Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 228, Section 226: Fan Xiaopang's Explosive Moment

June 15, 1999, early morning.

An ordinary middle school in Beijing has become bustling with activity due to the arrival of the film crew of "Flying Colors".

A simple yet efficient launch ceremony was held in front of the teaching building.

There was no media hype, and no lengthy procedures.

Producer and general manager Wang Sheng, along with the executive director, director of photography, and other core creative team members, along with the female lead Fan Xiaopang and other main actors, offered incense and cut a roasted suckling pig that had been prepared in advance, symbolizing good fortune for the start of filming.

Wang Sheng was dressed in a simple T-shirt and casual pants, his expression as calm as ever, but his eyes swept over the various departments of the crew with an unquestionable scrutiny.

He addressed the team succinctly: "Time is tight, and the task is heavy. Enough with the chit-chat, let's execute according to plan. I need efficiency, but more importantly, I need quality. Let's get started!"

At a single command, the entire crew sprang into action like a tightly wound spring, operating at high speed.

Fan Xiaopang sported short hair that she had specially dyed back to black and trimmed to look slightly frizzy for the role. She wore an oversized school uniform and had almost no makeup on, deliberately downplaying her own bright features and trying to get closer to the confused and somewhat rebellious high school student Wang Xiaojia.

Before filming began, she practically wore out the script and wrote a thick stack of character biographies. Now, she took a deep breath and completely immersed herself in Wang Xiaojia's world.

The filming schedule was extremely tight, with almost every second counting.

Although Wang Sheng did not personally direct the shots after he took over the monitoring, the composition, lighting, and actors' performances of every important shot had to be approved by him.

The executive director was responsible for on-site coordination, precisely executing the rhythm and style set by Wang Sheng.

In the first few days, the filming mainly focused on the campus scenes, recreating Wang Xiaojia's daily life as a "bottom-ranked student": being woken up by chalk when sleeping in class, scratching her head in front of the test paper during exams, being stared at strangely by classmates in the corridor... Fan Xiaopang acted these scenes with ease, and she captured the state of being carefree yet vulnerable in the heart just right.

Wang Sheng's requirements are extremely strict.

A seemingly simple shot of walking down a corridor was stopped five times by Fan Bingbing because of his unconscious "star quality" and overly upright posture.

"Fan Xiaopang! Tuck in your stomach! Slouch your shoulders! Look away! You're a high school student who thinks you're worthless right now, not someone walking the red carpet!" Wang Sheng's voice came through the walkie-talkie, devoid of any emotion, yet it instantly lowered the temperature on set.

Fan Xiaopang gritted her teeth and adjusted again and again until she completely shed her celebrity aura and presented the kind of real feeling that belongs to a teenage girl, slightly clumsy and confused.

With Wang Zhiwen, who plays tutor Cheng Dongqing, joining the cast, filming entered a new phase.

This talented actor quickly got into character, perfectly portraying Cheng Dongqing's complex personality—outwardly cynical but inwardly passionate about education.

His scenes with Fan Xiaopang are the core of the film; the two spark a lot of chemistry in the small and messy classroom of the cram school.

When filming the scene where they "memorize words using popular song lyrics," Wang Zhiwen improvised, adding more natural gestures and banter, which worked surprisingly well.

Wang Sheng nodded slightly behind the monitor, without interrupting, giving the actor ample trust and space.

This efficient, trust-based creative atmosphere enabled the filming process to proceed rapidly.

The scene then transitions to Wang Xiaojia's family scenes.

The father was played by a veteran actor who perfectly captured the frustration of a laid-off worker, the anxiety of hoping his son would succeed, and the disappointment and helplessness he felt towards his daughter.

The family dinner scene was so oppressive it was suffocating. Fan Xiaopang (Wang Xiaojia) lowered his head and ate his rice, his eyes darting around, conveying the complex psychology of wanting to be recognized yet being afraid to meet his father's gaze through subtle body language.

Song Dandan, who plays the mother, has few scenes, but every appearance is precise and impactful.

Her restrained, secretly watching gaze at her daughter, and the hesitant lips that seemed to want to speak when her husband scolded their daughter, all silently conveyed the depth and helplessness of a mother's love.

In a scene where she secretly gives her savings to her daughter so she can go to tutoring, Song Dandan's performance, with slightly red eyes but holding back tears, moved many staff members on set.

Wang Sheng has extremely high standards for visuals, emphasizing the combination of "realism" and "youthfulness".

The director of photography faithfully executed his intentions, using a great deal of handheld shooting and natural light to capture the actors' most subtle expressions.

The montage segment depicting Wang Xiaojia's hard work and gradual improvement in grades employs fast-paced editing, dynamic visuals, and energetic music to make the otherwise tedious study process feel exciting. The crew worked like soldiers on a mission, often working fourteen or fifteen hours a day.

Boxed lunches became the norm, staff came and went like the wind, and actors would hide in a corner to read the script and rehearse their lines after filming.

Fan Xiaopang worked incredibly hard, often rushing to the monitor to watch the playback immediately after filming a scene, reflecting on his performance, and humbly listening to the opinions of Wang Sheng and the executive director.

She knew perfectly well that this was a crucial opportunity in her acting career, one that she could not afford to miss.

Time flew by amidst the intense filming, and before we knew it, it was the end of June.

On June 30th, at night, the crew faced the most important and challenging scene since filming began—Wang Xiaojia, after failing her mock exam again, broke down in the rain and ran to the tutoring center to find Cheng Dongqing.

As if on cue, a light drizzle began to fall in the capital at dusk, saving the film crew the trouble of creating artificial rain and adding to the realism of the scene.

The atmosphere at the scene was somber.

Fan Xiaopang was wearing a soaked school uniform, her hair was stuck to her face, and her makeup deliberately emphasized her disheveled state.

She needs to portray the complex emotional shift from despair and collapse to shock upon seeing Cheng Dongqing's lamp lit, and then to the final trace of resentment and stubbornness ignited by a single sentence.

"Action!"

Fan Xiaopang rushed into the rain and ran on the slippery streets, tears mingling with the rain as she murmured unconsciously, "Why can't I do it?" "I can't do it"... She portrayed the powerlessness of being crushed by reality with great explosive power.

She ran to the tutoring center, looked up, and saw the warm light shining from the window. Her steps suddenly stopped, and the expression on her face changed from despair to disbelief and shock.

She stumbled upstairs and pushed open the half-closed door.

The camera zooms in on her face—rain drips from her hair, her eyes are red and swollen, and her lips tremble. But when her gaze falls on the whiteboard filled with study plans and the figure of the man who is writing and drawing with his back to her, an extremely complex emotion gathers in her eyes: grievance, dependence, and a glimmer of hope for a better future.

Wang Zhiwen (Cheng Dongqing) turned around, calmly handed over the towel, and said the key line: "I knew you would come. Giving up is easy, but persisting is definitely cool."

Fan Xiaopang's tears instantly burst forth, not in a loud wail, but in a silent, trembling sob, the kind of suppressed grief that comes after extreme stress. She took the towel, but didn't wipe her face; she just clutched it tightly in her hand, as if it were her last lifeline.

"Crack!"

Wang Sheng's voice rang out.

The set was completely silent, with only the sound of rain outside the window.

Everyone was stunned by Fan Xiaopang's incredibly captivating performance.

Wang Sheng stared at the monitor, slowing down the footage to carefully examine every subtle change in Fan Xiaopang's expression.

After a long silence, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said only one word:

"Pass."

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the set, followed by soft applause.

Fan Xiaopang was still immersed in his emotions, squatting on the ground with his face buried between his knees, and did not get up for a long time.

Li Tingting walked over, patted her on the shoulder, and handed her a bottle of water.

The successful completion of this pivotal scene signifies the perfect capture of the film's emotional climax and also means that the biggest performance challenge has been overcome.

Time slipped into July 1st.

Filming for "Flying Colors" has already exceeded two-thirds of its completion in just half a month since it started.

The crew's efficiency was astonishing.

(End of this chapter)