Free Web NovelChapter 314: Chapter 314: Smooth Filming
Fang Yuanshan and Murong Li stared at each other, bewildered. In the past, whenever a shoot ended, a crowd would swarm them with water, towels, and flattery. But this time? Not a single person paid them any attention. Even their own assistants were craning their necks to look at Hah’Er, completely forgetting to help them up.
’Alright, we’re the supporting actors now. Better get used to it.’ Fang Yuanshan propped himself up against the rock wall and stood, then shuffled over behind the monitor. He hadn’t been able to see Hah’Er from his angle.
’Hey, he’s actually pretty good!’ Not to mention the animal actors he’d seen before—even the pretty-boy pop idols who were all the rage couldn’t act as well as Hah’Er! Now, the two of them were truly, utterly convinced. The little guy wasn’t just more valuable and a bigger box-office draw than them; even his acting skills were no worse than their own!
"Alright, alright, everyone back to your posts! Hah’Er’s in good form right now, let’s try to get a few more takes in." Director Kong wasn’t sure if Hah’Er’s performance would stay this good, so he quickly shooed the crowd away to prepare for the second scene.
The plot of the second scene was that Hah’Er, after getting the energy bar, tries to figure out how to eat it. He fumbles with it for a long time without success, then accidentally drops it off the rock wall. It lands on Murong Li’s head, which is how he reveals his presence to the two of them.
"Have a look at these flavors. Which one does Hah’Er like?" The prop master brought over a big pile of energy bars for Shen Yibin to choose from. Shen Yibin finally picked a pineapple-flavored one and handed it to Hah’Er.
The props were in place, and the cameraman had moved his equipment to the top of the rock wall. Everything was ready. They were just waiting for Hah’Er to start his performance. At Director Kong’s command, Hah’Er held the energy bar, studying it curiously. Then, he cautiously stuck out his tongue, lightly touched the wrapper, and quickly pulled it back.
’Hm? It doesn’t taste like anything?’ Hah’Er was a bit confused. He picked up the energy bar and shook it, only then realizing he had to open the outer packaging to get to the food inside. So, Hah’Er went at the wrapper with tooth and claw. Unfortunately, his martial arts skills seemed to be of little use here. He struggled for a long time but couldn’t tear the package open.
Finally, in a fit of anger, Hah’Er used his Immortal Technique, but it only sent the energy bar tumbling off the rock wall and onto Murong Li’s head. Yup, poor Murong Li had been sitting foolishly at the bottom of the wall all this time just waiting to get beaned. ’How depressing,’ she thought. ’I’m the main character in my other films! When have I ever been treated like this?’
"Murong Li, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you even make a surprised face?" Murong Li’s mind had wandered for a split second, and her reaction was a little late. It wasn’t the effect Director Kong wanted, and she was immediately chewed out for it.
Murong Li was on the verge of tears. She had been sure that the first "No Good" take of the day would be Hah’Er’s, but it ended up being hers instead. She didn’t dare argue with Director Kong, so she could only apologize repeatedly and ask for a retake.
"Forget it. Hah’Er’s performance was fine. We don’t need him for the rest of this. Uh, you there! Get up there and drop the energy bar on Murong Li’s head. We just need to reshoot this one shot." So, Murong Li sat blankly at the bottom of the rock wall, waiting for an energy bar to hit her on the head. However, the person above missed several times. It took a few more tries before they barely got a usable take.
"Okay, let’s start shooting scene three..." Director Kong could hardly believe how smoothly the filming was going. He had expected the first day to be mainly about getting into the groove, thinking it would be great if Hah’Er could just gradually adapt to the rhythm. He never imagined they’d get so much usable footage. But Hah’Er’s performance was so good, even better than a veteran actor like Fang Yuanshan. He was almost at a loss for words.
"Alright, let’s take a break!" The third scene was, of course, completed smoothly as well. Director Kong glanced at his watch. It was still a long time until lunch, but he didn’t want to continue shooting. Their progress was already far beyond expectations. It was best to leave it at that for now. It wouldn’t do to tire Hah’Er out; that costume had to be exhausting to wear.
"Bin, hurry and take Hah’Er to change out of his costume." Director Kong summarily dismissed Shen Yibin and Hah’Er. He wasn’t so courteous with the others, though. There were still plenty of scenes that didn’t require Hah’Er. They might as well seize the opportunity and film them now. Finishing a day earlier meant saving a day’s worth of expenses. An investment this large was a lot of pressure, and every little bit they could save counted.
And so, for the next hour or so, Fang Yuanshan, Murong Li, Fang Yun, and the other extras performed their hearts out on set. Meanwhile, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er sat leisurely in their chairs, each munching on a large slice of watermelon, acting as gawking spectators.
Even Maphario would pop its head out of Hah’Er’s pocket from time to time to catch the watermelon seeds Hah’Er dropped, happily cracking them open. It wasn’t that Shen Yibin and Hah’Er were mistreating it; Maphario just happened to love eating them.
After lunch and a short break, everyone resumed filming. Hah’Er’s performance was just as outstanding in the afternoon. Almost every take was a one-shot success. Even when they had to do a retake, it was never his fault. While it was true that Director Kong’s standards for him were lower than for Fang Yuanshan and the others, Hah’Er’s excellence was plain for all to see.
It was only four in the afternoon when Hah’Er finished his work for the day. Director Kong had a driver take them straight back to the shop, then continued drilling the other cast and crew members. Being able to leave the set and go home to rest during filming—Hah’Er’s treatment was truly second to none.
The next few days were the same. Hah’Er would arrive at the set every morning, finish his work for the day by three or four in the afternoon, and return to the pet store. He didn’t even miss a single one of Maphario’s plant-tending sessions. And after Maphario had watered, fertilized, and de-bugged the plants, Hah’Er would still be bursting with energy, dragging Shen Yibin to the park to exercise. You couldn’t tell at all that he had been filming all day.
The filming progressed so smoothly that Director Kong couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear every day. When he called the investors to report on their progress, he was full of confidence, singing Hah’Er’s praises. The other members of the crew couldn’t even bring themselves to be jealous. Firstly, they all knew the entire film hinged on Hah’Er. Secondly, Hah’Er’s recent performance had won them over. And thirdly, he was a panda! He wasn’t going to have many direct conflicts of interest with them. So, whenever they saw Hah’Er, they were all smiles.
At the end of one such day of filming, Shen Yibin found Director Kong. "Director, I’d like to ask for a day off for Hah’Er tomorrow. We can make up for tomorrow’s scenes the day after. Would that be okay?"
Hm? ’Did something happen at the store?’ Director Kong immediately grew tense.
