Liu Manbo has shoulder-length hair that is a little curly, but because he is rather big and sloppy, he would not be mistaken for a girl because of when sitting at the table, Lu Yanhe could clearly feel his awkwardness and uneasiness.
Lu Yanhe knew that this was because in Liu Manbo's eyes, he had the ability to change his career situation.
"Have you had dinner? I've been recording the show, and I ate some boxed lunches prepared by the production team. I didn't dare eat too much for fear of getting food dizziness." Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
Liu Manbo said: "I just ate a bowl of instant noodles in the hotel."
Lu Yanhe is actually not good at starting a conversation with others.
Liu Manbo doesn't think so either.
Lu Yanhe immediately glanced at Wang Biao.
Wang Biao, who was eating fish, immediately understood what he meant and put down his chopsticks and asked, "Teacher Mambo——"
"You are not worthy of being a teacher." Liu Manbo immediately waved his hand.
Wang Biao smiled and said, "I called you the wrong name. I should have called you Director Liu."
Liu Manbo waved his hands even more embarrassedly.
"I haven't filmed anything before, what kind of director is this?"
Lu Yanhe asked: "The short film you directed before was highly praised by everyone."
Liu Manbo smiled a bit embarrassedly and said, "It's, it's OK. The teachers are quite encouraging."
"You should have seen the news about the opening ceremony of the drama "19 Years of Crime Records"?"
Liu Manbo nodded.
"I see. This kind of thing broke out on the first day of filming. I guess the crew is in a state of panic. Mr. Xiao Lu is one of the producers of this drama, right?" Liu Manbo asked.
When Lu Yanhe heard himself being called "Little Mr. Lu", he couldn't help laughing.
"What's wrong?" Liu Manbo suddenly became a little nervous.
"It's okay, I just never been called Mr. Lu before, haha." Lu Yanhe laughed, "It sounds fresh, thank you."
Wang Biao said, "Brother Lu, you are now the boss of Linghe. In the future, more and more people will call you the boss."
Lu Yanhe: "I feel like I can go the domineering route in the future."
Wang Biao immediately said, "It's better not to do that, Brother Lu. If you are always a boss, you will be too bossy."
Liu Manbo looked at the two of them with some surprise.
With Lu Yanhe and Wang Biao's deliberate "harmony", Liu Manbo finally became less reserved towards Lu Yanhe.
"Director Chen Lingling said that you have very good photography skills." Lu Yanhe asked curiously, "Why didn't you become a photographer directly, but came to "The Birth of an Actor" to be a director?"
Liu Manbo said: "To be honest, the photographer should cooperate with the director and shoot the style the director wants. I still hope to have more autonomy."
He added: "Besides, actually I wanted to apply for the directing department at first, but I didn't get in and was admitted to the photography department."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Your photography style is indeed unique. At first glance, it looks very plain. It's not the kind of big filter that attracts the eye at first glance, but the pictures are very clean and comfortable to look at. It has a bit of a Japanese feel, but their feeling is more based on the processing of light and color. You are different from them."
Liu Manbo looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise and said, "Many people say that the pictures I take are very Japanese-style. Every time I want to explain to them that it's not the same thing, I don't know how to say it. You actually pointed it out directly. I really don't like to modify the picture through post-production of light and shadow and color. I like to shoot with natural light."
“Photographing with natural light is much more difficult. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for the light, which is very limited by the situation at the time of shooting.”
"Yes." Liu Manbo nodded. "If the conditions really don't allow it, then we can only adjust it through technical means."
Lu Yanhe said: "In fact, it is difficult to shoot a TV series according to your ideas. The shooting volume is large and the time is tight."
Liu Manbo nodded: "These are all technical issues. Anyway, when we get to the scene, we will make choices based on the situation. The most important priority is to complete the filming as planned."
"I saw that you were also an assistant director." Lu Yanhe smiled.
"Yes, in fact, the filming of that play was quite bumpy. The chief director was basically just a figurehead and was not on the set half of the time. Most of the scenes were shot by the three of us assistant directors." Liu Manbo said frankly, "I was very happy because after all, I had the opportunity to be the director on the set without him."
The corners of his mouth quirked up.
Lu Yanhe also laughed.
"Did you have another chance to direct a movie independently?" he asked.
"No, basically no chance." Liu Manbo shook his head. "I haven't signed a contract with a film and television company or platform, so this kind of opportunity usually doesn't come to me. I didn't catch up with the booming video website at that time. At that time, there were many opportunities. Even if you were not a director, as long as you had a good short film, you could get an opportunity from the platform."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Now the number of projects on various platforms is decreasing, and there are indeed not as many opportunities for new directors as before."
Lu Yanhe didn't actually have any questions to ask him, they were just sitting together chatting, and whatever came to mind was what they talked about.
Of course, there are also some questions about "Nineteen Years of Crime Records" interspersed in the middle.
"Have you read this novel?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Liu Manbo shook his head and said, "I watched a movie."
"What did you think of the movie?"
Liu Manbo hesitated for a moment and said, "I feel that the filming process was not very smooth, and the tone of the whole movie is not unified."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"really."
"In fact, when I heard that this novel was going to be adapted into a TV series, I was quite shocked. After all, the movie flopped. It's rare that a TV series is adapted after a movie version flopped."
“It did take some work.”
"I know you are very familiar with the author of this novel." Liu Manbo said, "Liujia Town is also my hometown."
He smiled.
"I envy him a lot. Your first book was recommended by you by chance, and then it caught up with the hot sales of the magazine "Jump Up"."
Lu Yanhe said: "If you were asked to direct this story, how would you shoot it?"
"Huh?" Liu Manbo looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise.
"I don't mean anything else. I'm just curious because the movie version was a failure. I'm curious about what style someone else would use to film this murder-chasing story," Lu Yanhe explained.
Liu Manbo pondered for a while and said, "I haven't thought about how to shoot it specifically for the time being, but I will definitely reject the style of movies, that kind of dark, decadent, and obviously heavy and tragic atmosphere. In fact, I would prefer to use the most everyday expression methods to package all stories, especially this kind of story involving a long crime chase, with many heavy things happening in the middle. The story itself is enough to make people feel depressed, so there is no need to create such an atmosphere in the picture and editing. I especially like the ending of the movie "Late Spring", which is the ending shot where you actors look at each other in the classroom in turn, and the sun shines in from outside the classroom - in fact, at this time, the movie has already told a cruel growth story, but this shot suddenly pulls the emotion out of the emotion and tone of the story. These young students have experienced a period of pain and collapse that no one may know about. No one can understand it except themselves, and the sun is still the sun." Wang Biao looked at Liu Manbo in surprise.
“I was particularly afraid that the ending would be a downpour, as if the whole world was shaking with the cruel youth of these people,” Liu Manbo said. “That’s why I like to use natural light. I think the true expression is that the more ordinary the picture is, the more real it is.”
Wang Biao was inexplicably curious at this moment. Did Liu Manbo do his homework?
His interpretation of the last shot of "Late Spring" must have touched Lu Yanhe's heart.
As Lu Yanhe's assistant, Wang Biao knew his opinion of the film "Late Spring", especially the last shot.
Wang Biao thought that if nothing unexpected happened, Lu Yanhe would recommend Liu Manbo to the drama "Nineteen Years of Crime Records".
-
"Use a director who has never directed an independent work to take over?"
Opinions within Lighthouse Video are deeply divided.
"We have already communicated with Ji Huai, and he is actually interested in taking over."
"Ji Huai? He has already had three dramas fail in a row." Someone immediately opposed this choice, "Have you forgotten his drama Yunluo starring Zhen Hongyu? It was planned to be an S+ hit drama, but in the end, it flopped. It didn't even have A-level broadcast data, causing Bingyuan Video to suffer heavy losses."
"But who is this Liu Manbo? I've never heard of him. Can an inexperienced person like him, who is only in his twenties, direct such a big play right away? This is not a B-grade movie. We invested hundreds of millions in this play."
"Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun both expressed their support for Liu Manbo to direct the film."
"That's because Liu Manbo was recommended by Lu Yanhe. Given their relationship with Lu Yanhe, they will of course support him."
"Since this person was recommended by Lu Yanhe, it means he must have some skills."
"Before you actually direct a work, the position of director is fake. You can only know whether you have the ability and whether you can be a director after you go to the set. Who knows why Lu Yanhe chose him."
"He previously shot a short film on the show Birth of an Actor, and the feedback was very good." Someone immediately explained, "Not only Lu Yanhe, but director Chen Lingling also gave it high praise. The short film he shot will be broadcast on the show this Friday."
"Then let's wait until we see the short film he shot. Besides, making a short film is completely different from making a feature film."
"Can we wait until Friday to make a decision? The assistant director is filming on the spot right now and has no control over the situation. Li Zhibai is very dissatisfied with the shots and has told us several times."
"Are all the films shot these two days waste?"
"I can't wait any longer anyway."
"Has anyone among you met Liu Manbo? Ji Huai is definitely not suitable. If there is no other candidate, then quickly arrange to meet Liu Manbo and see what kind of situation he is in. If it really doesn't work, we can only stop the project and stop the loss in time."
"Stop the loss in time? This drama is starred by Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun. With just the two of them, we can sign a performance agreement before Jiang Jun's salary increases, and we have already saved eight figures. Moreover, we have already evaluated the script. This script is much better than the movie version. Isn't it said that if it is well filmed, it will definitely be a well-received drama?"
"The problem is that we don't have a director right now, so we can't film it well."
……
No matter how big the differences and debates were within Lighthouse Video, the tight time schedule forced them to make a decision.
One more day of delay is one more day of waste.
The assistant director was too incompetent and was forced to do the job. So on the set, Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun were the only ones directing the filming.
But in fact, they don’t understand that much.
The actor's perspective and the director's perspective are two completely different things.
All I can say is it's a mess.
By the evening, Liu Manbo had arrived at the shooting site in an emergency.
The person was called by Li Zhibai.
When the people arrived, the supervisor and producer arranged by Dengta Video were very surprised and said, "The company has not agreed to let Liu Manbo take over. This is--"
Li Zhibai said, "You guys discuss your own stuff. I'm too lazy to waste time with you. I'll pay for Liu Manbo to come and help us. Let him help us get through the next two days. If you want to talk, go talk to your company leaders. If you don't want to, you can ask the director you like to be on the scene tomorrow morning. Otherwise, don't let us come to the scene and waste our time. I don't want the footage we've shot to be broadcast. It's a small matter to drag me down, but don't drag down Teacher Jiang Jun. He's a great actor, don't let him be ruined by our rubbish shooting."
Li Zhibai has a very bad temper and now he has no good temper at all.
After he finished speaking, he did not continue arguing with them. He grabbed the heads of various departments of the crew, invited Teacher Jiang Jun to go with him, and went directly to meet with Liu Manbo.
"Bring the lunch boxes directly to the conference room." He told the crew, "We're going to call it a day today. We won't be filming anymore. Those who have nothing to do should go back and rest early. The filming will be stressful later, so take a good rest when you can."
When he spoke, the crew listened.
After all, he is the producer + investor + leading actor. After the incident on the set, Li Zhibai was the first to step forward and gathered all the staff for a meeting, telling them that the show would continue to be filmed and that they didn’t have to worry about their wages being affected. If Dengta Video really withdrew its investment, he would not let them work for nothing and would pay for everyone’s wages out of his own pocket. In short, he would definitely not owe anyone money, but now there are difficulties and they need to work together to overcome them.
Once this attitude was expressed, the crew knew who to listen to.
"Director Liu, you are the director introduced by Yan He. He is my brother and his vision of people is beyond reproach. No one has ever made a mistake, so I fully trust you." Li Zhibai expressed his opinion in front of all the responsible persons. Once he said that, the others should stop talking and listen. "I have already communicated with you on the phone about the specific situation. I don't know whether Dengta Video will agree to let you direct in the end, but all of us are here. No matter what, the filming cannot stop. If they finally find another person, I also promise you in front of so many people that I will use all my energy to support you in directing another play. So, please help us, at least starting tomorrow, we can shoot something that can really be used."
Liu Manbo nodded.
"Thank you and everyone for your trust. Time is tight, so I won't say anything empty. In short, I will do my best to achieve what I can. On the way here, I first thought about the entire story outline and the script content that has been prepared. I will directly tell you my thoughts. Before I finish, please don't interrupt me, because I have just sorted out my thoughts. If you interrupt me in the middle of the speech, I am afraid that I will be confused. After I finish speaking, please feel free to ask any questions you have."
He opened the script in his hand. In just a day and a half, the thick script in Liu Manbo's hand was already covered with many labels and stickers and many notes.
"Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I want to shoot the 24th, 28th and 31st scenes first. These three scenes are all literary and indoor scenes. The roles are all on you two, and no other actors are involved. For me, when I am not familiar with the crew, the complexity of the operation can be reduced to a minimum." Liu Manbo said very frankly that when he first took over, he wanted to shoot the simple ones first, "but I'll leave it to Zhibai and Jiang Jun, because the emotions of these three scenes are not coherent. I saved myself a lot of work, but I put forward higher requirements for you."
When Jiang Jun heard Liu Manbo choose these three scenes, he immediately felt relieved.
When it comes to filming, those who have done it before and those who haven't can tell from the selection of scenes which part is the least difficult to execute from a technical perspective.
These three scenes are all dialogues between Li Zhibai and Jiang Jun. They are all in one scene and are all indoor scenes. The limitation of the venue means that the camera movement and scheduling will not be complicated.
The focus of these three scenes is on the performances of the two of them, rather than on technical aspects.
Liu Manbo obviously understood.
"I'm OK." Jiang Jun nodded.
"I'm OK too." Li Zhibai also nodded.
Liu Manbo said, "Okay, Mr. Jiang, Zhibai, can we go directly to the scene to test shoot a shot? I can also get familiar with you all."
"I have asked them to finish their work and go back." said Li Zhibai.
"It's okay. I don't need to do a formal shoot." Liu Manbo said, "My working habits require me to stand in the scene before I can really explain what kind of shot I want to take. It won't take up too much time for everyone."
Li Zhibai felt that he was supporting Liu Manbo's work.
So, he looked at Jiang Jun, and when he saw that Jiang Jun had no objection, he nodded.
In fact, Liu Manbo is indeed very efficient.
When he arrived at the studio, Liu Manbo walked around the scene himself, looked at every place, and immediately put forward an opinion.
"Can this wall be demolished?" he asked. "The current space has too limited camera movement. The three scenes that take place here are all literary dramas with a lot of lines, and the characters have basically no movement. If the camera movement is still limited, the shot will be too monotonous. I want the picture to have more depth." (End of this chapter)
