After the caught proxy photographer signed the pledge and was escorted out of the film set by the stage manager, the minor interlude on set quickly passed.
On the first day of shooting, they wouldn't film actual plot scenes yet. Instead, they needed to complete a series of highly difficult action shot tests, mainly to coordinate the cooperation between the actor, the camera crew, and the wire team.
“All departments, prepare!”
Her Chuan sat behind the monitor holding a megaphone. His voice wasn't loud, but he kept a tight grip on every single detail: “Is the wire team checked and ready? Camera jib in position! Jiang Yue, get ready to go!”
Jiang Yue walked to the center of the area.
Today, he had to complete a sequence of continuous actions: backflipping down from a three-meter-high wooden platform, transitioning into a sliding tackle upon landing to avoid a horizontal bar sweeping toward him, and finally stepping off the wall to flip sideways onto the eaves on the other side.
This sequence was a major test of physical control, as well as the coordination between the actor, the wires, and the props.
“Are you ready?”
Old Hong personally checked his final protective gear, looked up to confirm the position of the safety harness once more, and then patted his shoulder.
Jiang Yue nodded, took a deep breath, and after confirming that the safety harness was properly weighted, gave an “OK” gesture to the wire operators up above.
“Action!”
The command was given.
Without hesitation, Jiang Yue pushed off with both legs from the high platform, launching his body backward into the air.
In mid-air, he tightened his core, extended his body, and steadily completed a backflip.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a staff member pushed the wooden bar from the side, sending it sweeping toward him with a rush of wind.
Jiang Yue lowered his body and slid out almost flush with the ground, passing clean beneath the wooden bar in a crisp, neat motion.
As the slide reached its end, a wooden wall stood directly ahead.
Using his forward momentum, he planted his right foot against the wall and launched himself upward. Grabbing the edge of the eaves with his left hand, he used his core strength to flip himself up, finally landing on one knee as the action froze.
The entire process took only a few seconds, yet it was so fluid that it looked like a pre-edited movie clip.
The entire set fell silent for a moment.
“Holy shit...”
A young camera assistant couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He Chuan stared at the monitor, watching the playback twice. His voice carried a suppressed note of satisfaction: “Good. The action execution is excellent, and the camera's rhythm flowed smoothly. Just adjust the shoulder line upon landing a bit, and we can shoot it directly later.”
Standing by the side of the set, Old Hong also showed a pleased smile.
This past month of high-intensity training had not been in vain.
Jiang Yue was a fast learner. He didn't just perform the moves taught to him; he could also adjust his execution based on his own physical condition.
In the sequence just now, the wire team was mainly responsible for safety and micro-adjustments. What truly drove the rhythm was his own explosive power and coordination.
The wire operators up above were also stunned.
They had originally thought the first take would require several attempts to polish, but they hadn't expected Jiang Yue to get it right in one go, even timing his response to the sweeping bar perfectly.
Jiang Yue climbed down from the roof, took the towel handed to him by Jiang Kevin, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
With the action test successfully passed, He Chuan was clearly much more at ease regarding Jiang Yue's state.
The first day of shooting was meant to coordinate the cameras, the wires, and the action rhythm.
Jiang Yue's backflip, slide, and wall-climb flip had effectively established the benchmark for the action scenes, which had been the crew's biggest worry.
After packing up that evening, Jiang Kevin even inspected Jiang Yue's protective gear, muttering under his breath, “No scraped knees, no swollen wrists, and your lower back is fine. Third Brother, congratulations. You didn't add to my workload today.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yue looked at him. “Your tone doesn't really sound like a congratulation.”
“Of course not.”
Jiang Kevin stuffed the knee pads into the suitcase. “Right now, I'm hoping your action scenes look cool, but at the same time, I'm terrified of them looking too cool. Every time you look cool, the danger level goes up a notch.”
Jiang Yue let out a soft laugh and didn't reply, simply picking up tomorrow's daily call sheet to look over it again.
Early the next morning, 《The Pivot Bone》 officially transitioned into filming its first plot scene.
At the Beijiao Film and Television Base, on the set of 《The Pivot Bone》.
Before the sky had fully brightened, the dressing room was already packed with people.
While the stylist was toning down Jiang Yue's lip color, Jiang Kevin squatted nearby opening breakfast bags, neatly arranging soy milk, eggs, and half a multi-grain rice ball.
“Third Brother, you can't eat anything too greasy in the morning.”
Jiang Kevin pushed the rice ball toward his hand.
Jiang Yue looked down at his script and reached for an egg. “Sure.”
The stylist couldn't help but smile. “Teacher Jiang, your agent is more meticulous than some wellness bloggers.”
Jiang Kevin immediately turned serious. “Can't help it. Our artist is worth a fortune now.”
Jiang Yue looked up at him, signaling him to watch his words.
Jiang Kevin immediately corrected himself, “Well, not expensive as in worth, but rather, since this drama isn't finished filming yet, if he accidentally breaches the contract due to physical health reasons, then it'll get very expensive.”
The dressing room erupted in laughter. Jiang Yue couldn't help but curl his lips upward slightly, but he quickly lowered his head to review the few lines of dialogue for Lu Ji's first appearance once more.
Before the morning mist had completely dispersed, Yong'an, the capital of the Dajing Dynasty reconstructed by the crew, had already awakened.
On the streets of Changle Ward, the hawking of street vendors, the creaking of cartwheels, and the hushed whispers of the common folk blended together, while the aroma of steamed buns drifted through the air.
The story of 《The Pivot Bone》 took place in the fictional Dajing Dynasty.
In this world, martial artists of the Jianghu cultivated Zhuo Martial Arts, relying on physical bones, qi and blood, and internal breath to fight.
The stronger their martial arts, the heavier the turbid qi accumulated within their bodies, and any slight lapse could lead to severe backlash.
The legendary Xuan Pivot was a unique constitution capable of washing away turbid qi and reshaping one's physical foundation.
Three months ago, bizarre homicides began occurring one after another in the Dajing Jianghu.
Without exception, the victims' bones had shattered from the inside out, as if someone had swallowed their very foundations.
The imperial court designated this case as the Spectral Bone Case.
As for the male lead Lu Ji, played by Jiang Yue, on the surface he was merely a sickly, money-grubbing street physician in Changle Ward. He scraped by daily by performing autopsies for the Six Doors or prescribing cheap herbal medicine to the poor.
Yet, the secret that the entire Jianghu was searching for was precisely hidden within him.
Today's first scene was the major highlight that opened the entire drama.
It was the latest occurrence of the Spectral Bone Case, as well as the debut appearance of the male lead, Lu Ji.
Behind the monitor, He Chuan dangled an unlit cigarette from his lips, his expression highly focused.
Sitting beside him was screenwriter Song Lan, holding the script in her hands, its margins densely covered in notes.
She had arrived early in the morning.
Just moments ago, she and He Chuan had argued for ten minutes over the focus of the camera during Lu Ji's entrance.
He Chuan wanted “the wretchedness of the streets,” but Song Lan reminded him, “There can be wretchedness, but it shouldn't be only wretchedness. When the male lead makes his debut, the audience must understand him, and they must want to keep watching him.”
In the end, neither of them could completely convince the other.
He Chuan simply tossed out a line: “Let's have Jiang Yue do a run-through first and see how it looks.”
“All departments, pay attention!”
He Chuan's voice echoed across the entire set through the megaphone, highly penetrating: “First scene, start!”
The camera cut in.
In a dark alley of Changle Ward, constables of the Six Doors had cordoned off the area.
A dense crowd of onlookers had gathered around, packing the space.
They craned their necks, their faces a mix of curiosity and fear.
“Make way, make way! The physician summoned by the government is here!”
The crowd was roughly parted to make a gap, and Lu Ji squeezed his way in, carrying a battered medicine chest on his back.
Clad in off-white robes, his face was pale, his steps unsteady, and he had to catch his breath every couple of paces.
“Cough, cough... Cough, cough, cough...”
Before he even reached the corpse, Lu Ji began coughing, covering his mouth.
Leaning against the mottled wall, he tremblingly fished a dusty water bladder from his robe, took a swig, and only then managed to catch his breath.
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