The Road to Superstardom: Starting as a Singer

After signing the confidentiality agreement, Huang Weijie saw Director Xu off and then took the script and a rough cut of the film into the relatively quiet screening room.

After closing the door, he started watching a movie without even looking at the script.

In a sense, he is now one of the first people in the world, apart from the director and editors, to see the movie "Painted Skin".

Although it was just a rough cut, a good actor is a good actor, and Huang Weijie was immediately immersed in the role.

After watching the movie, he casually flipped through the script a few times and began to "create" "Painting Heart".

……

Huang Weijie certainly knew that "Painted Skin" would be a success, achieving both box office and critical acclaim, and he also knew that the song "Painted Heart" would become a classic OST.

His original plan was to wait until the album "Jace Huang" was successful before returning to China to release a Chinese album, achieving success in both China and the US.

But plans can't keep up with changes. Since such a good opportunity is right in front of him, Huang Weijie has no reason not to take it.

The general public in China now perceives him as a handsome celebrity who is doing very well in the United States, a perception somewhat similar to that of Zhang Ziyi later on.

Of course, Huang Weijie thinks he would be better off because he is a man, handsome and has a good physique, and at the very least, he would have a group of female fans who are attracted to his body and would fight for him.

The reason why female celebrities are not as good as male celebrities often lies in the image of their fans.

There's nothing I can do, my fans just spend more money than yours!

However, unless absolutely necessary, Huang Weijie still wants to let his work speak for itself.

"Painting Heart" is a high-quality Chinese song that proves to the market that he is not only good at creating English songs, but also has solid Chinese music creation skills!

Another advantage is that by partnering with a movie that is destined to be a blockbuster, the spread of the song and the enhancement of his personal reputation are far more effective than simply releasing a song.

Most importantly, this is an excellent stepping stone into the mainstream film and television industry in China. The partner is a large state-owned enterprise like Shanghai Film Group, the director is Chen Jiashang, and the lead actors are Zhou Xun and others. The value of this connection is far more important than anything else.

Didn't the great man say that?

Make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

To put it bluntly, the biggest player in any industry is definitely the one that unites the majority.

Huang Weijie wants to leverage his status as an "international superstar" to develop his career back in Taiwan, but he can't do it alone; he needs more allies.

……

Not long after, Director Xu stepped into the conference room again, accompanied by the music director who had recently arrived in Beijing.

It had only been a little over three hours since he left and when he returned with the music director.

At this moment, Director Xu felt a faint sense of anticipation.

If he hadn't met Huang Weijie, he would definitely be dissatisfied and questioning, thinking that it could be a good song in such a short time.

But after meeting Huang Weijie today, Director Xu is still willing to believe that Huang Weijie is not the kind of person who exaggerates.

"Haha, Weijie, you really are a genius! I barely sat down at home before I got your call!"

As soon as Director Xu entered, he praised her, saying, "No matter what, I'll start by affirming her!"

Huang Weijie smiled slightly, gestured for his assistant to close the door, and then opened the demo he had created.

A simple piano prelude flows out, carrying a touch of the cool, oriental melody.

The music director's eyes lit up. Just based on this intro, as long as the lyrics aren't bad, this song is a success!

Then, Huang Weijie's voice came in. It was the verse he recorded himself, and his timbre was deliberately processed to be lower and cleaner than usual, like a whisper under the moonlight.

"I can't see through you because you're a lost soul."

I can't guess the color of your pupils.

Love is as unpredictable as life itself... (A gust of wind, a fleeting dream...)

The lyrics directly address the bewitching nature of demons and the struggles of humans in the film.

The melody builds up layer by layer, with pre-recorded strings gradually joining in, and emotions begin to accumulate.

By the time the chorus arrives, even with only synthesizer effects and simple harmonies, the overwhelming sadness and sense of fate inherent in the melody itself are palpable.

Loving you is like a heartbeat that's hard to feel.

I can draw you, but I can't draw your bones.

Remembering your expression is my unwavering devotion in waiting for you.

You are a song I can never finish singing…

Even without a female vocal interpretation like Zhang Liangying's, the dramatic tension and emotional intensity contained in this melody are enough to take your breath away.

The music director closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously tapping out the rhythm on his knees.

Director Xu was beaming with joy. Although he didn't know much about song composition, he could still tell whether a song was good or bad.

He truly deserves to be called a genius who made a name for himself in the United States!

That's really impressive!

Director Xu looked at Huang Weijie with admiration in his eyes.

After the demo finished playing, the meeting room was quiet for a few seconds.

The music director opened his eyes first. He looked at Director Xu and nodded slightly but firmly. Then he turned to Huang Weijie with undisguised admiration in his eyes.

"Jace, amazing! This melody... it's not just catchy, it captures the tension between appearance and reality in the movie, the sorrow of a demon wanting to be human but not being able to, and the obsession and fear of humans. Especially the melody motif in the chorus, it's very memorable, and... it has a very international feel, it's not the traditional style of movie songs."

The last sentence was pure praise, but Huang Weijie did not deny it; he just smiled and looked at Director Xu.

"Haha, that's it! Although I don't understand music, I still know whether it sounds good or not." Director Xu took out the contract from his briefcase. "The fee will be as we agreed before."

"Director Xu, I think the effect of this song's chorus would be even better if a female singer with a powerful and emotionally resonant voice were added to perform it."

Huang Weijie didn't rush to sign the contract, but instead proposed the idea of ​​collaborating with the female singer.

This song is actually not suitable for him to sing the whole thing; the original song requires mature, ethereal, and penetrating high notes.

As a prodigy who graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, Huang Weijie's technique is undoubtedly solid, but tone is a tricky thing; sometimes, no matter how good your technique is, it can't compare.

Of course, he could also adapt the original song, adjusting it to a key that suits his vocal range, and using piano and strings to create a simplified, more narrative arrangement that highlights the youthful story in his voice.

However, this will not fit the story of the movie "Painted Skin" as well as the original song.

After much deliberation, Huang Weijie decided to involve Zhang Liangying.

Ever since this girl added him on social media, she'd been showering him with attention and trying to build a good relationship. If it weren't for the fact that he was in China at the time and only 16 years old, which would be blocked by 404 (censored website)...

Sigh, wait for me for another two years.

They're all cheap gifts for scumbags, I'm much more handsome!

And I don't have that kind of fetish...

"Collaborating with a female singer?"

"Yes, you can pay the female singer the fees; I only need the song copyrights."

"Oh, what are you saying?" Director Xu waved his hand magnanimously. "We at Shanghai Film Studio aren't that stingy. The song copyright is yours, and the fee won't be small!"

"Haha, thank you very much, Director Xu..."