Beautiful as a Painting (Third Update!)

For the first scene, Shen Shanden did not make things difficult, nor did he intend to establish authority by grinding through take after take.

He chose a simple scene, one that had already been rehearsed many times.

As Shen Shanden inspected the prepared set, he also observed the state of the crew.

All he could say was that his speech and Han Sanping's statement had exceeded expectations by far.

The core creative team was in a state of feverish excitement.

Inspired by the spirit of the "Vanguard," Wu Jing's blood boiled. His admiration for Shen Shanden had reached its peak. He gathered the stunt team and the main action actors, and they began warming up and exchanging moves, itching to go all out.

The set instantly rang with the clash of weapons and battle cries.

The enthusiasm of the entire staff, from volunteers to the crew's technical backbone, had been stirred up as well.

Whether it was the predicament of being Banned, mortgaging his house, the bold claim of "one hundred million," or Han Sanping's full support, all of it made them feel that they were not participating in an ordinary project, but in a "battle" that might make history.

The rigor of the crew's process management made everyone firmly believe that the goal could be achieved.

Coupled with Shen Shanden's personal charisma, the crew's spirit had reached its peak.

Morale soared, while work efficiency and cohesion surged.

Clearly, the Start of filming ceremony had been a success!

The ceremony was complete; their thinking had been unified, their will brought together.

Even as Shen Shanden rejoiced, he felt immense pressure settle onto his shoulders!

It had been too successful!

Like pouring oil onto roaring flames!

He could easily imagine that, as the onlookers gradually dispersed, the discussions would begin to rise.

The reporters' coverage would further amplify the impact of this grand Start of filming ceremony, where starlight, industry giants, controversy, and ambition intertwined.

Han Sanping's decision to tie himself to the project in particular had caught Shen Shanden off guard.

He had not expected Old Deng to play this big, roping him, Xiao Deng, right into it.

With a powerful endorsement, personal attendance, and a strategic declaration that sent the strongest possible signal of support, he publicly positioned The Grand Director as a crucial attempt in China Film Group's "film industry upgrading strategy," tying Shen Shanden to his war chariot.

If Shen Shanden failed to produce results, Han Sanping would have no choice but to remain where he was.

Oh, in his previous life, it seemed Han Sanping had remained where he was anyway.

Fine then. Old Deng had nothing to lose; he had placed himself in an invincible position.

Was all this what Shen Shanden wanted?

To say no would be far too hypocritical.

Deep down, he could not resist the temptation of influencing an industry and driving its development.

After saying certain words often enough, he had become the first to believe them himself!

But if he had a choice, Shen Shanden would rather slowly fight monsters and level up.

Yet how far a person could go depended not only on personal ability, but also on the opportunities offered by the times.

Shen Shanden had created the very windfall himself; he could not expect others to remain unmoved like NPCs.

If anyone was to blame, it could only be that he was too outstanding.

He stood out too much in an industry full of vermin. It was no longer something he could handle just by wanting to make a little money.

Being too outstanding meant he had no choice but to bear the price.

It was lonely at the top!

Step by step, The Grand Director was turning all the grand boasts Shen Shanden had made into reality.

It was no longer merely a film. It had become a symbolic battlefield for Chinese Cinema to attempt an industrialized transformation, challenge the existing order, and prove the strength of local forces.

Standing in the center of that battlefield and directing it all was Shen Shanden, a young director who was still just a child.

The future of Chinese Cinema rested on his shoulders.

A budget of twelve million, an all-star cast, China Film Group's full support, and countless eyes—some expectant, some doubtful—both openly and in secret, all weighed upon his shoulders!

The The Grand Director project, along with Shen Shanden himself, had been pushed to the forefront of the wave of change in China's film industry, becoming the center of public attention and the key piece in every side's game.

Everyone would keep their eyes fixed on Shen Shanden, fixed on whether The Grand Director succeeded or failed.

This was no longer merely a matter of one film's gains and losses; it had been endowed with the significance of an industry weather vane.

The pressure and expectations had never been so immense.

Why was it that the more outstanding someone was, the harder it was for them to stay hidden?

Why was it that the less one wanted to be high-profile, the more impossible it became to keep a low profile?

Shen Shanden wanted to make himself nervous, but he only felt a little excited, with not much pressure at all.

Because he knew very clearly that everything had two sides.

Han Sanping tying himself to the project carried risks, but the benefits were obvious.

The Grand Director—even if it failed, he would still have multiple chances to start over.

As long as Han Sanping remained, until Chinese Cinema escaped its life-or-death crisis and before its first billion-yuan film emerged, China Film Group's power would only continue to grow.

In other words, Shen Shanden could just slack off—provided he was not afraid of Old Deng chewing him out.

But with Shen Shanden's temperament, could he possibly let the The Grand Director project fail?

And as long as he set his sights on Paperclip, this film could not fail at the box office.

In this era, as long as a film succeeded at the box office, no matter whether it had swindled, deceived, or cheated its way there, it was still a success.

At that thought, Shen Shanden felt that he had seen through Han Sanping.

This was not an accident!

This was fucking deliberate.

Lying in ambush for a young man in his twenties—was that really okay?

In the end, he was just too outstanding.

Before the film had even begun shooting, he had already secured a guaranteed floor for The Grand Director. Who told him to know the true worth of Paperclip?

And during their earlier exchange, he had let Old Deng see that too.

Old Deng had been utterly shattered at the time. For all he knew, the man had already been plotting today's move.

Hiss!

Shen Shanden felt that some of his schemes had to be kept secret in the future.

Success through secrecy.

What he knew was simply too valuable!

Pulling his thoughts back.

Shen Shanden checked the set preparations once more, along with the equipment and gear.

The main camera and the auxiliary B camera were both running smoothly.

For the special lenses, rather than using the domestic mainstream setup of spherical lenses plus masking, he had chosen Anamorphic widescreen lenses.

For film stock, he used the Kodak Vision2 series, with ample reserves prepared at a 1:20 shooting ratio.

The moving equipment—heavy-duty track dolly, Dolly cart, and crane arm—was all in order.

The lighting, filters, and synchronous sound recording were all normal.

Shen Shanden knew full well that he was badass, but he was still steady as ever.

He cooled down the feverish atmosphere a little.

"I have to say, we are undertaking a great endeavor—one destined to be written into the history of Chinese Cinema, one that will add a brilliant stroke to every one of our careers."

"But we must clearly understand that if we want results we can be proud of, we are bound to go through hardships and obstacles. Those results will not simply fall from the sky; on the contrary, they will be very difficult to attain."

"In our publicity, I drew a clear line from traditional big-budget costume epics. Why? Because films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, The Promise, and A Night to Remember had plots that were simply too poor. Audiences have been deeply disappointed by big-budget costume epics."

"We will inevitably be affected by that disappointment as well."

However, Shen Shanden did not dampen everyone's enthusiasm too much. With a turn in his tone, he affirmed the crew's work. "But our work has been very solid."

"For the first scene, the Costume, Makeup, and Props are exquisite—meticulous yet leaving room to breathe, never overstuffed, all to highlight Chen Hao herself."

"The use of lighting is also excellent, creating a soft, dreamlike atmosphere. The lighting precisely brings out the dimensionality of the face and the light in her eyes."

Before filming began.

Shen Shanden once again went over the scene with Chen Hao.

"I do not want any complicated blocking or bloated dialogue that might damage the aesthetic. When audiences walk into the theater, the first thing they need is the ultimate visual feast—the impact of a single glance lasting ten thousand years."

"This entrance must make everyone remember Su Xiaoxiao's peerless splendor, remember the sheer lethal force of your face on the big screen, enhanced by top-tier Costume, Makeup, and Props, light and shadow."

"Beauty itself is persuasion. How could Zhao Wenhua resist such a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, carefully cultivated and then sent into his residence? And if Sun Shichang was willing to pay such a price, how enormous must his goal have been? The characters' backgrounds and motivations will already speak for themselves through this stunning appearance."

"You do not need to create aloofness and calculation in your eyes. That can be brought out through Zhao Wenhua and Sun Shichang's dialogue, or through the score."

Shen Shanden's direction was very specific. His goal was clear: while maintaining the character setting, make the character as beautiful as possible.

Chen Hao listened intently.

They had discussed it before, but this was the formal shoot.

She still felt confident inside. Shen Shanden's requirements were very specific.

The character's background—the carefully cultivated gift—and her underlying motives were to be naturally conveyed through visual impact, in accordance with the efficient storytelling principles of commercial films.

Chen Hao ran through the scene once.

Deputy Manager Wang from China Film Group and Zhang Nengshou stood in a corner. Both had been tasked by Han Sanping with observing whether Shen Shanden could withstand the pressure.

The result was, well.

Deputy Manager Wang sighed. "He's far too steady."

Zhang Nengshou was not surprised. Director Shen's image as a crafty old fox—no, as a composed and steady man—had long since been established in his mind.

"First shot."

The clapperboard snapped.

Seated before the monitor, Shen Shanden nodded in satisfaction. The pacing was controlled beautifully. Complex blocking and redundant dialogue had been discarded, relying instead on the sheer visual impact to seize the audience.

The camera work was good as well—the dynamic beauty of tilting up from the hem of the skirt, the flowing elegance of wind-tossed shawl ribbons and hair, the close-up shots capturing the eyes and features to the utmost, the blurred background setting off the subject.

"Cut!"

Shen Shanden's voice rang out, carrying a trace of barely concealed excitement.

Chen Hao pulled herself out of the character's state and habitually looked to the director first.

"Let's watch it together."

Shen Shanden called over the cinematographer and actors. It was the first scene; everyone needed to settle into the rhythm together.

Seeing Shen Shanden gesture for her to watch the playback with them, Chen Hao was somewhat surprised, but she still walked over with curiosity and anticipation.

The monitor replayed the shot they had just filmed.

The Grand Director crew used Sony's BVM Series CRT monitors.

Their color accuracy was comparatively high, with no viewing-angle issues, motion blur, or response-time problems.

Their drawback was the low resolution—only 720p HD. They could not fully display every detail after film scanning, so the director of photography, director, and other core creative staff had to rely on their own experience to make judgments.

Still, the display was more than sufficient for viewing the image.

"You need to watch the overall flow—the composition, the focus, the movement." Shen Shanden explained to Chen Hao.

Chen Hao said nothing.

She was captivated by her own shot.

Beautiful as a painting!

No actress could refuse a shot like this!