Chapter 1753 - 849: New Collaboration

Chapter 1753: Chapter 849: New Collaboration

Wan Lanlan’s exclusive interview with Director Kang Xin and Zhou Yun will be published across all media channels of "Victor" magazine.

After the interview, there will be a special photo shoot for the two of them, which will be published on the inside pages of "Victor." The cover of that issue will also feature the two of them—the magazine has contacted several well-cooperated brands to sponsor this issue’s cover.

"I got to know Zhou Yun from the series ’Heart Inquiry.’ Director Kang, after three years, how do you feel working with Zhou Yun again? Have there been any changes compared to three years ago?"

Director Kang Xin pondered for a moment and said, "Undoubtedly, this time working with Zhou Yun has been smoother. Three years ago, when I worked with her, she was a smart, talented actress, but she didn’t fully understand how to act. This time, she has truly grasped what acting is about."

Zhou Yun listened quietly to what Director Kang Xin was saying, maintaining a smile.

Wan Lanlan continued, "So Zhou Yun, how do you feel about working with Director Kang Xin this time?"

Zhou Yun said, "Very reassuring."

"Reassuring?" Wan Lanlan was surprised by Zhou Yun’s response.

Zhou Yun nodded and said, "Yes, reassuring. How should I put it? Hmm, I must say, I believe my approach to acting began to form its own system, constructing my understanding of acting starting with ’Heart Inquiry.’ Not that I didn’t actively think about acting before that, but looking back from my current understanding, it was often about the state at that time. Previously, I would think about what kind of state each scene required. Starting with ’Heart Inquiry,’ I began to approach it from the perspective of the character itself."

"Can you elaborate on that? What does it mean to approach from the perspective of the character itself?"

"For example, in the past when I acted, there was a scene where the character was going to argue with her boyfriend. My preparation involved thinking about what it’s usually like for girls to argue with their boyfriends, then combining the script’s dialogue and lines to develop my preferred interpretation," Zhou Yun said. "But starting with ’Heart Inquiry,’ I began to explore a character’s personality and how they would view and feel during certain events. I went from focusing on how I would act to examining how the character would be. In a film like ’Life,’ for instance, my character arguing with her boyfriend would certainly be fragile, teary-eyed, and slightly restrained, in a hysterical way. Even during intense arguments, she would subconsciously maintain her elegance. But if it was in ’Heart Inquiry,’ the character I played, Liu Rusu, would not be like that at all. Her way of arguing was to reason calmly or simply not speak at all; she wouldn’t really have the action of ’arguing’ itself." Zhou Yun explained her acting philosophy in detail, "This approach was initially taught to me by Director Kang. I developed many good habits in his crew, which is why I often tell Huang Zicheng and Lu Zhongting that if they have a chance to join a top director’s set, they should go, even if they’re playing a role with just a few lines, because there’s so much to learn from them."

Wan Lanlan nodded.

She then turned to Director Kang Xin: "Director Kang, when Zhou Yun filmed ’Heart Inquiry’ with you, she was still considered a newcomer actor. Different directors have their own methods for coaching newcomers. Can you share with us how you guide inexperienced actors?"

Director Kang Xin waved his hand with a smile, saying, "I don’t have such great skills or specific methods, because each actor is different. The way you communicate with Song Chi can’t be copied exactly for Zhou Yun. Even among newcomers, everyone’s personality and traits differ. I rarely spend much effort telling an actor specifically how to act. I prefer to communicate on set about the result I want and let them figure it out themselves. However, if an actor struggles to find the right state, then I will sit down with them, talk through the character’s logical actions and psychological state, and help them understand the role. Ultimately, though, it depends on the actor to bring out those details."