When will I be the queen

Chapter 497 Audition
Acting skills are definitely not something that can be improved with a few words of guidance from someone else. Nor will they be mastered simply through more study. It's about getting it right, and then it's done. Many actors just suddenly grasp a spark of inspiration and become incredibly talented. This has no tricks or secrets; it's something that can't be replicated or imitated. Many actors have the illusion that working with famous directors and actors will give them a magical boost in acting skills, which is truly a beautiful fantasy.
There's a concept of "enlightenment" online, and I think it's somewhat similar in some ways. "Unenlightened performance" is a state of ignorance and confusion, unable to find the desired way of performing, aware of problems but unable to find the key to solving them, or even the problems themselves—a state where all nine orifices are open, yet one can never open that final orifice.

Among the many actors I've met, many are in this state. The key point is that anyone who becomes an actor is quite proud and finds it extremely difficult to deny themselves. Therefore, I've seen many actors who are both tormented and proud, simultaneously doubting themselves while being praised to the skies. Moreover, once they stand in front of the camera, under the spotlight, actors must look down on everyone else; otherwise, if their presence is weak, their career is over.

Compared to honing their acting skills, many actors are more afraid of having no roles to play, no career prospects, no money to earn, no fans, and no investors.

That's why actors like Cai Cai are so rare. She's truly single-mindedly focused on acting, possesses talent, and works incredibly hard. Crucially, she's not obsessed with money. It's not that only wealthy people are indifferent to money; quite the opposite, because they're wealthy, they know the benefits of money and have tasted its joys, and thus develop a certain attachment to it. Many artists in the industry come from wealthy families, and many are richer than Cai Cai, but after witnessing the ways, speed, and returns of making money in the entertainment industry, they become even more focused on being artists, losing the carefree attitude they had before entering the industry.

But Cai Cai has always remained carefree.

Most female celebrities would be extremely anxious or even furious if they encountered rumors about her. But Cai Cai didn't treat it as a big deal from beginning to end. She was even more concerned about how Er Ya was spreading rumors. It wasn't that she didn't care about her reputation or career, but rather that she always maintained a carefree and happy attitude towards life. Acting is indeed something she enjoys and that makes her happy, but if that happiness is diminished or she no longer feels happy, she can easily walk away.

No amount of money, including traffic revenue, compensation, or profit sharing, could keep her. Once she was determined to leave...

The entertainment industry is demonized by many because the money and fame it offers are too tempting. It draws people in and makes them reluctant to leave. Anyone with even a hint of greed or attachment will find themselves trapped.

Cai Cai is very willing to part with it. Because there's something else she's even more reluctant to part with.
The immortal lord swept his gaze over Tang Jinyi, but his attention remained fixed on Cai Cai. It could be said that everyone in the Tang family was focused on Cai Cai; as long as she was there, they were truly watching her intently, constantly concerned about her thirst, fatigue, whether she was eating well, or if she was frowning or unhappy.
Having few family ties of his own, and having acted in numerous films and television dramas and called countless parents "father" and "mother," Xianjun only truly understood the meaning of family after meeting Cai Cai. Objectively speaking, Xianjun felt that while Cai Cai's family relationships were good, they were actually quite unhealthy. Their circumstances couldn't have raised a child with Cai Cai's personality. Yet, Cai Cai grew up to be this innocent and peaceful person.
The immortal lord thought back to the case from years ago. If only Cai Cai hadn't been convicted of that crime and had been taken directly back to the Tang family.
While the immortal lord was lost in thought, Wei Min had already asked Shen Yun about his performance and had him audition again. Cai Cai was also watching Shen Yun the whole time. Only Tang Jinyi noticed the immortal lord's gaze and his absent-mindedness, but Tang Jinyi didn't care. When her child was working, he was too charming to even look at, let alone pay attention to others.

Shen Yun auditioned again, this time as a guard.

The scene where the guard is auditioning is one where he openly confesses his love to a palace maid, but his eyes are fixed on the Ninth Princess. He speaks affectionate lines, but his gaze is not on the palace maid's face, but on the Ninth Princess behind her.

Huang Xin and Li Muzi could also see the audition happening here and were paying close attention. Now, seeing Shen Yun auditioning for the role of a guard, the two exchanged a glance, neither of them showing any optimism.

As per the previously agreed-upon role requirements, the guard needed an actor with a cunning look. This cunning look wasn't simply the appearance of a villain. In drama, a villain's look is often a simple, crude white face with narrow eyes and thin lips. In film and television, this translates to high cheekbones, irregularly shaped eyes, and thin lips. Acting gestures often include glancing sideways, fake smiles, cold laughs, and crossed arms. Male villains are often portrayed as treacherous officials, while female villains are often depicted as bewitching women. They're the kind of villain who, at first glance, doesn't look good—and is intelligent at that.

Evil people often have a kind appearance; at first glance, they may seem like good people. But treacherous people generally don't have a kind appearance, making it obvious that they are not good people.

The actor we initially found had a hooked nose with a hump, upturned eyes, and was very young with clear eyes. During the makeup test, we drew a thin, elongated upper eyeliner on him, shaved off the outer half of his eyebrows, and drew them slightly drooping. Combined with the actor's upturned, smiling lips, once the makeup was done, even when he wasn't speaking, it looked like he was mentally stabbing someone.

At the time, they were all quite satisfied. The actress herself was a little unhappy, but she had many scenes with Cai Cai, and there was a semblance of a romantic storyline. Overall, the costumes and styling were also good-looking, so they accepted it. Now that the actress has successfully withdrawn from the role, the custom-made makeup is no longer needed. However, because the effect was so good, they still plan to find a new actress based on the makeup.

Shen Yun, on the other hand, has a very defined bone structure. Although his jaw is slightly wide, his entire skull is well-shaped, his temples are not sunken, his vestibule is full, his nasal passage is straight, his brow bone is prominent, and his eyes are very beautiful. It can be said that his basic flaws are all in the lower half of his face, while the upper half is quite good. Combined, he is a seven out of ten in terms of beauty. If the Immortal Lord is a twelve out of ten...
Shen Yun was indeed suitable to play a prince consort; even his nose alone made the cut. However, he felt he couldn't pull it off, so he gave up and opted instead for a role that was relatively easier to portray: a bodyguard. With his acting skills, he could certainly play a bodyguard, but the problem was, his appearance didn't meet their original requirements.
Neither Cai Cai nor Xian Jun said anything, so let's just see how Shen Yun performs in the audition.

The audition script for the guards didn't have specific lines; aside from excerpts, the actors were free to improvise. They could even improvise their own lines. The script's introduction of the guards was actually quite comprehensive, providing a basic description and portraying them as feigning deep affection. Even without explicitly stating they were villains, the actors understood from this description. Another requirement for the performance was a certain degree of comedic effect.

Even outsiders know that comedy is difficult to perform. Making people laugh isn't hard; the difficulty lies in making that laughter a simple, pure feeling of joy. Comedy often uses actors making fools of themselves to create comedic effect, which is the most common and simplest method. However, a work cannot rely solely on actors making fools of themselves or pranking them from beginning to end. A work needs a story, a theme, or even a higher level of meaning, metaphor, etc. This is where the script and cinematography truly come into play.

The simplest requirement for actors in comedy is that they have a comedic appearance. This comedic effect, in the audience's understanding, means obvious physical flaws: being ugly, short, fat, having a big mouth, or small eyes. Actors with decent looks are required to be willing to go all out, to be able to play ugly, to dare to play ugly, and to be willing to play ugly.

There are a large number of male and female "clowns" in the entertainment industry, a term borrowed from traditional Chinese opera. Some performers specializing in spoken word, such as crosstalk comedians, sketch comedy actors, and variety show hosts, are categorized as "clowns." These individuals often play comedic roles in film and television productions, balancing the seriousness and pathos of the work, which also serves as a selling point.

Actors with decent looks are reluctant to play ugly roles, let alone actors who are good-looking.

In many films and television shows, good-looking actors often rely on upbeat and humorous background music (BGM) to enhance comedic scenes. This same effect is also used in tragic and suspenseful scenes, where various background music tracks amplify the actors' performances. These actors are jokingly referred to as "BGM actors." For example, some actors may never actually cry during a tragic scene, but with the addition of melancholic background music, they appear to be crying uncontrollably.

Fans can praise blindly, but the audience isn't blind.

Huang Xin and the others had already discussed the comedic effect of the guards and planned to use background music to avoid the actors being unable to perform well and delaying filming. However, the role requirements were still written down, just in case, just in case, we might get a big surprise.

Even the Immortal Lord felt that the chances were slim.

Wei Min initially suspected that Shen Yun hadn't understood the requirement, since many actors couldn't read scripts and contracts, and even WeChat group notifications required translation. But after Shen Yun struck a pose, Wei Min realized that Shen Yun wanted the role precisely because of the comedic aspect of the bodyguard role.

Good-looking people can excel in comedy, doubling the impact and opening up new avenues for success, ensuring a worry-free job and future. However, if they perform poorly...
Wei Min still wasn't very optimistic about Shen Yun. Cai Cai saw Shen Yun squat down and understood that he must have come specifically for the role of the guard.

The immortal lord's expression remained unchanged, but he did have a somewhat favorable impression of Shen Yun. This was because so many of the actors who had auditioned for the role of guards, including the one they had previously chosen, hadn't shown any comedic talent. People who are confident in their beauty often have a lot of baggage. This is normal, after all, it concerns their career prospects.

Frankly speaking, even a celestial being wouldn't attempt comedy. It's not that he doesn't want to, but his entire persona and the characters he's portrayed before form a solid barrier between him and drama. He himself can't break through it. If he were to force himself to act in a comedy and break through that barrier, the audience would want to kill him. That's no exaggeration.

Shen Yun squatted down, raised his arms, and made a gesture of embracing someone in his arms.

"Thank you, thank you for liking me, thank you for responding to my feelings for you," she said, letting out a sob. But Shen Yun's face remained expressionless. She craned her neck, staring straight ahead with excited eyes and a strange, lewd expression. Yet, the words she uttered were slow and tearful, as if she were deeply moved.

Shen Yun said a few more words, seemingly realizing that the person in her arms was about to leave and look at her, she quickly moistened her finger with saliva, dabbed it under her eyes, and rubbed her eyes until they were red. Then she released her arms, lowered her head, and looked at the person in her arms with deep emotion, saying, "With you like this, I have no other desires."

She hugged the person in her arms again, glanced at the front of her head, paused for a moment, then put her hands down and said that her performance was over.

"." This was an unexpected audition scenario, simple, direct, and very effective.

Cai Cai led the applause, wanting to say that the performance was excellent, but felt that she was not in a good position to comment on Ren Jie's performance, so she just clapped without saying anything.

The immortal clapped along with Cai Cai, and he could comment without any hesitation, "You acted very well, exceeding my expectations."

Shen Yun knew that the script was written by the Immortal Lord, and Cai Cai had also participated in the character design and plot development. Secretly, he wanted to hear Cai Cai's thoughts more because Cai Cai possessed the talent he desired. He knew this thought was shameless and despicable, because the Immortal Lord also had talent, but he didn't want the Immortal Lord's talent; he wanted Cai Cai's. This Cai Cai was a woman, and a young one at that, and they had a connection. Shen Yun knew that, like himself, there were many, many men, and even women, who looked down on women in this circle.

However, this wasn't a correct idea, so no one dared to speak out, or even express it. Shen Yun himself didn't dare to speak out or show it, but every time he saw those women standing in front of him, sitting in front of him, walking in front of him, with higher salaries, greater fame, and greater talent than him, an indescribable jealousy would rise in his heart. He wanted to take everything he desired from these women.
Shen Yun used to find himself disgusting, but after witnessing many men with similar thoughts use relationships, marriage, and childbirth—using love as a weapon, their hearts filled with malice, their mouths full of sweet words, and their money and other means—to destroy the women they envied. After that, Shen Yun no longer found himself disgusting. He was just an ordinary man spoiled by male chauvinism, only slightly repulsive, not one of those malevolent demons raised by male chauvinism.

Shen Yun took a deep breath, thanked the Immortal Lord, and then looked at Cai Cai, not daring to speak. She could only look at Cai Cai, hoping that she would say something.

Cai Cai felt a little nervous under their gaze; it was like the homeroom teacher was calling roll.
"you"

"No need to be so polite, you can address me like this." Shen Yun knew Cai Cai was from the capital and used to using formal language, but he wasn't used to it. After all, Cai Cai's status in the industry was higher than his, and even though she was currently embroiled in scandal, judging from the reactions of various parties, it wasn't a major problem. Shen Yun was very keen on maintaining a hierarchy within the industry, which fueled his strong fighting spirit whenever he bowed and smiled obsequiously at younger men, women, or even despicable individuals. It was his motivation to climb the social ladder.

Cai Cai hummed in agreement, a little embarrassed, and first affirmed that the performance was very good, the idea not new but very effective. "May I ask," she said, "how did you interpret the role of this guard, and how did you come up with this way of portraying the guard?"

Shen Yun sat down again and thanked the staff for the water they offered. "After seeing the audition requirements for the guard, I wondered if this was a villain, or a villain who did something really bad in terms of relationships. I think the comedic effect is to neutralize the character's malice and prevent the audience from hating him too much. That's the character's strength. I want to try a comedic performance and play a character that is clearly favored by the script."

Oh, that's a very good interpretation.

Cai Cai had never underestimated any of her peers, but Shen Yun still gave her a big surprise. If even such hardworking artists were picking up pigeons (i.e., failing to deliver), what a mess the domestic film and television industry would be in! Cai Cai knew that things weren't like they used to be. Even if there were artists who tried to muddle through in the industry, there were still plenty of artists like Shen Yun. Otherwise, domestic film and television awards wouldn't be among the most prestigious awards in the world. In the past, the domestic film and television industry had a self-serving mentality; cultural export was very difficult, and artists winning awards abroad were considered mere "gilding."

The fact that artists now call winning awards abroad "fishing" shows just how strong China's film and television industry is. Previously, foreign film and television companies only wanted domestic box office returns—money. Now, those working in the foreign film and television industry want both fame and fortune.

It was only then that Cai Cai truly realized how serious Xianjun's anxiety had been about her returning to China to film. She also fully understood how important the Ninth Princess project was.

"Thank you." Cai Cai glanced at the Immortal Lord. She felt there was no problem at all; they could give her the contract on the spot and start negotiating the signing.

The Immortal Lord didn't intend to delay any longer and directly had the project manager bring the contract. "Take a look. If there are any problems, we can discuss them. If we reach an agreement, we can sign it." In other words, if the agreement was reached, it was just a matter of whether Shen Yun wanted to sign. After all, Cai Cai was still considered a risky artist. If Shen Yun didn't want to sign, they wouldn't force her. They would just use the usual excuse: wait for further notice.

Shen Yun took the contract and said decisively, "I'll contact my company's legal department now, and if there are no problems, I'll sign it directly."

Wei Min was very happy, finally able to secure a role.

After Shen Yun left, Tang Jinyi, who was sitting behind Cai Cai and covering her face with a piece of paper, finally spoke, "Is this what they call a sense of conviction? This actor acted very well, but he doesn't seem to have the aura of a star, even though he's good-looking." Also, "He's misogynistic."