Chapter 8

"Mind if I touch it?"

"Ah!"

Zhang Ziyi's heart was pounding in her throat, her eyes wide with shock.

"Don't misunderstand, it's your hair. Since it's a shampoo commercial, so..."

"It's fine, go ahead." Zhang Ziyi let out a sigh of relief and, feigning generosity, turned her head.

Chen Tiandu didn't mind her greasy hair and touched it a few times, his hand becoming oily. Zhang Ziyi's face turned red, wishing she could find a crack to hide in. She regretted not washing her hair before coming out. It was so embarrassing.

Chen Tiandu wiped his hands and said, "To be honest, your hair isn't in great condition. It's thin and soft, and the roots are split. You need to take better care of it. As an actress, you need to look good. If you can't even take care of your hair, how can you become a star? Fortunately, these aren't major issues. Do you have your resume? Let me see it. Can you play the violin?"

"No... I can't play the violin." Zhang Ziyi handed over her resume with both hands, somewhat worried.

She was very eager for this commercial and felt it would be a shame to be eliminated just because she couldn't play the violin. After hesitating, she couldn't help but add, "Brother, Teacher Chang said it's okay to act as if you can play the violin..."

Dare to talk back?

Chen Tiandu looked at her more closely, thinking she had a rather straightforward personality. This could be a disadvantage if she wanted to become famous. He said, "There's a broom over there. Pretend it's a violin and act as if you're lost in the music. Remember, your character is deaf and mute."

"Deaf and mute? That's quite a challenge!"

Zhang Ziyi thought for a moment and then stood up decisively, clearly confident in her acting skills. She didn't mind the dirt on the broom and held it to her neck, starting to act. The classroom was unusually quiet. Zhang Ziyi thought she was doing fine, but after a few tries, she felt it wasn't right. Deaf and mute... how could she make it more convincing? The quiet atmosphere in the classroom made her lose confidence, and her face became increasingly dejected.

Just then, a melodious violin sound filled the classroom, the classic Canon.

Zhang Ziyi looked at Chen Tiandu gratefully, "Is that your phone? It looks so high-end. The music is so clear, worthy of a senior from the directing department." She tried to calm herself and continued her performance.

Chen Tiandu watched for a while but wasn't entirely convinced. Finding someone who could play the violin, was beautiful, and had long, straight black hair was not easy.

He casually connected to the internet and searched for "Zhang Ziyi." A lot of content popped up. "Damn, so much information, all traffic." He glanced at it and his eyes nearly popped out. "Several Best Actress awards, international superstar, it's her? She's worked with big directors, what incredible luck."

"What, Brother? I'm sorry, I didn't hear clearly." Zhang Ziyi stopped, puzzled.

"Stop playing, come with me."

Chen Tiandu called a halt.

"Brother, where are we going?" Zhang Ziyi threw the broom aside and followed.

"Don't worry, I won't kidnap you."

"Hehe, Brother, you really know how to joke. By the way, I don't even know your name. Calling you Brother feels so distant. We're heading to the boys' dormitory, right?"

"My name is Chen Tiandu. I'm a senior in the directing department, graduating this year. I'm four years older than you. Call me... Brother Tiandu. I'll find you a violin to practice with."

"Brother Tiandu?" Zhang Ziyi smacked her lips, feeling a bit awkward, unable to call him that.

They headed straight for the boys' dormitory. It was Zhang Ziyi's first time entering a boys' dorm. She hesitated but Chen Tiandu rushed in without a second thought, not considering her feelings. She gritted her teeth and followed. The dormitory aunt didn't stop her.

Seeing the 502 sign, he kicked the door open. The guys inside were startled. A pockmarked face was holding a violin, humming, the same classmate who had tried to pick a fight earlier. "Chen Dada, it's you. What do you want? You think you're better than us just because you got a commercial? This is our 502 dorm."

"Hu Weizu, a junior from the acting department is visiting. Don't lose your gentlemanly manners," Chen Tiandu smiled and stepped aside, revealing the fresh-faced Zhang Ziyi.

"Oh," "Damn," "Girl," "My pants," "Shit," the room erupted in chaos. Hu Weizu awkwardly put on his clothes and forced a smile, "Junior, what brings you here?"

"Enough with the formalities."

Chen Tiandu grinned, "This junior has heard that there's a music genius in the directing department named Hu Weizu, who can play the violin and charm girls. She wants to borrow your violin and learn a piece. She's brave enough to come to the boys' dorm, you won't refuse, right?"

Hu Weizu glared, "You little brat, what do you mean by charm girls, that's so crude." He then smiled at Zhang Ziyi, "Among all Western instruments, I think the violin is the most elegant. Do you want to learn the violin? No problem, I'll teach you."

Zhang Ziyi, being a smart girl, smiled gently, "Thank you, senior. I want to learn the Canon, can I?"

...

The budget for the commercial was 300,000, almost enough to make an art film, but now it was just for a few minutes of screen time. Chen Tiandu couldn't help but marvel at the unpredictability of life. Since he had taken the money, he had to strive for excellence!

When you're sipping bone soup and eating leek dumplings in front of the TV, you wouldn't think that a mere four-minute commercial could be so troublesome to shoot. Behind the scenes, there were countless small issues and daily problems. Either something wasn't prepared, or someone was late and couldn't be reached.

Apart from human factors, shooting the commercial was actually quite simple.

Chen Tiandu knew exactly what he wanted to shoot. One extra shot wouldn't be too much, and one missing shot wouldn't be too little. He was straightforward and efficient. The three main actors performed excellently, understanding the nuances immediately, which was why Chen Tiandu insisted on using acting students.

The most challenging part was the music and the butterfly transformation special effects. An embarrassing fact was that to make the scenes more realistic, these special effects had to be done in Hong Kong.

"Neck, you're a future Best Actor. Can you see the difference between a trained student and you?" It was the last scene, a classical music competition. Kong Yiji was directing the extras, and Chen Tiandu was talking to Huang Bo.

At this moment, he understood why the skinny Zhang Ziyi would achieve such success in the future. She looked good, had a certain charm, and was very serious on set. Even for a commercial, she would actively learn the violin from a music teacher whenever she had free time. In such a short time, even a genius couldn't master the Canon, but she just needed to grasp the techniques and movements.

"That's not it, I just don't have enough screen time to show my strengths," Huang Bo said,不服气 (unconvinced).

Chen Tiandu said, "I didn't say you were bad."

Huang Bo was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Chen Tiandu said seriously, "You do have your own style. You're not bound by formality, and your performances are more realistic and lifelike, which you learned from your bit parts. You can portray a kind street performer well. But because your style is too wild, you lack the basics. Look at Xu Jinglei, she can be proud and coquettish, and her expressions are just right. Look at Ziyi, in a crying scene, her tears fall from the middle, never from the sides. That's professionalism. If you lose your natural talent, how will you handle the diverse roles in the future? Audiences are fickle and won't like seeing the same face all the time."

Xu Jinglei joined in, "You're praising me." She was in the same year as Chen Tiandu, a year older, and more relaxed. They were all the same age, so calling her "Old Xu" wasn't a problem. She even said Chen Tiandu was the first to call her that, and she would use it from now on.

Zhang Ziyi heard Chen Tiandu's words and smiled modestly, "Brother Tiandu is too kind. In school, we're always taught to be precise in our crying scenes."

Huang Bo was a bit flustered, "What should I do? Should I apply to the film academy? I want to, but they won't accept me." People without a dream of stardom wouldn't understand that determination. Even a small chance would be seized tightly, otherwise, there wouldn't be so many actresses willing to undress to please directors.

Chen Tiandu said, "As a second choice, you just need a chance to learn. Does it matter if it's the acting department, directing department, drama department, or dubbing department?"

Huang Bo thought about it.

Kong Yiji, seeing Chen Tiandu's repeated attention to Huang Bo, was unhappy, "Is he that good? I think he's just average."

"Hehe," Chen Tiandu smiled, "You don't understand filmmaking. How's the special effects studio you contacted?"

"I contacted them, and they want 100,000."

"Damn, 100,000 for this? It's like they're robbing us. Hollywood doesn't even charge this much."

"What can we do? They're clearly taking advantage of us. Who says our domestic film industry is developing slowly?"

Chen Tiandu was silent for a moment, then said, "We'll negotiate. There are many special effects studios. We won't be stuck with one. There are experts in mainland China, but the industry is too narrow and can't form a chain, nor gain trust. If they don't take it, we'll go to Korea, Japan, or even Emei Film Studio. I don't believe it."

He stood up and clapped his hands, "We're ready to shoot. This is the last scene. Let's do it in one go, and then everyone can get paid and go home to their wives."

The hall burst into laughter. The staff quickly took their positions under Chen Tiandu's direction, "Ready, action!"

It wasn't difficult. If not for the need to match the tone and create a nostalgic style, it would have been even faster.

Xu Jinglei performed the piano and walked off the stage, satisfied. The host was about to announce the end of the competition when he was told there was one more person. Zhang Ziyi, with her long, straight black hair, walked out with a violin covered in scars and even taped together. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, her eyes determined. She couldn't hear but could see. Music is visible.

The piece she played was the fourfold variation of the Canon, one of the most classic pieces in the world.

After the performance, the audience and judges were speechless for three seconds, then one audience member stood up and clapped, and the hall erupted.

The commercial was finished, and everyone happily collected their pay and left. Zhang Ziyi and Xu Jinglei, with thick stacks of cash, came over to thank Chen Tiandu and asked when and where the commercial would air.

Chen Tiandu smiled, "You'll see it."

...

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