novelraw Chapter 13, "The Nameless," begins filming.
Chapter 13, "The Nameless," begins filming.
At this moment, Deng Jiajia had already walked up to Chen Zhou.
"Teacher Chen, oh no, Director Chen, thank you for the opportunity."
"I really didn't expect that when I just asked you to give me some pointers on acting, you would actually ask me to act in a movie."
Deng Jiajia's tone was filled with very sincere gratitude.
"You have a good talent for acting, so keep up the good work," Chen Zhou said.
Then, Chen Minghao, Wang Jingchun, Xing Jiadong and others also came forward to greet Chen Zhou.
"Director Chen, you are even younger than I imagined."
"I really find it hard to imagine that a script like 'The Unknown' could come from the hands of a young person like you."
"Young people these days are really something!"
Several veteran actors praised it.
"Dear teachers, I hope our collaboration will be pleasant and that we can make an excellent film together," Chen Zhou said.
"Of course," several veteran actors echoed.
Then, Chen Zhou turned to Liu Yifei and said, "Let me introduce you all. This is Liu Yifei, the female lead of our movie."
"Hello everyone, I'm Liu Yifei," Liu Yifei greeted politely.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, no one said much else.
The script reading session started immediately, as soon as it was announced.
Everyone shared their understanding of their roles.
However, because they all had scenes together to some extent, many disagreements gradually arose in this part.
Either they felt the other person's reaction was wrong, or they felt the other person's understanding of their role was not deep enough; in any case, everyone had something to say.
In short, it boils down to this: at first meeting, neither side is willing to back down.
This is especially true among veteran actors!
Seeing this situation, Chen Zhou knew that as the director, he had to step forward at this moment.
"Everyone, let me say something first." Chen Zhou stood up.
At the reading table, all the actors sat upright, their eyes fixed on Chen Zhou.
It goes without saying that people like Zhu Yilong, Liu Yifei, and Deng Jiajia trust Chen Zhou.
But people like Chen Minghao, Wang Jingchun, and Xing Jiadong, who are newcomers but also have extensive experience, are different.
They were eager to see how a young director like Chen Zhou could demonstrate leadership in such a tense atmosphere.
This is absolutely crucial within the film crew.
The same principle applies to film crews: an incompetent general can lead to the downfall of an entire army.
Chen Zhou's voice was steady yet penetrating as he spoke:
"Today we won't focus on the lines and rhythm. Let's immerse ourselves in the characters. I want to tell you that you're not playing security guards, robbers, or paralyzed patients. You're playing three ordinary people who are being crushed by life but still want to find a glimmer of light."
Chen Zhou first looked at Chen Minghao, who played Ma Xianyong:
"The core of Ma Xianyong's character is not his obsession with becoming a police auxiliary officer, but his desire for redemption. He killed his wife and maimed his sister while driving under the influence of alcohol. This guilt weighs on him like a stone. He is not looking for a gun for the sake of dignity, but to give his sister and his deceased wife an explanation with this gun."
Chen Minghao nodded, completely agreeing.
Then, he turned to Wang Jingchun, who played Li Haigen:
"Haigen is different from Hu Guangsheng. He doesn't want to be a ruthless bandit. He wants to make some money by robbing mobile phone stores, then build a house with his woman and live a peaceful life. You have to portray his cowardice, but this cowardice must be genuine, not just the ferocity of a simple robber."
"Well said!" Wang Jingchun nodded.
Then, Chen Zhou looked at Liu Yifei, who played Ma Jiaqi:
"Ma Jiaqi's despair is not because of paralysis, but because she has no dignity in living."
"In the original novel, she cursed Ma Xianyong, Hu Guangsheng, and even used the harshest words to curse them, but it wasn't out of hatred for them, but out of hatred for herself for not being able to commit suicide."
"This character absolutely cannot just be portrayed as angry; there must be a hint of pleading hidden within."
"Her harshness is armor, but underneath it lies a vulnerability that fears being pitied."
...
Chen Zhou delved deeply into each and every role he played.
Final point:
"All the characters in this movie are nameless people, struggling with their own little desires."
"Ma Xianyong's longing is for atonement, Haigen's longing is for stability, and Ma Jiaqi's longing is for dignity..."
"When you're acting, you need to capture that sense of struggle. You don't need to be deliberately sentimental. Just bring out that genuine obsession, and the audience will naturally empathize."
That's it.
All the actors nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with heartfelt admiration as they looked at Chen Zhou.
Especially veteran actors like Chen Minghao.
They were initially worried that although Chen Zhou wrote a good script, he was too young and might not be able to handle the role of director.
But now, they no longer have any worries about Chen Zhou.
Based on Chen Zhou's aura and the ability he demonstrated just now, they believed that Chen Zhou would definitely be the anchor of the entire crew.
This young man is truly extraordinary!
After that, Chen Zhou also talked to some of the other minor supporting actors about some of the more important details.
The final effect of a movie cannot be judged solely by the main actors; the performances of the supporting actors are also very important.
The script readings continued for the next few days.
By December 23th.
The official start ceremony for the film "The Unknown" was held!
On-site, the procedures such as offering incense and praying for blessings were all followed exactly as described.
Chen Zhou carried a basket of red envelopes and walked up to each actor, distributing them one by one.
"Here's a cage, this is yours," Chen Zhou handed it out.
"Thank you, senior brother." Zhu Yilong accepted it.
"One cage, you have to be addressed by your job title when you're working," Chen Zhou said.
"Okay, senior brother," Zhu Yilong replied.
Chen Zhou then walked up to Liu Yifei.
"This is yours." Chen Zhou handed over the red envelope.
"Thank you, Director Chen." Liu Yifei accepted the gift with a smile, clearly having heard what Chen Zhou had just said.
Chen Zhou glanced at Liu Xiaoli standing not far away, then went over and gave her a red envelope, saying, "Auntie, may this be a joyous occasion at the filming launch."
"I hope Sisi's judgment is right. Best wishes for a successful start to filming, Director Chen."
Having received the red envelope, Liu Xiaoli naturally offered her blessings; she wasn't some woman who lacked manners.
"Thank you for your blessing, Auntie. Your daughter's judgment is impeccable," Chen Zhou replied.
Soon, the reporters who arrived at the scene began their interviews.
But they didn't take Chen Zhou seriously.
Because to them, Chen Zhou was just an invisible passerby, and there was no value in interviewing him.
So they all gathered around Liu Yifei.
"Ms. Liu, this is Entertainment Times. I'd like to ask you, with your fame, why would you participate in such a low-budget film? What's the reason behind it?" the reporter asked into the microphone.
"This is the news section. We heard that you and the director are senior and junior colleagues. Is there any other relationship that led to this collaboration?" another reporter asked.
"Ms. Liu, what will you do if this movie flops and causes you to fall from grace?" other reporters asked.
At a glance, there were more than a dozen reporters surrounding Liu Yifei.
Seeing this, Liu Xiaoli made a move to go over and help her daughter out of the predicament.
But before she could act, Chen Zhou had already gone ahead and shielded Liu Yifei behind him.
"This kid does have some sense of responsibility," Liu Xiaoli thought to herself.
Looking at Chen Zhou standing in front of her, Liu Yifei felt a warmth in her heart and couldn't help but feel happy.
Chen Zhou looked at the reporters and said directly, "I welcome everyone to the film's opening ceremony. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Regardless of the era, reporters from these gossip media outlets always love to ask all sorts of random questions.
Always looking for trouble!