Chapter 362

The first day of filming went smoothly; Cha Li and the others also relaxed, and when they called Xiao Guo to report, their tone was light, giving them confidence for the upcoming shooting days, so they weren't as nervous.

The crew treated us well; Boss Yang and Director Kong were both easy to talk to, and the crew was also polite…… No, we didn't reveal anything, of course we know that, we won't spill Hei Tan's background…… Uh, okay……

Cha Li was on the phone over there, Zheng Tan lay on the sofa watching TV, and the other few were playing poker.

The TV was playing an idol drama, the very one Luo Na De appeared in; his role in it was similar to his character in this movie, and Zheng Tan watched Luo Na De on screen, thinking that if the man was truly playing himself, it would be easier to guess his personality preferences.

Zheng Tan had once thought of causing trouble and not cooperating if he and Luo Na De were to act in the same scene, but after reconsidering, he realized that would only lower his own reputation and impression in others' eyes, and it wouldn't really affect Luo Na De much; if he were to 'NG', it would be because of Zheng Tan, not Luo Na De, and the crew would surely sympathize with Luo Na De. Not only would it backfire, it would also disrupt the filming progress—this method cannot be used.

While watching the melodramatic scenes on TV, Zheng Tan also recalled the script.

"Hei Tan, watch less of this kind of drama; too much will turn you into an idiot." The person who had lost a pack of cigarettes' worth while playing cards came over and said to Zheng Tan, at the same time intending to take the remote control beside Zheng Tan's feet to change the channel.

This person naturally wouldn't think Zheng Tan could actually understand these dramas, only assuming Zheng Tan was watching the Luo Na De they disliked. And he now wanted to watch an anti-war drama.

When that person reached out, Zheng Tan lifted his paw and pressed the remote control, not letting them take it.

Meeting Zheng Tan's gaze, the person helplessly shook his head, "Alright, you keep watching." After saying that, he returned to the card game and resumed fighting.

After the drama ended, Zheng Tan glanced at the wall clock—it was almost eleven—so he washed up and went to sleep, since they still had to film tomorrow. There were only three rooms here; Zheng Tan occupied one alone, and the other two were shared by the five people.

In the following days, Zheng Tan remained idle; at first he felt a bit unaccustomed, after all there were many people around, including celebrities, perhaps even future movie emperors and empresses watching from the sidelines. Saying he was completely calm would be impossible. But Zheng Tan soon adapted, handling things with ease, and had time to ponder when he could act a bit clumsily.

That day. Zheng Tan had another scene.

The male lead went to the supermarket to buy an electric toothbrush, thinking that after turning into a cat brushing his teeth would be easier; but just after paying, he noticed black fur sprouting on the back of his hand, realizing he was about to become a cat, he hurriedly drove home, knowing there was a transition period from human to cat, and he needed to get back within that time.

This also included a speeding sequence, of course, when filming it wasn't actually speeding.

After dashing up the stairs like a gust of wind and slamming the door shut with a bang, the camera panned to the interior: the shopping bag's contents had spilled all over the floor, the person who had just entered was gone, leaving only clothes and pants on the ground, and a black cat crawled out from inside the sports jacket……

Filming went smoothly; when Zheng Tan crawled out, he even gave an 'extraordinary' performance, panting as if out of breath, then collapsed limp.

"This scene is done!"

Kong Han was satisfied with the morning's filming results and progress, wishing it could stay like that, but unfortunately his good mood didn't last long; the afternoon shoot made Kong Han lose his temper.

NG again and again, NG over and over, damn it NG!

Kong Han slammed the notebook he had rolled into a tube hard onto the ground, his face full of gloom.

Unlike his usual friendly demeanor, Kong Han changes when he starts filming—sometimes irritable, sometimes giving off an aura that says 'keep your distance, man or beast.'

Zheng Tan glanced at Luo Na De, who also looked unhappy, and at the lead actor Wei Wen; although Wei Wen's expression wasn't obvious, one could tell she was dissatisfied too. As for the NG, naturally it was Luo Na De's fault.

Before filming began, Kong Han had discussed the play with the several leads and supporting actors; although he didn't go into great detail, the script itself wasn't deep—it relied on novelty and humor, and even without much substance to portray, acting skill still mattered. When discussing the play, the other actors were cooperative, but Luo Na De wasn't; he often went out to carouse, and Kong Han wouldn't force him to comply, lest he annoy people.

Originally Kong Han thought the male second role in the play posed little difficulty for Luo Na De—basically just playing himself—but problems kept arising; now everyone is putting up with him, yet he just keeps a stern face and never comes to humbly ask which parts he performed well.

There's a saying in the circle: when you stand before the camera, you are the actor's sole reliance. So even though nowadays various advanced modern equipment vies for the spotlight, and the director can monitor from elsewhere and give orders, Kong Han, like most directors, always stands beside or near the camera to facilitate direct communication with the actors, rather than letting them finish a shot and then anxiously wonder how it turned out and what the director thinks.

But now, Master Luo Na De doesn't buy your face.

Although Kong Han was angry, he couldn't just let Luo Na De continue like that.

"Luo Na De, come here!" Kong Han said in a harsh tone.

Luo Na De still wore an unhappy expression; here he only gives Boss Yang face, not buying Kong Han's. His assistant whispered a few words of persuasion, and Luo Na De reluctantly came over, making Kong Han so angry he nearly suffered internal injury. At the same time, Kong Han decided in his heart that in any future film he directs, Luo Na De will be excluded; this time letting him join as the male second was merely to give Luo Na De's father face—this guy actually thinks he's a superstar everyone chases after?!

From now on, he should just stick to idol dramas!

This scene involves the female lead and the male second having different opinions about the male lead's recent mysterious disappearances, leading to an argument; yet this scene keeps failing to pass, and the reason is Luo Na De.

"You should be acting 'I'm so good, why don't you choose me?' not 'I'm so good. You're nothing.' And you're acting, not imitating!" Profanity burst out, showing Kong Han is now quite dissatisfied.

Others didn't understand Kong Han's words, but Luo Na De himself knew what he meant.

He really was imitating; there was a previously popular movie where a wealthy young master, played by a top-tier male star, a powerhouse performer, portrayed the scene where the rich young master is furious at a woman with ulterior motives. Kong Han had seen it. And Luo Na De's facial expression resembles that scene, or rather, it's almost a copy of that actor's expression.

Luo Na De does a decent job at imitating, but that's not what Kong Han wants; indeed, he doesn't even suit this scene.

Kong Han spoke privately with Luo Na De for about twenty minutes. Then Luo Na De roughly found his state. They continued filming, but changed the original plan: later they'd shoot from the argument straight through to the male second slamming down alcohol at the table and storming off angrily, all in one take.

Different directors' works have their own artistic traits; just as some directors have a unique touch with long takes, and a scene is a single shot—meaning, for a scene set in one location, you must shoot it continuously without interruption, which of course may result in roughness and lack of refinement, making it harder to film.

Kong Han doesn't belong to that category; like many other directors, his works consist of scenes made up of several shots, influenced by some European and American films, and now the method of breaking shots into finer pieces has become popular. But Kong Han isn't stubborn either; since there were some minor issues with Luo Na De, finding a suitable way to resolve them will do—facial expressions and such, if Luo Na De can't perform them well, just forget it and try another approach. It's not that Kong Han doesn't strive for perfection; it's that this actor is just like that, and when he truly gets into character, it's an extraordinary performance.

Action!

The female lead placed the black cat from her arms onto the chair, while speaking to the male second.

Zheng Tan jumped from the chair onto the tabletop, which held several bottles of liquor, all high-end—at least the bottles looked like high-end liquor bottles.

Today, in close contact with Wei Wen, Zheng Tan noticed her figure was really good—those breasts, those long legs……

Others wouldn't even think about what the black cat on set is thinking; they just think the cat is truly obedient and cooperative—no wonder the director and boss brought it in for the film, it's far less trouble than Luo Na De.

This time Luo Na De did show improvement, but you can't look too closely; if you do a close-up, it won't work. Still, how to handle it is Kong Han's matter. Zheng Tan saw the two people two steps away arguing, performing with intensity, his tail tip swaying twice, curiously walking over to the two poured-but-not-finished cups of wine, and he dipped his paw into one of the cups holding half a cup of wine, swishing it around.

This cup is slightly to the right; it's the one Luo Na De had just picked up.

Those two were fully absorbed, not noticing Zheng Tan's side at all. And Zheng Tan quickly withdrew his paw, walked a few steps away from the cup, looking as if the toy wasn't interesting.

Although Kong Han's face had been grim, his eyes involuntarily showed a hint of a smile; after all, what Luo Na De would drink later wasn't the wine in the cup but the half‑bottle beside it, and of course he wouldn't really drink it all—just for show. Since that's the case, he didn't call a stop; capturing this scene was a pleasant surprise, and when placed in the film it could add a bit of comic relief.

Perhaps the audience will think this was arranged all along—the protagonist, turned cat, glares at the male second, sticks his paw into the wine cup and stirs, thinking he'll trip the other up, not expecting that the other isn't holding the wine cup but the half‑bottle beside it.

Besides, Luo Na De has finally made a bit of progress; stopping now would be a shame, and nobody wants to keep accompanying him in NG takes.

The people around shared Kong Han's view; only Luo Na De's assistant was a bit worried, he glanced toward Kong Han and opened his mouth, but Luo Na De had finally found his state; this time he stopped, next time it's uncertain, and it's obvious Kong Han also lacks patience to keep coaching Luo Na De—even Boss Yang shows clear impatience, not daring to invite bad luck. Ah, forget it, let's hope Luo Na De follows the script.

Teacher Jiang looked at Kong Han, saw that Kong Han hadn't shouted "cut," and remained silent.

Over there, after the male second and female lead argued, the male second stormed over to the table's edge and sat down, then took the half‑cup of wine on the table and gulped it down in one go, not leaving a drop. The half‑bottle that had been prepared beforehand was untouched—he didn't even touch the bottle.

The people around: ……

An eerie silence fell. (To be continued…)