Chapter 296 Rehearsal

"Lu Yanhe has always been a very good person."

Chen Lingling said this in the interview.

“He didn’t call himself a genius actor; we did,” Chen Lingling said. “However, we really shouldn’t say that anymore, because it’s easy to overpraise a young actor.”

The interview with Chen Lingling by Television Review magazine is available in both video and text versions, and it mentions Lu Yanhe.

Her storytelling was very down-to-earth, and she wasn't the type to boast or exaggerate.

“Having known him for so long, he’s not the type to show off or flaunt his personality. Even during the promotion of our show’s broadcast, he basically followed the production team’s promotional schedule,” Chen Lingling said. “I also watched the promotional video that aired on Beijing TV. It probably wasn’t his idea to do that. In fact, promotional videos aired on a TV station are basically unrelated to the actors’ team; they’re all produced by the TV station itself. Of course, I guess they wanted to try a seemingly innovative promotional method. Isn’t self-praise very popular now? They thought that this deliberate self-praise was in line with the trend, but the effect wasn’t very good.”

"If the opportunity arises, I will certainly continue to work with him. When Director Luo Yuzhong recommended him, I was very optimistic about him. After working with him on 'Phoenix Terrace,' I was even more optimistic about him. He is an actor who is thoughtful and knows how to improve himself."

...

Chen Lingling's evaluation of Lu Yanhe makes her the first public figure to speak up for Lu Yanhe in the public media recently.

However, the focus of everyone's attention is that "in fact, these promotional videos broadcast on a TV station are basically unrelated to the actors' team; they are all produced by the TV station itself."

Lu Yanhe's fans were the first to notice this.

So, the fact that Lu Yanhe was ridiculed so much before had little to do with him? He might not even know about it?

Chen Lingling's words sparked heated discussion. In fact, she had already made many things quite clear in her words; it just depends on how people interpret them.

Chen Ziyan never expected that Chen Lingling would say such a thing during the interview.

In particular, Phoenix TV is still being broadcast on Beijing and Taiwan.

Phoenix TV's ratings have now surpassed 1% on both the Beijing and Taiwan channels, and it's poised to become the highest-rated TV series of the year.

Its effective online viewership has exceeded 2.1 billion, making it one of the most-watched TV series of the year.

Chen Lingling's words undoubtedly pointed the finger at Beijing-Taiwan as the culprit for the promotional video.

-

"Only Director Chen has the confidence to say something like that."

"The Beijing-Taiwan authorities are incompetent. They put Lu Yanhe in a very difficult position, but when things went wrong, they didn't say a word."

"So it turns out that it was Beijing and Taiwan that were behind this all along."

"Why didn't Lu Yanhe step forward to explain himself or say a word?"

"How do you explain this? Is a minor actor going to stand up and say it's Beijing TV's fault? His later works, 'The Seventeenth Floor' and 'Friends,' were all collaborations with Beijing TV. Can he really say that this promotional video has nothing to do with him and that it was all Beijing TV's doing? Does that mean his later shows won't be broadcast?"

...

The discussions have intensified again.

Those inside the circle, and those outside the circle.

Especially regarding the relationship between Beijing and Taiwan and the Luyan River.

He Yingzi was quite gloating, saying, "Lu Yanhe's cooperative relationship with Beijing and Taiwan was so close, I was quite worried that Beijing and Taiwan would give him the best resources. Now that this has happened, it's absolutely impossible. I'm relieved."

Because of the popularity of "Phoenix TV", Lang Xia really became a hit.

Now, Lang Xia is not only being pursued by several business partners who want to collaborate, but also by programs from Beijing and Taiwan who want him to be a regular guest or to appear on one or two episodes.

Just as He Yingzi had told Lang Xia before, once this drama airs, Lang Xia will become famous.

Lang Xia said, "But Director Chen is so supportive of him, likes him, and even said he would like to work with him on future projects."

Lang Xia had something else on his mind that he didn't say. Others thought Chen Lingling's speech was about explaining the promotional video, but Lang Xia was more interested in the sentence, "He basically followed the promotional rhythm of the production team."

Lang Xia knew that he was the one who hadn't followed the production team's promotional schedule.

From the moment "Phoenix TV" premiered, He Yingzi bought trending topics for him at an alarming rate, almost one a day, and his popularity was approaching that of Zeng Qiao.

Even Zeng Qiao started to dislike him, though he didn't say it directly, but Lang Xia could sense it.

The production team rarely included Lang Xia in their promotional activities until Lu Yanhe withdrew from the promotional work due to his involvement in the Beijing-Taiwan promotional video, after which his side received more publicity.

Many things don't need to be said directly; Lang Xia could sense it all. People at Phoenix TV were somewhat disgusted by his marketing methods. Especially Huang Cheng and Chen Lingling; although they didn't say a word, Lang Xia could clearly feel their dislike for him.

He Yingzi said it didn't matter.

"You don't need to worry about these things. As long as you become famous enough, these things will not matter in the future. They are not matters of principle."

Lang Xia asked, "Won't this affect my future collaborations with director Chen Lingling?"

"Do you think you can maintain a long-term partnership by simply not doing any marketing for yourself?" He Yingzi said. "She only makes one film every three or four years. You're going to miss this opportunity to become famous and then wait three or four years to work with her again? Have you thought about what your purpose is in working with her?"

He Yingzi knew what Lang Xia was worried about.

This collaboration was unpleasant, and next time director Chen Lingling makes a film, she might not cast Lang Xia even if there's a suitable role.

“Once you become famous, even if they mind this, they won’t stop working with you because of it,” He Yingzi said directly. “As a celebrity, the greatest virtue is to be famous. If you’re not famous enough, no matter how well you do in other aspects, it’s just a burden.”

Lang Xia: "..."

This statement is very much in line with He Yingzi's style.

-

The incident involving Beijing and Taiwan has sparked much discussion among netizens, but this time, no matter how many people are discussing it, related terms have not made it onto the trending search list.

Chen Ziyan immediately knew what was going on and said disdainfully, "When Yan He was being criticized, they didn't lift a finger, but when they themselves are being criticized, they know to suppress the heat. What bad luck."

Lu Qingzhen smiled and said, "That's just how things are between Beijing and Taiwan."

Chen Ziyan said, "If it weren't for the fact that we have two more dramas to work on later, I really wouldn't want to say another word to them."

Lu Qingzhen asked, "What is Yan He's attitude towards them?"

“He doesn’t coordinate with anyone else, he just holds meetings with Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian from time to time. What kind of attitude can he have?” Chen Ziyan was a little annoyed. “They had a program that asked Yan He to be on, and I refused directly. They even had the nerve to ask us why we didn’t cooperate with the publicity. I scolded them again. I think if this continues, my reputation in Beijing and Taiwan will be completely ruined.”

“What are you afraid of? It’s not like you think they’ll treat you like an easy person just because you don’t scold them,” Lu Qingzhen said. “To deal with these incompetent people, you have to scold them when necessary. Only by scolding them to their faces will they learn their lesson. There are too many people like this who are just loafing around in the station. They can make this kind of promotional video without even going through with you once before releasing it. Their brains are just a mess. If you don’t scold them, they won’t wake up.”

Lu Qingzhen spoke with righteous indignation, as if she had suffered greatly at the hands of these people.

Chen Ziyan nodded. "I've found that being a manager is really a cycle. When you have artists who can negotiate and challenge others, you stand tall. But if the artists you manage all need others to give them opportunities, then you have to bend over. Luckily, Xiao Lu is capable enough to let me stand tall and scold people."

Lu Qingzhen: "Then you're being modest. When you want to curse someone, do you care whether the artist you're managing is famous or not? When you were fighting with those people, you didn't care that Chen Bige was just a newcomer. Do you think you became famous overnight in this industry?"

Chen Ziyan: "Really?"

“Isn’t that right?” Lu Qingzhen retorted.

Chen Ziyan remained silent for a moment.

"It seems that's true."

Lu Qingzhen said, "Now Langxia has caught up with Yanhe in terms of data through marketing. Of course, I know you don't care about this temporary data. I'm just reminding you that in this era, relying on data operations may not be able to last long. I can more or less guess He Yingzi's thoughts. It doesn't matter if Langxia's reputation is bad now. The key is that he's popular and more people know him. Later, when the topic is generated, he can slowly whitewash his image. It's almost always the same approach."

Chen Ziyan: "I know, but to say that Lang Xia can pose a threat to Yan He right now is hard to say, isn't it?"

“Originally, it was hard to say, but this industry is all about fame and fortune. The FMCG brands you look down on, He Yingzi has gotten Langxia a lot of deals. In other people’s eyes, Langxia’s commercial deals come one after another, it’s really hot, the kind that even capital recognizes. As for Yan He… he’s always taken the route of ‘better to have none than to have bad ones.’ Phoenix TV was very good, and he got commercial deals too, but none of them met your standards.” Lu Qingzhen said, “In some people’s eyes, this became a sign that Lu Yanhe is not as popular as Langxia.”

Chen Ziyan: "Don't these people have eyes? Can't they tell what kind of quality the two people are receiving?"

“How many people would actually study this thoroughly? Quantity itself is a standard,” Lu Qingzhen said. “So I’m telling you, you need to be careful because in some aspects, you still retain the mindset of an agent from many years ago. It’s not that it can’t be used, but it may conflict with the consensus of the current environment.”

Lu Qingzhen added, "If it weren't for the fact that Yan He's 'Friends' is about to air and is generating a lot of buzz, and given Lang Xia's constant exposure, to be honest, in the eyes of many partners, Lang Xia might not be as easy to work with as Lu Yan He, since Lang Xia isn't as picky."

Lu Qingzhen's words made Chen Ziyan think deeply.

Why did it turn out like this?

Chen Ziyan wondered if she had really been too ambitious and made a mistake in her decision regarding Lu Yanhe's strategy.

This question lingered in Chen Ziyan's mind for a long time.

-

Naturally, no one from Beijing or Taiwan responded to Chen Lingling's words.

There was none on Lu Yanhe's side either.

After a period of discussion, the hype died down.

Lu Yanhe, together with Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian, finally finalized the cast for "Friends".

With the six main actors finally confirmed, Bai Jingnian immediately convened a script reading session with the actors.

The immense controversy currently plaguing Friends is putting considerable pressure on everyone involved.

In comparison, Lu Yanhe was the one who took the lead in facing the pressure.

Because he is the most famous one.

Now that Lu Yanhe's reputation has improved, as the plot of "Phoenix Terrace" begins to reach its climax, the guard played by Lu Yanhe is also beginning to reveal his secrets and has several important scenes. His performance is basically trending on social media every day along with the production team's promotion.

However, although people's impression of Lu Yanhe has improved, they are still not optimistic about "Friends".

Not only the audience, but also many people in the industry do not have a good opinion of Friends.

In this situation, they really didn't know what else to say. The film hadn't even been shot yet; were they supposed to hold up a megaphone and shout all over the world, "We will definitely make this film a great show!"

After everyone sat down, Lu Yanhe immediately sensed that the atmosphere was a little awkward.

He turned and looked at everyone.

Apart from Yan Liang and Wen Minglan, the other three people who were selected through the audition seemed a little nervous and uneasy. They sat in their seats, silently lowering their heads and not saying a word.

"Our cast of Friends is finally all together! This is the first time we've all sat down together to discuss the script." Hu Siwei, as the producer, was the first to speak. Although he was also very nervous and worried about the future of the show, "Our show is truly a hit even before it airs. I think you all hear a lot of comments about it every day."

Bai Jingnian chuckled and touched his nose, saying, "The first thing I do every day when I get out of bed is to check my phone to see how many people have messaged me, questioning why I chose to direct this show. It gives me a headache."

Lu Yanhe replied, "Who isn't?"

The group looked at each other, then suddenly smiled at the same time.

The laughter stunned the others.

Only Yan Liang, who knew Lu Yanhe best, understood what they wanted to do from Lu Yanhe's reaction. He smiled and teased, "It's okay. You three can take the lead and bear the pressure. We'll just follow behind. Your pressure has increased, but more people will know me. Let this pressure last a little longer."

Wen Minglan laughed and said, "The script for 'Friends' is very good. I like it very much. Sister Ziyan said that she has never made a mistake in choosing scripts. From Sister Bige to Brother Yongzhou, and then to Yanhe, I trust Sister Ziyan's judgment. So, even if many people outside are pessimistic about this drama, I don't care."

Lu Yanhe said to Wen Minglan, "We're really from the same school, that's awesome!"

The group chatted and laughed, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

At this time, the newcomers were gradually infected by everyone's optimistic mood and became less anxious.

-

The level of hype surrounding "Friends" before filming even began was almost higher than that of any other TV series in the past year.

It seems that no other drama has ever received this much attention and discussion before filming even began.

So much so that many people are starting to wonder if Friends will eventually decide to air on both TV and online.

With such high popularity, this drama is bound to fetch a good price on video platforms.

Some people left messages on Hu Siwei's social media platform, questioning whether he had such plans.

Hu Siwei replied with two words: Bullshit.

During the two days of script readings, the actors have already figured out the script for the first three episodes.

Lu Yanhe used to be the one who needed others to guide his acting, but in this drama, he suddenly became that senior.

Of course, all six of them actually have good basic acting skills.

Leaving aside the three who are already famous, the three newcomers were all selected through auditions, and they are all relatively good in all aspects.

Lu Yanhe always said one thing: "Although I wrote the script, sitcoms are very different from other types of dramas. In sitcoms, the actors must adjust their roles based on their own characteristics in order to truly bring out the charm of the characters. In other dramas, the actors try to fit themselves into the mold of the characters. In sitcoms, the actors' own characteristics must be integrated with the characters because sitcoms are light on the story and heavy on the characters."

He emphasized this so that if anyone says a line that doesn't flow smoothly when rehearsing their lines, they should promptly suggest a change and not be shy about saying so.

Rehearsals are essential. In the past few days, Lu Yanhe has made many revisions to the script's lines.

He wrote all the lines, but different actors have different habits, so adjustments had to be made to make everything more natural.

The main storyline of this show—at least in the first season—is that of Hu Fan and Li Lili, ex-lovers who never got married.

However, in terms of screen time, the six actors actually have roughly the same amount of screen time, which is quite equal.

On the day filming officially began, there was no grand opening ceremony like many film crews do.

However, another high-ranking official from Beijing and Taiwan, who was also at the launch event, suddenly told the media present: "We have heard everyone's opinions, and we are seriously considering changing the broadcast of 'Friends' from a television exclusive to a simultaneous broadcast on television and the internet. It is a very exciting sitcom, please support it."

These words shocked everyone present and the entire internet.

Even "TV Review" published an article stating: This marketing tactic is unprecedented and unheard of.

Netizens were even more furious: Shameless! Are you kidding us?!

One producer joked: "From now on, I'll just announce my shows as exclusively broadcast on TV stations first, and then adjust it later. I'll just let the free publicity go to waste."

On the set of Friends, it was supposed to be the first day of filming, but because of these words, the first shot was not filmed until noon.

-

This chapter has a shorter word count, but there will be another update today.

(End of this chapter)