in2ebook Chapter 302: Directing Acting
Chapter 302: Directing Acting
"Isn't it true what people say on the Internet? I saw you join the group this time and care about the work behind the scenes, so I thought it was true."
"It's hard to say. I can't give up my career as an actor. I'm actually quite interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff right now."
"Now that you've said that, Teacher Jiang, I understand. I saw that they were all so confident that I thought it was true. Teacher Jiang, I'm so sorry that I almost misunderstood you. I'd better not trust things on the Internet too much."
At this time, the assistant director's voice came over the intercom, saying that the actors were in place and they could start shooting.
Seeing this, Jiang Mubai did not continue the previous topic with Zhao Long. She always felt that something was not right when watching the actors' performance on the monitor.
Zhao Long also looked like he was about to say something, "Teacher Jiang, why don't we ask them to do it again?"
"Hmm, the emotions and understanding of the characters don't seem to be good. Did they read the novel before they came?"
"I'm not sure about that. It seems that they don't have it. Teacher Jiang's book is so hard to buy. It's normal that they haven't read the original."
Jiang Mubai realized that Zhao Long was trying to smooth things over, but she didn't say anything. She was not an unreasonable person and she didn't insist that all the actors read her book.
Zhao Long stopped the second performance before it was finished. "The actors' emotions are still not right. Let them find the feeling again. We can shoot again when they are ready."
Jiang Mubai felt that they couldn't waste any more time like this, so she came to the actors and said, "Come here, the three of you. I'll tell you what the key point of this scene is. What was your character's first reaction when he found the body? It must not be as exaggerated or emotional as you portrayed. You must be too scared to believe what you saw."
"So the key to this scene is that it revolves around the corpse. You have to show the desire to find the truth and catch the murderer, but your performance gave me the feeling that you are not familiar with the deceased, as if you are an outsider."
"So what should we do? After taking two takes I feel like something is not right but I don't know how to correct it."
Seeing someone express their confusion, Jiang Mubai was very happy. She liked this kind of actor.
"It's very simple. Just put yourself in the role you are playing and think about how you would react and what your state would be if you were in his shoes."
"Okay, I understand. I'll try it now."
"We'll give you some time to adjust to the role. Let us know when you're ready."
After Jiang Mubai finished her speech, she was about to return to the monitor, but when she turned around, she found Wen Nuohan standing behind her.
"Do you have a role in this scene? I don't think so."
Jiang Mubai knew what role she played, and she knew the script very well, so it was impossible for her to remember the order in which the characters appeared incorrectly. Of course, she felt strange that Wen Nuohan appeared in the first shot.
"No, I saw you talking to them about the play so I wanted to come and listen. My part won't be until tomorrow. Teacher Jiang, you have a really good memory and you know when each of our parts will be filmed."
Jiang Mubai didn't expect Wen Nuohan to be so studious. She thought Wen Nuohan would just rely on his good looks to get by. In her heart, she judged people by their appearance.
"You're doing well. This is your first time making a movie and you may not understand many things. You can actually learn a lot by coming here, not just about acting but also about other things."
Wen Nuohan was very happy to hear Jiang Mubai say this, "I understand, Teacher Jiang, I will come to the set to learn when I don't have a role in the future."
Jiang Mubai nodded. Seeing Wen Nuohan like this, he felt as if he saw himself back then, with his love for the profession of actor and his yearning for making movies.
When Jiang Mubai returned to the monitor, the intercom said that the actors had adjusted their emotions and could start filming.
With Jiang Mubai's guidance, this time went much more smoothly.
Zhao Long was very satisfied with Jiang Mubai's performance. "I have to say that when Teacher Jiang went out, you personally explained the play to them and they all understood the meaning. The original author is different and can quickly grasp the key points and hit the nail on the head."
Jiang Mubai has become accustomed to Zhao Long's occasional flattery. When she first met him, she thought he was just like that. After getting to know him, she discovered that Zhao Long was like that to everyone and would not deliberately flatter her just because of Jiang Mubai's identity. This changed Jiang Mubai's mind.
Jiang Mubai thought this crew was quite interesting. After a day, she had a different understanding of the three people. The first one was Qian Shuyun. At first, she thought that she really looked down on her for switching from an actor to a novelist, but she didn't expect that she would take the initiative to find her and explain to her.
The second one is Wen Nuohan. She maintains respect and love for her profession. She is very polite when greeting her and her voice is very nice.
Jiang Mubai actually hoped that she could always remain curious about everything, and not be polluted by this circle and become restless.
The other one is Director Zhao Long. When she first met him, she was particularly disgusted by his style of praising everyone he met. But after a brief contact today, she actually felt that he was a good guy.
Jiang Mubai had a very fulfilling day, and she had a feeling that the next few days on the crew would be very interesting.
Since it was the first day of filming, everyone was not familiar with the situation yet so the filming tasks were not very heavy. Jiang Mubai was very satisfied with Zhao Long's arrangement.
So after the first day of filming, Zhao Long specially invited the actors and staff of the crew to have a dinner together. "Our investors have the money, and since you are not familiar with the show yet, this is a good opportunity for you to get familiar with it. This will also facilitate the subsequent filming."
The crew members are all young actors in their teens and twenties. They are at the age when they love to be lively, so when they see the director say so, of course they will not refuse.
Jiang Mubai originally didn't want to join in the fun. She suddenly had an inspiration while she was on the set today, and she wanted to go back and write down the inspiration for the novel.
But Zhao Long was so enthusiastic that he insisted that Jiang Mubai join in the fun. The actors who had been coached by Jiang Mubai also came over to persuade her to have dinner with him.
Jiang Mubai felt it was difficult to refuse them because if the news got out, people would think she was being a big shot and difficult to approach.
Jiang Mubai followed them to the restaurant. She planned to eat a few bites and then sneak back to the hotel to write a novel, but she didn't find the opportunity the whole night.
The reason was that she was sitting between Zhao Long and Qian Shuyun. Sometimes someone would talk to her about the lighting and makeup of the actors on the set, and sometimes someone would talk to her about the plot of the novel and the relationship between the characters. So Jiang Mubai kept talking to the two of them, and after talking about one thing, the other would come up immediately.
As a result, she didn't eat much of the food but drank three cups of water. The male actor who asked Jiang Mubai questions on the set couldn't stand it and spoke up for Jiang Mubai.
"Director and screenwriter, you two should let Teacher Jiang take a break and eat something. I see you guys have been talking to Teacher Jiang but she hasn't even moved her chopsticks. Teacher Jiang herself said that she will stay in the group until we finish filming."