That's right, today is also the opening ceremony for "Yun Qing Ji". And, as fate would have it, the opening ceremony location was chosen right across from "Qing Yun Zhuan".
Zheng Bohan is a stubborn mule, and Shang Yechu has already learned that lesson.
Filming for "The Legend of Qingyun" began today, and the opening ceremony was attended by over two thousand people, from actors to staff. The grand scale of the event was overwhelming. In addition, reporters and media thronged the site, flashes of cameras going off and the constant clicking of shutters filling the air. The entire film studio was bustling with activity.
As for the crew of "Yun Qing Ji" that Shang Yechu was in... how should I put it? In the future internet slang, they would be described as "weak, pitiful, and helpless".
Compared to the overwhelming opening posters of "The Legend of Qingyun," the poster for "Yunqingji" looks like a shaky curtain. Compared to the proud and energetic crew of "The Legend of Qingyun," the hundred or so people in "Yunqingji" are a truly makeshift team. Compared to the throngs of media and reporters thronging the "The Legend of Qingyun" crew, even the photographer for "Yunqingji" is Zheng Bohan's apprentice.
The contrast between the two is truly lamentable.
To put it bluntly, Shang Yechu almost thought that the filming location of "Yun Qing Ji" was the reshoot location for the B group of "Qing Yun Zhuan"!
Hengshi Film and Television City is very large. In terms of historical dramas alone, it can accommodate thirty production teams of the scale of "Qingyun Zhuan" simultaneously. In other words, there is basically no problem with limited space.
But Zheng Bohan insisted on holding the opening ceremony right across from their film crew, going head-to-head and trying to claim their territory right under their noses.
Shang Yechu was both amused and exasperated.
The opening ceremony for the TV series "Yun Qing Ji" was very traditional, including offering sacrifices to the gods, burning incense, worshipping the gods, and unveiling the curtain. Then everyone shared roast suckling pig and fruit. Zheng Bohan personally gave each member of the crew a 100-yuan red envelope.
Shang Yechu was lucky; she got a piece of roasted pork leg that was golden and crispy, and also a crabapple-red apple. There are several roast suckling pig shops near Hengshi Film City, which are on standby 24 hours a day to slaughter pigs, and most of them sell to these film crews.
At the opening ceremony, Shang Yechu finally learned what role Qin Tianye was playing. That's right, the Emperor!
This struck Shang Yechu as odd. She clearly remembered that the emperor in "The Tale of Yun Qing" was a young, awkwardly talented actor with eyes as stiff as if carved from wood. How did he become Qin Tianye?
What Shang Yechu found even stranger was that she didn't see the female lead at the opening ceremony.
"The Tale of Clouds" is a romantic comedy about a general's daughter and a stoic emperor. Shang Yechu remembered this very clearly. But now that filming has started, the male lead has been replaced, and the female lead is nowhere to be found. What's the reason for this?
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"Ye Zi, we've been filming for three days now, and I still don't know what the script is about!"
The person who said this was Wan Chen, who also plays Zhao Meiren, Shang Yechu's master, in the drama.
Compared to amateur actresses like Shang Yechu and Li Kui, Wan Chen is a properly trained professional. She is very beautiful, and with makeup, her almond-shaped eyes and red lips exude a natural charm. It's probably because of this that Zheng Bohan chose her.
Compared to Shang Yechu, a third- or sixth-tier actress, Wan Chen could be considered an eighteenth-tier celebrity. After not receiving any serious roles for half a year, she thought it was a windfall when she was selected by screenwriter Zheng Bohan and was happy for several days.
As it turned out, when the pie landed on the ground, it was actually made of iron!
Wan Chen said worriedly, "Director Zheng gave it to me—"
At this point, Wan Chen glanced around and lowered his voice, saying, "There are very few scripts! And I don't quite understand them."
After filming officially began, Zheng Bohan set two rules: actors were prohibited from exchanging script content with each other, and actors were prohibited from telling others about the length of their script.
These two regulations are obviously outrageous. Since ancient times, what actors can't act together? Are they supposed to act out the wind without discussing the script?
It's a pity that the entire cast was made up of obscure, unknown actors, and the only one with any recognition, Qin Tianye, was in cahoots with Zheng Bohan. The actors' grievances were easily suppressed by Zheng Bohan.
Wan Chen filmed for two days, and the more she filmed, the more uncertain she felt. In her eyes, the entire crew seemed drunk, swaying and staggering, as if in a dream. What good could a crew like that possibly produce?
Shang Yechu played Wan Chen's maid, and the two had the most scenes together. During filming, Shang Yechu's acting was fluid, and every scene was completed in one take. Wan Chen thus came to regard her as a dedicated older sister.
Taking advantage of Zheng Bohan's absence, she couldn't help but start complaining to Shang Yechu.
"Is our drama really going to be broadcast on a major TV network? I feel like it's not even as good as a web series," Wan Chen said. "Did you see the hype surrounding the official announcement of 'The Legend of Qingyun'? It was so popular! It was trending on Weibo all day! And now it's been shared over 500,000 times!"
"Look at our show, it doesn't even have an official account. I tried searching for the show's name on Weibo, and there were less than ten results! Can you believe it?"
"And the main cast... Aside from Teacher Qin playing the emperor, who's confirmed as the lead, I've never even seen the female lead! Have you?"
Shang Yechu looked blank: "I don't have any either."
Wan Chen slapped his thigh and said, "See? There's even a script... I have my doubts..."
Wan Chen lowered his voice and said, "I suspect that the screenwriter hasn't even finished writing the complete script yet!"
Shang Yechu looked surprised: "Huh? Why do you say that?"
Wan Chen looked at him with a "you're too naive" expression: "From the start of filming until now, have you even met the screenwriter?"
Shang Yechu shook his head honestly.
"Right!" Wan Chen exclaimed excitedly. "Who knows, the screenwriter might be locked in a dark room by Director Zheng writing the script! The script we have is fragmented; I'm sure that even if we piece it together, it won't make more than five episodes!"
Wan Chen gestured wildly, trying to portray a pitiful screenwriter who was oppressed by evil forces and forced to meet a deadline.
Shang Yechu was struggling to suppress her laughter. The rumors were getting more and more outrageous; it was estimated that in a few days, rumors would spread that the production team of "Yun Qing Ji" had gone bankrupt and disbanded.
The reason the screenwriter wasn't on set is simple: that mysterious screenwriter is probably none other than director Zheng Bohan himself. For some reason, Zheng Bohan probably can't openly be the screenwriter for "Yun Qing Ji".
As for the filming techniques used these past few days, Shang Yechu had a vague idea, but unfortunately, she couldn't tell anyone. She could only comfort Wan Chen, saying, "Actually, I don't understand either, but we just do what Director Zheng tells us to do. It's only a few thousand yuan in pay, why risk our lives?"
Wan Chen was shocked to find that the dedicated older sister was actually so lazy, and her illusions about her shattered. She listlessly ended the conversation.
The turning point came on the fifth day after filming began.
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