Chapter 45

Cut

Chao Guoli received the order and decisively called a stop.

After walking over, Chao Guoli directly said to Lin Xinru, "Come with me, and Ye Ming, you come along too."

Since Ye Ming was going to act with Lin Xinru later, he was also called over at this time.

At this moment, Su Youpeng and Chen Zhipeng had already been waiting by the monitor.

Qiongyao looked at the playback on the monitor and, noticing that everyone had gathered, said calmly, "Originally, I came today to praise everyone. Over these few days, everyone in the crew has overcome many difficulties, and the work has progressed very smoothly. Especially this morning, the director showed me the scenes he shot, and they were quite good. However, the scene this afternoon really didn't make me happy. Youpeng, let's start with you. Your facial expressions were stiff, and sometimes your smile was very forced. Your performance wasn't good enough."

Ye Ming immediately interjected, "Auntie, I have something to say. I live in the Gobi Desert with Youpeng. He has been very hardworking lately, often knocking on Teacher Zhang's door late at night to ask for advice. Yesterday, he caught a cold, and he's not feeling well today."

At this, Qiongyao's expression finally eased somewhat. If the lead actors were having conflicts, the production would be in trouble. She had heard that Su Youpeng and Chen Zhipeng sometimes acted like big stars, but no matter what, it seemed that Ye Ming was still willing to speak up for Su Youpeng, which was good news.

Considering that Su Youpeng's poor performance was due to his health, Qiongyao felt a bit better.

Turning to Chen Zhipeng, Qiongyao said bluntly, "Zhipeng, do you know what your problem is? When you're on horseback, you're a completely different person from when you're on the ground. What's the reason?"

Chen Zhipeng, sitting on the horse, was very nervous and almost couldn't focus on the camera. Qiongyao wasn't satisfied with any of the shots of Chen Zhipeng, which was unforgivable for someone who demanded perfection.

Chen Zhipeng hesitated and said, "Auntie, I'm sorry. I have a fear of riding horses. When I'm on a horse, my mind goes blank."

Qiongyao was taken aback. So that was the reason.

Director Sun Shupeng quickly said, "There's nothing we can do about it. In post-production, I'll reduce Zhipeng's screen time in this scene. We also have a professional horseback riding instructor here to teach everyone. The scenes on the grassland won't be like this."

Chen Zhipeng, being a big star, could be scolded by Qiongyao, who was a towering figure in the industry. However, the director still needed to use Chen Zhipeng for the production, so he had to give him some face.

At this moment, Chen Zhipeng's face alternated between red and white, feeling extremely embarrassed and humiliated.

Fortunately, Qiongyao didn't dwell on this issue.

Turning to Ye Ming, Qiongyao smiled and said, "Ye Ming's performance was relatively stable. However, when you act with Xinru, you need to be more restrained. Especially this time, I noticed that Xinru didn't perform very well. Pay attention to helping her, but don't overshadow her."

Qiongyao was very satisfied with Ye Ming's performance in "The Story of the Imperial Concubine," and she felt that he had lived up to her decision to cast him as Er Kang despite the objections.

Although Qiongyao had seen some of the later scenes where Ye Ming's performance wasn't as stunning, she had seen many stars and knew that it was a matter of sudden enlightenment, which didn't need to happen immediately.

A single scene of such enlightenment in a production was enough for professionals to study.

Ye Ming nodded and said, "Thank you, Auntie. I'll do my best."

At this point, Qiongyao turned to Zhao Wei and said, "Zhao Wei's performance as Xiaoyan is also good, with a bit of a natural feel. However, your expressions need to be more rebellious. Remember, you are Xiaoyan, the Pearl of the Imperial Concubine, not a conventional princess. You need to be more genuine and spontaneous. Don't worry about how other princesses and princes have been portrayed in the past. Focus on being yourself, the one and only Pearl of the Imperial Concubine. And Xinru, both of you need to continue to work hard. There are still traces of previous period dramas in your performances, which is not good. Especially Xinru, the crying scenes are crucial. Pay special attention to them. Don't let me down. Otherwise, this production might fail, and I will not allow my work to fail. Do you understand?"

Zhao Wei and Lin Xinru were immediately silenced, unsure of what to do.

This was a warning to both of them, especially to Lin Xinru, who could see that Qiongyao was not very satisfied with her performance, adding to her mental burden.

The atmosphere became very heavy. Although Aunt Qiongyao didn't lose her temper, her strong presence suppressed everyone.

Zhang Tielin walked out and looked at the somewhat dazed Lin Xinru, sighing inwardly. Indeed, things were developing as he had predicted. Lin Xinru was under immense psychological pressure, and it was uncertain whether she could overcome this hurdle.

Fan Binbin followed behind Zhang Tielin, tugging at his clothes and asking, "Teacher Zhang, how did Aunt Qiongyao think of our performances? She didn't give us any feedback."

Zhang Tielin looked at Fan Binbin thoughtfully. He originally wanted to say that Aunt Qiongyao was critiquing the lead actors, and as a supporting actor, it was enough to satisfy the director. Aunt Qiongyao wouldn't pay attention to her.

But he thought that this would be too much of a blow to a young girl.

Although it was the truth.

Thinking about it, Zhang Tielin smiled and said, "Little girl, don't worry. According to industry norms, if you're not criticized, it means your performance was acceptable. It didn't reach the level of your brother Ye Ming's stunning performance, but it didn't disappoint Aunt Qiongyao either. You've done well enough for this production. Otherwise, do you think Aunt Qiongyao would give you a pass without criticizing you?"

Fan Binbin thought about it and realized it made sense. She felt that her hard work over the past few days had not been in vain.

Even big stars like Su Youpeng and Chen Zhipeng were criticized without hesitation by Aunt Qiongyao, so why would she spare her?

Zhang Tielin found Ye Ming and said, "Today, Zǐwēi seems to be under a lot of psychological pressure. Pay attention to her performance and don't let her break down. Otherwise, it will be difficult to salvage the situation."

Ye Ming looked at Lin Xinru, who was hiding to the side, reading her script.

[Name: Lin Xinru, Age: 21, Acting: 360, Popularity: 320, Martial Arts: 160, Insight: Four Stars, Evaluation: Third-Tier Actor]

This was the first time Ye Ming checked Lin Xinru's profile. Her insight was also very good, with four stars. It seemed that the popularity of "The Story of the Imperial Concubine" in Southeast Asia, becoming a classic that later generations couldn't surpass, was not an exaggeration.

The three leading ladies of "The Story of the Imperial Concubine" all had four-star insight, indicating that they all had the potential to become superstars.

At this moment, Ye Ming nodded and said, "Teacher Zhang, don't worry. I'll pay attention."

Next, Lin Xinru, facing immense psychological pressure, indeed failed to overcome the hurdle. As a newcomer, by the third take, she even forgot her lines.

At this point, Ye Ming checked Lin Xinru's profile again.

[Name: Lin Xinru, Age: 21, Acting: 260, Popularity: 320, Martial Arts: 160, Insight: Four Stars, Evaluation: Third-Tier Actor]

Her acting skills had plummeted below 300, and the scene couldn't continue.

Seeing Lin Xinru's blank expression, Ye Ming gritted his teeth and approached Aunt Qiongyao and Director Sun Shupeng.

At this moment, seeing Aunt Qiongyao sitting there with a very bad mood, it was clear that this was her transition work, her heart and soul. If this production failed, it would mean she could only make tragic dramas for the rest of her life and would find it difficult to advance further.

The last time Qiongyao met Jin Yong, he suggested she change her writing style. However, changing her style at this point was still a bit hesitant for Qiongyao.

In the end, it was Jin Yong's suggestion and encouragement that led Qiongyao to decide to make a try.

Later, when she came to Beijing and encountered the name "Princess Tomb," the idea for "The Story of the Imperial Concubine" was born.

This was a significant challenge for Aunt Qiongyao herself.

This visit to the set left her very dissatisfied, and her expression was clearly very poor, indicating her dissatisfaction with the actors' performances.

Who would dare to provoke Aunt Qiongyao's frown at this moment? That would be asking for trouble.

Ye Ming, however, walked over and said, "Auntie, this scene can't continue like this. If we keep going, the entire production will fall apart, and Lin Xinru won't be able to hold on."

No one knew better than Ye Ming that if Lin Xinru's acting skills continued to decline and dropped below 200, it would be a real disaster.

Qiongyao hesitated and looked at Lin Xinru's performance on the monitor. Lin Xinru was indeed very dedicated, but she couldn't bring out the right feel.

So, Qiongyao looked at Ye Ming and said, "What do you suggest we do?"

The fact that she was asking Ye Ming surprised everyone, including He Xiujun, who knew Aunt Qiongyao's temper and how difficult it was to change her mind once she had decided.

Ye Ming thought carefully and said, "I suggest we take a break for the night and give Lin Xinru a chance to recover. I think she will do better tomorrow."

Director Sun Shupeng was blunt, "Take a break for the night? Do you know how much the production has spent this afternoon? Do you know how much it will cost to shut down for a night? If we do it again tomorrow, will it be free? You're talking so easily, but what if Lin Xinru's performance is still the same tomorrow? Can you guarantee that she will improve?"

Ye Ming gritted his teeth and said, "I guarantee it."

The supporting actors, including Zhang Tielin, who had been silent, were taken aback. The veteran actors simultaneously sighed, "A young bull doesn't fear the tiger. Who do you think you are, a superstar? Only a few top-tier superstars dare to challenge the director like this."

Director Sun Shupeng was equally blunt, "You guarantee it? What are you guaranteeing with? What if Lin Xinru is still the same tomorrow?"