Chapter 1451 - 1443: Living Together with Me
After the film crew arrived in Xiangnan, aside from the first day when everyone relaxed with food and drinks, shooting began intensely on the second day.
Chloe Winston found her scenes increased significantly, even more than those of the second female lead, and the direction was now following the lead female protagonist. Originally, this fantasy series, due to its large framework, told a story through three intertwining lines. Mary’s story was set during the male lead’s childhood, and with this adjustment, the third line subtly gets equal focus with the second, which also enhances the villain boss’s scenes. Thus, Chloe specifically sought out Faust.
"Isn’t the third female lead having too many scenes? Won’t this cause backlash from the audience?" Chloe’s appearance was of a young girl before cultivating the Way of Ruthlessness, clad in a blue robe, with brows and eyes like ink, exuding pure ethereal charisma.
Faust, looking at the young girl, waved his hand dismissively and laughed: "Nowadays, online viewers love beautiful looks. Offer them stunning visuals, and they’ll binge-watch the whole series. Besides, your scenes weren’t added randomly; your character is quite likable. As long as it’s clear that the female lead is paired with the male lead, viewers can accept another major female protagonist’s storyline or a new romantic subplot."
Faust didn’t even dare to mention that in order to increase Chloe’s scenes, he had asked Constantine Stewart if he was available to cameo as the villain boss before turning evil, which would be a sure-fire way to create emotional scenes with Chloe. However, the man casually declined, saying Chloe might not be pleased.
Seeing this, Faust promptly understood and chose not to add Chloe’s romantic scenes, firmly leading the third female lead towards the path of cultivation.
"We plan to release this series online, shooting and streaming side by side to observe audience response," Faust laughed. In this era of traffic dominance, web series have claimed a significant market share. By the end of the month, we should be streaming on the hottest online platform, with six episodes released weekly.
Chloe saw this and refrained from saying much. Her increased scenes meant that her shooting schedule was more demanding than before, lacking in leisure, coupled with numerous scenes requiring suspending wires to portray ethereal grace, leaving her exhausted by day’s end.
Fortunately, Faust noticed that the entire crew’s food, drink, and accommodation were sponsored by giants, with no personal expenses, making the shooting experience no different from a vacation except for the exhaustion. As a result, the shooting pace was intentionally slowed, but the detail-oriented demands increased.
While Chloe filmed, Constantine quietly followed the crew daily, watching her act silently. At first, she found it awkward; later, once deeply immersed in her role, she forgot his presence, allowing for peaceful coexistence.
Soon, "Deep Abyss" began streaming on online platforms. The country’s largest platform paid heavily for exclusive rights, airing six episodes on the first day, with views exceeding a hundred million, achieving massive popularity.
For a fantasy series, this performance almost marked a milestone achievement. Everyone in the crew felt reassured, with Faust’s phone ringing from morning till night with congratulatory calls, and the director smiled all day, feeling his grin causing wind to whistle through his teeth.
Male lead Emilio Greenwood gained fame, originally landing the role through his father’s influence. Despite his young age and thin resume, flanked by well-established actors, he surprisingly faced no negativity and even garnered fan support, counting it as a fortune.
Victoria has always been a guarantee of high ratings, with her superb acting, appealing looks, and charming personality earning unanimous praise, including newcomer Yusi Tian who experienced a minor rise.
The initial six episodes had no scenes with Chloe, leading her fans to explode online, frantically asking the crew when she would appear.
The crew cheerfully released Chloe’s still images, announcing that the most beautiful, coldest, and strongest Way of Ruthlessness female lead would debut in the tenth episode.
Chloe’s still images were the crew’s ace, with the official account releasing three stunning photos. Each photo elevated beauty to new heights, starting with a classic red attire. The series’ costume design was simple, without excessive adornments, as actors mostly wore light makeup, relying on natural looks.
Clad in red, with raven-like black hair, a strikingly beautiful and aloof woman appeared, against a background of a grey sky and a desolate village. A few violent crows perched on a large tree by the village entrance, creating strong visual contrasts, with the crows awaiting death for their feast against the exquisitely handsome, ethereal cultivator. It was a stunningly poignant scene.