Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 770: Chapter 516: Trouble Over Adding Scenes (Part 2)

Cheng Shenlv analyzed things clearly and logically.

The agent felt helpless and said, ”Shenlv, have you thought about if your screen time increases, what if it ends up being more than Wan Fangli’s? She is originally the third female lead, but because of your additional scenes, she becomes the fourth.”

Cheng Shenlv said, ”If that happens, there’s nothing I can do about it. Also, I won’t add that many scenes, I just need a few more to display my efforts.”

”Once you add one, there will be more. From what I know about this production team so far, they won’t easily agree to add scenes. They value the script more than any other team I’ve worked with previously. Don’t you remember this morning’s script reading? When Wan Fangli asked to change a line, the director didn’t even agree, saying that every line and word order in the script has its own meaning and reflects the screenwriter’s thoughts. They requested the actors to deeply understand the intention behind the script. If they wouldn’t even agree to change one line, let alone suddenly add scenes for you. Stop thinking about it, just focus on playing your role well. This film is very likely to be a hit, and having two big projects under your belt will benefit you in the future.”

”Just help me talk to the director! If the director really refuses, then let it be, but what if he agrees with me?” Cheng Shenlv still wouldn’t give up.

Feeling helpless, the agent had to reassure, ”Alright, I’ll go and talk to the director for you, okay?”

Cheng Shenlv’s agent found an opportunity to bring up the matter with Ning Yufeng. Just as she expected, Ning Yufeng immediately refused.

Ning Yufeng said, ”The final version of the script we have now was modified through more than a dozen drafts. Every episode and every character’s entrance are carefully planned. Suddenly adding scenes will disrupt the current pace of the script.”

Cheng Shenlv’s agent did not insist. She smiled and said, ”Then please, director, take good care of Shenlv. She’s young and inexperienced in many aspects, so please bear with her.”

Ning Yufeng smiled and said of course.

In the afternoon, the script reading continued.

After the morning session, things went much smoother in the afternoon.

Line delivery is a very important skill for an actor. Generally, actors who are good with their lines are rarely criticized for bad acting.

Zhou Yun had realized early on that she was not good at delivering lines. She did not come from a professional background and had not received formal training. When delivering lines, she relied solely on her own understanding of life and characters, which could become homogeneous. Zeng Lili was particularly outstanding in this regard, whether in her pauses or the hesitation between words, she always gave people a precise and effortless feeling. Zhou Yun learned a lot from Zeng Lili.

While the script reading was taking place in the afternoon, Zhou Lan was checking the upcoming scenes in another studio.

The assistant director followed her closely.

They chatted and laughed while inspecting the sets.

”With so many actors in this film, many scenes will inevitably have five to six actors sharing the screen, so we must be careful with these setups to avoid any bugs,” Zhou Lan said. ”Every day after shooting, we need to take photos of the set and check against the photos the next day before shooting—whether something is missing or something extra was added. There are so many big and small items in the editing room, it’s easy to miss, but today’s audiences are very sharp-eyed, as you know.”

The assistant director nodded and said with a smile, ”Of course, don’t worry, we have specifically arranged two people for this task.”

”Ah, with so many actors, it must be tough to manage, right?” Zhou Lan asked with a laugh.

”It is indeed tough. The key is that everyone has their own ideas. It’s still manageable for now since everyone has just arrived and nuances aren’t apparent yet. But I’m afraid that later into the shooting, everyone might start making requests. Oh, and today Cheng Shenlv’s agent came to see the director, hoping to add some scenes for her role, but the director refused,” the assistant director sighed, ”The more people, the more issues.”

Hearing this, Zhou Lan frowned.

She thought for a moment and after the script reading session in the afternoon, she stopped Cheng Shenlv.

”Shenlv, do you have a moment? Can we talk?”

Cheng Shenlv looked at Zhou Lan, a bit surprised, and said, ”I’m free, Sister Lan.”

Zhou Lan took Cheng Shenlv to a secluded corner.

Feeling a bit nervous, Cheng Shenlv asked, ”Sister Lan, what did you want to talk about?”