The agent and assistants all stayed outside waiting.
Ji Li and Zhang Ye walked into the audition room side by side, only to discover a different world inside.
The area of the inner room is no less than 50 square meters, but it is no longer as simple and plain as the outer hall. Instead, it is arranged to simulate a filming scene.
The rock wall stained with blood was chilly and cold, the ground made of mud was covered with broken limbs and bones, and strange flowers of the afterlife bloomed from the cracks between the bones.
This is a hell that is soaked in blood all year round, and it is also the place where Chen Yi lives after he was separated from the "God and Buddha" and was conferred a title.
The staff closed the door to block out all noise. Director Xu Cheng and others sat in the outermost row of seats.
In addition, there are two experienced photographers, who are responsible for the fixed camera position and the follow-up camera position respectively.
This audition needs to be recorded.
"Have you seen all the audition clips?" Director Xu Cheng asked steadily, "One person plays two roles, and they have to challenge each other. Is there any problem?"
"No problem." Xu Yanzhi said calmly.
Ji Li nodded, thinking that this audition method was quite interesting.
According to the synopsis of the audition clip -
After Chen Yi came to the mortal world, the power of Buddhism did not fade away, and the bloodthirsty killings over the past hundred years had greatly increased his demonic power. His cultivation has far exceeded the control of the Four Paths.
The gods and Buddhas panicked when they learned the truth, fearing that Chen Yi would come to the sky to kill them and expose their despicable act of "national blood sacrifice", so they joined forces to activate the ancient illusion formation.
They trapped Chen Yi inside, and forcibly separated his two completely different souls, letting them kill each other.
Gods, Buddhas, and demons have been incompatible since ancient times.
This scene is essentially a confrontation between the 'Saint Monk Chen Yi' and the 'Evil Monk Chen Yi', and it depends on who can suppress whom.
Playing two roles means that one person has to capture two extremes of the same character in a short period of time.
When Ji Li plays the role of the "evil monk", he can ask Zhang Ye or Xu Yanzhi to play the opposite role of the "holy monk", and vice versa.
When actors are acting, they will be influenced by the aura of the characters. The winner or loser will basically be determined if the aura of one party becomes weaker or suppressed.
Director Xu Cheng’s audition method is amazing.
Your acting partner is also your competitor. You should not only learn to cooperate with him, but also learn to suppress him with your sense of drama.
This situation can stimulate the actors' desire to win and their potential, creating better dramatic tension.
"I haven't completely framed your audition lines. You can express your lines freely as long as they fit the character settings," screenwriter Lan Lingmeng said.
She was looking forward to this audition more than anyone else. The script of "The Demon Monk" had been polished for such a long time, and Chen's character was definitely the most eye-catching one.
Chen Yi must be extremely pure and innocent, with compassion for the world, but also extremely evil and murderous.
Screenwriter Lan Lingmeng found it unprecedentedly difficult to describe these two attributes in writing.
In the subsequent filming, the actors have to convert the text into three-dimensional images without any sense of contradiction, which is extremely difficult.
During the project meeting beforehand, all the senior executives of the production company agreed that if Chen Yi could find the right actors, the film would be halfway to success.
Xu Cheng glanced at the time and said, "I'll give you twenty minutes to prepare. There are some shooting props on the side for you to use."
"Okay, Director Xu."
The three of them prepared to respond, and Ji Li quietly walked to a corner and waited.
He quickly digested the lines in the script, closed his eyes and acted silently, constructing in his mind any possible scenes that might occur next.
With only one minute left, Zhang Ye and Xu Yanzhi were already selecting props. Ji Li was not in a hurry, but was looking around the shooting location.
The preparation time passed in a flash.
Director Xu Cheng asked, "Who wants to start first?"
"Director Xu, I want to start first." Zhang Ye unexpectedly raised his hand, silently observing Xu Yanzhi beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Among the three, he had the least filming experience and had never experienced such an audition.
Instead of being nervous about being chosen by others, it is better to take the initiative decisively to avoid excessive pressure and poor performance.
Xu Cheng smiled in appreciation of his courage, "Okay, then who do you want to choose to act with you?"
"Xu Yanzhi, right?" After saying this, Zhang Ye looked at Ji Li with a little apology.
If Xu Yanzhi was really the designated male lead as Brother Chen said, Zhang also wanted to make his "death" more clear -
If he can't win, then even if Xu Yanzhi is the designated male lead, he will definitely accept it.
If he can win, he won't feel any regret even if he doesn't get the movie role.
Ji Li accepted Zhang Ye's apology and calmly stepped aside. He fully understood the other party's thoughts.
"Yanzhi, do you agree?" the casting director asked.
Xu Yanzhi seemed to be a man of few words. He simply nodded and said, "Okay."
The two quickly determined their respective roles, with Zhang Ye playing the holy monk and Xu Yanzhi playing his opposing evil monk.
Ji Li's mouth corners slightly raised. It must be said that Zhang is also very smart.
He understands his strengths and is one of the few actors who made it to the second round of interviews with his "holy monk" look.
In this first round of acting, he decisively chose a role image that was beneficial to himself. If the temperament was right, it would appropriately reduce the difficulty of character creation.
But his choice actually helped Xu Yanzhi, after all, he was considered to be very experienced in creating characters like "evil beauty".
Although it was just an audition, Director Xu Cheng made it very formal. The cameras were in place and the monitors that monitored the performance were turned on.
"Action!"
At the command, the audition began.
…
Zhang Ye held one palm in front of him and slowly turned the Buddhist beads with the other hand. His indifferent and fearless gaze was fixed on Xu Yanzhi's face.
"Amitabha, you have committed too many sins of killing. Please end your life on your own. If you don't want to, I will send you off with my own hands."
The light dimmed, illuminating his calm expression even more clearly; he indeed looked like a holy monk who was detached from the mundane world.
The casting director saw his gesture and nodded unconsciously.
He had seen the holy monk looks of all the actors who auditioned, and Zhang Ye had the pure boyish feeling they wanted, making him one of the most suitable actors.
Unexpectedly, he can now play the role of a holy monk a hundred years later with great ease.
Xu Cheng did not express his opinion, but his eyes were unconsciously fixed on Xu Yanzhi.
Although the other party was his nephew, he was cast as the male lead in the movie without any backdoor dealings.
What Xu Cheng has always wanted is solid acting skills.
Soon, Xu Yanzhi took action.
He imitated Zhang Ye's posture and placed his palms in front of his chest. The next second, a sly smile appeared on the corners of his lips, and his seemingly pious face suddenly became a little evil.
"Holy monk, I have committed murder with my hands. Do you think you can escape responsibility?"
He obviously doesn't like to talk, but he becomes a completely different person when he starts acting.
Maybe because he debuted as a child star, Xu Yanzhi's dialogue skills are very good. Even a sentence he mumbles between his lips and teeth makes people feel creepy to hear.
"The five Buddhist precepts: lying, killing, drinking and eating meat, stealing, and lusting... I have almost done everything, so I deserve to die?"
Every time Xu Yanzhi recited a word of commandment, he would take a step forward. He seemed to be deliberately controlling his strength, and his footsteps were so light that they made no sound.
Ji Li noticed this subtle movement, and a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes.
The footsteps were eerily quiet.
He doesn't look like a mortal, but more like a god or Buddha, or even more like a demon that sneaks in silently and tries to take your life.
"We are of the same roots. I deserve to die, but what about you?"
Xu Yanzhi stood in front of Zhang Ye, tilted his head slightly, and a hint of evil in his eyes, "How about I watch you kill yourself first? How about that?"
Zhang Ye's mind was tense, but he still pretended to be calm, "What nonsense."
Xu Yanzhi seized his loophole and smiled even more sinisterly, "It was never me who was to blame, it was the gods and Buddhas in the sky. What? Do you want to stand among them again?"
"Don't forget, the Su Dynasty was destroyed tragically in order to help you gain enlightenment. It was because you couldn't accept this fact that you created me."
"In the past hundred years, anyone who sees me will die. You want to be one of them, right?"
Xu Yanzhi's aura suddenly exploded, and his sinister aura made Zhang involuntarily retreat back.
He stepped on the 'bones' and with a crunching sound, the flour-based prop instantly shattered into powder.
With just this one move, the outcome was decided.
Ji Li's gaze fell on the powder at Zhang Ye's feet, and a faint light flashed in his eyes.
Xu Cheng shook his head, feeling a little regretful.
To be honest, Zhang Ye’s acting skills are talented, but it’s a pity that he lacks experience and cannot fully integrate his own temperament with the role.
This is a situation that every newcomer cannot avoid, commonly known as "difficulty in getting into the role".
Just like just now, as Xu Yanzhi's aura became stronger, the sense of drama that Zhang Ye had gathered with great difficulty was completely shattered.
Therefore, in the entertainment industry, talent and aura alone are not enough; the accumulation of practical experience is particularly important.
Zhang is still young. As long as he can meet a good director and a good crew, he will definitely achieve something in time.
It’s a pity that what Xu Cheng and the crew of "The Demon Monk" need is an actor who can be stable in the role from beginning to end.
Obviously, Zhang Ye still has a long way to go to improve and cannot do it for the time being.
Zhang also realized that his role felt wrong, and bowed to Xu Cheng and others embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, teachers, I didn't act well."
"Do you want to try the image of an evil monk again?" The casting director did not directly deny it.
Zhang also shook his head.
He couldn't even play an easy role well, so how could he play an evil monk who is a level more difficult?
Zhang also knows that his abilities are not enough. Instead of forcing himself to ruin a role, he might as well just give up, work hard in private, and make up for his shortcomings.
Screenwriter Lan Lingmeng liked Zhang Ye, a handsome boy, very much. "Don't be discouraged. You acted well at the beginning. It's great that you can perform like this in a short period of time."
Xu Cheng nodded slightly, "Go sit over there and take a rest, and watch the other actors' performance."
"Thank you, teacher." Zhang Ye was deeply encouraged and quickly walked to the side.
"Ji Li, Yan Zhi, do you two want to play against each other?" Xu Cheng asked straight to the point.
"Okay." Ji Li walked back from the corner.
Xu Yanzhi met Ji Li's gaze and asked, "You will play the holy monk first? And then the other way around?"
"no problem."
This decision was exactly what Ji Li was thinking.
He smiled and borrowed the Buddhist beads from Zhang Zhi's hand, walked straight to a rock, and sat cross-legged on it calmly.
This seemingly ordinary action made Xu Cheng concentrate his attention unconsciously.
Because there was a dim light hidden in the grass behind Ji Li. At this moment, the light seemed to give his whole body a layer of golden light.
Before today's audition, Xu Cheng's team spent three days setting up the scene.
In order to show the evilness of the evil monk, the ceiling lights in the room are actually reddish, which just matches the bloody and dark environment in the cave.
Only this rock and the faint yellow light in the grass were the deliberate arrangements they made when they set up the place. It was a hiding place specially reserved for the holy monk.
Buddhism follows the color gold. Before the Su Dynasty was destroyed, Chen Yi was a holy monk and the most respected crown prince in the hearts of the people.
His nobility comes from within.
Ji Li sat down steadily, using the surrounding light to perfectly fit into the character's external identity.
Xu Cheng's gaze moved from the monitor to Ji Li, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
This kid.
Did you really study the lighting on site, or was it just an accident?
"Action!"
Three seconds later, the machine started running again.
The holy monk played by Ji Li held the bracelet in both hands, and his fingertips moved the Buddhist beads steadily. His eyes drooped slightly, "Amitabha, you have committed too many sins of killing, so end it yourself."
His tone was light, with just the right amount of strength.
From Ji Li's direction of sight, he could only see Xu Yanzhi's legs, completely misaligned with his line of sight.
But that's enough.
Although the holy monk Chen Yi is not in the position of a god or Buddha, he is a person who truly practices Buddhism. Even without deliberately looking at each other, he can determine his situation and the identity of the visitor.
Xu Yanzhi recited the lines that he had already memorized and approached Ji Li step by step.
He performed very steadily and even better than before, and his sinister aura was growing stronger.
"...The ones who deserve to die are all the gods and Buddhas! It's you!" Xu Yanzhi stood completely in front of Ji Li.
At this moment, Zhang Zhi, as a bystander, felt extremely oppressed and watched more attentively - he was stuck here just now.
Ji Li stopped spinning the Buddhist beads. He slowly raised his eyes and calmly faced Xu Yanzhi's murderous intent. "If you don't want to, I will personally send you off."
In one word, it speaks volumes.
Ji Li's cold and indifferent eyes seemed to encompass everything in the world, and the strong sense of drama that burst out when he raised his eyes left people completely powerless to resist.
When Xu Yanzhi saw his own miniature reflection in Ji Li's eyes, he froze in place for a moment, and the lines he had prepared were stuck.
At that moment, his aura weakened.
The moving camera lens was stuck on a close-up of Ji Li's eyes, and the picture was transmitted back in real time——
When screenwriter Lan Lingmeng saw Ji Li's eyes, she almost jumped up in surprise.
Isn’t this the holy monk Chen Yi that she wants?
Hidden beneath those indifferent eyes is a heart that has been tortured to the point of indifference by the hatred of losing one's country.
The holy monk Chen Yi hates all killing in the world, including his other self who caused the killing.
…
Xu Cheng looked at the two people who were still confronting each other, with a slight curl of his lips, but he did not directly reveal the winner.
"That's about it for this scene. You two should take a five-minute break and switch roles and try again."
Ji Li stood up and handed the Buddhist beads in his hand to Xu Yanzhi, "Do you want to use it? I have to change the props."
Such a sacred object as Buddhist beads is obviously not suitable for use on evil monks.
Xu Yanzhi's eyes revealed a complicated look as he took it silently.
Ji Li walked to the prop table and picked up the new props he had picked out long ago.
A skewer made of fake bones.
According to the plot, these are the spoils of war left by the evil monk after his killings.
Ji Li stood in a suitable position, closed his eyes and acted silently, quickly pulling himself out of the image of the holy monk.
The name of this movie is "The Demon Monk", and the following scenes are the most important part.
Soon, auditions began again.
"... You have committed the sin of killing, and there is no turning back. Amitabha, end it on your own."
Xu Yanzhi sat in the seat where Ji Li had just sat, and calmly recited the lines that were almost the same as before.
What he had to do now was to withstand Ji Li's next attack and not let his sense of drama get him overwhelmed again!
"Otherwise, I will personally send you off."
——Click.
A slight sound suddenly broke the threat.
Everyone looked towards the source of the sound at the same time. Under Ji Li's feet were bones that had been crushed into powder.
Ji Li played with the bone string in his hand, the smile in his eyes was evil and bewitching, "... killing evil? Saint monk, it's obvious that those blind people are seeking their own death, how can you blame me for this?"
He walked towards Xu Yanzhi slowly, and each careless step he took accurately stepped on the "white bones" on the ground.
Click.
The sound of bones crushing rang out, hitting everyone's eardrums, it was very evil.
Who is the evil monk Chen Yi?
I have killed mortals who deserved to die, beheaded demons that committed evil, and exterminated evil spirits that caused trouble. This cave is littered with bones, all left behind by those blind people.
No matter how powerful a person is, or how hard the bones are, they are nothing but loose sand under the feet of the evil monk.
The interest in Xu Cheng's eyes grew stronger and stronger.
Zhang Ye's previous careless mistake actually became a powerful tool for Ji Li to shape his character?
The confrontation between the two sides is still going on——
Ji Li approached Xu Yanzhi, and before their eyes met, he suddenly snatched the Buddhist beads from the other's hand.
Xu Yanzhi noticed the other party's movements and subconsciously tightened his palm.
With a tug, the Buddhist beads scattered on the ground, and the crackling sound was disturbing.
His palms suddenly felt empty, and Xu Yanzhi looked at the Buddhist beads scattered all over the floor, feeling inexplicably flustered.
"Now that these Buddhist beads are gone, how can you still be at peace?" Ji Li caught his emotions, and a wicked smile flashed in the corners of his flushed eyes.
Under the illumination of the ceiling light, it actually gives people the illusion of being gorgeous and passionate.
Xu Yanzhi was suddenly startled.
"I have a question that I want to ask you." Ji Li took the opportunity to put his ear close to his ear and said, "You and I are from the same roots. If I deserve to die..."
The deep voice hits the eardrum, and the ending tone has an upward arc, like a little claw tickling people.
Ji Li tilted his head and blew a breath casually, "What about you?"
The warm breath fell, and Xu Yanzhi's earlobes instantly turned red with gratitude for the unprecedented tingling sensation. He could almost conclude that -
Ji Li was deliberately teasing him!
No, it should be said that the evil monk played by Ji Li was deliberately seducing the holy monk played by him!
How is this possible?
While Xu Yanzhi was shocked, screenwriter Lan Lingmeng was ecstatic inwardly, and his eyes became brighter.
That’s right!
That's it!
This is the posture of the evil monk she created!
Chen Yi understood that her beauty was a natural weapon, and she would occasionally use it when slaying demons and monsters, causing her opponents to lose their focus for a short while, and then taking the opportunity to deal with them ruthlessly.
His evil is not just vicious, but also beautiful enough to charm everyone.
Of course, this group of sentient beings also includes the holy monk Chen Yi, who was about to become a god or Buddha.
Although the evil monk played by Xu Yanzhi is attractive, it is too one-sided and his charming and seductive side is not shown at all.
Because screenwriter Lan Lingmeng is Director Xu's nephew, he did not express his opinion on the spot.
At this moment, she couldn't help but fix her eyes on Ji Li, looking forward to his next performance.
Ji Li straightened up and looked down at Xu Yanzhi. The mole on the bridge of his nose seemed to be tainted with a hint of evil.
He smiled with a hint of provocation, "Holy monk, you have broken the precepts."
"The five Buddhist precepts are: one, killing; two, stealing; three, eating and drinking meat; four, lying; and five, adultery. Do you know which one you just broke?"
Which other one could it be? He was bewitched by the evil monk!
"What nonsense!"
Xu Yanzhi had been thrown off balance by Ji Li's offensive and could only follow the predetermined lines to cooperate with the other actors.
As soon as he finished speaking, the bone string in Ji Li's hand was put around his neck, and the other party hugged him from behind, saying gentle yet evil words.
"Why do you have to pretend to be a saint? I am you, how can I not understand you?"
Ji Li's fingertips gently rubbed the other's Adam's apple, and during the slight friction, Xu Yanzhi stiffened unconsciously.
He knew clearly that he was acting, but he just couldn't break free from this illusory temptation.
Behind him, where he couldn't see, the murderous intent in Ji Li's eyes gradually became apparent, and his hand holding the bone string slowly tightened.
In just a few seconds, the rapidly shortened bone string became a rope that could strangle someone to death.
"How about I help you end your life first?"
The vicious words came down upon Xu Yanzhi, shocking him so much that his hair stood on end. For a moment, he really felt the suffocating murderous intent.
What is gentle charm?
It's basically a mask he uses to cover up his brutal killings!
As a bystander, Zhang Ye was so shocked that he almost stuffed an egg into his mouth.
Evil yet gentle, charming everyone, cunning and sinister... In less than a minute and just three or four lines, Ji Li portrayed every aspect of the evil monk vividly.
This acting is so terrible! He was convinced of his loss to such an opponent!
If Xu Yanzhi is really the chosen male lead, he will be replaced after this audition, right?
Zhang Ye thought to himself and glanced at the row of regular tables.
At this moment, screenwriter Lan Lingmeng's heart was beating wildly with excitement.
The lines and plot given in today's audition were actually very scattered, but Ji Li completely understood the essence of the evil monk's character, and her acting performance was even more impressive than her script excerpts!
When Ji Li played the role of the holy monk, she hoped that the holy monk would win because of the audience.
When Ji Li played the evil monk, she couldn't help but stand on the side of the evil monk.
Fortunately, at the end of the script, the souls of the two merged into one, integrating Buddhism and evil forces, and slapping the faces of those gods and Buddhas who talked about hypocrisy and justice.
"Director Xu, what do you think of this version? I want to revise the script according to Ji Li's interpretation." Lan Lingmeng asked in a low voice.
The action of using the bone skewer to claim life just now was too enchanting, she must write it into the script!
Although she didn't say it explicitly, Lanling Meng had already expressed her opinion on the audition - the male lead she wanted was Ji Li!
The casting director was also amazed.
In a short period of time, Ji Li was able to create two completely different images of a monk, and there was no contradiction between them.
Among young actors, I guess few can do it, right?
Xu Cheng stood up and clapped his hands, "Okay, that's about it."
Ji Li realized that the audition was over, and quickly loosened the bone string, "Mr. Xu, I'm sorry, I didn't strangle you, did I?"
"It's okay." Xu Yanzhi had already jumped out of the plot. He exhaled lightly and admitted with conviction, "...You win."
No matter whether it was a demon monk or a saint monk, the other party's interpretation was far better than his.
Xu Cheng has been a director for so many years, so he naturally has a way of judging people. In fact, he had high expectations for Ji Li as early as the day of the styling.
And the opponent's performance today did not disappoint him at all.
Xu Cheng smiled and looked around, finally fixing his affirmative gaze on Ji Li's face.
"It seems that everyone has no objection to the final choice of the male lead of the movie?"
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#Now that Jili has taken action, who dares to object?
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