Li Tang was carrying a black leather backpack, which was a gift from his ex-girlfriend last time. I walked upstairs humming the tune of "Meet Me in 1998", which became a hit during this year's Spring Festival Gala.
I arrived a quarter of an hour early, and the small building was quiet. Pushing open the door of the conference room, he suddenly felt a sense of warmth. The air conditioner in the room was on, and someone had arrived earlier than him.
A woman who was writing at her desk raised her head when she heard the sound. At this moment, Li Tang also saw clearly the woman's appearance. She was very young, with big and bright eyes, deep eye sockets, and a straight and slender nose. She looked like a mixed race.
"Hello, I'm Li Tang from the Drama Center." Li Tang introduced himself as he didn't recognize me.
"Hello, Teacher Li! My name is Yuan Quan, and I play the role of Li Huirong." The other party stood up quickly.
It turned out to be the leading female role in the play, playing a couple with me.
"No, don't call me teacher, just call me Li Tang." Li Tang waved his hands hurriedly.
These days, the title "teacher" is not a common one. Only truly talented seniors and artists can bear this title.
"Li... uh, Brother Li, please sit down."
The little girl looked reserved and said that she was going to help make tea.
"You're welcome, I'll do it myself."
Li Tang took the lead and made himself a cup of tea. He came over with a hot water bottle and refilled Yuan Quan's cup.
"Thank you, Brother Li."
Yuan Quan stood up in fear again.
"Sit, sit, sit, you're here early enough." Li Tang gestured with a smile.
Considering that the two play a pair of lovers in the play, the strangeness between the two must be eliminated as soon as possible. He glanced at the script on the table and saw that there were a lot of things written in the script. Then he smiled and said: "You have done enough preparations."
Yuan Quan smiled shyly: "This is my first time filming and I don't understand anything."
"What a coincidence, strictly speaking, this is my first time too."
Seeing Yuan Quan's confused eyes, the guy explained in an exaggerated manner: "I used to be a sidekick. Strictly speaking, it's not a real filming."
Yuan Quan made a "puff" sound, successfully being amused by him, and his restrained mentality suddenly felt relaxed. She came to Shanghai all the way from the capital, and everything around her was unfamiliar, nervous, and worrying about gains and losses.
Li Tang walked over to her with a teacup and sat down opposite her, keeping a certain distance but allowing face-to-face communication.
"I heard that you were selected in a drama. How did you get selected?"
"Well, I am from the class of 1996, and I am a sophomore this year. Last year, I filmed a street interview, and Director Peng happened to see it, so he found me. Brother Li, what about you?"
"Me? I'm lucky!"
"Keke, brother Li, you are so funny!"
Once you let go, the conversation becomes much smoother. Yuan Quan is a girl who loves to laugh. Her smile is as bright as a flower, and her whole person exudes youthfulness and agility. It is very pleasant to chat with such a beautiful girl.
Not long after, the crew and creators came to the conference room one after another, and finally Peng Xiaolian and Zhang Jianya walked in accompanied by an octogenarian old man.
Except for Yuan Quan, who was probably a little confused, everyone present stood up.
Li Tang was also startled when he saw this old man, and thought to himself: Why is this old man here?
The old man's name is Liu Qiong. He is in his 80s and 90s. He is a film actor who entered the industry during the silent film era and is a proper patriarch. He was very popular in Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he also served as a director and made many excellent films, such as "The Female Consort", "Master Qiao Enters the Sedan", "Depot No. 51", "Ashima" and so on.
After the introduction by director Peng Xiaolian, everyone learned that the old man played Guo Shaobai fifty years later. This character was not in the original script and was added by Peng Xiaolian later. Through the memories of the elderly Guo Shaobai fifty years later, the story of what happened was slowly revealed. The magnificent history before and after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The script reading is not just a simple dialogue between actors, but the entire creative team, including the director, screenwriter, photographer, lighting, art, etc. behind the scenes, participates in a collective discussion, and everyone puts forward suggestions based on the script based on the actual shooting. Various modification opinions.
To a certain extent, the script reading is equivalent to the script finalization meeting. After the meeting, the final script will no longer be allowed to be changed at will, and will become the crystallization of wisdom and creative consensus maintained by the entire crew.
Before the meeting started, everyone briefly introduced themselves. Except for the two male and female protagonists, Li Tang and Yuan Quan, and the special actor who played Mr. Chen, the other actors, including the creative team behind the scenes, were all from Shanghai Film Studio. This can be regarded as a certain compromise and exchange made by Director Peng to the factory.
After the meeting started, Peng Xiaolian asked everyone to provide comments on the script.
This script was first provided by Shanghai Film Studio, but Peng Xiaolian was not satisfied with the original script, so she worked with Zhang Jianya to re-create the script. The original screenwriter did not come today, probably because he was unhappy, so everyone put aside their problems To two directors.
There is not much difference between the movie script reading and the stage play script reading. There is an additional photography link, and at the same time, the role of lighting effects and art is more highlighted.
The behind-the-scenes team mostly emphasizes the adjustment of technical details, while the actors have to put forward their own opinions based on the characteristics of the characters. When Li Tang saw it, he turned forward the notebook he was recording, and during this period of time, he prepared The work was done quite adequately and a lot of issues were listed.
This guy first said hello: "Director, I'm sorry, I may have more questions?"
"It doesn't matter, it's a good thing to have more questions. Only when we figure out all the questions can we create a good character. Xiao Li, feel free to ask." Director Peng waved his hand to encourage.
"Thank you, director. First of all, I want to ask the exact age of the character Guo Shaobai. The script only says that he is in his twenties, which is relatively vague. Also, what is his zodiac sign? What is his zodiac sign? Does he have brothers and sisters in his family? Or an only child? How old are his parents? What is their personality like? How is their relationship with their parents..."
Peng Xiaolian was confused when she heard a lot of questions from Li Tang Barabala. She raised her hand and interrupted: "Xiao Li, please slow down first. It's understandable that you ask about Guo Shaobai's age and family background, but why do you ask? How about the details? Even the zodiac signs, parents’ personalities and relationships are revealed.”
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter in the venue, mostly ridicule. Obviously many people were resistant to Li Tang, an outsider as the male lead. Only Mr. Liu Qiong looked at Li Tang who asked the question and said A thoughtful look.
Li Tang took his time and said with a smile: "Director, I'm sorry, the zodiac sign may be a joke, it's a bit metaphysical. But you must ask about your parents' situation, including personality and relationship, because the words and deeds of your parents will affect the character's growth. some character traits.
The character of Guo Shaobai is very complex. His character has a strong side and a cowardly side. If Li Huirong has faith as an underground party member, then Guo Shaobai's faith is blank, or simply put, his faith is Li Huirong. As the story progressed, the character wavered, and I wanted to capture the most fundamental aspects of his character. "
His words immediately silenced the venue. Everyone was knowledgeable. After careful consideration, they had to admit that what he said made sense. However, they usually did not expect to be so detailed, or it was due to inertial thinking.
"Uh, Xiao Li, go ahead."
"I want to know when did he go to the United States? How did he become a naturalized citizen? How did he become a reporter for the American media... Also, were he and Li Huirong married or in a free relationship? Their love experience..."
Li Tang asked another question, and then looked at Peng Xiaolian, full of curiosity.
Peng Xiaolian could only respond with a wry smile and said: "I don't know what you are asking. I believe the original screenwriter may not have thought that much when writing this character, and he probably won't be able to give you an accurate answer. So I still recommend that you pass Use the plot and lines to infer the character of Guo Shaobai."
"I understand, director."
Peng Xiaolian's answer was exactly what Li Tang wanted.
This is the experience he summed up on Broadway. Broadway stage plays are often writer-centered. The plot and lines often cannot be easily changed, and the actors' performances are inevitably limited.
In this case, there will be a two-sided game process between the actors and the screenwriter. Actors ask questions and need writers to answer them. If you can answer it, I will act in your way. On the other hand, if you can’t answer it, then you have more room to perform as an actor.
After all, there is no actor in the world who doesn’t want to be famous, and every supporting actor has the heart to be the protagonist. Even in small roles, I want to express myself to the best of my ability. With more room for expression, there are more opportunities for natural expression.
