Chapter 195
Zhou Xiao felt like she had to take back her words about it being easy. Looking at the storyboard she'd designed on the computer screen, she briefly fell into deep thought. For a moment, she even had a vision of herself back at that late-night overtime job.
Elbows resting on the table, Zhou Xiao propped her chin up and stared at the screen, which displayed the storyboards she had designed and reworked numerous times for a commercial shoot for Dai Linfei. As the global spokesperson for WP, she was a top-tier figure in the Chinese entertainment industry, both in terms of status and achievements. Her intellectual charm and uniquely laid-back air, combined with the intellectual charm of a successful woman, perfectly embodied WP.
Regarding this Valentine's Day shoot, the few storyboards displayed on the screen already filled the air with sweetness. Zhou Xiao tapped her brush against the desktop, pausing for a moment. The next second, all the previously created storyboards were deleted. Zhou Xiao had been agonizing over this for a long time. This version might perfectly fit the Valentine's Day setting, but it still lacked a certain flavor. So, she started over.
The tip of the pen rustled against the paper. On the desk, to Zhou Xiao's left, lay a small stack of printed A4 paper. These were the outfits the brand had prepared for Dai Linfei's photoshoot. Anyone familiar with WP's clothing would immediately recognize these as the new runway pieces WP had designed for Huadu Fashion Week in March.
Because of the confidentiality surrounding the unreleased new models, the paper version was personally delivered by a staff member. When the staff member explained that this was for confidentiality, even Zhou Xiao was stunned when he took the document envelope. After all, isn't this just a matter of scanning?
Early on the morning of the 5th, Zhou Xiao arrived at the rented venue by taxi. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he was greeted by a strong sense of European architecture. Although it was winter, the lawn beneath his feet still resembled a lush, green painting.
Just as one was drawn to explore deeper into the painting, a distant clamor immediately shattered the tranquility. Zhou Xiao glanced sideways, and through the open window, he could see the noisy atmosphere inside.
Inside the specially decorated room, several people were bustling about. The photography team leader was currently setting up the venue in advance, following Zhou Xiao's instructions. This kind of outsourcing work was the most comfortable and relaxing, though it required waking up early to set up, but for them, it was a daily routine.
"Old Deng, this is crooked! Go to the toolbox and get a level and measure it again!" The man standing in the open space pointed a laser pen at the part of the prop that was already crooked to the naked eye and shouted to the middle-aged man standing on the stepladder.
"Okay!" This was Old Deng who was busy with his hands. He glanced at the crooked part, but did not get down immediately. Instead, he took out a colorful sticky note from his pocket, found a red one and stuck it on the crooked prop.
"Brother Cheng, is it okay to look at it this way?" The boy with glasses and a bit of student-like look stood there stupidly and greeted the man he called Brother Cheng.
"You can't do that, you forgot everything you learned before! Go to the side and look at others. Hey, Lao Mi, come and do it!" Yu Cheng was so angry. He had made the same mistake several times, but he still couldn't remember it!
“…”
In addition to the professionals, the team also brought in an intern. This was something they had discussed with him. They wanted to train interns and assistants through practical experience, and Zhou Xiao only needed to provide meals. Of course, he had considered taking advantage of the situation, but knowing that the employer was a professional, he didn't try to deceive them. After all, it would be easy to spot someone who was not well-trained among the professionals.
Zhou Xiao had been introduced to this team by Qin Shi. They possessed extensive experience and met the high-quality standards expected of major brands. While the price was a bit high, it was still in line with industry standards. Zhou Xiao had arrived early today to get a first-hand understanding of the various divisions within the team.
As she paused by the window, looking in, Yu Cheng, who was inside the room, noticed someone's gaze drifting out the window and looked over as well. "Hey, you, we're filming over here. Don't stand there and disrupt our setup." The medium-sized man named Yu Cheng stood on tiptoe and waved at Zhou Xiao, signaling her to leave.
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it. The person who introduced him to the photographer a few days ago repeatedly emphasized that the photographer they were working with this time was a demanding one and didn't want to bring his old habits.
As soon as he said this, Yu Cheng sensed a look of scrutiny in the other person's eyes. As a seasoned expert, he had an 80% chance of recognizing who was standing outside the window. Especially when Zhou Xiao nodded to him and turned sideways, revealing the outline of a camera, a sense of relief settled in his heart: the real person had arrived!
Zhou Xiao walked around the stone wall and entered the room that was made into a studio. He could see more clearly the layout of the relevant tracks in the studio and the lighting equipment placed against the wall in order of function.
"How long will it take?" She asked directly without hesitation. Qin Shi had warned her beforehand to act like an employer. Otherwise, given her youthful and easygoing appearance, she'd easily be bullied by these seasoned veterans.
"It's almost done." Yu Cheng put away his nonchalant look.
"Then let's take a test shot first."
…
The crew gradually got used to each other during the filming process. After realizing Zhou Xiao's level, the staff who had always looked down on her because of her youth had changed 180 degrees.
The phone vibrated. Zhou Xiao took out his phone and saw that it was Chen Lin. He nodded to a few people, walked out and answered the call.
The experienced people in the room looked at each other, feeling strangely relieved. Yu Cheng, the team leader, lowered his head and scratched it vigorously a few times, muttering to himself, "My tone of voice is so nice, why does it feel like the homeroom teacher I dreaded most in school?"
When he looked up again at Lao Mi, who had the same low level of education as him, their eyes met. With their usual tacit understanding, they seemed to understand the doubt, confusion and faint fear that was originally buried deep in each other's eyes.
"Zhou Xiao, I'm here. Where are you?" It was Shen Lin's voice on the other end of the line. She had brought an assistant with her to help. A few days ago, the studio received an oversized package from WP. Without an assistant, carrying all this stuff here would have been exhausting.
Just as Shen Lin was about to ask again, the assistant beside her gently tugged at the corner of her clothes and called out, "Teacher Zhou, we're here!"
Zhou Xiao realized the other party had seen her, so she hung up the phone and trotted over to the two people. She saw that one of them was pulling a suitcase, which made Zhou Xiao a little confused. It seemed like there weren't that many clothes for the photoshoot, right? After the photoshoot was over, she saw the elaborate packaging, and then she understood why they needed two suitcases!
There are always makeup rooms near the filming locations, and this has formed a mature industry chain. After Zhou Xiao took Shen Lin to the makeup room, she was waved away by her. In Shen Lin's opinion, she could do such a small thing on her own, not to mention that she brought an assistant with her this time.
Pushed by this, Zhou Xiao went over the storyboards he had brought with him. Even though he had drawn them himself, it wasn't a bad thing to go over them a few more times.
Almost half an hour later, the sound of a car approaching the gate was heard. Zhou Xiao, leaning against the stone wall, looked up and saw a luxury nanny car parked securely in the parking space. As the car door locked, a slender figure appeared before everyone.
"Oh my god, it's Dai Linfei?" "Wow~" "..." Hearing the sound behind the voice, Zhou Xiao crossed his arms and slowly glanced at the group of staff huddled on the windowsill. With Zhou Xiao's glance, the few people who had been excited about the big star calmed down, grinning and obediently returning to their posts. Although they really wanted to see the big star and get an autographed photo, they also knew that their appearance just now was not good.
Zhou Xiao casually called Chen Lin and told her that Dai Linfei had arrived, then stood up to greet her. The first time he saw her, he understood why some people say that only by seeing Dai Linfei in person can you understand how charming she is.
Dai Linfei's on-screen personas are always those of a glamorous, sexy actress, but in private, she's incredibly approachable, a stark contrast. The smile she gave Zhou Xiao wasn't a typical business-like gesture, but rather one with a genuine sincerity.
Zhou Xiao nodded to the other party and then shook the hand that Dai Linfei's agent had extended. After shaking hands and then parting ways, both parties felt the other's friendliness, and Zhou Xiao gestured to take them to the dressing room.
The makeup and style for WP shoots were fixed, and this was also included in everyone's contract. After Zhou Xiao led the person into the dressing room, he found a place to sit and waited for the other person to finish the makeup.
Opening a Weibo account, Zhou Xiao searched Dai Linfei Plaza for scalpers openly selling her itinerary. If he spotted one, Zhou Xiao would consider hiring bodyguards to protect Dai Linfei. The previous incident with the illegitimate fan following her car had made Zhou Xiao more vigilant about safety.
"Buzz buzz!" As Zhou Xiao searched, several messages popped up on his message board. When he couldn't find any relevant results, he breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to check his backend, he saw a headline: "'Running Man' opens the year with a bang!"
The title was quite marketing-savvy, and Zhou Xiao clicked on the topic, which was now even more lively. For example, the satellite TV data, the video website's growth rate was directly like free money, and everyone wanted to get a piece of the pie.
Zhou Xiao had been busy filming a short video recently, so she hadn't noticed any of this. After carefully reviewing it, she logged out of the blog and returned to the studio. Almost an hour had passed since her hair and makeup session, and thinking of this, Zhou Xiao glanced over at the time.
Just then, the door creaked open. Zhou Xiao quickly turned around and said to the bored staff sitting on the floor in groups of three or four, looking at their phones, "Get ready!"
Under his black wavy long hair was a white slim-fitting suit. The moment Dai Linfei walked into the studio, he started shooting mode and performed frame by frame according to the storyboard sent by Zhou Xiao.
Zhou Xiao dramatically altered the romantic sentiments that were supposed to be associated with Valentine's Day into a mature woman's ease in the romantic arena. The white suit softened Dai Linfei's somewhat sharp aura, but her every gesture exuded a carefree and generous air, her feminine aura fully unleashed.
The years have left traces of elegance and charm on her face. On Dai Linfei's wild and innocent face, every look and slight movement exudes charm. Even when her eyes connect with the camera, there's not a single unintended glance.
On the lawn, under the sun, Dai Linfei sipped a cup of coffee in front of the camera. At Zhou Xiao's request, the lighting on set was constantly changing angles to achieve the perfect lighting. A drone hovered overhead, filming closely, and cigarette cakes hung below added to the atmosphere.
Zhou Xiao moved the camera, and the next second, when the lens moved to the beautiful roses placed on the table, Dai Linfei, who was sitting on the chair, gently touched them with her red cardamom-stained fingertips, and a dangerous and seductive smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
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