novellhall Chapter 301 Filming Completed
Chapter 301 Filming Completed
Chapter 300 Filming Completed
On the morning of the fourth day, just as dawn was breaking.
A perfect advection fog finally rose on the river surface.
Milky white mist covered the entire river surface, blending the green mountains on both banks and the morning light in the sky together.
The Guangyun train seems to be traveling through a sea of clouds.
Yang Chao's hands were trembling as he held the walkie-talkie, shouting to the entire crew, "All departments, take your positions! Set up the equipment! Seize this hour!"
"Power on!"
The camera slowly zooms in.
On the deck at the bow of the ship, Xin Zhilei, wearing a thin white dress, stood barefoot on the cold deck.
Facing the river breeze, she let the mist dampen her hair and skirt.
She didn't become hysterical. Instead, she slightly raised her head, looked at the river shrouded in mist, and slowly began to recite the lines from the poem.
Her voice was soft, yet it could penetrate the river breeze and reach people's ears.
His eyes held an extreme clarity, yet also a stubborn refusal to bow down.
The river breeze lifted her skirt, and the mist flowed around her. At that moment, she truly seemed like a daughter of the Yangtze River, completely merging with the river and the mist.
Chen Xun, standing in the cockpit, instantly entered Gao Chun's state.
He leaned against the doorframe, looking at the woman at the bow of the boat.
From initial astonishment to gradual shock, and then to an unconcealable tenderness and heartache, her eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions.
He didn't say a word or make a single unnecessary movement, yet in the footage, his eyes were filled with the resonance between two lonely souls across time and space.
Yang Chao, watching the footage on the monitor, silently shed tears.
He waited ten years for this one shot, this one feeling.
Only after Xin Zhilei finished reciting the last line of the poem and turned to look at Chen Xun in the cockpit, the two of them exchanging a smile across the entire deck amidst the swirling river mist, did Yang Chao suddenly snap out of his daze and shout into the walkie-talkie, "Cut! Perfect! Passed! This take was perfect!"
The entire crew breathed a sigh of relief and then burst into enthusiastic applause.
The director of photography wiped his face and exclaimed to the person next to him, "I've been a photographer my whole life, and this is the first time I've shot a scene with such soul. These two actors are truly blessed with natural talent!"
Xin Zhilei stepped off the bow of the boat, her legs frozen stiff. The staff immediately wrapped her in a thick cotton-padded coat and handed her hot water.
She immediately looked at Chen Xun, her eyes shining like a student waiting for a teacher's praise.
Chen Xun walked over, gave her a thumbs-up, and said with a smile, "You acted very well!"
One sentence brought tears to Xin Zhilei's eyes instantly.
From a newcomer who didn't even dare to look at the camera when filming started, to now being able to stand on his own and bring Anlu's soul to life.
All the stumbles and falls along the way, all the hard work and perseverance, have come to meaning at this moment.
Xin Zhilei's favorability +3, current favorability: 92
Project Name: Yangtze River Map
Current filming progress: 75%
[Performance Rating: S]
Director's satisfaction rating: S
Teamwork: A+
[Audience Expectations: A]
Overall Rating: S—
[Reward: The progress of "Ten Thousand People Draw a Large Stream" +5%, Current Total Progress: 78%]
[The reputation of Chinese-language films has greatly improved]
Words kept appearing.
With his continuous dedication, investing various funds, and professionalism in filming.
The performance level and director's satisfaction have finally improved!
Its overall rating has also surged to S—.
As long as the remaining scenes are filmed and post-production is done well, an S-level rating is almost a certainty.
It might even reach S+!
His efforts over this period of time have not been in vain.
Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated.
These were WeChat messages and overseas phone calls from Robert.
Chen Xun walked to the ship's railing, answered the phone, and Rob's excited, almost hoarse voice came through immediately: "Bro, it's done! It's all done!"
"Slow down, what's done?"
Chen Xun moved his phone a little further away.
"Big Fish & Begonia! Enlight Media immediately agreed!"
Rob's voice was full of excitement: "Their manager was almost driven to the brink of collapse by Wu Moufan's demands, but when we offered to do voice acting for a mere one yuan, not compete for top billing, and even help with overseas distribution, their upper management immediately approved it!"
"The role of Qiu has been cast, and they'll send over the voice acting script next week. They also said they want to collaborate deeply with us on all of Coloroom Pictures' upcoming major animation projects!"
Chen Xun smiled.
This result was exactly what he expected.
"And Bona Film Group! Yu Dong, the CEO, called me back personally!"
Rob's tone became even more excited: "He said he'd love to have you join Bona's privatization consortium, and he'll reserve the 5000 million investment quota for you. He's agreed to both of your additional conditions!"
"You'll have priority audition rights for Bona's top-tier mainstream projects, and you'll have full access to information about core projects!"
He said he wants to discuss this in person; you can choose the time and place, and he's available anytime!
"I got all the contact information and project materials for the most crucial film, *The Wandering Earth*, including director Guo Fan's contact details!"
"I mentioned to his assistant that you were interested in this project, and Director Guo Fan himself called back!"
"He said he's seen your work in Hollywood and admires you greatly. Whether it's investing or acting, he really wants to meet you in person to discuss it in detail! He's currently in the capital, waiting for your news!"
Three pieces of good news came in quick succession.
Bona's capital investment is now secure!
With the voice acting for "Big Fish & Begonia" and the layout of the domestic animation industry completed, even the door to "The Wandering Earth" was completely opened to him.
Anyone in this situation would probably immediately put down their filming and fly back to the capital to finalize these collaborations that could change the landscape of Chinese-language films.
Chen Xun looked at the rushing Yangtze River in front of him, the busy film crew behind him, and the unfinished film "Crosscurrent" in his hand.
"Robert, please reply to President Yu Dong and Director Guo Fan for me, thank them for their approval, and set the meeting time for twenty days from now."
"Twenty days? Bro, why do we have to wait that long?"
Rob paused for a moment: "Director Guo Fan is in a hurry to find investors. If we're too late, someone else might snatch our share!"
""
Good food is worth waiting for!
Chen Xun spoke steadily, his gaze fixed on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: "The final twenty days of core scenes for 'Crosscurrent' are still to come, from the Three Gorges to Yibin, and then to the Jinsha River. This is the foundation of the entire film. I must finish filming these scenes and make this film to its best before we can talk about anything else."
He paused, then added, "Please tell Director Guo Fan that I am very optimistic about the 'Wandering Earth' project and am very sincere in my desire to cooperate. After I finish filming 'Crosscurrent,' I will fly back to Beijing as soon as possible to meet with him and discuss all the details in person."
After hanging up the phone, a breeze from the river blew in my face.
Chen Xun suddenly became alert.
The conference room at Enlight Media's headquarters a week ago.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
The two directors, Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun, sat on one side of the conference table, their expressions not very good.
Sitting opposite me were Wang Changtian, president of Coloroom Pictures, the project's chief producer, and the person in charge of publicity.
There was a table between them, as if there was an insurmountable chasm between them.
On the table were the final cooperation requirements sent by Wu Moufan's team the day before.
The clause circled in red is glaringly obvious: 800 million yuan after tax for a single dubbing role.
The opening credits must include the tagline: "Lead voice actor: Wu Moufan".
The billing order surpasses that of the director, the original author, the voice director, and the entire creative team.
The recording time is entirely determined by the artist's team, and the director is not allowed to make any changes to the artist's dubbing performance.
They even demanded that the animation team arbitrarily modify the characters' lip movements and the plot based on the artists' recordings.
"Mr. Wang, this is already our bottom line. If we let it go any further, this film won't be our 'Big Fish & Begonia' anymore."
Yes.
Liang Xuan spoke first.
The director, who had spent twelve years working on this animation, spoke with a voice full of exhaustion and suppressed anger: "We've been preparing for twelve years, not to be a stepping stone for a popular celebrity."
"He hasn't even finished reading the script, yet he dares to make so many unreasonable demands, even trying to strip the dubbing director of his right to make changes. Is the Qiu he dubs the way we want him to be?"
Zhang Chun, standing next to him, nodded in agreement, pushed the list of potential professional voice actors in his hand to the center of the table, and said earnestly, "President Wang, we don't necessarily want to go against the investors."
"Qiu is the core of the whole film and the biggest tearjerker. His voice acting is the soul of this character."
"Teachers like Bian Jiang and Zhang Jie are top-notch voice actors in China. They have voiced countless classic animations. Their control over characters and understanding of voice performance are much more reliable than those inexperienced traffic stars."
Upon hearing this, the voice director next to him immediately chimed in, his tone full of professional insistence: "Mr. Wang, film and television acting and voice acting are completely two different systems. Many actors who have won Best Actor and Best Actress awards still mess up when voicing animation."
"In front of the camera, you can convey emotions through your eyes and micro-expressions, but in the recording studio, there's only one microphone, and you're just missing a little bit of breathing space..."
Even a slight tremor in the voice completely ruins the character's performance.
"Chen Xun's acting skills are excellent, and no one can deny that he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. However, he has never been involved in animation dubbing before, and he may not even understand the basic rules of a recording studio. We really have no confidence."
The silence in the meeting room grew even heavier.
Everyone knows that the core of this dispute has never been Wu Moufan, but Chen Xun, who just finalized the cooperation.
The collaboration with Wu Moufan was doomed to fail from the very beginning.
The creative team fundamentally opposed this kind of traffic star who commands exorbitant salaries and acts like a diva; it was only because the investors initially valued his top-tier popularity that they kept pulling him along.
When Chen Xun presented his cooperation intentions, the entire senior management of Enlight Media was shocked!
Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actor, one of the most influential Chinese actors in Hollywood today, was willing to voice the character Qiu for a friendly fee of one dollar, without vying for top billing or seeking special treatment. He even offered to use his Hollywood connections to help distribute "Big Fish & Begonia" overseas.
For Light and the newly established Color Strip House, this was like a windfall.
The State Administration of Radio and Television has just released a policy to support domestically produced animation.
Coloroom Pictures desperately needs a blockbuster hit to make a name for itself.
"Big Fish & Begonia" has been in preparation for twelve years and already enjoys widespread popularity. If we add the golden brand of Chen Xun, both domestic and overseas distribution will be taken to a whole new level.
Not to mention that compared to Wu Moufan's exorbitant price of 800 million and unreasonable demands, Chen Xun's sincerity is simply overwhelming.
Wang Changtian made the decision almost on the spot, finalizing the cooperation.
However, when the news reached the creative team, it caused a huge uproar.
It's not that they don't acknowledge Chen Xun's achievements; it's that they've been traumatized by internet celebrities.
"We are not targeting Professor Chen Xun."
Liang Xuan took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly, but still retaining her unwavering insistence: "We know he's an Oscar-caliber actor, we know how important his overseas resources are to the film, and we know that his one dollar for dubbing is a huge favor to us."
"But this is a work we've poured twelve years of effort into; we can't gamble with it."
"When Wu Moufan's team first contacted us a while ago, they said they would agree to anything. But the more we talked, the more outrageous it became. They didn't even go into the recording studio, yet they dared to make a bunch of demands that went beyond the creative process. We got scared."
Zhang Chun added, "No matter how talented Chen Xun is, he's still a film and television actor, not a professional voice actor. Can he guarantee that he'll get into character as soon as he enters the studio and rehearse a single line dozens of times without getting tired of it?"
"We can't afford to gamble!"
They had discussed these things countless times in private.
There are too many cautionary tales in the industry.
When big-name celebrities cross over into voice acting, they either recite lines with an air of superiority and no emotion, or they get impatient after a few takes and storm off.
Furthermore, relying on their fame, they arbitrarily changed lines and character settings, completely disrupting the creative concepts of the main creators.
Wu Moufan's case has put them on edge. Now, whenever the topic of celebrities crossing over into voice acting comes up, their first reaction is rejection and wariness.
Even if that person is Chen Xun.
"I understand your concerns and respect your commitment to your work."
Wang Changtian finally spoke, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "But I also ask you all to view Chen Xun objectively and not to confuse him with those popular celebrities."
"Chen Xun's acting skills are far superior to those of those popular celebrities who can only recite numbers."
"He won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Hunger Games not only because of his acting skills on screen, but also because of his mastery of dialogue."
"His English dialogue is so good that even Hollywood directors wouldn't find any mistakes. As for the Chinese dubbing, his basic skills are definitely up to par."
He paused, noticing the nods from the people in the conference room, and felt satisfied: "Most importantly, the conditions he offered were something we simply couldn't refuse. A one-dollar voice-over gig, no competition for top billing, no interference with the creative process, full cooperation with our recording schedule and requirements, and he even gave us the overseas distribution rights for 'Big Fish & Begonia'."
"You've been thinking about this for twelve years, not just about releasing this film domestically, but also about taking Chinese animation overseas, right?"
"Chen Xun can help us do it!"
The meeting room fell silent again.
Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun exchanged a glance, both seeing wavering in each other's eyes, yet neither relented.
Their twelve years of hard work cannot afford to be compromised in the slightest.
Seeing this, the executive producer immediately smoothed things over: "Director Liang, Director Zhang, we're not forcing you to use Mr. Chen Xun."
"We can schedule an audition first, with Mr. Chen Xun recording the most crucial scenes. If the audition isn't good enough and doesn't meet your requirements, we'll immediately replace him with a professional voice actor. I'll handle the communication with Mr. Chen Xun's team. We absolutely won't let your creative work be compromised, okay?"
These words were like a reassuring pill, finally easing the tension between Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun.
The two were silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded.
"You can do a sound check."
Liang Xuan spoke, her tone still cautious: "But let me make this clear from the start, if he doesn't pass the audition, no matter how famous he is, we can't use him. We can't compromise on the role of Qiu."
"no problem!"
Wang Changtian immediately agreed: "I'll have Robert communicate with Teacher Chen Xun right now to set a time for the audition."
As the meeting ended, the main creators walked out of the conference room, their faces still devoid of smiles.
Zhang Chun pulled Liang Xuan to the stairwell and whispered, "Old Liang, do you really think it can work?"
"I still have my doubts. Chen Xun has never done voice acting before. Even if his acting skills are excellent, can his voice acting really hold up?"
"have no idea!"
Liang Xuan sighed, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit one: "We can only take it one step at a time. If the audition doesn't work out, even if it offends President Wang, we have to change majors. We've been here for twelve years, we can't afford to stumble at the last step."
He exhaled a smoke ring, his brow still furrowed: "I've already had the dubbing director contact all the backup voice actors. Bian Jiang can come into the studio anytime. If there's even the slightest problem with Chen Xun's audition, we'll replace him immediately."
Meanwhile, the voice director returned to his office and was also busy.
He dug out a huge pile of basic teaching materials for animation dubbing, as well as detailed breakdown notes on the character Qiu. He even compiled the most basic content, such as the basic rules of the recording studio, microphone distance, and breath control, into a document.
He had already accepted that Chen Xun was a novice in voice acting, and was just waiting to teach him little by little during the audition. Even if it took more time, he couldn't let this core character fall apart.
Even the publicity team made two preparations.
While preparing official announcement materials for Chen Xun's voice acting, they also kept a backup plan in mind: if the audition failed, they would immediately switch to a publicity plan with a professional voice actor to avoid a backlash in public opinion.
Chen Xun was completely unaware of all of this.
He was also filming the final shots for "Crosscurrent" on the Yangtze River.
The Guangyun was moored on the river at Benzilan Wharf.
The snow-capped mountains on both sides of the river gleamed silver in the morning light, while the river roared and surged beneath our feet, its turbid waves crashing against the rocks and splashing water several meters high.
-
This is the last shot of "Crosscurrent".
Gao Chun stood at the bow of the boat, looking towards the source of the Yangtze River, and slowly closed the well-worn book of poems.
At this moment, he achieved final reconciliation with himself, his father, and the Yangtze River that had flowed through his life.
Yang Chao sat in front of the monitor, even his breathing became soft.
He went through countless storyboard revisions for this shot.
I was originally prepared to shoot at least ten takes.
Altitude sickness, turbulent river water, and rapidly changing light—if any of these causes a problem, the shoot has to be reshot.
Not to mention that this shot has no dialogue whatsoever; it relies entirely on the actors' eyes and micro-expressions to sustain the emotional climax of the entire film.
The difficulty can be imagined.
"All departments, prepare!"
"Power on!"
As Yang Chao shouted, the camera slowly zoomed in.
Chen Xun stood at the bow of the boat, the river wind making his work clothes flutter, his hair was blown into a mess, and his face bore the marks of the wind and frost he had endured traveling upstream.
He lowered his eyes, his fingertips tracing the pages of the poetry collection, his movements slow and gentle, as if caressing his turbulent life.
The moment he closed the poetry collection, he looked up at the distant horizon where the snow-capped mountains met the river, his eyes filled with relief and reconciliation with the past.
At this moment, he went upstream from Wusongkou, traversing most of China, and finally found the answer to his life.
Yang Chao, who had been holding his breath in front of the monitor since filming began, finally relaxed the moment Chen Xun's gaze fell upon him.
He even forgot to call "cut" until the director of photography nudged his arm, snapping him back to reality. He then yelled into the walkie-talkie, "Cut! Perfect! That's a wrap!"
"I hereby announce—filming for the movie 'Crosscurrent' has wrapped!"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire crew erupted in deafening cheers.
The staff threw their clapperboards and scripts into the air, and several elderly people who had followed Yang Chao for almost ten years even had tears in their eyes, hugging each other and laughing and jumping.
Xin Zhilei quickly walked over with a thick cotton-padded coat and handed it to Chen Xun, her eyes shining brightly: "Teacher Chen, you acted so well just now! I was watching from the side, and I felt like you were Gao Chun himself."
Chen Xun took the cotton-padded coat and put it on, then smiled and accepted the ginger soup handed to him by the stagehand, taking a sip to ward off the chill: "You too, in the last scene where Anlu bids farewell to the Yangtze River, you handled the emotions perfectly, without dropping the ball at all."
This is not just a polite remark.
Filming began at Wusongkou and wrapped up at Jinsha River.
More than three months.
This newcomer, who initially had to muster up courage even to jump into the river, has been completely transformed.
In the final few key scenes at the source, Anlu's madness, gentleness, resilience, and sorrow were portrayed with distinct layers.
Even in face-to-face scenes with Chen Xun, she held her own in no way.
Even Yang Chao has remarked more than once that Xin Zhilei was born to be an actress.
Only Xin Zhilei herself knows how much of this transformation came from the guidance of the man beside her.
From the phrasing of the lines to the nuances of the eyes, from the understanding of the character's core to the mindset in the face of extreme filming conditions.
Chen Xun never kept anything to himself.
He taught her word by word, guiding her step by step, sharing all the experience he had accumulated from being an extra to attending the Oscars without reservation.
After filming this scene, her acting career truly took off.
Xin Zhilei's favorability +1, current favorability: 93
Chen Xun didn't pay much attention.
What gave him a greater sense of accomplishment than the string of numbers was watching this girl, under his guidance, gradually become the person she was meant to be in, and a better version of herself.
The commotion of wrapping up filming lasted for more than half an hour.
The production manager, clutching the ledger, squeezed in front of Yang Chao and Chen Xun, his smile barely concealed, his voice trembling as he spoke: "Director Yang! Teacher Chen! We've got the final tally! The final accounts for the entire film are in!"
Yang Chao's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively reached for the cigarettes in his pocket, his face scrunched up: "Tell me, how much did it go over budget? I was already mentally prepared. Waiting for the fog in the Three Gorges section cost hundreds of thousands more, and the 65mm film lens at the source also exceeded the budget. At worst, I'll just put the director's entire salary into it, and if that's still not enough—"
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