China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 960 Filming and Playing
Yu Feihong's "hands-off" approach is not unfamiliar to Sun Yi.

When he was a director, he would also use this approach, provided that the actors had a very good grasp of the characters.

Sun Yi is not the kind of director who is rigid and script-driven. On the contrary, he allows actors to improvise in specific plots or scenes.

Sometimes, you have to believe in inspiration.

Many classic scenes in film history originated from unexpected events on set. For example, in "The Godfather," Marlon Brando was seen petting a cat while performing, and in "Comrades: Almost a Love Story," Maggie Cheung saw a Mickey Mouse tattoo, initially laughed, and then quickly transitioned into a more emotional state.

And so on, there are many like this.

But this time, it's a little different.

Yu Feihong went a step further, even abandoning the script. In her own words:

"During this period, there is no script, forget the plot, you two are now just a young couple who came together because of a debt agreement."

"You're Han Zhongqing, a hoodlum who collects debts for others. Her father owes you money, but he suffered a stroke and is in a coma. The daughter is supposed to pay her father's debts, so you transferred it directly to her, and then used the excuse of debt reduction to blackmail her into dating you."

"You are Liu Yue, a good girl, with a respectable job, fair skin and beautiful appearance, but your father is a gambler who not only owes a lot of debts but also suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. You have no choice but to take care of him. You met this scoundrel and had no choice but to sign the debt agreement and be forced to date him. Then, little by little, you discover that he is not a bad person after all."

"I decide what time we start and what time we finish. You two don't need to worry about the camera or anything else. Just tell me where you want to go. You do your thing, and we'll film ours."

Yu Feihong went a step further by giving Sun Yi and Liu Yifei maximum performance authority.

To put it more bluntly, if Yu Feihong thought their performance was good, he would add it to the script on the spot and use it directly, which is a bit like the approach taken during the golden age of Hong Kong films. There was no script; each director had a piece of paper to control the overall direction and camera language, and the rest was left to the actors.

Liu Yifei is overjoyed with this direction of filming where she has unlimited freedom to improvise.

This was the first time she had tried playing like this.

As expected, Yu Feihong's decision was like opening Pandora's box, completely unleashing all the "demons and monsters" related to acting within Liu Yifei.

Sun Yi was similar; he was a bit hesitant the first day, but after being "pulled" by Liu Tianxian that night, he immediately got into character the next day.

But I must say, the results are really good.

One night, during a night shoot, the two had just finished dinner, and Sun Yi was taking Liu Yifei home for a walk.

Based on the progress of their relationship in the drama, they're practically on the verge of a romantic connection, which is quite delicate.

It was supposed to be a simple shoot, since the main focus was on filming the two of them having dinner, which was quite nice and sweet. But Yu Feihong didn't say we were done, so we continued.

Sun Yi and Liu Yifei walked under the dim streetlights. As they walked, Liu Yifei suddenly deviated from her planned path, took a small step, and deliberately stepped on Sun Yi's long shadow cast by the streetlight.

Sun Yi was stunned. At that moment, he was "Han Zhongqing".

You little vixen, step on me!

He immediately stepped back.

Liu Yifei was not to be outdone and immediately began to "fight back".

Upon seeing this, Yu Feihong's eyes lit up, realizing that she had a job to do. She immediately waved her hand, and the photography crew set up their camera truck and followed.

Sun Yi stomped, Liu Yifei dodged, then stomped back, and Sun Yi dodged again.

The two of them, like two idiots, stepped on each other's shadows on the deserted street.

The only sounds on the street were the slightly childish footsteps of the two people and the occasional suppressed chuckles.

Yu Feihong had thought that the two of them could have a sweet ending, and then hold hands to push things forward.

Unexpectedly, reality turned out to be that "Liu Yifei" had angered him.

No wonder she was angry. How could a girl like her possibly outmaneuver "Sun Yi," this straight-laced guy? It was a real struggle.

Under the streetlights, "Liu Yifei" pouted and looked at "Sun Yi" with slightly red eyes. "Sun Yi" finally realized what was happening and was completely at a loss. He didn't know whether to apologize or make amends, and he was completely at a loss.

Finally, he blinked and followed "Liu Yifei's" feet, then offered his own shadow to her.

Liu Yifei completely lost her composure; the angle of her upturned lips was impossible to suppress.

Yu Feihong and the staff on site almost burst out laughing when they saw this.

Is this even possible?!
However, after laughing, they all began to sigh with emotion.

This is real life.

Without any dialogue, the film perfectly captures the atmosphere of budding feelings, tentative exploration, and joyful anticipation.

These impromptu, sparkling little scenes made the filming process full of unexpected fun and realism, with an excessive amount of sweetness, even making the crew members feel like they were "eating sugar" while going to work.

Finally, Sun Yi tentatively pulled Liu Yifei's wrist to stop her "attack." The two stood under the streetlight, slightly out of breath, looking at each other with locked eyes, the air thick with a sickeningly sweet atmosphere.

Without Yu Feihong even needing to say anything, the photographer immediately zoomed in, giving the two a close-up. This interaction was more natural and had more tension than the original script.

For several days in a row, the crew filmed in this way.

Sun Yi and Liu Yifei had a great time, and the production crew also captured a lot of footage.

But life can't always be sweet, and a film's narrative also needs conflict.

As the plot progresses, the two's story begins to take a heart-wrenching turn.

The happier Liu Yifei was before, the more painful this part became; it even became a torment.

The preceding empathy and immersion in the role allowed me to fully experience the character's happiness, making the experience relaxed and enjoyable.

In the latter half, arguments, misunderstandings, forced separation, despair and helplessness caused her emotions to plummet like a rollercoaster.

Fortunately, there was Sun Yi, who was always the first to comfort her, coaxing and hugging her. Sometimes it was a joking remark, sometimes he would magically produce her favorite snacks, and sometimes he would just quietly stay with her. Each time, he helped her get through that period of emotional fluctuation until Liu Yifei became more and more at ease with her emotions.

Towards the end of filming, she even started acting. There was nothing serious to begin with, but she waited for Sun Yi to come and comfort her.

Their scheming is truly something else.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the intense yet well-organized filming; in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Filming for "When a Man Falls in Love" is nearing its end. Most of the filming has been completed, with only a few crucial scenes remaining that require a specific seasonal atmosphere.

"The rest, let's wait until winter." Yu Feihong flipped through the shooting schedule one last time. "Although we can use snow machines and post-production color grading now, fake is still fake. It can't fool the audience's eyes, let alone their feelings."

She looked up at Sun Yi with a hint of mockery: "Anyway, our boss Sun is not short of money, and has plenty of funds for production. I'm just doing this for the sake of artistic effect, helping you spend the money wisely."

"Besides, I've noticed that you two have been having a lot of fun lately."

Liu Yifei chuckled, while Sun Yi shook his head with a smile, offering no objection.

As a director, he knows that the realism and atmosphere brought by location shooting are difficult to completely replace by any technical means.

The winter in Northeast China, with its bone-chilling cold, streets where breath freezes instantly, and people resiliently surviving under a gray sky, is itself part of the story, best highlighting the characters' emotions.

Perfect timing, the little girl doesn't seem to have had enough "playing" yet.

"Okay, then let's listen to Senior Sister and come back in winter."

Sun Yi delivered the final blow.

(End of this chapter)