novellhall Chapter 22: The Instantaneous Creation and Extinction of Light and Shadow Technique
Chapter 22: The Instantaneous Creation and Extinction of Light and Shadow Technique
"Director Zhang, in this kind of weather, at this time, it might be difficult to shoot this kind of shot."
At the film crew's residence.
Zhao Xiaoding said helplessly, he didn't know what was wrong with Lao Zhang either.
However, as an outstanding alumnus of Beijing Film Academy, Zhao Xiaoding did receive calls from senior executives at the academy.
She implied that she hoped he could take care of Wei Yi a little.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yimou is now one of the most famous people at Beijing Film Academy.
Instead, he became the first person in the crew to make things difficult for Wei Yi.
How can Zhao Xiaoding help with this?
"Let the child try it, it's okay."
Zhang Yimou has never been a man of many words.
Zhao Xiaoding could only shake his head slightly.
the other side.
It was 11:30 a.m., and the sun was almost directly overhead.
The sun in Hengdian is so scorching it can peel off a layer of skin; the asphalt roads are softened by the heat, and the heat waves in the air distort your vision.
The western corner of the Ming and Qing palace gardens was in complete chaos.
Many extras carried props back and forth, and the noisy chatter and the clanging of equipment were mixed together, with the background full of figures that made the mistake.
In front of the Chrysanthemum Terrace backdrop, the midday sun shines directly down.
The golden chrysanthemums were wilted by the sun, their bright parts turning white, while the shadows cast by the palace wall behind them were as black as ink, obscuring even the details of the brick seams.
The photography assistant who came along had a face scrunched up like a bun, and he tried to persuade her with a pained expression:
"Xiao Wei, the lighting is unusable for filming. How about we wait until after 3 PM when the light softens? Director Zhang won't say anything then."
Wei Yi didn't speak, but just looked up at the sun overhead.
The sun was blazing overhead, its rays so harsh that there was no room for maneuver.
In this environment, an ordinary photographer wouldn't even have the courage to turn on their camera.
But he is not an ordinary photographer.
Wei Yi silently recited a command in his mind, and the system panel instantly unfolded on his retina.
[Host: Wei Yi]
Current Level: Beginner
[Technique: The Instantaneous Creation and Extinction of Light and Shadow Technique (LV0)]
[Spiritual Power: 78]
"System, can I use my spiritual power to upgrade the 'Instantaneous Creation and Annihilation Light and Shadow Technique' to LV1?"
[Command confirmed, spiritual energy deduction successful!]
[The "Instantaneous Creation and Extinction of Light and Shadow Technique" has been upgraded to Level 1!]
A vast amount of complex knowledge about light and shadow flooded into Wei Yi's mind like a tidal wave.
Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, camera movement—all the techniques related to light and shadow were instantly mastered.
The next second, Wei Yi's vision suddenly changed.
The colorful world before my eyes has lost all its colors, leaving only black, white, and gray lines, and constantly flowing light and shadow.
Every speck of light floating in the air, every refraction of sunlight on the palace walls, and every ray of light reflected from the chrysanthemum petals were clearly presented before his eyes.
It's immediately clear where the light can be diffused, where the shadows can be utilized, and where the angles can conceal layers.
This is the "Instantaneous Birth and Death Light and Shadow Technique" from the system annotations, which can capture fleeting light and shadow and freeze the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth.
"You two, come here."
Wei Yi raised his hand, called over two idle extras, and stuffed two reflectors into their hands.
"Lift it to this position, yes, lower the angle, like this."
"You, take the black flag over there, yes, over by the palace wall."
Wei Yi's instructions were clear and concise, without a single wasted word.
There wasn't a single technical term either.
Because he knew that these extras didn't understand any photography terminology.
Rather than leaving them bewildered.
It's better to just tell them what to do.
The photography assistant next to him was dumbfounded.
He has been in the photography industry for almost ten years.
I've never seen anyone use reflectors and black flags like that before.
The standard procedure is to use a reflector to fill in the shadows.
But Wei Yi did something else: he actually used a reflector to diffuse the top light and a black flag to create diffuse reflection.
This completely goes against the common sense of photography!
Ignoring his shock, Wei Yi picked up the 50mm prime lens, squatted down, and placed the camera against the chrysanthemum bushes on the ground.
Extremely low elevation angle.
The camera slowly pans upwards, the camera movement as steady as if it were welded to a track.
Without waiting for the light to change or avoiding the harshness of overhead lighting, I pressed the record button right in front of the midday sun.
One continuous shot.
Two hours later.
Wei Yi returned to the film crew's residence with the memory card.
In front of the monitor, Zhang Yimou had just finished a site scouting meeting and was sitting in a chair drinking water.
Zhang Weiping was also nearby, and having nothing better to do, he came over to see what the top scorer in the college entrance examination had photographed.
"Director Zhang, the footage is back. Please take a look."
Wei Yi handed over the memory card.
Zhang Yi raised an eyelid and gestured for his assistant to insert the card, his tone still indifferent: "Put it in."
He didn't actually have high expectations.
Under the midday sun, it's already a miracle if you can even get a clear shot.
Not to mention any sense of texture or oppression.
Zhang Weiping, with a "let's watch the show" mentality, crossed his legs and stared at the monitor.
The next second, the screen lit up.
The very first frame caused the water glass in Zhang Yi's hand to freeze in mid-air.
On the monitor, golden chrysanthemums covered the lower half of the screen.
The midday sun shone on the petals, and instead of overexposing them, the veins of each petal were clearly visible, and the golden color was so rich it seemed to overflow.
The camera slowly pans up, revealing the dark red palace walls rising abruptly from the ground. The harsh overhead light, as hard as iron, is broken down into distinct layers of light and shadow, making every detail—the brick seams, the carvings—clearly visible.
Despite it being the blazing midday sun, the scene exudes a somber, approaching twilight atmosphere.
The oppressive feeling of the palace walls is overwhelming, with golden chrysanthemums blooming beneath them.
The more brilliantly the flowers bloom, the more they exude a sense of resolute madness, like "the city draped in golden armor."
Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it.
These seven words.
It was actually captured completely in a single, continuous shot of an empty frame.
Zhang Weiping clicked his tongue and casually remarked, "Wow, the colors are quite vibrant, and the photo is beautiful. Not bad at all."
He was just watching for the spectacle, finding the scene visually appealing, but he couldn't understand the underlying concepts at all.
But Zhang Yi suddenly stood up from the chair.
He snatched the mouse from his assistant's hand, gripped it tightly, and repeatedly dragged the progress bar.
Rewinding frame by frame, my eyes glued to the monitor, I even held my breath.
He watched it three times, from the first frame to the last.
There was complete silence in front of the monitor.
The director of photography and assistant directors standing nearby were all dumbfounded by Zhang Yimou's reaction, and no one dared to say a word.
Finally, Zhang Yi released the mouse.
He suddenly turned to look at Wei Yi, the indifference in his eyes completely gone.
All that remained was overwhelming shock and an irrepressible fondness.
"The interplay of light and shadow... Was this shot with a 50mm prime lens? No, Xiao Wei, did you really take this? Without any post-processing?"
"I filmed it, the original footage, it wasn't altered at all," Wei Yi nodded, his tone calm.
Zhang Yi suddenly burst into laughter, slapped his thigh, and said "Good" three times.
He was completely convinced.
Tian Erzhuang and Zhang Li weren't exaggerating; this kid doesn't just have a little talent, he's practically born for the camera!
Beijing Film Academy has really struck gold this time!
He originally wanted to slap his old classmate in the face, but he was actually quite shocked by this display of light and shadow skills.
Zhang Yi made the decision on the spot, his tone resolute:
"This footage doesn't need to be given to the special effects team. Just cut it directly into the movie's concept trailer as the core shot!"
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Zhang Weiping's smile also froze.
Even if he didn't understand photography, he knew how demanding Zhang Yimou was about the image.
The footage that Zhang Yimou directly selected as the core image for the concept trailer must be top-tier.
The way he looked at Wei Yi again completely changed.
This young man is quite something to make Zhang Yimou lose his composure like this.