novellhall Chapter 270 Impromptu Assessment [6000]
Chapter 270 Impromptu Assessment [6000]
Chapter 269 Impromptu Assessment [6000] (Seeking monthly votes)
Wednesday.
Chen Xun led Li Suyan to meet the art team.
The art director for Whiplash was a red-haired woman named Sarah, in her thirties, who spoke extremely fast.
"A video store in Koreatown from the 90s? I need to go see it in person."
After listening to the requirements, she said, "The placement of those videotapes, the way the posters are pasted, the small items on the counter—every detail has to be right."
"There are always some viewers who are particular; a single continuity error can take them out of the story."
On Thursday, Chen Xun went to the store in Koreatown by himself.
The boss is a South Korean man in his sixties, surnamed Kim.
The store was indeed filled with videotapes and DVDs, with old posters of "Terminator 2" and "Pulp Fiction" on the walls, and an old-fashioned CRT television on the counter.
"Take pictures anywhere!"
Boss Jin patted Chen Xun on the shoulder: "My daughter is a fan of yours. She said if you come, you can use it for free, but there's one condition—"
"Please speak."
"My shop's name has to appear in the movie."
Boss Jin blinked: "Consider it a dead end."
Chen Xun smiled: "No problem!"
On Friday night, Chen Xun held a preparatory meeting at home.
Li Suyan, Tom (Prieto's apprentice), Sarah (the art director), Mike (the recording engineer), and Rob (Chen Xun's manager) all came.
Rob volunteered to be the producer.
"I can't let you be the only one doing all the work!"
Rob was very excited.
This is also his first time as a producer, which means a new career opportunity.
He dreamed of one day making a movie.
He was the producer, and Chen Xun was the lead actor.
It sounds wonderful!
The shooting schedule was posted on the whiteboard in the living room, and the storyboard was spread out on the floor.
"The filming period was 14 days, with 7 days spent at the main location video store."
Robert pointed to the whiteboard: "This is the most expensive part, because we have to close the store for filming, and we have to pay Boss Jin a compensation fee."
"Fortunately, Chen Xun has a lot of influence, and Boss Jin only asked for five thousand US dollars—the market price is at least twenty thousand."
"What about the actors' schedules?"
Sarah asked.
"I was completely empty-handed the whole time."
Chen Xun said, "James Cromwell only had five days, so his scenes had to be filmed intensively."
"For the other supporting roles, such as the daughter, customers, and chain store representatives, I hired students from USC. It was inexpensive, and acting students need on-camera experience."
Cost control is also a very important aspect of filming.
It doesn't make any sense for a short film to win an award if it relies on a huge budget.
Mike pulled up a list of recording equipment: "I'm fine with this, but I have a suggestion: record more ambient sounds from the shop."
"The static on an old-fashioned TV, the sound of a VCR running, the rustling sound of flipping through videotapes —"
"I hope these are all genuine voices."
"Can!"
Lee So-yeon wrote down: "Recorded during breaks in filming."
The meeting went on until midnight.
Project Name: The Last Roll of Film
[Current Stage: Preliminary Preparations]
[Performance Rating: B— (Main Cast Confirmed)]
[Director's Satisfaction Rating: B (Director begins to take control of the overall situation)]
Team Collaboration: C+ (Initial Team Collaboration)
[Audience Expectations: D+ (Small-scale attention)]
Overall Rating: C+
[Comment: With a professional team involved, the project's feasibility has increased. However, whether the student director can handle a big-name crew remains to be seen.]
Upgraded from D+ to C+!
As preparations entered their second week, problems began to emerge.
First, James Cromwell's agent called to say that the old man had caught a cold and the doctor had advised him to rest for two weeks, so the filming date would have to be postponed.
Next up is the art team.
-
Sarah discovers that the interior layout of the store in Koreatown differs from the description in the script and needs to be renovated, but the renovation budget has exceeded the limit.
The most troublesome part is the photography team.
Although Prieto's apprentice Tom was technically skilled, he lacked experience in directing. After reviewing the storyboard, he raised a series of questions: "In this one-shot scene, there isn't enough space in the shop for movement."
"The lighting design for this night scene is too complex; we don't have enough lights."
Lee So-yeon was so stressed that she broke out in pimples.
They were still revising storyboards at three or four in the morning every day.
Chen Xun had no choice but to intervene.
He first contacted James's doctor to confirm it was just a common cold, and then renegotiated the filming schedule with his agent.
Compressed into four days.
The daily working hours are shortened to ensure that the elderly are not too tired.
Regarding the overspending on art direction, Chen Xun covered the shortfall out of his own pocket: "Consider it additional investment, but you have to make sure every penny is spent on what's visible on the screen."
As for the photography, Chen Xun directly invited Tom to his home and worked through the scenes frame by frame.
-
"This scene, which was filmed in one continuous shot, can be changed into two long takes spliced together."
Chen Xun drew lines on the storyboard: "Since the store space is not enough, we will make use of depth, from the counter to the diagonal line of the shelf, which can make the shot have a sense of movement without appearing cramped."
"The light source for night scenes—" Tom frowned.
"Reduce artificial light and use more practical light sources."
"Just amplify the light sources: the counter lights, the television glow, and the neon signs outside."
"The audience doesn't need to see every corner; what they need is the atmosphere."
Tom stared at the storyboard for a long time, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Professor Chen Xun, did you study photography before?"
"I learned from the cinematographer when filming 'The Ancient One'."
"The lighting in blockbuster films is much more complex, but the principle is the same: light serves the story."
The problems were solved one by one.
By the end of the third week, preparations were basically complete.
Chen Xun was also having a bit of a headache.
He had never been involved in such tedious work before; he only needed to come up with a concept, and someone else would naturally take care of it.
Now that I'm experiencing it firsthand, I feel it's different from before.
Looking at things from a different perspective has indeed helped him grow a lot.
The panel has been updated again:
[Current Stage: Preparations Completed]
[Performance Rating: A— (Lead Actor + Veteran Actors)]
[Director Satisfaction Rating: A— (The director's performance improved significantly after receiving guidance)]
Teamwork: B+ (The team is gradually improving its cohesion)
[Audience Expectations: C+ (Expectations within a small industry segment)]
Overall Rating: B+
[Comment: With the support of a professional team, the students' work has shown unexpected potential; the key lies in execution.]
From C+ to B+, you've skipped another level!
Three days before filming began, the entire crew held their final preparatory meeting at a video store.
Mr. Jin deliberately closed the store for a day to allow everyone to familiarize themselves with the environment.
James Cromwell was also there.
Although the old man had completely white hair, he was in good spirits and chatted with Li Suyan for a long time about the performance details of Alzheimer's patients.
"A friend of mine has this disease."
James said earnestly, "His biggest characteristic is not forgetting, but confusion. He knows what he should remember, but he just can't recall it. That struggle is more heartbreaking than simple forgetting."
Li Suyan took notes carefully.
Prieto personally came to see the site and spent an afternoon testing the lighting with Tom and the lighting team.
The final plan was decided.
Daytime scenes used natural light from the windows with a small amount of supplemental lighting, while nighttime scenes primarily used interior lighting to create the feel of a forgotten corner of the world.
The night before filming began, Chen Xun sat alone behind the shop counter.
The main lights in the shop were off; only an old-fashioned table lamp on the counter emitted a dim, yellowish light.
The walls were piled high with videotapes, and the air smelled of dust and old plastic.
He imagined what it would feel like for Old Li to have sat here for twenty years.
Friday afternoon at 2 pm, in-camera performance class.
As soon as Chen Xun stepped into classroom 307, a notification popped up in front of him:
[The teaching cycle has ended; we are now entering the practical assessment phase.]
[Triggering a task to assess teaching outcomes]
[Task Objective: To guide students in completing a real film set shoot and gain recognition from a professional team.]
[Basic Rewards: Teaching Ability +10%, Practical Conversion Rate +15%]
[Hidden Reward: Unlocked based on student performance]
Chen Xun glanced around and noticed that there were more students than usual today.
There were many unfamiliar faces sitting in the back row; they had all heard that the class was interesting and came to audit it.
Lee So-yeon was also squeezed into a corner, holding a shooting schedule in her hand, looking nervous.
There will be no lecture today.
Chen Xun placed his backpack on the podium and got straight to the point: "There's a practical opportunity."
The classroom fell silent, forty pairs of eyes fixed on him.
"I'll be shooting a short film starting tomorrow called 'The Last Roll of Film,' which will take about two weeks to film."
"The production team needs some supporting roles: customers, passersby, Old Li's daughter, and a few minor characters with only one or two lines."
-
Chen Xun paused for a moment: "They are all extras without lines or minor roles with only one or two lines, but the requirements are not low. They have to be natural, authentic, and able to blend into the atmosphere of the 90s."
The students exchanged glances, and some were already getting restless.
"The pay is the industry minimum, $80 a day, including two meals."
Chen Xun continued: "The key point is that you can see how professional teams work on a real film set, how the lighting is set up, how the camera moves, and how the actors get into character the moment the director yells 'action.'"
"This kind of experience cannot be given in the classroom."
He glanced around and said, "Anyone who is interested, please give Li Suyan your name and contact information after class."
"Meet at 7:00 AM tomorrow at Old Jin Video Store in Koreatown. No lateness allowed. If you are even one second late, you will be replaced."
The classroom erupted in chaos as soon as he finished speaking.
"Tomorrow? So soon?"
"I'm not ready yet—"
"Do we need to audition? Should we read the script beforehand?"
Chen Xun raised his hand to signal for quiet: "There was no audition, no script to read beforehand. What I want is for you to be unprepared."
"This film is about everyday life, about ordinary people's daily moments. The more you prepare, the more fake your acting will be."
He glanced at his watch: "There are still twenty minutes until the end of get out of class. Those who want to participate, use these twenty minutes to convince me why I should choose you."
[Triggering the impromptu assessment segment]
[Assessment Objective: To evaluate students' learning outcomes over eight weeks]
[Excellent Standards: Naturalness > 75%, Character Credibility > 70%, Camera Presence > 65%]
The classroom erupted in uproar.
"What are we performing?" a student asked.
"Play a customer who walks into a video store wanting to rent a movie but doesn't know what to rent."
"There are no lines, only body language and facial expressions. You have three minutes to prepare, then we'll go one by one."
The students panicked immediately.
Three minutes?
This isn't even enough to clarify the character's motivations.
But Chen Xun had already sat down in the first row and taken out his notebook to take notes.
"Timer begins."
-
For the next twenty minutes, the classroom turned into an impromptu performance venue.
The first one to go on the court was the boy who always wore a baseball cap, named Jack.
He walked to the front of the podium.
That was assumed to be the shop entrance. He pushed open the door, came in, looked around, and his eyes showed obvious curiosity and hesitation.
He walked up to the shelf, pretended to pick up a videotape and look at it, then put it down and scratched his head.
"stop!"
Chen Xun: "You're playing a tourist who walks into an unfamiliar shop, not a customer."
"Real customers enter video stores with a purpose; their eyes will directly scan specific areas, such as the horror section, the action section, or the new arrivals section."
Jack
[Naturality: 58% | Character Credibility: 45% | Camera Sensibility: 62%]
[Comment: The performance is overly dramatic and lacks realistic details.]
"Let's try again!"
-
Jack paused for a moment, stepped back to the doorway, took a deep breath, and re-entered.
This time, his gaze was focused, and he went straight to the action film section, picking up the videotape with much more practiced movements.
[Naturality: 71% | Character Credibility: 68% | Camera Sensibility: 70%]
[Comment: Significant improvement; starting to get into character]
"A little better."
Chen Xun made a note in his notebook.
[Effective guidance, teaching experience +2]
"Next."
A girl named Sofia enters the stage.
Her design was more refined.
He shook his clothes as he entered, as if he had just come in from the rain.
When watching videotapes, I would tilt my head slightly to read the labels on the side.
As I left, I nodded to the shop owner behind the counter.
"You used to work at a videotape store?"
Chen asked.
Sofia shook her head: "No, but I used to rent DVDs with my dad a lot when I was little."
"I remember the actions of those regular customers; they knew what they wanted, but they were very picky about their choices."
Sofia Chen
[Naturality: 85%; Character Credibility: 88%; Camera Sensibility: 82%]
[Comment: Observant, well-developed characters, strong sense of realism]
Chen Xun nodded and ticked it off in his notebook.
Discovering students with potential increases teaching satisfaction by 3 points.
One after another, the students took turns to participate.
Some actors acted well, while others acted stiffly.
The data on the panel kept changing.
Chen Xun's comment was direct: "Too deliberate."
"My shoulders are too tense."
"Your gaze wanders, as if you're looking for the camera. Remember, there are no cameras on set, only you and the world you live in."
Lee So-yeon watched from the back row and secretly took out her phone to record a few clips.
She found that although these students were nervous, they had a solid foundation in performance.
His movements were natural, his body control was excellent, and his micro-expressions were nuanced.
This is clearly the result of Chen Xun's teaching.
The last person to go on stage was an Asian boy named Kevin.
He didn't rush to perform, but stood at the door for a few seconds, as if observing the layout of the shop.
Then he walked in, his steps slow but steady.
He didn't go to the shelves immediately, but paused in front of the counter for a moment, looked at the boss, hesitated, and finally walked towards the shelves.
Why are you hesitant to speak?
Chen asked.
"I was thinking—this character might know the boss and want to say hello, but then I felt it wasn't necessary."
-
Kevin explained in a low voice, "Many neighborhood shops were like this in the 90s. Customers and owners had a half-acquaintance relationship. They had met many times, but had never really talked."
Kevin Lee
[Naturality: 92%; Character Credibility: 95%; Camera Sensibility: 90%]
[Comment: The character's psychology is well-developed, the performance is layered and nuanced, and the actor possesses the potential of a professional actor.]
Chen Xun looked at him for a few seconds and then made a heavy mark on the notebook.
Discover outstanding students and trigger the achievement "Great teachers produce outstanding students," increasing your teaching ability by 5%.
There was an unexpected bonus!
Chen Xun was surprised that after this period of teaching, several promising students had actually emerged from the class.
"Okay, time's up."
He closed his notebook: "Li Suyan will send the list of selected people and the meeting time to the course group. Those who are not selected should not be discouraged, there will be other opportunities like this in the future."
After class, the ten selected students surrounded Li Suyan to register their information.
Those who weren't selected left one after another; some were disappointed, while others excitedly discussed the impromptu performance they had just witnessed.
Chen Xun packed his things.
[Impromptu assessment completed]
Average scores: Naturalness 78%, Character Credibility 76%, Camera Presence 74%
Teaching Outcome Rating: B+
[Gain Attribute Orb: Teaching Experience Conversion Rate +18%]
[Description: Enables more effective transformation of personal performance experience into teaching content, improving student absorption efficiency]
[Bonus Reward: Gained the passive skill "Insightful Eye" for discovering 3 promising trainees, increasing the accuracy of identifying actor potential by 20%]
]
A warm current flowed into Chen Xun's consciousness.
He felt that his understanding of teaching had become much clearer.
The lines between which experiences can be passed on and which can only be learned through practice are now clearer.
This is different from his previous absorption of attribute orbs; it's a new area for him.
Lee So-yeon leaned closer and whispered, "Oppa, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"They only told me we were going to select people today right before class started, and I didn't even prepare the forms."
"That's exactly what I wanted—the surprise!"
Chen Xun stuffed the notebook into his backpack: "I told them in advance that they would prepare, design, and think about how to make the performance exciting, but what I want is not excitement, but authenticity."
"But filming is tomorrow, and they haven't even read the script—"
"Their roles don't need a script."
"It's a backdrop, part of the atmosphere, but even a backdrop has to be a living backdrop."
He glanced at the students still excitedly discussing in the classroom: "For the past eight weeks, I've taught them how to walk in front of the camera, how to look at people, how to breathe, and how to control their micro-expressions."
"Tomorrow is the final exam!"
The next morning at 6:50, in front of the Old Kim Video Store in Koreatown.
All ten students had arrived, dressed in their own 90s-style clothes.
Loose-fitting jeans, printed T-shirts, and plaid shirts.
While Li Suyan was sending them a brief shooting schedule and notes, Chen Xun was rehearsing his lines with James Cromwell in the shop.
Today we're filming the scene where Old Li and the old man meet for the first time.
In the script, an old man walks into the store and says he wants to rent "Casablanca," but Old Li discovers that he already rented the same tape last week.
"Let's try out the positioning."
Lee So-yeon, sitting in the director's chair, spoke into a walkie-talkie.
She was wearing a director's vest today, with pockets all over it containing a handheld walkie-talkie, a light meter, and a clapperboard, looking quite professional.
The director of photography, Rodrigo Prieto, personally oversaw the filming.
He's only been here for three days; today is his first day.
The Mexican photographer was adjusting the lighting in the counter area with the lighting crew: "I want that counter lamp to be 20% brighter, but I need to add a diffuser so the shadows aren't too harsh."
James Cromwell sat resting in a chair by the counter, holding a thermos in his hand.
Seeing the group of nervous students at the door, he smiled and asked Chen Xun, "These are the soldiers you brought?"
"My students."
Chen Xun said, "Today I'm playing a customer."
"It's so good to be young."
James took a sip of tea: "When I was their age, I was an extra in the theater, with only one line in a play."
At 7:00 AM sharp, filming officially began.
The first scene is a glimpse into the shop's daily life: several customers come and go, and Lao Li is organizing videotapes behind the counter.
The ten students selected by Chen Xun took turns performing.
The first one is Jack.
Following his impromptu plan from the previous night, he went straight to the action movie section after entering the room.
But when he saw the dark camera lens and the room full of staff, he visibly froze.
"Card."
Lee So-yeon shouted, "Jack, relax. Just pretend you're really here to rent a movie, and we're filming a documentary."
The second time, Jack was much better.
He picked up a videotape of Terminator 2, glanced at the description on the back, and then walked toward the counter.
Chen Xun, playing Old Li, looked up at him and asked, "New here?"
Jack paused for a moment.
This isn't in the script.
But he quickly realized, "Yeah, I just moved to this area."
I recommend you start watching from the first one.
Chen Xun naturally replied, "Although the special effects are a bit dated, the story is more solid."
"Okay—thank you."
Jack paid the deposit, took the videotape, and left.
"Card!"
Lee So-yeon's voice was filled with excitement this time, "Great! This one's in!"
[Real-world filming: Student Jack]
Naturalness +8%, Character Credibility +12%, Camera Presence +13%
[Comment: Performance quality improved significantly under the pressure of a real film set; strong adaptability]
[Triggering the practical growth mechanism, obtain the attribute orb: Camera Adaptability +15]
[Description: Helps actors adapt to real filming environments more quickly and reduces camera tension]
A cool sensation entered Chen Xun's senses.
He felt he had a deeper understanding of the pressure of being in front of the camera.
People feel nervous in front of the camera, which is not just a psychological issue, but also a physiological reaction to an unfamiliar environment.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief after stepping out of the camera's view.
The other students waiting nearby gathered around: "That's impressive! Impromptu!"
"Teacher Chen Xun suddenly added a line, and I almost couldn't keep up—"
The next few students also gradually got into their stride.
Sofia plays a mother who comes with her child, and Kevin plays a hesitant college student.
They had no lines; they relied entirely on body language and eye contact.
These are precisely the key points of the past eight weeks of classes.
Rodrigo Prieto, watching from behind the monitor, turned to Lee So-yeon and asked, "Are these kids really students? Or are they professional extras?"
"They're all from the USC drama department, and Professor Chen Xun is teaching them this semester."
Lee So-yeon was a little proud.
"Well taught."
Prieto nodded: "He has a great sense of the camera, knows where the light is, doesn't go out of frame, and his acting is natural, without any sense of acting being deliberate, which is rare among young actors."
[Gaining recognition from a professional team]
[Coursemaster's Review: Positive]
[Teaching outcome assessment task progress: 30%]
[Gain Attribute Orb: Team Collaboration Guidance +12%]
[Description: Enables more effective coordination among members with diverse professional backgrounds, improving overall team performance]
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