Finally, after quite a long period, I managed to get the opportunity to try myself in front of a camera again, that big camera, the one for filming commercials and movies. Finally because quite a few TV commercials have slipped out for one and other reasons lately, so I don’t even remember when I last filmed one TV commercial or promotional video. The filming took place in the seaside city of Weihai in Shandonog province in northeast China. Weihai is the closest Chinese city to South Korea.
At this point, I can mention one anecdote that happened to us when landing at Weihai airport. Just before the landing began – with repeated warnings from staff through the speakers that shooting pictures and videos was strictly prohibited – we all (passengers) had to lower blinds on the windows. Usually, the aviation protocol requires exactly the opposite, the blinds on the windows must be raised when landing and taking off. This time it was different. The staff also asked us to do so when taking off from that same airport, on a flight back to Shanghai the next day. This is the first time that something like this has happened to me. What is happening there at Weihai airport, which should not be seen, I do not know, so the answer to this question is left to the imagination of each individual.
But I didn’t go to Weihai alone, an Chinese actor of the same age as me traveled with me, and his name is Ho Ran 浩然. He, in fact, is the one who recommended me to a director from Weihai for this project. We have known each other before, through a friend with whom they are good friends, and together we have been to parties and dinners several times. My parents always tell me that it’s hard to meet a person at a party, and that’s true. On this two-day trip, I managed to get to know him much better. Previously, it seemed quite restrained and quiet, but on this trip it turned out to be the exact opposite of this, he is very talkative and fun, and extremely kind and attentive to everyone around him.
You can see more pictures from the trip on my social medias (小红书 ‘Little Red Book’ and Instagram) under the account’s name: @marko_degenek
The language was a barrier to our communication, because he does not speak English, and I also do not know Chinese so well that we would communicate normally, so we talked with the help of gestures and, of course, a translating app. He is completely focused on acting and has about 20 years of experience in the industry. We played some of the scenes together on the set, me, as a big boss and him, as my host. He was simply excellent and very sovereign. He made it very easy for me to play my role, because I practically only followed him. I am extremely happy that I was able to shoot side by side with him and learning some new acting tricks and skills at the same time.
In the script of the project – which will serve as a promotion of the city of Weihai – I played two roles. *The first role was filmed in the ancient village of Yandunjiao (煙墩角), where I played the role of a tourist with the camera, exploring this unique small fishing village surrounded by sea, mountains and rivers with beautiful scenery. There are not many people living in the village – there are only more than 500 households. The small houses in which every resident lives have become the biggest highlight. Although the area is very developed, the villagers live in thatched huts, huts with straw roofs. *The second, the last, was the previously mentioned role of the boss, an investor interested in new, modern Weihai projects. Early in the morning, before I started filming, Ho Ran was having a shoot on the beach acting as a father, a husband, who, along with his wife and child, enjoys the beach.
When we finished, the director invited us to an extremely delicious dinner and honored us with 白酒 baijiu (in translation: white alcohol), a traditional Chinese alcoholic drink that is 53% alcohol. Unfortunately, I could not stay until the end of dinner because I had a flight back to Shanghai. With a light head of two glasses of 白酒, I boarded a plane and flew back.