Chapter 310 He Trusted His Own Judgment (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Of course, Lu Yanhe's performance agreement with "Three Mountains" did not include cooperation with the production team for publicity.
He was originally just there for a cameo role, and he was the only popular star in the film. He was there to help out, so it was impossible for him to sign any obligatory clauses.
However, Lu Yanhe's performance at the Citium Film Festival this time was highly praised and had a great impact.
Moreover, Lu Yanhe himself is the biggest star in "Three Mountains".
The importance of celebrities in film promotion is self-evident. Although there are often arguments online that "movies can't sell at the box office by relying on celebrities," no one in the industry is stupid. If a movie could sell at a high box office without spending tens of millions to hire celebrities, who would be willing to spend that money?
Wang Zhong wanted to invite Lu Yanhe to join the promotion of "Three Mountains" for this very reason.
However, Lu Yanhe had to attend classes and film "Late Spring," so a roadshow was out of the question. After negotiations, he could only spare an afternoon to attend the film's premiere in Yuming.
Wang Zhong won the Best Director Award at the Sittor Film Festival for "Three Mountains," making him the second Chinese director to receive this award at the festival.
Wang Zhong and Zheng Ling's box office expectations for "Three Mountains" have also increased significantly.
Normally, a "stream of consciousness" film like this would only gross around ten million yuan at the box office. The fact that it earned so much in theaters is largely due to Wang Zhong's established reputation as a director with a loyal fanbase. But having a major award makes a difference. This award will further increase the film's visibility and attract even more viewers to the cinema.
Lu Yanhe facilitated a meeting where Wang Zhong was invited to a forum organized by the Youth Association to share his life as a director with the students of Zhenhua University.
Wang Zhong, having won the Best Director award at the Sitour Film Festival, will now be catapulted into one of the top directors in China. This is the power of a top-tier award. His invitation to share his experience at Zhenhua is proof of that. Those who haven't reached the pinnacle of their field wouldn't be invited by the Youth Association.
The three lead actors of "Three Mountains" have been frequently appearing at various events recently.
Their exposure in Xituer and their rise to fame through this film gave them representative works, making their future paths much easier. However, what was slightly awkward for them was that, despite being the leads in the film, they weren't the most talked-about actors. Lu Yanhe, who only made a cameo appearance for one night, received a level of attention comparable to director Wang Zhong, who had just won an award.
At this time, the nomination list for the new Honghe Award was released.
Lu Yanhe, who starred in "Phoenix Terrace", has once again been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Two years since his debut, two films, two nominations.
Lu Yanhe's acting talent has been proven time and time again.
-
"Why isn't Lang Xia on the list?" He Yingzi asked Huang Cheng incredulously. "The character of Lang Xia was very well received when the show aired. Why wasn't he nominated?"
Huang Cheng said, "I wasn't a judge in the nomination process, how would I know why he wasn't on the nomination list?"
He Yingzi was somewhat annoyed and said, "You still say these things in front of me! This year's Honghe Awards, Phoenix Terrace received the most nominations. Didn't they consult you when they were making the nomination list?"
Huang Cheng gave her a disdainful look and said, "Yingzi, watch your words. Are you implying that this nomination list was fabricated?"
He Yingzi: "Don't I know what's going on with these domestic awards?"
"Since you think you know what's going on, then go ahead and do it yourself. Why are you coming to me asking why?" Huang Cheng was too lazy to argue with He Yingzi anymore. "In this drama, don't you know who performed better, Lu Yanhe or Lang Xia? If you don't know, you should go and see what people online are saying."
If Huang Cheng hadn't been bothered by He Yingzi lately, he wouldn't have treated her so badly.
He Yingzi had always wanted to use "Phoenix Terrace" to secure a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Lang Xia. However, although Lang Xia did perform well in the drama and became famous overnight for his role as the Little Prince, he was far from being good enough to win an award.
The complexity of the characters alone is not enough.
Lu Yanhe's portrayal of the guard is marked by a dramatic shift in character, from initial restraint to later outburst, resulting in numerous memorable scenes. Furthermore, he doesn't merely act out a state of being; he embodies the character itself. This alone surpasses many supporting actors in the series. Even many actors in their thirties and forties fail to grasp this point.
Huang Cheng and Chen Lingling did not lobby for Lu Yanhe's award at all, let alone the Beijing and Taiwan awards. Even they were surprised that Lu Yanhe was nominated. Mainly because he had just been nominated last year for "The Golden Era," they all thought the three major awards wouldn't nominate him again so quickly. Unexpectedly, his performance directly impressed the judges, who disregarded his previous nomination and gave him another one.
He Yingzi also realized that she had spoken a little too hastily.
She quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "That's not what I meant. It's just that Yan He already won the Golden Tripod Award last year, so it's impossible for him to win another award this year. The three major awards won't give such a young actor two years in a row. Lang Xia really needs a nomination to prove his ability. Brother Cheng, please help us."
Huang Cheng couldn't stand He Yingzi's feigned grievance and submissive tone any longer.
"This is not something we can control, and Lu Yanhe's nomination was not due to our efforts!" Huang Cheng finished speaking angrily and left.
Just as he got into the car and drove out of the parking lot, Chen Lingling called to discuss the upcoming film "Blood Jade," which was scheduled to start filming in April.
"How about letting Lang Xia give the role of Liu Lang a try?" Chen Lingling said.
Liu Lang is a character with a significant amount of screen time in "Blood Jade," and the casting process had been ongoing.
Generally speaking, Huang Cheng would not object to the actors proposed by Chen Lingling, but this time he said bluntly, "Lang Xia has become popular recently, so he probably doesn't have the time or the salary has increased. He may not be willing to play this kind of supporting role again."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lingling said, "That's true, then let's look at other actors."
Huang Cheng said, "I saw the news about Lu Yanhe at the Xituer Film Festival before, and I think the young actor Chen Jiang who acted with him in 'Three Mountains' is quite suitable in appearance. Why don't we take a look at him?"
“Sure, then you can find him and we’ll take a look,” Chen Lingling said. “The actors’ matter can’t be delayed. ‘Blood Jade’ must be finished filming in July, otherwise we won’t be able to make it to our next project. This year’s schedule is a bit busy.”
"Okay, don't worry, I'll manage the filming schedule well and it won't go over time."
After filming "Blood Jade", Chen Lingling will be filming the suspenseful crime film in collaboration with a streaming media company.
The two shows were filmed almost back to back.
Huang Cheng then said, "Yan He has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Honghe Awards. Why don't we ask him if he wants to walk the red carpet with us?"
“Okay,” Chen Lingling said.
"I plan to let you know on the day of the Honghe Awards ceremony that Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao will be collaborating with you again on a new drama," Huang Cheng said. "This way, we can attract everyone's attention to the greatest extent possible."
This time, Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao were both nominated for acting awards.
They will all attend the Red River Award ceremony.
Chen Lingling will be working with them on their next project.
Huang Cheng didn't want to miss such a free yet high-exposure publicity opportunity.
"By the way, did Friends not receive any nominations this time?"
"No," Huang Cheng said. "Although the ratings are high and it generates a lot of buzz, mainstream awards don't really recognize sitcoms. There hasn't been a single nomination."
"It's a pity. This drama was quite well made, especially the script written by Xiao Lu. It would be unreasonable not to nominate it for the Best Screenplay Award."
"Xiao Lu is still very young. He will have many opportunities in the future. There is no need to rush."
“A play like Friends is something you can only come across by chance,” Chen Lingling said.
Phoenix TV was very popular when it aired, but it still fell short of becoming a huge hit.
Unlike the later-aired "Friends," which garnered attention and discussion from almost everyone around me, this one couldn't compare.
As a director herself, Chen Lingling knows best that such a grand occasion cannot be replicated so easily.
Huang Cheng smiled and said, "How about we make a script with Xiao Lu?"
“They might not have time to write a script for us right now, so let’s forget about it. We still have two movies to film. After we finish filming these two movies this year, we’ll have to devote all our time next year to the post-production of these two movies,” Chen Lingling said. “The earliest we can film a new movie is the year after next.”
"That's true."
-
Being nominated for the Red River Award for the second consecutive year, and receiving high praise from foreign media for Lu Yanhe's performance in "Three Mountains," have further enhanced his acting skills.
Acting skills are subjective; for the audience, it's entirely a matter of personal judgment.
However, when people talk about these things, they always need to find some concrete evidence.
This is evidence.
In terms of solid data, if anyone were to say that Lu Yanhe's acting skills are lacking, they would be fiercely refuted by these achievements.
Lu Yanhe had lunch with Chen Ziyan and Wen Minglan.
Chen Ziyan said, "Because Lang Xia didn't get a nomination for the Red River Award, He Yingzi is going around telling people that the production company is biased, valuing you but not Lang Xia. Haha, with the praise you received from foreign media like the Xituer Film Festival, no one will believe her anymore."
Wen Minglan said calmly, "Lang Xia's performance in 'Phoenix Terrace' can only be described as good at best, passable. It's not normal that he didn't get a nomination. What's there to say? No matter how much you say, do you think the Honghe Awards will add him back to the nomination list?"
"It's just to create hype," Chen Ziyan said. "The Red River Award is out of the question, but there's the Golden Tripod Award and the Blue Ribbon Award coming up next."
Wen Minglan rolled her eyes.
She's essentially a very nature-loving, artsy girl. She rolls her eyes quite dramatically, and the reason she does it is because she's really fed up with Lang Xia's actions.
Not long after "Friends" finished airing, Wen Minglan became an overnight sensation, gaining countless fans. Chen Ziyan, an incredibly capable agent, didn't let this immense popularity go to waste, ensuring that Wen Minglan had an average of one public event every week, whether it was a commercial performance, a variety show, or a fashion event, and sending Wen Minglan to the top of the trending searches every week, keeping her in the public eye from time to time.
Originally, during the airing of "Friends", the most popular actress was Zhan Yun, who played Li Lili.
However, Zhan Yun's agency is a small company with an ineffective management team. In terms of maintaining exposure and popularity, it is far inferior to Chen Ziyan's resources and capabilities.
So far, Wen Minglan is the actress who has maintained her popularity and public interest the most.
Of course, it's only been a month or two, so there's no obvious difference yet.
Chen Ziyan instructed Wen Minglan: "You've managed to get a role in Director Chen Lingling's new drama this time, so you must cherish this opportunity, okay? Don't be perfunctory just because it's a small supporting role. Learn well and act well."
Wen Minglan nodded.
“The other actors from Friends all got lead roles later on, but I didn’t give you one. We don’t lack lead roles, but we lack big-budget productions and really good casts.” Chen Ziyan explained all this to Wen Minglan in detail. “Friends will have a second season, so you don’t need to worry about your popularity declining. Take advantage of your current popularity and seize better acting opportunities so you can reach even greater heights in the future.”
A manager's perspective differs, and so does their influence on the artist.
After "Friends" became a hit, Zhan Yun and Bai Jin's management teams immediately secured them leading roles in dramas with high salaries and co-starring popular male actors.
Yan Liang and Yin Xincheng are the same.
Only Chen Ziyan, after careful consideration, accepted the role in "Blood Jade" directed by Chen Lingling for Wen Minglan.
Wen Minglan really didn't mind at all.
The main reason is that Lu Yanhe was just nominated for the Honghe Award for his supporting role in "Phoenix Terrace".
Who would think that playing a supporting role in Chen Lingling's play is a bad thing at this time?
Wen Minglan glanced at Lu Yanhe again and asked, "But Yanhe, is there really absolutely no chance that you'll come back to act in the second season of 'Friends'?"
Lu Yanhe glanced at her and asked with a smile, "They won't send you to act as a mediator, will they?"
Wen Minglan sighed.
"I don't know if they were joking or not, but they mentioned to me that if I could get you back, they would offer me two million per episode," Wen Minglan said. "I don't care about that. I just... hope you can return for the second season. We finally made the first season so successful despite no one having any faith in us."
“I won’t be returning,” Lu Yanhe said. “However, there are other plans, and we might reunite in another form when the time comes.”
Wen Minglan was taken aback.
She didn't know what Lu Yanhe meant by the other form, but whatever the form, it could never be the original form of "Friends".
This is somewhat disappointing.
However, Wen Minglan understood Lu Yanhe's decision.
I understand.
"Will the movie 'Late Spring' be finished filming before April?" Wen Minglan asked. "Filming for 'Blood Jade' will start in April, and it won't be good to film multiple movies at the same time."
"Don't worry about that," Chen Ziyan said. "I'll take care of it. Your role in 'Late Spring' doesn't have many scenes, so it'll be easy to coordinate between the two sides."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“Liu Bige is still revising the script and there are still some parts he’s not satisfied with. Let’s wait and see,” Lu Yanhe said. “The script isn’t complicated, and your scenes might be filmed in just a few days.”
Many people have a preconceived notion that movies are more sophisticated than TV series, and by the same token, that movie production is more refined. This is, of course, not true. Many films are shot in just ten days to two weeks, yet still manage to produce excellent works.
A movie is only two hours long, so it only needs so much footage. The key is how you shoot it.
To put it simply, "Late Spring" is a story about adolescence, a story that takes place in a summer tutoring class, depicting the confusion and uncertainty of several teenagers. In Chen Lingling's television dramas, it might only take one or two episodes.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how Liu Bige would film it, but it certainly wouldn't be complicated.
-
After lunch, Lu Yanhe returned to school.
Rarely, this semester there are only two required courses and one elective course, with only three classes a week. Lu Yanhe has never felt so relaxed and leisurely.
Seeing Lu Yanhe, who has been making waves recently, appear on campus, the other students were already used to it and would at most glance at him a couple of times.
No matter how popular he was outside, to them, Lu Yanhe gradually became just a classmate with a celebrity status. He was good-looking and famous, and people would like to take a second look at him, but that was all.
Back in the dormitory, Lu Yanhe saw Mao Jiayang lifting dumbbells again.
"Why do I see you lifting dumbbells every time I come back lately?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
Mao Jiayang said, "Exercise, to build muscle."
Looking at Mao Jiayang's two thick biceps, Lu Yanhe really wanted to say, "Your muscles are already very strong."
Mao Jiayang is probably the only one in their dorm who consistently works out.
Don't you have class today?
"No," Lu Yanhe shook his head. "There are very few classes this semester."
Mao Jiayang: "Oh, right, that's true."
"Why didn't you go with Li Xiao?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously.
Since Mao Jiayang and Li Xiao got together, they have basically been inseparable.
Mao Jiayang said dejectedly, "She has to go to class. I wanted to go with her, but she refused."
"Why?" Lu Yanhe asked, somewhat curious.
Although they studied different majors, the teacher wouldn't say anything if they accompanied Li Xiao to class.
It's not uncommon for students from other majors to audit many classes.
Mao Jiayang smiled awkwardly and said, "She complains that I always bother her and delay her from listening to the lesson."
"What did you do?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
Mao Jiayang waved his hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
He looked like he'd done something wrong.
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Mao Jiayang asked, "How are things going between you and Chen Siqi?"
"How is it?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Mao Jiayang winked at him and asked, "What step are you on?"
Lu Yanhe silently turned around.
Seeing his expression, Mao Jiayang asked in surprise, "You haven't—"
"Stop!" Lu Yanhe quickly called out, "Don't discuss this topic again."
Mao Jiayang immediately laughed sarcastically.
"Lu Yanhe, you're not still a virgin, are you?"
Lu Yanhe's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he didn't say another word.
There are some things that I knew about a long time ago, but I never actually did them.
The main problem is that there simply isn't that opportunity.
-
In the evening, Liu Bige and Miao Yue came to Zhenhua together and had dinner with Lu Yanhe in the cafeteria. They happened to be discussing the filming of the movie "Late Spring".
Liu Bige said, "For this movie, we found a school in Yuming and are going to film there. We've scouted out every location. How are your preparations going?"
“We can film anytime,” Lu Yanhe said. “The only times we can’t film are the night of the Red River Awards ceremony and the premiere of ‘Three Mountains’ in Yuming.”
Liu Bige: "That's alright. We can just film other people's movies when the time comes. After all this trouble, we can finally start filming 'Late Spring'."
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe smiled. “After acting in so many dramas, it feels a bit strange to suddenly go back to playing a high school student.”
Liu Bige: "What's so strange about that? You look like a high school student right now."
Lu Yanhe: "That's not what I meant. It's about mindset. When I read a script, I always easily think of my own high school days. This story, sigh, is such a pity."
"Do you like this story?" Miao Yue asked.
“I really like it,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ve never acted in a coming-of-age movie before. This is my first time. Even Sister Ziyan told me that I only got to play this kind of role, which is the closest to my own personality, when I was a sophomore in college.”
Miao Yue: "When I first wrote this story, I never imagined it would be made into a movie one day."
Liu Bige said, "The actors in this movie, apart from you and Wen Minglan who is making a cameo appearance, are all newcomers. I have been training them for a long time. When filming starts, please take good care of them."
"Teach them a lesson?" Lu Yanhe was surprised. "I'm only a sophomore. How can I teach them?"
“They are all genuine high school graduates, you are the only sophomore,” Liu Bige said.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback. "Huh?"
“Yes, apart from you and Wen Minglan, everyone else is a freshman at the performing arts school,” Liu Bige said.
Liu Bige selected the actors one by one.
Lu Yanhe was unaware of these things in the early stages; he only participated in the scriptwriting process.
How are they?
"Miao Yue and I spent a long time choosing, and finally we picked the actors who best fit the characters in the script."
"When can I meet them?" Lu Yanhe said. "The filming is about to start, and we still haven't met."
Liu Bige nodded.
“But I hope you won’t see each other too many times,” Liu Bige said. “I plan to film this movie in the order of the script.”
Many dramas, due to issues such as location and actors' schedules, are not filmed in the order of the script, starting from the first scene and working backwards. Some dramas may start by filming the finale, while others may start filming from the middle. In some productions, two people who are like brothers in the morning may start fighting each other in the afternoon.
If an actor's skills are lacking, they won't be able to find an anchor point in switching between different states and emotions, resulting in an inaccurate performance.
Compared to this shooting method, shooting in sequence is certainly more conducive to actors understanding and entering the character's state.
As each scene unfolds, many states of mind naturally arise.
Liu Bige said, "The story of 'Late Spring' is about several high school students who meet in a summer tutoring class and go from strangers to getting to know each other. I wanted to shoot this movie in sequence, so that you can go from being strangers to getting to know each other. In this movie, apart from you, everyone's acting skills are not very proficient. Actually, we are all acting based on feeling and talent. Therefore, the fewer scenes that need to be acted, the better. The more realistic the situation, the better."
Lu Yanhe understood Liu Bige's meaning, nodded, and said okay.
That means that before filming officially begins, the actors should try not to get to know each other and minimize contact.
Only in this way can the sense of unfamiliarity when they first meet be truly authentic.
"Then I'll not see them for now."
“That works too.” Liu Bige nodded.
This is what he wanted in the first place.
Lu Yanhe also didn't know what Liu Bige's style was like when he was directing on set.
He only hoped that Liu Bige was truly a talented and capable director, not just an empty shell.
His decision to star in "Late Spring," a low-budget art film about youth and growth, was no easy feat for either him or Chen Ziyan.
Lu Yanhe agreed to act in the film for two reasons: first, he liked the script; and second, during his time working with Liu Bige, he believed Liu Bige was a very talented and insightful person who wanted to direct the film and wanted Lu Yanhe to act in it, so he was willing to support him.
Ultimately, Liu Bige is a new director who has never independently directed a film before, and Lu Yanhe is also working with a new director for the first time.
Before this, he had worked with big-name directors with rich or impressive resumes, such as Luo Yuzhong, Chen Lingling, Wang Zhong, Lian Bei, and Bai Jingnian.
It would be a lie for Lu Yanhe to say he wasn't nervous.
He kept all these anxieties and tensions to himself and never revealed them to Liu Bige.
He didn't want to add pressure to Liu Bige at this time—with filming about to begin, Liu Bige was under the most pressure right now.
Lu Yanhe repeatedly admonished himself that since he had made the decision, he should not question it or doubt whether it was right or wrong.
Next, he focused on one thing: cooperating well with Liu Bige and delivering a good performance in the film "Late Spring"!
He trusted his judgment.
Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)
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