Rebirth of the Cannon Fodder in the Entertainment Circle

Chapter 210 - 210 210 Shot Oneself in the Foot

?Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Shot Oneself in the Foot Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Shot Oneself in the Foot Luo Ning was the first to appear in the opening scene.

At this moment, she still embodied the innocent and carefree junior sister.

Dressed in a light yellow ancient gown, she pushed open the courtyard gate in search of her senior brother, her face adorned with a brilliant smile and her eyes glistening like stars.

Upon seeing her entrance, Director Zhu, the assistant director, and others were initially stunned, then their eyes lit up.

Luo Ning brought to life the early character of junior sister Su Youling with such a flawless presence.

It wasn’t just Director Zhu and the others; even Cui Ran, who was playing opposite Luo Ning, was taken aback.

He already knew Luo Ning was very pretty, but the aura she now exuded was a stark contrast from before.

He involuntarily immersed himself in the role, as if she were indeed the cute junior sister he had cherished and adored from childhood.

After this part concluded, the assistant director commented with a smile, “I didn’t expect Luo Ning to be so skilled in acting. Not only did she hold her own against Cui Ran, but she also quickly drew him into the role.”

Cui Ran was considered a young actor with respectable talent; everyone initially thought Luo Ning would be overshadowed by him.

It wasn’t that Cui Ran would intentionally outshine Luo Ning, but when actors with differing levels of skill perform together, inevitably one might overshadow the other.

Now, with Luo Ning’s acting prowess shining through, both seamlessly merged into their roles without a single call for a cut.

The two completed two scenes in succession, and then it was time for Bo Xiangxiang, playing the female lead, to act opposite the male lead.

Xi Shu was Luo Ning’s assistant, so naturally, she came along too.

She had already prepared Luo Ning’s favorite cold drink and even bought one for every member of the crew.

Previously, Bo Xiangxiang’s assistant only bought drinks for the director, assistant director, a few others, and the main cast, neglecting the extras, runners, and less significant crew members.

However, Xi Shu made sure to get one for everyone, which earned Luo Ning an additional layer of goodwill.

While everyone certainly wasn’t deprived of a cold drink, it was all about the thoughtfulness and respect, signaling they weren’t looked down upon.

Luo Ning was still at her peak, and compared to Bo Xiangxiang, she certainly knew how to treat people better.

Having changed her clothes, Luo Ning sat drinking her cold drink while watching Bo Xiangxiang perform.

There was no denying that Bo Xiangxiang did possess some acting talent, especially in tear-jerkers.

The current scene featured Bo Xiangxiang playing the female lead in a father-daughter reunion plot, and both the reunion and crying scenes were impressive. Therefore, after just one retake, the scene was approved.

Soon after, it was time for Bo Xiangxiang and Cui Ran’s shared scenes.

Both were decent actors, so slipping into character was relatively swift.

But having seen Luo Ning’s unexpected acting competence, Bo Xiangxiang couldn’t help feeling threatened, pushing her to display her acting chops with vigor.

Yet, because she tried too hard, her performance started to seem artificial.

Especially when Bo Xiangxiang faced the male lead, her white lotus persona inevitably came through.

Director Zhu, rendered speechless, kept calling for retakes.

Cui Ran also began to grow impatient. Dressed in historical costumes and wearing headgear under the sweltering heat made acting a torment.

And with Bo Xiangxiang constantly missing the mark, he was on the verge of madness and found himself yearning for the efficiency of filming with Luo Ning.

After more than ten unsuccessful takes, Director Zhu couldn’t help but lose his temper.

“Bo Xiangxiang, you’re playing a heroine brimming with a sense of justice. Why on earth are you portraying her as if she is pitiful? What are you doing?”

If the female lead’s theft of her junior sister’s fiancé was acted well, it could be seen as true love.

Junior Sister did have a marriage engagement, but since the male lead had fallen for someone else, he couldn’t possibly marry her without being irresponsible to both parties.

Audiences would empathize with the male and female leads and feel that, although Junior Sister was innocent, there was indeed no love between her and her Senior Brother, so parting ways was the right decision.

But if someone acted the part like Bo Xiangxiang did, then she would come across as a scheming mistress who stole Junior Sister’s fiancé, and who knows what kind of backlash she would face from the audience.

Often, just a few expressions and movements are enough to convey entirely different flavors and meanings.

Director Zhu didn’t realize that this was Bo Xiangxiang’s true colors showing through, making it difficult for her to portray the flavor of the lead female role written in the script.

At one point, Director Zhu couldn’t help but consider giving up, but the assistant director chuckled and said, “Actually, it’s not bad this way. It’s even more melodramatic, which might attract more viewers.”

He then leaned in and whispered to Director Zhu, “The key point is that the lead actress is currently only a third-tier celeb, while the second female is a popular trending star, and her popularity is sky-high right now. Making the second female stand out more, I think our show will sell even better.”

And the key point was, the cameraman was the one he had recommended.

After all Bo Xiangxiang’s fuss, it was like an insinuation that the person he had introduced wasn’t up to standard, making him quite unhappy, and he didn’t mind setting a trap.

Besides, melodramatic elements are a selling point in themselves; otherwise, the screenwriters wouldn’t have added such a love triangle plot in the first place.

So, his suggestion wouldn’t have much of a negative impact on the show, and who knows, the audience reaction might even be better.

Director Zhu thought it made sense, “True, Luo Ning’s current popularity and audience pull are incomparable to Bo Xiangxiang’s. Plus, with her character being more impressive and her acting being superior, highlighting the second female isn’t a bad idea.”

So he continued with this approach.

As a result, the standards for Bo Xiangxiang were no longer as strict as they had been before.

Everyone thought that focusing on the Second Female was quite smart, seeing Luo Ning’s beauty and acting skills, they were all buying it, not to mention the viewers.

Bo Xiangxiang, however, thought it was her acting that had won over the director, which was why subsequent scenes went so smoothly, and she felt a bit smug inside.

She hadn’t realized that it was due to her previous complaints that had upset the assistant director, who had then fed Director Zhu some false impressions.

This is why they no longer insisted she perform strictly according to the lead female’s character and demeanor in the script.

Whatever white lotus act she wanted to do, she could go ahead. Even being criticized was a form of popularity.

She had truly dug her own grave.

After a day’s shooting, everyone went their separate ways home.

The current scenes didn’t require the natural landscapes from the fantasy genre, so they had to finish these shots first, then fly to a beautiful scenic area to film the rest.

After getting home, Luo Ning chatted on the phone with Lu Xun for a while before going to rest.

On the other side, Ji Jiayi started his nightlife with a few friends.

They were welcoming back a friend from abroad; first, they dined together, and then they went to a bar.

There were five of them in total, three of whom had brought female companions.

One laughed and teased, “Ji Er, it’s rare to see you single!”

Another asked smilingly, “Got a new target, or are you starting to go vegetarian?”

Ji Jiayi swirled his drink and smiled, “Of course, I have a new target.”

His friends roared, “Let’s see her. Call her out.”

The thought of Luo Ning’s coldness made Ji Jiayi shake his head, “I haven’t made my move yet; she might be tough to pursue.”

“For even Young Master Ji to feel it’s difficult, she must be some beauty. We have to see her now.”

“Call her.”

“Yeah, yeah, do you need us to dial for you?”

His buddies were truly curious, and with the alcohol in their systems, they became quite boisterous.