After all the reporters left, there was still some time left, which was just enough to film the second scene where Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling steal the Longevity Formula in Yangzhou.
The set crew was busy setting up the scene. Several cameramen set up their cameras as Fang Yang instructed, the lighting technicians were ready to go, and Zhou Yi, who played Kou Zhong, and Zhu Qi, who played Xu Ziling, were also busy getting their makeup done. Everything was proceeding in a tense but orderly manner.
In a narrow, ancient alley, five cameras were meticulously set up, covering every angle. Fang Yang sat on a square chair, looking at the camera, but something seemed off. He grabbed a megaphone and announced, "Move camera number 2 15 centimeters to the right, and move the light up 10 centimeters."
Huang Xiaoping, watching from the side, felt it was pretty good. However, Fang Yang's request wasn't unreasonable. It was just that if camera number 2 moved 15 centimeters to the right, it would be right next to the corner of the wall, which might be a bit tiring for the cameraman. Let's see how it goes before making a decision.
The crew from Shanghai TV station who came along received strict orders to obey Fang Yang's commands, or they would be sent home immediately. So the cameraman and lighting technician were very obedient and moved 15 centimeters to the right without saying a word. Their posture was a bit awkward, but the effect was still very good from the lens. Originally, there was some overlapping light in the alley, but now it was clear that the overlapping problem was solved.
Huang Xiaoping looked at the effect and was quite impressed with Fang Yang's perception. Even though it was just a small movement, if the problem of overlapping light and shadow wasn't solved, the resulting effect would be somewhat folded, and it would need to be blurred in post-production, or this part could simply be cut out. But the current situation is that it's the beginning of the film, so cutting it out is impossible.
Fang Yang glanced at the cameraman, grabbed the megaphone, and said, "Give cameraman number 2 a small stool. Cameraman number 2, stay in this position and don't move. Just follow the person with the camera."
The cameraman took the small stool, sat down against the corner of the wall, and put the camera on his shoulder. The lens was surprisingly stable. He gave Fang Yang an OK sign. Fang Yang didn't say anything more. After checking again and seeing that nothing was missing, he sat down and waited for the others to finish their makeup.
More than half an hour later, Zhu Qi and Zhou Yi appeared at the designated location, and filming officially began. Just as described in the book, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling ran panting into the alley and slumped down against the wall.
After sighing about his bad luck for a while, Kou Zhong had another idea: "Why don't we try taking the imperial examination? Although our materials came from eavesdropping on Master Bai's lectures, we are at least better than those good-for-nothings who paid money to listen to his lectures. If we pass the exam, we can become high-ranking officials without needing travel expenses or the risk of a long journey."
Fang Yang sat behind the monitor screen with a furrowed brow. The reason he put this scene first was because it only involved three people and the scene transitions were relatively simple. But what he saw on the monitor screen was Zhou Yi's exaggerated physical movements. How could someone go from running nervously to feeling utterly defeated to having such exaggerated emotions?
"Stop!" Fang Yang grabbed the megaphone. "Zhou Yi, don't overdo it. Go run a kilometer and come back to get a feel for it."
Hearing this, Zhou Yi reluctantly got up from the ground, sighed, and began to run back and forth along the hundred-meter-long alley. The actors and staff present covered their mouths and snickered, especially the actors from Jinghua Film and Television, who were used to playing around with Zhou Yi. At this moment, they all cheered for Zhou Yi, looking like they were enjoying the show.
After five rounds, Zhou Yi arrived at Zhu Qi's side, panting, and collapsed to the ground. Fang Yang didn't give Zhou Yi a chance to catch his breath, and picked up the megaphone, "Everyone to your positions, filming will begin in three minutes."
Filming continued, and this time Zhou Yi performed perfectly, getting it right in one take. Under the camera, Huang Xiaoping looked at Zhou Yi's performance and couldn't help but give Fang Yang's coaching ability a thumbs up. Without saying a word, he perfectly replicated the scene. Young people's minds work so fast!
At this moment, the old scholar appeared, and Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling followed him, using their ancient knife-slicing skills to steal the Longevity Formula from the scholar by chance, and then blended into the street.
It was past noon when filming wrapped up. Fang Yang clapped his hands and said, "That's all for this morning. Everyone, have lunch and rest. We'll film the first scene again this afternoon."
Cheers came from the crowd. Fang Yang couldn't see who it was, but guessed that they were starving because they hadn't eaten breakfast and were cheering because they heard that they could eat.
Today is the first day of filming, and Fang Yang didn't hold back, treating everyone to a big meal at a nearby hotel to celebrate the start of filming.
After a break of more than an hour, avoiding the hottest part of the day, at 3 o'clock, the extras who had agreed to meet were all in place, and the first scene of filming officially began.
While Fang Yang was engrossed in filming, news about his opening ceremony began to circulate online. The majority of the news was positive, but there were also negative ones. Fang Yang was described as someone who pretended to know everything about filming, forcibly taking the director's position as an investor, actually letting others direct the filming, gaining fame and fortune, disrespecting reporters, making wild remarks, and having low character.
It has to be said that netizens still prefer to read gossip news. Compared to serious news, gossip news uses exaggerated language, attracts attention, and is more likely to resonate with the public, especially gossip news produced by Fang Yang, the headline producer.
It started circulating only in a small circle, until two southern media outlets gritted their teeth and bought recommendations, and the news ranking began to rise rapidly, attracting the attention of some viewers. With the help of some people, it quickly climbed into the top twenty. By this time, it had entered the public eye, and traffic followed. It quickly became a "viral" story and entered the top ten.
As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. Positive reports about "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" went unread, while filthy gossip spread like wildfire.
An hour later, the two tabloid news stories quickly topped the headlines, causing a sensation in the industry. Well-known figures also took notice of this massive traffic, writing articles citing the two news stories and criticizing Fang Yang for being an amateur directing professionals, breaking industry rules, and setting a bad precedent, among other things.
Even some renowned directors have specifically warned that Fang Yang's high-profile direction of a TV series without systematic directing training could lead the entire industry into a vicious cycle of bad money driving out good, and they suggest that relevant departments conduct a thorough investigation.
Some envious aspiring directors, like cats smelling fish, grabbed their keyboards and joined the criticism. Suddenly, the internet was flooded with critical news about Fang Yang and "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty," with calls for Fang Yang to withdraw from directing, give others a chance, and focus on writing, singing, or even screenwriting, instead of wasting his time and energy on the directing industry.
The saying "three men can make a tiger" applies here, especially when the entire online world is skeptical. In an instant, Fang Yang and "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" became pariahs, and the whole world boycotted them.
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