Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 38 Becoming a Director

The white Alphard drove smoothly through the night, its interior filled with a faint scent of perfume.

And a slight, barely perceptible stagnation.

Cai Yinong leaned back in the back seat, her eyes slightly narrowed, but her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on her knees.

Naza sat obediently to the side, carefully observing the boss's expression.

I felt a little apprehensive.

They seemed to be having a pleasant meal with Senior Brother Guo just now, so why did Sister Cai's expression change so suddenly?

Is it because Senior Brother Qi didn't come?

Or is the problem with myself?

But she didn't say anything.

At most, I objectively stated how capable and professional Senior Brother Qi was.

While some of these claims may be exaggerated, they are all true.

Yes, Senior Brother Qi can be quite fierce at times and likes to swear, but every time he finishes being fierce, he explains why very clearly. You can really learn a lot from him.

Is there anything wrong with what I said?

Absolutely not!

At this moment, the car was so quiet that the low hum of the engine could be heard.

Naza pursed her lips, hesitating whether to say something to ease the tension.

"Why did you stop talking?"

Cai Yinong suddenly spoke, her eyes still closed, her voice devoid of emotion.

"President Cai... I just think the atmosphere on set is really good."

Naza lowered her head, looking obedient and weak.

Cai Yinong slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the somewhat awkward girl next to her.

That excessively beautiful face was now filled with trepidation and a lingering glimmer of light from when someone was mentioned.

She sighed silently to herself.

What kind of nonsense is this!

The original intention was to give them a warning and prevent their carefully cultivated rising stars from getting involved in unnecessary scandals.

As it turned out, the young girl couldn't stop talking about her senior brother Qi, her words filled with admiration and protectiveness.

Judging from this, my soul has almost been "hooked" away by that young director who's like a tyrant on set.

The problem is, this is way too fast!

Normally, Cai Yinong should have sounded the alarm long ago, subtly or overtly reminding Nazha to keep her distance.

but……

The scenes she had witnessed on set that day flashed through her mind.

The young man sat there, his eyes behind the monitor sharp as a scalpel, the entire crew revolving around him like a sophisticated instrument.

He reprimanded Nazha mercilessly, but his points about the problems were incisive, and his demonstrations were clean and efficient.

Talented, capable, and ambitious

And he's quite good-looking.

This is by no means an ordinary new director. More importantly, he seems to actually possess something that can disrupt the existing order.

If possible...

A hint of determination and anxiety flashed across Cai Yinong's eyes.

Shortly after she got off the plane, Tangren's chief director, Li Guoli, finally made up his mind to completely withdraw from Tangren.

Over the years, the company's "historical idol drama" production line, on which it has relied for survival, has depended almost entirely on him and his team.

Tangren Media is currently facing a situation of: a lack of experienced directors and producers, and a roster of artists in dire need of improvement.

And then there's the "Xuan-Yuan Sword" movie, which emptied out its cash flow but ultimately failed to materialize...

Each and every one of these things weighed heavily on her heart like a stone.

The most pressing issue is that if a new breakthrough is not found, Tangren Media may face a "gap period" of no major drama series to launch throughout 2013.

This is almost fatal for a company whose core business is television drama production.

It's a matter of one rising as the other falls.

Thinking of this, the resentment Cai Yinong felt because of Nazha's "biasing" suddenly transformed into another, more complex emotion.

Looking at Nazha's anxious face, she suddenly smiled meaningfully.

"Nazha," she said, her voice softening.

"Ah? Mr. Cai, please speak." Naza immediately sat up straight.

"It wouldn't hurt to get to know Director Qi better and learn from him."

Cai Yinong spoke calmly, even with a hint of encouragement.

Naza was stunned for a moment, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with astonishment and confusion.

Isn't this the kind of thing the company always avoids the most? Especially for a new actress like her, they protect her like crazy. Why has the boss's attitude changed 180 degrees today?

"Mr. Cai, you mean..." She wondered if she had misheard.

"Perhaps I was too strict with you before," Cai Yinong's voice softened.

"But thinking about it now, it's not entirely bad for celebrities to have their own love lives."

Naza's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly waved her hand.

"President Cai, no! I didn't! Senior Brother Qi and I are really just the director and actor. He's very professional, and I only wanted to act well; I didn't think about anything else!"

Seeing Nazha's eagerness to defend herself, Cai Yinong smiled gently, patted her hand, and relaxed her posture even more.

"Silly girl, I didn't say what you have now. I was talking about... a possibility."

Naza understood, yet it seemed she didn't fully grasp it. She vaguely sensed the deeper meaning in the boss's words.

"Sister Cai, I still don't quite understand... what do I need to do? I'm afraid I won't do it well and will make things worse."

Cai Yinong smiled, "You don't need to do anything special. Just be like this, that's enough."

Naza let out a sigh of relief.

"Sister Cai, I understand. I will act well."

......

There's a joke circulating at the film academy like this.

At the art exam site,

Examiner: "Can you sing and dance?"

Test taker: "No."

Examiner: "Can you take photos and draw?"

Test taker: "No."

Examiner: "Can you write essays?"

Test taker: "No."

Seeing the candidates shaking their heads repeatedly,

Examiner: "Oh, you don't know anything? Then go study directing."

This joke leads many people to believe that being a director isn't a job with a high barrier to entry.

And that is indeed the case in reality.

Those who study photography can become directors, those who study fine arts can become directors, those who study acting can become directors, and even those who study literature can become directors.

Those who study directing can never become directors.

However, Qi Yue believes that directing is actually a job with a very high threshold.

Because the profession of director cannot be "trained" by simply following the steps in an academy.

It requires an almost brute force of comprehensive control, a talent for instantly concretizing abstract thinking, and a nerve strength that can maintain clear judgment under extreme pressure.

And... a near-obsessive-compulsive disorder.

These are things that cannot be taught in the classroom or taught in theory.

That's why there are so many bad movies and bad directors.

At this moment, during the filming of "Day and Night," Qi Yue decided to take on an extreme challenge within the "threshold."

In the opening scene of the story, we tried to use a "one-shot" technique.

The so-called "one-shot" technique is far more complex than simply filming one scene in one continuous shot. It is a meticulously crafted, millimeter-precise, and error-free process of weaving together time and space.

The director is required to mentally rehearse the entire scene before filming.

The actors' movements, lines, and emotional progression must be perfectly synchronized. The camera's movement, focus changes, shot transitions, lighting, props, sound effects, and all other aspects must work together as precisely as clockwork.

Even the slightest mistake in any step means the entire shot is scrapped and the whole crew has to start over.

This puts the director to the ultimate test in terms of on-site coordination, spatial imagination, rhythm control, and absolute control and cohesion over the entire team.

It's not about showing off technical skills, but about creating a sense of immersion and realistic tension. The very first shot sets a realistic tone for the entire film, "White Nights."