He discovered that Chu Meibo was the kind of actress who was "born with a silver spoon in her mouth." She had not received any professional training and acted entirely on instinct.
Before her assassination, she acted in thirty-six productions, portraying a range of characters from an innocent schoolgirl to a haughty and aloof rich girl, a world-weary woman, and a fiery and beautiful widow. Each role was vividly brought to life and believable. Even decades later, her performances remain stunning.
Take Aoi-hime, for example; Director Gao was amazed by her performance.
Fortunately, this time it was a fantasy drama; if it had been a campus drama or a modern drama, it probably wouldn't have had such a good effect.
For actors, life is the soil from which they draw nourishment. After all, Chu Meibo's era is too far removed from the present. There are many things she has not personally experienced. Even if she can perform them with her strong talent, she will ultimately lack a sense of naturalness.
Chu Meibo has extremely high standards for herself, and she will realize this sooner or later. Rather than waiting until the last minute to consider it, it's better to prepare in advance.
After listening, Chu Meibo's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she nodded: "You're right."
This was indeed a problem she hadn't considered, but as Shen Huai said, if this problem wasn't resolved, her acting career would be greatly affected.
Shen Huai paused for a moment, then continued, "Of course, it's not just about letting you experience campus life. I've also enrolled you in the Zhongjing Film Academy."
Chu Meibo: "Film Academy?"
Shen Huai nodded: "Although your acting skills are already very good, professional acting methods and theoretical knowledge still have their value. Moreover, Zhongjing Film Academy has more than just an acting department. Getting to know other aspects of film production will also benefit you."
Shen Huai's words convinced Chu Meibo. She was not someone who couldn't listen to others' opinions. Although she was still a little uncomfortable about having to go back to school after being dead for almost a hundred years, she was no longer so resistant.
Seeing that Chu Meibo had agreed, Shen Huai breathed a sigh of relief, and then he could say what he was going to say: "Although the scores for the art academy are not high, they may still be a bit difficult for you at your current level. I have hired a tutor for you, and you should at least improve your basic courses before the start of the semester."
Chu Meibo: "..."
There was no way to refute it.
Although Shen Huai's actions were all for her sake, Chu Meibo still frowned suspiciously: "Why do I feel like your motives aren't pure?"
Shen Huai remained calm: "You're overthinking it. I'm a professional agent, and everything I do is for the benefit of my artists."
Chu Meibo was still somewhat skeptical, but she couldn't find any flaws in Shen Huai, so she could only let the matter pass with a mixture of doubt and suspicion.
Shen Huai silently told himself that he was truly doing it for Chu Meibo's own good, and it was definitely not because he didn't want to drink the soup Chu Meibo cooked anymore.
-
In the following days, besides studying the script and developing the character, Chu Meibo devoted herself to reading.
For her, it was a nightmare. She had always had excellent grades since childhood. In her previous life, before joining the film company, she was admitted to Dongjiang University, which made her a top student at the time.
The school used to teach English and math, but English hasn't been used for so many years and has deteriorated. As for math, it's used even less, and the difficulty level back then can't compare to now. All in all, only Chinese and history are still decent; the rest are a complete mess.
The tutor Shen Huai hired for her was a renowned local teacher. When the teachers saw Chu Meibo's grades, none of them had a pleasant expression. She was probably the worst student they had ever taught.
This gaze deeply stung Chu Meibo's pride.
From that day on, she set herself up for a challenge. Fortunately, she had a good memory and was intelligent, able to apply what she learned to new situations. She progressed very quickly in whatever she learned, and in just half a month, her grades had improved significantly.
And it was during this fulfilling period of study that filming for "The Secret" finally began.
Before the official filming, all the actors had to take costume photos.
Kui Ji has two sets of clothes: one is when she is disguised as an orphan and follows the male protagonist Chang Yu, and the other is when she regains her true identity.
The former is a simple cloth garment, while the latter is a gorgeous red dress, representing two complete extremes.
Chu Meibo changed into her first outfit. When she came out of the dressing room, her eyes were lowered and shimmering with light as she looked at people. She was like a pitiful little white flower, but her eyes also revealed a hint of evil.
Director Gao was surprised that she was already so immersed in the role, and immediately became excited: "Quick! Film it now!"
The photographer also got inspired and kept asking Chu Meibo to change her poses. Chu Meibo had never taken a makeup photo before, but she seemed to know how to present herself in front of the camera.
The photographer got more and more excited as he took pictures, and after taking countless shots, he finally stopped, reluctant to let Chu Meibo go change into her second outfit.
Director Gao huddled with him to look at the photos on the camera and exclaimed, "This kind of person was born to stand in front of the camera."
As Director Gao spoke, he looked at Shen Huai standing to the side and said with a smile, "Little Shen, your eye for talent is truly amazing. Back then, you brought out Xu Anqi, and now this one is even more impressive. You've found the most talented female star in all of China. How did you do it?"
This wasn't the first time someone had asked Shen Huai this question. Shen Huai smiled and replied, half-jokingly, "Luck, I guess."
"Your luck is even harder to come by than winning the lottery!" Director Gao joked.
Shen Huai gave a helpless smile. Isn't that right? Seeing a ghost is much more difficult than buying a lottery ticket, isn't it?
Director Gao chatted with Shen Huai for a few more minutes. While Chu Meibo went to change her clothes and makeup, he took some costume photos of the other supporting actors. Actually, their performances were not bad, but Director Gao had just finished watching Chu Meibo's photos and was still somewhat dissatisfied with their performances.
These people are all newcomers. I heard from senior colleagues that Director Gao has a very good temper and is especially kind to newcomers. That's all a lie!
Director Gao let them off the hook with a hint of regret, and complained to the assistant director, "What's wrong with these newcomers these days? They're even from formal acting schools, how come they can't even compare to Xiao Chu, who has never studied acting?!"
Assistant Director: "..."
Seeing that the assistant director didn't speak, Director Gao asked in confusion, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
The assistant director stared straight behind him, and Director Gao frowned, turned around, and was also stunned.
Although she only changed her clothes and makeup, Chu Meibo looked like a completely different person.
Her long dress was extremely gorgeous. On the bright red background, the mandala pattern was embroidered with gold thread, which was quite extravagant. If someone else wore it, it would probably just look gaudy. However, Chu Meibo's disdainful eyes and indifferent temperament completely overshadowed the dress.
Because of her age, her features are actually quite youthful. The makeup artist raised her eyebrows and thickened her eyeliner. With her undisguised wicked charm, people almost forgot her age.
At this moment, she is the capricious, cruel, and ruthless Aoi-hime from the drama.
Even Shen Huai, who had been mentally prepared, was stunned at this moment.