lcionline Chapter 28: Hitting Someone
Chapter 28: Hitting Someone
During the first week of filming, Liu Yu discovered a fact that both pleased and troubled him: Zhang Guoli was a monster who could "get it in one take".
It's not that he can go through each one in one go, but that he can provide more than three ways to perform each one for you to choose from.
The first time, perform with restraint; the second time, perform with freedom; the third time, find a middle ground between restraint and freedom.
Liu Yu sat behind the monitor, watching the three replays. He thought each one was good, but also felt that each one was missing something.
Zhang Guoli walked over carrying a thermos, peeked at the screen, and asked, "Isn't the pause in the middle of the third clip too long?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll do one more take, shortening the pause by half a second." After saying that, he turned around and went back, without even having a chance to say thank you for your hard work.
A staff member nearby muttered quietly, "Teacher Zhang is really pushing herself too hard."
Liu Yu thought to himself, it's not about striving, it's about habit.
Someone who has been acting for over twenty years has long since made "one more take" a muscle memory.
.....
Yan Danchen's demeanor on set was completely different from that during the filming of "A Moment to Remember".
In the previous film, she was the female lead, but she was mostly following the director's instructions.
In this film, she started to offer her own ideas. Sometimes she would walk up to Liu Yu, point to the monitor and say, "I think Xiuzhen's emotions should be more agitated in this scene. She just found her biological father and was rejected. It's impossible for her to be so calm."
Liu Yu glanced at her and noticed a light in her eyes. "Then give me one based on your understanding."
She went, and after the performance, Liu Yu watched the playback and found that it was indeed more nuanced than the previous version.
"Passed."
Yan Danchen smiled, a smile like that of a primary school student who got a perfect score on a test.
Yang Zi is the life of the party for the whole crew.
The five-and-a-half-year-old girl memorizes her lines faster than some adult actors, and she is never stage-frightened.
There was a scene where she needed to cry. Liu Yu originally planned for her mother to guide her, but Yang Zi only had half a minute to prepare before tears started falling down her face. She cried in a way that was both aggrieved and adorable.
.....
Huairou in late November was unbearably cold.
Filming is progressing faster than planned.
It wasn't that Liu Yu was rushing to finish the project; it was that the actors were just too good.
Zhang Guoli's scenes basically don't need to be reshot, Yan Danchen's condition is getting better every day, Yang Zi never holds back, and even the supporting actors are senior students from the Beijing Film Academy, so their professionalism is on point.
Every day after work, Wang Chaowen would send Liu Yu a progress report. Looking at the numbers "1 day ahead" and "2 days ahead", Liu Yu felt as at ease as if he were depositing money in a bank.
In early December, Zhang Guoli took a week off to promote the movie "Cellphone".
Before leaving, he finished filming all the remaining scenes. The last scene he filmed was a monologue by the radio DJ he played in the studio, speaking into the microphone.
That scene had no other actors, no complicated staging; it was just an old man sitting in a live broadcast room, talking into a microphone about his regrets and remorse over the years.
Zhang Guoli only needed two criteria to pass; the first one was too emotional, while the second one was just right.
Zhang Guoli walked out of the live broadcast room with red eyes and a smile on his face.
"Director, I'm leaving now. I'll be back next week to finish a few shots. You have a solid foundation for this film, so don't rush it, take your time to polish it."
Liu Yu escorted him to the entrance of the film set and watched his car disappear on the dirt road in Huairou.
Wang Chaowen, standing to the side, said, "Brother, Teacher Zhang is such a nice person."
........
In mid-December, Zhang Guoli returned and filmed a few more scenes.
The only thing that distracted Zhang Guoli was his son, Zhang Mo.
Liu Yu had heard about this in his previous life; Zhang Mo had assaulted someone at the Central Academy of Drama, causing quite a stir.
Zhang Guoli has been so worried about his son that he has more gray hair than before.
Several times, Liu Yu saw Zhang Guoli's assistant run over with his phone on set. He would answer it, his face would darken, he would walk to a corner and whisper a few words, and then come back to continue filming.
When he came back, he had a smile on his face, as if nothing had happened. Liu Yu could tell that there was something hidden beneath that smile.
"Teacher Zhang," Liu Yu invited him to dinner one day after work and couldn't help but ask, "How are things at home?"
Zhang Guoli put down his chopsticks, remained silent for a while, and then said something that left a deep impression on Liu Yu: "As a father, no matter how bad your child is, he's still your child. Just like when you make a movie, no matter how bad it is, it's still your hard work."
Liu Yu didn't ask any more questions. He raised his glass to Zhang Guoli, who downed it in one gulp, then picked up his chopsticks and continued eating, as if nothing had happened.
......
The day filming wrapped up was December 28th, and it snowed lightly in Huairou.
The final scene is the last shot of the entire film, showing three generations of a family sitting on a sofa in the living room, with sunlight streaming in through the window and illuminating their smiling faces.
Zhang Guoli sat in the middle, with Yan Danchen on his left and Yang Zi on his right.
The three of them had no lines; they just sat there, laughing, like a painting.
Sitting behind the monitor, watching the scene, Liu Yu suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
"Click."
Then stand up.
"I hereby announce that filming for 'Speed Scandal' has officially wrapped!"
The crew cheered and applauded.
Wang Chaowen pulled out a bottle of champagne from somewhere, shook it a few times, inserted a bullet, and sprayed it all over Liu Yu.
Liu Yu didn't dodge; he stood there, letting the champagne soak his head and face. He laughed, laughed like a fool.
Yan Danchen stood up from the sofa, walked over to him, and reached out to wipe the champagne off his face.
Her hands were cold; her fingertips touched his cheek like a thin sheet of ice.
"Director Liu, congratulations." She used polite language, but her eyes were full of smiles.
"Congratulations to you too," Liu Yu said.
The two stared at each other for a second, but the people around them were making noise and no one noticed how close they were standing.
Yang Zi ran over and grabbed Yan Danchen's hand. "Sister Danchen, can we go home now?"
Yan Danchen squatted down and pinched her cheek: "Yes, go home. I'll take you home."
Liu Yu stood there watching them. The snow was still falling, fine and scattered, landing on their shoulders and hair.
......
The wrap party was held at a restaurant in Beijing, and the crew booked a large private room.
Zhang Guoli couldn't come, but he asked someone to bring a case of red wine, saying, "Please toast everyone on my behalf."
Liu Yu raised his glass, first toasting the entire team, then each department in turn.
When it was Yan Danchen's turn to be toasted, she was holding a glass of juice. She said she wasn't drinking today because she had a gig tomorrow.
The two clinked their glasses; her juice glass touched his wine glass with a crisp "ding."
"Thank you for your hard work," Liu Yu said with a smile.
"You've worked hard too." Yan Danchen exchanged a glance with him.
Someone nearby chimed in, "Director Liu, shouldn't you have a private toast with Sister Danchen?"
Before Liu Yu could speak, Yan Danchen interrupted, "Go away, what are you talking about? Director Liu and I have a purely platonic relationship."
Everyone laughed even louder.
Liu Yu picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then showed the empty glass to everyone: "I'm done drinking, stop making a scene."
Yan Danchen lowered her head, the corners of her mouth turned up, and the tips of her ears were red.
.....
After dinner, Liu Yu escorted Yan Danchen back to her hotel.
Yan Danchen, wrapped in that military overcoat, walked with her neck hunched, like a penguin.
Liu Yu walked beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her closer to him. She didn't flinch, but leaned in a little, and the two walked side by side like that, neither of them saying a word.
When they arrived at the hotel, Yan Danchen stopped and turned to look at Liu Yu.
What are you doing tomorrow?
"Take a nap first, then start editing the video."
"So, editing videos means spending another month in the server room?"
"almost."
She was silent for a moment, then reached out and straightened his scarf.
"Then don't overwork yourself, eat on time, and smoke less."
"understood."
"Then I'll go up."
"it is good."
She took two steps, then turned back.
"Liu Yu".
"Um?"
"Filming wrapped up today, shouldn't you come up and offer your congratulations to the lead actors?"
Liu Yu walked over, opened his arms, and pulled her into his embrace. She was half a head shorter than him, her face buried in his chest, her breath warm through his coat.