Chapter 411
When Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi arrived in Picardo, the film festival was already almost halfway through.
Because of the film festival, many media outlets were stationed at the airport to film the celebrities coming and going.
Some people leave, and some people come.
Every day there are new stars, and these new stars give them something new to film every day, allowing them to continue making a living.
When Lu Yanhe came out, several media outlets from Asian countries immediately recognized him.
"Lu Yanhe!"
"Lu Yanhe, could you take a look over here?"
...
Several photographers shouted loudly in English.
Of course, not everyone's English level is high enough to be understood immediately.
Some European and American journalists, seeing how enthusiastically they were calling out to a young, handsome boy, mostly not recognizing him, only took a couple of token photos to avoid missing anyone—in reality, because they didn't know him, they didn't really pay him any attention.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi were escorted out by Zou Dong and Wang Biao, one on each side.
Lu Yanhe took off his sunglasses, waved to the media who were calling his name, and generously let them take pictures for a while before getting into his car and leaving.
“The Asian media basically all know you now.” Chen Ziyan turned to him and said, “Those media outlets just now, I didn’t give them any advance notice, they just recognized you on their own.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Is it because 'Friends' and 'The 17th Floor' are doing well on Maxine? When Si-qi and I went to Europe this time, we met a few Europeans who recognized me. They all knew me because they watched these two shows on Maxine."
Chen Ziyan: "Phoenix Terrace is quite popular in South Korea and Japan. Our historical dramas with political intrigue still have a considerable market in Asia."
“Okay,” Lu Yanhe said. “No wonder more and more actors are starting to act in streaming dramas. This reach allows audiences all over the world to get to know you.”
The current streaming industry is all about the global market.
"The Seventeenth Floor" did indeed perform very well on Maxine.
Battle royale dramas have an audience in countries around the world. Viewers who enjoy this genre don't need the production team to promote it to them; they regularly search for related films and television shows on their own.
Given the high quality of "The Seventeenth Floor," it's no surprise that it's well-received.
However, the show didn't bring much positive feedback to the actors. Domestically, the actors gained popularity and a surge in online traffic because of the show, but overseas, while people watched the show, it was difficult to generate a "star-struck" effect that made any particular character or actor famous.
It takes a certain amount of buzz to create momentum; having a dozen or twenty fans or moviegoers doesn't make you famous on foreign social media platforms.
Especially for dramas like "The Seventeenth Floor." It's similar to the well-known saying in the film industry that "horror films rarely promote actors." In genre films, the primary protagonist is always the character's setting, not the actor.
In fact, urban dramas like "Friends" are more likely to promote actors. Lu Yanhe is recognized by many Europeans and Americans entirely because of the show "Friends".
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When Lu Yanhe met with Wang Zhong and Chen Bige, Wang Zhong's first words were, "Why are you so dark?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I've been sunbathing outside these past few days and I've gotten a tan."
Wang Zhong looked a little disgusted and said, "It's gotten too dark."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
"Has it affected your appearance?"
"It affected the audience who watched our short film to recognize you."
"That's an exaggeration, director. It's not that bad." Lu Yanhe immediately denied.
Chen Bige: "It's okay. I look more handsome when I'm a little darker. I used to look like a pale-faced scholar, but now I have a more capable and shrewd look."
Lu Yanhe immediately raised his chin proudly, "Director, listen to what Sister Bige has to say."
Seeing this, Wang Zhong chuckled and shook his head.
"Does our short film have a name yet?"
“Yes, let’s call it ‘Night Flight’,” Wang Zhong said.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback when he heard the name, then smiled and said, "This name is suitable."
Originally a scene from Li Kaixian's Ming Dynasty play "The Precious Sword", it later became one of the most famous plays in the opera world because of the widely circulated saying "Men fear running away at night, women fear yearning for the mortal world".
It is based on the novel "Water Margin" and tells the story of Lin Chong's escape at night, which has nothing to do with the story in this short film.
However, if we set aside its original meaning and only look at the literal meaning of these two words, they fit the story itself quite well.
The story of the short film is indeed a story of running away at night.
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This time, when "Night Run" was shortlisted for the short film competition, almost everyone felt no pressure; it was more like a pure, festival-like experience.
Chen Bige's schedule at the Carlo Film Festival this time was quite full.
She has two magazine cover shoots to do here, as well as other brand events.
Lu Yanhe didn't have any of that work this time. He could fully enjoy the charm of the film festival with Chen Siqi. Apart from the work related to "Night Run", he spent the rest of the time taking Chen Siqi through the streets and alleys of Picardo and to different cinemas at different times, watching many movies.
Chen Siqi said, "I don't think every film that is nominated for the main competition is a good film."
“That’s true. Anyone who knows more about film festivals knows that while film quality is an important factor in the selection of films for the main competition, it’s never the absolute or key factor,” Lu Yanhe said. “However, there must be a reason why a film is selected for the main competition. In fact, for film festivals, it’s not just the main competition that produces good films; other sections can also produce good films. For example, the film we liked, ‘April Rain,’ wasn’t in the main competition.”
Chen Siqi nodded.
"That's true, but we can't help being a bit pragmatic. You're the same. This time, you're nominated for the short film competition, so it's not as serious as when you nominated 'Late Spring' for the main competition at the Venice International Film Festival."
Lu Yanhe laughed.
Because Chen Siqi is right. That is indeed the case.
A utilitarian mindset is inevitable and undeniably present. Lu Yanhe said, "Indeed, I need to do some self-reflection."
Chen Siqi: "I didn't ask you to write a self-criticism. What I meant was that it's normal for people to have such utilitarian thoughts. That's how your film festival is set up. The highest award is placed in the main competition section, and you even added the word 'main' to it."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "That's true."
-
On the day of the premiere of "Night Run", there were still some people present.
The names Wang Zhong, Chen Bige, and Lu Yanhe together still hold some appeal for film media around the world.
In particular, Wang Zhong's previous film, "Three Mountains," won the Best Director Award at the Situ Film Festival, which is a very prestigious award, as evidenced by how quickly Wang Zhong's status has risen in the domestic film industry over the past year.
The short film is beautifully shot.
Wang Zhong filmed the entire movie with a deep sense of antiquity, giving people a sense of quiet and simple beauty.
The film frequently features close-up shots of Chen Bige and Lu Yanhe. Their facial features are naturally photogenic and well-suited for the big screen; their contours and lines give them a unique beauty under Wang Zhong's lens. Chen Bige, in particular, exudes a gentle, understated elegance with every glance and gesture.
Lu Yanhe sat in the dark screening room, waiting for the film to end.
Thunderous applause erupted.
Lu Yanhe had guessed that this short film would be very popular with foreign audiences. It was very much in line with traditional Chinese culture and beautifully shot; every shot was stunning.
While clapping along with everyone, Chen Bige whispered to Lu Yanhe, "Actually, it would be great if the director had made this into a feature film. I feel like I've never made a film with such beautiful cinematography before."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I think so too."
Director Wang Zhong received enthusiastic recognition and applause.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige stood beside him and saw that many foreigners looked at Wang Zhong with eyes full of respect and the fervor of fans for their idol.
The artistic director of the BiCarlo Film Festival, Dušević, was also present and personally saw Wang Zhong and Lu Yanhe off.
As he walked, he expressed his appreciation for the short film to everyone, and at the same time asked about "Rouge," which Wang Zhonggang and Chen Bige had just finished filming.
“Come to BiCarlo next year with this film,” Dursevich suggested.
After winning the Best Director Award at the Situ Film Festival for his previous film, Wang Zhong's next film will undoubtedly attract the attention of the four major international film festivals. It's almost certain that his new film will be invited to the main competition of the four major international film festivals; it just depends on which one he chooses.
Wang Zhong said with a smile, "I haven't figured out how to edit this movie yet."
According to Lu Yanhe, this film isn't actually an art film. Even though its themes and shooting style resemble art films, it's still a relatively popular story. It doesn't have obscure artistic expressions; it's about people and love. Of course, with the film material available, Wang Zhong could certainly edit it according to his ideas, following the direction and style of an art film, cutting out the straightforward and less nuanced parts. But currently, everyone agrees on preventing the film from going in an increasingly obscure direction.
Therefore, if this is the plan, Wang Zhong needs to seriously consider which film festival to premiere his new film at.
Situ definitely can't go there; commercial films are least popular there.
BiCarlo wasn't much better off either.
Based on how people perceive "Rouge," this film is actually one that may not receive awards at film festivals, but will be well-received by audiences.
Because it is audience-friendly and uncomplicated, yet it is not a typical popcorn movie; it also possesses a strong auteur expression.
Durshevich also expressed his welcome to Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige to come to the BiCarlo Film Festival often.
Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
-
"Night Run" has received very good reviews from film critics and the media.
This was expected.
It's rare for a big-name director to make a short film, let alone allocate such a high budget to it.
The quality of "Night Run" is high enough to be considered a feature film.
When Wang Zhong was interviewed by the media and asked why he made such a short film, he followed the consensus and said: "Firstly, it was to test shoot for the movie 'Rouge' that I just finished filming, to find out what style of shots to use, because both are period-related backgrounds, and I needed to do some experimentation. Secondly, I had already finished writing the script a long time ago, but I couldn't find investors willing to invest before, so it didn't get made. This time, Xin Zixing helped me get funding, and Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige were willing to support me, so I took the opportunity to make it."
Many foreign journalists expressed the same sentiment, asking, "Could this short film be made into a feature film?"
The camera work, with its distinctly Chinese aesthetic, thoroughly shocked the foreign journalists.
This is the result of thousands of years of cultural aesthetics. Foreign journalists, who are not well-versed in this, are naturally easily amazed by the flickering images and interplay of light and shadow.
The most direct aspect of a film is not the script, but the visuals. The visual aesthetics of "The Night Runner" are exquisite, and the script and characters seem to become tools for the transformation of the visuals.
When asked if "Night Run" would be made into a feature film, Lu Yanhe simply smiled and said, "You'd have to ask the director; I don't know."
However, he thought about it and realized that if it had been made into a feature film, the movie might not have received the same acclaim it has today.
It's still Chen Siqi's words.
People may not admit it, but they are actually driven by self-interest—in this case, they are biased.
People won't judge "The Night Runner" by the standards of watching feature films.
A short film that achieves such exquisite cinematic aesthetics is truly impressive; it's no wonder it's Wang Zhong's work.
But if a feature film is like this, with almost no plot and frankly just a thin story of unrequited love and inability to be together, talking about fate and regret, I'm sure many people will find fault with it.
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After the screening of "Night Run" ended, Lu Yanhe prepared to return to China.
Although it's unknown whether it will win an award, even if it does, Wang Zhong will be the one to go on stage to receive it, and he won't need to stay here any longer.
Unexpectedly, someone from HP, an American streaming media company, contacted him and asked to meet.
Streaming service HP is similar in size to Maxine, but HP's business is mainly concentrated in Europe and America, unlike Maxine which has a much wider reach, investing in and producing films and television series in various countries and regions around the world, resulting in many popular non-English works.
Most of HP's most popular works are English-language works from Europe and America, mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom, with very few works from other European and American countries.
Lu Yanhe met the man with some doubt. The man was blond and blue-eyed, dressed in a suit and tie. He looked like an elite, very gentlemanly and polite.
"Tom White," he introduced himself to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe also introduced himself with a smile, saying, "Lu Yanhe."
Tom Wright is very handsome, the kind of mature, handsome, and charismatic elite figure often seen in movies and TV shows.
The other party said, "I came to the BiCarlo Film Festival this time to purchase some good films for our HP. I happened to see the news that you were here, so I contacted Shang Yongzhou to arrange a meeting with you."
When Lu Yanhe learned from Shang Yongzhou that HP wanted to meet with him, his surprise was understandable.
“I’ve known Shang Yongzhou for several years and I know he just finished filming ‘Paths of Glory’ with you. I’ve already seen the rough cut of that movie, and your performance was just as good as his. It impressed me a lot,” Tom White said.
Lu Yanhe shook his hand, displaying a humble attitude of "please don't say that."
“I know that besides being an actor, you are also a very famous screenwriter,” Tom Wright said. “You are the screenwriter of Friends.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“We at HP have always wanted to enter the Asian market, but apart from China, which doesn’t allow us to enter the streaming media market, Maxine has basically taken over all other countries and regions.”
The work isn't finished yet, so this is all I can update for now.
(End of this chapter)
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