Shen Huai was quite helpless. Judging from his expression, it was clear that he had been planning this for a long time.
Ye Cang smiled smugly. He had been watching how busy Shen Huai was, so even though he longed for them to be together, he had been considerate enough not to disturb him lately, just wanting Shen Huai to get some sleep. He was sure Shen Huai would have a much easier time during the audition days; he had even researched nearby attractions and prepared travel guides.
Shen Huai couldn't refuse him, so he had no choice but to agree.
Ye Cang secretly gave himself a thumbs up.
After finishing his work and returning home, Shen Huai went to rest early. Ye Cang tossed and turned in bed and couldn't help but post a Weibo.
@YourDad: I heard that traveling is the best way to test true love? I'll give it a perfect score then.
Netizens who saw the new Weibo post: ? ? ?
Why are people already showing off their love before Valentine's Day and Qixi Festival are even here?!
[Silently, they raised the torch!]
[Dad, wake up! This isn't your style!!!]
Chapter 95
Three days later, Song Yimian followed Shen Huai to Dongjiang City, to the film crew of "Red Actress".
During this time, Song Yimian thought a lot. He understood Shen Huai's good intentions and finally decided to overcome his fear. Since he didn't join the film crew, he naturally couldn't see the script. He could only write a short biography for the character he was auditioning for based on the original novel "Red Actress".
Song Yimian is getting more and more used to this preparation method. Even when doing these preliminary work, he is building the character image in his mind and imagining his performance style.
Acting is a profession that requires a lot of imagination. People often say that actors need a sense of conviction. What is a sense of conviction? It means that the actor must first believe in the character he is playing. But often the film set cannot provide the actor with a suitable situation. There are also green screen scenes and performances without props. In these situations, what the actor can rely on is his sense of conviction in the character.
A gifted actor can understand a character the moment they see them, create a complete and three-dimensional persona, and then express it through their body language. But for Song Yimian, this is a very difficult thing. He needs much more time to refine the character step by step, and then slowly immerse himself in it.
Chu Meibo appreciated his preparation method, which gave Song Yimian even more confidence. For the past three days, he had been studying the character and occasionally had voice calls with Chu Meibo to discuss how to build the character and how to perform.
Chu Meibo also sensed his progress and felt very gratified.
She now understands the feelings of those "mommy fans" who call Ye Cang "baby"—this is the joy of raising a child!
Song Yimian successfully completed the audition, but the results weren't out yet; he still had to wait for news. In the past, Song Yimian would have been very anxious, but this time, he was surprisingly calm. It was as if he hadn't finished studying before entering the exam hall, and how well he did depended entirely on guessing, so naturally he was worried. But now, it was as if he had just gone through the arduous senior year of high school, and even though he was about to face the college entrance exam, he was already confident in his abilities and potential score.
After the audition, Song Yimian did not go back immediately. Shen Huai asked him to pretend to be an assistant and go to watch Chu Meibo's second audition.
Rather than an audition, it was more like the director adjusting the script and filming method based on the actors' performance.
A great director has a sharp eye, and at times like this, it's important to see how he trains the actors. This is a valuable experience for Song Yimian, and even if he wasn't selected, he would still gain something from this trip.
So, Song Yimian put on a mask and followed Shen Huai and Ye Cang, who was fully armed, into Chu Meibo's dressing room.
That's right, this audition included makeup and hair.
Chu Meibo wore a well-fitting cheongsam, revealing her slender, fair arms. Her hair was permed into large, finger-wave curls, her original willow-leaf eyebrows were made even thinner, and the corners of her eyes were slightly elongated, giving her a charming look. Her red lips were slightly curved, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.
She sat in front of the vanity mirror, slightly raised her eyelids, and glanced at the person who came in.
All three of them were stunned.
The description of Cheng Yanxin in "The Red Actress" immediately came to Song Yimian's mind. The book described her as a woman who walked out of a painting. Song Yimian had never understood what this meant before, but after seeing Chu Meibo at this moment, he immediately understood.
Shen Huai and Ye Cang almost thought they had seen Gu Mei in her ghost form.
The makeup artist clutched her chest and clasped her hands together, saying, "Sister Mei, can I take two photos of you? I promise I won't let them get out; I'll keep them to myself."
Upon hearing her words, Chu Meibo smiled slightly, instantly transforming from a cool and charming movie star back into the familiar persona they knew.
Shen Huai snapped out of his daze: "Let's go to the film set first."
Chu Meibo nodded, and the group walked out of the dressing room, only to bump into the movie star Fu Cheng, who had already changed his clothes and put on makeup.
Fu Cheng was wearing a suit, his hair was combed up and fixed with hair gel, and a pair of black-rimmed round glasses perched on his nose, which slightly obscured the sharpness between his eyebrows and eyes. Just by looking at his appearance, he looked exactly like a rich young master from the Republican era.
Fu Cheng arrived yesterday and had dinner with the director and several main cast members. He naturally learned that Chu Meibo was the actress playing Cheng Yanxin, which shocked him. He had worked with Chu Meibo on "Traveling with History" and knew she was a good actress, but her experience was far too limited.
However, Fu Cheng was a man of deep thoughts. Even if he thought this way, he would not show it on his face. Moreover, because he had worked with Chu Meibo before, he acted quite familiar with her.
Fu Cheng understood that "Red Actress" was a female-centric drama, but Zhou Hanchen's character was also excellent, and if played well, he might not be worse than Cheng Yanxin. If Cheng Yanxin were played by a first- or second-tier actress, he would naturally have to give way to the female lead. In that case, it would be better to act alongside a newcomer like Chu Meibo, who had acting skills but no fame, so at least she wouldn't steal his thunder.
Although Fu Cheng is signed with Guanrui and has countless resources, finding a good script is not an easy task.
With that in mind, Fu Cheng no longer looked down on Chu Meibo for being too inexperienced. He took the initiative to greet her, and the two headed towards the film set.
Just then, the dressing room on the other side opened, and a man wearing a neon military uniform with a small mustache walked out.
As soon as Fu Cheng saw his attire, he guessed his identity: This was the actor who played Yokota.
The actor wasn't there when we had dinner yesterday. He tried to subtly inquire with the director and producer, but they both had strange expressions on their faces and said that he would meet him at the audition today.
Fu Cheng looked at the other person's face and felt that he looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
Song Yimian, who was following behind Chu Meibo, took a step back with a pale face.
-
When they arrived at the film set, Director Xie was already waiting there. Upon seeing the three of them, he smiled with satisfaction.
An actor's appearance is very important. After all, how can one achieve both physical resemblance and spiritual resemblance if one doesn't even have the physical form? In terms of appearance, all three of them are very suitable for the characters in the original work.
Director Xie first had the actors rehearse their lines, then go through the scene once. Only when Director Xie felt the actors were in the right state of mind would he film the scene.
This is Director Xie's consistent filming method, and it also allows the actors to familiarize themselves with the process beforehand.