novellhall Chapter 10 Filming Completed
Chapter 10 Filming Completed
Chen Nianbei woke up at five o'clock the next morning.
It was still dark outside the window, and the lights of the film and television base could be seen faintly in the distance.
He lay in bed with his eyes closed, going over the scenes he was going to film that day in his mind.
The final scene of Xiaoman.
After joining the guerrillas, he ambushed the Japanese soldiers on their grain transport route, fought a bloody battle, was hit by machine gun fire, and saved his teammates with a pistol at the last moment before dying.
The difficulty of this scene lies in its layers.
From the excitement of battle, to the excruciating pain and disorientation after being shot, to the final burst of energy as he struggled to raise his gun, and finally to the tranquility of life slipping away.
Every emotion must be genuine and accurate.
At six o'clock sharp, he got up, washed up, and changed into the guerrilla uniform he had been wearing for more than a month.
He wore a coarse, gray-blue cloth coat with deliberately distressed patches on the elbows and a leather belt around his waist.
The makeup artist spent more time than usual.
Battle-damaged makeup needs to be made realistic.
The abrasions on the forehead, the dirt on the cheeks, the chapped lips, and the blood pack effect that had to be put on the chest when the bullet hit the last time.
"Today's match will not be easy."
The makeup artist said as she applied dark red blood plasma to his face.
"Director Kong demanded that the entire sequence be filmed in one continuous shot, from the charge to the fall to the sacrifice, without any breaks in between."
Chen Nianbei nodded: "I know."
"Are you sure you can do it?"
The makeup artist was a little worried, "Taking a single take is very physically demanding, and the emotions need to be consistent."
"Give it a try."
He spoke calmly, but he knew exactly what he was doing.
In his past life, he had filmed many movies in one continuous take, so he knew what that feeling was like.
Like running a marathon, every step must be perfect, and every breath must be used wisely.
After finishing her makeup, Chen Nianbei walked to the film set.
Today's location shoot was on a real mountain road in Huairou, and the crew arrived three days in advance to set it up.
The road surface was sprayed with water to simulate the effect of mud after rain, and sandbag bunkers were piled up on both sides. Several replica Japanese army trucks were parked on the side of the road.
The extras were already in place: more than twenty "guerrilla fighters" and more than twenty "Japanese soldiers".
Kong Sheng is finalizing the camera positions and movement routes with the director of photography.
Seeing Chen Nianbei approaching, Kong Sheng waved and asked, "Ready?"
"Um."
"Today's scene, I want to do it in one take."
Kong Sheng pointed to the mountain road, "The camera will follow you, rushing over from that side, getting shot here, falling to the ground, and finally raising its gun. There can be no stopping the whole time."
He paused for a moment, then said, "If there are any problems in the middle, we'll start over. How many takes can you film?"
Chen Nianbei thought for a moment: "Three. I probably won't have the stamina for the fourth one."
"Then three will do." Kong Sheng patted him on the shoulder. "Don't feel pressured. Just get a feel for the first one."
The site was cleared, and all departments took their positions.
Chen Nianbei walked to a thicket of bushes behind the hillside.
According to the plot, the guerrillas were lying in ambush here, waiting to launch a surprise attack when the Japanese convoy passed by.
"Attention all—"
The assistant director shouted through a megaphone,
"Scene 102, Shot 1, Ready—"
Chen Nianbei lay on the ground, holding a prop rifle in his right hand and supporting himself on the ground with his left.
He could hear his own heartbeat, thump-thump-thump, very strong.
This isn't tension; it's the body's instinctive reaction to enter a battle state.
"start!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Nianbei took a deep breath, and his eyes changed instantly.
It only takes a second to go from calm to ferocious.
He leaped from behind the bushes, yelling, "Charge!"
More than twenty guerrillas rushed out at the same time, and gunshots, shouts of killing, and explosions rang out simultaneously.
Chen Nianbei charged forward with his gun in hand, his steps unsteady but firm, his face contorted with a desperate ferocity.
The camera followed him from the side, as the trolley moved quickly across the muddy ground.
As they rushed to the middle of the mountain road, the pre-set machine gun effect went off.
Chen Nianbei's body jolted violently.
The blood pack on his chest burst open, and dark red "blood" instantly soaked through his clothes.
His expression changed from ferocious to blank, as if he didn't understand what had happened.
He looked down at his chest, then looked up at the front of him.
Then, he slowly knelt down.
It wasn't a direct collapse, but a slow, draining fall to one's knees.
He groaned as his knee hit the ground; it wasn't an act, it was the real pain of hitting a pebble.
But he didn't stop.
According to the script, at this moment, a Japanese soldier was raising his sword to slash at his comrade next to him.
Chen Nianbei lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head, his eyes fixed on that direction.
His hands began to grope on the ground for a gun.
When I was shot, the rifle slipped from my hand, and now I only have a spare pistol with me.
His movements were slow, and each movement felt like it weighed a ton.
He finally touched the pistol, gripped it tightly, and raised it.
My arm was shaking, and the gun barrel was swaying.
He took a deep breath, tried to steady himself, and aimed.
"Bang!"
The prop gun made the sound of blanks being fired.
The "Japanese soldier" who was holding the knife fell to the ground.
Chen Nianbei's arm drooped down, and the pistol fell into the mud.
He turned his head to look at the teammate he had just saved, a very shallow and short smile appearing on his lips.
Then, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
It's not a sudden closing of the eyes, but rather the slow, gradual loss of life, with the pupils gradually dilating.
Finally, everything came to a complete stop.
"Card!"
Kong Sheng's voice rang out.
The room was silent for a few seconds, then burst into applause.
Chen Nianbei remained lying there, motionless.
The fake blood in the chest blood pack was sticky and mixed with dirt, sticking to my clothes, which was very uncomfortable.
But he needs some time to get out of character.
A hand was stretched out in front of him.
Looking up, I saw Kong Sheng.
"Get up," Kong Sheng said with a smile.
Chen Nianbei grasped his hand, stood up, and patted the dirt off his clothes.
"How is it?" he asked.
"One take," Kong Sheng said decisively. "No need to film anymore."
The staff around him gathered around and patted him on the shoulder one by one.
"Absolutely amazing!"
"That last look in his eyes, oh my god..."
"Xiao Chen, your acting was great!"
Chen Nianbei thanked them one by one, his attitude humble.
The makeup artist brought him a towel and water. He quickly wiped his face, took the water, and drank a big gulp.
The assistant director, holding a megaphone, announced: "Filming for Chen Nianbei's scenes in 'Battle of Changsha' has officially wrapped!"
Another round of applause erupted from the audience.
Just then, Old Zhang, the stagehand, came over carrying a bouquet of flowers.
Chen Nianbei accepted the flowers. The fragrance of the flowers mixed with the dusty smell of the film set, creating an indescribable feeling.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang, thank you everyone."
"Don't mention it!" Old Zhang patted him hard on the back. "Don't forget us when you become famous!"
"No way."
The crowd gradually dispersed, each going about their own business.
Kong Sheng gestured for Chen Nianbei to walk to the side with him.
The two sat down on the prop box.
"How are you feeling?" Kong Sheng asked.
"I'm a little tired," Chen Nianbei said honestly, "but it was quite enjoyable."
Kong Sheng laughed: "Your move just now, especially the last time you raised the gun, the rhythm of your arm shaking was very good."
It wasn't intentional shaking; it was an uncontrollable shaking that came after exhaustion.
"I tried several shaking methods,"
Chen Nianbei said, "In the end, I felt that this was the most genuine."
"right."
Kong Sheng looked at him and said, "If your dad knew about your progress, he'd be overjoyed."
Chen Nianbei also laughed: "I have to make him treat Uncle Kong to a meal."
"Absolutely."
Kong Sheng took out a red envelope from his pocket. "Here, this is a wrap-up bonus."
Chen Nianbei took it; it was of moderate thickness, not the symbolic kind.
"Thank you, Uncle Kong."
"No need to thank me, you deserve it."
Kong Sheng paused for a moment, then said, "Nianbei, you are the fastest-improving young actor I have seen in recent years."
These words carry significant weight.
Chen Nianbei listened attentively.
"When your dad first told me, I was quite troubled. I was thinking of just assigning him an assistant and getting by with it."
Kong Sheng put it bluntly, "But your performance has impressed me."
He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "From doing odd jobs to auditioning, from auditioning to the actual performance, you've taken every step very steadily."
And most importantly, you are thinking.
It wasn't just mechanical acting; it was genuine understanding of the character.
Chen Nianbei smiled but didn't say anything.
"The period drama I mentioned before will start filming in the second half of next year."
Kong Sheng flicked his cigarette ash. "I'll save the role for you. Come audition when the time comes."
"Understood." Chen Nianbei nodded.
"besides,"
Kong Sheng looked at him and said, "This circle is very complicated. You are young and good-looking, so you will encounter many temptations in the future."
Remember, the show is everything; everything else is secondary.
These words were simple, but Chen Nianbei knew they were sincere.
"I understand, Uncle Kong."
"Okay, go ahead then."
Kong Sheng stood up. "Pack your things and go back to school early. Call me anytime if anything happens."
"it is good."
Chen Nianbei, carrying flowers and a red envelope, walked towards the guesthouse.
The staff he encountered on the street all greeted him with smiles.
"Has Xiao Chen finished filming?"
"Let's keep in touch!"
"Don't forget us when you become famous!"
Chen Nianbei responded with a smile.
Back in the guesthouse room, the other three extras had already moved out.
They finished filming yesterday.
The room was empty except for his luggage.
Chen Nianbei placed the flowers on the table and began tidying up.
Actually, there weren't many things: a few clothes, toiletries, and that thick notebook.
He opened his notebook, and the last page contained a short biography of Xiaoman.
He meticulously crafted a complete life story for this character, from birth to death.
Now, this life has ended in front of the camera.
He closed his notebook and put it in his backpack.
My phone vibrated; it was Nazar.
"Have you finished filming the final scenes today?"
Chen Nianbei replied, "We just finished filming, it's wrapped up."
Almost immediately, the phone rang.
"Is filming really finished?" Naza's voice was filled with surprise and joy.
"Yeah, we just finished filming the last scene."
"How was it? How was the acting?"
"The director said we nailed it in one take."
"Wow! I knew it!"
Naza laughed on the other end of the phone, "So where are you now?"
"I'm packing my things at the guesthouse. I'm going back to school tomorrow morning."
"Going back tomorrow?"
Naza paused for a moment, then said, "So...see you at school tomorrow?"
"Okay," Chen Nianbei said. "Do you have class tomorrow?"
"Two acting classes in the morning, and it seems like we'll be choosing roles for a play this afternoon."
Naza asked, "What time will you arrive?"
"Around noon."
"Shall we eat together? In the cafeteria?"
"it is good."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Nianbei continued packing.
The film and television base outside the window gradually became lively, and another film crew started work.
He stood by the window and looked out for a while.
This past month has felt like a dream.
From a production assistant doing odd jobs to a named character, to the director personally handing him flowers when filming wrapped.
Every step was taken firmly.
He finished packing his backpack, sat on the edge of the bed, took out his phone, and sent a text message to his dad:
"Dad, I've finished filming and I'm going back to school tomorrow. Uncle Kong said I did a good job and asked you to invite him to dinner sometime."
A few minutes later, Dad replied, "You little rascal, your Uncle Kong told me you did a great job, you really made me proud!"
Chen Nianbei smiled and put away her phone.
He looked at the bouquet of flowers on the table, blooming beautifully in the simple guesthouse room.
Tomorrow, I'm going back to school.
The end-of-term performance marks a new beginning.