“Director Li, this is Chen Cheng’s phone.”
Looking at Yang Mi’s reply, Director Li, who was handling the editing for 《Wang Zhaojun》, laughed. “I almost forgot about that kid.”
That was right.
Although 《Wang Zhaojun》 had wrapped,
the overall work on a film was not yet finished.
As the Director, Li was still handling the editing.
While Director Li was busy editing, he happened to think of Chen Cheng.
Or rather,
it was not exactly that he remembered him. While organizing the materials, Director Li had discovered the script supervisor’s notebook Chen Cheng had left behind with the film crew.
The script supervisor’s notebook was the script supervisor’s workbook, used to record various matters during filming.
Normally, notebooks like this were not allowed to be taken away.
Director Li had originally only flipped through it casually.
Unexpectedly,
after turning a few pages,
he saw that the thick script supervisor’s notebook was already densely covered with records.
Aside from recording the duties Chen Cheng had handled as script supervisor,
Chen Cheng had also used a director’s perspective to record the actors’ performances and the key points of filming.
More importantly,
Chen Cheng had drawn the storyboard script for 《Wang Zhaojun》 episode by episode in this notebook.
“This kid really is talented.”
Looking at the storyboards,
Director Li did not think the storyboard script was better than the one he had drawn himself.
In fact, because Chen Cheng lacked experience, there were even various low-level problems.
Still, there were quite a few points that Director Li found exceptionally brilliant.
This included some of the dialogue in the storyboard script.
Director Li felt that in many places, this dialogue was even better than the dialogue in the original Screenplay.
Unfortunately,
the film crew had wrapped.
If filming had not wrapped,
some scenes could genuinely have been shot according to Chen Cheng’s storyboard script.
But precisely because the film crew had wrapped, Director Li felt even more strongly that Chen Cheng was a rare talent.
He would be filming again in the future.
If he had the time, he could bring the little fellow over to assist him again.
Just as he was thinking this,
Director Li received a call.
“Director Li, congratulations, congratulations, congratulations on your 《Wang Zhaojun》 wrapping.”
“Director Yu, what’s there to congratulate? Wang Zhaojun has only wrapped. It’ll still be a long time before it airs.”
“You’re being modest again, Director Li. With your reputation, I estimate that once you finish editing this production, a whole host of television stations will be fighting to acquire it.”
“That’s thanks to you, Director Yu. What brings you, such a busy man, to call me? I heard you’ve taken on an incredible production, The Return of the Condor Heroes. Good for you.”
“It really is incredible, but I’m just working for Producer Zhang.”
“So, have the roles been decided? I heard actors throughout the industry have already started fighting over the Male and Female Leads.”
“They haven’t been completely decided yet. I’m planning to go to the Beijing Film Academy soon and hold auditions first. But this production is on a tight schedule, and I want to find an assistant director. Someone young, with a certain amount of talent. Do you know any little fellows over there? Recommend a few to me.”
“How would I know any? If you need an assistant director, you might as well go to the Beijing Film Academy directing department and find a few students…”
As he was speaking,
Director Li suddenly thought of Chen Cheng. “Wait, wait. Now that you mention it, I really do know one.”
“Who?”
“Chen Cheng.”
“Who’s Chen Cheng?”
“The little fellow used to work as a script supervisor here.”
“Forget it if he’s only a script supervisor.”
“He’s not an ordinary script supervisor. This little fellow is extremely capable.”
“What makes him so capable?”
“It’s hard to explain in a sentence or two. How about this? I’ll take a few pictures of the script supervisor’s notebook he wrote and send them to you.”
After hanging up,
Director Li took out a camera and snapped more than a dozen consecutive pictures of Chen Cheng’s script supervisor’s notebook, then sent them to Yu Ming’s email.
…
“I heard Director Yu is coming to our Beijing Film Academy tomorrow to hold auditions.”
“Who’s Director Yu?”
“Yu Ming—the one who filmed 《Blue Enchantress》. You don’t even know that?”
“Blue Enchantress? I know that one.”
“That’s not all. Do you know which production Director Yu is directing this time?”
“Which one?”
“The Return of the Condor Heroes.”
“Holy crap, that’s a major production. Huh, wasn’t this supposed to be Zhang the Bearded’s project?”
“Zhang the Bearded is the Producer. Director Yu is the actual director.”
“I see.”
“What do you think? I heard the Male and Female Leads still haven’t been decided. Interested?”
“Very interested. I think I could play Yang Guo.”
“Give me a break. At most, you could play Da Wu and Xiao Wu.”
“Da Wu and Xiao Wu would be fine too.”
“You wouldn’t get that role either. Even Da Wu and Xiao Wu aren’t roles just anyone can obtain. But no matter what, let’s register first.”
“I’m registering too. Where do we sign up?”
“The Student Union’s External Relations Group.”
“Go.”
It had already been a month since they returned to school.
As usual, classes at the Beijing Film Academy continued normally.
As for Chen Cheng,
aside from attending his regular acting classes, he often went to the Directing Department to sit in on classes during his free time.
However, for some reason,
although Chen Cheng had learned quite a lot of theory during this period, his various attributes were increasing very slowly.
Chen Cheng guessed that theory probably had to be combined with practice.
But Chen Cheng was currently only a sophomore, and he was not a Major Star or anything, so naturally no one invited him to film a production.
Therefore, he could only attend classes obediently like most students.
Still, the Beijing Film Academy was the Beijing Film Academy.
Its resources were quite good.
From time to time, various film crews came to the Beijing Film Academy to hold auditions.
Thus, rumors would periodically spread around campus about this or that Senior Sister or Senior Brother being chosen by a film crew and becoming famous overnight.
For example, Huang Shengyi and Jia Nailiang from the Class of 2001, and Liu Yifei and Jiang Yiyan from the Class of 2002, among others.
And now,
another major production had come to the Beijing Film Academy today: The Return of the Condor Heroes.
As a classic Wuxia masterpiece, the news that The Return of the Condor Heroes was holding auditions
caused the entire Beijing Film Academy to erupt.
Countless Beijing Film Academy students, including graduate students in the master’s program and even Beijing Film Academy lecturers, were all tremendously tempted.
At this moment,
Yang Mi was likewise tempted and signed up together with Yuan Shanshan and Zhang Xiaofei.
At lunch in the cafeteria,
the three of them ran into Chen Cheng.
Yang Mi waved at Chen Cheng. “Chen Cheng, over here.”
Chen Cheng carried his tray over and sat across from Yang Mi.
“Chen Cheng, I heard The Return of the Condor Heroes is holding auditions at our school. Did you sign up?”
“I did.”
“Which role do you want to play?”
“The Dragon Knight.”
“The Dragon Knight?”
The three of them were stunned.
Zhang Xiaofei was the first to react. “Scumbag.”
Chen Cheng said helplessly, “Playing the Dragon Knight makes me a scumbag? Fine, I’ll be honest. I didn’t sign up.”
“Seriously? You didn’t even sign up for The Return of the Condor Heroes? What are you thinking?”
Yang Mi was somewhat surprised.
“What’s the point of signing up? Even if I did, I wouldn’t be selected, so I might as well not register. Or maybe I’ll ask them later whether they need a Stagehand. I think I still have a chance that way.”
“You’re just talking nonsense.”
Yang Mi scolded Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng said, “What about you? Did you sign up?”
“I did.”
“Which role are you preparing to audition for?”
“Guo Fu.”
“…”
As he ate, Chen Cheng shook his head. “Guo Fu doesn’t suit you.”
“Chen Cheng, you’re not a director. How would you know Mimi isn’t suited to play Guo Fu?”
Yuan Shanshan, sitting beside them, glared at Chen Cheng and spoke.
Zhang Xiaofei, however, asked, “Chen Cheng, since you say Mimi isn’t suited to play Guo Fu, which role do you think suits her?”
“Guo Xiang.”
Chen Cheng said.