novellhall Chapter 128 Preparing to Start Filming
Chapter 128 Preparing to Start Filming
The makeup and styling for "Warm a Cup of Tea" were much simpler than those for "Red Dress".
This is a modern story set in eastern Guangdong. The female protagonist is a recent college graduate, and the male protagonist is a young couple who find solace in each other in the city.
The makeup artist designed several sweet college student outfits for Xiaotian.
A creamy white knitted cardigan paired with a floral dress, light blue denim overalls with a white T-shirt—each outfit makes her look like the kind of girl who just stepped out of the subway station in the university town, the kind that makes you want to take a second look.
When she came out of the dressing room after changing her clothes, she looked as if she had been covered with a soft filter, completely different from the Republic of China-era actress with a flower crown on her head and red eyes just now.
When styling Wang Zian, the makeup artist walked around him twice, then reached out and brushed the hair on his forehead back, using hairspray to create a three-seven parted style.
A few wisps of hair fell naturally down his forehead, revealing a small patch of smooth skin, making him look more youthful than usual.
This teacher is really skilled.
She must have watched those short videos before and knows where Wang Zian and Xiao Tian have an advantage in front of the camera.
Instead of using elaborate designs, the design simply uses the most basic lines to maximize the two people's good looks.
"You two are really good at this. Standing together, you look just like the real thing."
The makeup artist stepped back two paces, looked the two people side by side, and nodded in satisfaction.
The air around her suddenly went quiet as soon as she said that.
Tian Xiwei was very happy. She looked down at her new outfit and then looked up at Wang Zian. The dimple at the corner of her mouth hadn't disappeared since earlier.
Wang Zian stood still, but he could clearly feel a gaze sweeping over him from a certain direction, the intensity of which was abnormally high.
Zhou Ye was sitting on the makeup chair next to him, removing the last hair clip.
Sister Su stood behind her, her fingers still holding a strand of her hair, but Sister Su's movements were noticeably a beat slower.
She probably also sensed the sudden stagnation in the airflow.
Zhou Ye didn't say anything, and his face didn't even show any extra expression. He just arranged the hair clips he had taken off one by one on the dressing table, making sure they were neatly arranged.
But her gaze was like a low-current electric current, silently and precisely piercing through the mirror and landing on Wang Zi'an's back.
At this moment, she felt immense regret.
These three characters are: a wife who supported each other through thick and thin during wartime and eventually got married; a current girlfriend who finds solace in each other in the city; and an antique.
Why did I have to choose an antique?!
The makeup artist was a seasoned veteran; she noticed the subtle change in the air almost the instant those words left her lips.
She quickly and calmly added, "Just based on your combined good looks, this drama is bound to be a hit!"
"Thank you for your kind words!" Wang Zian smiled, a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment in his smile.
Wang Chunzai sat on the sofa against the wall, holding a cup of tea that had gone mostly cold, quietly watching this scene.
He secretly thought to himself: This kid is no pushover either!
···
At noon, Wang Zian, as the host, treated Wang Chunzai to a meal.
Wang Chunzai didn't talk much while eating, but he would occasionally look up at the group of young people at the table.
Tian Xiwei was discussing the plot of "Warm a Cup of Tea" with Liu Haochun. When they talked about the final plot twist, both of them had tears in their eyes. Zhou Ye sat quietly to the side, occasionally putting a piece of food on Nan Jie's plate, and occasionally glancing at Wang Zi'an.
Wang Chunzai saw all of this but said nothing.
In the afternoon, the entire team arrived at the outdoor shooting location that Lao Li had found.
A small theater located next to the Jixiang Theater in Wangfujing.
Wang Zian led Zhou Ye and the others around. The street was not big, but it was very well preserved. Old buildings with blue bricks and gray tiles lined both sides of the stone-paved road, and old copper rings and carvings were still left on the shop doors.
Every building is in the style of the Republic of China era, and even the streetlights have antique-style wrought iron lampshades. Standing at the street corner and looking into the depths, it feels as if you have been thrown into another era.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door of the theater, a smell of old wood mixed with dust wafted out.
The interior is entirely made of wood, with couplets hanging between the pillars. The ink on the upper and lower lines of the couplets is somewhat faded, but the strength of the brushstrokes can still be discerned.
Directly in front of us was a square stage with a solid wooden board surface that creaked slightly when stepped on. Dark red curtains hung on both sides of the stage opening, with tassels along the edges that swayed gently in the breeze.
"Old Li, this is a fantastic location."
Wang Zian stood in the center of the stage, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction.
Every pillar, every couplet, and every ray of light filtering through the cracks in the wooden windows here perfectly complements all the scenes in the script.
From daily practice and rehearsals to the final farewell performance, everything can be done here without needing to find another location.
···
For the first shoot, Wang Zian delegated many tasks to Lao Li.
As for him, he learned by doing and did by learning.
The memories accumulated in another time and space are enough for him to judge what is a good shot and what is the right rhythm.
But theory is just theory. The feeling is completely different when you actually stand in front of the monitor, holding a walkie-talkie, facing an entire crew waiting for instructions.
What he lacks is practical experience.
He anticipates that once these three short dramas are completed, he will be truly on the right track.
The first scene is about to be filmed.
Everyone entered a state of serious preparation.
Fortunately, this scene didn't require high-quality costumes.
The actors, dressed as ordinary people during the Republic of China era, wore coarse cloth undershirts.
Or they might be apprentices in a theatrical troupe who haven't changed into their costumes yet, wearing a white inner layer of the costume, with everything kept simple in terms of costumes, makeup, and props.
The first scene of the script is a chaotic scene of war on the streets.
Outside, there was the booming sound of artillery fire, and everywhere were civilians and fleeing soldiers scattering in all directions.
The male protagonist, head down, carefully dodged stray bullets from the other end of the street, ran all the way to the theater entrance, frantically banged on the door, the door opened a crack, he squeezed in sideways, and the door closed tightly behind him.
This is a long, moving shot, which requires teamwork and a significant number of extras.
Finding extras is easy, but they come from a long distance, so if we don't send a car to pick them up, we'll have to pay for their transportation.
Fortunately, the company was in its early stages and had plenty of passionate and ambitious young people, so Wang Zian gave it a generous hand.
To foster better relationships among colleagues, everyone pitched in.
So the entire crew dressed up.
Old Li was also awarded the rank of colonel, becoming the biggest villain in the entire series, leading Japanese soldiers to rampage through the streets.
They also said that Old Li was dark-skinned and thin, and when he put on that khaki military uniform, he really did look a bit like a Japanese officer.
Old Yang was the first to laugh at him, but before the laughter had even died down, he himself ended up with a set of translator's attire.
A wrinkled suit, a pair of small, round Japanese glasses, pushed against his chubby face, coupled with his grinning, made him look exactly like a classic traitor straight out of an old movie.
The men behind the scenes were all tall and burly. Their military uniforms stretched taut over their bodies, making them look quite imposing when they stood on the street.
Zhou Ye stood to the side, holding a camera and laughing so hard he bent over. The lens captured the excitement and embarrassment of these people being extras for the first time.