Chapter 639 Harmonious Discussion (Two Chapters Combined) Before participating in the co-production project, Shang Yechu had many fantasies about the exchanges with the "Ice and Iron" crew.
For example, the main creators of both production teams overcame numerous language and cultural barriers to discuss a variety of refined topics: the spirit of the revolution, the vast snowfields, filming locations in the snow, shared beliefs, and resonance that transcends cultural and national boundaries.
For example, the main creators of both production teams held each other's hands tightly and solemnly announced that their mission was to consolidate historical memory, relive that passionate era, and set an example for future Sino-Russian cultural cooperation projects!
For example, the two greeted each other in broken Chinese and Russian, saying "Hello." "Привет. (Hello.)" and then both gave each other sincere and encouraging smiles...
The gap between reality and fantasy is as wide as the Siberian Plateau.
The two screenwriters and directors joined forces, engaging in a heated debate in their respective native languages. However, the debate wasn't about Dostoevsky, Ostrovsky, Lu Xun, or revolutionary literature; instead, it was a bunch of meaningless, repetitive arguments. The poor translators translated these lines, which had a 70% plagiarism rate, back and forth to the other side, only to translate the same pile of linguistic garbage back to them.
"This revision will make the script too bloated!"
"If it's bloated, why not cut some of it?"
"That's why I cut out the scenes featuring other Chinese students!"
"Who told you to delete this?"
The two production teams kept pushing this trivial topic back and forth like playing mahjong. After all that, they didn't get anything out of it, but Shang Yechu had practically memorized the few sets of Russian phrases spoken by the Russian screenwriter.
Shang Yechu and Sergei stood like two homeless savages, watching the screenwriters and directors on either side engage in a war of words. They couldn't get a word in edgewise.
This was the first script reading, and the focus was far more on discussing other matters than the script and plot. Therefore, only the female lead, Shang Yechu, and the male lead, Sergei, were present from the main cast.
Shang Yechu didn't interrupt because of screenwriter Lu's reminder. Qingping Entertainment's "Raging Plan," while offending many thieving screenwriters, also won the favor of many more upright ones. Screenwriter Lu was one of them; she winked at Shang Yechu and secretly sent her two messages.
In Russian filmmaking, directors and screenwriters wield far more power than actors. It's no exaggeration to say that if the director is God, the screenwriter is God's henchman, and the actors are mere tools. This isn't a metaphor; it's a literal description of them as tools. While this may sound politically incorrect, what's that saying again? —"Our country has its own unique circumstances."
When director Mikhail offered his opinion, he blurted out, "An actor like you only needs to perform; you don't need to interfere with my script." This wasn't discrimination—in his eyes, it was common sense!
Shang Yechu's first criticism of the script (and rather bluntly at that) was already shocking in the eyes of the Russian screenwriters. If he continued to offer endless suggestions, no matter how insightful they were, the effect would certainly be unpleasant.
Cross-cultural collaboration doesn't mean being subservient to the other party or blindly following their every word; but it also doesn't require forcing newcomers to change their ways at the very first script reading.
Therefore, after Director Huang and screenwriter Lu arrived, Shang Yechu was completely relegated to the sidelines, only able to wear a professional smile and watch this boring soap opera.
Sergei's silence was simply due to his taciturn nature. In Shang Yechu's eyes, he was more like a taciturn man who wouldn't utter a word even after being struck three times. However, this was also a good thing for Shang Yechu; whenever he spoke, Shang Yechu couldn't help but stare at his mustache, wondering if it was real or just glued on. How impolite.
The table was round, and the two men sat facing each other across it, one watching the play, the other silent. If the photographer hadn't finally arrived late, the male and female leads of "Ice and Iron" probably wouldn't have exchanged a single word during the entire script reading session, even until the meeting ended.
The reporters finally arrived. The moment the knock sounded, Director Huang and screenwriter Lu immediately resumed their smiling faces, their eyes filled with affection as they looked at the Russian creative team, like an uncle and aunt looking at their beloved nephews. Their practiced movements and superb acting left the glaring Director Lev and screenwriter Mikhail completely stunned.
While smiling, screenwriter Lu squeezed out a few words from between his teeth to his translator: "Tell those old Russians over there that the reporters are here. Tuck your sullen faces in and be more respectable."
The translator hesitated, still pondering how to translate the sentence tactfully, when Shang Yechu spoke up in broken Russian: "Director Lev, screenwriter, the reporters have arrived. Whatever our differences are, that's an internal matter for the production team. I imagine you don't want the media pointing fingers, do you?"
Shang Yechu's agent and assistant quietly went outside to talk to the reporters.
When the reporters entered, they were greeted by this heartwarming scene: the Chinese screenwriter was speaking softly, and the translator was relaying her words. Before the translator could finish, the Russian director burst into hearty laughter, slapping the table with his hand. Ye Chu, the lead actress from the Chinese side, was diligently taking notes as the screenwriter spoke, occasionally snapping photos of the script with her phone. The Russian screenwriter sipped her hot tea, watching this harmonious scene with a smile…
What a harmonious and joyful atmosphere! The reporters couldn't help but remark that they had filmed many script readings for film crews before, and everyone always seemed a bit formal and businesslike. How could the crew of "Ice and Iron" be so loving and supportive?
One reporter walked around the venue, checking the lighting and the room's background; another reporter routinely checked the equipment. The reporter standing in the center smiled and said, "Hey, Ye Chu, we meet again."
The reporter worked for CTS (China Television System) and had photographed Ye Chu a few times before. Ye Chu smiled and waved at her, but deliberately made a disgusted expression on her face: "Xiao Du? What, it's you again?"
Reporter Xiao Du fiddled with his lapel microphone and laughed, "Practice makes perfect, and you'll get the hang of it with editing after a few tries. You should be happy to have me around."
While exchanging pleasantries, the other reporters had already scouted the location. The script reading was a closely guarded secret within the production team; they couldn't possibly record a long video and post it online. Taking a few nice photos to include in a news report would be enough.
Reporter Du squinted, comparing the composition of the scene. Something just didn't feel right—wait a minute, when we came in, the discussion was so lively. How come when we were taking photos and finding the right composition, we realized that the directors, screenwriters, and actors on both sides were so clearly separated? They were clearly exchanging ideas enthusiastically, but physically they seemed to be keeping a great distance from each other, making it look more like a negotiation than a discussion…
Xiao Du's eyelid twitched; it was probably just her imagination.
“Sitting like this won’t do,” Xiao Du said with a smile. “We need to sit closer together so we can film properly. Come on, directors sit together, screenwriters sit together, actors sit together, translators can sit in the gaps, and assistants and agents, please go out for a moment…”
Following her instructions, the reporters under Xiao Du hurriedly reassigned seats to everyone present.
“Ye Chu and that… Sergei,” Xiao Du waved his hand and said in both Chinese and English, “you two sit in the middle.”
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