The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

After the lights came the recording.

Looking at Lu He, Li Xu also made his own request.

"Luhe, my requirement for ambient sound is extreme quiet, but not complete silence; it needs to be very layered."

"The sound of rain outside the window should be distant and indistinct, like the sound of another world."

"The bookstore needs the ticking of an old clock, the faint hum of a radiator, and most importantly, the 'tap' of the water glass as Song Qing hands me the table—it needs to be clear and steady, becoming the anchor point that breaks the noisy white noise in Du Minghao's mind. Our environment here is limited; how much of that can you achieve?"

Lu He frowned slightly and said hesitantly, "I can restore about 60-70% of it. Although the environment is limited, I can use post-production sound effects and sound quality layering to deal with these problems."

"Okay, after all, it's just a clip shown to China Film Group, not a formal film, so six or seven out of ten is enough."

"I just spoke with Mr. Zheng on the phone yesterday. He told me that China Film Group's support policy for young directors is already in the planning stages. As long as we demonstrate sufficient ability, even if it's not perfect, there won't be any problems."

Lu He breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

He was genuinely worried that his lack of ability might affect Li Xu's chances of receiving funding from China Film Group, but now that everything is fine, he's relieved.

After resolving the lighting and sound recording, the most important task was photography.

Li Xu glanced at Shen Ao and Li Deyuan, who were currently holding the storyboard sketches they had just drawn the night before, pondering the scheduling.

"Li Xu, how about we start our first camera shot here?"

"When Du Minghao barged in, I first used a slightly tilted-back, over-the-shoulder shot to highlight his disheveled state. Then, the camera followed him to the sofa and slowly zoomed in, but always maintained a little distance to simulate the perspective of a third party observing from the sidelines."

It was Li Xu who looked at it.

As the executive director, Shen Ao immediately explained his ideas for the shots to Li Xu.

Upon hearing this, Li Xu frowned slightly. There was nothing wrong with this camera position, but it seemed a bit mediocre.

However, now that the executive director and assistant director have been appointed, he doesn't intend to have a one-man show.

He immediately looked at Li Deyuan: "Deyuan, what do you think? Do you have any ideas?"

Li Deyuan was taken aback when he was called out, and then said, "I think... when Song Qing hands over the water, we can get a close-up shot."

"She offered you water not out of pity, but out of habit as a night shift clerk. So you should act normally, and don't keep staring at Du Minghao. Once you put down the water, you should turn around and go back to tidy up the bookshelf."

He spoke more and more fluently: "This lack of attention actually made the sensitive Du Minghao relax."

Upon hearing Li Deyuan's suggestion, Li Xu gave a "gentle" smile. He looked at Li Deyuan and said with certainty, "Deyuan, your idea... is very safe."

Li Deyuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Li Xu continued, "It's so safe that it wouldn't go wrong in any bad movie."

Li Deyuan's smile immediately froze.

Shen Ao couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then laughed non-stop.

Ignoring Shen Ao's loss of composure, Li Xu looked at Li Deyuan, whose smile had frozen, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Deyuan, don't be sad. Your security has its advantages. I can use your 'security' as a base, add some more ingredients, and then it will be perfect."

As he spoke, Li Xu picked up the storyboard sketch and circled several locations on it with a pen: "Here, the camera shouldn't pan horizontally; there should be a slight shaking motion to simulate Du Minghao's staggering subjective perspective."

"At the second point, when Song Qing turns around, remember not to let her turn her back completely. Turn her to the side at a 45-degree angle to give the audience a hint that 'she is actually paying attention.'"

Li Deyuan stared blankly at the scene.

After giving his instructions, Li Xu gently patted Li Deyuan on the shoulder: "A solid foundation combined with precise details makes you professional, Deyuan. From now on, just keep your filming direction aligned with this."

Li Deyuan's face suddenly lit up with realization, and he was no longer embarrassed: "Okay, I understand, Director Li. Safety and precision, I will definitely remember that."

"Yes, that's good."

Li Xu nodded.

-

For the next two days, under Li Xu's leadership, the studio operated in only two ways:

Li Xu is "directing," or Li Xu is "acting."

When he was "guiding," he was sharp-tongued, calm, and demanded precision down to the millimeter.

When he was "acting," he was broken, vulnerable, and his whole body was cold and wet.

Although it was just a simple sample film given to China Film Group, he still gave it his all, seamlessly switching between the roles of "director Li Xu" and "actor Li Xu".

Often, one second he's calmly analyzing the camera focus and positioning, and the next second he instantly enters Du Minghao's performance mode.

Under the guidance of Li Xu, who is both a top director and a top actor, Liu Yifei gradually became more and more immersed in the role of Song Qing. She gradually shed her aloofness and transformed into an ordinary girl working quietly in a bookstore late at night.

She had her own work fatigue, her own hobbies, and a fleeting moment of surprise when she saw the big star Du Minghao barging in in a disheveled state, which quickly subsided into a calm composure.

She practiced the simple act of handing over a water glass countless times under Li Xu's guidance until it became as natural as breathing, as Li Xu had requested.

Under this kind of adjustment period.

After two days of debugging and adjustment, on the afternoon of the third day, the sample footage was finally ready for official filming.

The simple studio, under the carefully arranged lighting by Liu Hu, actually exuded a warm and tranquil late-night bookstore feel.

Wang Luyao was adjusting the camera, Lu He was checking the recording equipment, and Shen Ao was sitting behind the monitor.

Li Xu had changed into a wet costume, and his hair was still dripping water.

Liu Yifei was dressed simply in a sweater and jeans, with metal-framed glasses, completely without makeup.

"Scene 1, Shot 1 of the 'Love Announcement' test footage, get ready!"

Shen Ao's voice rang out in the silence.

"start!"

The clapperboard is struck.

In the surveillance footage, Du Minghao (Li Xu) staggers into the frame, his panic starkly contrasting with the tranquil atmosphere of the "bookstore".

After bursting through the door, he walked unsteadily to a single sofa in the far corner of the bookstore and sat down. He seemed to have all his strength drained away, and began to breathe weakly. His pupils were relaxed and empty, and his breathing was low and suppressed.

Song Qing (Liu Yifei) walked out from behind the bookshelf. When she saw Du Minghao like this, she paused for a moment, a faint look of surprise flashing across her face before she regained her composure.

She walked to the counter, poured a glass of hot water, and then carried the glass to the sofa with light steps. She bent down slightly and gently placed the glass of water on the small square wooden table in front of Li Xu.

The entire space was so quiet that you could clearly hear the ticking of the clock.

"despair."

The water glass fell gently onto the table.

The sound effects of the sound artist tapping the table in sync were crisp and steady.

The soft sound startled Du Minghao, who was in a state of anxious emptiness.

He looked warily at Song Qing, then at the steaming cup of hot water in front of him, finally meeting Song Qing's calm, unprobing gaze.

At that moment, in the close-up shot, Du Minghao's eyes displayed a complex mix of emotions, like a spilled palette of colors—warning, bewilderment, a faint trace of gratitude, and embarrassment at his own predicament, all vividly portrayed by Li Xu.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his lips parted slightly, and Du Minghao managed to utter a barely audible, hoarse whisper: "...Thank you."

These two simple words seemed to have exhausted all his social energy, and he simply retreated back into his invisible shell, never looking at Song Qing again.

Song Qing didn't care. She simply handed out the hot water, did her job as a late-night bookstore employee, and then, without looking at Du Minghao again, turned around and walked away steadily. She walked to a bookshelf (which had been set up in advance), picked up a rag, and began to wipe it again.

The camera slowly pulls back up.

The camera zooms out from a close-up of Du Minghao's (Li Xu) hands holding a water glass, slowly returning his solitary figure to the corner of the sofa bathed in warm yellow light.

The figure of Song Qing (Liu Yifei) wiping bookshelves in the distance, along with the blurry figure in the distance, creates a tranquil, detached scene that is also subtly connected to the viewer.

"Click!"

Shen Ao's voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

Quiet.

On the set (if it can be called a set), even though filming had already finished, everyone seemed to still be immersed in the emotional atmosphere created in the short two minutes that had just passed, and the atmosphere was extremely quiet.

For quite a few seconds, no one spoke.

Wang Luyao couldn't help but speak first, his voice dry: "...Have we... passed?"

Shen Ao stared at the monitor without turning around: "What do you think?"

"Damn, it's definitely passed. It's outrageous that it didn't pass." Wang Luyao blurted out.

Not far away, Lu He was wearing headphones, listening repeatedly to the fusion of ambient sound and performance from earlier, his eyes fixed on the scene.

Liu Yifei emerged from behind the bookshelf, her face still bearing the lingering calm weariness that belonged to Song Qing.

But when she looked at Li Xu, her eyes were filled with shock. Even though they had been acting together for two or three days, she couldn't help but be deeply impressed by Li Xu's "possessed" acting skills.

"call……"

"Alright, why are you all so quiet? Clap your hands! We've got this play over in one go."

"If you're not clapping, do you want me to clap a few more times so I can treat you to a late-night snack? I don't have any money."

Li Xu let out a long breath as he snapped out of his reverie about Du Minghao. He stood up from the sofa, wiped the water off his face, and chuckled jokingly as he walked quickly toward Shen Ao behind the monitor.

Shen Ao rolled his eyes, leaned back heavily in his chair, turned around, gave Li Xu a thumbs up, and then a little finger.

No need to say anything.

All his emotions were contained in those two gestures.

-

Sample photos have been taken.

Next, they prepared to go to China Film Group to seek investment, but at this crucial moment, an important member of Li Xu's "Love Announcement" crew finally arrived.

Wang Jing – Production Director of the film project "Love Announcement," introduced by Mu Deyuan.

He was led into the studio by Li Deyuan, and upon meeting everyone, he took the initiative to greet them before saying, "Director Li, I heard from our assistant director that the sample footage you're preparing to submit to China Film Group is finished. May I take a look?"

Li Xu sized up the newcomer.

He was around forty years old, dressed in a well-fitting casual suit, wearing frameless glasses, exuding a calm and capable demeanor, with a gentle smile on his face.

He had heard Mu Deyuan mention this man before; he had many years of rich experience in film production and knew a lot of people. He was very capable in external liaison, location management, and dealing with higher-ups. So he nodded and said, "Welcome."

Wang Jing immediately walked quickly to the monitor, while Shen Ao silently clicked on the replay again.

Wang Jing bent down and watched the two-minute acting clip between Li Xu and Liu Yifei intently.

He wasn't as excited as Shen Ao, but his usually calm and shrewd eyes clearly reflected shock and a hint of barely suppressed excitement.

As the video ended, he straightened up, looked at Li Xu, and said slowly and very seriously, "Director Li."

"Um?"

"Before I came, Professor Mu raved about you to the skies, and Professor Zheng also put in a good word for you. I was quite surprised at the time, but now, all I can say is, you're amazing!"

"With this," Wang Jing pointed to the monitor, "once we get the filing receipt, we can immediately set off to meet those powerful figures at China Film Group. I'm very confident now."

talking.

Behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed with the light of an old hunter spotting his perfect prey.

Hearing Wang Jing's praise, even someone as calm as Li Xu couldn't help but feel a bit more favorably disposed towards Wang Jing.

He didn't know how much of Wang Jing's words were genuine, but even if only half were sincere and the other half were pure praise, this guy was quite good at talking.

Waving his hand, Li Xu said, "Thank you for your kind words, Producer Wang, but there are still a few issues with our film that I'd like to discuss with you."

As he spoke, Li Xu concisely explained the current progress of the film project "Love Announcement" to Wang Jing, as well as the issues regarding the upcoming submission for review.

Wang Jing listened attentively, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees—a habitual gesture for him when he was thinking.

After listening, he pushed up his glasses and looked at Li Xu: "Director Li, I understand what you mean. You think that your self-directing and self-acting, as well as our early casting, might cause the film to be delayed for a period of time, ultimately hindering the filming."

"But that's not actually the case. Director Li, although you are incredibly talented in directing techniques, you are far too cautious when it comes to understanding these unspoken rules."

"When a script is submitted to the State Administration of Radio and Television for review, those 'good guys' at the State Administration of Radio and Television do like to send the script back for revisions at the drop of a hat, and they will block people over the smallest things. This problem often gives many directors and producers a headache, but we are different."

As soon as Wang Jing said this...

Li Xu remained calm, while Shen Ao and Li Deyuan both unconsciously sat up straight.

Li Deyuan couldn't help but ask immediately, "Producer Wang, how do you interpret that?"

Wang Jing smiled slightly upon hearing this.

"First, even though our script hasn't been submitted for review yet, we started casting early after receiving the 'Recordation Receipt' from the State Administration of Radio and Television. It does sound like we've slightly violated the rules of the State Administration of Radio and Television."

"But as far as I can see, we haven't even started casting yet, have we?"

"Our production team only approached some actors for artistic discussions and to make initial contact. We didn't immediately start signing actors or renting equipment."

"As for directing and starring, you are a promising talent being groomed by the Beijing Film Academy, with Professor Zheng and Professor Mu personally taking care of you. It's just directing and starring, the leaders of the Film Bureau will give you face."

"When making a movie and submitting a script, the biggest fears are the subject matter and lines that violate the taboos. The second biggest fear is that the lead actor might have issues. But our movie is a romance with social concerns and a warm tone, so there are absolutely no problems in these areas."

"As for our lead actors, neither Ms. Liu Yifei nor Director Li need to have this worry."

"Therefore, I can confidently guarantee, based on my many years of experience in the industry, that our film script will be approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television very quickly. At most, a few lines of dialogue will need to be changed, which will not delay the process at all."

Upon hearing Wang Jing's words, Shen Ao, Li Deyuan, and Liu Yifei's faces immediately lit up with joy.

Li Xu couldn't help but nod, thinking to himself that his department head, Mu Deyuan, was indeed reliable. Knowing that his new director was prone to making small mistakes in some areas, he found a production manager who was quite experienced.

But after Wang Jing finished speaking, he changed the subject. His smile remained the same, but his tone became slightly more serious.

"However, Director Li, I have a good relationship with your teacher Mu, so I feel it's necessary to remind you of something. You can have a private conversation with me."

"That is, while our work itself will not encounter any problems, Director Li, you are both the director and the lead actor, and your talent is outstanding, making you stand out from the crowd."

"If our film becomes a box office hit after its release and generates a lot of buzz, there will inevitably be people gossiping and even deliberately causing trouble for us."

Upon hearing this, Li Xu's gaze also deepened.

He understood the meaning behind Wang Jing's words: any established industry will inevitably experience class stratification.

After all, the pie of an industry is only so big. A newcomer like him who suddenly rises to prominence will definitely take away a lot of resources from veteran directors and seniors who don't have real skills. At that time, some undercurrents are inevitable.

In this world, there is never a shortage of sleazy people who think that so-called "rules" and "balance" are more important than talent.