In May, the weather starts to warm up.
Lu Yanhe got out of the car and walked into the studio.
It has been more than a month and almost two months since the filming of "Squid Game" started.
The drama is about to be completed.
Lu Yanhe was about to leave for the Jose-La-Hispanic Film Festival, so he came here this weekend to see how the filming of the drama was going and to visit the set.
The drama's all-star cast has made it the focus of major media outlets since the start of filming.
Lu Yanhe often saw Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan being photographed by Reuters, and sometimes they would become hot searches.
Although Lu Yanhe is not the leading actor of "Squid Game", everyone in the crew knows that he is the screenwriter.
His sudden appearance in the studio also surprised everyone.
Only a few people knew that Lu Yanhe would come today.
The scene to be filmed today is the glass bridge scene.
This scene is about them encountering a new level - a glass bridge built high in the sky. The bridge deck is made up of glass of different surfaces. Some of the glass is solid when stepped on and there is no danger, but some of the glass will shatter once stepped on, and people will fall directly down, plummeting from a high altitude and turning into a pool of flesh and blood.
In order to let the actors experience this real, immersive fear, director Yao Yuanzhi directly placed the filming site five meters above the ground and built a real-life glass bridge. Of course, this glass bridge is safe and will not break if stepped on.
Not only that, an air cushion is also installed under this real-life glass bridge just in case.
However, despite this, the actors were still frightened by the height when they were acting in such a high altitude. The feeling of being cautious and fearful standing on the glass bridge was directly shown without any need for acting.
Lu Yanhe saw the actors standing on the platform from a distance.
Yao Yuanzhi was standing on an elevator, which was located next to the glass bridge.
Yao Yuanzhi is saying something to the actors.
The producer of this drama, Wei Lai, was at the scene. When he saw Lu Yanhe coming, he immediately came over to greet him.
"Yan He, you're here. Why didn't you say hello in advance? I could pick you up at the door."
Wei Lai was sent by the Northern Lights Video, and he knew very well what attitude the Northern Lights Video had towards the young boy in front of him. Therefore, in front of Lu Yanhe, Wei Lai did not dare to be arrogant at all, and his attitude was very enthusiastic.
Lu Yanhe also smiled at Wei Lai and said, "Is Jiang Zixin not here today?"
Lu Yanhe rarely interacts with Wei Lai, and the person who is usually responsible for representing Northern Lights in interacting with Lu Yanhe is Jiang Zixin.
Jiang Zixin is also one of the executive producers of "Squid Game" and "Wulin Waijia".
Wei Lai said: "Zi Xin has something to do at the company today."
"When can we finish filming this play?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Wei Lai said: "The scenes in the studio are expected to be officially completed in about a week. After that, there are still a few outdoor scenes to be shot, which will be completed in about three or four days."
Lu Yanhe: "Then it will be finished soon."
"Yes." Wei Lai nodded, "The filming of this drama went quite smoothly, and all departments cooperated very well."
"That's good."
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream came from above their heads, which scared them all and made them look up immediately.
It turns out that it was the actress Jang Mi-so who played Liu Meiren who was finding her form.
She squatted on the glass bridge and screamed.
Lu Yanhe could still hear Yao Yuanzhi's voice saying to her: "You need to be more heartbroken, the force just now was not enough."
A false alarm.
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought something unexpected had happened.
Wei Lai saw Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief, and she also laughed.
"Now you know what kind of shooting environment we are in every day, right?" Wei Lai said with a smile, "We staff members are often startled by actors suddenly trying out scenes or trying to find their form on the set. I'm almost having a nervous breakdown."
Lu Yanhe also laughed.
"You can roughly imagine this scene. It's really not easy." Lu Yanhe said, "Hearing you say that, it seems that everyone was very dedicated in filming this drama."
“They are very dedicated. They often go to the escape room together after work.”
Jiang Yuqian had mentioned this matter to him.
She said that the actors of "Squidward" often went to play escape rooms together just to find the feeling in "Squidward". The games they played were still thrilling and exciting.
The biggest attraction of this play is not any star, but the subject matter. The actors use various methods to make themselves believe in the story background and get into the performance situation, which actually makes the audience more involved in the play.
Lu Yanhe watched from below for about half an hour.
Because he didn't want to interrupt them by letting the others remind them of his arrival.
Half an hour later, Yao Yuanzhi finally came down by elevator.
As soon as he came down, he saw Lu Yanhe.
"Hey!" Yao Yuanzhi waved his hand happily to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe stepped forward and greeted him: "Hello, Director. You must have been working hard recently. The dark circles under your eyes seem to be worse than the last time I saw you."
Yao Yuanzhi smiled and said, "There is nothing I can do about it. After I finish filming this drama, I will have a good rest and make up for the sleep. Your script is so well written that each scene can be used as a shooting guide for each department. I don't need to give too much explanation, and everyone knows exactly what to do. I have a feeling that this drama will be very popular and will not be worse than "The Seventeenth Floor"."
Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded.
“I think so,” he said. “After this show comes out, you’ll be one of the highest-paid directors.”
Yao Yuanzhi looked excited and said, "Actually, I have an idea that I wanted to talk to you about."
"What idea?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Yao Yuanzhi said: "I really like this story. If the performance after the broadcast is very good, I would like to shoot a second part. I wonder if you have any plans to write a second script?"
Lu Yanhe said: "Not yet, but if the performance is good, this drama is quite suitable for a sequel. It itself is a world view that is quite suitable for developing a sequel."
"Yes." Yao Yuanzhi nodded, "Moreover, many stories can be developed."
Seeing Yao Yuanzhi's excited face, Lu Yanhe smiled, nodded, and said, "Director, if you are interested, go ahead and do it. There is no problem on my side at all."
"Are you willing to give me authorization?" Yao Yuanzhi asked in surprise.
"Yes, of course." Lu Yanhe nodded, "But I don't have time to continue writing the rest of the script. You have to rely on yourself."
Yao Yuanzhi is rubbing his hands, eager to give it a try.
Lu Yanhe certainly agrees with Yao Yuanzhi's idea of filming a sequel or spin-off of "Squid Game". This drama itself is a very commercial story, and if it can be filmed into a series, it means that it can gain greater influence and earn more money.
The fact that Yao Yuanzhi was able to become the director of "Squid Game" shows that he is the most suitable director for this drama, otherwise, Northern Lights would not have found him. With such a person willing to take over and continue to develop "Squid Game", Lu Yanhe only needs to be the screenwriter of the first part and authorize the copyright holder, and he can easily collect the copyright fee and subsequent share of the profits.
After hearing their conversation, Wei Lai immediately became concerned and took the time to report the conversation between Lu Yanhe and Yao Yuanzhi to Zheng Huairen.
-
Lu Yanhe's visit this time was mainly to check the progress of the filming of the drama and see the filming situation.
Lu Yanhe watched the scene and looked at some of the footage shot in the past few days, and he knew in his heart that this play should be ready.
Yao Yuanzhi is a very qualified drama director. He did not play any tricks in this drama at all. Every shot is very crisp and clear, which matches the story style of "Squid Game" itself very well.
Especially in the beginning, when he was shooting the "One, Two, Three, Wooden Man" scene, he didn't want to focus on the close-ups of the actors. In the later part, he didn't do that at all. Obviously, Yao Yuanzhi is a director who has a plan in mind. He knows exactly what he wants to shoot and how he wants to shoot it. When shooting "One, Two, Three, Wooden Man", he wanted to show the cruelty and reality of this death game as much as possible in a panoramic way. Later, as the plot developed and the characters became richer and more three-dimensional, he began to use a closer distance to express the inner struggle of the characters.
He did not use the perspective of an art film to shoot human nature, but used the shooting method of a commercial film. The acting styles of the actors are all relatively extroverted, a very restrained extroverted, whether it is anger or rumors, many shots fully demonstrate the actors' acting skills, giving them ample space to play. At noon, Lu Yanhe ate the crew's box lunch with the actors.
One advantage of filming in a studio is that the dining conditions are better. The crew specially set up a big table for them so that they can sit together and have a relatively hearty lunch.
Jiang Yuqian asked Lu Yanhe: "When are you leaving for Hexi?"
Lu Yanhe said: "Rouge is scheduled to be screened in the middle, I plan to go there a day in advance and come back after attending the premiere."
Jiang Yuqian asked: "Is the schedule so tight again?"
"My classes for this semester haven't ended yet, so I have to rush back to attend classes." Lu Yanhe explained, "I'll be much better next semester. I won't have classes anymore, and I've already written the first draft of my graduation thesis, so I'll have more free time."
Jiang Jun smiled and said, "Then you are completely free from the constraints of time and can do more projects. What other projects do you have in mind?"
"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded. "In addition to Love Letter, there is another movie about youth love to be filmed, but it has not started yet. I have been busy with Love Letter recently."
Jiang Jun asked, "Is there a role I can play?"
"In movies about youth romance, there are only cameo roles," said Lu Yanhe.
"A cameo is fine. I don't have any other roles after filming Squidward," Jiang Jun said. "I have to find a new job for myself."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Okay."
He noticed that Liu Zefan and Wang Jing also seemed eager to speak.
Lu Yanhe quickly said, "I plan to play the male lead of this drama myself, and I already have someone I'm interested in for the female lead."
Originally, Lu Yanhe wanted to say this so that the two of them wouldn't have to ask for roles anymore.
Who would have thought that after he said this, the popular actor Liu Zefan actually plucked up his courage and said, "Then is the second male lead suitable for me? I'm not two years older than you, so I should be suitable for acting in a youth romance movie, right?"
After Liu Zefan spoke, Wang Jing immediately said, "I'm still in college, so I'm definitely suitable."
Director Yao Yuanzhi said with a smile, "Can you two do something? Xiao Jing is still on the rise, but Liu Zefan, you are a popular actor, and many of the top male lead roles are looking for you. You are fine playing a supporting role in our play, but you want to play a supporting role in Lu Yanhe's movie?"
Liu Zefan said: "My agent told me that I would not consider supporting roles in other dramas, but I have no problem playing a supporting role in Yan He's drama."
"Why? Is it because Yan He's dramas are all very popular?" Yao Yuanzhi asked, "Comparison is the thief of joy. If I ask you to play a supporting actor, your agent will definitely not agree."
Liu Zefan shook his head and said seriously, "On the one hand, Yan He's dramas are very popular. On the other hand, the more important reason is that in the dramas written by Yan He, the supporting actors are as good as the leading actors. That's what my agent told me."
Lu Yanhe didn't expect that he would receive such high praise from Liu Zefan's agent.
He clasped his hands together and said, "Thank your agent for me."
Liu Zefan asked: "Can I play the second male lead in your movie?"
"Uh... What I actually want to say is that the second male lead in the movie may not be as outstanding as the policeman you played in Squidward." Lu Yanhe said, "If you are willing to act, I welcome it, but don't take roles rashly or make decisions rashly. I will hand the script to your agent later, and you can study it carefully and get back to me."
Liu Zefan said, "My agent said that if it's your play and there's a chance you can act in it, you don't need to ask him, just agree directly."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He couldn't help asking, "Who is your agent? Why does he trust me so much?"
Liu Zefan said: "Li Xia."
"This name sounds so familiar." Lu Yanhe felt like he had some impression of it, but couldn't match it up.
He does know a lot of people in the entertainment industry, but he can't remember who is who at once.
Jiang Yuqian reminded, "Li Xia also brought another actor, you know him, Meng Li."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized, "Ah? You and Meng Li have the same agent?"
Liu Zefan nodded.
He added: "But Mengli is Mengli, I am me, and I hate Mengli too."
The attitude was immediately made clear.
Lu Yanhe couldn't laugh or cry.
Li Xia.
He remembered the man who was as worldly and shrewd as Zhou Ping'an.
Lu Yanhe suddenly had a drastic change of opinion about Li Xia.
Probably because of Meng Li's relationship, Lu Yanhe's impression of Li Xia was that she was a very worldly and scheming woman.
But after what Liu Zefan said just now, Lu Yanhe suddenly felt that Li Xia was just doing her job, fulfilling her responsibilities and doing her job.
After several exchanges with Liu Zefan, Lu Yanhe has realized that Liu Zefan is a young actor who may be even more stupid and unsophisticated than him. However, he can shine in this situation, and his agent must have played an indispensable role.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Okay, I'll contact your agent later."
A look of happiness appeared on Liu Zefan's face.
Wang Jing couldn't help asking, "What about me? What about me? You can't take Liu Zefan and not me!"
Lu Yanhe looked at this girl who had collaborated with him in "Late Spring" and had excellent acting talent, smiled, and said, "Don't act in this play. I have another role for you."
"Ah?" Wang Jing was stunned at first, then she was delighted, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
Jiang Yuqian suddenly thought of something and looked at Lu Yanhe.
Her eyes were asking, is it her play?
Lu Yanhe nodded slightly.
In "The Call", in addition to the role played by Jiang Yuqian, there is also a role of a young girl. They are the two female protagonists of this movie.
The role of this young girl requires great acting skills. Among the actresses Lu Yanhe knows who can play a student and have such acting skills, only Wang Jing and Sui Fangran from "Three Mountains" are there. In comparison, Lu Yanhe is of course more inclined to Wang Jing, who he is more familiar with.
Within the time it took to have a meal, Liu Zefan and Wang Jing both got invitations to star in Lu Yanhe's next play, which made the other actors inexplicably jealous.
However, they were either not as famous as Liu Zefan, or not like Wang Jing, who dared to ask for a role because she had worked with Lu Yanhe in "Late Spring". None of them were too embarrassed to ask Lu Yanhe for a role.
It’s already great to be able to act in "Squid Game".
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Don't rush to accept roles. After Squid Game is aired, your pay will definitely increase. In addition, you will receive more scripts and have more choices."
When he said this, everyone laughed happily and agreed.
Who among the actors involved in this play doesn’t want this?
Isn't it for this purpose that everyone is eager to participate in Lu Yanhe's project?
Lu Yanhe finished the meal with everyone before saying goodbye to them and leaving.
Before leaving, Jiang Yuqian chatted with Lu Yanhe for a while beside his car.
Jiang Yuqian said: "I was also thinking seriously about one thing while filming "Squid Game" recently."
"What's the matter?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"Do I need to transform myself? Or should I just focus on winning an award?" Jiang Yuqian said, "I don't think either Squid or Phone Call are award-winning dramas. However, I can relate to both roles, especially Jiang Cao. I've been with her for almost two months. I even dream about myself in the story, following her emotional ups and downs."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"I was thinking, maybe my acting skills are not good enough for me to play in the kind of movies that can win awards, but playing these roles that I can resonate with can help me tap into my true emotions and make me become one with the characters." Jiang Yuqian said, "These two films really made me think this way." (End of this chapter)
