I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

Chapter 99 Bad Habits of the Film Crew and Zi Mei's Demand for More Scenes

Her hair was neatly combed, revealing a full forehead. Her eyebrows were sharply groomed by Sister Li, and her eyes met her own in the mirror, exuding a sharpness.

He naturally had a rugged appearance, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and he was also tall.

Standing there now, wrapped in military uniform, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, he looked like a javelin.

"Whoa—"

A gasp of surprise came from the doorway.

Yang Zi had slipped in at some point, leaning against the doorframe with wide eyes and a suspiciously wet mouth.

"Xiao Chenzi," she wiped her mouth, "you're wearing something special."

Jiang Chen turned his head. "How is it?"

"handsome!"

Yang Zi gave a thumbs up, "It made me hungry just looking at it."

"???"

What the heck is that??

"No," she quickly waved her hand, "I mean, military uniforms are the best-looking clothes for men, that's absolutely true. If you stood on the film set like that, all those young girls would go crazy."

Jiang Chen ignored her and pushed the door open to walk out.

The sun was shining brightly, and the blue bricks and gray tiles of the Republican-era city gleamed white under the blazing sun.

He strode towards the film set, his riding boots making a crisp sound on the stone pavement.

The staff along the way all turned their heads, their eyes filled with amazement.

"Brother Chen's look—"

"Absolutely amazing."

"The director has a really good eye; Gu Qingming is just the right fit."

17

Kong Sheng walked over from the monitor booth at some point, his hands behind his back, and circled around Jiang Chen.

He was very particular, scrutinizing everything from the epaulets to the cuffs, from the collar to the trouser crease, and finally stopping at the buckle on the belt.

"Okay." He nodded. "Turn around."

Jiang Chen obediently turned around.

"Turn back."

Then it turned back.

Kong Sheng didn't comment on whether it was good or bad, he only said one thing: "Take a few steps."

Jiang Chen took a few steps, his boot heels clicking on the ground with a steady and powerful rhythm.

Kong Sheng finally nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, that's the feeling. Remember, Gu Qingming comes from a prominent family and is a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy. He not only has the toughness of a soldier but also the pride of a scholar. Those few steps you took were too much like a ceremonial guard. Tone it down a bit, be more composed."

"Okay."

The filming of "Battle of Changsha" has officially begun.

The first scene is Gu Qingming's first encounter with Hu Xiangxiang on the streets of Changsha.

On the bluestone-paved streets of the Republic of China City, the film crew cleared the set, and the extras took their places. Cigarette vendors, rickshaw pullers, and women holding oil-paper umbrellas bustled about.

Kong Sheng sat behind the monitor, clutching a walkie-talkie, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Silence!"

"Race 1, first time, Action!"

""

The crisp sound of the clapper rang out.

Jiang Chen quickly got into the zone.

The character he plays, Gu Qingming, is a major staff officer in the Nationalist government's military staff, who is ordered to come to Changsha to receive supplies.

The noise on the street was irrelevant to him; he walked calmly and steadily through the bustling street.

Across from him, Yang Zi, who plays Hu Xiangxiang, with two braids and carrying several books, rushed out of the alley and bumped into him.

The books were scattered all over the floor.

"Hey, can't you watch where you're going?!"

Yang Zi looked up and met Jiang Chen's calm eyes. He paused midway through his lines.

It wasn't because I forgot my lyrics.

It's because Jiang Chen's face paired with that military uniform is just too impactful on camera.

"Card!"

Kong Sheng's voice came through the walkie-talkie, tinged with helplessness, "Xiangxiang, you can look at him, but you can't stop delivering your lines. Let's do it again."

Yang Zi stuck out her tongue, and Chong Jiangchen grinned, muttering under his breath, "It's all because you're too handsome."

Jiang Chen said expressionlessly, "Yes, it was my fault."

The staff member next to him suppressed a laugh and started setting up the board again.

The second one has been approved.

This is what life is like on a film set!

Kong Sheng has extremely high standards for acting, but he is not short-tempered. He will not scold people when there is a NG (no good take), but will just say "do it again" with a blank expression.

But the calmer it is, the more tense it becomes.

On the set of "Battle of Changsha", no one called him "Director Kong" or "Director Kong Sheng".

Everyone immediately called him "Director".

This is a rule of the production crew: there can only be one director in a production crew.

Whether you are the executive director, assistant director, or coordinator, anyone called "Director X" is an outsider.

The real director is the person sitting behind the monitor; his name is simply "director."

At various film and television industry gatherings, when a group of renowned directors get together, there is only one person who is addressed as "Director" by everyone without his surname.

Zhang Yimou.

He holds a very high position in the industry!

It's not just because of his seniority, nor because of how many box office champions he's made, but because he's the "national director".

The filming pace is very fast.

The first week focused on filming scenes depicting the daily life of the Hu family. In the main room of the old Hu family house, Hu Changning (played by Yang Xinming) was reciting old poems while holding a teacup, Hu Xiangjun (played by Zuo Xiaoqing) was busy by the stove, and the twins Hu Xiangxiang (played by Yang Zi) and Hu Xiaoman (played by Niu Junfeng) were bickering in the yard.

Jiang Chen's scenes are mainly concentrated after the third week, while Gu Qingming's scenes in the early part are mainly interspersed in the military camp, the headquarters, and chance encounters on the street.

He would arrive at the film set early every day, sit in a corner and watch others act, trying to understand the demeanor of officers from the Republic of China era.

During breaks in filming, there was always a particularly lively corner of the set.

That was where several child actors gathered.

There are several child characters in "Battle of Changsha": Hu's nephew, the children of the neighbors, and orphans fleeing the war.

The actors playing these roles are all children aged seven or eight to eleven or twelve.

One of the girls, nicknamed Little Grape, is actually named Song Wanqing. She is nine years old, has a round face, big eyes, and is particularly good at crying.

As soon as the director yelled "Action!", her tears came easily and she could control them perfectly.

There was also a boy named Hu Zi, whose real name was Liu Zi'ang. He was ten years old, with a tiger-like face, and he specialized in playing mischievous poor boys.

His defining characteristic is that he's ten times more mischievous off-screen than on-screen.

There are also three or four child actors, all sent by various performing arts training institutions and child star agencies.

Child stars almost always lose money.

Within the industry, there are specialized training programs for these children, and the fees seem low, with basic training costs only a few thousand yuan.

As soon as you walk in, they start bragging about how students here have the opportunity to appear on CCTV, major TV stations, and film crews—it sounds incredibly impressive.

The training instructors are also very talented; many of them are industry insiders.

But they won't tell you that introducing these things will cost money.

Later they'll tell you about some kind of festival, and that they can get you a chance to get in and show your face for 30,000.

There's some film crew looking for actors, offering 50,000 yuan for child stars.

Parents are basically flocking to it —

Later, when they contacted the production team, they also had to bribe the casting assistant director.

5000, bro, I'm a guy, can I play a small supporting role?

Most people would agree.

The child actors sent by training institutions not only receive kickbacks, but also have a certain level of basic skills, are obedient, and are easy to manage.

These training institutions are most common in Beijing, and some parents who raise talented children may easily spend over a million yuan a year!

But while they may get exposure, very few actually make it big.

Most child stars are eliminated once they grow up to be less attractive, their voices change, or they gain weight during puberty.

Only one in ten thousand can truly endure it.

These are all inside stories of the film and television industry.

There are many more such inside stories!

When filming in Hengdian, the crew rents a lot of cars from car rental companies.

The price is very cheap, 300 a day for a GL8, driver included!

Why is the price so low?

Because he has extra income.

The most common problem is drivers stealing fuel.

Moreover, it wasn't a secret theft; it was all done openly. Jiang Chen had encountered this once before.

One day, he rode in the film crew's car with Lao Hou and chatted about some things.

The car ran out of gas, and the driver said he would go refuel.

Old Hou said, "Go ahead and fill up," and then drove to the gas station to refuel.

After refueling, right there at the gas station, the driver took out a hose and started siphoning oil.

Old Hou was completely dumbfounded; he, a producer, was still sitting in the car.

"You just filled up the tank and you're already siphoning it out?"

"Yes, because I need to take it out and refill it when I drive it back to the group to report the expenses."

"I can't just get reimbursed after I send you back; there's no time. I'll just have to smoke here."

Old Hou was speechless.

Why not just wrap it in oil?

We've tried using oil before.

If the route for stealing oil is blocked, drivers will raise car rental prices.

There are also a whole host of reasons for raising prices, and people are unwilling to go to more places!

But why do production teams still like to work with them?

Because the driver doesn't just take advantage without doing any work.

A seasoned driver who frequently travels to film sets offers a range of services in addition to driving.

He knows how to cater to different people.

The production team hired a celebrity, and he chatted enthusiastically with the celebrity's assistant. Then, he went around praising the entire production team to the skies among the drivers.

"Our director is exceptionally good, and the producer is incredibly talented."

You find it pleasant to listen to, and it maximizes your emotional value.

You tell him what you need to buy, and he'll run the errand without saying a word.

You said you needed a few people to move the table, and they went to coordinate with the on-site production team and allocated the manpower themselves.

When passersby or fans gathered and made noise during filming, the driver would rush up and stop them, saying, "Quiet! Can't you see we're filming?"

If you get a proper administrative driver, who cares about this?

These extra tasks weren't done for nothing.

What's hidden in the "oil and water" is both his illicit income and his extra contributions.

The film crew wanted to save themselves the trouble, while the driver wanted to earn money; both sides tacitly understood each other.

It's not just the racing team.

The makeup team reports on cosmetics, the photography team reports on accessories, the lighting team reports on light bulbs, the art team reports on equipment, the sound team reports on batteries, and the costume team reports on fabrics.

Each group has its own ledger.

A set of foundation cost 800 yuan, but whether it was actually used on your actor's face, only God knows.

If a sunshade needs to be replaced due to wear and tear, would you approve it?

If we don't approve it, what if someone "happens" to break a shot tomorrow? The loss of a day's work stoppage for the crew is many times more expensive than a blackout curtain.

The art department found a piece of old furniture from the Republic of China era at the "antique market" and quoted it for five thousand. Do you doubt it?

You can't verify it because the props ultimately belong to the production team, and you can't take them with you.

These unspoken rules, passed down from Hong Kong and Taiwan film crews, have taken root in mainland China for decades, and no one has been able to completely eradicate them.

Later, after internet companies entered the film and television industry, producers from Tencent, iQiyi, and Youku had all posted on their WeChat Moments criticizing drivers for stealing fuel, and had also conducted thorough investigations.

But the result?

The problem cannot be solved.

Because once you strictly manage the film crew according to labor laws and financial regulations, costs will skyrocket.

Holidays are paid at triple rate, overtime is paid, insurance is comprehensive, and the labor union is involved.

This caused the production team's financial model to collapse.

American film crews are industrialized enough, aren't they?

Jackie Chan once complained that when filming abroad, there was a dedicated person in charge of getting a cup on set. If that person went to the toilet, the entire crew of several hundred people would have to wait for an hour.

If someone else carries it and it gets broken, the insurance company won't cover it.

The stricter the rules, the lower the efficiency and the higher the management costs.

There are rules to the martial arts world, and there are costs to modernization.

It's not that we don't want to industrialize, it's that the current cost of industrialization is too much for China's film and television industry to bear.

The reason why Jiang Chen has not yet started his own business is precisely this.

A film crew spends hundreds of thousands of dollars every day, covering the food, drink, and daily needs of hundreds of people, involving countless favors, accounts, and gray areas.

Having money, resources, and a script doesn't guarantee you can make a good film.

You have to learn to coexist with these unspoken rules first.

The scene being filmed that day was a routine scene.

In the main room of the Hu family's old house, Hu Xiangxiang and Hu Xiaoman were fighting over a piece of sweet cake. They bickered and fought, but Hu Changning glared at them and they both quieted down.

Gu Qingming stood at the doorway, looking at this family full of warmth and life, a slight smile playing on his lips, but a hint of disappointment lurking in his eyes.

寞。

His family members are far away in the occupied area, and their fate remains unknown.

"Card!"

Kong Sheng's voice came from behind the monitor, "That's a pass."

Jiang Chen breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the door. Yang Zi followed behind him, skipping and hopping, still savoring the scene of snatching the candy cake.

"Brother Chen," she said in a low voice, "I'm going to the restroom. You go back to the dressing room first."

"Um."

Yang Zi turned around, but instead of heading towards the restroom, he turned a corner and went straight to the surveillance booth.

"director."

Kong Sheng was looking down at the playback when he heard the sound. He looked up and asked, "Hmm?"

Yang Zi glanced around quietly; no one was there.

She took a step closer and whispered, "Director, I'd like to add some scenes."

Kong Sheng was taken aback, and his expression changed slightly.

Adding more scenes?

These are sensitive words within the industry.

When actors request more screen time, it often means they want to steal more scenes, change the script, or become arrogant.

He has seen too many newcomers who, as soon as they gain some fame, demand more screen time, ultimately ruining the rhythm of the entire series.

"Xiangxiang," his tone softened, "the script is finalized; we can't just leave it as is—"

"No, no!" Yang Zi panicked and quickly waved her hands. "Director, I don't want to change the plot! It's just—aren't I supposed to be playing a couple with Brother Chen?"

"I want to add some kissing scenes—"

Kong Sheng was stunned.

Yang Zi's ears turned bright red: "This wasn't my request, it was—Jiang Chen—he requested it—"

"Did Ah Chen say that?"

"Yeah, Brother Chen said last time that my acting was a bit fake. We have a childbirth scene later on, but there's no emotional buildup at all. He laughed at me, saying that after playing a child star for so long, I'm still acting like a child in this lead role. I haven't seen me change my image at all."

"He was very serious, saying that our scenes together were like those of siblings, not lovers, and that the audience would be distracted by the scenes of us having children later on."

Kong Sheng was rendered silent after being raped.

"Okay, let me think about it."

"Thank you, director!" Yang Zi's eyes lit up, and she turned and ran.

Kong Sheng watched her retreating figure, shook his head, and then picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Old Hou, come here for a moment."

Hou Hongliang was reconciling accounts with the finance department when he heard the call and walked over, cursing.

"What? I'm busy right now. The production crew is burning through hundreds of thousands a day, and you—"

"Ah Chen requested that a kissing scene be added."

Hou Hongliang: "————???"

His mouth was open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.

"Chen asked for it himself?" His voice cracked. "He—he likes this kind of thing?"

"Xia Xue, the nation's sweetheart! I watched her grow up, how could he possibly kiss her? What a beast!"

Kong Sheng: "Then—should we add it or not?"

"Let him add more! Kissing scenes are basic for actors, and Yang Zi is happy to do it, so why are you stopping him?"

"Besides, adding this scene will definitely generate buzz, right? The nation's sweetheart's first on-screen kiss—headline guaranteed!"

Kong Sheng: "————"

He suddenly felt that, in front of this group of shrewd people, he, as the director, was like an innocent little white rabbit.

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements."

The dressing room.

Jiang Chen was sitting in front of the mirror, having Sister Li touch up her makeup.

Suddenly, the production assistant pushed open the door and came in with a strange expression: "Brother Chen, the director wants you to go to Studio A. He said—he said he added a scene."

"Added scenes?" Jiang Chen asked curiously. "What scenes?"

"Kissing scenes."

? ? ? ? ?

What the heck is that??

"Who requested it?"

"Huh? Everyone on set is saying that you specifically requested this—"

Jiang Chen's vision went black—

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