Chapter 14 Short Film Shooting
In the photo, Tong Qinglu is wearing a plain-colored long dress made of silk and satin, with her eyes lowered and head slightly bowed. She is holding a long sword with intricate patterns in her hand.
A strong wind blew up her dress, and the layers of her skirt swayed and fluttered in the wind.
She stood intently on the roof of an exquisite ancient-style building, with a mountain waterfall flowing backward behind her, the rushing water surging from the foot of the mountain to the summit.
The figure occupies only a small part of the frame, while behind her lies a vast world with wispy clouds and mist. Her plain dress flutters in the wind, making her look like a fairy from a celestial realm.
The costume Tong Qinglu wore was specially acquired from a renowned embroidery master at a high price, while the sword in her hand was a unique masterpiece, a one-to-one replica of a thousand-year-old sword, with dense ancient characters engraved on its blade.
The costumes, props, and sets were all meticulously crafted, and the entire still exudes the power of money.
Let alone ordinary TV dramas, this quality can even surpass many so-called big-budget movies.
After all, costumes, props, and sets are things you get for your money. Unlike the money laundering common in the film and television industry, Fang Zhuo's investments were all real money poured into costumes, props, and sets.
Sure enough, the moment the stills were released, the tide immediately turned around and the previous ridicule turned.
[Is this CG composite? Holy crap, don't tell me it's real scenery?]
[Goddess, you're so beautiful! I'll follow you forever! This dress looks so much like the one I saw at the textile museum last month, it's just as gorgeous and exquisite!]
[That dress is from the same exhibit, and the sword that Sister Tong has was also handcrafted by a content creator with millions of followers in the forging section over a live stream, taking more than half a year to complete on and off.]
[If I'm not mistaken, the feather-shaped hair accessory on the sister's head should be a velvet flower? There are only a few dozen people left in the entire Star Federation who know how to make velvet flowers, so such a large piece of jewelry must cost at least 100,000+.]
[Those who said this drama's budget was less than a million, come out and take a look! This costume alone costs more than a million. Is it so hard to admit that others are really rich?^^ Good job, Brother Fang, give my female lead so much more resources, okay?]
[Although I still don't quite understand what a short drama is, the production cost of this is definitely greater than many S+ platform dramas. Can it be streamed quickly? I want to see the finished product.]
[Something scary to tell you: I'm starting to seriously doubt whether the Zhang Kaigang listed as the director is the same person I know...]
[Hahaha, that's dreaming too much. Teacher Kaigang would never take on a short drama.]
[They were so easily fooled, swayed by just one picture? With technology so advanced these days, photoshopping is so easy, I could do it too.]
[They won't cry until they see the coffin, huh? Since everyone's waiting for it to air, I'll wait and see who's crying after it's over.]
The accusations and doubts that had been raging all afternoon were completely dispelled by this still. Although there were still a few dissenting comments, the negative trending topics were completely turned into positive ones by the photo, and the public was full of all kinds of praise.
The public's expectations for the short drama have been raised to the highest level. Even haters are waiting to see what the final product will look like. With just one photo, it has achieved the promotional effect of other dramas that have been teasing trailers for half a year.
The online chatter was deafening, but it had no impact on the filming efficiency of the entire crew.
Unlike the anxiety and panic during the last song release, this time everyone knew that the boss could easily market negative public opinion into positive buzz, and the staff's mentality remained quite stable from beginning to end.
In just one afternoon, Tong Qinglu's account received dozens of private messages trying to poach her from her new company, but she is now almost immune to malicious comments and even had the mood to point at the messages and joke with her assistant.
On the first day alone, Zhang Kaigang arranged more than ten scenes, and the group filmed from noon until after 10 p.m.
Like other TV dramas, they used a non-linear shooting style, and the last night scene tonight happened to be the big scene of the mother and son recognizing each other.
This scene is the most important pay-per-view moment in the entire series. Fang Zhuo arrived at the set right at a little after nine o'clock to visit the filming of this crucial scene.
In the script, the barrier set up by the female lead Lingche's son is on a steep mountain peak, while the female lead falls in the small square in front of the gate and is kicked in the chest by a drunk gatekeeper.
Tong Qinglu changed into a pale yellow costume, her big, round eyes making her look perfectly natural as a charming 15-year-old girl.
As the camera slowly zoomed in, the expression on that face wasn't that of a pitiful victim, but rather a kind of resilient pride.
Fang Zhuo and Zhang Kaigang sat side by side in front of the monitor. One of them watched with an expressionless face and arms crossed, while the other drank water indifferently.
Rather than the staff watching the plot with a sense of detached interest, they were more concerned with the actors' interpretation of the script, which was the key to truly captivating the audience.
Actually, the original script provided by the system was a bit frustrating. The few words at the beginning could easily make onlookers think that the female lead, Ling Che, was a pushover who didn't know how to fight back.
But Tong Qinglu's performance offered her own interpretation—even after losing all her skills and returning to the body of a fifteen-year-old girl who hadn't fully matured, she still desperately resisted the servant's punches and kicks.
Her expression was stubborn and aloof, making one feel that her soul truly contained that haughty female cultivator who was used to others' flattery.
The blood she vomited soaked through her pale yellow clothes, yet she continued to crawl inward toward the door, trying to wake her son.
That's when the door was pushed open.
Time flies, and the little boy from back then has become an old man with white hair and beard.
After just one glance at her child, large tears welled up in Tong Qinglu's eyes.
Her first reaction wasn't even the joy of being exonerated, but rather an overwhelming sense of longing and heartache for her son.
This performance went completely beyond the script, perfectly showcasing a mother's genuine reaction to seeing her child again after a thousand years.
Let alone a short drama, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to put this scene directly into a theatrical film.
Inspired by her, the veteran actor who played Lingche's son also burst into tears and called out "Mother" in a trembling voice.
Fang Zhuo leaned back with relief.
Based on how he handled this point, he can sit back and collect money from now on.
As abundant spiritual energy flowed into her body, the injuries to her limbs and bones felt as if they were being soothed by warm water, and Tong Qinglu's slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
She cupped her son's face in her hands, gently tracing every wrinkle on his skin:
"Lingling has grown up. Let Mother take a good look at her..."
Xi Liling, now the number one cultivator in the immortal sects, huddled in his mother's arms like a child, crying for a long time before finally realizing what had happened: "Mother, who hurt you just now?"
Tong Qinglu glanced around, and the drunken gatekeepers who had assaulted people without asking any questions were already trembling like leaves, kneeling on the ground in unison.
Those servants had only just spotted the outer disciple outside the barrier when they impulsively kicked him, beating him up without even asking a question.
Moreover, they were drinking together while on patrol, which, according to the rules, would have resulted in them being expelled from the outer sect and reduced to the lowest-ranking disciples who could only do dirty and heavy work.
Instead of sending them to the outer sect, Xi Liling angrily expelled them from the sect, forbidding them from ever setting foot in the Sword Sect again.
This was already a severe punishment. The female lead stopped in front of the group. The servants, who had long since sobered up, were begging her to let them go.
Unlike TV dramas that are drawn out and inexplicably overly sentimental, the protagonists of short dramas believe in nothing more than pure enjoyment.
The build-up could easily be tense for dozens of episodes, but when the plot twists and reversals happen, the audience must feel completely satisfied.
The female protagonist will never forgive being beaten, and the main theme of her actions is revenge in kind.
With a "smack," three heavy slaps imbued with spiritual power landed on the servant's face.
She had just received spiritual power from Lingling, and now she was full of energy.
The men screamed in pain, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. The pain was so intense that they couldn't even straighten their backs.
"Expelling you from the sect is a punishment for your dereliction of duty and abuse of power; it is the rule of the Sword Sect."
“These three slaps are for you hitting me without asking why; it’s my own rule.”
Tong Qinglu slightly raised her chin, her expression showing a serious determination to distinguish right from wrong.
"Cut." Zhang Kaigang personally clapped the clapperboard for the scene and gave the group a thumbs up.
Actually, when Zhang Kaigang saw the cast before filming started, he had a lot of concerns – although the script didn't require much acting skill, was it too hasty to bring in an idol who had never acted in a drama before?
But after a day of filming, he now has a completely different opinion of Tong Qinglu, who is an idol, and couldn't help but lean over to Fang Zhuo and ask curiously:
"How did you manage to find her? Just like the internet says, did you discover her while shopping at the mall?"
Fang Zhuo put his index finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture: "It's a secret."
Zhang Kaigang exclaimed, "Your eye for talent is even better than many professional casting directors. I never expected her to act so well... If she maintains this level of performance, Tong Qinglu will definitely have no problem making it to the second tier in the future."
"Sigh, it's a pity. If she had become famous three years earlier, her acting roles would have been much broader than they are now."
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
Tong Qinglu was not only suppressed for seven years, but was also almost forced to undergo plastic surgery and be disfigured, which is completely different from her original fate.
But now that Fang Zhuo has pulled the person out of the mud, he will certainly not let his investment target fall back into the mud.
The real estate agent who showed him around the 45-star film set that day was also watching from the sidelines, eating sunflower seeds. He could vaguely hear the girls chatting.
"So this is what short dramas are all about. They're completely different from those TV series. This one is so addictive! I've been waiting here all day, just waiting for the female lead to regain her identity and slap everyone in the face."
"When will that villain from the outer sect who pinched her fingers finally be written out of the story? I was so angry when they filmed that scene."
"Let's come back tomorrow. Maybe we can get a shot by tomorrow morning."
"I was originally planning to watch it on the platform after it aired, but I really can't wait even a day. Right now, I just want to see the female lead slap them in the face."
The agent finished collecting the sunflower seed shells and was about to follow the crew out of the film set when he unexpectedly saw a spaceship streak across the dark night sky.
Normal flights would have stopped flying at this point long ago, so how could anyone be at star 45 now?
She rubbed her eyes in confusion, and the next second she saw the distant point of light disappear, leaving only a faint white trace.
That's really strange.
Sitting inside the rented stealth spaceship, the man pressed the acceleration button on the control panel, trying to make himself even faster.
[Fish Swimming, when will it arrive from your location?]
[Make sure to film their filming set in great detail, okay? It would be best to also film the props backstage in detail.]
The man known as Fish Swimming is a professional paparazzi. Unlike other freelancers, he regularly takes on commercial projects from several major entertainment companies, helping them to follow up on and photograph the dirty secrets of their rival companies.
Among them, Ruan Zihan came to him the most, and some of the people he was ordered to film were even unknown, obscure celebrities. Yu You really didn't know what the point was of having those obscure celebrities followed around the clock.
But as long as he's making money, he doesn't care about being shabby, and he's too lazy to ask his employer's opinion.
Celebrities often have various psychological issues, and perhaps Mr. Ruan has a penchant for spying on the privacy of minor celebrities.
That's not surprising.
The expensive stealth spaceship he was piloting was naturally rented by his employer. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering what Giant Entertainment had done to offend Master Ruan this time.
It was already midnight when we arrived at the dock, which was the perfect opportunity to sneak in and take photos.
Yu You put on his equipment and kept a low profile. This was his first time in Star 45. He stared at the map at the dock for a long time before finally sneaking off to an address that read "Filming Base for Short Drama Grandmother Taizu".
Sure enough, there was a sign hanging at the entrance of the base. He concealed himself behind the bushes and saw that it was brightly lit and bustling with people, with the sound of Director T giving instructions in between.
[Brother Ruan, they seem to still be filming. I'll record a video for you later.]
A note from the author:
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