Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 180 Decision
Hu Xiaobei's planned plot for "Chu Ci" will focus on Qu Yuan's life.

Qu Yuan was born into a noble family in the State of Chu. He showed his talent at a young age and cherished the ideal of governing the country to make it strong. He hoped to realize his ambition by appointing talented people and improving laws.

However, he was ostracized and slandered by the Chu nobles and was exiled to Hanbei and the Yuanshang River basin.

Despite his rough fate, Qu Yuan always cared about his country.

When the Qin army captured the capital of Chu, Yingdu, he drowned himself in the Miluo River with infinite attachment to his country and people.

The filming of "Chu Ci" has immeasurable and far-reaching significance in terms of literary inheritance and the shaping of national spirit.

From a literary perspective, "Chu Ci" breaks through the four-character sentence structure of "The Book of Songs" and creates a new form that is varied and flexible. It uses romantic imagination, gorgeous rhetoric, metaphors, exaggeration and myths and legends to vividly show the unique cultural features of Chu.

It is the source of romanticism in the history of Chinese literature and has a profound influence on the development of later literature.

In terms of spiritual connotation, it embodies Qu Yuan’s profound feelings for his country and family, as well as his unremitting pursuit of truth.

This spirit has become an important part of the spiritual backbone of China, inspiring future generations to keep their country in mind and have the courage to pursue the truth on the road of life.

Hu Xiaobei plans to present classic chapters such as "Li Sao", "Nine Songs" and "Heavenly Questions" one by one to highlight the unique artistic charm and profound connotation of "Chu Ci".

"Mrs. Xiang" is a representative plot in "Nine Songs", and this part of the plot was mainly starred by An Xiaoqian.

Even though there are no plans to shoot the complete version of "Chu Ci" yet, the demand for extras still exists, and some supporting roles are needed to enrich the scenes of "Mrs. Xiang".

The ordinary supporting roles in "Mrs. Xiang" are easy to handle. They just need to strike a pose and don't need to have any lines.

But the costume and transformation is also a big problem.

The makeup problem is easy to solve, Hu Xiaobei can help An Xiaoqian solve it.

Some props can be customized relatively quickly, but the costumes are not so easy.

Just when he was worried about the clothing problem, a turning point appeared in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, with the help of Liu Xiaoli, suitable costumes were borrowed through Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theater.

As for the exclusive clothing created for Mrs. Xiang, it looks simple but actually contains hidden secrets.

This costume not only has to fit the character image of Mrs. Xiang, but also has to adapt to the special needs of underwater dancing.

During the design process, Hu Xiaobei drew inspiration from the fabric texture of Xiaolongnu's costume, which is as smooth as flowing water, so that it can sway naturally with the flow of water, creating an ethereal beauty.

At the same time, the long hair like a waterfall is also based on the style of Xiaolongnu. It is soft and agile, fluttering gently with the movements, showing a unique temperament. The slightly curled hair ends add more gracefulness and beauty.

In addition, the characteristics of Dunhuang flying fairy costumes were also referenced.

The upper body is designed to partially expose the lower abdomen, and is wrapped with flexible ribbons, which adds a bit of sexiness and playfulness without losing the sense of elegance.

The lower body is modeled after the two-tone long skirt and the flexible waist skirt of the flying fairy. The hem of the skirt sways slightly with the steps, and with the dynamic long ribbons, every swing seems to be wrapped in the breeze.

Imagine An Xiaoqian walking barefoot under the mottled light and shadow. Her feet are white and her toes are round. Without shoes or socks, she looks more casual and unrestrained. When she walks or dances in the water, her lightness is fully revealed, as if she is walking on clouds, agile and elegant.

What a beautiful picture this will be!

In terms of accessories, the flying fairies' various headdresses, necklaces, arm ornaments and waist ornaments also add a touch of gorgeousness to Mrs. Xiang's clothing.

In terms of color, it also draws on the rich tones of the flying fairy costumes, such as the classic green and red, goose yellow and white, blue and red, so that Mrs. Xiang's clothes can also be bright and attractive in the water.

Finally, these elements are skillfully combined to design and create the unique Mrs. Xiang character costume.

Therefore, An Xiaoqian will keep this outfit so that she can reminisce about it in the future.

In Hu Xiaobei's filming plan, "Lady Xiang" played a relatively small role. The two solo dances would last approximately six minutes, and with some extras, the entire sequence would be kept under ten minutes, allowing it to be part of "Chu Ci" without overwhelming the main theme.

As a chapter in the series "Dialogue with Ancient and Modern Classics of China", "Chu Ci" only occupies one volume out of 7 parts and 21 volumes.

Although An Xiaoqian had few roles in "Chu Ci", Hu Xiaobei had already decided to use her as the protagonist in the "Dialogue between Past and Present" series.

Hu Xiaobei made this decision based on the unique setting considerations of the series.

After all, there is a setting of Pisces jade pendant in the "Dialogue between Past and Present" series.

The Yin-Yang Tai Chi fish presents a coupled structure with Yin embracing Yang and Yang supporting Yin.

The meaning contained therein has long echoed and highlighted the characteristics of the Pisces jade pendant.

Therefore, the protagonist of "Dialogue between Past and Present" Gu Jing represents "Yang".

Triggering the mysterious "quantum entanglement" through the Pisces jade pendant, instantly "traveling" into another image, and having a long conversation with historical celebrities in the "past and present" may represent "yin".

The yin and yang, emptiness and reality, have long been determined. This is also one of the fundamental reasons why Gu Jing in the book has difficulty controlling himself after "traveling through time", which has caused a lot of jokes.

Although Gu Jin, played by An Xiaoqian, is dressed in men's clothes, she looks like a woman. This was also specially arranged by Hu Xiaobei.

The first time he saw An Xiaoqian dressed as a man was in the scene in "Chinese Paladin" where Zhao Linger went to the brothel to find Li Xiaoyao.

Hu Xiaobei thought it was very interesting at the time, but it was a pity that Zhao Linger had fewer scenes with this costume.

In the original time and space, An Xiaoqian's appearance in men's clothing was also quite outstanding, and she even got the nickname "Heavenly Fairy Attack".

Now, An Xiaoqian can act in a role as a Gujin, disguised as a man. It has to be said that this has made up for everyone's regret.

The group scene in "Mrs. Xiang" only lasted a few minutes, and with all the costumes and props complete, Hu Xiaobei finished filming it in just half an hour.

As for Mrs. Xiang, except for two underwater solo dances, the rest of her scenes are included in the group performance.

Shooting two underwater solo dance scenes requires an environment with clear water.

If you choose to shoot in the sea, a depth of 5 meters to 20 meters is relatively suitable.

Because at a depth of 5 meters, there is sufficient light, which can better restore colors, allowing An Xiaoqian's movements and expressions to be clearly presented.

Moreover, the seawater has limited scattering and absorption of light, so the picture will be bright and transparent.

At the same time, the water pressure here is relatively low, so An Xiaoqian can perform her movements more freely, and the filming equipment can also operate stably, ensuring smooth filming.

At a depth of 20 meters, there is still a certain amount of light, which can create a unique light and shadow effect. For example, the light and dark lines and spots formed by the refraction of sunlight can add a different kind of beauty to the picture.

Moreover, the sea water at this depth is relatively clear and calm, and is less affected by wind, waves, and currents, which can effectively reduce the impact of water surface fluctuations on shooting.

This allows for relatively more stable footage, making it easier to capture the wonderful moments of the underwater solo dance and perfectly show the artistic charm of Mrs. Xiang's underwater solo dance.

Of course, with the support of Hu Xiaobei's shadow ability, the effects of breathing, water pressure, interference, etc. almost don't need to be considered.

With the control range of his shadow ability, it would not be a problem for him to go into the sea alone with the filming equipment and support An Xiaoqian to shoot in the sea for a whole day.

Moreover, with the ability to control the shadow's virtuality and reality, Hu Xiaobei can also use shadow tentacles to control photography, lighting and other equipment.

In other words, Hu Xiaobei can support the filming of an entire drama by himself.

(End of this chapter)