novellhall Chapter 67 Do you want to make a short film?
Chapter 67 Do you want to make a short film?
"Yeah, that's the feeling I wanted. It looks like a boyfriend taking a picture of his girlfriend!" Wang Zian said.
Old Li leaned closer to the screen and swiped his finger across Wang Zian's camera display, taking two pictures.
As he looked at it, his expression changed from curiosity to a thoughtful seriousness.
Then he looked up at Wang Zi'an, his face, tanned bronze by the studio lights, carrying a look of re-examination.
"Junior brother, you're amazing!"
"With this composition, the person looks significantly better; it's sure to make your heart flutter at first glance."
"Just some little tricks~!" Wang Zian put down the camera, his tone very flat.
The two stood next to the light fixture in the courtyard, exchanging ideas on shooting parameters and composition.
After changing into her second outfit, Zhou Ye stood in front of the makeup table while the makeup artist touched up her makeup.
The makeup artist was applying a second coat of mascara to her eyelashes. Her head was tilted back slightly, her eyes were closed, but her lips were pursed into a straight line; she had a somewhat cold expression.
Zhang Ruonan had just stepped off the set, her cheeks still bearing the bright smile she hadn't quite shaken off during the shoot, and a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
She walked to the dressing table and stood next to Zhou Ye, their faces in the mirror a stark contrast.
Wang Zian was looking through the set of photos Zhou Ye had just taken; he had to admit they were very photogenic.
Old Li couldn't help but give Zhou Ye a thumbs up, "Junior sister, your face is so photogenic; you're definitely going to be famous!"
Zhou Ye forced a smile.
The smile was polite, with the corners of the mouth curving up, but the eyes didn't follow suit.
Her gaze slid across Old Li's face and landed on Wang Zi'an.
Old Li has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for so many years.
He had seen that look in his eyes far too many times.
On set, under the spotlight, he could spot the subtle glances exchanged between the young actors even with his eyes closed.
He nudged Wang Zian's back lightly with his elbow and tilted his chin slightly toward Zhou Ye.
Wang Zian looked up from the camera screen and saw Zhou Ye.
The makeup artist just moved the mascara brush away, making her eyelashes curl longer and curlier, but her lips were still slightly pursed.
He chuckled, picked up his camera, and walked towards her: "Zhou Ye, you have no idea how beautiful you look in my photos. You could publish a photo album on your own, I'm not kidding."
At this, Zhou Ye couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
The smile she had been suppressing for so long finally spread across her lips, her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, but she immediately pressed the corners of her mouth down again.
"No way! It can't be that good."
"Ah~! I didn't mean you're good-looking, I just took the good photos~!"
"You~~~!" Zhou Ye was taken aback, then glared at him angrily.
His two sentences had turned that face, which had been as cold as ice, into a conflicted mix of anger and amusement.
Her mouth opened and closed, her eyebrows furrowed and relaxed.
"Okay, just kidding! Let's move on to the next set. We'll shoot here today and outdoors tomorrow!"
"Nan-jie, go change your clothes!"
Zhang Ruonan stood up from the dressing stool, still clutching the bouquet of fake daisies in her hand. She glanced at the two of them, a faint smile playing on her lips, and then turned and went into the dressing room.
···
When filming the third set, Zhou Ye was arranged to sit in a scene decorated as a retro Western restaurant.
A dark wooden table with a white tablecloth, on which sits an imitation candlestick and a wine glass.
She held a knife and fork, her bright yellow long dress cascading down from the chair, and her hair was braided into a thin plait.
"This yellow outfit will give you a different style, a bit more charming! Imagine you're on a date with someone you like, having a fancy meal."
Zhou Ye glanced at him but didn't say anything, though a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth.
She lowered her head, pretending to adjust her skirt, and when she looked up, her expression had completely changed.
Her eyes were smiling, her lips were slightly pouting, and her head was tilted a little.
Charming, vibrant, with a touch of coquettishness.
Zhang Ruonan changed into overalls and a white shirt, and stood to the side with her arms crossed.
She looked at Zhou Ye in the lens, at Wang Zi'an crouching to the side pressing the shutter, and at Lao Li taking pictures from the front.
Her posture was casual, but her gaze would occasionally linger on Wang Zi'an's back for a few more seconds.
Wang Zian inexplicably felt like he was trying to balance things.
As filming gradually got on track, Zhou Ye became more natural, and the filming speed increased.
By the afternoon, the two of them had changed their outfits five or six times in one day.
When the last set of photos was taken and Lao Li announced that work was done, Zhou Ye and Zhang Ruonan collapsed onto the sofa as if their bones had been removed, remaining motionless.
They allowed the makeup artist to gently wipe their faces with makeup remover pads.
Wang Zian and Lao Li stood by the lamp stand, each looking through the photos and videos on their cameras. After a moment of silence, they both nodded.
"Junior brother, these negatives are excellent today. They don't need much post-processing. A little retouching will be enough to produce the final product. I can get them to you in two days at most."
Old Li put down his camera and said with a smile.
His words contained seven or eight parts sincerity, and two or three parts professional flattery.
"Thanks for your hard work! I've picked a few photos; please edit them and send them to me quickly!"
"No problem!"
"Thank you!"
Wang Zian smiled and nodded at him, then turned his gaze to the other guys who were packing up the softboxes. "Besides photos, does Senior Brother also take on short film shoots?"
The price for the photos was already quite good, but it was still less than what they earned from the short films.
Upon hearing that a big business opportunity had come his way, Old Li nodded much faster than he usually spoke.
"Catch it!"
"Are you available for the next week?"
"Yes, absolutely!" Old Li nodded vigorously.
"Okay then!" Wang Zian said with a smile, "We'll be filming here for the next week, and I'd like to shoot some short videos!"
"Short videos, like Douyin?"
"Hmm~!"
"No problem!" Old Li readily agreed.
He looked at the young man in front of him, reflecting on his experiences throughout the day.
This morning, Lao Li felt that Wang Zian had theoretical knowledge, but his practical skills were too immature.
But every time he gives a gentle hint, Wang Zian can digest, adjust, and immediately correct it in the next shot in a short time.
By the time they finished work in the evening and did their last look, Wang Zian's success rate in getting photos taken had more than doubled compared to when he first arrived, which put some pressure on Lao Li.
Fortunately, he had worked hard for many years, and although there was still a visible distance between him and the level he was at, the speed at which he caught up made him feel a slight chill down his spine at one moment.
"Junior, are you a freshman in the Cinematography Department of Beijing Film Academy?" Old Li finally asked the question he had been holding back all day.
"No, acting major!" Wang Zian raised his camera and waved it around, the lens ring reflecting the light. "But I like learning skills. I taught myself photography, and so did I teach myself directing."
Old Li's eyes widened.
A strong intuition rose in his mind that he had encountered a powerful and influential figure.
He changed his smile from professional politeness to genuine sincerity, and his tone also changed.
"Junior brother, no, Boss Wang, feel free to contact me if you need anything in the future, and I'll give you a discount."
Wang Zian put down his camera and couldn't help but take a closer look at the person in front of him.
Lao Li's full name is Li Qi.
He selected it from a group of candidate teams that ByteDance wanted to recruit.
After working together all day, this person is indeed capable.
The compositions are clean, the lighting is skillful, and some shots have a texture that is hard to describe. They are not like the works of ordinary still photographers, but more like a frame frozen in a movie.
How could someone with that level of skill be taking on freelance work outside instead of working as a director of photography on a film set?