Chapter 216
On the way back to the hotel, Zhou Xiao finally saw the trending searches. After a quick scroll, he was left feeling a bit amused. Perhaps for publicity's sake, someone had already photoshopped stills of Ji Shao and some actresses onto the plaza.
The actors who were included in the hot cakes are all popular artists with high traffic. The comments under these blog posts are basically "take it away, no appointment" and so on. However, to the disappointment of some people, there was no mutual attack and abuse between fans of both sides.
Zhou Xiao had already heard the gossip firsthand on the set, as Director Fang had told her directly. Wang Hao, listening nearby and making faces at her, was confronted by Director Fang, who then asked him if he had a stye, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Her identity was no secret to anyone in the industry who paid attention. Furthermore, it was common for people in the industry to be fans of celebrities. Many people privately envied Zhou Xiao's filming skills, and the fact that she could also be a fan. In their view, this skill was something not many people could achieve.
In the small group, Zhu Jian and the others had already started selecting scripts. The idol-turned-actor trend seemed to be tacitly accepted within the industry. Within NINE STAR, Ji Shao still held high hopes, with many fans hoping he'd film with one of their own artists.
The fact that Fang Xi could speak publicly about this meant that Ji Shao's OST recording wasn't a secret. While Zhou Xiao was still debating whether to interrupt everyone's excitement, the official NINE STAR Weibo account suddenly took action.
@NINE STAR Official Weibo V: The online rumors about our artist Ji Shao filming a movie are all fake. Please pay more attention to the artist's music works.
[Huh? Huh? Huh?!]
I'm saying Huayao is really going crazy, right? Is there anybody who disagrees? If Chinese artists don't make movies, how can they survive? Just look at who's singing at the party!
I'm so confused. I don't know whether to praise you for your quick debunking or your genuine purity. The boy band next door, whose dreams are coming true, are already filming, and you keep acting like you're dying...
Although I am a fan of the stage, I still hope that Shao can act in a movie.
[This rumor-busting speed is commendable. Those drama producers are truly shameless! Ji Shao has no idea how many scripts have been used to fuel his popularity today!]
【……】
The official Weibo post's denial stunned many. The production team had been happily watching the drama's popularity rise thanks to Ji Shao's popularity, but they didn't expect Hua Yao to be so heartless. The male lead character was even the subject of a discussion forum post comparing Ji Shao's suitability. After seeing the official Weibo post's response, the poster immediately requested its removal, leaving the production team feeling incredibly disappointed.
Fans were split evenly. Half were concerned about Ji Shao's survival in the domestic entertainment industry and were originally happy he could film. But after checking the official Weibo account, they were only briefly disappointed, and that was all.
The other half were initially a bit dissatisfied. They had gotten into the show because of the talent show and the stage. Now that Ji Shao was filming, what would they do? But after learning that the news was fake, they were happy for a while, but then they began to agree with their colleagues' theory about the stage and began to worry about the outcome.
Zhou Xiao glanced at the comments under the blog post, observed a moment of silence for Hua Yao, and then informed his friends, who were already feeling a surge of damage, that Ji Shao was coming to the film and television city to record the OST.
Huayao's approach was actually quite correct, as it prevented Ji Shao from being criticized by passersby. Otherwise, fans would have simply felt that the agency was too slow to dispel the rumors. After the clarification, the popularity of several dramas that Ji Shao had originally been linked to remained high, indicating that this was indeed a way to capitalize on the popularity.
Ji Shao went to the film and television city to record the OST of the upcoming drama directed by Fang Xi! Zhou Xiaogang and his friends just revealed this news quietly, and Huayao had already told Digital about it right after.
This news did soothe the hearts of fans to a certain extent. Although those fans who had been looking forward to Ji Shao filming were a little disappointed, they began to look forward to the new songs. And those who were originally dissatisfied with Ji Shao filming were now somewhat entangled and unhappy after seeing the news released by the fan club president.
This mood did not last long. The next day, a piece of news made everyone excited! NINE STAR's Lin'an concert is being prepared! As soon as the concert news came out, everyone began to urge Huayao to open group tickets.
…
At the film and television studio, Zhou Xiao and Director Fang took a week off. This afternoon, she received a message from the Modern Fashion staff: NINE STAR had returned to China, and the magazine shoot could begin.
Knowing Zhou Xiao was leaving for filming, the producer, who had become her gossipy partner, felt a little reluctant to let her go. After Zhou Xiao promised that she would be back soon, she waved goodbye to her, swiping a handkerchief she had found from the props department.
In Zhou Xiao's opinion, makeup artists are more tiring than photographers in group shoots. Besides ensuring a sense of fashion, team cohesion is crucial. Looking at the outfits sent by the magazine, Zhou Xiao could already imagine the headaches the other team members had to deal with.
Around this time, Zhou Xiao received a request from Zhu Jian, asking if she wanted to join a group ticket sale. Although Huayao hadn't officially announced the concert's location, attentive fans had already found the stadium through the Zhejiang Provincial Government's official performance registration form. Using previously publicized concert seating charts, their fan club had already set up a group ticketing group in advance.
Zhou Xiao paused as he was about to reply. Normally, by this time, the system might have responded, but… he mentally called the system again, still receiving no response. After a moment's thought, Zhou Xiao typed out a few words—"Not for now~"
Unlike other fan clubs, their own fan club reserved the front row for standing-in fans. If the system upgrade was still available before the deadline, Zhou Xiao decided to simply sit with her friends. Even if the distance wasn't the best spot for photos, it didn't matter to her.
…
Modern Fashion had multiple filming locations, but since it was a group shoot, the magazine preferred outdoor shoots. When Zhou Xiao arrived at the beach by car, he saw quite a few people setting up the location; they were all staff from the magazine.
This stretch of beach was rented out, and Zhou Xiao was stopped when she went there. Even after she explained to the other party that she was a photographer, she was not let in... Zhou Xiao, who was squatting on the side with her camera, was not allowed in until the other party called the Modern Fashion staff.
The endless beach and the sea, where the sky merged into one, gave a particularly refreshing feeling in today's beautiful weather. Zhou Xiao shielded his eyes from the glaring sunlight with his hand, staring at the conspicuous orange stepladder on the beach, then turned his head to look at the staff member walking towards him.
"Teacher Zhou Xiao, right?" Seeing Zhou Xiao nod, the visitor continued, "I'm Fang Zai from Modern Fashion. Just call me Zaizi. The artist is still in the dressing room, so you may have to wait a while. If you need anything later, just let us know. We will cooperate with you in the filming!"
Fang Zai, with his beard, looked to be a middle-aged man in his forties. Judging by the staff's attitude towards him, he was clearly a manager. Zhou Xiao suspected that the person who had stopped her was the one she had been talking to on the phone; otherwise, the place wouldn't have been so convenient to pick her up.
Although the other party directly asked him to call him Zai Zi, Zhou Xiao was a little embarrassed to say it, so he simply called him Teacher Fang, just like the other party called himself.
It was still a bit chilly at the beach in the morning. Even though the sun had come out, it couldn't dispel the chill. Zhou Xiao followed Fang Zai to the edge of the beach and couldn't help but lose himself in the sight of the azure sea.
What snapped her out of her trance was the noise coming their way. Zhou Xiao and Fang Zai turned their heads and saw a large group of people heading their way. Besides NINE STAR, who was surrounded by the crowd, she also spotted Chen Shenju, who extended his hand and waved to her from a distance.
In the crowd, Ji Shao, who had been chatting with a group member, smiled even more sharply upon seeing Zhou Xiao. They'd only just discovered that Zhou Xiao was the photographer for today's shoot when they'd overheard the makeup artists chatting in the dressing room. While a bit surprised, they all felt like old acquaintances. Ji Shao aside, how many times had everyone else seen Zhou Xiao offline?
Seeing that his teammates were still walking slowly, Ji Shao immediately ran to the back and pushed everyone forward, looking very happy.
"Why does it feel like this kid is more like your fan? So happy?" Fang Zai watched closely from the side and said jokingly.
Zhou Xiao curled her lips and said nothing more. After all nine members were standing on the beach and adjusting the lighting, she climbed up the stepladder with her camera.
Zhou Xiao had reinforced the stepladder in advance, but the others didn't know it. Watching the person scramble up, with no one to help, the members at the beach suddenly looked worried, each wanting to rush over to help. But then a shutter clicked, and Zhou Xiao, standing firmly on the ladder, had already captured everyone's expressions at that moment.
Zhou Xiao put his camera down and watched the members rushing forward. An idea struck him. The young men in suits and ties turned their backs to the sea, their heads raised, each one moving forward...
On the beach, two staff members were pulling a long plastic sheet to cover up the footprints. Zhou Xiao wasn't idle either. She called over to Fang Zai, and together they shifted the stepladder in a different direction.
When everything was ready, the main character in the photo shoot could only squat on the side. Zhou Xiao stood on a stepladder and took a photo of the beach. He sent the photo to Fang Zai and asked them to start arranging the nine members.
NINE STAR has their own standing positions, but they will also adjust them according to the clothing. Once everyone is standing in the designated position, the staff will wipe their feet again, and then the filming will officially begin.
Ji Shao, who was standing in the center, put one hand in his pocket and looked up at the camera. The blowers on both sides of the stepladder were whirring, blowing the hair of the young people in front of him.
Unruly hair, meticulously tailored suits, and everyone's gaze fixed on the camera. No accessories, just the members' interpretation of their suits. Under Zhou Xiao's lens, a classic group cover was created in no time.
At Zhou Xiao's "OK," the members, who had been so serious, immediately broke down. Looking at the preview on the camera, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Who knows? These people's sense of humor is so low, it's hard for her to capture a serious scene. Although, she had already experienced this when she shot the XS perfume campaign for NINE STAR.
After the group photo, it was time for individual photos. When Zhou Xiao was taking photos of each one, the people gathered in front of the screen did not come over to interrupt her and ask her to take more photos, which silently showed their satisfaction with the group photo.
In front of the screen, Chen Shenju, who occupied the center position, was looking at Ji Shao in the photo with satisfaction. Beside him, besides his other assistants, was the modern and fashionable Fang Zai, who was sending the photos he had just taken to the work group.
The suits NINE STAR wore this time were the spring releases from luxury brand RD, a major sponsor of "Modern Style Idol." Fang Zai was pleased with the members' performances and Zhou Xiao's filming skills, and his earlier concerns vanished upon seeing the photos.
The members in the picture are all outstanding whether they are in the same frame or cut separately. Ji Shao, standing in the center, is undoubtedly the most dazzling, but his brilliance does not overshadow the brilliance of others. On the contrary, because of his presence, the whole picture is more brilliant, which is also the value of the center position.
"What's the next scene?" asked an assistant standing nearby.
Chen Shenju thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be Shu Lin, right? Zheng Shulin's assistant?" This last sentence had a teasing tone.
NINE STAR has nine artists, so naturally, they have quite a few assistants. But aside from Chen Shenju overseeing Ji Shao, the other three assistants either oversee two or three. It's not that he's being special; it's primarily due to the workload.
Assistant Zheng Shulin didn't react much when Chen Shenju teased him. He opened the memo on his phone, nodded, said "yes", and then raised his camera to take a picture of Zheng Shulin on the screen.
Here, the photos Fang Zai posted to the group quickly received a lot of satisfactory responses. He looked up at the NINE STAR members being filmed on the screen, and then called his colleagues at the next venue.
This photographer Zhou is truly a ruthless person, and his shooting speed is really as fast as the rumors say! If I don't call someone to set up the scene quickly, it will be a mess later!
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