novellhall Chapter 1 2012
Chapter 1 2012
After hanging up the phone, Chen Nianbei stared at the screen for three seconds, then let out a long sigh.
It became.
He looked around.
The white walls, slightly messy desks, and a few clothes hanging on the bed frame of the Beijing Film Academy student dormitory all looked both familiar and strange in the sunlight.
Who would have thought that when he woke up, he would find himself back at the beginning of his sophomore year?
"Nianbei, are you calling your dad again asking for money?"
Wang Hao, who was on the upper bunk, poked his head out, holding a copy of "An Actor Prepares," the cover of which was already worn and frayed.
This fellow Shandong native was the most hardworking student in the dormitory. He practiced his voice at six o'clock every morning without fail and studied the script every night.
"No way, do I look like that kind of person?"
Chen Nianbei smiled, put her phone in her pocket, and walked to the mirror to fix her hair.
The face in the mirror was indeed handsome, with high brow bones and a straight nose.
Even in a place like the Beijing Film Academy, where handsome men and beautiful women abound, this face would still catch people's eye.
Wang Hao climbed out of bed, went to the mirror, looked at himself, then at Chen Nianbei, and sighed.
"There's no comparison. With that face, even if your acting is terrible, there will still be audiences willing to pay, right?"
"Acting skills are still necessary," Chen Nianbei said casually.
In his past life, he did indeed thrive in the era of internet celebrities, relying on his good looks to make a name for himself. He acted in seven or eight terrible dramas and amassed millions of Weibo followers.
But later, audiences began to tire of stars who only had good looks but no acting skills, and he was gradually abandoned by the market.
Later, he calmed down and started with stage plays, working on each one and taking on each role, and finally won an award at the age of forty for a good role.
On the night of the awards ceremony, he drank too much, went home and fell asleep immediately, and when he opened his eyes again...
Hey, I'm back to being twenty.
"You sound like you're speaking from the heart!" Wang Hao looked at him curiously.
"I've figured some things out."
Chen Nianbei pulled out a leave slip from the drawer and started filling in the date. "I need to ask for leave to go out and work with the crew."
"Join a group? Which group?"
"Battle of Changsha"
Wang Hao hadn't heard of it before, and scratched his head: "Which director is it?"
"I got a job doing odd jobs through connections with director Kong Sheng."
Chen Nianbei spoke casually, paused for a moment at the reason for leave column, and finally wrote down the words "practical learning in the film crew".
Upon hearing the words "do odd jobs," Wang Hao immediately felt relieved.
"Even doing odd jobs is fine. Director Kong is very capable, and I can learn a lot from him."
He said that, but in his heart he thought there wouldn't be any progress, after all, everyone could see Chen Nianbei's professional level.
Chen Nianbei understood his subtext, but didn't explain further.
Chen Nianbei's father and Kong Sheng were practically inseparable since childhood.
Later, one went into business and the other entered the film and television industry, but they have never lost contact over the years.
The phone call he just made was to his dad, saying he wanted to "go to Uncle Kong's film crew to learn something."
On the other end of the phone, the father was initially happy that his son was finally making progress, but then he seemed a little troubled:
"Nianbei, I can put in a good word for you with Uncle Kong, but... you know, your acting skills..."
Chen Nianbei could picture her father scratching his head.
After all, his father had pulled a lot of strings to get him into the Beijing Film Academy, in addition to his good looks.
"Dad, I'm just going there to learn. I'm fine with doing odd jobs, as long as I don't cause Uncle Kong any trouble."
That's what they say, but Chen Nianbei knew in her heart that Kong Sheng would definitely have a headache when he received his father's call.
If a person with poor professional skills is crammed into a film crew through connections, any director would have to figure out how to handle the situation.
But this time it's different.
Chen Nianbei's lips curled up slightly. In this life, he relied on more than just his looks.
……
The acting class was on the second floor. When Chen Nianbei knocked on the door and went in, Teacher Li was talking to several students about liberating their natural instincts.
This middle-aged female teacher in her early forties is known for her strictness, but she has a special fondness for gifted students.
"Ask for leave?"
Teacher Li adjusted his glasses, took the sick leave slip, glanced at it, and said, "The 'Battle of Changsha' production team...Director Kong Sheng's film?"
Several students in the classroom turned around, their gazes varying.
Naza, who was sitting in the front row, also turned around and glanced back, blinked her long eyelashes, and then turned back again.
"Yes, teacher, I'd like to go and learn from them in person."
Chen Nianbei stood ramrod straight, his tone sincere.
Teacher Li sized him up for a while, then suddenly asked, "What do you think is the most important thing for an actor?"
If it were Chen Nianbei at twenty years old in her previous life, she would probably give a standard answer like "expressiveness" or "charisma".
But now, after thinking about it, he gave a different answer:
"It is about observing and imitating reality, and then creating based on that reality."
Teacher Li raised an eyebrow: "Oh? How so?"
"Acting is not about playing yourself, nor is it about completely becoming another person."
It involves understanding the character, finding common ground between the character and oneself, and then amplifying that connection.
Chen Nianbei spoke slowly, each word seemingly carefully chosen.
"Therefore, you must first observe real people and their real emotions, and then create."
The classroom was silent for a few seconds.
Teacher Li suddenly smiled and signed the leave slip:
"That's interesting. Go ahead, and remember to bring back your report."
"Thank you, teacher."
As Chen Nianbei turned to leave, she could feel the gazes behind her—curious, envious, and suspicious.
He could understand; after all, anyone would have doubts if they could get into a production crew of this caliber during their sophomore year.
Someone called out to him in the corridor.
"Chen Nianbei, wait a moment."
It's Naza
She walked quickly to him in the corridor.
She was wearing a light pink knit sweater, which made her skin look exceptionally fair.
"Are you going to film a movie?"
She asked, her tone tinged with disbelief.
"Yeah, go do some odd jobs and learn a thing or two." Chen Nianbei nodded, speaking casually.
Naza visibly breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face:
"I knew it, your acting skills... cough cough, I mean, it's good to learn from the crew."
She smoothed her hair. "I just finished filming a drama recently. I gained a lot from it."
Chen Nianbei certainly knew about this.
In her previous life, Nazha was spotted by Sugar Man during her freshman year of college and signed a contract, giving her a higher starting point than many others. Last year, she starred in "Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky".
At that time, she was busy with her career, and their relationship was not very close.
I later met him backstage at a few award ceremonies, but we were only nodding acquaintances.
But there was one thing he always remembered.
When he was ridiculed and attacked online for his acting skills, Naza was one of the few colleagues who did not kick him while he was down. In an interview, she said, "Every actor needs time to grow."
Although it might just be polite talk, in that kind of environment, not saying anything bad was already considered a sign of kindness.
"That's true. With your outstanding abilities, Sugar Man will definitely value you," Chen Nianbei said casually.
Naza's eyes lit up: "How did you know it was a sugar figurine? I haven't told anyone!"
"Just a guess."
Chen Nianbei quickly tried to smooth things over, "I heard they're signing new talent recently. With your qualifications, they couldn't possibly not want to sign you."
This was clearly very pleasing to Naza, whose eyes crinkled with laughter.
"You have good taste. But it's good that you're doing odd jobs this time, so you can get familiar with the film crew environment first."
"Sometime in the future... if there's a chance, I'll give you a hand."
She said this with a hint of pride, as if she had already foreseen her future of great fame and success.
Looking at her youthful face, Chen Nianbei suddenly found her rather cute.
This kind of innocent naiveté, untouched by the entertainment industry and tinged with a touch of self-righteousness, is actually quite rare.
"Okay, keep it up, I'm waiting." Chen Nianbei smiled and casually offered a word of encouragement.