In 2018, while assisting Dandan and her students with multiple advertising shoots in Beijing, I found myself frequently navigating the city's bustling subway during peak hours. It was during this time that WeChat's voice messaging feature began gaining popularity, marking a shift in how people communicated. Observing passengers talking into their phones or headphones without engaging in real-time conversations sparked my interest in this form of communication—who were they talking to, and how would the recipients respond? This curiosity led to the development of the screenplay for "Addendum."

 

Beijing, at that time, felt like a city enveloped in solitude despite its crowded streets. This sense of isolation made the concept of "Addendum" even more compelling. In traditional Chinese culture, solitude is often viewed negatively. However, the script explores whether solitude is a choice or a necessity and questions if it's inherently negative or simply a facet of urban life. While I still grapple with these questions, my aim was to engage audiences in this dialogue.

 

Sharing my idea with Dandan led to an impromptu decision to shoot "Addendum" immediately following the completion of her advertisement, leveraging the resources at our disposal to produce the film cost-effectively. This meant wrapping up the entire project within five hours—a daunting task that our lead actor, Hao, a second-year student at the Central Academy of Drama, confidently undertook. His dedication and focus were admirable, given the challenge of shooting extensive content in such a short timeframe. The project was brought to life by a small team of five, with invaluable assistance from several temporary studio workers whose names I never learned but to whom I am deeply grateful for their contribution to completing this work.