eurekapd Chapter 116 Taming the Hawk!
Chapter 116 Taming the Hawk!
Let the outside world say whatever they want, Gu Heng didn't even bother to glance at them.
That's just how this industry is. They see you build a tall building and entertain guests, but behind your back, who doesn't secretly hope that your building will collapse?
It's beneath us to waste our breath arguing with them now. We'll see what they're made of once the film is edited and taken to Venice!
Next came the issue of the actors. Gu Heng immediately sent Wang Baoqiang back to the company.
This guy just finished filming "Lost in Thailand," and his憨直 (honest and simple) comedic charm and naivety haven't completely faded yet. That won't do!
What does "Mr. Tree" want?
Depressing, magical, neurotic!
Baoqiang is still a long way from becoming a "tree".
Gu Heng didn't waste any words, simply shoving the script into his arms: "Go back and memorize your lines. For the next month, I'll take you to the countryside in Northeast China. We'll only start filming again when you've become so sluggish you look like a withered tree!"
As for the other roles, Gu Heng already had them in mind.
Gu Heng immediately decided to take Wang Shuangbao, the village bully Erzhu.
This guy has a naturally criminal face; he doesn't need to act at all. Just standing in front of the camera, he exudes an air of lawless arrogance.
Gu Heng was originally considering whether to bring Bado along to make a pair, but then he quickly stopped himself!
If these two were to appear on screen together, the audience would definitely burst out laughing. This is a proper art film!
Shu's childhood friend Chen Yixin, Gu Heng called Duan Yihong.
When Lao Duan heard that he was going to act alongside Bao Qiang, he didn't even ask about the pay and came right away without saying a word.
These two are now incredibly close in the industry, practically inseparable, and are widely recognized as true brothers.
They're really going to fight when something happens!
What surprised Gu Heng the most was the character of Zhang Xiaomei, the mute girl.
Sun Li actually came to him herself and offered her services.
This is quite a coincidence. Previously, because Gu Heng, like a butterfly flapping its wings, caused her to lose the role of the blind girl in "Huo Yuanjia".
This is a case of cause and effect coming together. Gu Heng waved his hand, and the blind girl was gone. In return, he gave her a mute girl. That's settled!
With the main roles decided, Gu Heng dumped all the remaining extras and pre-production work on his uncle, Liu Jun.
He then prepared to take Wang Baoqiang straight to Northeast China.
The atmosphere in the courtyard was a little awkward the night before I left.
The little fox was really itching to go and experience the local customs and culture of Northeast China.
But then I thought about how I'd just barely managed to finish my makeup exams this semester, and if I were to slip away like this now...
But her wild side was also at play, thinking that as long as Gu Heng said the word, she didn't care whether it was Aunt Cui or Aunt Li.
Even Jesus couldn't keep her!
She said it!
In the bedroom, Yang Mi helped Gu Heng pack his luggage.
This girl didn't say much all night, she just kept trying to get attention.
One minute she's folding clothes here, the next she's stuffing socks there, bending over and sticking her butt out—her movements are quite exaggerated!
Two long, white legs swayed back and forth in front of Gu Heng, making him dizzy.
Gu Heng leaned against the headboard, flipping through the storyboard, suppressing a laugh.
He knew exactly what this girl was up to, so he just stood there quietly watching her perform.
Seeing that she had folded the clothes into a mess, Yang Mi finally couldn't hold back anymore and sat down on the bed in a huff.
Gu Heng was about to tease her when Yang Mi took a deep breath and softened her tone first: "Never mind, I'll just stay at school."
"Oh? Did the sun rise in the west today?" Gu Heng raised an eyebrow.
Yang Mi pouted, a rare seriousness flashing in her eyes: "I was so determined to work hard before, but you went and made an art film to compete for awards, and now I'm thinking about having fun. I'm afraid I won't even be able to see your taillights by then..."
Gu Heng was stunned for a moment, never expecting that this usually proud and clingy little fox would have such awareness.
It seems that my rapid growth recently has indeed brought her a considerable sense of crisis.
Gu Heng's heart softened, and he reached out to rub her head: "Okay, then stay home and study hard. Once I finish 'Mr. Tree,' I'll give you a movie at the end of the year, and you'll be the lead actress on the big screen."
Upon hearing this, Yang Mi's peach blossom eyes instantly lit up like two 1,000-watt light bulbs.
End of the year?
The female lead?!
Is Zun Du fake Du?
She didn't actually want much; she just wanted to keep up with her man. Now, a huge windfall had fallen into her lap, and Yang Mi was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she rushed over to him.
That was absolutely brutal!
The ordeal that lasted all night moved Gu Heng deeply.
I cried several times...
The next morning, the plane landed in Liaoyuan, Jilin, and Gu Heng and Wang Baoqiang headed straight for the rural countryside.
The visionary external production team had already established themselves here, communicating clearly with the village secretary and villagers.
Filming in rural areas is still a rare thing these days, and the villagers are very cooperative.
For the next month, before the main crew arrived, Gu Heng began inhumane eagle-training on Wang Baoqiang.
This film has no grand scenes or cool special effects; the male lead alone carries the spirit and energy of the entire movie.
"Keep smoking! Keep smoking! You won't stop until your fingers holding that cigarette become an unconscious habit!"
On the earthen kang (heated brick bed) in a farmhouse in Northeast China, Gu Heng acted like a heartless supervisor.
Smoking, drinking... but never getting a perm.
He wanted Wang Baoqiang to embody all sorts of other low-class behaviors. Gu Heng wanted to etch the numbness and neuroticism of marginalized people into his very bones.
"Your eyes are off! Too clear! You're afraid to look at people, you glance at them and then look away! You're spacing out!"
"Don't put your hands like that! You know what you're doing? It's like you've never done anything worthwhile in your life, just hanging there in mid-air!"
"Walk! Slouch down! Slouch up! Walk like you're walking on cotton! Walk as if you're in another world!"
For a whole month, Wang Baoqiang was tormented to the point of almost going insane.
Every day he would wear that shabby suit, his hair was greasy like a bird's nest, his hand was half-raised in an extremely awkward posture, and he would wander around the village with a cigarette in his mouth.
Later on, even the village dogs stopped barking at him, completely regarding him as the village's idle, vagrant Second Uncle.
Gu Heng sat on a large rock at the village entrance, looking at the wandering figure in the distance that seemed to have shed its soul, and finally smiled with satisfaction.