Global Film Emperor

Chapter 520 The Interview Begins

Soon after, the voting ended, and the roles suitable for the four teachers' scripts were finalized. The ballot boxes were taken away by staff and distributed to the side, showing the colleges that received the most votes from the four teachers and the students who were not selected.

From then on, the four of them didn't talk much and remained silent, sitting in front of the one-way transparent glass wall, watching the children on the first floor who were still quite young and somewhat naive.

Soon after, the program's director, Liu Xiang, entered the venue, stood on the highest step, held a thick stack of papers, clapped his hands gently to attract the attention of all the trainees, and nodded slightly to them with a gentle tone and a smile.

"Thank you all for coming. On behalf of all the staff of the 'Actor' program, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all."

After a round of applause, Liu Xiang continued to explain the next steps. He spoke very quickly, unlike the lectures given by teachers in colleges and universities, which were not drawn out. Since this was related to the students' future, all the students listened attentively, with few losing focus. However, after he explained the following rules, all the students' faces tightened, and there was no longer a smile on their faces.

"Now I will start calling out numbers one through four. Students whose names are called, please come forward to receive your interview tickets and prepare your interview performance. As for those who did not receive an offer, I'm sorry, you will be moving to the waiting area. Number one, Zhang Xiaoyuan..."

As she was the first contestant to be announced, Director Liu deliberately dragged out the announcement of the result, a classic variety show gimmick. The girl whose name was called was short and sweet-looking. She had her hands behind her back, her body stiff, and she listened attentively to the director's "judgment."

"Congratulations, Teacher Tang Juan has chosen you. Go and get your ticket."

Amidst the envious whispers of the crowd, the girl, feeling slightly unsteady on her feet, bowed deeply to Director Liu before quickly running to the ticket window. There, she received a square card bearing the logos of the Flyer Home APP and Huaxia Travel Customization Network, along with a QR code that she would scan to access the interview.

The camera even gave it a close-up, and it's estimated that when it officially airs, they'll add a line thanking the Aviator APP for their strong support of the program, offering high-end customized travel across the country, and featuring the Aviator slogan, "Go wherever you want," etc. This blatant advertising is beyond words; after all, they're the big sponsor. As long as they pay enough, inserting a variety show into an ad isn't out of the question.

However, the girl who got the ticket didn't care about that. Instead, she showed off to the camera, saying that as long as she was selected and not eliminated, it was a good thing. She would be willing to have a hundred or eighty logos printed on her body.

Director Liu continued reading, and Lu Ze and the others were not idle either. They picked up pens and started making manual card counters to record who their opponents had chosen. If several mentors had their eyes on the same person, having a record would allow them to make the first move.

Next, some students were selected by multiple teachers, while others were not selected. Several students who were announced as not selected by Director Liu were standing in the waiting area, their eyes lifeless, facing the camera. It was as if someone had used a knife to cut into their already bleeding wounds. They wanted to keep smiling, but their lips were trembling and they could not keep smiling at all. Most of them could only turn their backs and secretly wipe away the tears that had just fallen.

Every actor has experienced the sadness of not being selected, but it is rare for them to be so ruthless in making it public. Their sadness is their own, but if others see them being sad, it will become an embarrassment for them.

The four felt sorry for them and were about to remind them when they found Director Liu standing beside them apologizing. It was the production team's fault; their intention was to portray the plight of actors and express the idea that just because you're an actor doesn't mean the script will automatically choose you. However, these directors and staff members had never been actors, so when designing the scenes, they found it difficult to empathize with the feelings of these students who had come to the capital from all over the country. Fortunately, Director Liu's timely intervention prevented the segment from potentially causing audience backlash after it aired.

This also allowed the frost that had just appeared on the faces of the four teachers to thaw quietly, and a potential storm within the production team would dissipate without a trace.

Those who are not selected will be taken to another theater to share their disappointment with other students. Meanwhile, the selected students will begin preparing for their performances and the upcoming face-to-face sessions with the mentors.

"Please move to your respective examination rooms, teachers. This way, please."

At the invitation of the staff, the four of them followed the arrangements. After leaving the stadium, they got into their respective cars and headed to the teaching building. After greeting the teachers of the Imperial Academy of Drama they knew, they entered the examination room.

The interview room wasn't large, far smaller than an art exam venue. It was just a conference room that had been completely emptied, leaving only a single office chair with a tea set on it. The camera was set up, and there wasn't a single photographer inside. Lu Ze checked the time; there were still fifteen minutes until the exam started.

He took the opportunity to go to the restroom, the school's public restroom. The sound of his leather shoes startled a student who was secretly smoking inside, who thought he was about to be caught. He cautiously opened the restroom door, saw Lu Ze, and his face turned green. He would rather have been caught by a teacher or the student council. After apologizing profusely, he ran out without even pulling up his pants properly.

Lu Ze certainly wouldn't complain. After washing his hands, he returned to the examination room with a smile, opened the several tea canisters on his desk, looked at them one by one, chose ripe Pu'er tea to soothe his stomach, which was acting up due to dieting, and while boiling water, he notified the first candidate that he could come in.

……

"Hello, is this Professor Lu Ze's examination room?"

The tall, beautiful woman walked to the door, asked the staff member next to her in a low voice, and after receiving a response, she thought for a moment, then placed the luxury bag she was carrying on the windowsill in the corridor, fixed her hair in front of the glass, cleared her throat, knocked on the door and went in.

After she closed the door, the staff who recognized her whispered among themselves, "Isn't that Zhou Shiyu? She should be able to pass."

"She...who knows?"

Those who are talkative will always ask for others' guesses, but most people with self-control will keep their mouths shut. After all, the person who just went in... wasn't an ordinary person, but a real celebrity.

……

"Zhou Shiyu, right? A former child star?"

"Yes, teacher."

The aged Pu'er tea needs to be rinsed more often; this is the second time. After pouring out all the tea from the pot, Lu Ze picked up the student resumes he had prepared and compared them with the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

The girl in front of him was twenty years old this year, but she had been in the industry for quite some time, almost as long as Lu Ze. It had been more than ten years, though Lu Ze hadn't counted exactly. Looking at her in person, unlike most people who would put their hands behind their backs or stiffly place their palms on their trouser seams, her palms were placed very naturally on her lower abdomen. Her posture was also very particular, clearly indicating that she had received professional physical training. Her two thighs were straight, and her calves had little curve, suggesting that she had also received dance training.

"What are you performing?" "The last scene of the play 'Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land'."

He had just taken a sip of tea, his palm and the teacup concealing Lu Ze's furrowed brows. When he put the teacup down, his brows relaxed, as if his expression had never changed.

This is a smart decision with a strong focus. After all, it is a second selection after the initial auditions, so the performance items will naturally not be too simple. It won't just be asking the trainees to perform an animal, sing a song, or dance. The minimum standard is an important scene from a high-scoring movie, or dialogue, opera, etc.

As for Zhou Shiyu... Lu Ze remembered her. She had acted in several hit dramas, so she definitely had acting skills. However, based on her performances, she couldn't be considered a genius. She was just above average. After all, she had been with the production team for so many years, so it was expected that she had this level of skill.

She was able to stand out from the auditions mostly because of her own fame. In addition, the fact that she was a student of the Imperial Academy also played a part. Lu Ze didn't care about the process. She had already been selected, so he couldn't return her.

The reason I say she's smart is because, judging from her current skill level, she can't handle film scenes, can't get past the lines, and is even less capable of performing operas—that's physically demanding work, and she probably hasn't studied it either. Excluding all that, the only thing she can do well is the stage plays for which she has taken classes.

Stage plays and movie scenes are very different. Stage plays require clear pronunciation and obvious movements so that the audience can see clearly and the emotions can be directly conveyed. Movies, on the other hand, require more naturalness. Since she is not capable of performing in a natural way like in a movie, performing in a stage play is a better way to cover up her lack of ability.

Are there any backup actors?

"No."

"Then let's get started."

Zhou Shiyu carried a chair and put it down, then came back in through the open door and began her performance. Her expression was already prepared. With her bag, which had been outside, slung over her shoulder, she said clearly, "I came because I saw the newspaper."

The theatrical performance style effectively masked her slightly weak delivery of lines, and her movements were probably more aggressive, allowing her to converse skillfully with the air. However, at this moment, Lu Ze's mind was not on her performance, but rather fixed on her face, and slowly... he lost interest.

He chose the wrong person. There was a distance between them and the time was short when he was choosing, so he didn't get a good look at them.

Lu Ze's resignation was written all over his face, making Zhou Shiyu, who kept glancing at him, increasingly less confident. She even stopped her five-minute performance when Lu Ze stopped looking at her and started pouring tea.

"Is the performance over? Then wait for my news. Keep your phone accessible for the next few days, and I'll contact you when I do."

"Teacher, is there something I did wrong?"

She asked herself a question, trying to recall if she had done something wrong to offend Lu Ze, but no matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't figure it out. This seemed to be her first meeting with Lu Ze, and they hadn't even exchanged more than a few words.

She has the confidence to ask that question, and she should ask it; there's nothing she can't ask.

Having been in the industry for a while, she naturally wasn't timid. Unlike a newcomer who was too afraid to say anything, she walked out dejectedly, wanting to understand why she died. After all, Lu Ze's uninterested expression really hurt her pride.

"Wait a minute, Xiao Wang, turn off the recording. Okay... You've had your nose bridge augmented and your cheekbones filled, right? That will affect how natural your smile is. There are some expressions you just can't make."

How could Lu Ze's eyesight be weak? In fact, she had some other minor cosmetic procedures on her face, but Lu Ze didn't say anything. With these two things, her acting career was already over.

"Teacher, I have had some minor adjustments, but my nose and cheekbones are definitely untouched..."

This was their first meeting. Lu Ze could speak frankly, but she absolutely refused to admit it. One must always be wary of others; this was the first principle of being an actress. After all, if it were confirmed, it would affect her existing fan base.

"Okay, so you haven't done it. Now, would you mind frowning or smiling?"

"Teacher, isn't it common practice for actors to make minor adjustments to their facial features these days? I don't think... it should be a rigid standard, right?"

"Sorry, these are my strict standards. Minor adjustments are not within my consideration. As I said before, keep your phone accessible and wait for me to contact you, OK?"

Gradually, the smile on her face faded, and she looked at Lu Ze with some confusion, not understanding why he had to be so rigid. Why was it okay for other production teams, but not for him? Why did he have to find someone who hadn't had plastic surgery? Was there anyone else? Seeing that Lu Ze stopped talking, she could only suppress her anger, give a slight bow, and turn to leave.

Lu Ze watched her leave, picked up his teacup, shook his head, and chuckled. He wasn't laughing at her, but at the so-called industry unspoken standards she mentioned. He flipped through the resumes and couldn't help but feel worried. Heaven knows how many people he had misjudged earlier. If he had to explain to each one of them later, it would be enough to drive him crazy. He didn't want to think about it too much, so he picked up the walkie-talkie, notified the staff to resume filming, and notified the next trainee to enter.

"..."

I'd like to recommend a book by a good friend! "Back to the Ming Dynasty to Be a Benevolent Ruler," which I've been reading recently. The title gives you a good idea of ​​the genre, so I won't spoil it. It's a great read! See you in the book review!
Also, I need to speed things up. Thanks to all my darlings, love you all!

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(End of this chapter)