Jay Chou tapped the ground with his foot and led Wang Yueheng to the front of the stage as he spoke: "Come on, stand here, facing the empty audience seats."
As instructed, Wang Yueheng stood at the very front of the stage. In front of him was a huge venue that could accommodate 15,000 seats, but was now completely empty.
Even though it was daytime and there were no lights, the overwhelming sense of emptiness and the underlying pressure still gave him a slight jolt.
"Do you feel anything?"
Jay Chou stood beside him and asked with a smile.
"It's... spacious, a bit stressful. Imagine if it were full of people, the gazes and anticipation would come crashing over you like a tsunami."
Wang Yueheng answered truthfully.
"That's right!" "Standing on such a big stage for the first time would make any normal person a little nervous. But you just need to remember one thing—"
Jay Chou turned to the side and pointed to different areas of the audience, saying, “The stage has ‘energy zones.’ The first-floor stands directly opposite and part of the inner field are the main energy zones. Your main performance, important lyrics, and key eye contact should be given priority to this fan-shaped area. Because the audience here is closest to you, their reactions are the most direct, and their energy feedback is the fastest, which can help you stabilize the stage.”
"What about the stands on both sides?" Wang Yueheng asked humbly, like a straight man in a comedy duo.
"The stands on both sides, especially near the extended stands, are the 'atmosphere zones.' You need to take care of them from time to time. A wave, a point, or even walking over there can make the audience on that side feel valued, and their cheers will blend together, creating a great atmosphere."
Jay Chou got excited and started explaining with exaggerated gestures.
"As for the mountaintop, that is, the highest viewing platform..."
Jay Chou looked up at the highest point, "That's the 'Aura Zone.' You might not be able to see their faces clearly, but because of the big screen, they can see you. What you need to do is, during the climax of a song or when the whole audience sings along, open your arms and look up at that point, even if it's just a symbolic gesture. They will respond to you with the loudest voices. That wave of sound pouring down from the highest point is the ceiling of the entire venue's atmosphere, pushing emotions to their peak."
Wang Yueheng listened intently; these details were indeed invaluable experiences that could not be grasped without actual combat.
Jay Chou then pulled Wang Yueheng back to the center of the stage and waved towards the control panel.
The lighting director and the cinematographer both looked over from the control area.
"Kai, give us a boost! Chen Ge, push unit number one over here!" Zhou Dong shouted.
Several soft beams of white light immediately shone on the spot where the two were standing, and a camera fixed on a sliding rail slowly moved over, its lens aimed at them.
"See these lights?" Jay Chou pointed to the intricate light racks overhead. "Concert lighting isn't just for looks; it's also a tool to guide the audience's gaze, enhance the emotions of the songs, and most importantly—ensure the artist is always the focus."
He told Wang Yueheng to stay where he was, while he himself took two steps to the left.
Immediately, a spotlight precisely followed Jay Chou, while the light on his original position dimmed slightly, making Wang Yueheng, who was still standing in the same spot, appear slightly dimmer in the image.
"Do you understand?" Jay Chou walked back. "Your positioning must be coordinated with the lighting design. The lighting program for large concerts is pre-programmed, and the main activity areas of the artists are preset. You can't just run around randomly. If you run to a place where there is no preset spotlight, you will be dark in the camera and the audience will not be able to see you."
"What if you were to improvise and want to go to a place where the lights weren't shining?"
Wang Yueheng continued to ask curiously.
“That requires a good understanding between you and the lighting technician, or a live lighting technician to manually operate a spotlight to follow you. But that’s risky; what if it doesn’t keep up? So the safest way is to stay within your main performance area. So-called ‘improvisation’ is also improvisation within a pre-designed framework,” Jay Chou explained very practically.
Then, he pointed to the cameras that were in operation: "There are twelve cameras at the Taipei Arena tonight, at different angles. You should know that there are actually some not-so-obvious markings on the ground in the center of the main stage. Those are the 'best spots to be on camera.' Standing there, the transitions between full-body shots, half-body shots, and close-ups are the smoothest, and the composition is also the best."
Jay Chou led Wang Yueheng to that spot, and sure enough, there was an inconspicuous cross mark on the floor.
"When singing, especially the chorus or parts of the lyrics that are particularly important, you should consciously return to the vicinity of that point after moving. Of course, it shouldn't be stiff, but natural. Also, when interacting with the audience, you should turn slightly to the side so that the camera can capture both your profile and the area of the audience you are pointing to, so that the picture is full."
As he spoke, Jay Chou demonstrated how to walk to the edge of the stage to high-five the virtual "audience" while adjusting his body angle to ensure he remained in the center of the camera.
He even explained how to use dry ice and confetti on stage to create climax effects, and how, in addition to the accompaniment and beat, you could sometimes hear brief instructions from the director or bandmaster in your in-ear monitor.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com