novelraw Chapter 29 The Incredibly Stressful Filming Set
Chapter 29 The Incredibly Stressful Filming Set
The filming location was Studio One. The studio had an area of about 1,200 square meters and a height of eight meters, which was more than enough for filming "Twelve Citizens".
Lin Yu originally wanted to use a small shed of about 800 square meters, but this idea was rejected because the school had already chosen one for him.
The main cast and crew have all entered the studio, and makeup artists are touching up the actors' makeup. The studio is bustling with people, but orderly, and no one is making a loud noise.
Lin Yu stood next to the monitor, looking at the scene that had been set up in the studio.
A rectangular conference table occupies the center of the picture, with twelve chairs arranged around it.
On the table were a water glass, a notebook, and an ashtray; on the wall hung a clock and a ventilation fan. The whole scene was simple and unpretentious, yet had a strong sense of nostalgia.
The art team did a great job.
Lin Yu nodded and looked at Wang Jinsong, who was sitting at the head of the long table.
Wang Jinsong was wearing a dark suit and glasses today, and he certainly looked like a law school professor. He was resting with his eyes closed, trying to calm himself down.
On the first day of filming, we definitely need to choose a relatively simple scene.
Wang Jinsong, who plays a law school teacher, briefly explained the case and assignment requirements before leaving.
This scene has few lines and simple emotions, making it suitable for opening a scene.
The camera setup was also simple. One camera followed Wang Jinsong, filming his face and movements. The other two cameras were placed on either side of the long table, filming the actors' expressions and reactions.
Lin Yu checked the monitor screen again to make sure the composition was correct before picking up the walkie-talkie.
"Alright, all departments, get ready."
The noise inside the shed instantly subsided.
The actors all took their seats, adjusted their breathing, and got into character.
Lin Yu stood behind the chief eunuch and took a deep breath.
This was the first time in his life that he had truly "started up" his life.
Don't ask Lin Yu why he didn't sit in the chair.
Because Director Tian was already sitting steadily in the director's chair, his hands crossed in front of his chest, looking calmly at the monitor.
"Script supervisor!" Lin Yu called out.
Wang Zihong immediately ran in front of the camera and raised the clapperboard.
"The Twelve Citizens, Scene 1, Shot 1, The First Time."
Snapped!
The sound of the clapperboard closing echoed in the studio.
"start!"
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"Teacher Tian, have you seen Old Man Wang?"
Filming time has flown by; it's been almost three weeks since filming started.
For the past three weeks, Tian Zhuangzhuang has been teaching Lin Yu everything about directing, step by step, from the ground up.
From positioning to camera movement, from staging to composition, from lighting to color, Tian Zhuangzhuang shared everything he could teach without reservation.
"What do you want with him?" Tian Zhuangzhuang stared at the chief eunuch without raising his head.
Recently, Lin Yu has started to get the hang of it and independently complete some of the filming. However, after each take, Tian Zhuangzhuang carefully watches the playback to check for any problems.
"What else could it be?" Lin Yu squatted down next to Tian Zhuangzhuang and watched the replay. "These past few days he's been scolding this person and that person. He's so old, he shouldn't tire himself out."
After several weeks of filming, the Beijing Film Academy, which originally only wanted to show its face, ended up showing its backside instead.
Apart from Zhou Dongyu and Zhang Ruoyun, the other four were completely outmatched by the students from the Central Academy of Drama.
As for the Shanghai Theatre Academy... well, it's only a 50/50 chance, since Dilraba Dilmurat drags them down and she's just a pretty face.
These past few days, Old Wang has been tutoring these kids from the Beijing Film Academy every night. He's already so old; don't let him overwork himself and hurt himself.
"I told him to just film it behind closed doors," Tian Zhuangzhuang said, glancing up at Lin Yu. "He agreed immediately after being provoked, and now look what happened."
Old Wang also contributed to making "Twelve Citizens" a team-building activity for the three schools.
After all, it's unpleasant to hear someone constantly criticize a student's acting skills. When teachers from the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy blocked his door, Wang Jinsong genuinely saw it as a good opportunity to prove his teaching abilities.
Tian Zhuangzhuang was standing nearby and stopped him.
Unfortunately, this tactic didn't work and only made Old Wang angry.
It's outrageous that even the teachers in my own college don't trust their own students!
Before the machine was turned on, Old Wang was full of vigor and high spirits, like an old man suddenly feeling young again, with a green dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right.
After the machine was turned on, Old Wang's energy level declined day by day.
Now, Lin Yu not only has to learn directing knowledge from Tian Zhuangzhuang, but also has to keep an eye on the condition of his own director at all times. If he were to fall ill on his own set, it would be a huge sin.
Director Tian thought for a moment, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Lin Yu: "If you're looking for Lao Wang, fill out this form."
Lin Yu has seen this piece of paper no less than ten times in the past three weeks, and Tian Zhuangzhuang gives him a copy whenever he has the chance.
Application Form for Transfer of Department
All I can say is that Teacher Tian has truly remained true to her original aspirations.
Just as Lin Yu's hand touched hers, Wang Jinsong's voice came from behind: "You old thief, what are you trying to do now?!"
Teacher Tian really knows the dean; this summoning spell is truly useful.
"Teacher, where have you been?" Lin Yu turned to look at the teacher.
Wang Jinsong rushed over and snatched the form from Lin Yu's hand, putting it in his pocket. "What else can you do with it? Look at the last scene, Li Xian's performance made Bai Yu look like an Oscar winner."
Li Xian is juror number 8, and can be considered the protagonist of this movie. He is the law student from a working-class family who insists on his innocence from the beginning.
Bai Yu is juror number 5, a student from a poor family who was wronged by his teachers and classmates when he was a child.
In their scenes together, Li Xian played the role of a bully.
However, the responsibility doesn't lie entirely with Li Xian; he was under immense pressure. As the protagonist, he wasn't only being watched by Wang Jinsong, but also by the teachers from the other two schools.
That's not all. Since filming began, celebrities and directors have been constantly visiting the set, putting even more pressure on the actors.
Lin Yu specially hired two psychological experts to be stationed on set for this matter, for fear of causing psychological trauma to anyone, which would be a great sin.
"Teacher, why are you so angry about such a small thing?" Lin Yu smiled and reassured Wang Jinsong. "You're still students, it's already quite good that you've done this much."
"Aren't you worried?" Wang Jinsong glanced at Lin Yu, his tone full of helplessness. "My reputation will be ruined by these students sooner or later."
Tian Zhuangzhuang, standing to the side, said slowly, "Old Wang, that's not what you said back then. I remember you saying something like, 'My students are no worse than anyone else'?"
Wang Jinsong glared at Tian Zhuangzhuang. He regretted it, he was extremely regretful.
"How about we give them a half-day off tomorrow?" Lin Yu suggested, "Let them relax and get some rest."
Wang Jinsong frowned and thought for a while. "The progress is already slow. Wouldn't giving us another holiday waste even more time?"
"Sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood," Lin Yu said. "They're in such a state now that even if we film them, it won't look good. We might as well let them rest and adjust."
Tian Zhuangzhuang nodded in agreement and said, "I think it's a good idea. Old Wang, you should take a rest too, don't overwork yourself."
Wang Jinsong was silent for a while, then finally nodded: "It's good for me to rest. I'll go and tell them."
After Wang Jinsong left, Tian Zhuangzhuang looked at Lin Yu and said, "Come here, let me give you some pointers on what problems you have with your filming."
"Okay," Lin Yu said, pulling up a small stool and sitting down next to Tian Zhuangzhuang.
"Don't rush, fill out this form first while Old Wang is still gone." Tian Zhuangzhuang took out another form from his pocket.
Looking at the brand-new "Application Form for Transferring Majors," Lin Yu was both amused and exasperated. "Professor Tian, how many of these did you prepare?"
"Not many," Tian Zhuangzhuang said seriously, "only about a hundred."
"You old thief, watch out for your windows."
A familiar voice came from behind Lin Yu again.