415 An Overnight Sensation (2/2)
Growing up in a pet shop since childhood, Zhang Zian had always loved watching animal-related movies. He remembered that the Chinese movie industry did not value animal characters very much, unlike in the movie and TV industries of Western countries, where the names of animal actors would appear directly in the list of closing credits. Therefore, there were no famous animal actors in the Chinese film industry. Even if an animal had a stunning performance in a movie, people did not know its name.
For example, in the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes, in the episode Sign of Four, a dog named Toddy who helped Sherlock Holmes got its name shown in the closing credits. Not only had its name, Toddy, been shown, but also the name of the dog trainer, Ben Woodgate, could be found easily as well.
Sheng Ke had expected such a question, and he immediately replied, ”It is said that this film will be different, in which it is learning from the humanistic care from the western film industry. Not only the dog's name will appear, but the name of the trainer and where the dog comes from will also appear in the titles and endings of the film. So, not only my superiors, but also some comrades in our police dog training base are very keen on this matter...”
At last, he sighed.
Zhang Zian could relate to his sense of helplessness. At the end of the day, what people pursued was nothing more than fame and fortune.
He understood why so many pet shop and kennel owners were crazy about the audition. Imagine what it would be like if words, ”The starring role of this film is provided by the Amazing Fate Pet Shop in Binhai City” appeared in the closing credits of the film?
It would be an overnight sensation!
Without costing a penny, the kennel and pet shop owner would make its business known by audiences both home and abroad…
For fear that Zhang Zian might have unrealistic expectations, Sheng Ke added, ”Of course, you must realize that even for new human actors, the remuneration is not very high, let alone a dog… so the salary might not be very much.”
”It’s fine. What matters is the process of participation.”
Zhang Zian smiled. Although it seemed that Famous was confident in its own strength, Zhang Zian understood that in China, being talented did not necessarily guarantee a role in a film, and there were plenty of hidden rules when it came to deciding the cast.
The two of them talked and smiled and walked into a small two-story building in the courtyard.
As soon as they walked in, someone who looked like an employee stopped them, glanced at them, and asked, ”Are you here for the audition? Do you have appointment?”
”Yes,” Sheng Ke replied. ”My last name is Sheng, this is my friend, whose surname is Zhang, and this dog is called Famous, from the Amazing Fate Pet Shop.”
”Wait, let me check.”
The employee picked up the walkie-talkie and whispered a few words, and then he raised his hand and said, ”Please go in, hurry up.”
Sheng Ke did not hurry to go inside, but handed a high-grade imported cigarette to the employee and smiled, ”As I have heard, they have not yet selected a satisfactory dog?”
Because he was wearing a military greatcoat, the employee could not see the insignia on his shoulder and was unaware of his police rank. The employee just thought he was an ordinary police officer, and he took the cigarette bluntly.
Sheng Ke also took out a cigarette and put it into his mouth, lighting the cigarettes for himself and the employee with a lighter.
The staff took a deep breath, and then choked and coughed repeatedly, ”This cigarette is freaking strong!”
He puffed twice and replied, ”No, the director has not yet selected a satisfying dog. That’s why we have prolonged the audition.”
Puffing the cigarette, Sheng Ke felt like his body was warming up a little bit. He winked at Zhang Zian, meaning to say, ”Told you”.
The employee breathed out a bunch of smoke rings, then said, ”However, I heard that today is the last day, and the producers have been pushing us so that there is no way we can prolong the audition any more. The funds, equipment, and actors are already in place, we can’t afford to consume our days on this matter. The crew will have to spend more than ten million RMB of the budget every day we prolong the auditions.”
Putting the cigarette in his fingers, the staff pointed to Sheng Ke and Zhang Zian, ”You are the last group to attend the audition.”
Zhang Zian felt lucky that he had come here today. If he had come any later, this trip would have been in vain.
The staff complained about a lot of grievances that had accumulated in his heart. ”And those actors, even those unknown performers, have been yelling that they have tight schedules and urging the director to start shooting the film… F**k! What schedules do they have? They are just attention seekers! Who do they think they are?!”
Zhang Zian and Sheng Ke exchanged looks. This was a mixed blessing. The good news was that the director seemed to be an insistent and responsible person who could withstand pressure from actors and producers just to choose a satisfactory dog; but the bad news was that after auditioning so many dogs, still not one had been selected yet. Did that mean the director had surprisingly high standards for the dog he wanted? Coupled with the rumors that a lot of dogs that had participated in the audition had gotten injured, Zhang Zian worried about Famous.
”What if a non-satisfactory dog is chosen in the end?” Zhang Zian could not help but ask.
The staff smoked the last puff of the cigarette and stepped out the burning ash, ”Then maybe we’ll have to select one from the dogs available now. Come on, let’s go in — we shouldn’t keep the director waiting.”
Sheng Ke also stepped out his cigarette, and lead Zhang Zian into the audition hall.