raknovel Chapter 25: Connections, Editing
Chapter 25: Connections, Editing
October 28th, the final scene.
The camera was being moved along its track at the end of the corridor, the door ajar, and shadows moved inside. There was no dialogue, only the hushed sounds of movement.
Lin Ruiyang stared at the monitor for a while.
"Cut"
Without saying anything more, he shouted, "—Filming wrapped!"
The audience erupted in applause.
Some people laughed and said they were liberated, some cursed that it was finally over, and some simply collapsed to the ground.
With the instructions issued and everyone's cooperation, the space that was originally filled with equipment was gradually restored to an open area.
The fat guy was the first to rush over and hug Lin Ruiyang tightly: "Old Lin, we've successfully wrapped up filming!"
"Um..."
Lin Ruiyang was pulled back slightly by the tightness, but still raised his hand to pat him.
Before leaving, he glanced at the monitor; the screen was already black, and the nearly two months of filming had come to a complete end at that moment.
In the evening, the wrap party was held at a hot pot restaurant, which was perfect for the weather.
Wang Hai raised his voice: "Everyone has worked hard these past few days. To thank you for your efforts, no one is allowed to leave until tonight has a good meal!"
Lin Ruiyang also picked up his wine glass and stood up, the steam rising from the copper pot blurring his face.
"This toast is to everyone here. Thank you all for your trust in me these past two months, for giving yourselves to this production team."
Everyone raised their glasses at the same time, and the atmosphere immediately warmed up after a few drinks.
The soup in the pot was boiling, and plate after plate of sliced meat was added to the pot.
Under Wang Hai's tutelage, the fat man has started going from table to table toasting, from the lighting staff to the stagehands, all while muttering, "Don't forget me when you become successful."
"Teacher Li, thank you so much for your support during this time." Lin Ruiyang walked towards Li Baotian with a cup in his hand.
"The film was made by everyone, but your work isn't finished yet."
Lin Ruiyang patted his chest and assured him, "I'll keep a close eye on things from the very beginning."
"Keep an eye on things, but don't change them badly. If something feels right at the time, don't change it later."
"clear."
Lin Ruiyang knew in his heart that this was the old man's approval, and also the old man's realization after experiencing the turmoil.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually shifted towards the later stages of the meal.
Wang Hai moved his chair a little closer: "Director Lin, there's not much time left for post-production."
"The Berlin Film Festival's deadline is in early November. You've just finished filming, so you won't be able to make it in time for the normal process."
This was within Lin Ruiyang's expectations, and he had already asked Liu Yibing to help him pull some strings, since who wouldn't use connections here?
"So by the 15th at the latest, you need to have a first draft, register first, and then complete the final version later."
"Wang Qingqiang, the selection consultant for Chinese-language films at the Berlin Film Festival, will come in person. China Film Group has already coordinated the time with him in advance."
Neither of them continued speaking; at this moment, Lin Ruiyang already had a complete timetable in mind.
The next morning, Lin Ruiyang was woken up by his phone vibrating.
It wasn't an alarm clock, it was a phone. He picked it up and saw that it was Liu Yibing calling.
"teacher."
"Are you up?"
Liu Yibing's voice came through the receiver, speaking a few beats faster than usual.
"The editing room at Qingying Film Studio has been set up for you. The editor is a veteran at the studio, so you should go there as soon as possible."
"I'll go right away."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Ruiyang sat on the edge of the bed for about half a minute, then got up and washed up.
Autumn in Beijing outside the window is as short as a sigh, but there's nothing that needs to be done that can't be avoided.
After quickly tidying up, Lin Ruiyang rushed out.
The building of the Qingying Studio is not new; it's starting to look old. As soon as you enter, you can feel the disciplined atmosphere of an old film studio.
The editing building is located inside the old factory area. Some old posters from years ago are still pasted on the walls, with the edges curled up, giving it a vintage film feel.
When he pushed the door open, there were already people sitting in front of the editing table.
"You're here?" She turned around.
"Teacher Zhou."
Lin Ruiyang immediately went over to greet him.
He was familiar with Zhou Xinxia in his previous life. She started out as an editor at the Beijing Film Studio and came to Beijing Film Academy to teach students in 05. She was the one who produced works like "Lurking" and "My Altay". She has always been highly regarded in the industry.
"Your teacher has already called me. Time is tight, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. Let's get ready and start right away."
Zhou Xinxia speaks frankly, just like her editing style.
Following the list of materials in Zhou Xinxia's hand, Lin Ruiyang briefly explained the shooting order and his general judgment based on his current impressions.
As Zhou Xinxia listened, she flipped through the script and made annotations in some places.
"Your notes are not bad." She put the things aside.
"However, the feeling on set and the effect of editing are two different things, so you have to be prepared."
"Yes, I understand."
"That's good. For the first round, let's go through the footage once, without editing, just to watch it."
The sound of the machine starting up filled the room, and the images flashed by one by one. There was no sound, no post-production, only the raw, unedited footage.
Zhou Xinxia watched intently, barely saying a word.
Occasionally, she would press pause, rewind a frame, and watch it again.
"Why did you keep this one?" she pointed to the screen.
Lin Ruiyang glanced at it and saw that it was the one where Yan Bingyan was changing clothes with shaky hands.
"Because it's true," he replied.
"Authenticity doesn't necessarily mean good looks, but we can keep this one for now."
Zhou Xinxia didn't explain much, but simply made a note of it.
After the first round of watching, it was almost noon, but neither of them got up.
"Let's start working on the first version." Zhou Xinxia said and then began to work.
Her editing style is old-fashioned; she first sets up the structure and then gradually fills in the details.
The rhythm is very steady and the efficiency is extremely high.
There were a few places that Lin Ruiyang felt could be delayed for a longer period of time, allowing for sufficient emotional development, but she cut them out directly.
As she cut the paper, she explained, "Emotions aren't something you create over time; they're created by the density of information."
Lin Ruiyang did not refute, but simply kept it in mind.
By the end of the first day, a barely achievable skeleton had been built.
It was already dark when Lin Ruiyang left the Qingying Film Studio, and only then did he realize what professionalism truly meant.
Fortunately, the previous short film was shot in one take and didn't require much editing, otherwise it would be full of flaws now.
The fat man was waiting for him at the door and had brought him a meal.
"Old Lin, how was the first day of post-treatment care?"
"It went quite smoothly, much better than the previous four of us who were just mediocre."
"Of course, he's a veteran in the factory, a seasoned pro."
As the fat man spoke, he showed him the latest news: "There's a new development."
"Documentary director Liu Yujun has responded publicly to the plagiarism controversy surrounding his documentary 'Kekexili,' stating that he has already appointed a lawyer to prepare for a lawsuit."
Lin Ruiyang remembers that in his previous life, the plagiarism controversy only broke out in January 2005. This time, with him as the catalyst, the plagiarism controversy erupted earlier than expected.
Liu Yujun also quickly took advantage of the public's attention to file a lawsuit, releasing the timeline, source of materials, and comparison images in his article.
He concluded by saying, "I will protect my rights through legal means."
The comments section below has exploded.
There were supporters, skeptics, and onlookers—all sorts of people.
"Although Huayi has not responded yet, some people are already stirring up trouble, saying it's a 'tribute'."
The fat man rolled his eyes as he spoke.
Lin Ruiyang sneered: "The word 'paying tribute' is usually only used after you've already copied it."
He handed the phone back to the fat man, letting out a long sigh of relief: the fire was already lit, and he hoped the wind would make it burn even brighter.