The screenwriter was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something, and smiled as if to say "I understand": "Director Jiang, I understand what you mean. Do you think the current plot is too bland? Do you think we need to add something exciting and topical that will attract criticism?"
As for what's explosive and topical, a lot of shocking and vulgar plots instantly flashed through the screenwriter's mind.
Jiang Wen's face darkened: "What are you thinking about? I want you to add more scenes to Xu Qiao."
Adding drama? Xu Qiao held the thermos cup and took a sip to moisten his throat.
No matter what Jiang Wen thought, adding more scenes would not be a bad thing for him. However, he did not have many scenes, and the filming of the crew was gradually coming to an end. What was Jiang Wen's consideration in giving him more scenes at this time
Jiang Wen flipped open a few pages of the script and pushed it in the direction of Xu Qiao.
Xu Qiao saw that there were a lot of notes on the script, and the corners were filled with notes. There were many places that were crossed out and rewritten. The messy handwriting revealed traces of Jiang Wen's repeated thinking.
Even though it was just a small web drama, Jiang Wen did not shoot it with the purpose of making money, but tried his best to make it the best within the scope of funds.
Jiang Wen's eyes swept over Xu Qiao, and then fell on the screenwriter: "Jin'er's character is too stereotypical. I need you to enrich this character. Perfect his past, and perfect the 'bad' motives of this character."
After a pause, Jiang Wen continued, "There is no hatred without reason in the world, and there is no evil without reason. We have never thought about it before, and the original book has never mentioned why Jin'er is so evil and why she fell in love with Chunyu Yuan all of a sudden."
The screenwriter opened his mouth and whispered, "We can't perfect everyone's motivations."
"Yes, there is no other way. I just want you to perfect Jin'er's motives." Jiang Wen put his hands together, "I want you to perfect the script, put this person's past, this person's twisted psychology and thoughts completely in front of the audience, and create a character that the audience hates, loves and pities."
Jiang Wen concluded: "Enhance the charm of the character, understand?"
The set was quiet for a while, and the screenwriter digested his words, looking a little embarrassed.
Of course, there are risks in changing the script in this way.
The book "Liao Jiang" is an early ancient Chinese novel written by the original author. Compared with the maturity and depth of the author's current works, this book is obviously far inferior.
This feeling is especially evident in the treatment of characters.
I wrote a sweet and refreshing novel. What? You asked me about the villain's motivation and mental journey? I don't care. As long as the readers enjoy it, that's all. Sometimes, stereotyped characters can stimulate the reader's perception.
Black is black, white is white, I don’t care about the gray area of human nature, or what makes a character.
I don't want to delve into his past, his difficulties, his unknown misery and tragedy.
What I want is whether this character can attract the readers' disgust and scolding, whether it can better highlight the charm and ability of the protagonist, and whether it can make the protagonist's image more glorious and righteous...
In the original novel, Jin'er is a prostitute who was trained by Zuihuan Pavilion since childhood. She has a twisted mind, is dissolute in front of people, and is vicious behind people's backs. Especially after meeting the male and female protagonists, she became even worse and was hated by others. However, the original novel did not mention how Jin'er came to Zuihuan Pavilion and why she became like this.
It can be said that the character of Jin'er is a tool used to promote the development of the plot, a brainless character labeled as a "villain".
Committing numerous evil deeds, creating obstacles for the male and female protagonists, and then being trampled under the feet of the male and female protagonists, becoming a stepping stone on their career and love paths - this is the fate of a tool man.
She is so bad from beginning to end that there is no reason for her to fall in love with the male protagonist.
He is hateful and humble, a pitiful creature in the emotional and career paths of the male and female protagonists.
A poor creature who is disgusting and ridiculed.
Jiang Wen wanted to enrich this character, give him a reasonable motivation, and increase his role, which was a magical change to the original plot to some extent. Whether the audience would accept it or not was unknown.
A large part of the web drama's audience comes from readers of the original novel. It is unknown whether the changes to the villain Jin'er will be criticized and boycotted by fans of the original novel because of the drastic changes.
Plus there are a lot of unnecessary expenses that come with it.
It can be said that the risk is very high.
Jiang Wen looked at Xu Qiao, who was looking down. This was a risky decision. But Xu Qiao gave him a feeling that perhaps after the script was revised, "Liao Jiang" would be rejuvenated with a different vitality.
The screenwriter frowned, and glanced at Xu Qiao who was sitting quietly beside him. He certainly understood that it was Xu Qiao's excellent acting skills that made Jiang Wen think of this.
"Now, let's discuss how to change it." Jiang Wen stared at Xu Qiao, "Xu Qiao, you should know this character best. Why do you think he fell in love with Chun Yuyuan at first sight?"
In the original novel, it is only mentioned that Jin'er fell in love with Chunyu Yuan at first sight. Whether it was because of Chunyu Yuan's handsomeness and youthful spirit, or because of something else, the original novel does not say.
Now Jiang Wen wants a more touching and reasonable reason.
Xu Qiao stroked the thermos cup in his palm with his slender fingers. He lowered his eyes and saw the wolfberries floating up and down in the thermos cup, and his own blurry face in the reflection. His thoughts went back to a long, long time ago.
At that time, in the book "I'm a Crossdresser in a Brothel", he also wore a red dress with fluttering sleeves, dancing on the specially made golden lotus leaves on the water. The water reflected his fluttering long sleeves and light gauze, and countless greedy eyes were focused on him.
When the dance was over, the beauty on the lotus leaf was half naked and sweating profusely. Before he could show his usual ambiguous smile, a man hurriedly ran up to him, pursed his lips, took off his robe and put it on him.
"I'll take care of you for a month, just don't jump again." The deep voice seemed to echo faintly in my ears.
Xu Qiao wanted to think further, but the deeper part of his memory was blank. If he went further, his head felt like it was being pricked by needles. The pain was unbearable and he couldn't recall anything.
He couldn't remember what the man looked like, or even his name.
I can't even remember what that throbbing feeling was like.
Xu Qiao heard his own ethereal voice: "There are so many people who want to take off my clothes, but you are the only one who puts clothes on me..."
Two "pa pa" sounds woke Xu Qiao up. He looked up and saw Jiang Wen clapping and giving him a thumbs up.
"That's a good reason." Jiang Wen nodded and wrote down this sentence in the script, "Jin'er has lived in a brothel since he was a child. So many people coveted his body and wanted to take off his clothes. Only Chunyu Yuan put a piece of clothes on him when he first met him."
The screenwriter also said: "Jin'er is thoughtful and delicate. Such a small action touched him and made him fall in love with Chun Yuyuan. This reason is acceptable."
Jiang Wen nodded to Xu Qiao: "Let's go back to the scene where you and Si Cheng just met, and add another shot where he puts clothes on you."
Xu Qiao smiled perfunctorily, pulled his down jacket closer, and suddenly felt a chill all over his body.
Every time he finished traveling through a book, he would forget the appearance of everyone in the world of the previous book, and the memories of their past interactions would become as blurred as those faces. Except for the skills and knowledge he had learned in the book over the years, which he retained as a mission reward after completing the world's will.
This is the world's will to protect him to some extent. A normal person, who retains the memories and emotions of one world after another, will only fall into madness.
It was just a dream after another. He didn't even know whether the people in the dream were real or fake.
Xu Qiao rubbed his aching temple and continued to discuss with the screenwriter and Jiang Wen.
This discussion lasted until late at night.
After revising the script, the crew resumed filming in full swing.
After completing the necessary shots, Xu Qiao's role officially came to an end, and he would be able to finish filming after performing the last climax.
The last scene was very important, so Jiang Wen sent people to make preparations early.
At this time, Jin'er, because of his admiration for Chun Yu Yuan, tried every means to frame Guan Nianyan but failed. The huge hatred and the original distortion in his heart made him even more crazy. Not only did he hunt down and make things difficult for the heroine, but he also killed many innocent people in the process.
Chun Yu Yuan has not yet learned of Jin Er's identity. While he is trying his best to find the powerful black-clad man who has been harassing them, he is also becoming more and more disgusted with Jin Er who is always sticking to Zui Huan Ge.
One day, Chunyu Yuan was fighting with a man in black. He used his sword to pick off the man's veil. Before he could see the face underneath the veil, the man in black had already slipped away.
The quick glance made Chun Yuyuan feel familiar. He had a guess, but he couldn't believe it: the young prostitute in Zui Huan Pavilion who was sought after by everyone, delicate and beautiful, was the cruel man in black
At night, Chunyu Yuan came to Zuihuan Pavilion to verify the truth and spent a lot of money to book Jin'er for a night.
In Jin'er's room, the two people looked at each other in silence.
The lighting and props were all in place, and several cameras were pointed at the two people. After the scene reporter clapped the board, the filming began.
Xu Qiao was still wearing a thin red dress, with a silk ribbon around her waist. He looked at Si Cheng, who was sitting at the table without saying a word, pursed his lips and smiled, walked over and put his slender fingers on his shoulders: "A Yuan..."
A sound that goes straight into the bones.
Si Cheng frowned and brushed his hand away.
Xu Qiao didn't mind his indifference, and acted like she was used to it. She raised her hand and poured him a glass of wine, smiling: "This is your first time coming back to my house."
Si Cheng stared at Xu Qiao's expressionless face and asked coldly, "Where were you this afternoon?"
"Afternoon?" Xu Qiao lowered his crow-feather eyelashes, chuckled, put down the wine pot, and said in a low, hoarse, and vague voice with a bit of complaint, "Of course it was in bed. That person didn't know how to pity others at all. He grabbed Jin'er's hand and tossed it hard. Jin'er could only see the red silk above her head shaking, shaking—"
"Enough!" Si Cheng couldn't bear the dirty words and pushed Xu Qiao away.
Xu Qiao was pushed to the ground by him, frowning slightly in pain. Although he was in pain, he still smiled on his raised face, but his smile was filled with deep and indissoluble sadness.
Seeing this, Si Cheng's heart skipped a beat, he felt guilty and blamed himself, and subconsciously wanted to help him. The moment he stretched out his hand, he knew he would be scolded again.
In the script, Chun Yu Yuan just looked at Jin Er who fell to the ground with indifference.
Before Jiang Wen could start scolding, Si Cheng helped Xu Qiao up, dropped his hands to his sides, and looked over pitifully: "Director, I'm sorry."
The apology was quick. Jiang Wen snorted and waved his hand to signal for him to start over.
After this scene, Chun Yuyuan had already confirmed Jin Er's identity. Jin Er knew that there was no possibility for them to be together anymore, and she was determined to die.
Jiang Wen attached great importance to the final scene and did not rush to shoot. He looked at the weather forecast for a few days and finally waited for a snowstorm. He called back the crew overnight and set up the scene in the snow.
The dazzling red silk fluttered in the air, enveloping the entire world in grandeur. Jin'er would dance one last dance for Chunyu Yuan in the snow, and then drink poison wine and die.
The traffic it brings, the company behind it, and all kinds of things that cannot be known to outsiders.
As the assistant director, Zhang Zhen has the decision-making power over some minor roles, and also has a certain influence over important roles such as the young Taoist priest.
Xu Qiao's audition was indeed wonderful, but for some reason Yang Hui changed her mind in the end and gave Li Chengxuan an audition opportunity.
Honestly speaking, with the same amount of preparation time, Li Chengxuan's final audition performance was far inferior to Xu Qiao's. Even his movements, expressions, and performance details were obviously imitating Xu Qiao's outstanding performance the day before.
It’s just that Yang Hui is a veteran agent and has a lot of say in SSE, and Zhang Zhen is willing to give her face and build a good relationship with her. As for the private benefits, that’s another story.
Although it is not as good as Xu Qiao, it is still quite acceptable. Yang Hui said that the role was given to Li Chengxuan. After all, they have the same agent, so it doesn't matter who it is given to.
After all, the most outstanding character in Water Ghost Scroll is the male lead. If the little Taoist priest performs well, it would be the best, but if he performs poorly, it is not a big problem.
Although Zhang Zhen felt a little regretful, he still suppressed Xu Qiao's audition video and told Hu Zhenghua that Li Chengxuan performed well in the audition and could be considered. Hu Zhenghua had also seen Li Chengxuan's plays before, and his acting skills were pretty good among all the young actors, so he decided after asking a few questions.
Xu Qiao was not too surprised when he learned about this. From the moment Li Chengxuan got in the car on the day of the audition, he vaguely sensed that something was going to happen.
Since he failed to get the role, it is estimated that the contract termination has been put on the agenda by Yang Hui.
Sure enough, not long after receiving the audition result, she called. At that time, Xu Qiao had just finished filming a scene and was sitting in the lounge, chatting with Li Feifei.
"Xu Qiao, after you finish filming 'Liao Jiang', go back to the company and go through the contract termination process."
After the call was connected, Yang Hui's words could be heard clearly in the relatively quiet lounge. When Li Feifei heard what she said, her face instantly drooped.
Xu Qiao lowered his eyelashes and drank a sip of hot water to moisten his throat, knowing that he had been abandoned.
Of course, Li Chengxuan’s contribution is indispensable in this, and it is obvious that Yang Hui favors him more.
Originally, Yang Hui was hesitating whether to keep Xu Qiao. The role of the little Taoist priest was a test to decide whether to keep him. If Li Chengxuan hadn't come out to mess things up and Xu Qiao had successfully won the role of the little Taoist priest, Yang Hui would have asked the company to keep Xu Qiao.
But now everything has been declared over.
Li Chengxuan took the role, and Yang Hui no longer hesitated and decisively gave up on him. Resources are never enough to be distributed, and at this time, personal relationships will always favor the one you like more.
What's more, this is also the intention of the company's top management.
Xu Qiao had a slight headache, not because of the termination of the contract itself, but because of the various troubles that followed.
For example, complicated procedures, for example, the current housing is provided by the company, and you must find another place to live after the contract is terminated, for example, whether you have to find another job after the contract is terminated... Xu Qiao is a person who fears trouble.
But it's better to terminate the contract. At least it can save a lot of trouble. Let's talk about the future after "Liao Jiang" is finished.
He rubbed his temple and replied, "I understand, Sister Yang. I will go back and follow the procedures after the filming of 'Liao Jiang' is finished."
Xu Qiao's voice was very calm. Yang Hui could tell that it was not a deliberate disguise of calmness. He really didn't care that much.
This realization made Yang Hui frown and feel a little uncomfortable.
She thought Xu Qiao would at least say something nice and ask her to speak up for him. She even prepared some excuses to tell him that this was the company's decision and she had no other choice.
But Xu Qiaoyun was calm and tolerant, and didn't care about the result at all.
Let the prepared words be of no use.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Qiao glanced at Li Feifei, who looked melancholy, and said lazily, "What's wrong?"
Li Feifei pursed her lips and whispered aggrievedly: "Li Chengxuan, this smiling tiger, is so hateful."
Yes, it's too abominable. Xu Qiao exhaled and blew away the long hair that was brought to the corner of his mouth by the wind. He was too lazy to argue with others, but that didn't mean he wouldn't bear grudges.
Li Feifei gave him a haircut and sighed, "Brother, what should I do if you terminate the contract?"
Xu Qiao looked at him doubtfully and said, "You are just an assistant. They won't make things difficult for you. They will probably assign you to work under other people when the time comes."
Li Feifei's eyes were filled with tears. She looked at Xu Qiao without saying a word.
Xu Qiao couldn't stand his gaze, so he looked away and sighed: "If you still want to follow me, then continue to follow me."
Li Feifei grinned when she heard that, and then asked carefully, "Brother, do you have any plans? Do you want me to ask someone to see if there is any agency willing to sign you?"
Speaking of this, Li Feifei is full of fighting spirit again. He has a mysterious confidence in Xu Qiao, believing that his brother will become famous sooner or later.
Xu Qiao thought about what he had done in the book world and said hesitantly, "Do you have any plans? Let me think about it. I could do programming, be a translator, draw, play e-sports, or open a martial arts school. Hmm... being an undertaker is not impossible."
Every time he mentioned a plan, Li Feifei's face would twitch: "Brother, are you serious? I've been with you for so long, and only now do I realize that you have a sense of humor."
Looking at the little expression when he spoke, he was so serious that if you didn't know, you would be really scared.
Xu Qiao looked at Li Feifei's expression and did not refute. But Li Feifei's words did make him start thinking about what to do after the contract was terminated. Looking at the current situation, he didn't know if there was an agency that would sign him. If not, what should he do
He hasn't graduated from college yet, and his studies have been delayed a lot in the half year since his debut. The body he had before he crossed into the book has almost no internships or award-winning experiences that he can show off.
Apart from my experience in the entertainment industry, there is really nothing else to write on my resume.
There's nothing much to write about in my resume. Should I prepare a portfolio in advance and submit it later? This thought flashed through Xu Qiao's mind, and he silently added it to his schedule.
The two chatted for a while, and suddenly there was a noise outside the lounge.
Li Feifei leaned out and looked out: "What happened? Let's go out and take a look."
The two walked outside the lounge, and just then Si Cheng and Zhang Yinghui came over. Si Cheng tugged at Xu Qiao's sleeve and whispered, "Xu Qiao, Director Jiang asked us to go over."
Where are you going? Xu Qiao asked him with his eyes.
Si Cheng glanced outside the studio, then looked at Xu Qiao: "The role of Meng Xuan is still vacant, Director Jiang said he has found someone to guest star."
Meng Xuan, in the original novel, is the descendant of a reclusive prince from the previous dynasty. She is described as a fairy from the otherworldly world, untainted by the mundane world. Because she has very few scenes but high requirements for her image, this role has been vacant since the filming began.