chapter 33 - my lead art director

After the New Year, Zhuang Yan delved back into the preparatory work for his film.

Zhao Yang sighed in relief when he heard that a lead art director, Xie Ning, was found.

In film, the art department’s importance is second to only the directing department--basically, extremely important.

Other than planning conceptual and scene design for a film, in a broader sense, the art department is also responsible for clothes, makeup, and props.

Naturally, it was impossible for Xie Ning himself to coordinate everything. Zhuang Yan’s crew has an art supervisor named Wang JianJian, usually called Older Brother Jian. His name was quite cute, but his personality was lax and disorganized. He had some stubble on his chin, following the current trend.

For many domestic production crews, especially smaller ones, there was no difference between an art director and lead art director, but overseas, they were clearly differentiated. Zhuang Yan, having stayed overseas for a long period of time, had certain regulations for the division of the art group.

Art directors normally don’t participate in design, but control the general direction. They mainly supervise and manage, coordinate each group’s work, and plan the overall visual style so that the style and colors of the film are consistent.

The lead art director is responsible for the design of main concepts and scenes, and sometimes they’ll also participate in the design of crucial props and the protagonist’s outfit design.

Of course, there were junior art directors and art assistants that worked under the lead art director. They draw most of the art, and their job normally is just to draw.

Some large-scale productions may even require hundreds of artists to make drafts, including but not limited to various buildings, costumes, and props. Designs of all sizes must be drawn and given to the props team for production.

For a crew like Zhuang Yan’s, there were about ten or so junior art directors and art assistants when added together.

Zhao Yang was the one who recruited most of them, and it was one of the reasons why he recommended Zheng Jing in the first place.

Since Zhen Jing has his own studio, if they recruited him, it would count as contracting more than half of the needed art group.

When Zhuang Yan brought Xie Ning to the office, Zhao Yang and Wang JianJian were both shocked.

At first, Zhao Yang thought that he was a rookie that Zhuang Yan had dug out from somewhere. His appearance and personality seemed good, but he looked a little cold, and Zhao Yan wasn’t sure how his feeling for the filming lenses was.

Zhuang Yan glanced at him. “This is the lead art director I mentioned to you before, Xie Ning.”

Zhao Yang: “...”

This year, having a director as handsome as Zhuang Yan was enough, but did the lead art director have to be good-looking as well?

Zhuang Yan introduced Xie Ning to Zhao Yang and Wang JianJian.

“This is the producer, Zhao Yang. You can discuss the art department’s budget with him; this is the art supervisor Wang JianJian. You can call him Older Brother Jian too, just like everyone else.”

Older Brother Jian’s name was a homonym to Older Brother Cheap (Cheap Older Brother), and sounded quite unusual indeed.

Xie Ning greeted, “Older Brother Zhao, Older Brother Jian.”

Wang JianJian stroked the stubble on his chin and teased him, saying, “So you’re Director Zhuang’s recent new love?”

Zhuang Yan frowned, saying, “What are you talking about?”

He turned to Xie Ning and explained, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. I don’t even have a former love.”

Xie Ning nodded, holding back a smile.

Wang JianJian carefreely put his hand on Xie Ning’s shoulders, saying, “Since you’re the lead art director, then you’re one of my people.”

“Move aside.” Zhuang Yan wasn’t polite this time, and directly slapped his hand away and snorted, “He’s my person, don’t touch him so much.”

Wang JianJian was surprised.

Zhuang Yan went over Xie Ning’s situation a bit, and said, “I’ll directly communicate with Xie Ning and let him know my thoughts for the concept and design of the main scenes. Since he’s not very familiar with prop making and staging, give him some more care and assign him a junior art director who knows more about it.”

“Okay, got it,” Wang JianJian smiled scornfully. “He’s such a treasure that you won’t let anyone touch him?”

Zhuang Yan lifted his chin and looked at Wang JianJian warningly. “I don’t care how unrestrained you are outside, but you’re not allowed to try to pick him up.”

Wang JianJian helplessly said, “It was my fault. When I’m with the crew I’ll tone it down.”

Xie Ning blinked a couple of times and couldn’t help but find it funny.

Before they came, Zhuang Yan had emphasized to him that Wang JianJian was someone who liked to loiter about, but he 1) didn’t have a girlfriend and 2) wasn’t married. Normally, he flirted with anyone who was willing to, but there wasn’t really anything wrong with his personality.

Using Xu Qing as a lesson from the past, Zhuang Yan pointed out that Xie Ning shouldn’t interact too much with Wang JianJian other than for business or work matters.

Xie Ning agreed obediently.

His personality wasn’t one to like interacting with others in the first place.

The script for Zhuang Yan’s new film had just been released. Although there would definitely be changes made in various parts, the release of the first draft meant that many things on set could be put into motion.

Xie Ning was one of the first people to see the script.

The setting of the new film was the Republic of China.

The Republic of China was an era filled with a sense of conflict and resistance, the intersection of new and old ideas, and rapid changes in society…

The first thing that countless people think when they hear of the Republic of China, besides those black-and-white photos, is the righteousness of family and country, and the revolutionary struggle.

Zhuang Yan followed his usual style. Since others think of the righteousness of family and country, he insisted on telling a poignant, very sentimental love story and about the power of art and love.

But the details of the script revealed the intersection of the new and the old, and the struggle between feudalism and democracy.

After Xie Ning finished reading the script, Zhuang Yan asked for his thoughts on it.

Xie Ning blinked. “Is this a red and white rose love triangle story?”

Zhuang Yan said, “Yes.”

It sounded like a very dramatic, old-fashioned plot.

However, Zhuang Yan was originally very good at using the camera lenses and pictures to paint love in a romantic, moving way. Xie Ning had experienced his delicate observation and handling of feelings, so he was looking forward to it.

This time, since he was even personally participating in the art of the film as the lead art director, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

He asked, “I don’t have much experience, and I’m taking the lead as soon as I start. Is it too fast for me to do so?”

Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow. “NingNing, since when have you been so unconfident in your professional skills?”

Xie Ning shook his head and said, “I heard Teacher Yang Rui say before that as a lead art directly, just burying my head and drawing won’t cut it, and that I need to communicate with others. Sometimes I even have to edit and add things depending on the actual scene that I see when I travel with the crew.”

And communication is one of the hardest things for Xie Ning.

“And, even graduates from prestigious art schools start from the position of an assistant. It’s very rare for someone to start with the position of lead art director.”

Zhuang Yan laughed softly. “Do you know what art assistants usually do?”

Xie Ning shook his head. “I’m not too clear. Isn’t it to help the artist in drawing?”

Zhuang Yan said, “Drawing, making forms, copying documents, printing documents, and other assistant work. The professional requirements are not high. Although it’s called an art assistant, the last word is the important one.”

People new to the industry mainly became art assistants to make connections. There wasn’t much technical content or skills needed, and after being an art assistant once, they can become a junior art director directly.

Xie Ning said, “...There’s still junior art directors.”

Zhuang Yan looked at him and replied in his deep voice, “To be transparent, the junior art directors are only assistants for the lead art director. NingNing, your skills are not lacking at all. With your level of creativity and design, making you draw endlessly and making you run back and forth from the studio to the props-making factory, is really such a waste of talent. Just like youth, abundant human talents shouldn’t be recklessly wasted, which is also why Mr. Yang wanted to recommend you to me so much.”

Xie Ning was startled.

Zhuang Yan said seriously, “Trust me, and also trust yourself. With your skill, you can absolutely become the lead art director in any crew.”

Xie Ning nodded slowly. “Mmn.”

“Plus, besides you, I seriously can’t find a lead art director that suits my heart,” Zhuang Yan continued, “Before, when I wanted you to draw the scene from <The Monologue>, I wanted to see your skill level, but I didn’t know if you had the intention to join the film and television industry, so I didn’t want to say anything carelessly. I didn’t think that Mr. Yang would coincidentally recommend you to me.”

Xie Ning blinked. “It was that coincidental?”

Zhuang Yan smiled. “It means that this is the fate between us. You were destined to join my crew and become my lead art director.”

The words “lead art director” wasn’t much, but when the word “my” was added in front, the atmosphere instantly became flirty.

Xie Ning’s face started to blush again without his permission, so he lowered his head and pretended to continue reading the script, but his red ear tips exposed him.

Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth and smile.

Since the script was released, the art department could start the concept design, determine the overall style, and map out the atmosphere for certain scenes.

Xie Ning met some of the junior art directors to get to know them better. Only after seeing some of their works did Xie Ning feel relieved.

Other things aside, his own design and artistic skills were truly much higher.

He didn’t know if it was an invisible rule in the industry, but most people called the lead art director “art boss”, and junior art directors and assistants directly took out the first word and called him “boss”.

Xie Ning was very not used to it, and several times, he didn’t react to others calling him that.

Since it was his first time experiencing a film and television project, Xie Ning’s enthusiasm for work was very high. Even when Zhuang Yan, the director, was finished and ready to go home, he turned and saw Xie Ning still busying himself.

Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but feel distressed. “Do you need to work so hard like your life is on the line?”

Xie Ning told the truth straightforwardly, saying, “I’m afraid that my design won’t be good enough and will ruin your film, so I’m doing my best to make it more perfect.”

“You’re being too humble,” Zhuang Yan glanced at his design draft. Since it was still a draft, nothing had taken shape yet so he wasn’t able to see what it was going to be like.

But seeing the mess of paper on the table, he could easily see that Xie Ning had made a good amount of drafts.

Zhuang Yan forcibly dragged him away. “Even I, as the director, didn’t say you ruined anything, so don’t think of such things. There are so many people in the art department staying with you and you’re their boss, so if you don’t leave, they won’t dare to leave either.”

Xie Ning looked, and found that the junior art director and two art assistants that shared the room with him were still obediently sitting in their seats.

So, he didn’t put up any resistance as Zhuang Yan took him away and stuffed him in the car.

Recently, when Zhuang Yan was finished with being busy, he would send him home as well since it was on the way.

After New Year’s, Xie Ning hadn’t had time to move into the house Elder Xie gave him yet so he was still living at Lakeside Villa, and Zhuang Yan would pick him up in the morning and drop him off at night.

When the car got halfway home, Zhuang Yan asked, “Are you almost out of the groceries at home?”

Xie Ning tried to recall, and said, “I think there’s not much left.”

Zhuang Yan turned the wheel and steered the car onto another road.

“Perfect, I didn’t pass the street yet,” he said, “I’m going to get some groceries from the supermarket, so I’ll let you taste my craft tonight?”

Xie Ning’s eyes lit up. “Okay!”

Zhuang Yan’s cooking skills and his own were like the sky and the earth, and no matter how many times Xie Ning tasted it, he was still full of praise.

Since Zhuang Yan was too busy, though, Xie Ning didn’t want to see him cook while being exhausted.

Xie Ning loves to eat hot and sour foods, and his favorites dishes are sweet and sour fish and sweet and sour pork ribs. Wild live fish was hard to get this season, and the cultivated Zhuang Yan didn’t like it, so he only picked pork ribs and chicken wings.

With the purchase of some more vegetables and eggs, the portion amount was just right.

When they returned to Lakeside Villa, the car stopped right in front of Xie Ning’s house.

“Go in first.” After Xie Ning got out of the car, Zhuang Yan was still sitting in the driver’s seat. “I’ll park the car in my garage first so I don’t have to drive it again at night.”

Xie Ning nodded. “Then I’ll wait for you at the door for a little.”

Zhuang Yan refused, saying, “The wind is strong outside, so go inside and wait.”

He said that, but when he drove away, Xie Ning thought about it and still stayed at the door to wait for him.

He really enjoyed walking with Zhuang Yan from the gate of his house to the door of his house, even if it was a short distance.

The warmth of home was a feeling he’d forgotten for a long, long time.

The wind was a little cold, so Xie Ning shrunk his neck in and couldn’t help but rub his hands together.

A black silhouette walked over from the other side of the road, carrying two gift bags in their hands, probably to visit someone.

When the figure got closer to Xie Ning, he saw that there was someone standing there so he subconsciously looked over and was shocked.

He rubbed his eyes, looked again carefully, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

“Xie-Xie Ning?” Hearing someone call his name, Xie Ning turned his head, startled.

“It really is you!” he exclaimed, shocked. “Why are you here?”

Xie Ning was appalled.

It was Xu Qing.

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Author’s Note: ZhuangZhuang: (expressionless) How come someone who doesn’t have any eyes is clinging to NingNing when I only left for a few minutes?

NingNing: I don’t know either qaq.

Xu Qing doesn’t have many scenes, and he won’t have much contact with NingNing. ZhuangZhuang will solve this problem. He’s here to assist this time.

Regarding the art film content, I checked some sources and the rest were all made up.

It doesn’t have any professional basis. When I was looking up information, I found that in most domestic crews, the lead art director and the art supervisor are the same person. I felt like NingNing, at this time, couldn’t become an art supervisor yet, so I separated the roles.

Just treat it like I wrote nonsense!!! Don’t take it seriously!!

For the entertainment industry, since it’s ZhuangZhuang and NingNing’s career, most of it (that I will write about) will probably be behind-the-scenes work, literary film directors and original artists, maybe a little bit about the crew’s filming, the film being released and participating in award shows, etc, but most likely just a little bit.

ZhuangZhuang and NingNing will both not become celebrities, so I’m sorry to those little angels (readers) who came here because of the entertainment industry label.

P.S. I updated ahead of schedule again today! If you round up, then I was earlier by an hour!!!