Chapter 495
"Ji Shao is here!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and the crowd, which had been waiting for nearly an hour, gradually began to get lively. While some people were still standing on tiptoe, looking around to see where Ji Shao was, the sound of camera shutters began to click.
In the camera, Ji Shao, wearing a dark blue long-sleeved sweatshirt and black trousers, emerged from behind the backdrop, microphone in hand. Following closely behind him were a series of young, seemingly inexperienced actors from the "Dancing Fish" crew.
This group of actors looked very new, so new that if they didn't look more memorable than ordinary people, the photographers holding cameras would hardly be willing to waste time taking a few photos of them.
Unlike other productions that rely on veteran actors as a gimmick and anchor, Ji Shao, having won two Huacai Awards, now possesses immense confidence. Furthermore, Fang Xi has always favored using new actors, so at this moment, Ji Shao seems to be leading more than just the young actors behind him. This composition is truly remarkable, and the fans standing in front of him suddenly feel a sense of wonder and amazement at how much their favorite artist has grown.
While resource-rich and popular actors are still scrambling to join the traditional powerful lineup, Ji Shao is already qualified to take on the leading role and replace the "joining of old actors" to become the new promotional direction of Fangxi Films.
Wen Xiangrong, standing outside the venue, was a bit stunned. Looking at Ji Shao, he felt a strange feeling. He subconsciously shifted his gaze to the nearby fan club, numbering over a hundred. Their chorus of support infused the opening ceremony with tremendous energy and enthusiasm.
He recalled how, while waiting, he'd joked with his colleagues not long ago, saying he'd never imagined a luxury brand employee would serve him sliced fruit and coffee outdoors. Wen Xiangrong looked up at the crowds of supporters, a stark contrast to the usual monotonous fanfare. The flowers were so dazzling and bright he barely blinked.
People who often do interviews at film and television cities know that fans' support is usually monopolized. Only brands can do support normally at film and television cities.
It was precisely because of this disparity in scale and quality that so many people gathered outside the "Dancing Fish" crew. The extras, accustomed to the usual simplistic support, naturally couldn't help but gather to take a look at such elaborate support.
“Brother Ji, look this way!” “Ji Shao Ji Shao Ji Shao” “Teacher Ji, left, left, left!” “Look to the right!” “…”
In stark contrast to the fans' orderly support, the reporters inside were practically jumping up and down in a rush for footage. Even more outrageous was the fact that, having interviewed so many production crews, this was the first time they'd seen a production put fans squarely in the center.
If it were just fellow travelers, it would be fine, as everyone would be willing to squeeze in a good spot. But these fans all looked like innocent college students, and even the photographer, who was the biggest and most likely to get a good spot, felt a little embarrassed.
As a result, the crowds on both sides were shouting at the top of their lungs. Whenever Ji Shao glanced in one direction, the people on the other side couldn't help but start shouting at the top of their lungs. It felt like if they didn't take a photo of Ji Shao, they would be at a huge disadvantage.
Inside, listening to the roars from both sides, which escalated like a fistfight, director Fang Xi felt quite helpless. Of course, beneath this frustration lay a deep sense of satisfaction. The fact that the start of filming was this lively was far beyond his expectations.
After about a few minutes, when the atmosphere on the scene began to gradually return to normal, Fang Xi introduced the main actors and immediately called Zhou Xiao and others who were standing beside her with the staff to come to her quickly.
Zhou Xiao, who had been called by Director Fang, turned her head and looked at Sister Mao, who was still a little sleepy and holding her arm. Her initial nervousness dissipated a lot. Seeing that everyone else had also listened to the call and left, she lowered her head and patted Sister Mao's hand, indicating that she should walk to the center of the field with her.
The uniformly dark blue crew sweatshirts were emblazoned with the colorful characters "Dancing Fish." Illuminated by the flashbulbs, they shimmered brightly. The colorful light created by their movements seemed to foreshadow Zhou Xiao's colorful and fulfilling filming career.
It was just such a short distance, but it triggered a new wave of excitement.
Noticing a long string of reminders flashing in the barrage, Cheese subconsciously raised her head after receiving the information. The moment she saw Zhou Xiao appear while collecting her eyes, her heart suddenly started beating fast even though she was standing outside the field.
"Teacher Zhou Xiao! Good luck with the shoot!" "I wish Teacher Zhou a smooth and satisfying shoot!!!" "Good luck with the shoot, Sister Zhou!" "..."
At the same time, within the livestream, the comments below were already uniformly filling up with congratulatory messages wishing Zhou Xiao a good start. The occasional netizen who accidentally clicked in due to the livestream's popularity was completely bewildered. Looking at Ji Shao in the background, then glancing at the comments, they all wondered if they had been mistakenly joined by some troll army.
Mao Ning, who had been feeling sleepy after spending the entire morning researching how to further refine the script, perked up immediately when he heard the fans' support for Zhou Xiao. He glanced at Zhou Xiao, then at Ji Shao, then at the fans in front of him, his eyes filled with empathy and excitement.
"Wow, Teacher Zhou, your fans are here! They are all cheering for you!" Mao Ning's tone was a little exaggerated and a little envious. At this moment, his mood was in harmony with that of other staff members and some actors on the scene.
"It's okay to cheer, but they are not my fans." Zhou Xiao stopped, stretched out his hand and waved to his colleagues in front of him, and then received an even stronger response again.
Looking back at Mao Ning, Zhou Xiao curled up the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "At certain moments, we are family."
At this moment, the young actors standing next to Ji Shao had to suppress their eagerness to watch the show. While pretending to be calm and composed while watching the cameras on both sides that were not filming them, they would sneak a glance at Ji Shao's reaction out of the corner of their eyes.
But those who were just sitting there watching the show had clearly misjudged Ji Shao's reaction. Ji Shao, who had been maintaining the character of Su Ruoqing because he was so immersed in his role, was now as bright as the sun. The smile on his face was something they hadn't seen in a while, brilliant and pure.
A smile spread from his brows, his eyes curved into crescents, so bright that it was almost blinding. The few young men in the room were stunned, and it felt as if the initial nervousness had been completely dispelled by this scorching little sun.
"He's truly a beauty queen," a young actor, who had been given a brief introduction before joining the crew, couldn't help but mutter to himself. Unexpectedly, his straightforward gaze immediately attracted the main character.
"What's wrong?" Ji Shao, who was in a good mood, turned his head to look over, but all he got was three panicked denials from the other party.
"Teacher Zhou is really popular among fans," Song Xiao, who was standing next to the background board, said with some emotion as he watched the scene.
"It's a two-way thing." Chen Shenju narrowed his eyes slightly, and couldn't help but think of the scene when Song Xiao took him to the photo exhibition.
Did they imagine that things would be like this two years later? Probably not.
No matter how wild his imagination was, Chen Shenju never imagined that within the first year after leaving Huayao, Ji Shao would film his first movie as the protagonist. He also collaborated with assistant director Xiao Zhou on this film.
"I have a feeling that maybe next time, Teacher Zhou will be the chief director," Song Xiao said jokingly. When his eyes met with Chen Shenju beside him, they both couldn't help but smile.
"Then we'll both have to stand next to the backdrop next time!"
"no!"
"...Why? Are you planning to run away?! Okay, I guess I need to find time to have a proper talk with Sister Feng."
"What are you thinking! This time we have a crew to help with the filming, next time I have to stand in the front and take the start-up record for Brother Ji!"
"That's true, but you need to improve your skills. I saw a lot of fans complaining about you when I was browsing the square!"
"If you can do it, go ahead!"
“…”
Inside the venue, Fang Xi looked at the people around him with satisfaction, raised the microphone and said cheerfully, "Next, please join me in welcoming the screenwriter and assistant director of our "Dancing Fish" crew—"
"Mao Ning and Zhou Xiao!"
The "click, click" response to Fang Xi came from the media inside the stadium, who kept pressing their shutter buttons. Afterward, everyone reviewed the situation and found that the number of shutter clicks today was several times higher than before. And of course, there was also the heartfelt cheering of the fans outside the stadium.
After Director Fang had introduced everyone else, Wang Hao, who was standing by, politely handed her a freshly lit incense stick. As for the others, the staff specifically responsible for this procedure would handle it.
The rectangular red cloth altar was densely packed with tribute fruits and vegetables, and even more so, two shiny roast suckling pigs were placed symmetrically on the left and right.
After the staff on the side finished saying the auspicious words, the staff headed by Fang Xi bowed to the heaven and earth again and again following the corresponding slogans.
"Bow to the best of luck!"
“…”
"Four bows for good luck!"
"Turn right!"
The lit incense sticks were sincerely inserted into the incense burner, and with an excited roar, Fang Xi, surrounded by the crowd, smiled and took out the red envelopes he had prepared in advance from his pocket, handing them out to the young actors and juniors in the audience one by one.
"Teacher Zhou!" Deng Zian, who was standing on the edge, stood on tiptoe and waved to Zhou Xiao, who had just received a red envelope from Director Fang.
"What?" Zhou Xiao had just stepped forward when Xiao Deng stuffed a bulging bag into his arms. Feeling the raised marks on the bag's surface, Zhou Xiao realized what was inside and immediately looked up at Xiao Deng in surprise.
"This is what Director Fang asked me to prepare for you, Teacher Zhou," Deng Zian said with a chuckle. He pointed at the fans standing in front of the backdrop and said, "Teacher Zhou, go post it! Everyone's waiting for good luck!"
Zhou Xiao, clutching the bag, subconsciously glanced towards Director Fang's position, only to meet his gaze. After Director Fang waved her hand and told her to distribute the red envelopes, Zhou Xiao turned and walked briskly towards her co-workers.
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