Chapter 10: Daily Routine on Set

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There are two types of supporting actors on a film crew: general extras and character extras. General extras mainly serve as various background figures on set every day. Character extras, however, are different. They are assigned to relatively fixed minor roles with many scenes, but their actual screen time is quite limited. They usually have very few lines, and many scenes might be silent, simply standing beside the lead actors. The classic example is the character Scorpion in "Number One Under Heaven," who played six or seven roles as a character extra. Typically, character extras share rooms with three or four occupants.

A film crew is a microcosm of society, with clear hierarchies. Actors’ accommodations are based on their status. Usually, the male and female leads have contracts specifying five-star hotel accommodations, while newcomers have lower standards. The main body of the crew stays in cost-effective hotels. Sometimes, if one hotel cannot accommodate everyone, two or even three hotels are used.

The production of "National Anthem" is a mission-driven drama directed by veteran director Gong Ruofei. The crew is filming in a film city surrounded by many hotels, so the lodging conditions are quite decent. Shen Yan is following assistant director Zhang Shaoming, so he was assigned a two-person room. His roommate is another supporting actor, an older man named Zhang Wuchou, who speaks with a Beijing accent.

Shen Yan didn’t mind. He had even stayed in a twenty-bed youth hostel before, so a double room was a luxury. Moreover, Zhang Wuchou was very civilized, even going to the restroom to smoke, so it didn’t affect Shen Yan’s work. Before going to sleep, they chatted for a while.

“I’m from Beijing. I used to be a chef. After my divorce, I lost interest in cooking and decided to chase my dream by becoming an extra. I’ve been on several productions before…”

“Extras in Beijing don’t make much, right?”

“Not really. When I was an extra, I left home at six in the morning and didn’t get back until after eight at night, earning only around 100 yuan a day. If I weren’t a local, I couldn’t have kept at it. How about you?”

Shen Yan casually replied, “I’m from Changsha. I used to work behind the scenes, but the director thought I looked good, so I became a supporting actor.”

“You’ve never been an extra?”

“No.”

“You don’t look twenty.”

“I’m 21 this year.”

“Ever thought about attending a film academy to study further?”

Shen Yan smiled, “Maybe later. First, I want to finish this film.”

“I see you’re writing something?”

“Yes, submitting to magazines.”

“So you’re a writer?”

Shen Yan waved it off, “Just earning some pocket money.”

“What made you want to join a film crew?”

Shen Yan sighed, “For people from Hunan, the rite of passage is usually a ticket to Guangdong to work, especially Shenzhen. Anyway, working in a film crew is not much different from factory work.”

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The older man smiled, “Do you have relatives in the business?”

“Yes, in the art department.”

“That’s good. You look like you’d be perfect for featured roles.”

Shen Yan ignored him. Actually, his appearance did suit playing the younger brother of the lead or similar roles, which made him well-suited for featured acting. Becoming a featured actor could earn over 1,000 yuan a day. Running ten projects a month could easily bring in over 10,000 yuan, enough to support oneself.

But still, the question lingered: why would someone burdened with a legacy choose to become an actor—and a featured actor at that? There are countless better ways to make a living.

...

In the following days, Shen Yan joined the crew during the day and wrote in the dorm at night. Though he was a character extra, most of the time he was just part of the background. His look was perfect for playing a student killed during the Republican era; over five days, he died twice a day on average.

Most of the time he was idle but had to stay on set. Extras had to wait offstage, but as a character extra, he was allowed to stay in the scene. Actually, being on set wasn’t boring. With nothing to do, he watched the actors perform.

After a few days, he felt these actors were just so-so; he could do better himself. He bought a copy of “An Actor’s Self-Cultivation”—after all, one should love the work one does. He also practiced enunciation privately, memorizing tongue twisters and rhymes to correct his pronunciation. Hunan dialects often confuse the N and L sounds, so he focused on those.

He definitely practiced in secret or risked being mocked.

Besides studying, most of his time on set was spent hanging out with Zhang Wuchou. As an outsider and a character extra, Shen Yan knew he had to integrate actively.

Zhang Wuchou was a native with many friends among the extras and was even friends with several group leaders. All men, their conversations naturally turned to the actresses on set.

The “National Anthem” crew had three leading ladies: Ke Lan, Bian Xiaoxiao, and Tu Liman. Shen Yan rarely spoke when they discussed these actresses—he barely remembered the three, only knowing Bian Xiaoxiao was involved in some scandal.

Ke Lan had been acting for a long time; Shen Yan’s deepest impression of her came from her role as Lu Yike in “In the Name of the People.” She was someone with a mysterious background. As for Tu Liman… sorry, he had no impression at all.

As for the “National Anthem” crew, after a few days, Shen Yan quite liked Gu Zhixin.

At this moment, a few extras began talking about the actor Wen Zhang.

“I heard Wen Zhang learned violin for a whole month to play Nie Er!”

“Come on, can you really learn violin in a month?”

“Maybe he’s a genius!”

Zhang Wuchou joined in, “No one who hasn’t touched the violin before can learn it in a month. What do you think, Xiao Shen?”

Shen Yan, caught off guard, replied with a straight face, “The violin is a string instrument without fixed pitch; you have to discern the notes by ear. Most people can’t do that. Also, coordinating the left hand holding the violin and the right hand the bow takes a long time to master. Even then, that’s just the beginning.

To reach entry-level proficiency usually takes about a year for an average person. Other instruments might take around three months; guitar takes about half a month.”

“Really? The violin is that hard?”

“Yes, it’s quite difficult.”

Zhang Wuchou was surprised, “How do you know so much? Can you play the violin?”

Shen Yan nodded, “I know a little.”

He was familiar with the concept of idol training. He had tried many instruments, never mastering any, except possibly the violin, where he might have some talent. In a previous life, he passed level three and could play parts of the Second Concerto and the D minor Concerto.

Why didn’t he continue? Simply put, no money.

Zhang Wuchou looked him over with surprise and cautiously asked, “Can you play ‘Ave Maria’?”

Shen Yan scratched his head, “That’s a level five piece. It’s quite difficult, but I can barely manage.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wuchou immediately grabbed him, “Come on!”

Shen Yan was baffled, “Why?”

Zhang Wuchou explained, “Wen Zhang is playing Nie Er, the composer. He said he can’t find the feeling of Nie Er. If you can play ‘Ave Maria’ in front of him…”

Shen Yan hesitated, “…No way!”

“There’s good money, at least this much!” Zhang Wuchou gestured a figure.

“Eight hundred yuan?”

“Yes!”

“…But I don’t have a violin!”

“No problem, Wen Zhang’s got one in his car.”