Chapter 421 Han
After returning from visiting the set of "Squid Game," Lu Yanhe went to Aurora Video and signed an authorization contract with them, authorizing Aurora Video to produce a derivative program based on the world view of the TV series "Squid Game."
Like "Confession from the High Platform," it still follows the licensing fee + revenue sharing model.
Both "Confession from the High Platform" and this show belong to the category of variety shows that cost the least money.
Because there were no celebrities involved. The former relied on format, while the latter relied on riding the coattails of "The Squid Game".
Chen Ziyan said, "This format is quite good."
She laughed and said, "I bet other film crews will envy you, or even be jealous of you."
"Huh? Why?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan said, "Because your show, before it has even aired or started airing, has become an IP that everyone is vying to collaborate on. From Tongfu Inn in 'My Own Swordsman' to this spin-off program 'Squid Game,' looking at these, I feel that many things may open up a new chapter in film and television production in the future."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Does the new situation refer to this kind of multi-form development?"
“Yes,” Chen Ziyan said. “If these are successful and profitable, others will definitely follow suit. Aren’t there some popular dramas now that they’re doing spin-off variety shows with their actors? Of course, it’s different from ‘Squid Game.’ They don’t use the world view from the drama. They just bring the main actors together to record a show, have a heart-to-heart talk, and create a slow-paced variety show to attract drama fans.”
There are now more and more ways to play. These ways are dazzling; some people like them, and some don't.
However, those who like the show "The Squid Game" should still be interested in this spin-off program, right?
At the end of March, Maxine's Jong Bon-seok suddenly contacted Lu Yanhe, saying that he wanted to hold a fan meeting for Lu Yanhe in Japan and South Korea to further promote the popularity of "Friends" and "The Seventeen Floors" in Maxine's Asian region.
These two shows have been in the top ten of Maxine's Asia viewership charts for two months now, maintaining high popularity, and many people enjoy watching them.
The level of love for "The Seventeen Floors," especially in Japan and South Korea, exceeded Jong Bon-seok's expectations.
As the lead actor, Lu Yanhe's popularity in Japan and South Korea has been gradually rising.
That's why Zhong Benshuo had the idea to plan this event.
Holding fan meetings in Japan and South Korea would be a way for Lu Yanhe to give back to the local drama fans. On the other hand, this event would also generate a lot of attention, attracting viewers who haven't seen these two dramas yet, thus boosting their interest in them.
Lu Yanhe was certainly not doing this work voluntarily. Maxine provided him with a generous fee for his work.
Chen Ziyan said, "Participating in these kinds of events there is good. On the one hand, it can solidify your popularity in those two countries. On the other hand, it is also proof of your international influence. In fact, there are quite a few Chinese stars who are quite famous in Japan and South Korea. They are also major countries in the world film market. If you can establish the impression that you also have appeal and influence in Japan and South Korea, it will be of great benefit to you."
Lu Yanhe himself knows that his current fame and influence are mainly concentrated in China.
It happened to be March, a month when he didn't have to join any production teams and didn't have many classes, so he agreed.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, the local distributors of the films "Late Spring" and "Three Mountains" also contacted Chen Ziyan after hearing that Lu Yanhe was going there, wanting to hold a screening event together.
Both "Late Spring" and "Three Mountains" were released in Japan and South Korea, but their theatrical box office was mediocre, only a few hundred thousand US dollars each, and they didn't make much of a splash. However, when these two films were released on streaming platforms, they caused quite a stir in both places.
In particular, many Korean celebrities shared the movie poster and their viewing experience on their social media platforms for the film "Late Spring".
Sure enough, movies that are dressed up in the clichés of teenage years are more likely to resonate with people.
Seeing this, Chen Ziyan discussed with Lu Yanhe, saying, "Why don't we just hold a touring exhibition of your works in South Korea and Japan?"
Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head, "How old am I? And I'm already having my works exhibited on tour."
Chen Ziyan said, "You're not very old, but you have a lot of works. Phoenix Channel is quite popular in South Korea. When your character was written out of the show, it even made it to the top of the trending searches in South Korea."
Lu Yanhe: "Something just feels off."
“It’s not appropriate to hold a touring exhibition of works, since some are TV series and some are movies, and there’s no proper film festival or similar event to do this.”
Chen Ziyan thought for a moment and said, "Let's forget about it."
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
“However, with your achievements, you’ll be holding retrospective exhibitions in various places sooner or later,” Chen Ziyan said. “You’d better work on getting a little thicker-skinned.”
Lu Yanhe: "Usually, only people who have achieved great success hold exhibitions like this. I'm nothing compared to them."
"You know what, with the sheer volume of your work right now, even if you don't act for the next ten years, you'll still achieve great success when the time comes."
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Maxine released the news that Lu Yanhe was going to hold fan meetings in Japan and South Korea.
Official account.
This is also the first time Maxine has held a fan meeting for a Chinese actor in another country.
Chen Ziyan hesitated for a moment about whether to market this point, since in the current public opinion environment, such unique treatment always attracts a lot of attention, and in many people's minds, it is also a symbol of status.
In the world of fame and fortune, it seems that everything can be related to status.
However, after some deliberation, Chen Ziyan decided to abandon the idea. Because Lu Yanhe was going to further his cooperation with HP, it wasn't appropriate to create the impression in the public sphere that Lu Yanhe was deeply associated with Maxine or that Maxine had a very good impression of Lu Yanhe. This would affect the attitudes of other overseas media towards Lu Yanhe.
Once Lu Yanhe has partnered with several streaming media outlets, it will be fine to do this kind of publicity.
Even if Chen Ziyan herself doesn't say anything, people will still notice.
A familiar media reporter called Chen Ziyan to ask: Does Lu Yanhe's trip to South Korea and Japan for fan meetings mean that he will have a further collaboration with Maxine?
It just goes to show that some journalists have a more sensitive and advanced radar. But this time, it really wasn't.
Chen Ziyan said, "No, the reason for this event is that Yan He's dramas 'The Seventeenth Floor' and 'Friends' are quite popular in Japan and South Korea. Maxine organized this event as a treat for fans of these two dramas."
"With the hit shows 'The Seventeenth Floor' and 'Friends' airing in Asia, Lu Yanhe is very popular overseas, and Maxine specially organized a fan meeting for him in Japan and South Korea!"
A very long and exaggerated headline was thus created.
This event also became a trending topic.
It was only at this point that many people realized that the shows "The Seventeenth Floor" and "Friends" were also quite popular overseas.
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Lu Yanhe originally thought that this trip to Japan and South Korea would be relatively easy, because it was really just a fan meeting. In a venue with hundreds of people, he would share with everyone on stage and sign posters for the fans present.
It's just like idols holding fan meetings.
However, things didn't seem to be that simple. After news of the fan club spread, some media outlets in Japan and South Korea immediately contacted Lu Yanhe's team through various channels. Some media wanted to arrange interviews, while others wanted to collaborate with Lu Yanhe.
Even the "Lanssen Convenience Store" he endorses inquired whether he could attend a celebration event there.
Lansen convenience stores have stores in Japan and South Korea, but not as many as in China, where a single city might have dozens or even hundreds of chain stores.
Arranging the itinerary in various ways was quite a task.
Chen Ziyan said, "The Korean Film Association heard that you were going there and asked if you could spare some time to do a sharing and exchange session."
Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in surprise.
"ha?"
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The reaction around Lu Yanhe can be described as "moving at the first sign of trouble".
Chen Ziyan said, "Since the premiere of 'Friends,' your popularity has soared to an astonishing speed, mainly due to the four dramas you starred in last year, one after another, which accumulated your influence."
Lu Yanhe knew he was very popular in China over the past year, but what about abroad?
He knew very well that without Hollywood's powerful star-making industry, it would be almost impossible for Lu Yanhe to gain significant fame and popularity overseas. Overnight fame could easily be as fleeting as a flash in the pan; there were too many examples of this.
Even Lu Yanhe had seen many such examples before he transmigrated here.
At the time, the Thai films "First Love" and "Bad Genius" were very popular in Thailand. However, the lead actors were like shooting stars, flashing by for a moment and then disappearing without a trace.
Those who can truly remain popular in China are stars who have strong industry backing, consistently produce new works, and whose names are frequently in the media spotlight, such as Tom Cruise and Song Hye-kyo.
Lu Yanhe was wondering how long his popularity in Japan and South Korea could last.
In two or three years, how many people will still remember him as a Chinese actor?
With this mindset, Lu Yanhe didn't have high expectations for the event. He treated it as a task to be completed well, and then relaxed about it.
Our first stop is South Korea.
Lu Yanhe first gained some fame and fans in South Korea because of the drama "Phoenix Terrace". Although he played a supporting role, he became very popular on Korean online platforms because of the extreme character portrayal and the tragic ending.
This wasn't his first time in South Korea.
He had previously complained about the food here, so this time he brought some instant noodles and bibimbap sauce. Of course, he didn't bring much, because he really enjoys Japanese food; Japanese cooking is much tastier.
This time, I'm here to hold a fan meeting.
Maxine's Zhong Benshuo accompanied her throughout the process, while Lu Yanhe's team also included Chen Ziyan, Zou Dong, Wang Biao, and Lin Yu.
The reason Lin Yu is also included is because Chen Siqi has now entrusted her with all the overseas and film-related business of "Jump Up". Therefore, whenever it involves going overseas to interact with people and make connections, Chen Siqi always asks Lin Yu to go along.
As soon as the plane landed, Zhong Benshuo said to Lu Yanhe very sincerely, "You'll know how popular you are in South Korea once you get here."
Lu Yanhe was taken aback. Once he emerged from the airport's VIP exit, he understood what Zhong Benshuo meant. At the VIP exit, there was a large group of dozens, nearly a hundred people, holding light boards and light sticks. Some were in Korean, but others were in Chinese, simply displaying the three characters "Lu Yanhe." This scene was familiar; it was obvious that fans had come to greet him.
He stared at the scene before him in surprise, a look of disbelief on his face.
Chen Ziyan whispered in his ear, "I didn't expect you to be so popular overseas, did I?"
Lu Yanhe: "I really didn't expect that."
"This is the power of a hit TV series. In this era of streaming media, a TV series has the power of a movie in the past, making an actor famous overnight and popular all over the world," Chen Ziyan said. "Therefore, it is very necessary to maintain good relations with streaming media."
Lu Yanhe said, "Well, I really hope that Chinese streaming media will emerge in the future. People who don't have channels or control over distribution will always have to rely on others to survive."
Chen Ziyan asked, "Building a streaming media company from scratch is very difficult. Nowadays, to build anything new, you basically need to be backed by a large, established corporation. This isn't the era of pioneering. So, for China to build its own streaming media, I think it's not about anything else, but about enabling our domestic video platforms to see Chinese-language dramas making big money overseas, like a movie that grosses billions at the box office. Believe me, without anyone telling them, their desire to make money will drive their companies to expand overseas. Right now, the so-called expansion is just drooling over a piece of cake, so they reach out to test the waters. They don't even think about taking a big slice. If they saw any hope, it wouldn't just be tentacles; they would extend their claws to snatch the cake."
Chen Ziyan's words were actually quite tactful.
—It's not just Westerners who feel that Chinese-language dramas can't be popular outside of mainland China; even Chinese people themselves lack this confidence.
Regardless of what one says, actions are the true mirror reflecting a person's inner thoughts.
Lu Yanhe took photos with fans at the scene, signed autographs for them, and briefly answered a few questions from the media—the interviewer's English was not very good, so Maxine's accompanying translator had to translate Lu Yanhe's words into Korean.
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Maxine's arrangements, starting with picking someone up from the airport, were indeed meticulous.
The standards for food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all very high.
Chen Ziyan was laughing and said, "Zhong Benshuo has really gone to great lengths to help you. You invited Tom White to China, and he invited you to South Korea. He's really going all out to cooperate with you."
Lu Yanhe asked with some doubt, "Does he value me that much?"
“Perhaps it wasn’t taken this seriously before, but Tom White’s attitude definitely influenced his attitude, especially after HP spent seven figures to buy ‘Night Run.’ Tom White’s attitude and behavior could be a smokescreen, but the real money wasn’t,” Chen Ziyan explained to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe then realized what was happening.
I see.
He asked why Jong Bon-seok suddenly made it such a high-profile event.
“There’s another thing. In the past year, the films you starred in have been nominated for the Sitour, Venice and Picardo, and each film has had a significant impact and has attracted a lot of attention internationally. This is a big asset for you – nobody knows when you will become an international film emperor.” Chen Ziyan said, “Don’t think this statement is too abstract. Someone like Zhong Benshuo, who holds an important position in Maxine but is not in a position with decisive power, will inevitably do something.”
"What's up?"
“He’s increasing his leverage, which in turn increases his influence within Maxine,” Chen Ziyan said. “He also wants to move up the ladder and get promoted. He not only has to compete with people from other streaming media companies like HP, but he also has to compete with people within Maxine. As an actor who has already become a top actor in China and is also gaining momentum internationally, he definitely wants to befriend him, and not just casually.”
Lu Yanhe understood. In fact, he had thought about these things Chen Ziyan mentioned before, but he had never put them out as clearly as Chen Ziyan had. He only had this vague feeling.
To be honest, Lu Yanhe has only won three awards so far: one for Best Supporting Actor for "The Golden Era" and two for Best Supporting Actor for "Three Mountains".
Such an award is not enough to say that he has firmly established himself as a top-tier player in the domestic market.
People now regard him as a top-tier actor because they believe he can reach that level in the future.
After checking into the hotel, Lu Yanhe rested for less than ten minutes before going out to meet someone with Chen Ziyan at the hotel's coffee shop. The other person was an editor from a Korean magazine named Choi Ji-soo, who had been contacted through the person in charge of "Math," the brand Lu Yanhe endorses, in China.
They specifically arranged an interview with Lu Yanhe and even brought a photographer. This interview was published inside the magazine, not on the cover.
However, this magazine no longer has a print version; it has become a completely digital magazine. Choi Ji-soo is the chief editor and writer for the magazine's film and television section. Lu Yanhe recognized her immediately; although they hadn't formally met before, her face was very familiar.
"Weren't you at the Picardo Film Festival not long ago?" Lu Yanhe asked with a smile as soon as they met. "I think I've seen you there before."
Choi Ji-soo's expression was one of disbelief and shock. She covered her mouth with her hand and said something in Korean. Lu Yanhe didn't understand, and then the Korean translator Chen Ziyan had borrowed whispered a translation: "Oh my god!"
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I have something to do tonight, so there might not be a second update. Don't wait. If I get back early and am in good spirits, consider it a surprise if there is a second update.
(End of this chapter)
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