CH 5

There were some unspoken meanings behind his words, and for a moment, Jiang Se had an absurd urge to laugh.

Back when she was still Feng Nan, she rarely had any kind of intersection with the entertainment circle. However, occasionally she did still hear some rumors, practices, and traditions that were not so savory. 

The waters in the entertainment circle were indeed very deep and convoluted, and at this moment, this man’s actions reminded her of those unpleasant things.

However, at this time, she had no choice but to accept this business card. If she refused him, there was a big chance that she would be immediately kicked out of this film crew, and her time and money would have been wasted for nothing.

The young man gave her an approving smile when he saw her accept the card. “I’m fairly acquainted with most film crews; if you want to be in a movie or drama, I can hook you up. The crew will be staying here for several days, so you can come look for me if you need my assistance.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked behind him and waved at a person who was calling him. He said a few words in response before turning back to say: “Don’t forget to give me a call, okay?”

Lu Bao Bao watched him walk away before sidling over. “Se Se, I think he thought you were pretty and wanted to, you know, ‘help you out’?”

Jiang Se shook her head and threw the business card in a nearby trash can. “Don’t be fooled by his words.”

People like him were, at most, errand boys. They had no such position or power to hire people unless they were told to. His words just now were only useful in deceiving the young and gullible people who were desperate to become stars. It was very obvious that he had ulterior motives and wanted to take advantage of the circumstances. This was probably not the first time he had done something like this. While people like him do not have the power to employ extras, they can however easily block a newbie’s way easily.

“Let’s go.”

Most of the women had already gone inside the changing area, and they were the only ones left standing outside. Inside, some had already changed into costumes while others were getting their hair and makeup done.

Surprisingly, the dresses were rather particular for background roles, and the style made it obvious that the movie ‘Operation Rescue’ was set in the Republican Era. If her guess was correct, the movie should have an anti-war theme.

There were numerous shelves on either side of the walls, the majority of which were stocked with clothing items and wigs of various colors and styles. As Jiang Se and Lu Bao Bao neared, a sour smell seemed to permeate the room. Moving even closer, the girls found that the costumes had obviously been worn more than once, and it was very likely that they had not been cleaned in a while. 

Lu Bao Bao winced when she took a whiff of the clothes. She had been pampered since she was a child and had never had to use anyone else’s things, especially ones that had not been washed.

Jiang Se stoically took the ones given to her and entered one of the changing rooms behind the curtain.

A few more women were still changing into their costumes inside, while a handful quietly discussed the upcoming filming and shared their experiences working in the industry.

Minutes later, a smartly dressed woman in her thirties came into the room with a thick wad of papers in one hand and said, “Hello everyone! I’m going to make it brief. For today’s filming, you will be receiving 40 yuan for 8 hours of work, food included.”

She pointed at a few people who had finished dressing up and motioned for them to come forward as she pointed at the form she was holding. “If you’re done with dressing up, follow the crew’s arrangement to the letter, understand? Or else you will not be getting your pay no matter how much time you’ve worked today. Also everyone should know that… That’s it, do you have any questions? No? Then come to me and get your form. Fill it out, and at the end of the day you can receive your pay.”

The crowd immediately moved up and signed their forms. When it was Jiang Se’s turn, the woman looked at her in surprise, visibly impressed by her eye-catching looks, but she remained silent and went out after taking back all the forms.

A new round of excited talks began among the women while everyone lined up and talked with each other, waiting for their turn to get their makeup and hair done. There were several who were already ‘dolled up’ and you could tell from their appearances what kinds of roles they were arranged to play. Their faces were pale but dirty and were made to look gaunt, and nearly everybody’s hair was in a mess. The clothes they wore were wrinkled and stained, and some even frayed at the hem. The makeup artists drew fake injuries and eyebags on each of their faces, fully showcasing a disheveled, down and out crowd—like refugees fleeing from a disaster.

The person who was doing Jiang Se’s make up was a thirty-something year old man, and once he looked up, he exclaimed in admiration: “Wow, you’re very pretty!”

Indeed, Jiang Se’s face was lovely, as if it were carved by the gods themselves. The rustic, misshapen dress she was wearing could not detract from her looks. Her small face and delicate features were somehow enhanced by her unflattering attire.

“Thank you,” Jiang Se replied with a small smile. She was not feeling very pretty at all.

It would be June in a few days, and the weather was hot, but the setting of the movie was to be in winter, so Jiang Se and the others were wearing thick, coarse clothes in line with their characters. The ones she and Lu Bao Bao were wearing were especially heavy, frumpy, and shabby, as the better ones had already been taken.

The air conditioner was on, but Jiang Se’s sweat still profusely ran down her back. Her clothes stuck closely to her body, making her immensely uncomfortable, and the heavy smell coming from the clothes was smothering. Despite all this, Jiang Se only looked tousled to others. Her good looks overpowered everything else.

If Jiang Se had been part of the supporting cast or at least one of the named crew, her looks would merely blend in, but because she was in this ragtag crowd of extras, she stood out by a mile and ended up being too inconspicuous.  

The makeup artist paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. He turned around, looked through his makeup bag, and picked out a darker foundation color. Carefully, he covered up Jiang Se’s fair face, and immediately, her appearance lost its natural radiance and she no longer stood out so much.

“You and the others will be playing villagers captured and then murdered by a group of traitors,” the makeup artist explained as he carefully put on her makeup. “So, today, I’m going to be drawing some scars and wounds.”

Normally, makeup artists for extras would not be so meticulous, nor would they even take the time to explain the characters’ roles or the plot. But because he had been in this circle for a long time, he could see the potential in some people. He thought Jiang Se could succeed because she had the kind of face that the camera loved. As long as she was not too stupid and gave her acting her all, her chances of making it were good.

The makeup artist deftly swiped the brush on her cheeks, chin, and neck, and then he nimbly shaded her face with a makeup sponge, making her makeup even more realistic. “My name is Tony.”

Jiang Se nodded in reply and continued to watch wordlessly as Tony first outlined the ‘scars,’ then he filled them out with the appropriate colors and shades, and lastly, he diligently arranged her hair, completely transforming her from a vivacious young girl to a dirty, emaciated, and wounded older woman.

Tony turned her head left and right, then made her spin in place. A look of dissatisfaction crossed his face as he muttered, “Something’s not right.”

Jiang Se was sitting up straight; her waist, spine, and shoulders were perfectly aligned, and it made her exude a naturally confident and graceful temperament. As a result, even if she looked unkempt, she did not make a convincing captive villager.

“Oh, dear. This isn’t good.” Tony said as he pointed at her body, “Your waist and back are too straight; you need to stoop a little. Look at the others and try to imitate how they stand and hold their heads. Poor villagers should not have such good posture.”

Jiang Se obediently turned her head to look, then studied herself in the mirror. There really was a big difference. Although her skin had darkened, her long neck and the shape of her dainty jaw could not be concealed just by make up alone. There were scars on her face, but her eyes were too calm and expressive. She needed to not just superficially appear beaten by life but also act like it.

She thanked Tony for his reminder and thoughtfully stood aside. 

Acting is not just putting on makeup and reciting lines, she said to herself. All right, since I will be getting paid, I should do my best. 

Jiang Se walked to the nearest mirror and began contorting her figure and hunching her back little by little, then she drew up her shoulders and pulled her neck back to her clavicle. With her head slightly bowed, she tried to imitate a cowering look. Her eyes moved from side to side, affecting a fidgety and nervous mien. She wanted to do more, but her limited time did not allow for it. She experimented continuously, trying her best to look more downtrodden.

Lu Bao Bao grabbed onto Jiang Se’s arm and shook it slightly, flashing her a nervous grin. She was excited and apprehensive at the same time. She had never expected to actually get a role, and now she could not help but be nervous.

Fortunately, Jiang Se was calm enough for both of them. Tony had already given her a brief rundown on what they were about to do, and they were not required to do heavy acting. It was very likely that they had no lines at all.

Soon, a truck was sent to pick them up. She and the rest of the extras were riding it to the docks. The site had already been cleaned up, and both the props and the backdrop had been arranged days beforehand.

Multiple cameras were positioned in several key areas, making sure the director would be able to film the best angles for each scene.

Under the heat of the sun, the group of extras stepped down from the truck and walked onto the set in twos and threes, then waited nervously and patiently for the next instructions.

There were several director’s chairs grouped together under umbrellas in the distance, and their occupants were busy reading through scripts and chatting with one another. A fat, middle-aged man who was seated on one of the chairs suddenly stood up when he saw that the extras had finished setting up, grabbing a loudspeaker from beside him, and he shouted, “The crowd actors are here; everybody get into position!”

Jiang Se and the others unconsciously stiffened; they fidgeted in place and let out nervous smiles, especially when they saw the thick, long ropes held by the crew.  

When Lu Bao Bao saw the staff approaching them with ropes in their hands, she unconsciously took a step towards Jiang Se and stuttered, “Wh-what’s going on?” her voice becoming agitated.