HuaYu: A Great Director Starting with Dream of the Red Chamber

"Teacher Li, could you please give me your feedback?"

Li Yan took the hot towel handed to him by "producer" Ding Xiaoxiao, wiped his face, and walked with a smile to the rest area next to the monitor.

He was extremely humble.

Li Guangfu, sitting in a chair, held a glass thermos cup filled with fine chrysanthemum and goji berries.

The old man agreed to come this time mainly because he was giving face to his old friend Guo Fumin.

As a veteran actor of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, coming to support a short film directed and acted by a young person is an understatement; even if it's a Canon camera, saying "thank you" is an understatement.

Li Guangfu took a sip of tea.

The time spent together was too short to see the full extent of this kid's directing abilities, but his acting style was something we could talk about.

He slowly screwed the lid on the cup and cleared his throat:

"I wouldn't call it oversight, but Xiao Li, your performance just now, at first glance, the emotions were quite on point, very moving, like something out of the Central Academy of Drama, but..."

The old man paused, carefully choosing his words.

"Isn't that a bit too efficient?"

The others, including Yang Mi, didn't understand either; they thought Li Yan's performance was quite good.

But Li Yan understood instantly; no wonder he was a veteran actor from the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Places like the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing People's Art Theatre, which have a stronger theatrical atmosphere, emphasize "starting from oneself, truly listening, truly seeing, and truly feeling," and trying to break oneself down and put oneself into the role.

The core idea behind Li Yan's scene reminiscing about his deceased wife was correct.

The old man has been acting all his life, and that's where his sharp eye comes in.

Li Yan's control over his facial muscles, the frequency of his body trembling, and even the timing of his eyes turning red were all too precise.

In the eyes of veteran actors, this is called "too calm," or "craftsmanship," with a hint of "expressionism."

Li Yan didn't hide anything, pulled up a chair, sat down, and smiled frankly:

"Your eyes are so sharp! I do have limited talent in acting, and most of what I do is just a shell that I've built up with technique."

Li Guangfu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Just a shell, no kernel?"

"Yes, but I'm used to building the shell first."

Li Yan unscrewed the bottle of mineral water, took a sip, and pointed to his head:

"I'm the director, so even when I'm acting, there's always a... well, a 'superego' in my head telling me what tone of voice to use and what expression to make."

He looked at Li Guangfu with sincere eyes:

"Technique is what ensures the minimum standard of my films, that they are worthy of the audience, and that they don't feel pulled out of the story. With this shell, I then fill it with the flesh of emotion, which is like..."

Li Yan thought for a moment and continued:

"Diderot's 'split personality' is like having a fire in your heart and ice in your mind."

Those around him seemed to understand but not quite.

Only Li Guangfu's hand, holding the cup lid, froze in mid-air, shifting from casually pointing to serious thought.

Young actors these days either cry their eyes out in self-pity, or they rely entirely on "technique" and can only make exaggerated facial expressions.

To be able to thoroughly understand both "control" and "experience," and to act with such a high level of thinking...

This kid is not only a good actor, he's a natural director!

"Transparent!"

The old man abruptly stood up, shoved the teacup into his assistant's arms, and took off his coat.

"Now that you mention it, I'm actually looking forward to acting alongside you. Let's do it, you and me, director!"

"Alright, please bear with me."

……

"Silence."

"Get ready."

"start!"

Ding Xiaoxiao slapped her hand, and the scene fell silent.

That's right, she's back again as a guest production assistant.

The father, played by Li Guangfu, picked up the camera to comfort his son.

In the end, he chose to let go and respect his son's choice in order to fulfill his son's wishes.

That cautious concern, the unspoken heartache, and the deep sorrow tinged with relief at the end—all were conveyed through her eyes and expression.

Not to mention, even at the most intense and emotional moments, lines that are easily mispronounced still come out of his mouth clearly.

No wonder he's a veteran actor with a theatrical background.

Li Yan caught it.

The two exchanged words back and forth, and the entire shoot went incredibly smoothly.

"Pass!"

"Guarantee one!"

"Perfect!"

In just two hours, all the key scenes between the father and son, which were originally planned for a whole day, were filmed.

"call……"

Zeng Jia, who had been standing on the sidelines with her arms crossed, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As a top agent who has managed Zhou Xun and Chen Kun, she has her own judgment.

This Li Yan is something else.

It's not just his naturally handsome face.

Furthermore, the aura of control he naturally exuded when he picked up the tube revealed his immense value to her.

"Honey".

Zeng Jia nudged Yang Mi, who was engrossed in watching, with her elbow and lowered her voice:

"Is this person really from the Central Academy of Drama's junior college program? With that kind of talent, they shouldn't be unknown."

Yang Mi was staring blankly at the man chatting and laughing in the center of the room. Upon hearing this, she pursed her lips.

"Who knows? He was completely unremarkable when he first joined the crew, but after filming one scene, he suddenly seemed to have a knack for it, and now all the young girls in the crew talk about him whenever they mention opera..."

She paused, then asked hesitantly, "Sister Jia, do you think this guy will work out?"

I don't know if GG will work out.

Zeng Jia rested her chin on her left hand, her gaze never leaving Li Yan's figure:

"But this guy is bound to succeed sooner or later! It won't hurt to get on his good side now."

Yang Mi's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded subconsciously.

Over there, Li Yan saw off Li Guangfu, who was satisfied and nodding in praise, and walked towards him.

He had just taken off his jacket from the play and was only wearing a white shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up.

"How about it, Boss Yang? Did you embarrass yourself?"

Li Yan casually picked up a bottle of water, tilted his head back and gulped it down. His Adam's apple bobbed at the open collar, and his directorial aura, still lingering, exuded a strong hormonal scent.

Before Yang Mi could speak, Zeng Jia extended her hand first, a smile on her face:

"Director Li is too modest. I am Zeng Jia, Mimi's agent. I just watched your play, and it was wonderful."

"Hello, Sister Jia, I've heard so much about you."

Li Yan shook hands politely:

"With a top-notch agent like Sister Jia leading the way, Boss Yang is bound to rise higher and higher. Once she becomes famous, don't complain that I'm trying to ride her coattails."

"Director Li is joking. We can collaborate more in the future if there's an opportunity."

Zeng Jia wasn't just being polite; she genuinely felt that this potential stock was worth betting on in advance.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zeng Jia tactfully went to the side to handle Yang Mi's contract, leaving the two of them alone.

The set was a bit noisy as workers dismantled equipment.

Looking at Li Yan, Yang Mi suddenly felt a sense of awe and reverence, which made her proud and arrogant personality, which she had developed since childhood by working on film sets, feel somewhat at a loss.

"Hey, Li the conman."

Yang Mi stretched out her toe and gently kicked his chair. "That ice and fire thing you were talking about with Teacher Li earlier sounded really powerful, didn't it?"

"It's alright, just enough to make rotten wood bloom." Li Yan looked at her with a half-smile, his eyes playful.

"Get lost! Who's the rotten wood?"

Yang Mi glared at him first, then asked with some curiosity:

"Can I learn it? My scene is only five seconds long..."

She still has some aspirations for acting, knowing that this kind of eye-based acting without dialogue is the most challenging and she's a little afraid of messing it up.

Li Yan noticed her anxiety, thought for a moment, and gave an analogy:

"You know I practiced traditional Chinese opera for several years when I was a child, right?"

Yang Mi nodded.

"The opera industry is all about rules. When to lift your robe, when to stroke your beard, singing, reciting, acting, and fighting—everything must be done precisely and flawlessly so that the audience won't boo when you're on stage. The same goes for performance; emotions and expressions can all be practiced..."

Li Yan was halfway through his sentence when he noticed her gaze had become somewhat fixed.

He simply stood up and suddenly took a step forward.

The distance between the two instantly shrank to the point where they could hear each other breathing.

Yang Mi instinctively wanted to back away, but found that there was a wall behind her, and she had nowhere to retreat.

She looked up abruptly, her eyes meeting Li Yan's deep gaze.

The lingering affection of the man from the play still remained in those eyes—focused and passionate.

Until Yang Mi's cheeks started to burn, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

Li Yan's deep, magnetic voice rang out once again.

"Remember your current expression, and you can use it in the play. The so-called technique is just a deception with emotion! So, Mr. Yang, from now on, you may have to work a little harder."

"What...what are you suffering from?" Yang Mi's voice was soft.

Li Yan gave a mischievous smile: "Please think about how to fall in love with me."

After saying that, before Yang Mi could even react, he quickly backed away, resumed his serious demeanor, and clapped his hands at the group who were packing up their equipment.

"Brothers, hurry up and get to work! We've wrapped up filming in Yanjing! Now we're off to Yangzhou in the beautiful spring!"

Yang Mi stood there, stunned, watching that spirited figure from behind, her cheeks growing even redder.

After a long pause, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fist at the air.

"Dream on!"