Chapter 237: The Black Swan

The afternoon's scenes were finally finished with great difficulty. Huang Xiaoming sat directly on the ground, staring blankly at Lv Yi and Chen Shu, who were chatting and laughing, unable to accept reality for a moment.

Chen Shu played the former lead dancer and had very few scenes opposite Huang Xiaoming.

But it was precisely these few scenes that dealt another blow to Huang Xiaoming's already battered self-confidence.

Why was it so easy for everyone else?

It would be one thing if Dong Xuan were strong; she was the first female lead chosen by Cao Dao, the lead of a female-perspective film, so it would be acceptable for her to be exceptionally strong.

Teacher Pan Hong was a famous acting powerhouse, so it was also acceptable that she performed even better this time.

Who was Lv Yi?

Huang Xiaoming hadn't even heard of her before, okay?

A student from the Dance Academy who had only played a tiny supporting role in one film—why was she so strong?

Fine, she was the other female lead chosen by Cao Dao. Although she looked gentle and weak, whenever she started dancing or talking about related topics, one could clearly feel her confidence; it was understandable that she had potential.

But what about Chen Shu?

An actress without much fame who had always played supporting roles—could such an actor really be called talented with great acting skills?

If that were really the case, she would have been famous long ago, okay?

It was simply baffling!

Yet it was such an actor who played a minor supporting role with very few scenes so vividly, performing with extreme naturalness...

If she had performed like this in all the films she had been in, she would have become famous long ago, okay?

From this, it could be seen that Cao Dao's ability to coach actors was indeed as awesome as the legends said.

This wasn't right.

What about me?

Why was I struggling so much to act?

Thinking of this, he gave a start, hurriedly climbed up from the ground, and shouted to Cao Yang, who was about to leave: "Cao Dao, wait a moment, Cao Dao, I have something I'd like to ask for your advice on."

Cao Yang turned his head and looked at the approaching Huang Xiaoming; this guy was clearly mentally exhausted and looked weary.

Cao Yang was actually quite satisfied with Huang Xiaoming.

Don't look at how Huang Xiaoming seemed unable to keep up with Dong Xuan's rhythm today, being overshadowed by Lv Yi, and even overshadowed by Chen Shu; he was very serious about acting, without a hint of perfunctoriness, and his acting skills were clearly improving through constant adjustments.

Among his generation of peers, he was no worse than Liu Ye and Duan Yihong, and he even felt that his potential was higher than those two.

Based on the current situation, Cao Yang even suspected that even without joining the immersion experience, after another period of time, he might be able to go toe-to-toe with Lv Yi, who had joined the immersion experience, without falling behind.

Of course, that would just be not falling behind; wanting to perform as naturally as Lv Yi would be very difficult.

This was already very remarkable.

In other words, this guy's potential ceiling was truly high.

"Xiaoming, what is it?"

Huang Xiaoming walked up to Cao Yang and became somewhat bashful instead.

He said somewhat embarrassedly: "Cao Dao, you've seen it too; Dong Xuan and Lv Yi are performing very well, even Chen Shu is very good, everyone is performing very well, but why am I... why am I so slow to get into character?"

Cao Yang was silent for a moment; he couldn't exactly say, that's because I didn't give you the immersion experience, could he?

He patted Huang Xiaoming on the shoulder: "Xiaoming, you've already performed very well."

Since he had decided to add the immersion experience for Huang Xiaoming that night, Cao Yang could only bluff him.

"Regarding your slowness in getting into character, based on my experience, it might be because you come from an academic background, and when you act, you unconsciously build a barrier in your heart to avoid not being able to come out after getting into character."

Huang Xiaoming thought for a moment; there had always been a distinction between the method school and the immersion school in acting, and teachers had repeatedly talked about it. Regardless of whether it was the immersion school or the method school, as long as they had undergone professional training, they would all set up a "wall" for themselves.

He suddenly understood a bit; no wonder he was slow to get into character and couldn't compare with those three actresses. What Cao Dao said was too right.

A few dance students, what did they know about acting? They must be the type who get very deeply into character and need a period of time to slowly "come out" after filming ends...

Wait, that's not right; it seems Dong Xuan is also an undergraduate from the Beijing Film Academy's acting department, she's my junior sister, why does she get into character so fast?

Is she not afraid of not being able to come out?

Perhaps it's because she's the female lead, the pressure is high, and she deliberately let down her inner defenses?

"Cao Dao, what should I do to get into the state sooner? Do you have any way?"

Huang Xiaoming asked full of anticipation.

"Looking at your performance today, you're already about to enter the state; all that's missing is an opportunity. How about this, after you go back, read the notes you recorded when I was explaining the scenes to you three times.

Before you go to sleep at night, close your eyes and think about your character and the core of the film in your mind again; perhaps in less than two days, you'll enter the state."

Cao Yang brought out this set of rhetoric again.

Huang Xiaoming nodded hurriedly: "Okay, Cao Dao, I understand."

Before Cao Yang left, he patted Huang Xiaoming on the shoulder again: "Keep it up, I believe in you."

"Thank you, Cao Dao."

Huang Xiaoming looked at Cao Yang's departing back and was very grateful.

At this moment, he was not the only one looking at Cao Yang's departing back.

"Stop looking, the person is already far away."

Chen Shu waved her hand in front of Lv Yi's eyes and teased with a smile.

"What are you saying, Sister Shu, I wasn't looking at Cao Dao, I was just thinking about a problem."

Lv Yi hurriedly explained, as if afraid that Chen Shu would misunderstand.

Chen Shu chuckled and whispered in Lv Yi's ear: "I didn't say what you were looking at, so you weren't looking at Cao Dao, it was me who misunderstood you, haha..."

"Sister Shu, you only know how to tease me."

Lv Yi gently hit Chen Shu, and for some reason, she suddenly thought in her heart, what if I admit I was looking at Cao Dao? He is an international great director, so young, and very handsome, the key is that he's not married yet, which actress doesn't have ideas?

"Yiyi, let me tell you, if you have ideas, you have to act on them. Look at Dong Xuan, observe carefully the expression in her eyes when she looks at Cao Dao, why is she the big female lead, while you, who are younger and dance better, can only be the second choice..."

Chen Shu suddenly stopped talking; she gave a start in her heart, what am I doing? Why would I say such things?

It's over, I was rash, it must be the influence of the character.

The former lead dancer she played didn't like the female lead and had once said to her face that the female lead had exchanged everything for sleeping her way to the top.

"Cough, Yiyi, I was just joking just now..."

Before she finished explaining, she saw Lv Yi smooth her hair and walk in the direction of Cao Yang.

"Cao Dao, wait a moment, I also have something I'd like to ask for advice on."

Lv Yi imitated Huang Xiaoming's manner, shouting while chasing after Cao Yang.

Chen Shu stretched out her hand, moved her fingers, opened her mouth, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Lv Yi, what's wrong? Is there something?"

Cao Yang asked with some confusion.

Lv Yi walked to Cao Yang's side and also reacted, what is wrong with me? Why am I so brave?

However, don't look at how she seemed gentle and weak, she was actually a person of action and was usually quite "brave," otherwise she wouldn't have interviewed for the assistant position and joined the crew after failing to get a role in "Seven Swords."

What's more, she always felt that she was very confident about everything now and was much bolder than usual.

"Cao Dao, I feel like I can't quite grasp the character, when do you have time, can you explain the scenes to me again?"

After speaking, she smoothed her hair again, looked at Cao Yang with a smile, and her whole body radiated a confident light, giving people the feeling of having great feminine charm.

Cao Yang sighed, I added two immersion experiences for you, everyone isn't blind, you played the character so naturally that even Xiaoming has psychological trauma, and you still say you can't grasp the character?

Men are actually quite strange sometimes, especially towards such women who are bursting with confidence; there is an impulse in their hearts, and they really want to conquer them.

Cao Yang was no exception.

For a moment, he couldn't help but want to try, pinning such a woman under him, to see if she would be like a little lamb, or if she would even take the initiative in that kind of thing.

It's normal for men to have thoughts when they see beautiful or charming women; if they didn't have any thoughts, that would be a bit abnormal.

The difference between a normal person and a lecherous, shameless person lies in whether they restrain themselves or use means to implement it after having thoughts in their hearts.

Cao Yang didn't think he was a gentleman, but he wasn't a shameless person either.

To put it bluntly, he had seen plenty of actresses throwing themselves at him, but he still had principles and some bottom lines.

Why would people throw themselves at you?

Except for stamp collectors, most of them have the same purpose.

Cao Yang's bottom line is, as long as I sleep with you, I have to lift you up.

So in this regard, he was still very cautious.

"Xiaoming also said just now that he couldn't grasp the character; I'll tell you the advice I gave him too."

Cao Yang pretended not to understand the subtext of Lv Yi's words and said with a smile:

"After you go back, read the notes I gave you when I was explaining the scenes to you a few more times. Every day before you go to sleep in bed, close your eyes and think about your character and what the core of the film is in your mind again, and you will be able to grasp the character better."

Before Cao Yang left, he said to her again, "Your performance is already very good, keep it up."

Lv Yi looked at Cao Yang's back and frowned.

Was my meaning not obvious enough? Can't Cao Dao hear my meaning?

Or is it that I was rejected?

In the filming over the next few days, everyone could clearly feel that Huang Xiaoming's acting skills suddenly exploded; his scenes with Lv Yi could "fight" back and forth, and his scenes with Dong Xuan could also keep up with the rhythm.

In this way, everyone found it very comfortable to watch their scenes, the number of NGs was also very small, and the filming progress clearly accelerated a lot.

In this film, Dong Xuan had the most scenes with Huang Xiaoming and Pan Hong.

Besides Huang Xiaoming, the actor who felt the most was Pan Hong.

As an older generation acting powerhouse, she could clearly feel that she was performing exceptionally well in this film, even better than in the films where she won the Golden Rooster Best Actress award.

It wasn't the kind of good where acting skills improved significantly, but rather that it was very comfortable to act.

Yes, it was very natural and comfortable, as if this character was tailor-made for her; no matter how she acted, it was comfortable.

But even so, she could still feel that as long as she wasn't careful, she would be a little unable to keep up with Dong Xuan's rhythm!

When did another such young acting powerhouse god appear in the country?

She had also watched "Snow Goddess Dragon" before, and didn't feel that Dong Xuan had such amazing acting skills at that time? Then the answer was very clear: Cao Yang's skill in coaching actors was definitely not just talk.

Pan Hong felt based on her decades of acting cognition that Cao Dao was not only good at coaching actors but also good at choosing actors.

Only if the actor's potential was high enough was it possible to be coached into such acting skills.

However, she could still see that Dong Xuan was a bit too deeply into character; sometimes the every move she unconsciously displayed was a bit similar to the character she played.

Every time Pan Hong finished a scene with Dong Xuan, she would chat with Dong Xuan, talking about everything under the sun to relieve Dong Xuan's mental pressure, but she just wouldn't talk about the plot of "Black Swan."

She thought highly of Dong Xuan; this was a good seedling, or rather, it couldn't be called a seedling, this was a good actor, a great Qingyi no worse than Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan, and she couldn't be ruined because she was too deeply into character.

Slowly, Pan Hong also discovered that this was a treasure crew!

Besides Dong Xuan, the acting skills of Lv Yi, Huang Xiaoming, and Chen Shu were all very good, not just generally good, but the kind that was definitely no worse than her own acting skills.

This was very amazing.

She once again refreshed her understanding of the phrase "Cao Yang is good at coaching actors."

On May 14th, the crew took a day off.

This day was the last day of the Beijing College Student Film Festival, and there was an awards ceremony at the Beijing Olympic Sports Center in the evening, with CCTV's Channel 6 broadcasting it live throughout.

!

This session of the Beijing College Student Film Festival lasted for three months, established a total of 12 awards, and 32 participating films competed for these 12 major awards together.

According to the latest information disclosed by the organizing committee, the great director Cao Yang, who rarely appeared in public, would appear at the awards ceremony in the evening.

This made many Beijing college students overjoyed and eagerly looking forward to Cao Yang's arrival.

But it also made many people worried.

Xiao Gangpao's "A World Without Thieves" received three nominations for Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Viewing Effect.

He was originally full of confidence, as he was still very popular among college students, and thought he should be able to win a major award this time.

Although Cao Yang's "Nine-Tailed Fox" also received four nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Viewing Effect, as long as Cao Yang didn't come, the Best Director award would nine times out of ten not be given to him.

Cao Yang had never been to the Beijing College Student Film Festival before.

Xiao Gangpao thought this time would be no exception, so he was very likely to win the Best Director award.

At the very least, he should be given the Most Popular Director among College Students award.

He no longer hoped for the European Big Three; he had discovered that those things in the European Big Three really depended on fate, and he seemed not to have that fate, so he should still try his best to win awards in the country.

The Beijing College Student Film Festival was the award closest to him.

Whatever the gold content or not, his only wish now was to be able to win an award.

However, Cao Yang, that son of a bitch, had to come!

He was just going against him, even the nominated awards overlapped!

Xiao Gangpao felt so uncomfortable in his heart.

Not only was Xiao Gangpao uncomfortable, but Lu Chuan had also been uncomfortable for the past few days.

His "Kekexili" received three nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Director, and the Jury Grand Prize.

After effort, news finally came from the inside that he was very likely to win two of the major awards.

This made Lu Chuan very happy.

Ever since he signed up for the Venice Film Festival full of confidence last year, thinking he could kill all sides and make a splash at the film festival, who knew he didn't even enter the main competition unit.

This was a big blow to his self-confidence.

Later, he participated in the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival, which took the initiative to extend an olive branch to him; he didn't expect the little days to give him a surprise, and he won the Jury Grand Prize.

This was the first international major award he had won.

For a time, his favor for the little days increased greatly.

He was even a bit grateful.

He didn't spend little effort participating in the Beijing College Student Film Festival this time; he used a lot of his family's connections and the school's connections, and coupled with the momentum of "great victory" at the Tokyo International Film Festival, it was still very easy to win a few awards.

He also didn't expect that Cao Yang, who never participated in the Beijing College Student Film Festival, would come.

Ever since someone at school told him a few days ago that Cao Yang would participate in this Beijing College Student Film Festival, and said that he was still young and would have plenty of opportunities in the future...

Lu Chuan knew what it meant.

In other words, the school's connections would not be used for him!

It was just so shitty!

I'm fucking still young? And have plenty of opportunities?

Isn't Cao Yang, that son of a bitch, much younger than me?

Lu Chuan just didn't believe in evil.

Speaking of which, he had a deep connection with Cao Yang.

During Lu Chuan's postgraduate studies at the Beijing Film Academy, his supervisor was Jiang Shixiong, and Old Situ had once been his periodic supervisor and guided him.

As everyone knows, Old Situ was Cao Yang's teacher during his undergraduate stage, and also his supervisor during his postgraduate stage, and even regarded Cao Yang as his closing disciple.

Lu Chuan's resentment had always been here; where was he worse than Cao Yang? Why did Old Situ accept Cao Yang as his closing disciple instead of me, Lu Chuan?

If he had become Old Situ's closing disciple, relying on Old Situ's connections, his current achievements would definitely not be lower than that guy Cao Yang who had shit luck!

Lu Chuan just wanted to compete with Cao Yang at the Beijing College Student Film Festival.

He first went to the Beijing Film Academy to find his supervisor Jiang Shixiong, didn't mention the matter of Cao Yang also participating in the film festival, only said he wanted to ask the teacher to help ask about the situation.

Well, the so-called asking about the situation, actually everyone knew what was going on.

Who knew the old lady agreed well at first, saying she would ask what was going on.

Who knew that not long after, she called Lu Chuan and told him, "You are still young, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future..."

Lu Chuan almost smashed his mobile phone.

The old lady finally said earnestly: "You two can be considered fellow apprentices, benign competition is okay, don't engage in infighting, you..."

The old lady originally wanted to say, you are not yet qualified to be an opponent, but thinking that saying so was a bit hurtful, the words that reached her mouth became: "Don't be willful, you must respect Cao Yang, he is a professor at the school, and is the leader of the school for the next fifty years..."

He didn't hear clearly what the old lady said later, only felt a bit dazed, and more of it was anger and jealousy.

He just didn't believe it; leaving the school's support, he couldn't win an award?

Then let's have a go at the Beijing College Student Film Festival.

Cao Yang didn't care too much about the Beijing College Student Film Festival before, but after he took a look at the nomination list, he started to have a bit of a headache.

Gao Yuanyuan was nominated for Best Actress for "Nine-Tailed Fox."

Li Xiaoran was also nominated for Best Actress for "A World Without Thieves."

Cao Yang talked on the phone with both of them, and both expressed that they would participate in the closing ceremony of the College Student Film Festival tonight.

In addition, upon learning that Cao Yang was also participating for the first time in history, Gao Yuanyuan said she wanted to walk the red carpet with Cao Yang, and Li Xiaoran also said she wanted to walk with Cao Yang.

Isn't this just messing around?

The night before, Cao Yang came to Li Xiaoran's residence; he wanted to sleep-convince Li Xiaoran to let her give up attending the film festival closing ceremony with him.

It wasn't that Cao Yang was biased; Gao Yuanyuan was selected as Best Actress for "Nine-Tailed Fox," so attending with him was very normal.

If Li Xiaoran hadn't been nominated for Best Actress for "A World Without Thieves," because she was also another female lead of "Nine-Tailed Fox," attending with Cao Yang would also be justifiable.

But wasn't she nominated for Best Actress?

Attending with Cao Yang, what was that supposed to be?

Cao Yang first did maintenance and care for the two headlights, and then filled the car with gas.

Taking advantage of Li Xiaoran being a bit dizzy from car sickness, he said to her: "You were nominated for Best Actress for 'A World Without Thieves,' what is walking the red carpet with me supposed to be? Wouldn't that offend Director Feng Xiaogang then?"

"I am also one of the female leads of 'Nine-Tailed Fox,' isn't it very normal to walk the red carpet with you?"

Li Xiaoran was originally a bit dizzy from car sickness because she was filled with gas, but this time she gained spirit instead. She looked at Cao Yang, exerted her acting skills to the extreme, and said resentfully:

"Do you hate me now? Pity that my heart is all on you, for you I even hid abroad, and you still don't appreciate it... In the days I wasn't here, did you miss me like I missed you?"

Damn!

She even started performing.

Cao Yang didn't say a word, wiped the headlights again, added gas, added gas, filled it up!

In the end, the driver was still more skilled; the car was almost shaken to pieces, and in her daze, she agreed to whatever Cao Yang said.

Cao Yang let out a long breath; he was really tired this time.

When he went to take a hot shower, Li Xiaoran, who was just dizzy, suddenly opened her eyes, smiled, and made a "Yeah" sign.

Women must know how to act like a spoiled child, occasionally mention the guilty things men have done, but not go too far.

In this way, the feelings between the two will be consolidated and deepened.

In addition to the 12 regular awards, the Beijing College Student Film Festival also had selection activities for "Most Popular Actor among College Students," "Most Popular Actress among College Students," and "Most Popular Director among College Students."

These were selections conducted through the official website of the College Student Film Festival, the voting system of Xinyang Net, and the method of distributing ballots at the film screening locations.

Among them, the online vote count accounted for 30% of the weight, and the ballots filled out by college students after watching the film accounted for 70% of the weight principle, to comprehensively produce these three popularity awards.

Cao Yang didn't know how the ballots filled out by college students after watching the film were, which was also a decisive item.

But on the internet, for the Most Popular Actress among College Students item, Gao Yuanyuan and Li Xiaoran ranked first and second, leading other actresses by a cliff, and the votes of the two were also not much different.

Yu Feihong might be because she won the Venice Best Actress award early, she was almost lying flat now and had no pursuits.

But Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan were different.

The two were like sisters in front of the media, but in front of Cao Yang, they started tearing each other apart as soon as they met.

And, the two's Tieba also often fought.

This was the place that gave Cao Yang the most headache.

Although he knew it was somewhat impossible, Cao Yang still prayed that the two could live in peace tomorrow and definitely not tear each other apart.

(End of this chapter)