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

The outside world's disturbances did not affect the well-organized Huairou photography studio.

When they first joined the crew, even Leung Ka-fai and Ng Chun-yu, who were used to the fast pace of Hong Kong, were surprised by the efficiency of this mainland production team.

The entire set had a clear division of labor, the daily call sheets were accurate, and the lights and camera positions were almost all in place before the actors arrived.

Even the production assistant, Lao Niu, was wearing a vest with "Gravity Pictures" printed on it, and he shouted into the walkie-talkie in a low voice:

"Old Wang! Whose mineral water bottle is that that gives us away? Two hundred yuan off! You know Director Li's rules, right? Don't let me down!"

Old Niu was the production assistant Li Yan met when he was working on the set of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Ever since Li Yan called him over to be the head of production crew for this film, he's been incredibly motivated.

For no other reason than that working for Li Yan is quite enjoyable.

Although he had never been in a group with such strict rules before, and that apple-faced girl looked rather fierce.

But they only set a few more rules and regulations. As long as you don't cross the line, you won't have as many troublesome issues as other groups.

After finishing the work, they settled the payment very quickly!

It makes people feel very comfortable...

Of course, not everyone was convinced at first.

In particular, the Hong Kong team recommended by Anle carries a certain arrogance of "poverty alleviation".

A scene in the underground parking lot that day.

When testing the light, Li Yan frowned.

The image on the monitor was too gray and lacked depth; it wasn't the feeling he wanted at all.

"Ahui, the lighting isn't right." Li Yan picked up the walkie-talkie. "I need high contrast; it's too soft right now."

Lighting director Ahui, chewing betel nut, slowly walked over and said somewhat perfunctorily:

"Director Li, the ceiling in the underground parking garage is too low to hang the headlights, and there aren't enough softboxes... Besides, if the lighting is too harsh, the actors' flaws will show, and then we'll have to do retouching, which is a lot of trouble."

He shrugged, giving off an "I know this stuff" look:

"The lighting in all the movies I did with Brother Tai was like this, it's fine."

Tai Ge is Huang Yuetai.

Several lighting assistants from Hong Kong also stopped what they were doing and waited to see what would happen.

Not far away, Liang Jiahui and Wang Zhiwen, who were reciting their lines, also stopped.

Wang Zhiwen lit a cigarette, squinted at them, and didn't say anything.

Liang Jiahui was somewhat worried and wanted to step forward to smooth things over, but Wang Zhiwen pulled him back.

"Let's see how it goes. If they can't even handle the lighting, there will be plenty more problems like this in the future!"

Seeing that Ahui was completely unmoved, Li Yan didn't waste any more words and spoke rapidly in English:

"Listen, I don't care who you've worked for, I want film noir! Key light 5600K, 45-degree angle, fill light reduced to 20%, use a grid to control spill light!"

Ahui paused for a moment, forgetting to continue chewing the betel nut in his mouth.

This director is quite professional.

Before Ahui could react, Li Yan had already pulled a drawing from the folder Ding Xiaoxiao handed him and slapped it on his chest with a loud thud.

"This is my lighting diagram, take a close look!"

He pointed to the markings on the drawing:

"Here, I'm using a 12K HMI for backlighting; I need a sense of contour! There, I'll use Kino Flo to add some catchlights in the eyes! To enhance texture, lighting isn't just about illuminating the image!"

After speaking, Li Yan took another step forward, looking down at Ahui, and said coldly:

"If you can't understand the blueprints, or don't know what color temperature balance is, get out of here right now! I can transfer people from Zhangbei immediately. I have plenty of funds; I don't need your help!"

"Understand?!"

As Li Yan raised his voice to the last sentence, cold sweat streamed down Ahui's back.

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent.

This young director has a deeper understanding of lighting and equipment than this veteran who has been doing it for almost twenty years.

Moreover, he was absolutely certain that Li Yan was not joking when he said he was going to kick him out.

Wang Zhiwen and Liang Jiahui, who were watching from a distance, exchanged a glance. One of them exhaled a smoke from his eyes, and the other breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, besides the overwhelming technological advantage, Li Yan felt that the name "Baidi City" also played a significant role.

"I...I understand, Director Li."

Ahui's arrogance vanished, replaced by an embarrassed smile, as if he had become a different person. He turned and roared at his subordinates:

"What the hell are you all standing there for?! Remove the softbox, get the HMI on! Follow the director's instructions! Hurry up! You guys are hopeless!"

After the lighting was adjusted, the visual effect on the monitor, where the light and shadow shone on the face of the stand-in, was immediately different.

"Okay! Remember these parameters, and follow them exactly!"

After that, the troublemakers on the set almost never appeared again.

……

About a week later, during lunch break.

Fan Bingbing, carrying the actors' special meal, didn't go to the nanny van, but went straight to sit next to Li Yan behind the monitor.

The agent, Mu Xiaoguang, stood not far away, his expression not looking good.

"Director, there's something I need to tell you."

Fan Bingbing casually picked at the special meal, but her eyes were observing Li Yan's reaction:

"There's a top fashion event the day after tomorrow. If we don't go, we'll lose all the resources that brand has for us. Mu Ge spent ages negotiating with the coordinator, but the coordinator just wouldn't let us go, saying that day is the highlight of the event."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan didn't rush to speak, nor did he erupt in anger and spout empty talk about professional ethics like other directors.

He grabbed the call sheet and storyboard, quickly flipped through them, and looked up at Ding Xiaoxiao:

"The day after tomorrow we'll move to 'outside the courthouse.' How long will the set design take?"

Ding Xiaoxiao immediately replied, "Old Niu said that because the rainy night scene needs to be re-set, the film crew also needs to lay tracks, so it won't be finished until 3 pm at the earliest."

"That means the morning is basically wasted."

Li Yan took out a pen, drew a few lines on the notice board, rearranged the order, and then turned to look at Fan Bingbing:

"Okay, you can fly tomorrow night. I'll use the morning to guide Hui-ge and the stunt double through the positioning and lighting tests. As long as you can guarantee you're back on set in full makeup by 7 PM the day after tomorrow, we can start shooting the night shift directly without any delays."

Fan Bingbing was somewhat surprised.

Based on Li Yan's behavior on set, she thought she would have to use her words or pester him for a while.

did not expect……

"That's it? So simple?"

"What else? You think you can call it dedication if you just sit on set all morning?"

Li Yan closed the script, smiled, and said, "Very pragmatic."

With the widespread release of online dramas in the future, taking on multiple projects simultaneously and taking leave will become the norm, which only highlights the dedication of artists at this time!

"We're making a commercial film, so efficiency is all I care about! You go out and showcase the commercial value, then come back in top form for the camera—it's a win-win situation. As long as the entire crew of hundreds isn't waiting for you, why should I stop you?"

At this point, he looked at Fan Bingbing and added, seemingly jokingly but also quite seriously:

"But let me make this clear first, it's a night shoot, and you'll be in the rain. You'll definitely be tired flying back, and if you can't get into character and you have too many takes, I don't care who you are, I'll still yell at you."

Fan Bingbing looked at the young man in front of her.

Rational, professional, and not superficial.

She completely let go of the last bit of pride she had as a celebrity.

She flashed a genuine smile, a natural allure that moment that hinted at the confidence she would have when facing a renowned director, a confidence that even her sharp suit couldn't conceal.

"Fine! Because of your trust, if I mess up that night, you don't need to scold me, I'll jump into the water myself!"

……

After ten days, the crew successfully navigated the adjustment period.

With Jing Tian, ​​the "spendthrift," there was never a shortage of afternoon tea and late-night snacks. In addition, Ding Xiaoxiao was very good at socializing and kept the big stars in line, making the atmosphere on set exceptionally harmonious.

During a break, Wang Zhiwen, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed to Jing Tian peeling an orange for Li Yan not far away, and Na Zha running off to get Li Yan a water cup, and teased:

"Director Li, if we include Yang Mi who visited the set the other day... I think your ability to attract beautiful women is even better than your directing skills! With so many female confidantes, how can you manage?"

Leung Ka-fai, speaking in a Hong Kong-accented Mandarin, also joined in the fun, his face full of mischief:

"Young people are full of energy! Unlike us, we're old, and we're too tired to be around anything too lively."

Li Yan was left speechless by the two old men's irreverent teasing, and could only spout nonsense with a straight face:

"Teacher Wang, please don't wrong an innocent person. I won them over with my talent and pure personal charm!"

Wang Zhiwen exhaled a smoke ring, looked him up and down, and said with a laugh:

"Talent? I think you're just shameless! You're incredibly thick-skinned!"

Liang and Wu laughed and joked on the side.

Li Yan touched his nose and thought to himself:

You're absolutely right, only those with thick skin can truly win someone over...