Chapter 41: Finding the Right Method is Very Important

According to the plan, after the plot in the villa was finished, they had to change scenes to shoot the plot happening in the boxer's house, because the two locations to be shot were close, following the proximity principle.

But they couldn't leave yet; they were stuck at Yu Feihong's part.

I don't know what was wrong with her today. As long as she wasn't filming, she was a gentle and lovely big sister. As soon as she stood in front of the camera, she was gnashing her teeth with hatred, her expressions rich enough.

No wonder Old Tian praised her for her obvious progress!

But she used her rich expressions in the wrong place. This was a heavy reunion; the emotion was completely reversed.

Cao Yang had a vague idea. He called the coordinator and the script supervisor, asking them to adjust the filming order today and temporarily not shoot the scenes after the reunion.

Shoot the series of things that happened after the abuser brought the heroine back from the police station, before the male lead appeared.

Then call Old Tian, the lighting, and the styling over, and let them make corresponding arrangements according to the order adjusted by the coordinator.

Old Tian was easier to arrange; just adjust slightly according to the shots designed when preparing the film. Lighting and styling would take some time.

"I thought a lot just now, and thought for a long time."

Old Tian directly carried a folding stool, sat down next to Cao Yang, looked ahead with empty eyes, and said gloomily.

"Ah?"

"But I still can't figure it out."

"Hmm?"

Old Tian turned his head, looked at Cao Yang, and said very seriously: "Maybe you're right. I can't use old experience to deny new things. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."

"Oh?"

Cao Yang was stunned. He was thinking about filming here; what was Old Tian talking about?

What are you saying?

"I was dismissive of what you said in the car this morning. I apologize. I was taking things for granted."

"Huh?"

Cao Yang really couldn't hold back and asked: "You've got me confused. What exactly is the matter?"

Old Tian exhaled and smacked his lips.

"After my ban on directing ends, when I direct a film again, I'll learn from you. Ten, twenty days, or even a month or two in advance, I'll specifically explain the scenes to the male and female leads."

"Just like you said, explain the scenes to them every day. Even if they were blocks of wood, they would have been enlightened by now, let alone people."

"No, Old Tian, don't, don't, I was joking, you..."

"Before shooting *On the Beach at Night Alone*, did you specifically fly to Ludong Island and explain the scenes to Li Xiaoran for a long time?"

Cao Yang opened his mouth, feeling it was irrefutable.

"Before shooting this film, did you continuously explain the scenes to Liu Ye and Yu Feihong for a long time?"

Cao Yang really wanted to refute, but he couldn't.

"What happened to Li Xiaoran in the end? Berlin Best Actress!"

Cao Yang lowered his head. Senior brother, this is all a misunderstanding.

"What about Liu Ye? Today's acting is like a different person from yesterday!"

Cao Yang looked up at Old Tian, wanting to speak but stopping. Senior brother, I...

"Even Yu Feihong, who has no talent—today, although she kept NG-ing, that full emotion can't be fake, those lively eyes, is that still the her from before?"

Old Tian felt it made more and more sense the more he thought about it, and felt he had found the trick.

Directors of their generation usually give actors the script before filming, and at most, they hold a script reading before filming, and that's it.

During filming, if they find the actors aren't acting well, they will explain the scene on the spot, but mostly they just explain how to act this segment and what emotion to use.

Old Tian was still sighing. Why didn't he think of it before? Find the lead actors before filming, explain it to them like teaching elementary school students, break it down and chew it over, and let them understand the characters.

That way, at least they would have a clue when acting.

To put it exaggeratedly, many of these actors are only slightly better than elementary school graduates in terms of cultural level.

At most, they are equivalent to junior high school students.

Many of them have been learning arts and literature since they were young, so their studies can be imagined; they all got in through art exams. Although not absolute, it represents the majority.

You let them understand the connotation of the film themselves and then act it out—isn't that a joke?

Old Tian felt he had achieved enlightenment. Cao Yang was still awesome; he started doing this with his first film.

"Senior brother, I..."

Cao Yang felt he couldn't explain it clearly. But thinking about it, forget it. Explaining the scenes to actors in advance and letting them understand what the play wants to express is definitely helpful to their performance.

Since that's the case, what is there to explain? What is there to stop?

Just let it be.

Once everything was adjusted and ready, they started filming again.

The abuser sprayed water on the potted plant, came to sit next to the heroine, and said with a smile: "The potted plant you like, I knew you would come back, I took good care of it."

In this shot, Yu Feihong just sat there, and she acted out the image of a resentful woman who hates her husband vividly.

She looked at Wu Qihua watering the plant with disdain. When Wu Qihua sat beside her, she subconsciously moved to the side and turned her body away, back to him. You could see from her expression that she wanted to stay away from Wu Qihua.

"Passed, very good!"

!

Cao Yang was a bit excited. Look, Yu Feihong can also pass in one take!

Then, he saw Old Tian give him a thumbs up.

Go, senior brother, listen to me... sigh, well, you're even less likely to listen.

Camera language was also used here.

The heroine was forced to be brought back, and her clothes changed from the original pink/colorful ones back to black and gray, meant to imply the heroine's inner changes.

So, don't complain that the audience doesn't understand your film. These things weren't meant for the audience in the first place.

Do you think the audience would think of the metaphor of the heroine changing into black clothes when watching?

Would not changing into black clothes here affect the plot?

How is that possible!

The next two shots were surprisingly smooth. Yu Feihong's movements, demeanor, and emotions were all very on point, details filled to the brim, all passed in one take.

Old Tian's eyes changed when he looked at Yu Feihong. This sky-high contrast—could this be the same person?

There was also a very important scene, the rival scene between the abuser and the heroine, which was the last shot adjusted today.

It could be considered the longest shot in the whole play, highlighting the heroine's transformation, requiring both people to have full emotions, not easy to shoot.

After getting ready, the clapperboard clapped.

Wu Qihua pulled Yu Feihong, who was lying down, and Yu Feihong sat up from the bed impatiently.

Wu Qihua said angrily: "I've never wanted to ask, but I really can't help it."

As Wu Qihua said this, he grabbed Yu Feihong's shoulders with both hands. Yu Feihong looked up, her eyes full of hatred and enmity, which stunned Wu Qihua for more than ten seconds, and he didn't pick up the line.

"Sorry, Director, my fault, my fault."

Wu Qihua said hurriedly. He was stunned for a moment just now; he really couldn't accept that an actor with mediocre acting skills who was always NG-ing could suddenly perform so god-tier, that acting didn't look like acting at all.

Start over.

"I've never wanted to ask, but I really can't help it."

Wu Qihua grabbed Yu Feihong's shoulders and asked angrily: "You had a relationship with him, right? What kind of position did you use? Tell me, tell me!"

Yu Feihong looked at Wu Qihua with disdain.

With just that look, even knowing it was acting, Wu Qihua was surprisingly angry. He raised his palm and hit her.

This should have been Yu Feihong taking a slap, and then fighting back.

But Yu Feihong didn't follow the script. She grabbed Wu Qihua's hand quickly, raised her chin, bit her teeth slightly, her eyes full of pride and decisiveness, and slapped Wu Qihua in the face with her right hand without hesitation, knocking Wu Qihua's prop glasses flying.

Speaking of which, Old Tian was the one holding the camera. Cao Yang just waved his hand to remind him, but saw Old Tian had already set up the camera to shoot close-up, giving Yu Feihong a ten-second close-up directly.

This was a shot that hadn't been planned before.

The effect of this scene was enough for Yu Feihong to brag about for a lifetime.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 42 =====