In the following days, Fang Yang hid in his office drawing storyboards and occasionally handling some company matters. Fu Ming also came over every few days to solicit opinions. It was clear that Fu Ming was also putting in a lot of effort to make this drama a success.
Finally, half a month later, Fu Ming finished all the preparations and set up the photography and filming. He came over to say goodbye to Fang Yang, "President Fang, I'll be there tomorrow. It's the company's first drama. Do you have time to attend the opening ceremony?"
Fang Yang was so busy he was practically dizzy, and hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "Director Fu, you can handle this. As you can see, I'm so busy I can't stop for a moment."
Fu Ming had seen this too, but felt regretful: "Alright, I know, it's just a pity. I originally wanted to learn from you, but I was dragged down by 'Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty'. But I hope I can learn from President Fang in the next drama."
Fang Yang laughed and said, "Our company only has two directors right now, so there will be plenty of opportunities to collaborate. You should finish filming this drama first, and the next drama will start filming soon."
Fu Ming said happily, "Don't worry, Mr. Fang, I will definitely live up to your expectations."
Fang Yang smiled and said, "Director Fu, you should go back and rest early today. Starting tomorrow, you'll be working hard for the next six months. But there's one thing you must remember: make sure your work is polished and don't rush things."
The next day, Fang Yang arrived at the small conference room of Shanghai TV station before eight o'clock. Today, the casting for "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" would be held here. Staff members of Shanghai TV station entered the office building one after another. Huang Xiaoping and Minister Zhang were doing some preparations in the small conference room, with a slightly chubby middle-aged man assisting them.
As soon as Huang Xiaoping saw Fang Yang enter, he immediately smiled like a chrysanthemum, "Oh, Mr. Fang, you're here quite early. Have you had breakfast yet? Our TV station has a pretty good breakfast menu, why don't you come and have some?"
Fang Yang waved his hand, "Director Huang, you're too kind. I already had breakfast on the way here."
Seeing this, Huang Xiaoping didn't insist. He pulled over the middle-aged man next to him and said, "This is our producer, Zhuge Jianming. We owe a lot to him for choosing the location. He's out there every day. Let's go see the place he chose together later."
Fang Yang shook hands with Zhuge Jianming, thus becoming acquainted. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhuge. Did the site selection go smoothly?"
Zhuge Jianming laughed and said, "Don't mention the hardship, I'm used to it. The scenery over there is quite nice, so this can be considered a business trip."
Zhuge Jianming's words drew laughter from the group. They checked the time and it was already 8:30. All the staff were in place, so the four of them sat on the examiner's platform and signaled to the staff to start calling people.
Not all the actors participating in this casting call were from Kyoto Film & Television; some of the actors signed by Shanghai TV were also participating. Ouyang Ming had mentioned this to Fang Yang beforehand, and Fang Yang had no objections. It was just a fair selection opportunity, and Fang Yang wouldn't criticize it.
The first person to enter was a square-faced man. As soon as he entered, he bowed deeply to everyone and said, "Greetings, examiners. My name is Liu Mingming. I am 24 years old and a graduate of Kyoto Film Academy. I have acted in four dramas, including the currently airing 'Kyoto Anecdotes,' in which I play the second male lead. I am here today to audition for the role of Kou Zhong. Please examine me."
Huang Xiaoping laughed and said, "Then why don't you try acting out the scene where Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling steal the 'Longevity Manual' in Yangzhou City?"
Liu Mingming nodded, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before staring wide-eyed as if looking at an old man, exaggeratingly saying to the air beside him, "Whether we have good luck depends on whether this guy is all show and no substance!"
Then he ran a few steps, and when he seemed to see a group of soldiers, he stopped immediately, turned around, ran a few more steps, and collapsed to the ground.
It seems that Liu Mingming did some research on "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" beforehand. However, Fang Yang was very disappointed with Liu Mingming's exaggerated acting skills. He crossed out the audition form, looked at Huang Xiaoping next to him, shook his head, and said, "Go back and wait for our notification. If you pass, we will let you know."
Liu Mingming probably felt hopeless, so he bowed to the group and left the room.
The next two were unsatisfactory, but the fourth one, Zhou Yi, caught Fang Yang's eye. Although his acting skills were not yet very refined, his unrestrained, free-spirited, and ever-changing nature greatly pleased Fang Yang. He exchanged a glance with Huang Xiaoping, and if there were no other better candidates, then Zhou Yi would be the one.
Fang Yang looked at Zhou Yi's profile. He was a graduate of the Kyoto Film Academy, 26 years old this year, and had acted in nearly ten films and television dramas. He was currently a fourth-tier artist in China, and his highest role was only the second male lead. However, the profile spoke highly of Zhou Yi, saying that he had excellent character, was gentle, and was quite serious about acting. Among the directors he had worked with, they all gave him good reviews.
Six more people auditioned, but he wasn't very satisfied with any of them. Looking at the time, the morning was already over, and it was almost lunchtime. Fang Yang flipped through the files; there were no more auditions for Kou Zhong. He stretched and said to Huang Xiaoping and the others:
"Let's stop here for the morning. Let's go have lunch and rest first. We can audition for the actor playing Xu Ziling this afternoon. What do you all think?"
Huang Xiaoping nodded, "Let's go eat. The staff will lock up the site later, so we can rest for a bit and then come back."
The director and assistant director had made their decision, and the others naturally had no objections. So they notified the staff to go outside and inform the auditioning actors that the auditions for the role of Xu Ziling would begin at 2:30 p.m.
As soon as the group entered the restaurant, they saw Ouyang Ming waiting at the door. He grabbed Fang Yang and said, "Mr. Fang, did you have a hard time with the audition this morning? I've prepared some light wine for you. Have a simple lunch, and we'll go out for a nice meal tonight."
Fang Yang laughed and said, "What Yang Chang said is true. It must be a rare delicacy. I must treat Yang Chang to a feast today."
Ouyang Ming led the group to a large private room and whispered to Fang Yang, "We're in for a treat today. A friend of mine got a Chinese sturgeon. We're going to have a big meal tonight."
Fang Yang exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that stuff poisonous? Can the chef be trusted?"
Ouyang Ming gestured to the waiter to serve the dishes, and Fang Yang said, "My friend's ancestors were imperial chefs. His culinary skills are deeply inherited from his ancestors, especially in Chinese sturgeon, where he has surpassed his master. He is very famous in Shanghai. Ordinary people don't even have the right to enter. His restaurant only serves ten tables of guests a day, and you usually have to book more than ten days in advance and be a member."
Fang Yang gave a thumbs up: "Awesome!"
Ouyang Ming sighed, "Normally, we can't get to eat Chinese sturgeon. It's a national first-class protected animal. This time, we found a fish farm that artificially breeds them in a simulated wild environment. It's said to be comparable to wild Chinese sturgeon. We're lucky to have managed to get one this time."
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