Chapter 56 Filming [VIP]
Chapter Summary: This little girl is such a good actress!
On the morning of April 7th.
Mu Zhi tied her long hair into a high ponytail, wearing a black T-shirt with a white background and logo printed with the words "Back to 17" provided by the production team, paired with black trousers and white sneakers. She arrived at the opening ceremony with her agent and other staff.
Director Xu Kuan, lead actor Song Yuanliang, and some crew members busy setting up the set were all wearing the same short-sleeved T-shirts.
Just before the start of the opening ceremony, two veteran actors arrived at the scene.
Minmin, a seasoned gossip enthusiast, recognized him at a glance and excitedly introduced him to Muzhi: "The one in the white shirt is Pu Jiamu! He became a sensation 20 years ago with a campus movie, the original campus heartthrob!"
Ten years ago, after news of his marriage broke, he seemed to have retired from the entertainment industry and stopped acting. How could he possibly be back in movies?!
That's unbelievable.
Mu Zhi wasn't sure how Teacher Pu had been persuaded, but she roughly guessed which role he was playing—Zhou Can's teacher.
The second person was an elderly man in his sixties.
Mu Zhi had met and knew Mu Zhi before, without Minmin's introduction.
He turned to his agent in surprise: "Director Ji, Mr. Feng Zhongxian also starred in this movie. Why haven't you mentioned it before?"
Ji Binghe smiled and said, "Director Xu requested that this be kept secret, and the surprise will be revealed on the day of the opening ceremony."
The addition of these two veteran actors is a major surprise for the film "Back to 17".
On the day it was turned on.
Online, the movie "Back to 17" officially announced that filming started today and revealed its cast.
The promotional text posted by influential film bloggers who specialize in releasing film information:
Directed by Xu Kuan, and starring Mu Zhi and Song Yuanliang, with special appearances by Feng Zhongxian and Pu Jiamu, the youth inspirational film "Back to 17" started filming today in Jincheng.
Mu Zhi's fans: !!!
It's amazing that the veteran artist Feng Zhongxian is among them!
Pu Jiamu, the campus heartthrob from 20 years ago, is also in the cast!
"Ahhhhhh, Mu Zhi, you're so awesome!"
"Wishing 'Back to 17' a successful start to filming! May the shooting go smoothly!"
"The production team for this film exceeded expectations. I hope the new director, Xu Kuan, will do a good job."
......
The cast and crew of "Back to 17" are a great opportunity for young actors.
Fans have expressed their intention to start saving money for this movie, hoping that their idol's first film will achieve good box office results after its release.
The significantly enhanced cast has raised the bar for the film, increasing not only the expectations of fans but also the general public's anticipation and attention.
The first day of filming for "Back to 17".
The premise of the first scene filmed: 27-year-old Zhou Can is pushed into the sea on a cruise ship, falls into the sea, and travels back in time to the body of 17-year-old Zhou Can who is taking a swimming lesson.
The film crew filmed at a swimming pool.
Producer Wang said that the arrangement of this scene had a profound meaning.
"This is the beginning of the movie story."
"The first scene we filmed was a water scene. Water is a lucky omen, which means our movie will definitely be a box office hit! What a great sign!"
Mu Zhi absentmindedly thought, what if this producer Wang were to do the publicity?
When the movie enters its promotional period.
The official Weibo account posted a promotional photo of the female lead in a swimming pool, with the caption:
Share this swimming pool image, and you'll prosper whenever you encounter water!
The reactions seen by netizens are roughly the same as their own feelings at this moment.
Director Xu Kuan maintained a composed demeanor on set, urging everyone to get to their positions and get moving.
Accompanied by staff, Mu Zhi went to the changing room to change into her swimsuit.
After changing my clothes, I put on a large bathrobe.
Xu Kuan came over to explain the scene to Mu Zhi, going over the background of the plot: "A year ago, Zhou Can's parents drowned in an accident, causing Zhou Can to develop a resistance to swimming. Every time she had a swimming lesson, she would use the excuse of feeling unwell to avoid going into the water..."
The scene we're going to film in a bit.
Zhou Can, who was sitting by the pool, was pushed into the pool from behind by his classmate.
27-year-old Zhou Can came over, struggled in the water for a while, then stuck his head out of the water and stood up in the pool, only to find that the water level was only 1.5 meters.
After filming began.
Mu Zhi discovered that Xu Kuan, as a new director, was extremely serious and focused on his work, paying attention to details. It seemed that he had the desired effect for every frame imprinted in his mind.
After watching the actors' performance, I quickly gave a specific request for another take.
"Card."
"The footage of Zhou Can struggling underwater in the swimming pool is short, maybe just a few seconds long. The key is the impact of the moment his head emerges from the water, instantly transforming him into a completely different person."
Your heavy breathing, the fear, confusion, and disorientation in your face and eyes—you could add a little more.
At the same time, he praised Mu Zhi for her timid and uneasy posture with her arms crossed, her subconscious body dodge when other female classmates approached, and her disregard for the strands of hair sticking to her face.
At the end of this pool scene, Zhou Can fell into a coma and was sent to the infirmary.
Filming for today has ended.
The following day, the crew of "Back to 17" arrived at a university in Jincheng for filming.
In order to find locations that matched the various scenes in the script for filming, director Xu Kuan personally visited several cities in China to scout locations.
The film features over 100 scenes set in high schools and universities. The crew will film at several universities in Jincheng, and will later travel to Shanghai, Qionghai, and other locations for filming.
The first week of filming.
Mu Zhi repeatedly praised the photographer for his skill in taking pictures.
For example: In the classroom, Zhou Can was sitting in his seat.
In the same scene, multiple scenes need to be filmed. Cinematographer Hong Hou will shoot from different angles, spatial perspectives, weather conditions, etc., so that the scene will not be monotonous.
"Uncle Hong is really amazing." Mu Zhi looked back at her performance just now.
The male lead, Qin Heng, came to find Zhou Can.
cloudy day.
First, film her looking out the window. When Qin Heng walks over, his face is reflected in the window mirror, mirroring hers, one real and one unreal, overlapping each other.
Then, as if to cooperate, it started raining outside the window.
The windows quickly became fogged up.
She reached out and wiped the window, and the image disappeared...
This shot metaphorically represents the trajectory of the two people's relationship.
The image quality is also very good.
Mu Zhi liked it very much.
The props team also provided Zhou Can with slightly worn textbooks, a schoolbag, and pens, as well as a large bundle of empty pen tubes in his desk, demonstrating attention to detail in every aspect.
During filming, you could feel the dedication of the entire film team; everyone in the crew took this project seriously.
Two weeks later.
The film crew came to an alley near a university to shoot.
We filmed two scenes where the male and female leads were injured and bleeding.
First scene:
The female lead, Zhou Can, was walking home through a small alley when she was stopped by two thugs. The male lead stepped forward to protect her and took a brick to the head, bleeding profusely.
Zhou Can felt that this person was willing to risk his life for her, and out of a mix of affection and gratitude, she agreed to be with Qin Heng from that day on.
The first day of filming didn't go smoothly, and we had to do several takes.
Mu Zhi's mistake lies in her portrayal of Zhou Can at age 17 in her previous life. She was quite restrained in expressing "weakness," while Xu Kuan would have preferred to go a little further.
This is something that can be discussed.
Mu Zhi's performance was "good", "this take is good", "this take might be even better if we do another take like this".
The remaining 90% of the NGs were Song Yuanliang's fault.
The point of failure is that the actors' performances were not up to par.
Director Xu Kuan said to Song Yuanliang: "The character Qin Heng is set up as the captain of the school basketball team. He was punished by the school for fighting. His injury was half intentional, in order to win Zhou Can's sympathy and apology, and to make her want to be with him."
So when you saw Zhou Can's worry and tears after your head injury, and the camera cut to a close-up of your facial expression, you had to convey that feeling...
"Let's do one more."
In fact, actors are familiar with the script and understand their characters well enough that they don't need the director to give them pointers.
Song Yuanliang is clearly an actor with acting experience.
But compared to Mu Zhi's performance... there is a considerable gap.
The next day, in the same alley.
The film depicts 27-year-old Zhou Can waking up in the infirmary and discovering through some verification that he has indeed returned to the age of 17. The amount of information is huge, and images from his past life keep flashing through his mind, leaving him unsure whether it's real or a dream.
Perhaps her time travel is the real absurd dream.
On his way home, lost in thought, he passed through this alley and noticed two young men following him, which reminded him of his past life.
Just then, Qin Heng appeared.
For Song Yuanliang, Qin Heng was a repeat of what happened in his previous life; he could simply repeat yesterday's performance.
But for Mu Zhi, today is the day when Zhou Can, whose soul is 27, has returned to the body of a 17-year-old, and not a single second of the performance can be repeated.
Qin Heng stepped forward to fight the two youths, and in the critical moment when he shielded her from a brick, he managed to escape.
Zhou Can pushed Qin Heng, who was blocking her way, aside. Everything happened so fast that she didn't have time to dodge. She could only raise her left hand to shield her head, resulting in a fracture in her left hand. Fortunately, the head injury wasn't serious...
Sitting in front of the monitor, Xu Kuan noticed that Mu Zhi's portrayal of Zhou Can, who had returned to his 17-year-old self, was outstanding, and she could almost always get it right in one take.
The portrayal of the character is extremely precise.
In particular, Zhou Can's hand was injured and limp, and his head was hit by a brick, with blood flowing from his forehead.
Despite the pain, a slight smile appeared on her lips.
A slightly creepy victor's smile.
She was happy that she didn't owe Qin Heng a favor like she did in her previous life.
In her previous life, Qin Heng's act of shielding her from that injury resulted in her spending three months in the hospital, missing the college entrance examination, and binding Zhou Can and Qin Heng together, causing her life to deviate from its course from that point on.
Mu Zhi has a fighting spirit, just like Zhou Can's determination to change the trajectory of his life.
The final scene in the alley.
Pu Jiamu, playing a teacher, happened to pass by and saw his student Zhou Can injured. He called the police and immediately took the female lead to the hospital.
When this scene was being filmed...
Because Zhou Can's left hand was fractured, Pu Jiamu wasn't careful when he hugged Mu Zhi, sometimes grabbing Mu Zhi's left arm or letting the fractured arm hang limply.
Director Xu Kuan couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to demonstrate.
In his haste to address Pu Jiamu, he inadvertently revealed a bombshell.
He called out, "Brother-in-law."
Song Yuanliang: !!!
Mu Zhi:? ? ?
No wonder the director was able to invite them to make a cameo appearance.
Pu Jiamu: "..." He reached out and made a "shh" gesture to Mu Zhi and Song Yuanliang.
He gestured for them to keep it a secret.
Xu Kuan decided to be frank and said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, this can't be kept a secret. Our relationship will be exposed sooner or later during the movie's promotional period."
Pu Jiamu gritted his teeth and said, "We'll keep this a secret as long as we can."
The director smiled and agreed, "Okay, Mr. Pu."
Then he looked at Mu Zhi and Song Yuanliang and made a "locking" gesture with his mouth.
Mu Zhi and Song Yuanliang understood: "I didn't hear anything."
Pu Jiamu nodded in satisfaction, saying that he was brought into acting because he was too handsome, and that he relied on his looks and had no acting skills.
"You young people today are very capable."
He said to Mu Zhi, "Especially you, young lady, you're such a good actress."
Mu Zhi: "Thank you?"
In early May, two actors made a surprise appearance on the set of "Back to 17".
The male and female leads in Guangying Media's first youth film.
Minmin opened her mouth wide in surprise again: "The secrecy surrounding this movie is just too good!"
That's true.
As the female lead, Mu Zhi was not revealed at all by the director.
Judging from Song Yuanliang's surprised expression, he probably didn't know either.
Although these two actors were just making cameo appearances, they arrived in the morning, filmed until the evening, and then left.
Filming only lasted one day.
However, it must be said that the production company made a very clever move.
The four-part series on youth cinema by Guangying Media has concluded with the first film achieving both box office and critical success. "Back to 17" serves as the final installment, featuring cameos from the male and female leads of the first film.
This collaboration brings the two films together.
This avoids viewers comparing "Back to 17" with the previous two bad movies and bringing up the "three bad movies trilogy".
A very clever approach.
The special appearances of Feng Chongxian and Pu Jiamu, along with the addition of the male and female leads from their first film, compensate for the lack of a strong cast and buzz, given that the lead actors are newcomers.
It seems the production company not only aims for high-quality films, but also has great ambitions for box office success.
In mid-May, Mu Zhi received advance notice from director Xu Tao: "The Bell Ringer" would be dubbed.
The scheduled dubbing time coincided with the filming of "Back to 17" moving to Shanghai for filming.
You can free up a few days.
Mu Zhi and Director Xu Kuan successfully obtained their leave.
In late May, Mu Zhi and her team flew back to Beicheng to dub "The Bell Ringer".
When Ning Yao saw Mu Zhi, he was happy and chatted about his recent situation.
It is said that he is currently recording a variety show in another city.
In order to rush back to do voice-over work, he even turned down an episode of a show.
"In a period drama I filmed before, the production team felt that my voice was not deep enough and lacked power, so they didn't give me a chance to prove myself and directly found a voice actor."
This led to arguments between my fans and other fans after the show aired. They would always bring up my dubbing, and my studio was criticized by fans for a month. They hoped that I wouldn't have to do dubbing for my next show.
I later took a three-month acting course. So this time, it conflicted with my schedule for recording a variety show; I had to turn down the show and go back to Beicheng to do the voice acting myself.
Ning Yao said this half-jokingly.
Besides Mu Zhi, the other actors in "The Bell Ringer" had already cleared their schedules once to accommodate the reshoots, showing how much they really put into this drama.
Once the dubbing is completed, "The Bell Ringer" can be submitted for review.
Hopefully, the submission process goes smoothly; otherwise, if it's rejected and needs to be re-edited or some episodes are cut, we'll have to dub it all over again...
Mu Zhi is doing voice acting in Beicheng and will be staying there for a few days.
Zhou Jingzhu, who was recording a music program in another city, also returned to Beicheng.
I called Mu Zhi to ask if she could spare some time to meet up.
He said he had a question and needed to ask.
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:27:02 on June 10, 2022 and 23:36:54 on June 11, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Jiu 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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