Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang performed "Green Apple Paradise" on the last Spring Festival Gala, which received a great response. They were actually invited to perform on last year's Spring Festival Gala, but their schedule was not the invitation came this year, it happened that the three of them had time and could attend.
After the three of them were confirmed to perform on this year's Spring Festival Gala, Li Zhibai asked Lu Yanhe if he wanted him to write a duet song for them again this year.
Among Lu Yanhe's many identities, the identity of a songwriter is usually the least noticed.
However, a rough calculation shows that Lu Yanhe has already created several popular songs such as "Memorial", "Young Battlefield", "Bewitched", and "Green Apple Paradise".
In the past few years, many singers have come to Lu Yanhe to invite him to sing for them, but Lu Yanhe declined them all.
He also has a song called "Childhood" in his hand, which he has kept and has not officially published.
Before, I thought this song was very good and didn’t want to release it hastily, so I saved it for a very meaningful stage.
However, later on, his focus shifted to the creation of film and television dramas, and this song was put at the bottom of the box and has never been released.
Chen Ziyan also asked Lu Yanhe how to deal with the song "Childhood". Lu Yanhe thought that he should stick to his previous idea. Since he was not going to be a singer, he was not in a hurry to release the song.
Lu Yanhe believes that no matter when this classic song is released, it will become a performance track for specific occasions for a long time. But what is the significance of this song to Lu Yanhe?
Any work is inseparable from its creator - Lu Yanhe is not saying that this song was really written by him. He has not had the idea of "occupying the magpie's nest" just because he has been in this world for a long time, and started to blur the idea that those works were not copied by him.
Instead, after Lu Yanhe truly became an actor, he met many creators in this world, watched many works, and came to an understanding: in any era and in any place, your work must have a story. It can even be said that how high your work can achieve is related to the work itself on the one hand, and the story behind the work on the other.
In short, Lu Yanhe has not published "Childhood" until now because he has not found a suitable story for "Childhood".
Well, memories of childhood.
Of course, this could certainly be a reason.
But who doesn’t want to reminisce about their childhood?
For Yan Liang, "The Young Battlefield" is a journey of the mind in which the past life and the song express oneness.
For Li Zhibai, "Bewildered" is the unity of the song's style and the person's character.
For the three of them, "Green Apple Paradise" is a song that they, at this age, look back at their youth decades ago, so the song has a nostalgic feel, yet it is still full of youth and vigor in the midst of nostalgia and classicism.
These songs are in another world and have stories belonging to another musical personality.
But when they arrive in this world, they also need to find their musical personality in this world.
There has to be something a little different.
-
"When we were on the Spring Festival Gala this time, the director team asked us if we wanted to create a song ourselves. Of course, this also needed to be submitted to the director team for review." Li Zhibai said, "If the songs we provided are not good, they also prepared works, but the works they prepared are more positive."
A positive energy song similar to "Singing praises to our beautiful new era".
Of course they can sing too.
It’s just that, now that the three of them have finally gotten together to perform on stage, they still want to perform something different that belongs to them.
Lu Yanhe first played the song "Love" by Little Tigers, which is a song with a similar style to "Green Apple Paradise" and suitable for them.
Also suitable for the Spring Festival Gala.
Li Zhibai: This song is nice, and its style is very similar to "Green Apple Paradise".
Yan Liang: Yes.
Lu Yanhe said: There is another song with another style. Let’s give them to the director team and see how they choose.
Li Zhibai: Have you prepared another song?
Lu Yanhe: Yes, "Chinese".
This song by SHE was also one that Lu Yanhe had included in his playlist a long time ago.
It is also a song suitable for performance on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
Lu Yanhe sent a short clip he had recorded to the group. The main reason was that there were a lot of rap-like parts at the beginning, and he felt that he still needed to sing a part himself so that they could understand the style of the song.
Li Zhibai: Wow, the style of this song... is completely different from the style you wrote before. You actually write rap?
Lu Yanhe: I heard you sing a rap song in "Idol Era" before, and I liked it very much, so I learned it.
Yan Liang: This song is very suitable for the Spring Festival Gala, and so is "Love". I think both songs are very suitable.
Li Zhibai: It is a real loss for others that Yan He doesn't compose music for others.
Lu Yanhe: I only wrote these two songs this year. If I compose music for others, it will be our loss.
Li Zhibai: Hahahaha, that’s true, let others make the loss. We have agreed that we must have at least one performance stage together every year, and we will stick to this agreement.
Yan Liang: That’s right.
Lu Yanhe: Okay, okay.
Li Zhibai: We didn’t close last year.
Lu Yanhe: Last year we all had things to do and didn’t have time.
Li Zhibai: We will set aside time in the future, at least for the Spring Festival Gala. If the Spring Festival Gala does not invite us, we will perform on "Idol Era".
Lu Yanhe: Okay.
Yan Liang: Li Zhi, this is a good idea, let's do it this way in the future.
-
The three of them made an appointment to go to the recording studio to record demos of the two songs so that they could send them to the directors of the Spring Festival Gala and let them choose which of the two songs to perform in this year's Spring Festival Gala.
Before recording, the three of them had already learned both songs and were very familiar with them.
It only took them one day to record these two songs.
Of course, because it was just a demo, there was no complicated processing. Just a few instruments were used to make basic accompaniment so that the director team could understand the melody of the song.
When we came out of the recording studio together, it was evening, the sun was setting and it was getting dark.
Li Zhibai suggested: "Let's have a meal together before going back."
"Where to eat?"
"I don't know. Let's search and see if there are any new restaurants that have opened recently." Li Zhibai looked at Lu Yanhe, "Didn't the gourmets on 'Jump Up' recommend any new restaurants?"
Lu Yanhe took out his phone and said, "Let me ask. However, generally speaking, the stores that have been recommended by Jump Up recently require queuing, so it's not easy to reserve a seat."
Fortunately, there is a hotel that they rated as four stars but has not yet published it.
Xu Zijun knew that Lu Yanhe and the others wanted to go eat there, so he said, "Let me make a reservation for you. The last time we went there, we met the owner, and he gave us his contact information, so we can call ahead next time to get a 10% discount. The restaurant is quite remote and hard to find, and the owner wants to attract more customers this way. If you go there today, this restaurant will probably become popular before we even publish this store exploration note."
Li Zhibai drove them to the restaurant near the Fifth Ring Road.
This restaurant is indeed hard to find. It is in an alley, winding and it takes a while to find it.
This restaurant was renovated based on a courtyard house.
The name is "Youchun Garden", a very ancient name.
They entered the restaurant. The boss already knew that Lu Yanhe and the other three stars would come for dinner. Xu Zijun had already made arrangements at the scheduled time. Therefore, the private room was also prepared.
The boss welcomed them in very warmly.
"You three are really a great honor to have you here."
"Not really, not really." Li Zhibai immediately shook his head, "Boss, we only knew about this place after hearing the recommendation from a friend. What are your signature dishes? Recommend us a menu. There are only three of us, so we won't order our own dishes."
The boss smiled and nodded and said okay.
He added, "Our location is indeed quite remote, so we can only rely on recommendations from old customers and word of mouth to attract new customers. It's a rare opportunity for you three big stars to come here, can we take a photo together later?"
Li Zhibai: "No problem, boss, but before we leave, please keep our news here a secret for us."
"Okay, don't worry. I have specially arranged for this private room of yours to be served by someone I trust." The boss smiled and pointed at the person standing behind him, a young girl who looked a little reserved with a few freckles on her face. "Then I'll go to the kitchen and order the dishes for you. Xiaolian, you pour tea for the guests."
Xiaolian nodded in response.
She went to get the teapot.
Lu Yanhe and the others sat down.
"Which song do you think the director team will choose?" Li Zhibai asked as soon as he sat down.
Yan Liang said: "I think the director team will choose "Love"."
"why?"
"This song is more suitable for audiences of all ages." Yan Liang said, "'Chinese' is also very nice, but it is more relaxed and lively, and is more suitable for the National Day Gala, where the main theme is more intense."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I think so too."
Li Zhibai felt a little regretful when he heard this, "Actually, compared to 'Love', I would rather sing 'Chinese'."
Lu Yanhe was a little surprised, "Really?"
"Yeah." Li Zhibai nodded, "The styles of 'Love' and 'Green Apple Paradise' are too similar. If the three of us perform together on stage and the second time is still the same style, everyone might be a little disappointed."
"It's only the second time, and the styles are somewhat similar, so you won't be disappointed so quickly. Besides, this song is very nice." Yan Liang retorted, "You just like the rap-heavy and fast-paced songs like 'Chinese'."
Li Zhibai nodded.
“I do prefer this style.”
The style of "Love" does not really match Li Zhibai's own style.
"Both songs have been written, and they will definitely be performed on stage together." Lu Yanhe said, "No matter which one the Spring Festival Gala directors choose, we will find an opportunity to perform the other one together."
"Okay." Li Zhibai nodded. "In fact, there is usually a Lantern Festival Gala after the Spring Festival Gala. Maybe we will be invited to the Lantern Festival Gala as well."
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Then this is the best result."
Whether it is the Spring Festival Gala or the Lantern Festival Gala, its nature is different from other galas.
The stars they invite are the most popular stars in the past year, or the most representative stars in the corresponding fields in the past year.
Therefore, it would be unthinkable for three people like Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang to perform a show together at other evening parties, as it would waste their popularity and appeal.
However, for the Spring Festival Gala, there is a long queue of stars who want to perform on this stage.
A star is rarely given the opportunity to perform two shows.
Generally, they are in the form of shared tables.
Stars who have performed on the Spring Festival Gala are likely to be invited to the Lantern Festival Gala. However, the biggest stars will not go, they will only perform on the Spring Festival Gala. But it is difficult for the three of them to perform together on the Spring Festival Gala and then continue to perform together on the Lantern Festival Gala.
People won't always arrange the three of them together.
They're not really a group.
It requires communication and striving.
Moreover, evening parties like this have certain official task program indicators.
If they can sing their own songs on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, they will not be asked to sing their own songs at the Lantern Festival Gala.
Lu Yanhe thought about it seriously.
"I hope the director team can identify "Chinese Language" as a song that promotes traditional Chinese culture, so that we can continue to sing it at the Lantern Festival Gala."
Xiaolian poured them tea and brought them some fruits and snacks.
Li Zhibai first ate a spicy chicken foot.
“Oh my god, it’s so spicy!” Li Zhibai gasped for breath due to the spiciness and drank the barley tea.
Xiaolian immediately looked apologetic.
"This chicken feet is a bit spicy. I forgot to remind you. Sorry."
"It's okay." Yan Liang waved his hand, signaling Xiaolian not to feel guilty. He smiled and took out his phone to take a picture of Li Zhibai, who was blushing. "It's rare to see him like this, so I'll take a picture to commemorate him."
Li Zhibai immediately gave Yan Liang a middle finger.
"I'm really impressed by you." He gulped down a large cup of barley tea before he came to his senses a little.
After being interrupted by Li Zhibai, Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang became curious about the spicy chicken feet. They tried it and both ended up blushing from the spiciness.
This time it was Li Zhibai's turn to laugh at them after he had recovered from his shock.
Xiaolian looked at the scene in front of her and pursed her lips slightly.
Lu Yanhe's cell phone suddenly rang.
When Lu Yanhe saw the caller's name, it turned out to be Hua Ruzhen, the wife of "The Mist" director Muken Sorge, which surprised Lu Yanhe.
"I'll take a call." Lu Yanhe said to them, took his phone and left the room, walked to the corridor outside the door, and answered the call, "Hello, sister."
During the filming of "The Mist", Lu Yanhe and Hua Ruzhen had already called each other brother and sister.
"Yan He, I've returned to China and am now in Yuming. Are you in Yuming?" Hua Ruzhen's hearty voice came from the other end of the phone.
Lu Yanhe: "I'm here, sister, where are you now?"
Hua Ruzhen said, "I just left the airport and am going to check in at the hotel. Are you free tonight? If you are free, let's go out for a drink later. I haven't been to Yuming for a long time, and I need you to take me around."
Lu Yanhe immediately said, "Sister, I am preparing to have dinner with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang. Why don't you come directly to our place and I will take you to the hotel after dinner? You haven't had dinner yet, right?"
"I haven't eaten yet, but am I not disturbing you by coming here rashly?"
"It's just the three of us. It's okay. I'll introduce you to each other." Lu Yanhe didn't even need to ask for their opinions in advance about Li Zhibai and Yan Liang. It was because of this relationship that he wanted to introduce them to Hua Ruzhen whenever he had the chance. "You should know them, right?"
"Of course, I told you, I'm a veteran viewer of Chinese-language films and TV series." Hua Ruzhen smiled heartily and said, "Okay, then send me the address, I'll change it and come directly to you."
Lu Yanhe: "Okay, this place is hard to find. Let me know when you're almost there and I'll come out to pick you up. Cars can't get in, and it's hard to find it on your own. It's like a maze."
"it is good."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yanhe sent her the address, and then he remembered and asked: Sister, are you alone? Is Mu Ken with you?
Hua Ruzhen replied: I am the only one here, he went back to Germany to be with his parents.
Lu Yanhe: Okay.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yanhe returned to the box and told Li Zhibai and Yan Liang that Hua Ruzhen would be coming over later.
"Okay, then just add another set of bowls and chopsticks." Li Zhibai said to Xiaolian, "Thank you for your help."
Xiaolian went there immediately.
Li Zhibai asked: "You have such a good relationship with this Sister Hua? She came to see you when she returned to China?"
"We were filming in Canada at the time, and there were only two Chinese people like us, so how could we have a bad relationship?" Lu Yanhe said, "She often cooked Chinese food and invited me to eat. It can be said that if it weren't for her, Director Muken wouldn't have made the ghost in The Mist a Chinese person, and I might not have been able to establish a personal relationship with Director Muken later."
Yan Liang: "When I heard you talk about her before, I felt that she was a very powerful woman."
"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded, "She is a very wise woman."
This was the most profound impression Hua Ruzhen left on Lu Yanhe.
She has always been by Muken's side. She is not a career-oriented woman, but she does not give people the impression of a "housewife" at all.
After dealing with her, Lu Yanhe had an impression of being calm, composed and graceful.
Hua Ruzhen not only takes good care of Muken's life, she is also very clear about Muken's work, even Muken's work environment and interpersonal relationships. She always acts like a lubricant at critical moments to help Muken move things forward better.
Not only did she often invite Lu Yanhe to dinner, she also got along well with many people in the crew.
It can be said that for many people in the crew, she is even more trustworthy than Muken. But because of her care for everyone after work and the trust she brought to everyone, the operation of the crew, especially the support for Muken, is an invisible help.
Lu Yanhe has met many directors' wives.
Although in a sense, "director's wife" is a relatively "sexist" term in the current context.
——Some people may ask, why is there no director husband?
Putting aside the issue of discrimination or not, the current situation is that there are far more directors’ wives than their husbands.
Therefore, what Lu Yanhe really wanted to say was that among this group of people, Hua Ruzhen was the only one he knew who had not truly become a vassal of the director, and who had great wisdom. With the help of such a role, she not only helped her husband's directorial career, but also made herself impossible to be ignored.
It's not easy.
-
When Lu Yanhe met Hua Ruzhen, Hua Ruzhen let out a surprised scream the first time she saw him, then enthusiastically held Lu Yanhe's face with both hands, rubbed it like an elder, and then let go.
Unlike before when Mu Ken was around, Hua Ruzhen would just give him a warm hug.
"You look a little more solid than when you were filming The Mist. Have you been working out recently?"
Hua Ruzhen noticed the change in Lu Yanhe's body shape as soon as he came up and asked.
Lu Yanhe helped her carry two suitcases and led her forward.
"Yes, I just finished filming the second part of The Seventeenth Floor, which required me to be a little more muscular than when I was filming The Mist."
"The second season of 'The Seventeenth Floor' is also being filmed. I'm really looking forward to it. My friends and I all like this drama very much." Hua Ruzhen said, "Next time you go to the United States and Europe, I'll take you to meet the Chinese community there. Many people are your fans. Knowing that I know you, they all hope that I can take you to meet them."
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded. "When The Mist is released, there will definitely be a chance."
"Yes." Hua Ruzhen nodded. "They also have some people who are investing in film and television dramas. I heard you say before that you have the idea of writing English scripts and have made some progress in Europe and the United States. If you know them, they may be able to give you some help if you want to do these things in the future."
"That's great." Lu Yanhe smiled and thanked him, "Sister, is there anything you want to do this time you come back?"
"I came to meet some friends." Hua Ruzhen said, "Actually, I'm in the United States. I have a few friends who are interested in investing in domestic film and television dramas. However, they are not very familiar with the domestic situation. I came here to help them take the lead and see the situation."
Lu Yanhe was a little surprised and said, "Sister, I didn't know you were doing this kind of business."
Hua Ruzhen: "It's just a small business, it's different from your big business."
Lu Yanhe thought about it, smiled, and said, "The domestic film and television drama market is quite large, but I didn't expect that your overseas friends are also interested in it."
"My circle of friends is still mostly Chinese, plus I'm married to a director, so everyone generally assumes that I know a little bit about it." Hua Ruzhen smiled and shrugged, "We have been investing in this area before, but it's not a big deal. Everyone just puts out some money to test the waters and have fun. This time, someone gave us two projects that looked pretty good, so I came here to check it out."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized and understood.
He nodded.
"I heard that you also opened your own production company?" Hua Ruzhen asked.
Lu Yanhe smiled and waved his hands. "I was just doing some small things, participating in some projects where I was the lead actor or the screenwriter. It's not a formal, industrialized production company."
Hua Ruzhen nodded, "Many actors have such a production company, and some of them later transformed and became a real production company."
“I still need to work on this aspect.”
Hua Ruzhen nodded.
Both sides stopped talking about this topic.
When they arrived at Youchun Garden and entered the private room, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang got to know Hua Ruzhen through Lu Yanhe's introduction.
"You three are really big now." Hua Ruzhen said with a smile, "You have become the three giants among the young generation of male actors in China."
When Yan Liang heard Hua Ruzhen's words, he was so scared that he quickly waved his hands.
Li Zhibai said: "Sister Hua, your words are too scary. What Big Three? Among the three of us, who dares to claim this title?"
"I'm not asking you to claim this title." Hua Ruzhen smiled and waved her hands. "This is just a little expectation from someone who has been paying attention to the Chinese entertainment industry. And, I'm not wrong. Among male actors of your age, are there any who have achieved more than you?"
"Yes, yes, look at the actors in Three Mountains and Friends, they are not worse than us." Li Zhibai said immediately, "And Wang Dashan in Lost on Journey." Hua Ruzhen: "They still can't compare with you guys, right?"
Yan Liang shook his head and said, "They are almost the same, almost the same."
Hua Ruzhen smiled, "Okay, since you are so modest, I won't say that. Anyway, you three are all great, keep up the good work. We are all paying attention to the three of you, including the performance of 'Liu Guang Yin' by you, Yan Liang. My friends and I are paying close attention to it."
Yan Liang said thank you in surprise.
Yan Liang didn't know the meaning behind Hua Ruzhen's words, but after hearing what Hua Ruzhen came here to do, he immediately realized the meaning.
Lu Yanhe suddenly remembered something.
"Sister, is there any investment from you behind the drama 'Liu Guang Yin'?" Lu Yanhe asked directly.
Hua Ruzhen smiled at Lu Yanhe, admitted the matter, and said, "I did invest a little in the early stage."
Lu Yanhe: "No wonder, Yan Liang told me before that he had some disputes with the heroine of this drama, Zhang Lan. It turns out that you sisters are supporting Yan Liang."
Yan Liang only reacted at this time and looked at Hua Ruzhen with some surprise.
He has never known who the investors behind the drama "Liu Guang Yin" are.
An S-level drama on a platform like this, with an investment of hundreds of millions, is definitely not something that can be taken over by just three or four companies.
In today's environment, it is impossible for any company to put all its eggs in one basket.
If something happens to some idiot, the show can't be broadcast, then it will be a waste of money——
This is the current situation, so any drama is destined to have multiple investors sharing the risk.
However, Yan Liang did not expect that among them was Hua Ruzhen.
Hua Ruzhen said: "We in this circle will pay more attention to the projects starring you, and everyone has great confidence in you."
Lu Yanhe asked with a smile: "Sister, when Director Muken asked me to act in "The Mist", it was you who recommended me behind the scenes, right?"
"I didn't recommend you seriously. I just took him to watch several movies you starred in so that he could get to know you." Hua Ruzhen smiled slightly, "I don't believe he will choose someone else after seeing your performance."
At this moment, many things suddenly became clear.
Why would a film director who already has successful masterpieces suddenly notice an actor like Lu Yanhe?
This is not a film by those art film directors from the International Film Festival. If they noticed Lu Yanhe and invited him, Lu Yanhe could understand it.
Why did the crew of "Liu Guang Yin" support Yan Liang so much? Between Zhang Lan and Yan Liang, they chose Yan Liang without hesitation?
Lu Yanhe and Hua Ruzhen have known each other for some time. It was not until now that he suddenly realized that Hua Ruzhen actually had power far beyond his expectations.
-
After having dinner together, Hua Ruzhen expressed his feelings very seriously.
"This restaurant is really good. I will make a note of it and bring my friends here to eat next time."
When the boss heard this, he immediately smiled and handed over his business card, saying, "You are most welcome. If you need anything, feel free to contact us."
Hua Ruzhen took the business card handed over by the boss and said, "I may hold a private party at my own place in the future. I hope I can invite your chef then."
The boss was a little surprised, "Huh?"
This was a business scope he had not thought of.
Hua Ruzhen laughed and said, "I promise, I will never poach you. I am just borrowing you, and the price will satisfy you."
The boss didn't understand what was going on at once, so he could only nod.
Lu Yanhe sent Hua Ruzhen to the hotel first, and Li Zhibai and Yan Liang went back first.
Zou Dong drove the car, and Lu Yanhe sat in the back with Hua Ruzhen.
"Sister, why didn't you tell me before that you were still investing in film and television dramas?"
Hua Ruzhen said: "This is just a hobby, not a serious job. Besides, the funds I manage cannot be compared with those real tycoons. It's just a group of friends who get together to have fun. I'm not being modest with you, this is the truth."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "But I didn't expect that you actually invested in "Liu Guang Yin"."
"There are many projects I invested in that you haven't thought of." Hua Ruzhen said, "We also invested in the movie "Burning Fire."
Lu Yanhe looked surprised.
Hua Ruzhen: "However, the reason I returned to China this time is because I have some new situations. Now things have not been settled, so I will not tell you for now. I will contact you when things are settled later."
Lu Yanhe was stunned when he heard this.
Hua Ruzhen's words seemed to have some clues.
What has been decided? Do you need to contact him again?
Lu Yanhe thought of what Hua Ruzhen had said today about her investment in TV series, and how she had emphasized several times that it was just a small thing, a hobby, or just for fun...
Could it be that Hua Ruzhen is planning to make something big next?
When this idea popped up in Lu Yanhe's mind, Lu Yanhe felt that it might not be impossible to be true.
"The editing of The Mist is almost done." Hua Ruzhen suddenly smiled at Lu Yanhe and said, "The people from D19 should contact your team soon. The film will be released in January next year as planned. At that time, the film will have some promotional activities. After the Simon Schmid incident, you are now one of the focuses of the film. I think you will be busy next."
Lu Yanhe was stunned.
"The Mist" is scheduled to be released in January, and Lu Yanhe knew about this before.
However, at that time, the film did not say that Lu Yanhe would be involved in the entire promotion.
On the one hand, The Mist is a horror film, and its promotion schedule is different from the mainstream promotion method. Lu Yanhe can only attend two or three premieres or promotional activities. His contract also stipulates that he will only cooperate with three promotional activities.
On the other hand, Lu Yanhe will be filming "Friends" in December. They will still adopt the model of filming and broadcasting at the same time. At that time, December will definitely be a very busy month for Lu Yanhe.
It might be a bit difficult for him to take time out during this period to cooperate with the promotion of "The Mist".
Lu Yanhe thought that he might need to communicate with Chen Ziyan about this matter as soon as possible to see how to coordinate and resolve it.
And just as Hua Ruzhen said, within two days, D19 company contacted Chen Ziyan.
"Fortunately, the situation is slightly better than we expected." Chen Ziyan said, "The release date of The Mist in the United States is January 1. The tentative promotion nodes are the release of the trailer on December 6 and the release of the making-of feature on the 12th. We don't need to cooperate with anything offline in December. We just need to cooperate with the promotion online. However, there will be a world premiere in Los Angeles on January 6, which you need to attend. There will also be some media interviews, including photo shoots for four film magazines, which are all arranged by D20. This means that we can't stay in China between January 1 and 3."
Lu Yanhe asked: "How will the filming of "Friends" be arranged?"
Chen Ziyan said: "We are still in the mode of broadcasting two episodes a week, filming and broadcasting at the same time. I originally wanted to discuss whether it can be postponed, but the TV station has already scheduled the broadcast and the investment, the studio scenery has been completed, and everyone's schedule has been vacated. We can't postpone the filming because of our small matter. This will cause at least seven figures in losses."
"What should we do then?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"Start shooting ahead of schedule." Chen Ziyan said, "Let's finish the shooting for the promotional week in January ahead of schedule."
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.
"Can it be done?"
"We'll try our best," Chen Ziyan said. "If we don't shoot in advance and prepare here, we definitely won't be able to shoot that week in January. The two episodes that we shot in advance will be consumed that week. Then when we come back from the United States, the entire crew will have to work at full capacity. If there are any problems during the shooting, there will be no buffer time, and we may end up shooting straight away."
Lu Yanhe had a big headache.
Whether or not to start shooting ahead of schedule is not an easy thing to coordinate.
With so many people in a film crew, no one is idle and on call at all times.
Sure enough, after some communication, the filming of this drama started at most three days in advance.
After Hu Siwei learned about Lu Yanhe's situation, he suggested: "If it really doesn't work, let's modify the shooting plan. The shooting plan we made before left more time for shooting. If we squeeze in time, we can actually shoot one more episode per week."
According to their original plan, each week should be like this:
On Monday, we sit together to read the script. Each actor reads his or her lines and then makes suggestions for revisions. The screenwriter in the group then makes fine adjustments based on the suggestions made during the script reading. Other crew members also need to adjust their work based on this revised version.
Tuesday is a day for rehearsal.
Wednesday to Friday are used to shoot the two episodes that need to be shot that week. If there is a need to go out on location, one more Saturday may be needed because it takes more time to go out on location.
Sunday is for rest.
This is the production rhythm of a sitcom that is filmed and broadcast at the same time.
At that time, it could have been filmed all at once and then broadcast, but Lu Yanhe suggested that filming and broadcasting at the same time could effectively absorb the audience's feedback and make adjustments in the later plot. So in the end, everyone negotiated and decided to adopt the method of filming and broadcasting at the same time as the first season of "Friends".
This also makes everyone very excited.
As an actor, that means you can never relax.
But it also means that they can gain filming experience that most film and television actors cannot get.
While filming, you can get feedback from the audience and then apply it to the subsequent performance.
Lu Yanhe did not expect that the shooting method he proposed would eventually limit himself.
Lu Yanhe has also signed a contract with "The Mist", so it is impossible for him to miss the promotion there.
After much consideration and hesitation, Yuehu TV finally proposed that if it really didn't work, they should adjust the broadcast plan from two episodes a week to one episode a week.
This way, their production pressure will be much less.
Lu Yanhe can go to the United States calmly to cooperate with the promotion of "The Mist". The filming of "Friends" does not need any adjustments or modifications and can still be done according to the original plan.
"But can one episode a week retain the audience?" Hu Siwei is worried about this.
Lu Yanhe was actually a little worried.
Especially, this is the return season of "Friends". After the collapse of the reputation of "Friends" Season 3, it is hard to say how many viewers are willing to support this series.
Lu Yanhe was the first to reject this proposal.
"No, the show's broadcast schedule must remain the same as before. We cannot change it to one episode per week. Otherwise, this change might make the audience even more unhappy with our show." Lu Yanhe said, "Our primary mission for this season of Friends is to win back the original audience."
At this point, Lu Yanhe was actually very moved and felt very guilty.
No one blamed him because his movie promotion plan caused so much trouble for "Friends".
Everyone is working hard to find a solution.
Li Zhibai saw Lu Yanhe sighing in melancholy for several days, with a frown on his face. After knowing what he was worried about, he asked in confusion, "Is this worth worrying about for so long?"
Lu Yanhe asked: "Isn't this worth worrying about? Is there any way to solve this problem?"
"Why can't we solve this problem?" Li Zhibai said, "This is a sitcom, not a drama that pushes the main plot forward in every episode. You can just add two episodes in the week you're away, find a reason so that you don't have to appear in those two episodes, or film your scenes in advance so that it doesn't affect other people's filming."
Li Zhibai's words gave Lu Yanhe an epiphany.
ha?
That's right.
Is it possible to do this?
Lu Yanhe stood up excitedly, "Li Zhibai, you can do it!"
Li Zhibai looked at Lu Yanhe, who was very excited, with confusion and disdain.
"You are not going to pounce on me, are you? I'm telling you, don't do it." Li Zhibai said, "I'm not Yan Liang, my body can't withstand your pounce."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He said, "You've already finished filming the movie 'Go to Hell', so why don't you make a cameo appearance in the two episodes that I'm not in."
Li Zhibai: "What the hell?"
"It was decided happily."
"Who made the happy decision with you? I need to rest! I have two more movies to shoot next year!"
"It's just two episodes, and we'll only have to shoot it in a week." Lu Yanhe said, "You've been complaining before that we didn't write a role for you in the Friends series, but now we've written a role for you."
Li Zhibai: "You remember me now?!"
"Since I'm absent, you're the only one left to help me out."
"If you want to say that--" Li Zhibai curled his lips, "Okay then."
Lu Yanhe immediately shared this idea with Hu Siwei, Chen Ziyan and others.
Everyone said, this is a good idea!
-
"Friends" got two more episodes for no reason, the platform was happy, the sponsors were happy, and the actors were happy too.
When the filming of "Friends" started, it coincided with the release of the behind-the-scenes footage of "Wulin Waijia" by coincidence.
This also became a highly-watched news item of the day.
These two sitcoms, one modern and one ancient, are both big hits. Lu Yanhe's return brought Friends back to life, and it was renamed Friends. After half a year of fermentation, My Own Swordsman became more and more popular, and its long-tail effect is no worse than Friends, and the data is encouraging.
In November, "Wulin Wai Zhuan" had already become the annual champion in terms of new membership and number of viewers of Northern Lights Video.
In comparison, although "Squid Game" is popular all over the world, its performance in China is not as good as "Wulin Waijia".
Of course, where there is joy there is sorrow.
During the previous Golden Tripod Awards, "Squid Game" and "Wulin Wai Zhuan" were not shortlisted for any awards.
I also don’t know if I will gain anything at the Red River Awards and Blue Ribbon Awards in February or March next year.
The themes of these two dramas are indeed not what mainstream awards would have favored in the past.
Lu Yanhe did not hold out much hope for his work to win awards. It is indeed difficult to compare the artistry and depth of this type of drama and comedy with serious drama.
However, Lu Yanhe feels that both Jiang Jun in "Squid Game" and Liu Zi in "Wulin Waijia" have given performances that are absolutely in no way inferior to any TV King or TV Queen. The difficulty and complexity of their two roles are no less than those of the roles in serious dramas.
Lu Yanhe feels that these two actors should not be ignored when it comes to acting awards.
At the launch of Friends, Lu Yanhe was thinking about this matter. Suddenly, Yan Liang came over with his phone in his hand, looking a little excited, and said to Lu Yanhe, "Old Lu, look!"
Lu Yanhe was stunned, "Huh?"
Yan Liang took the phone and showed him the screen.
"Look, Squidward! It's nominated for the Golden Globe Awards! Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series, and Best Actress in a Drama Series, three nominations!"
As soon as Yan Liang finished speaking, Lu Yanhe's own cell phone rang.
It was a call from Zhong Benshuo.
Lu Yanhe immediately realized why Zhong Benshuo called him.
This time, Lu Yanhe quickly answered the call from Zhong Benshuo.
"Hello, Mr. Zhong."
"Yanhe, congratulations! Our Maxine submitted this drama to the Golden Globe Awards, and "Squidward: The Last Airbender" was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards!" Zhong Benshuo said excitedly.
Lu Yanhe laughed.
"Yes, I just saw the news. It's great. It's really something worth celebrating."
Zhong Benshuo said: "It's incredible that a non-English drama was nominated for the Golden Globe Awards! We didn't expect this."
Lu Yanhe actually didn't think of it either.
He knew that in its original time and space, "Squid Game" had become a hot favorite to win an award that year because it represented the unprecedented heights and popularity achieved by Korean dramas, but that was purely in line with the trend at the time and with the great support of Netflix, the streaming giant, it achieved such a result.
"Squid Game" did not actually achieve as explosive results here as the original time and space. It's not that it is not popular in Europe and the United States, but it is not that popular.
Moreover, due to the ownership of copyright, "Squidward" is essentially still a Chinese drama without American capital. At that time, "Squidward" was regarded by Netflix as a typical case of non-English works becoming popular globally, and the whole company was pushing it to give it a golden body.
Maxine wouldn't do anything like this for Squidward Games.
In this case, why did "Squidward Floyd" still receive three nominations at the Golden Globe Awards?
Lu Yanhe was also surprised.
Of course, no matter what, this is something to be very happy about.
Jiang Jun was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards, and Jiang Yuqian was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards.
It can be said that these are nominations that make history.
Ms. Zhang's international status is largely due to the fact that "Memoirs of a Geisha" brought her a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, which has firmly defended her status to this day - of course, it was definitely not the nomination for this trophy.
But again, many things cannot be quantified, so when we want to evaluate a person and tell who is better, we can only compare them based on quantifiable indicators.
Apart from her, it was not until many years later that Ms. Yang won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for "Blink", making Ms. Zhang no longer the only Chinese actress to be nominated.
Getting the nomination or not does not prove that an actor’s acting skills are better or more awesome.
But getting this nomination at least proves one thing: the success of "Squid Game" and the performances of Jiang Jun and Jiang Yuqian have been noticed.
Lu Yanhe was very happy for them, and then declined to attend the Golden Globe Awards ceremony to be held on January 1.
He can no longer take time off from the Friends crew.
He wasn't nominated for Best Screenplay or Best Drama, and there's a 90% chance he won't win. His going there would just be to walk on the red carpet and show his face, there would be no other use.
It would be another matter if he himself was nominated for an individual award.
Zhong Benshuo was shocked when he learned that Lu Yanhe did not plan to attend the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.
what?
Not even attending the Golden Globe Awards?
Just because we're going to film "Friends"?
Can't you spare a day?
This is the Golden Globe Award!
-
"It's a shame that you can't attend the Golden Globe Awards," Chen Ziyan said. "The exposure and nature of this event are different from other award ceremonies. In the United States, besides the Oscars, the Golden Globe Awards has the greatest influence."
Lu Yanhe said: "I know it has a great influence, but Sister Zi Yan, I have no personal award nomination, so even if I attend, it will not mean much."
"In that occasion, you can make many people in Hollywood know you," said Chen Ziyan.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Sister Zi Yan, I believe there will be many opportunities for them to get to know me in the future, not just this one. Besides, it's not that I don't want to attend, but because of Friends, I can't be away for two weeks at a time."
"It's not even two weeks," Chen Ziyan said. "You left on January 1th, the Golden Globe Awards were on the 5th, and you came back on the 11th. All in all, it was only a week."
"But it spans two weeks, which will affect the filming for two weeks. You know, the shooting schedule of "Friends" is not based on days, it is done week by week," said Lu Yanhe.
"We can't focus on one thing and lose the other. We can't lose the quality of Friends because of this. Sister Zi Yan, maybe Friends will become a global hit starting from this season. Have you seen the data provided by Zhong Benshuo and others? In the past few seasons of Friends, the number of viewers in Europe and the United States has been increasing. The news of our return of Friends has even become a hot search on overseas social media. Although this drama did not become popular overseas all at once, it has been accumulating viewers and fans. It will be a drama that will become more and more popular as it is broadcast. We can't let its quality be affected by my frequent leave."
Chen Ziyan sighed.
"Well, I'm just a little sorry that you're going to miss the Ballon d'Or ceremony."
Lu Yanhe understood what Chen Ziyan meant.
This is indeed not an ordinary exposure event. Even in the eyes of many media around the world, attending the Golden Globe Awards event itself is a symbol of identity, status and honor.
But Lu Yanhe also thought clearly that he didn't need it.
He will get better later.
The Mist was a start, and Squidward was a surprise, but they weren't flash in the pan.
Maybe next year, he will be able to bring the crew of "Friends" to the Golden Globe Awards or even the Emmy Awards. (End of this chapter)
