Chapter 245: Filming Completed
It’s finished!
When the notice sheet read "Filming Completed" in large letters, Zhou Xiao, who was reclining on the sofa after washing up, suddenly jumped up. Then he received another message from Wang Hao:
It’s confirmed, Teacher Zhou, we’ll take horizontal stills tomorrow!
After replying with a "good" (likely a nickname), Zhou Xiao tossed her phone aside. With particular glee, she opened her computer and began browsing the photos and videos she had taken for the "Flowering Journey" crew.
She swiftly filed away today's filming results. Just as she was about to close the file, Zhou Xiao's fingers paused. "Flower Journey" was her first serious filming experience, and thinking about it, she felt a certain reluctance to leave.
By the time she glanced at the time in the lower right corner of her computer, it was already midnight. Zhou Xiao closed her computer and even ordered a system-generated aromatherapy. She knew she had a lot to do tomorrow, so she needed to conserve her energy.
At the northwest corner of the film and television city, the crew of "Flower City" is located. At dawn, a large number of fans of the main actors have already gathered nearby. Led by the local bosses of the film and television city, they are busy supporting the crew.
When Zhou Xiao arrived at the set, she saw a sea of water-filled flags and roll-up banners lining the road. Many fans were still standing on both sides of the road, holding banners and waiting in line. It made her feel like she was back in a familiar environment.
The crew members he met along the way were all in high spirits, perhaps due to the impending filming wrap-up. Their energy was a stark contrast to yesterday's. Zhou Xiao sensed that everyone was pent up, yet at this moment, they all felt a kind of insane sense of release.
"Sister Xiao~" The young people in the photography crew who were a bit shy in the past all came over and greeted Zhou Xiao today when they saw her. His grinning white teeth fully demonstrated his good mood today.
Zhou Xiao, feeling the joy of everyone wrapping up, arrived at the prop room. He saw a room that had been specially cleared the day before, now filled with neatly arranged bouquets. The flowers were delicate and juicy, and the colors of the bouquets matched the actors' costumes in the show.
The crew, led by Wang Hao, was already incredibly busy, especially since today was the final day of filming. Not only did they have to complete the prop setup for the final scene, but they also had to prepare for the wrap-up ceremony before the filming concluded. To ensure a good start and avoid any mistakes, the usual inspection procedures were even more rigorous today.
The scheduled wrap-up ceremony was arranged in a spacious courtyard. When Zhou Xiao looked over, two staff members happened to be unrolling a banner that read "Congratulations to the crew of "Fan Hua Xing" on wrapping up the film and wishing them continued high ratings" and fixed it behind the long celebration table.
The festive colors make the originally elegant courtyard look more down-to-earth, and even the welcoming pine tree next to it is hung with red silk.
A few little girls were playing and laughing as they passed by. One of them saw Zhou Xiao leaning against the door frame. She quickly pulled her friend beside her, then stopped and said bravely, "Teacher Zhou Xiao, can you please take another photo for us girls after the filming? Please~"
As soon as she said this, the rest of the group looked at Zhou Xiao expectantly. Working on the set, everyone knew of her photography skills when gossiping privately, but normally they were too embarrassed to bother her about it.
When they learned last night that they would be taking wrap photos (group photos), many staff members immediately thought of Zhou Xiao. However, knowing that other photographers from the crew would be taking the shots tomorrow, they were a little worried about running into someone who wouldn't take responsibility.
Just look at the wrap photos from recent years, and you'll see they only focus on the lead actors and director. No one else's faces are taken seriously, and distortions are as normal as eating or drinking. When everyone posts to their social media, they subconsciously put group photos last.
Zhou Xiao looked at them like this, smiled slightly, and nodded, "No problem, come find me when you are ready."
The girls were instantly delighted. After waving goodbye to Zhou Xiao one by one, they happily contacted other colleagues. On the way, they started talking about "bribing" a makeup artist to help them touch up their makeup for the group photo.
Watching the figures leave, Zhou Xiao turned his gaze back to the now empty celebration table. Soon, it would be filled with things, waiting for the moment of wrap-up.
Zhou Xiao looked down at the time, then stood up and walked towards the filming site. Speaking of which, by this time, they should already be filming, right?
A large crowd was gathered in the magnificent mansion. Zhou Xiao walked lightly behind Director Fang, who was staring solemnly at the monitor. The atmosphere on set was completely devoid of the relaxed atmosphere of impending filming, and the staff's attitude was even more serious than usual.
Looking at the actors who were immersed in the performance, Zhou Xiao found a good position and raised his camera to record the filming of this final scene.
After several NGs, Fang Xi picked up the intercom again and heard a "cut" followed by the word "filming completed." Everyone on the set was still silent, and seeing the sudden silence, Zhou Xiao, who was the first to react, immediately tapped the staff members who were already waiting with bouquets of flowers, prompting them to go over and present the flowers.
When several figures holding bouquets of flowers appeared on the surveillance camera, the staff member next to Fang Xi finally came to their senses. Someone excitedly stood up from the stool, took out a salute from a pre-prepared cardboard box, and ran towards the actors on the stage.
Cannons exploded repeatedly throughout the space, and Zhou Xiao could sense everyone's long-suppressed emotions boiling over. Several veterans from the photography crew immediately surrounded the lead actress, who was holding a bouquet of flowers, and began to demand red envelopes.
Red envelopes are a symbol of festivity and prosperity on the set, and the actors couldn't help but smile. Satisfied with the blessing, they immediately reached out to their agent and handed out the pre-prepared red envelopes to the staff gathered around them.
At this moment, Fang Xi was looking at Zhou Xiao who was filming not far away with a smile. Seeing her serious look, the smile on her face became obviously deeper.
"Why don't you go and ask for some good luck?"
Hearing this, Zhou Xiao straightened up and stopped pressing the shutter button. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Director Fang standing behind him to the right.
"Happy?" Zhou Xiao thought for a moment and shook her head. There was no need to tell Director Fang about what had happened before. She felt that Lu Mengqi was a bit like the stubborn, silly, "bad" female supporting character in the skit, just like when she had wanted to secretly criticize the makeup artist. She had intended to spread negative news about her, but she had gotten angry at the makeup artist instead. And after she got angry, that was the end of it.
If they really went to ask for good luck and were rejected outright... Zhou Xiao scratched his head. It seemed possible. That would be awkward. Maybe people would think they were in a sitcom.
Just as he was thinking about it and couldn't help but shiver with cold, a red envelope suddenly appeared in front of him. Zhou Xiao looked up in surprise and saw Director Fang smiling and saying, "I've prepared this for you. Take it quickly."
Everything that happened on the set could not escape Fang Xi's eyes. This drama is also a human drama. Although she does not have much love for the leading actors, she will deliberately ask the screenwriter to appropriately integrate the leading actors' personalities into the roles.
Lu Mengqi, the female lead, was unaware that she was constantly under the director's observation. Her dislike for Zhou Xiao was obvious, and anyone in the crew could see it. By looking at the beginning, Fang Xi had already guessed the main actors' thoughts.
"Send the wrap-up photo to Xiao Wang as soon as possible," Fang Xi said, and looked at Zhou Xiao. "I saw your previous commercial clips, and they were shot with great energy and spirit. If you're interested, you can learn more from the big group and start with the simplest ones."
Zhou Xiao, having received recognition from his senior, looked serious and was about to express his gratitude when Fang Xi, standing opposite him, jokingly said, "By the way, are you interested in the wrap-up special? How about I ask you to come?"
…
Behind the wrap banner, a crowd of people filled the area. Besides the actors and crew, the agents of each actor were also present. Suddenly, the spacious courtyard became bustling with activity, bustling like a market, with people everywhere looking for photos and autographs.
Fang Xi watched this scene with no particular objection. After filming for so long, everyone was pent up, and they needed one last lively environment to let out some emotion. She simply stood inside, looking outside, with no intention of interrupting everyone's relaxation.
On the celebratory table, the words "Good Luck on the Finishing" were arranged with cola, and dragon fruit, a symbol of prosperity, was placed on top. Zhou Xiao was standing far away when a bag was suddenly handed to him.
A cute-looking Lu Mengqi in ancient costume was stuck on the pink paper bag. The girl who handed the bag to her was a little nervous. When she saw Zhou Xiao looking at her, she stammered that she was a fan of Lu Mengqi and was going to support her artist after the filming was over.
"Hello, sister, there's a small cake and a small box of fruit in the bag. They're our fans' support for the crew!" The nervous girl noticed Zhou Xiao's camera bag and immediately said, "Could you please take a picture of my baby? Thank you, teacher!"
Originally, fans were not allowed inside the crew, but Fang Xi had someone verify the fans' identities and let several fans at the scene get temporary fan cards at the film and television city, which gave them the opportunity to bring their support and get close to their idols.
Zhou Xiao didn't refuse. She accepted the offer, tinged with a hint of unease, and offered a friendly smile to show her goodwill. The girl's hands were still shaking, and Zhou Xiao felt she didn't look like the person in charge of the fan club's operations, but rather a temporary, unofficial worker.
Seeing that her support was accepted by the staff and she received a smile from them, the little girl left happily and prepared to look for the next staff member who looked easy to talk to.
Zhou Xiao looked at the cheering bag placed aside, pulled out her camera, and pointed it at Lu Mengqi, who was flamboyantly dancing in the crowd. She couldn't tell if she felt empathy when she saw her anxiety, but she was willing to give something in return for her efforts.
In the camera, Lu Mengqi is smiling particularly cheerfully and brightly.
…
"Teachers!!! Please come under the banner! We're going to take the wrap-up photo!" Wang Hao, holding a megaphone, walked around the crowd without stopping, back and forth again and again. He was so angry that he almost stuck the megaphone into some people's ears before he finally gathered everyone.
Zhou Xiao, standing at the front, raised his camera and started filming after everyone had taken their positions. "Happy wrap-up," Zhou Xiao silently wished everyone a happy ending as they cheered excitedly.
When the shutter sounds stopped, the cake shop manager, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly instructed the staff to clear a space on the long table and then placed the large square cake, which was more than one meter long, in the center.
After taking another photo, the staff in the back were already urging the director and the lead actor to cut the cake. The long cake was inscribed with the same words as the banner. Fang Xi smiled and waved her hand in the crowd, letting the two lead actors cut it.
Zhou Xiao in front carefully recorded the joy of this moment. Even the many unsatisfactory things that happened during the past filming disappeared at this moment.
The group photo was already taken. Zhou Xiao had brought her computer with her. Connecting her camera to the computer, she sorted through the day's stills while waiting for the crew who had come to take the photo with her this morning.
——【Entertainment Forum】——[June 6th afternoon]
[Theme] Report! Blooming Flowers wrapped filming today, and I heard they're aiming for a summer slot!
[Main Building] The wrap-up group photo came out so quickly! I thought we had to wait until Dragon Boat Festival to get the material~ Honestly, we are really living happily again!
[picture]
The picture shows a group photo of the official Weibo of "Flower Walk" after the filming was completed.
1L
The press release says this drama is directed by the same director as Cang Hai, so I'm looking forward to it. It's so painful to keep up with Cang Hai, but the drama is really good! I've been watching short videos these past couple of days and I've seen a lot of people using "Xing He Zui" as background music!
41L
The most interesting thing about this drama is not only the director, but also the photographer who took the photos of Chen Si in the new Chinese style is the stills designer of this drama [slow crawling.jpg] I have to say, the entertainment industry is really a circle~
88L
Reply to 41L: This is the first time I heard of such a niche profession as a stills artist. Isn't it just a photographer? I heard from the grapevine that she looked down on the female lead's status and refused to take photos of her.
144L
88L Don’t you think your fishing skills are too clumsy? =_= Why don’t you take a look at the people Zhou Xiao photographs, from Dai Linfei to internet celebrities, they all cooperate well with him.
216L
Doesn't the person above know that our group's favorite amateur is Zhou Xiao? As long as her skills haven't deteriorated, she's always been our treasure! No wonder the wrap photo of "Flower Walk" also includes a photo of Director Fang and the female crew members. Turns out it was taken by our Zhou Xiao!
…
Shortly after the release of the wrap photos for the drama "Flower Walk," pre-purchased marketing accounts had already started the hashtag #Flower Walk Finished#. It was now rapidly moving from the bottom of the entertainment trending search list to the top of the general trending search list.
The previously popular Amway marketing account had been unknowingly replaced by a high-traffic black marketing account. The content of the thread left those who clicked on it completely baffled. Wasn't filming just wrapping up? Why was the topic now focused on the photographer? And how could a photographer still look down on an artist these days?
Zhou Xiao only realized she was trending when she received a message from Zhu Jian. When she opened the trending search, she saw that netizens in the square were mocking her and Lu Mengqi equally.
"Xiaoxiao, we've counted the marketing accounts on the square in our small group. Aside from some small ones trying to capitalize on the hype, the rest are all affiliated with Buzhoushan. Is Lu Mengqi targeting you? What's going on? Do you want us to control the comments for you?"
Zhu Jian called Zhou Xiao to urgently explain the situation, and by the end, he was a little confused. If this female artist had indeed been behind the negative press release, what was she trying to achieve? Zhu Jian observed for a while, and public opinion didn't seem to be leaning in her favor.
Zhu Jian, no longer a naive person, sensed something was amiss, but she knew there were plenty of fools in real life. She wondered if someone might actually end up losing more than they gained, so she kept her doubts to herself and didn't share them with Zhou Xiao.
In addition to the excerpt of the forum speech in the blog posts of these marketing accounts, there was also a private message submission, which recounted that when they heard Lu Mengqi on the set, she complained to the crew about her dissatisfaction with Zhou Xiao.
After seeing the popularity, the marketing account edited the blog post again, and this time the new topic was particularly eye-catching - Ji Shao's sister was suspected of looking down on Lu Mengqi on the set.
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