China Entertainment Times 1999

Chapter 2 Comrades, come with me!

The broken bus drove around for an hour and finally arrived at the Bayi Film and Television Base.

The base is divided into literary and martial arts areas.

The Wenxi District includes Shuangqing Villa, Jiangnan Water Village, Western-style Buildings, Siheyuan, and the "Beiping No. 1 Prison" built at a 1:[-] ratio.

There are antique villages and towns in the martial arts area. There are many tunnels and bunkers in the area, as well as planes, cannons, tanks, three-wheeled motorcycles and other vehicles.

When the vehicle stopped, Liu Yang held up a loudspeaker and shouted: "Wake up, get out of the car. Be careful not to leave anything behind in the car."

After Lin Xuan got off the car, he stretched his muscles and took a deep breath of fresh air. He felt very energetic.

The people who followed the crew came to the martial arts area to change clothes. They saw a large piece of clothes piled randomly on the ground, and a strong sour smell hit their faces.

"This smell is more refreshing than Fengyoujing."

Lin Xuan couldn't help but complain, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

Otherwise, extra performers have no human rights.

In order to save some money, the crew never washed the costumes performed by the extras. They were dirty, smelly, and contained countless bacteria.

After changing their costumes, the extras looked at each other and couldn't help laughing. The scene was very joyful.

There is a saying that wearing a dragon robe does not look like a prince, and they say that wearing a military uniform does not look like a Eighth Route Army.

Turning to look at Lin Xuan, they suddenly felt sour.

Putting on the military uniform, holding up the rifle, and with his height and appearance, he has the air of a patriotic young man who gave up his pen and joined the army. He stood out among the group of performers.

Mad, he is so handsome.

Not long after, the assistant director of the crew came over to explain the play to them.

Today we are going to shoot a street fight between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese. The Eighth Route Army was suppressed by Japanese firepower and suffered heavy casualties. This means that everyone here will have to die today.

Because of his outstanding appearance and good acting skills, Lin Xuan was named by the assistant director to play the role of the assault squad leader, the one who leads the charge.

So he was upgraded from an extra to a special guest, his salary was increased from thirty to one hundred, and he also added a line: "Comrades, come with me!"

After the assistant director left, the extras found a deserted place and started smoking and bragging.

Life on the set of extras is very boring. At four or five o'clock, they are selected by the group leader to enter the set to change clothes and make up, and then wait for the scene.

Waiting for the venue, waiting for the camera, waiting for the lighting, waiting for the creative...

There are no mobile games in this era, so you can only rely on chatting and bragging to relieve boredom.

Today's filming started at eight o'clock. The crew had dinner at twelve o'clock and continued filming at one o'clock.

At 02:30 in the afternoon, Lin Xuan was "shot to death" during the charge. Then he lay on the ground as a corpse and prayed that the blind people would not step on him.

At six o'clock in the evening, the crew called it a day, returned the props and costumes, and lined up to collect their wages.

Group leaders need to draw commissions for extra performers. Ordinary extras get [-] yuan, prospects get [-] yuan, and special guests get [-] yuan. According to the ratio, it is about [-]%.

Lin Xuan received a salary of 70 yuan from Liu Yang, plus a small red envelope of five yuan from the group.

Anyone who has played a dead person will be given a small red envelope by the crew, and the money will be spent on the unlucky day.

"The extras must gather at my place quickly. If you're late, you can find a way to get back." Liu Yang used a loudspeaker to urge people to get in the car.

A group of people lined up to board the bus and return the same way they came.

By the time we arrived at the Beijing Film Studio, it was already dark.

"Brother Xuan, let's go."

"See you tomorrow, bye."

Several extras said hello and went home.

Lin Xuan was about to go home and open the system when Liu Yang, the leader of the group, stopped him alone:
"My performance was good today. I passed the action lines in one go."

Lin Xuan smiled and gave Liu Yang a cigarette to light: "It's just one word, very simple."

Liu Yang took a sip and said, "You can't say that. If every extra performer were like you, our work would be much easier."

Praise, keep praising, I'm listening.

Lin Xuan smiled and waited for the next step.

Unexpectedly, Liu Yang changed the subject and asked, "Are you still going to work tomorrow?"

"Come on, I won't have money to eat if I don't work." "Don't cry poverty to me."

Lin Xuan has outstanding appearance and qualified acting skills. He plays prospects and special roles every day, so he must have savings in his hands.

Liu Yang came closer and whispered: "A big crew has a special role tomorrow. Do you want to try it?"

"What crew?" Seeing how mysterious he looked, Lin Xuan was very curious.

Liu Yang's expression was pleading: ""My Fair Princess 2"!"

What?
A thunder exploded in Lin Xuan's mind.

"Huan Zhuge Ge"!
A TV series that has never been seen before... and there is a high probability that there will be no one like it.

The highest ratings in mainland China are 65%, and ratings records in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and surrounding countries have been broken in various ways. In the next 20 years, no TV series will be able to challenge its status in ratings.

In order to resist this kind of 'cultural invasion', a certain country also issued a ban on Chinese TV series. This shows how terrifying "Huan Zhuge Ge" is.

The broadcast of this drama made the four leading actors Xiao Yanzi, Fifth Brother, Ziwei and Erkang go from being ignored to becoming popular throughout Asia.

Even the original owner, a straight man, had a poster of Little Swallow on the wall, but Lin Xuan tore it down when he traveled through time.

But whether you like it or hate it, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" is indeed a magical drama that will definitely be written into the history of mainland TV dramas.

"This special offer is really from "Return of the Pearl 2"?"

Pie in the sky, it might be a trap, Lin Xuan had some doubts in his heart.

"Look at this." Liu Yang didn't waste any time and directly took out the crew pass for "Return of the Pearl 2" from his black leather bag.

After careful identification, Lin Xuan believed it was true.

For this kind of special contract with one or two lines, the director and producer don't have the energy to choose it, so they usually leave it to the group leader to find someone.

Audition is also a nice word. In fact, a group of people stand up and say a few lines, and the director and producer choose the one that suits their taste.

Directors and producers look down on this kind of useless thing, but it is a good opportunity for the group leaders to make money.

Lin Xuan knew that Liu Yang was not a philanthropist, so he asked: "Brother Yang, what about the recommendation fee?"

"1000 yuan! I'll tell you the truth, and I won't refund the money if I don't succeed in the audition."

Liu Yang directly gave the quotation. Judging from his demeanor and tone, he did not accept counter-offers.

1000 yuan!
Even with his current income, he would have to go without food for more than half a month to earn it, and it is only an audition opportunity. If he is not selected, there will be no refund. Even if he is selected, the special salary will not exceed 200 yuan.

If it were an ordinary crew, Lin Xuan would definitely turn around and leave.

He could have just grabbed the money, but he still kindly gave me a role.

However, the cast of the audition was "Huan Zhu Ge Ge 2", so the price seemed reasonable.

Why do you still do it when you know it is a loss-making business?

Of course, it is to make the resume of the extras look better.

The two of them went out to look for movies at the same time. The crew asked them which dramas they had filmed. One mentioned a bunch of bad low-budget dramas, and the other said "My Fair Princess 2." The crew had to guess who they would choose.

It is not ruled out that a small number of people run special contracts at their own expense in order to become famous overnight.

Although there are only a few lines, if the character is likable and the performance is good, he may be discovered by other crew directors and break out of the group acting circle and become an actor.

But the probability of this happening is like finding a needle in a haystack. Even Wang Baoqiang became famous by playing the third male lead in the movie "The Blind Shaft".

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xuan nodded vigorously: "Okay, I will give you the money tomorrow."

With a small savings of several thousand in hand, Lin Xuan was ready to give it a try.

"I know you have courage. Wait for me at the gate of Beijing Film Studio at five o'clock tomorrow morning."

Liu Yang patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder, turned around, got in the car and left.

Lin Xuan stood there for a few minutes, calming down his excitement, and then quickly caught up with Wang Baoqiang.

"Come with me to get some money and treat you to a feast."

Wang Baoqiang knew that the leader of the group must be doing something good by leaving Lin Xuan behind. He felt a little envious, but he was too sensible to ask any further questions.

Lin Xuan ate a lot of meat, and he was very satisfied if he could follow it with a sip of soup.

"Thank you Brother Xuan."

(End of this chapter)