With an IV drip attached, Yi Tianzhao looked at Shang Yechu, whose face was pale and whose eyes were dark, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes.
Shang Yechu lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Director Yi. You can tell your superiors to replace me, I'm fine with it."
"Xiao Ye, don't rush. Tell me first, what kind of script did your boss ask you to shoot?"
Shang Yechu looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and her face pale: "It's a script for a rural movie. I don't know the specifics, the boss just told me to direct it..."
"An art film?" Yi Tianzhao asked thoughtfully. "Is it the female lead?"
“It’s an art film, but I’m not the main character,” Shang Yechu said in a low voice. “The main character is another teacher.”
A rural film, and she's not even the female lead.
Yi Tianzhao was initially skeptical of the online claims, even suspecting that Shang Yechu might be trying to take on multiple roles simultaneously and using her boss as a scapegoat. However, after learning about the film's subject matter and Shang Yechu's upcoming role, he dismissed that idea.
Even in art films, the added value usually goes to the lead actors. Shang Yechu is now considered a rising star, so why would she take a supporting role in a rural movie? Was she drunk? Or is she addicted to eating sand?
Moreover, Yi Tianzhao believed he had some connections in the industry and hadn't heard of any recent art film scripts that were so good they were earth-shattering.
From any perspective, it's highly unlikely that Shang Yechu would willingly accept such a film role. Therefore, the rumors circulating online are quite credible.
Shang Yechu is a good kid, dedicated, professional, a good actor, and down-to-earth. Yi Tianzhao has been in the industry for over a decade, and it's rare to see such a young and talented actor these days.
"Does that character have a lot of screen time?" Yi Tianzhao asked after a moment's thought.
Shang Yechu lowered her head: "There are quite a lot."
This kid is really honest. Even if he tells a lie, at least he'll have a way to save face. Yi Tianzhao chuckled inwardly.
"Well then," Yi Tianzhao sighed. "The doctor said I have two more weeks before I can be discharged. During these two weeks, the film crew will have to take a break."
Shang Yechu looked up in surprise: "Director Yi?"
Yi Tianzhao said meaningfully, "But in two weeks, everything will be back on track. The filming of the movie cannot be delayed."
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The most difficult hurdle was getting past Yi Tianzhao. After that, filming for "The Mute Woman" officially began.
Shang Yechu sometimes found it amusing. Since her rebirth, every lead role she'd received had been from a hastily produced, poorly made production. "Yun Qing Ji" was rushed into the competition; "Xiao Feng Que" was a cleanup of a mess; and this time, "The Mute Woman" perfectly exemplified the word "careless."
The day after the arrangements were finalized, filming for "The Mute Woman" began hastily. Director Gu Wenhua had no experience whatsoever, and the opening ceremony was handled by teacher Qi Ming.
Shang Yechu had the opportunity to see Gu Wenhua's work that had been rejected by his mentor. It was a short film called "The Cat and the Pedestrians That Disappeared in the Coffee Shop." The shots flashed by so quickly that it was dizzying to watch. The short six-minute film was filled with ambiguous empty shots, pedestrians running around, and inexplicable screams. Shang Yechu, who had been tormented by the cawing of crows for the past few days, only watched three minutes before her familiar headache returned.
No wonder the teacher rejected it. Anyone with a sound mind would think the person who filmed it is insane.
Gu Wenhua is a young man with a face full of acne, very shy and introverted, and he avoids eye contact with anyone when speaking to them. The two actors playing Yongfu and Pinghua are veteran actors with good acting skills, but not quite masterful. Teacher Qi Ming fell ill as soon as he arrived in Jinsha City, and after finishing the opening ceremony, he went back to his guesthouse to rest, needing two days to recover before filming could begin. The granddaughter Xiaoyue has a wide age range; Shang Yechu plays her childhood and adolescence, while another little girl found from the village plays her childhood.
As for the villagers playing supporting roles, they were all incredibly excited and had a real passion for acting—the New Year had just passed, and they had bought spring planting supplies and hired machinery; it was a time when every household needed money. Ji Juntao was generous, paying them a considerable sum. Although everyone was busy during the spring planting season, it was worth squeezing out a day or two for this money.
Yi Tianzhao gave Shang Yechu fourteen days, which wasn't much time. Therefore, the crew tried to film Shang Yechu's scenes as early as possible.
To Shang Yechu's surprise, although Xiao Yue's character was completely opposite to her own, she was able to easily get into character and act smoothly with the two actors, Yongfu and Pinghua. She portrayed the tender and affectionate relationship between parents and children very smoothly.
Although she felt completely at ease during the shoot, Shang Yechu was still surprised by her own performance when she saw the final product of Gu Wenhua's film. The natural affection she exuded didn't seem fake; even Shang Yechu felt that the three people in the picture should have been a family of three.
This relieved Shang Yechu slightly. She was someone with distant family ties and was always worried that filming family scenes with others would feel awkward and out of place. Fortunately, so far, the anticipated awkwardness hadn't materialized.
Gu Wenhua was also very satisfied with the performance of the crew. For him, this film was like a graduation project; as long as it wasn't too outrageous, he could get away with it. He never expected to be able to get a group of actors who didn't mess up or freeze up, and whose acting was so smooth and natural—he was incredibly lucky!
Filming proceeded smoothly for two days in such a harmonious and relaxed atmosphere. On the third day, Teacher Qi Ming, who had been bedridden, recovered.
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