Chapter 55

"Ana, you're getting closer, but your voice is still holding you back! You don't need to be so loud. Our microphone friend is a偷听狂, it can hear your inner thoughts. So just be clear and emotional, got it? Let's try again."

"Okay! Hahaha, Bella..."

"Listen to my volume, hahaha, Bella..."

"Oh, hahaha..."

It had been over ten minutes, and the intense rehearsal was still ongoing. Ye Wei was like a cruel Southern overseer, constantly lashing out at Ana with his barbed whip, making the college students feel increasingly uneasy. She was doing well, so why be so harsh on a little girl? Be careful, it might backfire!

But watching these rehearsals, they became more and more convinced of one thing: Ye Wei had a high level of directing skills...

"He knows," Darum muttered, and the others nearby nodded in agreement, "He knows."

None of the third-year film production students had not been directors. They had all made their own short films and directed actors. To be honest, if they were to direct Ana, they wouldn't do any better than Ye Wei. His words often inspired them.

Ye Wei's directing was logical and knowledgeable, and more importantly, he always spoke with great感染力 and encouragement. Even his sharp tongue didn't make people dislike him; instead, it produced a humorous and relaxing effect. How rare!

If all the world's best directors were put together, you'd find so many eloquent people that even Congress would be ashamed.

Every year, the most students in the college want to be directors, but the first reason they change their minds is that they realize they don't have the eloquence.

Among the eight, only Darum was pursuing a directorial path, but whether his communication skills could match Ye Wei was a question... He agreed with this.

Darum no longer dared to act superior in front of Ye Wei. The name game, the detailed storyboards, the ruthless casting eye, and the current high-level directing skills... What did he have to act superior about? Age? He wasn't a fool.

"A good director will give all the answers." "A good director will be the crew's friend, mentor, boss, and parent at the same time."...

These excellent qualities that the teachers talked about, he saw in Ye Wei, a 15-year-old middle school student! Sometimes, you really have to admit that there are geniuses in this world.

"Let's try again."

"Okay..."

Ana completed another rehearsal. This time, Ye Wei didn't say "Again" but analyzed the details of the previous representative rehearsals, helping her understand the differences in different performance intensities, thus adapting better to changes.

Ana listened attentively, asking questions when she had doubts, eager to improve.

Ye Wei really liked her attitude and, because of this, didn't set any limits for her. Within the time, she could improve as much as she could! She fully demonstrated her extraordinary talent, and her understanding and quick adjustment abilities made him smile happily.

What would Wang Ying and her group think when they saw the short film and Ana's genius performance? Just thinking about it was exciting.

When it was 8:55, with only five minutes left before the shoot, Ye Wei stopped the rehearsal and smiled at Ana, praising her, "That's great! Just like that, use that feeling to act. Relax for a bit, let your subconscious digest it, and we'll start in five minutes."

"Okay." Ana couldn't help but exhale, her face full of joy. She looked at her parents and Bella, her lips curling in a secret smile, clearly saying, "I did it! I survived!"

David, Janet, and the others were also happy for her, but their hearts were still on edge. Only when the real shooting started would there be a true answer...

"Everyone, are you ready?" Ye Wei walked to the camera, the first fade-in shot was set in the middle of the yard, slightly tilted towards the house, with half the house and the wooden steps in the frame, and the garden on the other side, with a view of the path to the front garden.

Setting up the camera wasn't the most time-consuming part; setting up the lighting was.

Although it was daytime and the sunlight was good, the problem was that the sunlight wouldn't listen. It wouldn't light the area you wanted or give the brightness you needed. Using sunlight wasn't simple, and whether it was the main light, fill light, or back light, the other two had to be set up, often using light bulbs to achieve three-point lighting.

He set the lighting tone for the short film to be soft and warm, changing with the emotional shifts in the story. The first scene would be well-lit, the second scene, when Ana was sad, would be darker, and when she regained her strength, it would be well-lit again but more intense.

The color of the scenes would also change accordingly, starting bright and vivid like summer, then dark like winter, and finally rising like spring.

After showing his skills in structure and rhythm, he didn't mind playing with some formalism, showing off a bit.

"Everything's ready." Darum, who was in charge of supervision, nodded, and the others gave the OK sign.

"Then...!" Ye Wei looked around. His father was holding a DV, filming this historic moment, his mother holding Dodo and holding Tot, all smiling. Ana was excitedly bouncing lightly, and everyone's eyes were full of anticipation...

No matter if directing would one day become tedious, at least now, he was so excited that he was trembling slightly. After all the preparation, the moment had finally arrived!

Tick tock, that was the countdown to the end of "Ye Wei doesn't know directing"!

"Let's do a final check and clear the set."

Following Ye Wei's order, Darum immediately shouted, "Prepare to start, prepare to start! If you don't want to be hurt, all non-essential personnel, get out!"

This is one of the most common phrases heard on a set. Once the assistant director shouts this, everyone must be quiet, and non-essential personnel must move to a place where the camera can't capture them, or they will face the director's anger.

Directing the clearance is one of the assistant director's (first assistant director) duties. This tradition has a reason: it maintains the director's high status and makes the assistant director the "good cop," a primary outlet for crew members to vent their frustrations when they can't talk to the director.

So in most sets, the most popular person is not the director but the assistant director.

Because the director has the boss's attributes, and the set is a hierarchical place. Team collaboration must be this way; if everyone doesn't respect each other, chaos will ensue, and nothing can be done.

Ye Wei had to pay special attention to this. Yes, he was too young, and the old hands could easily act superior. Suggestions are fine, but no one can challenge his authority! Whoever does will be burned to ashes by his anger!

If there were a director's chair here, he would sit there like a mafia godfather, expressionless, playing with his ring.

At this moment, Harry-King held the reflector, and Fulin, wearing a sound recording headset, held the microphone boom...

In front of the camera, Ana and Bella were ready.

"Start recording," Darum said.

"Recording started," Fulin shouted, and the set fell into complete silence. No whispering or murmuring was allowed, or they would be kicked off the set.

"Start filming," Darum continued.

"Filming started," Pete, operating the camera, shouted loudly. The tape had started rolling, and no one could enter the performance area. The actors were ready.

"Speed up," Fulin shouted, keeping the tape speed consistent with the recording.

"Mark," Darum said again.

"First scene, first shot," Susan said, holding the electronic clapperboard and showing it in front of the camera, then clapping it, making a "clap" sound!

This sound was like a trigger, making everyone tense. This short film was their work too!

Ye Wei had already entered a highly focused state. His experiences and emotions in dreams and reality intertwined, making his eyes shine brightly. Maybe to others, many of his ideas were laughable daydreams, but so what? I don't want to be a person without dreams; such a life has no meaning!

Daydreams must be realized! The world may change, but dreams remain unchanged. My directorial journey begins here!

He shouted loudly, "Action!"

Let's start!

This shout was like a beautiful melody, exciting and joyful...

"Hahaha, Bella..." Ana began her performance.

Instantly, everyone on the set stared wide-eyed, holding their breath. What would she do?