True Star (巨星) [DROPPED]

Vol 2 Chapter 3: Obstacle (2)

NOTE:

This translation belongs to the translators and proofreaders of Giraffe Corps.

"Director, I think Tang Feng's acting just now was very good. He's already surpassed my expectations of him on some levels. Aren't you just deliberately putting pressure on him?" During the break, the secondary director for the film struck up a conversation with Li Wei. He had been watching from behind the monitors the whole time. Starting from the first take, he'd thought that Tang Feng was quite good at acting. He didn't understand why the director was bent on calling cut time after time.

Li Wei was eating lunch in his trailer. When he heard the question, he smiled mysteriously. He put down his chopsticks and took a drink of water. He explained, "The only reason you think he's good is because you're comparing him with other actors his age. But you're right, compared to those inexperienced young actors, he really is exceptional. And not just by a bit, he's leagues ahead of them. Be it his comprehension of his character or his attitude around the set, he's simply exceptional."

"Director, does that mean you're comparing Tang Feng with veteran actors instead?" The secondary director was shocked. That was simply too high a standard to measure a new actor against. Tang Feng had a long road ahead of him, to pit him against actors who had years of experience on him was unfair.

Li Wei shook his head. "I'm not comparing him with the veterans. I'm simply drawing comparisons between Fiennes and him. Fiennes' death has left a hole in our film, but I would never select a random actor to fill in for him. If I did select someone new, then not only do I want him to reach Fiennes' level, I want him to surpass Fiennes!"

If the secondary director was shocked before, now he was stunned. He widened his eyes and stared at Li Wei for a long while before he finally understood what the director was saying. He shook his head. "No, no, that's ridiculous. How is that possible? Fiennes is a natural born actor. He's a genius recognized by the public. Tang Feng's too young. It would be a miracle if he could reach Fiennes' level."

As for surpassing Fiennes? That was unthinkable.

The secondary director wasn't wrong for thinking that way. If someone suddenly declared that a new unknown singer was going to surpass the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, no one would take him seriously. They would think of it as nothing more than a foolish fantasy.

However, Li Wei truly believed in his words.

Like he had explained to Tang Feng earlier, there was something unique about the young actor. He had the charm that could set him apart even in a crowd of thousands. To a director, discovering a talented actor was sometimes even more exciting than filming a movie. A movie could be filmed anytime, but there was no guarantee that he would find a promising seedling to nurture every time.

He needed to put pressure on Tang Feng. Even though it would make the actor stressed in both body and heart, a diamond would never shine unless it was polished and cut into the correct shape. It was his choice to put Tang Feng through the trial, but Leroy's expectations also had a hand in the decision.