When will I be the queen

Chapter 496 Audition
In the entertainment industry of the last century, there were countless times when the entertainment environment was even worse, yet there were predecessors who shone brightly in various cycles. Now the entertainment environment is much better than in the past, yet they still got swept away by the cycle. It can only be attributed to bad luck, or more importantly, their own lack of ambition.

Cai Cai didn't quite agree with the notion that she wasn't hardworking or ambitious. "How would we outsiders know how hard someone works? Everyone works hard. It's just that the direction of that effort might be a bit off." The main point was, "It seems this audition really didn't miss any real talent." She'd been provoked by the Immortal Lord to become so harsh.

The Immortal Lord genuinely felt that some artists were disappointing. They were clearly short-staffed, and even if outsiders saw it as a crisis, anyone with a modicum of sense knew the project was still progressing smoothly. Anyone who tried to participate would at least have a job. However, some artists were clearly just looking for easy opportunities, acting like saviors, as if their presence was an honor. Others couldn't hide their gloating and disruptive attitude, while still others took the opportunity to negotiate. The latter were somewhat clever, but their conditions were all humiliating and insulting—calling it kicking someone when they're down was an understatement.

The Immortal Lord didn't want to tell Cai Cai these complaints, and simply thought he was being mean-spirited.

At this moment, the assistant knocked on the door and came in to say that there were five people outside, each given a role summary. They would then have individual auditions, during which they would choose which role to play. These were all candidates Huang Xin had screened and deemed suitable. "Suitable" meant that even if they didn't get the role they auditioned for, they could still discuss other roles, or the artist might have some strengths that could be used in other projects within the company. Just like the previous three people.

The immortal lord had the cameras set up and then signaled that people could be let in.

Li Muzi was sitting on this side, on the other side of Cai Cai, with Tang Jinyi behind her. Cai Cai hadn't participated in the previous auditions; Xianjun had filled in for her. Now that Cai Cai was here, Li Muzi quietly asked her if she wanted to act in the scenes herself.

Cai Cai said it depends on the situation. "The priority right now is to find a suitable actor. As for whether they can act with me, that's not a problem. I can cooperate."

Oh, by the way, Cai Cai is versatile.

Li Muzi pursed her lips, suppressing a smile. Yes, Cai Cai is incredibly versatile. To date, in all of Cai Cai's works, in all her scenes with other actors, in ensemble pieces, even her haters have never criticized her for being out of place or not fitting in. Oh, and some say Cai Cai is too beautiful, too outstanding.
"Your look is basically finished. It's the same stylist from Sheji. Since your physical measurements haven't changed, she's familiar with them and designed it very quickly." Li Muzi asked Cai Cai if she had seen it.

Cai Cai has seen it. The Ninth Princess's outfit is even more glamorous than the princesses in the novel. She's always sparkly in everyday life, and even when she's escaping, her clothes are simple yet sophisticated. It truly fulfills the Immortal Lord's requirements: beautiful, absolutely beautiful, beautiful no matter what.

"Couldn't you be a little more plain when you're escaping? How about wearing pants?" When leading troops into battle, the armor is even shinier. Because it's a winter scene, he's covered in fur from head to toe, looking like a luxurious, heavily made-up costume from a game cosplay. A military leader dressed like he's going to go on stage—Cai Cai really thinks it will be criticized by the audience if it airs.

Li Muzi secretly pointed at the Immortal Lord, then waved her hand. The Immortal Lord disagreed, "Our basic requirement is that every frame is good enough to be a screensaver." To achieve this, and to look good at all times, one must be prepared to be criticized.

Cai Cai wanted to say that she was the first one to complain. Seriously, can directors and producers put their aesthetic obsessions aside for now? Do they think film and television dramas are just PowerPoint presentations? The shooting techniques and story editing are the key points. If the shooting and editing are poor, no matter how beautiful the visuals are, it's like carving flowers on dung. She didn't dare say this directly to the Immortal Lord, mainly because the Immortal Lord didn't have a particularly strong aesthetic obsession, but he did have a perfectionist mentality, which was quite tiring.

Someone came in. Cai Cai stopped talking for a moment, carefully looking at the information in her hand, then at the artist who came in. Oh, she recognized him.

The immortal glanced at Cai Cai, and after the newcomer was seated, he gestured to assistant director Wei Min to start asking questions directly.

"Hello, could you please introduce yourself?" Wei Min is formally trained in the industry, and her family is also involved. She started her internship with Huang Xin and is now a core member of Huang Xin's team. She's not very well-known outside the industry, but within it, she's already a name among the countless directors. Huang Xin plans to let Wei Min lead her own team after this project is completed, aiming to win a few awards first. Of course, if there are any more projects involving Xianjun or Cai Cai in the future, she'll be called back as soon as possible.

Wei Min is from the capital city. She can be sharp-tongued or polite at the same time. She's an old acquaintance of Xianjun, but not so familiar with Cai Cai. They've only met a few times. But what no one knows is that Wei Min met Cai Cai when she was in elementary school back in high school. The capital city is a large city, but it's also quite small. So she felt quite familiar with Cai Cai and acted very naturally in Cai Cai's presence. Some people admired her behind her back for being so composed in front of Cai Cai.

"Hello everyone, my name is Shen Yun. I am 27 years old and 1.87 meters tall. I have acted in 51 works, 23 of which have been broadcast. The longest of the broadcast dramas is 167 minutes and the shortest is 6 minutes. I know some weapons and can perform martial arts moves of moderate difficulty."

Shen Yun was surprised to see Cai Cai there. The internet and the outside world are in an uproar right now; even the most innocent person wouldn't be interested in auditioning here, would they?

Cai Cai noticed Shen Yun's gaze and assumed that he also remembered her.

"Hello, I'm Cai Cai. I know you, and I remember you too." I had seen Shen Yun's information with Fang Xiaoning, but Fang Xiaoning didn't choose her because he said she wasn't suitable. At the time, Cai Cai didn't ask any further questions.

Shen Yun was a little confused. She was surprised that Cai Cai actually knew her, and even more surprised that Cai Cai thought she didn't know her.

Who in the world doesn't know you?
Or rather, Cai Cai's understanding is different from his and others' understanding.

Shen Yun didn't hide his doubts. "Well, I'm sorry, how did you get to know me?" He had no chance of being recognized by Cai Cai.

Cai Cai blushed a little. Ah, it was wishful thinking on her part. "You're welcome. I saw your resume at Director Fang Xiaoning's place. I'm sorry." She realized halfway through her sentence that seeing someone else's resume without permission seemed inappropriate and she shouldn't have said it. She blushed even more.

Shen Yun was genuinely surprised. His company had indeed submitted resumes to Master Fang's project, but they had all disappeared without a trace. There was no audition invitation, not even a single word of feedback. However, this was quite normal. As an artist, one had to send out resumes everywhere; disappearing without a trace was common, and receiving occasional feedback was unusual. Like this audition.

His agent analyzed that the role became vacant because many people withdrew from the project. However, this is Xianjun's project, and also Cai Cai's project, so there's no possibility of someone being replaced. That's why there's another audition. The previous auditions were probably just a formality after the initial selection, to see who was suitable. This time, however, they are genuinely selecting someone. Even though Cai Cai is currently embroiled in a scandal, given the official stance and the seemingly unfazed attitude of the authorities, Cai Cai will definitely be fine; she's perfectly safe.

So his agent picked him up from the film set last night and drove him here overnight to audition.

According to her agent, this might be a big win. Shen Yun said, "I see. My agent sends my resume to various public email addresses every day on a set schedule. I don't even know which ones I've sent it to."

Cai Cai knew about this tactic; it was a mass application.

Wei Min knew Shen Yun; he was a good actor with excellent eye acting skills and had participated in many projects, but mostly in minor roles that only lasted a few minutes on screen. Moreover, his appearance had a major flaw—his makeup and styling in modern dramas were very unattractive. To put it bluntly, his facial features and face shape weren't ideal, and without the sideburns and hairstyles of period dramas to compensate, it would be difficult for him to even look good, let alone stand out. To be even more cruel, his face would never be able to appear on the big screen. The only way to salvage the situation was through phenomenal acting skills, coupled with strong financial backing.

Shen Yun falls into both categories to some extent. His acting is genuinely good; his expressive eyes can rival those of a celestial being. However, he's often relegated to period dramas with similar costumes and roles, causing his acting to steadily decline. It's fair to say that if his career doesn't take another leap forward, he'll remain a third-rate actor for life. As for capital, the company he's signed with is mid-tier; it has produced some A-list stars, but for years it has primarily focused on artists like Shen Yun—outstanding yet with noticeable flaws.

For example, another well-known actress in the same company as Shen Yun is too short. Her official height is 1.62 meters, but she is actually less than 1.6 meters tall. She looks okay in close-ups, but in group scenes, without makeup, styling, and positioning, she is impossible to spot.

In today's entertainment industry, where the average height of male celebrities is 1.85 meters and the average height of female celebrities is 1.7 meters, not being tall is definitely a disadvantage. Male celebrities like Xianjun, who are over 1.9 meters tall, are a dime a dozen, and there are quite a few female celebrities around 1.8 meters tall. In the last century, being tall was a disadvantage for actresses, but now it's not a big deal. That's why Cai Cai really wants to grow taller. However, given her family's genes, unless there's a mutation in her genes, she's unlikely to reach 1.8 meters, but reaching 1.75 meters should be no problem.

Many people, both inside and outside the industry, believe that this variation in the height of male and female celebrities is a form of discrimination against women. This is because female celebrities' heights are often compared to those of their male counterparts. In the past, male celebrities were generally short; 1.8 meters was considered tall. To create a visually appealing pairing, female celebrities were often required to be shorter. Later, at one point, because male celebrities were all short and thin, female celebrities were also expected to be short and thin, almost to the point of being childlike. This was known as the "white, young, and thin" aesthetic.

But then, perhaps it was the injection of a new generation of tall and strong artists, or perhaps it was a rebound from rock bottom, because the audience simply couldn't stand male and female artists competing in beauty, both being short, thin, pale, and slender. Or perhaps the changes in the entertainment industry needed to be reflected in the most obvious changes in the aesthetics of artists' appearance. In any case, the height of artists has increased, and the aesthetics have become more diversified. Some continue to follow the pale, thin, and slender route, while others take the route of being fit and having a tanned complexion.

Many artists from the same generation as Xianjun also benefited from this wave of popularity. Some became popular again at the age of fifty because of their fair skin, youthful appearance, and slender figure, while others reached new heights in their careers at the age of sixty with abs.

While thinking about all this, Wei Min whispered the information to Cai Cai, so that she could have some understanding of Shen Yun and the capital and people associated with him. The female artist in Shen Yun's company didn't have a good reputation in the industry. She didn't know exactly what kind of person she was, but there was an incident where the female artist broke her contract, and Shen Yun was forced to clean up the mess. But it's also possible that the female artist was deceived and Shen Yun got the benefit of the doubt.

While digesting the gossip, Cai Cai pondered the beauty standards surrounding height and the possibility of leveraging fame for a comeback. She'd heard her teachers mention this phase globally. But those capable of a comeback are undoubtedly those who were once incredibly famous; those who were previously unknown remain relatively unknown. As for gender discrimination within the industry, aside from the egotistical aesthetics of a few directors and capitalists, it's also a societal issue. Frankly, the works produced in the entertainment industry reflect the current state and direction of society. The social problems stemming from the height of female artists are both simple and complex.

The teacher said, “When you are studying a character, you definitely need to consider the current social situation as a whole. In the context of the big picture, you need to consider the character’s growth process, life, and life choices. But while looking at the big picture from the small details, you also need to look at the small details from the big picture. The manifestation of real problems in an individual may be a catchphrase, a habitual action, or it may be personality and future prospects.”

Cai Cai can't say she hasn't been influenced by the current aesthetic standards for female celebrities' height, because if she weren't an actress, she could be any height she wanted. This shows that under the absolute influence of reality, especially when it comes to future prospects and fame, even someone as relatively easygoing as her finds it hard to escape being swept along, let alone others.
Over there, Li Muzi was already asking Shen Yun why she chose to audition for the role of the Third Prince Consort. Even though the script only had a few lines, the Third Prince Consort was still a villain, just with a relatively large amount of screen time.

Shen Yun gave a conservative and cautious answer that he wanted to take on the challenge. Since his debut, he has never played a negative role. The villainous character of the Third Prince Consort is very well-developed and fleshed out. Although he failed in the end, it was not a forced reduction in intelligence. He is looking forward to igniting more passion for acting and his own potential in this role.

You're so good at praising!

Cai Cai glanced at the Immortal Lord. "Is the character you wrote really that good? It's obviously incredibly stupid, isn't it? Everyone's stupid."

The Immortal Lord ignored Cai Cai and gestured to Li Muzi that it was alright to begin the audition. Otherwise, Cai Cai would keep going off-topic.

Why is it that everyone who introduces someone to Cai Cai brings up a bunch of gossip? Knowing she can read faces, is it really okay to tell her so much gossip? As the Immortal Lord thought this, he was also reflecting on himself, because he seemed to be doing the same thing. Wasn't he really harming Cai Cai?

Shen Yun's acting was solid; he perfectly portrayed the character of the Third Prince Consort in just a few lines. This was even without any plot or dialogue, leaving him to improvise based on the script. If one had to nitpick, his performance was somewhat stereotypical and clearly not his best; he could have done much better.

This made the immortal lord frown slightly. Even if it was a rehearsal, shouldn't they be more restrained?
"Are there any other roles you'd like to try for?" In Huang Xin's previous round of auditions, the scripts for the missing roles were given out, and the auditioning artists could choose whichever one they wanted to practice for and audition for.

This can lead to situations where the artist hesitates, or there are differing opinions from those around them. In most cases, artists will follow their manager's advice and not insist on their own preferences, but there are also times when they will stick to their own choices.

The immortal lord suspected that Shen Yun herself was not inclined towards the role of the third prince consort. Therefore, although she prepared very thoroughly, she did not put in much effort.

Shen Yun didn't think he could hide the fact that he hadn't given his all. In fact, he hadn't intended to hide it anyway.

“During the audition, I did lean towards the role of the Third Prince Consort, but after acting it out once, I realized that the Third Prince Consort required a more upright and dignified appearance, and I don't think I'm very good at portraying uprightness, so I wanted to switch roles. But changing roles at the last minute, especially since I had already passed the audition for the Third Prince Consort, I was worried about switching roles again.”

Shen Yun was just telling the truth.

Under this mindset, it's indeed difficult for him to perform better.

This is an actor who wants to be successful in both method acting and performance acting.
Wei Min thought to himself, this is a classic case of someone with enough ideas but not enough talent. He can understand the character but can't bring them to life. He's formally trained and did well in his studies, but his talent ceiling isn't high. He might get high marks in school, but in acting, he'll often feel a lack of stamina. He himself might have realized this, but being young or confident, he feels he simply lacks opportunities to break through. Fortunately, he doesn't dwell on it; when he can't perform, he looks for other objective reasons and doesn't torture himself.

Li Muzi also thought, no wonder this person, despite being good-looking and having decent acting skills, always falls short and can't reach the top tier of stardom. He has the vision, but lacks the ability; he avoids difficulties, and while he wants to improve, he's stuck in the same place. She wondered if anyone had ever discussed this problem with him.
The Immortal Lord had no opinion on Shen Yun's personal issues. He had seen far too many actors with various problems. In his early years, when people asked him, he would enthusiastically help analyze the situation and assist with practice. But later he realized that acting, performance, is something that either succeeds or fails—it has a touch of the mystical. Some actors, as they act, suddenly seem to have taken a magic pill, and everything clicks. Method acting, performance style, formal training, or self-taught methods—none of it matters; they simply click.