Chapter 1542 - 781: Bottleneck_4
Performed here for an entire afternoon, one scene, no matter how he played it, it was not right. Yu Zhiyang tried all sorts of methods, changed various styles and forms of acting, yet Wen Bing was never satisfied.
Yu Zhiyang had already accumulated a lot of restless emotions in his heart.
Seeing signs that both of them were about to lose their temper, Wang Zilin quickly stepped forward to ease the situation.
"Oh dear, it’s already five in the afternoon, the sun’s about to set," she said, "why doesn’t everyone take a break, it’s almost time for dinner."
The crowd immediately began to chatter, much like wrapping up the day.
Everyone was helping to smooth things over.
"..."
Zhou Yun remained silent.
Zhou Yun didn’t know what to say regarding the scene that unfolded.
Wen Bing had his own emotions, and Yu Zhiyang had his too; everyone had their reasons.
Zhou Yun thought back to filming "Falling Leaves" with Xue Qin, when Xue Qin was also unsatisfied with her, asking her to redo scenes repeatedly.
At the time, Zhou Yun acted with a belly full of frustration but held it in.
Although afterwards, Zhou Yun realized that Xue Qin simply had that style—waiting for something that matched her imagination, hence why she kept pushing.
At the time, however, Zhou Yun genuinely thought Xue Qin was deliberately giving her a hard time.
Zhou Yun felt it necessary to have a good talk with Yu Zhiyang.
...
At dinner, Yu Zhiyang grabbed a big bowl and picked some dishes for himself, then went outside to eat alone.
He was feeling down, not wanting to eat with everyone.
Zhou Yun also grabbed a bowl, took a chair, and sat next to Yu Zhiyang.
"Still angry?" Zhou Yun sat down, and her first sentence was direct, not at all roundabout.
Yu Zhiyang replied gloomily, "Not angry."
Zhou Yun chuckled.
Yu Zhiyang immediately glanced at Zhou Yun in displeasure.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Your face is all pulled down like that, and you say you’re not angry?" Zhou Yun said, "Go ask anyone randomly, and see if your current expression looks like someone who’s angry."
Yu Zhiyang said nothing.
He knew he hadn’t managed his expressions well.
Zhou Yun sighed.
"Actually, I also know, filming with Wen Bing is bound to encounter this kind of thing," Zhou Yun said, "his standards are high. If you can’t meet them, he’ll keep grinding you until you deliver the effect he wants."
Yu Zhiyang said, "But I’ve really tried my best, no matter how I perform, it’s not working, I don’t know how to act anymore."
Zhou Yun asked, "Are you discouraged?"
Yu Zhiyang remained silent.
Zhou Yun said, "It’s okay to be discouraged, but don’t give up on yourself."
"I don’t know how to act anymore."
"Then think it through before acting," Zhou Yun said, "if you can’t figure it out, just improvise. In any case, you’re a professional actor, you have to find a way on your own to finish your performance."
Yu Zhiyang asked, "Sister Xiao Yun, have you ever encountered times where you didn’t know how to act?"
"I have, just like you. Back then, I was also in torment, but that kind of suffering is normal. Truly, when creating a character, a persona—if you don’t experience conflict, don’t suffer, maybe you haven’t even reached that threshold," Zhou Yun said, "But with another director, it might have passed today, but you met one with strict demands. For an actor, this is good—since a director with high standards can push your potential, enabling you to perform in ways beyond your imagination."
Yu Zhiyang said dejectedly, "I... I have no clue now."
"Then let go of your own ideas and think about what Wen Bing said to you. How did he talk to you, what were his demands," Zhou Yun said, "get rid of your habitual ways of acting completely, don’t be afraid to mess up—explore new sensations."
Yu Zhiyang was silent.
Actors, in acting, all have a safe zone.
The way you perform comfortably, feeling adept in that state—that’s the safe zone.
But sometimes, an actor must break that usual performance mode, stepping out of the safe zone, to deliver a performance feeling completely different from before.
Zhou Yun often reminded herself this way, hoping Yu Zhiyang could achieve it too.
But Yu Zhiyang was still very young; she wasn’t sure if he could do it.
She believed that Yu Zhiyang must have performed very well already, except Wen Bing wants something more unique, rather than the typical youthful angst.
So Yu Zhiyang must completely trust Wen Bing and follow his feelings to explore that state where no references can be found.
Once he finds it, his performance will be correct.