao: It's okay, don't worry about what they say. I know that when you choose actors for your projects, you prioritize suitability. In other words, you don't do idol dramas. Otherwise, no one would be more suitable to act than me.
Xiao Yun: What if I die?
Su Xiao: You... why are you here too?
Xiao Yun: I got up to go to the bathroom and saw you guys sending messages non-stop.
Su Xiao: You stumbled upon this too.
Lu Yanhe: To be fair, Su Xiao is more suited to acting in idol dramas than Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun: Ha, that's because you didn't give me a chance. Don't think I can only play female knights.
Li Zhibai: You can also play a silly goose.
Xiao Yun: Are you looking for death?
Li Zhibai: You can also play a tomboy.
Xiao Yun: Tomorrow I'll show you what a tomboy is.
Lu Yanhe: How about I write an idol drama script for you two? You two can have a competition?
Xiao Yun: What the hell?
Su Xiao: ?
Lu Yanhe: I haven't written any idol drama-style scripts before, but I can give it a try.
Although Lu Yanhe himself is not an audience for idol dramas, he happened to have experienced a period when idol dramas were booming.
He also watched many idol dramas with his mother.
The one that impressed him the most was "In Time With You." To some extent, he felt that this drama had transcended the category of idol dramas, but in essence, it was still an idol drama.
He was very moved at the time.
Besides that, there's "It Started With a Kiss," "My Sunshine," and so on...
Okay, that's all. He really doesn't watch many, and even fewer that he can actually watch. He's definitely not the type of person who watches idol dramas.
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized that he had spoken carelessly.
He had never watched a single idol drama with two female leads.
Are there any idol dramas like this?
It seems that idol dramas basically don't have the concept of two male leads or two female leads. The basic operation is that there may be some melodramatic entanglements between the male lead, the second male lead, the female lead, and the second female lead, but in the end, the male lead will always end up with the female lead, and the second male lead will always end up with the second female lead.
On the contrary, there is a Japanese drama that fits his needs quite well, called "White Line Flow".
Lu Yanhe watched this Japanese drama because the two young actors from "Love Letter" starred in it, treating it as a spin-off of "Love Letter".
Of course, this drama is still a youthful love story, and it's a classic.
However, Lu Yanhe had basically forgotten the plot and could no longer be a "plagiarist".
Oh no...
Su Xiao: Yan He, do you really want to try writing idol dramas?
Lu Yanhe: It's not that it's impossible, it's just that I don't know what it would look like when it's written.
Xiao Yun: I'm jealous.
Lu Yanhe: What are you jealous of?
Xiao Yun: You specially tailored a script for Su Xiao.
Lu Yanhe: Who wrote the script for "My Own Swordsman" that you acted in?
Xiao Yun: The role of Guo Furong wasn't specifically tailor-made for me.
Lu Yanhe: ...
Lu Yanhe was suddenly stunned.
etc.
Speaking of which—
There's a movie that's really suitable for Xiao Yun.
"..."
Given Xiao Yun's personality, among the actresses Lu Yanhe knows, and who is her age, only she can play the role.
My Sassy Girl.
Su Xiao's style is actually closer to that of another Korean actress whom Lu Yanhe knows, Son Ye-jin. Her starring role in "The Classic" was melodramatic, but it was definitely a tearjerker.
Lu Yanhe gasped.
He hesitated for a moment, then tagged Su Xiao and wrote: "If Love Has a Destiny." He also tagged Xiao Yun and wrote: "My Sassy Girl."
He said: "This idea just popped into my head, so I'll jot it down here."
Xiao Yun: What is this? What do you mean, "My Sassy Girlfriend"? You want me to play a sassy girlfriend? Why didn't you write a fairy-like girlfriend for me?
Lu Yanhe: No, we can't talk anymore. I need to go to sleep and recharge so we can continue filming tomorrow.
Ever since being criticized by Liu Bige, Lu Yanhe has been working diligently on set, never daring to be lazy or perfunctory.
Honestly, I'll be number one.
Xiao Yun: ? ? ?
Xiao Yun: You can't be keeping us in suspense like this, can you?
Xiao Yun: Holy crap? They really just slept together like that?
Xiao Yun: Really?
Xiao Yun: Have some decency! How am I supposed to sleep tonight?!
Xiao Yun: At least tell me, are you really going to write a script for me?
Xiao Yun: Aa ...
Li Zhibai: Go to sleep already, you're making so much noise.
Xiao Yun: You can just wait to die tomorrow.
She still holds a grudge against the "tomboy".
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After entering September, the cast and crew of "Dingfeng No. 1" gradually began to wrap up filming.
Liu Bige's films are basically shot sequentially, following the order in which the script's plot unfolds.
There are fewer and fewer actors in the film crew.
Zhou Ruo also finished filming.
This is the loneliest film Lu Yanhe has ever made.
When Zhou Ruo was around, he had someone to talk to. But after Zhou Ruo finished filming, he was all alone.
This was something Lu Yanhe did intentionally.
He is in this situation in the movie, and he also wants to immerse himself in this environment outside of the movie.
Every day, Wang Biao would watch Lu Yanhe leave the hotel and get into the car. He would then put himself into character and stay in that state all day long. He wouldn't look at his phone or talk to anyone. Most of the time, he would be alone, like a ghost standing in some corner. Only after work, on the way back, would he listen to music and allow himself to come out of character.
This switching between states was something Lu Yanhe had never experienced while filming other dramas.
He doesn't need to use this method to get into and out of character.
Wang Biao couldn't really see what made "Dingfeng No. 1" more difficult than Lu Yanhe's other works.
Wang Biao even felt that Lu Yanhe's acting in this film didn't always seem particularly explosive. However, he had to admit that Lu Yanhe often gave him the feeling of being a "completely different person."
Even their eyes look different now.
It's not through metaphysical changes like facial expressions or tone of voice, but through unexpected moments.
Wang Biao has seen many veteran actors with so-called "cosmetic surgery-like acting skills".
It seems they can completely change their acting style and approach for each role. That's certainly impressive, but often you also feel that, well, the acting feels a bit too forced.
Like the scene at the end of the movie *May 12* where Natalie Portman imitates Julianne Moore. On its own, you might think it's a great performance, quite impressive. But when you recall Julianne Moore's performance, you suddenly realize what life is and what acting is. Most "transformative acting" is actually just "the actor's acting skills."
Lu Yanhe did not want to deliberately change himself in every aspect.
It is impossible for a person to completely transform themselves into another person. This kind of accumulation, measured in years, forms inertia in the body and limbs, which cannot be changed in a short period of time.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe's performances, unless for certain specific roles and scenes, do not involve making large-scale adjustments within a broad range, but rather creating moments of unfamiliarity within a general and common denominator of daily life.
Just like everyone else—ordinary people who aren't actors—there must be moments in daily life when those around us feel completely unfamiliar with us.
This is exactly what Lu Yanhe is pursuing.
It was after realizing this that Lu Yanhe understood why Liu Bige said his performance could only be discovered in the editing room because it wasn't up to standard.
Because his "broad and general" approaches are certainly not problematic, but Liu Bige can no longer find those moments in the film that seem to want to freeze the screen into eternity.
Such moments are something that Lu Yanhe has honed through countless trials and tribulations, something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after.
For Lu Yanhe, anything that is available and attainable is technique, acting skills, even superb acting skills, but it is definitely not art.
Because art cannot be copied.
Lu Yanhe is this type of actor.
Just like the widely acclaimed ending of "Comrades: Almost a Love Story," Maggie Cheung's smile and her tear.
Even she herself cannot replicate it.
There are many types of actors, and good actors are no exception, but top actors must possess something "unique".
Of course, different good actors, in terms of good performance, are actually all the same.
The key is to find your own path to a good performance.
Lu Yanhe was lucky; he found it very early on.
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Wen Shengming watched as Lu Yanhe, in this drama, nonchalantly entered a realm that almost no young person had ever reached.
He found it difficult to describe his feelings.
He has always felt that acting certainly requires talent, and some actors can produce performances that go down in history when they are only teenagers.
However, to evaluate an actor from a broader perspective, it is essential to consider the performance aesthetics that have developed throughout their long career.
Wen Shengming has always held this view.
So, whether you've won Best Actor once or twice, or you're exceptionally talented and highly praised, you're just a shooting star.
The actors he truly respected were those who had "enlightened" him.
He practices this philosophy himself and uses it to judge other actors.
Lu Yanhe himself didn't say it, but Wen Shengming knew very well that Lu Yanhe was the kind of person whose talent had reached a terrifying level, and who used an almost cruel rationality to break through the ordinary goodness of performance and reach a moment of eternity that had never been seen before.
Every morning, Lu Yanhe would come to have breakfast with him as promised.
When the two of them ate breakfast, they almost never discussed personal matters outside of the film crew.
But they would chat about foreign movies and foreign actors in a casual way.
The conversation inevitably leads to discussions about everyone's views on acting, and what kind of actor is considered a good actor in their minds.
This answer implies each person's aesthetic sense in performance.
They will not argue, much less quarrel.
If there are differing opinions, they should be discussed briefly and then, in their scenes together, they should engage in a battle of wits based on their respective aesthetic preferences.
This was an unspoken consensus between the two of them.
Liu Bige didn't know.
All that can be seen is that the scenes between Wen Shengming and Lu Yanhe are increasingly characterized by a subtle and effortless mastery, precise and without any dramatic tension, only a silent confrontation.
Just like their characters in a play.
Then, finally, filming for "Dingfeng No. 1" wrapped up.
-
The rain was falling softly.
The sky was a pale blue.
After Liu Bige announced the wrap-up of filming, the crew members all breathed a sigh of relief, their faces beaming with joy.
The busy film crew life has come to an end, and everyone can finally take a good rest.
Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming stood on the corridor at the same time, watching the rain.
Rain fell from the courtyard.
Everyone was moving things back and forth, carrying and unloading.
Wen Shengming suddenly asked, "What are your plans after filming wraps up?"
Lu Yanhe turned his head, smiled at him, and said, "There are several screenwriting projects that need to be moved forward."
Wen Shengming nodded.
The conversation stopped.
It felt like someone had pressed the pause button.
After a while, Wen Shengming resumed his work seamlessly, as if no pause had ever happened.
"It's been a long time since I've felt pressured while acting," Wen Shengming said with a smile. "You'll be something else in the future."
Lu Yanhe: "Thank you for your guidance all this time."
"I didn't give you any pointers, so I don't deserve the credit." Wen Shengming smiled. "Yan He, act well and be a good person. I'll always be watching you."
Lu Yanhe glanced at Wen Shengming with some surprise.
Wen Shengming nodded to him, then turned and left.
He was all alone, without an assistant, without bodyguards, and without any obvious air of dominance.
But his figure was very solid.
Even after leaving, he remained in Lu Yanhe's memory.
-
I recommend a new fantasy novel called "The Demon-Slaying Sword," which has 140,000 words.
It's been four months. I've been updating 1,000 words a day without affecting my updates here. I've been updating more than 200,000 words a month, and I haven't been writing casually and then abandoning the project. On the contrary, a completely different theme and story has made me very happy writing "Choose the Day". Can you believe what I'm saying now?
(End of this chapter)
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