Chapter 493
Time goes back to lunch break.
Jiang Lei, who had spent the entire morning in the office slicing bamboo strips, was as quiet as the staff sitting across from him, filming their own operation. This was precisely why the space remained absolutely silent, leaving the floor covered with bamboo strips for everyone's later practice.
Jiang Lei, who had sat quietly on a bench doing his handicraft the entire time, didn't stop until the pre-set alarm for lunch rang. Only then did he put down his half-cut bamboo strips at the staff's reminder. After cleaning the bamboo shavings from the plastic at his feet, he slowly stood up.
When Jiang Lei was about to follow the other party to the lounge for dinner, he suddenly stopped while holding the door frame. He paused hesitantly, wondering whether he should tell his original idea to the staff member who led him in front.
Jiang Lei knew why Ji Shao had left mid-production. Although he hadn't taken as many photos promoting the fish lanterns as his father, he understood the importance of publicity. Jiang Lei was thinking, since he was already here, shouldn't he also muster up the courage to ask the crew for a set of fish lantern photos?
Jiang Lei, who came to Zhejiang Province from Licheng with him, not only brought props for making fish lanterns, but also, at the crew's request, a fish lantern made by his own father. This lantern, called "Big Red Fish," was crafted by Jiang Aimin, the fourth-generation inheritor of the Licheng intangible cultural heritage fish lantern.
Knowing that the fish lanterns would become props for the actors during filming, Jiang Lei came up with this idea. He had a selfish motive; he also wanted to see creations centered around this handicraft.
"Um...big brother...can you...help me contact the photographer in the crew? I'd like to ask the teacher to help me take a separate photo of the fish lantern." Unable to figure out the real age of the young man in front of him, Jiang Lei hesitated for a while, and finally spoke a little embarrassedly.
He had initially thought he'd struggle with this, after all, the words had been sporadic as Jiang Lei mentally composed them. But once he got over the awkwardness of the opening, the rest of his speech flowed so smoothly that he was almost in disbelief.
The person who had been silent all morning suddenly spoke, and the request was so simple. After spending the whole morning with Jiang Lei, when he heard this, he immediately agreed as if he was afraid that the other party would take it back.
"There are many photographers in our crew, but if I were to recommend one to you personally, I would still recommend Teacher Xiao Zhou." Chen Guang thought for a moment and gave Jiang Lei the most objective advice.
Even though Director Fang personally assembled the group, getting to know each other well was something that required more time. Chen Guang saw that while Group B, which Zhou Xiao was in charge of, was somewhat different from Group A, the script supervisors of both groups had a good relationship, and the other staff members of Group A had also come into contact with Zhou Xiao.
As for the effect, the fact that Chen Guang's first thought was Teacher Xiao Zhou was enough to explain the situation. Not to mention that she was much easier to talk to than the old hands in the photography crew, so this favor would surely be easier for Jiang Lei to achieve.
Of course, Chen Guang didn't say that those veterans are now "stuck" in the sea of learning! If they have the time and leisure to help with filming, they might as well read the script and write a review!
"Okay, okay, okay." Jiang Lei didn't expect that this new brother he just met was so nice. Not only was he not impatient, he also recommended candidates to him. Jiang Lei was so excited that he said "Okay" three times in a row.
By the time Chen Guang learned from his childhood friend Deng Zi'an that Zhou Xiao had already retrieved the camera from the crew and estimated he would soon be downstairs, the two of them had stopped eating to focus on finding Zhou Xiao. They had originally been heading towards the lounge and headed straight for the room at the end.
Chen Guang walked and pondered, if he remembered correctly, that should be the room in the Changcheng Studio that Director Fang had mentioned this morning. This time, it was also a coincidence. At the same time as he saw that room, two figures came out of the room and immediately prepared to lock the door.
"Teacher Xiao Zhou, Sister Li!" When Chen Guang found out that these two people were the ones he was looking for, he greeted them without hesitation.
Perhaps it was because at this moment his heart was filled with the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment of helping others, he was completely cheerful at this moment, like a completely different person.
Munduner also has branches!
Li Ling, who was watching Zhou Xiao lock the door, turned around subconsciously. Seeing that the person who called their names still had a work badge hanging around his neck, she nodded and continued to look back at Zhou Xiao.
There was no way, Li Ling also wanted to say a few words, but there were only colleagues from the photography team and Zhou Xiao in the crew. She wanted to remember the faces of colleagues from other departments so quickly, because she was face-blind and really couldn't remember people's faces.
"Teacher Chen, is there anything wrong?" Zhou Xiao, who had already locked the door, looked at Chen Guang and asked with some confusion.
"Ahem, I need to discuss something with you, Teacher Zhou. But are you two going to eat? Why did you lock the door?"
"We're shooting this afternoon, aren't we? Teacher Li and I just went to the crew to get the camera. It's safer to lock the door, right?" Zhou Xiao replied. "We can eat later during off-peak hours. We plan to bring the fish lantern over now while there aren't many people around."
The crew's meals are all ordered as working meals. Except for some actors who need to maintain their figure, everyone else prefers to mind their own business and is content with what they have.
The fish lantern Zhou Xiao was referring to was the one Jiang Lei had brought. It was said to be over a meter long, but since both she and Li Ling were strong, they had simply taken advantage of the lunch break to bring the lantern over.
Chen Guang was speechless at this point. As the saying goes, it's like a sleepy person meeting a pillow. The two of them arrived at the perfect time. Glancing at the extremely reserved Jiang Lei beside him, he mustered up the courage to speak.
Zhou Xiao listened attentively to Chen Guang's retelling, then said nothing, motioning them to proceed. There was no reason to refuse. Even if Jiang Lei hadn't said anything, she had been planning to take some good photos of the fish lantern after taking the actors' makeup photos. It was simply curiosity.
Although it is a limited edition fish lantern for the final photo shoot, judging from the videos and pictures that Director Fang posted in the group, this fish lantern meticulously crafted by Mr. Jiang should not disappear in the vast river of time just because its maximum value has been used up.
While he had expected Zhou Xiao to agree generously, he hadn't expected her to do so readily. At that moment, his heart, like Jiang Lei's, slowly fell to the ground.
…
"Don't we look a little out of place?" Looking ahead at Zhou Xiao and Li Ling, one in front and the other behind, pulling the large box, Chen Guang suddenly felt a little regretful. If other colleagues saw this, wouldn't they point fingers and call him a lazy bum?!
“…”
"Don't you think we should be the ones doing the hard labor at a time like this?" Chen Guang ignored Jiang Lei's silence and continued to mutter.
"When my father was making it, he deliberately chose lighter materials to make the fish lantern. Two people are enough to lift it," Jiang Lei answered seriously.
In fact, there was one thing Jiang Lei didn't say: he was still in good health from years of making handicrafts like fish lanterns. But what made Chen Guang different from him and the other two was that when Jiang Lei saw Teacher Zhou and Teacher Li in front of him lifting the fish lantern together in a "three, two, one" movement, their shoulders bulged, and anyone could see their strength at a glance.
The tightly wrapped fish lantern still lay quietly in the delivery box. After Zhou Xiao carefully unpacked the package and the foam cushioning inside, the vivid fish lantern, as if finally freed from its restraints, shone with a stunning beauty under the incandescent light in the center of the studio.
In front of this exquisite handicraft, everything seemed to be able to be postponed. Zhou Xiao thought so, and she also didn't want to postpone it, so she chose to follow her heart and shoot now!
"Hey, Teacher Zhou, why don't we wait until we finish eating before shooting?" Seeing Zhou Xiao's strong execution ability of doing things as soon as he said, Chen Guang began to feel a little embarrassed. How could he ask someone for help and let him not even eat?
Li Ling, standing by, saw it all so clearly that she almost laughed and even fell in love with Zhou Xiao's style. She could see that Zhou Xiao was itching to capture the glittering fish lanterns in this space in her camera as soon as possible.
"Do you need me to hang up with you?" Although he had only been in the crew for a few days, Li Ling felt that he was now the person who knew Zhou Xiao best in the studio, no doubt about it.
"Yes! It is very necessary!" Zhou Xiao responded without hesitation!
Logically, since he could see the photographer was in high spirits, he might be able to get the fish lantern photo Jiang Lei wanted when he came back this afternoon. But as he looked at the two people carefully suspending the huge fish lantern in mid-air, his heart suddenly moved.
Perhaps, he found a home for this fish lantern.
The installation of the fish lanterns was like watching a smooth excavator show for Chen Guang. He even forgot when Jiang Lei, who was watching with him, suddenly disappeared.
By the time Jiang Lei returned, the fish lantern hanging in the center of the studio had been completed, assisted by Zhou Xiao and Li Ling. With a gentle push, one could even hear the wire creak and see the fish's body sway slightly in mid-air.
"Teacher Zhou, do you have a place to put this fish lantern?"
Zhou Xiao, looking away from the fish lantern, was still pondering Master Jiang's meaning when he saw him grip an extremely slender brush in his right palm. He was already standing in front of the lantern. He raised his hand and gently brushed the fish's body, and the lifelike lantern swiftly turned around, as if swimming nimbly in the water.
Seeing the master's expression, Zhou Xiao couldn't understand what he had just asked him. He immediately responded briskly, "I have a place to put it. Thank you, Master Jiang!"
"Shuashua——"
It was the soft, thin sound of an ink-dipped brush scrawling across silk. The hand holding the brush was covered in calluses, and because it was winter, a few dark cracks could be seen on the fingertips.
Those were the marks of cracks, but even with such hands, the hand holding the brush was exceptionally steady. Ink left traces on the bright "fish scales", lightly writing the time node of the gift to Zhou Xiao.
As the painting finished, Zhou Xiao, holding his camera, finished even faster. Drawing each stroke with the meticulous precision of a painting took quite a while, which also gave Zhou Xiao time to open his camera.
"Teacher Zhou, has anyone ever told you that you're really suited to being an entertainment reporter?" Chen Guang, who was watching this scene nearby, was stunned. He had witnessed Zhou Xiao's operation with his own eyes, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was smooth and flowing! He had the extraordinary ability to steadily capture every exciting moment in large occasions.
"Not really," Zhou Xiao's eyes narrowed, "but everyone thinks I'm quite suitable for filming~"
Thinking of the awards she had won before joining the group and her fan club status, Chen Guang silently gave Zhou Xiao a thumbs up. There was nothing much to say about this, this was truly amazing!
"Alright," Jiang Lei, who was slower to react, turned around, stepped back, and made room for the spot he had just marked. He smiled and said, "Teacher Zhou, I'll use this lantern to wish you a smooth and prosperous life, and abundant abundance year after year."
"From now on, I'll leave it to you."
…
"Why don't you two take a break first?" Song Xiao asked immediately after learning that a shoot had just finished not long ago.
"That's nothing," Li Ling, who was holding the lamp stand, laughed out loud. She turned her head and looked at Zhou Xiao and said, "But you know what, it's good to know how to use tools. With just a few hits of foam glue, the whole lamp is well preserved."
Zhou Xiao nodded. She had already decided to send it back to the photography base in the same packaging. After re-adjusting the equipment on the scene, Zhou Xiao looked at Ji Shao and waved, indicating that he could start preparing for the shoot.
The photoshoot was relatively simple, and with a fish lantern that outshone the film, the process went smoothly. Under the warm glow of the lights, Ji Shao rested his hand on the fish lantern, looking relaxed and at the same time evocative.
Under the lens, there is a refreshing youthful atmosphere. Combined with Ji Shao's appearance in the film, one can almost immediately feel the youthfulness and high spirits of the young man.
Zhou Xiao's shutter speed was as fast as ever. When Song Xiao noticed her head peeking out from behind the camera, he was still thinking that Teacher Zhou's filming speed was getting faster and faster. Unexpectedly, this peeking out was not the end of the shooting, but the beginning of the next shooting.
"Teacher Ji, let's pause for a moment," Zhou Xiao pointed to the square table to Ji Shao's left. "Take that brush and come with me to look at a set of photos."
The photos he was looking at were, of course, the ones Zhou Xiao had taken of Jiang Lei on a whim not long ago. He neatly connected his camera to the monitor in the room and, watching the photos appear one after another on the screen, he turned slightly to allow Ji Shao a clearer view.
"Let's add a prop," Zhou Xiao said decisively. She had absolute dominance and control over the final photo shoot. Despite this, Zhou Xiao still explained the reason for adding this action to Ji Shao in detail.
"The newly added actions will not become the official makeup photos, but will become promotional photos for other platforms," Zhou Xiao replied.
In the official makeup photos, no additional poses were added to the actors' poses. The actors were supposed to present the characters they had in mind for Zhou Xiao's camera. Beyond this, it was also for the sake of consistency in the stills.
On the screen, there was Xue Lei's silhouette. But even so, one could sense his complete devotion to the fish lantern before him.
The dots on the silk weren't just marks of ink; they were the love and support of a traditional craft by an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. Ji Shao stood still and watched for a moment, then gently moved the brush in his hand. His slender white knuckles gripped the shaft, and the tip traced a clean, graceful arc in the air. The next second, a smooth, flowing rotation and twist ensued.
"Otherwise, I'll ask the teacher to put a special effects makeup on my hands?" Ji Shao lowered his eyes and looked at the brush dancing on his fingertips. There was a hint of inquiry in his gentle eyes. He looked up at Zhou Xiao and said.
Regarding the special effects makeup, this was something Director Fang brought up during the script reading. The fish lantern production process requires not only proficiency in basic skills, but also meticulous attention to detail in the hands.
Xue Lei brought his father's work to the film and television studio. In addition to teaching the actors basic skills, he also served as a backup for a double. If Ji Shao wanted to avoid using a double, he would have to practice proficiency in addition to performing, and then do the daily special effects makeup painting during filming.
Xincheng naturally preferred Ji Shao to use a hand double for the entire performance. Due to previous schedule and contract issues, they could only let Ji Shao practice the role's skills in fragmented time before the filming of "Dancing Fish". Of course, as the lead actor of this film, Ji Shao has the right to choose.
Should he focus more on filming or on learning the role's skills? The answer became clear the moment Ji Shao opened his mouth.
Zhou Xiao and Song Xiao exchanged a glance, but neither of them intervened in Ji Shao's decision. When she looked at Ji Shao again, she simply said softly, "In this case, during filming, I'll have to help the makeup artist record this first version of your special effects hand makeup more clearly."
The person in front of him replied with a cheerful voice, "Well! Then I'll trouble you, Teacher Zhou!"
…
November 30th is an auspicious day, and it is a good day for the start of production.
In the early hours of the morning, Ju Weiqi and a group of extras who had finished filming a night scene were curiously gathered in front of the gate of a "university" in the film and television city.
The reason why so many people gathered here in the middle of the night was not only because they had just finished filming and were looking to see if they could get a role as an extra, but also because they were surprised by the crowds coming in and out of the door.
What's going on? When did luxury brands start filming commercials at the film and television city? And there are quite a few of them. Even those squatting nearby can smell the delicious perfume. It's so fragrant, even the flower baskets have that perfume.
"Brother Qi, look! Those staff members moving the flower baskets are wearing suits!" A handsome young extra said with some envy as he watched.
He was still wearing a long gown that smelled incredibly bad, and he had to deliver it to the costume crew later. The only reason he was joining in the fun with his brother was because he was waiting for the bus to pick him up and take him back to the hotel in half an hour.
Ju Weiqi's vision was honed through his experience in the film and television city. He took a closer look at the people carrying the flower baskets and found that they were all wearing the brand's main suit styles of the season.
Just like the leader who just passed by, the one with a small microphone in his ear, his WP slim-fit suit looked incredibly handsome in the night. But then he looked down at his own army, and it was a complete mess from beginning to end.
When his eyes came into contact with the seven big words "Wishing Ji Shao a good start to the filming" on the flower basket, Ju Weiqi felt a little dazed. It turned out that this was the crew of "Dancing Fish" that had been attracting attention from all parties in the film and television city during this period!
I didn't expect that it was right next to the group he is in now. It just so happens that he has no work tomorrow. Should he take the opportunity to come over and take up a spot, start a live broadcast and make some money?
Live streaming and acting as an extra are Ju Weiqi's ways of survival in the film and television city. The former allows him to use the status and connections he has accumulated as an extra in the film and television city to compete with other live streaming people for a good position.
The latter, then, is his original motivation for coming to the film and television city. Everyone who comes to the film and television city hopes to be that hidden gem, discovered by a great director, and ultimately become a superstar. Although this dream is unrealistic, it is the dream that keeps people from all corners of the world here.
There were a lot of flower baskets, as they were sent by more than just one brand. As time passed, the crowd of extras gathered around them grew larger and larger. When they saw the flower baskets had become so numerous that they could only be displayed, everyone couldn't help but do the math. My goodness, how much would this cost?
After the cars carrying the flower baskets had left one after another, Ju Weiqi was about to go wait for the bus with his companions when he saw two staff members come out, each holding a large cardboard box and saying, "Teacher Ji, please have some snacks. Come and grab some to fill your stomach before you leave!"
The carton was printed with Meijia Shop, a well-known domestic brand of nut snacks. It was much better than the other brands of snacks distributed by other artists to extras in the film and television studio.
Ju Weiqi stood on tiptoe to take a look inside. They were all in the normal packaging for sale, so he immediately invited the others to grab a few bags. They were generous, and he was also very hungry after filming a night scene, so he just accepted the kindness calmly.
"Thank you, Mr. Ji Shao, good luck with the start of filming!" "Thank you, brother." "Everything is going smoothly!" "Today is a good day for the start of filming, congratulations to Mr. Ji." "..."
Blessings were thrown to the staff in front of them as if they were free, and the extras wearing various costumes felt the kindness from the kind-hearted people in the chilly late night.
…
At 9 o'clock in the morning, while fans were waiting for the opening ceremony of "Dancing Fish", they also welcomed the official announcement of the global spokesperson for Ji Shaomei's shop.
As the brand that secured the top title on its first collaboration, Meijia Shop's generosity and generosity towards its spokesperson had already spread throughout the film and television studio. Every extra who passed by the "Dancing Fish" crew was likely to take home a handful of nut snacks.
——【Entertainment Forum】——[November 30th morning]
【Topic】Eating a melon [ear]
[Main Building] I heard that those big screens that are frozen all day long and dominated by top stars in the film and television city are the ones that new endorsements snatched from other brands [Funny] It’s up to you to argue whether this is true or not, but every brand is really generous in their on-site support!
[picture]
The picture shows an endless sea of flower baskets, which completely surrounds the crew of "Dancing Fish"
1L
I just watched a group of actors live-streaming on Douyin. They mentioned Meijia Shop in every sentence. It seems that they said that the brand randomly gave them a big gift bag of nuts when they passed by. I still feel like I am dreaming.
34L
Reply to 1L: This can't be sprayed, this is really lucky
59L
Oh my goodness, I saw XS on Xiaohongshu and they gave away 200 bottles of full-size classic perfume! I was wandering around the film and television city today, I'm so lucky!
128L
Having lots of endorsements is great, as brands will handle all the offline support for you. But what's even better is Tiaosi, right? Although fan support was banned, the official still gave the fan club 100 spots for the opening ceremony. I heard Xincheng even arranged a shuttle bus for them. Isn't this incredible star-chasing luck?
256L
I support that future offline support should be developed in this direction. Fans should not compare how much money they have spent on the main event. Isn’t it more satisfying to have the brand pay and contribute to the support?
309L
By the way, can we get those fans who scream in pain every time a brand posts on Weibo and can’t wait to post 100 “love you” posts on the forum to come and take a look?
…
In the lounge, the atmosphere was particularly tense as the official announcement was approaching. Although everyone was confident in the promotional video and photos, and had already reviewed them countless times, the pressure was still overwhelming.
Of course, among the nervous crowd, there were always a few who were quite stable. Sitting on the sofa, watching his friends in the small group ask questions one after another, Zhou Xiao remained very patient, carefully answering each one.
"Dancing Fish" was Zhou Xiao's first film and television drama, so her nervousness and anticipation were naturally unmatched. To ensure she had plenty of energy for the day, Zhou Xiao even used a system aromatherapy before bed to ensure a good night's sleep.
Whether it was because he was full of energy or for some other reason, the closer it got to the official announcement, the more Zhou Xiao could feel his condition and energy getting better and better. This energy and spirit even formed a sharp contrast with the mental state of other people in the room.
Due to the ridiculous number of media registrations, the original opening ceremony, originally scheduled to coincide with the official announcement, was later rescheduled to 2 p.m. after Director Fang consulted with the film's director. This was to facilitate the media's schedules and accommodate the crew members who had come from out of town to cover the film.
After receiving the announcement from Director Fang in the group chat, everyone's morning tension immediately dissipated a lot. But once some realized the tension would continue into the afternoon... well, everyone regretted it! Instead of dismantling things one by one, it would be better to do it all at once!
After this period of time, Deng Zian, who has become Zhou Xiao's little follower, looked at Teacher Zhou's state with envy. You know, when the official announcement is made later, not only will the leading actors be strictly scrutinized by netizens, but the photographers who took the photos will also be dug out and discussed.
Although Deng Zian, who has seen the finished film, feels that she has the confidence to have Teacher Zhou's skills, but she herself doesn't have it!
“59 points!”
When the excited voice of Assistant Director Wang Hao rang out in the room, almost everyone in the conference room subconsciously refreshed their phones, waiting for the scheduled blog post to appear.
at the same time.
The lobby of a hotel near the film and television city was packed with fans, some of whom were staring intently at their phones, their gazes piercing the screen with such intensity that they could practically tear a hole through it.
The clock in the lobby clicked and stopped firmly at 10 o'clock. Meanwhile, someone in the room had seen their long-awaited makeup photos... No, the first thing released was a video!
As the sound of fireworks exploded, the fish lanterns that occupied most of the screen began to fade from clarity into the smoke produced by the fireworks, appearing as if covered in a hazy veil, dreamy and unreal.
The camera pans downward, revealing a pair of slender hands firmly supporting the dragon head of a fish lantern. They and a group of friends behind them freely raise their lanterns and wander between the ancient houses and stone bridges. Through the warm yellow candlelight gleaming through the cracks in the lanterns, smiling faces, some young, some seasoned, some loving, pass by like a fleeting display of lanterns.
On the blue brick stone arch bridge, under the sky full of fireworks, the reflections in the water seemed to form a closed loop at this moment. Suddenly, a bright color suddenly broke into this poetic picture.
The young man in a white buttoned Zhongshan suit held a striking "big red fish" in his hand. He seemed to be attracted by the reflection at the moment, so he stopped and stared quietly at the calm lake surface like a mirror.
On the lake, the boy's gentle face seemed to glow in the moonlight, captivating everyone. Just as the audience in front of the screen were captivated by this scene, a sudden ripple instantly broke the originally calm surface of the lake, and the ripples quickly spread from the inside out.
The bright moonlight, the vibrant fireworks, the moment of stillness and movement seemed to last less than half a second before the lake gradually began to calm down. As the ripples began to spread more slowly, the gentle young man's features had hardened, his delicate hands now covered in calluses. The only thing that remained unchanged was the large red fish lantern he held high.
The next moment, the screen fell into darkness.
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