I entered Huayu Entertainment in 2016.

Chapter 131 Daily Life on the Film Crew

Wang Zian leaned against a pillar beside the stage, Tian Xiwei squatted on the ground fanning herself, Zhou Ye sighed with relief, and Liu Haochun sat quietly in the corner, his hands neatly placed on his knees, but his shoulders were slumped.

She was so exhausted that she could no longer maintain the posture of a dancer she had trained for many years.

Back in front of the monitor, Teacher Wang commented without any politeness: "You guys got everything wrong – blocking, lines, expressions.

Everyone involved has a problem; it's not just one person's fault.

Wang Zian and Zhou Ye exchanged glances, conveying to each other the mistakes they had made.

He looked at the camera, she stepped out of the frame, Tian tide stammered slightly, and Liu Haochun's expression froze.

Let's all refrain from criticizing each other.

"If your basic skills aren't up to par, this is what happens!" Teacher Wang's gaze swept over everyone. "This is different from the short videos you filmed before."

Short videos don't require much coherent performance; you just need to amplify your emotions within a few seconds.

"But serious dramas won't work. Characters are built layer by layer, and every action and every look is a building block for that character. If you don't have a solid foundation, you'll break down one layer after another."

Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Next, you will learn and practice the basics while filming."

"No problem!" Wang Zian was the first to agree.

Wang Chunzai didn't want to pay any attention to him; this kid always thought three steps ahead before acting.

That's why I called her here.

Wang Chunzai had already seen through his tricks long ago.

But she still nodded. Not because Wang Zian was shameless, but because every one of these newly-adult children was incredibly talented.

Zhou Ye's ability to grasp concepts instantly; Tian Xiwei's natural camera presence that can captivate audiences with her expressions without needing dialogue; and Liu Haochun's talent to hide emotions in his eyes and then bring them out in a way that makes hearts clench—these are all rare and precious talents.

Having taught acting for over a decade, she knows all too well how rare "talent" is.

They know all too well that talent without a solid foundation is like a shooting star without a trajectory—it shines for a moment, and then nothing remains.

Moreover, she also wanted to get Wang Zi'an into the Beijing Film Academy.

···

The subsequent filming was briefly paused.

Wang Chunzai pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the monitor, and began to explain some of the most basic things about filming and acting in a movie crew.

The boundary between movement and camera angles; how to maintain awareness of the camera's position while moving; how to quickly adjust one's emotional state after repeated takes; and how to subconsciously control one's gaze and facial expressions.

Wang Zian and the others listened very attentively.

Previously, when filming, we relied entirely on Lao Li to teach us step by step. The blocking was done by putting fluorescent markers on the ground in advance, and every action was framed. Everyone followed the steps and became familiar with it after doing it many times.

But even though they are familiar with it, they know what it is but not why it is so.

As for the performance itself, Wang Chunzai was quite envious of the four of them.

They're all gifted.

Zhou Ye's eyes have a natural penetrating power that can convey emotions through the screen; Tian Xiwei is a natural-born darling of the camera; and Liu Haochun is the kind of quiet actor whose silence is more powerful than his words.

As for Wang Zi'an, he has zero acting experience and skills, but he has something that is difficult for others to train: he is relaxed and unpretentious in front of the camera.

Looking at these four people, Wang Chunzai felt more and more sorry for them.

One is Beijing Film Academy, one is Shanghai Theatre Academy, and one is Beijing Dance Academy. Only one of them is located on their own turf.

"When you're acting out thinking, don't just furrow your brow."

"Imagine this," she said, looking at Liu Haochun, slowing her speech slightly, as if she were giving her a private lesson.

"Everyone's lives hang in the balance with your decision. Whether they live or die is unknown. And now, this responsibility is in your hands, not someone else's, but yours."

"What should you do?"

Liu Haochun thought about it seriously, a flicker of emotion flashing in his doe-like eyes.

She paused for a moment, then spoke in a soft voice, "I think I'll be worried and nervous."

But what this person did later was so brave.

It's not that she's not afraid; she's afraid, yet she still chooses to stay. Therefore, she will absolutely not back down.

"That's right!" Wang Chunzai looked at Liu Haochun with satisfaction, "Try to put all of what you just said—worry, tension, and perseverance—into your eyes and let me see it."

Liu Haochun closed his eyes and pondered for a while. When he opened them again, a mixture of tension, worry, and determination was revealed.

Wang Chunzai looked into her eyes and slowly nodded.

Actually, she hadn't been idle since she arrived here after lunch.

Using his personal connections, he inquired about some things.

I won't go into Zhou Ye and Wang Zi'an; I already knew about them.

However, the girl in front of me, who looks the quietest and least noticeable, has a family background; to be precise, she has some connection with the top person in the circle.

A while ago, Zhang Yimou's film "Shadow" held a nationwide audition for the female lead, and Liu Haochun auditioned and made it to the next round.

Everyone in the industry knows how sharp Zhang Yimou's eye is.

The young girl in front of me, dressed in a plain dress and sitting quietly in the dressing chair, is a talent personally selected by Zhang Yimou.

Wang Chunzai then looked at Wang Zian, wondering if he knew about this matter.

How did Zhang Yimou manage to poach the people he had his eye on?

···

With Wang Chunzai overseeing things, the filming of the later scenes went much more smoothly.

Previously, the number of repeated takes due to basic issues such as positioning, eye contact, lines, and expressions was greatly reduced, and eight scenes were filmed in one afternoon.

The most difficult one was Old Li's match.

He played a Japanese officer who led a squad of soldiers to search the streets, kicking down doors from house to house, and shoving and beating any civilians he didn't like.

Wang Chunzai stood next to Lao Li and adjusted the strength and angle of his movements several times, making his punches look fierce, but actually reducing most of the force when they landed on the extras.

Old Li learned very quickly, mastering it in just two tries.

Wang Zian and three girls took on multiple roles in this play; one moment they changed into military uniforms and followed behind Lao Li to play the Japanese soldiers capturing people, and the next they changed into coarse cloth shirts and squatted on the street corner to play the beaten civilians. They were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water.

In just one afternoon, everyone's progress was obvious; at the very least, they stopped making silly mistakes.

····

That evening, everyone had a very hearty meal together as part of the film crew.

Chicken drumsticks, braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and rice piled high—Old Yang ate two servings by himself.

It wasn't that Prince An was unwilling to eat a lavish meal.

Instead, Teacher Wang told him that filming was a big deal and he couldn't be extravagant.

Old Li and Wang Zi'an squatted on the steps with their lunchboxes, eating while flipping through tomorrow's call sheet.

After dinner, Wang Zian, Zhou Ye, Tian Xiwei, Liu Haochun, and Lao Li escorted Wang Chunzai to the entrance of the theater.

The summer nights in BJ finally cooled down a bit, but the evening breeze blowing from the other side of the street still carried the heat of the cobblestone pavement that had been baked by the sun all day.

"I'll come again tomorrow. The day after tomorrow I'm going to Shanghai for a seminar and won't be back for several days. If there's anything I can help you with, just tell me now."

Wang Chunzai stood at the doorway, turned around and looked at Wang Zian.

Wang Zian smiled and quickly said, "Teacher Wang, there really is."

"We would like to invite a teacher who can sing Kunqu Opera to help us organize the movements for the later dramatic parts."

"If I were to hire them myself, I'm worried that the people I find might not be good enough, but even if they are good enough, they might not be willing to come to a small production crew like ours that hasn't made a name for itself yet."

Wang Chunzai thought for a moment, then nodded: "No problem, I'll help you find one. But the cost..."

"Don't worry, it will definitely satisfy everyone!" Wang Zian assured him without hesitation.