Rebirth: I have Monopoly System

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Explosion Scene

"Brother Yang, hello! I’m Qi Fei!" Qi Fei stepped forward and greeted the production coordinator with a smile.

The production coordinator was momentarily stunned. Although he had seen Qi Fei’s photos, seeing her in person was still breathtaking. He thought to himself, ’No wonder! If I were the investor, I’d be willing to bankroll her too.’

The coordinator snapped out of it and said with a friendly smile, "Miss Qi, I assume you’re familiar with the script by now! Your scenes are scheduled to be filmed the day after tomorrow and the day after that. For the next two days, you’re free to do as you please, or you can hang around the set to get acclimated!"

Qi Fei had come to the set with the intention of learning, so she said humbly, "Brother Yang, I’d like to spend more time on set to get acclimated and learn from the experience of the veteran actors."

The coordinator thought to himself, ’This Miss Qi seems pretty easy to get along with. But being easygoing doesn’t mean she can get too big for her britches. Otherwise, someone will make sure she learns a lesson she won’t forget.’

’Just look at that tall, mannish woman behind her. Tsk, tsk, tsk, her arms are even more muscular than mine. She could go straight into a bodybuilding competition!’

Li Fengying, however, wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she was scanning the surroundings, especially the location of the filming set, mentally calculating the force of the explosion and any potential dangers.

"Miss Qi, let me show you around the set first! We can introduce you to the senior actors along the way!"

As if he knew this was Qi Fei’s first time on a set, the production coordinator led the three of them around, giving them a general introduction to people in various departments—from a distance, of course, so as not to disturb anyone’s work.

"That’s Teacher Ni Dahong! He’s a key figure on our set, and a very nice person. If you have any questions about acting, you can learn a lot from him. In the upcoming explosion scene, Teacher Ni’s character, Mingdeng, is the star of the show!"

The entire set wasn’t that large, so the coordinator quickly finished showing the three of them around.

Just then, Wu Jing, who had finished directing on the main set, spotted Qi Fei. Seeing that she had noticed him, he simply nodded in greeting.

He immediately picked up his walkie-talkie and shouted, "All units, attention! All units, attention! The explosion scene is about to begin! Clear the set! All actors, please take your positions!"

Anyone with editing experience knows that a movie isn’t filmed sequentially, scene by scene. Instead, the easier scenes are often shot first.

Alternatively, the shooting order is arranged around the actors’ schedules, which is why the role of the production coordinator is so crucial.

They not only have to be familiar with the entire script, but also have to skillfully manage the schedules of all the participating actors and organize the daily shooting plan.

You could say the production coordinator is the director’s secretary and assistant, acting as the lubricant that keeps the entire production running smoothly.

"Actors in position!"

Ni Dahong, in the role of Mingdeng, was wearing a well-fitted Zhongshan suit as he was escorted out of the villa by two heavily armed police officers.

Mingdeng’s hands were cuffed, yet his right hand held a cigar. His expression was calm, as if he were just out for a stroll.

Standing in front of the police car, Mingdeng unhurriedly raised his hands and bowed his head to light the cigar.

The police officer in the white shirt in front of him raised a hand to snatch the cigar away!

"Cut!"

The call to pause came from the set.

Wu Jing’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker, "Teacher Ni, great job! One take! Get ready for the explosion!"

Ni Dahong, as Mingdeng, stood beside the police car with the cigar in his mouth. Listening to the countdown, he mimed the action of taking a drag.

A massive explosion suddenly erupted behind him. A fireball, as if finally unleashed, burst straight out of the doorway, sending fragments of concrete and stone flying forward.

Ni Dahong felt a wave of heat wash over him from behind, making his clothes whip in the air. The flesh on his face trembled from the blast’s shockwave.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh and knew he must have been scraped by a piece of concrete. But the camera was still rolling on him, and an actor’s professionalism compelled him to endure. His face remained impassive, as if nothing had happened.

"Cut!"

"Excellent! Another one-take!"

Cheers erupted from the surrounding crew.

Ni Dahong felt a warm stream flowing down his thigh.

With filming paused, he couldn’t hold on any longer. The calm, villainous composure on his face instantly shattered, and he grimaced, "Quick, help me. I’ve injured my right leg!"

Stagehands and nearby extras scrambled to support Ni Dahong as they helped him walk behind the camera. Droplets of blood trickled down his pant leg and onto the ground.

The medical staff rushed over. They used scissors to cut open the leg of his Zhongshan trousers, revealing a rather lean thigh.

Wu Jing also ran over. After following the medic’s actions and seeing it was only a superficial wound, he let out a long sigh of relief.

After Ni Dahong’s wound was disinfected and bandaged, Wu Jing said, "Teacher Ni, please go rest for now. We’ll shoot the coverage shots first. How about we pick up your scenes again after your injury has healed?"

Wu Jing felt that many of the actors who came to participate in his film were doing it as a personal favor, their relationships more important than their paychecks. This was especially true for these veteran thespians, who couldn’t be hired by just any production. They were absolute treasures.

But Ni Dahong waved him off, saying, "It’s nothing. I only have a little bit left to shoot anyway. I can grit my teeth and get through it."

After a few more unsuccessful attempts to persuade him, Wu Jing finally deferred to Ni Dahong’s wishes.

After changing into a spare pair of Zhongshan trousers, Ni Dahong stood before the camera, ready for the next round of filming.

Watching this from the sidelines, Qi Fei was filled with admiration—not just for Ni Dahong’s profound acting skills, but also for his respect for the profession itself.

She knew she had come to the right place to learn. These were things that no classroom course could ever teach.

Knowledge gained from paper is shallow, after all; true understanding must be gained through practice.

Many people knew this saying and understood its meaning, but very few could actually live by it.

For the rest of the time, Qi Fei watched the filming of all the coverage shots for the villa sequence through the eyes of a student.

Whether it was a shot of a principal actor or one of the extras that required multiple takes, Qi Fei watched intently, learning from the mistakes that led to each "No Good" take.

From time to time, Qi Fei would even take out her notebook to jot down questions and ideas.

All of this was noticed by a few observant people on set. Even Ni Dahong nodded in approval, his impression of Qi Fei growing better and better.

A scene might only last a minute or two in the final film, but shooting all the coverage for it took four or five hours.

At Wu Jing’s call to wrap for the day, everyone relaxed and began packing up their equipment, ready to end today’s shoot.

The production coordinator had long since gone off to attend to other matters, leaving only Qi Fei and her two companions standing there, having watched the entire shoot from start to finish.

Since there weren’t many chairs available on set, the three of them had found a relatively clean spot nearby to use as a resting place between takes.

"Sister-in-law! Welcome, welcome!"