novellhall Chapter 69: Fixed Angle
Chapter 69: Fixed Angle
Gu Qing didn't know much about Duan Yihong as a person, except for the military masterpiece "Soldiers Sortie".
The character Yuan Lang was portrayed very successfully, and even ten years later, many people still spontaneously edit videos of him.
This also shows that the creation of film and television dramas is on a downward trend, and that the beginning was the peak.
Gu Qing was also feeling a bit annoyed about the casting at this moment. She originally wanted to invite Fu Dalong to give it a try, but it would be even better if Duan Yihong were to participate.
Gu Qing asked Chen Ze to contact Duan Yihong's agent, while he himself watched some of Duan Yihong's movies and TV series.
On the other hand, most of those who had previously submitted their resumes and auditioned had also received notifications from the production team.
In the Rose Garden, Liu Xiaoli also received a phone call. Beside her, Liu Yifei sat with her fingers intertwined, looking nervous.
"Excuse me, may I ask who the female lead chose?"
"Jing Tian? Who is Jing Tian?"
Liu Xiaoli received the answer, her head buzzing. Just as she was about to ask for more details, the call was disconnected.
Meeting her daughter's gaze, she had no choice but to speak.
"Sisi, the female lead has been decided. It's a newcomer named Jing Tian."
"Mom, it's okay if I didn't get elected, but aren't there so many other people who didn't get elected?"
Liu Yifei's eyes showed disappointment. She seemed to recognize the name Jing Tian; she felt as if she had heard of him somewhere before.
"Sigh, out of so many A-list movie stars, this Director Gu just happened to take a fancy to that Jing Tian."
"No, I need to ask President Wang what exactly is going on."
Liu Xiaoli was still somewhat unconvinced. Her daughter was so good, yet she wasn't chosen. After all, she had worked with Jackie Chan and Jet Li before.
Who is this Jing Tian? How did she manage to outshine all the other beauties?
After hurriedly making a phone call to Wang Changtian, Liu Xiaoli sat there listlessly.
"Mom, forget it. It's not like we absolutely have to play this role. Are we going to sign with Huayi Brothers later?"
Seeing this, Liu Yifei immediately understood what was going on and promptly changed the subject.
"Huayi Brothers is just so-so, not good enough for you. Let's go to Hollywood in a while, Mom has connections there."
Liu Xiaoli sighed, lamenting the unfairness of the entertainment industry, wondering how things could be so predetermined.
As for the agreement with Huayi Brothers, aren't those all gentlemanly agreements? She's not a gentleman, so it's not a problem if she doesn't keep it; it's not like it's the first time.
Liu Yifei hesitated to speak, but she could only listen to her mother.
At the same time, Fan Binbin also received news that his role had been cast and that they would be collaborating again in the future.
That can't be!
Fan Binbin looked bitter. She thought to herself that she had performed well before, and with her relationship with Gu Qing, there was no reason why she should be rejected.
If it's about the salary, she can negotiate.
"Brother Qing, who did you cast as the female lead in that movie?"
Although she was older than Gu Qing, she started calling him "Brother Qing" along with Jing Tian.
How can you compare the status of an actor to that of a director?
"Jing Tian, I didn't have a chance to tell you before, but I'll definitely call you next time there's a suitable role."
On the other end of the phone, Gu Qing was also exchanging polite words.
Whether it can be achieved remains to be seen.
"Brother Qing, I'm your sister too, you can't show favoritism."
"Next time you have the chance, you must save it for me!"
Hearing Gu Qing's words, Fan Binbin felt a sense of powerlessness. No wonder she couldn't compete with him.
But why didn't she see Jing Tian on the day of the audition?
However, she can accept it as long as Li Binbin is not selected either.
"What? She auditioned for the second female lead, and they've already decided she'll get the role?"
"No, how come I didn't know about this?"
Fan Binbin chatted with Gu Qing for a few more minutes before learning the inside information, which struck him like a thunderbolt.
"That's when I found out that Li Binbin had chosen the second female lead. I thought it was perfect, so I decided to cast her."
Gu Qing didn't mind revealing some inside information for a bit of amusement; the two ice buddies had a great relationship.
Last time, Fan Binbin snatched the role from Li Binbin, but this time Li Binbin has taken the lead and secured the role.
Although she's the second female lead, she doesn't have many important characters in the whole movie.
After chatting with Fan Binbin for a few more minutes, Gu Qing finally hung up the phone. Jing Tian, who was sitting next to him, was looking at the script in her hand with peace of mind.
Jing Tian often comes to this rented room, but she's about to start filming a movie, so she's here today to say goodbye.
"Brother, you're really busy. Your phone hasn't stopped ringing since this morning."
Jing Tian put down her script and quickly poured Gu Qing a cup of honey tea to soothe her throat.
Only then did she rest her chin on her hands and look intently at her brother in front of her.
"This isn't a chat, it's a rant about blaming me."
"You should know that I specifically reserved a female lead role for you, and quite a few people have complained to me about it."
Gu Qing sighed helplessly, took a sip of water, and rubbed his head.
His words weren't an exaggeration; the female lead in a movie with an investment of over 100 million yuan is the object of countless people's attention.
Those with connections had already made their offers, while those without went to auditions. Of course, he still insisted on choosing Jing Tian, simply because she was the company's boss's wife; the investment came first, then the project.
"Brother, you're so good to me."
Jing Tian smiled so much her eyes narrowed, and she quickly stepped forward to unpack some snacks and dried fruit and handed them over.
"Ugh, my arms are sore from lifting so much today. I wish someone could give me a massage."
"I'll do it!"
Jing Tian volunteered, put down the snacks in her hand, and went behind the sofa to massage Gu Qing's shoulders.
Although the two of them sometimes hold hands, they have never done anything as intimate as this.
Jing Tian was now openly measuring Gu Qing's body, and felt that the other's arms were almost as thick as her thighs.
His back was strong and felt good to the touch. Before I knew it, the pressure in my hands had lessened considerably, and the shoulder massage had become a gentle caress.
"What are you doing, touching yourself like that? Haven't you eaten?"
Gu Qing felt a little uncomfortable at the moment, as if she was itchy all over.
Jing Tian had never done this kind of work before, so her skills were naturally not very good. The young girl also didn't have much strength in her hands, and with all the touching, the experience was naturally not very pleasant.
"I'm not going to hammer anymore, let you be sour all you want."
Jing Tian was more annoyed than embarrassed at this moment, and she shook her hand, clearly unhappy.
She tried so hard to please him, but she didn't get anything in return. She'd never been this attentive to her own father.
"Hehe, it's my fault, I apologize, let me massage your shoulders, okay?"
Gu Qing didn't know which words had provoked the other person, and immediately punished himself as well.
"Hmm, go a little to the left, that's it."
"Ouch, why are you so strong? Be gentle."
Jing Tian was feeling quite pleased with herself for being able to boss the other person around, but her smile quickly faded.
Gu Qing was now obediently massaging the girl, not going any further, afraid of scaring her.
Jing Tian initially felt she had gotten a great deal, but after feeling comfortable, she realized something was wrong. She felt uncomfortable all over, sweated a lot, and her face turned red.
After playing around for a while, Gu Qing got tired and stopped, only to find her hands were wet.
A little sweat had gotten on her forehead, and it was now tickling her nose, so Gu Qing reached out and wiped it off.
When Jing Tian saw this, her face immediately turned red, and she quickly stood up and nudged Gu Qing.
"Brother, go wash your hands, let's go out to eat at a restaurant, it's on me today."
"No need, there are vegetables in the refrigerator at home, I can cook by myself."
"Oh dear, you should go quickly."
Jing Tian didn't explain, but simply pushed Gu Qing towards the bathroom. Only then did she come back and fan herself. Although there was no strange smell, it still had some psychological effect.
Afterwards, the two went out to eat together. Gu Qing was happy to have some free time since she didn't have to do anything herself.
……
In Tengchong, Yunnan, the crew of "My Chief and My Regiment" had just finished filming a scene that morning. The main actors sat together, chatting in twos and threes.
The main cast of this drama is also the same as that of "Soldiers Sortie".
However, the lead actor Wang Baoqiang did not follow suit. After Xu Sanduo became popular, Huayi Brothers invested heavily in promoting Wang Baoqiang.
Not only did he star in "Assembly", but he also released many albums. Because he went to act in "My Brother Shunliu", he missed "My Chief and My Regiment".
"Duan Yihong, I got your phone number. I heard it's someone calling to ask you to act in a movie!"
Director Kang Honglei was still a bit dazed as he answered the phone; he wondered why people were calling him.
"Here you are, Director."
Duan Yihong was also a little confused. Had he become so popular that he hadn't even finished filming this movie yet, and he was already getting offers for the next one?
Does that mean he needs to find an agent to help him with his business?
"Yes, it's me. I've heard of you. What? You want me to act in a movie!"
Duan Yihong was a little confused. Although he had played many movie roles, in China, he was more often offered roles in TV dramas. This was the first time he had been offered a movie role.
Duan Yihong's words attracted a lot of attention.
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Yi and Xing Jiadong also came over and secretly listened to what was going on.
If you can act in movies, who would want to act in TV dramas?
High pay, high quality, and short production time—it's a prestigious thing to show off.
"Um, Producer Chen, I'm not available right now. My current drama hasn't finished filming yet, and I can't get away."
"What? Filming starts in May? I have time then, okay, okay."
After hanging up the phone, Duan Yihong was still incredulous. He had just been given the lead role like that? Without even an audition?
He's acted in several movies already, but there's no mention of when the contract will be signed.
"Brother Duan, what's going on with you? Are you on a tight acting schedule?"
Zhang Yi, sleeves tucked up, leaned closer to Duan Yihong and asked mysteriously.
He was also quite eager to work in the film industry, even though he was older, he had started his career late.
In "Soldiers Sortie", Squad Leader Shi Jin was the first major supporting role. The rest of the time, he played minor roles and had only a few lines.
"Old Zhang, with our strength, we can't hide it anymore."
Duan Yihong, feeling smug, put his arm around Zhang Yi's shoulder and started teasing him.
"That's right."
The two were compatible and got along well. After working together once, they naturally became good friends.
Duan Yihong brought Zhang Yi back to the film set, and soon the news spread that he was going to make a movie.
Unsurprisingly, this naturally aroused the envy of his brothers.
"Old Duan, which film crew approached you to star in? It's not going to be like last time, where it'll be taken down after a few days, is it?"
Zhang Guoqiang, sitting next to him with a cigarette dangling from his lips, suddenly offered a reminder.
"I haven't asked yet. The producer just called me. I only heard it's a science fiction movie, something like Source."
Duan Yihong has calmed down now. He was too happy at the time and didn't have time to ask in detail.
Zhang Guoqiang's words served as a wake-up call for him. Could he have fallen for a scam call? He'd set up an empty shell of a film crew, but what was the point?
"Old Duan, you're not talking about 'Source Code,' are you? Is Gu Qing the director?"
"Wow, that movie is really popular. So many Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists wanted to play the male lead but were rejected. So they've got their eye on you."
Li Chen listened for a while, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Duan Yihong with extreme envy.
The two had known each other for many years and collaborated on many TV series. Their fame was about the same, so he couldn't understand why Lao Duan was chosen.
"Yes, it's called 'Original Code,' and the director is Gu Qing."
"Isn't he the director of that movie 'Triangle'? I was wondering why that name sounded familiar."
After Li Chen's interruption, Duan Yihong remembered who Gu Qing was and immediately became happy.
The movie title "Source Code" is hard to remember, but it has a lot of fame. It has an investment of over 100 million yuan, is invested by China Film Group and Enlight Media, and is also intended to be exported overseas.
Zhang Guoqiang, Zhang Yi, and others exchanged glances, their faces showing envy. Movies are great, much better than their TV drama roles.
"Brother Duan, when are you going to Beijing to sign the contract? I'll go with you then."
Zhang Yi lit a cigarette for Duan Yihong and leaned closer, smiling as he spoke.
"Let's wait two weeks, until we finish filming these scenes."
Duan Yihong also wanted to sign the contract as soon as possible and settle the matter, but he couldn't just leave the production team unattended.
By noon, the entire crew had basically learned about it. Male leads for movies are relatively rare, let alone for a movie with an investment of over 100 million yuan.
Director Kang Honglei was even happier. The filming of the TV series had been going quite poorly recently, so it would be nice to have something to do with everyone.
Most importantly, their show is expected to be on the air for quite some time, and they might even be able to ride on the popularity of the movie—it's all part of the unspoken rules.
Meanwhile, Gu Qing arrived at the Beijing Film Academy to help Jing Tian with her leave application.
No one but Jing Tian would ask for a full semester's leave.
Even Liu Yifei back then didn't do it this way. In other schools, she would have had to take a leave of absence.
"Dean Wang, thank you for your help."
"Hey, look at what you're saying. If our students from the performing arts academy are successful, our academy will be proud of them."
Wang Jinsong, the dean of the performing arts academy, said with a smile, and became even more enthusiastic when he saw Gu Qing standing behind Jing Tian.
He still had to sign off on the extended leave request, so there was no intention to make things difficult for the other party. Not to mention that Jing Tian herself had a background, Gu Qing's face also had to be given. It was not easy to find a director who was close to the Beijing Film Academy, so they had to appease him.
"I am also a graduate of Beijing Film Academy. Although I am not from the directing department, I am still a member of Beijing Film Academy. When I have film projects in the future, I will have to recruit talents from Beijing Film Academy."
"I like hearing that. Our Beijing Film Academy is not much worse than others. We have many talented people. You can come to me for whatever kind of person you need."
Wang Jinsong said with a smile, "Look, this is what a true Beijing Film Academy student is like. When there are benefits, the first thing they think of is their alma mater."
Gu Qing wasn't just being polite this time. Besides actors, the Beijing Film Academy also has many skilled talents.
Literature, vocal arts, management, and so on—these are what he truly needs.