There was time to spare, and Zhang Yang didn't mind giving Nazha a lesson.
"In this industry, you either have to be famous, have seniority, or have connections and money."
"If you have none of those, you either build up your seniority and wait for a chance to become famous, or give in to unspoken rules in exchange for opportunities and connections."
"Even though I'm an artist with Tangren, I'm not valued there. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to report to the set by myself without even an agent. And the crew members and script supervisors are experts at treating people according to their status."
"Think carefully. When we were on the set of A Forest of Experts, Old Hu took us to visit the director, the producer, Dong Xuan, and Qiu Ze. But they weren't warm toward us; they were only being polite because of Hu Ge."
"Qi Wei and Tang Yan are easy to get along with because I have a history with them. We're practically friends."
"But on this set, I'm just an eighteenth-tier actor who isn't famous and isn't valued by Tangren."
"No one is making things difficult for us or giving us the cold shoulder, and that's still because we're artists from a big company."
"It's fine to visit the director and lead actors, but you have to pick the right moment. You can't just charge in."
"."
Since he'd taken on the job of giving her pointers, Zhang Yang was going to do it properly.
A film set was a workplace, and a far more complicated one than most, full of scheming and infighting.
"On set, talk less and do more. Listen, watch, and think." Zhang Yang offered her a few pointers.
"Oh." Nazha looked thoughtful.
Just then, a commotion came from outside the makeup room.
A mature woman with a score of 80 in looks pushed the door open. She looked a little impatient and was yawning.
She'd clearly been called back to work in the middle of her nap, so she was bound to be in a bad mood.
"Hello, sis. Sorry for the trouble. I'll be in your hands from here on," Zhang Yang said, immediately getting up to greet her.
On a film set, makeup artists were among the people you absolutely didn't want to offend when they had nothing to do.
If one of them took a dislike to you and deliberately gave you makeup that highlighted your flaws, the audience would make fun of you when the show aired—and there'd be nowhere to cry about it.
"It's fine. It's all part of the job." People rarely turned down a friendly face, especially when Zhang Yang was such a handsome guy. The makeup artist's irritation at being woken up faded considerably.
"What should I call you, sis?" Zhang Yang took out a small red envelope he'd prepared in advance and offered it to her.
The makeup artist's irritation vanished at once, and she was glad she'd gotten a good job. She took the envelope. "No need to be so polite. Just call me Sister Sun."
"Sure, Sister Sun. You don't look much older than me. To be working as a makeup artist on the set of The Legend of Dugu, you must be really good." Zhang Yang looked relieved.
Nazha: ?
This woman was clearly pushing thirty.
"Then you guessed wrong." Sister Sun couldn't keep the smile from her lips. "I'm already thirty-three."
"Seriously?" Zhang Yang studied Sister Sun's face before shaking his head in admiration. "You really can't tell. Do you have some special skincare secret?"
"I don't really do much skincare. Maybe I'm just good at makeup," Sister Sun said with a laugh.
"Then you must be really good." Zhang Yang smiled. "I'm so lucky."
Sister Sun enjoyed the compliment and looked him up and down. "Have you thought about the character you're playing? What kind of style are you going for?"
Nazha's eyes lit up. I'm learning.
From what Zhang Yang had told her on the way, most productions only paid attention to the details for major roles or characters played by stars with connections.
For supporting roles and extras, the makeup and costumes only had to be passable. Sometimes, they were even deliberately made ugly so the actors could serve as foils to the stars.
Sister Sun asking Zhang Yang what sort of look he wanted meant she was willing to design his character's makeup and costume.
Getting that kind of favor in exchange for a small red envelope and a few compliments was obviously a good deal.
"Sister Sun, I do have a few ideas." Zhang Yang didn't stand on ceremony with her. "I'm playing Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, one of the great rulers of the Tang and Song eras. He was an outstanding man, a celebrated general who conquered the land on horseback and governed the country."
"The story takes place relatively early in his life. I'd like him to look heroic and imposing, but still refined."
Based on his own looks, Zhang Yang thought they could give Zhao Kuangyin the feel of Zhao Zilong, the young general in white robes.
"Got it. Let's try out a look first. If it works, we'll finalize it. We can make changes wherever you're not happy." Sister Sun had Zhang Yang sit down and got her tools ready.
First, she fitted him with a hairpiece, then found a suitable wig. With his handsome features, the look gave him the air of a young nobleman.
Zhang Yang closed his eyes. Every so often, he'd chat with Sister Sun, carefully minding his timing and boundaries. He was funny, too.
As they talked, Sister Sun shared quite a few bits of gossip circulating around the set. Lin Ziwei and Wallace Huo were rumored to be involved; Yan Yikuan and Wallace Huo seemed to be at odds and competing with each other; Assistant Director Liu had been sent by Hunan TV; and one of the crew members was the director's brother-in-law.
Most people would just enjoy hearing gossip like that, but for Zhang Yang, who'd be working on the set for a while, it was valuable information that could help him avoid unwittingly offending anyone.
I've learned something again. Nazha admired Zhang Yang even more.
She'd thought he was buttering up Sister Sun just to get a better character design and look. She hadn't realized he could also use their conversation to find out so much.
The news that Yan Yikuan and Wallace Huo weren't getting along, for example, was important.
As a student at Shanghai Theatre Academy, Zhang Yang could use that connection to get closer to the male lead, Yan Yikuan, an older schoolmate.
He also had some history with Wallace Huo and could use that to build a relationship with him, while getting to know Lin Ziwei as well.
But since Yan Yikuan and Wallace Huo were at odds, he'd have to think carefully before trying to get close to them.
Talk less and do more. Listen, watch, and think. Nazha committed those words to memory.
Zhang Yang had no idea what Nazha was thinking. He kept drawing out the information he wanted from Sister Sun through casual questions.
About half an hour later, Sister Sun nodded with satisfaction. "All done."
Zhang Yang opened his eyes and saw a different version of himself in the mirror.
His pale skin had taken on a light bronze tone, making him look healthier and more masculine.
She'd worked on his thick eyebrows to give him a spirited look. She'd also shaded his neck to make the angles of his jaw more pronounced.
In short, she'd emphasized his rugged features, toning down his handsome looks and adding a touch of heroism. He'd gone from a pretty boy to something of a tough guy, from an elegant scholar to a young general.
"What do you think?" Zhang Yang suddenly turned to Nazha.
Nazha hid her phone and instinctively looked away. "Super handsome."
Zhang Yang smiled at Sister Sun. "Even my new assistant thinks it looks great. Your skills are truly beyond reproach, Sister Sun."
A hint of pride showed on Sister Sun's face. "I'm the best makeup artist on this set. No one else dares claim second place. I don't think the personal makeup artists for the lead actors are all that impressive, either."
"You're lucky, A'Yang. The show's nearly wrapped, and plenty of actors have finished filming and left. I'm the only makeup artist left with the art department."
Zhang Yang also thought he was lucky. Sister Sun really was extremely skilled.
There was no need to try anything else. They could finalize the look right away.
Another half hour or so passed, and his makeup was fully set. He also changed into the costume provided by the production.
Once his look was finished, Zhang Yang went straight to find the script supervisor and production coordinator. When they saw him, surprise was clearly written on their faces, and they were much more polite to him.
The production coordinator took him directly to the director. The afternoon shoot was underway, and they happened to be on a break. The main cast members who were scheduled to film that day were all there.
When they heard Zhang Yang was playing Zhao Kuangyin, everyone turned to look at him.
"Just in terms of appearance, he's better than the last one," director Liang Xin Quan thought with satisfaction.
At least the actor Tangren had pushed on him wasn't completely useless.
But he was also a little troubled. Zhang Yang looked too good, and that might lead to a problem.
Just then, Lin Ziwei's voice sounded beside him. "Director, let this actor film a scene with me first. I'd like to test his acting."
Liang Xin Quan: "."
You're not trying to test his acting, are you?
Before you continue