Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 26 On-site Grand Opening

This is the first time that Qi Yue and his team have been interviewed on a formal talk show since the premiere of "Yu Zui".

On set, under the blazing lights, the audience seats were filled with viewers, some fans of the TV series "Yu Zui," and media reporters.

Qi Yue, along with his main creative team, Guo Fan, Jiang Qiming, Li Qing, and several other important supporting actors, sat on a large sofa.

Across from me is a well-known, smiling host.

These interview programs are relaxed and casual, but they are actually based on a pre-arranged interview outline.

Participating in this kind of program is both to showcase the cohesion of the production team and to promote the upcoming filming of "Day and Night".

The interview began in a relaxed atmosphere. The host started with lighthearted topics:

"Let's welcome the long-awaited cast and crew of 'Yu Zui'! Wow!"

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. The host waited five seconds before continuing.

"Seeing everyone sitting here feels like taking us back to that exciting and tense story. Fans say that the street scenes in 'Yu Zui' were filmed very realistically, and there are even rumors of 'secret filming'? Haha, I won't ask the director first. Director Guo Fan! You are the assistant director and cinematographer of the crew, can you explain it to everyone here? Of course, if it's inconvenient, you can talk to me privately."

The audience burst into laughter. Guo Fan took the microphone and said with a smile:

"Taking photos secretly was a last resort. We were under a lot of time, and the permits were taking forever to come through, so we had to break things up and play cat and mouse with the city management officers!"

He gestured wildly, "I remember one time, Jiang Qiming and the others had just run across an intersection when a real urban management patrol car came along! Our production assistant reacted incredibly quickly, immediately pretending to be a tourist asking for directions and stopping the urban management officer. He even sincerely asked, 'Where is the most famous braised pork place nearby?', buying our actors precious thirty seconds to escape!"

The audience below the stage let out knowing laughter and exclamations.

The host then smoothly steered the conversation towards Jiang Qiming: "Qiming, you're from the Central Academy of Drama, right? Director Qi graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. It's quite amazing that you two met. Director Qi is very strict on set, isn't he? Could you share your most memorable experience?"

Jiang Qiming touched his nose, glanced at Qi Yue beside him, and revealed a smile that seemed to say, "I can't bear to look back."

"There were so many... The most 'painful' scene was probably the 'safe house' scene. When Li Qing and I were rehearsing our lines, we were always a little bit off in terms of emotion. Director Qi would sit behind the monitor and say, 'One take, no, not good, 'Too much emotion, tone it down'; two takes, 'Too much restraint, let it out'; three takes, 'Wrong direction, start over'... We must have filmed at least twenty takes in total, right?"

He looked at Qi Yue, who simply smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"I was completely stumped at the time; my mind went blank," Jiang Qiming continued.

"Later, Director Qi came over and didn't talk about the scene. He just asked me, 'If I were really an undercover agent, what would I be most afraid of at this moment? What would I most want to hide? What would I most want Lin Yujing to see?' He just asked me to think about these questions on my own. The next day when we filmed, I felt it was right."

The host then turned his attention to Li Qing: "Li Qing? I heard that Director Qi also gave you 'special attention' sometimes."

Li Qing's face flushed slightly. "It was that crying scene of mine. I just couldn't cry, or I cried incorrectly. Director Qi was particularly harsh at the time."

She glanced cautiously at Qi Yue across from her before continuing:

"He said I 'have no real talent after four years of acting' in front of many people. I felt really bad and ashamed at the time."

The audience below the stage let out a soft sigh.

"But," Li Qing changed the subject, her eyes lighting up, "later I understood that he used that method to corner me, strip away all my pretense, and make me act with only my most genuine emotions."

"Later, when I returned to the dressing room, the director even had someone bring me eye drops and throat lozenges, and said I acted very well."

As she said this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

"At that moment, I felt... all the grievances were worth it. I am especially grateful to Director Qi."

This heartfelt sharing instantly moved the audience, who responded with exceptionally enthusiastic applause.

The interview transitioned into a relaxed, rapid-fire question and answer session.

The host asked, "Who is generally considered the easiest person to get along with on set?"

Almost without hesitation, everyone pointed to Sun Hao, the actor who played "the mouse," with smiles on their faces.

Sun Hao's chubby face immediately lit up with a silly grin, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

Jiang Qiming added, "Brother Hao is our group's snack bank. There's never a dull moment when he's around. You can always turn to him when you're feeling stressed."

"So...who's the strictest?" The host winked mischievously.

The scene fell silent for a second.

Then all the actors, including Guo Fan, with knowing smiles, turned their gazes to Qi Yue, who was sitting in the middle.

Li Qing subconsciously shrank her neck and made a cute, slightly scared expression.

Qi Yue met everyone's gazes, helplessly shrugged, and accepted the "accusation."

The audience erupted in even louder laughter and applause.

The host looked at Qi Yue and asked, "Director, everyone 'accuses' you of being the strictest. So how did you choose these actors in the first place? Especially the two male and female leads, who were complete newcomers before 'Yu Zui'."

Qi Yue took the microphone. "Casting is, of course, one of the most crucial aspects of the project. When I choose actors, the first thing I look at is whether they fit the role. Yu Zui needs that kind of cunning and vitality from the streets, and Jiang Qiming has that innate 'truthfulness,' which is what I value most about him."

"Lin Yujing has a cold exterior, but a soft heart that is both steadfast and mature. Li Qing's temperament has a kind of purity and resilience that cannot be acted out."

He paused, then looked at his team: "I'm so glad I was right. They made 'Yu Zui' a success, and they've surpassed themselves."

Qi Yue's words were very sincere, and applause broke out in the room.

The interview proceeded smoothly, covering the planned topics such as anecdotes from filming, understanding of the character, and changes in mindset after becoming famous. The atmosphere on set remained harmonious throughout.

Following the outline, the host finally asked about the next steps:

"Director, 'Yu Zui' has been a huge success, and everyone is very interested in what 'Tongfan Studio' will do next. Could you give us a hint here?"

The camera and the audience's attention were focused on Qi Yue.

Qi Yue calmly replied, "We've been preparing for a new project. The next drama is called 'Day and Night,' a more extreme crime thriller with new attempts in character design and narrative structure. The script and pre-production are currently in full swing, and we hope to bring everyone a new surprise soon."

He avoided mentioning Pan Yueming, whom everyone was expecting, to prevent the interview from going astray.

The host, seeing that things had progressed well, moved on to the final, relaxed Q&A session with the audience, following the established procedure.

But something went wrong in one step.

A woman claiming to be a female college student from an art school performed an orgasm on the spot.

"Director Qi, do you think your film contains elements of sexism?"