The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

In Li Xu's studio, the walls are covered with storyboard sketches, scene design drawings, and photos of actors' costume fittings and test shots from "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

Shen Ao, Wang Jing, the art director, the director of photography, and others sat together for their final large-scale creative meeting before filming began.

Li Xu stood in front of the whiteboard, holding a marker, explaining the staging and lighting design of the scene "The First Encounter in the Classroom Corridor".

"I don't want that kind of perfect, idol drama-style lighting."

"I want sunlight to stream in through the window, casting a hazy, dusty glow on Jing Tian and on me. The color tone should be warm, but the saturation shouldn't be too high. It should have the texture of an old photograph, the texture of memories."

As he spoke, Li Xu turned to the director of photography: "Old Zhang, follow my instructions and remember to consider the selection of filters and film."

"Understood, Director Li. I'll test a few more combinations first, and then I'll show you the sample footage," Director of Photography Lao Zhang nodded in response.

After discussing the texture of this camera lens, Li Xu casually pointed to another storyboard image:

"And this scene of Ko Ching-teng and his best friends playing around on the playground, Shen Ao, remember to have the cameraman handheld and follow them, giving that slight shaky feeling to highlight that youthful restlessness and the smell of sweat."

"You can be bolder and more lively with the camera work. Remember to use a stable and fixed camera position to create a contrast with the classroom scenes with Shen Jiayi and Ke Jingteng."

Shen Ao nodded as he took notes.

Although he is nominally the director, Li Xu, as the producer, investor, screenwriter, and male lead of this film, actually has the real say, just like Chen Sicheng in the future.

After we finished discussing these things...

Li Xu finally looked at Wang Jing and asked, "The actors' training camp starts next week, is that alright?"

"No problem, the venue and living arrangements have been finalized. All the young actors who have confirmed their participation, including Sister Tian Tian, ​​will move in for a two-week closed training camp."

"The content can be arranged according to your preferences, such as morning runs, early reading, classroom simulations, and basketball games."

"Um."

Li Xu nodded.

His purpose in designing this training camp was to allow this group of young actors, including himself, to truly "return" to their high school days and rediscover that youthful, naive, passionate, and somewhat immature state.

To this end, he even considered designing some small games such as "collective secrets" and "passing notes" to increase the rapport and sense of camaraderie among the actors.

The meeting lasted from the afternoon until dusk.

When the last topic was finished, everyone looked tired, but their eyes were full of anticipation for the upcoming filming.

Li Xu looked around and spoke solemnly:

"Everyone, the success of 'Love Announcement' was due to perfect timing, location, and people, while 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' is the first battle we fought after the establishment of 'Xujing Pictures'."

"We can only win this battle, we cannot afford to lose. What we need to win is not only the box office, but also the reputation."

"From the script to the acting, from the cinematography to the art direction, from the music to the editing, I want to do the best we can within our capabilities in every aspect."

"The upcoming filming schedule is tight and demanding, so thank you all for your hard work. I'll celebrate with you all when filming wraps up!"

Without making any grand pronouncements, Li Xu's calm words revealed determination and pressure, causing everyone present to take a solemn look.

"Don't worry, Director Li!"

"We will definitely give it our all!"

After the meeting, Li Xu stayed alone in the studio and carefully looked at the storyboards and scene diagrams posted on the wall one last time.

Outside the window, the city of Beijing glitters in the night.

The city's nights are always filled with endless prosperity, but it is not easy to gain a significant position here.

"Love Announcement" made him an instant star and helped him establish himself in the industry.

"You Are the Apple of My Eye" will determine whether he can truly establish himself as a director and allow "Xujing Pictures," a small boat that has just set sail, to reach even more distant seas.

He picked up his pen and wrote a line of small print next to the storyboard of Ko Ching-teng and Shen Chia-yi's first encounter: "Memories of youth have a flavor; they are restlessness, ambiguity, and nostalgia."

-

December 2008, 1.

It was 5:30 in the morning, just as dawn was breaking.

On the parade ground of a military veterans training base in the suburbs of Beijing, thirteen young men stood in two neat rows.

The morning wind in late autumn was chilly and stung my face.

Several girls couldn't help but shrink their necks, while the boys tried to straighten their backs, attempting to show an air of "this little bit of cold is nothing".

Li Xu stood at the front of the line, wearing a dark blue tracksuit and holding the cast roster in his hand.

Behind him were director Shen Ao, production manager Wang Jing, and the acting coach they had invited—Zhou Wenbin, a retired professor from the Central Academy of Drama.

"stand at attention."

Li Xu's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet morning.

"brush!"

Because of Li Xu's imposing presence, everyone subconsciously straightened their posture.

"Count off from left to right."

"One, two, three, four..."

Thirteen voices rang out in succession, hoarse and tense with the sound of early morning.

Li Xu put away the roster and slowly scanned each young face.

Among these people are Song Tie, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama's acting program, and Cao Jun and Hao Shaowen, child stars.

Regardless of their previous circumstances.

Now, they are all wearing the same blue and white tracksuits that were issued to them, standing here like real high school students.

Today is January 15th.

Li Xu spoke, his voice cold, "For the next twenty days, there will be no actors, no stars, only students from Class 2, Grade 12 of Jingcheng Middle School."

"You all handed in your cell phones last night."

"Before the training camp ends, you will not have access to any electronic products or have any contact with the outside world, unless there is an emergency at home that requires you to report to Director Shen and obtain his approval before you can use them."

A soft gasp was heard in the queue.

Although they knew they would be in closed training when they signed the contract, they didn't expect it to be this strict.

The sudden confiscation of their phones and the cutting off of their contact with the outside world made them feel uneasy, and they kept looking at each other.

Li Xu ignored their petty actions, glanced at the schedule in his hand, and announced:

"For the next twenty days, your daily schedule will be as follows: wake up at 6:30, morning exercises at 7:00, breakfast at 7:40, morning self-study at 8:00, and academic classes from 8:40 to 12:00, including Chinese, mathematics, English and history."

"There are also performance classes and physical education classes from 2 pm to 5 pm, and evening self-study from 7 pm to 9 pm. Lights out is at 9:30 pm sharp."

"The teachers for academic subjects are several retired top-level teachers that I invited from key middle schools in Beijing, while Professor Zhou Wenbin personally oversees the acting classes."

"I lead the team in physical education classes and morning runs, and there will be exams for these classes."

"Over the next twenty days, I will make you a true senior high school student."

Li Xu paused here and then said:

"If you have any opinions or questions, you can raise them now. Once the training camp begins, I don't want to hear any complaints; otherwise, I'll replace you immediately."

The queue was completely silent.

The only sound was the rustling of the wind blowing across the playground.

Only Jing Tian, ​​standing in the front row, bit her lip. As an investor and the person closest to Li Xu present, she finally raised her hand and spoke up: "Director Li, do we really have to take those academic classes like high school students? I'm a terrible student!"

Jing Tian's words echoed the sentiments of everyone.

Most of the young actors present had already left school several years ago.

Some of them didn't even finish high school before entering the entertainment industry. Now they suddenly have to pick up their textbooks again and take exams, which is a huge headache for them.

"want."

Li Xu's answer was just one word.

As soon as Li Xu said this, groans finally rang out from the ranks.

"No way..."

"Director Li, spare me!"

"I've never passed math..."

Li Xu calmly watched them wail, and only after they had finished did he slowly speak: "You Are the Apple of My Eye is about high school students. If you've forgotten what it feels like to sit in a classroom listening to lectures, being called on by the teacher, and failing an exam, how can you portray a seventeen or eighteen-year-old high school student well?"

"What I want is never for you to play high school students, but for you to 'become' high school students again."

"My work demands the utmost attention to detail; I absolutely cannot tolerate any flaws."

As he spoke, Li Xu's gaze swept over everyone in front of him, treating Jing Tian, ​​Song Tie, Cao Jun, and Hao Shaowen all equally:

"From today onwards, everyone should call each other by their character names and try to immerse yourselves in the mindset and image of the characters you will be playing."

"Next, I am Ke Jingteng, Jing Tian is Shen Jiayi, Cao Jun is Cao Guosheng, Hao Shaowen is Xie Minghe, Song Tie is Hu Jiawei, Zhang Ruoyun is Cai Changxian..."

Li Xu called out names one by one, and each time a name was called, the person whose name was called would subconsciously straighten their back.

"For the next twenty days, forget who you are. Remember who you are meant to become."

"Did you understand?"

"Understood!" Thirteen voices answered in unison.

"Speak louder!"

"Understood!!"

It's neater this time.

Li Xu nodded and looked at Shen Ao beside him: "Shen Ao, I'm leaving the rest to you."

Shen Ao nodded, took a step forward with a serious expression, and was also very much looking forward to his first official directorial work: "Alright, everyone, Director Li is going to become Ke Jingteng next, so let me talk about today's arrangements - first, a three-kilometer morning run."

"Three kilometers for a morning run!!!"

When Shen Ao uttered those words, Jing Tian and Song Tie in the team turned pale.

Hao Shaowen, who plays "Xie Minghe," gasped. He was already starting to gain weight, and this was going to be terrible. Wearing a mask of pain, he said:

"Three kilometers!"

"Director Shen, with my physique, I'm afraid I really can't run anymore..."

That's why you need to practice.

"As you train, won't your physical fitness improve?"

"Which high school boy isn't full of energy? With your current physical condition, you'll just look weak and limp on screen, and the audience will be able to tell it's fake at a glance."

Li Xu had already walked to the front of the line and started warming up. Before Shen Ao could speak, he interrupted him.

As he spoke, he began to move his ankles, and continued:

"Stop dawdling, warm up for five minutes, then let's go."

"I'm leading the team, and everyone must keep up. Those who can't run can walk slowly, and I won't criticize you for that, but you can't stop."

Five minutes later.

Under Li Xu's "pressure," the thirteen-person team lined up and started running in the morning mist.

Li Xu ran in the lead, his steps steady and his breathing even. Cao Jun, Zhang Ruoyun and others followed closely behind, while Hao Shaowen, Jing Tian and Song Tie lagged behind.

Running and running.

The first 500 meters were alright; the team was able to barely maintain their formation.

By the time they reached 800 meters, Jing Tian and Hao Shaowen were already panting heavily.

After one kilometer, the group completely broke apart, with heavy breathing rising and falling in waves.

"Li Xu... wait... I really can't keep up."

Jing Tian shouted breathlessly.

She wore a high ponytail and sportswear today, and her bare face was flushed in the morning light, making her quite beautiful.

But the blush on her face right now was probably because she was exhausted.

Li Xu slowed his pace and looked back.

He noticed that the line was already quite sparse, with only a few boys still persevering, while most of the girls had fallen behind.

However, Song Tie seemed to be slightly stronger than Jing Tian in terms of physical strength. Her face was also a little pale, but she didn't say anything.

"Adjust your breathing: inhale every two steps, exhale every two steps."

"Don't breathe through your mouth, breathe through your nose. I'm going to slow down a bit, so follow along slowly."

"Also, call me Ke Jingteng, Shen Jiayi." Li Xu said to Jing Tian as he jogged slowly.

Next, he ran slowly with Jing Tian, ​​Song Tie, Hao Shaowen, and others who were too tired to run anymore, constantly reminding them to adjust their breathing rhythm.

Gradually, Jing Tian and the others' breathing became more stable.

Although I'm still tired, at least I can keep running.

"Ko Ching-teng... how come you have such good stamina..." she asked, panting heavily.

"Don't you know? I run every day when I'm at Beijing Film Academy."

Li Xu gave a simple answer.

"Moreover, in order to play the role of Ko Ching-teng well, I have been training for a month and a half in advance, starting from the casting for this movie."

"A month and a half? Didn't you start during the movie auditions?" Jing Tian's eyes widened.

She thought she had been paying close enough attention to Li Xu, but she still hadn't noticed this.

"Otherwise what?"

Li Xu glanced at Jing Tian, ​​his eyes filled with amusement: "You think actors just memorize lines and smile for the camera? Ke Jingteng has to play ball and fight. How can I act if I don't improve my physical fitness?"

Li Xu spoke in a very calm tone, but Jing Tian could hear the extreme seriousness in his voice.

She suddenly recalled the scene from her future memories, the first time she truly met Li Xu.

-

When Jing Tian first met Li Xu, it wasn't in some glamorous setting, but in an ordinary photography studio.

She was the female lead, while Li Xu was a minor supporting character with very few scenes, but he acted very seriously.

Most importantly, he's also very handsome.

At that time, she felt that Li Xu had a raw power about him, like an unpolished, dusty diamond.

After filming is finished.

The director and the other actors didn't pay any attention to Li Xu, but she walked up to him and said, "Li Xu, you have great acting skills and you're very handsome. I think you'll definitely become a great actor in the future, and maybe you'll become famous after this movie."

Li Xu glanced at Jing Tian, ​​his eyes filled with exhaustion, and nodded, saying, "Thank you, but good isn't enough, I want the best."

The filming of this movie is finished.

Not long after, just as Jing Tian had said, it came to pass.

Although the show didn't become a hit at all, and Jing Tian remained relatively unknown, Li Xu's minor supporting role became recognized by many people.

Over the next two years, he gradually gained fame, and then in the third year, he became the Golden Rooster Award-winning actor in China.

Then, Liu Yifei became Li Xu's girlfriend.

Later, they broke up. At a certain turning point in their lives, Jing Tian and Li Xu met again, fell in love, and eventually got married.

Those memories of the future flooded Jing Tian's mind like a tide, then receded.

Clear, yet blurry.

Jing Tian smiled slightly, feeling as if she had regained a lot of strength.

Whether he's an actor or a director, the person next to me seems to have never changed his extremely serious attitude.

She loves it.

Especially right now, Liu Yifei is not Li Xu's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend.

There was still plenty of time, and she wasn't in a hurry at all.

She glanced at Li Xu, then suddenly burst out laughing and said, "You, you blockhead, you're always so serious. It's like you've never been unserious about anything."

"Okay, I'll run well from now on. If I really can't run anymore, remember to give me a hand."

Li Xu was a little puzzled, feeling that there seemed to be a deeper meaning in what she said today, but he didn't think too much about it and just nodded slightly: "Okay, if you can't run anymore later, I'll remember to give you a hand and won't let you fall behind."

Song Tie was right next to Jing Tian. As she listened to Jing Tian's words and looked at the complex emotions on Jing Tian's face, which seemed to be a mixture of admiration, love, nostalgia, and seriousness, she couldn't help but turn her gaze to Li Xu.

After watching for a few seconds, Song Tie felt that he couldn't read anything from Li Xu's face. It seemed that this famous director had completely missed Jing Tian's complicated thoughts. He couldn't help but feel that the gossip he was eating was too watery and not sweet at all.

It's truly a difficult situation for Miss Jing Tian to fall for such a big block of wood.

"He really is a blockhead... Jing Tian is absolutely right."

She thought to herself.