From a certain perspective, this script is actually quite inspiring.
Shu Yuxiu earned a large sum of money driving race cars for others, successfully upgrading himself from an ordinary auto mechanic to a somewhat well-known race car driver. Later, he continued to improve himself, learning various extreme sports and meeting many people along the way, who would later make significant contributions to Shu Yuxiu's career development...
Before seeing the script, Xiao He had always thought that the all-around protagonist character that Liu Rulan mentioned must be someone from a wealthy family with a very high social status. But he never expected that he was just a very ordinary person... No, he was not ordinary at all. Someone who could learn and master these skills so quickly could not be an ordinary person. He was a genius!
With that kind of learning ability, honestly, you can succeed at anything!
Xiao He felt that the story went too smoothly. The overall plot development in the early stages did not have any major ups and downs. Later, Shu Yuxiu was suddenly targeted by his father-in-law's rival, slandered, arrested and detained by the police. This part of the plot developed very abruptly.
Moreover, the script he currently has has a very linear plot development. Normally, the protagonist would be able to learn and master these skills over a span of at least several years, but this is not highlighted in the plot—it is possible that the screenwriter deliberately blurred the timeline.
Xiao He suspected that only by joining the film crew and seeing the complete storyline could many inconsistencies be explained.
"Director Ning likes to hold back some details when giving the script, so you can only see the complete script after you join the crew," Liu Rulan explained. "Therefore, you need to study the script carefully and analyze the plot. Director Ning likes to hear your insights on the script during auditions."
Xiao He understood, and at the same time, a strong interest arose in his heart.
So what exactly is the situation with this script?
Could it be that the protagonist, Shu Yuxiu... really killed his wife?
"When can we go for the audition?" Xiao He asked impatiently.
"The preliminary timeframe is before the Spring Festival," Liu Rulan said. "But we will have to wait for further notice regarding more detailed dates."
Xiao He nodded: "Okay."
Liu Rulan smiled and said, "The director this time is Ning Jiaqi. His projects are always very large-scale investments. Judging from the current situation, the auditions for the roles will be very competitive once the crew has finished the pre-production work. You should be prepared."
After all, if you look closely, Ning Jiaqi hasn't made any new movies in recent years. His last relatively well-known film was a commercial film four years ago.
Speaking of which, Zhuang Hongyi can be considered Ning Jiaqi's disciple. Directors from their lineage are almost all very good at making commercial films, and they are considered a relatively authoritative faction in the entire Chinese film industry. Since Zhuang Hongyi began to show his talent and gained absolute authority, Ning Jiaqi has been happy to be at ease and rarely makes any big moves.
What could reignite his passion for filming was probably this script, which had been delayed for ten years.
"The age range for the role of Shu Yuxiu is very wide, between 20 and 40 years old. As long as you don't look old and are handsome, you can basically play the role. You may be competing with many established actors or even Best Actor winners." Liu Rulan continued, "Your biggest advantage right now is your youth, and you have a lot of certifications. Your skills are very close to the character's design. At the same time, you are currently involved in Zhuang Hongyi's investment project, so you have an advantage. Considering these factors, your chances are still very high."
"I see."
Xiao He responded, then seemed to understand something, looking at Liu Rulan with a half-smile: "So, Sister Liu, this so-called requirement for an actor is actually just a requirement you have for me, isn't it?"
Looking back now, it's hard to believe that anyone could possibly meet such stringent skill requirements for actors. They need to be able to race cars, ride motorcycles, dive, skydive, sing, cook, speak foreign languages... These requirements alone would scare away 90% of people in the entertainment industry. Normally, actors only need to know one or two things, or have a basic grasp of the basics; it's almost impossible for them to be truly proficient in everything.
Therefore, this must be Liu Rulan's requirement for him.
"good."
Liu Rulan nodded frankly, not hiding the fact that she had lied to Xiao He before: "Your current qualifications and fame are simply not enough to meet the audition threshold for Ning Jiaqi's lead role, let alone have the opportunity to compete with those famous actors who have been around for many years. So we can only start from other places to give you your own natural advantages and successfully enter Director Ning's range of actors to consider."
Compared to actors who have been famous for many years, Xiao He has only been in the industry for a year. Although he has some fame, he is still a very newcomer.
Compared to actors who have won numerous awards, Xiao He has no substantial achievements yet, so it's unrealistic for him to surpass them.
Therefore, Liu Rulan had no choice but to take a different approach and start with the character design—making Xiao He the actor who most resembled Shu Yuxiu!
"So, my audition for Director Zhuang's 'The Phantom Thieves' was actually a shortcut that Sister Liu had considered beforehand, right?"
“Yes, given the relationship between Zhuang Hongyi and Ning Jiaqi, as long as he is willing to say a few words for us, then this matter is half successful.” Liu Rulan’s expression was gratified. “I just didn’t expect that before I could even hint to Director ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Zhuang about the script, he would take a liking to you and ask you to play the role in ‘Yu Ye’.”
It was truly Xiao He who proved himself worthy.
After listening to Liu Rulan's words, Xiao He fell into a long silence.
To be honest, he was genuinely shocked.
Unexpectedly, even before "The Phantom Thieves" was released, Liu Rulan had already been planning this opportunity for him. She even took a step ahead and helped him leverage his network of connections to secure even greater resources.
In fact, they had been keeping an eye on his relationships and resources for months.
Xiao He truly admired Liu Rulan.
"Alright, stop looking at me with such adoration." Liu Rulan chuckled. "Director Zhuang said you should focus on filming this script first. If you mess up 'Yu Ye,' you can forget about this audition."
“Of course not, Sister Liu—” Xiao He immediately replied with a grin.
So in the days that followed, Xiao He worked even harder.
During the day, he would film as usual, and at night he would continue to study the script of "No Bait".
Before we knew it, it was already mid-January.
It was another busy evening when Liu Rulan brought Xiao He some new news—
"Sea Fog Tracking" will premiere tomorrow on Tencent Video!
Upon hearing this news, Xiao He was momentarily stunned.
Sea fog tracking? What's that?
Oh, that show he rushed to finish filming in two days!
I never imagined that so much time would have passed in the blink of an eye!
Xiao He still remembers that this is the latest work of Wang Xingyuan, the director of "The Burning Heart"!
As someone who specializes in idol dramas, everyone thought he was crazy when he switched to filming suspense dramas.
Even the actors ran away halfway through filming, forcing Wang Xingyuan to ask Xiao He for help to save the day.
To be honest, although Xiao He was quite optimistic about the drama, he didn't have much of a real connection to it.
If Liu Rulan hadn't reminded him, he would have completely forgotten about the show.
The main problem was that the filming was too fast. He finished all the scenes for his character in just two days. There were even some parts that he hadn't fully understood before Wang Xingyuan called "cut" and moved on to the next scene. Xiao He worked non-stop for two days, and the scenes were filmed in fragments. He himself couldn't even imagine what the final product would look like.
Now that he's heard the show is going to air, Xiao He is a little nervous.
Oh no, what was his performance like back then? I didn't even see any finished product from Director Wang.
I didn't expect it to be so fast!
"Is there anything I can do? Just help with the promotion?"
Xiao He asked.
Liu Rulan: "I've already forwarded it for you to promote, but the pre-broadcast reputation of this drama is not very good."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Xiao He frowned slightly, then said, "I'll go check the situation online."
