Shooting

Lu Yan put one foot in the stirrup and the other on the ground, holding the reins with his left hand, his whole body ready to go.

“Lu Yan, move your body a little more to the side. Yes, in that direction. Very good, right there, keep it. After you start, take a look at the camera before you get started.” Chen Li, who was looking at the camera, was still adjusting his position.

“OK, everyone, take your positions, Action!”

As the director finished speaking, Lu Yan quickly glanced at the camera, then turned around, propped up the horse’s back with his right hand, and stepped on the stirrup with force, and the whole person flew up into the air, and then sat steadily on the saddle. The series of movements were neat and smooth, and he was carefree and relaxed. Then he gently patted the horse’s butt with his right hand, and the horse kicked up its hooves and galloped away, raising a roll of yellow sand behind it.

After riding for a while, the director called for a stop, and Lu Yan pulled the reins, slowing down the horse. Lu Yan turned around and rode back slowly.

When they returned to the starting point, a staff member came up to lead the horse. Lu Yan did not wait for anyone to help him. He put his hands on the horse’s back, leaned to one side, and slid down on the stirrup.

Lu Yan handed the horse to the staff and walked towards the director.

“Director Chen, how is it?”

“Well, very good,” Chen Li nodded, “You passed that one just now. You can look back and see for yourself, the angle and direction are very good. Also, your eyes are very good, very good.”

“Okay, thank you Director Chen.” Lu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled easily.

The shot of getting on the horse just now was shot seven or eight times, and most of the time it failed because the angle of the shot was not good enough.

After a few months of filming, Lu Yan had become accustomed to Chen Li’s filming rhythm. Basically, apart from the literary scenes that didn’t move much, there were few shots that didn’t need to be re-shot.

Chen Li paid special attention to the effect of being in the camera, which may be related to his previous work as a photographer. But it was undeniable that it was his nitpicking that made the movie look better.

Chen Li was used to reviewing the content shot that day every night, and Lu Yan would also go over to watch it when he had nothing to do. Standing behind the camera and comparing them, it was only then that they found that the shots that Chen Li finally approved were indeed the best. Lu Yan was eager to learn, and Chen Li was not stingy with his help. He often explained to him why a certain angle was used and what the advantages of shooting in this way were.

Lu Yan was a quick learner and had a strong comprehension ability. He could understand things almost immediately. At the beginning, Chen Li had to strictly specify the angles and directions, even the height and arc. Later, basically, once Chen Li opened his mouth, Lu Yan knew how to cooperate, and the number of retakes became less and less.

Filming with Chen Li was indeed more tiring than any other time before, but the effect was also extremely obvious. Lu Yan’s grasp and understanding of the camera became stronger.

Lu Yan felt very happy. Being able to learn more was even more exciting than working with a heavyweight director.

Chen Li looked up at Lu Yan and said with a smile, “How is it, are you still able to handle it?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Of course, no problem.”

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said, “Let’s go eat and rest first. The afternoon sessions will be more tiring.”

The two of them walked and talked about the details of the next few scenes.

To be honest, Chen Li knew Lu Yan from the beginning. He would get to know every actor who came to audition in advance. Lu Yan had a good appearance, the type that would make people like him at first sight, but Chen Li had been filming for so many years and had met many actors, many of whom were outstanding in appearance. It could be said that the entertainment industry is not short of good looks.

Lu Yan was the best actor in Cannes, but even now some people still say that he was too lucky to win the award. Chen Li was not a person who only listened to rumors to make judgments. Moreover, a young actor who could make Han Yuan specifically ask to work with him must have his own strengths.

After working together for a while, Chen Li confirmed this judgment. Lu Yan was a person who made people feel comfortable to be with. He would keep a proper distance from others without making them feel distant. Sometimes he was enthusiastic but not hypocritical. He would also make jokes but in a measured way. He never made people feel embarrassed or awkward with his words or actions. 

Of course, you are not a good actor just because you know how to behave. However, Lu Yan was not only a good actor, but also hard working. There is a saying that the most terrible thing in the world is that someone who is more talented than you works harder than you. Lu Yan was such a person.

What Chen Li admired most was Lu Yan’s work attitude. Chen Li was a person who strived for perfection, but Lu Yan was sometimes more serious than him. He had seen Lu Yan rehearsing alone for the next day’s filming several times. Even in his picky eyes, Lu Yan thought the performance was good, but he still wanted to do better. Moreover, Lu Yan was not rigid, did not hold on to unnecessary self-esteem, asked questions when he did not understand, and never pretended to know. This kind of actor was Chen Li’s favorite.

Therefore, success was never accidental. Chen Li just wanted to sneer at those who said that Lu Yan was just lucky. With such good talents and conditions, and being able to work so hard, it would be God’s fault if he didn’t succeed.

However, no one knows that before his rebirth, Lu Yan was in such a “God is blind” situation. Sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, Lu Yan himself would break out in a cold sweat, not knowing whether he was in a dream or if everything in his past life was just a dream. All he could do was to grasp the present and cherish everything.

After eating the lunch box distributed by the crew, Lu Yan was called away by the costume designer Sister He.

Sister He took Lu Yan to the dressing room, pushed out a set of clothes, and said with a mysterious smile, “Come on, Lu Yan, try on this wedding dress. It has just been made and sent to you. Try it on to see if it fits you. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it for you.”

Lu Yan’s eyes lit up. This Tang Dynasty wedding dress for men was bright red, which was called crimson in ancient times. It was different from the straight-sleeved robes of ordinary clothes. It was a formal dress with large sleeves. The sleeves were spread out, and the hem almost dropped to the knees. The white waistband and skirt looked generous and gorgeous.

After Lu Yan put on the suit, Sister He looked around him and praised him endlessly, “Very good, so handsome, such a groom will surely charm everyone.”

Lu Yan followed Sister He to work for a while and said, “It must be very troublesome to make a dress like this. Is it necessary just for one or two shots?”

“Of course it is necessary!” Sister He said seriously. She was the official costume designer for Chen Li’s films. She was responsible for the costumes for almost every film Chen Li shot, including the style and fabrics. This was her profession and her interest. “Costumes, especially in a historical film like this, are the decoration of a film. If they are done well, they are the icing on the cake; if they are not done well, they become a big failure. Even if there are only one or two shots, they must not be sloppy. “

“Yes, yes, Sister He is right, I was wrong.” Lu Yan smiled and said, “Then, is the women’s wedding dress ready?”

“Of course,” Sister He said proudly, “Do you want to take a look?”

“Yeah.” Lu Yan nodded.

Sister He quickly pushed out another set of clothes. The women’s Tang Dynasty wedding dress was a blue dress with wide sleeves, but the sleeves were not as long as the men’s. There were two cuffs, and the cuffs and the lapels were embroidered with delicate patterns. The skirt inside was a lighter blue, also embroidered with delicate patterns. There was also a layer of gauze on the outside.

Lu Yan stared at the women’s wedding dress for a long time, and finally frowned.

Lu Yan turned to Sister He and said, “Sister He, I have something to ask you for help?”

“You say.” said Sister He.

Lu Yan smiled a little embarrassedly, walked over and whispered a few words.

“Well,” Sister He said hesitantly, “I can do it, but what are you going to use it for?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I can’t tell you the reason right now. Just think of it as a collection. I don’t mind how much it costs.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sister He waved her hand. “It doesn’t cost much. Okay, I’ll do it for you.”

“Thank you, Sister He.” Lu Yan smiled and bowed.

“Okay,” Sister He said with a smile, “Don’t be polite, just give me a few more autographed photos later.”

“No problem, you can have as much as you want. But please keep this matter a secret for me, Sister He.” Lu Yan said.

“Oh, why are you being so mysterious? Don’t worry, I’m not a talkative person, so I won’t tell anyone.” Sister He also agreed very readily.

The scene shot in the afternoon was one of the highlights of the entire film, in which Wang Xuance led 7,000 cavalrymen to attack the rebellious country. The scene was extremely grand.

This scene was shot from a distance, and the close-up shots had already been taken before. Because the camera was far away, the face was not very clear, and such a large scene was also somewhat dangerous. Generally, at this time, some actors would choose to use a double, and the more cautious directors would even take the initiative to suggest it.

Chen Li had previously asked Lu Yan if he wanted to use a body double, but Lu Yan directly refused. On the one hand, he liked to fight in person, and real men always have a special liking for exciting scenes. It is impossible to really go to war in real life, so if there was a chance in the movie, of course he wanted to experience it. 

On the other hand, he was also very confident in himself. Whether it was riding skills or body control, he could do everything that a stuntman could do, and he was confident that he could do better.

Chen Li did not force him, but told Lu Yan to be careful and not to act recklessly. Finally, he joked, “In order to live up to your bravery in the battle, I will try my best to have the photographer take a few close-ups of you.”

“That would be the best.” Lu Yan also said with a smile.

A helicopter carrying a photographer roared overhead, and cameras were aimed at shooting points from various angles. The assistant director used a loud speaker to instruct the actors on how to change their formation and direction.

Although there weren’t really tens of thousands of people, the scene with hundreds of crowd actors could still create the momentum of a huge army.

Lu Yan rode on the horse, charging in the direction directed by his assistant, holding the reins with one hand and swinging the sword with the other. As the horse galloped quickly, gusts of wind blew in his ears, giving him a bravery as if he were about to fight on the battlefield.

This was the first time that Lu Yan acted as the protagonist in such a scene. In his previous life, when he was a minor actor, he was only qualified to be a soldier running back and forth, looking up in the crowd, hiding his desires and dreams.

And now, he was already someone that was looked up to by others.

Lu Yan felt extremely happy. All the frustrations and depressions in his previous life were getting farther and farther away from him in this back and forth sprint.

Just treat your past life as nothing more than a dream, look forward, and always look forward. Grasp and cherish all that you have and cannot lose!

Lu Yan’s riding skills were indeed as superb as he had promised, and he even performed some difficult and thrilling but very good-looking moves on horseback.

After the filming was over, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Yan jumped off the horse.

Gao Xia, who was in charge of managing the horses and ensuring the safety of the actors on horseback, rode over and excitedly exclaimed, “Those moves just now were so beautiful. Where did you learn them from?”

Lu Yan naturally said what he had prepared long ago, “When I traveled to the prairie before, I met a herdsman with superb riding skills and learned a few tricks from him.”

Gao Xia gave a thumbs up, “Awesome!”

In fact, he learned it from a stuntman when he was a minor actor in his previous life. That stuntman often performed difficult moves for big stars. He did the most dangerous work but received relatively meager wages. This is reality!

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said with a smile, “It’s exciting! But it’s still a little dangerous. There’s no need to work so hard. I won’t give you any more money.”

Lu Yan laughed, “Don’t worry, Director Chen, I know my limits.”

“That’s good,” Chen Li said with a smile, “Safety first. If something happens to you in my crew, the fans would tear me apart. But it was really exciting!”

“Thank you Director Chen for the compliment.” Lu Yan said with a smile.