Chapter 284 A New Play Offer (9,000 words update!)
The filming of "The Seventeenth Floor" went much more smoothly than Lu Yanhe had imagined.
Before joining the crew, Chen Ziyan specifically told Lu Yanhe that it was normal for the crew to have some problems, especially with the director.
Because Lu Yanhe had acted in several dramas before, all of which were directed by experienced and well-established directors, while Lian Bei had only acted in one drama before filming "The Seventeenth Floor," so his experience was definitely not as rich as Luo Yuzhong's.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe himself was mentally prepared that some shots might be unusable.
Chen Ziyan said that this is where inexperienced directors are most likely to make mistakes.
However, Chen Ziyan was clearly overthinking it.
Lian Bei may lack experience, but the preparations he made for filming this drama were undoubtedly thorough.
One day, Lu Yanhe even saw a stack of storyboards that Lian Bei had bound himself.
He had seen similar panel layouts before in live streams of cartoonists.
It's very rough, with only some outline-like lines.
However, every shot is incredibly lifelike.
Lianbei uses this method to know what kind of shots he needs to shoot before even arriving on set.
This is a director who has a lot of ideas.
Lu Yanhe talked more with Lian Bei. Perhaps it was because Lian Bei was relatively young; in front of Luo Yuzhong and Chen Lingling, they were his seniors, and Lu Yanhe considered himself more like a student, not daring to disturb him too much. However, Lian Bei made Lu Yanhe feel relaxed in every way, allowing Lu Yanhe to chat with him more like a friend.
Of course, the most talked-about topics were actually things from the play.
"Director, why did you want to make 'The Seventeenth Floor'? I saw that your previous film was a suspenseful crime film." Lu Yanhe asked Lian Bei this question.
Lian Bei said, "What I like most is this kind of story with a bit of thrill and adventure. However, there are very few domestic TV dramas of this type. Moreover, I didn't have any experience in directing independently before. It's already very difficult to have the opportunity to direct a film independently. How could I be picky? After that show became a hit, I had the space and freedom to choose what I wanted to film next. Of course, I chose this show that I really like."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "No wonder, I noticed that you drew out the effects you wanted to achieve for each shot in advance."
“These scenes just came to mind when I was working on the script, so this is the kind of subject matter I like. I didn’t have to put in much effort to know exactly how I wanted to film it.” Lian Bei smiled. “Moreover, it’s probably impossible to find such a luxurious cast in a drama with such a short number of episodes again.”
“How could that be?” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “In the future, the cast of your films will only get stronger and stronger. No actor would miss out on a director as talented and successful as you.”
Once "The Seventeenth Floor" airs and becomes another phenomenon, Lian Bei's status in television dramas will skyrocket. He will no longer just be the director of one hit drama, but two, and two in a row. Putting everything else aside, every actor will be vying for a role in Lian Bei's third drama.
This industry is always obsessed with "success studies," believing that those who have succeeded before are more likely to achieve success a second or third time. People can't help but think this way.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Director, what's your next project? Do you have any plans?"
"No, right now I'm only focused on making this show a success," Lian Bei said. "Moreover, Beijing TV has also conveyed this message to me: if 'The Seventeen Floors' is successful, they hope to develop it into a series. This kind of subject matter is easy to develop into a series."
Lu Yanhe did not sign a contract with the Beijing-Taiwan region for a second season. From a script perspective, "The Seventeenth Floor" could certainly be further developed, since the original ending saw them escape the deserted island and gain a chance to live. The stories of the masterminds behind the scenes and what happened after their escape could be continued.
"If there's a second season, will you come back?" Lian Bei asked.
Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment and said, "If you continue to direct, I'll come; otherwise, forget it."
Lian Bei was somewhat surprised and asked, "You trust me that much?"
Lu Yanhe said, "My agent told me that the whole process of filming this movie might be chaotic, and many shots might be wasted. However, since I came here, I have never encountered such a problem. You have always been able to give me the clearest instructions and requirements, and you have respected my ideas. Of course I trust you."
Lian Bei laughed and said, "I thought you would want to pursue an artistic career after winning the award. You have no idea that when many people found out that I chose a battle royale story for my second film, they said that I had abandoned my original intention of creating realism. Good heavens, I never said that I would make every film according to realism."
Lu Yanhe said, "I have always felt that truly excellent works will transcend the boundaries between art films and commercial films, and truly excellent creators will also transcend the barriers of various 'isms'. After taking a year of literature classes, my teachers often said that any creation, regardless of school, style or anything else, ultimately starts from people and returns to people. This sentence has greatly inspired me."
Lian Bei nodded in agreement.
Lian Bei said, "Although this is a story of constant escape, and it seems that the focus is on the various secret rooms and traps, what attracts me the most is actually how people behave when faced with such life-or-death moments."
Lu Yanhe nodded. "Fear, anger, even loss of control or numbness—everyone's emotions are being pulled in different directions under this extreme stimulation, like a runaway train that has derailed, with no idea where it will end up."
"Wow!" Lian Bei's eyes lit up. "Wait, let me write down what you just said. I want to use it as the script for our trailer."
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
"ah?"
Lian Bei said, "What you just said was very appropriate."
Lu Yanhe said, "Then director, remember to pay me the copyright fee."
Lian Bei smiled and shook his head.
"No problem, since Beijing and Taiwan will foot the bill anyway."
-
Unlike many TV series, "The Seventeenth Floor" was directly funded and produced by Beijing TV.
This also means that, including Lian Bei, all the staff were hired by Beijing TV to complete the filming of this drama.
The power of discourse is entirely in the hands of Beijing and Taiwan; everyone in this production crew is just a "laborer."
The same applies to Chen Bige and Lu Yanhe.
Because "The Seventeen Floors" is a favorite of Beijing TV, even if there is a faction within the company that does not want to see the show succeed, Beijing TV, in the grand scheme of things, certainly hopes that the show will be a huge success, after all, they poured 200 million yuan into its production budget.
For this reason, Beijing TV gave "The Seventeenth Floor" the best promotional treatment. From the start of filming, the promotion of this drama has never stopped.
It has been featured on Beijing and Taiwan news programs more than three times.
The hype surrounding Lu Yanhe's win of the Golden Tripod Award for Best Supporting Actor was so grand that after the Beijing Radio and Television Station (CRTV) won the award, they wanted to arrange for Lu Yanhe to appear on their programs, interviews, variety shows, and so on.
I initially thought it was just a promotional appearance for the drama, until Beijing TV brought me a cooperation agreement that turned out to be a regular guest on a variety show and a guest on six other shows.
Chen Ziyan threw the agreement on the table, raising an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? If this agreement is signed, Xiao Lu will work for you Beijing-Taiwan for the next year, right?"
Jiang Lan said, "This was proposed by Xu Bin. I was just acting as a messenger. This agreement wasn't just sent to you; it was sent to every actor except Chen Bige."
"What do you mean? Does that mean if we don't sign, you'll cut our scenes?" Chen Ziyan said coldly, even though the person sitting in front of her was her old acquaintance Jiang Lan, she still had to be professional and put on a serious face.
When Jiang Lan brought the agreement to Chen Ziyan, she had already anticipated Chen Ziyan's reaction.
She sighed.
“I told you before that some people in the station believe that ‘The Seventeen Floors’ is using the top resources and is crowding out the interests of other projects. So they keep saying they want to make up for it in other ways.”
Chen Ziyan sneered and said, "This is the first time I've heard of such a thing. If Beijing TV is going to do this, who will produce your self-made dramas in the future?"
Jiang Lan was taken aback.
“Director Jiang, you don’t need to tell me about this. I will not agree to it. Let alone the fact that Xiao Lu’s position and status are different now, even before winning the award, based on the popularity Xiao Lu brought to this drama, who benefits more, Beijing TV or Xiao Lu?” Chen Ziyan’s eyes flashed with cold light. “Have they forgotten who invited Chen Bige, or do they think so?”
Jiang Lan: "Ziyan, don't make such a big deal out of this. I know our station didn't do things right, but you should try to understand us. You know how much pressure we're under with such a big investment, and it's only twelve episodes long. The pressure to attract investors and break even is immense. Even if it becomes a hit, we might not be able to recoup our costs."
Chen Ziyan shook her head and said, "Director Jiang, if a hugely popular drama can't recoup its costs just because it has a short number of episodes, then I suggest you fire the staff in charge of your station. I can introduce you to a reliable one."
Jiang Lan: "..."
Chen Ziyan: "The drama 'The Seventeenth Floor' stars Chen Bige and Lu Yanhe, and you're worried about attracting investment? I don't know if you're using this as an excuse to talk about what you want to say, or if you're genuinely worried. Everyone has seen the decline of traditional TV stations in recent years. I always thought that you were once a TV station with strong capabilities. Even with the strong impact of online video platforms in recent years, you should still adhere to your bottom line. The agreement you brought today really disappoints me."
Jiang Lan frowned slightly.
"Ziyan, what you said was too harsh. Since we are making this drama the king of dramas next year, it is perfectly reasonable for us to use the largest supporting promotion for this drama."
"The premise is based on normal market principles, on mutual consent, not on making the actors sign such unequal contracts when the filming is only halfway through." Chen Ziyan glared at Jiang Lan without any politeness. "To put it bluntly, what is Xiao Lu's status and position now? Even if we don't mention his identity as an actor, he is a college student at Zhenhua University and the editor-in-chief of the most influential youth business and literature magazine in the country. How much of a favor does he owe you to get him on every single one of your Beijing TV programs?"
After being questioned by Chen Ziyan, Jiang Lan's face turned green.
"We gave Xiao Lu the fairest market price, without any haggling!"
"What's most valuable about Xiao Lu isn't his market value, it's his time," Chen Ziyan said coldly. "You're trying to take advantage of my artist because you think I'm tied to your Tianxing Awards and won't dare to turn against you, is that it?"
Jiang Lan: "..."
-
"You're being so confrontational with Jiang Lan, that's not like you at all," Lu Qingzhen said with a smile after hearing Chen Ziyan's words. "What's going on here?"
Chen Ziyan shook her head and said, "She's using this to test me. Her real intention is not what it seems. She clearly wants to see how I will react to this kind of thing. If I soften my stance even a little, she'll think I have no trump card."
"Jiang Lan is still smart."
“Anyone who can sit in this position is smart.” Chen Ziyan took a sip of coffee. “The Tianxing Awards are about to start, and Idol Era is about to begin recording. What is she planning to do by making such a fuss at this time? What is Beijing and Taiwan planning to do? Nobody can guess.”
Lu Qingzhen: "If you refuse so firmly, won't it be detrimental to Lu Yanhe in the Beijing-Taiwan region?"
“Don’t worry, ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ is the most important drama in Beijing and Taiwan. It’s impossible for it to be detrimental to Xiao Lu. If Xiao Lu does anything negative, it will also affect ‘The Seventeenth Floor’,” Chen Ziyan said. “Besides, with me here, would Jiang Lan dare to make any underhanded moves? She can’t have forgotten so quickly how ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ ended up in Xiao Lu’s hands.”
Lu Qingzhen smiled gently, "As expected, it has to be you, Ziyan. It must be a blessing to be your artist."
Chen Ziyan: "Xiao Lu is determined to succeed on his own."
“Lu Yanhe’s current momentum is likely to be met with a lot of people trying to sabotage him,” Lu Qingzhen warned. “No company that produces male actors would want to see another Shang Yongzhou emerge.”
Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "Qingzhen, you don't know, Xiao Lu is about to walk a path that no one will harm, a path that no one can replicate."
Lu Qingzhen frowned slightly and asked, "Are you referring to his role as the editor-in-chief of 'Jump Up'?"
Chen Ziyan: "That's just one of them. There are other things, but we'll keep them a secret for now. You'll find out later."
Lu Qingzhen nodded.
"Anyway, I came to Xingyu because of you. If there's anything you need me to do, just tell me," Lu Qingzhen said.
"Mm." Chen Ziyan smiled slightly at Lu Qingzhen.
-
Jiang Lan did not lie to Chen Ziyan; apart from Chen Bige, the cooperation agreement was indeed sent to every other actor.
The Beijing-Taiwanese media bet on the success of "The Seventeenth Floor," so they invested in these actors in advance to secure future collaborations with them through better promotional resources.
This incident caused some of the actors in the production crew to discuss it privately.
When Lu Yanhe was asked about it, he looked completely bewildered because Chen Ziyan had never told him about it.
Yan Zhimeng and Lin Chan came together to ask Lu Yanhe about this matter.
Upon learning that Lu Yanhe was unaware of this matter, they exchanged bewildered glances.
"Is Producer Hu trying to fool us?" Lin Chan asked, frowning slightly.
Lu Yanhe said, "Maybe they talked to my agent directly without telling me. My agent makes all the decisions for me."
Lin Chan looked enlightened and nodded, but at the same time looked somewhat embarrassed. She said, "Producer Hu approached me and Yan Zhimeng separately, asking us to sign contracts with Beijing TV for two more dramas, as well as some variety shows. He said that only by signing these contracts would the promotion of this drama be tilted towards us."
"What did your agency say?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Lin Chan said somewhat awkwardly, "We both signed with very small agencies, and we have no power to refuse Beijing TV. But we both feel... it's a loss for us. After all, our careers will definitely see better development after 'The Seventeenth Floor' airs. If we sign them for two dramas at the current salary standard..."
Hearing this, Lu Yanhe roughly understood.
He thought for a moment and said, "I don't have much experience with this matter, so I can't offer any good advice. But I think what you said makes sense. I haven't heard of anything like this yet. Maybe my agent will handle it directly. I think my agent definitely wouldn't sign such an agreement for me, and neither would Sister Bige. I think you should discuss it with your agents. If you have any concerns, just tell them the truth. You can't force someone to buy or sell something. Besides, after 'The Seventeenth Floor' airs, it doesn't matter who gets the publicity resources from Beijing TV. The key is which character the audience is moved by."
Lin Chan was a little worried and said, "But if we refuse Beijing TV, won't they cut a lot of our scenes?"
Lu Yanhe: "It shouldn't be that bad. Anyway, I probably won't sign such an agreement. Are they going to cut some of my scenes? Besides, Director Lian Bei attaches so much importance to this drama. He is a director who has very high requirements for the quality of the drama. Beijing TV would not ruin the quality of a drama for such a small matter. They should still hope that this drama will be a hit."
After talking with Yan Zhimeng and Lin Chan, Lu Yanhe contacted Chen Ziyan.
After inquiring about the matter, Chen Ziyan briefly explained what had happened.
Lu Yanhe told Chen Ziyan what Lin Chan and Yan Zhimeng had said to him.
Chen Ziyan: "Well, Jiang Lan didn't go so far as to ask us to sign a new drama. She just wanted you to appear on a variety show on Beijing TV."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Why is Beijing and Taiwan doing this?"
"Why is that? You all think that after 'The Seventeenth Floor' airs, you'll all become famous because of this show, so you want to buy shares first," Chen Ziyan immediately said. "It's just like video platforms now. They see potential in a young actor and sign contracts for four or five shows at once. As long as one of them becomes a hit, the others will make money while they're at it. Anyway, your salaries are so low now."
Lu Yanhe: "They actually have such a plan."
“Those with a clear head are all going to video platforms. What they’re doing is like drinking poison to quench thirst,” Chen Ziyan complained. “If this continues, which actor will still prioritize dramas produced by Beijing and Taiwan?”
-
These are all digressions; in any case, filming is the main topic.
On this day, they were filming on set.
The scene being filmed depicts several people trapped in a locked room, needing to find the key to unlock the door and escape within ten minutes, or they will be burned alive.
Lian Bei gathered all the actors together and said, "As you all know, I want to shoot this scene in a ten-minute long take, with the time flow in the scene and the time outside the scene being in equal proportions. We've already rehearsed it once, so I'll leave it to you all in a bit."
This is the first long take since filming began for "The Seventeenth Floor".
Even though the production team wanted to film it this way, none of the actors felt it was difficult or uncooperative; they were all excited and eager to perform in such a scene.
Putting aside their personal issues, none of the actors in "The Seventeenth Floor" treated acting like a game. Lu Yanhe had previously seen reports of "unprofessional actors" online and wondered what he would do if he encountered such an actor.
Fortunately, I haven't encountered it yet.
In filming a scene like this, everyone's cooperation is very important.
This is not just a long take with many people; there are also many dangers involved.
Rehearsals are absolutely necessary.
Lu Yanhe followed everyone through the scene twice in this narrow, enclosed room.
Li Yuefeng suddenly said, "Could I add a line here? Otherwise, I feel it doesn't flow quite right."
The line Li Yuefeng says is from when they finally found a key but couldn't open the lock. Jiang Jun's character, Fatty Li, a retired soldier, scolds Yan Zhimeng's character, Wang the Poison Master, for giving bad advice and wasting everyone's time. At this moment, Chen Bige interrupts them and tells Li Yuefeng to go to the top shelf of the bookshelf to find the key again.
Everyone looked at him.
Lian Bei asked, "What words do you want to add?"
Li Yuefeng said, "I think He Huaijin should be wondering at this point why Li Meng is asking him to go to the top shelf of the bookshelf again when the key he found earlier couldn't open the door."
“Because He Huaijin trusts Li Meng 100%,” Chen Bige said. “If you question Li Meng’s instructions at this point, the character relationships will no longer hold up.”
Li Yuefeng: "One hundred percent trust does not mean that He Huaijin has no thoughts of his own. It is a reasonable reaction to question him at this time, isn't it?"
Chen Bige looked at Lian Bei.
Lian Bei looked at Shen Yue.
“Li Yuefeng is right. It’s reasonable that He Huaijin trusts Li Meng completely and doesn’t question her when Li Meng gives new instructions at this time. But it’s not normal that the others are indifferent, especially since time is running out.” Lian Bei said to Shen Yue, “Xiao Yue, you need to add a sentence here. If you question Li Meng’s decision, ask her, ‘What’s the point of looking for the key we found on the top shelf now if it can’t open this door?’”
Shen Yue was taken aback, then immediately borrowed a pen from the person next to her and wrote this sentence on her script.
Li Yuefeng was taken aback.
Why can't I ask that question?
Lian Bei glanced at him and said, "Bi Ge made it very clear. He Huaijin and Li Meng have the strongest trust relationship in this play. You can understand He Huaijin like this: even if Li Meng makes a wrong decision, He Huaijin will think that his judgment was wrong because he trusts Li Meng."
Li Yuefeng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn't say a word.
Lian Bei then looked at Lu Yanhe.
"After Shen Yue raises her questions, Li Yuefeng, you don't need to pay attention to Shen Yue's questions. Go directly to Xiao Lu. At this time, you need to think in advance why Li Meng asked He Huaijin to do this. Then, in one or two seconds, you need to figure it out and say your explanation at this time to explain it to everyone."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
Despite several rehearsals, the actual filming of this scene was repeatedly delayed, and it took three hours to finally get it right.
One scene lasted ten minutes and was extremely terrifying.
When the team announced that everything was OK, everyone smiled with relief.
Only Li Yuefeng's smile seemed somewhat forced, as if he was annoyed that the line he had just spoken hadn't applied to him.
Lu Yanhe, however, did not quite understand why he had proposed such an idea.
Even he could see through it, and anyone could raise that question, except for He Huaijin, played by Li Yuefeng. Once He Huaijin started to question Li Meng's words, the relationship between the two characters changed.
Li Yuefeng is a veteran actor who has acted in many dramas. Doesn't he understand?
Lu Yanhe didn't think Li Yuefeng didn't understand.
Li Yuefeng always wanted to add scenes and lines for himself, and after working together for so many days, everyone gradually noticed this intention of Li Yuefeng.
-
Li Yuefeng stormed back to his dressing room and said to his assistant, "Lian Bei just doesn't like me and is targeting me. I'm not just imagining things, am I?"
Seeing Li Yuefeng's outburst, the assistant tried to calm him down, saying, "Why would the director target you specifically, Brother Feng? Is there some misunderstanding?"
"A misunderstanding? I wanted to add a line, but he gave it to Shen Yue. Isn't that obvious?"
Li Yuefeng complained for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked his assistant, "Did you find out about what I asked you to inquire about?"
The assistant said, "I've inquired, but almost no one has discussed why the director's attitude towards you changed. In fact, no one has mentioned it at all. There are no related rumors. Brother Feng, is it possible that we've misunderstood?"
Li Yuefeng frowned, shook his head, and said, "Impossible."
"Didn't Producer Hu say yesterday that he wanted to talk to me about something? I was on the phone at the time, did he come looking for me again afterward?"
"No," the assistant shook his head.
Hu Siwei was a producer sent to the production team by Beijing and Taiwan, and he wielded considerable power within the team.
Li Yuefeng's eyes darted around, and he stood up.
The assistant asked, "Brother Feng, where are you going?"
“Go find Producer Hu,” Li Yuefeng said.
As a result, he searched around but still couldn't find Hu Siwei.
Where are they?
-
"Producer Hu, what brings you here?" Lu Yanhe asked, somewhat surprised to see Hu Siwei suddenly appear.
Hu Siwei wore a kind and friendly smile.
"How have you been living on set these days? Is there anything you're missing or need to catch up on?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, the conditions provided by the production team have been very good."
Hu Siwei nodded and said, "That's good."
He looked at Lu Yanhe, smiled, and asked, "By the time this movie is finished filming, you'll be a sophomore, right?"
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "That's right."
"Working with you this time, I finally understand why you became an overnight sensation at such a young age," Hu Siwei said. "You are truly a very easy artist to work with."
Lu Yanhe still didn't know why Hu Siwei had come to see him.
It's not normal to praise him right away.
"Thank you, Producer Hu. I didn't really do anything special. I was just doing what an actor should do."
"Actually, there's a movie I'd like to ask you to do, but I don't know if you'd be able to act in it," Hu Siwei suddenly said.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
"Um?"
Hu Siwei said, "I hadn't made up my mind yet, but after seeing your performance in 'The Seventeenth Floor,' I really hope to work with you on another project."
Lu Yanhe repeatedly said thank you.
“However, Producer Hu, as you know, I basically can’t film during my school years.” Lu Yanhe didn’t understand why Hu Siwei would suddenly contact him. “The reason I was able to film ‘The Seventeen Floors’ this time is because it can be completed during the summer vacation.”
Hu Siwei nodded and said, "I know, but the play I'm talking about happens to fit in with your schedule."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe looked at him, puzzled.
"This is an episodic sitcom," Hu Siwei said. "Each episode is about twenty minutes long and will be broadcast weekly, which means it's filmed and broadcast simultaneously. This is a new experiment for Beijing TV."
Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.
This type of show has precedents abroad; Lu Yanhe had previously watched "The Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon".
In fact, even the more famous Friends is of this type.
Hu Siwei said, "The script is still being written. It tells the story of six young people in Yuming, and the theme is their friendship and life."
ha?
etc?
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
This sounds a lot like Friends. Although Lu Yanhe had never watched Friends, he roughly knew what the theme of Friends was.
Lu Yanhe looked at Hu Siwei in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Hu Siwei asked.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Producer Hu, how many episodes do you plan to make for this series?"
Hu Siwei hesitated for a moment and said, "To be honest, it's still uncertain. We currently only plan to film eight episodes and broadcast them for two months to see the ratings. This drama is designed to save the ratings, so it will not be streamed online. It will be exclusively broadcast on Beijing TV. If we can boost the ratings, we will continue filming. If not, then we will end it after eight episodes."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"May I ask if there's any more detailed information about this show?"
Hu Siwei said, "This show is actually being produced by a very good friend of mine. I am the producer for him. There have been sitcoms in China before, but they have become rare in recent years. Each episode is 20 minutes long and mainly focuses on shooting in a few scenes. The cost is low, which is why we were able to try to broadcast it exclusively on a TV station."
Lu Yanhe said, "Those six young people, their actor salaries must be high, right? If the ratings aren't high when it airs on TV, wouldn't we still lose money?"
“It’s not just going to be broadcast on Beijing TV. After this season is over, we will sell the eight episodes of the season to video platforms,” Hu Siwei said. “Of course, we only set aside a budget for one A-list actor for this series. We will find non-A-list actors to play the other roles.”
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
"You mean you want me to be responsible for the show's ratings?" Lu Yanhe was stunned. "This... this is putting too much pressure on me!"
Hu Siwei said, "This is based on our research and calculations. Your own appeal is enough to support the basic audience. As for the other viewers, we believe this show will definitely attract them. Although the script is not yet finished, we have a story outline. Take a look and see what you think."
Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said okay.
He then asked, "Producer Hu, you should know that my work is all handled by my agent, Sister Ziyan. Why don't you go directly to her?"
Hu Siwei said, "This is the second thing I want to tell you. Before you decide to act, please don't tell your agent. I'm not asking you to hide it from your agent and take on the role privately, but... I heard that Chen Ziyan has a good relationship with our Director Jiang. This drama is not Director Jiang's project. If you are willing to act, I will try to find a way. At least wait until you finish filming 'The Seventeen Floors' before discussing this matter, so that Director Jiang doesn't mistakenly think that I am deliberately poaching her."
Lu Yanhe didn't quite understand why Hu Siwei did this.
But I vaguely sensed that this matter was related to the internal strife between Beijing and Taiwan.
He thought about it and agreed for the time being.
"OK."
-
After Hu Siwei left, Lu Yanhe opened the project proposal that Hu Siwei had brought and began to read it carefully.
Upon closer inspection, this show really does resemble "Friends." It tells the story of the friendship and life of six young people in Yuming. Each episode has a theme, and then the six people experience some hilarious and absurd situations. It's very much a sitcom, but it's more down-to-earth and less exaggerated than a typical sitcom.
It was very easy.
Lu Yanhe rarely saw a script that was easy to read.
To be honest, before Lu Yanhe had read so many scripts, based on his understanding of the film and television industry from his two lifetimes, he always felt that there was a huge gap in domestic film and television dramas, namely, lighthearted slice-of-life comedies.
There was a sitcom called "iPartment" that was very popular among young people before, but it seems that nothing else has come along since. The mainstream market for domestic film and television dramas is still serious dramas or idol dramas, with all kinds of themes, but it is rare to see short dramas like this that focus on daily life and situational scenarios.
Lu Yanhe didn't understand why, so after reading the project introduction, he was quite surprised and excited.
Putting everything else aside, just because it's so similar to Friends, Lu Yanhe would have wanted to act in it.
Unable to resist the temptation, Lu Yanhe could see the potential heights this drama could reach, given the previous successes, and the huge success of the original.
As for Jiang Lan's issue...
Lu Yanhe didn't hesitate for long and immediately contacted Chen Ziyan: Sister Ziyan, is Director Jiang Lan your friend?
-
The completed novel, "I Became the Scandalous Female Lead Overnight," is worth a try. Although it's told from the female protagonist's perspective, it's also a story about building a career.
How about this: if I can break 2700 monthly votes today (that's an additional 500), I'll go all out and update 20,000 words? The main thing is, I've never seriously asked for monthly votes before, and I never expected everyone to push me into the top 180 of the monthly vote rankings (for a small, unknown author, this is really not easy!).
(End of this chapter)
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