Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 231, page 229: Iron-willed Unrequited Love!

In July, the heatwave in Beijing was intense, and the cicadas were chirping incessantly.

The wrap-up of filming for "Flying Colors" seems to be just a brief shift in gear for Sheng Ying Media, a high-speed machine.

The finished footage was quickly transferred to the post-production center of Beijing Film Studio (formerly Beijing Film Production Company).

After two consecutive years of large-scale equipment upgrades and the introduction and training of technical personnel in 97 and 98, relying on the huge profits from the "Private Customization" project and television and film business, the post-production base of Beijing Film Studio (composed of the original editing workshop, special effects workshop and other workshops) is now completely different from what it used to be.

It is equipped with a digital non-linear editing system, an advanced audio mixing studio, and a color correction kit, with hardware standards that rival international standards.

Wang Sheng personally oversaw the rough cut and initial tuning for several days, and also wrote (or copied) a theme song for "Flying Colors" called "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," which he invited a girl named Han Hong to sing.

……

In the past few days, another small incident has caused a stir in the industry.

On July 8, 1999, the Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Jiangsu Provincial High People's Court accepted the first case in the country involving box office underreporting.

After the incident was reported in the newspapers, public opinion quickly escalated, as if some force was fanning the flames...

However, this has nothing to do with Wang Sheng, whose work focus has shifted to "A Little Thing Called First Love".

Compared to "Flying Colors," which focuses on the inspirational story of a college entrance exam comeback, "First Love" takes a completely different approach.

It tells a beautiful story about unrequited love and transformation: Xiao Shui, an ordinary and even somewhat unsophisticated junior high school girl, falls in love with A Liang, a handsome and cheerful senior who excels in both academics and character, and from then on, her life takes a wonderful turn.

This deep-seated affection transformed into a tremendous motivation for her to improve herself: she studied hard to improve her grades, gritted her teeth and wore braces to straighten her teeth, actively participated in drama club activities, and learned how to dress herself up...

She transformed step by step from an inconspicuous "ugly duckling" into a school beauty who attracted everyone's attention.

However, the twists and turns of adolescence and the tentative exploration of each other's feelings filled this pure unrequited love with a bittersweet aftertaste.

……

The project preparation meeting was held in the conference room on the ninth floor of the Jingxin Building.

Wang Sheng sat in the main seat, with the final draft of the script spread out in front of him.

Executive director Zhang Yang, production manager, and heads of various departments sat on either side.

"The core of the project 'First Love' is the feeling of 'unrequited love' and the process of 'transformation'."

Wang Sheng cut to the chase, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "In the early stages, the female lead Xiao Shui's 'ugliness' isn't real ugliness, but rather the kind of ordinary, clumsy girl who doesn't know how to dress up during adolescence. More importantly, Gao Yuanyuan must find that feeling that runs throughout the entire film—the state of being cautious, following someone with your eyes, experiencing inner turmoil yet finding joy in it when you have a crush on someone."

He looked at Li Tingting, the talent agency manager: "Have all the actors been confirmed?"

"Confirmed, Mr. Wang."

Li Tingting opened the folder: "The female lead, Xiao Shui, will be played by Gao Yuanyuan. The male lead, Senior A Liang, will be played by Huang Xiaoming. The second male lead, Wang Zi, A Liang's friend, will be played by Chen Kun. Chen Kun was recommended by Huang Xiaoming, and after the audition, Director Zhang and the casting director felt that his temperament was a good fit."

Wang Sheng nodded. Huang Xiaoming's current sunny and handsome appearance is perfect for playing A Liang. Chen Kun's slightly melancholic and artistic temperament makes him a very interesting second male lead who silently observes and has a rich inner life.

"As for the supporting actresses, Ms. Xiaoyin will be played by Li Bingbing, whose dignified and gentle image is very fitting. The beautiful senior student who doesn't have many scenes will be played by Li Xiaoran in a cameo role."

The female lead's best friend, Xiaofei, has a significant role that requires some comedic timing, so Fan Bingbing volunteered for a cameo. She had just finished filming "Flying Colors" and was available.

Li Tingting continued her report: "The other supporting characters, such as the female lead's other best friends, family members, classmates, etc., have also all been confirmed. Here is the list."

Wang Sheng took the list, glanced at it, and said, "Okay, notify all the confirmed main actors that the script reading will be held tomorrow morning at nine o'clock in conference room number one. I want to see their initial understanding of the characters."

"Yes……"

……

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the massive glass curtain wall of the Jingxin Building, illuminating Conference Room No. 1.

The main actors arrived one after another around the long conference table.

Huang Xiaoming, who wasn't greasy at all, was dressed in a refreshing casual outfit and talking quietly with Chen Kun, who had arrived earlier.

Li Bingbing, dressed in an elegant dress, quietly flipped through the script.

Li Xiaoran sported a neat single ponytail, conveying a sense of ease from her guest appearance.

Fan Xiaopang had two light dark circles under his eyes, clearly the result of the combined effects of final exams and just finishing a high-intensity shoot, but he was full of energy.

Gao Yuanyuan was the last to arrive.

She wore a simple white cotton dress, her face was bare, her hair was softly draped over her shoulders, and her face showed a hint of nervousness and anticipation.

She glanced discreetly at Wang Sheng, who was whispering with Zhang Yang in the main seat, and quickly found a seat to sit down, right diagonally opposite Wang Sheng.

"Alright, everyone's here, let's begin." Wang Sheng tapped the table, and the meeting room quieted down: "Script reading for 'A Little Thing Called First Love', first time. Don't worry too much about the acting. The main task is to familiarize yourself with the lines, understand the relationships between the characters, and find the feeling of the roles. Let's start with Gao Yuanyuan, Xiao Shui, scene one, their first encounter on the playground."

The reading session begins.

Huang Xiaoming's portrayal of A Liang was clear and bright, carrying the cheerfulness unique to senior students and a touch of unconscious superiority. He quickly got into character. Chen Kun's Wang Zi's tone was steady, but the occasional glances he gave to "A Liang" and "Xiao Shui" revealed a complex emotion, capturing the detached and insightful perspective of the second male lead quite well.

Li Bingbing's teacher, Xiao Yin, is gentle and intellectual, while Li Xiaoran's cameo as a senior student, though brief, perfectly captured the essence of a campus goddess.

Fan Xiaopang's Xiao Fei speaks incredibly fast, with a cute, slightly boisterous tone, just like a warm-hearted and slightly gossipy best friend.

When it was Gao Yuanyuan's turn, she took a deep breath and began to recite Xiaoshui's lines.

At first, she was a little reserved, and her voice sounded slightly tense.

But when she read about Xiao Shui's first encounter with Senior A Liang on the playground, and the feeling of being utterly amazed and her heart skipping a beat, her voice suddenly became subtle.

It wasn't an exaggerated exclamation, but a subtle tremor tinged with trepidation, longing, and immense appreciation.

"He...he seems to be glowing..."

A simple inner monologue, uttered from her lips, seemed to be imbued with the warmth of the summer sun and the tartness of lemonade.

Wang Sheng, who was looking down at the script, couldn't help but look up at her upon hearing this.

Gao Yuanyuan seemed completely immersed in Xiaoshui's world.

Her gaze was no longer fixed on the script, but involuntarily drifted repeatedly towards Wang Sheng, who was diagonally opposite her.

That look in her eyes almost perfectly matched the way Xiaoshui secretly glanced at Senior A-Liang—

It was the kind of cautious peeping, the struggle of being afraid of being discovered yet unable to resist looking, the joy of seeing the other person's slightest movement and the faint sense of loss when thinking about how different they were... All the subtle emotions of unrequited love were vividly displayed in her hesitant eyes.

As she recited her lines, her voice became more and more natural, and her emotions became more and more intense.

Those unrequited feelings about crushes, those moments of humility and courage because of liking someone, when spoken by her, carried an astonishing persuasive power, as if she were not performing, but pouring out a real story.

"I...I did all this just to get closer to him..."

When she read out Xiaoshui's core motivation for her transformation, the persistence and innocence in her voice touched everyone present.

However, her expressive eyes remained subtly fixed on Wang Sheng.

Finding the feeling?
This search is too focused, too precise, too...something's not right!
At first, Wang Sheng thought she was using him to find a "senior" feeling, but soon he realized that there were complex emotions in her eyes that far exceeded the requirements of the script.

It's not just about an actor's interpretation of a character; it's more like... a projection of emotions.

He frowned slightly, subtly shifting his gaze to the script, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the pages.

The atmosphere in the meeting room began to become subtle.

As women, and especially as women who have navigated the highly sensitive emotional environment of the entertainment industry, Li Xiaoran, Li Bingbing, and Fan Xiaopang almost simultaneously noticed Gao Yuanyuan's undisguised gaze.

Li Xiaoran picked up the water glass on the table, took a small sip, her eyes sweeping back and forth between Gao Yuanyuan and Wang Sheng, and a half-smile appeared on her lips.

Li Bingbing paused slightly as she flipped through the script. She glanced at Gao Yuanyuan, then at Wang Sheng, whose expression remained unchanged but whose speech had noticeably slowed. Understanding dawned on her, and she lowered her eyes to continue reading her lines, a hint of amusement playing on her lips.

Fan Xiaopang was even more direct. She blinked her big eyes, looked at Gao Yuanyuan reciting her lines with such "tender affection," and then glanced at Wang Sheng's calm and collected demeanor, as if she were "focused on her work and not to be disturbed." She immediately understood the situation perfectly.

Good guy!
Gao Yuanyuan, you little brat!

The little voice inside her was practically screaming.

You're not just getting too into character.

You are clearly using your public office for private gain!
Under the guise of script reading, are they exchanging flirtatious glances with President Wang?!
His eyes were practically drooling!
Still feeling like "unrequited love"?
I don't think you're "acting" out a crush at all; you're just really having a crush on Director Wang!
Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun, being men, seemed a bit slow to notice, but they vaguely sensed a change in the airflow in the conference room, and unconsciously softened their voices as they recited their lines.

In an instant, the atmosphere of the script reading session shifted from purely professional discussion to a subtle tension and undercurrent between men and women.

Gao Yuanyuan seemed completely unaware, or perhaps she was aware but didn't care, still immersed in her "Little Water" world, using her eyes, filled with "secret love," to repeatedly "study" the most important "script" in her heart—Wang Sheng.

Finally, Wang Sheng couldn't hold back any longer. After Gao Yuanyuan finished another monologue, he coughed lightly, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room before finally settling on Gao Yuanyuan. His tone was businesslike:
"Gao Yuanyuan, you have a very accurate grasp of emotions and excellent attention to detail. Keep up the good work."

However, when reciting lines, you can focus more on your fellow actors or the script, which will help to create a more authentic communication.

He paused, then added, "It's fine to try to find the right feeling, but don't pick the wrong person."

These words sound like professional guidance, but to those who are interested, they have a different meaning.

Gao Yuanyuan's cheeks flushed instantly, like the sunset on the horizon. She lowered her head in a panic, her fingers twisting the corner of the script page, her voice barely audible: "Understood, Director Wang."

The curve of Li Xiaoran's lips deepened.

A hint of a smile flashed in Li Bingbing's eyes.

Fan Xiaopang snorted inwardly: "President Wang is brilliant! He saw through her! The wicked woman has been exposed!"
Wang Sheng withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and tapped the table: "Alright, let's continue. Next scene, drama club rehearsal."

(End of this chapter)