novellhall Chapter 30 Chen Xun becomes a hot commodity!
Chapter 30 Chen Xun becomes a hot commodity!
Back at his apartment that evening, Chen Xun took a shower to wash away the fatigue of a day of running around and rehearsals.
He slumped onto the sofa, not going to sleep immediately, but instead brought up the attribute panel that only he could see.
It's time to take stock of our recent achievements.
[Acting Skills Attribute Panel]
Dialogue: Lv0 (89/100)
Limbs: Lv1 (67/200)
Emoticons: Lv0 (95/100)
Eyes: Lv0 (82/100)
Mood: Lv1 (24/200)
Tempo: Lv0 (78/100)
Aura: Lv0 (88/100)
……
The expression attribute is just one step away from being upgraded!
The dialogue and presence are also close to being upgraded!
While the other items haven't reached the threshold yet, they have also made considerable progress. This panel visually demonstrates his phenomenal improvement over the past few months.
Chen Xun never misses an attribute orb if it falls!
After playing two supporting roles with significant screen time, his personal attributes have grown rapidly!
It's only one step away from a full upgrade!
"I'll go to that student film crew tomorrow and make up for the missing five points!"
Chen Xun stared at the bright [Emoji: Lv0 (95/100)] and pondered in his mind.
He didn't feel any psychological burden.
Student theater troupes have high turnover, are emotionally invested during rehearsals, and have a relatively simple environment, making them a good place to pick up character traits.
Moreover, helping them rehearse also helps me improve my own choreography skills, so it's a win-win situation.
The next afternoon, Chen Xun returned to the rehearsal room at USC.
There were more people today. In addition to director Mark and a few core members, students in charge of lighting and sound recording also came, making it seem more formal.
Mark saw Chen Xun as if he had seen a savior:
"Chen! It's great to see you! We're rehearsing with the cameras today, could you help me check how the movements look on camera?"
"no problem!"
Chen Xun readily agreed.
Rehearsals begin.
The moment the camera was set up, the atmosphere changed immediately.
The students playing minor villain roles were visibly nervous, their movements stiff.
Chen Xun patiently guided them again on how to cooperate, how to use positioning techniques, and how to make realistic reactions.
He demonstrated while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
When a student, due to extreme tension, stiffens their facial muscles and repeatedly tries to make a terrified expression, a gray [Expression Attribute - Tension +1] falls to the ground.
absorb!
The progress has become (96/100).
Then, when the student playing the male lead was performing the scene where he was questioning Chen Xun for clues, he overdid it, and his expression became somewhat distorted, resulting in a gray [Expression Attribute - Overacting +1].
absorb!
(97/100).
Chen Xun was secretly delighted; the efficiency was even higher than he had expected.
It was Chen Xun's turn to have his own scene.
He didn't treat it casually just because it was a student's work; instead, he became even more focused.
When Ah Jie was cornered and looking for a way out, he used the "penetrating power" he had absorbed from Zhou Caiqin and his own understanding of the character's situation.
His gaze suddenly changed, and the actors he was acting with felt themselves drawn into the scene, their performances no longer stiff.
One shot has been filmed!
"Cut!"
Mark shouted excitedly from behind the monitor:
"Chen! That look is amazing! It perfectly captures the feeling of being pushed to the brink but still unwilling to give up!"
The instant Chen Xun finished making that look, a green orb of light fell from beside him:
[Emoji Attributes - Character Immersion +2]
absorb!
The progress bar filled up instantly: Emoticon: Lv1 (1/100)!
A cool sensation flowed through his facial nerves and muscles.
He felt that his control over his facial muscles had become more refined and effortless, as if every tiny unit of expression could be mobilized individually to create more subtle emotional layers.
Expressions that used to require deliberate effort now seem to come out more naturally.
It's been upgraded!
Chen Xun suppressed the urge to throw a punch and simply nodded to Mark.
"Let's continue!"
In the following rehearsals, Chen Xun felt even more at ease.
His precise control over facial expressions allows him to convey a wealth of information through subtle facial changes, even when he has no lines.
He could even get distracted by observing other people, and picked up a gray [Rhythm-related attribute - Focus +1] from a lighting technician who was too focused on lighting.
When rehearsals ended, Mark and the entire crew were filled with admiration for Chen Xun.
"Chen, you're simply our pillar of strength!"
Mark exclaimed excitedly, "Filming officially starts next week, you absolutely have to come! I feel like this movie has potential!"
Chen Xun was in a good mood as he walked home.
Looking at the other attributes on the attribute panel that were also close to being upgraded, he had a new plan in mind.
Before the next formal film contract arrives, perhaps we can approach more similar student works or low-budget independent short films!
Perhaps he can quickly raise all attributes to level 1!
He felt that once his main attributes reached Lv1, his overall acting skills would experience a qualitative leap.
Then we'll have more confidence to compete for more significant roles!
With Mark's introduction, Chen Xun quickly gained some fame in the student film crew circle at USC.
The news has spread!
There's a professional actor named Chen Xun, who works for a union. He just finished filming a serious movie and is willing to make a cameo appearance in a student production!
for free!
It even comes with its own action design and performance coaching!
So professional!
Chen Xun became a hot commodity overnight!
Those student directors who were struggling with their graduation projects and lacked actors, especially experienced actors, sent out SOS signals to Chen Xun through Mark or by contacting Li Suyan directly.
Chen Xun accepted all who came.
As long as the schedule doesn't conflict, he'll carry his bag to school!
He was like a highly efficient attribute harvester, shuttling between various student film crews.
In the psychological thriller short film, he plays a convenience store clerk with only a few scenes and a strange look in his eyes.
When he saw himself make that smile on the monitor, a smile that was a mixture of numbness and a hint of inhumanity, the director was so excited he almost jumped up.
A gray orb of light: [Emotional attribute - Excitement +1].
He himself, due to his accurate performance, lost one attribute: [Eye Attribute - Eerie Feel +1].
In a romantic comedy scene.
Chen Xun makes a cameo appearance as an Asian food delivery driver who awkwardly passes by after witnessing the main characters kissing.
He devised a comical act of frantically trying to knock over the delivery box, which made the whole audience burst into laughter.
He absorbed the [rhythm-related attribute - humor +1] that the director lost due to his excellent control of the comedic rhythm.
In an abstract experimental video work, Chen Xun, as instructed by the director, draped himself in a black cloth and slowly wriggled in front of the camera to interpret the so-called nothingness of existence.
Although he himself felt that this job was a bit silly, the extremely focused director still received a green [Aura-type attribute - Artistic Obsession +2].
As Chen Xun writhed and absorbed the energy, he felt that the attribute orbs he was picking up were becoming increasingly shameless.
His attribute panel looked like it had an accelerator on:
Dialogue: Lv0 (98/100)
Limbs: Lv1 (71/200)
Emoticons: Lv1 (15/200)
Eyes: Lv0 (96/100)
Mood: Lv1 (31/200)
Tempo: Lv0 (92/100)
Aura: Lv0 (99/100)
……