Chapter 570 Holding an Umbrella for Someone

Wu Chi sometimes almost forgets how he got into this industry.

But it's definitely not because I love this kind of nonsense.

At the time, it was just to make a living.

His family was well-off when he was a child, and they had a computer when he started elementary school. So, he was exposed to computers very early. When he was in junior high school, the school held a computer training class, and that's how he unexpectedly started learning video editing.

By the time he got to university, he had already built a solid foundation in the field. He started taking on freelance work with a senior student, and it was fair to say he was living a comfortable life at a young age. After graduating, he naturally entered the industry. Without signing with any company, he opened a studio with his senior and took on freelance work. That's how he gradually entered the film and television industry.

If there's a difference between those with formal training and those without in acting, then the same is true for technical departments like editing.

For Wu Chi, this background means that he is not taking a conventional path. And an unconventional path means that he is not actually compatible with the mainstream of the industry.

The circle of skilled workers is smaller than many people imagine.

Especially since they are in a disadvantaged position in the film and television industry that is not often seen, their ability to band together is even more powerful.

People like Wu Chi, who work independently and without connections, are naturally excluded.

Therefore, any good opportunities or resources that might help his work and career are almost impossible for him to obtain.

Just as his apprentice Li Chao said, their daily work consisted of staying in a small, cramped editing room and editing a large amount of footage.

As various TV stations and video platforms have their own dedicated editors, the jobs they get are mostly of lower quality.

If you just keep doing this kind of work your whole life, having a skill in hand, you can certainly live a good life. Reaching his level of experience, he's built his own network of contacts while running errands; he might not make big money, but he's not worried about making a living.

However, in this life, everyone wants to reach even greater heights.

He also tried writing screenplays and trying to get a job as an assistant director. However, this idea is like a student dreaming of becoming an actor, singer, or writer. Their only way is to submit one of their works to a public email address that no one knows if anyone will read, and then wait for a reply with anticipation.

With each passing day, the anticipation diminishes a little, while the disappointment increases a little.

"Never mind, never mind..." These two words appeared frequently in his conversations with himself.

What's the point of all this fuss?

But that's life. You might say "never mind," but when an opportunity arises, you can't help but take a chance. Life goes on, and so does the struggle.

-

"Mr. Lu."

Wu Chi and Li Chao arrived at Shi Huo Company and met with Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe has almost never been called "President Lu".

This address of "President Lu" startled Lu Yanhe.

Chen Ziyan smiled gently.

"Professor Wu, please have a seat."

The last time Wu Chi and Li Chao saw Lu Yanhe was in the corridor outside their editing room. At that time, they felt a bit like they were on their own turf, and seeing Lu Yanhe was mostly a pleasant surprise.

But this time, their identities had completely changed, and they were in an unfamiliar environment. In particular, they were well aware that this meeting was, in a sense, also an "assessment" and an "interview." Therefore, they were much more nervous this time than when they met Lu Yanhe before.

The conversation was mainly between Chen Ziyan and Wu Chi, and it was basically a question-and-answer session. At first, Wu Chi was visibly uneasy, but he gradually relaxed.

Lu Yanhe was mainly listening.

Chen Ziyan and Wu Chi talked for about forty minutes about his experience as an editor, and then talked about the story of "The Sea, My Pfft".

“We actually quite like this script, but there are indeed some structural problems,” Chen Ziyan said with a smile. “Would you be willing to make changes to your script?”

The reason for asking this question is that many screenwriters (especially those who are just starting out) really dislike others giving them feedback on their scripts, let alone revising them based on others' opinions.

Wu Chi immediately replied, "Of course."

"Has the Jump Up Theater contacted you?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Wu Chi was taken aback, shook his head, and said, "Not yet. Will they contact us?"

Wu Chi turned and glanced at Li Chao.

Li Chao also shook his head, indicating that he had not received any calls from anyone.

Chen Ziyan said, "We are quite interested in the script of 'The Sea, My Pah'. We had a very good chat with you today, so I would like to see your directorial work first. Someone from Jumping Theater should contact you later. If the film is well received, Linghe is willing to fund your production of this movie."

Wu Chi and Li Chao were both stunned and dumbfounded.

Chen Ziyan's words were not just bad news, but two pieces of good news.

When they applied for the Jump Up Theater director position, they never dared to imagine that they would succeed.

There are sure to be many interested directors. This is a real money-making opportunity for filming, and it's a theater jointly promoted by Yuehu TV and Aurora Video, two major platforms.

How could editors like them, who have never been directors and rarely even go to film sets, possibly be chosen?

As a result, now—

Not only does he have the opportunity to direct a jumping theater production, but he can also secure investment to film his movie scripts?

This feeling is just like being hit by money halfway through your journey.

Wu Chi swore that when he walked into the Shi Huo building today, he never imagined that he would win the lottery of his life just over an hour later.

-

At that moment, Li Zhibai felt as if he had truly won the lottery.

The preparation process for the TV series "Criminal Records of the Nineteen Years" had already taken him several years to digest. Finally, the filming started, but on the very first day, the director had an accident.

At the opening ceremony, his wife rushed in front of the media, holding up a poster of her husband naked in bed with another woman, and tearfully accused and insulted them.

The scene was a complete mess.

The only thing more dramatic than a soap opera is real life.

The crew tried to pull her to the other side first to prevent things from getting worse.

But the director's wife was also incredibly fierce. When the first person's finger touched her, she acted as if she had been humiliated, screaming loudly and shrilly, cursing the crew for touching her inappropriately.

The process took only a few minutes, but Li Zhibai felt as if time was endlessly stretching out.

As one of the producers of this drama, and also its lead actor and investor—

This was the first time Li Zhibai had felt so exhausted on a film project. Actually, it was the first time he'd felt this exhausted before filming even began. But at this moment, looking at the group of excited media with reddened eyes, Li Zhibai realized for the first time how incredibly young he truly was.

You think you've encountered the highest mountain in your life, but in reality, it's just because you've only encountered small hills before. After you've climbed this peak, congratulations, an even higher peak awaits you.

"..."

-

Headache, disillusionment, hope—a sudden flood washes away all this absurdity.

This was Li Zhibai's idea.

The opening ceremony was disrupted so badly that it could not continue.

The first scene, which was supposed to be filmed, could not be shot because of this.

Jiang Jun noticed Li Zhibai's listless and detached state, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Tell me if there's anything I need you to do."

Li Zhibai nodded and said, "Teacher Jiang, you should go back and rest first. We definitely won't be able to film today."

Jiang Jun nodded.

The film crew was in complete chaos, and they disbanded on the spot, each going their own way home.

An even more serious situation lies ahead.

This incident became a trending topic.

Everyone knows about the director's problems, and there's a barrage of criticism.

The investors and producers of this drama, Lighthouse Video, are also in a state of utter chaos.

The director himself went to deal with his wife's issues.

Li Zhibai locked himself in his room, lost in thought.

About half an hour later, Lin Suyang arrived.

"Zhibai, it's me." Lin Suyang knocked on the door and said through the door, "I'm coming in."

Li Zhibai did not answer.

Lin Suyang opened the door and went inside.

Fortunately, the door wasn't locked from the inside.

Lin Suyang saw Li Zhibai lying on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, looking like a walking corpse.

Lin Suyang's first reaction was to burst into laughter.

"Are you gloating?" Li Zhibai said quietly.

"It's rare to see you so dejected, like a wilted eggplant," Lin Suyang said. "Usually you're always so argumentative and confrontational."

Li Zhibai remained silent.

“The situation is pretty tough right now, and I guess we’ll have to replace him. The crew can’t stop filming either; everyone’s on set, and we’re spending money every day.” Lin Suyang patted his shoulder. “Get up. The sooner we resolve this issue, the sooner we can have peace of mind.”

Li Zhibai: "How can this problem be solved?"

"It's not about how to solve it, but how to solve it. You're the producer, and you've built this project from scratch. Now that the director has a problem, you only have two choices: keep him or replace him," Lin Suyang said. "With his wife causing this kind of trouble, keeping him means this issue will continue to plague our production, causing endless disruptions. But replacing him means finding a director on short notice to take over and save the day. How difficult is that? What are the options? These are things we need to weigh. What's the best choice we can make right now?"

Li Zhibai sighed.

"Stop sighing, cheer up, you need to show some courage," Lin Suyang said. "Lighthouse Video is an investor, and now that something like this has happened, they still have a third option."

"What choice?"

“Withdraw investment and cut losses in time,” Lin Suyang said. “Therefore, if the production team is not allowed to resume normal operations as soon as possible, it’s hard to say what Lighthouse Video’s attitude will be.”

Li Zhibai: "Alright."

"Call together the main people in charge of the production team, and also call the producer arranged by Lighthouse Video, and have a meeting together," Lin Suyang said. "We need to sort out the list of directors with available slots, assess the feasibility and risks of different plans, stabilize morale, and prevent the production team from panicking and running away. If we find a director later, there will be no one to film for us."

Li Zhibai stood up.

Lin Suyang's words gave him a lot of motivation.

Li Zhibai never imagined that one day he would fall for this kind of hype.

-

When news of what happened at the opening ceremony of the TV series "Nineteen Years of Crime Records" reached Lu Yanhe's ears, he was completely stunned.

There is a sense of bewilderment and helplessness that comes from being shocked by the absurdity of the world, even though one has long accepted its absurdity.

Lu Yanhe asked Li Zhibai about the situation in the group chat.

Li Zhibai: We've reached a consensus now. The director definitely needs to be replaced, but deciding on a replacement is a real headache. We had a meeting and discussed it, and we've decided that filming must continue as normal for the next few days. We can't stop. The production budget is already tight, so the assistant director will step in for now. Lighthouse Video will urgently find another director.

Lu Yanhe: This drama has really had a very difficult fate.

Li Zhibai: I feel like I've been hit with all sorts of terrible things.

Lu Yanhe: No, no, don't think like that, the more you think about it, the more you'll get stuck.

Li Zhibai: I'm truly impressed.

Lu Yanhe: Can the assistant director handle it?

Li Zhibai: It has to work, even if it's not feasible. We can only film like this. We can't stop filming. At this point, we can't pursue quality. Finishing the film is the most important thing.

Lu Yanhe: Don't give up on yourself. You put so much effort into polishing the script. If you just film it like a mess, you'll definitely regret it. Try your best. I'll come to your place tomorrow.

Li Zhibai: What are you doing here? Aren't you busy recording a program?

Lu Yanhe: I'll finish recording tonight, and I'm leaving for Malaysia the day after tomorrow, so I'll be free tomorrow.

Li Zhibai: Don't bother with this trip, just get some rest.

Lu Yanhe: Let me take a look. At least it has the name of a producer on it.

He was worried.

If we were to pinpoint Li Zhibai's weakness, in Lu Yanhe's eyes, it would be his lack of patience; he gets easily agitated.

When Lu Yanhe saw this news, his first reaction was that Li Zhibai must be furious.

He didn't even need to ask.

It seems alright now; at least Li Zhibai is still able to rationally explain the situation in the group.

After putting down his phone, Lu Yanhe sighed.

Director Chen Lingling, who was resting next to him, heard the sigh and asked, "What's wrong? Why did you sigh all of a sudden?"

Lu Yanhe then recounted what had happened on the set of the TV series "Nineteen Years".

Chen Lingling immediately showed a look of disgust—it was directed at the director who had cheated on his wife and was caught in the act by her.

"This film crew is going to be in complete chaos," Chen Lingling said.

Lu Yanhe suddenly had a flash of inspiration and asked, "Director, do you know any directors who can come to the rescue?"

Chen Lingling: "Your drama has already started filming, who would dare to step in and save the day?"

Lu Yanhe: "Sigh."

That's the truth.

Saving someone from a crisis is like putting out a fire; if you don't do it right, you'll end up burning yourself.

Moreover, the process of making a film involves a great deal of preparation, from scratch, through discussions, arguments, and adjustments, before finally reaching a consensus.

Taking over midway is like forcing a duck onto a shelf. As a creator, you don't have the time or space to "create"; you can only take the existing materials and build a model in a very short time.

In short, you went from being an architect to an engineer.

Basically, no good director, especially an established one, would take on a project under these circumstances.

Chen Lingling said, "In this situation, unless it's a director who urgently needs an opportunity, no one will take the job."

She suddenly remembered something, "Speaking of which, isn't there a young man named Liu Manbo who directs the short films for our program? He was in charge of filming the segment with Chen Bige and Cheng Hai, and I think he did a pretty good job. He was quite steady in his filming."

After Chen Lingling's reminder, Lu Yanhe also remembered the director named Liu Manbo.

He is only 28 years old, very young. He has worked as a photographer and assistant director. He was signed by the "Birth of an Actor" program team to direct the PK short films of the mentors and the advancing actors.

He's a director who doesn't seem to have a particular style at first glance, but the footage he shoots is very pleasing to the eye.

Chen Lingling specifically pointed that out at the time.

"You are a director who is very good at composition and lighting, so your photography skills must be very good."

Liu Manbo smiled and said, "You have a sharp eye. I studied photography in college."

However, the main characters of this show are actors.

The director of the short film went on stage, introduced himself, chatted briefly, and then went off.

Lu Yanhe immediately asked Wang Biao to find Liu Manbo's information, as well as some of his previous short film works, and to inquire about his future schedule.

In fact, a very important reason why a young director like Liu Manbo would come to "The Birth of an Actor" as a short film director is to let the industry see him and thus get the opportunity to direct a feature film.

Even if someone like him produces high-quality short films, because he lacks experience directing feature films, in the eyes of investors and platforms, he's not even as good as a feature film director who has made three terrible films in a row.

Talent alone is far from enough to support a large production crew and the filming of a large-scale series.

At 11 p.m., Lu Yanhe finished recording "The Birth of an Actor" and returned to the dressing room. Wang Biao told him that Liu Manbo was there.

"Right here, what do you mean?" Lu Yanhe asked, puzzled.

Wang Biao said, "He heard from the production team that you asked them for his information and the short videos he had filmed before, so he rushed over and said that if you had any questions, he could answer them in person."

Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

He had been recording a show all day and was a little tired.

But then he was startled awake again.

Liu Manbo rushed over simply because he mentioned wanting to see his information, in case Lu Yanhe had any problems.

Lu Yanhe's subconscious reaction was: This is too exaggerated, there's no need for this.

However, after he came to his senses, he was deeply moved.

To what extent can a person go for a potential opportunity?

Lu Yanhe said, "Could you ask him for me if he wants to grab a late-night snack together later?"

Wang Biao immediately responded with a "Okay."

-

Lu Yanhe is a very hardworking person.

Even now, when he could completely stop working so hard and being so tired, he has never really relaxed.

Therefore, he has always admired hardworking people.

You can achieve success through your talent.

However, if you have limited talent but are very hardworking and diligent, even if you don't do very well, Lu Yanhe will definitely be very tolerant of you.

Why was Wang Biao able to become his first assistant at such a young age, and now he has become his executive agent?

Wang Biao is smart and eager to learn, but more importantly, he takes his job very seriously and cares about it, working almost day and night to do it well.

Therefore, even though Wang Biao was initially taciturn, offended people, and was a troublemaker, or when facing Wan Qingqing and Song Jiang, he was like a hedgehog, full of defensiveness and thorns, Lu Yanhe never had the thought that "Wang Biao is too young and impetuous and needs more training."

Lu Yanhe is a man of his word. He believes that everyone has flaws and shortcomings, and that no one is perfect, so he truly uses this standard to judge everyone.

This time, he felt the same way when he met Liu Manbo.

When Lu Yanhe met someone who was working so hard to seize opportunities, he wanted to do his best to give that person a chance.

(End of this chapter)