Sometimes Xiao He really admired Ning Jiaqi's imagination.
The entire production team only gave him the complete script, letting him figure out the plot before and after the scene, while the actors he acted with might not know what was going on until they "died," all of them remaining on the first level.
However, this approach does have its advantages. It makes his performance more nuanced among all the actors, while the others, kept in the dark and cooperating with Xiao He's "performance," are less likely to break character.
Director Ning really trusted him too much; he actually relied on him to fool the entire crew...
Xiao He's worries didn't last long before he and Sister Liu flew back to Beijing to prepare for the start of filming for "No Bait".
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The pre-production of "No Bait" was very low-key. Apart from the casting process causing a stir in the industry, fans outside the industry didn't know much about it. Even the opening ceremony was very simple. It was held at a film and television base in the suburbs of Beijing. No media were invited to take photos. A group of people simply offered incense and prayed according to the normal procedure, and then they were ready to start filming.
Firstly, the script is quite special; it's kept secret not only from outsiders but also from the crew itself. Therefore, Ning Jiaqi doesn't want to attract too much attention, lest it affect the filming of the story.
Secondly, the production team had very few popular actors; almost all of them were skilled actors, and they were all well-known supporting actors in film and television works. The overall tone of the production team was not focused on popularity, so the initial investment in the film's popularity was not large, and the main effort was made in later promotion.
If one had to say something, Xiao He might be considered an anomaly.
More precisely, in this crew where the average age was over 30, Xiao He was the only young man in his twenties.
During the makeup trial, Xiao He's appearance was maintained at around thirty years old, but when he was offering incense, he wasn't wearing makeup and stood out among the group of people.
When Xiao He bent down to offer incense, he felt like his back was being stared at so intently that it was almost rotten.
But he didn't care. He ignored the probing, questioning, or curious glances, and slowly stepped off the stage after setting up the incense.
In fact, if it weren't for Ning Jiaqi's reputation, several veteran actors would probably have quit on the spot.
After all, no one is happy to be overshadowed by a younger actor.
Fortunately, the first scene after filming started was the last scene of Xiao He's audition—the investigation team questioned Shu Yuxiu about the truth of the case in the interrogation room, but Shu Yuxiu turned the tables on him, asking the investigation team to clear his name and looking forward to the investigation.
Xiao He had thoroughly studied this scene and could perform it with ease. Moreover, Xiao He guessed that Ning Jiaqi also intended for him to use his performance in this scene to establish his authority and gain a foothold in the crew.
Xiao He's co-star was a middle-aged actor named Duan Huai, who often played police officers; he was practically a "police specialist." From the initial readings to the start of filming, he never really liked Xiao He. It's unclear whether it was because he was a "police specialist" while Xiao He was a "villain specialist," but every time he looked at Xiao He, his eyes were always scrutinizing and arrogant, which made Xiao He feel very uncomfortable.
However, Xiao He didn't really want to clash with these people, so he simply pretended not to see them.
Before filming officially began, Duan Huai deliberately and subtly reminded Xiao He, "Little Xiao, good luck later."
Xiao He glanced at Duan Huai and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Okay, Teacher Duan, let's all do our best."
Before filming began, Liu Rulan had already taken Xiao He to visit many people in the crew, especially several respected veteran actors. She not only brought Xiao He gifts to express goodwill, but also deliberately mentioned in her remarks the praise and closeness that teachers Zhuo Jianhua and Gao Zhenxia had shown to Xiao He. The veteran actors stared at Xiao He thoughtfully, and then went back to confirm with their old friends.
After receiving a positive answer, their attitude towards Xiao He softened considerably, and they no longer publicly opposed his casting as the male lead.
As for Duan Huai... Liu Rulan didn't take Xiao He to befriend him and give him gifts alone.
Therefore, Duan Huai is probably not important and poses no threat to him.
Xiao He simply couldn't be bothered to pay attention to people anymore.
However, since everyone is saying that we should all work together, he definitely has to do his best, right?
So when the first scene started filming, Xiao He went all out, portraying Shu Yuxiu to the fullest. Even sitting in the interrogation room, at a disadvantage due to suspicion from the police, he remained calm and composed, controlling the entire scene. Throughout the dialogue, he led Duan Huai, crushing Duan Huai's aura.
When Ning Jiaqi yelled "Cut!", Duan Huai's face immediately turned dark.
After watching the replay, Ning Jiaqi chuckled and commented, "Not bad, you guys worked together very well, you got it in one take!"
The fact that the crew got their first scene right in one take was undoubtedly a good omen for everyone.
Duan Huai felt even more aggrieved.
His original plan was to use his acting skills to outshine Xiao He, make the kid look foolish and fail in his performance, and then Director Ning would be dissatisfied and demand a reshoot.
If Xiao He fails the first scene, others will definitely have bad thoughts when they find out.
After all, there are quite a few superstitious people in the film crew, so there will definitely be more people who have opinions about Xiao He.
But to his utter surprise, Xiao He caught it all and even overpowered him with his aura, dominating the entire plot and perfectly matching the requirements of the script!
hateful!
"Xiao He is quite good. He was able to keep up with Duan's performance even when he was going all out. I can finally rest assured."
Ning Jiaqi, however, was not about to let Duan Huai off the hook. He raised his hand, patted Duan Huai's shoulder, and asked with a half-smile, "Teacher Duan, don't you think so?"
Clearly, as the director, Ning Jiaqi also saw through Duan Huai's little scheme.
Naturally, he chose to put pressure on Duan Huai and stand on Xiao He's side.
Duan Huai understood Ning Jiaqi's implied meaning, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He dared not have any other thoughts and nodded repeatedly: "I think so too. Xiao Xiao's acting is quite good."
Xiao He smiled and agreed, "Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Duan."
Therefore, Duan Huai didn't dare to deliberately make things difficult for Xiao He in the following scenes—or rather, he couldn't make things difficult for Xiao He. Xiao He's selection as the male lead was certainly well-deserved, and during filming, Duan Huai's acting simply couldn't overshadow Xiao He's.
So in order to avoid being noticed by others, Duan Huai could only force a smile and "comment" on Xiao He's acting skills in the manner of a senior, which was also a way of saving face for himself.
Xiao He did not pursue the matter further, and he and Duan Huai successfully completed the rest of the story.
After the performance, Liu Rulan was already waiting in the dressing room.
"How was it?" Liu Rulan asked with a smile. "Did no one give you any trouble?"
"No." Xiao He shrugged. "That Duan Huai did try to pull some tricks, but I thwarted him, so it's as if nothing happened."
"That's just the kind of guy he is. Once you teach him a lesson a few times, he won't dare to do it again." Liu Rulan chuckled. "He's also an artist under Jiaxing Entertainment. As people get older, they think their acting skills have improved, but in the end, they find that it's their temper that has grown."
Liu Rulan didn't even bother mentioning this kind of person to Xiao He; she knew Xiao He could handle it.
Sure enough, Xiao He subdued the man in one go.
