bioinnovel Chapter 222 Audition for "Those Years"
Chapter 222 Audition for "Those Years"
The next few days were both relaxing and busy for Fu Yibai.
After finishing his simple work each day, he would go to different women's homes to keep them company.
On November 3, the open audition for the male lead of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" officially began in the multi-functional hall on the third floor of the Chenxi Media Building.
At eight o'clock in the morning, a long queue had already formed in the corridor outside the multi-functional hall.
Most of them are students from the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing Film Academy, and Shanghai Theatre Academy who have not yet graduated, and there are also some new actors who have just debuted.
They were all dressed in clean, simple clothes, holding scripts in their hands, nervously memorizing their lines, their eyes full of anticipation.
Everyone knows that this is a movie personally directed by Fu Yibai, and the female lead is the popular Liu Yifei. As long as you can get this male lead, it's like having one foot in the door to instant fame.
Not to mention, Fu Yibai's ability to promote people is well-known in the industry. Filming with him guarantees good resources in the future.
The auditions officially began at 9:00 AM.
Fu Yibai sat in the main seat, surrounded by production director Wang Peng, artist director Lin Wei, and the assistant director team.
He was wearing a simple black hoodie, holding a pen in his hand, calmly watching each auditionee walk in, his face expressionless.
After a morning of auditions, nearly twenty actors had been interviewed, but Fu Yibai still hadn't given up.
Seeing Fu Yibai's increasingly grim expression, Wang Peng couldn't help but speak softly.
"Mr. Fu, why don't you take a break first?"
There are still more than twenty people this afternoon; maybe one of them will be suitable.
Fu Yibai put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and nodded.
"Okay, let's take a half-hour break and start again at 1 p.m.
During the half-hour lunch break, the rest area next to the multi-functional hall was warm and inviting.
Guo Zhenni brought over a cup of warm Longjing tea and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of Fu Yibai.
"Mr. Fu, this is freshly brewed; please use it to soothe your throat."
Fu Yibai picked up his teacup and took a sip, his brows still furrowed.
There were more than twenty actors in one morning.
Either they are classically trained but act in a slick and glib manner, turning the youthful spirit of adolescence into the roguishness of a street thug.
Either they are too reserved, showing more inexperience than talent.
"Mr. Fu, how about we relax our requirements a bit?"
Wang Peng sat opposite Fu Yibai, watching his expression, and spoke cautiously.
"Actually, some of them had a pretty good image this morning, and their acting was passable. You can adjust them a bit more during post-production."
"Let's see. If we still can't find anything suitable, we'll just have to settle for something that's passable."
Fu Yibai sighed helplessly.
The thought of having to coach the performances of both the female and male leads in this project gave him a headache.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and at 1 p.m., the audition resumed on time.
Even after more than a dozen actors came in, Fu Yibai's brows still didn't relax.
Some actors are handsome enough, but as soon as they open their mouths, they lose their student-like demeanor and become like delinquents in school uniforms.
Some actors have solid delivery of lines, but their eyes lack light, failing to portray the cautiousness of unrequited love and the passion of youth.
Wang Peng sat next to her, his palms almost sweating, afraid that Fu Yibai would decide on the spot to suspend the audition and start a new round of auditions.
Until the voice from the queuing machine said, "Next, Chen Xiao."
The door was gently pushed open, and a young man walked in.
He wore a simple white crew neck T-shirt, light blue jeans, and clean white sneakers. His hair was a neat short style, and his eyes were bright and alert, giving him a refreshing look.
"Hello everyone, I am Chen Xiao from the 05 class of the Acting Department at the Central Academy of Drama."
"Once you're ready, you can begin."
Fu Yibai spoke, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.
Chen Xiao nodded, took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, her whole demeanor had changed.
Fu Yibai, who had been leaning back in his chair, straightened up slightly.
At first glance, he knew that this was the Ko Ching-teng he was looking for.
There was no deliberate attempt to create a youthful vibe, no feigned naivety. Standing there, he was simply that boy from youth who would secretly pass notes in class, study with all his might for the girl he liked, and stubbornly refuse to back down.
Without exaggerated movements or overly forceful expressions, just a few lines and a glance, it instantly pulls you back to that noisy classroom filled with the chirping of cicadas, that summer when your heart and eyes were filled with the girl you liked, but you could only attract her attention in the most clumsy way.
The room was completely silent, with only Chen Xiaoqing's clear voice echoing in the hall.
After finishing a scene, he composed himself, stood up again, bowed slightly, and looked at the scene with a hint of expectation and a touch of barely perceptible trepidation in his eyes.
The assistant directors exchanged glances, their eyes filled with amazement.
Fu Yibai looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled.
This was the first time he smiled since the audition began today.
"You're the one."
He spoke, his voice clear and without the slightest hesitation.
Chen Xiao stood there, seemingly not having reacted yet, her eyes widening little by little, her astonishment impossible to hide.
Several seconds later, he suddenly came to his senses, bowed deeply, his waist bent very low, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and trembling.
"Thank you, Director Fu! Thank you, teachers! I will definitely live up to your trust and play this role well!"
"You're welcome."
Fu Yibai waved his hand, his tone calm.
"You are the one who fits this role."
Go back and prepare the script properly. The production team will be assembled next week, and filming is scheduled to start on November 15th. Don't be late.
"Yes! I'll definitely be there on time!"
Chen Xiao bowed again, then, clutching the script, walked out of the multi-functional hall with slightly unsteady steps.
Wang Peng and Lin Wei exchanged a glance, both seeing a sense of relief in each other's eyes.
"You've all worked hard today, go back and rest."
Fu Yibai announced the end of the audition and stretched his stiff shoulders and neck as he stood up.