This time I’m skipping ahead and talking about those years when I was working as a model and making movies. This experience influenced how I handled my work in the future and planted the seeds of business… How did I get into this industry? Everyone knows me as the younger sister who plays Chen Xiaodong in “First Love, Infinite Touch”, but I actually entered the industry earlier. The first print advertisement was shot in the summer of 1994, because my sister gave my photo to a familiar photographer, and he was looking for another girl to shoot a fashion advertisement for Theme (Note: The Hong Kong fashion brand Theme had more than 60 chain stores in Hong Kong, 40 in Taiwan, and 20 in the mainland… It was listed in 1994, with a market value of 4 billion.)
Swipe right to see the full set of Theme’s advertising photos
An interesting story about the first job that turned into a “pineapple”?
The commercial was shot with the boss’s daughter, her name was Jeanette (Lai Huanzhen), who was the heroine in one of the Sunshine Lemon Tea commercials. At that time, she was very avant-garde and stylish, with a porcupine hair style. I still remember that morning at an Apartment in Tai Hang Road, where I had a make-up set. A makeup artist helped me get Faye Wong’s “pineapple head”. To be honest, the hair style was pretty good, but I felt it didn’t match the look at all and “didn’t it look pretty”, so I shed a few tears… Afterwards, the photos turned out to be beautiful. I went on the subway light box, and my classmates also saw it. The whole experience was very interesting, and it cost $2,000 HKD. At that time, it was a very good job!
If you see this advertisement, you will definitely recognize Jeanette.
Sharing interesting stories about joining the film industry after being photographed in commercials
When I was in the third year of secondary school, UFO Filmmaker Production Co., Ltd. was filming the movie “The Music of Music” at St. Stephen’s Middle School, which was Kelly Chen’s debut film. They asked our students, including the basketball team, volleyball team, orchestra, and choir, to work together as a “note”. It was this time that someone from the Model company took the phone numbers of several members of our volleyball team and called us to cast “Four 32As and a Banana Boy” the next year. At that time, UFO My company is in Kowloon Tong. I went to meet Anita Yuen, who was probably preparing for “Golden Boughs and Jade Leaves”. The cast members include Jiang Lina (Tang Ning), He Jiali, Wen Songxian and Teng Liming, etc. “Four 32A” has been cast many times. Our casters are Zhang Zhiliang and Eric Tsang. They will look at our appearance, try out the scene, and read the script. In the final stage, Eric Tsang told me frankly: “Actually, the cast After I met Jiang Lina (Tang Ning), I couldn’t choose you. You two are so similar that the audience can’t tell the difference. “Jiang Lina already had a lot of acting experience at the time, so the leading role must be her, haha. Later in 1997, “First Love Infinite Touch” was cast because Jiang Lina was unavailable, so I was chosen to shoot it.
Take a photo with Dongdong during the filming of “First Love Infinite Touch”
This is where the character of boldly knocking on the door comes from, Longyou’s private video storage profoilo
Back to 1996, after I was “copied” by a model company, I saw many classified ads in Yibenconvenience that were recruiting models. Some were fitting models and some were model companies. I copied all the phone calls and called Andy’s Models, Models International, and Calcarries, asking them if they wanted models. I also tried contacting the yellow pages and 1083 to find the model company, asking for their address, and sending my photos and resume. In the past, I did everything I could and was very proactive!
I still remember that at that time, a company helped me get a supporting role in “Ouchi Secret Agent”, but when I was only 15 or 6 years old, my mother refused as soon as I heard that I was going to the mainland for filming, and then arranged some private photos. A “long friend” rented a studio to take photos. I bought the clothes myself. After the photos were taken, they became my profile, and I immediately sent them to various model companies to compete for casting opportunities.
Dragon Friends Photo Collection
What are the “three things” necessary for Casting?
Andy’s Models once called me to their company for casting. After school at 3:30, I would change into casual clothes and put on makeup for the interview. They told me very profoundly: “There are three things you must do when casting. First, you must wear eyeliner, otherwise your eyes will disappear; second, you must wear lipstick before you draw lip line; and third, you must wear shoes with heels.” From then on, I kept this in mind and started a “professional” casting career.
Not just vases, what I learned from shooting commercial films is…
This modeling career is absolutely hands-on. There were no smart phones in those days, so you had to write down the time, place, and contact person of the casting. You also had to look at the map, plan the route, estimate the fare, etc. Some companies also have dress requirements and makeup needs to be reapplied, so you need to pay attention to all of these. (Looking back, the whole thing was quite professional) Film companies and advertising companies are also all over Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. The planned route must be very precise and you cannot be late. If you are late, you will definitely not be picked.
When doing a job, you need to sign a casting form. For example, if the magazine is $1200HKD for 4 hours, the start time and end time will be written down. If there is an OT, it will be marked back. The reporter must sign it. After filling it out, I have to fax it back to the model company. All admins have to follow it up themselves. All money must be clearly marked, because there will be records for any disputes in the future. It is not difficult for me as a Form 5 student, and I am very lucky to have these opportunities to do it. This kind of training helped me learn how to protect the interests of both parties when working with others in the future. I need to build good relationships with people I come into contact with, know how to cooperate with others, and the spirit of dedication and joy in work was cultivated in the early stages of my acting career.
There are opportunities to “learn” everywhere
When filming a movie, I would be curious about the entire production process, so I would not sit there in vain. I would look at the set record or call sheet of the day’s shooting. When moving the lights, I would also know to leave the scene and not disturb anyone. Gigi, Dongdong, and Wyman have their own call times. If I have nothing to do, I would arrange for myself to go to dinner first. After knowing everyone’s schedule, I will not waste any time.
The beginning of financial independence. If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools
After starting a job in the model industry and film industry, I made a lot of income. Print and TV advertising was $1,000/1 hour, and magazines were $1,200/4 hours. Later, in order to facilitate the job, I bought a mobile phone. It was a Siemens mobile phone. I got $8,000 in silver! There are also a lot of cosmetics, eye shadows, foundations, and sets of foundation brushes to buy, which cost at least 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. But if you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools and invest in them!
