Yu Cheng was mesmerised by the rough cut of the first edition, not even reacting when Zhong Shao handed him the water. He came out to his family at 18, with only his assistant Miaomiao aware of his sexual orientation beforehand.
Sexual orientation is not something that must be openly discussed, and he simply wants to be a modest actor, avoiding media attention to his gender preferences. However, Zhong Shao is different; he took action, introducing the public to the current living conditions of this group on this land through a documentary. Topics that the public avoids discussing, inhumane curses, and the pain that each side cannot express.
It's all too real, too shocking.
Zhong Shao extended an invitation to Yu Cheng regarding the narration of this documentary.
Yu Cheng slowly took the water cup, asking blankly, "Why?"
He asked the question that had been on his mind the whole way, "Why have me voice-over such a significant documentary?"
It was clearly a better choice for Zhong Shao to do the voice-over.
Under the warm orange light, after locking eyes with Lu Cheng, Zhong Shao looked at Yu Cheng and said, "Because you are the best person for us."
Lu Cheng nodded, "You are more suitable than Zhong Shao. To be blunt, Zhong Shao has been lacking stimuli for too long, so he wants to stimulate the public. But, Yu Cheng," Lu Cheng pointed at Yu Cheng and continued, "currently, you just want to be a good actor."
"Also, my voice is relatively deep, while yours is more intimate and lifelike. Letting the public know that 'they' are also very close to our lives is the goal of this film," Zhong Shao said. "This film probably won't get the top award domestically, so it will follow Lu Cheng's usual path and prepare to compete abroad."
Lu Cheng tapped the table to correct, "Shao, be more confident. This film definitely won't get
the releasing-approved document and logo from SARFT."
Yu Cheng glanced at the screen again, smiling, and said seriously, "I'll do it without pay."
Lu Cheng's hand on Zhong Shao's shoulder trembled with laughter, "Bro., our crew is very poor."
Zhong Shao disdainfully removed Lu Cheng's arm from his shoulder, "Remuneration is not a problem for the crew."
The film took five years to make, and since the establishment of the crew, Zhong Shao, as the producer, has never delayed paying salaries to any member.
In all honesty, if it weren't for Zhong Shao's perseverance, this project would not have reached this stage.
Difficult, too difficult.
Filming was difficult, they were difficult, the more they understood, the harder it was in their hearts.
Several of them were action-oriented. Yu Cheng spent a whole day finishing the dubbing script and then went into the recording studio for a voice test.
Living up to expectations, they aimed for the desired tone.
The recording didn't finish until midnight, after leaving the studio, Zhong Shao ordered night snacks for everyone. Lu Cheng encouraged everyone to wrap up their work and go for supper before calling it a day. Meanwhile, Zhong Shao, Lu Cheng, and Yu Cheng were in a small lounge.
Two were eating fitness meals, while one was enjoying abalone rice.
Yu Cheng poked at the purple cabbage on his plate, meeting Zhong Shao's gaze calmly and asked, "Why did you want to do this project in the first place?"
He vaguely felt that this was something Zhong Shao would do, but still wanted to hear it from Zhong Shao himself.
"Do you know what chauvinism is?" Zhong Shao met his gaze with the same calmness.
"I know a little," Yu Cheng answered, "It refers to extreme irrational nationalism."
"Exactly," Zhong Shao said, "But this is the original meaning of 'chauvinism.' For today's society, 'chauvinism' is to believe in the superiority of one's own group and to look down on other groups, especially minorities and vulnerable groups, as mediocre."
Silence and indulgence are chauvinism towards women, and the violation of men over men is also chauvinism, and in these fragments, they are filled with controlled shackles.
Lu Cheng took over from Zhong Shao, "In this era we are in, society and the media have always called for the public to pay attention to minorities and vulnerable groups. But they forget that among these marginalized groups, there are a very small number who carry stronger prejudices and stereotypes than the minority groups. We are making this film to try to break the chauvinism within chauvinism." Yu Cheng looked at Zhong Shao, a faint smile hung on Zhong Shao's lips, light but gentle, like a vast ocean.
It seemed that this kind of Zhong Shao was the real him. Cherishing their own feathers, being tolerant of others, and doing their best to do what they believe is right.
The voice dubbing work has been progressing smoothly. Yu Cheng had many discussions with the voice dubbing director. With the voice dubbing work delving deeper, Yu Cheng developed more profound thoughts on these questions posed by Zhong Shao in the documentary. He was contemplating finding a suitable time to have a thorough discussion with Zhong Shao on these topics when the filming of "Same Or Not" shooting.
The shooting ceremony of "Same Or Not" took place the day after Yu Cheng completed the voice dubbing.
At 5 a.m., all members of the production team gathered at the renowned Zen Temple to light incense and pray. They paid attention to the rising smoke, believing that vertical smoke signals a good omen.
At 7:22 am, the second part of the shooting ceremony was held in the open space in front of the main shooting scene. This precise time, 7:22 am, has been a tradition passed down from TV and film crews decades ago.
The previous night, the staff set up a large backdrop as requested. In front of the backdrop's platform, a high-quality square table was placed, adorned with roasted suckling pig, fruits, and beverages following customs. With everything prepared, the cast and crew proceeded with the traditional burning of incense and paying respects to the deities. They lit three sticks of incense and worshipped in the four cardinal directions, silently praying for the smooth filming of the script and personal blessings. After the prayers, everyone, including the producers, director, main actors, department heads, and cast and crew, sequentially inserted the incense sticks into the censer in front of the suckling pig.
The director distributed red envelopes to all present cast and crew members, symbolising sincerity. The final highlight of the shooting ceremony was when the director and lead actors unveiled the red cloth from the camera, and all present shouted, "Good Luck!"
Of course, the ceremony concluded with a group photo amid the sound of festive firecrackers.
At the commencement ceremony, the sight of Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng left many members of the media in a momentary daze, prompting them to discreetly pull out their phones and disrupt the calm sea with a small pebble, stirring up huge waves.
Unlike many other film crews holding commencement ceremonies while already in the filming stage, the entire crew of the movie "Same Or Not" appeared in casual clothes, rather than in character in front of the cameras, leaving people puzzled about who the first scene of this primary setting was for.
However, this detail is not crucial. What truly matters is that after the simple and lively commencement ceremony concluded, the crew did not spare a moment for the media, collectively "disappearing," while the internet buzzed with activity.
Finally, at the moment the shooting ceremony of the movie "Same Or Not" ended, the official Weibo account of the film updated a dynamic post so simple it was almost infuriating.
SameOrNotOfficial V: Good luck with the commencement, won't be tagging each and every hardworking director and actors [happy face emoji] toiling away on the movie anymore.
The only thing accompanying the text was a large group photo of over a hundred cast and crew members. Never before had one seen such a perfunctory yet aloof film crew, tagging all the actors upon joining, only to become lazier after the commencement?
However, apart from the phrase "good luck," the media has not uncovered any further information.
The fans of Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng held the same attitude when they were informed that these two actors are collaborating —— so good.
In recent years, with the intervention and promotion by the government, extreme and corrupt fan culture has been cleaned up. However, it is impossible to return to the harmonious atmosphere and positive fan culture of the past. Zhong Shao experienced the peak of fan emotions during that period, while Yu Cheng was fortunate to catch the tail end, creating a loyal fan base that they needed. This led to the harmonious and enviable scene of the two sets of fans getting along from the start.
Behind the harmonious and beautiful facade lies the first interaction between Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng. No precisely, it was the first scene between little Zhong Shao and little Yu Cheng.
Before the Six Planets entered a "hibernation period," the twelve individuals underwent rigorous training on Earth in a military and elite mode. At that time, the oldest among them was only 17 years old, while the youngest was just 13 years old. The training camp was hidden in the depths of a special forces base, with vast primaeval forests stretching endlessly ahead.
In the training camp, only the results mattered, not the age of the individuals.
The first physical confrontation between little Yu Yue and little Ji Chen occurred after they had been in the training camp for exactly six months. The two had been waiting for this initial clash for the same duration. Dressed in black tight-fitting suits and camouflage pants, the young boys engaged in combat as soon as the whistle blew. This particular encounter marked the beginning of a decade-long journey.
Fast forward ten years, and the young boys had transformed into men, showing their burgeoning skills. Zhong Shao reached out to help Yu Cheng, who was sitting on the ground. Both men, their hands damp with sweat, assisted each other in standing up.
The scene continued for more than ten shots, with Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng's black training suits soaked in sweat, highlighting their well-defined muscles. Despite the intense fight, both men appeared satisfied.
Watching closely on the monitor, Lu Cheng's lips curved into a triumphant yet insatiable smile.