novellhall Chapter 10: A Gift from Heaven
Chapter 10: A Gift from Heaven
Hengdian.
Noon in September.
The sun was shining so brightly that the asphalt road was glistening with oil.
Xu Xiaodan walked at the front, dressed in a smart casual outfit, her steps brisk.
She was followed by a dozen or so young men and women, all of whom were students from the 03 class of the Performance Department at Beijing Film Academy.
Both undergraduate and vocational college programs are available.
Xu Xiaodan herself was the class teacher of the 03 vocational college class.
Of course, she was also a teacher in the 03 undergraduate class of the Performing Arts Department.
She is the teacher in charge of leading the Beijing Film Academy students to Hengdian for their internship.
"Teacher Xu, will we be able to see Director Zhang later?"
The boy at the back spoke softly.
His question caused a slight stir among the students.
We've all been spending almost five days in Hengdian already.
Before coming, everyone thought that with Xu Xiaodan's status as the "King of Connections at Beijing Film Academy" and everyone's qualifications as outstanding graduates of Beijing Film Academy, they would be able to easily make it to Beijing Film Academy.
Everyone felt that this trip to Hengdian was worthwhile.
Without even saying anything, they directly played the male lead, the second male lead, and the first and second female lead.
At the very least, there should be important supporting male and female actors to play.
But the result?
Apart from two or three people who have already received special roles with considerable lines.
Most of the remaining people are still empty-handed.
Hey--
Xu Xiaodan sighed inwardly.
Despite everyone saying she's the queen of connections at Beijing Film Academy.
But actually?
That's simply because she's good at socializing, plus she has some family connections.
Many senior students were happy to give her some face.
However, this is on the premise that it does not involve too much profit.
And the various roles in the crew, even those who are just extras.
It is undoubtedly a resource.
Resources are interests.
If it's just one or two characters, that's fine.
Xu Xiaodan brought fifteen students with her this time, and even though she had the backing of the Beijing Film Academy, she couldn't guarantee that everyone would have a role to play.
If that were to happen...
Then more than 80% of the graduates from the Beijing Film Academy wouldn't end up working in fields unrelated to film.
"Everyone, perk up!"
Xu Xiaodan glanced back at them, her tone neither too loud nor too soft, "Zhang Li is an alumnus of our Beijing Film Academy's Class of '78. The dramas he produced, such as 'The Birth of a Nation' and 'Towards the Republic,' are works that can be written into the history of Chinese dramas."
"The school put in a lot of effort to make the arrangements, and I risked my reputation to secure this opportunity for you. Whether you can seize it or not depends entirely on your performance later."
"Don't come back looking dejected and unable to even speak properly. You'll not only embarrass yourselves, but also me."
A group of students nodded quickly, straightened their backs, and even slowed their breathing.
Everyone knows that.
This is a rare opportunity.
Although "The Embroidered Uniform Guard" is not a big-budget historical drama.
However, it was directed by Zhang Li, a fifth-generation director.
And these students, those in the undergraduate program, haven't even graduated yet.
Even if it's just a minor role where you get to say a line or two.
For them, that's a valuable qualification that can be included in their resume.
"I heard that Director Zhang is known for being very strict. When he was filming 'The Birth of a Nation,' a veteran actor mispronounced a line and was scolded by him for half an hour on the spot," a girl whispered.
"Strictness is good!"
The classmate next to him immediately chimed in, "Being able to work with a director of this caliber, I think you'll learn something that's definitely more useful than spending half a year studying books at school."
As they spoke, they arrived at the temporary office area set up by the film crew.
As soon as I reached the door, I heard a hearty laugh coming from inside.
It wasn't the kind of polite formality; it was genuine excitement.
"Great! That's it, that's it!"
Xu Xiaodan, who was walking at the front, paused for a moment, then raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
A strong male voice came from inside; it was Zhang Li.
Pushing open the door, I entered a small office with several monitors and scripts and photography equipment piled up in the corner.
A short-haired, energetic middle-aged man was standing in front of the monitor, his back to the door; it was director Zhang Li.
There were two people standing next to him.
One is Li Hua, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, who is currently working as an assistant director on Zhang Yi's film crew.
The other person, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and black pants, with a tall and straight figure and a clean and neat profile, was talking to Zhang Li with his head down.
It was Wei Yi, who had just had lunch with Xu Xiaodan and others not long ago.
Hearing the noise, Zhang Li turned around, saw Xu Xiaodan, and immediately smiled, reaching out to greet her.
"Xiao Dan is here? Please have a seat."
"Sorry to bother you, senior."
Xu Xiaodan quickly looked away, shook hands with Zhang Li, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then couldn't help but ask, "What's this...? I was just having dinner with Wei, and he said you asked him to come over."
Zhang Li laughed heartily, patted Wei Yi on the shoulder, and couldn't hide the admiration on his face.
"You mean Xiao Wei? You teach at the school, you should know him better than I do."
Zhang Li's eyes lit up as he spoke, "I've heard Lao Xie, Lao Tian, and the others talking about it for ages. They said our Beijing Film Academy has a once-in-a-century genius, his talent in photography is simply terrifying. I didn't believe it at first, but then they sent me faxes and emails, and I was shocked after reading them. Luckily, I had Xiao Li's phone number, and I knew Lao Tian had asked him to take care of Xiao Wei in Hengdian. So I asked Xiao Li to call him over and show off his skills. Tsk tsk, our Beijing Film Academy has really struck gold this time!"
Standing to the side, Li Hua heard his name called, and although he smiled, his heart was already bubbling with jealousy.
He graduated almost ten years ago.
After struggling in the industry and pulling strings, I finally managed to get a position as an assistant director under Zhang Yimou.
This already puts them ahead of 99% of their classmates and industry insiders.
As it turns out, Wei Yi probably hasn't even stepped into a classroom at the Beijing Film Academy yet.
He wasn't even a freshman, yet he easily joined Zhang Yimou's film crew.
Even more outrageous is...
Zhang Yimou's film hasn't even started shooting yet.
Wei Yi then caught the eye of Zhang Li, another renowned director of the fifth generation of directors.
Comparing yourself to others is truly infuriating.
"Isn't that amazing?" Xu Xiaodan asked curiously.
She has been busy leading the students lately.
Most of what I heard about Wei Yi came from my colleagues.
I've also heard about Wei Yi's talent in photography, so much so that it's said Mu Deyuan even wanted to challenge Tian Erzhuang to a duel, saying whoever won would get Wei Yi...
"Xiao Dan, see for yourself!" Zhang Li slapped his thigh, pointing at the monitor. "I've been in this industry for almost thirty years, and I've never seen a young person with such a keen intuition for cameras and lighting!"
"I just had him use my camera to take a few shots. See for yourself!"
A group of students followed Xu Xiaodan to the monitor.
The scene shows the palace walls of Hengdian.
Midday overhead lighting is widely recognized in the industry as the most difficult lighting to capture.
However, the layers of light and shadow in the picture are frighteningly distinct.
The imposing weight of the palace walls, the sharp lines of the eaves, and even the rustling of leaves in the wind all carry an indescribable sense of history.
It seems as if countless power struggles and battles have been played out there.
If this were the Forbidden City.
That could be attributed to metaphysics or psychological effects or something like that.
After all, it has a rich and ancient history.
But this is Hengdian.
Those seemingly ancient and solemn palace walls were all built in the last few years.
It has absolutely no historical background.
But it was precisely through Wei Yi's lens that Xu Xiaodan and her students got that feeling.
Even if they are studying acting, they may not understand many photography techniques.
It's immediately obvious that this footage is on a completely different level from what ordinary film crews produce.
It's like a documentary filmed by a Hollywood team.
"This... was this taken by Wei Yi just now?" Xu Xiaodan asked in shock after seeing it.
Zhang Li nodded, glancing at Wei Yi beside him with a reserved smile, "And it was shot without much preparation. No lighting, no waiting, no parameter adjustments, just started shooting."
"This, this..."
After a pause, Xu Xiaodan said quietly, "This might just be a gift from God."