There were certain payment standards for figurants in the US. Those who weren’t registered at an actor labor union got paid eight dollars an hour, and those who were registered got paid 10 to 20 dollars an hour according to their resume, including their working experience and the number of films they had participated in.
Waving the 20 dollars at him, Sister Xue cast a supercilious look at Qin Guan. You spent two hours here. What were you thinking?
"I enriched my experience. I just wanted to see different kinds of films. I’ll try anything new. I’m in the film capital now!"
"Parties are boring, Sister Xue! We haven't been working together for a long time, but it's great! Here you are!"
Qin Guan took several coins out of his pocket. "Six dollars. That’s all..."
"You bastard!"
Sister Xue chased after Qin Guan, waving her handbag at him. It felt like they had gone back in time, to a period filled with laughter.
The next morning, Qin Guan and Sister Xue headed to the "Walking Tall" studio really early.
After waiting for a long time, everyone finally arrived. Then the group headed to a small town in Los Angeles.
The first scene was an exterior scene. This meant that Qin Guan would suffer a loss. His formal work would last only one hour, but he would have to spend half a day in transit. If this had not been a typical American shoot-’em-up movie, Sister Xue would have pulled Qin Guan out of the project.
The cars finally pulled up at the small town, where the other group had arrived before them. It was the group of the leading actor, Dwayne Johnson, a strong bald man with a pretty face. He was quite different from the typical ferocious guys in Hollywood gangster movies.
He had become famous for his role in "The Mummy", where he had portrayed a villain hieromonk from ancient Egypt. The magical power he had possessed had made a harmonious contrast with his pretty face, which had made his career very successful.
He used to be a professional wrestler before he had been discovered by a talent agent. Unlike the antecedent movie "Scorpion", this was his first leading role in a film.
When everyone was present, the director began shooting the first scene.
Unlike their Chinese peers, American directors had no responsibility to give instructions before the shooting. Every detail was written clearly on the script. If one couldn’t display the corresponding level of ability, the producer and director would re-evaluate their skill.
It was Qin Guan's first time to put on an American policeman uniform.
It was a black fitting uniform with golden badges on the arms and plaques on the chest. Its belt and slender pants made the uniform look tempting.
When Qin Guan walked out of the simple dressing room, the lighting engineer, who was busy carrying props, couldn’t help but whistle. The middle-aged woman flipped her long hair to show her feminine charm.
Qin Guan walked up to the crew slowly, trying his best to pull his pants down. Sometimes slender pant legs were a mistake. His pants shocked the crew.
His upper body looked delicious, while his lower body looked like a clown’s. Even Dwayne Johnson smiled.
Luckily, the flaw could be camouflaged. Even the most perfect films could sometimes experience unexpected accidents.
The scene was quite simple. The hero had retired from the navy and realized that his working position had been lost. When he couldn't find his own way, two kind-hearted police officers had escorted him home.
Qin Guan was the officer driving the police cruiser. He was only in the background. The other actor was the one who chatted with the hero. That was why he had passed the audition so easily.
All the cameras were in the proper position. Sitting behind the main camera, the director looked up at the sun and covered his head with a newspaper. "Ready? Three, two, camera!"
A police cruiser drove by slowly. The policemen saw Dwayne Johnson’s backpack and introduced themselves warmly.
"Hey, are you looking for a job? The nearest logging camp is in Aberdeen, hundreds of kilometres away from here."
Depressed, the hero answered, "That's too bad."
The kind-hearted policeman continued to suggest other jobs. "You could also go to the casino in town. You could play Black Jack there."
Camera No. 3 zoomed in on the car to reveal Qin Guan. His uniform looked tidy. His head was leaning slightly towards the backseat, and his seat belt was fastened tight.
"Come here, JK. Isn’t he handsome?" the director asked.
"Of course!"
"That face would normally attract all the attention. Nobody would look at the other officer in the scene, even if he had more lines."
"Strangely enough though, the two men are in complete harmony. The audience will still be able to notice that the other guy is handsome though..."
Because of that strange phenomenon, as well as the selfishness of the director, the camera was pointed at Qin Guan. As a result, the other figurant remained in the background during the whole process.
There were certain payment standards for figurants in the US. Those who weren’t registered at an actor labor union got paid eight dollars an hour, and those who were registered got paid 10 to 20 dollars an hour according to their resume, including their working experience and the number of films they had participated in.
Waving the 20 dollars at him, Sister Xue cast a supercilious look at Qin Guan. You spent two hours here. What were you thinking?
"I enriched my experience. I just wanted to see different kinds of films. I’ll try anything new. I’m in the film capital now!"
"Parties are boring, Sister Xue! We haven't been working together for a long time, but it's great! Here you are!"
Qin Guan took several coins out of his pocket. "Six dollars. That’s all..."
"You bastard!"
Sister Xue chased after Qin Guan, waving her handbag at him. It felt like they had gone back in time, to a period filled with laughter.
The next morning, Qin Guan and Sister Xue headed to the "Walking Tall" studio really early.
After waiting for a long time, everyone finally arrived. Then the group headed to a small town in Los Angeles.
The first scene was an exterior scene. This meant that Qin Guan would suffer a loss. His formal work would last only one hour, but he would have to spend half a day in transit. If this had not been a typical American shoot-’em-up movie, Sister Xue would have pulled Qin Guan out of the project.
The cars finally pulled up at the small town, where the other group had arrived before them. It was the group of the leading actor, Dwayne Johnson, a strong bald man with a pretty face. He was quite different from the typical ferocious guys in Hollywood gangster movies.
He had become famous for his role in "The Mummy", where he had portrayed a villain hieromonk from ancient Egypt. The magical power he had possessed had made a harmonious contrast with his pretty face, which had made his career very successful.
He used to be a professional wrestler before he had been discovered by a talent agent. Unlike the antecedent movie "Scorpion", this was his first leading role in a film.
When everyone was present, the director began shooting the first scene.
Unlike their Chinese peers, American directors had no responsibility to give instructions before the shooting. Every detail was written clearly on the script. If one couldn’t display the corresponding level of ability, the producer and director would re-evaluate their skill.
It was Qin Guan's first time to put on an American policeman uniform.
It was a black fitting uniform with golden badges on the arms and plaques on the chest. Its belt and slender pants made the uniform look tempting.
When Qin Guan walked out of the simple dressing room, the lighting engineer, who was busy carrying props, couldn’t help but whistle. The middle-aged woman flipped her long hair to show her feminine charm.
Qin Guan walked up to the crew slowly, trying his best to pull his pants down. Sometimes slender pant legs were a mistake. His pants shocked the crew.
His upper body looked delicious, while his lower body looked like a clown’s. Even Dwayne Johnson smiled.
Luckily, the flaw could be camouflaged. Even the most perfect films could sometimes experience unexpected accidents.
The scene was quite simple. The hero had retired from the navy and realized that his working position had been lost. When he couldn't find his own way, two kind-hearted police officers had escorted him home.
Qin Guan was the officer driving the police cruiser. He was only in the background. The other actor was the one who chatted with the hero. That was why he had passed the audition so easily.
All the cameras were in the proper position. Sitting behind the main camera, the director looked up at the sun and covered his head with a newspaper. "Ready? Three, two, camera!"
A police cruiser drove by slowly. The policemen saw Dwayne Johnson’s backpack and introduced themselves warmly.
"Hey, are you looking for a job? The nearest logging camp is in Aberdeen, hundreds of kilometres away from here."
Depressed, the hero answered, "That's too bad."
The kind-hearted policeman continued to suggest other jobs. "You could also go to the casino in town. You could play Black Jack there."
Camera No. 3 zoomed in on the car to reveal Qin Guan. His uniform looked tidy. His head was leaning slightly towards the backseat, and his seat belt was fastened tight.
"Come here, JK. Isn’t he handsome?" the director asked.
"Of course!"
"That face would normally attract all the attention. Nobody would look at the other officer in the scene, even if he had more lines."
"Strangely enough though, the two men are in complete harmony. The audience will still be able to notice that the other guy is handsome though..."
Because of that strange phenomenon, as well as the selfishness of the director, the camera was pointed at Qin Guan. As a result, the other figurant remained in the background during the whole process.
