Chapter 97

Yeming clapped his hands to encourage everyone, saying, "Very good, very good, this one is great. The next one in twenty minutes. Binbin, you hold a brush and paint on the rice paper. You need to look relaxed and at ease. Remember, you are a classical beauty, and you need to express the grace of a classical beauty."

Because he could feel Fan Binbin's progress, her performance in front of the camera was much more relaxed and natural, far better than the naivety she showed in "The Story of a Return to China."

After checking Fan Binbin's data, [Name: Fan Binbin, Age: 17, Acting: 380, Fame: 200, Martial Arts: 130, Insight: Four Stars. Has the potential to become a superstar.]

Indeed, after starring in "The Story of a Return to China," Fan Binbin's acting had improved significantly.

This was Yeming's requirement for the scene, but he did not expect Fan Binbin to throw the script he had just written back at him, saying, "Refund my money, I'm not doing this. Is this something a human should do? You shoot one scene twenty times, are you playing with me?"

Lying on the chair, the usually energetic Fan Binbin was too lazy to move, she wanted to go on strike.

Tang Wei, who was standing nearby, did not say anything, but quietly picked up the script from under Yeming's feet.

Yeming walked over, squatted down, and said, "Binbin, you can't do this. Acting is hard work, and you can't be afraid of it. When we shot 'The Story of a Return to China,' we did twenty takes for some scenes. I, You Peng, and Xinru all did more than twenty takes. Just persevere, grit your teeth, and you'll get through it."

But Fan Binbin was too lazy to move, saying, "I can't persevere anymore. If you want to persevere, you do it. I'll just give you back the five hundred yuan."

She was stubborn, clearly not wanting to continue. This MTV, each scene had to be shot more than ten times, and this time even twenty times, which was extremely exhausting. Not only did it consume a lot of physical energy, but the repetitive and monotonous work was a kind of torture.

Yeming had no choice but to try to persuade her, saying, "Binbin, what is your dream?"

When it came to her dream, Fan Binbin's face immediately lit up with excitement, her eyes sparkling with stars as she said, "My dream is to become a top actress, to walk the red carpets of the Golden Horse, Golden Rooster, and Hong Kong Film Awards, and let everyone know my name, Fan Binbin. I want to become a superstar. Ideally, I want to be a superstar like Brigitte Lin."

Yeming gently guided her, saying, "Since you want to become a superstar, do you know what a superstar needs to do first?"

At this moment, Fan Binbin was like someone who had just been injected with a dose of energy, instantly becoming spirited. She sat up abruptly and said, "Of course I know. A superstar needs acting skills, looks, and of course, luck. Every superstar has a standout work, like Brigitte Lin's 'A Chinese Ghost Story' and 'A City of Sadness,' Maggie Cheung's 'In the Mood for Love,' Jackie Chan's 'Rush Hour,' and Chow Yun-fat's 'A Better Tomorrow.' With good luck, a good script, and acting skills, one can become a superstar."

At this moment, even Tang Wei, who had been silent, had a look of intense longing in her eyes, a desire for fame and an infinite yearning for the future.

Superstar, this title was also a secret buried deep in Tang Wei's heart. She, too, wanted to become a superstar.

Yeming, however, said firmly, "No, what you said are the conditions to become a superstar, but not the prerequisites. What you said, most actors have. Those with good looks can be idols, those with average looks can be character actors, and acting skills can be honed over time.

But to become a superstar, the first thing you need is perseverance. Do you understand? Perseverance. Andy Lau was once put on hold by TVB, and Chow Yun-fat, when he was young, did many other jobs and endured a lot of hardship. Jackie Chan, when he was young, was a stuntman and was once knocked out by Bruce Lee in one punch. But they persevered.

That's why they have achieved what they have today. Remember my words, 'Enlightenment comes from prosperity, and Buddhahood from adversity.'"

The first part of what Yeming said, Fan Binbin and Tang Wei understood very well. It was about persevering in the entertainment industry to have a chance of success.

But the last sentence Yeming said was a bit hard for the two young girls to understand.

Tang Wei muttered to herself, as if she had grasped something, but it seemed that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch that spark of inspiration. She kept repeating, "Enlightenment comes from prosperity, and Buddhahood from adversity?"

Fan Binbin, on the other hand, was more straightforward. After pondering it for a while, she still didn't understand and said, "Brother Ming, just tell me what you mean. What is enlightenment, and what is Buddhahood? Are you thinking of becoming a monk?"

Yeming seemed to recall some bitter past, and with a bitter smile, he said, "I haven't even started a family, let alone become a monk. To be honest, these words were told to me by an old extra. At the time, we were shooting a scene together, and he had been an extra in this industry for over twenty years, one of the most experienced extras.

But he was always an extra, never a big star. Even a minor role with lines was his biggest wish, but he never achieved it.

He told me this during a drinking session, 'Enlightenment comes from prosperity, and Buddhahood from adversity.' If you understand this, the entertainment industry will not be so scary."

This was the wisdom of an old extra, the crystallization of a lifetime of experience. In his previous life, Yeming had relied on these words to persevere. Even now, he had not truly grasped their full meaning.

However, he thought that at this moment, telling these words to Fan Binbin and Tang Wei would be a significant help to them, who were still naive.

After a twenty-minute break, Yeming urged, "Alright, let's start. Don't keep everyone waiting. If we finish today, I'll treat you to a big meal. If we don't finish, you'll just have to eat noodles."

Perhaps Yeming's words had some effect, or perhaps the promise of a big meal tonight had some effect. Fan Binbin mustered her energy and continued shooting.

At this moment, although Yeming was fully focused on the camera, the Entertainment Empire system in his mind was also active.

Because today, the Entertainment Empire had activated another function, the singing skill's additional function, the [MTV] button.

The system explained that this was a button for making an MTV. It could first let Yeming visualize the actors' performances in his mind, and the system would give an evaluation. The shot with the highest score would naturally be the one Yeming would use.

This was an absolute cheat, but it had a condition: it needed real-life characters and scripts as a basis.

For example, the current "Blue and White Porcelain" MTV needed a script, actors, and other real-life conditions for the system to effectively demonstrate which shot was the best.

Moreover, the system's final reward was very tempting: [Activate the MTV reward, and the system will provide the host with one free special effects production for an MTV.]

The system's requirements were very strict. Even when Fan Binbin held the brush, if she raised it just one centimeter higher, the system would mercilessly reject it.

Yeming, on the other hand, tried to direct Fan Binbin according to the shot with the highest score, but even so, it was still very challenging for her to perform. The artistic level of a shot that could be recognized by the system was unimaginable.

An MTV was only five to six minutes long, but the footage shot was already eight hours.

It could be said that every second of the final eight hours of footage, when edited into the MTV, would be the essence of the essence, and each shot would be the one with the highest score given by the system.

At this moment, Yeming looked at the final shot, nodded, and waved his hand, saying, "Wrap it up."

It was already nightfall. Li Dongtian, while packing up his things, said, "Director Ye, is this your first time directing? It doesn't seem like it. I've done makeup for many big stars, and they waste a lot of time shooting such an MTV. But you, your shots are so precise. With just a bit of post-production, it could be directly made into an MTV."

Yeming smiled and praised Li Dongtian, saying, "It's all thanks to Mr. Li's excellent makeup. This isn't just shooting an MTV; it's like shooting a movie. I really appreciate Mr. Li's support."

Li Dongtian, however, said very seriously, "Every profession has its rules. In our profession, once we take on a project, we will give it our all. Even if it's an MTV, I will still hold myself to the standards of a movie. I won't cut corners just because it's an MTV, or who would hire me next time?"

Although the last part was a bit of a joke, in this situation, it also expressed Li Dongtian's true feelings.

Everyone's success is not by chance. Li Dongtian's fame in the industry was indeed due to his unique qualities.

At this moment, Yeming checked Fan Binbin's data: [Name: Fan Binbin, Age: 16, Acting: 430, Fame: 150, Martial Arts: 130, Insight: Four Stars. Has the potential to become a superstar.]

This data made Yeming a bit envious. Four-star insight was terrifying, and her acting skills were improving rapidly.