Chapter 262: Just a Set Visit (Part 2) I still…
After his old friend said that, Cheng Erjian couldn't keep up his stubbornness any longer, so he quickly shut his mouth and went back to being a background figure in his seat.
Li Sishi was too lazy to really care about his personality, which made him a typical anime/manga fan who kept his persona and role separate: far too many people had already said so much about him.
In this day and age, his habit of staying at home playing games for his own amusement is considered that of a shut-in who can stay at home for a long time. He is often misunderstood and seen as "lacking ambition, a big kid, and playful." However, having experienced the era when portable entertainment was widespread in the future, Li Sishi can roughly understand his fast-paced lifestyle.
It could even be said that if he didn't have this rather anime-like personality, he wouldn't have been able to fit so perfectly into the comic book adaptation film series—not just in terms of appearance, but more importantly, in terms of "aura."
"Never mind, it's not like you've only known him for a short time..." Li Sishi said, trying to smooth things over, which made Chen Shaozhen and the others laugh and agree.
Seeing Cheng Erjian looking helpless as he was being teased, Li Sishi quietly tugged at his sleeve again: "We're going out soon, you can't keep acting like this, show your 'boss' attitude!"
"I understand." Right now, everyone is obsessed with the character he plays in the show. Even if he feels that the character is completely different from his real self, he still has to maintain the persona he portrays in the show.
After calming down her cheap senior brother who had a girlish heart, Li Sishi slowly stood up and called to Zheng Shuqiu to prepare to leave the screening room together.
The audience was just as enthusiastic as they were in the first season. They even surrounded her with gossipy faces when they saw her with Zheng Shuqiu on her left arm and Cheng Erjian on her right, asking the three of them how they felt about this "love triangle"...
"I think if I hadn't only filmed this one episode, the male lead might not have been able to beat me." Zheng Shuqiu was very good at joking, and Li Sishi was also good at cooperating, so she spoke without any restraint, holding hands with Li Sishi affectionately as they talked, like a little devil who wanted to give those who regretted the tragic and twisted love in the drama a real-life aftermath.
“I think so too. Although Qiao Qing schemed against many people in the play, I can feel that she genuinely likes Sisi…” Li Sishi echoed with a smile.
"Uh, well... I don't know how to say it..." Cheng Erjian is a terrible speaker of Mandarin and a disaster in the interviewing world. Now, with two people who can joke around with him, he is genuinely "unable to say it" and is in complete sync with the role.
Regardless of the feelings towards these two lilies in the play
Whether it's the lush green He Nan or the man who was teased by the two sisters, reporters, and audience off-screen, he was "unable to speak" both psychologically and verbally.
The reporters and audience, their heads aching from Cheng Erjian's incoherent Cantonese-accented Mandarin, stopped their mutual torment and turned to gossip with the witty Li Sishi and Zheng Shuqiu. They were captivated by the various amusing anecdotes they shared about filming, listening with beaming smiles.
So the next day, newspapers and magazines were filled with "rumors" about Li Sishi and Zheng Shuqiu, saying that the two of them were a perfect match and complemented each other perfectly in the second part of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"—of course, most reports unanimously concealed the lesbian relationship between the two characters for the time being, secretly preparing a "heavy blow" for those who were looking forward to seeing the two beauties compete with each other...
They were quite shocked at the time, and those who come after them should try to experience the emotional journey of those who watched the midnight premiere!
As for those tabloids that wanted to break the spoiler agreement and leak information about the yuri (lesbian) storyline of those two characters to grab attention, they were stopped from reporting it long ago. The "scenes" between Qiao Qing and Si Si are not only a major highlight of this sequel, but also the deepest foreshadowing in the first half of the plot. Even if they were to be revealed, it would have to be after more than half of the citizens of Hong Kong have seen the show, otherwise the "foreshadowing" would not have the same effect as before.
After all, those who enjoy watching movies with a scripted perspective are still a minority, while the vast majority dislike spoilers.
Unsurprisingly, riding on the momentum of the first film and the unfolding of new characters and a new storyline in the second, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2" became a new blockbuster film, following in the footsteps of the first film's nationwide success.
With such high popularity, subsequent screenings were sold out. Even after the premiere featuring the main cast and crew had ended, many people stayed up all night queuing at various cinema ticket offices to buy movie tickets, hoping to be the first to see the long-awaited sequel.
After the midnight and early morning screenings, which were dominated by club members, were over, students who had gotten up early from their beds started a new round of excitement. The morning screenings, which were originally the hardest to sell in cinemas, became highly sought after again. The phenomenon completely replicated the nationwide frenzy of watching the first film. Moreover, thanks to the foundation laid by the first film, the second film was even more popular in its initial stages.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this film, despite its increased investment, will still have a budget of no more than 4 million yuan, and will likely become the second box office dark horse of the year.
It broke the 30 million box office mark once again.
Seeing the buzz surrounding it, "the three clever guys from Best Partners Company were grinning from ear to ear, and they came to the TV station every day to discuss cooperation to increase publicity."
Along with this, Jia Sui Film Company also wanted to join forces with both parties' cinema chains to launch the "Man in the Jianghu" series in other markets and make a fortune.
For a time, even Li Sishi, who was busy preparing for the filming of her new movie, couldn't help but be assigned some promotional work. Fortunately, although she was the female lead with a significant role in both movies, she always maintained the "upright and neutral student girl" persona. Therefore, when the movies were rejected by some overseas markets with relatively strict regulations, she didn't need to reshoot scenes that were added to gain market acceptance.
In contrast, her junior colleague Cheng Erjian wasn't so lucky. While busy with various promotional activities and commercial endorsements, he also had to go back to the makeshift crew set up by Liu Jixiang to reshoot some "undercover scenes"...
Yes, that's right. In Malaysia, where the regulatory system is very strict, "The Gangster" was unable to be shown in major cinemas in Malaysia because the main character was a member of a triad.
In order not to be "abandoned" by Malaysia, a very significant box office market, Huang Zheng, Liu Jixiang, and Wang Yunjun, after receiving the news, quickly added a police undercover plot to the male lead, He Nan, overnight. Then, they squeezed in a few minutes of footage at the end of the first film, showing He Nan returning to the police station to report to his superiors. In this way, they managed to obtain regulatory approval in Malaysia and successfully get the film, temporarily renamed "New Police Story: The Man in the Jianghu 1," into the Malaysian film market...
When Li Sishi heard this outrageous move amidst her busy schedule, she almost died laughing at these incredibly clever and resourceful people who were so eager to make money: This name change was truly brilliant, not only concealing the fact that they were "people in the martial arts world"...
It could reveal their true colors and even capitalize on the popularity of Brother Longsheng, who has considerable box office appeal in Southeast Asia.
Of course, those who go to the cinema specifically for Brother Long Sheng's famous "New Police Story" series might become the first group of victims of clickbait titles...
However, these are not the main things that Li Sishi needs to focus on for the time being. In the past few days, she has even temporarily put aside her studies, which she has never been able to put down, while choosing and practicing songs and waiting for the crew to be ready. Then, she will wait for Rong Juezhang to join the crew after filming "Suddenly Male, Suddenly Female 2" and officially start filming.
After careful selection, Lu Yiting chose Guan Chenfan, a character who particularly enjoys filming female-centric subjects, for Li Sishi.
He is also a director who is particularly good at making films about women.
There's a saying that most films in Hong Kong are filled with male chauvinism, while films about women are few and far between. Among these few, Guan Chenfan is widely recognized as the director who is most devoted, dedicated, and accomplished in films about women.
Li Sishi had certainly heard of this director, who was quite famous for his films about women: looking back, Guan Chenfan was also an "orphan of the Zhao family" who started out as an assistant script supervisor and assistant director at the Zhao family film company.
However, unlike many of the older generation whose glory faded after the transformation of Zhao's film company, Guan Chenfan, who benefited from the flourishing of the New Wave cinema, relied on his unique aesthetic concepts and gender awareness. After becoming a director, he abandoned the brotherhood and heroism that were popular in Hong Kong films, and instead explored the life journey of women, including their growth, career, love, and marriage, using films to tell the story of women's transformation in the tide of the times.
Therefore, this director, who has deeply explored the transformation of women's psychology, thoughts, and values and has already made considerable achievements, is undoubtedly very suitable to make a film like "Beauty on the High Platform," which focuses on the female protagonist.
As for Guan Chenfan's illustrious history, it is even more remarkable: his directorial debut, "Daughter's Heart," won multiple Golden Film Awards and topped the box office; his subsequent film, "Rouge Box," earned Pei Yansang and Jin Lian both Golden Film Awards and Best Actress awards; and later, he helped Shang Lanyu become the first Chinese actress to win the Best Actress award at the Baicheng Film Festival with the biographical film "The Legend of Xian Mingyu"...
Taking all these factors into account, whether it's his personal resume, his subject matter preferences, or even his "award-winning luck," he is a director with top-notch qualifications, and it's no wonder that Lu Yiting was able to get in touch with him.
Li Sishi naturally understood Lu Yiting's good intentions. After reviewing the director selection and the crew's preliminary arrangements, she expressed that she had no objections whatsoever and would follow Zhuang Menghua and her arrangements in everything.
Lu Yiting smiled with satisfaction: "This is the first time we've tried this script. If you have any ideas, please feel free to speak up. Director Guan is a director who is very good at taking care of the actors' feelings..."
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just talk to Lester. As your cousin and the male lead in the movie, he’ll definitely try his best to help you.” Lu Yiting had worked her way up in Zhao’s Film Company in her early years and had some connection with Guan Chenfan, who also came from Zhao’s Film Company. She understood his personality quite well. “Lester has worked with Director Guan before, and because of his good performance, he kept getting more scenes.”
That show, "Rouge Box," which was originally just a cameo role, ended up making him the male lead...
"I understand, Sister Ting." Li Sishi sat obediently in the chair, listening to Lu Yiting's instructions and nodding repeatedly.
"I'm relieved that you understand." Lu Yiting affectionately patted Li Sishi's head, then took out another form. "I've contacted quite a few clothing brands for you. Take a look and pick out some. As for the ones I've pre-selected, they're on the first few pages..."
The companies she chose were all reputable and established, with flexible terms for cooperation. However, sometimes the companies she had a good working relationship with might not have the best clothes available. So, Li Sishi herself had to help with the selection, and she might also need to ask Rong Juezhang, the male lead, to help with the selection before finally deciding on the companies that would be used in the movie.
As for the beauty pageant scene and props at the beginning of the movie, they could basically all be items from the TV station's prop department—although Li Sishi's grandmother, Madam Li, "privately sponsored" her granddaughter with a lot of real jewelry for use in the filming, on stage, real gold and diamond props are usually not as dazzling or have as good a stage effect as crystal props...
Moreover, most of the jewelry sponsored by Madam Li was genuine and extremely expensive. Li Sishi wore two sets of jewelry when she performed at the Miss Hong Kong finals the following year. Recalling it, it made her and her entourage take care of her with great anxiety.
If it weren't for the desire to maximize the film's quality at the best possible price, I really wouldn't have wanted to use any of these pieces of jewelry, each easily exceeding the entire film's budget...
Seeing that Li Sishi was already sitting obediently in her seat picking out clothes, looking so sweet and charming that it made any beauty enthusiast's heart flutter with pity, Lu Yiting couldn't help but sigh in her heart: No matter how troublesome it is, as long as her Ah May can get a Best Actress nomination at this year's Cannes Film Festival, then those reports that were full of sourness and jealousy will no longer be able to spout nonsense.
Especially that "fake actress's nickname"—Pah! An old-fashioned person is an old-fashioned person. They can't stand seeing beautiful people win awards based on their good looks. They insist on making themselves look completely different from human beings before giving them a meaningless "recognition"!
Who cares about these haters' approval? She just wants to slap them in the face!
If she's lucky, and Ah May manages to break through with this uniquely female-centric film and win the Best Actress award at Cannes this year, then those people will be thoroughly humiliated—they even call Ah May "
"A mediocre actress," but then Ah May turned around and won the first Chinese Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award... Ha, just thinking about it is exciting.
While thinking to herself, Lu Yiting gestured for Rong Juezhang, who had rushed over, to be quiet before heading off to the props department to work on things.
Rong Juezhang took a deep breath, then leisurely moved behind Li Sishi, looking down at her as she picked out clothes from a collaborating brand: "This one has a bad design, this one has a problem with the cut, this one doesn't suit you..."
“I don’t like these items either.” Li Sishi put the small pictures aside and then gestured for him to sit down next to her. “Let’s pick some together.”
“Alright, let me see how different my taste is from yours.” Rong Juezhang raised an eyebrow and sat down next to Li Sishi in a very familiar manner, picking out clothes with her.
"By the way, where are my clothes? Why are they all women's clothes?" Rong Juezhang looked through several more pages, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Look, it seems to be on the bottom few pages," Li Sishi replied after quickly flipping through the entire table.
"Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of differential treatment?" Rong Juezhang forcibly lifted a small corner to peek at it, and was immediately annoyed by the pages full of black, white, and gray text.
Just now, they were saying that the women's clothing color on Li Sishi's side wasn't good, but the men's clothing on his side is even worse; they didn't give him any more color options at all.
“Old-fashioned and proper young masters all like to dress like this. Not everyone is like you, daring to wear any color…” Li Sishi said casually without looking up.
Then, just before Rong Juezhang was about to escalate the situation into a fuss, he added, "Not everyone can look good in any color like you."
"Yes, that's true." Rong Juezhang nodded in satisfaction and continued to help Li Sishi look at women's clothing. "This one is nice, it really flatters your legs. When you put your legs down and the hem of the skirt together on that platform on the wall, tsk tsk, that scene will definitely be very beautiful..."
It's fortunate that he said those words; if anyone else had said them, they would probably have been sued for harassment.
Li Sishi took out the small picture and put it on the other side, continuing to look at it while talking: "The new script and director are both in place, we're just waiting for you, the male lead."
"I still need to wrap up some scenes for 'Suddenly Male, Suddenly Female 2' tonight, and then tomorrow morning I'll have someone do some finishing touches on your wedding dress. I probably won't officially join the crew until the afternoon..." Rong Juezhang is both the male lead and assistant director of the B group in "Suddenly Male, Suddenly Female 2," and his schedule is incredibly busy. Even with his excellent memory, he has to flip through his notebook to check his schedule before he can answer softly.
He answered.
"No problem, I'll talk to Sister Ting in a bit." Li Sishi nodded.
After carefully selecting dozens of styles, Li Sishi finally managed to close the form: "Okay."
Let's just pick these. These are all props with 'minor roles' anyway. The most important ones are the ones we'll have to make ourselves."
Especially the costumes themed around the "Four Seasons," which kept cousins Zhou Huichang and Rong Juezhang busy working on them until they were dizzy...
"You have the nerve to say that these costumes have worn me out and made me lose weight!" Rong Juezhang couldn't help but grumble when he thought of those costumes, which were extremely stunning but also took a lot of his effort.
"It's good that you're thin! Being thinner makes you fit the male lead's image of a hypocrite even better." Li Sishi immediately used the homophony between "thin" and "beast" to deal with his whining and trying to be coquettish.
"You really have no sense of romance at all!" Most people would feel sorry for him seeing him like this, but Li Sishi, that oh dear cousin, is so heartless—always calling him "cousin" and nothing else but calling him "Lester" and that's it...
Although he was complaining in his heart, Rong Juezhang still pretended to be reluctant but actually did his best to finish all his other work as early as possible the next day and went to the set where the set was being built to wait for the filming to begin.
After a simple and traditional opening ceremony, Li Sishi barely finished the tiny piece of roasted pork that was given to her, and then took a small bowl of fruit to wait for the first scene to begin.
"Lester, what are you calculating?" Seeing Rong Juezhang sitting on the folding chair, seemingly playing with his fingers, Li Sishi curiously approached him with a bowl of fruit.
"I'm calculating our age difference to see if the gap between us is big enough for me to have a daughter as big as you... What year was I born? 195... Ugh, I'd better not tell you this open secret. Let me see the age difference—" He counted on his fingers for a while, then suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This male lead is a real scumbag!"
Li Sishi was speechless: "The scumbag you're talking about seems to be the character you'll be playing in this drama."
“Although you’re right, I think that the character’s scumbag nature and the character I’m going to play are two different things,” Rong Juezhang said very seriously.
While the two were talking, Guan Chenfan, who was holding the script, walked over quickly: "I'm sorry, there's a small problem with the props over there. If you two don't mind, I'll move the kissing scene from the next scene to the first scene?"
"Oh, I should be fine," Li Sishi nodded.
This kiss
The kiss in the scene is just a superficial one, like the kiss in the wedding scene later on, where the male and female leads confirm their relationship. It's all rather light and fleeting. Since the main focus is on "married life," the earlier love scenes are cut short and the story is rushed through.
"Why are you looking at me? Of course I have no problem with this—after knowing me for so long, have you ever seen me in a movie without a kissing scene?" Rong Juezhang waved his hand quite boldly.
"Then I'll tell the costume department to bring over your costumes for the next scene." Guan Chenfan nodded, then called over the costume designer and gave him instructions.
After taking the two costumes, Rong Juezhang glanced at Li Sishi's elaborately decorated and brightly colored dress, then looked at his own all-black suit, which, although of excellent quality, was only one color. He couldn't help but pout: "The investment in this film... basically all went into you, didn't it?"
"Pretty much, since my character has so many clothes." Li Sishi pretended to think for a moment, then nodded affirmatively.
"Sigh, it's so good to direct your own show..." Rong Juezhang sighed several times while holding the clothes, which made Li Sishi laugh and cry and want to pat him.
After making a joke, Rong Juezhang dodged Li Sishi's attack and quickly grabbed his clothes and ran to the changing room.
When he came out of the changing room after changing his clothes, he suddenly saw that there was a handsome guy in a black suit next to Li Sishi.
"What are you doing here?" Rong Juezhang chuckled when he patted Ling Chen on the back and noticed that Ling Chen's suit was exactly the same style and color as his own.
“I just finished shooting a suit advertisement at a nearby shopping mall, so I stopped by to visit the set.” Ling Chen turned around and smiled, gesturing for Rong Juezhang to look at the bag containing a series of suits of various colors on the table next to him, as well as a large box of afternoon tea snacks and drinks.
"So you were just visiting the set." Rong Juezhang rummaged through the snack box and drinks in his hands, his eyes, which had been eyeing the pretty faces, couldn't help but linger on the bags of suits of various colors beside him. His tone was as sour as a cup of green plum tea. "I thought you brought your own costume to be a kissing double..."
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