Chapter 204 New Film

Chapter 204: New Film

The marketing accounts' reports, naturally exaggerated, were enough to reflect the awkward position the Golden Flame Awards currently found themselves in.

In the past, which marketing account would have dared to confront the Golden Flame Awards head-on?

The theme of this report was simple—The Golden Flame Awards had brought it upon themselves, with Liu Renong being 60% responsible.

Lu Xu no longer cared about the Golden Flame Awards; he only knew that this year's ceremony was indeed less lively than before. The glory of the Best Actor and Best Actress awards couldn't be showcased, and the scene was rather cold and quiet.

"Just one year, and it's already this ridiculous."

"Anyway, the Golden Flame Awards won't regret inviting Liu Renong; they probably think the audience is making too much fuss."

Not only was the momentum different, but the subsequent development of the winners also varied greatly.

After the lead actress of "Ugly" won the Best Actress at the Controversy Awards, luxury brands immediately approached her. She attended all kinds of high-end events, and endorsements and commercial deals followed suit. In contrast, the actress who won the Best Actress at the Golden Flame Awards had a less impressive follow-up. While she did receive some business opportunities, everyone could see that they were not on the same level as those of the former.

Later, Lu Xu reflected and felt that not winning the Best Actor at the Golden Flame Awards might have been a good thing for him.

If he had won the Best Actor trophy, public opinion would likely have hyped up Liu Renong's "favor" towards him, praising his "forgiveness" and "commitment to fairness." Such a scenario would have made Lu Xu feel even more uncomfortable.

Given his understanding of Liu Renong, the other party was very likely to act in such a manner.

For Lu Xu, not taking the trophy was better. At least he could confront Liu Renong openly and didn't need to avoid any discussions about their feud.

...

After the Controversy Awards ceremony, Lu Xu joined the production of Director Muliang's new film.

Lu Xu hadn't seen the director for a long time and found him looking more spirited.

"Recently, my health checkup revealed high cholesterol, so I can't eat recklessly anymore. I've been eating three meals on time." Mu Lang rarely showed a helpless expression, "This time... my partner came along too."

Seeing the director's expression, Lu Xu felt intrigued. The director, feeling his gaze, became somewhat embarrassed and couldn't help but touch his nose: "If you don't want to eat the boxed meal, you can join us. We can always add another pair of chopsticks. It's all light home-cooked dishes, just so you know."

Lu Xu: "...Alright."

He didn't have the heart to say anything more, sensing that the director would only become more awkward.

When they met, it was inevitable that they would talk about this year's Controversy Award and the Golden Flame Award. Lu Xu could tell that Mu Lang was somewhat disappointed with the situation regarding the Golden Flame Award.

He looked at Lu Xu: "Back when we were young, winning an award was no easy feat. It meant that the audience truly recognized us."

He was even older than directors like Liu Ren and Nong Miaozhi, and he had faced a lot of criticism in his youth.

At that time, Mu Lang felt particularly stifled by the criticism and took on a high-paying custom film. He earned a good amount of money, but still felt stifled. In his youthful arrogance, he believed he must make a great film, win awards, and gain the audience's recognition.

Those once sacred awards have now lost their purity.

Mu Lang had served as a judge for these awards in his early years, but he doesn't participate much anymore.

Now, he focuses solely on making films and avoids the industry's chaos: "Only when you get older do you realize that health is the most important thing."

Their new film has a small budget, and the crew members are all people Mu Lang has worked with before.

He could easily rest on his laurels, but for these old partners who often work with him, Mu Lang hopes they can all earn a living.

At least when he makes a film, they receive some compensation.

"Have you read the script? Don't let being a judge delay you." Mu Lang was just joking with Lu Xu; after working together on "Reversal City" for so long, he knew Lu Xu quite well.

Perhaps because his wife was also in the crew, Mu Lang seemed much more approachable.

This script was relatively simple, featuring only Lu Xu in a monologue throughout. A mysterious person who kept him captive was hidden in the shadows, heard but never seen. Nevertheless, the production team had hired a veteran actor for this role.

The character didn't need to appear, so the actor originally didn't have to be present. However, to enhance the immersion of the role, the actor needed to observe Lu Xu's performance and engage in a dialogue with him.

Lu Xu played the lead character named Ma Yanwen, whose name suggested he was a conventional, honest man.

One day, Ma Yanwen woke up to find himself imprisoned in a sealed room, with no response to his cries for help. How could such a sudden disaster happen to someone as honest as him? Ma Yanwen couldn't make sense of it.

The room was completely airtight, with no signs indicating its location. He had no phone, and his shouts only echoed back from the walls.

Ma Yanwen felt utterly hopeless.

He couldn't find any reason for his imprisonment.

In his daily life, he wouldn't even step on an ant, treated his neighbors warmly, and received good reviews from those around him. He worked as a teacher at a university, where students also spoke highly of him. Although his career had hit a snag, it didn't affect his teaching attitude.

When friends were in trouble, he lent them money, helped write lesson plans, and even covered their classes. Even though they spread rumors about him, he generously forgave them.

Everyone has their moments of difficulty; there was no need to be too harsh.

—This was Ma Yanwen's inner evaluation of himself before the mysterious voice began to speak.

He was an ordinary man, and he shouldn't have to endure such hardship.

Director Mu Lang thought that the only part where Lu Xu didn't quite fit the role was the description of being "ordinary."

Judging by appearance alone, Lu Xu was far from ordinary. The production team could only try to compensate through makeup, attempting to make Lu Xu fit the description of "ordinary."

Mu Lang wasn't worried about the latter part of the script; with his extensive acting experience, Lu Xu would naturally handle the more intense scenes with ease.

What the director was concerned about was whether Lu Xu could portray Ma Yanwen's ordinariness in the first half of the story.

Ma Yanwen was the kind of person who blended into a crowd, while Lu Xu's presence... was somewhat sharp.

Although Lu Xu had played ordinary characters before, as an actor, he exuded a certain edge that couldn't be hidden even in a crowd.

Throughout the early scenes, Mu Lang kept a close eye on Lu Xu, giving him many instructions. Occasionally, when Lu Xu came over for a meal, Mu Lang would mutter a complaint, at which point his wife would scold him, and the director would immediately fall silent.

Lu Xu: "Director, I'll come again next time."

And he would dart off.

It was rare to see the director flustered.

However, Lu Xu had indeed never played this type of character before. This character was timid, weak, and even nagging. Such a person being imprisoned would only make people suspect that the wrong person had been locked up.

In the entertainment industry, there were actors known for playing wimps, but Lu Xu had never been one of them.

But Ma Yanwen was different from the typical wimp. He lived cautiously, afraid to step on an ant, as if lacking vitality. Yet, Lu Xu couldn't play him too gloomily.

Finding the right balance was truly challenging.

Lu Xu realized that every script he took on from Director Mu Lang pushed him to the limits of his acting abilities.

The director's concerns were not unfounded—Lu Xu failed to consistently capture the character's essence in three consecutive scenes.

In Lu Xu's acting career, such situations were not common.

"Try to find the right feel," Mu Lang said, "At least for me, this character hasn't come alive yet."

Lu Xu nodded.

He was also dissatisfied with his performance; it just didn't feel right.

At the beginning of his confinement, Ma Yanwen was panicked and afraid, then he started to ramble, complain about heaven and earth, portraying the image of an honest man suddenly faced with adversity.

Everyone has a Ma Yanwen in their life.

But Lu Xu admitted that he had been an actor for too long, spending more time in lofty roles than in those of ordinary people, which made it difficult for him to grasp the character.

Mu Lang urged Lu Xu to think carefully, and Lu Xu put the time to good use.

He read the script, tried out scenes, and reflected, not only seeking characters similar to Ma Yanwen but also analyzing the role in conjunction with the script.

After all, Ma Yanwen was a character constructed within the script, not conjured out of thin air.

After some time, Lu Xu approached the director again: "Director, I think I've got it."

"Really?" Mu Lang raised an eyebrow.

Mu Lang didn't blame Lu Xu; he knew that such a character was actually quite challenging to portray. It wouldn't work to play him as weak or as a typical urbanite.

To the director, Ma Yanwen seemed like a naturally unlucky and downtrodden figure.

This kind of character was rare in contemporary films, and Lu Xu had even less experience with it.

After the filming started, Mu Lang’s gaze remained fixed on the monitor.

Lu Xu’s makeup and costume were naturally simple and ordinary; even his fans might not recognize him if they were on set without a closer look.

But this time... As soon as Lu Xu appeared in the frame, he exuded an aura of deep-seated resentment.

Just by looking at the expression on his face in the camera, one could tell that in the next second, he would be complaining about everything from the heavens to the earth, and how the egg at breakfast wasn’t double-yolked, which led to his current misfortune.

To be honest, Lu Xu had only changed his expression slightly, but it made all the difference.

This performance was very much in line with the script’s description of Ma Yanwen.

Mu Lang’s eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly.

He began to take interest in Lu Xu’s acting.

In the confinement scene, Ma Yanwen didn’t smash into the walls in a fit of madness, nor did he heroically overcome his difficulties like the male lead who shared a similar fate, engaging in a battle of wits with the mastermind behind the scenes. Instead, he just kept rambling, from complaints about the breakfast egg to stepping out of the office door with his left foot in the afternoon.

In short, this performance truly captured Ma Yanwen’s character.

After this part of the scene was shot, the director wasn’t sure whether to approve Lu Xu’s performance, so he pulled Lu Xu aside to ask about his approach.

“I was thinking about playing a really annoying person,” Lu Xu admitted frankly. “I played him as someone I find irritating myself—someone who hasn’t done anything wrong, but just makes people feel annoyed.”

Being “annoying” was the key to Lu Xu’s portrayal of the character.

Ma Yanwen was a “honest man,” but he couldn’t win people’s affection.

“Alright.” Mu Lang sighed. “That interpretation isn’t wrong.”

Ma Yanwen was indeed not a likable character.

To be honest, Mu Lang found it difficult to give Lu Xu specific and clear guidance; this wasn't his directing style. All he could do was provide Lu Xu with a framework, allowing him to act within it. He couldn't offer the patient and meticulous guidance that Miao Zhi could.

The problem was that the framework Ma Yanwen provided was too narrow, leaving Lu Xu to find his way on his own.

Lu Xu's interpretation was somewhat fortuitous, but the essence was right.

After completing the first part of the imprisonment scene, Lu Xu continued to portray Ma Yanwen's daily life—this marked the beginning of a change in outsiders' perception of Ma Yanwen. They began to see him as someone who, though often annoying, was not entirely detestable.

There are people like this in real life too; while they may not make good friends and might even cause trouble at times, they add a necessary flavor to life.

However, after the mysterious voice appeared, the inconsistencies in Ma Yanwen's words grew more frequent.

His recollections were less about remembering and more about self-brainwashing.

Gradually, Ma Yanwen realized there was no escape. The more he embellished himself in his memories, the more ridicule and punishment he would invite.

Ma Yanwen was indeed a cowardly person—he had become a lecturer at the university only through the strong recommendation of a friend. His lesson plans were completed by his friend working late into the night, and his students were not kind to him. Instead, his friend was more popular at the school.

And now, his friend had vanished without a trace.