Chapter 65 (065): Joining the cast of "Major Cases"
Chapter Sixty-Five
As the name suggests, "Major Cases" is a police and gangster drama. The production cost of the show is not high, but the requirements for the screenwriter are not low.
Although it belongs to the crime investigation genre, "Major Cases" does not have a high level of reasoning. It focuses on portraying teamwork, and the cases in the script are based on real cases.
This script was found for Lin Yuan by Feng Zeng. Before accepting the role, Lin Yuan saw the complete script. The advantage of adapting a real case is that it can faithfully recreate the crime process. The disadvantage is that if the balance is not well controlled, it will look like a documentary.
"Major Cases" combines the strengths of both.
Besides the good quality of the script, another reason Lin Yuan took on this role was the relatively young cast.
In similar dramas, the main roles are usually played by middle-aged actors, making it difficult for young actors to have a clear role and their characters seem too one-dimensional.
Some might think this setting is a bit far-fetched, but Lin Yuan feels it's just right.
Lin Yuan discovered that the timing of the two dramas he took on was inconvenient. "The Powerful Minister" required him to wear thick period costumes, but it was filmed in the hot summer. As for "Major Cases," he was basically wearing a shirt and trousers, but it happened to be winter.
Fortunately, the filming location wasn't too cold, and it was filmed on location, which was more liberating than working at a film studio. Lin Yuan didn't have any other plans afterward, so he could just stay on set.
"Can you free up your schedule in March?" He Xun asked. "Is the filming period for the new drama long?"
"It should be fine, how about you?"
"Hehe." He Xun chuckled softly on the phone. "I'm on vacation."
Lin Yuan: "?"
Is it really appropriate to say such cruel things now?
After filming wrapped on "The Powerful Minister", He Xun took on another role, still as a supporting actor. His part was short, and he could leave as soon as filming was over.
“The company originally arranged a travel variety show for me,” He Xun said. “It’s the kind that’s been popular in the last two years, but someone else took my place.”
He Xun said in a light tone, "That's good too. It'll give me a long vacation. I haven't had a vacation in ages."
"Who?" Lin Yuan asked.
He Xun initially refused to say, but after Lin Yuan repeatedly asked him, he finally said, "Wang Chen, you definitely haven't heard of him."
Lin Yuan: "..."
Indeed, his understanding of the entertainment industry is not yet sufficient.
However, he didn't know, and he could have asked his agent.
Feng Zeng offered another interpretation: "I know that variety show. Geng Yue led the team, and Wang Chen was a newcomer promoted by their company."
“Geng Yue?” Lin Yuan frowned, and after a long while, he looked at Feng Zeng, “Could I be involved in this?”
"It's hard to say."
Feng Zeng did not say it explicitly, but Lin Yuan already understood his meaning.
Feng Zeng is quite adept at gathering information, perhaps due to his extensive connections within the industry. If it weren't for Lin Yuan's involvement, Feng Zeng would likely have categorically denied it. His current ambiguity suggests…
The variety show was spearheaded by Geng Yue, so the publicity naturally focused on Geng Yue. Whether it was He Xun or Wang Chen who replaced him, their roles in the show were probably not that important.
Geng Yue could naturally bring along people he liked and exclude those he didn't.
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment: "Because of the Golden Wing Award?"
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances."
If Geng Yue had been nominated for the Golden Wing Award, his momentum would have continued to rise, but because he was not nominated, his upward momentum slowed down.
His popularity remains high, but he can't quite differentiate himself from male actors of similar stature.
Competition among male actors in their 20s and 30s has always been fierce.
He Xun and Lin Yuan have a good relationship. He Xun doesn't post much about himself on his homepage, but he posts several things about Lin Yuan instead.
Lin Yuan sighed: "Here we go again."
Why am I always the one on the defensive?
“You won’t run into Geng Yue,” He Xun said. “The month ‘The Powerful Minister’ airs, you’ll only run into Ye Liuchuan.”
Lin Yuan had previously researched what dramas would be broadcast on various TV stations and platforms in March. He only noticed that Ye Liuchuan's new drama "Lin Lang" would be broadcast, but he didn't pay special attention to the extent to which it overlapped with "The Powerful Minister" or which TV station it would be on.
Since Xiaguang TV is not a first-tier satellite TV station, if there is real competition, "The Powerful Minister" will initially be at a disadvantage.
After all, "Linlang" has a stronger cast, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the broadcasting platform is also more powerful than "Quan Chen".
“You don’t need to think too much about it,” Feng Zeng said. “For actors, gaining fans through variety shows is icing on the cake; ultimately, it’s the work they need to rely on.”
Although the release date of "The Powerful Minister" was met with pessimism shortly after it was announced, Feng Zeng believes that the quality of the drama is not bad and the final ratings may not be as high as predicted.
Even if it doesn't become a huge hit, "The Powerful Minister" definitely won't be a major flop.
Lin Yuan and He Xun both delivered outstanding performances in the drama, and their hard work... will surely be recognized.
“And that variety show…” Feng thought for a moment before coming up with a suitable word to describe it, “will expose too much.”
From Feng Zeng's perspective, actors should maintain some mystery. If they expose themselves too much on variety shows, it will be difficult for the audience to empathize with the characters they play over time, and by then it will be too late to make up for it.
Feng once thought that it might be a good thing for He Xun to miss that variety show.
He Xun himself thought so too: "Everyone knows Geng Yue doesn't like me. If I insist on participating, wouldn't I just be asking to be bullied?"
He Xun thought Lin Yuan was overthinking things: "Don't make that face like you're going to kill everyone."
Is it obvious?
"Super obvious."
Lin Yuan: "Okay."
...
In "Major Cases", Lin Yuan plays the male lead Qiu Heng.
Qiu Heng graduated from police academy and was a notorious troublemaker in the bureau. His superiors didn't like him, but his case-solving rate was surprisingly high, giving him an unconventional approach.
There are no supernatural phenomena in "Major Cases". The protagonist does not use supernatural abilities to solve cases, nor is he a great detective who can deduce the murderer's mentality from seemingly unrelated things. However, Qiu Heng is smart and perceptive, with a quick mind that can analyze details that ordinary people would not notice.
The only problem with this person is that his emotional intelligence is shockingly low; he's the type who turns the table around when his boss tries to serve him food.
Qiu Heng's partner is Wang Wei, the team's fixed human bomb—no matter who goes on a mission with him, he is always the first to face the killer's weapon.
Wang Wei was incredibly lucky; he could get through any situation unscathed, and there was even a time when a bullet from a murderer flew past his neck and he was completely unharmed.
And then there's forensic pathologist Liao Jing, who always provides Qiu Heng with new inspiration.
Besides the three, there is also Shen Meng, who ranks first in martial arts. Qiu Heng's combat strength is not bad, but he always lags behind Shen Meng in training.
Although Lin Yuan is the male lead, "Major Cases" is an ensemble drama.
In some ways, it is also a rare drama of the year that is neither an idol drama nor an urban romance drama, but features a cast mainly of young actors.
Lin Yuan believes that the current TV drama market is different from the past in this respect: young actors have no dramas to play except for idol dramas, while middle-aged actors have another track: historical dramas, period dramas, family dramas, and professional dramas. There are very clear boundaries between the two, and they basically do not overlap.
The director of "Major Cases," Wang Pei, is not very old, and the screenwriter, Shi Yumeng, is even younger. Lin Yuan later found out that the screenwriter was a year younger than him. Therefore, the interaction between the characters in her writing is very natural and does not give people the feeling of a middle-aged person trying to look young.
"Major Cases" is actually the screenwriter's second script. Her previous script was well received, but unfortunately, the ratings were mediocre and it didn't generate much buzz.
In this drama, the male lead Qiu Heng is tentatively portrayed as a cold-faced, sharp-tongued, silly, and cool guy.
Lin Yuan: "Wasn't the male lead supposed to be very smart?"
“That refers to his work in solving cases,” Shi Yumeng said. “He’s not very sensitive to factors outside of solving cases, so he’s often criticized.”
Lin Yuan: "..."
It must have been quite a challenge for the screenwriter to put so many character traits together.
"That's just how the world of anime is," the director concluded.
Lin Yuan: "..."
He suddenly felt that the production team of "Major Cases" was somewhat unreliable.
In terms of script quality, "Major Crimes" is definitely hardcore, with no obvious flaws. It's a very professional drama, but the screenwriter's style is... a bit peculiar.
However, Lin Yuan can't escape.
After officially joining the crew, Lin Yuan discovered another advantage of the "Major Case" production team—the main creators were all young, and the biggest advantage of youth is that it's easy to communicate. They openly express their ideas, the director himself is not domineering, and the actors don't communicate with each other through assistants; it's very direct.
Kong Yupan, who plays Wang Wei, is two years older than Lin Yuan and has more acting experience, but he is not yet famous and mostly plays supporting roles in the drama.
His character Wang Wei in the drama is somewhat of a comedic role, but Kong Yupan himself is quite serious, which is quite different from the character.
Liao Jing and Shen Meng are both female characters. When Lin Yuan first joined the crew, he was not very familiar with the two of them. They just added each other on WeChat. After filming started, the group worked together as partners and gradually became familiar with each other.
Jiang Yan, who plays Shen Meng, and Lin Yuan have known each other for a while longer—she debuted as an action star, started practicing martial arts from a young age, and is Hua Lin's junior sister.
When Hua Lin found out, she instructed Lin Yuan to be polite to people and not to bully them.
Lin Yuan: "...Am I that kind of person?"
"Why aren't you?" ×3.
Lin Yuan: "..."
If you know someone there, you'll naturally get to know them faster.
There were no actors in the "Major Cases" crew who loved marketing or taking a bloody route. They got along very well. If you look closely, the most bloody one was probably Lin Yuan.
As we all know, Lin Yuan has made too many enemies, and wherever he goes, he makes enemies. Wink was recently ridiculed because of him.
Lin Yuan responded, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. Before the start of 'Tomorrow's Star,' I bribed Xingyao Video with one hundred kettles."
Lin Yuan considers himself a human being. He might be better at making friends than He Xun, but not by much. If it weren't for Wink's debut controversy, he would have had half the various disputes.
However, Lin Yuan happened to rank ninth on the night of the "Tomorrow's Star" finale, and he happened to be slightly stronger than the debut group, so the conflict could never be eliminated.
Even if Lin Yuan himself doesn't want to compete, the other members of the debut group will probably try their best to suppress him.
His presence is really an eyesore.
Lin Yuan is actually a peace-loving person—if he said that, probably no one would believe him.
But you'll know once you get to know them.
After Lin Yuan joined the crew, the atmosphere on set for "Major Cases" was relaxed, and filming proceeded in a very peaceful manner.
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Author's note: [doge][doge] Here I am!
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