Chapter 329 Career
The next morning, Zhou Xiao ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant while replying to the newly received congratulatory messages. These messages had hardly stopped coming since yesterday afternoon.
After everyone had replied, Zhou Xiao looked at the time on the screen and hailed a taxi. Seeing the taxi was nearby, she got up and left the restaurant, her camera bag beside her.
Today's destination was a studio rented by the crew of "Flowering Journey." Zhou Xiao and Tong Yin had already agreed on the filming location last night.
While the other cast members were still confused about when the show would air, she had already received confirmation from Tong Yin. Because the show was only a month away, they had rushed to gather the cast after the holiday to film and prepare promotional materials.
In the back seat of the taxi, Zhou Xiao lowered the window to take in the lingering New Year's atmosphere. Because it was still a holiday, the morning traffic was even busier than usual.
Leaning her hand against the car window, her gaze fell on an advertisement on a nearby building. It was the Christmas ad Zhou Xiao had shot for XS the previous time, and it stood out among the other big ads. Of course, this eye-catching, of course, was truly outstanding!
Zhou Xiao raised her phone and, somewhat conceitedly, took a photo of the advertisement on the high-rise building. Then, gleefully, she sent it to her family's small group chat. As expected, within moments, the group chat was filled with proud thumbs-up gestures from Zhou's father and Zheng's mother.
Seeing Ms. Zheng asking him what brought him out so early today, Zhou Xiao replied that he was going out to take some photos. Then he happily turned off his phone and began to rest his eyes.
Sharing his work with his parents from time to time and receiving positive feedback from them is also a way for Zhou Xiao to recharge.
…
Inside the studio, a frenzy of activity reigned. Outside, several staff members stood behind a truck, carrying the headgear and dresses needed for today's shoot into the studio.
Because there are quite a few actors shooting today, and each actor has at least 2 or 3 assistants, the size of the venue was seriously misjudged. Now it is not only crowded but also a mess.
It wasn't until Tong Yin arrived at the scene and ordered the renting of the adjacent venue, diverting most of the crowd there, that everyone in the venue breathed a sigh of relief.
Ke Wenbo, the on-site supervisor for today, was wiping his forehead with tissues from a box. It was winter, but he was sweating like summer.
"Carefully iron everything that needs ironing," Tongyin instructed, while she swiftly followed suit. She hung the period costumes, clutched to her chest, on racks in the studio, one by one, according to the filming sequence.
As for the headpieces for the main event, they had already been neatly stacked in transparent acrylic boxes. While some of these props were made by the film and television company itself, many were rented by the props team's head from acquaintances.
This is also why some of the acrylic boxes on the scene still have labels on the outside that say "Rented from a certain company on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year."
After learning that Zhou Xiao was the photographer for this shoot, everyone's spirits soared. On the one hand, the successful experience with the stills gave them peace of mind, and on the other hand, the fact that the crew had invited Zhou Xiao showed that their dedication to the show far exceeded everyone's expectations.
In the newly rented studio, no, now perhaps it should be said that it was a temporary public dressing room, some actors were already chatting about this while waiting in line for their makeup, their words full of gratitude for having accepted this drama.
Although the series was postponed, the supporting actors, aside from the main cast, were very positive about it. For them, the remake was the perfect opportunity, as it signified the show's ambition to become a high-quality drama.
In today’s movies or TV series, if the supporting characters want to sit at the table, at least the show has to be good enough for them to sit at the table.
Outside, Ke Wenbo still had a puzzled look on his face. His eyes were filled with surprise. He was still a little upset that Tong Yin hadn't let Jiang Linhe film the drama's promotional video.
After all, he was the male lead of the show! This kind of publicity operation that ignored the male lead was the first time he had encountered it in all his years in the industry. Look, this was really unusual.
"Yeah! If he wasn't the male lead with so many scenes, I would have asked the post-production team to change the role of the female lead for me!" For some reason, the anger on Tong Yin's face seemed even more serious.
After hearing this, Ke Wenbo realized that he had accidentally spoken his mind and quickly shut up. However, he was still puzzled as to why the other party was so resistant to Jiang Linhe, so he asked directly.
Speaking of this, Tong Yin was very glad for the decision she made yesterday afternoon. Initially, she had simply wanted to return the favor. She wanted to thank Zhou Xiao for accepting her invitation and coming to help with the filming despite the general industry pessimism.
Tong Yin believes that if the male lead is omitted from the promotional video, it won't make a huge difference. When the promotional video is uploaded, the male lead's scenes can be cut in, and no one will notice any discrimination. Some might even think the male lead's presence is too prominent in the video.
Tong Yin was feeling relieved because of the news the editor-in-chief of "Fashion Manner" had sent her last night, telling her that "Fashion Manner" had rejected Jiang Linhe's offer to collaborate with her.
After seeing the screenshots, her brows furrowed to the limit. What could possibly be the relationship between Jiang Linhe and Zhou Xiao? Furthermore, he was using the crew's name to try to capitalize on the hype?
The consequences of this weren't just a matter of increasing ridicule within the industry. The planned photoshoots for the "Flower Walk" and "Fashion Manner" duos they'd been working on were also likely to fall through.
Fashion Manner is a second-tier women's magazine in the industry, and it is also the magazine that Tong Yin has been promoting the drama for some time. The purpose is to increase the hype after the drama ends.
Jiang Linhe's action was not only directly reported by the employees of "Modern Fashion", but also served as a disguised warning to his peers.
Ke Wenbo was silent for a moment, his fingers rubbing against the unlit cigarette that had been stuffed in his ear. He seemed about to say something else, but after some thought, he gave up.
After all, audiences nowadays don't really care about artists, and they still value the quality of the drama itself. Without a male lead to promote it, it's gone, and it's not very popular anyway.
…
In her personal dressing room, Lu Mengqi looked at her makeup in the mirror with satisfaction. She had recently gone to the gym to work out beforehand in preparation for joining a new group, and now she felt like she was in even better shape than she had been during the time she was filming "Flower Walk."
"Sister Chen," Lu Mengqi recalled the news she'd seen in the group chat yesterday. She turned to look at her agent and asked happily, "Tell me, did the crew hire Zhou Xiao this time because I said at the press conference last time that I liked her filming?"
Chen Suhua thought this might be a personal connection between the producer and Zhou Xiao, but she didn't refute it. She just echoed, "You said you like it, and the crew probably took this into consideration as well."
"Haha, I told you so!" Lu Mengqi didn't really care who the crew cast, but she thought of the fans on Weibo who were constantly tagging the studio and her agent's accounts and scolding them. She wondered if they would finally be satisfied, right?!
The assistant, who was packing things nearby, looked up at the two of them and couldn't help but murmur inwardly: Is this considered extremely inconsiderate of their own artist?
…
"Xiaoxiao, you're here!" Tong Yin, who was directing the performance in the studio, turned around and happened to see Zhou Xiao at the door. She immediately greeted him excitedly. It had been a long time since they last saw each other.
Zhou Xiao walked over and gave Tong Yin a gentle hug, then his eyes wandered around the studio, "How about this, maybe I can start filming now?"
"Sure!" Tong Yin subconsciously counted on her fingers. "Some have already finished their makeup, and some are still in progress... Oh, no! I haven't personally wished you well on winning the grand prize yet! By the way, has ZYQ said when I can go to claim the prize? Then you have to find a time to let me touch it in person..."
Once Tong Yin started talking, she couldn't stop. Zhou Xiao didn't find her annoying, though. Instead, he listened to her with a smile on his face, nodding and agreeing from time to time.
After the two of them had been reminiscing for about ten minutes, Kevin Ke, who had already brought the actors over earlier, couldn't help but interrupt, "Well, now that they've brought them over, can we see if we can start filming?"
After being reminded, Tong Yin finally came to her senses. Pointing towards the studio, she gestured towards Zhou Xiao and said, "Let's start filming first? We can discuss the rest later, alone, tonight!"
"Okay." Zhou Xiao then put the camera bag on the table and began to adjust the equipment in the venue according to his own usage habits.
Rows of racks holding ancient costumes were still set up next to the studio. When the staff saw Zhou Xiao approaching, they were about to quickly move them back. But Zhou Xiao stopped them. The fact that the costumes were even in the studio showed how tight the space was.
Besides, the person who had arranged it seemed knowledgeable, and the placement of the stand wouldn't affect the filming. Although it did affect the aesthetics, for Zhou Xiao, that was enough.
On the other side, the actresses watching from the side were still a little excited, but because the producer was still there, they suppressed their emotions.
"Fan Hua Xing" is a young crew, and many people still remember the interactions they had with Zhou Xiao in the crew, and they all wanted to go up and congratulate each other again.
In just a few moments, everything was ready. Standing in front of the studio, Zhou Xiao blinked, then turned back to look at the girls behind him, each one as bright and beautiful as a flower. He smiled and said, "How about we start filming?"
Filming the promotional video went smoothly for Zhou Xiao, except for a few moments at the beginning when someone was too stiff and couldn't quite capture the character's spirit. However, since they were surrounded by actors acting opposite them, they quickly overcame this issue.
"Okay, raise your umbrella at a 45-degree angle and swing it towards me," Zhou Xiao said, holding up the camera. "We'll edit it with a scene from your drama, and the effect will be great."
Zhou Xiao, acting like a director, subconsciously directed the actors' expressions and movements. Sounds echoed throughout the studio, and this was just the beginning.
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