[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr":3,"chapter-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-8":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Academic Director: Reborn in the Film Industry",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297008,4493,"Chapter 8: That Doesn't Even Look Like Acting","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>Cao Yang truly had no other choice; Li Xiaoran was holding onto him and wouldn't let go. No matter what he said, it was useless—she just kept crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He vaguely wondered, had something gone wrong with the immersion experience?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After much persuasion, he finally got Ding Jiali to pull her away. Cao Yang told her to take Li Xiaoran back to her room first, then hinted that she should try to find out what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way to film today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are you all looking at? Wrap it up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Cao Yang's suite, he and Tian Zhuangzhuang smoked in frustration, waiting for news from Ding Jiali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About an hour or so later, there was a knock at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang dashed over to open the door in one stride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Jiali entered, first glancing at Tian Zhuangzhuang, then at Cao Yang, her expression somewhat intriguing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Jiali, what's going on? Did you find out clearly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang asked impatiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhuangzhuang also looked over with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Jiali first gave a soft cough, then glanced at Cao Yang again, cursing him fiercely in her heart. She had never seen such a ruthless director; was that even \"experiencing life\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who treats an actor like that? He wasn't even afraid of something bad happening to her; he really wasn't human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Cao, it might be that you let her experience life... too much. She’s too deep into the role and can't get out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Jiali was vague. She had wanted to denounce him directly, but he was the director after all, so she gave him some face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh, she's immersed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhuangzhuang was somewhat enlightened; no wonder she was acting so abnormally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang was different. Hearing the words \"immersed in the role,\" his heart skipped a beat, and he thought of the immersion experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before adding the immersion experience, Li Xiaoran's state was already on the verge of collapse—she was very sensitive and fragile. But he didn't know if she could act well in that state, so for the sake of safety, he had added the immersion experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this a case of a patient who was too weak being given medicine that was too strong? Had it gone too far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did she say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From what I gather, she might have projected herself into the female lead. She feels like she was waiting for you abroad, and now that she's finally waited for you, she's lost control a bit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang thought for a moment, frowning as he asked, \"That's not right. If she's too deep into the role and projected herself as the female lead, she should be in love with Old Tian. Old Tian is the one playing the director in the extramarital affair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Jiali opened her mouth, held back for a long time, and finally said, \"She might think that since you are the director of this film, it's more immersive, so she projected herself onto you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Tian Zhuangzhuang weren't a great director, she would have blurted out that if she were the one immersed in the role, comparing Tian Zhuangzhuang and Cao Yang, she would also have projected herself onto the younger and more handsome Cao Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Jiali, please take her around Ludong Island for the next two days. Have her interact with more people, go to lively places, and play on some amusement rides. Also, tell her this is just acting, don't get too trapped in it, and don't let her watch movies or listen to music.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, Director Cao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Jiali glanced at Cao Yang. She also found it strange; she had seen people immersed in roles before, but it was rare to see someone go so deep that they shouted \"I love you\" in public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did the two of them have something going on before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once only Cao Yang and Tian Zhuangzhuang were left in the room, both felt a bit depressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many days do you plan to stop for?\" Old Tian asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang thought for a while. \"Let's set it for three days first. There are a few empty shots of scenery; you take people and film them when you have time. I'll see how she's doing on her end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Tian nodded, hesitated for a moment, then said, \"As a director, it's a good thing for an actor to be immersed in a role; it makes the performance more natural and fluid. But some things can be overdone. You must grasp the degree; it's troublesome if something goes wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know, Brother, I'll be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This damn useless system, how was he to know it would be this potent? It completely stunned her in one go. Cao Yang actually understood in his heart that this wasn't caused by just one thing. If he had only let Li Xiaoran experience it for a month earlier, without adding those extra days, she wouldn't have been so deeply immersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, a mistake. I'll definitely change it next time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, Cao Yang went to see Li Xiaoran. The latter was clearly much better; at least she didn't pounce on him when she saw him, and she could communicate normally, though her eyes still occasionally carried an indescribable meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Cao Yang deliberated and specifically added, \"Xiaoran, I'm already married. Forget me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw Li Xiaoran tremble, her eyes starting to turn red. Cao Yang hurried to get out; it seemed she was still immersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Li Xiaoran's current state of immersion, she shouldn't expect to get out of it in the short term. If she could recover within half a year, it would be considered a testament to her strong willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he either had to replace the female lead or find a way to keep filming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang's method was: don't give Li Xiaoran any room for fantasy. Although it was a bit harsh and cruel, it was better than doing nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another day passed, and the film resumed shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On set, everyone gathered together, still unable to stop whispering to each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, they had roughly understood the cause of the incident. They had all seen people immersed in roles to varying degrees, but one this deep was truly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was still worried about whether the female lead would cause more trouble, but who knew that after a few shots were filmed, everyone's eyes changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiaoran's female lead—the hesitation, helplessness, sadness, and expectation—the progressive transition of so many emotions, the control and restraint, didn't look like acting at all. It was just like filming a documentary of the female lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following days, especially the scene on the balcony between Li Xiaoran and Ding Jiali, the emotional transition was simply textbook-level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few days of getting along, whether it was the crew staff or the Beijing Film Academy students practicing on set, their attitude toward Li Xiaoran had done a complete 180-degree turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talented people are respected wherever they go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiaoran was now that talented person, and with extraordinary talent at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for a few shots that had to be reshot due to various accidents, most of Li Xiaoran's shots were done in one take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the crew members secretly called Li Xiaoran \"One-Take Li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Old Tian whispered to Cao Yang in private, \"Cao Yang, I've had my eyes opened these past few days. You don't know, I really don't understand it, but I'm still deeply shocked! Logically speaking, being too deep into a role isn't a good thing because she can't distinguish reality, so her sense of the camera is usually very poor, and her emotions are hard to control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps feeling that his words weren't conveying his meaning, Old Tian reorganized his thoughts and continued: \"Strictly speaking, deep immersion is a wrong way of expression. She only fails to distinguish her own character because the movie is still being filmed; what she is immersed in is the character, not the plot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is completely different from the plot the director wants to film. In most cases, being too deep into a role leads to overacting, which is completely different from what Li Xiaoran is doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to help himself, Old Tian slapped his thigh and sighed: \"Tsk tsk, this Li Xiaoran is truly damn eerie. It feels like she walked right out of the movie; she completely overlaps with the female lead we want to film!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he wore an expression that said, \"I didn't understand it, but I was deeply shocked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You didn't understand it, and I didn't either!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Cao Yang seriously suspected that Li Xiaoran's so-called immersion experience was just letting her live through a life scenario similar to the movie's plot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it wouldn't have been such a perfect fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Xiaoran's spirit was at its most fragile, letting her go through an experience similar to the movie's plot—it was estimated that anyone would take it to heart and be unable to distinguish reality from illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was too dangerous. Cao Yang reminded himself again: next time he filmed a movie and wanted to add an immersion experience to a character, he must not make the person mentally fragile to the point of near-collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combination of the two was simply too terrifying. Is there any acting better than the female lead playing herself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1568,"2026-06-20T05:36:32.009Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","e0171d6ecfabda2ef06dd062a488574455194b82fa063b97cf53c23b729bb703","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-9","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-7",411,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-cover.jpg"]