Although Liu Xiaoli achieved her goal, she definitely offended Li Guoli.
This woman is an amateur. Right now, Liu Yifei is still young, and someone is watching her closely. She might still be popular in the future. But once the storm passes, a lot of people will be happy to kick her while she's down, and Liu Yifei might get dragged down with it.
...
Today's filming will proceed as scheduled, but starting tomorrow, Niu Yichen's scenes that have been shelved for a long time will begin immediately!
The scenes between the Sword Immortal, Sword Saint, Qing'er, and Witch Queen have long since ended; what remains is their interaction with the main characters.
There were two main reasons for reducing his screen time. First, Niu Yichen wanted to learn about directing here and also deepen his relationship with Liu Yifei. Second, it was director Li Guoli's consideration; he wanted the younger, less experienced lead actors to get into character first before acting alongside Niu Yichen.
I wonder if Niu Yichen has noticed that he's starting to show signs of becoming a "drama tyrant".
The term "drama tyrant" is definitely not a good one on a film set. It refers to someone who is self-centered and insists on adding or changing scenes without considering the feelings of others.
That's right! The concept of a "drama tyrant" is that simple.
However, even among the most domineering actors, there are different levels. The lowest level of domineering actor is the kind who suddenly becomes famous. Surrounded by compliments, they lose sight of who they are and think they are the most powerful, and everyone has to listen to them!
When you encounter this kind of domineering actor, the solution is very simple: just have a truly powerful figure go up and slap him. One slap will definitely make him realize his own limitations and obediently bow his head.
A high-level "drama tyrant" is something else entirely. They can see the true quality of your entire work. If they think something is wrong, they'll lay out the facts and reason with you, the director, until you can't stand it anymore and they have to make changes.
A more sophisticated approach: Who cares about being a director! Get lost! I can make my own movies! It doesn't matter whether you're there or not! What did you say? An investor? The investors only gave me the money because of me, who do you think you are?
Tsk!
Therefore, judging from the 'reasoning' Niu Yichen gave Li Guoli before, Niu Yichen really is a domineering actor, better than the lowest level but worse than the highest level!
The reason Li Guoli thinks highly of him is also because of this domineering tendency on set. This kind of domineering person is actually the most likely to succeed in the future, especially since he's so dedicated to learning how to be a director from Li Guoli.
...
After parting ways with Li Guoli, Niu Yichen, still full of energy, was thinking about whether he should stake out Liu Yifei's hotel again to see if he could lure her out, when his phone suddenly rang.
It's Hu Ge!
"Hey! Old Hu, what's up?"
Hu Ge said directly, "I heard that our scheduled scenes for tomorrow are going to be changed, and now you're in the part?"
"Yes! Has Director Li already told you?"
Hu Ge said, "They just told me that because I'm in the crew, I don't need to adjust my schedule, but the others are probably still having trouble."
This is why Liu Xiaoli offended Li Guoli. When the production team changes the scenes, it involves many aspects, and the schedules of many actors need to be adjusted. What if some actors are still in other productions and can't come over?
Once or twice is fine; actors are at the bottom of the entertainment industry, so they have to cooperate. But if it happens too often, it won't work. Your production team's reputation will suffer, and you'll lose a lot of things without even realizing it!
"That's the director's business. Why are you asking me?"
Hu Ge said apologetically, "The script has been revised, and I'm under a lot of pressure, so I wanted to go over the script with you!"
"Damn it!" Niu Yichen couldn't help but swear, saying, "Two men like us, going over the script together tonight?"
Hu Ge asked, "What? Is it not allowed? You're busy?"
"No! I'm free! Come to my house, it's big anyway!"
Niu Yichen suddenly remembered that it was only 2004, and there was no time when two men would shout "get together" whenever they were close.
As soon as Hu Ge arrived at Niu Yichen's house, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! Your house is huge!"
"You make money by acting!" Niu Yichen said. "Stop watching, let's rehearse. We'll sleep here tonight, there's no shortage of places to stay!"
"That would be great!" Hu Ge said, "Let's have a get-together at your place sometime, so everyone can have some fun!"
"Play?" Niu Yichen said in surprise, "I really didn't realize you liked playing so much?"
"The main purpose is to build relationships! As General Manager Cai said, 'Having more friends means having more options!'"
"Then let's wait until my scenes are finished! We won't invite anyone else, just a few of us young people getting together!" Niu Yichen said, "I'll buy the things, and you'll be in charge of inviting people over!"
"Alright! That's what I've been waiting for!" Hu Ge smiled, picked up the script, and said, "Come on! Let's rehearse a scene together! To be honest, I really don't have much confidence when I'm acting opposite you!"
"Relax! You've done very well!"
Niu Yichen glanced at the script, and with the added boost of the "Acting School" badge, he instantly got into character, saying, "There's a saying that a person is born with only half of themselves..."
After Niu Yichen finished reciting his lines, he saw Hu Ge staring at him in disbelief, holding the script.
Niu Yichen said speechlessly, "What! You don't need to say anything!"
"No!" Hu Ge said, "I'm still getting into the right mood..."
Niu Yichen once again felt how awesome the "Acting School" badge is! Putting everything else aside, his ability to get into character is enviable.
"Okay! We'll start once you're ready!"
...
After a long silence, Hu Ge let out a sigh of relief and said with some emotion, "I still can't compare to you. I always feel like I didn't act well enough!"
Niu Yichen said, "This is only your first time acting. I've been in the industry for five years. If you beat me so easily, wouldn't all those five years have been wasted?"
Hu Ge then asked, "What was your mindset when you first started acting? I've seen your portrayal of Zhan Zhao, and I thought it was very similar, and you were quite agile!"
"My first time acting..." Niu Yichen thought for a long time before saying, "Actually, thinking about it carefully, my first time acting was when my acting was at its best. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Getting into character!" Niu Yichen said, "Back when we were filming, I was just like you are now... no, even worse than you. I had absolutely no acting experience. They just thought I was pretty cute, so they cast me directly, telling me to just play myself. But I was really competitive back then, and I wanted to compete with those veteran actors and start learning their acting! But no matter how I tried, I couldn't learn it, which infuriated the director. I remember for the first few days, I was almost on the verge of being yelled at to tears every day. Luckily, I was good at fighting back then, and they couldn't find a suitable replacement right away, so I was stuck with it..."
Niu Yichen was immersed in his memories of the past, and he found it funny to think that someone with a mental age of over thirty, almost forty, could be scolded to tears.
"I've gone off-topic!" Snapping out of his reverie, Niu Yichen coughed awkwardly and said, "Actually, the first time you act is the easiest time to get into character. You can't even tell if you're Hu Ge or Li Xiaoyao. In the end, you're completely immersed in the role. You might not have any special techniques, but your natural talent shines through. I think that's why Director Li likes you guys so much! You don't have to deliberately 'act' like I did; just be natural. No matter what you do, you're Li Xiaoyao. We all believe that's what Li Xiaoyao is like. Although sometimes I really want to punch him, I'm only punching Li Xiaoyao, not Hu Ge..."
"Naturally? It's that simple?" Hu Ge was still a little puzzled.
Niu Yichen asked, "Have you memorized all your lines?"
"Memorize it!"
Niu Yichen said, "What else is there to say? Just immerse yourself in the role!"
"But…" Hu Ge said, "I clearly saw that you did so much homework and designed so many things for yourself…"
"That's because I'm already more advanced than you!" Niu Yichen gestured and said, "Just a little bit more! You're currently immersed in the character, but when I'm immersed, I also take a holistic view of the character and add some actions to flesh him out. I won't teach that to you for now. This is based on experience; you can't learn it in a short time. Forcing yourself to learn will only confuse you and cause you to do things backwards. Besides, what I do might not suit you. You have to find your own style!"
"Alright then!" Hu Ge said helplessly, "I feel like you've just said a bunch of nonsense!"
Niu Yichen said irritably, "If I could guide you in playing Li Xiaoyao, I would have played the role myself long ago. Why would I need you?"
"So you're saying you admit that you're not as good as me in some areas?"
"You're not even as good as me! Don't you admit it?"
...
That night, Hu Ge found a room and went to sleep.
Niu Yichen then took out a notebook and began thinking about what he needed to do next.
Li Guoli let him go early, giving him an extra month of free time, which he couldn't afford to waste.
Time passed by unnoticed, and early the next morning, Niu Yichen woke up Hu Ge and they went to the film set together.
Today's main focus is on their scenes, including night scenes, so it might take all day.
During the day, we filmed the scene where the Drunken Sword Immortal meets Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru. If all goes well, we'll also film the scene where he kills the Spider Demon.
In the evening, the main focus will be on filming the scene where the Drunken Sword Immortal teaches Li Xiaoyao martial arts. If all goes well, we will also film another scene where Li Xiaoyao and the Drunken Sword Immortal talk about the pendant.
After they finished dressing up, Ady An, also dressed in her costume, came over and asked, "Why did you two come together?"
Niu Yichen laughed and said, "My apprentice lacked confidence, so he came to rehearse with me last night!"
Ady An smiled at Hu Ge and said, "You don't even have confidence in such a simple scene?"
Hu Ge said helplessly, "Enough with the nonsense! Let's begin! Today I'll show you the result of our acting!"
And so the three of them started filming.
The daytime scenes went very smoothly without any unexpected incidents.
While the scene looked very smooth on TV, it was actually filmed in a very fragmented way, almost one shot after another. There was no need to build up any emotions; it was all about speed.
Then, during the filming of the Spider Demon Poisonous Lady scene in the afternoon, Niu Yichen unexpectedly discovered someone!
Deng Jiajia!
Deng Jiajia, who played the aunt in "iPartment"! She actually has a role in this show too!
"This is someone from Love Apartment!" Niu Yichen couldn't help but walk over and ask, "Deng Jiajia?"
Deng Jiajia turned around and smiled, "Yichen! Hello!"
After she finished speaking, the future 'aunt' quickly reached out and shook hands with Niu Yichen.
Niu Yichen is now somewhat famous, and even though he is currently 'blacklisted,' some minor actors still have to show him respect.
Deng Jiajia is currently in the 'child actress' stage.
After shaking hands with her, Niu Yichen said, "I've seen your performance in 'The Swordsman,' and I especially liked your character, Shi Jian!"
The TV series "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" has some exaggerated special effects that don't quite fit modern aesthetics, but compared to other adaptations of Jin Yong's original novel, it's definitely one of the rare examples where the adaptation is better than the original.
Just like Sun Li's character, Deng Jiajia's character "Shijian" was also his childhood goddess. How much of a childhood goddess? So much so that he liked "Ding Busan and Ding Busi"!
Deng Jiajia was notified at the last minute, so she arrived in a hurry. Even her makeup looked a bit simple. When she talked to Niu Yichen, she seemed quite flattered.
Although she is older than Niu Yichen, age doesn't matter in the entertainment industry.
They chatted briefly, exchanged contact information, and then parted ways after the assistant director informed Deng Jiajia that makeup was about to begin.
On the way, the assistant director asked, seemingly without a doubt, "Are you very familiar with Yichen?"
Deng Jiajia laughed and said, "We're not particularly close! We can just exchange a few words!"
"so..."
Just that one simple sentence, putting everything else aside, made the makeup artists treat Deng Jiajia much better. These kinds of little rules exist everywhere.
After Deng Jiajia left, Liu Yifei, who wasn't supposed to have any scenes today but had come to watch, suddenly walked over and said, "You seem to really like her! I didn't see you being this enthusiastic towards An Yixuan and the others!"
"We chatted a bit more because I liked her performance in 'The Swordsman'!" Niu Yichen laughed. "As for not chatting more with An Yixuan and the others, it's because I like Ling'er, not Lin Yueru!"
Liu Yifei laughed and said, "Aren't Lin Yueru and Anu pretty?"
"It's pretty! But it's nowhere near as good as my Ling'er!"
The two chuckled and stood outside to watch Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru's scene with the 'spider demon'.
When I watched Chinese Paladin as a child, I didn't have any doubts. But now, looking at the special effects of the spider demon's rope, I really feel that it was a bit perfunctory.
As for Deng Jiajia, perhaps due to the added bonus of being known as "Little Aunt," Niu Yichen found her increasingly appealing.
Unfortunately, Deng Jiajia only had two scenes, which were filmed in one day. She left immediately after filming and didn't stay for long! Otherwise, Niu Yichen really wanted to have a chance to connect with her.
...
[Photos by Deng Jiajia]
It looks like I'll have to work overtime tonight!
The first part filmed was the part featuring the Drunken Sword Immortal.
Niu Yichen believes that the most classic scene in the first Legend of Sword and Fairy game is the most handsome entrance of the Drunken Sword Immortal.
He planted the Wine Immortal Sword into the ground, the background music started, and he descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the sword hilt. He asked Li Xiaoyao, "Do you have any wine?"
His nonchalant demeanor showed he didn't take the Moon Worship Cult seriously at all. But when he made his move, he revealed a formidable edge, quickly dispatching all his old rivals.
This was originally a very simple shot, but Niu Yichen secretly practiced it countless times to make it even better than the original!
However, director Li Guoli also wanted to make it better than the original! So, what was originally a simple operation that only required two separate shots turned into a trick by Li Guoli, who wanted to make it a one-shot operation.
Li Guoli's idea was simple, but it was quite difficult to execute. The most difficult part was getting people to fall from the sky.
Such a simple shot poses a huge challenge to the wire workers, as it must be done simultaneously and in sync to achieve the best effect!
Therefore, Niu Yichen had thick leather pads behind him and was suspended by steel wires. He flew up and down several times. When he finally achieved the effect that Li Guoli wanted and came down from under the pressure, his hands, legs and feet were all deeply marked by the steel wires.
Needless to say, the final result was much more impressive than the original.
The later 'battles' with the few minor characters from the Moon Worship Cult were much simpler; I beat them in one take, swung my sword a few times in a cool way, struck a pose, and that was it. I can only hope that things will get better later on.
After filming this scene, Li Guoli saw that Niu Yichen was still quite energetic, so he immediately decided to start filming the next scene—the Drunken Sword Immortal teaching Li Xiaoyao martial arts!
Here, following Niu Yichen's suggestion, they changed some of the lines.
The original script didn't explain Li Xiaoyao's martial arts skills very clearly, which left people confused.
Li Xiaoyao has a photographic memory, that's a skill, but where does his magical power come from? The Drunken Sword Immortal only taught him the sword technique once!
So after discussing it with Li Guoli, Niu Yichen gave an explanation here.
It was directly transmitted by the Drunken Sword Immortal!
...
The Sword Immortal placed his right hand on Li Xiaoyao's back and said in a deep voice, "I'm transferring my internal energy to you! Why don't you feel it properly!"
Li Xiaoyao immediately closed his eyes, his face turning pale and then flushed!
"Open your eyes!" After transmitting his power, the Drunken Sword Immortal drew his sword, patted Li Xiaoyao's shoulder, flipped over his head, landed gracefully, and began to teach him the art of sword control!
After completing a sword technique, the Drunken Immortal Sword spun once in his hand before being smoothly sheathed.
The Sword Immortal released Li Xiaoyao from his restraints and said, "This sword control technique! It works from the outside in, with qi moving with strength. As long as you practice diligently, you can naturally defeat all second-rate masters in the world from the outside in. Plus, with the three layers of magic power I passed on to you! Hehe!"
"Wow! Master!" Li Xiaoyao swung his palm, and a small tree as thick as a bowl snapped in two. "I'm so powerful now!"
"Impressive? That's a waste!" The Drunken Sword Immortal tapped his body several times and said, "You can't properly use my power right now, so I'll seal it for now. As long as you practice your swordsmanship more in the future, my magic power will naturally become your own as your swordsmanship improves! Only then will you be considered to have officially entered the realm of immortal cultivation!"
After delivering his lines, Li Guoli waved his hand and shouted, "Cut! That's a wrap!"
Li Guoli exclaimed to Niu Yichen, "Good lad, you wielded the sword really well just now! I've never seen you use it much before!"
Niu Yichen laughed and said, "I didn't need it before!"
"Alright! We'll shoot a few more scenes of you wielding the sword tomorrow! Just the parts where you're doing it!"
This sword technique was taught to Niu Yichen by the action director. Whether he can actually use it is another matter, but it looks really good, especially the action of sheathing the sword.
In other TV dramas, the camera always cuts to show the sword being sheathed, to allow time for the character to insert the sword into the scabbard. But Niu Yichen doesn't need to do that at all.
When he was bored at