Chapter 344
Ji Shao's bare feet squeaked across the sand, feeling the roughness of the sand before his gaze shifted to a nearby rocky reef. Once he saw the filming location ahead, he quickly walked to his destination, kicked off, and with exceptional agility, leaped onto a rocky shoreline.
"Be careful!" Chen Shenju, who was holding a fisherman's hat behind him, saw Ji Shao's action and shouted hurriedly. However, he happened to encounter a sweeping sea breeze, which made him look particularly embarrassed.
The rough, large rocks had been softened by the wind, sun, and waves. Although it wasn't high tide yet, the surrounding area was still full of small, uneven rocks, posing a considerable risk.
"It's okay, I'm careful." Ji Shao crouched down on the rock and waved to his assistant, who was running toward him. Safety was his top priority. When the crew was filming from above, he'd been mindful of the rocks they were stepping on.
In March, the turquoise waters of Shanghai churned heavily against the shore. The waves surged, yet in the next moment, they returned to calm. The nearby slope was lush green. The sea, reef, and hillside formed a strikingly pleasant juxtaposition of movement and stillness. Although filming was underway today, for Ji Shao, it was a rare moment of relaxation and comfort.
The light blue suit looked particularly soft in this space. Standing on the rock, Ji Shao subconsciously extended his hand to block the sunlight from above as the morning sun shone through.
Today is the second day of DL's commercial shoot. We were originally going to shoot outdoors in the afternoon of the first day, but after feeling the scorching heat of the afternoon sun, we finally decided to shoot outdoors the next day.
DL's intention in filming this skincare ad was to convey the cream's clarity and translucence to the audience. So, the bright morning sunshine was just the right backdrop.
The rocks under Ji Shao's feet are connected to other reefs. Because the part of the reef extending into the sea looks like a half crescent in the air, a drone with pre-approved qualifications was used for today's filming.
As the filming crew took up their positions, Zhou Xiao stood at the front of the crowd, her eyes glued to the monitor screen. In her right hand, she held a walkie-talkie, allowing her to communicate with the drone operator.
"Teacher Ji, are you ready?"
Zhou Xiao's calm and composed voice reached Ji Shao's ears through the speakers installed on the scene. He had been enjoying the ocean scenery, but soon, holding the simulated sea fennel carefully crafted by the prop team, he gave a thumbs-up to the drone camera in mid-air.
“Shoot!”
At a command, the drone circled in the azure sky, capturing the natural beauty unique to this sea area. The next moment, the drone, having made a sharp turn, came to a steady stop diagonally above Ji Shao.
The propeller on the aircraft made a "buzzing" sound in the air. When Ji Shao realized that the signal had arrived, he slowly opened his eyes and looked into the camera.
The clear eyes seemed to speak, and as they began to change with the arc of the smile, Yuan Yu and Ke Yining, who were gathered in front of the monitor, couldn't help but hold each other's hands. The beauty of this moment was truly perfectly presented on the screen!
"Raise the drone a little higher." Zhou Xiao looked at the screen and immediately turned on the docking machine, asking the operator to raise the drone a little higher.
As the altitude increased, Yuan Yu, standing nearby, was surprised to find that Ji Shao in the footage looked even more different than before. Under Zhou Xiao's direction, the drone footage of the scene was incredibly smooth.
Afterwards, the technician operating the drone began to sweat profusely after watching the few videos he had filmed. The photographer's ability to control the drone was much clearer than that of someone who had been shooting drones for many years, his thinking and prediction were much clearer.
…
The uniquely natural sea breeze swirled gently through the air, and clusters of simulated sea fennel on the reef danced in sync. Like the props in Ji Shao's hands, these were all hand-made by the prop team, one by one.
Besides its unchanging emerald green color, the tiny buds at the top of the flower head swayed gently in the wind. Ji Shao closed his eyes and pretended to sniff the sea fennel in his hand, seemingly immersed in the light and beautiful feeling of this ocean adventure.
"Click!" Suddenly, Zhou Xiao, who had stood up from the monitor, had nimbly climbed onto the reef. After using the sound of the shutter button to awaken the other party's "fantasy journey", she set up the camera and captured Ji Shao the moment he opened his eyes.
The photo, directly in front of his face, appeared almost immediately on the monitor. The sunlight on the screen seemed to possess a vibrant life, dancing freely on Ji Shao's soft hair. As the right side of his face embraced the rising sun of spring, this scene embodied the pure, natural beauty that DL pursued.
"Hiss" In front of the monitor, watching the photos being replaced one by one on the screen, Yuan Yu and Ke Yining were so amazed by the shots that they almost couldn't close their mouths.
"What a strong control over the camera!" Ke Yining's heart was churning. This was a fact she had known for a long time, but when she saw it, she couldn't help but sigh again.
No wonder the publicity department was so obsessed with Zhou Xiao; this type of shot is quite common in skincare ads. But it feels like a cookie-cutter template: fake white, exaggerated exposure, and a dull, unhelpful performance.
Yuan Yu nodded as she listened to this. She seemed to be able to see through Zhou Xiao at this moment how she adjusted the camera and took stills on the set of "Flower Walk".
Although it was somewhat disrespectful to her job to go off topic at this moment, compared to Ke Yining, she was only a secondary role in this commercial shoot. Therefore, Yuan Yu felt quite at ease slacking off!
…
At noon, in a seaside cafe, the tranquility and peace were shattered by a group of people carrying various devices. The leader was Ke Yining, who stood at the order counter, asking if the owner was there.
The cafe's decor has a rather hipster vibe, and judging by the monthly fashion magazines displayed nearby, the owner must be a... well... a burly guy who doesn't look like someone you'd be a bit of a hassle to deal with!
Touching the large tattoo on his arm, the boss delicately pulled a notebook from the cabinet to record the type of coffee requested by this customer. After writing down everything and informing them that only coffee was available, no dessert, he slowly returned to the coffee machine to prepare it.
The group of people looked at each other in confusion, but when they saw that the other party was actually matching coffee beans and making coffee for them, the crowd returned to normal and began to find a long table and start chatting.
It was while watching Zhou Xiaoduo's guaranteed video for the third time that Ke Yining felt the intense attention of most people. She touched her nose sheepishly, her voice hoarse with excitement. "I declare today's filming over!"
"Wow!" "Then we can have a day off this afternoon?" "Why is it so sunny at the beach now?" "Great!" "..." Several staff members who came to assist in the filming could not help but shout in the house, and then started chatting as if no one was around.
For them, since their employer had said the filming was over, the rest of the day belonged to them. However, no one was suggesting leaving at this moment. They had waited so long and hadn't even had a sip of coffee yet.
I don’t know how long I waited, but when everyone had almost forgotten about the coffee, the boss appeared with his coffee.
"Coffee is here!" the boss's voice rang out enthusiastically, his tall and sturdy figure moving nimbly among the gathered crowd. With a click, he placed the large tray on the long table.
"Enjoy your meal, everyone. The flavors are labeled on the tray under the coffee cups." The boss neatly placed the cups of coffee on the table and casually picked up the large tray.
Although many people were unhappy about the late arrival of their coffee, upon seeing the boss's burly figure, they could only lower their heads and silently take out their previously ordered coffees. A crisp voice, tinged with laughter, rang out, "Looks like I've arrived at the right time."
Zhou Xiao, sitting in her seat, subconsciously turned her head like everyone else, looking in the direction of the voice. But she had one more piece of information than the others: she had already recognized the owner of the voice.
Ji Shao, who had changed into casual clothes, was pushing open the glass door of the coffee shop. Following closely behind him was Chen Shenju, who was also carrying a large bag.
"Oh, thank you so much, Teacher Ji!" Ke Yining stood up to greet Ji Shao and noticed the desserts in the bag he was holding. She quickly went over to take them and thanked him sincerely.
This seaside cafe was opened partly out of the owner's personal interest, and partly because today was a weekday. So when Ke Yining first came to place her order, she was told they were out of fresh desserts.
But no one came to the coffee shop just for the dessert. After learning about the situation, everyone said they didn't need it. But what was unexpected was that Ji Shao, who said he was going to remove his makeup and change clothes, now came back with two large bags of desserts.
"Hand-ground coffee? The beans smell really good." Putting the bag on the table, Ji Shao smelled the aroma of coffee in the air, raised his eyebrows and smiled.
The boss, who had just returned, happened to hear these words and was almost unable to close his smile. If Ji Shao hadn't been surrounded by so many people, he would have wanted to pat Ji Shao's shoulder affectionately. This large order today must have exhausted him. Thinking of this, the boss had already started to consider whether to hire a clerk.
Why did he open this coffee shop that he was losing money on? Wasn't it just to satisfy his hobby? Anyway, he had come here to ask if these customers could accept the tiramisu that hadn't been thawed yet. If they stayed longer, they could have a few bites.
Looking at the two large bags, there was no need to say that. Thinking of this, the coffee shop owner touched his apron and walked inside, humming an unknown tune. He had only read less than half of the magazine "Fashion Pioneer" that he had received today because he had been making coffee.
In the front hall, a group of people gathered around Ji Shao, thanking him warmly. What made everyone feel refreshed was that he didn't, like other artists, send desserts and have their assistants/managers record it. Instead, he simply told everyone to get whatever they wanted.
By the time the coffee arrived, Zhou Xiao had already moved to a small table for four. Sitting with her was Yuan Yu from DL. Even though they'd only known each other for a few days, Zhou Xiao was already convinced he was a real hottie.
"Your Ji Shao is so thoughtful! I'm sure he must have placed the order when the boss mentioned it earlier," Yuan Yu sighed, supporting his chin. The logo printed on the bag was from a well-known dessert shop in Shanghai.
Calculating the time it would take for the other party to deliver it one way, it was indeed about the same. Desserts were not rare, but what was rare was that Ji Shao could do it to this extent.
Listening to Yuan Yu's words, Zhou Xiao smiled and shook his head, "He is also the spokesperson for DL~"
As soon as these words came out, Yuan Yu nodded continuously, and was very satisfied with the emotional intelligence of his new spokesperson. Besides, this also reduced the hidden danger of bankruptcy for their brand.
In fact, Yuan Yu didn't quite understand why the group asked Ji Shao to be its spokesperson at first. From the simplest logic, does DL need a spokesperson?
DL's skincare products are already high-end in China, and they're not lacking in brand recommendations. This is evident in the frequent mention of DL among the products used by celebrities in their vlogs.
But after a discussion with Ke Yining last night, she also understood that DL chose Ji Shao not simply to attract fans and sell products. The most important reason was that Ji Shao's personal characteristics naturally aligned with the brand's philosophy, and he would not influence consumers (including artists) in their choices.
For DL, precisely because of Ji Shao's uniqueness, the advertising shoot was handled by the two of them, just like shooting a regular blockbuster. But what's different from the past is that this time DL has found a spokesperson who can perfectly interpret the brand concept.
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