Chapter 409: Chapter 325: Gradually Joining the Cast
The scene we’re about to shoot starts with Shen Yao walking into this hair salon.
He gets off his motorcycle, looking incredibly cool, and the girls, including Zhou Yun, have to show that they’re interested in this guy.
Wan Zhiliang directs, "Yuqian, you need to be a bit cuter, let your expressions and emotions be more overt, like you’re seeing a really hot guy you like a lot."
Liu Yuqian laughs, "Don’t worry, director, I’ll definitely be acting in character. Brother Shen is indeed a big hunk that I really like!"
Shen Yao jokes about himself with a smile, "A big hunk, yeah right, I’m already an old hand at this."
Wan Zhiliang turns to Meng Ran, saying, "Meng Ran, you need to maintain a bit of your aloofness, not prudish, but rather portray a clear interest without taking the initiative."
Meng Ran nods, "Okay."
Finally, Wan Zhiliang looks at Zhou Yun with a smile, saying, "Does Teacher Zhou have any thoughts?"
Zhou Yun is pleasantly surprised, quickly shakes her head, and says, "Don’t call me teacher, Director. Predecessors like Zhenxi and Brother Shen are the real teachers. I’ve just started; you scared me!"
Wan Zhiliang says, "Your acting is widely recognized as being good."
Zhou Yun: "No, no, don’t say that. I haven’t been acting for long; I need more guidance from you all, what are your thoughts, Director?"
Wan Zhiliang looks at her in surprise, asking, "Do you still need my feedback?"
"Oh, Director, it’s my first time playing this kind of role. I’m not sure," Zhou Yun reiterates her stance.
Only then does Wan Zhiliang say, "The woman you’re playing, Dong Zhimei, comes from the countryside, a bit over-the-top in her behavior. She doesn’t really get along with others at the salon, but she isn’t of a gloomy disposition. Even if she doesn’t get along with others, she doesn’t see it as her problem. She’s someone who believes that one day she will turn the world upside down. So when you see Shen Yao, although you’re also very attracted and think this man is handsome, there’s a bit of coyness in your heart. This restraint you exhibit is different from Meng Ran’s inactivity. Meng Ran’s character is due to her confidence in her looks and figure; her aloofness is a posture, waiting for Shen Yao to approach her. Your coyness and lack of initiative come from a belief that it doesn’t matter; Shen Yao is handsome, but not the man you must obtain."
After listening to Wan Zhiliang, Zhou Yun realizes that his understanding is exactly like hers.
"I get it. So, when I see Brother Shen, what should I do? The part I find difficult right now is that I’m actually quite high on myself internally, but my appearance is very plain. This creates a strong sense of contradiction, and I’m worried that I might accidentally portray a melancholic character."
The key point is, Dong Zhimei is not such a person.
Hearing this, Wan Zhiliang’s eyes light up, and he nods, saying, "The reason for this contradiction is because at the beginning, the character was initially designed as a narcissist. Later, she was written in another way, as plain and ordinary, and finally, both were combined into this version. Initially, I considered changing her plain appearance, but then the character would become too monodimensional, with only one trait, becoming caricatured."
"Hmm," Zhou Yun nods, "Such a character’s contradictions add more depth and imply more substance. It’s a pity that there isn’t much screen time to show it all."
She laughs helplessly.
Wan Zhiliang waves his hand, "Actually, it’s quite good. If this character were the protagonist of a movie, it could only be a literary film, but placed in a comedy road movie, her role as a person whom Brother Shen encounters along the way can create very comedic situations. Good comedy comes from the pleasant surprises found in conflict. We don’t need to analyze in the movie why Dong Zhimei is so narcissistic, why she also wraps her narcissistic heart in a plain outer layer, but rather through Shen Yao’s eyes, let the audience’s impressions of Dong Zhimei shift twice. The contrast before and after each shift is comedy."
Zhou Yun realizes that Wan Zhiliang actually has some solid insights, not one of those directors without ideas.
The worst fear for a director is to have no ideas, able only to produce a passable product that’s bland.
Zhou Yun and the others practice following Wan Zhiliang’s ideas a couple of times.
"Xiao Ran, your pose needs to be a bit sexier, that kind of allure that hints at more but stops short," Wan Zhiliang says.