Entertainment from Divorce

On a November weekend morning, the film and television base was shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

The area where the indoor scenery studios are located at the Red Coast Base has been temporarily fenced off.

A huge red archway stands at the entrance, with the words "Launch Ceremony of the TV Series 'The Three-Body Problem'" hanging in gold on it.

The banners on both sides read "A masterpiece of hard science fiction, paying tribute to cosmic civilization," and a faint sandalwood scent filled the air.

The staff had already set up an altar inside the tent, with fruits and pastries on it, and three unlit incense sticks inserted in the bronze incense burner in the center, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Before nine o'clock in the morning, reporters from more than ten media outlets had already arrived at the scene.

They carried cameras and held recorders, gathering in twos and threes in the rest area outside the studio, discussing in hushed tones about the upcoming filming of "The Three-Body Problem".

"I heard this script was written by Tan Yue himself?" a reporter from a film and television industry media asked doubtfully, with an interview outline already prepared in his notebook.

"Not only is Tan Yue the screenwriter, but the main actors seem to be from Brilliant Entertainment. Veteran actors like Ma Guoliang and Zhang Lan are all there, and there's also a new director named Lu Chuan."

Another entertainment reporter chimed in, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"Hard science fiction is a genre that few domestic companies dare to film. After all, special effects and sets are too expensive and easy to botch. Tan Yue is taking on a challenge."

"I asked around before, and the production team did a very strict job of keeping things confidential. The script was only shown to the core members, and even the actors' costume photos were not leaked."

"If it can be filmed well, it might become a benchmark for hard science fiction dramas in China, after all, Tan Yue's Interstellar received such good reviews."

Amid the murmurs, the sound of a car engine could be heard in the distance.

The reporters immediately became alert, picked up their equipment, and looked towards the entrance.

Three black minivans slowly drove up and stopped outside the archway. The first person to get out of the first car was Lu Chuan, who was wearing a dark gray suit.

His hair was neatly combed, and his face showed undisguised tension and excitement. He kept adjusting his tie, his gaze sweeping over the media present, and he subconsciously straightened his back.

Following closely behind, the main actors, including Ma Guoliang, Zhang Lan, and Deng Gaofei, got off the bus one after another.

Ma Guoliang, dressed in a khaki trench coat, exuded a refined and scholarly air. Upon seeing the reporters' cameras, he smiled gently and raised his hand in greeting.

Zhang Lan wore a plain cheongsam, her hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the demeanor of a scholar.

Deng Gaofei, dressed in a black jacket, stood tall and had a rugged look on his face, which perfectly matched the character of Shi Qiang.

As the actors entered the studio one after another, media reporters immediately surrounded them, snapping photos incessantly and asking questions incessantly.

"Professor Ma, what role did you play in 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

Just then, the door of the last van opened, and Tan Yue and Chen Ye got out.

Tan Yue wore a black casual suit with a white shirt underneath, without a tie, which made him look low-key and composed.

As soon as he appeared, half of the reporters who were originally surrounding the actors immediately turned away and rushed over. Tan Yue was undoubtedly the most watched person at the scene.

"Mr. Tan, what brings you to the opening ceremony today? Do you have a lot of confidence in this drama?"

"Mr. Tan, how long did it take to write the script for 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

The reporters bombarded him with questions, and Chen Ye quickly stepped forward to stand in front of Tan Yue.

"Dear journalists, there will be a special interview session after the opening ceremony, where Mr. Tan will answer your questions. Please allow us to enter now. Thank you for your cooperation."

Tan Yue nodded to the reporters, glanced at the setup, and said softly to Lu Chuan beside him, "The preparations are very thorough, thank you for your hard work."

Lu Chuan quickly shook his head, his tone excited: "It's all thanks to the team. Without your support, we wouldn't be where we are today."

The two walked into the studio side by side. The actors and crew members were already standing on both sides of the incense table. When they saw Tan Yue enter, they all greeted him: "President Tan!"

Tan Yue responded with a smile and walked over to stand next to Ma Guoliang.

Ma Guoliang leaned closer and whispered, "President Tan, I went through Wang Miao's scenes again last night, and they feel smoother and smoother. Let's go over the details again after filming starts?"

“Okay, no problem.” Tan Yue nodded, his gaze falling on the script on the incense table.

It was a beautifully bound script of "The Three-Body Problem," with a gold-embossed cover and a craft knife tied with a red ribbon next to it.

This is a tradition of film and television industry opening ceremonies, symbolizing good fortune at the start of a new project.

The opening ceremony officially began at 9:30 a.m.

The host was Li Ran from the Brilliant Entertainment program department. He was wearing a red suit and walked onto the temporary stage with a loud voice.

"Distinguished leaders, friends from the media, and members of the production team, good morning! Today, we gather at the film and television base to witness the grand opening ceremony of the TV series 'The Three-Body Problem'!"

First, let's give a warm round of applause to all the guests and media friends present!

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, and reporters pointed their cameras at the stage.

Li Ran continued, "As the first hard science fiction TV series in China, 'The Three-Body Problem' is adapted from Mr. Tan Yue's original script and brings together powerful actors such as Ma Guoliang, Zhang Lan, and Deng Gaofei. It is directed by the up-and-coming director Lu Chuan."

"Next, let's invite Director Lu Chuan to the stage to speak and share the creative concept behind this drama!"

Lu Chuan took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

He took the microphone, his gaze sweeping over the audience, his voice tinged with excitement: "First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Tan for giving me this opportunity to direct such a significant work as 'The Three-Body Problem'."

He paused, then looked at the actors and staff below the stage: "I also want to thank all the main creators."

Applause erupted again from the audience, and Ma Guoliang and the others nodded in approval.

Next, Li Ran invited Ma Guoliang to come up on stage and speak.

Ma Guoliang stepped onto the stage, took the microphone, and said in a gentle yet firm tone: "When I got the role of Wang Miao, I was both excited and apprehensive. He is a physicist, but also an ordinary person. When facing cosmic civilizations, he has both the rationality of a scientist and the fear and confusion of an ordinary person."

Subsequently, Zhang Lan and Deng Gaofei also took the stage to speak.

Zhang Lan shared her understanding of the elderly Ye Wenjie: "This character has experienced too many ups and downs. Every word she says and every look in her eyes contains a story. I will try my best to explore her inner world and let the audience see a three-dimensional and real Ye Wenjie."

Deng Gaofei said, "The character Shi Qiang is completely different from the characters I have played before. He seems rough, but he is actually very meticulous. I will try my best to break through my limitations and play this character well."

At 10:00 AM sharp, the most crucial part, the incense offering and unveiling ceremony, began. Immediately afterwards, the four of them worked together to remove the red silk covering the camera.

As the red ribbon fell, the camera lens gleamed coldly under the lights, and enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience. The sound of reporters' shutters clicking incessantly captured this important moment.

After the unveiling ceremony, all the main creators and crew members took a group photo in front of the incense table.

Tan Yue stood in the center, with Lu Chuan on his left and Ma Guoliang on his right. Everyone's faces were beaming with smiles. The moment the camera captured seemed to foreshadow a smooth journey in filming "The Three-Body Problem".

After the group photo, the press interview session began. Lu Chuan, Ma Guoliang, Zhang Lan, and others were surrounded by reporters, and they patiently answered their questions.

"Director Lu, how long was the filming period for 'The Three-Body Problem'? What percentage of the film was special effects?" a reporter asked.

Lu Chuan replied with a smile: "The filming period is expected to be three months, with special effects accounting for about 60%. We have hired a top domestic special effects team, and we will try our best to recreate the science fiction scenes in the script, striving to give the audience an immersive experience."

"Professor Ma, you and President Tan have collaborated many times before. What are your different feelings about collaborating on 'The Three-Body Problem' this time?" another reporter asked.

Ma Guoliang looked at Tan Yue not far away and said sincerely, "President Tan's scripts always surprise me. The script for 'The Three-Body Problem' is more profound than his previous works, and the character of Wang Miao is more challenging. Every time I discuss a character with him, I get new inspiration, and this time is no exception."

On the other side, Tan Yue was also surrounded by several reporters.

"Mr. Tan, why did you choose to create a hard science fiction TV series? Is it to explore a new genre?" the reporter asked.

Tan Yue took the microphone and said calmly, "Actually, I've always been interested in science fiction. I filmed 'Interstellar' before, which was a movie, and this time I want to try a TV series."

"TV series are longer, which allows for a more detailed portrayal of the grandeur and complexity of cosmic civilizations, as well as a deeper depiction of the characters' inner worlds."

"There are indeed relatively few hard science fiction dramas in China. I hope to bring a different viewing experience to the audience through 'The Three-Body Problem' and also contribute to the domestic science fiction film and television industry."

"Mr. Tan, will you consider releasing 'The Three-Body Problem' overseas? If overseas audiences are not familiar with Chinese science fiction culture, will it affect their viewing experience?" a reporter asked.

Tan Yue smiled slightly: "Currently, we are focusing our main efforts on domestic filming and production. We will consider overseas distribution after the domestic broadcast."

"Mr. Tan, what are your expectations for the viewership of 'The Three-Body Problem'? If the market response is not as good as expected, will it affect your subsequent science fiction creations?" an entertainment reporter pressed.

Tan Yue stated firmly, "I value the quality of the work more than the ratings."

"As long as we put our heart into filming every shot and telling every story well, I believe the audience will feel our sincerity. Even if the market response is not as expected, I will not give up science fiction creation."

The interview lasted for more than half an hour. After answering the last question, Tan Yue glanced at the time and said to Chen Ye beside him, "That's about it. We should go. We have a video conference this afternoon."

Chen Ye nodded and said to the reporters who surrounded him, "Dear reporters, thank you very much for your attention. We will regularly release updates on the filming progress of 'The Three-Body Problem,' so please stay tuned. That concludes today's interview. Thank you all."

Tan Yue nodded to the reporters, then walked over to Lu Chuan and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm leaving the rest to you now. Remember to balance work and rest, and call me anytime if you have any questions."

Lu Chuan nodded vigorously and said, "President Tan, don't worry, I will definitely do a good job with the filming!"

Tan Yue smiled, turned around and left with Chen Ye. The black van slowly drove away from the film and television base and disappeared into the mist.

After Tan Yue left, the opening ceremony officially came to an end.

The reporters gradually left, and the crew immediately began preparations for filming.

With the shooting plan in hand, Lu Chuan, along with the director of photography and art director, entered the indoor studio of the Red Coast Base and carefully inspected each scene.

Ma Guoliang and Zhang Lan were rehearsing their lines in the dressing room, holding their scripts and quietly discussing the first scene they would be shooting that afternoon.

Elderly Ye Wenjie recalls fragments of her father's memories at the Red Coast Base.

“I think the dialogue here could be delivered a little slower, with a touch of melancholy from the memories,” Zhang Lan said, pointing to a passage in the script.

Ma Guoliang nodded and said, "I agree. When Wang Miao listens, his eyes should be filled with doubt, but also with sympathy for Ye Wenjie. This will better lead to the subsequent story."

Deng Gaofei, meanwhile, familiarized himself with the set inside the studio. Wearing Shi Qiang's black jacket and holding a prop pistol, he walked back and forth in the control room, getting a feel for the character's state.

Seeing the props crew setting up an old-fashioned radio, he went over and asked, "Is this radio Shi Qiang's prop? Can it be turned on? If it can play songs from the 1970s, it might help me get into character faster."

"You can turn it on. We've specially downloaded some old songs from the 1970s. We'll let you try it out in a bit."

At noon, the film crew started work on time.

The first scene filmed was an elderly Ye Wenjie's monologue at the Red Coast Base. Zhang Lan sat in a chair in the control room, the light shining on her face, reflecting the vicissitudes of life.

The camera slowly zoomed in. She looked at the radar antenna outside the window and said softly, "Back then, I thought I had found a way to save humanity, but I never imagined that this was just the beginning of the disaster..."

Her voice was calm yet filled with endless regret, perfectly capturing the inner world of the elderly Ye Wenjie.

Lu Chuan sat in front of the monitor, staring intently at the screen, his eyes filled with excitement.

As soon as Zhang Lan finished her last line, he immediately shouted, "Cut! Perfect! That take is a wrap!"

Cheers erupted from the staff, and everyone applauded.

The first set of shots for "The Three-Body Problem" was successfully filmed.

Lu Chuan stood up, walked to Zhang Lan's side, and handed her a glass of warm water: "Teacher Zhang, your performance was superb, completely exceeding my expectations!"

Zhang Lan took the water glass and said with a smile, "It's because the script is well-written that I can better understand the character. There are still many scenes to come, let's work hard together."

Lu Chuan nodded, looking at the busy staff inside the shed, his heart filled with confidence.

With such excellent actors and a team, "The Three-Body Problem" is sure to be a great film.

At that moment, Tan Yue was in the company's conference room participating in a video conference with the overseas distribution department.

During a break in the meeting, he received a message from Lu Chuan.

"President Tan, the first scene was filmed smoothly, and Ms. Zhang Lan's performance was perfect!" Tan Yue looked at the message and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

He replied, "Great! Keep up the good work, and take good care of the actors and staff."

Putting down his phone, Tan Yue looked at the conference screen with a determined gaze.

Filming for "The Three-Body Problem" has officially begun, marking a significant step for Brilliant Entertainment in exploring new territory. (End of Chapter)