Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Xue Pinggui has no historical prototype; he's purely a folk character from a bittersweet and exhilarating tale.

He has nothing to do with the War God, Great General Xue, who was one of the fiercest warriors under Emperor Taizong during his later years. Born into a military family of renown, it was said he could secure Tianshan with just three arrows.

Some say his historical prototype is Shi Jingtao, but that man would be lucky to rank fourth on the list of historical traitors, given his overwhelmingly negative reputation.

However, Xu Qingyan didn't bother to research this... because it was simply too expensive to shoot. Xue Pinggui wouldn't even appear in the flesh, just as a silhouette.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Uh... Let me describe the scene briefly: Xue Pinggui is on his way here on horseback. When funds are low, actors undetermined, and the script nonexistent, this is what it looks like to shoot a music video on a shoestring budget.

Xu Qingyan paced around upstairs and was barely satisfied with the arrangement.

The plot wasn't complicated; it took just one morning to set the scene and shoot some ambient shots. However, actors are paid by headcount which meant another chunk of the budget was spent in an instant.

The first day was mostly spent preparing, arranging the sets and people, and contacting the actors.

At lunch, Xu Qingyan had arranged to meet the actors, actually just two young ones. The supporting roles would be cast on the spot tomorrow. Honestly, Director Xu was a bit stingy.

"Shall we have a meal together?" Xu Qingyan called Pei Muchan with a phone call. She agreed and brought unexpected news, "The moon is coming over."

"Cough cough? Who?" He almost choked.

"The moon."

"Isn't she in school? What is she running out here for?" Xu Qingyan was almost unable to hold back, his hand trembling at the thought of Shen Jinyue, "Where is she coming?"

"Here, at our filming location?"

After asking several times, Pei Muchan gave the same affirmative answer.

"Yes, she said she wasn't happy staying at school and wanted to come out for a change."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyan's hanging heart finally dropped. He swallowed and buzzed in his head, as he hadn't spared Shen Jinyue from online attacks.

Every time she said she played for real offline, Xu Qingyan mocked her fiercely.

Now that she was really coming, he had trouble accepting it for a moment. Shen Jinyue turning up at this critical moment... it seemed like it wouldn't have any impact.

Forget it.

They found a place to eat in the evening. The filming location didn't have great facilities, just a large food stall. The place was brightly lit, and the food seemed clean enough; they weren't that fussy.

He met those young actors with their parents. Standing together they looked like a pair of golden boy and jade girl, both bright and sparkling.

The adult actors cost a bit more, one male and one female. Xu Qingyan didn't haggle over the price; he just had a few requirements, after all, they only needed to shoot some scenes from their youth.

In the end, it's not so much about the acting talent as much as capturing a touch of charm as the camera sweeps by.

Casting is all about the first impression. With a music video, you tighten up when it's time and relax when you can. The boy seemed about ten years old, with a lively and clever look about him.

"Director Xu, hello, my name is Wang Jiaming, I've studied Peking Opera."

The boy did not say much, and his parents handed over some well-prepared materials with a smile. The casting had actually been done before, with Pei Muchan helping out.

Today was just about having a meal to get to know each other and go through the motions.

"Not bad," Xu Qingyan eyed the boy, "Did you read the script? There aren't many shots; if we're quick, we should be able to get it done in half a day."

"I've read it. Should I try a bit of the scene now?" The boy was not at all stage-shy. Read exclusive content at empire

Although a flicker of nervousness crossed his eyes, overall, he was relaxed. Having acted before and grown up in the industry, he had some experience to draw on.

Acting in TV and films is one thing; doing it for a music video is quite another and not particularly demanding.

Xu Qingyan wasn't one to squabble with a child, probably picking up on the cues from the boy's parents. He put down his tea cup, and after a moment's thought, he spoke up.

"Then let's see a segment, although the space is a bit tight."

Wang Jiaming wasted no time in performing a standard introduction, with fairly accurate and promising movements. It was surprisingly convincing.

"Director Xu, hello, my name is He Yi." The girl, in contrast, was more reserved. She glanced up at him then dropped her gaze, her clever eyes fluttering.

"Would you like to try a bit too?" he asked.

"Sure." He Yi pressed her lips together, revealing a hint of young beauty in her eyes, her voice crisp and sweet.

She also performed an operatic introduction, each motion very different from her earlier shy demeanor. Her neck held firm without slumping or wobbling, giving her a spirited appearance.

Xu Qingyan, not being too demanding, was satisfied. With the small amount they were paid, you couldn't expect too much; as long as they performed their close-up shots well, that was enough.

The young adult actors were more reserved, not as uninhibited as the kids. They took turns greeting Xu Qingyan, coming to earn some extra cash, and given the decent pay... they didn't dare put on airs.

"Director Xu, hello, my name is Meng Wenhong." The young man was somewhat nervous, stammering, "I don't have much acting experience, I hope Director Xu will guide me."

The young woman greeted him too and quickly introduced herself.

"My name is Sun Mengyun, I've done extra work before."

Both performances were a bit rough, but there were no significant problems. They just needed to practice more, as overacting could overshadow the main theme.

"Alright, you're all pretty good." Xu Qingyan went over their details one by one, then said, "Tomorrow might be tough, but let's try to finish in one day."

They had only five and a half days total. One day went to preparation, and post-production would take at least two days. In reality, there were only two days left for actual filming.

One day for shooting, one day for error margin; the goal was to avoid mistakes if possible. It wasn't that the camera had to be perfect on the first take, but they needed to shoot enough material for post-production editing.