Sheng Tang insisted that no one from her family accompany her for the exam.
On the day of the first round of the art exam, she had prepared her admission ticket, ID card, and student ID, and took a taxi to the film academy by herself.
As she expected, it was crowded everywhere.
The film academy in S City is one of the top three film academies in the country, with the other two located in Beijing.
Among the examinees were quite a few celebrities, even some A-list stars.
Becoming famous early is key; not everyone, like Sheng Tang, would be lazy and finish high school. Those celebrities either started out as child stars and were already very popular or had recently participated in various talent shows in the past year or two and become familiar faces.
Some of the exceptionally talented ones, even if they just came from last year’s talent shows, had already made it into the ranks of emerging stars.
Cameras were everywhere, and so were the crowds.
There were countless handsome men and beautiful women, and just a casual glance provided a feast for the eyes.
Sheng Tang wore a very ordinary black down jacket, jeans underneath. After receiving her exam number, she lined up obediently and waited for the exam.
There was some commotion ahead, as a popular child star was lining up. Many people swarmed forward for autographs, causing some disorder in the queue.
Sheng Tang was very beautiful, but beauty was the least scarce quality among the film academy candidates.
Being a star requires not just beauty, but also charisma. Some people have striking features but lack charisma and are easily overlooked; others might not have particularly refined features, but their charisma is so dazzling that wherever they go, they are the center of attention, the focal point of people’s gaze.
Sheng Tang used to belong to the latter category.
Now, she did not particularly highlight her charisma because it was not the time for that. She was not facing cameras or an audience.
She stood there quietly, waiting all afternoon until it was her turn.
The first round of the exam was said to be brutal, as it was a simple and crude process: first, eliminate half of the candidates who did not make a good initial impression, and then eliminate those with physical or facial flaws.
In her previous life, Sheng Tang’s first round involved only two procedures: first, introducing oneself; second, reciting a prepared text to assess articulation.
This process relied heavily on luck because it was so simple that everyone’s performance was similar, leaving little room to demonstrate actual ability.
In the classroom, there were five examiners who might all be Sheng Tang’s future teachers.
Sheng Tang smiled at the teachers: "Hello, teachers."
She was very experienced in front of the camera, knowing how to control her micro-expressions to appear natural and composed.
As a student of the acting department, "natural micro-expressions" were a key assessment point.
Therefore, as soon as she walked in, showing no trace of nerves or shyness with such a natural smile, she made a great first impression on the teachers.
"Introduce yourself," a teacher said.
There was a strategy to this as well.
The acting department teachers asked for an introduction not to know your resume — after all, your application materials covered that. They wanted to hear you speak.
Dialogue delivery is a fundamental skill for actors; a natural tone and clear pronunciation are basic requirements for the entrance exam.
Therefore, Sheng Tang briefly introduced herself, speaking fluently.
The teachers showed a little more appreciation.
Then came the second segment: "Have you prepared a short piece? It should be under 800 words. You may begin."
This segment still assessed line delivery. If your articulation was clear but your recitation lacked emotion or the volume was inconsistent, it would not pass either.
Many habits are long-standing and might not change much even in school, so during the entrance exam, those who did not meet the standards were weeded out first.