Translator: 549690339
Both were professional actors, so if that’s what the script called for, and neither had any objections, then it was time to start rehearsing.
Given that the female supporting character was a bar proprietress, and one with a seductive, enchanting demeanor, that’s the direction they would take for her look. While makeup and hair accessories were still undecided, they started rehearsing the first scene set in the dim room of the underground bar. Loud music played outside, neon lights glinted through the messy room, the male lead had just finished singing, and his guitar lay by the bed. The female partner danced the Rumba to the music, approaching him nonchalantly before straddling him. They embraced, kissed, entangled in a roll.
The director had planned a long take, a single continuous shot without cuts. This one shot would convey the setting of the bar, the identities of the male and female leads, their relationship, and the male leads confusion about wanting to escape the mire but not finding the direction.
This required close cooperation between the two of them. Not only did they need to kiss intimately and beautifully, but they also had to capture a certain inexplicable sexual tension between them, all while fitting the characters.
When the director was discussing the play, he had shown them the storyboard envisioned in his mind. A storyboard is like a comic strip, with the shots and plotline advancing through each dynamic panel. Wang Ju had worked with Bo Yan before and wasn’t too worried about him; he was more concerned about Xia Siyu.
Even though films these days aren’t shot on film stock and having multiple NGs (no good takes) isn’t an issue, some perfectionist directors will keep pushing actors to deliver 100% even if they’ve already performed at 95%.
But Xia Siyu… He did somewhat regret his impulsive decision to cast her after the fact. He wasn’t worried about her scandals; he just worried whether Xia Siyu could truly play the role he envisioned in his mind.
After all, some actors simply lack the talent, no matter how much a great director polishes them, a stone will never turn into jade.
But there was no helping it now. She was already there, the contract had been signed, and the announcement had been made. What was he going to do, return her like a defective product?
Wang Ju asked first, “There’s a Rumba sequence here. It’s not too difficult, but we’ll still need to rehearse it a bit. I have a dance instructor here; you can follow him and learn for a while, okay?”
To his surprise, Xia Siyu nodded, “Rumba? No problem, I’ve learned it before.”
Wang Ju was slightly surprised, “Really? That’s great, it’s much better if you already have a foundation.” Strange, he hadn’t seen anything about her dance training in her personal file.
He then turned to Bo Yan, “As for the guitar part, you still need to practice.” The male lead’s role was as a bar singer, so playing the guitar was essential. Although film sound could be dubbed in post-production, Wang Ju still hoped that Bo Yan could actually play it, or at least make it look convincing.
Bo Yan’s expression was calm, “Should be possible. It’s just that I haven’t played in a long time, I’m a bit rusty.”
When Bo Yan mentioned the guitar, Xia Siyu looked back at him. Just then, Bo Yan also looked up, and their gazes briefly met in the air.
However, Xia Siyu quickly averted her gaze, and Bo Yan lowered his head again as if their brief eye contact was just a fleeting moment of narrative exchange.
Bo Yan would play the same song on the guitar that Xia Siyu danced the
Rumba to, so they rehearsed together in the same room. With the instructor’s guidance, Xia Siyu really could dance the Rumba and kept the beat as she said she could. After an initial period of rustiness, Bo Yan quickly hit his stride as well.
In the end, the scene developed with Bo Yan sitting on a chair playing the guitar and Xia Siyu dancing the Rumba, step by step moving closer to him.