Chinese entertainment director starts with filmmaking

Chapter 68: Deep Sisterly Affection

The hotel was already packed with people who had come for auditions.

Aside from the male and female leads, there are quite a few supporting characters in the movie.

It's just that Gu Qing is still too early to debut, otherwise these supporting roles would have already been taken by personal connections and favors.

Even so, China Film Group and Enlight Media still recommended quite a few people to come.

Yan Danchen, Dong Xuan, Wang Luodan, and Huang Shengyi from Beijing Film Academy; Yuan Quan, Zeng Li, and Chen Hao from Central Academy of Drama, among others.

I don't come to the Shanghai Theatre Academy very often, since it's not their home turf, so I don't have high hopes.

There were many female celebrities and quite a few male celebrities, all arriving in batches for auditions.

"Director Gu, you're here. This way, please."

Gu Qing entered through the back door and arrived at the audition venue, where he offered cigarettes to the others.

Of all the major investors, he was the last to arrive.

"Sorry I'm late, there was traffic on the way."

"Director Gu, you're too kind. We just arrived too."

Inside the room, two producers were already waiting.

One was from China Film Group, the other from Enlight Media, and no one from the foreign company came.

Due to the limitations of subject matter, there aren't many roles available for foreign actors.

After some final discussion, they decided to give the role of the comedian on the train to the foreigner, but he would be doing stand-up comedy.

"Look, isn't that Li Binbin?"

"Another Binbin has arrived too. It's a true clash of titans, they're going head-to-head again."

Among the crowd, many celebrities pointed and whispered in this direction, their gossipy expressions undisguised.

Admittedly, with these two in the cast, the female lead role is unlikely to be theirs, but there are still quite a few supporting characters left.

Besides, no matter what, it's all handled internally by people from the mainland. For films by directors like Zhang and Chen, the male or female lead will inevitably be from Hong Kong or Taiwan.

At least now the opportunities are equal, and they also have a chance to be the lead actors.

"Binbin, you're close to Director Gu, do you have any inside information? What's the story the script is about?"

Seeing that everyone was looking this way, Li Binbin couldn't keep his composure and could only force a smile as he spoke.

No matter how much trouble they cause, they should at least maintain the appearance of being best friends in public.

"I would never do anything to show favoritism; everyone competes fairly."

Fan Binbin's eyes flashed, and he said sarcastically.

She had no idea what the inside story was. She had mentioned to Gu Qing that she wanted to continue acting for free, but she was immediately rejected.

But you can't say that in public, otherwise it would make her seem like she doesn't know how to maintain relationships.

"Fair competition is good. I won't go door-to-door promoting myself behind people's backs. This time, let's sisters try to collaborate on screen together."

Li Binbin wasn't angry. Everyone knows who they are. No matter how righteous they sound, they're still stealing her roles every day.

Just as the two were exchanging barbed remarks, another female celebrity arrived at the entrance of the passage.

It was Liu Yifei and her mother who were accompanying her.

"Sissi, you must audition seriously for this movie. The female lead is in her early twenties, which is perfect for you."

"Moreover, this is a co-production, intended for export overseas, a rare opportunity."

Liu's mother pulled Liu Yifei aside and earnestly advised her.

Filming for "The Forbidden Kingdom" has ended, but she doesn't want her daughter to sign with Huayi Brothers and be imprisoned in China for no reason. Her daughter is going to make it in Hollywood!

Fortunately, she had a close relationship with Wang Changtian of Enlight Media and knew more inside information.

"Hmph, you really think everyone revolves around you, as if your role has already been predetermined."

Li Binbin said dismissively, no longer caring that Fan Binbin was still standing there.

Besides, Fan Binbin has already left to start her own business, so there's no internal competition pressure. Liu Yifei, on the other hand, is really putting some pressure on her.

No one can deny the other party's popularity during this period, and more importantly, the other party began to shift their focus to the big screen.

Having Zhou Xun wasn't enough, so Liu Yifei came along, which really gave her a headache.

"Sister Li, didn't you just finish working with this lady? Why don't you go and say hello?"

"I heard that the other party is going to join Huayi Brothers."

Fan Binbin, always eager for drama, chimed in with encouragement.

"That's not true. This girl has high aspirations and is determined to break into Hollywood."

She didn't have a good attitude towards Fan Binbin. Besides, this is inside information; can she tell outsiders about it?

The two of them started chatting amongst themselves. Although they fought fiercely, they had both become famous early on and appreciated each other.

Now that a little girl has suddenly appeared, almost overshadowing these older women, they have to be targeted.

After chatting for a while, the meeting room door suddenly opened, and some staff members came out with some scripts in their hands. They were calling people to audition.

"Sister Li, I'll go in first then."

Fan Binbin glanced at the number in his hand and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

"Okay, go ahead."

Li Binbin squinted, seemingly unconcerned about the provocation in the other person's words.

Watching the other person leave arrogantly, she grabbed the staff member's arm.

This is a hotel staff member. Although they can't compare to a film crew, they still manage to get their hands on information since they audition here.

"Little sister, could you please give me a script for the second female lead?"

Li Binbin took out a new lipstick from his bag and handed it to the other person, saying kindly.

"Sister Binbin, this..."

The staff member, Xiao Zheng, looked strange, biting his lip and seemingly at a loss for what to do.

"Here you go. It's just an audition anyway. After you've sent out the scripts, come to me for a bit."

With a smile on his face, Li Binbin walked to another less crowded place before the other party could refuse.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Xiao Zheng touched the new lipstick in her hand, swallowed hard, glanced around, and then quietly put it into her pocket.

These are all unspoken rules in the industry. When it comes to gathering information, no one can compare to their extensive network of informants.

"Hi, who's auditioning today?"

"Did Director Gu come today? I heard that Chairman Han from China Film Group is also coming today."

The people around her were all talking at once, pulling the girl aside and asking her questions, hoping to find out some information.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. You've all got your scripts, right? Think about them carefully. Go in when your number is called."

Xiao Zheng is not someone to be trifled with. She has seen plenty of celebrities here, all of whom appear glamorous on the surface but are actually thieves and scoundrels.

Trying to find out information with just empty words? You're dreaming.

She quickly tidied herself up and left, tossing her hair behind her. She was going to visit Sister Binbin later.

Once in a corner, Li Binbin chatted with others for quite a while.

"Sister Binbin, choosing the second female lead was the wise thing to do. The female lead role has already been reserved. All the others have wasted their time."

"As for the male lead, quite a few Hong Kong and Taiwan artists have expressed their interest, but I heard that Director Gu prefers to use someone from the mainland."

"There were quite a few foreigners in the crew at the time, and I heard that the investors even had a bit of an argument."

Xiao Zheng chattered on for a while, revealing quite a bit of information.

Having heard quite a bit of news, Li Binbin gave the other party some small gifts.

She thought to herself that her younger sister was right. So what if she was the second female lead? As long as she could be exported to Hollywood, being the second female lead wasn't a big deal.

Meanwhile, Fan Binbin was the first to enter the room to participate in the audition.

"Director Gu, it's been a long time."

Upon entering, there is a relatively spacious area, with a long desk at the far end where three people are already sitting.

When Fan Binbin saw Gu Qing sitting in the middle, he immediately greeted her.

See? They all know each other; they're practically best buddies.

"Binbin, study the script carefully. You have ten minutes. You will perform the fourth section of the third paragraph."

Gu Qing smiled and pointed out the other person's audition clip.

The script wasn't complete; they only gave us character scripts, which we'll all have to submit later.

Then he shook his head and chatted with the producers.

Fan Binbin's eyes lit up when he saw this scene. This was exactly how to prevent others from gossiping. This role was perfect!

He then began to read the script carefully, and the more he read, the more he felt that the character had depth.

The stage was now handed over to Fan Binbin, while Gu Qing chatted with Chen Ze for a while.

The filming of "Source Code" is expected to take place around mid-May or late June, which is still a long way off.

"Ah Qing, Andy Lau is acting for free, are you really not considering it?"

Chen Ze asked, a hint of regret in his eyes.

Others would come to act even if they didn't get paid, but Gu Qing refused them all.

Since it was revealed that Fan Binbin starred in "Triangle" for free, the film "The Original Code" has also attracted attention, with many wanting to replicate it.

"This time we're going to assemble an all-mainland cast. Forget Andy Lau, even Dwayne Johnson wouldn't be able to make it."

"Old Chen, think long-term. Times have changed. Mainland actors can also hold their own."

Gu Qing patted Chen Ze and spoke earnestly.

Not to mention Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors getting involved, even foreigners are not allowed.

Although Han Sanping was somewhat puzzled, he respected Gu Qing's choice.

Besides being the director and screenwriter, they are also a major investor, so their influence is no greater than others.

To this end, he personally took charge and negotiated with North American production companies.

It's called a joint venture, but in reality, it's just that they're eyeing the other party's distribution channels. North America is the number one box office market. If China Film Group had the strength, they wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.

"I'll listen to you. You're the director, you have the right to choose the actors."

Chen Ze remained silent; he would simply focus on doing his job well.

Another producer surnamed Wang had been notified beforehand that he should follow Gu Qing's instructions.

For now, I'll just be a listener.

Fan Binbin quickly adapted in a few minutes and began her performance.

Gu Qing also offered a few comments, without directly refusing.

However, auditioning for the female lead is clearly a waste of time. Doesn't he know that he's known as "Little Song Jiang, the Timely Rain"? He values ​​brotherhood the most.

With our own people around, there's no reason for us to let others benefit.

Of course, Gu Qing didn't make decisions unilaterally. Apart from the main actors who had to audition, the supporting roles were also given to China Film Group and Enlight Media.

Film resources have always been used internally.

Not long after, Li Binbin came to audition.

"Audition for the second female lead?"

Gu Qing was somewhat surprised that Li Binbin would want the role of the second female lead, given Li Binbin's popularity.

To be honest, apart from the male lead, female lead, and second female lead, the other characters in this movie don't really have names and their screen time is less than ten minutes. But the advantage is that there are many characters and they all have lines.

"Yes, I think the role of the second female lead suits me better."

What else can be said? She can't even question others, can she? Wasn't the female lead already reserved?

Gu Qing nodded and assigned a segment for the other party to perform.

Li Binbin has good acting skills and good luck. She can get roles that others don't want but become very popular. She is also willing to listen to advice. She didn't want to participate in "The Knot" at first, but she listened to her sister and became very successful.

A short while later, Li Binbin finished his performance and left, and Gu Qing took out the resume that the other party had handed him.

"Producer Chen, Producer Wang, how about we choose Li Binbin for the second female lead? She's experienced enough, has top-notch acting skills, and is very popular."

"I think it's good."

Chen Ze exchanged a glance with the person in the light and nodded.

Neither of them objected. Li Binbin is considered a high-value actress in the industry, so there's really no problem with her playing the second female lead in their film.

Gu Qing nodded and circled it in the upper right corner of the resume.

The second female lead is set up as the male lead's friend. She is decisive and generous. When the male lead is in despair, she carefully persuades him to get back on his feet. Her character arc is great. Although she is the second female lead, she actually has almost the same amount of screen time as the female lead.

Li Binbin and he had a pretty good relationship. They had a good chat at the Golden Horse Awards before, and he was quite willing to give him the position. However, Gu Qing was worried that his brother would be outshone by the other party.

With a role in mind, Gu Qing lost interest in the subsequent auditions. The only problem was finding the right male lead.

Lu Yi, Deng Chao, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun and others submitted their resumes and auditioned. Their performances were all quite good, but they didn't quite match his expectations.

For three consecutive days, the team interviewed many people. Li Binbin has been confirmed to play the second female lead, but the male lead has been considered from several candidates and has not yet been decided.

"Ah Qing, I think Deng Chao is pretty good. He's one of the better young actors."

"Director Gu, I think Chen Kun is quite good. He has a lot of representative works over the years. I heard he is currently filming a fantasy drama. Maybe he can ride the wave of popularity."

Chen Ze and Producer Wang both tried to persuade him, saying that out of the three roles, one had been decided internally and another had been decided on the first morning, but now the male lead was stuck and couldn't make up his mind even after several days.

"As for the male lead, I hope he is resolute, intelligent, responsible, and gives people a sense of security at first glance."

"You two are right, but they didn't give me the feeling of being soldiers."

"In this film, the male lead is a retired soldier, and only a soldier would complete the tasks assigned to him by his superiors without fail."

Gu Qing paused for a moment, then shared her understanding of the character.

Nowadays, there are many actors in the Chinese entertainment industry who can play upright roles such as police officers, but it is a bit difficult to find someone like the male lead who has a bit of a roguish charm and a strong sense of justice.

Jing Tian can make the female lead stand out by focusing on the character's personality, but the male lead will have to rely on his acting skills.

"Director Gu, what do you think of Duan Yihong?"

"Now that you mention it, I think he's quite suitable."

Upon hearing Gu Qing's words, Chen Ze and Producer Wang remained silent. Suddenly, Chen Ze remembered something and hurriedly spoke up.

"Duan Yihong?"

Gu Qing was a little confused. Comparing the other person to the image in her mind, she found that they were indeed quite similar.