"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..."

In the suburbs of GY City, on the playground of a small town school that was once prosperous in the 1980s because of supporting the third-line construction production activities.

From time to time, there were some harsh noises, and the rusty loudspeakers were playing the slogans of radio gymnastics.

The protagonist Qinghong, played by Gao Yuanyuan, is a female high school student.

At this moment, she was in front of the camera, standing on the playground with other extras, doing radio gymnastics.

The story is set in the 1980s.

That is director Wang Xiaoshuai’s own youth.

In fact, this film not only tells the story of himself and his parents, but is also more like the so-called "WHAT IF" that is popular in later generations, that is, a parallel world that has not happened.

When Wang Xiaoshuai was in junior high school, his parents moved away from Guizhou with him. Later, with his childhood painting foundation, he was admitted to the Affiliated High School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and then to the Beijing Film Academy, thus changing his destiny.

But what if his parents didn’t move away from Guizhou?
He didn’t get into the High School Affiliated to CAFA?

He believes that there is a high probability that he will not become a director and that he might be an ordinary worker in a factory near Guizhou.

The heroine Qinghong in the movie is actually his imagined self.

Yes, it is imaginary.

Because Wang Xiaoshuai was just daydreaming.

Even if he didn't leave Guiyang, he couldn't become a worker.

His father used to teach at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and his mother is a technical backbone of a factory in Shanghai.

Their family is not an ordinary family.

In that era, ordinary families did not have the time to let their children learn painting from a young age.

Half of what he has today is due to the training and connections of his family.

This is why many ordinary people hate scar literature and film and television works with related themes.

What everyone hates is not the "scars", because these scars are engraved in the blood of every Chinese.

What everyone really hates are those guys who eat lobsters, drink Maotai, wear Rolex watches on their wrists, Hermes bags around their waists, are fat and have big ears, and whose mouths are full of grease. They talk about state affairs and recount their own sufferings in the past, while infinitely magnifying these sufferings, but never mention everything they have and have gained.

Apart from Wang Xiaoshuai’s imagination of himself and his memories of his youth.

In fact, the story told in this film is quite realistic.

The good thing about this film is that it doesn't tell a big story, but rather a small story, focusing on a few individuals, and reflecting the helplessness of that era from the point to the whole.

Qinghong was born and raised in Guizhou, which is her home.

His friends and family are all here.

But his parents regretted coming to the third line when they were young, so they always wanted to return to their hometown in Shanghai.

As a result, a deep rift developed between Qinghong and her parents.

The father regards the college entrance examination as Qinghong's only springboard to return to the Magic City, so he strictly guards the woman's private life. Not only is it full of the authority of a feudal patriarch, but it is also restrictive to a pathological degree.

Xiaogen from the machinery factory fell in love with Qinghong. The conflict between fatherly love and romantic love, and between staying behind and returning home, eventually led to a tragedy in which one person died and the other went crazy.

This is the story line that Zhang Yuan and Gao Yuanyuan will interpret.

Qin Hao is another line.

He played an unemployed young man who, after getting a rural girl pregnant, hooked up with Qinghong's best friend.

The two of them thought they were a loving couple, but in the end, they were just a young lady and a young lady, a mess.

Gao Yuanyuan moved her arms and legs mechanically.

Zhang Yuan had long discovered that your woman's physical ability was really not that good, and she was very stiff.

Otherwise, how could I have later become interested in pottery and carpentry?

Now it can be clearly seen by doing radio gymnastics.

After all, this person had no acting foundation before entering the film and television industry.

She became famous thanks to one thing.

Face!
Like Liu Qianqian, she has average acting talent, which is made up for by her pretty face.

When filming "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", his acting skills were actually very ordinary.

But as soon as he sat there and frowned, Su Youpeng felt that he had let her down...

I feel that Zhang Wuji owes Zhou Zhiruo too much.

I feel pity for him, nothing more than this.

Just like when Liu Qianqian puts on her costume and stands there, and you say she is Wang Yuyan, the audience will believe it.

In fact, when the appearance is excellent to a certain extent, it will affect the performance.

The audience's focus is always on the face, which is too easily distracted.

So in this film, Wang Xiaoshuai actually deliberately made Gao Yuanyuan ugly.

He dresses in a rustic way, always wearing a dark red tweed jacket.

The hairstyle is also a standard female medium-short hair.

If her fashion look is eight points, her ancient costume look is ten points.

Now it’s probably only about five points.

And it can be clearly felt that, although they are both acting, her performance is not as natural as the group of extras behind her.

Because those extras weren't just randomly picked.

Relying on his father's connections, Wang Xiaoshuai directly recruited a group of professional actors from the Guizhou Repertory Theatre to act in the play.

"Cut!" Wang Xiaoshuai shouted stop, and Gao Yuanyuan stopped.

The music of the sixth set of radio gymnastics in my ears stopped.

"You will still do the radio gymnastics in a while, but your mood needs to change." Director Wang explained in detail.

There are two exercise scenes in the film, one at the beginning and the other after Qinghong experiences a blow. The two scenes have the same scene and the same costumes, but the emotions are very different.

"Oh, I see." Gao Yuanyuan replied absentmindedly.

At the same time, she was looking around, as if looking for something?
What are you looking for?

people.

who?

Of course it’s Zhang Yuan!

Wild animals in the mountains, swallows in the clouds, cattle and sheep on land, fresh food from the sea, monkey heads, bird's nests, shark fins, bear paws, dried scallops, and deer tails.

Question: Which of these things tastes best?

The answer is the same as which car is the fastest in the world.

The answer to the latter is: a borrowed car.

The answer to the former is: what’s in someone else’s bowl.

Liu Qianqian, with that face, said that she was a loser.

But I always want to prove myself through performance and hard work.

People tend to disdain what they have, but are eager to get what others have.

And what about Gao Yuanyuan?
In terms of emotions, this beautiful woman, who has received so many love letters since childhood that they could be used to paste them on a wall, has long been accustomed to men liking her.

After all, it's very common to fall in love with her at first sight, but it's rare to have no feelings for her.

Liu Qianqian's stubbornness is mainly reflected in her career, while this guy's is mainly reflected in his emotions.

There are more than 800 people surrounding me, and I'm already tired of it. It's so boring.

Hey, this one you have is pretty good!
The pork belly in my pot is fat and greasy, while the pork belly in other people's bowls is delicious and tempting.

This was an idea that came from a mixture of her self-esteem and desire to conquer.

Just like many men pursue girls, it is not because they really like them, but because they want to prove their ability and satisfy their vanity by pursuing outstanding girls.

So, after spending a few months together on the set of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", she knew that Zhang Yuan had excellent looks and outstanding abilities, both of which were attractive enough.

The fact that he blocked a sword for her made her unforgettable.

But this time when they met again, Wang Xiaoshuai, her suitor and director, was with her, so for her own benefit, she could only temporarily suppress her affection.

Those who can make it in this circle are not stupid.

But when she learned from teacher Yao Anlian that Zhang Yuan and Cheng Hao were a couple.

Zhang Yuan's attraction to her suddenly increased, rising at a geometric rate!
Gao Yuanyuan felt that her powerful arm might not be able to hold it back any longer!
As the saying goes, "When facing a strong opponent, you become stronger, and your life and death are uncertain."

Cheng Hao's appearance is considered top-notch in the entertainment industry where there are so many beautiful women.

This further aroused Zhou Zhiruo's fighting spirit.

"It was obviously me who knew him first!" Gao Yuanyuan thought.

"He was also injured for me."

"Why did it fall into that person's hands?"

How could she concentrate on filming now? She was always thinking about Zhang Yuan.

Due to my lack of concentration at work, the radio gymnastics scene had to be shot eight times before it was perfect.

But Wang Xiaoshuai praised her and didn't say much.

"Let's go, pack up and go to the machine shop."

The crew only has one big machine, and the cameraman just carries it and goes.

Compared with the grand scenes in "The Return of the Condor Heroes", it is indeed very shabby.

But the reason why Zhang Yuan was willing to make this film is actually the same as Gao Yuanyuan's.

Art films are made with the aim of winning awards!

If an actor wins a major award at home or abroad, his or her popularity will greatly increase, and his or her commercial value and pay will also rise rapidly.

Even if you don't win an award, walking the red carpet in places like Cannes can increase your commercial value and exposure.

At the same time, you can also step into the small circle of art films. Otherwise, if you are a commercial filmmaker, art film directors will not dare to hire you to act in a movie because they cannot afford the salary.

At the same time, those who make art films actually look down on those who make commercial films. This thing has its own chain of contempt.

If you fail to win an award once, you will have another chance in the future.

Everyone has to have something to pursue. Zhang Yuan not only wants to make money, but winning awards is also one of his goals.

The crowd soon arrived at an abandoned factory building called "State-owned Xinxing Optical Instrument Factory".

These are all real scenes found by the crew, not built later.

There really was a factory here in the past.

This is why the movie "Qinghong" always feels like a documentary, because except for the actors, everything else is real!

"Zhang Yuan, you are here." Gao Yuanyuan was looking for him while filming just now, but she couldn't find him.

"What you're wearing..." Gao Yuanyuan looked him up and down.

At this time, Zhang Yuan was wearing a blue work suit that had been washed to a pale color. The shirt had many pockets and black buttons, which was very characteristic of the era.

His hairstyle was also made to look like it was drooping.

"It's still pretty, but a little dull." Yuanyuan said with a smile.

Just stay there... Wang Xiaoshuai on the side also saw Zhang Yuan's look.

Because this character is an introverted, self-abased, yet paranoid little person.

It's almost completely opposite to Zhang Yuan's personality.

Director Wang originally felt that he, like Gao Yuanyuan, had a too good image and was afraid that he would lose his acting ability in front of the camera.

Now that I look at it, with changed clothes and makeup, it really looks like the real thing.

"Why is your face so dirty? You look like a tabby cat." Gao Yuanyuan noticed a few black oil marks on his cheeks.

As she said this, she wanted to raise her hand to help him wipe it.

Tsk!
Wang Xiaoshuai couldn't help but frown when he saw the two people being intimate.

But the next second, Zhang Yuan's words made his brows relax a lot.

"Don't wipe it, I did it on purpose." Zhang Yuan gently pushed her palm away.

"The character I play, Xiao Gen, is a fitter in a factory."

“Working on an old stamping press all day.”

"It's normal to have oily mud on your hands and body."

"I just spent a few hours getting familiar with the machine and put this on specially."

"If you wipe it for me, then all my work will be in vain."

Oh... Wang Xiaoshuai looked at Zhang Yuan with some surprise.

After receiving the request from the investor, he went to watch Zhang Yuan's previous performances.

The impression I have is just one word: handsome!

After filming so many costume dramas, being cool and handsome is a must.

Moreover, when he was researching Zhang Yuan, "A World Without Thieves" and "Kung Fu" had not yet been released, and he had not seen Zhang Yuan's contrasting images and performances in these two films.

So in his heart, Zhang Yuan is that kind of idol actor.

Now, seeing that he actually took the initiative to study the characters and was willing to "destroy his own image" to get closer to the characters, it was a little hard to accept for a while.

"Is this still the idol actor I imagined, with bad acting and lots of trouble?"

The key point is that Wang Xiaoshuai discovered that the characters designed by him and the art director were just small parts in their work clothes.

But he himself had his hair flattened a little, and with these dirty marks, he clearly looked more like a worker than their design.

Wang Xiaoshuai discovered that the images of ordinary Guizhou workers in his childhood overlapped with the "connected" actor in front of him.

"It's interesting."

Wang Xiaoshuai smoked while waiting for the camera crew to get ready.

"Zhang Yuan, get ready. Let's start shooting right away."

Soon, his first scene as the leading male actor will begin.

The content of this scene is also very simple, it is just about filming Xiaogen’s work content.

Sitting in front of a stamping machine all day punching parts.

The crew pulled an old-fashioned punch press from the factory warehouse, the kind with a large pulley on top to drive the machine.

This thing is very noisy and is rarely seen nowadays.

In the dilapidated, blue-gray old factory, Zhang Yuan sat in front of the machine.

Unlike Yu Min, a "lighting maniac", he can use more than a dozen fill lights to take a close-up shot of a person.

In the scene arranged by Wang Xiaoshuai, there was only a small table lamp of about ten watts emitting white light on Zhang Yuan's left hand side.

Apart from that, the only source of light is the blurry sunlight in the background that shines through the factory gate and falls lightly on the ground.

The lighting is very simple.

"ACTION!" Wang Xiaoshuai gave an order and the camera started to turn steadily.

This movie was made using a film camera.

After receiving the order, Zhang Yuan started to work.

Place the metal part under the punch press, pull the rod, the blade head falls down, and carves a regular round hole in the metal sheet.

He picked up the punched metal sheet with his left hand, and with his right hand wearing the dirty work gloves that had turned gray, he picked up a vernier caliper from the table beside him. After measuring the round hole and confirming that the size was within a reasonable range, he placed the metal sheet in a blue plastic basket beside him.

After completing this set of processes, the next cycle begins, and so on.

He had a blank expression on his face and his eyes were blank.

With his shoulders slung and his back bent.

His hands were half drooping, and he looked listless and cold.

It seems more like a machine than that machine!
It is the standard image of an office worker who is at work but his mind is elsewhere.

"Okay..." Wang Xiaoshuai stared at the monitor, squinting his eyes.

He didn't expect that the male protagonist would show off his skills to him right at the start.

“This state is absolutely right.”

"If you haven't worked for ten years, your eyes can't be so hopeless."

It's not normal to work at a buffet for too long.

Most people can't stand this kind of mechanical boredom, more than ten hours a day, the same old cycle.

Except for those who couldn't bear it and ran away, the rest were completely numb, with no light in their eyes, like a body without a soul.

"He grasps this numb feeling very well."

"He looks so much like the old worker I met!" Wang Xiaoshuai turned and said to the assistant director.

"Yes, it's good. I didn't expect this guy to be good-looking and act well."

When you can make a living with your looks, who would bother to hone your acting skills?

Once you get used to making money, there’s no going back.

“Is it because of this that Xingmei insisted on having him play the role?” said the assistant director.

Wang Xiaoshuai thought about it and shook his head: "Li Bing can do it too."

He is still thinking about his own actors.

"Although he is not bad, if Li Bing was used, the film would have been completed long ago." Wang Xiaoshuai is still angry about this.

"Card!"

Wang Xiaoshuai shouted stop, and Zhang Yuan hurried over to watch the replay and listen to the director's opinions.

Everyone gathered around the monitor.

After watching for a long time.

"Tsk." Director Wang habitually touched his lips together, making a dissatisfied sound.

“It always feels a little weird.”

"Is it a problem with my performance?" Zhang Yuan asked proactively.

Wang Xiaoshuai heard him say this and thought that this young man was good.

Generally, young actors would hide back when they hear the director express dissatisfaction, for fear that he would say something about them.

He was so good that he asked proactively without any fear.

This means that the shooting effect is placed before the individual.

This is very professional.

"Well, your performance isn't a big problem, it's just that the picture looks weird."

"Is there a problem with the props?" asked the assistant director.

"seems not."

“But I always feel like something is missing from the picture,” Wang Xiaoshuai pondered.

"Go adjust the position and angle of the machine, and I'll take a look."

"Okay!" The props brother started to get busy.

But after three takes, and adjusting the props position and shooting angle each time, Director Wang was still not satisfied.

Just when the assistant director, cameraman and props guy were all worried.

Zhang Yuan, who had been working as a fitter for several hours, scratched his head and spoke.

"Director, I think I know where the problem lies..." (End of this chapter)