Chapter 658: Golden Period of Career
Compensation for a male protagonist——
In fact, for a leading actor like Zhou Yuning who already has a box office hit and has won the Best Actor award, it is unlikely that there will be a shortage of leading actor roles in the next five to ten years.
One movie, "Nine Yins", is enough for him to make a fuss in the film market. If a few movies are unsuccessful, he can still make TV series or web series.
In this day and age, once a play is successful, it really takes a long time to make.
However, in the entertainment industry, there are always some resources that no matter how big an actor is, they still need to find ways to fight for, or even not necessarily be able to get.
For example, the Chinese films by Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou, the English films by Nolan and Spielberg, the Korean films by Bong Joon-ho, and the Japanese films by Hirokazu Koreeda.
It's not that the status of those big-name actors is not high enough, but in the ecological environment of the film industry, the movies made by these people have already reached the top and cannot go any higher. And there are only a few of them, so there are too many monks and too little meat. Even if you become a Buddha, you will still only have that piece of meat.
Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded to Zhou Yuning.
"I'll definitely be able to do it if there's a suitable role in the future."
Zhou Yuning said yes with satisfaction.
-
The filming of "Dragon Inn" was carried out in secret and no information was released to the public.
The same thing happened when Lu Yanhe came to visit the set.
With the team behind this film, there is no need to do too much publicity in advance.
This movie is a slam dunk no matter which time slot it is released in - of course, in terms of subject matter, it would still be at a slight disadvantage if it were released during the annual "Asura Field" of the Spring Festival.
After all, the Spring Festival period is a period that changes rapidly. It relies too much on the explosive power of the moment. Even if you earn 100 million yuan in box office in one day, if it is not higher than other movies, your schedule will be eaten up a lot the next day, and then the daily box office will be worse, entering a vicious cycle. The box office results that could have been achieved may directly evaporate hundreds of millions due to huge competition.
Lu Yanhe and Liu Bige talked about his and Longyan Pictures' plans for the film.
Linghe and Lu Yanhe also invested in part of this film, but Longyan was still in charge.
The movie version is in Long Yan's hands, but the story itself and other copyrights are still retained by Lu Yanhe himself.
Of course, putting all this aside, Lu Yanhe is also very concerned about this movie.
Liu Bige said: "Maybe Dragon Inn will go to the Jose-La-Cebu International Film Festival, or Venice. The other two film festivals are not considered. The style of this movie is not what those two festivals like, and it will easily lower its reputation."
"I totally agree." Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
"But we actually still regard Dragon Inn as a blockbuster movie. It is not a commercial film, nor an art film, but a top-notch blockbuster." Liu Bige said, "Longyan wants to blur the boundaries between the commercial and artistic aspects of this film and expand the audience as much as possible."
"This movie is just a commercial film. They should not promote it as an art film," Lu Yanhe said, "otherwise they will end up shooting themselves in the foot and not let the audience have unrealistic expectations."
"This movie is different from traditional commercial films."
"Of course, I am very confident that this story and this group of people can leave a mark in the history of Chinese-language films."
Lu Yanhe thought, are you kidding? The character of Jin Xiangyu is an enduring screen image that has influenced the creation of many subsequent Chinese-language film and television dramas.
"But if you tell people that this movie is great, full of ideas and artistry, then that's not necessary, really." Lu Yanhe said very seriously, "People who go to the cinema with such expectations will definitely be disappointed."
Liu Bige was stunned.
"The promotion of 'Fake Your Death' has already caused some complaints from your fans," Lu Yanhe said. "From the box office, it was of course a success, but what about your next movie? Another misleading promotion. Your fans will go to the cinema again and again with the intention of watching 'Late Spring', but find that it is not what they expected. They will be disappointed with you, right? Let me make it clear at the beginning. This is not an arty movie like 'Late Spring'. Those who want to watch 'Late Spring' will not be able to see 'Late Spring' in the movie. Without such expectations, there will be fewer disappointments, and they may not necessarily dislike your new movie. For a filmmaker, one's reputation determines the basic foundation of every future project. Longyan and his team care about the box office revenue of one or two movies, but you are a director who will make movies for the rest of your life."
Liu Bige was a little embarrassed and said, "If Longyan wants to promote it this way, I can't stop them."
"You don't have to cooperate with them." Lu Yanhe said, "I won't cooperate anyway. I'm the screenwriter, and I will tell them clearly what kind of story I wrote. But the script is never the core of a movie. I'm not the key, the director is, and you are."
If a movie fails at the box office, no one will blame the screenwriter.
That's the nature of the film itself.
The script is just the ingredients for the director to cook. How to cook it and what to make is all up to the director.
To put it more radically, in the film industry, screenwriters do not serve the audience, but the director. It is the director who serves the audience.
It’s not that the screenwriters don’t want to serve the audience, but just like no one would blame farmers for providing such unpalatable food to customers, they are in different positions in the industry.
One script, with ten directors shooting it, can produce completely different works.
It’s like Journey to the West, the characters are the same, the stories are the same, and they are all familiar.
however--
The good ones are all good in their own ways, and the bad ones are all bad in various ways.
-
Lu Yanhe really hoped that Liu Bige would not be kidnapped by Long Yan.
He felt that this was not Longyan's problem.
Any film company is not doing charity, it will definitely consider the issue of profit to the greatest extent possible.
But by the same token, the director as a creator is the same.
He should not compromise, he should not give in.
If he doesn't give in, will "Even Faking Death" not make money?
A director should have his own strong and persistent side.
If you can cooperate, then cooperate. If you can't cooperate, then forget it. Compromising won't make others think highly of you, it will only make them realize that you can still exploit them.
-
After Lu Yanhe's visit to the set of "Dragon Inn" ended, he returned to Yuming and suddenly received a call from Mrs. Huang, who wanted to meet him.
He thought that his conversation with Liu Bigo was known to Huang Tai, and the latter came to call him to task.
After all, Liu Bige was excavated from Longyan. In Huang Tai's eyes, Liu Bige belonged to Longyan, and Lu Yanhe was "inciting people to rebel."
Of course, Lu Yanhe was not afraid that Huang Tai would come to question him.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Huang did not contact him about this matter.
Mrs. Huang wanted to buy out the film rights to "Dragon Inn" from Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe just shook his head.
"Mrs. Huang, no."
Mrs. Huang asked, "Do you want to make another movie yourself?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head: "No, I won't do it. I'll just do the one about Liu Bige."
Mrs. Huang was puzzled and asked, "Then why are you unwilling to transfer the film copyright completely to us?"
"Because I don't want you to make it into a series." Lu Yanhe said bluntly.
Mrs. Huang: “…”
She really came here for this purpose.
The group of people in "Dragon Inn" are perfect for a sequel.
Any character can continue to tell their subsequent story.
Mrs. Huang asked: "Why? This movie has such great characters and stories. It can definitely be developed into a series."
"Because you will develop a series of standardized and commercialized martial arts films." Lu Yanhe shook his head, "I don't want this group of people to become like this, especially since you Longyan are so powerful. You can even get these actors and then shoot your sequel movies."
Mrs. Huang: “This——”
"I must first state that I am not unwilling to have a sequel to the movie, nor am I saying that Dragon Inn cannot be filmed, but how to film it, what kind of story can be filmed, and how it will be filmed, I cannot let it be controlled by others." Lu Yanhe said, "I like this group of characters and this story very much. I don't want them to become some stereotyped, stereotyped money-making tools."
Mrs. Huang: "Of course, Yanhe, maybe I didn't make it clear, we are very happy for you to participate in the production of these plays."
Lu Yanhe: "Participate? To what extent?" Mrs. Huang: "Like the current Dragon Inn?"
"I'm not involved in Dragon Inn right now because I trust Director Liu Bige very much. I believe he won't treat this movie carelessly." Lu Yanhe said frankly, "But I don't think Longyan will let Liu Bige continue to be the director of the subsequent sequels, right?"
Mrs. Huang showed hesitation.
"Mrs. Huang, if you want to develop a sequel, or a movie based on one of the characters, I hope you can come to me with a specific and mature idea. If I think it's suitable, I will authorize it." Lu Yanhe said, "But I don't feel comfortable giving you the film production rights for the story of Dragon Inn and these characters without knowing anything."
Mrs. Huang was a little dissatisfied and asked, "Yan He, do you have so little confidence in us?"
"Mrs. Huang, I saw how you used the name of Director Liu Bige during the promotion of the film "Fake Death"." Lu Yanhe said bluntly, "You turned a blind eye to the dissatisfaction of so many viewers, but I can't turn a blind eye. I don't like your attitude towards this matter. Liu Bige was discovered by you, so he suffered so much. I have nothing to say about his tolerance. But if you still hope to use my accumulated reputation and word of mouth to promote "Burning Fire" and "Dragon Inn" in the subsequent work, I will definitely not cooperate."
Mrs. Huang was surprised by Lu Yanhe's tough attitude.
So much so that after she met with Lu Yanhe and returned home, she felt very upset for a long time.
"What kind of attitude is this!"
-
"Lu Yanhe is too arrogant now. His successes one after another have clouded his mind! When he is at the peak of his career, we in Beijing and Taiwan can only temporarily avoid his limelight." Xu Bin said to Mrs. Huang with a smile.
Mrs. Huang didn't expect that Xu Bin was actually in her house.
"Why is Mr. Xu here?" Mrs. Huang smiled at Xu Bin and then looked at Huang Zhongjing.
Huang Zhongjing said: "He wants to invite you to come out of seclusion."
"Please ask me to come out of the mountain?" Huang Tai asked, "What for?"
Xu Bin: "Please come and record a program for our Beijing TV station."
"Ah?" Mrs. Huang was stunned.
Before she became Mrs. Huang, she had her own name, Wen Zhimao.
She used to be an actress, a famous actress.
But later, she retired from the film industry and became Mrs. Huang, the boss lady of Longyan Film Company.
After that, she still remained a public figure and still appeared frequently in the media.
But she never performed as an artist again.
Xu Bin said, "Mrs. Huang, we are going to make a variety show at Beijing Taiwan. The theme of the show is to invite celebrities who were once known by the public but are no longer active as artists to return to the camera, travel together, and review their past lives as artists."
Mrs. Huang didn't think much about it and said directly: "I'm sorry, I'm no longer an artist, and I have a lot of work to do. I don't have time to participate in this program."
"Mrs. Huang, the times have changed." Xu Bin said, "This program is not about letting you return to your identity as an artist. What's important is that this program will definitely be a hit because it features big names that everyone is familiar with. You can also make Longyan Pictures more well-known to the public, so that everyone can get to know Longyan Pictures better, understand what kind of movies you are making, and what kind of philosophy you are using to run this company. This is a window for the public to get to know you. Of course, it is also a free publicity window. Longyan's film projects in the next one to two years can all be known to everyone through you in this program."
Huang Tai looked at Huang Zhongjing.
Huang Zhongjing smiled at her, meaning that this person came prepared.
"Mrs. Huang, this era is an era of popularity and data." Xu Bin said, "Longyan is a top film company that has made so many good films. However, except for you, several old film companies have been eliminated because the film market has abandoned them. Now basically a box office hit can push a film company to occupy a place in the industry. And among the well-known film companies in the industry, especially the emerging ones, which company boss is not on the front line? This is no longer an era where bosses can hide behind the scenes."
Mrs. Huang said: "Even though you said that, I have never been hiding behind the scenes. I am quite active."
"Yes, we think so too, especially since you are so beautiful and suitable for the show." Xu Bin said, "Longyan has made so many moves in recent years, discovering a talented director like Liu Bige and launching a big project like "Burning Fire". To be honest, Longyan and you should actually get more applause than you do now. Look at Lu Yanhe's companies, from Jump Up to Linghe, to the Jump Up Theater and to supporting new directors, everything they do is very successful. They have made their company brand and concept very popular, and have done a good job in their image. As a result, everyone thinks he is doing something great."
Mrs. Huang said: "Lu Yanhe's success does not lie in the good management of his company, but in himself."
"Yes, I admit that. But, Mrs. Huang, you see, it is precisely because he is popular and respected that many benefits are fed back to his company." Xu Bin said, "If you can really return to the front of the screen, instead of just accepting interviews or attending some public events, and seriously cultivate your own personal image like Lu Yanhe is now a film creator who supports newcomers and promotes the development of the film industry, wouldn't it be helpful to Longyan? Apart from anything else, Longyan has to launch so many projects every year, and needs to recruit directors and actors--"
"I know that for Longyan, they are definitely willing to cooperate with Longyan's projects. This is not a problem, but Mrs. Huang, if you are popular enough, when you negotiate with others, whether investors or actors, I believe that it will be very different from what it is now."
If Xu Bin kept telling Mrs. Huang how much the audience wanted to see her, Mrs. Huang would not take it to heart at all.
But what Xu Bin said now exactly matched what Mrs. Huang was thinking.
In this era, a high-ranking, powerful company boss has, to some extent, fallen behind the mainstream. Many bosses of large companies are now "Internet celebrities" with a lot of attention and fans. This is determined by the current economic model, especially the deeper the company's relationship with the Internet model, the stronger the "Internet celebrity" attribute of the boss.
Xu Bin added: "If you, Mrs. Huang, already have many fans and are well-liked by everyone, especially if your love and contribution to the film industry are seen by everyone, would Lu Yanhe still dare to be so arrogant to you?"
Mrs. Huang is very rational.
"He has never been arrogant to me. Mr. Xu, don't say anything nonsense. Lu Yanhe and our Longyan have always had a good cooperative relationship. From "Late Spring" to "Burning Fire" to the movie currently being filmed, our Longyan is the film company that Lu Yanhe cooperates most closely with." Mrs. Huang took a look and warned him not to talk nonsense outside. "He broke up with your Jingtai because you are blind. We in Longyan have always treated talented young people well."
Xu Bin: “…”
He felt like he was being ignored.
"I can consider your program, but you need to provide more specific conditions on what your program can provide to me and Longyan," said Mrs. Huang. "The editing rights are in the hands of Jingtai. You can't just say it verbally. All these need to be written into the contract."
When Xu Bin heard Mrs. Huang relax, he felt a little better.
"Of course."
"Who else is participating in this show?"
"We are talking about..."
-
"Jingtai wants to invite you to record a variety show?" Huang Kairen looked at Xin Zixing in surprise, "What kind of variety show is this?"
"Nominally, they invite some public figures who are not celebrities but have some connection to the entertainment industry and are well-known to travel together and talk about the entertainment industry." Xin Zixing said, "To be honest, the idea of their program is quite good and quite interesting. To put it bluntly, they gather a group of people who have some connection to the entertainment industry and openly talk about entertainment industry gossip to attract viewers."
Huang Kairen: "How could they have thought of that."
Xin Zixing smiled: "Yeah, it's amazing that they could come up with this idea."
"Then are you going?" Huang Kairen asked.
"No, I refused directly." Xin Zixing said, "My work is closely related to Yan He. It's not that I'm afraid Yan He will be unhappy. He will definitely not be unhappy because I go to record this program. We all make money to eat. But if this matter is put on the table, there will definitely be a lot of people who will wonder why I go to record a Beijing TV program. I guess a lot of people will scold me at that time, so forget it. Otherwise, I'm quite happy to make some money easily."
"Yan He will still be unhappy, right?" Huang Kairen said, "To some extent, you are responsible for most of the variety show production on Yan He's side. Although he and Jingtai have reconciled on the surface, everyone can see what's really going on."
"You don't understand Yan He." Xin Zixing said bluntly, "If I were responsible for producing this program, Yan He would really be unhappy, but if I were just recording a program, he wouldn't be unhappy at all. His greatest advantage is that he can understand everyone's selfishness. It's not as easy for me to make money as it is for you famous artists. Recording a program for more than ten days and getting seven figures in the bank, only a fool would not do it."
Huang Kairen: “Okay.”
"Also, if I go on this show, they will definitely hype up our relationship, and I don't like that." Xin Zixing said, "You can't prevent that. Forget it. When the time comes, they will talk about other people's melons and eat our melons. It's better not to make this money."
Huang Kairen: "I don't have any opinion on this matter. Anyway, it has been made public, so I don't have any burden."
"Yes." Xin Zixing nodded. "By the way, when are you going to send out the wedding invitations to everyone? They need to save time to attend our wedding, but they have to come some time in advance. The people in your circle are all very busy."
Huang Kairen said: "After I finish filming this movie, it would be more appropriate for me to send off some people in person."
"Okay." Xin Zixing nodded, "Do you have to go back to the crew tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow." Huang Kairen said, "I have a commercial shoot tomorrow. Since it's out, I'll take all the time off at once so the crew can coordinate the shooting schedule."
"Okay." Xin Zixing said, "But once you finish filming, my work will start again."
"It's okay, this is good. You can accompany me when I work, and I can accompany you when you work." Huang Kairen said, "I will reduce the frequency of filming in the future, and only film one or two dramas a year in the future."
"Don't do that. This is the golden period of your career. Just do your thing and don't regret it later and blame me." Xin Zixing said.
-
I recommend an old book on entertainment, "I Became the Scandal Heroine Overnight."
I worked overtime too late, finished writing the update in the office, and now I'm home.
good night.
(End of this chapter)
