Chapter 330: Filming

“Cut! Lin Wu, when you hear the news that the band is breaking up, your expression needs to be even more exaggerated!”

In a theater, Wu Yuchen is filming the opening scene of “The Embalmer,” where the male lead loses his job.

Although the film tells the story in reverse order, Wu Yuchen is shooting this scene sequentially—he doesn’t need to save money or time, and this helps the actor better convey the emotional progression of the role.

Zhao Wensuan walked over, puzzled, and asked: “Director, if we make it any more exaggerated, won’t it become overdone?”

He had just shown a very surprised expression upon hearing the boss announce the band’s dissolution—he felt he’d already pushed it hard enough, yet Wu Yuchen still wanted it even more extreme.

Wu Yuchen wasn’t impatient; he smiled and explained: “From your character’s perspective alone, you might think a normal person wouldn’t react so dramatically. But you can’t just think from the character—you must also consider the film’s style and tone.”

Our “The Embalmer” deals with the heavy subject of death. If we shoot it in a purely realistic style, the entire film will become even heavier.

But that’s not the effect I want. I hope the film warms hearts, helps people better accept the work of embalmers, encourages deeper reflection on how to face the loss of loved ones, and fosters greater reverence for life and death.

So I need to add some balancing elements—light, humorous moments that appear occasionally to regulate the audience’s mood, like the later scene where Lin Wu works as a model.

Therefore, in this opening scene of the male lead losing his job, though it’s clearly a devastating moment, I want the audience to see your exaggerated expression and smile knowingly, while also realizing you’re the last to know—highlighting your simplicity and naivety.”

After hearing Wu Yuchen’s explanation, Zhao Wensuan suddenly understood: “Director, I get it. I’ll give it even more next time.”

Wu Yuchen nodded. Explaining clearly at the start would help Zhao Wensuan more clearly deliver the effect Wu Yuchen wanted later.

In his past life, people had criticized the style of “The Embalmer,” but now that Wu Yuchen was personally directing this film, he felt the original director had been quite clever. Actually, blending light, humorous elements into the film was the right decision.

If we’d shot it with a relentlessly heavy tone, it would have been unfriendly to viewers—many wouldn’t even want to finish it. But this light tone lets the audience keep watching, and when a sudden heavy moment follows after humor and levity, it strikes the heart even harder. Take “My Country, My Parents,” for example—it’s exactly like this.

Whether the cinematography is skillful or the scenes are innovative isn’t always the sole standard for measuring a director’s success. Sometimes, the real test lies in using ordinary plots to repeatedly highlight profound themes and weave in subtle emotions—that’s where true artistry shows.

…

“Don’t get caught again.”

Zhao Wensuan held an octopus in his hands, then threw it into Suzhouhe. But the next moment, the octopus—which had clearly been alive at home—floated motionless on the river’s surface.

In the shot, Zhao Wensuan’s expression turned deeply despondent; his eyes lost their light, and he lowered his head and said: “Forget it…”

Jiang Qin asked from the side: “What’s that?”

“Cello.”

“Then what will you do after that?”

“Cut!”

After calling cut, Wu Yuchen told Jiang Qin:

“Qin Qin, pay attention to your tone—it should be gentle, with a hint of Shitan .”

This scene being filmed now is the setup for the male lead giving up the cello and returning from the bustling metropolis to the suburban countryside.

At the moment Wu Yuchen called cut, crew members had already taken nets to fish the octopus out of the river.

“Director Wu, do we still need the octopus?”

Wu Yuchen reviewed the footage again and shook his head: “No.”

This scene uses the animal’s corpse to foreshadow the male lead’s emotional state and subsequent actions. The octopus, meant to be released but dead, makes Lin Wu feel he sees himself—struggling desperately on the path of chasing dreams, with a fate that may only end in death.

It’s also a metaphor: the male lead tries to set something free but ends up delivering a corpse, hinting that he will later enter the funeral industry. This film will feature several more scenes using animals to reflect the male lead’s shifting inner state.

While Jiang Qin was adjusting, Wu Yuchen stared down at Suzhouhe.

If this film had been made a few years earlier, we couldn’t have filmed here at all—Suzhouhe used to be a stinking ditch. Starting in 1998, the city invested seven billion yuan and spent four years on the first phase to clean the black sludge, building green corridors on both banks. Plans for second and third phases are still ongoing.

The cleanup is still in its second phase, but some sections are already quite clear. The stretch we chose for filming is one of the better ones.

After a moment, once Jiang Qin was ready, Wu Yuchen began filming again.

…

That evening, back at the hotel, Wu Yuchen had just come out of the bathroom when Jiang Qin, holding a newspaper, asked him:

“Have you finally decided on the female lead for ‘The Legend of the Condor Heroes’? I heard Zhou Xun outright quit—Director Zhang really dragged her around!”

Wu Yuchen immediately knew what she meant—it was Zhang Da Huizi using every actor he could to hype up “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.”

He smiled: “The leads are already cast. Zhang’s just creating buzz.”

This time, Zhang Huizi had exploited every possible connection for “The Legend of the Condor Heroes”—he called every eligible actress: Liu Qianqian, Zhang Bai Zhi, Wang Fei, Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, and even Jiang Qin.

But after Jiang Qin’s participation in “The Embalmer” was announced, rumors about her playing Little Dragon Maiden were all dispelled.

The same went for male stars: Huang Xiao Ming, Lu Yi, Nie Yuan, and even Liu Xiang, who had just exploded in popularity nationwide, were all mentioned.

Just earlier, Zhou Xun publicly announced she was confirmed as Little Dragon Maiden, but soon after, Zhang Huizi claimed she wasn’t confirmed—this angered Zhou Xun. She had been officially notified by the crew that she was cast, so she simply quit outright, severing all ties with the “Condor Heroes” crew and demanding they stop using her name for promotion.

Zhang Huizi’s maneuvers kept the hype going for half a year, with new rumored candidates announced every month, keeping netizens and media hooked, turning casting rumors into a frenzy and drawing massive attention.

Honestly, as a viewer in his past life, Wu Yuchen disliked Zhang Huizi—his promotional tactics were just too dirty, fooling so many people, only to end up casting his predetermined pick anyway.

But now, as a financier, Wu Yuchen, from the boss’s perspective, naturally appreciated how his staff had generated such massive buzz for the project before release.

Jiang Qin asked curiously: “Who are your leads?”

“Yang Guo is Huang Xiao Ming. Little Dragon Maiden is Liu Qianqian.”

Jiang Qin immediately said: “Liu Qianqian? The one who played Wang Yuyan? Why did they pick her?”

Jiang Qin wasn’t surprised Huang Xiao Ming was cast as Yang Guo—his appeal among his age group was unquestionably top, and his image was perfect. But she still had doubts about Liu Qianqian, this little girl, playing Little Dragon Maiden.

Wu Yuchen smiled: “The condition for her casting was that she joined Miracle Pictures—she’s one of our own now. Plus, her looks and aura are excellent, a real talent. Our company plans to cultivate her seriously, so naturally we chose her for this.”

In his past life, Liu Qianqian had always refused to join any other company, turning down offers from Tangren and Huayi. She even exploited Huayi’s “The Forbidden Kingdom” resources and ended up on bad terms with them.

In truth, she and her mother still looked down on the mainland entertainment industry, always dreaming of Hollywood. In Liu Qianqian and Liu Xiaoqing’s minds for years, Hollywood was superior to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong superior to mainland China—this was also the general view in the industry.

But now it’s different. Miracle Pictures has Wu Yuchen—a legendary director who dominates Hollywood. Why go far away when you can get close? Joining Miracle Pictures and clinging to Wu Yuchen’s coattails is the fastest route to Hollywood!

So Liu Qianqian and Liu Xiaoqing made almost no hesitation—they immediately joined Miracle Pictures.

Jiang Qin nodded, admitting the girl’s looks and aura were truly top-tier, then asked: “But how’s her acting? Does she have spirit?”

Hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately shook his head: “Can’t compare to you.”

Jiang Qin laughed outright, humbly adding: “She’s so much younger than me—of course she can’t compare now.”

Wu Yuchen said again: “She’s probably had a comfortable upbringing since childhood, so her life experience is limited. Walking the path of a serious actor won’t be easy for her.”

To be fair, Liu Qianqian’s acting is a bit weak. She works hard, but most of her roles rely on her aura and looks—she just fits the characters well. Like in “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” Zhao Linger suited her perfectly. And for Little Dragon Maiden in “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” she’s cold throughout, relying entirely on her appearance and aura.

By the way, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” has already been completed and will air on Mango TV this month. With Liu Qianqian as the female lead, this should further boost her fame and status, helping her later in “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.”

Wu Yuchen smiled: “Don’t think about that now—just focus on playing your own role well.”

Jiang Qin laughed: “I’m not worried—she’s ten years younger than me. But I bet Bingbing will have to compete with her for roles.”

Wu Yuchen patted Jiang Qin’s shoulder: “Isn’t Bingbing being supported by you? Besides, they’re not the same type. Don’t overthink it.”

Speaking of Fan Bingbing, her film “New Police Story” has just been released simultaneously in mainland China and Hong Kong, and her glamorous female robber left a strong impression on audiences. She now wants to advance further and get more film roles. But since she’s been working with Wu Yuchen and Jiang Qin on “The Embalmer,” she’s had no opportunities recently.

…

In the room lay an elderly man dead for two weeks—his corpse decomposed, maggots crawling everywhere.

The cinematographer carried the camera, following You Ben Chang and Zhao Wensuan. This scene depicts Lin Wu’s first experience accompanying his boss on a funeral after joining the company—he vomits upon seeing this, immediately confronting the brutal reality of the job.

Wu Yuchen demanded handheld shooting throughout to emphasize the male lead’s inner panic and instability.

“Cut!”

After calling cut, Wu Yuchen gathered Zhao Wensuan, the cinematographer, and others, pointing to the hanging lamp cord: “Next time, whether it’s the camera movement or Lin Wu’s positioning, pay attention to this cord—it will directly guide the audience’s visual focus, becoming an external symbol of the male lead’s inner emotion.”

Wu Yuchen continued:

“Let me explain the sequence again. When they first enter the room, Lin Wu’s slight physiological reaction comes from the smell, the maggots—objective stimuli. Before Teacher You lifts the corpse’s blanket, Lin Wu’s physical repulsion isn’t strong, so the lamp cord remains still.

When Teacher You lifts the blanket covering the corpse, the intense sensory shock makes Lin Wu instinctively recoil. At the same time, Teacher You stands up and brushes the cord, causing it to sway uncontrollably—reflecting Lin Wu’s extreme panic.

All three of you must be precise with your movements next time, or we won’t get the effect I want.”

After Wu Yuchen finished, everyone nodded they understood, then discussed among themselves.

Wu Yuchen looked at the room, reeking and messy with decay, and showed no strong reaction—he’d seen far worse when helping clean up victims of car accidents.

The body under the blanket was a prop. This scene won’t use a real corpse—two-week-decomposed flesh would never enter the frame; it would nauseate the audience.

This scene mainly shows the male lead’s first funeral experience. Wu Yuchen’s emphasis was on his constructed visual technique—most viewers won’t consciously notice these details, yet they’re subtly guided emotionally.

(I wrote this two-page segment not to whitewash Zhang Yimou, but to set up later plot points. Think about what will happen in the next two years. Do you really think I’m just padding with filler? Isn’t it easier to just write watered-down movie plots? Why would I waste brainpower researching Zhang’s breakup details if I didn’t need to? But since no one wants to read it, I’ll just give you the outcome later—you can fill in the details yourselves.)