Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 308: It’s not about acting, it’s about being yourself

There are three schools of performance that even laymen can praise.

Experientialism, methodism, and expressionism.

Generally speaking, experientialism is about torturing yourself, methodism is about torturing yourself less cruelly, and expressionism is the standard way of performing theatrically, that is, not playing yourself, but playing the role itself.

Of course, there are also some more special performance styles, such as the star school.

You don't need to cry or laugh, you just need to be able to act out the two. When you need to cry, you put on a crying face, and when you need to laugh, you do the opposite. Through long-term practice, you can cultivate these expressions and make them a habit, and you can also achieve commendable acting skills.

——For example, Ni Dahong and Wei Zongwan, both of them have played Sima Yi.

It cannot be said that Ni Dahong's performance is bad, but Ni Dahong is obviously not as good as Wei Zongwan in this aspect.

Because Ni Dahong's expression can only be refined to that extent, he can't express it from the heart like Wei Zongwan.

Kurosawa Akira used the methods of the experiential school to force Gu Ming to learn the methods of the method school, but now, Gu Ming still wants to be an experiential school.

Stand, and Shadow Warrior.

It is common.

……

……

Akira Kurosawa's blockbuster, "Shadow Samurai", will officially start shooting at Toho Studios on the 13th!
The newspapers flying around like snowflakes had no effect on the changes in the studio.

It is the first scene in the script and also the first scene in the entire film.

As mentioned before, most movies nowadays are shot in sequence, or they are shot in jumps after strict arrangements. This is because today's editing equipment cannot achieve the smooth editing of later generations, and it must be shot in sequence to be able to edit smoothly.

So, the first scene was filmed in Tokyo.

Under the dim lens, only a few candles provide insignificant light.

Three people, sitting in different seats.

The highest one is Nakadai Tatsuya, also known as Takeda Shingen.

The first person to take action was Takeda Nobumasa, his younger brother.

And at the bottom, the person who seemed a little nonchalant was Gu Ming.

He is not a shadow warrior yet, just a thief.

However, before the filming began, Kurosawa suddenly called a halt.

The lighting and shadows at the scene did not satisfy him.

Gu Ming didn't move, just sat there cross-legged, with scenes from the past flashing through his mind.

"Shit, you are a piece of shit, your life is cheaper than an ant, I'm going to open the Pingzhi, you pick your nose..."

Everything is gradually moving before my eyes. They are getting bigger, smaller, shrinking, expanding, and turning into countless different shapes.

Kurosawa was still studying the camera.

If it's too dark, you can't take a picture.

If it is too bright, it will not produce the effect he wants.

Gu Ming suddenly raised his head.

"Candle."

"what?"

"Light some more candles."

"what?"

The assistant was still hesitating, but Kurosawa Akira was already urging him loudly: "Light a few more candles! Didn't you hear me? Go light a few more candles!"

A group of assistants hurriedly brought more candles and lit them outside the venue.

In the pitch-black studio, a small light appeared.

Three people sat at three positions of different heights, with candlesticks as the boundary, dividing their different identities and statuses.

The highest one was the daimyo, Takeda Shingen, and the one shrouded in shadow beside him was Takeda Nobumasa, who was merely his 'shadow warrior'.

At the bottom is the thief, who is also the real protagonist of this movie.

Shadow Warrior.

The shadows cast by the candlesticks were cast on the curtain wall behind Takeda Shingen, and the shadows were tall yet distant.

The camera remains stationary, capturing the faces and gestures of all three people simultaneously.

Even so, the differences between the three people can be clearly seen.

Nakadai Tatsuya at the top is majestic and looks just like the mighty Tiger of Kai.

Takeda Nobumasa, who committed the crime, tried his best to appear in the camera, but his face was still shrouded in yin and yang, invisible and unknowable.

Gu Mingsong, who was the most vulnerable, was lying there in a slump, with no visible posture. He looked like a country bumpkin, a typical thief.

"Hmm..." Kurosawa pressed his eyebrows. From his perspective, he was actually speechless for a moment.

"Is this your true acting ability? Why didn't I see it in previous films? If I had known you had this ability, how could I have come up with this method?"

Kurosawa didn't believe that anyone could improve their acting skills to this level overnight.

At least when he was watching the Nara scroll, Gu Ming's performance in it could only be described as funny, and there was no acting skill at all.

But now it looks completely different.

He didn't say anything for the time being, just stared at the three people speaking their lines.

Only Gu Ming himself knew why he was like this.

Because now, Gu Ming is not performing, he is just being himself.

What is a substitute?

It’s just about enjoying life today and not worrying about tomorrow’s work.

Be it the cold stares or being trampled upon...

Just laugh it off.

No stand-in has the right to lose his temper on the set.

Only big stars are qualified to be surrounded by dozens of people.

Little actors and little stand-ins don’t even deserve a table to eat their lunch boxes.

It’s not that Gu Ming has a good temper.

He was just used to it, used to being a good-tempered person, because he had no right to lose his temper.

What the Zhou Kingdom lacks the least is people. If you don't want to be a substitute, there are plenty of people who can be.

"But now it's different... Now I can lose my temper, I can make everyone wait for me, I can do whatever I want, as long as I can do it."

Gu Ming didn't move his head, just looked around.

Under such dim lighting, his expression was almost invisible in the film, but Gu Ming still watched it.

It was a playful and teasing look.

Yes, the Takeda family, that's amazing.

Takeda Shingen, that's a big shot.

But what does it have to do with me? I'm just a thief.

I'm just a thief.

……

After the filming of a scene was completed, the lights in the studio were turned on again and the staff were busy putting away the candles.

The high-lumen light made it difficult for people to adapt to the dim environment for a while.

Even Kurosawa himself didn't expect that he could get this scene right in one take.

The hidden conflicts and twists and turns between the three people were passed through in one go without any mistakes.

Nakadai Tatsuya needs no introduction, and Yamazaki Tsutomu, who plays Nobumasa, is also a skilled actor. However, Tani Akira was truly unexpected.

Or.

It was even more exciting than he had imagined.

Gu Ming bowed slightly and asked, "Do I still have a role to play today?"

Another assistant shook his head in time.

There will be no scenes of Shadow Samurai for some time to come, until Takeda Shingen passes away, then Shadow Samurai will replace Takeda Shingen. In other words, the filming will be in order, and Gu Ming will continue to perform after a while.

Of course, he is still needed to follow the crew. Later, when they go to Kumamoto Castle, Ueno Castle, Himeji Castle and other places to shoot real scenes, Gu Ming will be needed to go with them.

After hearing this, Gu Ming just nodded slightly.

"Well, I'll do it then."

After Gu Ming finished speaking, he stood up and left.

Kurosawa suddenly called out to him.

"Wait a minute. Don't you want to stay and continue watching?"

"What does that have to do with me? The Takeda family, Fenglinzan and Huoshan." Gu Ming smiled jokingly: "But I'm just a thief!"

Meeting Gu Ming's mocking gaze, Kurosawa Akira suddenly clenched his fists.

how come.

impossible.

What kind of monster did he release?
(End of this chapter)