NABC Chapter 16 Casting and Departure
Chapter 16 Casting and Departure
On the third day after returning from China Film Group, Lin Ruiyang received a call from Han Sanping's secretary.
China Film Group sent a producer named Wang Hai, who was in his early forties and had worked on several films invested in by the group. He was specifically responsible for controlling the budget and schedule.
When you meet someone, they may not seem very noticeable at first glance, but after listening to them for a while, you'll realize they're the kind of person who truly has the project in their grasp.
"President Han asked me to come and keep an eye on things," Wang Hai said calmly, placing the documents on the table.
"A limited budget means a low margin for error, so we must save where we can and spend where we need to."
Lin Ruiyang nodded in agreement.
This kind of person is much more reliable than those who are all talk and no action.
"Let's talk about the actors first." Wang Hai flipped through the cast list. "What are your thoughts now?"
Lin Ruiyang handed over a partial list of characters that he had compiled.
Wang Hai glanced at it but didn't immediately comment: "Okay, then we'll send out invitations for internal auditions first."
"I only care about one thing—whether you can control yourself."
That's not a nice thing to say, but it's the truth. Once a film crew starts working, the biggest fear isn't that the director doesn't know how to direct, but that they can't control the actors.
The casting process officially began the following week.
The location was just an empty classroom on campus, with the curtains drawn to block out some sunlight.
The school brought over a few chairs and made some temporary arrangements.
The first person I interviewed was Guo Xiaodong.
He was wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, buttoned up neatly at the collar, and holding a scene from the script about a couple arguing in the living room that Lin Ruiyang had just given him.
Guo Xiaodong watched for a few minutes, then looked up and said, "It's ready."
He placed the script on his lap and remained silent for about ten seconds.
His shoulders slumped slightly, as if something was slowly sinking down his chest. Then he spoke, "Go on."
There was no one on the other side, and no one was assigned to continue the conversation.
Guo Xiaodong remained silent for a few seconds, then said, "I don't want to argue."
Wang Hai put a checkmark on the cast list, indicating his approval of the male lead's casting.
Although Guo Xiaodong's temperament isn't the kind that makes you remember him at first glance, you can still feel something in his silence through the recorded footage of his performance in the clips.
"Who will you be dating next?"
"Hao Lei, 2 PM."
Hao Lei arrived early, and Lin Ruiyang handed her the script, which she quickly glanced at and pondered.
After a brief silence of about half a minute, she looked up at the empty chair in front of her and smiled.
It wasn't a gentle smile, but rather the kind of predictable smile that said, "I knew you'd say that."
"I'm not leaving."
She spoke softly, paused for two seconds, and then added, "You think I'm not leaving because I can't bear to part with you?"
Hao Lei remained silent for about ten seconds, her expression gradually shifting from a smile to a completely flat one.
She wasn't angry, nor aggrieved; she was simply calm. Finally, she stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from her pants.
"That's fine."
Wang Hai turned to look at Lin Ruiyang, who nodded without saying a word.
"Ms. Hao Lei, there's something we need to mention in advance. Our budget is limited, so the fee might be—"
"Let's talk about the schedule first. I really like the script. The fee will be based on the market rate for art films, as long as it's not too outrageous."
That evening, Wang Hai called Hao Lei's agent.
The other party said that Hao Lei had just finished filming "Summer Palace" and her schedule was free for the next few months, but she had a few scripts to discuss.
Wang Hai hung up the phone and said to Lin Ruiyang, "Strike while the iron is hot, send the contract over tomorrow. If she drags her feet, we'll start the backup plan."
The casting process went very quickly, and the role of the nanny didn't require much effort.
Yan Bingyan was Wang Hai's choice, saying that she had played supporting roles in several TV series before, with few but solid roles.
During the audition, she simply placed her hands on her knees and didn't make any extra movements.
But Lin Ruiyang noticed that her right thumb was on the web of her left hand, and she subconsciously rubbed it back and forth a couple of times.
Have you played this type of role before?
"No, but I have studied something similar."
Wang Hai didn't press further, and Lin Ruiyang also ticked the box.
The casting of the male lead's father was facilitated by Liu Yibing. Li Baotian had some unpleasantness with the crew of "The Imperial Envoy" recently, and there were rumors circulating that he was a "tyrant on set."
This caused many film crews to wait and see, as their schedules were currently empty.
When Lin Ruiyang called, Li Baotian only said to send the script over for review.
Three days after the script was sent, he called back, his voice calm and unhurried: "I'm fifty-eight this year, but I'll be playing a seventy-three-year-old, so I'll have to put in a lot more effort."
The supporting role of the last nanny's husband wasn't much of a challenge either. Hao Lei recommended Zu Feng, a teacher who stayed on at the acting department, who happened to be one of the candidates Lin Ruiyang had originally considered.
After trying out a scene where I sat on the steps outside the police station without any lines, the role was happily confirmed.
The hardest part was finding a suitable actress for the role of a little girl.
The dozen or so children who auditioned through introductions were not suitable for the roles. It wasn't that they acted poorly, but rather that the director's special feeling for the character wasn't there.
Finally, Lin Ruiyang mentioned this matter when he was reporting the progress to Liu Yibing, and the next day Tian Zhuangzhuang helped to contact a child actor.
The little girl's name is Yang Lixiao. She is 12 years old this year. She acted in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" last year and "The Emperor Wu of Han" this year. She has some acting experience but has not yet developed a "feel for acting".
When she came in, she was carrying a schoolbag, her hair was in a ponytail, and she didn't look around. When asked a question, she would look at people, but she didn't say much and just stood there quietly.
Lin Ruiyang squatted down in front of her, his gaze level with hers.
"Your name is Yang Lixiao?"
"Um."
"Can you do me a favor? Just sit here, I'll ask you a question, you can answer if you want, or you don't have to."
She nodded and sat down on the stool.
"If one day, both your father and mother stood in front of you and wanted to take you away, and you could only choose one, who would you choose?"
Yang Lixiao did not answer immediately.
She remained silent with her head down for a long time, so long that just as Wang Hai was about to speak to smooth things over, she looked up at Lin Ruiyang. She didn't speak; her lips moved slightly but then she pursed them again.
"It's settled." Lin Ruiyang stood up in surprise, and that last look in his eyes reminded everyone of the little girl's unanswered question.
After finalizing the cast, Wang Hai checked the list of actors again and contacted the agents or the actors themselves that same day to expedite the contract negotiations.
The production process at China Film Group is also proceeding in sync, with Wang Hai making two phone calls a day to monitor the progress.
Time flew by and it was almost the end of August. Two days before his departure for Venice, Lin Ruiyang went to his dormitory to check his travel arrangements one last time.
The Foreign Affairs Office had expedited his passport and visa processing beforehand, and the school also helped him book his plane ticket.
He pulled the old suitcase out from under the bed, opened it, and spread it on the floor.
He stuffed three T-shirts, two pairs of trousers, a light jacket, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, a notebook, several pens, and a piece of paper with the contact number for the person in Venice copied down into the side pocket of his backpack.
The rest of the time was spent preparing to depart.