Chapter 366 New Progress
Wang Zhong has extraordinary patience with young actors and is very encouraging towards them.
Xin Zixing had heard that Wang Zhong was such a director before, but she had never seen him in person.
During the costume fitting, Xin Zixing stood behind director Wang Zhong, watching with him.
Xin Zixing was still a little curious and asked, "Director, why were you on set watching the makeup and costume fitting?"
Normally, directors only check the final result of costume fittings at the very end, so it's rare to see someone like Wang Zhong who oversees everything from beginning to end.
Wang Zhong said, "Anyway, I have nothing to do today, and starting from the beginning will save a lot of effort in communicating back and forth later."
Upon hearing these words, Xin Zixing felt a deep sense of emotion welling up inside her.
Having worked at Yemai.com for so long, a large part of her job involves communication and coordination.
Because she had suffered so much in this regard, she felt genuinely jealous upon hearing Wang Zhong's words.
Jealous of those who work with Wang Zhong.
Thinking back, she herself felt it went incredibly smoothly when she was working with Wang Zhong on this short film.
In many ways, Director Wang Zhong's requirements were very clear, and he never went back and forth or changed his mind.
As a working partner, this is truly a virtue.
Xin Zixing was truly fed up with those collaborators who kept scrapping the project and starting over under the guise of "better results."
This time, the makeup session went very smoothly thanks to Wang Zhong's presence.
Every time he came out, Wang Zhong would give very accurate suggestions for revision.
Wang Zhong personally explained every detail, down to the shape of his eyebrows, to the makeup artist.
When she finished her work, Xin Zixing was surprised to find that eight or nine hours had passed.
It wasn't any less than the normal time.
However, she felt that time passed quickly and she did not feel like she was being tortured or tormented on the spot.
Upon closer analysis, Xin Zixing realized that the reason she felt time flew by was entirely because the entire makeup trial and final makeup process felt professional. Every step was essential and could not be omitted, and each adjustment had its significance, revealing noticeable changes and differences.
Xin Zixing was only meeting a top-notch team for the first time when she was preparing a film. She wondered what it was like.
This suddenly made her feel envious.
Compared to Wang Zhong's team, the recording team of "City Travelogue" paled in comparison and appeared very unprofessional.
In addition, there is Wang Zhong's attention to every detail.
Paying attention to details often means another thing: burning money.
But Wang Zhong felt that the money was well spent.
"It must have a sense of quality." Wang Zhong kept repeating this sentence on site.
Every time he pointed out something was wrong, he would say, "The texture is not good."
Wang Zhong accompanied Chen Bige to choose each of the cheongsams she was wearing, one by one, and even had the tailor make alterations on the spot.
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Xin Zixing knew, of course, that her small documentary team couldn't compare to the team of an internationally renowned director.
Isn't this overestimating one's own abilities?
However, Xin Zixing is not one to be content to lag behind others.
Having seen what good things are, Xin Zixing was naturally unwilling to continue making do.
This is Xin Zixing's personality.
Xin Zixing thought to herself that "City Travelogue" had reached a bottleneck at this point.
Each episode consistently gets between six and eight million views. Their platform's algorithm is stricter than other video platforms, resulting in fewer views. In fact, they can see from their backend viewing data that each episode of "City Travelogue" gets around two million views.
For a documentary, this is already a very high figure. For a documentary with a production cost of only a few hundred thousand per episode, the commercial return for each episode is even more considerable.
But precisely because of this, Xin Zixing's several applications to increase the production budget for "City Travelogue" were rejected.
Within Yemai.com, it was not believed that "City Travelogue" could further increase its influence, and increasing production costs would not bring higher commercial returns.
Xin Zixing has been upset about this for a long time.
Looking at the work of Director Wang Zhong's team today, Xin Zixing was reminded of this incident again.
After much thought, she decided that she still needed to make further efforts to push this matter forward.
Increasing production costs does not guarantee that "City Travelogue" will attract more viewers.
Its potential is already there; it's already one of the most popular documentary programs in China.
However, if production funding isn't increased and efforts aren't made to improve the quality of the show, then this program may truly be coming to an end.
And then they'll just keep filming like this without any changes.
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During dinner, Xin Zixing brought up the matter with Lu Yanhe.
"What do you think?" Xin Zixing asked Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I also think your idea is right. 'City Travelogue' can be taken to a higher level. It carries a very important meaning. There is almost no other program like it in China. If we can further improve its quality on the existing basis and make it a high-quality program, I think it will greatly enhance its influence."
Documentaries can also be very popular.
Lu Yanhe himself didn't watch much, but he had read a lot of "The Rise of Great Powers" in his politics and history classes, watched a few episodes of "A Bite of China" on TV, and heard about the global popularity of Li Ziqi's video series.
In this time and space, there are similar documentaries, but for some reason, there haven't been any blockbuster documentaries with a more slice-of-life focus like "A Bite of China" or Li Ziqi.
Lu Yanhe felt that "City Travelogue" had the potential to become a hugely popular documentary, if it was done well.
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Xin Zixing is eager to make some changes to "City Travelogue".
Lu Yanhe will soon be joining the cast of "The Silent River".
At the same time, the viewership rating of "The Seventeen Floors" also successfully broke through 1.7%.
This has led everyone to speculate whether "The Seventeenth Floor" will also see an episode with a viewership rating exceeding 2.
These days, apart from CCTV, it's practically impossible for a drama to break the 2% viewership rating mark.
Even if a single episode breaks 2.
This year, Beijing TV is seeing a second drama with the same potential, which makes other TV stations extremely envious.
This is no longer just about achievements; to put it more grandly, it's even a matter of honor.
Who wouldn't want to recreate a ratings miracle in this era of online streaming?
Both of these dramas starred Lu Yanhe.
As a result, Lu Yanhe's subsequent dramas were targeted by other TV stations.
The most anticipated of these is "The Silent River".
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Huang Cheng hung up the phone, turned around and smiled helplessly at Chen Lingling, saying, "Another one asking about the copyright of 'The Silent River.' This show hasn't even been filmed yet, and it's already so popular. It seems that once Xiao Lu's 'Seventeen Floors' airs, he will have completely established himself in the TV drama field."
Chen Lingling chuckled and said, "That's how it is in our industry. Whoever becomes popular, everyone rushes to follow suit. They're praising Xiao Lu so much now, but if his show doesn't air well one day, they'll be the first to run away."
Huang Cheng: "Then I'd like you, every show you make gets broadcast well, and you're always the TV station's favorite director."
"That's different. There are times when TV stations don't even want my shows."
“That was because TV stations used to monopolize the market. Look at it now, which platform would look down on your show? It’s simply not possible,” Huang Cheng said. “Every show you direct has achieved good results in the end. That’s based on solid achievements.”
Chen Lingling: "Okay, you don't need to coax me here. I know my past achievements were not bad, but many people on the Internet say that the style of my dramas is more important than the content. When Phoenix TV aired last time, they said that the drama was stagnant and that I was outdated."
"It's just because we didn't use those heavy filters that are popular in many dramas these days. Why do you care what those haters say? No matter what they say, Phoenix TV's performance is undeniably good, and its reputation is also excellent." Huang Cheng glanced at her sideways. "I didn't know that someone as proud as you would care about what those people on the internet who are deliberately trying to smear you are saying?"
Chen Lingling said, "Since they said such outrageous things, of course I had to take a look. I can't let myself get so caught up in your false praise of me."
“Then you should go and read some fair reviews,” Huang Cheng said. “The kind of filters they like can erase all the texture on an actor’s face, making them look like a mannequin. The whole scene looks incredibly fake. Would you really want to film that kind of movie?”
"I don't want to, but maybe that's just what the audience likes to watch these days."
"What do you mean 'love to watch'? Look at this, is this the kind of filter used in 'Friends'? Is this the kind of filter used in 'The Seventeenth Floor'?" Huang Cheng said, "It's not like that at all. Which truly popular and well-received dramas, national-level dramas, would process the visuals like that?"
Huang Cheng looked at Chen Lingling helplessly.
"Stop worrying about being outdated. Every director who sticks to their own path can't be outdated. Only directors who chase trends are considered outdated," Huang Cheng said. "You don't have that problem. Besides, if you were outdated, would actors like Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao have agreed to star in your film without even reading the script? If they thought you were outdated when they were filming 'Phoenix Terrace,' why would they have agreed to star in your new film so readily? What others say can't compare to the attitude of those who are truly in the industry. They are the ones who truly understand things."
Huang Cheng found it strange; Chen Lingling was never one to underestimate herself. In fact, to some extent, she was overly proud and confident. Why was she suddenly acting like a different person today, questioning whether she was outdated?
Huang Cheng comforted Chen Lingling and decided to conduct a proper investigation. He needed to find out why Chen Lingling had undergone such a change.
However, no new negative comments about her have appeared online.
Anyway, those who hate her have been saying the same things over and over the years. If Chen Lingling really took it to heart, she would have done so long ago.
Why is that?
Huang Cheng was completely baffled.
He thought he knew Chen Lingling very well, but in this matter, he felt completely bewildered.
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Chen Lingling didn't know how to describe her feelings to Huang Cheng.
Is she going to tell Huang Cheng that she's a little jealous of Lu Yanhe's successive successes?
A director of her stature, she was actually jealous of Lu Yanhe, a young actor who had only recently started out. It was a laughing stock, so Chen Lingling didn't want to talk about it. But she had to admit it herself.
Chen Lingling's dramas are indeed all successful; none of them have been poorly received.
Including Phoenix TV, it achieved a win-win situation for both TV and online platforms, and received good reviews from the audience.
However, this is still a little short of what Chen Lingling herself wanted to achieve.
She wanted to create a show that would set a trend like Friends, or a show that would pioneer a genre like The Seventeen Floors.
Phoenix Terrace is good, but mediocre at best. Only six months after it finished airing, there's not much discussion about it anymore. That's just how some shows are; once they've finished airing, they fade into obscurity.
Even now, the show "Friends," which aired at the beginning of the year, still generates occasional trending topics online.
Various indicators also show that although Friends has been airing for almost half a year, viewers’ enthusiasm for it has never waned.
Chen Lingling is not a director who merely pursues artistic value. Otherwise, she couldn't have achieved such success. Having reached her level, does she lack a play or two like "Phoenix Terrace"? She doesn't.
What she wants is a breakthrough.
So, seeing Lu Yanhe's series of hit dramas become so popular, Chen Lingling became jealous.
They're too embarrassed to admit it.
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"You're about to join another production team. You said you wouldn't be busy with work during your university years?" Li Zhibai lay half-reclined on the sofa, glancing at Lu Yanhe with a "you liar" look on his face. "But you're more of a workaholic than any of us."
Lu Yanhe said, "The dramas that ask me to film are basically all that can be completed in 20 or 30 days. I can coordinate my schedule, so why wouldn't I accept them? Besides, after I finish filming 'The Silent River,' I won't be able to film a single drama next semester. Last semester, I missed many elective courses because I was filming 'Late Spring,' and I'll have to make up for them next semester."
“That’s enough,” Li Zhibai said. “You’ve filmed quite a few movies this year, but you’re right, the time it takes me to film one movie is enough for you to film four or five movies. It’s too time-consuming.”
Li Zhibai's TV dramas often start at 40 or 50 episodes, and the filming time is usually three or four months, and sometimes even five or six months.
This is completely different from the time Lu Yanhe spent filming.
Lu Yanhe said, "The main reason is that I don't have time to act in long dramas."
"It's good; most long dramas are padded out," Li Zhibai said. "Why don't they ask me to direct short dramas like this?"
He had some doubts.
Lu Yanhe: "The following 'Squid Game' is a short drama, and we're looking for you."
Li Zhibai: "You've been talking about this for so long, but there's still no movement. Who knows when we'll start filming?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I'm still trying to persuade director Lian Bei; I hope he'll direct it."
"He's busy making a sequel to 'The Seventeenth Floor,' he doesn't have time to make 'The Squid Game.'"
“He had another project to film before he could film the sequel to ‘The Seventeenth Floor’, so why couldn’t he film ‘The Squid Game’ after he finished filming the second season of ‘The Seventeenth Floor’?” Lu Yanhe said. “You’ve also seen ‘The Seventeenth Floor’, so he would be the most suitable person to film ‘The Squid Game’.”
Li Zhibai: "Nonsense, everyone knows it's suitable, it's just that he's unwilling."
“Let’s talk slowly, this can’t be rushed,” Lu Yanhe said. “Good things come to those who wait. Ever since ‘Lost in Thailand,’ I’ve been mentally prepared. There are too many twists and turns in the process of making a film, from writing the script to preparation and then to the actual filming. So relax.”
"By the way, how's 'Lost in Thailand' coming along? Why hasn't it been filmed yet?"
"Filming will begin at the end of the year," Lu Yanhe said. "The funding and actors are all in place now, and I'll need you to make a cameo appearance for me."
“Okay, I got it,” Li Zhibai said. “But do you have time to participate in ‘Lost in Thailand’ at the end of the year? Aren’t you also filming ‘Road to Glory’ with Shang Yongzhou around the end of the year?”
“I can just make my own movies,” Lu Yanhe said. “I didn’t have to be on set for the filming of ‘Lost in Thailand’.”
"Aren't you the producer and executive producer?"
“My work is all in the pre-production stage, not on set,” Lu Yanhe said. “There’s already a director, Jiang Lu, and a teacher, Jia Long, on set. If I were to join them, the three of us would have three different opinions, resulting in a hodgepodge. It’s better not to go and just leave everything to them.”
"Are you sure?"
“If you’re worried, you have to be rational. If I’m really worried, I’ll direct it myself.” Lu Yanhe shrugged. “I don’t have that ability, so why should I be worried? We’ve already found Teacher Jia Long, so let’s trust him completely. He’s almost a comedy master, why should I question him?”
Li Zhibai clicked his tongue and said, "Your attitude is something that 99% of people in the industry should learn. I think there are too many people in our film industry who want to interfere and give orders, and too few who believe that others can do a good job."
Lu Yanhe: "Are you alluding to 'The Divine Picture' again?"
“You have no idea how much ridiculous stuff this lousy show has,” Li Zhibai said.
Lu Yanhe: "The same goes for the movie 'Nineteen Years of Crime Records'. Ruyi had a very low opinion of the film's source material. When I talked to Sister Ziyan about the rights to film the TV series, they were happy to do so almost without any hesitation. It seems like they have completely given up on this story."
Li Zhibai: "Are you planning to film it yourself?"
Lu Yanhe: "I won't film it myself. I don't have the time. Of course, I'll find someone suitable to film it."
Li Zhi paused for a moment, looked at him, and said, "How about I give it a try?"
"What are you auditioning for? A screen test?" Lu Yanhe said. "Didn't we already agree that the three of us would go to auditions together?"
“No.” Li Zhibai shook his head. “What I mean is, if you buy it, I’d like to try it out and find a place in this project to practice. I’ll do the work for free.”
Lu Yanhe looked at him with some surprise, bewildered by Li Zhibai's unprecedented initiative.
"What... what are you trying to do?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Li Zhibai said, "I found that if I only act, I am indeed passive. I can't learn your ability to write scripts, but I can still learn your ability to arrange plates and do projects."
Lu Yanhe was truly incredulous, never expecting Li Zhibai to have such a thought.
"Sure, if you're interested, then come on over," Lu Yanhe said. "Just don't give up halfway through."
I felt really unwell today, but after taking an ibuprofen I managed to write these 5,000 words.
(End of this chapter)
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