NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36
He returned to his familiar environment.
Jian Hua sits in the corner, watching the busy crew come and go.
No matter how lavish the cast is, shooting scenes is still a very messy thing. Wires are all over the place, and for an ordinary person to have a box to sit on is already good.
Assistant Director Luo did not wear a suit today. He was holding an electric horn in his hand with his phone hanging on his neck. He was also wearing a vest with N pockets and had a wireless headset in his ear.
“Props group! What are you guys doing, move this column to the left!”
Looking at the scene through the camera, Assistant Director Luo is satisfied and had people tell the director that this scene is ready.
Jian Hua looked down to find the paragraph corresponding to the scene, then he stood up. Sure enough, a voice from the headset said that the director hasn’t finished shooting the main lead’s scene yet, and this stage is for the supporting roles.
The stuntmen don’t just shoot dangerous scenes, some also act as background characters, or in group scenes. In this case, without the big name cast present, as long as there are stuntmen, they’ll still be able to shoot. It doesn’t matter even if the lens doesn’t focus on the characters’ faces, a close-up of the actors can be added later.
Like now, Li Fei is speaking to the camera with a green screen behind him on the other side of the studio, and there is a scene of confrontation between the two supporting actors on this side. Jian Hua needs to climb up on the four boxes disguised as stairs, and quietly stand there among the crowd.
To be a statue in the background is not easy.
“You……”
“Hello Director Liu, I am Li Fei’s stuntman, Joe.” Jian Hua’s greeting to everyone is too simple, never warm, but also not rude, even when looking at the situation where he’s “below” the other person, he should have addressed Assistant Director Liu more respectfully.
The crew has several Assistant Directors in charge of different jobs. Assistant Director Luo is in charge of on-site scheduling, and all are looking for him, like an old maid. As for the Assistant Director responsible for filming, their status will be higher.
Assistant Director Liu examined Jian Hua for a few seconds and feels that he’s unfamiliar. His head tilted, and he asked with a dialect, “How’d you find such a person? With Star Entertainment’s means, how could they have a newbie to be the Movie Emperor’s double?”
“No, I’ve been here for years, and he looks a bit familiar.” The crew member explained.
As a stuntman, Jian Hua can be regarded as successful. But his success can only receive this kind of recognition.
He’s mostly involved in TV dramas. In front of this big screen production directors, it doesn’t matter since most commercial films now use special effects, so the demands for doubles and stunt performers are not high.
It’s not worthy enough for others to hold his thigh, and being unsociable, who would pay attention to the name Jian Hua?
Such is the case in the circle where banning the small ones are easy. There is no sense of existence even after years of hard work. Someone stuck to the bottom will quickly be forgotten, and not even many people know about it.
Jian Hua was blocked for six months. When he came out again, he became the Movie Emperor’s exclusive stuntman. This news would burst out in the stuntman circle, but the crew members have no idea.
“Years as a stuntman?” Assistant Director Liu glanced at Jian Hua and found that the other party did not have an extreme appearance. Feeling relieved, he also felt that the other person is uninterested, so he impatiently waved, “Ok, act according to the script.”
Assistant Director Liu turned to talk to the two supporting actors.
This is a relatively strong confrontation scene. Putting it in front of the schedule contributes to the actor’s understanding of the character.
Li Fei’s schedule is naturally not bad, but this film is positioned as a money-making commercial film. There is no Award which is the box-office appeal to the big players. But there are three male leads along with the Movie Emperor, even the second male lead is a music heartthrob.
Good acting does not mean that the actor showed what the director wanted.
Li Fei is stuck in there five or six times. The director first kept on talking, then kept looking at the camera and frowning. Li Fei calmly looked at the director changing the lights, changing the camera angle, and tweaking several stations himself. Finally, they got the director’s approval on the 8th pass, and the next step is smooth all the way.
After this scene, Assistant Lin gives a hot towel to Li Fei.
The Movie Emperor did not find Jian Hua and didn’t hesitate to go to the scene where he’s shooting.
At this time, Jian Hua has already been standing on the wooden box for 20 mintues——yes, there are two supporting actors on his side, and he is responsible for the background character, tiredly climbing over and over again, so it’s better to continue standing.
“Pff. ”
Assistant Lin looks up, he seemed to have heard Li Fei laugh.
But it’s so noisy in the studio, and Li Fei doesn’t look like he’s laughing. This confuses Assistant Lin.
A new round of shooting happens. The sign saying it’s been a dozen takes, and the two supporting actors immediately argued fiercely.
The camera can’t shoot Jian Hua’s face, so he stood there, reaching for the imaginary staircase. This action is prolonged, and in Li Fei’s view, it is very common. But Jian Hua’s whole person seems a little different with this action.
——He is trying to fit the description in the script, although to a limited extent.
Li Fei can feel a subtle mood.
He had seen a lot of people like Jian Hua. The thing that is so unique about Jian Hua is that in the movie《Crow》, he really showed an actor’s charm similar to Li Fei.
Facts have proved that Jian Hua has no buried genius acting talent, and with other people besides General Wu, Jian Hua’s performance can only be considered normal.
There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s also nothing to applaud.
This scene is played, again and again, but it doesn’t matter to Jian Hua since he is very qualified as a background.
The two supporting actors sweated again, and Jian Hua finally noticed Li Fei not far away. At this time, they are wearing the same clothes, the same hairstyle, and because of the light, he could not see Li Fei’s face.
“Change to Act 9 Scene 3!” The Director yelled, and the supporting actors quietly gave way. Jian Hua also did not need to continue standing there in a daze.
Going back to a corner and picking up his script, Jian Hua silently observed the busy crowd.
This is the first day of official shooting, but he did not find any strange person in the crew. It’s normal, from the makeup artist to the actors’ assistants. It’s unlikely for the book wearer to impersonate anybody with no flaws.
Jian Hua’s eyes finally returned to Li Fei.
The man under the mercury-vapor lamp had his cuffs rolled up, and the top button of his shirt untied. With both hands in the pockets of his slacks, and wearing high-quality leather boots on top of the wooden box disguised as stairs, Li Fei turned, but he is no longer Li Fei.
With a frivolous smile, casual behavior, and uninhibited demeanor.
Jian Hua has read the script dozens of times. The male lead of this movie is called He Ning. In his heart, he is a blurry silhouette that can be described by several words: From a good family, looks like an ignorant playboy, but actually knows a lot of about illegal things.
However, after seeing Li Fei up close, those words disappeared like balloons popping. The blurred shadow of the male lead quickly refreshed to become the man in front of him.
Jian Hua also saw from Li Fei something that was not in the script.
The hypocrisy, arrogance, and distrust in his eyes when looking at others.
The man in the script is perfect, except for having a bad reputation. The male lead always shows a special force at crucial moments, and also very skillful. The betrayals that the other characters want to do was foiled by him in advance. He also has a high EQ online. After politely declining a woman hugging him, he will also let the woman know what is more suitable for her. It can be said that the protagonist is a bit unreal.
But what can he do about it? The current market proves that the audiences like this kind of male lead, and a script written for commercial purposes should have a perfect combination of hot topics.
The result is that, in the eyes of Jian Hua, the protagonist’s image is false, big, empty, and a bit offensive.
However, after seeing Li Fei, the imaginary castle in the air seems to have emerged from the ground. It also shows a sizeable solid foundation with more room to expand, letting people interpret it.
The protagonist is not perfect, he just did things so beautifully, that it can be seen as natural or due to arrogance.
His cleverness and incredible foresight, in the final analysis, is because of suspicion.
And none of these were discovered by the other characters because the protagonist is very concerned about maintaining his own image.
——The audience who wants entertainment can be satisfied with the movie while eating popcorn. The audience who wants to question the logic behind the movie can also dig in. The main character He Ning is excellent and realistic, whether he is hypocritical or skeptical or suspicious, he has the perfect solution to every problem, and cause no harm to others.
Jian Hua took a deep breath.
This is something that he can’t feel in the finished movie.
The paper person from the script became a living image.
He Ning is different from General Wu. In the 《Crow》 production crew, Jian Hua did not see the complete script at all. It was Li Fei’s interpretation that made him slowly understand the character. It was impressed on him and became unforgettable.
Jian Hua believes that if he started with the script, he would also be attracted like with General Wu, just not that deep.
As for He Ning’s role, it’s not the type that Jian Hua appreciates at all.
If he wasn’t Li Fei’s stuntman, Jian Hua doesn’t want to see this kind of male lead. But due to his professional ethics, he tried to make himself interested, and just read a dozen times.
In Jian Hua’s mind, there is a very uncertain barrier against the main character, but that biased prejudice was instantly smashed.
And Li Fei is showing it in front of him.
The lights in the studio suddenly flashed.
“What?” Everyone looked surprised.
The director can only call out a cut. After checking in with the staff, he made Li Fei do it all over again.
This is a phenomenon caused by fluctuations of power. Li Fei did not know what Jian Hua found out, and he puzzledly glanced towards his side.
Jian Hua has a blank expression. He let his emotions calm down again, and stared at the man in front of the camera, seeming to watch the other’s every move, and every facial expression is mapped in his heart.
In the afternoon, when the director personally watched the two supporting characters’ confrontation scene, he looked at the camera and let out a soft grunt.
“This stuntman brought by Li Fei……not bad. ”
You don’t need to act when you’re moving as a background character, but just this standing posture vaguely revealed the feelings which are in line with the male lead’s image. They don’t need to deliberately blur the image, as long as there are no close-ups, there’s basically no sense of violation.
If it’s once or twice, the Director would think it’s a coincidence, but a week later, even the Assistant Director discovered it.
“There is a good grasp of the charm. Did Li Fei cultivate his own exclusive stuntman? It’s really consistent with his style. ”
“No, I heard it was a random search.”
“Tsk, this luck!”
“It seems that the job of refilming with the male lead can be reduced.” The Director spoke to himself.
To cut cost, and reduce the workload, this is something that everyone likes.
The author has something to say：
I thought for a long time, do you want me to write a movie? This is not your standard showbiz novel ah! QAQ
I almost deleted this chapter →_→
PS: The gap between real showbiz and what is portrayed in this novel is still large. For example, martial arts substitutes. Foreigners feel that the Chinese can do kung fu, SO, there’s a lot of people in this book who had a job like Jian Hua. Jian Hua’s job doesn’t have much technical content to get into it and seemed easy, however, the reality is certainly not. It’s hard to get into this industry, okay?