7: Instructing Xingzai, showing his "mentor" style for the first time

Lin Da turned around and saw Zhou Xingxing's bright, inquisitive eyes, which reminded him of the greenhorn who had just entered the industry in his previous life, constantly pestering him with questions.

His heart warmed, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"What, are you interested in acting now?" Lin Da asked, knowing the answer.

Zhou Xingxing scratched his head awkwardly, his cheeks slightly flushed: "Well... not really. It's just that I thought Lin Da, you acted so well just now, completely different from those extras I've seen before. It was like... like you really were that Bandit A."

He struggled to organize his words, wanting to express the shock he felt inside.

"Want to know how I acted?" Lin Da looked at him with a smile, like a wily old fox gently guiding him.

Zhou Xingxing nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes! I really do!"

Lin Da found a relatively clean stone to sit on, patted the spot next to him, and motioned for Zhou Xingxing to sit as well.

"Actually, there's no secret to it," Lin Da began, his voice unhurried. "Acting, first and foremost, requires belief. Believe that you are that character, believe that you are experiencing everything he is experiencing."

"Believe?" Zhou Xingxing tilted his head, half understanding, half confused.

"Yes, believe," Lin Da emphasized. "Take Bandit A just now, for example. Before I played him, I would ask myself a few questions."

"What questions?" Zhou Xingxing pressed, like a curious child.

"Why did he become a bandit? What does he usually do? Does he have a family? Is he afraid of death? When the protagonist's sword came at him, what was he thinking?" Lin Da rattled off several questions in one breath.

Zhou Xingxing was stunned, muttering: "Just an extra... does he need to think so much?"

In his opinion, wasn't an extra just supposed to follow the director's instructions, go through the motions, say a line, then get his bento and leave?

"Of course, he does!" Lin Da's expression became a bit more serious. "There are no small roles, only actors who put in different levels of effort. Only when you understand all these questions can you truly enter the character's heart and understand why he would react that way."

"For example, when he saw the protagonist's sword coming, why did he shout, 'Brother, be careful'? Because he might have received a favor from that brother, or he simply didn't want to die. Why did he show that look of both terror and a hint of 'admiration'? Because he might have never seen such a fast sword in his life, and in that instant, the fear of death and the instinctive yearning for peerless martial arts intertwined and collided in his heart."

Lin Da spoke eloquently, dissecting his thought process for understanding a character in the simplest and most understandable way for Zhou Xingxing.

He didn't directly teach profound acting theories like "method acting" or "experiential acting," but rather started from the most basic character logic.

Zhou Xingxing listened, mesmerized. He had never imagined that an extra with only a few seconds of screen time could have so much depth behind him. Lin Da's words were like a key, opening a door to a new world for him.

"So... so this is what acting is like..." Zhou Xingxing murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with the light of sudden enlightenment.

He suddenly remembered the "corpse" he had played. Before, he had only thought about how to "die" in a unique way, but he had never considered what kind of person this "corpse" was when he was alive, how he died, or what he was thinking when he died.

"Lin Da," Zhou Xingxing suddenly looked up, his eyes burning as he stared at Lin Da, "Then tell me, how should I act the corpse I played to make it outstanding?"

Lin Da smiled slightly, knowing that this kid was already getting the hang of it.

"How was the corpse you played written in the script?"

"It wasn't written, it just said he was a passerby, killed by stray arrows." Zhou Xingxing sounded a bit dejected.

"Not written doesn't mean you can't give him a story," Lin Da gently guided. "What kind of person was he? Was he a frail scholar or a burly man? Why was he there? Was he an innocent civilian caught in the crossfire, or a small fry from a gang?"

"You can imagine, what did it feel like the moment he was struck by an arrow? Was it an instant death, or did he struggle painfully before dying? When he died, were his eyes open or closed? What was the expression on his face? Was it terror, unwillingness, or relief?"

Every question from Lin Da was like a small hammer, gently tapping on Zhou Xingxing's heart, sparking his endless imagination.

"If he was a frail scholar, then when he died, his face might have carried a hint of bewilderment and despair for the world."

"If he was a fierce bandit, then even in death, his eyes might have been filled with defiance and ferocity."

"You can even design some small details for him. For example, he might be clutching a sachet tightly in his hand, given to him by his fiancée; or he might have a rattle drum in his arms, which he had just bought for his son who was not yet a year old..."

Zhou Xingxing listened, utterly engrossed. He felt his imagination expand infinitely. A simple "corpse" could have so many things to explore!

"Lin Da, I understand!" Zhou Xingxing slapped his thigh excitedly. "I know how to act it now! The corpse I'm playing, he must have been an optimistic and cheerful chef when he was alive! His biggest dream was to open his own small tavern! But just as he saved enough capital, he was shot dead by stray arrows! When he died, he must have been especially unwilling, his eyes wide open, still clutching his newly bought cleaver tightly!"

Watching Zhou Xingxing's animated, increasingly outlandish description, Lin Da couldn't help but laugh.

This kid's imagination was truly boundless.

However, this kind of wild imagination was precisely the most needed quality for comedy creation.

"Hmm, good idea," Lin Da nodded, giving his affirmation. "But remember, all designs must conform to the basic logic of the character and serve the overall atmosphere of the plot. You can't just make things up for the sake of standing out; that would be overdoing it."

"I understand, Lin Da!" Zhou Xingxing nodded vigorously, like a child who had received candy, overjoyed. His admiration for Lin Da deepened even further.

He felt that this Lin Da, though similar in age to himself, knew more than those so-called old masters. Moreover, everything he said was easy to understand and not boring at all.

Just then, the set manager shouted from over there: "Lin Da! Director Wang wants you to come over!"

Lin Da responded, stood up, and patted Zhou Xingxing's shoulder: "Think about it carefully. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me anytime."

"Okay!" Zhou Xingxing nodded heavily, watching Lin Da walk towards the director.

He looked at Lin Da's back and secretly made up his mind: One day, I will also be like Lin Da and bring every character to life! Even if it's just a... dead extra!