No. 82 Melon
In the early winter on campus, the leaves of the ginkgo trees gradually turn yellow and hang on the straight branches. The air is so dry that there is no moisture at all.
The shooting time was not a weekend. Students were in class in the teaching building, and Lang Lang's reading voice echoed throughout the campus.
Not far away is the playground, where the crew is filming.
Liu Mingqian looked at the guests in front of him and was stunned for a long time.
His gaze was like a knife, sweeping over the guests in front of him one by one. Then, he glanced at the crew of "Leisure" filming nearby, frowned, and asked, "Did Director Yu ask you to come?"
"Of course~" Lu Yanyan said with a smile, "Teacher Liu, didn't you see our production team's bus at the door? How could we come without Director Yu's permission~"
"Teacher Liu, we're here to help you!" Jiang Mingkai chimed in. "There's not much funding for this public service short film, so we're here to be extras for free!"
"Be an extra?"
Liu Mingqian's frown relaxed a little, but his eyes were full of disdain without a trace of concealment. "Are you sure you are here to be an extra and not to cause trouble?"
"Of course we're here to be extras and help you!" Chen Xianzhi straightened his back and said righteously, "Teacher Liu, we've known each other for so long, why don't you trust us?"
Liu Mingqian: “…”
It’s only after knowing you for so long that I realize the character of you guys!
They are all bad!
Liu Mingqian looked impatient, and his gaze finally fell on Lin Cha.
He let out a long sigh.
"Oh, forget it."
Now that we are here, let’s take it one step at a time.
The stage manager distributed scripts to the guests. It was not thick, just a short film, only a few thin pages.
The guests looked at the script curiously, while Liu Mingqian rolled up the script, tapped it casually in his hands, and paced back and forth in front of the guests.
It was nice that the crew of "Leisure" came to visit the set, especially Lin Cha and Jiang Mingkai, who are professional actors, and they came for free, saving on their film remuneration.
Moreover, the short film was originally a public service, so there were no confidentiality requirements. He could also continue filming the variety show while filming the short film, killing two birds with one stone. Furthermore, since the variety show was live, Liu Mingqian could even use it to promote the short film! It was a bit of a marketing move!
Kill two birds with one stone!
Liu Mingqian suddenly felt that the guests had made the right decision to come here this time!
He told Shao Xingbang his idea.
Shao Xingbang was both the lead actor and the producer. He hesitated for a second, "Director Liu, to be honest, when the Education Bureau contacted me, they said the film was urgent and asked me to be the producer and start preparing the crew. As for the director, they had been planning to hire you for a long time, so they left me alone. I think my schedule is almost all set! The lead actor was already confirmed! Now that you're telling me you want to change actors at the last minute, I can't explain to the actors I already had!"
Liu Mingqian was a little surprised. "The actors have already been confirmed? Who? Why didn't anyone tell me? Don't I need to schedule a time with them? And it's already this late, the staff are here, why haven't I seen the actors yet?"
Shao Xingbang slapped his head, "Oh, Director Liu! How could I forget to introduce them! The leading actors I'm talking about are the kids from this school's drama club. They're already in school, so there's no need for scheduling. The staffing arrangement is very flexible!"
"As for their acting, they're students after all, so it's certainly not the best. But I think, this is a public service short film, so the acting requirements aren't very high. Plus, you're directing them, so even if there are any issues with their acting, you'll be able to correct them in time, right?"
Liu Mingqian's expression was indescribable.
Because he was the producer, he reluctantly nodded, "Where are the children?"
Shao Xingbang clapped his hands, and soon the groundskeeper came over with a few students in school uniforms.
"These are the students from the drama club, Director Liu. Don't underestimate their young age, but they've already rehearsed many skits. The script you received this time was also written by them."
"Written by a student?" Liu Mingqian was a little surprised.
When he received the script, he felt it was mediocre, with the dialogue and pacing off, but the bullying scenes felt very realistic. Liu Mingqian initially thought the Education Bureau was an outsider, adapting real-life examples into the script.
"Teacher Liu, I know our script still has a lot of flaws!" A boy stood up, "But we really want to use this opportunity to film a public welfare project to prevent school bullying! So, I hope... you can let us act in it!"
The young man, along with several members of the drama club, bowed deeply to Liu Mingqian.
Liu Mingqian glanced over and saw that they were all seventeen or eighteen years old, very young, with clear eyes. Regardless of their acting skills, if they were students playing students, acting in their true colors, it would definitely be suitable.
Nearby, Lu Yanyan and others heard the conversation between Liu Mingqian and Shao Xingbang, and also looked at these children.
Unlike Liu Mingqian who seeks role compatibility, Lu Yanyan observes these students entirely from the perspective of an artist.
Most students in the drama club are of average looks. Maybe because they come from wealthy families and know how to dress up, they look better than ordinary students, but that’s all.
However, the boy who spoke at the head just now made Lu Yanyan look at him with admiration.
He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, about 1.83 meters tall, and thin, a very healthy build, with high brow bones, deep eye sockets, and a good complexion. Even if he were to enter the entertainment industry, he would be a good seedling.
"This little boy is really good-looking!"
While munching on melon seeds, Lu Yanyan chatted with Lin Cha, "He should be the most handsome boy in this school, right? With his looks, he'd be in the top three among the newcomers in our company! I wonder if he has any plans to debut. I'll let Xiao Tao approach him later~"
Lin Cha ate some melon seeds and silently glanced at the little boy opposite her, her eyes rolling.
[Hmm…]
[The little brother is handsome...but the eldest lady and Teacher Liu probably don't know that this little boy is Shao Xingbang's son, right?]
Although this is just a public service short film, having her own son be the lead actor certainly seems to be a way of promoting him.
What?
Lu Yanyan and Liu Mingqian were stunned for two seconds, then immediately opened the list of drama club members. Sure enough, they saw the boy's name - Shao Yuqian!
The surname Shao is not very common!
Shao Yuqian and Shao Xingbang, even if their parents are not listed in the introduction of the drama club members, the relationship between the two is self-evident!
Shao Xingbang's eyes widened in shock. He was drinking tea and choked on the tea when he heard the words, and started coughing repeatedly.
who?
Who is speaking?
He glanced around and happened to see Lin Cha sitting in the rest area.
Lin Cha noticed the look Shao Xingbang suddenly gave her and was stunned for a moment.
【Why does Shao Xingbang want to look at me? 】
[Oh... maybe he's not looking at me, but at us guests?]
[Maybe he's worried that we've snatched away his son's chance to shine? Don't overthink it! We're just here to slack off. No one wants to steal his son's fame. Don't put the blame on us!]
Shao Xingbang's face flushed red.
In particular, he glanced at Liu Mingqian and found that Liu Mingqian was looking at him with a playful expression!
It turns out... he can also hear Lin Cha's voice?
What the hell is going on!
"Director Liu," Shao Xingbang was puzzled, but his face remained calm. He licked his lips and explained slowly, "I do have some selfish motives for this matter, but I'm also serious about making a public welfare film. It's common in the industry, so it's not surprising to occasionally throw in one or two people..."
Liu Mingqian rested his hands on the armrests of the director's chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the backrest.
No wonder they wanted to use the school drama club. It turns out Shao Xingbang had this in mind and wanted to promote his own son?
Yes, the boy is good-looking and would be a good fit for the entertainment industry. Public service short films, while a low-key venture, are incredibly positive and can showcase their acting skills. It would also be much easier to cast him in a major production by a major director.
Liu Mingqian is well aware that even public service short films can't be completely fair. The world isn't black and white, especially in the film and television industry; sometimes, there needs to be some gray areas.
As long as they don't affect the main tone or the general direction, some small details are harmless.
Liu Mingqian nodded and said, "Teacher Shao, you are the producer, so you can decide these things. As for whether to use them, it depends on their acting skills! If their acting skills are up to standard, it's not impossible to use students."
After the two negotiated, the filming continued.
The short film is starred by students from the drama club, and the guests act as extras, showing up as a show of support and also as a way to promote the short film on the show.
The first time is a rehearsal, and no extras are needed.
After changing into their school uniforms, the guests all sat in a lounge area not far from the filming location, comfortably watching the students perform. Meanwhile, several young students from the drama club, after putting on their makeup, took to the stage one by one.
The script of this public service short film is not complicated. It tells the story of a female student who accidentally knocked over the book of a female school bully and was bullied by the female school bully.
The female students are pure, harmless, and have no makeup on; while the female school bully wears makeup, has permed hair, and has dark manicures on her hands, and looks like someone who is not to be messed with.
The repeated bullying left the girl physically and mentally damaged, but she had nowhere to turn. Finally, she stood on the school rooftop, wanting to jump off and end her life. At this moment, a boy appeared and saved the girl, helping her report everything to the teacher and punishing the female bully who bullied her, allowing the girl to get out of the haze of being bullied.
The short film consists of only a dozen scenes, with more shots and visual language and very few lines. The emotions of the characters in the story are not complicated. After going through the play once, it is quite standard and the actors' performances are acceptable.
"Director Liu, what do you think?"
Shao Xingbang sat next to Liu Mingqian and watched the students' performances with him. The corners of his mouth were raised. In his opinion, it was just a short film and the acting was good enough.
Liu Mingqian also looked at the display screen. After a long silence, he suddenly changed the subject and said, "I heard that Mr. Shao's son has very good grades and always ranks first in the grade, right?"
Shao Xingbang was stunned for two seconds. He didn't expect Liu Mingqian to suddenly bring this up. He politely replied, "It's okay. I didn't really care. He must have taken it seriously himself."
"It's great to be number one in a private school like Wenbo!" Lu Yanyan suddenly interrupted.
Lu Yanyan remembered that when Lu Xiangyang was about to go to high school, Lu Shiqing was torn between sending him abroad or keeping him in Hai City, so she took Lu Yanyan to inspect many colleges and universities in Hai City, and Wenbo High School was one of them.
Wenbo High School is one of the most expensive private high schools in Hai City. Its students are typically children of wealthy families, with many pursuing overseas studies. Therefore, high school enrollment doesn't necessarily prioritize high college entrance exam scores. To improve the school's average college entrance exam scores and domestic enrollment rates, Wenbo High School also offers a significant number of high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds free education and scholarships.
This is also a common policy in many private high schools. Everyone knows that those who can rank at the top in such schools must be poor students who receive scholarships.
Shao Yuqian must be an ordinary student, but he plans to study abroad in the future. He actually ranks first in Wenbo School, which shows that he is quite smart.
[The actress who played the victim of bullying, An Niannian, also did very well!]
Lin Cha followed Lu Yanyan's thoughts, his mind wandering. "I just passed by the school's results bulletin board and saw her grades. She's second in the grade, not too far behind Shao Qianyu. And the other main actors are all in the top 30!"
[This drama club is awesome! Everyone is a top student!]
Is that so?
Lu Yanyan looked at the students hesitantly.
Even though they were wearing the school uniforms, the diamond necklaces around their necks and the seemingly low-key watches worth tens of thousands of dollars on their hands proved that they came from wealthy families.
An Niannian's outfit is a bit plain, but that might be because of the character; the stylist wouldn't let a bullied person dress too flamboyantly, as it wouldn't fit the character.
There are many playboys in private schools. Lu Yanyan had already seen this when she went there as a child. Students like Lu Yanche who have good grades and a good family background are really rare.
After a ten-minute break, Liu Mingqian and Shao Xingbang decided that the acting skills of the drama club students were good enough to play the leading roles. If nothing unexpected happened, they would let these children perform the short film themselves.
When the members of the drama club heard the news, they were very happy and immediately surrounded Liu Mingqian, wanting to see how they had just performed. At the same time, they also asked Liu Mingqian for advice on how to perform better.
"Director Liu, wasn't the look in Nian Nian's eyes when I poured milk on her just now fierce enough? How about I act more fierce and ferocious next time?"
"Director Liu, should we include the reactions of the surrounding students? Are they also mocking this? Should we make the situation of the bullied seem even worse?"
"Director Liu, Director Liu..."
When Liu Mingqian was on set, he was incredibly impatient and aggressive with the actors. But with the entire crew filled with students, Liu Mingqian was unusually patient, explaining the scenes one by one. Due to a shortage of staff, he even brought Lin Cha along to help with the discussion.
Lin Cha was completely bewildered, thinking that he had only acted in one movie and was a rookie at that. How could he have the ability to explain a play to others? However, after listening to the students in front of him analyzing the plot points and emotions, he suddenly felt more confident. It turned out that he was not bad at all, and it seemed that he could explain a play to a group of students.
When An Niannian saw the members of the drama club surrounding Liu Mingqian, she felt extremely uneasy. After hesitating for a while, she finally stood up.
She carefully watched those people, quietly approached Lin Cha, and mustered up the courage to ask, "Teacher Lin Cha, did I just perform well?"
Lin Cha was discussing a scene with a girl who played the role of a bully when she turned around and saw An Niannian. "Wait a minute..."
Lin Cha's voice was a little hoarse. He gulped down a large sip of health tea to moisten his throat. "An Niannian? I remember you. You acted very well! And I think you're even the best in the drama club. It's very realistic!"
An Niannian's eyes were complicated, she smiled awkwardly, and asked expectantly, "So what do you think..."
"Niannian, didn't Teacher Lin think you performed very well? No need to ask anymore!"
A sudden voice interrupted An Niannian's question. An Niannian turned around and saw Shao Yuqian standing behind her.
The young man smiled, his handsome face facing the sunshine, and his smile made people feel like they were bathed in spring breeze.
But An Niannian's shoulders trembled slightly, then quickly returned to normal. She lowered her head and said carefully, "I didn't mean to disturb Teacher Lin Cha. I just wanted to perform better."
"Didn't Teacher Lin say that you were the best actor among us?" Shao Yuqian said softly, "You acted better than me!"
“No, no…”
An Niannian's voice sounded like a frightened bird, but she lowered her head shyly like a little girl.
No one noticed that when Shao Yuqian said that, her pupils suddenly shrank and her eyes turned slightly red.
Lin Cha looked at An Niannian and Shao Yuqian suspiciously, and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. It was hard to describe, it was an inexplicable feeling of suffocation.
Before she could speak, Shao Yuqian said gently, "Niannian, Dad and Teacher Liu both praised you. Don't be shy. You are the best actor among us! There is no need to ask Teacher Lin for advice anymore!"
"Yes, yes! An Niannian, if you are so stubborn, how can we survive?" A girl from the drama club suddenly said.
"Nian Nian has always been like this," another boy said, "So, she is the best student in our Wenbo school!"
The students in the drama club kept complimenting An Niannian, but there was an indescribable feeling in their words.
Lin Cha glanced at the students around him, was silent for a moment, and suddenly said, "An Niannian really acted better than all of you, especially the part where she was bullied, it was very realistic."
The students in the drama club nodded and accepted the result calmly. Some even praised An Niannian.
Then, Lin Cha added, "However, when the bully was redeemed, her performance was very strange. She didn't have that feeling of being reborn, but instead became even more terrified."
"Of course, it's not just her." Lin Cha glanced at all the students present. "All of you acted out this scene like you were just acting."
Upon hearing this, the students in the drama club's pupils suddenly shrank and their eyes became vague and unnatural.
Especially some of the girls who played the bullies, they glanced at An Niannian with vicious eyes.
I'm here! Sorry I'm late because I was busy in the 3D world.
To do this, just send a red envelope and comment on this chapter!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
