director of the millennium

Chapter 8 Remember the light rain of apricot blossoms that year...

For a group of sixth-generation directors like Wang Xiaoshuai, in their films, the performance level of the actors is not the most important thing.

Their films pay more attention to abstract artistic conception, experimental shooting techniques, and the art of light and shadow brought about by techniques such as lighting, screen, composition, and white space.

Although most of their movies focus on small characters, the whole movie shows a big proposition of criticizing a certain social phenomenon.

To put it simply, what their movies sell is the overall story, what they sell is the self-concept reflected in the film, and they are used to export values, social outlook and show off their skills.

It's not a movie that looks at actors' acting skills like "Return", "The Godfather", "Joker" and "Shutter Island".

Therefore, it is generally difficult for their films to praise the acting talents, nor can they praise the best actors and actresses. This is the strength of the fifth generation directors.

Even after watching their movies, the audience rarely remembers the actors, and most of the actors who participated in them are still unknown after the filming is over.

Therefore, "17 Years Old Bicycle" found four leading actors who had never studied acting, and it did not delay the filming of the film at all.

Except for Zhou Xun, the leading actors only need to act in their true colors and don't need to contribute much advanced acting skills, including Wu Yuan.

But the problem lies in this "acting in true colors"!
Sitting in the grove by the back sea, Wu Yuan looked at the lake with a melancholy expression, sighed and stretched out his hand to call for a stop.

"Director, give me a few minutes to adjust."

Wang Xiaoshuai, who was sitting behind the monitor, stuck his head out, glanced at Wu Yuan in confusion, and waved his hand impatiently in response.

Wang Xiaoshuai thought that this scene would be the most difficult between Wu Yuan and Gao Yuanyuan, but he didn't expect that the difficult part was that Wu Yuan couldn't show the youthful feeling of a young child!
In his opinion, Wu Yuan, a 16-year-old student who was admitted to the Film Academy and has never heard of a relationship, how could it be difficult to act in this kind of drama?
Just show your true colors!

With such a beautiful woman like Gao Yuanyuan kissing him in front of his eyes, can he not have a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, or anxiety?

Wang Xiaoshuai was originally afraid that Wu Yuan would be too shy and nervous, which would destroy the love for each other!
There is only one sentence in the script for this scene: "Xiao Jian and Xiao Xiao were sitting by the lake. After a while, Xiao Xiao took the initiative to get up and walk into the woods. Xiao Jian followed and stood side by side with her."

Then, "Nervously and shyly, I approached Xiaoxiao's cheek and wanted to kiss her cheek. The ambiguous atmosphere of youthful first love lingered around the two of them..."

There is only one sentence in the script, but in fact, this scene takes more than a minute to be filmed, and there is no dialogue between the two during the whole process, all relying on demeanor, expression, and micro-movements to show the ambiguity that lingers between teenagers and girls Emotion and atmosphere.

Gao Yuanyuan did it very well, whether it was the shyness of the girl, or the courage to take the initiative to close her eyes and hint that she could kiss, she acted very well.

Hey, but Wu Yuan's acting is all wrong, his face doesn't blush, his heartbeat doesn't speed up, and he doesn't feel any tension when he gets close to Gao Yuanyuan's cheek.

How does this look like an innocent boy?

"He's just a libertine with countless girls and a face thicker than a city wall!"

These are the exact words that Wang Xiaoshuai scolded him.

Wu Yuan NGed eight times, wasting 2 boxes of 400 feet of film!

If the director didn't scold people, he would be a ghost!

And Wang Xiaoshuai was not wrong at all!
Although Wu Yuan is 18 years old physically, his mental age is really not that young.

Although the things experienced in the dream were all a dream, after waking up, they only became a deep memory in the brain.

But Wu Yuan, who has repeatedly recalled these memories many times in the past two years, has unknowingly matured a lot in mental age.

Not to mention anything else, after the coal boss in the dream movie industry entered the stage, the blue ocean of the industry opened up. From assistant director to executive director, he has been knocked on the door by many actresses.

Although he has never taken the initiative to hide from anyone, he can't stop people from always coming to his door to hide!

Those who can hang out in this circle for 20 years are already impure!
It’s not that I don’t believe that there is true love in the industry, but I don’t mean that I will get excited and nervous when I see a celebrity.

Even if the 21-year-old Gao Yuanyuan who was filming with him was tender and beautiful, Wu Yuan only looked at him with admiration, and it was difficult to produce the excitement, nervousness and anticipation of a young boy.

He really doesn't know how to act out the emotion of a young boy facing a girl he likes for the first time.

Wu Yuan has never learned the most basic liberating nature of an actor!
Asking the director for some time to adjust, Wu Yuan quietly looked at the lake, thinking about how to perform this scene well.

Although he has never studied it, he has watched it a lot, and he also knows that there are method actors and experiential actors.

There is no way for him to be sent by the method, and he has never learned any method.

But the experience group can have it!

Wu Yuan tried to look through the memories in his dreams, trying to find out the first time he was knocked on the door by a young actor to "discuss the script."

I remember it was the summer of 2005.

Ashamed to say, Wu Yuan was still a virgin at that time.

No way, when he was studying at the Film Academy, because he was the youngest in the school, he entered the freshman year at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Other students thought he was too young, so he devoted himself to studying again. Not in love.

After graduation, his grades were not so good that the school voluntarily asked to stay in school, and the job of contract assignment was long gone, and he was unwilling to enter a studio within the system, so he could only look for work in Beijing, Hengdian, and Xiangshan. Become a professional photography assistant.

It was not until 2005 that he became the assistant cameraman of the crew of "Legend of Heaven and Earth".

It was a light rainy night with apricot blossoms. Wu Yuan was about to take a rest after reviewing the shooting process for the next day, when there was a gentle knock on the door.

At that time, he didn't realize what happened, until he opened the door in a daze, and saw an actress wrapped in a bath towel, whose hair was still dripping.
"Teacher Wu, the shower in the bathroom in my room is broken for some reason, and there is no water in the middle of washing. Can I borrow your bathroom?"

How did he react at that time?

"Shy, flustered, nervous, uneasy, mixed with a little bit of fear..."

Recalling the youthful and terrified self at that time, Wu Yuan finally found the feeling.

For the next shoot, everything went smoothly.

"Okay, I feel it this time!"

"But, junior brother, who told you to kiss me?"

Wang Xiaoshuai's words woke Wu Yuan and brought him back from the memory in his dream.

When he came to his senses again, he realized that his lips had been lightly pressed on Gao Yuanyuan's left cheek.

"I've already said it, it's like a kiss. Even if it's like a kiss, in fact it's still not a kiss!"

Wang Xiaoshuai joked, winking, "But I can understand that it's normal for a young man of your age to be so close that he can't hold back."

"Come on, let's do it again, this is the last time!"

Only then did Wu Yuan notice that Gao Yuanyuan's face in front of him was already as red as fire.

"Why didn't she hide?" A question arose in Wu Yuan's mind, but he extinguished it in an instant.

"Sister Yuanyuan, I'm really sorry. I have no experience in acting. I was too involved just now. I'm really sorry." Wu Yuan apologized decisively.

Gao Yuanyuan lowered her head, bit her lips with silver teeth, and said softly: "It doesn't matter, it's all for filming."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her head and took deep breaths to adjust her mood and state.

Wu Yuan didn't know what to say and looked awkwardly at the swallows flying over the lake in the distance.

After this scene was hailed by Wang Xiaoshuai as the most difficult to shoot, the filming of Wu Yuan and Gao Yuanyuan's scenes was put on the fast track.

Within a few days, the filming of the scenes between the two of them was finished, and Cui Lin also joined in the filming.

The rivalry scene between Wu Yuan and Cui Lin was not easy to shoot, it was not a love affair, but a scene of various chases and fights.

Not only fighting with him, but also fighting with punks and bastards!

In the last days of filming "17-year-old Bicycle", the two of them filmed all kinds of youth chasing and killing scenes, running for several days in a row!
It’s true that I have to run just after eating, and I also run at three o’clock in the middle of the night, and continue to run until I vomit it out. That is to say, both of them are only 18 years old. The physical fitness is really hard enough, otherwise it’s really not enough for Wang Xiaoshuai. .

Moreover, the other young ensemble performers who filmed the beating scene were inexperienced. They were too heavy-handed in order to be realistic. Both Wu Yuan and Cui Lin would inevitably be beaten. Wang Xiaoshuai didn't care, and thought it was more real!
After several days of back and forth shooting, both of them were scarred.

In Wu Yuan's words, this man has never been beaten like this in his life and half of his life in his dream!

Fortunately, after all these scenes were filmed, "17-year-old Bicycle" was finally finished.

A total of 14 days of shooting was completed one day earlier than Wang Xiaoshuai expected!
At the time of the finale, Zhou Xun was no longer on the set, only Wu Yuan, Gao Yuanyuan, Cui Lin, and all the actors Wang Xiaoshuai recruited from Beijing Film Studio to play supporting roles attended the finale banquet.

"The work that belongs to the actors is considered complete."

During the dinner, Wang Xiaoshuai frequently raised his glass to drink with Wu Yuan, patted his shoulder vigorously, and said encouragingly: "This movie, whether it is me or the investors, is going to the three major European film festivals."

"If nothing unexpected happens, this film should be included in next year's Berlin Film Festival!"

"If you're lucky, you and Cui Lin will be nominated for the best newcomer."

"By February next year, senior brother will take you to Berlin!"

Wu Yuan grinned: "Okay, then wait for the good news from Senior Brother!"

"17-year-old bicycle", other people don't know, but he knows it all too well!

This is the film that won the Jury Prize at the 51st Berlin International Film Festival!
Wu Yuan thought that although his acting skills were not good, his performance in this movie was no worse than that of the original actor Li Bin!

Who told Wang Xiaoshuai to meet Wu Yuan first this time, and then fell in love with him!

Li Bin is also a layman with no academic qualifications. He doesn’t understand acting at all, and his acting skills are not as good as his!
Since Li Bin can win the [New Talent Actor Award] at the Berlin Film Festival with Cui Lin, then he can too!
Speaking of which, this actor who was lucky to be chosen by Wang Xiaoshuai in his life trajectory is not the most well-known works of the literary films he made, but Lu Xiaoqian of "Magic Phone"!
While sipping his wine, Wu Yuan thought, when Wang Xiaoshuai was going to shoot "Green Red" in a few years, he had to find an opportunity to dig out Li Bin and introduce him to Wang Xiaoshuai.

Li Bin's performance in "Blue Red" is still remarkable.

I believe Wang Xiaoshuai can train him out!
(End of this chapter)