diymy Chapter 23 Hesitation 1
Chapter 23 Hesitation 1
After the rain at the end of April.
The city went from occasional lows of around ten degrees Celsius to days with average outdoor temperatures around twenty-five degrees Celsius. Filming in such sunny and breezy weather allowed Huang Min to maintain a calm mindset, even though it was his first time directing.
"Click"
Huang Min, who was sitting in the chair in front of the monitor, picked up the walkie-talkie and shouted.
As the anniversary approached, Huang Min smiled and said, "You haven't filmed for years, but you're in better shape than ever."
"Give me a break!"
Anniversary retorted irritably, "If it were other directors praising me, I could accept it calmly, but with you, it's one thing. You've made me act it out several times in a row, and if there are still a dozen or twenty takes, I might as well find a crack in the ground to crawl into."
"hehe"
Huang Min chuckled twice: "It's not as exaggerated as you say. Your acting skills have improved a lot since we worked together. After this movie is finished, many production companies should be asking you to act in movies."
"May your words bring you good fortune."
They bowed respectfully on the anniversary.
Afterwards, he watched the replay with Huang Min. After watching it, he said with some helplessness, "I feel that it's still a bit lacking compared to your performance. If I weren't afraid of dying, I would have really found a rope and done it myself."
"Don't"
Huang Min pointed to his neck: "Although the bruises on my neck have disappeared, they have left some aftereffects. Now, if I pinch my neck even slightly, I can't help but stick out my tongue."
"Ha ha"
Zhou Nian couldn't help but burst into laughter: "This kind of thing... never mind, let's not talk about it. It's a good thing that you can get through this and are even thinking about transitioning to making movies. Whether it succeeds or not is secondary. At least it's better than staying at home all day. Many artists in the entertainment industry have developed depression after suffering setbacks because they stayed at home all day and overthinking."
After chatting with Huang Min for a while, Zhou Nian watched the scene he had just filmed several times, and also watched the two scenes filmed yesterday. He then had a better understanding of the situation.
Even though the number of scenes filmed so far is not large, these few points are enough to illustrate the point. As long as Huang Min can maintain this level of performance, the quality of the show should be fine.
The rest... depends on whether the audience buys into it.
Filming continued until 11:30 PM. When Huang Min yelled "Cut!", the crew started serving meals. Even though the production budget was tight, Huang Min didn't skimp on the boxed lunches. Each boxed lunch consisted of one large meat dish, one small meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a bowl of soup, priced at 30 yuan. In addition, the crew also provided a water dispenser and some fruit that could be eaten during breaks.
Su Qing did not raise any objections in this regard.
The fruits were ordered from a fruit shop not far from the photography studio, and they were supplied regularly every day, consisting of seasonal and local fruits.
In her view, everything else can be cut back on, but food is the one thing that cannot be cut back on. If you want to win people's hearts, besides salary, it's about food and drink.
Since Dong Sheng Pictures, being a startup, certainly can't compete on salaries, they can only cut corners on food and drink. The main reason is that the crew of "The Terror Live" only has fifty or sixty people, and Dong Sheng Pictures can afford to support such a small number of people even if their financial situation is not optimistic.
Zhou Nian took a boxed lunch from the stage manager, found a place to sit down and started eating. When he noticed someone next to him, he looked up and saw that it was his older sister, Zhou Hong, who was also his manager. He then lowered his head and continued eating.
Zhou Hong pulled over a plastic stool that the film crew had bought for their staff to eat on. After sitting down, she turned her head and glanced around. She saw that everyone else was sitting together eating boxed lunches and no one was paying attention to her.
Zhou Hong coughed lightly twice, and when Zhou Nian looked over again, she whispered, "Zhang Xiaohua contacted me not long ago, saying that as long as you leave the cast of 'The Terror Live,' she will pay our breach of contract penalty. She also promised that two months later, she will reserve a very important supporting role for you in Yang Dong's 'Life and Death Grass.'"
That's going too far.
Zhou Nian picked up a bowl of tomato and egg soup and took a sip: "I've been unemployed at home for so long without looking for acting roles, and I've only been filming 'The Terror Live' for less than two days when she came knocking on my door. Isn't this clearly targeting Huang Min?!"
"I think it's okay to agree."
Zhou Hong thought for a moment and analyzed, "Let me finish. Although Yang Dong's show is a TV series, the ratings for the TV series he stars in are guaranteed. The key is that Zhang Xiaohua has promised that she won't give you less than 150,000 yuan per episode."
Turning her head to glance at Huang Min, who was sitting in a chair eating his boxed lunch, Zhou Hong continued, "Putting aside the fact that 'The Terror Live' is Huang Min's first time directing, there are two other uncertainties. First, after the film is completed, will any distribution company be willing to distribute it? Second, even if a distribution company is found, how many screenings will theaters give this film? Given Huang Min's current situation, he definitely can't afford much money for promotion. Finally, Zhang Xiaohua made it clear this morning that if you don't give her face this time, she will use her connections to keep you unemployed at home."
"Threatening me!?"
Zhou Nian asked a question in return, then scoffed, "I've been unemployed for so long, what am I afraid of?"
"Little brother, I think it's wise to be pragmatic. Let's give her face this time. Two months from now, you can join the cast of 'Life and Death Grass'."
Zhou Hong advised, "You might be able to make a comeback with your collaboration with Yang Dong. There's no need to stick with Huang Min all the way down this path. His script is good, and the filming is decent, but the next two hurdles are tougher than the last. They're not easy to overcome. Even if you do, judging from Zhang Xiaohua's phone call to me, Lin Wan will definitely try to sabotage the film after it's released. I understand your thinking. Huang Min is down on his luck now, and if you side with him and he succeeds, he'll definitely remember your kindness. But reality isn't that easy. Lin Wan's career is booming right now, and her connections and influence are too strong. We can't afford to offend her."
"I am definitely the male lead in this drama."
After a few bites of rice, Zhou Nian said, "I think it's much better than playing a supporting role in a TV series starring Yang Dong. And I have a feeling that even if 'The Terror Live' doesn't work out, Huang Min..."
After a slight pause, he thought for a while before saying, "With his acting skills, he will definitely make a comeback. Rather than adding to his success, I'd rather stay here and help him in his time of need. If it works out, he can act and direct. Compared to building a relationship with a pure actor, I think it's more beneficial for my future development to build a good relationship with the director."
Why won't you listen to advice?!
Zhou Hong was somewhat dissatisfied.
"sister"
After finishing his boxed lunch, Zhou Nian put the empty lunchbox into a bag. He called out, and after Zhou Hong asked, "What are you doing!", Zhou Nian laughed and said, "Your hair is getting a bit long, go get it cut shorter."
Zhou Hong subconsciously reached out and grabbed her braid, which she had been growing for three months and was now long enough to tie up, and muttered in confusion, "It's not long!"