novellhall Chapter 33: Master One Lamp
Chapter 33: Master One Lamp
Wei Yi is a man of action.
No sooner had Fan Binbin left than he called Mu Deyuan.
"Professor Mu, I would like to borrow the main studio of the photography department tonight."
"Oh? What do you want to film?"
"I just got a job. Fan Binbin asked me to shoot a cover. It might be for Marie Claire magazine."
"Oh, what time do you need it?"
"Around eight o'clock, I guess."
"No problem, sure. Just say the word, and even if there's a problem, it'll be fine!"
After hanging up, he dialed Fan Binbin's number again: "Teacher Fan, are you free tonight?"
Fan Binbin had just gotten into the van when he subconsciously glanced at the time—3 PM. "I do have some free time..."
"Then tonight at 8 PM, Beijing Film Academy's main cinematography studio. Just come."
"Don't we need to prepare anything?"
"Need not."
The call ended. Fan Binbin held his phone, looking a little dazed.
Zhang Chuanmei leaned out from the passenger seat: "What's wrong?"
"He said we'd film tonight. We don't need to prepare anything."
Zhang Chuanmei was also stunned: "This...so fast? Shouldn't he have prepared something?"
A typical photography team.
Sometimes, the preparation work for filming alone can take a long time.
When dealing with employers who have special requirements, this preparation time can sometimes take up to half a month or even longer!
Fan Binbin bit his lip: "Mom, let's take a gamble."
At 7:50 p.m., a group of students had already gathered outside the main studio.
Mu Deyuan stood guard at the door, arms crossed, expressionless: "Not open to the public today. Those who need to go back to their dorms, go back to your dorms."
The students groaned in despair, but no one dared to confront the department head directly. They could only retreat to the end of the corridor and crane their necks to peer in their direction.
At 7:55, Wei Yi arrived.
Empty-handed, with nothing prepared.
That said, he still doesn't have his own dedicated camera crew.
Let alone the team.
He doesn't even have his own video camera or camera.
This is baffling to others.
But in his own view—
My skills are all in this: even if you give me a phone camera, I'll still take pictures and show them to you!
He's not a real photography enthusiast.
Instead of spending that money on equipment and a team, you might as well use it to buy a luxury car in the capital.
Mu Deyuan glanced at him: "You... don't you have any preferred or handy equipment?"
"No, I'll use whatever you have."
Mu Deyuan remained silent.
He missed the entire process of Wei Yi filming Gong Li last time.
This time, I'm determined to see it for myself.
At 8 o'clock sharp, Fan Binbin arrived.
He was dressed in a low-key black tracksuit, with sunglasses and a mask covering his face completely. He was accompanied only by Zhang Chuanmei and a makeup artist carrying three large suitcases of dresses.
"Teacher Fan, let's go first—"
"No rush," Wei Yi interrupted her. "Let me see the clothes you brought."
The makeup artist opened the suitcase.
A Versace openwork dress, a Chanel tweed suit, a silver fishtail dress studded with rhinestones, and a haute couture set flown in from the air.
Wei Yi glanced at them and shook his head: "None of them will do." He turned to Fan Binbin, "What are you wearing underneath?"
Fan Binbin took off his sports jacket.
Inside was a slightly faded off-white sweater with a loose round neck and slightly pilling cuffs.
His chest was bulging.
I really want to press it.
Wei Yi's eyes lit up: "This one."
The makeup artist nearly lost her balance: "This...this is something she just threw on casually when she went out, something that cost only a few dozen yuan..."
"This is it. Remove all makeup, just a thin layer of foundation, and don't trim your eyebrows. Take your hair down and let it hang loose."
The makeup artist's eyes widened, while Zhang Chuanmei hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
Fan Binbin gritted his teeth: "I'll listen to Teacher Wei."
Twenty minutes later, Fan Binbin stood in front of the camera again.
Her face was plain, her slightly damp hair clung to her forehead, and an old sweater wrapped around her slender figure.
She wore no fancy clothes or jewelry, and didn't look like a female celebrity; she looked more like an ordinary girl who had just gotten off work.
Wei Yi turned to Mu Deyuan and said, "Teacher Mu, turn off all the lights in the studio except for one tungsten filament lamp. Turn the wattage to the lowest setting and shine it on her from the side and behind."
Mu Deyuan's brow twitched.
A low-power tungsten filament lamp, with light coming from the side and rear, means that the front of the main subject is almost entirely in shadow.
With this lighting, it's quite an achievement to be able to capture a person clearly in a photo.
But he said nothing and turned to adjust the lights himself.
The studio went dark.
The only light source was three meters behind Fan Binbin, like a faint, orange-red ember that was about to go out.
Light seeped through the gaps in her hair, casting extremely fine beams of light into the air.
Wei Yi crouched down, and the camera tilted slightly upwards.
On the monitor, most of Fan Binbin's face was hidden in shadow, with only his left cheekbone and jawline outlined by a faint side backlight, revealing a very thin golden edge.
"Teacher Fan, think of something you are most unwilling to accept."
Her eyelashes fluttered.
"Have you thought about it? Good. Now, forget about it."
She was stunned.
"But what you can't forget is still in your eyes. Don't hide, don't act. Just look at the camera."
The shutter clicked.
The first image freezes.
Those eyes were as clear as a deep pool, but at the deepest part of the water, there was a flame that refused to be extinguished.
Mu Deyuan remained silent from the moment the screen lit up.
After the shutter clicked three times, he suddenly took a step back, his voice extremely low. Behind him were several elite photography students he had specially brought in:
"See that? One lamp conquers the world. That's what you call talent."
The shutter clicked a few more times, then stopped.
Let's watch a movie.
Wei Yi put the machine on the table.
The monitor lights up.
When the first frame was played, the entire studio was silent for three seconds.
Zhang Chuanmei peeked out and was immediately frozen in place.
The person in the photo is her daughter, but she isn't her daughter.
Not Jin Suo, who played a maid and couldn't make a comeback for six years.
It's not like Fan Binbin, who smiles forcefully on the red carpet.
Clean, fragile, like a piece of uncarved white jade.
But in those eyes, there was a burning fire.
Her hands began to tremble.
Mu Deyuan hunched over the monitor and stared at it for a long time. His lips moved, but in the end, he only managed to utter one sentence:
"Damn it. He really is a one-man army!"
Fan Binbin stared at himself on the monitor and remained silent for a long time.
Then she turned her head and took two steps toward Wei Yi: "Teacher Wei—"
"I'll just copy the video for you."
Wei Yi didn't even look up, handing over a USB drive. "Take it back and choose for yourself."
His tone was so indifferent, as if he had just taken a set of ID photos today.
Fan Binbin looked down at the USB drive, then looked up at him.
She wanted to ask.
How did you know what was in my eyes? How did you manage to capture something I couldn't capture in six years with just one light?
But in the end, she didn't say anything.
He took the USB drive and nodded: "Thank you. The final payment will be transferred to your account tomorrow."
"No rush." Wei Yi stood up. "Let's talk about it after you get the Marie Claire cover."
He gestured with his chin towards Mu Deyuan: "Thanks, Teacher Mu. Remember to put the cost of the equipment wear and tear on my tab."
"Oh, it's nothing, no need!"
"No, that won't do. I remember our school has regulations on this. If you don't use it, I won't dare to come again."
"Okay then, I'll let you know later."
"OK."
After asking a few photography students to help tidy up, Wei Yi and Director Mu came out together.
A few students who refused to leave were still squatting in the corridor. They suddenly surrounded the students and asked them all at once how the photos turned out.
Wei Yi waved his hand, intending to leave.
But Mu Deyuan rarely had the chance to be alone with him, and Old Mu was still not giving up, still wanting to drag him to the photography department.
He extended a warm invitation to him to sit in his office and have some tea.
Although Wei Yi knew his intentions, tonight Mu Deyuan, a photography master and the head of the photography department at Beijing Film Academy, actually acted as his lighting technician.
This favor...
He had no choice but to comply.
Inside the film studio.
Zhang Chuanmei flipped through the photos one by one.
When she turned to the fifth picture, she looked up at Fan Binbin, her eyes glistening with tears.
Fan Binbin was still staring in the direction of the studio entrance.
"Binbin".
"Um?"
"How about we quit the entertainment industry?"
"what?"
Fan Binbin looked away and looked down at his mother in surprise.
"...You're so pitiful."