Chapter 451 Celebrity Visit
On this day, a very famous person suddenly came to visit the set of "Love Letter".
Wintour Robbe, artistic director of the Jose Film Festival.
He didn't come alone; he was brought by Director Wang Zhong.
Lu Yanhe was very surprised when he received the message from Director Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong used his personal connections to invite Wintour Robbe to China to attend the Yuming International Film Festival in July. The film festival hasn't even started yet, but Wang Zhong has already brought Wintour Robbe to Jiangzhi.
Wintour Robbe is a typical example of someone who isn't widely known to the general public, but is a household name in the film industry.
The artistic directors of the four major international film festivals are actually all like this.
They control which films can enter the main competition, which can be shortlisted for other sections, and which can only be rejected.
This is not just a matter of honor; for any film company, it involves interests.
Getting selected for a film festival gives your film leverage—especially for low-budget independent films.
At first, the crew members did not know who this foreigner was.
Later, as the news slowly spread, a bewildered question arose in everyone's mind.
A thought popped into their minds without anyone having to remind them: Could the film "Love Letter" have a chance of being shortlisted for the Jose Film Festival?
Before Wintour Robbe, no one dared to think that way.
Many of them felt that the script for "Love Letter" was mediocre and a melodramatic coming-of-age romance.
Many of them also felt that since it was Lu Yanhe's first time directing, even if he had a certain international reputation, it was impossible for him to go directly to a top international film festival. At most, he would appear at some other ordinary film festivals, such as the upcoming Yuming International Film Festival.
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Lu Yanhe gave Wintour Robbe a brief overview of the film he was shooting and introduced him to Chen Bige and Zhang Ruozhi.
In fact, Chen Bige had known Wintour Robbe for a long time. This time, Chen Bige won Best Actress at the Jose Film Festival for her role in "Rouge," further solidifying her position in the Chinese film industry. Even before this, Chen Bige was already a representative filmmaker in Chinese cinema.
Lu Yanhe's introduction states that Chen Bige is also a protagonist in this film.
Looking at the entertainment industry around the world, there are quite a few actors who have transitioned into directing.
Wintour Robbe was not surprised that Lu Yanhe wrote, directed, and starred in a film.
After all, both "Rouge" and "Lost in Thailand," which were nominated for the Jose Film Festival, were screenplays by Lu Yanhe. He is clearly a young man with ideas and creative talent.
Wintour Robbe himself does indeed admire Lu Yanhe.
As a rising star in Chinese cinema, Lu Yanhe has made a significant presence on the international film scene in recent years. While many aspire to the artistic direction of Wintour Robbe, he also eagerly seeks out new filmmakers with the potential to become masters of their generation.
For a film festival to maintain its influence and status in the global film industry, it is crucial to continuously discover new talent and cultivate its own protégés.
Wintour Robbe and Lu Yanhe went to see the recently filmed footage together.
I happened to be watching the part where Lu Yanhe and Zhang Ruozhi were in the library.
In the dimly lit reading room, Zhang Ruozhi's doe-like eyes shone as if coated with a layer of light.
The way she glanced at the person by the window every now and then didn't need a single line of dialogue.
This one scene, this one shot, is enough to explain everything.
Film is the art of the camera.
Following her gaze, by the window, next to the white, light-transmitting curtains, a handsome but silent boy leaned against the window, staring blankly at the book in his hands.
This is the original footage, without any post-processing such as color correction, adjustment, or filters.
However, because the lighting requirements were very high during filming, this footage was selected from several hours of material, and even the raw shots are very beautiful.
It has a cinematic, understated beauty.
Wintour Robbe looked somewhat surprised and said, "These shots are so beautiful."
For Wintour Robbe, there are simply too many films to watch each year. As the artistic director of the Jose Film Festival, his aesthetic taste in film must be exceptionally high. Lu Yanhe believes that besides superficial goodwill, there must be some genuine feeling behind his words. In fact, Lu Yanhe is very satisfied with the cinematography of the film *Love Letter*, which perfectly matches his expectations.
The two photographers Liu Bige borrowed, Bao Wenliang and Wu Zhou, one strong and the other young, were truly skilled. They were able to fulfill Lu Yanhe's requests. Liu Bige himself rarely filmed.
Wintour Robbe looked surprised when he learned that Liu Bige, the director of "Late Spring," was personally serving as the cinematographer for Lu Yanhe's new film.
He seemed to have never imagined that a director of Liu Bige's caliber would come to work as a director of photography at the peak of his career.
Wintour Robbe stayed on set for four hours.
During Lu Yanhe's filming, Wintour Robbe was also nearby, chatting with Wang Zhong, Liu Bige, and Chen Bige while curiously observing.
Coincidentally, this scene was being filmed when female Kaii Itsuki was on duty at the library, and another girl on duty with her liked male Kaii Itsuki and wanted to confess her feelings to him.
This girl is an actress who came through an audition.
The girl at Beijing Arts University, a freshman, is named Ivan, a very artistic name.
Lu Yanhe didn't know if she changed her name later or if her parents had given her this name when she was born.
According to Lu Yanhe's opinion, this girl was also very beautiful, but in a different way. She had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and her thick hair was styled with a wig.
At first, the hairstylist thought Lu Yanhe wanted to make the girl look uglier, but Lu Yanhe immediately realized that the hairstylist had misunderstood him.
"She still needs to look good, but this girl should have a bit of a homebody vibe, a bit of obsession, and a bit of recklessness and straightforwardness."
Ivan was surprised when she heard Lu Yanhe's description of the character she was playing.
"So, my character has this kind of backstory?"
When she received the script, she initially thought it was just a typical supporting role.
She really wanted to have the opportunity to make movies, with plenty of screen time and lines, even if it was just a supporting role.
Even the teachers at Beijing Art Academy agreed to let her take on acting roles—generally, students at Beijing Art Academy are not allowed to take on acting roles during their first and second years of university.
This also shows that the teachers at Beijing Art Theatre have great confidence that their students will not suffer losses by acting in Lu Yanhe's production team.
One more thing, Lu Yanhe's teacher is Luo Yuzhong.
Luo Yuzhong is from the Beijing Art Circle.
The teachers at Beijing Art Academy would naturally take good care of Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe said to Ivan, "Every character who appears in the script must have a reason for being there. Otherwise, why write another character?"
Ivan nodded thoughtfully.
“You see, our film ‘Love Letter’ actually focuses heavily on the ambiguity and feelings between a boy and a girl, right?” Lu Yanhe said. “The male and female Huai Jing Shu didn’t express their feelings to each other, which led to missed opportunities and an irreparable regret. But you dared to confess, dared to directly express your feelings, even if you were rejected and cried undignifiedly, it didn’t become your regret. In the world of a film, there is unrequited love, there is confession, and there are also those mischievous students who tease and prank them. For the female Huai Jing Shu, your failed confession is a memory of the male Huai Jing Shu, but for you, in your world, the female Huai Jing Shu is a supporting character, and you are your protagonist. You need to understand this character from your own perspective first.”
Ivan took a deep breath and said, "I feel like I understand, but I don't really understand."
Zhang Ruozhi listened from the side, seemingly lost in thought.
Lu Yanhe said, "It's okay, it doesn't matter if you don't understand, we can just film it a few more times."
On set, Lu Yanhe was a director who wasn't in a rush.
Because it was his first time directing, Zhao Yuheng made a shooting plan for him in the summer, giving Lu Yanhe plenty of time to shoot at his own pace.
Because the actors filming in the summer are mostly young actors, and most of them have no acting experience. Filming under these circumstances definitely requires more time for them to familiarize themselves with and be trained.
The filming pressure was actually greater in winter, with more scenes, more scheduling, various sets, studio shoots, outdoor scenes, and scenes with many people. However, the actors at that time were all very mature and excellent, such as Chen Bige, Wan Xin, and Li Songfan... all very skilled actors. This meant that there were far fewer takes during filming, and the efficiency was greatly improved.
Wintour Robbe was astonished to see Lu Yanhe remain calm and composed throughout the entire process, directing the actors and various departments to make adjustments according to his requirements, without showing any signs of agitation.
After all, Wintour Robbe knows very well that nine out of ten directors have a bad temper.
There's no way around it; the filming set is an extremely stressful environment, and few directors can avoid being driven crazy by it.
Lu Yanhe wasn't driven mad; it was simply because he had done extensive preparation from the beginning, ensuring that each department was kept under control and dared not openly cause trouble. Xin Zixing managed logistics and finance, Luo Yuzhong reviewed each department's plans multiple times to prevent Lu Yanhe from making any mistakes, and Liu Bige was on-site, often acting as a bridge for further communication when Lu Yanhe couldn't clearly express his instructions. As for Zhao Yuheng, the experienced executive producer, he solved all of Lu Yanhe's problems and troubles; Lu Yanhe only needed to make his requests, and someone would handle the execution.
Lu Yanhe didn't feel much pressure, even though the movie was never finished.
Liu Bige said to Wintour Robbe, "If you ask around in the Chinese film industry, you'll know what people think of him. In many people's eyes, he's a genius who can succeed at anything."
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Wintour Robbe didn't keep his visit to the set of "Love Letter" a secret; he's happy to share his trip to China, which also helps enhance the influence of the Jose Film Festival.
So, the official account for the movie "Love Letter" posted a group photo of everyone.
Wintour Robbe, artistic director of the Jose Film Festival, visited the set of "Love Letter" and had a close conversation with Lu Yanhe, Liu Bige, and Chen Bige.
This scene has been described by some media outlets as: Lu Yanhe's international influence is being further enhanced.
Actually, this wasn't due to Lu Yanhe's influence; it was Wang Zhong who brought him here.
Lu Yanhe himself did not expect that, inexplicably, many things became his influence and his achievements.
After this news came out, people from several film companies, including Longyan Film Industry and Ruyi Film Industry, came to inquire whether "Love Letter" would be submitted to the Jose Film Festival.
Lu Yanhe could only laugh it off and reply that the movie wasn't even finished filming yet, and he didn't know if he would be able to attend the film festival in the future.
In fact, Wintour Robbe did extend an invitation to him, hoping that Lu Yanhe would send him a copy after filming the movie, so that the film could have its world premiere at the Jose Film Festival.
However, Lu Yanhe hadn't decided whether to do it. Because sending a film to an overseas film festival isn't a simple matter; it's also a financial matter.
If it's not nominated for any relevant category and it's just a premiere, then all the expenses could add up to several million or even tens of millions of dollars.
The premiere of "Flowers on the Stars" at the Jose Film Festival cost a considerable amount of money.
Can Love Letter be nominated for the official category?
Wintour Robbe didn't say, and Lu Yanhe himself wasn't sure either.
If it were just for a premiere and some media coverage, Lu Yanhe felt that the effort and reward might not be proportional.
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At this time, the summer movie season has entered its most intense phase.
New films are constantly entering the market, but most of them fail miserably. Many films that have been painstakingly made over several years are sentenced to death in just two days in theaters.
The high risks and harsh realities of the film market have slapped every industry professional in the face.
The emergence of several dark horse films in the past has inevitably given rise to some optimistic thoughts in many people's minds.
Reality, however, poured cold water on the situation.
Entering its third week of release, "City Raiders" has basically stalled at the box office, barely hanging on at around 300 million yuan.
"Nine Yin" also lacked follow-up momentum, and a dark horse seems to have reached its end.
Currently, only "The Angry Crow" and "Lost in Thailand" are still running on the market, and the long-tail effect of these two films has exceeded normal patterns.
The former, in particular, coincided with the summer holiday season, when a large group of children, on vacation, brought their families to see the animated film, often buying tickets for two or three people at a time. At the same time, many adults also came specifically to see it.
"Lost in Thailand" is moving a bit slower, but it's very steady. Its weekday box office has maintained a drop of less than 10%, and even in its third week, the weekday box office hasn't fallen below 20 million.
Jia Long said that the main reason for the success was that no new competitors emerged in the third week of release, which gave "Lost in Thailand" a new window of opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the overall market.
At this time, "Lost in Thailand" also announced that the film will be released in five Asian countries, including South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore, on August 2. Japan, due to tradition, will be released a little later.
In fact, the movie "Lost on Journey" is unlikely to achieve outstanding box office results overseas because the jokes, gags, and social context contained in it can only be truly understood within the context of Chinese society.
The announcement of the overseas release at this time is mainly to launch a new round of publicity for the domestic release and to stimulate its untapped market potential—look, this movie is so popular that it's being released overseas, aren't you going to come and see it?
After more than three weeks of filming, the summer shooting for "Love Letter" has finally wrapped up.
July is coming to an end.
Lu Yanhe had a meal with all the members of the film crew, expressing his gratitude at each table, making a grand gesture.
I won't say anything more.
It's not like filming has wrapped up yet; there's still more shooting to come.
Lu Yanhe also invited He Yunlan over.
During the filming of this movie in Jiangzhi, especially at Jiangzhi Middle School, He Yunlan coordinated and provided a great deal of help.
It's a real shame that the winter scenes in this movie won't be filmed here.
In Jiangzhi, it may not snow in winter.
They need to find another place.
Lu Yanhe said to He Yunlan, "I have another drama in hand, a fantasy drama, which I will continue to film in Jiangzhi. I will need your help again then, Brother He."
He Yunlan said, "Why are we being so polite? I know you're willing to bring your crew here to film. I'll do whatever it takes to help you."
Lu Yanhe and He Yunlan each filled a glass with rice wine brewed by the local family and drank it all in one gulp.
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The box office of "Lost in Thailand" reached 570 million yuan.
A crime thriller called "Exploding Needle" was released and became a huge hit, earning 80 million yuan on its opening day, Wednesday.
The male lead, Li Yuefeng, almost ruined his image by playing a character who escaped from a criminal organization, suffered persecution, and became emaciated.
The female lead, played by Zhang Lan, is a charming and sophisticated businesswoman who picks up a man who has collapsed on the ground at her doorstep.
In order to extricate himself from danger, the man played by Li Yuefeng pretended to fall in love with her and asked her to help him get out of trouble. She actually fell for him and thus became embroiled in the crisis he brought.
The screenings of "Lost in Thailand" were immediately reduced by half.
Lu Yanhe and Jia Long discussed it and had a live broadcast together to talk about the interesting things behind the film production. At the same time, they also revealed that there might be a second part of "Lost in Thailand".
As a niche comedy film with excellent word-of-mouth, no one expected it to achieve this box office result.
It's fair to say that this film made Jia Long and Lu Yanhe, the two main creators, incredibly wealthy.
In the long run, this movie could bring them both tens of millions in dividends.
At this point, it's actually quite reasonable for them to want to develop a sequel.
Their announcement was actually intended to further boost the box office performance of "Lost in Thailand".
However, the film's production and distribution company, Yan Nian Films, became anxious.
What?
sequel?
A highly acclaimed comedy film that was poised to gross 700 million yuan at the box office was getting a sequel, but they weren't told about it.
What are the meanings of Lu Yanhe and Jia Long?
Are you trying to bypass them and develop the project?
Yan Nian Films really didn't expect the movie "Lost in Thailand" to perform so well at the box office.
Many industry insiders have also said that this movie was released at the wrong time. If it had been released during the Spring Festival, given its theme and word-of-mouth, it could have grossed at least 1 billion yuan.
This is about the fit between the subject matter and the release date.
During summer vacation, people's interest in watching movies with this kind of background theme decreases significantly.
Just like in Hollywood, the period around Halloween is always reserved for horror movies.
There will absolutely be no other movie trying to compete for the Halloween release window.
Because audiences won't choose movies of other genres at this time.
Yan Nian Films immediately contacted Lu Yanhe and Jia Long.
Why didn't you invite us to participate in the sequel?
We were the company that reached out when you couldn't find anyone willing to give you the terms you wanted for your film.
They played the emotional card exceptionally well.
Jia Long simply said, "We don't want to experience again the situation where a film originally scheduled for release during the Spring Festival is suddenly notified that it has to make way for other films."
The reason why "Lost in Thailand" was released during the summer season was because Yan Nian Films wanted to reserve all of their promotional resources for the Spring Festival season for Cheng Shiyan's "Beetle Project 2".
(End of this chapter)
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