Chapter 443 We won an award!
On Weibo, Lu Yanhe interacted normally with Yan Liang and Li Zhibai, showing no signs of being affected by the rumors of "facial nerve disorder".
His attitude has led more and more people to believe that this is a rumor.
On the day "Lost in Thailand" was screened at the Jose Film Festival, Lu Yanhe happened to have class and couldn't keep up with the situation there.
After he finished class, he took out his silent phone and found many unread messages.
Media reviews of "Lost in Thailand" came out first.
It can be said that the opinions are mixed, and the opinions are polarized.
Many media outlets have stated that this film is a very competent comedy, with many witty and hilarious lines that keep viewers laughing from beginning to end. Furthermore, it is rare to find such a comedy with a well-developed script, which is quite remarkable.
However, some media outlets expressed their disbelief that someone capable of writing a screenplay like "Rouge" would write such a vulgar comedy. Moreover, they felt it was a lowbrow comedy that relied on unexpected events and exaggerated actions to create a sense of humor.
Lu Yanhe felt that such comments were entirely expected.
He never expected the film to receive unanimous critical acclaim—few comedy films have ever achieved that.
Compared to foreign media, domestic media have given "Lost in Thailand" much higher praise.
The stories that unfold within the context of the Spring Festival travel rush are a background that only Chinese people can truly empathize with.
The workers' demand for payment was an act with special historical significance.
Therefore, what foreigners perceive as flamboyant behavior is not, to Chinese people, unfounded or deliberately exaggerated.
This year's Jose Film Festival featured a wide variety of films, including those in competition, those only being screened, and those having their world premieres like "Flowers on the Stars." Over a hundred films were screened. Regardless, a film needs to generate buzz; otherwise, if no one pays attention and it's just shown and forgotten, it's truly a wasted trip.
The film "Lost in Thailand" was successfully screened at the Jose Film Festival.
The director, Jia Long, and Wang Dashan were interviewed by the media at the film festival. There were many media outlets present, clearly all of whom were very interested in the film.
You can actually tell how popular a film is at a film festival by looking at this.
Jia Long is quite well-known in Asia.
"Was it Lu Yanhe who approached you to make this film?" a reporter asked.
“Yes,” Jia Long nodded. “When I heard he had written a script, I was very surprised. Before that, I didn’t know Lu Yanhe could write scripts, let alone that his scripts were so good. Actually, those of us who make comedy films know that it’s really hard to come across a good script. Many times, it’s very difficult to strike the right balance. If you go too far, it’s as bad as not going far enough; if you don’t reach that level, the jokes won’t come through. And if a comedy film doesn’t make the audience laugh in the end, then it’s a failure. As soon as I got Yanhe’s script, I knew that this was the kind of script I wanted to come across.”
The media said, "But Yan He went back after attending the premiere of 'Rouge' this time. Why didn't he stay and attend the premiere of 'Lost in Thailand' with everyone?"
Jia Long said, "He's still a college student, and he needs to get back to class."
Jia Long's answer was truly unexpected.
Many overseas media outlets had anticipated various possible answers, but they didn't expect this to be the one that came out.
The domestic media, however, seemed somewhat unsurprised. After all, Lu Yanhe's "good student" persona was something people would constantly reinforce from time to time. This excuse would seem absurd to other celebrities, even if they were genuinely university students in class. But because it happened to Lu Yanhe, it became perfectly normal.
Of course, at the Jose Film Festival, *Rouge* was more popular than *Lost in Thailand*. Several film companies were vying for the overseas distribution rights to *Rouge*, but the offers weren't particularly high, ranging from two to three million US dollars. Maxine and HP also made offers, but they weren't looking for distribution rights; they wanted exclusive rights. A one-time price to buy out the exclusive overseas rights and stream it on video websites—if they offered a high price and were willing to sell, the revenue from this alone could recoup the cost of *Rouge*.
Wang Chonglai asked Lu Yanhe for his opinion, and Lu Yanhe said he had no opinion and was fine with anything.
You can't expect the movie "Rouge" to make you a fortune overnight; it can only take a slow and steady approach, accumulating wealth little by little through annual copyright fees.
After much deliberation, Wang Zhong decided to follow the same approach he had taken with his previous films: negotiating with each long-term distributor individually, selling the films one by one. Each distributor might not offer much, perhaps around $100,000 or $200,000. The prices from major box office destinations like the US, UK, South Korea, and Japan would be slightly better, but the total amount would still be considerable. It was just troublesome and mentally taxing.
The streaming rights were awarded to HP, not because Lu Yanhe preferred to cooperate with HP, but because HP offered a higher price, $500,000 more than Maxine.
Jong Bon-seok was very frustrated. If he had enough authority, he would never have let the film slip through his fingers just because of a difference of $500,000.
After watching the movie, he knew that although he didn't know how it would perform in Europe and America, it would definitely be loved by Asian audiences.
Zhong Benshuo even called Lu Yanhe to express his frustration and distress.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
“I’ve already returned to China, and I’m no longer involved in sales,” he told Zhong Benshuo.
Zhong Benshuo said, "That's outrageous! Tom White must have planted a spy in Maxine, otherwise how would he know our quote so well!"
Lu Yanhe smiled noncommittally.
He couldn't respond to those words.
Jong Bon-seok: "Eom Ha, you know very well how much I want to work with you and have your drama broadcast on Maxine."
Lu Yanhe: "This is just 'Rouge,' there are many more films to come."
Zhong Benshuo: "Alas, it's a pity that I'm just a nobody and can't make my boss fully realize how valuable your acting is."
Lu Yanhe: "Haha."
In any case, no matter what Zhong Benshuo said, Lu Yanhe would only respond in the same way, without giving any substantive content.
Lu Yanhe didn't know whether Zhong Benshuo had come to him to gather information or not. Regardless, he didn't intend to tell Zhong Benshuo anything that might contain information.
He took him to the second floor and to that room; that alone was enough to make Lu Yanhe keep his distance from him.
Zhong Benshuo seemed to have also noticed Lu Yanhe's estrangement from him.
"Yan He, you're not still blaming that incident, are you?" Zhong Benshuo asked, his tone even carrying a hint of grievance.
In this industry, everyone is a performing artist.
Lu Yanhe: "What is it?"
He looked blank and confused, as if he had no idea what Zhong Benshuo was talking about.
"Okay, so you're still blaming me. I know, I didn't tell you in advance, it was definitely my oversight."
“Mr. Zhong, you flatter me. You have been very hospitable to me,” Lu Yanhe said. “I have to go to class soon, so I have to hang up.”
Zhong Benshuo: "Oh, okay, then I'll go to Yuming next week and we'll make an appointment again."
"Okay, we'll talk about it later."
Lu Yanhe hung up the phone.
He carefully recalled his phone call with Zhong Benshuo.
Yes, I've confirmed it. I didn't say anything I shouldn't have.
Perhaps he was overthinking it, but he always felt that Zhong Benshuo was still trying to pull him into some shady area.
Lu Yanhe also disliked his practice of always discussing personal feelings within the context of work.
It's not that you can't talk about feelings at work; he's had plenty of people who have had feelings for each other at work—but none of them had any emotional foundation, so how can they talk about feelings? Talk about feelings that are just castles in the air?
You offered less money than HP, and they got "Rouge." What are you complaining about? Are you blaming me for not considering our relationship and for not giving you the film even if they offered more?
Lu Yanhe was speechless.
He took a deep breath.
At this time, Tom White sent an email: We have acquired the exclusive overseas rights to "Rouge". We would like to hold a few special screenings and promotional events in several overseas locations to promote the film's launch on our HP platform. We would appreciate it if you could spare some time to participate in the relevant events.
Lu Yanhe replied: No problem.
Tom White immediately sent another email: "Our internal assessment of the film 'Lost in Thailand' suggests that it is too Chinese and difficult for overseas audiences to understand. We do not intend to bid as we did for 'Rouge.' If Maxine or other companies are more interested, we will withdraw."
Lu Yanhe replied: Okay.
Tom White: But if no other company buys it, we still hope to acquire it. As for the works you wrote, I hope HP can have as many as possible.
Lu Yanhe laughed.
Tom White's words did make him feel better.
-
Because of the immense pressure Lu Yanhe was under, Chen Ziyan turned down almost all of his work after he returned.
Whether it's recording a program or other business collaborations, they basically push away anything they can, hoping that Lu Yanhe can at least have a peaceful rest in May.
However, this made several of the parties who had previously agreed to work with her a little uneasy. They had finally managed to secure Lu Yanhe's services, but now he was telling them he wouldn't be coming. This was quite a mess... The most crucial point was that Chen Ziyan's attitude wasn't very firm. She offered to pay the compensation that needed to be paid and promised to continue working together in the future. Her attitude was very soft, leaving no room for criticism.
Actually, Lu Yanhe didn't think it was that serious. The work had already been arranged, and it wouldn't be a problem for him to attend. But Chen Ziyan was adamant that he shouldn't work in May and should stay at school to study and rest.
“I know you’re in good shape right now and don’t feel tired, but the problem isn’t that you’re tired. It’s that once you start working, your mind starts working on that kind of thing,” Chen Ziyan said. “The safest thing to do is to stop everything for now.”
“There’s no way to stop ‘Love Letter,’ filming is scheduled to start in July.” Lu Yanhe said, both amused and exasperated.
“Let’s leave this one as it can’t be stopped, but it’s basically all set,” Chen Ziyan said. “The production team, filming locations, actors, logistics… I’ve borrowed Lei Shuangcheng’s assistant, Zhao Yuheng, to coordinate everything. With him here, you don’t need to worry about any of these miscellaneous things. From now on, for the movie ‘Love Letter,’ you only need to think about one thing: how to film it. All other matters are taken care of by the various departments.”
Chen Ziyan's tone left Lu Yanhe speechless for a moment.
Lei Shuangcheng is a producer who has collaborated with director Luo Yuzhong for fifteen years. Zhao Yuheng is Lei Shuangcheng's most capable assistant. Lu Yanhe had worked with Zhao Yuheng when filming "The Golden Era" and knew his abilities. He had worked his way up from the bottom on set with Lei Shuangcheng and was very familiar with the workings of a film crew.
Having someone like that to coordinate things is definitely a great help.
Almost all everyday troubles get tangled up with him.
Chen Ziyan was genuinely shocked by the fact that Lu Yanhe was under too much pressure.
Her top priority now is to avoid causing trouble or pressure for Lu Yanhe.
-
Chen Ziyan's style and attitude made everyone start to have doubts again.
What exactly happened to Lu Yanhe?
Could it be that Lu Yanhe has really run into trouble?
Unfortunately, Zhou Shuchun, who initially broke the news, has remained silent and pretended to be dead since being confronted by Chen Ziyan, with no new information emerging.
Just then, the Jose Film Festival came to a close with its closing ceremony and awards presentation.
Wang Zhong called him and asked if he could attend, saying that they had received a call from the organizing committee inviting all members of the "Rouge" cast to the closing ceremony.
This basically means that "Rouge" has won an award, and a major one at that.
Lu Yanhe actually really wanted to go. The closing ceremony was on a Sunday, and he could make it there in time.
But then I thought better of it. Given his current situation, it's best to avoid appearing in public as much as possible. If he loses control of his expression again, it'll be game over.
Chen Ziyan tried her best to cancel all his work in May, which was actually for this reason.
No one knows if Lu Yanhe will come again.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe decided not to go.
News of the "Rouge" film crew being recalled by the Jose Film Festival organizing committee and Lu Yanhe's decision not to attend the Jose Film Festival closing ceremony was simultaneously released by someone.
On one hand, those who are paying attention to this film are starting to get excited, wondering what kind of awards it will win. On the other hand, some people are wondering why Lu Yanhe is not attending the awards ceremony for "Rouge". Is it because he has classes and can't go?
The closing ceremony wasn't held on Sunday, so that reason doesn't work anymore.
Combined with Zhou Shuchun's previous revelations, people are starting to wonder again if Lu Yanhe is really in trouble.
For any artist, the most feared thing is this kind of dubious rumor.
Because it cannot prove itself.
No one can prove that they didn't do anything.
Lu Yanhe couldn't go to the hospital for a checkup to prove that he didn't have facial nerve disorder.
Doing so would make it seem like he's taking it seriously.
Fortunately, students from Zhenhua School occasionally captured short videos of Lu Yanhe appearing on campus, proving that Lu Yanhe was doing as usual.
When news came back that "Rouge" had won both Best Actress and the Audience Choice Award at this year's Jose Film Festival, Lu Yanhe immediately posted a message to celebrate.
Fantastic! Congratulations, Sister Bige! Congratulations to everyone on the "Rouge" team! We won an award!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
