Chapter 733: The First Scene In Tianjin
Translator: Lan_ Editor: Efydatia
She spent more energy on her directing and producing work than her acting work.
A thick script was lying silently between her and Qin Guan. Small vintage holes had been punched into the simple pile of paper and a silk thread had been woven through the holes, making the script look like an elegant thread-bound book.
The Chinese characters on the cover spelled “Letter From A Strange Woman”. The words were written in ink.
In other words, the script looked rich in art and literature.
Xu liked to make demands from others though. “This is our first meeting, Mr. Qin Guan. I apologize for my presumptuous visit, but I had no other alternative,” she said politely.
“I wonder if you have read this script before?”
Qin Guan nodded.
“I actually approached Jiang Wen first. I’m the director of the film, but after reading the script, Mr. Jiang told me that he was not a good choice for the role. The script had been adapted from a foreign novel after all.”
“The hero is a true playboy. A womanizer’s nature cannot simply be reproduced through acting. To be frank, the actor has to be a stunner himself. That’s why he recommended you.”
“In his opinion, you are the only actor in China who can portray the man without disgusting the audience.”
Qin Guan didn’t comment on the compliment. He also liked the sentiment of the story.
Qin Guan just nodded. “You’ve come at just the right moment. I’m not very busy with the firm right now. Thank you for your trust. My answer is yes.”
All women were like flowers. At Qin Guan’s response, Xu Jinglei smiled elegantly, like a daisy blooming silently on a field.
Even though this was their first meeting, they felt like they were old friends.
The firm began to prepare in a hurry. Sister Xue started getting ready for Qin Guan’s appearance at the French Fashion Week. This was the only international fashion week that Qin Guan had not attended so far, so Sister Xue appointed a capable girl named Wang Liying as his assistant.
When she heard the news, Wang Liying nearly burst into tears of joy.
Qin Guan once again joined the crew with a big team and a considerable investment. He provided one fourth of the total amount. Soon, the shooting began in Tianjin.
When they arrived at the site, some keen reporters recognized him. As a result, the whole site had to be sealed off like a mysterious box kept secret from outsiders.
This was Xu’s idea of marketing. She was a capable woman with big ambitions, so she planned on taking advantage of Qin Guan’s international influence. She was a talented woman indeed.
The beginning of the film, which was quite peaceful, was filmed in a quiet Tianjin alley.
The alleys of Tianjin were just as old as the Beijing hutongs. They had been established during the Ming Dynasty and they reflected the style of Tianjin, which was a city located by the sea.
The air was moister than that of the capital, and the weather was friendlier. A canal went through the city, leaving the alleys to find a place along its banks. The larger alleys were as broad as roads, and the smaller ones were as narrow as ribbons twisting and winding in the small area.
Of course, the crew hadn’t chosen them as their shooting location. The scene was set in an ordinary native quadrangle dwelling.
Tianjin people were very kind to strangers. The crew started carrying props and equipment into the yard early in the morning, but the residents didn’t complain. Some experienced old men even worked out the time period of the film based on the props.
They exchanged greetings with the crew, who were chewing on pancakes they had just bought. Their special accent and the smell of breakfast lingered around the site.
Qin Guan, who was the protagonist, was pulled from the hotel by Wang Liying early in the morning. The first job requirement of an assistant was to act like an alarm clock.
In a few minutes, the stylist had fixed Qin Guan’s hair into a slick hairstyle. His black boots, brown jodhpurs and black jacket made Qin Guan look like an American plane engineer of the 1930s. He looked really handsome!
