Chapter 776

In November, Lu Yanhe completed the second phase of filming for "No God" and immediately returned to China to join the cast of "Friends".

"I'm very sorry, but due to my circumstances, we won't be able to film according to the previous format this year." Lu Yanhe was the first to stand up and apologize to everyone during the first script reading.

Everyone shook their heads.

Yin Xincheng said, "We've filmed so many seasons already, we're very familiar with it. Even if we don't follow the previous format, we're sure we can still complete this season's filming with high quality."

Others echoed his sentiments.

Everyone was comforting Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe: "Thank you everyone."

In this respect, Lu Yanhe's approach has always made everyone feel uncomfortable.

Even though Lu Yanhe is the core of "Friends" and his status in the entertainment industry is almost at its peak, it's impossible for anyone to question him over such a trivial matter. Yet, at this moment, he still acts overly "apprehensive" and puts his own status very low.

However, it is precisely because of this that Friends has been filmed for three seasons and the entire story has been filmed for six seasons. All the main actors are popular and big names. In this crew, not only did none of the actors cause trouble, but none of the companies and teams behind them dared to "challenge" or "act like big shots".

However, it's not that they are really sensible.

Lu Yanhe had heard about the "arrogance" and "disrespectful behavior" of some members of their team from other places.

There's no way to stop this kind of thing; it can't be prevented.

Their value is undeniable; once they become famous to a certain extent, the platform and production team have to appease them.

The market has given them the right to "act like big shots" and "show their disrespect".

Lu Yanhe wouldn't rashly "remind" someone just because they heard that someone's team had a bad reputation.

Even he knew that, from the perspective of so-called justice, this kind of thing was "meddling in other people's business."

-

Yan Liang has been working out a lot lately because he's filming "Speed," and he's gotten quite muscular.

Therefore, Lu Yanhe had to lay the groundwork and provide explanations for Yan Liang's physical changes in the script of "Friends".

Although Yan Liang himself is not very well-known overseas, as long as you mention that he is the lead actor in "Friends", many people will still realize, "Oh, it's him!"

Just as many Chinese viewers may not be familiar with Lisa Kudrow, they will immediately recognize her as Phoebe from Friends and exclaim, "Oh, that's her!"

This is the influence of a hit drama.

The American version of Friends aired on Maxine, and it actually did quite well, with high ratings.

However, it seems that the IP's luck had been drained in advance, which is why the American version of "Friends," despite being quite good in many aspects, did not become as popular as the original.

On the contrary, the copyright of Lu Yanhe and his team has grown in number as time goes by, airing season after season. The number of viewers on Maxine has increased dramatically, with an alarmingly high rate of repeated viewings. It has also been constantly mentioned on social media platforms, and many of the characters and memes from the show have become elements of popular culture.

In short, it's getting more and more popular.

-

It is said that the broadcasting agreement between Beijing TV and Maxine for the first season of Friends has expired, and Maxine paid another five million US dollars just to renew the broadcasting rights for the first season—for only three years.

Upon hearing this news, Lu Yanhe's eyelids drooped, and he could only tell himself that this was the only advantage that Beijing and Taiwan had.

In recent years, the Beijing-Taiwan Railway has been getting worse and worse, and is becoming increasingly desolate.

With "The Seventeenth Floor" as their sole success story, all other major projects, without exception, failed to meet expectations and saw their market share shrink as the streaming era swept them away.

If it weren't for Jiang Lan trying her best to bring in new talent, Beijing-Taiwan Broadcasting System would probably have long since become a streaming media platform.

Many TV stations now have this kind of positioning.

They simply don't have the confidence to do exclusive broadcasting or even joint broadcasting.

They all go online and air on video websites, then on TV stations, euphemistically called "on satellite TV." In reality, it's just another sales channel for production companies to make a profit, no matter how small.

Lu Yanhe truly admired Jiang Lan for this.

She holds the "Seventeen Floors" series in her hands, but she is under pressure from within the Beijing TV station and is determined not to allow blind development. So far, only the spin-off series starring Chen Pinhe has entered the actual production stage, just to ensure that the "Seventeen Floors" series can be developed steadily and prevent the Beijing TV station from collapsing completely.

Of course, "Jiang Yan," produced by Lu Yanhe, directed by Lian Bei, and starring Yan Liang, is another major project in Jiang Lan's hands.

This can be seen as Lu Yanhe indirectly cooperating with Beijing and Taiwan again.

However, Lu Yanhe did not mind.

Because he and his friends all earned what they deserved from this project, and no one suffered a loss.

The key point is that it's a good story, and Lu Yanhe believes it's a very worthwhile project for actors to take on.

For Lien Pei, this is also a directorial work that allows him to reach a higher level.

As for whether "Jiang Yan" can actually make money for Beijing TV, it probably can. After all, for such a big-budget project with such a cast, it has already secured pre-orders from copyright and advertising fees even before airing. But how much will it earn? Will it be as profitable as "Friends"? That's unlikely; the production cost of this show alone exceeded 200 million yuan.

Everyone received their payment exactly according to the market price, without any hesitation.

Lu Yanhe himself was the same; he took the producer's fees without hesitation. Without him, "Jiang Yan" would never have had such an all-star lineup.

Can't Jingtai see that its profit margin is limited in such a large project?

The revenue ceiling for TV dramas is fixed, unlike movies where the ceiling is incredibly high. But could Beijing TV refuse such a project? Regardless of whether others within Beijing TV were short-sighted, Jiang Lan was very clear that Beijing TV's most crucial task now was to prove that it could still produce a top-tier project and had the power to negotiate with advertisers.

Advertisers pay for "expectations," not for "revenue sharing" with TV stations based on broadcast performance.

So, if Beijing TV can produce another hit drama like "The Seventeenth Floor," advertisers will have much more trust in you and be more willing to pay. Frankly speaking, where do advertisers get such clear data to prove how high their ad conversion rates are?

Each brand has its own advertising budget, so how do you prove that their budget was well spent and worthwhile? It's simple: you can only use quantifiable data like viewership ratings and play counts to write reports. But in other words, even if the project's data isn't that impressive, will the advertiser actually suffer any real loss? It's not something that's immediately reflected on the books.

In this situation, Beijing and Taiwan need to have hit TV dramas that can stand the test of time, and they also need to maintain good relationships with advertisers so that they are willing to spend more of their advertising budget on Beijing and Taiwan.

So, with this kind of operational logic, is the profit margin for "Jiang Yan" limited? Without "Jiang Yan," would advertisers still be willing to invest? For ordinary small projects, would they still offer a token payment?

Jiang Lan's plan was very clear.

Even after Lu Yanhe finished filming the third season of "The Seventeen Floors," and had been estranged from her and Beijing TV for so long, she still persistently and frequently inquired about his well-being, trying her best to ease their relationship. She would also occasionally buy the broadcasting rights to any of Lu Yanhe's films for Beijing TV to air.

Lu Yanhe had no problem with her personally, but he had also made up his mind. Unless Jiang Lan one day became the director of Beijing TV and could make complete decisions, he would never cooperate with Beijing TV on his projects again. At most, he would use his influence in the entertainment industry to help her organize some events, like with "Jiang Yan."

-

However, Lu Yanhe was still somewhat shocked when Jiang Lan appeared on the set of "Friends" under the guise of visiting the set.

"Friends" is now a TV series on Yuehu TV. Jiang Lan is, after all, the deputy director of Beijing TV. Their relationship should be one of "no meeting between kings".

It is advisable to avoid suspicion.

What Lu Yanhe didn't expect was that Jiang Lan came to visit him on set.

In front of Bai Jingnian, Jiang Lan said, "I have always known that when you were in Beijing and Taiwan, a lot of your talents were not fully explored. But at that time, I could not rashly interfere in your affairs. If I went against the opinions of others to support you, it would be a bad thing for you in that environment. So, I could only watch as such an excellent director as you left. You have no idea how much my heart bled."

Bai Jingnian: "..."

For a fleeting moment, a look of "you've said everything" appeared on his face.

However, they're both adults, so giving each other some face is only natural. Especially since he and Jiang Lan haven't really had any conflicts. Just as Jiang Lan said, even though she's a deputy director, he's never been on her side and they basically have no interaction.

Once Jiang Lan spoke up for him at that time, the nature of many things changed in the eyes of some people.

That is "betrayal".

Lu Yanhe really didn't understand why Jiang Lan wanted to come to the "Friends" set at this time.

But in everyone's eyes, Jiang Lan's presence only proves that she's impressive—

No matter what, the deputy director of a Beijing-Taiwan TV station, upon arriving at the set of a hit project he had "lost," chatted and laughed with people. This demeanor alone is enough to be described as "magnanimous."

Jiang Lan's visit this time was quite grand.

Not only did they come, but they also treated the entire crew to drinks.

This left the Friends crew unsure whether to send a message or not.

Normally, when celebrities visit the set, they will send out a newsletter as a way to promote the show.

Even the biggest IPs and the largest fan base still need to be promoted.

But if this is sent out as a newsletter, how will others perceive it?

Leaders from Beijing and Taiwan came to visit the set... If it were any other station's leaders, it would happen, especially since it was the "old employer" of "Friends".

While the production crew was still debating, Jiang Lan had already pulled Lu Yanhe aside.

"Yanhe, I need your help." Jiang Lan's words immediately stunned Lu Yanhe.

"ah?"

Jiang Lan said, "Are you planning to bring the Jose Film Festival to China?"

Lu Yanhe stared in surprise.

Where did you hear this news from?

“The news hasn’t spread yet. I heard it from one of my teachers,” Jiang Lan said. “Recently, the news that the Jose Film Festival was going to be canceled has caused quite a stir. Beijing TV was going to report on the news, but it was pulled at the last minute. I found it strange, so I went to inquire and found out that you were doing something big in silence.”

“I wasn’t involved in this matter much,” Lu Yanhe said. “I don’t know the specifics.”

Jiang Lan looked intently at Lu Yanhe, "If this matter is accomplished, I want Beijing-Taiwan to become the official partner television station of the Jose Film Festival. Who can I get involved in this?"

Lu Yanhe said, "Chief Jiang, I really didn't know that."

"Who is communicating with the Jose Film Festival?" Jiang Lan paused for a moment before solemnly saying, "Yan He, Shen Tai is retiring this year. If I can bring the Beijing-Taiwan Film Festival into this event, I will have a great chance to go further. I really need your help."

Lu Yanhe only became serious at this moment.

-

"What did you finally say to her?"

“I said that if it is confirmed that the Jose Film Festival will be held in China, I will try to help her make the connection.”

"Beautiful," Chen Ziyan praised. "You can't just agree to something like this right away."

“The main thing is that my opinion doesn’t count,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides, I haven’t asked about the current situation of the Jose Film Festival, and I don’t know anything about it. If we rashly bring Beijing and Taiwan into the game, who knows if it will affect the final negotiation results?”

Chen Ziyan: "Jiang Lan herself is the deputy director of Beijing-Taiwan TV, yet she needs to get involved through you. This means that no one on her side can get involved in this matter. This is very intriguing. At this stage, even her side can't get involved. Just think how incredibly secretive this matter must be."

"But the news had already spread."

"The news can't be kept secret," Chen Ziyan said. "The real thing is to keep the key parts tightly under wraps, leaving no way for anyone to get information."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

The relocation of the Jose Film Festival to a new venue is a major event.

If we can actually bring it to China, not only will it directly promote the development of the Chinese film industry, but there is no doubt that Chinese films will no longer be outside the mainstream international spotlight.

Even during the most commercialized period of Chinese cinema, many young filmmakers persisted in creating art films. However, they lacked market recognition and support from local film festivals and awards, hindering their careers. Now, with fertile ground and a platform, this group has a chance to be seen.

Often, whether an industry has a continuous stream of fresh talent depends on whether the industry's environment is large enough.

If the industry isn't big enough, then naturally some "first come, first served" individuals will control all the resources in the industry, dominating everything and preventing newcomers from emerging.

Most importantly, the foundation of the Jose Film Festival is there. If it could be held in China, not only would several "local" films be shortlisted for the main competition every year (which is something that major film festivals, including Cannes, do), but other sections would also be a cradle for the growth of young directors.

A film having a direct window to be seen is a completely different concept from desperately seeking a window for others to see it.

-

At this time.

The Picardo Film Festival, held in December, released its list of films selected for each section at this time.

The BiCarlo Film Festival has always been one of the four major international film festivals, but it has the lowest profile in China.

Last year, the festival garnered some attention in China because director Wang Zhong served as the jury chairman, but overall, Chinese films had very few presence at the festival.

Even Lu Yanhe, who has had such a strong presence at international film festivals in recent years, has never had a film nominated for the main competition.

The main reason was that it was snapped up by other film festivals, and the relationship between Bikaro and Lu Yanhe was relatively ordinary.

Surprisingly, three Chinese-language films were nominated for this year's Picardo Film Festival.

All three Chinese-language films feature big stars.

The first film, starring Liu Teli, is titled "On the Xunyang River," and tells the story of a fisherman's family.

The second film is "Hesitant View of Life," a new film by director Wang Shuai, who was previously nominated for the main competition at the Situation with "In the Waves." It stars Yu Mengling and also features Jiang Yue, who directed Linghe's "The Sea, My Pah" and "There's a Strange Woman in the Building."

The third film is "Portrait," starring Seo Yi-in, who previously starred in the hit movie "Someone Under the Bed."

This is the year with the most Chinese-language films nominated for the main competition at the BiCarlo Film Festival.

The Chinese film industry is celebrating.

A rare prime of life—

Because the films nominated this time all star popular actors, the media coverage is also very high, not to mention the fans who are promoting them everywhere.

In addition to these three films, an American film starring Jiang Yuqian and Li Zhibai was also nominated for other competition categories.

Overall, the number of Chinese filmmakers at this year's BiCarlo Film Festival exceeded that of any of the four major international film festivals in the past three years.

-

"When did Xu Yiren suddenly make such a movie?"

"Yes, we hadn't heard any news about it before."

"Didn't she always make genre films before?"

...

Among the films nominated for this year's Picardo Film Festival, the one that surprised and puzzled the industry the most was Xu Yiren.

Because within the industry, Xu Yiren's positioning is actually very similar to Jiang Yuqian's; she is a highly commercial star, rather than an actress.

Actors like Liu Teli and Yu Mengling are the kind of actors that everyone admires.

Xu Yiren can be considered one of the most popular actresses in the film industry in recent years, as every film she starred in has grossed over 100 million yuan. Starting with "My Home I Haven't Been Back for a Long Time," her box office success has been uninterrupted.

As a result, she suddenly starred in an art film?

When Chen Ziyan visited the set of "Friends", she told Lu Yanhe, "I heard that she didn't receive any payment for filming 'Portrait'."

Lu Yanhe looked surprised.

"ah?"

“Because the production team could only afford to pay her 500,000 yuan, which is far below her market price, accepting the fee would lower her own value, so it would be better for her to act for free,” Chen Ziyan said. “She is quite ambitious. Having the title of box office queen is not enough; now she is also aiming for awards.”

After a pause, Chen Ziyan continued, "I think the entertainment industry has been somewhat affected by you. Before, everyone was pretty much the same, and the whole industry was going to fall apart. Now, because of you, everyone is starting to go overseas. Box office success isn't enough; they also need to win international awards."

(End of this chapter)