Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 507 - 329: Wei Chuan Loses His Temper, Current Situation of the Crew

"Ah? Ah! I’m sorry, President Chu, I... I just..."

Ren Ping was stunned by Chu Tian’s sudden remark and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Others might not know, but how could Xu Qingqiu not know that this was definitely Chu Tian joking around again? But he didn’t consider that jokes should be made with the right people. It was fine to joke with Hou Yichuan and the others since everyone was so familiar and had known each other for a long time. But Ren Ping hardly sees you all year round; suddenly joking like this, with such a big difference in status too, who are you trying to scare to death?

Seeing the flustered Ren Ping, Chu Tian also realized the problem. He felt somewhat helpless inside.

"Alright, alright, it’s okay. I was just kidding. Look at how scared you got. So, are you her fan?"

Seeing that Chu Tian was truly joking, Ren Ping finally relaxed and quickly responded, "Yes... Yes, I really like Teacher Xu’s songs, so..."

"Okay, okay, it’s fine. This is perfectly fine; no need to be so formal. After dinner, make sure to seize the opportunity to get an autograph and a photo together, right?"

"Ah? Can I?"

"Of course, you can. What’s the big deal? This is a now-or-never opportunity, so make sure you seize it."

"That’s great! Thank you, President Chu! Thank you, Teacher Xu!"

Seeing the excited Ren Ping, Xu Qingqiu smiled happily. After all, he was her fan. To be liked by others was exactly her dream.

Chu Tian, however, wasn’t so happy. He had previously had little contact with his employees and hadn’t realized that as the company grew, the gap between him and ordinary people was also widening. In his previous life, this very issue had led to his increasingly reclusive personality because there were hardly any people around with whom he could speak frankly. Although he had tried his best to avoid this in his current life, believing he could change things, he had forgotten that once he embarked on the path of business, it became an impossibility. As the company expanded, his status rose. Perhaps he himself didn’t feel it much, but in the eyes of the lower-level employees, this elusive president was seen as nothing but mysterious and awe-inspiring. The current Ren Ping was the perfect example.

"Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after the meal. It’s still early; we have time."

Despite feeling somewhat helpless, Chu Tian calmly accepted this reality.

After the meal, Chu Tian and Xu Qingqiu went back to the hotel to rest for a while before leaving in the afternoon to head to the film set with Ren Ping.

The current scene was set in a forest, quite far from the urban area. The journey there, involving some detours, took over an hour.

"It’s just ahead. They’re setting up over there. The crew was shooting on the mountain this morning. The light is better in the afternoon, just right for shooting some of these scenes, so they moved locations to here," Ren Ping explained, fearing Chu Tian might misunderstand.

Chu Tian just nodded. He knew about things like changing locations. Filming isn’t about setting up a scene in one place and shooting continuously. It often involves changes—lighting, framing, blocking, composition, and so on. Even cutting between shots requires readjustment. Changes in camera placement mean the actors’ positions and lighting setups have to change accordingly.

"Director Wei is right ahead. Shall we go straight over?"

"Yes, I see him."

At this moment, Chu Tian could see Wei Chuan sitting in front of a monitor, speaking into a walkie-talkie with the lighting crew about diffusion materials, unaware of Chu Tian’s arrival.

"Can’t you see the continuity error? Photography, pay attention and give them a reminder! Don’t just stand there watching!"

"Lights, move that tripod further out! If that tripod won’t cut it, use a boom arm!"

"Director, the diffuser frame is too heavy; the boom arm can’t support it."

"If one can’t support it, use two frames! Do I have to teach you this? How did you even learn lighting? Don’t you even know to put sandbags on the tripod feet to weigh it down?!"

"Can’t you see the light leak in the shot? That obvious line on those leaves—how are you dealing with it? Do you think I’m blind?"

"Lighting crew, can you handle this or not? If not, get out now! I’ll find a new crew, got it?!"

Chu Tian hadn’t expected to witness Wei Chuan losing his temper the moment he arrived. It’s often said that directors are tyrants on set. In reality, film sets are incredibly chaotic and complicated, and the domestic film industry is even more disorganized, attracting all sorts of people. Sometimes, it’s not really the director who has a bad temper. Take the current situation, for example. The daylight was too bright. Reducing the aperture too much wasn’t an option, as it would degrade image quality significantly. Lowering the ISO too much wasn’t feasible either. An ND filter had been added, but it still wasn’t enough. At times like this, a diffuser was needed to soften the light. But this was an outdoor shoot, and the sunlight covered a vast area, requiring a very large diffuser frame. Solving such problems demanded a high level of professionalism—accurately diagnosing the issue, knowing how to fix it, and understanding the various solutions available. Unfortunately, there were too few true professionals; most were just amateurs. No wonder the director was angry. If they’re told what to do, don’t understand, and then still can’t do it right, who else is there to scold but them?

"Hurry up! The light is changing again! By the time you’re done, it’ll be dark. What the hell are we going to shoot then? Did I hire you to loaf around?!"

Seeing the group dilly-dallying again, Wei Chuan began ranting into the walkie-talkie.

"What’s going on, Uncle Wei? Why are you so worked up?"

Chu Tian actually knew a bit about the crew’s situation. Seeing that Wei Chuan was really about to lose it, he quickly spoke up to distract him. Their technical skills were what they were, he thought. Further scolding wouldn’t improve things and might even cause resentment and disunity. What was the point?