novellhall Chapter 12 Making Money
Chapter 12 Making Money
A group of people stood in front of the tower until almost noon, but no one came to greet them. Zhu Yawen asked in a low voice, "How long are we supposed to wait?"
Ji Qingxu replied with a smile, "Wait until dinner is served."
"Serving meals? No more filming?"
"There's definitely not much filming to do before lunch."
"Then we've just been waiting here for nothing, haven't we?"
"Yes, that's how it is for extras; they have no human rights."
"What if we can't film today? Will you still pay us?"
Upon hearing this question, Ji Qingxu chuckled and said, "You're dreaming. You should be worried about what time we'll finish filming today. If we have to film all night, we'll be in big trouble."
"Holy crap, the extras are really pitiful."
Lu Fang-sheng chimed in, "Actually, extras are all the same in any country. I was the same way when I was working at Little Life."
Luo Jin covered his mouth and whispered, "We must work harder in the future and become famous as soon as possible, otherwise, if we are not famous, we will feel no better than extras."
Luo Jin is right. The entertainment industry has a strict hierarchy. Extras are extras, supporting actors are supporting actors, and leading actors are leading actors. The treatment at each level is vastly different.
Furthermore, when working on a film set, never try to force yourself into circles you're not in. People at the top of the entertainment industry generally don't treat those below them like human beings. It's normal to mingle with those below you, but trying to climb the social ladder can easily make you resentful.
These principles were taught to Ji Qingxu bit by bit by Kou Zhanwen over the past few years. Ji Qingxu felt very lucky to have such a senior brother, and at the same time, he found it very interesting. This magical circle would surely allow him to witness many interesting things in the future.
Compared to his dull and boring life of collecting rent in his previous life, this is one of the reasons why Ji Qingxu wants to enter the entertainment industry.
The group chatted for a short while before a staff member came over to call for lunch, so Ji Qingxu and the others went with him to get their boxed lunches.
After receiving their boxed lunches, Ji Qingxu and the other three found a shady spot to sit down.
"Napa cabbage, radish, chili peppers stir-fried...with meat? Do you guys put meat in your lunchboxes?"
"No, I can smell a faint meaty aroma."
"I have a piece of fat here."
"I have some minced meat here."
Zhu Yawen looked at Ji Qingxu and asked, "Little chick, are you full?"
Ji Qingxu smiled and opened the lunchbox. "Whether you're full or not, this is all you have. It's okay, I'll save room for your big meal tonight."
"No problem, I'll definitely make it up to you tonight. By the way, Little Chicken, were your meals on set always like this, with no meat in them?"
"That's about right. Most film crews are like that. Some are a little better, but that's rare."
"How much does this boxed meal cost?"
"Some cost 10 yuan, some 15 yuan, and some 20 yuan."
Upon hearing these numbers, the three exchanged a glance and instantly understood.
Zhu Yawen glanced around cautiously and whispered, "Holy crap, this is way too lucrative. Does this boxed lunch even cost a dollar to make?"
"If the production crew provides 1,000 boxed meals a day, that's 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. They can make a profit every day... My goodness, a single production can earn hundreds of thousands just from boxed meals."
"..."
Ji Qingxu ate his boxed lunch in large mouthfuls without saying a word. The crew had all sorts of ways to make money, and even Kou Zhanwen made money while doing action direction.
For example, film crews with action scenes need to prepare various medicines for sprains and bruises. A bottle of safflower oil costs about 2-5 yuan on the market, but Kou Zhanwen usually quotes it at 50-100 yuan. He buys hundreds of bottles at a time. Why is it so expensive? It's a family secret recipe, and it's worth the price.
There are also protective gear and the like. A regular pair of panty liners costs tens or hundreds of yuan on the market, but the quoted price is 2000-5000 yuan. Don't ask, just say that's the price of professional brands.
Of course, as the action director, Kou Zhanwen could only make a small profit. The real money was made by the props team and logistics staff. These were basically the producers' and directors' private domain, and no one else had a chance to get involved.
If you encounter a professional investor, they might be a little more restrained in making money. But if you encounter an amateur, they are simply unscrupulous. That's right, no production crew, whether invested by an expert or an amateur, doesn't try to make money. Everyone from top to bottom does it; the only difference is how much they make.
Everyone says that actors make money, but Ji Qingxu discovered that these behind-the-scenes staff make money, and they do so in a very low-key way, because the public and media's attention is drawn to the high-paid actors.
The crew of "Lu Bu and Diao Chan" that Ji Qing and Xu Gang transmigrated to were involved in. With an investment of 30 million, Director Chen and his wife received at least 10 million in salary and miscellaneous fees.
Thinking of the drama "Lu Bu and Diao Chan", a strange look flashed across Ji Qingxu's face. Was he a jinx?
This show aired on a local channel in May of this year, and then it was taken off the air.
Because this drama drastically altered history, it caused great controversy. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television ordered the drama to be taken off the air and required extensive revisions and re-examination before it could be released.
Kou Zhanwen also returned to the cast to do voice acting. He played Zhang Fei, now known as "Madman," Liu Bei as "Schemer," and Guan Yu as "Wooden Head."
The male lead, Lü Bu, was renamed Tianya; the female lead, Diaochan, was renamed Diewu; Dong Zhuo was renamed Dongliu; and even the name of the drama was changed to "Butterfly Dance at the End of the World".
The investors behind this drama are really in a bad situation. They spent 3000 million yuan on a TV series, and before it could even be broadcast on a satellite TV channel, they had to spend several million more to reshoot and revise it.
Director Chen is truly amazing. If it were any other director, they would probably have disappeared by now.
......
After finishing their meal, Ji Qingxu and the others waited until after 3 p.m. before the crew members came to set up the scene.
After about two hours of setup, the main crew arrived, and the Beijing Film Studio suddenly became lively.
The six major sects: Wudang, Emei, Huashan, Kongtong...
The main characters are Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo, Zhao Min...
The Iron Triangle: Cheng Kun, Yang Xiao, and Prince Ruyang...
The Two Elders of Xuanming...
Looking at these familiar faces, Ji Qingxu and the other three looked around curiously.
However, before Ji Qingxu and the other three could look around for long, they entered the building at the instruction of assistant director Rosa. As for the extras and soldiers, they stood guard around the tower with weapons in hand.
The scene where Zhang Wuji rescues people at Wanning Pagoda is about to start filming.
After Ji Qingxu and the other three entered the building, they each found their own sect and stood at the back of the group, while the other actors with more screen time also took their positions.
With a "cut" sound, the crew officially began filming.
......
"Master!"
"Zhiruo, don't worry about me, you jump first."
"Master, you jump first."
"No......"
Ji Qingxu, who was standing outside as an NPC, blinked. Gao Yuanyuan's acting skills were terrible, and she was not on the same level as the other actors around her. However, looking at Gao Yuanyuan's pretty face, Ji Qingxu realized what it meant to make it in the entertainment industry based on looks.
Then Ji Qingxu looked at Su Youpeng, the absolute protagonist of today's scene. He was a little over 160 cm tall with a big face. It was this appearance that attracted the attention of all the beauties in the drama "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre".
Magical, truly magical, the entertainment industry is really interesting.
"Cut!"
"Pass, prepare for the next match."
At the director's command, Ji Qingxu silently walked to the side and waited.
Noticing Zhu Yawen winking at him from a distance, Ji Qingxu glanced around and quietly took out his phone to check the time: 11:30.
Ji Qingxu made a gesture towards Zhu Yawen, and seeing Zhu Yawen's speechless expression, a smile flashed in his eyes.
The crew has been filming since 5 p.m. until now, past 11 p.m. Ji Qingxu and the other extras, although they don't have many scenes, have to stand on set and wait to be called upon at any time. Compared to the main and supporting actors who can take a break and drink water from time to time, the extras like Ji Qingxu are even restricted from going to the toilet and cannot move around freely.
However, seeing the crew setting up the next scene, Ji Qingxu looked around. Actually, the crew was shooting very quickly. If it were the previous director Chen Kaige, this "Wanning Pagoda Temple" scene would have taken at least three days to shoot.
The Hong Kong director in front of me can probably finish filming tonight. No wonder Hong Kong directors have captured most of the market share as soon as they enter the mainland. Most investors like this kind of filming speed.
......