Chapter 687
"Rebirth" begins filming
Chaoyue's father wasn't in the house; Aunt Wang from next door saw the press conference for the start of filming of "New Life" on TV.
The footage was broadcast as news, and it included a clip of Yang Chaoyue singing.
Upon learning that Yang Chaoyue had become the female lead, Aunt Wang rushed to Chaoyue's house after lunch, pulled Chaoyue's father away, and chatted with him for a long time.
Chaoyue carried the gifts he brought back from Xiamen to Aunt Wang's house. Neighbors should look out for each other.
Aunt Wang and her whole family surrounded Chaoyue's father, listening to him talk about the various celebrities he had met in Xiamen. As Chaoyue approached, he could hear his father's hearty laughter from afar, and the joy in that laughter could be felt even from a distance.
She could clearly sense that her father was talking more and was more willing to move around the village, no longer as taciturn and solitary as before.
Now, when he sees people from the village committee, my father can stand up straight and speak with confidence, no longer as reserved as before.
He used to do electrical work all the time, but now he only does it occasionally for his fellow villagers, and he refuses to accept money anymore.
Because the family is not short of money anymore.
Every time he went to work at someone else's house, people would gather around him, asking about Chaoyue's recent situation. They would all call him brother and repeatedly tell him that if he needed anything in the village in the future, he could just call on them and everyone would be happy to help.
At dinner time, Dad was lighting a fire in front of the stove. He turned to look at Chaoyue, who was helping with the cooking, and said with a smile and a tone full of emotion, "Yueyue, back in the village, nobody remembered me. I was just an inconspicuous ordinary person."
Chao Yue laughed and asked in return, "And now?"
Grandpa's eyes lit up, and he laughed even harder: "Things are different now! You've become a star, always on TV, and even trending on Weibo, while I've become the village's... well, what's that internet thing again?"
Chao Yue reminded: "Internet celebrity?"
"Yes! You're an internet celebrity!" Grandpa clapped his hands, his tone full of pride: "You became a star, and I benefited from it, becoming an internet celebrity in the village. Everyone's asking me about you!"
……
Xiamen, Jimei District, inside Xiamen Institute of Technology.
On the set of "New Life".
This scene depicts Zhang Xuan, played by Tian Xiwei, meeting Fei Kechu, played by Jiang Yang, as the two stroll side by side along a tree-lined path on campus.
The innocent and naive feelings of young boys and girls.
Zhou Hao sat in front of the camera, looking serious.
This was his first time officially directing a film.
When I first met Jiang Yang in Hengdian, he was just an executive director. Which executive director doesn't want to one day be able to stand on his own and truly shoulder the responsibility of being a director?
Now, in Jiangyang's film crew, he has finally become the director in name only.
He knew perfectly well that Jiang Yang was the supervisor and producer of the production team, and that the entire team was built by Jiang Yang himself, with all the real power in his hands.
But he didn't care. As long as the show became a hit, he could completely turn his life around and establish himself in the industry.
But he always had a question in his mind: Is Jiang Yang really good at directing?
High probability is not.
After all, Liu Haochun was also the director, yet he sat to the side, looking completely clueless. This situation was all too common; frankly, it was all about splitting the profits.
Liu Haochun has no scenes, but he can get a share of the profits just by being credited as the director. Jiang Yang is probably the same; he just wants to make more money.
Zhou Hao muttered to himself, "That's why Jiang Yang is so capable of great things. Even if this movie flops, he'll definitely make a profit."
After rehearsing the scene, before the official filming, Zhou Hao tentatively looked at Jiang Yang and said respectfully, "President Jiang, how do you think I should film today's scenes? Please feel free to give me any suggestions, I will listen to you."
He just wanted to test how much Jiang Yang actually knew about directing.
If Jiang Yang knew nothing, he could freely improvise and create his own unique shooting style.
The director's shooting style is extremely important.
The soul of a drama, besides a solid script and excellent actors, largely lies in the director's filming style.
The same scene of strolling on campus can be filmed with a youthful and delicate touch by some directors, while others film it in a dragging, bland, and uninspired manner. Different styles result in vastly different final effects.
For him, this is his first time directing a serious film. If he can create a unique style, he can not only make the film stand out among many works, but also make the industry remember his name. This will allow him to receive more high-quality resources in the future and truly turn his career around.
However, if he doesn't have his own style and just copies others, even if the show becomes a hit, people will only remember Jiang Yang as the supervisor and producer. No one will remember him as the nominal director, and all his previous efforts will be in vain.
Jiang Yang didn't reply, but instead shouted through the megaphone, "Hao Chun's here, right?"
On the director's shooting area, Liu Haochun immediately stood up and replied crisply, "I'm here!"
Jiang Yang handed the megaphone to the on-set producer, then turned to Tian Xiwei, who had just rehearsed with him, and said, "Xiwei, try to get a feel for it again. I'll go teach Director Haochun some acting tips."
Is Jiao Haochun directing the film?
Tian Xiwei chuckled: "You're just a director by name, and you're really putting on airs?"
"I really know how to direct," Jiang Yang said seriously.
"You know nothing! Hurry up, just go through the motions, I'll recite my lines a few more times, don't keep me waiting too long," Tian Xi urged impatiently.
"Tian Xiwei, you're acting like a diva. How dare you talk to the director like that?"
"Are you going or not? I'm going to the Shu Road!" Tian Xi said, her neck slightly stiff, her tone forceful.
Jiang Yang was too lazy to waste words with her, so he turned around and jogged over to Liu Haochun.
The photography director, the costume director, and all the staff members who passed by were all extremely respectful to him, nodding and greeting him.
Even Zhou Hao, who was originally emphasizing the call sheet issue with the executive director, immediately stood up and put on a fawning smile when he saw him coming over.
But Tian Xiwei was the only one who never took his identity as a director seriously.
It has to be said that Xiwei has a really good eye for people.
It's obvious at a glance that he's just pretending to know something.
Bai Lu leaned closer to Tian Xiwei and whispered, "Xiwei, is Jiang Yang really a good director?"
"He knows nothing," Tian Xiwei said bluntly.
Upon hearing this, Bai Lu immediately started chattering, saying, "I knew it! Jiang Yang is just using the title of director to make money. He's a shrewd businessman. He even used Hao Chun's name. Why not use mine too? Let me make some more money so he can get a bigger share!"
No sooner had Bai Lu finished speaking than someone cursed at her: "Bai Lu, what the hell are you muttering about? There are a lot of people talking in the crew, can't you keep your voice down?"
"Who insulted me?" Bai Lu turned around abruptly and saw Zhao Lushi walking over from the RV, carrying a book in her hand.
She retorted defiantly, "I didn't say anything wrong, Lu Shi. Why don't you ask Jiang Yang to put your name on the director's list too, and we can make more money together!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Bai Lu felt a sharp pain in her bottom. She grimaced in pain and yelled, "Who hit me!"
"Me!" Tian Xiwei waved her hand confidently. "Got a problem with that?" "No...no problem." Bai Lu pouted aggrievedly and didn't dare to say another word.
Zhao Lushi walked over, glared at Bai Lu, and said sternly, "If Jiang Yang wants to make money, and word gets out of here, I'll curse your family's ancestral graves, all the way back to Bai Zhantang's generation!"
"Don't worry, Mom and Sister, I absolutely won't tell. I'm very tight-lipped!" Bai Lu immediately put away her grievances and made a solemn promise.
Her gaze fell on the book in Zhao Lushi's hand, and she asked curiously, "Is this the book that Jiang Yang was reading in the RV earlier?"
“Yes.” Zhao Lushi nodded.
Upon hearing this, Tian Xiwei, Bai Lu, and Zhao Lushi exchanged glances, understanding the situation.
The book is titled "How to Become a Director".
If Jiang Yang were truly skilled at directing, would he need to read such introductory books?
It's obviously just for show.
On the director's monitor, Zhou Hao watched Jiang Yang earnestly instructing Liu Haochun on how to shoot the scene, and his ears involuntarily perked up.
Jiang Yang then said to Liu Haochun, "Haochun, remember these points. Use a tracking shot with the camera following the actors' movements. It doesn't need to be too complicated; just keep it steady."
He paused, then added, "Also, don't cut too many shots when filming. Use one long take to go all the way through, then add two close-ups to show the actors' expressions. It's simple and effective."
Zhou Hao understood.
The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.
As expected, Jiang Yang only knew the basics and just wanted to show off in front of Liu Haochun.
These are all the most basic directing common sense, something any production assistant on a film crew could say, without any consideration of the details of the scene and the characters' emotions.
If Jiang Yang directs it the way he suggested, this film is definitely going to flop.
Jiang Yang said that long-take tracking shots, if not precisely controlled in terms of rhythm, can easily become drawn-out and tedious, making the audience feel bored.
Relying solely on natural light, especially in backlit or dimly lit situations, makes it impossible to capture the actors' expressions clearly, which would actually ruin the fresh and innocent atmosphere of the campus drama, resulting in more harm than good.
Zhou Hao understood that Jiang Yang probably just wanted to go through the motions and put on a show, and had no intention of actually directing the film.
[Under your guidance, Liu Haochun's directing skills have improved, and you have received corresponding feedback.]
Upon receiving the system notification, Jiang Yang looked down at Liu Haochun and asked, "Haochun, have you learned it?"
"I've learned it." Liu Haochun nodded with a serious expression.
Actually, she could tell that Jiang Yang was only teaching basic content, which was not difficult to learn. After all, she had been on set for so long and was already very familiar with these things.
She thought to herself that Jiang Yang would soon be teaching her something truly practical and professional.
“Okay, Haochun, I’ll demonstrate for you.” Jiang Yang said, then added, “For Xiwei’s scenes this time, my part where my face isn’t shown will be done by a body double.”
Zhou Hao, who was standing to the side, was stunned.
Is Jiang Yang really going to do this?
With so many people watching, if the result of his filming is a complete mess, he'll be incredibly embarrassed.
He stepped forward and cautiously advised, "President Jiang, why don't I do it? You can focus on the production."
"Are you colorblind? Can't you read my face?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang, I was just being nosy."
Zhou Hao quickly apologized, not daring to say another word.
He could clearly sense Jiang Yang's pride and arrogance. He had only just become famous and he was already thinking about transitioning to directing. He was probably too cocky to even dare to say such a thing.
Just then, Zhou Hao suddenly noticed someone walking towards him from behind. He instinctively wanted to ask the staff to drive them away, but after seeing the person's appearance, he shuddered instantly.
Huang Xiaoming and his wife!
He stood up, about to go forward to greet them, but Huang Xiaoming stopped him by raising his hand.
Zhou Hao didn't dare to say a word and stood obediently to the side, secretly worried.
On one side is Jiang Yang, who pays his salary, and on the other side is Huang Xiaoming, who can bring him more high-quality resources. He can't afford to offend either side, so he can only carefully maneuver between them.
After accompanying Yang Ying to finish recording "Running Man", Huang Xiaoming was about to leave Xiamen when he saw Jiang Yang's post on the set while browsing his WeChat Moments. He realized that the filming location was not far from them, so he made a special trip over to say hello.
The song "Under the Sea" that Jiang Yang sang yesterday was indeed of good quality. Not only did he think it sounded good, but more importantly, its popularity soared after it was released on NetEase Cloud Music.
It perfectly matches the style of NetEase Cloud Music.
He could clearly sense that after Jiangyang Company recruited people, it should have built a complete operation team. Big V's on Bilibili and Weibo were actively promoting the song, and they were all top KOL accounts, creating considerable momentum.
Anyone who has heard this song knows that it is the theme song of Jiang Yang's new drama "New Life". With the guidance of the operation team, it is easy for people to associate the two.
This generated a surge in the show's popularity.
I have to admit, this kid really knows marketing.
But he had seen everything clearly when Jiang Yang was teaching Liu Haochun how to direct a film.
Those words are too basic; even he knows them. Directing a film like that is pure nonsense, just theoretical talk.
"Come on, baby, let's sit over there for a while and not disturb Jiang Yang's filming." Huang Xiaoming put his arm around Yang Ying.
"Honey, is Jiang Yang really good at directing?" Yang Ying asked doubtfully.
The two walked to a bench and sat down. Huang Xiaoming whispered, "He's talking complete nonsense."
"I think Jiang Yang should be able to do it. He's so talented in creative work, and he did a great job at yesterday's launch press conference."
"I don't want you to think, I want me to think."
Huang Xiaoming said firmly, "Baby, Jiang Yang is indeed talented, but he's taking too big a step and is too arrogant. He'll stumble sooner or later."
Yang Ying knew Huang Xiaoming's stubborn temper well, so she coaxed him, "My husband is right. Only my husband has the ability to be a director. He's much better than Jiang Yang."
“Of course.” Huang Xiaoming instantly became smug and said with a smile, “Let me tell you, Baby, if I were a director, my directing skills would definitely be eight streets ahead of Jiang Yang’s.”
"Shh, don't talk, it's about to start." Yang Ying gently patted his arm, gesturing for him to look at the film set.
Jiang Yang didn't notice Huang Xiaoming and Yang Ying.
Holding a walkie-talkie, his sharp gaze swept across the entire set. Seeing that his stunt double and Tian Xiwei had already adjusted their positions, he immediately began filming. (End of Chapter)