Entertaining Children

  Chapter 1017 Audition

   "Surprise?" McCann asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"

   "Sorry," Xiao Yao smiled apologetically and said in English, "I just asked Mu why he didn't tell me that Jin also participated in the audition."

"So, you and Ms. Zhou know each other?" McCann immediately understood and said happily, "That's great! When we first auditioned, both Mu and I thought Ms. Zhou was the most suitable actor for this role, but Mr. Mu insisted on waiting for a second audition after you came before he was willing to confirm it."

   “Don’t blame the wood, we have already said that there are several actors who have to wait until I have seen them before finalizing them.” Xiao Yao explained with a smile, “I am also a director and producer!”

"I know!" McCann nodded, and then said, "Since you and Miss Zhou know each other, you should know her situation. She is already a relatively famous actor in the United States and has appeared in three movies, two She is one of the main roles in one of the series. She has been acting for three seasons. She is very experienced in acting!"

   "Yes," Xiao Yao nodded, "We have known each other for a long time and are very good friends. I know everything about her."

   "Since you are friends and know her situation well, can this role be determined?" McCann asked.

  One of the purposes of the union is to try to avoid the black-box operation and insider trading that exist when the cast is cast. It does not mean that the director cannot choose his friend as an actor. Not all actors competing for this role are actors from the Screen Actors Guild of America, and Zhou Jingyi has been in the American performing arts circle for several years and has already joined the Screen Actors Guild. McCann believes that the most suitable candidate on the list is Zhou Jingyi, and Zhou Jingyi is a member of the Actors Guild. McCann really hopes that this role can fall on Zhou Jingyi's head.

   "What do you think?" Xiao Yao looked at Mu Yingdao.

   "Since I have notified her to audition, of course I think she is qualified for this role." Mu Ying shrugged.

   "What about you?" Xiao Yao asked Zhao Rui on the side again.

  "Don't ask me," Zhao Rui smiled and waved his hand, "I am not a director, no matter what the casting is, I am here to watch today!"

  "Then follow the procedure!" Xiao Yao thought for a while, turned his head to look at Zhou Jingyi, waved his hand to an empty chair beside the table and said, "Please sit down!"

   "Thank you!" Zhou Jingyi smiled and sat down.

   "In this movie, there are only three actors who do not need to be auditioned. The others, even Tiffany (Chen Xiaoting), have to go through the audition," Xiao Yao said, "You should know why, right?"

   "Yes, of course I know!" Zhou Jingyi smiled and nodded.

   "Then you should also know the reasons why the three of us don't need auditions." Xiao Yao continued, "I have seen all the movies and dramas you star in, I..."

   "Really?" Zhou Jingyi interrupted with a smile.

   "Uh~" Xiao Yao choked and nodded, "Yes!"

   "Thank you!" Zhou Jingyi smiled, "I am honored!"

   "What is their relationship?" McCann asked in a low voice next to Mu Ying.

   "Friend!" Mu Ying smiled and spread out her hands.

"Okay," Xiao Yao waved his hand. "What I want to say is that I still recognize your acting skills, so I don't need you to perform a certain scene in the script to test your acting skills. However, As you know, our movie is an action movie, and it’s a special action movie. The role you auditioned for is a member of the protagonist team and a parkour master, so..."

   "Are you going to watch me show parkour on the spot?" Zhou Jingyi asked with a smile, "Are you here?"

   "Yes!" Xiao Yao nodded.

  The outdoor cafe they are in is located in a community square, with stone steps, railings, stones, slopes, and an entrance to the underground passage. It is a terrain environment suitable for parkour. They chose to audition here, which originally had the purpose of letting the auditioning actors show off their parkour skills on the spot.

   "Okay!" Zhou Jingyi nodded and stood up, took off her thin coat, put it on her seat chair with her shoulder bag, and walked to the side steps.

  Zhou Jingyi wears a sports underwear underneath her thin coat. After taking off the coat, everyone can not only see the curve of Zhou Jingyi's chest, but also the beautiful muscle lines on Zhou Jingyi's arms and abdomen.

   "You have a good figure!" Zhao Rui couldn't help but whispered in praise.

  Zhao Rui has met Zhou Jingyi twice, once after the kidnapping of Xiao Yao at New York Fashion Week, and once in Los Angeles a few months ago. It was winter in New York Fashion Week, and the clothes were very thick. The time in Los Angeles was Valentine's Day and the temperature was only ten degrees Celsius. The party organized by Dean was not a pool party. Everyone was wearing long-sleeved trousers. So this is the first time Zhao Rui has seen Zhou Jingyi's good figure.

"Ms. Zhou was a hip-hop dancer before she became an actor. What she is good at is action scenes!" McCann introduced to Zhao Rui, "She and her team had won fourth place in the National Street Dance Competition, and she was also good at street dance. She performed well in the competition, and was chosen by the choreographer of a movie before she changed her career as an actor. Her first role in the movie was to act as a hip-hop dancer."

  Although Zhao Rui is not the director who has the right to decide, he is one of the action directors of this movie, and it is obvious that Xiao Yao also values ​​his opinions, so McCann also started to introduce Zhou Jingyi to Zhao Rui.

   "Yes, I have heard of it." Zhao Rui nodded and looked at Xiao Yao.

  Xiao Yao did not react to Zhao Rui and McCann’s conversation, but just looked at Zhou Jingyi who walked to the side.

  In the conversation just now, Xiao Yao found that Zhou Jingyi showed quite self-confidence. Based on his and Zhou Jingyi's understanding of each other, he believes that Zhou Jingyi should know that he would not give her this role just because of his friendship with Zhou Jingyi, or she would not be required to show her parkour skills on the spot. So the reason why she is so confident is mostly because she has been prepared.

  At the party at Dean’s residence one day after Valentine’s Day this year, Xiao Yao and Mu Ying introduced the parkour movie to everyone, and Zhou Jingyi was also there at that time. If Zhou Jingyi had the heart to participate in the role audition at that time, Xiao Yao guessed that she should have started parkour practice from that time.

   "After a few months of practice, will I be able to perform this role?" Xiao Yao said in his heart.

  A few months, enough time for Zhou Jingyi to learn parkour's postures and movements in a good manner, but if it was only a good manner, Xiao Yao would not easily hand over this role. As a member of the starring team, Xiao Yao needs the actor in this role to be a real parkour master.

  Zhou Jingyi randomly found a place as a starting point, warmed up a little, moved the joints of the body, and started to run.

  When Zhou Jingyi started to run, Xiao Yao's eyes were full of prudence and pickiness. But when Zhou Jingyi ran down in a circle, both Xiao Yao and Zhao Rui couldn't help but stare.

   After a lap, Zhou Jingyi sat down and took a sip from the water glass on the table. He smiled and asked Xiao Yao: "Director, what do you think?"

   Xiao Yao did not answer, stared at her for a few seconds, and suddenly said, "You have definitely not only studied for a few months!"

"Uh~" Zhou Jingyi was stunned, and then smiled, "I didn't say that I only studied for a few months! I have known Nathan and the others for a long time, in the year we participated in the National Street Dance Competition. !"

  "You?" McCann curiously asked, "Mr. Xiao also participated in a street dance competition in the United States? I remember that competition was only allowed for Americans."

   "We were not allowed to participate in the year, but later we allowed it, because of him!" Zhou Jingyi smiled and pointed to Xiao Yao.

   "Gosh, Mr. Xiao has participated in a street dance competition in the United States?" McCann was surprised, "Or with Miss Zhou?"

"That's not important!" Xiao Yao waved his hand and looked at Zhou Jingyi. "But you just learned a few moves with Nathan and the others, and you didn't even go running. After the game, you went to shoot MVs and movies. , It’s even more impossible to learn from them. I went to play with Nathan and them a few times before returning to China, and I never heard them say you go to them to learn parkour."

   "Then guess how I got here? Who did you learn from?" Zhou Jingyi smiled.

"It's still Nathan and the others, but not when I was in the United States!" Xiao Yao thought for a while, then turned to question Mu Ying, "Mu, did you tell her that we were going to make a parkour movie in advance? Have you shown all the unfinished scripts to her?"

  This movie was planned two years ago. If Zhou Jingyi started learning two years ago, it would make sense to reach the level she just showed.

"You can't blame me!" Mu Ying smiled and raised his hands. "You introduced me to Jin and asked me to teach her to perform. One time when she came to me, she happened to meet us in a video chat talking about the script. Later she asked me, I can't lie to her that there is no such thing, am I?"

   "But why do you keep hiding from me?" Xiao Yao asked.

"Jin's idea!" Mu Ying said with a smile, "She said this is your YRF movie. You will definitely not agree to let her invest, and she is like everyone else. She always auditioned in the end, so there is no need to let you know. Up."

   Xiao Yao looked at Zhou Jingyi with complicated eyes.

  "I agree!" Mu Ying continued with a smile, "Seeing your expression today, I think this decision is correct. Ha!"

   "Mr. Xiao, what do you think?" Kate McCann couldn't help but interject Xiao Yao.

   "Ms. McCann, is this situation considered black-box operation or insider trading?" Xiao Yao did not answer, but deliberately asked Kate McCann, "Will it be unfair to other auditioners?"

   "Uh~ not count!" Kate McCann shook her head, "It is normal for her to know the news in advance and make preparations in advance for a movie directed by her teacher. This is a manifestation of Miss Zhou's own ability and connections.

  Kate McCann does not know the detailed ins and outs, but the general idea is still understood. It's nothing more than an example of "a place near the water, the month comes first." There is no money or other unethical transactions in it. Of course she has no opinion on it.

   "Since our director Mu has helped her in this way, what else can I say!" Xiao Yao said, "Ms. Zhou's performance is very outstanding, unexpectedly outstanding."

   "So this role is determined?" McCann asked confirmingly.

   "I emphasize one point," Xiao Yao looked at Zhou Jingyi and said, "We have no substitutes for the action scenes in this movie."

   "But we will make sure they purchase adequate insurance for you!" McCann added.

   "If you want to be a stand-in, do you still use the on-site test of parkour skills?" Zhou Jingyi said indifferently, "I already knew this, no problem!"

   "Then this character is definitely yours!" Xiao Yao turned to Mu Ying and said, "You can inform other actors of this character not to audition."

   "I didn't notify the other actors of this role at all." Mu Ying laughed.

  "You~" Xiao Yao glared at Mu Ying.

   "Thank you Director!" Zhou Jingyi stood up, bent over and stretched out her hand to Xiao Yao.

   "Come with me!" Xiao Yao gave her a white look, leaned against the back of the chair, deliberately put his hands on his chest, and turned a blind eye to her outstretched hand.

Zhou Jingyi didn't care about Xiao Yao's attitude. Instead, she took a step forward, bent down and stretched out her hands to hug Xiao Yao before sitting back in her seat.

   "I won't make a short report with Duoer!" Zhao Rui leaned in and said in Chinese with a smile.

   "Go!" Xiao Yao gave Zhao Rui a white look. "Duo'er will come to visit the class after the concert. You can't hide this from her~ No, there is nothing to hide from her!"

   "We didn't bring a contract today," Xiao Yao ignored Zhao Rui, turned to Zhou Jingyi and said, "Tomorrow, we will sign a contract with other actors who have been confirmed."

   "No problem!" Zhou Jingyi said indifferently.

   "You have already confirmed that you are one of the leading actors. If you are fine in the afternoon, you can stay to see other actors auditioning." Xiao Yao said again, "Give us some advice!"

   "Okay!" Zhou Jingyi nodded, "It's okay in the afternoon. It's good to see the actors you might partner with in advance."

  "Wipe your sweat, put on your jacket!" Xiao Yao pulled out a few tissues from the tissue box on the table and handed them over, "There is sea breeze here, beware of colds!"

   "Thank you!" Zhou Jingyi smiled sweetly, took Xiao Yao's tissue and wiped the sweat from her forehead, and put on her coat.

  The actors auditioned one by one. Mu Ying informed each of the actors that the audition time was twenty minutes apart. Zhou Jingyi sat for a while, and then a second actor came to audition.

  All of the cast members who came to the audition today have passed the first test of McCann and Mu Ying, and naturally they all know them. After the second auditioning actor and Xiao Yao, Zhao Rui, and Zhou Jingyi introduced themselves, Xiao Yao first asked Mu Ying to turn on the camera he had brought before the formal audition began.

  In the audition, it is rare for actors to decide on the identity of the role on the spot. Under normal circumstances, the performance of the auditioners is recorded with a video camera, and then go back and watch the comparison slowly. The audition of Zhou Jingyi just now is obviously a special case.

  Because it is a temporary notice, there are only six actors who can audition in the afternoon. The audition started at 2:30 in the afternoon and ended at about 4:30 in the afternoon.

The six actors who came in the afternoon auditioned for several different roles, and the candidates for each role did not come together, so after the auditions in the afternoon were all over, Xiao Yao did not identify any actors for any role, and was ready to wait. The final decision will be made after everyone has finished their auditions tomorrow morning.

  (End of this chapter)