Chapter 646
Jiang Yang, Jiang Yang, I am your mother
Jiang Yang and Tian Xiwei really don't need to wear much makeup.
She was young, with clean and clear features.
In addition, he was wearing his usual school uniform, making him look like a typical high school student.
With a little tidying up, it looks like the most authentic campus.
The two stood side by side at the desks in the senior high school classroom.
The desk was covered with senior high school review materials and Youxuepai learning equipment, looking very much like a student preparing for exams.
They each held a thin script in their hands, and leaned slightly towards each other.
They could smell the fresh scent unique to each other, like that of young boys and girls.
The lights on set weren't strong, but they shone evenly on the two of them, enveloping them in a soft glow.
Staff members stepped forward and gently clipped the microphones into the collars of the two students' school uniforms.
everything's ready.
Jiang Yang lowered his head to test the microphone: "Xiwei Xiwei, please reply if you receive this, OVER."
Tian Xiwei stood up and tested the microphone: "Xiwei received, over."
"Xiwei, Xiwei, I'm your boss."
Upon hearing this...
Without even thinking, Tian Xiwei blurted out, "Jiang Yang, Jiang Yang, I am your mother."
As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling with joy.
Jiang Yang looked towards the door and shouted in a Chongqing accent, "Old woman, Xiwei is scolding you."
Tian Xiwei's smile froze.
His eyes widened, and he blurted out "Holy crap!"
She quickly stood up, nervously peering towards the door, her lips pursed in embarrassment, afraid that Jiang Yang's mother was really outside.
After looking around, there was only the lighting assistant outside the door.
She realized she'd been tricked and lightly slapped Jiang Yang's arm, saying, "I'll beat you to death, I'm telling you!"
The first scene is a study session in this senior high school classroom.
The class that Tian Xiwei chose was one she had attended before.
The familiar environment made her less reserved, and she quickly got into the zone.
The desks are neatly arranged with review textbooks specifically for senior high school students.
The notebook filled with annotations of her mistakes was brought by Tian Xiwei herself. Next to it was a pencil case with the Tongliang school emblem on it.
It was added intentionally.
I studied in Tongliang for three years and never saw this thing.
The Youxuepai learning machine is placed in the corner of the desk, with the screen dark, not deliberately highlighted.
Jiang Yang lowered his head and focused intently on working out the math problems.
The pen tip glided quickly across the draft paper, occasionally pausing, and the brow furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that he had encountered a problem.
The classroom was quiet.
The handheld console, which is close to the camera, can hear the slight buzzing sound of the camera operating.
Two cameras were mounted at the front and side of the classroom, respectively.
The team that the brand hired—the camera crew and the director team—was all brought in from Hengdian through Jiang Yang's connections.
Very professional.
The costume and makeup teams are locals from Chongqing.
You don't need a strong foundation; it mainly depends on these two aspects, which Jiang Yang will be able to handle himself.
There is no need for an executive director; there is one assistant director, and the entire on-set operation is managed by the director.
The scene wasn't large, there wasn't much to remember, and it was manageable.
The handheld console player crouched behind the machine, one hand supporting the body and the other gently adjusting the focus, his eyes fixed on the viewfinder, afraid of missing any detail.
"Make the light a little softer, shining it on the learning machine screen to highlight the interface, without glare. Yes, yes, that's the right light!"
The director sat next to the monitor, holding a walkie-talkie, giving instructions.
A temporary team.
It will take some time to adjust.
Fortunately, the filming wasn't too difficult.
The director kept his eyes fixed on Jiang Yang's movements on the screen: "Jiang Yang, make your frown less pronounced, and show more of the focus of a senior high school student solving a problem. Don't try too hard to look troubled."
The lighting crew member immediately replied, "Received, Director. We're adjusting the lights and will be in position shortly!"
As he spoke, he gently turned the light knob.
The originally slightly bright lights were adjusted to a softer tone.
A beam of light fell precisely on the learning machine next to Jiang Yang, illuminating the screen just right without being too bright.
The script supervisor next to him crossed his arms, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jiang Yang and Tian Xiwei. He whispered to his assistant, "They're both in good shape, but Xiwei hasn't gotten into the frame yet. Remind her to move a little closer to Jiang Yang later."
The assistant nodded: "Okay, I'll go tell them when the director calls 'cut'."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yang slightly adjusted the degree of his frown.
Open the error analysis function on the learning machine.
The solution steps are clearly displayed on the interface.
The walkie-talkie rang again: "Click!"
"Director, what's wrong?" Tian Xi looked towards the filming area.
Seeing the director frown, she said, "Xiwei, you need to be more proactive."
"Ok."
"It means that when you catch a glimpse of Jiang Yang frowning out of the corner of your eye, you should move closer slowly, you understand?"
"I understand, just be natural, like when you're discussing problems with your classmates."
"Yes, yes, that's it." The director nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Yang glanced at Tian Xiwei and said, "Just do it like we usually do problems in the classroom. I'll wait for you to come closer before I tap the screen."
Tian Xiwei had acting experience, so communication was highly effective. Jiang Yang was even more so; he could portray any state of mind... The director breathed a sigh of relief.
They were paid a fixed salary and were required to finish filming within a day.
Time is tight and tasks are heavy.
I originally thought we would have to shoot at night with special lighting, because actors in commercials are usually not professional actors, and we need to explain the camera positions, shots, and emotional direction.
In Jiang Yang and Tian Xiwei's case, this is completely unnecessary.
Based on the current progress, it seems that it can be completed before dawn.
The director then said to the handheld console, "Also, on the side of the handheld console where Xiwei is being filmed, zoom in a little closer with the side shot to get a close-up of Xiwei's expression."
The camera position is now adjusted.
Seeing this, the director added into the walkie-talkie: "Everyone, don't rush. This is the first time we're filming a study scene, so we're aiming for realism. Let's do one more take. Keep the lighting the same. Camera operator, pay attention to capturing the chemistry between the two actors. Script supervisor, get ready to clapperboard."
"3, 2, 1! Okay, start!"
The script supervisor raised the clapperboard.
After the crisp sound, filming resumed.
Jiang Yang lowered his head again, pretending to be stuck on solving the problem.
With a slight frown, Tian Xi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then slowly turned to the side. Her dark hair brushed against his arm, carrying a faint scent of shampoo. She said softly, "Is this question difficult for you? I think I encountered it just now too. Let's take a look at the solution on the learning machine?"
Jiang Yang paused slightly, turned his head, and gave Tian Xi a faint smile.
His eyes were full of tenderness.
With her finger pointing to the key points of the problem on the screen, she responded softly in sync with Tian Xiwei's words: "Yes, I'm stuck at this step. Look at this step in the explanation; I couldn't get around it just now."
The two spoke softly and naturally, without any unnecessary embellishment, perfectly fitting the scene of studying.
The only downside was a snapping sound that broke the silence on set.
It was the sound of Jiang Yang's pen rolling to the ground.
"Cut!" The director called for a stop in time and said cautiously to Jiang Yang, "It's okay, it's just a small accident, Mr. Jiang Yang. Don't worry about the pen rolling down. Just keep focusing on the explanation. It will actually make it more realistic, just like when you accidentally drop your pen while doing a problem."
"Okay, director," Jiang Yang replied.
This director named Zhang Lei is not a famous director.
He was specially transferred from Hengdian by the brand through him.
Jiang Yang and I met in Hengdian. He hasn't filmed any blockbuster works, but he has solid filming skills, especially in capturing realistic and delicate campus scenes.
Zhang Lei certainly knew that Jiang Yang was now the most important figure on set.
He hoped that by making a good advertisement for Youxuepai and leveraging the brand influence of Youxuepai, he could make a name for himself in the industry.
More importantly, Jiang Yang's previous film was directed by a renowned director like Zhong Shujia.
They have a very good personal relationship.
If he offends Jiang Yang, forget about future resources; he'll have a hard time making it in the film and television industry in the future.
When filming other low-budget movies, he always treats those unknown actors with a strictly professional attitude.
Their tone and attitude would carry a professional distance; they would never be so cautious and gentle with actors.
Not only Zhang Lei, but also the staff from various departments on set were all looking forward to making a good commercial for Youxuepai. Everyone knew that Youxuepai, as a well-known educational technology brand, had a very wide advertising reach, promoting itself extensively on both online platforms and offline campuses.
If the commercial is well-made and recognized by the brand, they will not only receive a considerable shooting fee, but the brand will also likely continue to use their team for future advertising shooting needs, resulting in a lot of money in the long run.
This was all thanks to Jiang Yang.
If the advertisement is well-received after airing, other brands in the industry and the production team will also take notice of them.
As more high-quality orders are received, the remuneration will naturally increase.
There are far more opportunities to make money than shooting those obscure, low-profile films.
The director forced a smile and tentatively asked, "Um, Mr. Jiang Yang, I might have been a little harsh just now. Please don't mind. I'm just getting into work mode when directing, that's all."
"I'm really fine," Jiang Yang said with a smile.
We've only been filming for a short while, but the atmosphere on set already feels a bit strange.
The atmosphere was different from when I was filming before.
Sometimes when he didn't perform well, Zhong Shujia would directly scold him, showing him no mercy whatsoever.
Everyone here was extremely afraid of him, whether it was the director Zhang Lei, or the cameramen, lighting crew, script supervisors and other staff members. They spoke and acted with great caution.
Even when pointing out his minor problems, they were very tactful, afraid of offending him.
This can't go on.
While the props crew was picking up pens and making adjustments, Jiang Yang stood up, waved to all the staff on set, and broke the tense atmosphere with his cheerful and gentle voice: "Everyone, please stop for a moment. I have something to say."
Everyone instinctively looked over.
There was tension in his eyes.
Jiang Yang smiled and continued in a softer tone, "I know everyone is taking this shoot very seriously, and I thank you all for your cooperation. But I've noticed that you all seem too reserved, both towards me and towards the work itself."
He turned to Zhang Lei, patted him on the shoulder, and said sincerely, "Director Zhang, we're friends, we've eaten together in Hengdian, and now we're partners. You can criticize me if you need to during filming. I know you're capable. Just let me act according to your ideas, and give me guidance if needed. There's really no need to make special concessions for me or care about my feelings. We actors are just acting, what do we need to save face for? It's just work. If I do something wrong, just tell me directly. Our goal is to shoot the advertisement well. Work is work, there's no room for sentimentality."
Zhang Lei was stunned.
He nodded emphatically: "Okay, okay! Thank you for your understanding, Teacher Jiang Yang!"
Done.
Jiang Yang then looked at the other staff members and added, "And everyone, don't be afraid of me. Why be so cautious? We'll all do our jobs and cooperate well. If we shoot well, everyone will get paid and have more opportunities, which is better than anything else. If you have any questions, whether they're about the filming or related to me, just say them directly. Don't hold back. Let's finish filming as soon as possible, wrap up early, and get paid as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the other staff members visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
They all nodded, their initial awkwardness fading somewhat.
Filming continues.
The props team quickly picked up the pen, wiped off the dust visible in the lens, and put it back next to Jiang Yang, saying in a low voice, "Teacher Jiang Yang, the pen is now properly placed."
Jiang Yang nodded: "Okay, thank you."
The sound crew also took the opportunity to check the microphone and said into the walkie-talkie, "Director, the sound recording is normal. The sound of the pen rolling can be slightly processed in post-production and will not affect the final cut."
After discussing it with Jiang Yang, we agreed to include the scene of the pen falling in the film.
Filming resumed.
Zhang Lei replied, "Okay, keep the sound quality on, let's do one more take, this time let's try to get it in one take!"
Jiang Yang lowered his head to solve the problem, his brows furrowed.
Tian Xiwei quietly leaned closer and asked in a soft voice.
Jiang Yang turned his head and smiled, then tapped the screen of the learning machine.
This series of movements was natural and fluid.
The pen appeared to have rolled off accidentally, but Jiang Yang didn't stop, continuing to focus intently on the learning machine's explanation.
Tian Xiwei glanced at the pen on the ground without making any extra movements, perfectly matching the real scene.
"That's a wrap!" Zhang Lei smiled with satisfaction. "Very good. Teacher Jiang Yang, Teacher Xi Wei, a few of you have come over. I think this is the feeling. If you're satisfied, the staff can take a break and prepare the props for the next shot!"
The first set of shots covered the duration of one class period.
We moved on to the library.
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.
The corridors of the teaching building became lively.
Soft chatter and playful noises.
"Did you guys see yesterday's trending topics in the entertainment industry? Wu Yifan's career has collapsed, according to Xiao G Na's revelations."
"Canadian playboy, holy crap."
"It's not really a building collapse, there's no evidence, and Wu Yifan hasn't responded yet."
Several girls were chatting by the railing.
When they noticed the teacher approaching, they immediately shut up.
Even if it's not their teacher, they don't want to talk about these things in front of their teacher.
After the teacher left, they whispered among themselves in low voices.
We were just gossiping, and as the conversation got more interesting, we naturally started talking about the film crew at school today.
The murmurs suddenly grew louder.
"Did you guys know? There's a film crew shooting near the senior high school building. I saw a camera when I passed by on my way to the restroom. I don't know if it's for a movie or a TV series?"
"I think it's a movie shoot; it's quite a large-scale operation, with many staff members carrying equipment."
"No, no, I heard from my deskmate that it seems to be a commercial, something like Youxuepai."
"No matter what they're filming, I just took a peek from afar, and the male and female leads are so good-looking! I heard from the staff that they're graduates of our Tongliang Middle School, is that true?"
"No way, did our school have such good-looking students in our senior year before?"
"I don't think so either. Maybe it's an artist dressed up as a student. How can a student look like a celebrity?"
twitter.
His face was full of curiosity and doubt.
Some students even dragged their classmates along, planning to go to the senior high school building to join in the fun.
At the other end of the corridor, several teachers carrying thick lesson plans hurried into the office.
After pausing for a moment, the conversation revolved around teaching and the film crew today.
"Final exams are coming up soon, and my students did so poorly in the mock exams. I'm so worried. If they don't do well on the actual exams, they definitely won't get any awards."
A female teacher frowned and sighed, her voice full of anxiety.
The teacher next to her patted her on the shoulder and comforted her, "Don't be too anxious. It's the same in my class. Everyone has been restless lately, especially today when a film crew came to shoot a movie. Many students were distracted in class."
When this topic comes up...
He got excited: "The people who came to shoot this commercial are students from our school, named Jiang Yang, do you know him from Lao Li's class?"
"Of course I know, he's the top scholar, who in Jiangyang doesn't know him?"
Another teacher chimed in, her tone tinged with envy, "I heard from the academic affairs office that after Jiang Yang finishes filming the Youxuepai commercial, Youxuepai will donate a large batch of audio-visual equipment to our school. It will be much more convenient to teach in the future. Tsk tsk, Jiang Yang is so outstanding now, and he can bring so many benefits to the school. Old Li is going to be laughing his head off. He's definitely going to be selected for the awards this year, and he might even be selected as an outstanding head teacher at the city level."
"Why couldn't I have taught a student like Jiang Yang?"
The teachers exchanged a few more words of advice on teaching, and then quickly grabbed their lesson plans and hurried to their classrooms.
The chatter in the corridor gradually subsided as the school bell rang.
The library was quiet.
The tall bookshelves are neatly arranged and filled with all kinds of books.
Jiang Yang's phone rang. After ringing a few times, Jiang Yang quickly hung up and saw that it was Wang Han calling.
Immediately afterwards, I received a message from Wang Han: "Xiao Jiang, are you busy?"
[“Filming in Tongliang and Xiwei.”] Jiang Yang typed quickly.
Wang Han replied: [“Your idea is dangerous.”]
Jiang Yang explained clearly: ["To shoot a commercial."]
[“Haha, I know, the production team wants your guest list for the next episode. I know you well, so I'll just ask you directly. I need to prepare too.”] Wang Han sent a message.
They've come to claim him.
Wang Han sent another message: ["Mainly, I need to coordinate with the guests in advance. To be honest, I'm worried that the people you bring might not be very famous. I want to understand their personalities and past works beforehand, and prepare their interaction scripts to avoid awkward silences or mishaps during the recording. After all, the show needs to be entertaining to air, so I need to be prepared in advance."]
When it comes to serious matters, Wang Han speaks directly.
That makes sense.
Jiang Yang quickly replied: ["I'll bring Zhao Jinmai and Meng Ziyi along, and Tian Xiwei too."]
["OK."]
Wang Han understood the situation after seeing the message.
In the last episode, we learned that Jiang Yang has an assistant named Bai Lu, who is also an artist.
It was mentioned many times during the recording.
He did not appear.
But it does have some entertainment value.
I thought Jiang Yang would bring Bai Lu this time.
Bai Lu is not very famous, and like Liu Haochun, she has works yet to be released.
If he really brings it, he'll have to spend a lot more time doing his homework and coordinating the details.
Since it was Zhao Jinmai and Meng Ziyi who came, things became easier.
Meng Ziyi was a campus beauty at the Beijing Film Academy. She had acted in some productions at the academy, but she wasn't famous.
Zhao Jinmai, needless to say, is an actress targeted at children.
A well-behaved and sensible image.
It's also easier to maintain a proper balance when interacting with others, so you don't have to worry about awkward silences.
Tian Xiwei, on the other hand, is not exactly a complete newcomer.
After seeing the official announcement from the Youxuepai brand, Wang Han sent a message: ["Tian Xiwei, is she the actress who filmed the Youxuepai commercial with you? She also acted in Lao Zhong's fantasy drama?"]
"Yes, it's Xiwei."
[“Okay, I understand. You're from Chongqing, right? Xiao Jiang, you go ahead with your work, I won't bother you any longer. See you in Changsha later, I'll treat you and Xiao Tian to authentic Changsha stinky tofu.”] (End of Chapter)