The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 59 The Golden Age (24)

In this circle, having a girlfriend who is both knowledgeable and innocent is a happy thing.

Therefore, Shen Shandeng put in a lot of effort for Lu Qingluan, who was very popular.

Through his repeated guidance, harsh education, and continuous PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics, he provided guidance and education.

In addition, Yang Mi constantly reflected on her actions and expressed her gratitude, thus completing her role in the best possible condition.

However, Shen Shandeng knew that he and Huang Li were different.

His criticisms were helpful and reasonable, and they were based on solid evidence.

The production team is running more and more smoothly, with almost no unexpected problems.

The sample review process was flawless for a week.

Due to the nature of film shooting, sample films must be reviewed every day.

Whether in Wuxi or Hengdian, after filming wrapped up for the day, the production crew and drivers would carefully pack the film reels in dark boxes to protect them from light and shock, and then drive them to the Shanghai Film Studio overnight.

Relying solely on monitors and equipment cannot guarantee that there will be no problems. Only by developing the film and checking the actors' performances, exposure, color, continuity errors, etc., can we determine whether reshoots are necessary.

This marks the beginning of Chen Kun's concentrated scenes, which are also the focal point of the drama.

"The Eunuch" was originally an award-winning script from overseas, a purely fictional story. After it was transformed into a commercial script, Shen Shandeng anchored it to real history.

The commercial script also underwent several revisions.

It began in 1521, the sixteenth year of the Zhengde reign, when Emperor Wuzong died, and ended in 1542, the twenty-first year of the Jiajing reign, when Chen Mo became the governor, a total of 21 years.

Then, each of Chen Mo's key promotions was closely linked to major historical events.

Emperor Wuzong's death, the Great Rites Controversy, the fire, and the palace coup provided Chen Mo with both opportunities and challenges.

His positions included Junior Attendant, Attendant, Assistant Director of the Imperial Horse Administration, Junior Director, and Director of the Imperial Seal; and Attendant Eunuch, Secretary Eunuch, and Director of the Imperial Ceremonial Administration.

The typical promotion path of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty is consistent with the reality that it usually takes twenty or thirty years for a eunuch to rise from entering the palace to the top position of Grand Eunuch.

The initial version of "Emperor Wuzong's death" runs throughout the entire story. This unsolved case becomes Chen Mo's first lesson in understanding the darkness of the court and the fragility of imperial power.
Later, Chen Mo witnessed Jiajing's similar ordeal during his southern tour, where he was chased by a raging fire. Shocked, he began to investigate the related suspicious points.

Chen Mo's understanding of imperial power and what constitutes an emperor constantly evolved.

The perception of power is also changing; the final answer lies in the process.

The process is the true power.

The emperor may seem high and mighty, but at crucial moments, he can simply appoint negligent officials and add a few incompetent physicians to the Imperial Medical Academy.

No one needs to take the initiative to do anything; they just need to be passive and negative.

The probability of the emperor dying increases dramatically if even the slightest unexpected event occurs.

The first edition showcases the complex checks and balances among the imperial power, eunuchs, and civil officials in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, as well as the struggles and sense of destiny of individuals within this vast system.

Shen Shandeng did not use this version because it was out of focus.

The historical weight is too heavy, and the perspective is too high, which dilutes the core appeal of Chen Mo's "constant upgrades".

It is overly biased towards the darkness of court politics.

Shen Shandeng, who had tried his hand at winning the lottery, also smelled something foul.

Sigh, the system, sigh, human nature, sigh, the system.
While it doesn't taint the original sin, it's a bit greasy, giving off a "I'm discussing something very serious, and the audience should support me" vibe.

Simply put, there was too much vinegar and not enough dumplings.

Most importantly, it's not the main meal!
Shen Shandeng was an audience member in his previous life. From the audience's perspective, watching movies is about entertainment, not attending a class.

And watching movies costs money.

It costs fifty yuan per person, and you need to go out, meet friends, bring family, and there are other expenses.

The vast majority of viewers want to enjoy life and be entertained, not to be educated or to fight.

Why do some films with female-centric themes initially perform well at the box office?

Because domestic audiences are naive, they don't know what a "dog whistle" means, and they don't understand the malice involved.

Gradually, people began to sense the malice.

This isn't about showing individuality; it's about making a vow, or even about erasing the lives of everyone, regardless of gender.

Once people understand this, they will avoid the area, and it may even become a negative indicator.

If a certain group doesn't criticize it, I won't watch it.

Shen Shandeng, from the perspective of winning awards, removed the bad smell.

Then, by taking the audience's perspective into account and enhancing the entertainment value and enjoyment, a commercially filmed version of "The Eunuch" was created.

From the sixteenth year of Zhengde to the sixteenth year of Jiajing, the story is grounded in everyday life, focusing on Chen Mo's promotions and advancements, while downplaying court intrigues and systemic considerations.

This makes it very demanding on the actors' acting skills.

Fortunately, Chen Kun's acting skills were sufficient, even a bit over the top.

"Kun, be careful."

Shen Shandeng reminded Chen Kun: "Just act normally."

Chen Kun is too suited to playing eunuchs, and he has a strong sense of crisis and is driven by a lot of energy.

I'm quite immersed in the role.

Walk as quietly as possible, and don't walk in the middle of the road; stay to the side.

However, this did not meet Shen Shandeng's requirements. Ming Dynasty eunuchs were different from Qing Dynasty eunuchs; they only lost their testicles, but their penises were not cut off.

What was the eunuch system?
It was to serve the imperial system and for the sake of stability.

It wasn't because a particular emperor was cruel, or because people in a certain region were servile, that people had to be mutilated or harmed. It was determined by the realities of development.

For example, after a prince succeeds to the throne, other princes also bear the surname Zhu, so why are they not eligible?
This doesn't depend on whether the vassal king wants to or not. Even if the vassal king doesn't want to, there are people pushing him to follow suit.

If the succession of a prince is not handled properly, it can shake the imperial lineage and cause turmoil, let alone the harem.
If the emperor's son is not the emperor's biological son, it is equivalent to saying that anyone can become emperor.

The emergence of eunuchs was a practical necessity and a result of the development of productivity to a certain level.

In ancient times, human reproduction was very important. As farming techniques developed to a certain extent, human sacrifice would gradually disappear because labor could produce output.

One seed can produce ten or more seeds, which is more profitable than doing business.

The emergence of the eunuch system indicates that the productivity of a region was sufficient to support a group of people who did not produce human beings.

The same applies to palace maids. It was difficult for palace maids to get married, and they could not afford such expenses unless they developed to a certain level.

The Ming Dynasty can be considered one of the most civilized periods in ancient China, and the lives of eunuchs and palace maids were actually quite good.

One cannot understand the Ming Dynasty by looking at the Qing Dynasty, especially the late Qing Dynasty.

After discussing the play with Chen Kun, Shen Shandeng chatted with Li Jianyi for a while.

He is Cao Zhengchun, who played the lead role in "The World's Number One" and Chief Prosecutor Ji in "In the Name of the People." He is a first-class actor and an actor with the National Theatre of China.

He is also the actor who plays Gu An, the old eunuch and mentor to the protagonist Chen Mo.

I originally wanted to approach Ni Dahong, but he happened to have a film in the works.

Shen Shandeng considered that there weren't enough actors for "Da Ming Dynasty", so he extended an invitation to Li Jianyi.

As it turned out, they found another treasure.

This one is even better than Chen Daoming; he doesn't have that "Jin Jin" vibe, but rather the style of the older generation mentoring the younger ones.

This saved Shen Shandeng a lot of trouble.

The first two or three minutes of the show "The Eunuch" feature a scene with the young Chen Mo.

In 2007, Chen Kun was already 31 years old. His bone structure, skin texture, eyes and aura made it impossible for him to play a 14 or 15-year-old boy.

There are insurmountable differences in age.

Even with top-notch makeup skills, it's easy to create a sense of incongruity.

In the film "Ode to Qin," 40-year-old Zhang Luyi plays a 13-year-old Ying Zheng, a disastrous case that Shen Shandeng does not want to make.

Digital de-aging technology, such as that used in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," is extremely expensive and immature, and China has no capacity to implement it.

In the end, the two actors played the roles, and the choice was readily available: Yang Yang, who was signed with Rongxinda.

Yang Yang is a student in the dance department of the PLA Academy of Arts. He plays Jia Baoyu and is sixteen years old this year. He doesn't look out of place playing a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.

Moreover, the production team of "Dream of the Red Chamber" has been busy with various matters, and filming will have to wait until next year, so Yang Yang has plenty of time.

Shen Shandeng doesn't aim to "look like Chen Kun," but rather to "look like the character."

To this end, Shen Shandeng had Yang Yang join the crew a month early, with Chen Kun personally guiding him on details of his expressions, such as lowering his eyes and pursing his lips. He also had Yang Yang stay on set to cultivate their chemistry before finally filming the opening scene of the movie.

After Li Jianyi joined the crew, he personally taught Yang Yang, and he taught him even better than Chen Kun. One salary was equivalent to hiring an extra acting teacher.

"Director Shen is an extraordinary director."

After Shen Shandeng left, Li Jianyi sighed.

From a purely performance perspective, Shen Shandeng doesn't indulge in artistic embellishments, nor does he make things difficult for the actors. He can use the method school but doesn't advocate the experiential school. He's very pragmatic and good.

6 month 30 day.

Filming in Hengdian is nearing completion.

When filming the scenes of young Chen Mo entering the palace to learn etiquette and martial arts, Li Jianyi's performance stunned Shen Shandeng.

"When encountering concubines or princes, one must kneel and yield to them. When receiving ministers of the Six Ministries or above, one must kneel to greet them. If one makes a mistake, one will be punished. One can use one's hand to cushion the kowtow, but it will still make a sound."

"Wearing cotton pads on your knees will reduce the pain. Don't be careless when you're young. You'll understand when you get old. Even with internal energy, you'll still suffer."

“After kneeling down and getting up, immediately remove the dust from your body; those whose clothes and shoes are stained with dust will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane.”

"If you offend a high-ranking eunuch or a nobleman and he hits you, you should shout that you deserve to be hit, and you should hit him loudly. At this time, you should hit him harder so that you will suffer the least loss."

"Once you've mastered your skills, don't get cocky. Within the palace, third-rate people are everywhere, second-rate people are as common as dogs, and anyone you meet could be a first-rate person."

The old eunuch explained the footwork in conjunction with the exercise manual, "Taiyin Treasure Scripture".

"When moving forward, lift your right foot first, and then lift your right foot back; this is the retreat of Yin and the advance of Yang. Exhale when stepping with your left foot and inhale when stepping with your right foot; this is the way of Yin and Yang transformation."

"The highest level is the skill of holding a candle still, which means being able to hold a candle in your hand and do things without the flame flickering, moving, or going out."

Li Jianyi portrayed a seemingly unassuming, unassuming eunuch, a kind of old eunuch who knew the ways of the world but chose to live a simple life and was willing to be a teacher.

He perfectly fits Shen Shandeng's requirements for the protagonist's spiritual mentor.

This is the person who initially shaped the protagonist's character, establishing Chen Mo's content yet not satisfied, pursuing without being extravagant, and possessing a strong inner strength, which makes the performance convincing.

That's what makes a great actor.

"Card."

Shen Shandeng exclaimed, "Teacher Li acted so well! Congratulations on finishing filming your scenes, Teacher Li!"

In this era, gold is everywhere.

Young actors are good at acting and cheap, while actors trained in the previous era haven't completely aged yet.

Li Jianyi has finished filming his scenes, and Yang Yang has also finished filming his scenes.

The final scene is about to begin in Hengdian.

(End of this chapter)