Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 94 I also want to chat with you about the script at night

The script reading session lasted until the night, and there was another day of reading the next day. So after it was over, Zhang Chao, like most of the crew members, stayed in a hotel near the film and television center.

The standard of his room is the same as that of director Sylvia Chang, which is a suite with a living room, which shows how much the crew values ​​him.

After returning to the room and taking a shower, Zhang Chao thought of Zhang Aijia's instructions, so he asked the production manager for Song Jia's cell phone number and called her directly. After a long while, Song Jia picked up the phone and asked, "Hello? This is Song Jia. Who is this?"

Zhang Chao said, "Ms. Song... Is this me? I'm Zhang Chao. Are you free? I want to talk to you about the script." After saying that, I felt something was wrong. It was as if I had seen someone's news in my previous life, reading a script late at night...

Xiao Songjia obviously hesitated for a moment before saying, "...Okay. Can we talk on the phone?"

Zhang Chao said hurriedly, "If it's convenient, we should meet and talk. There is a teahouse on the first floor of the hotel. There should be fewer people now and it should be quiet. We can go there."

After listening to this, Xiao Songjia's tone was obviously relaxed, and he answered happily: "Okay. I can go down right now."

When Zhang Chao arrived at the teahouse, he found that Xiao Song Jia was already waiting there, wearing casual sportswear, looking relaxed and comfortable.

When Xiao Songjia saw Zhang Chao coming, he quickly stood up, stretched out his hand and shook hands with him, saying, "Good evening, Teacher Zhang."

She had obviously just taken a shower, her hair was still wet and draped over her shoulders; her face was flushed, which was particularly obvious against her delicate and fair skin. Even without makeup, Song Jia had a kind of touching beauty; compared to Bai Xue's impetuousness, her temperament was obviously calmer and more charming.

Zhang Chao hurriedly said, "Don't call me Teacher Zhang. If you call me Teacher, I won't be able to speak. Just call me Zhang Chao or Xiao Zhang."

Little Song Jia didn't shy away and said openly, "Then I'll call you Zhang Chao. And don't call me 'Ms.' anymore, as if I'm much older than you. Just call me by my name 'Song Jia'."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "This is the best way, we can be friends as equals."

After sitting down, Zhang Chao ordered a glass of lemonade, while Xiao Songjia ordered a glass of plain water.

Xiao Songjia asked, "You said you wanted to discuss the script. Is there something wrong with what I read today?"

Zhang Chao said: "On the contrary, you read very well. So well that director Zhang Aijia wanted to give you more responsibilities and asked me to write two more scenes for you."

Little Song Jia was pleasantly surprised: "Really? Thank you so much, director and you."

Zhang Chao asked: "From the way you handled the emotions in the lines, your understanding of the character Wei Lai is obviously different from that of others. Can you tell me about it? I can also write based on your understanding."

Xiao Songjia thought for a while before saying, "When I first received the script, I also thought that Wei Lai was just a simple vicious villain. But after I read the script in depth, I suddenly felt that Wei Lai's viciousness actually carried a kind of innocence, an evil innocence."

Zhang Chao asked curiously, "Oh? Tell me in detail."

Little Song Jia said: "Wei Lai's behavior logic is actually full of animality, so I say she is 'naive' - no one in this world is more 'naive' than animals. Wei Lai's family looks like a family of high-level intellectuals, but in fact her parents believe in the law of the jungle of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Just like Wei Lai's mother..."

As Xiao Songjia was talking, Zhang Chao was taking notes, and soon he had filled up two pages.

Xiao Songjia spoke for more than ten minutes before stopping and said embarrassedly: "Is what I said very different from the 'Wei Lai' you imagined? I'll tell you the truth, I haven't read the novel "Youth Like You"." Zhang Chao said: "It is because you haven't read it that you are not disturbed by the novel, so your understanding of this character is so unique and profound. When I wrote this script, I didn't simply repeat the characters and content of the novel, but reshaped it to a certain extent.

The charm of the script lies here. Its completion depends not only on the screenwriter, but also on the director, you actors, as well as photography, lighting, props... You are a good actor. Because of you, I, the screenwriter, can polish the script better."

This is not Zhang Chao's deliberate flattery. Good actors can raise the upper limit of the script. For example, Mr. Yi Shizhi of the People's Art Theater played the role of Shopkeeper Wang more vividly and lively than the one in Mr. Lao She's original script.

Little Song Jia breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I heard that this is your first script? If my classmates in the drama department knew about your talent, they would probably be jealous to death."

Zhang Chao said: "It's easier to adapt your own novel after all."

Little Song Jia said: "Our teacher once said that most novelists are not good at adapting their own works..."

The two chatted for a while in the teahouse. Zhang Chao just felt that sitting opposite Xiao Song Jia, the faint body fragrance emanating from her lingering, making him unable to stop, so he politely said goodbye and went back to his room to write the script.

Song Jia quietly watched Zhang Chao enter the elevator and disappear. She has been in the entertainment industry for several years and has filmed three or four TV series. Last year, she even starred in a movie with Tong Dawei. But all this did not stir up any waves. Outside of Shanghai, she remained unknown. She was ambitious about acting and her acting career, so she resolutely left Shanghai this year and came to Yanjing, where there are more opportunities, to "drift north".

Unexpectedly, she got such a role not long after she arrived. Although she played a villain, the depth of the character presented in the script was far beyond the rich daughter, naive, and vase beauty she had played before. So she poured all her focus and enthusiasm into "Wei Lai". She had a hunch that this role might change her destiny.

This script reading was the first time that Song Jia met the screenwriter Zhang Chao. At first, she was surprised by how young he was, a few years younger than her. Now, she was amazed at his maturity and sincerity. Thinking about the conversation she had just had with Zhang Chao, she was distracted for a while before returning to her room.

The next morning, Zhang Chao handed the revised script to Zhang Aijia with dark circles under his eyes. Zhang Aijia read it carefully and could not hide her appreciation. She said to Zhang Chao: "These two scenes are very exciting and add the finishing touch to the character of Wei Lai."

Zhang Chao briefly explained Song Jia's character analysis of Wei Lai last night, and Zhang Aijia said, "Then she really put her heart into it. I was wondering why you chose her to play Cheng Nian last time."

Zhang Chao explained: "I just happened to have watched two of her dramas and I think she is a good actress."

At today's reading session, everyone got the new script. After reading the two newly added scenes, they all looked at Zhang Chao with bright eyes, praising the two scenes for being really good. Little Song Jia couldn't hide her gratitude.

Even Zhou Xun joked, "Student Zhang Chao, you have to write two more scenes for me."

At around ten o'clock in the evening, the actress who played Xu Miao, Wei Lai's follower in the crew of "Youth Like You", dressed up carefully and came to the door of the room where Zhang Chao had lived for the past two days. She first listened carefully to confirm that there was someone inside, then knocked on the door and said in a low voice:

"Teacher Zhang Chao, open the door. I want to talk to you about the script..."

With a click, the door opened. Lu Jianqing, the assistant director from Hong Kong Island, stood at the door. He looked at her with a half-smile and said, "Are you looking for Zhang Chao? He's gone. What do you think of the script? Can you tell me?"

The actress blushed and lowered her head quickly and said, "I'm sorry, Director Lu, I didn't know it was you in there. I'm fine, I'll go back first." After that, she trotted away.

Lu Jianqing has been working in the film industry in Hong Kong and the Mainland for so many years that he has seen all kinds of absurd things. He didn't take it seriously and just closed the door and went to rest.

In fact, after the end of the day, Zhang Chao quietly went back to Yanda alone, and only sent a text message to Zhang Aijia and He Jiping. In order to take care of him, Zhang Aijia specially chose to hold the reading meeting on the weekend. Today is Sunday, and Zhang Chao must go back to school to prepare for tomorrow's class.

(End of this chapter)