I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

From the initial script polishing and actor selection to the mid-term costume, prop, and set construction, she personally oversaw everything without relying on any assistants.

In order to match the retro feel of the Jiangnan mansions during the Republic of China era, the first batch of costumes produced were so unnatural that they looked out of place on camera due to their reflective fabrics and overly bright colors.

Fan Shuangbing refused to compromise or make any repairs, and instead ordered all of them to be scrapped, investing nearly two million yuan to remake them.

She personally hand-drew the patterns for the costumes, compared them with historical materials on costumes unearthed during the Republic of China period, and repeatedly finalized the color schemes with the help of costume designers, refining the techniques of knotted buttons, embroidery, and piping.

Even the costumes for extras, maids, and servants on set were designed to be unique, with each main character having over a hundred custom-made costumes.

The set design and props were equally meticulous.

The worn and aged bluestone slabs in the streets and alleys of Jiangnan, the patina on the mahogany furniture in the halls of mansions, the silver trays on the desks, and the cotton thread and stitches in the sewing baskets are all replicated 1:1 according to the actual objects from the early years of the Republic of China, eliminating the modern bloopers commonly found in Republic of China dramas on the market.

Filming for the series officially began in June and lasted for five months. All group scenes and outdoor scenes have been completed, with only the scenes between characters in the inner quarters remaining to be filmed. It is expected that all filming will be completed by the end of the year, and the series will then enter the post-production editing and review stage.

The series revolves around the Wen family, a wealthy merchant family in Jiangnan during the early years of the Republic of China. Wen Yuhe, the eldest daughter of the Wen family, is forced to marry into the Gu family, a prominent local clan, to repay her father's huge business debts. To outsiders, the Gu family adheres to traditional etiquette and maintains a virtuous family style. However, within the deep courtyard, intrigue, power struggles, domestic violence, framing, and illicit transactions are rampant. One dirty secret after another, hidden beneath the veneer of traditional etiquette, unfolds within the high walls of the mansion.

The cast of "Rouge Snow" is very solid. In addition to the female lead Fan Shuangbing, the male lead Huo Huajian and the female supporting actress Liu Xuehua are also in the cast. Most of the main creators are veterans who have been working in the industry for more than ten years.

Everyone had solid lines and skillful blocking, resulting in extremely high shooting efficiency on set. Scenes with the same person could often be completed in one take, with very few instances of repeated takes that slowed down the progress.

Fan Shuangbing plays the female lead Wen Yuhe, a typical strong-willed woman who is gentle on the outside but tough on the inside.

Originally born into a wealthy and scholarly family in Jiangnan, she was forced to marry into the strict and filthy Gu family mansion to pay off her father's huge debts due to investment failures.

Deep down, she yearned for freedom and tried several times to break free from the Gu family's cage and escape the control of fate. However, she was always bound by human relationships, debts, and social norms, and was repeatedly driven to the brink of despair by reality.

In the end, she shed her naivety and, through the treacherous power struggles within the family, carefully navigated each step, carving out a path to survival and taking control of the rest of her life.

Today's filming is of a highlight scene in the middle of the drama: Governor Liu sends someone to invite Miss Gu, Shouzhen, to his mansion to sing. Shouzhen has always been aloof and proud, and she immediately puts forward three extremely harsh conditions: independent residence, no casual socializing, and no drinking with others. Governor Liu, who holds great power, agrees to all of them without the slightest hesitation.

On the other side, following her memory, Wen Yuhe went back to the hidden underground cave she had accidentally entered while searching for the colorful lanterns, and unexpectedly encountered a mysterious woman with a pale face who had been living there for many years.

After several eye contact and conversations, Wen Yuhe suddenly realized that this person was Bai Yiling, whom the male protagonist Gu Yunkai had spent years searching for all over the country.

Bai Yiling had a tragic past. After being framed and having her reputation ruined, she was forced to hide in a cave to survive. Wen Yuhe felt pity for her and did not make a fuss. Instead, she secretly brought Gu Yunkai into the cave so that the two could meet.

"Cut! The lighting and sound are all fine, this take is complete."

As director Teng Xiaoyi landed his call, the tense atmosphere on set instantly relaxed.

Fan Shuangbing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, the sorrowful and restrained expression from her character on her face fading away. Huo Huajian also relaxed his furrowed brows, and they each went to the rest area to take their seats.

"Sister Bingbing, warm water." The assistant quickly stepped forward, unscrewed the thermos cup, and handed it to her.

After forty minutes of intense emotional acting, Fan Shuangbing's throat was dry and hoarse. Without refusing, she tilted her head back and drank most of a glass of warm water. Taking advantage of a break to touch up her makeup, Fan Shuangbing casually asked, "Any recent trending topics in the industry?"

Even if they are very busy filming, celebrities in the entertainment industry must keep up with public opinion in the industry.

It is necessary to avoid unintentionally stepping on landmines and to understand the dynamics of competitors in order to avoid being out of touch with information.

The assistant's eyes lit up, and she leaned closer in a low voice, her tone full of gossip: "It's the man who was seen in those candid photos of Los Angeles airport that went viral a couple of days ago. His identity has been revealed, and you'll never guess it, Sister Bingbing."

Fan Shuangbing ran her fingertips along the rim of the glass, casually joking, "How rare could it be? Is it some kind of top-tier celebrity?"

"It's Cheng Sheng, and he already responded publicly on Weibo half an hour ago."

"what?"

Fan Shuangbing's expression suddenly froze, and obvious surprise filled his eyes. He immediately raised his voice and ordered, "Bring me my phone."

During filming, all lead actors' mobile phones are handed over to their assistants for safekeeping to prevent distractions during filming. External calls are also screened and answered by the assistants in advance, which has long been an unwritten rule in the industry.

The assistant didn't dare to delay and immediately took out his phone from his bag and handed it over.

Fan Shuangbing unlocked her screen, went straight to Weibo, and skillfully opened Cheng Sheng's homepage, which she had already pinned to the top of her follow list.

Deep down, she had always harbored resentment towards Cheng Sheng. In their previous encounters, Cheng Sheng had been cold and indifferent, showing no intention of trying to win her over, which had caused her some embarrassment.

However, she was well-versed in the rules of survival in the industry. Even though she harbored resentment, she always kept an eye on things. Firstly, she kept track of Cheng Sheng's project progress in real time, and secondly, she maintained contact channels so that there would always be opportunities to ease tensions and exchange film and television resources later.

Clicking on the pinned post, two short lines come into view: Chen Hong and Xu Fan are sworn siblings who have privately recognized each other. The two went to the United States to learn about Hollywood film and television production. I only picked them up at the airport on my way. All our interactions were normal business dealings. Please do not believe rumors spread online.

"Siblings..."

Fan Shuangbing stared at the screen and muttered to himself, a strange, meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Everyone in the industry knows that the word "doing" in the entertainment circle has never been just a literal meaning.

The "sponsor culture," a well-known phenomenon in the industry, originated in the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment circles in the 1990s.

At that time, Hong Kong and Taiwan's film and television industry was growing wildly. Capital tycoons and film and television moguls controlled all the filming and publicity resources. Many actresses had nowhere to go if they wanted to make a name for themselves, so they formed secret interest bonds by recognizing godfathers, god-sisters/god-brothers.

They use kinship as a fig leaf to cover up their true feelings to outsiders, while internally they engage in a two-way exchange of resources, connections, and public opinion protection. Most of their relationships are entangled in ambiguous entanglements that go beyond kinship.

With the rapid development of entertainment capitalism in mainland China, these rules were naturally introduced and evolved in a more covert manner. (End of Chapter)