Chapter 211 Career
Pavilions and waterside terraces, with smoke curling up.
A pretty girl and a handsome boy stand in the pavilion, the breeze gently blows their gauze skirts, and the smile on the girl's face makes the scene vivid and lively.
Of course, this is ignoring the crew members gathered around the pavilion and the extremely powerful and customizable blower.
At this moment, Zhou Xiao was wearing a baseball cap and following the lighting director, watching how he directed the changes in light and shadow during the shooting process.
The crew in front of her was the short play "Spring Day" that Ster had recommended to her. After signing the contract, she asked if she could watch the filming process, and the director of the crew agreed without hesitation.
At that moment, the two actors filming in the pavilion were both popular ancient style bloggers on Douyin. When Zhou Xiao arrived that morning, he saw them reviewing the surveillance footage and developing their own ideas for makeup. After a test shoot, the director and producer agreed to some of the actors' suggestions.
This scene is the actual filming after the makeup and styling adjustments. Obviously, this isn't the first time the crew has made adjustments and revisions.
"Will this last-minute makeup change have a big impact?" Zhou Xiaoyou heard voices of discontent around him as the director announced the reshoot. But since the director and producer had spoken, action was naturally necessary, no matter how dissatisfied they were.
"Heh," the director of photography sitting in a nearby chair chuckled and said nonchalantly, "These maids and servants are just extras, paid by the day, so naturally they're dissatisfied. Look at the crew members around them, they're all eager to film such a relaxing scene."
For the crew, reshoots like this can be done with some leeway, though those carrying the cameras will be more tired. However, short series tend to have many episodes, and because they're short, everyone shoots until the end of the day. From this perspective, the workload seems similar.
Zhou Xiao nodded. This skit looked more credible than the similar productions she'd seen a few days ago. These bloggers with large followings seemed to pay more attention to their makeup. While they couldn't achieve the same level of perfection as a proper production, when the actors knew their own comfort zone, no matter how melodramatic the plot, it was still pleasing to the eye.
Zhou Xiao was actually a bit surprised by the director. Initially, she'd thought the stills shoot would be rushed, but he unexpectedly asked her to wait. The director explained that he planned to wait until the main cast had finished filming before taking the stills. This gave her more time to observe the crew's progress.
"Xiao Zhou, you could post more behind-the-scenes footage!" the director of photography said earnestly. When he learned the director had hired a celebrity photographer, he was actually a little dissatisfied. It was just stills; wouldn't it be disrespectful to his own team to hire someone else to shoot them? But after seeing the photographer's account, he was immediately impressed.
In this age of traffic, a photographer who manages their account effectively can secure a steady stream of resources. Their photography team also created an account. While their followers are small, they frequently post videos. Despite this, they often receive private messages asking for pricing, effectively expanding their channel for free.
"If it's interesting," Zhou Xiao pursed her lips and smiled. She knew the crew had this idea. The filming of a short play wasn't as good as a proper production, so as long as passersby watching or filming didn't affect the crew's filming, it would increase their exposure and popularity.
Although each episode was short, only a few minutes long, every scene was utilized to its fullest potential. Zhou Xiao watched as the actors stopped speaking their lines during filming and began to speak randomly, yet they still managed to perfectly match their co-stars.
Watching this scene, Zhou Xiao wasn't sure whether to admire the actors' chemistry or the "acting" of this form. This situation still exists in ordinary film crews, and it feels like they're learning the bad instead of the good.
"Ding ding!" The alarm clock he had set this morning rang, and Zhou Xiao lowered his head to turn it off. After saying hello to the two people beside him, he quietly left the filming site.
Zhou Xiao's schedule for this afternoon was to film Chen Si and Li Zhouye in a bamboo forest at the film and television city. I heard this bamboo forest was a huge hit at the film and television city, and if Chen Si and the others hadn't already reserved it, scheduling would have been a real hassle.
The bamboo forest, located at the edge of the film and television city, occupied a large area. From a distance, the greenery was easily visible. When Zhou Xiao arrived, he saw several people carrying large bags of goods coming out.
When they got closer, Zhou Xiao knew from the outlines protruding from the plastic bags and the hoes carried by several people that these people had returned with a full load of bamboo shoots.
"This bamboo forest is great!" "Not bad, isn't it?" "Come back next time..." A group of people passed by Zhou Xiao while talking, their faces full of joy. One of them even opened his mouth to invite him again, "Come back in two days, this is the first time!"
Digging bamboo shoots is no easy task. Zhou Xiao initially admired the energy of the group, but the further she walked into the bamboo forest, the more she felt something was amiss. When she passed the path and saw the newly dug soil in the bamboo forest...
The bamboo forest, once so picturesque, was now riddled with potholes, giving it a rustic feel. Zhou Xiao raised his phone, filmed the scene, and sent it to Qin Wan, then began searching for a better location. What else could he do? Wait for them to arrive? Zhou Xiao figured he could look for a better spot.
Bamboo forests are not very large because their well-developed root systems can damage other plants. Therefore, even if they are quite large, the planting area is not large.
Arranging the lighting and props for the shoot meant finding a spacious location. However, the original location had already been ruined, so Zhou Xiao naturally had to look for another one.
Qin Wan's message arrived quickly. One look at the traces on the ground revealed that someone had dug up the bamboo shoots. Although she was in a hurry, she told Zhou Xiao to look for them first and then photoshop them out later if she couldn't find any.
The props used for photography were brought in the car of Qin Wan and her friends. When they arrived at the bamboo forest with some anxiety, they saw Zhou Xiao waving and greeting them in front of the bamboo forest.
"Teacher Zhou, have you found a new place?" Qin Wan, who stuck her head out from the passenger seat, hurriedly asked Zhou Xiao.
Zhou Xiao nodded and said, "I found a place, but it's not big. But I think it should be usable." The shooting location should be spacious. In addition to placing props, the subjects should also have space to perform.
Qin Wan heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Zhou Xiao's words. In the blink of an eye, the people in the car had already gotten out, and the burly driver also put a prop in each hand into the trunk, ready to go and place them.
Zhou Xiao looked at the several large props and quickly spoke up to stop them, "Just take two first. Let's do a test shoot, shall we? Teacher Chen?"
Chen Si, who was also carrying a small prop box, nodded. She was wearing a very capable Tang suit, and the rolled-up sleeves and the prop box made people feel the contrast.
Everyone followed Zhou Xiao's steps into the bamboo forest. As they passed the bumpy ground, Qin Wan's tone was still a little angry. "After the filming is over, I'm going to ask the manager of the film studio. This bamboo forest has been rented out as a filming location. How can they let people come in and destroy it?!"
After saying this, she subconsciously glanced around and smiled at Zhou, "I'm also pissed. I just realized there's no security around. This is a security clause written in the contract!"
Zhou Xiao listened to Qin Wan's words as he walked. The slight regret in his heart was dispelled by her indignant look. In this situation, she still thought about the contract terms. One must say that Sister Qin is worthy of being a great agent!
"Let's take a look at the place I found first." Zhou Xiao in front paused, turned around and smiled, "Look, it's right there."
The others looked in the direction she pointed. It was a dense bamboo forest on the hillside. The bamboo was thick and lush green, and the glaring sunlight could be vaguely seen through the leaves. Although it seemed small compared to the place they had originally found, it felt good, though the space was not large.
"That's right, but where are you standing, Teacher Zhou?" The assistant who had already looked at him several times suddenly asked.
Zhou Xiao pointed to a big tree opposite and said, "I'll go up there."
Across the hillside stood a large tree, its branches barely wide enough for a person to crouch. Zhou Xiao arranged the positions of the two headlights, then, clutching his camera bag in one hand, quickly climbed the tree in plain sight of the others.
"Ah! Do photographers also need to be able to climb trees?" The assistant was stunned when she saw Zhou Xiao, whose agility points were maxed out. In her opinion, that tree was quite tall.
"That's hard to say, but in order to find a good angle to take pictures," Zhou Xiao, who had already climbed up the tree, took out his camera to adjust the parameters and said with a smile, "Climbing the tree and going down the river is no big deal~"
The lights and the subject were in place. Zhou Xiao watched Chen Si turn sideways, reach out to touch the bamboo, and then look at him, and his heart moved.
"Teacher Chen, please carry the box you just brought over. Let's take some fun photos!" These words were said to Chen Si. Originally, only the headlights were needed, but when Chen Si came over, she forcibly carried the small prop box (her agent didn't allow her to help carry the lights).
As soon as these words came out, Chen Si's eyes lit up immediately. He stretched out his hand and looked at the assistant and said, "Give it to me quickly. Photographer Zhou said so!"
In the camera, the fashionable New Chinese woman, who should have been holding a delicate small bag, was instead carrying a black toolbox. The lush bamboo was shaken by an assistant nearby, and the leaves rustled. As the bamboo swayed, sunlight filtered through the cracks, shining onto Chen Si below.
The woman's face, shadowed by the bamboo leaves, contrasts beautifully with the bamboo embroidery on her Tang suit, making her look elegant. However, the toolbox in her hand creates a strong sense of separation, the original elegance not being broken, but blending seamlessly.
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