EBE Chapter 23: Makeup Photos
Chapter 23: Makeup Photos
OP: Family, Huihui's book "My Bronze Cauldron Can Connect Past and Present" is going to be made into a web series. Does anyone know about it? I really love that book. The general will always be my white moonlight!
3rd floor: A script adapted from a novel can only be considered good if it's 80% faithful to the source material; it will definitely be drastically altered.
4th floor: I heard that the script was bought by an MCN agency. Is it reliable?
5th floor: MCN agencies seem to focus more on traffic, so they might not be able to produce good dramas. I feel like they might ruin the script.
Original Poster: As long as the drama is well-made, it doesn't matter who directs it.
7th floor: I just want to ask who plays the lead role?
Original Poster: I heard it's Chen Hao. Someone revealed that they ran into him on the audition set.
9th floor: ?
10th Floor: Chen Hao can play a general? That's out of character!
11th floor: I don't want to look anymore.
This forum is for Hu Xiaohui's book fans.
After returning from the audition that day, Bai Li read Hu Xiaohui's original work.
Once you start watching, you can't stop; you become completely engrossed.
So heartbreaking! So sweet!
Reading one book wasn't enough for Bai Li; she also read several other novels by Hu Xiaohui, becoming engrossed in each one she read.
He spends all his time glued to his phone, and occasionally he'll have a mysterious smile on his face.
I never imagined that the surprisingly shy Hu Xiaohui could write so many thrilling, heart-wrenching, and blush-inducing stories! Bai Li just thinks you can't judge a book by its cover. Bai Li has already become a fan of Hu Xiaohui's books.
11th floor: It wasn't him.
Bai Li couldn't help but follow up and give her friend Jiang Mingfei's film crew proof.
13th Floor: Do you know any inside information? [Evil grin]
As an investor in this drama, Bai Li naturally knew all the inside information; she was even on set.
The actors were taking costume photos today, and she and Jiang Mingfei came to visit the set.
They also put a lot of thought into the actors' makeup and costumes, hiring a professional costume and prop team to strive for faithfulness to the original work. In particular, they hired well-known teachers in the industry for the makeup and costumes of the main actors.
Jiang Mingfei was initially worried about funding, but Bai Li generously invested another million, allowing them to go all out and "spend lavishly."
The results were very satisfactory.
Zhang Yu had a total of 5 costumes designed: two sets of casual clothes, two sets of armor, and one set of modern clothing. Each set was paired with a different hairstyle and makeup, with different styles, but all of them were very suitable for Zhang Yu.
Each outfit perfectly captures the general's spirit, and coupled with his own superior physique—broad back, narrow waist, and long legs—he looks good in almost every photo, incredibly handsome.
"Great! Come on, tilt your head a little more to the left."
"Okay! Hold this angle!"
"Spread your legs wider, squint your eyes, and look at the camera!"
"Hey! That's the look! You've got it! Keep it! Two more shots!"
You could tell from the photographer's voice that he was having a great time taking pictures. It's rare to have such good material; not only is the subject attractive, but the photographer also captured the essence perfectly.
I heard that Zhang Yu was a new actor, but the cameraman felt that Zhang Yu had none of the shortcomings of a newcomer. He was not shy in front of the camera at all, was very relaxed, and got more and more into it as the filming progressed.
What the cameraman didn't know was that although Zhang Yu had never acted, he was a veteran cosplayer with ten years of experience. Taking photos was his forte, so he was naturally adept at it.
Zhang Yu was filming the ancient casual clothes set. The clothes were made of a close-fitting material, with the collar wide open, revealing the faint outline of his eight-pack abs. Zhang Yu sat on the edge of the bed with his legs spread apart, in a relaxed posture, but inexplicably making people blush and their hearts race. He was like a big cat, lazy, but his eyes were extremely dangerous, as if he had locked onto his prey.
Bai Li snapped a photo too.
Save.
This money was well spent.
The exquisite set design, costumes, and props in the photos make you think it's a movie production; who would know it's a web series?
Bai Li showed the photo to Jiang Mingfei and then asked, "Feifei, can the photo be leaked beforehand?"
Jiang Mingfei thought for a moment, then nodded. Anyway, the official announcement was coming soon, so it didn't matter whether it was a few days earlier or later.
Moreover, Bai Li is the biggest investor in this drama, so she can do whatever she wants.
Jiang Mingfei asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"
Bai Li said mysteriously, "I'll give your show some buzz."
20th floor: [Photo] How about this?
Bai Li posted the photos she had just casually taken on the forum.
21st floor: Holy crap! Who is this guy?! I need to know his name within three minutes!
22nd floor: This body proportion is amazing! Oh my god, I'm drooling.
23rd Floor: Ah! My general has come back to life! Is he playing the general? Is he playing the general? Is he playing the general? Please, this is really important to me!
Bai Li knew this would be the reaction, so she prepared to wait a while before replying, playing mysterious and letting things play out for a bit longer.
30th Floor: Is it really him acting? Is the news reliable?
32nd floor: I've analyzed the photos frame by frame, and I'm leaning towards the fact that it's real. Look at the props and equipment placed in the lower left corner on the right, plus the camera equipment peeking out on the left; it looks like a film set.
40th floor: I agree with the comment above, so the photos were taken on set. / Can these kinds of photos be leaked in advance? Who is the person on the 20th floor?
45th Floor: I don't think it's true. His outfit looked familiar, so I checked the official store for high-end Hanfu. It turns out it's from the brand 【锦绣山河】 (Jinxiu Shanhe). The official store price is [price missing] yuan per set, and it underwent some modifications. Because of these changes, the clothes can't be returned, meaning they weren't borrowed from 【锦绣山河】 but purchased directly. Would a web drama production team buy such expensive clothes for just a costume?
46th floor: It looks fake at first glance. Look at the set design in the photos, it's too exquisite. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. Have any of you ever seen such a gorgeous set design in a web series?
Floor 47: What the person upstairs said makes sense! So, is it true or false?! [Frustrated]
The forum is buzzing with discussion, and now all that's missing is Bai Li offering her own opinion to provide a definitive answer.
Bai Li thought for a moment and typed a line.
56th floor: I am an investor in the production team. I invested two million in the production team. I swear, it's true.
57th floor: Yes. I am an investor in the production team. I invested 20 million yuan in the production team. I swear, it's true.
58th floor: Haha, the sister upstairs is so funny.
Clearly, Bai Li's reply was taken as mere joking, and even the photos she posted earlier were considered fake.
59th floor: What a pity, such a handsome guy isn't a general.
60th floor: When I'm rich, I'm going to invest in Xiaohui's scripts, cast handsome guys to make movies, use the best actors, and make the most conscientious dramas. Sisters, wait for me to become rich!
Floor 66: Good luck to the person upstairs!
Bai Li wasn't worried about being misunderstood; she simply left the forum quietly.
I put my phone away; the filming was now over.
Several production assistants stepped forward to tidy up the set. These sets were needed for filming the series later, so the entire set could be moved around freely, but it was very heavy and required several people to push it together.
Zhang Yu also wanted to lend a hand, but the stage manager waved him away.
"Zhang Yu!" Bai Li waved from a distance.
Zhang Yu heard someone calling him and looked in the direction of the sound.
Zhang Yu couldn't see clearly at first because they were too far apart. He wasn't wearing contact lenses, so he could only squint slightly before he saw Jiang Mingfei and Bai Li standing in the shadows outside the venue. He quickly walked over and greeted them, "President Jiang, Miss Bai."
Bai Li noticed the fine sweat on Zhang Yu's forehead.
To ensure adequate lighting, several incandescent lamps were installed at the shooting location. These high-powered incandescent lamps were no different from ovens, and it would feel very hot to stay under them for a long time.
Even though Zhang Yu was wearing relatively light clothing, she was still sweating a lot.
He knew he was sweating and was afraid of being disliked, so he kept a distance from the two big bosses.
Bai Li waved behind her: "Paper."
Ah Long stepped forward, took out a pack of tissues from his backpack, and handed it to Bai Li with quick and efficient movements.
Bai Li handed the paper to Zhang Yu and said with concern, "Wipe your sweat, don't catch a cold."
"Thank you." Zhang Yu took the tissue and carefully wiped his sweat.
But speaking of which, shouldn't an assistant be in charge of this kind of thing?
Bai Li secretly felt that something was missing.
In fact, actors usually have one or two assistants. Actors need to film all day long, so there are many things that actors cannot take care of themselves. For example, when filming in the hot summer or cold winter, they often need their assistants to provide some cooling and warmth measures during filming breaks.
Especially for actors like Zhang Yu, who are involved in filming period dramas, the costumes and attire are relatively complex, and it is very inconvenient for actors to do many things on their own.
Bai Li asked Jiang Mingfei about the arrangements for an assistant.
Jiang Mingfei sighed and revealed Zhang Yu's story: "I wanted to provide Teacher Zhang with an assistant, but the thrifty Teacher Zhang refused. He used all the funds you invested in him for the production team."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu did not refute it, but explained, "I don't need an assistant; the production crew needs this money more than I do."
Bai Li really wanted to knock Zhang Yu on the head when she heard this.
I never expected that Teacher Zhang, a grown man, would be so rigid.
But looking at Zhang Yu, who had an infuriatingly serious face, Bai Li couldn't bring herself to knock him on the head.
After all, Zhang Yu voluntarily gave up his assistant because he wanted to make the film better and the drama more enjoyable.
There aren't many actors in the entertainment industry these days who have this kind of awareness.
However, Shirai strongly disapproved of this behavior.
Bai Li said seriously with a straight face, "An actor's state of mind is also very important. I don't want trivial matters to affect your feelings and state of mind. With an assistant, you can devote yourself to filming wholeheartedly."
"Like right now, all the makeup artists are backstage taking photos of other actors and don't have time to touch up your makeup. Luckily, your photoshoot is already finished. What if it hadn't? The makeup artists wouldn't have time to touch up your makeup, wouldn't the photos look bad, and wouldn't it delay the shoot?"
Bai Li's words were reasonable and well-founded, and she added at the end, "Besides, I don't lack the money to hire an assistant."
Zhang Yu stared at the paper in his hand, lost in thought. After a while, he nodded and said, "Miss Bai is right. I'm sorry, I was too naive before."
Jiang Mingfei said with a look of relief, "Oh dear, finally someone has been able to persuade Teacher Zhang. It has to be President Bai who stepped in."
Bai Li's expression collapsed: "Feifei, stop teasing me! And what's with this 'President Bai' thing?"
Jiang Mingfei laughed heartily. She loved teasing Bai Li, especially when she saw the changes in Bai Li's face.
Bai Li didn't need to worry about the rest. She invested another sum of money in Zhang Yu, and Jiang Mingfei quickly found an assistant for him.
There were two assistants in total, each with their own tasks. When Zhang Yu was filming, they followed her around, busy with everything, and were very responsible.
Because the filming took place in the middle of summer, while other actors were so hot they only had small electric fans, Zhang Yu had special ice packs to cool down, as well as a quick-cooling spray that someone would spray on him constantly to ensure his condition while filming.
There are also people who prepare meals for him, ensuring a balanced diet to maintain his best physique.
As the female lead watched, tears of envy streamed down her face. Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Zhang, how good is your company to you? They assigned you two assistants, and both of them are very dedicated and responsible. Where did you find them?"
Zhang Yu only vaguely said, "My boss is very good to me."
He didn't mention Bai Li, fearing it would cause her trouble, but he knew that both assistants were hired by Miss Bai at a high price.
Because the salary is high, they work very hard.
He also truly experienced the benefits of having assistants during these few days of filming. Thanks to the meticulous care of his two assistants, he was able to concentrate more on acting and handle filming more smoothly.
Zhang Yu hadn't expected that Bai Li would give him even more support after investing so much in him, which showed how much Bai Li trusted him.
How lucky he is to have met someone who appreciates him so much.
Zhang Yu felt even more grateful to Bai Li.
[Zhang Yu's favorability +20]
[Zhang Yu's Favorability: 40]
Bai Li, who was playing mahjong with Ah Long and two other bodyguards at the hotel, paused.
Huh? Zhang Yu's favorability rating has increased?
She pondered for a moment and thought she probably knew the reason.
It seems the two assistants are taking very good care of Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu is very pleased, as his favorability rating has increased by 20 points at once.
I'll have Jiang Mingfei give those two assistants bonuses later.