Luo Jiu took out a piece of paper that read: Scene 3, Act 1.
When she reported the results to everyone present, the big boy in black looked at her with a strange look, a smile on his lips, which looked anything but friendly.
"Here's the thing, the female lead has a dual personality that automatically switches at night. The scene you're going to act out is on a rainy night, where you see the school beauty in an accident, want to call for help, but suddenly switch personalities, that's the scene."
Luo Jiu was stunned after hearing this. Split personality?
She'd watched a lot of crime movies these past few days, but this was the first time she'd seen a protagonist with a dual personality. She had to admit, the director really had a wild imagination.
The audition was held in the suburbs, and it had just rained; the set and props had been naturally sculpted by nature.
Luo Jiu looked at her shoes and took them off with a pained expression.
"Once you're ready, you can begin."
Luo Jiu took a deep breath and slowly walked deeper into the woods.
The once quiet woods were suddenly filled with sounds.
A girl dressed in casual clothes ran forward. She had lost her shoes at some point, and she stepped barefoot into the mud puddle, making a "splashing" sound. Her original color was no longer discernible.
The girl's hands, trousers, knees, and even her pretty face were covered in mud. Her beautiful long hair was soaked by the rain and hung loosely over her shoulders, making her look disheveled.
Her eyes were wide open, filled with terror. She kept running forward, as if a ferocious beast was chasing her.
The surrounding woods were quiet, with only the occasional cold wind blowing through, rustling the leaves and making them sound even more eerie in the dense forest.
The girl was panting heavily, sweat dripping from her forehead. No one knew how long she had been running or where she was going.
"ah!"
The girl seemed to trip over something, let out a cry of surprise, and fell to the ground.
The strange sounds gradually stopped, leaving only synthesized electronic music playing a terrifying background music.
Everyone present knew the climax was coming, and they all held their breath, staring intently at Luo Jiu, who had fallen to the ground.
After a moment, the girl bent over, looked at her situation, and slowly raised her head.
The fear and naivety in her eyes had been replaced by arrogance. She slowly stood up, looked around, and her beautiful eyes were full of disdain.
Although her appearance remained unchanged, the girl's aura was completely different. If the girl who had fled in panic earlier was an inexperienced college student, now she resembled an empress, looking down on everything in the world with haughty eyes.
The girl brushed the dirt off her face with the back of her clean hand, a slight smirk playing on her lips. She turned and walked back the way she had come.
Her steps were light and her posture upright as she walked towards the seemingly man-eating black forest.
"Card!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Jiu, who had been holding her breath, suddenly relaxed, feeling much more at ease. The powerful aura surrounding her vanished without a trace.
Back at the audition room, Luo Jiu watched as the usually nonchalant young man argued with the director. The director in the white shirt seemed quite helpless, closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and fell into deep thought.
Upon seeing Luo Jiu approach, the director stopped the boy beside him from speaking and focused on Luo Jiu:
"Luo Jiu, you performed very well."
Hearing such praise, Luo Jiu was somewhat flattered. But she was also very afraid that it was just polite talk, followed by, "But..."
Seeing Luo Jiu's still-shaken appearance, the man seemed amused and gently comforted her, "Don't be nervous."
"I didn't expect you to be drawn for this scene." Looking at Luo Jiu covered in mud, he seemed a little apologetic. "The conditions in the mountains are a bit rudimentary. I'll have someone take you to clean up."
Luo Jiu nodded, unable to discern any emotion from the man's face before leaving. The drama, already uncertain to begin with, seemed to have hit another dead end.
After Luo Jiu left, the tall boy in black put his legs on the table, crossed his long legs, and looked like he was not to be trifled with.
“Luo Zhe, I want her to play the role.”
"Xiao An, the audition isn't over yet."
The man rubbed his temples, looking very troubled.
"Don't think I don't know you want Ye Qinglan to play the role. But no matter how well she takes care of herself, her demeanor doesn't resemble that of a recent college graduate."
"Just because of that?"
The man seemed incredulous, looking at his unreasonable and irrational behavior, and really didn't know what to say.
No, there's more.
The boy put his feet down, propped his head up, and seemed lost in some kind of memory.
"She's very versatile and her acting is very natural. Did you see her look back? Don't you think it's sophisticated to distinguish two personalities with just one glance?"
"Don't you also approve of her performance? After being in this glamorous industry for so long, Luo Zhe, think about what your original intention was."
His words immediately plunged the two of them into deep thought.
Everyone has been young and full of youthful vigor, brimming with confidence and ambition. Everyone has faced setbacks in pursuit of their dreams.
Ultimately, in this superficial society, we are constantly suppressed, our edges are smoothed out, and we learn to be worldly and slick. To make a film, we must cater to the current market and constantly make compromises. Our past dreams are suppressed deep in our memories, becoming something we can only long for but never reach.
"Besides, I wrote the script, and I can cast whoever I want. If you don't agree, then don't film it!"
After saying only a couple of serious sentences, the boy reverted to his self-centered bad temper, instantly dispelling the man's feelings and making him want to punch his smug face.
The young man walked away with unusual nonchalance, donning a black baseball cap and leaving behind only an indifferent silhouette.
"Director, what about this person?"
The assistant director, a middle-aged man with a beer belly, overheard their conversation. Some unpleasant thoughts flashed through his mind, and he took a list and handed it to the director, Luo Zhe.
"It's that girl named Luo Jiu."
"this……"
The assistant director was bewildered. The audition was just a formality. Ye Qinglan had originally been cast as the lead actress, so why was she suddenly replaced?
"What about investments?"
Art films are not mainstream in the market and are not particularly good at making money. They are at a disadvantage in today's fast-paced film market and are generally made primarily to win awards.
The reason they were able to secure investment was twofold: firstly, the title of Best Director, Luo Zhe, served as a selling point; and secondly, Ye Qinglan was invited to play the female lead.
The sudden change of the female lead could take away a huge amount of funding, and whether filming can even begin is now in question.
Luo Zhe stood up, patted the assistant director on the shoulder, and said gently, "I'll figure out the investment. You go and tell the rest of the people to go back. There's no need for interviews."
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