Chapter 774 A New Journey (7000 words updated)

Lu Yanhe will always have a favorable impression of actors who have their own ideas and work hard to act.

Since the show "The Birth of an Actor" was brought to the world and became a huge hit, a large number of variety shows featuring acting have also emerged.

Lu Yanhe sometimes clicked in to take a look.

Unlike "The Birth of an Actor," many subsequent variety shows have adopted a more formal "mentor-student" relationship.

But "The Birth of an Actor" is different. This show genuinely features a large number of "acting veterans" showcasing their skills. They are truly battling it out with their acting abilities. In contrast, most other acting variety shows lack acting skills; let alone battling it out, they're lucky if they can even perform a single scene properly.

Despite the objective reality, Lu Yanhe still felt sad and depressed at some of these moments.

As an actor.

There are a few actors who have the right attitude and ability, but for some reason, they received very harsh comments from the mentors.

This kind of harshness, you could say it's unreasonable, or you could say it's reasonable. But the key point is that so many people who are clearly inferior to him, who didn't even reach the passing grade, are treated with "care and gentleness," and even given opportunities, just because they are "blank slates." So even if they are nothing, they can still arouse the so-called "desire to guide"—even if you say this person is nothing, but they happen to have talent, you feel they are a good seed and can produce something.

At times like these, Lu Yanhe feels sorry for those who truly want to be good actors, and whose high standards for themselves are obvious, but who haven't received good guidance due to their acting experience and aren't particularly talented.

Sometimes, Lu Yanhe would even comment on his Weibo after watching a program. For example, he would describe an actor as "although he has many flaws, they are all flaws that can be corrected by a director on set. Actors don't need to be perfect. If actors are perfect, what's the point of having a director?"

Of course, such content often encounters some criticism when it is published.

For example, many people believe that in situations where there is no director and only actors, that is when an actor's comprehensive qualities can be truly showcased.

Many actors' final performances are not solely due to their own abilities, but also to the director's guidance, which is inherently unfair.

When Lu Yanhe saw this sentence, he was both angry and amused.

fair?

Is there really such a thing as fairness in performances?

There was no way, really no way. Sometimes Lu Yanhe felt that he really couldn't communicate with people.

If it weren't for the fear of getting entangled and troublesome, Lu Yanhe really wanted to have a proper "discussion" with someone.

Obviously, he couldn't do that either.

I had no choice but to order myself to quit Weibo immediately and stop talking.

-

The performances of Yu Mengling and Yang Shiyi in "Rouge" exemplify this.

Although this is Yang Shiyi's first time acting in a film or television drama, he is a stage actor and a very mature actor.

Therefore, many people were quite shocked. In the released clip, the interaction between the two was so intense, it was as if they were about to become inseparable – the so-called "couple chemistry" practically overflowed the screen. Yang Shiyi's performance, in particular, was a pleasant surprise. Most people couldn't keep up with Yu Mengling's acting anymore.

It's not that her roles are particularly outstanding or difficult to secure, but rather that her unique charisma and image make it difficult for many male actors to appear harmonious in front of her.

It doesn't match.

However, Yang Shiyi truly possessed a unique charm, and in the glances and gestures between him and Yu Mengling, all worldly noise vanished.

The biggest problem with the TV series "Rouge" is that everyone already knows the ending, and everyone has already seen both the movie and Korean drama versions.

With so many comparisons already made, would the audience be interested in releasing another version at this point? Would they want to watch it?

The released trailer compilation dispelled everyone's concerns.

Lu Yanhe also understood why Bingyuan Video, a platform primarily focused on commercial value, would not arrange other film and television projects or variety shows for Yang Shiyi after the completion of filming for "Rouge" to "extract" his value.

Only by keeping such an actor under wraps can the audience maintain a sense of mystery about him when "Rouge" airs, and then be amazed by his performance.

Lu Yanhe thought to himself that Bingyuan Video must be satisfied with the TV series version of "Rouge".

I wouldn't do that if I wasn't satisfied.

Lu Yanhe even felt that Yang Shiyi would become a huge star once the TV series "Rouge" aired.

Yu Mengling will also have a big reveal—

If the TV series adaptation of "Rouge" is neither critically acclaimed nor commercially successful.

This award-winning actress, who already enjoys a stellar reputation in the industry, will finally have her talent widely recognized.

Lu Yanhe thought it was really good.

-

After the press conference for the TV series "Rouge" ended, Lu Yanhe had dinner with executives from Bingyuan Video and the main creators of the TV series "Rouge".

Chen Ziyan and Chen Siqi also rushed over.

The executive in charge of the "Rouge" project at Bingyuan Video is named Yang Yongquan.

Before dinner even started, Yang Yongquan asked Lu Yanhe with a smile what he thought of the trailer for "Rouge".

Lu Yanhe said, "It's a very pleasant surprise, and—"

He thought for a moment and said, "I originally thought I would subconsciously compare the TV series with the movie version, but I only watched for about a minute before I completely gave up on that idea. Meng Lingjie and Shiyi's performances are completely different, unaffected by the movie version. What amazed me most was the art direction of this series. Mr. Yang, this series must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Yang Yongquan said, "The set design and production of this drama alone cost 70 million yuan."

Lu Yanhe looked shocked.

“We all really hope to create a truly high-quality production, not just ride the coattails of the movie version,” Yang Yongquan said. “Ms. Miao Yue’s script went through several revisions, and you also gave a lot of feedback on the script. When we finally got the final draft approved, everyone shared the same thought: we couldn’t let down such a good script and such good actors. So, on top of the original budget, we made a special request to Mr. Li to add 80 million yuan to the budget.”

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Is the production cost of this drama very high?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised. In any case, based on the trailers he had seen and the total length of the drama, which was more than 20 episodes, it should cost at least 200 million yuan.

However, the final figure Yang Yongquan gave was not that high; it was 160 million.

Lu Yanhe thought about it for a moment and understood.

Because actors' salaries are not high.

Although Yu Mengling is a renowned actress, she isn't a major star. Her total salary for this drama should only be slightly over ten million. Yang Shiyi's salary is even less; it's estimated to be less than a fraction of Yu Mengling's.

The majority of the production team's salaries likely came from Meng Ling and the heads of various technical departments.

They seriously spent most of the budget on production.

Lu Yanhe truly hadn't expected a TV series to achieve such a high level of quality.

Yang Yongquan added, "Several international streaming media outlets, including HP and Maxine, have also seen the trailer and are very interested. Now it's up to them to make their offers."

With a production cost of 160 million and additional investment in promotion, at least 200 million will be invested.

Lu Yanhe didn't know whether this drama could bring commercial returns to Bingyuan Video.

Yang Yongquan was in high spirits at this moment, probably because the feedback today had given him a great sense of relief and he was in a state of excitement.

Lu Yanhe asked, "How's the advertising for the script 'Rouge' going?"

Yang Yongquan said, "Our investment promotion has just begun, but judging from the feedback from today's press conference, it certainly won't be bad."

"That's good." Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Then I look forward to the day when this drama is officially broadcast."

Yang Yongquan nodded.

He added, "Mr. Lu, actually, I also wanted to talk to you about the adaptation of your other films. We all hope that, like with 'Rouge,' we can invite you to be the producer."

Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

Yang Yongquan said, "You provided us with a lot of guidance and help during the filming of 'Rouge,' from the script to the actors. This is also why we were able to complete the film smoothly. We bought many of the film adaptation rights from Linghe. We hope to make each one a masterpiece, which requires your decisive leadership at crucial moments."

In fact, Lu Yanhe was quite satisfied with this collaboration with Bingyuan Video on the TV series adaptation of "Rouge".

They respected Lu Yanhe's opinion at almost every crucial moment.

For example, regarding the script, they not only hired Miao Yue to write the script, but also gave her ample time to revise it several times, instead of rushing to start filming and rushing to complete the project.

For example, the actors, whether it's Yu Mengling or Yang Shiyi, were both his choices. If this were an ordinary project, it wouldn't be so bad, but this is no small project; it's a large-scale S+ level project with an investment of nearly 200 million yuan for just over twenty episodes. Both lead actors are actors favored by Lu Yanhe—

Such a thing would be unbelievable for anyone else.

Of course, in the end, Yang Shiyi, this newcomer, was also signed by Bingyuan Video. It's not a loss to make a near-A-list star out of a drama. In fact, you could say that even if "Rouge" lost money, as long as Yang Shiyi became a star, Bingyuan Video's investment would still be profitable.

However, casting Yu Mengling, who is not a popular celebrity and even has relatively low public recognition, as the lead actor is a very bold decision.

Even Lu Yanhe himself had never been so "skilled and daring".

Although his dramas may feature newcomers or unknown actors as the main characters, they will always have a popular star who can carry the show as the main character.

That's why Lu Yanhe was moved by Icefield Video's sincerity.

They are truly putting their utmost sincerity into making the TV series adaptation of "Rouge," rather than trying to ride the coattails of the movie's popularity.

Lu Yanhe said, "President Yang, I am willing to join these projects if you need me."

Yang Yongquan laughed.

-

Halfway through the meal, Li Quansen, the owner of Bingyuan Video, also arrived.

He seemed to have come here specifically for this purpose.

"Sorry, sorry." Li Quansen was very approachable. As soon as he entered, he smiled and apologized to them, saying that he was late, and congratulated them on the successful launch of the press conference, which had received high praise.

Lu Yanhe's relationship with Li Quansen was not as close as his relationship with Lin Desheng of Aurora Borealis. However, Li Quansen followed closely behind Aurora Borealis and made great efforts to get in touch with Lu Yanhe. He then tried every means to get a share of the profits from Lu Yanhe and Aurora Borealis's cooperation. Over time, many of Linghe's new projects are now joint broadcasts of Icefield Video and Aurora Borealis Video.

Of course, with the development over the past few years, these two video platforms have basically left other video websites behind.

Lu Yanhe's project played a very important role in this. However, it's not just Lu Yanhe's project; their attitude towards Lu Yanhe reveals their attitude towards creators, which naturally makes creators more willing to collaborate with them.

A creator has a platform, money, and respect. What more could they possibly need?

-

After exchanging toasts with Li Quansen for several minutes, Li Quansen said to Lu Yanhe, "Yanhe, are you planning to make a sequel to the story of 'The Legend of Sword and Fairy'?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "I don't have that idea for now. It's a complete story in itself. Maybe we'll make a sequel with the same theme in the future, but the characters and everything will definitely be different."

Li Quansen asked, "We want to make a spin-off series of 'Chinese Paladin,' using the original world view and characters. What do you think?"

Lu Yanhe said, "If the goal is to maintain the popularity of 'Chinese Paladin,' I think it will be difficult for a spin-off series to achieve that."

Li Quansen nodded, "I know, we don't expect the spin-off to reach the heights of the original. The cast of this series is basically impossible to replicate. But, didn't Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er have a child? We want to make a spin-off based on this child growing up. It would be a completely new character and story, but with the 'Chinese Paladin' brand, even with a completely new character and story, as long as the story is well-done, we think it will definitely get a lot of attention. What do you think?"

Lu Yanhe nodded: "That's true. However, Mr. Li, making a sequel always faces the challenge of some viewers feeling that it's not as good as the first one, especially since the first one... almost everyone was wiped out. Viewers may not be able to accept that. Would you like to see the next generation's story?"

Li Quansen: "We have done market research, and there are actually a lot of people who are interested and want to watch it. Although we can foresee that the audience may have mixed opinions, I also admit that we did want to ride on the popularity of 'Chinese Paladin', but we will definitely do it with the utmost sincerity."

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I understand, Mr. Li. How about this? I understand your desire to develop a spin-off series, but I also need to protect the value of the 'Chinese Paladin' IP. I'm not saying it's absolutely impossible, nor am I saying I absolutely need a complete script before I'll agree to authorize you to do it. But at least let's have a relatively clear development concept first. If there's a good story that won't bury the 'Chinese Paladin' IP, then I'll authorize it to Bingyuan. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Li Quansen nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you don't object, don't worry, we will definitely find top-tier screenwriters and directors to produce this drama, and we will definitely use the best resources."

Lu Yanhe said, "I've seen the trailer for 'Rouge,' and I have complete faith in you."

-

At the end of October, Lu Yanhe went to England.

Two things: one is the European premiere of "Raise the Red Lantern" in London, and the other is Zhou Ruo's solo art exhibition in London. Lu Yanhe had said before that he would attend if he had time, and he just happened to be there.

No one expected that the premiere of "Raise the Red Lantern" in the UK would receive such a warm response.

British media and film critics alike have raved about the film, calling it a "renaissance" for Chinese-language cinema.

Wang Zhong, Lu Yanhe, and Chen Bige were all somewhat surprised to hear such comments.

This film actually has a strong Eastern flavor.

The British actually like it?

Does this mean that this movie can actually be expected to be even better in Europe and America?

British film critics are the most influential foreign critics in American cinema, bar none.

Americans' feelings toward the British are somewhat complicated.

No matter how developed the US economy is, Britain is still their ancestor, and in terms of cultural heritage, the US is Britain's grandson.

On the one hand, they repeatedly emphasize and promote popular culture, but on the other hand, they awkwardly emulate British seriousness and tradition.

This was especially evident at the Oscars.

Every year at the Oscars, there are always one or two British films that become the big hits of the year.

Hollywood's fondness and enthusiasm for British actors is well-known.

The enthusiastic response from British critics to "Raise the Red Lantern" seems to have made the film's path to the Oscars much clearer this year.

Midoriya has also begun public relations efforts for "Raise the Red Lantern".

In some less important awards, "Raise the Red Lantern" successfully received nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay.

Chen Bige also received a nomination for Best Actress in one of the smaller awards.

The positive feedback from British critics for "Raise the Red Lantern" gave Midoriya even more confidence in the film.

At this very moment, China also officially announced that it would submit "Raise the Red Lantern" for this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

This is Lu Yanhe's first time bringing a Chinese-language film to the awards season.

Initially, it was "Road to Glory," which was Lu Yanhe's first attempt at an awards season. He made some noise, but ultimately achieved nothing.

Then came Love Letter, but that was an unexpected surprise. Lu Yanhe and Midoriya didn't do much to promote it; it relied entirely on media buzz to gain some attention during awards season and even earned Chen Bige a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Then came last year's "Tropical Rainy Season," which was Lu Yanhe's first time forcefully and truly playing the "public relations" rules.

However, although "Tropical Rainy Season" is a Chinese-language film, it is a Malaysian film.

It's not a Chinese film, after all.

Although the Oscars do not have the global reach of the original timeline, as the most influential film award in the United States, coupled with Hollywood's status in the film production industry, the Oscars remain one of the world's top awards.

Chinese films have consistently won awards at the four major international film festivals, but have almost never won an Oscar.

It's not that the Oscars hold any extraordinary significance for the Chinese film industry in this era, but the fact that Chinese films haven't won many prestigious awards makes them somewhat rare and valuable, highlighting the need for greater effort and overcoming challenges. After all, Chinese films have always talked about "going global," and can't just stay confined to their home turf.

Now Lu Yanhe has emerged. Although no one has spoken directly to him, Lu Yanhe is well aware that the film industry's management departments all hope that he can lead Chinese films to success.

Just like Lu Yanhe's achievements at the four major international film festivals in recent years. Lu Yanhe's achievements alone are enough to support an entire industry—

That's really how it is in the film industry.

The Matthew effect is an exaggeration.

The film "Home Alone" raked in over $500 million at the global box office, with overseas box office exceeding $300 million, breaking the record for the highest-grossing Chinese-language film overseas.

It has box office records and awards.

Hexagonal warrior.

For Lu Yanhe, what he hopes to achieve most at this stage is to accumulate recognition and reputation in these industries so that it can be used to support genuine Chinese films, allowing them to be recognized and achieve the results they deserve.

-

In November, "Raise the Red Lantern" held its premiere in North America, and subsequently opened in North America.

Midoriya arranged for Chen Bige to appear on two television programs, shoot a magazine cover, and give an interview.

Director Wang Zhong mainly focuses on interviews with film magazines.

Green Valley's promotional slogan for "Raise the Red Lantern" in this year's awards season is "A work that brings together the top directors, screenwriters and actors in contemporary China".

Midoriya's main award this year is Best Foreign Language Film, so their public relations campaign also emphasizes "China".

As a screenwriter, Lu Yanhe participated in several public dialogues with filmmakers.

Midoriya invited two Oscar-winning directors to have a conversation with him and Wang Zhong. This move was clearly intended to do public relations for "Raise the Red Lantern".

With such momentum, "Raise the Red Lantern" opened in eight theaters in the United States, focusing on word-of-mouth.

Sure enough, this kind of movie, without a large influx of ordinary viewers, did receive high praise in the early stages.

This film is inherently artistically superior, excelling in every aspect. Anyone with a film knowledge can recognize its excellence. Moreover, the Oscars consistently feature several films with a "Renaissance" style each year. Even last year, a year dominated by films with sensationalist or "grotesque" themes, there were still several classic narrative films such as *The Secret Meeting*, *I Am Still Here*, and *Brutal*.

Midoriya defined "Raise the Red Lantern" as such a film.

Lu Yanhe had actually asked Lü Gu if there was any hope of securing Best Actress and Best Director for Chen Bige and Wang Zhong this year, even just a nomination would be fine.

However, Midoriya said that this year is a big year for both Best Actress and Best Director, with fierce competition in Europe and America. Unless "Raise the Red Lantern" achieves a box office miracle in North America, it will be difficult to win the awards.

After reviewing the battle situation this year, Lu Yanhe immediately understood why Midoriya had said that.

This year's Best Actress category can be described as a fierce battle. Although Chen Bige has gained some attention, her popularity is nowhere near that of the other competitors.

The same goes for the Best Director category. Seven people from Europe and America who have won the Oscar for Best Director or have been nominated for Best Director at least twice have all brought new works this year, making them a formidable force. Wang Zhong has no prior experience in Hollywood, so it will be difficult for him to stand out in this category.

Midoriya believes that helping them with public relations is a waste of time and money.

Lu Yanhe felt it was a real pity.

He himself had no intention of competing for Best Original Screenplay. However, because he already had a reputation as a "genius screenwriter" in Hollywood, and benefited from the double success of the two movies "Home Alone" and "Buried", plus the fact that he had scripts to make with companies such as Parameter and Green Valley, whether it was because the industry believed that his achievements deserved "recognition", or because several forces wanted to help him win the award so as to benefit their new film collaboration, he was firmly in the nomination list.

Wang Zhong and Chen Bige didn't feel particularly disappointed that they weren't nominated for individual awards.

As long as "Raise the Red Lantern" has a good outcome, that's fine.

Wang Zhong doesn't really care about the Oscars.

After winning Best Director at the Situ International Film Festival, he already had a wealth of honors. Whether or not he wins an Oscar would not affect his status in the country, and he himself had no intention of making English-language films in the United States.

Chen Bige would certainly want to take it if she could, but it didn't matter if she couldn't.

She is currently the only actress in China to have won Best Actress awards at three international film festivals, which puts her quite at ease.

They all put aside their own affairs and came to the United States to cooperate with Green Valley's public relations activities, earnestly participating in the public relations activities for "Raise the Red Lantern".

Lu Yanhe will return to the "Godless" crew to begin the second phase of filming.

-

At this time, several media outlets suddenly reported that the Jose Film Festival might not be able to be held next year.

The news shocked the entire international film industry.

As one of the four major international film festivals, and especially as the only top-tier film festival that uses audience voting to determine awards, the Jose Film Festival holds a unique position for many types of films.

For example, films like "Love Letter" and "Rouge" are basically destined to be cannon fodder if you send them to film festivals like the Cité Internationale de la Tour; they won't be well received.

Only at the Jose Film Festival can they receive the recognition that this type of film deserves.

They're not commercial films, but they're not particularly artistic either.

This is actually quite similar to the Sundance Film Festival in the United States.

The movies chosen by the audience are the good movies that better suit the general public's aesthetic tastes.

If such a film festival were to be canceled, the impact would be enormous. As soon as the news broke, almost every filmmaker began inquiring about its veracity, especially those preparing to submit their films to the Jose Film Festival next year.

When Lu Yanhe saw this news, he roughly guessed that the Jose Film Festival had probably started leaking information to the public.

(End of this chapter)