I really don't want to make bad movies!

"You're rich now?"

Zhao Fei was very curious about how much money Xia Ming had raised for this web series: "Tell me honestly, how much investment did you get?"

For college students' scripts, funding usually comes from their own pockets or from school subsidies.

Those with stronger abilities can go out and attract investment based on their works.

Then, make some low-budget art films and build a reputation through artistic style in order to attract more investors.

Xia Ming's debut work is the famous "The Big Hornet".

Zhao Fei found it hard to imagine who would dare to continue investing after hearing the name "Director Xia Ming".

Xia Ming smiled without saying anything, silently raising one index finger.

Zhao Fei was shocked: "Another million?"

Marco invested one million because of Jiang Wen's influence.

But Xia Ming, a college student, managed to secure a million-dollar investment despite being vilified; that takes real ability!

However, Xia Ming's next sentence left him speechless.

"No, it's ten million."

"To be precise, it's twelve million."

Twelve million?!

Who voted?

Zhao Fei wondered if he had misheard, and then looked at the two movie projectors beside him.

Apart from the lead actors, the entire production team is top-tier.

This kid is not only serious, he's even planning something big!

"Teacher Zhao, your and your team's compensation on set should be calculated according to industry standards. You get what you're entitled to," Xia Ming said sincerely.

Chen Kun took on the role because he was drawn to the script and the character, and wanted to break free from his established image.

However, as someone working behind the scenes, Zhao Fei couldn't gain any benefit in terms of reputation.

Nobody cares who the director of photography is for a web series.

Xia Ming was well-versed in this.

Zhao Fei helped out of respect for Jiang Wen, but he also personally took charge of things in the group, helping Xia Ming solve his problems.

It would be rather unfair to charge the same price as the "friendship price".

Zhao Fei chuckled, his gaze towards Xia Ming softening.

This kid's got it!

However, the price had already been agreed upon before joining the crew, and Zhao Fei was not short of this salary.

He wasn't interested in Xia Ming's offer of a raise, but instead made another request.

"How about this, I'll forgo the money, and you can spend some time explaining camera techniques to my students, okay?"

Xia Ming replied with a smile, "It would be my honor."

After a brief exchange, the two returned their attention to the filming location.

……

"Click!"

Xia Ming shouted.

The actors breathed a sigh of relief.

After several rehearsals, they gradually got into the zone.

However, the thought that filming hadn't officially started yet still made them a little nervous.

Xia Ming has very high standards, with strict requirements for their micro-expressions and hand gestures.

The phrase "If you can't act well, then get out" made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

No one wanted to be kicked out of the crew and lose this valuable opportunity to work with Chen Kun.

So when the director yelled "cut," instead of going to the rest area to relax, the group stood there discussing the script.

Xia Ming and Zhao Fei sat in front of the monitor, using the remote control to replay the clip from earlier.

Zhao Fei was responsible for observing the lighting effects and whether the camera movements followed the script.

Xia Ming focuses on the details of the actors, observing whether each person's actions and expressions fit the character, and ensuring that every line of dialogue is authentic.

A ten-minute scene, combined with two hours of footage, led to the same conclusion after repeated reviews by the two.

pass!

Because the monitor model is not high-end enough, the footage needs to be exported by Xia Ming for further inspection to ensure that the light source and focus are perfect.

However, with Zhao Fei keeping an eye on things, the error rate will not be too high.

The two actors' meticulous expressions as they sat in front of the monitor made the other lead actors sweat profusely.

"If the rehearsals are this strict, won't they check every single hair on my body when we officially start filming?" Kong Xun pondered the script, regretting that he hadn't studied it carefully yesterday.

Zhao Lang took several deep breaths, trying to recall if there were any areas for improvement in his performance.

Li Junlin was still holding the script, studying the hand and foot movements in the storyboard.

"Xi Xi~" Yan Shu moved closer to Jiang Xi Xi, pressing her chest against her back. "Were you this strict when you worked with Director Xia before?"

Jiang Xixi glanced back at her and replied indifferently, "No."

"Huh? You've improved your acting so quickly even without Director Xia's help to correct your mistakes!"

Yan Shu looked thoughtful, poking her lips with two fingers: "Remember your performance in 'The Big Hornet'? Your lips were so straight they could be used as a level."

These words caused a slight ripple in Jiang Xixi's eyes.

She reached out and stroked the script, gently biting her lower lip.

In fact, Xia Ming helped her improve her acting skills and hone her basic skills every day during these three months.

Without Xia Ming's guidance, she might still be a cold, emotionless ice sculpture.

Jiang Xixi couldn't help but look up at the film crew in the distance, watching Xia Ming and Zhao Fei discuss the shots.

A ripple of emotion stirred within her, and her brow furrowed unconsciously.

Filming is about to officially begin. Will I be the first one kicked out of the crew?

Soon, Xia Ming stood up from the director's chair, attracting the attention of all the actors.

"Actors, assemble!"

Apart from Chen Kun and Yan Shu, the rest of them were a little nervous and slowly walked up to Xia Ming.

Xia Ming held the script in his hand, and his serious expression made the actors even more nervous.

"This take is satisfactory. We'll take a ten-minute break and then start filming the special shots."

"what?"

This statement left the lead actors exchanging bewildered glances.

Isn't this a rehearsal?

Xia Ming noticed their confusion and laughed, "What we just did was actually the official start of filming. I lied and said it was a rehearsal because I was afraid you'd be nervous."

"Was that the main feature?!"

"Yes, it's the main feature." Xia Ming nodded and smiled. "Everyone performed very well. Keep it up."

Xia Ming's sudden gentle demeanor caught everyone off guard, creating a stark contrast to his previous devilishly stern reprimands.

The group had been constantly rejected and had even begun to doubt themselves.

It was this reward-like praise that finally put everyone's minds at ease.

Kong Xun breathed a sigh of relief and smiled sincerely: "Director Xia, you have too many tricks up your sleeve!"

He was the most nervous among them because he was acting opposite Chen Kun.

Having been thoroughly scolded by Xia Ming several times before, he was constantly worried about making a fool of himself during the filming of the main movie.

Upon learning that this was the main feature, he suddenly felt the pressure on his shoulders vanish.

If I just follow Director Xia's instructions, it doesn't seem impossible for me to share the stage with Chen Kun!

Seeing the joy on their faces, Xia Ming knew he had done the right thing.

Xia Ming personally selected all the actors. He knew that these people had solid acting skills, and the most important thing was to give them confidence.

A well-timed encouragement and reward is undoubtedly the best way to eliminate tension and stress.

The subsequent filming went very smoothly, and the actors were all in character.

After completing reshoots from multiple angles, Xia Ming obtained ample footage.

It was already late, so the filming had to be temporarily suspended.

After dinner, Xia Ming asked the production assistant to take the crew to the pre-booked hotel to rest.

He himself took the hard drive to the color grading studio at the film studio.

Although the budget issue has been resolved, time is still very tight.

In order to catch up with Pacific Rim four months later, Xia Ming hopes to finish all the tasks of "The Swindler" within two months.

Therefore, filming and post-production must be carried out simultaneously.

Fortunately, "The Swindlers" doesn't involve any complicated special effects, green screen cutting, or compositing; the main thing to worry about is screen color grading.

Web series are a very magical field.

Sometimes, viewers can guess the quality of the entire series just by watching the first episode, and the key lies in the color grading of the visuals.

Making the visual quality of web series as close as possible to that of a movie screen and creating a cinematic feel is the goal that all web series strive for.

Of course, some online dramas use very thick filters to preserve the good looks of the young actors, blurring their facial contours and making their chins invisible.

Historical dramas are a major area of ​​this problem, often featuring actors who appear to be shining like they've eaten light bulbs, with an unrealistically fake sky in the distance, resulting in visually devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

Xia Ming doesn't need to worry about this problem; the actors he chooses can withstand close-up shots and even death angles.

As long as he controls the image quality, he can create a sense of sophistication.

You can't decode ARRI's high-definition RAW files with just your laptop.

This photography studio has a professional HPZ8 workstation and a Fibre Channel tape library, making it extremely fast at processing ARRI RAW files.

Under the guidance of the staff, Xia Ming completed the file transcoding and transmission, and then opened Da Vinci to start studying colors.