Chapter 762
A Battleground for Three People, How Should You Respond?
Jinli's ability to switch between "literary and martial" and "dynamic and static" personas won over the crew members who were initially unconvinced by her performance.
Director Chu was also fully aware of the rumors about Jinli in the crew.
Actually, today's scenes were specially arranged by him, just to let the actors know Jinli's abilities.
To this end, he even changed the roles of several actors to make Jinli's "seamless switching" state more obvious.
That evening, he discussed the details that needed to be revised with the screenwriter and mentioned this incident as well.
Director Chu, with an air of composure as if he had expected this, said, "I knew that Jinli and Gu Cheng didn't attend the pre-production training. Many actors were dissatisfied with the two of them, and there were some rumors circulating in the crew."
Screenwriter: "I thought you would strictly supervise the crew's discipline, making them more focused on acting and less gossiping."
Director Chu smiled and said, "I would prefer that their discipline be stricter, so that they can focus on filming every day and I don't have to manage them."
"But with so many people in the crew, I can't possibly train them like soldiers. I'm already satisfied with the atmosphere in the crew now. It's worth the two days I spent training them to stand at attention at the beginning."
The screenwriter thought for a moment and said, "Your method is good. It can showcase Jinli's abilities and also let some actors see the gap between them and the top actors."
He could tell that Jinli appeared to be an experiential learner, but was actually a technique-based learner.
Many of her performances imitate other excellent actors, with her own personal interpretation added.
He hasn't yet developed his own personal style in acting, but he's already moving in that direction step by step.
Jinli's acting skills are not outstanding, but they are much better than those of other new generation actors.
Given the genre of their drama, the acting requirements aren't that high, and Jinli's acting skills are up to par.
The screenwriter, seemingly struck by a sudden thought, said, "I'm not worried about the actresses because Jinli is there to keep them in check. But what about the male actors? Gu Cheng and Bai Jiang are both on set. Will there be any problems?"
In terms of screen time, Bai Jiang is still the undisputed male lead, continuing the male lead's character from "Dawn 1".
They simply changed the female lead in the second part from Xu Ting to Jin Li, but the male lead remained the same.
Unfortunately, Gu Cheng had previously starred in another special effects blockbuster, "Desperate Counterattack," and was quite famous in the industry. In addition, he and Jin Li were suspected of being a couple.
So although Gu Cheng's role doesn't have as much screen time as Bai Jiang's, she's just as popular in the show.
It's troublesome when actresses start feuding, and it's not necessarily easier for actor feuding either.
The screenwriter should have kept quiet, because the moment he brought it up, Director Chu burst out laughing.
“I also thought about this issue before filming started. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Both male stars are very popular, and I was worried that they would try to take over the crew and form cliques.”
"But during filming, I found that both of them were very well-behaved, just like Jinli. They filmed honestly, and after filming, they rested and did not get involved in any disputes within the crew."
"From what I've observed, the two actors have a pretty good relationship on set. They often get together to discuss acting, and the atmosphere is quite pleasant."
The editor raised an eyebrow and said with great interest, "The filming of the second part is on a much larger scale than the first part, and more actors have been invited. I'm worried that something might go wrong."
But according to you, the atmosphere actually seems better than during the filming of the first movie.
Director Chu seemed to have thought of something, and the smile on his face faded slightly as he said calmly:
"As long as the main actors don't cause trouble, the atmosphere on set won't be bad."
From the director's perspective, he felt that Gu Cheng and Bai Jiang had a good relationship.
However, in the seemingly calm but actually turbulent film crew, others felt that the conflict between the two was about to be brought to the surface.
Although the two male stars didn't openly say they wanted to "add more scenes or change the script," they both seemed quite willing to work hard and without complaint.
But to the other actors, it just felt like these two actors were competing against each other.
It seems they're competing to see who can act better.
"Bai Jiang's scene was completed in just five minutes today, in one take, and the director even praised him for his excellent performance!"
"Gu Cheng's scenes are also filmed quickly. Although he hasn't gotten them right in one take, the scenes he's currently filming are all quite challenging. Filming them multiple times will ensure the quality of the film."
"I saw Gu Cheng's action scenes. As expected of the male lead in 'Desperate Counterattack,' his martial arts skills are amazing. Bai Jiang is not as good as him."
"But Gu Cheng's dramatic scenes are not as good as Bai Jiang's; his emotions are not as rich."
"Is it possible that Gu Cheng's character's storyline wasn't as rich as Bai Jiang's, which is why he couldn't compare? I think Gu Cheng's acting skills are actually much better than Bai Jiang's!"
After filming for a week, Jinli heard this gossip from Chen Qin.
The main subjects of gossip have long since changed from her to Gu Cheng and Bai Jiang.
Jinli shook her head, feeling that these people were too idle, having time to care about the gossip of two big stars.
Chen Qin said with a smile, "Gu Cheng is your boyfriend in real life, and Bai Jiang is your official partner in the drama."
"Wait, stop. Bai Jiang's official love interest is not me. In the first part, the male lead's favorite character is Su Yuxuan, played by Xu Ting."
Chen Qin blinked: "But people won't think that way; they'll assume the male and female leads will end up together."
Moreover, the first season didn't develop many romantic scenes. It's normal that the male lead initially had feelings for Su Yuxuan, but developed even stronger feelings for the supporting female character, Ruan Ruanruan, more than a decade later.
Jinli: "...You're right, but in the second part I'm a clone, and I'm not called Ruan Ruan Ruan, but Ruan Tang."
Chen Qin said excitedly, "It doesn't matter, as long as that's what they think."
Jinli sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. She was suddenly relieved that she hadn't filmed any scenes with Bai Jiang and Gu Cheng yet, otherwise she would have been in the gossip news again.
However, just because it doesn't appear now doesn't mean it won't appear in the future.
Chen Qin subtly gossiped: "Jinli, in the drama, your character Ruan Tang clearly has a stronger liking for the male lead played by Bai Jiang, but Gu Cheng's character also has feelings for you. How are you going to handle this love triangle?"
Jinli said speechlessly, "I won't respond. I'll act exactly as the script is written. Do you think I'm the kind of actress who likes to change the script?"
Chen Qin said regretfully, "You are not."
Jinli shrugged: "So don't ask me that question. I didn't think that much when I was filming."
She's very busy filming every day. Although she and Gu Cheng are in the same production team, their roles don't overlap much, and they're both filming their own individual storylines.
Therefore, we can't communicate every day.
Despite being in the same production crew, the two of them actually talk less every day than they do on WeChat, and they only chat during lunch breaks and evening breaks.
But having a face-to-face chat is also a bit difficult.
The film crew is large and noisy, and after meeting each other only once or twice, both of them felt uncomfortable, as if they were being watched. They've been discussing recently whether to switch to video chatting during their breaks.
Others only achieve this level of commitment in long-distance relationships, but their "co-starring romance" within the same production crew isn't necessarily any easier than a long-distance relationship.
That evening, Jinli video-chatted with Gu Cheng and brought up the gossip about him and Bai Jiang.
Gu Cheng had already learned about this gossip from his assistant today, and said somewhat helplessly:
"I don't know where they got the idea that I was competing with Bai Jiang. Judging from his experience in filming, he has made more movies than me, and he also directed Dawn 1 before. He understands Director Chu's style and pace, and he adapted to it faster than I did."
"If I try to compete with him, I'll only lose."
He then changed the subject, saying, "We have a good relationship. Recently, some of our scenes have overlapped, so I'll talk to him about the script. Bai Jiang is willing to give me some pointers."
Jinli recalled the scenes she had filmed with Bai Jiang and nodded in agreement:
“His acting skills are much more mature than when he filmed the first movie. He has put a lot of effort into understanding the character, and his physical fitness has also improved a lot. However, his handling of special effects is still a bit stiff. You are better than him in this respect.”
After all, Gu Cheng had just finished filming a special effects blockbuster not long ago, and he was more skilled in special effects than Bai Jiang.
Gu Cheng also said, "I also felt that he had a good understanding of the character, so I discussed the script with him and asked him what he thought of my character."
Based on his ideas, I gained a new understanding of playing a role. Fortunately, Director Chu's directing style wasn't too unconventional. Although the scenes were arranged according to the location each day, the overall plot flowed smoothly during filming.
If Director Chu's scenes are too disorganized, with one scene showing him working in the research lab and the next showing him sacrificing himself in the lab, the emotional progression and immersion won't be as quick.
This is when the actors' acting skills are truly put to the test.
The experience of emotions is an issue that actors can never avoid.
In this respect, the golden pear has a unique advantage.
Gu Cheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "My scenes will probably take another month or so to film. I've noticed that Director Chu's filming style is very different from Director Zheng's."
Director Chu's style is more commercial, with a set template to follow, while Director Zheng has a strong personal style and will always pay attention to details.
I really admire Director Chu's filming style. What do you think about me helping out at his place when I'm not filming, to learn a thing or two?
Jinli: "After all, you majored in directing. You can learn a lot by working with all kinds of great directors. No matter what you think, I support you."
Gu Cheng calmed down and smiled.
"I'm an actor with a certain level of fame. If I were to actually work as a director, I feel like I'd be too self-conscious about my image and wouldn't be able to let go of my pride."
However, I don't want to miss such a rare learning opportunity. Theory is no substitute for practice, and I want to learn directing knowledge as soon as possible.
Both Director Chu and Director Zheng are actually more capable in practical application than the professors at the university.
He paused for a moment and said, "I wasn't able to make up my mind right away, but with your support, I feel much more at ease. I'll start doing this from tomorrow."
Jinli asked with a smile, "Are you finally able to let go of your idol image?"
Gu Cheng sighed softly: "You have to let go whether you want to or not. You've never fallen behind in your studies at school, and you've even been able to apply for a national-level scholarship."
Since I chose to study directing, I have to be responsible for it. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if you graduated as an 'outstanding student' while I just graduated as an ordinary one!
Jinli hadn't expected that it was because of her that Gu Cheng was so focused on his studies.
Her eyes sparkled as she encouraged him, "Then you'll have to work harder. I have a natural talent for philosophy, but if you want to make a comeback, you'll have to put in even more effort."
Gu Cheng gave a solemn "hmm".
Jinli was running as fast as she could, and he couldn't hold her back.
We did it right away.
Once Gu Cheng makes up his mind, he is very proactive.
He arrived at the film set early the next morning. The production assistant greeted him and asked curiously:
"What are you doing on set so early? I don't remember you having any scenes this morning."
Filming is tiring and busy. Except at the beginning of filming, when actors are so excited that they spend the whole day on set.
Once the initial excitement wore off, not only the big-name actors, but many of the smaller actors would only show up when it was their turn to film a scene, no longer arriving at the set two or three hours in advance.
Gu Cheng, Jin Li, and Bai Jiang only appeared when it was their turn to act, and didn't stay in the crew for long.
Just because a celebrity is popular doesn't mean they're arrogant.
However, it's not a good thing for these celebrities to stay on set too much, as it can interfere with other actors and staff.
Because of his fame, whenever he arrives at the film set, he always has to be accompanied by two or three staff members who are always there for him.
Why waste the production team's resources?
Wouldn't it be better to release these people and let them help the film crew more?
In addition, not showing up too much can also reduce a lot of trouble.
Some minor celebrities, upon seeing a major celebrity, will try to get close to them and keep saying nice things, which annoys the major celebrities to no end.
Don't underestimate the desire of minor celebrities to become famous. They didn't have the opportunity before, but now that they're all in the same production team, they have a chance to get to know big stars.
Even Jinli, when she's not filming, spends most of her time in her RV.
The greater a celebrity's fame, the less approachable they are on set, which can lead to many problems.
Gu Cheng said, "I came here to observe other people filming."
The stagehand nodded, said nothing more, and glanced at the schedule in his hand.
He scratched his head, puzzled. There weren't any big-name actors filming that morning, so what was there to watch?
Wait a minute, Bai Jiang has a dramatic scene at 10 o'clock. Could it be that he came here for Bai Jiang?
Who said that Gu Cheng and Bai Jiang have a good relationship and are not at odds?
Isn't this just a competitive spirit?
It has to be said, this was a wonderful misunderstanding.
As soon as filming began, Gu Cheng sidled up to Director Chu.
When Director Chu gets into work mode, his expression becomes quite serious and he becomes rather silent.
He glanced at Gu Cheng, and seeing that he was alright, he ignored him and continued to focus on the camera screen.
After filming for about an hour, Director Chu finally realized what was going on.
During a break, he looked at Gu Cheng and said cryptically, "Are you trying to steal my skills?"
Gu Cheng quickly raised his hand and said, "No, Director Chu, I'm just here to learn about camera language so I can know which shots are most beautiful!"
Director Chu grunted and then asked, "Did you understand? You were just staring at it from there?" (End of Chapter)