Chapter 192 - Zhang Ye’s Real and Fake Kung Fu! (1/2)

The movie studio.

At a tiny corner, on a row of benches.

Zhang Ye was sitting there reading the script. It contained the lines for his role. It was simple, just a few lines. The difficulty was in the fight scenes. To Zhang Ye, who was filming for the first time, this was a challenge.

But he believed that he could do it well. As Zhang Ye always said, confidence was very important. If you did not believe in yourself, then you will lose confidence and as a result, you will not be able to do it. Because you had already lost half the battle before you fought it. This was a very intriguing thing, if you had the confidence, then you would surely be able to do it! This was not bulls.h.i.+t, nor was it scaremongering. In the field of psychology, there had been studies on it. A plebeian could never become a rich handsome person? It was only fantasy? It was definitely not the case! So what if he was a plebeian? So what if a plebeian was weak and ugly? As long as one firmly believed in one’s success, as long as one firmly believed that he could do it, then there would be a day that he would become…an extremely confident weak and ugly plebeian!

“Little Zhang!” Yao Jiancai came over.

Zhang Ye kept his script, “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Yao Jiancai said in a speechless manner, “Didn’t you say you were a rookie?”

“But I am a rookie,” Zhang Ye said with his eyes blinking.

Only then did Yao Jiancai realize that since Zhang Ye had never acted in movies, he was indeed a complete newcomer in the filming industry. “I only just got to know that you are pretty famous in Beijing.”

Zhang Ye hurriedly said, “It’s nothing. I can’t compare with you.”

This was not him being modest. If he were to really compete with Yao Jiancai in fame, despite always being a supporting character, how many shows had Yao Jiancai acted in over all those years? He did have some fame in the country. Well, although it was not that much, he was much better than Zhang Ye who was only known in the Beijing circles. At least he was not as “limited”.

“Fine,” Yao Jiancai laughed, “In Beijing, there are definitely more people who know you than me. Nice, you are promising. You can even compose poems?”

“Nothing serious, ” Zhang Ye said.

After hearing of Zhang Ye’s deeds, Yao Jiancai increasingly found that Zhang Ye’s att.i.tude matched his appet.i.te. He sat beside Zhang Ye and put his arms around his shoulder, “Quickly tell me the process of how you smacked the face of your television station’s Leader. Haha, it was to the point of every television station in the country not daring to hire you? Forcing you to act? Kid, you sure are impressive! You are so frisky! Not bad, not bad. You have a bit of my style like me back in the day!”

“You also did something like that?”

“No?”

“Then what was that about your style?”

“Hai, it was just an a.n.a.logy.”

The old and young duo had gotten close through their chatting. They even exchanged telephone numbers and were like old pals.

Suddenly, a stout man in his thirties walked over. He was the film crew’s martial arts director. He looked very strong and it was clear at a glance that he practiced kung fu. “Which one of you is Zhang Ye?”

“I am.” Zhang Ye stood up with the script in hand.

The martial arts director glanced at him and said with a speechless manner, “You are acting as young hero Chen?”

This was Zhang Ye’s role. He nodded, “That’s right.”

The martial arts director sized him up and then squeezed his arms. After some evaluation, he turned and left without saying a word. He went directly to the a.s.sistant Director, “a.s.sistant Director, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? That Zhang Ye is acting as young hero Chen? He won’t do as young hero Chen. He’s small in size and his attacks would look weak like a girl’s. You can’t get a subst.i.tute for a supporting actor. And even if you looked for one, no one is suitable. How are we to film?”

The a.s.sistant Director looked at him and said, “If you think he won’t do, then train him well. Teach him the motions. The role has been decided, so there won’t be any changes. The rest is your job.”

The martial arts director said, “But I can’t make something out of nothing. Let’s not talk about his looks, just his physique is terrible. It will have an adverse effect on the filming.”

The two began to quarrel.

Zhang Ye felt helpless. Man, he had been looked down upon on the first day of filming.

Finally, the martial arts director came back without any success. He looked at Zhang Ye and said with a sense of powerlessness, “Have you filmed a martial arts scene before?”

Zhang Ye shook his head.

The martial arts director asked, “Have you acted before?”

Zhang Ye shook his head again.

The martial arts director said, “Have you practiced dancing before?”

Zhang Ye still shook his head.

The martial arts director slapped himself in the forehead. Man, he was useless on all fronts!

This movie had quite a large investment and was considered a medium to large production, hence the requirements of the actors were very high. It was not like low-cost martial arts movies where a punch or kick would do. If they did so, people would die laughing at them. Hence, the actors they found had some foundation in martial arts or had acted in martial arts movies. Even the main lead could not be too shabby. He had to have the arms and the figure. Furthermore, a subst.i.tute could be used for the main lead, but how could one find a subst.i.tute for a supporting actor?

The martial arts director had a headache.

Yao Jiancai was the funny fellow in the film crew, so he could easily speak with anyone. “This lad is my good friend, please take care of him.”