Chapter 452 Winning Over Lu Yanhe
Yan Nian Film and Television is facing a major headache.
They never expected that this incident would cause Jia Long and Lu Yanhe to have such a strong opinion of them.
However, given that "The Beatles" is a movie with a box office of four billion, when it comes to its sequel, "Lost in Thailand," everyone would choose this option.
Of course, when Lu Yanhe and Jia Long were in contact with "Lost in Thailand", their requirement was that it be released during the Spring Festival.
Logically speaking, Yannian Film and Television is indeed in the wrong.
"We didn't skimp on the promotion and distribution of 'Lost on Journey' at all," said a representative from Yan Nian Films. "Even with blockbusters like 'City Raiders,' we made every effort to ensure 'Lost on Journey' had a good screening schedule, and our investment in all aspects was excellent, with tens of millions of yuan poured into promotion. We admitted that we didn't coordinate well regarding the Spring Festival release, but we can compensate. We promise that the sequel to 'Lost on Journey' will definitely be released during the Spring Festival. How about that?"
"Even the sequel to 'Lost on Journey' might not be set during the Spring Festival travel rush, so why release it during the Spring Festival season..." Jia Long complained, and it was truly a pity. "Lost on Journey" had such good reviews, but it wasn't released during the most suitable period, resulting in a loss of hundreds of millions in box office revenue. This is all calculable.
Yan Nian Films said, "We are actually responsible for 'Lost on Journey.' If you say 'Lost on Journey' should be released during the Spring Festival, we can do that too. But to be honest, if a sequel to a movie that grossed 4 billion yuan and a non-mainstream comedy that wasn't well-received by the industry before its release are both released during the Spring Festival, which one would you prioritize in terms of resources? I can keep my promise, but how many days can 'Lost on Journey' survive in theaters if it's likely to get very few screenings?"
Jia Long fell silent.
Because what Yan Nian Films said makes a lot of sense.
Yan Nian Films said, "We already have a collaboration with the first film for the sequel to 'Lost in Thailand,' and we will definitely do a good job."
Jia Long said, "Let's talk about that after our script is finished."
"Jia Long, you know, we were the only company among all those that questioned whether your movie could be made, and we were the only ones who chose to believe in you and agreed to conditions that were not in line with market standards."
This is also something Jia Long couldn't argue about.
No one questioned whether "Lost on Journey" would be a box office hit. However, the general consensus at the time was that the film would gross between 200 and 300 million yuan. Under these circumstances, Jia Long demanded that the production budget be no less than 80 million yuan. He also insisted that both Lu Yanhe and he should receive a share of the film's box office revenue, and that the other copyrights should not be held by him but belong to Lu Yanhe. Under these circumstances, most film companies believed that the film would not be profitable and refused to take it on.
Yan Nian Films is indeed very bold.
Of course, the current box office performance, aiming for 600% or even 700%, is enough to make Yannian Film & Television quite profitable. Its stock price has risen for some time as a result.
A successful film brings a film company far more benefits than just the box office revenue reflected in theaters.
Jia Long had a serious talk with Lu Yanhe about the development of the second season of "Lost in Thailand".
Lu Yanhe said, "Teacher Jia, I have basically come up with the outline of the sequel, but I really don't plan to write another story about a journey during the Spring Festival travel rush. I want to change the setting, the characters and the story background are all new, but I will still use the road comedy formula."
Jia Long nodded.
Lu Yanhe: "I want to make the sequel even crazier."
"Even crazier?" Jia Long was somewhat surprised and didn't quite understand what Lu Yanhe meant.
“Go abroad, go to Thailand,” Lu Yanhe said, “to film the stories that happened during your trip to Thailand.”
Jia Long was somewhat puzzled.
"Moreover, this movie is a pure comedy. I don't want to add any educational elements to it. I just want everyone to have fun, laugh, and be surprised at every turn while watching the movie," Lu Yanhe said. "Like the first movie, 'Lost in Thailand,' we've created a scene where celebrities suddenly appear to make cameo appearances and surprise the audience."
Jia Long suddenly realized.
Are you worried that I won't accept a pure comedy?
Lu Yanhe said, "Well, because the sequel story I've come up with might be a bit more exaggerated than the first one."
Jia Long: "Yan He, to be honest, I definitely believe in the script you wrote. I just want to ask one question: will the theme of this movie and the role I play have a very negative impact on me?"
“Absolutely not.” Lu Yanhe shook his head with a smile. “How could that be?”
"That's fine then." Jia Long nodded with a smile.
-
The news that a sequel to "Lost in Thailand" is in the works has swept through the entire entertainment industry.
The box office performance of this film has fully demonstrated the immense box office potential of its sequel.
Wang Dashan, a recent graduate, became an overnight sensation after starring in this film. Regardless of the amount of criticism, his fan base continues to grow, which is an undeniable fact.
What about the second one?
Are there any new characters in the second part?
If he could join the sequel to this movie, his status would almost certainly skyrocket.
Lu Yanhe didn't want to be disturbed by a phone call every now and then, so he simply turned off his phone.
"You've actually started to know how to turn off your computer now!" Chen Siqi exclaimed in surprise. "You never dared to turn it off so easily before."
Lu Yanhe said, "The main problem is that there are too many people calling now. If I don't turn off my phone, I'll basically be in constant turmoil all day."
Chen Siqi: "Even if you were constantly on the go, you would never turn off your phone, for fear of missing an important call."
Lu Yanhe: "Now I feel that I am the most important person. They keep calling me, and I am so annoyed, but I can't say that. So I just don't answer."
Chen Siqi nodded in satisfaction and said, "It's good that you have this kind of awareness."
Previously, Chen Siqi's biggest complaint was that Lu Yanhe had excessively high expectations of her. A person who sets such high standards for themselves often suffers unnecessary losses. And these losses, unfortunately, are self-inflicted.
After filming the summer portion of the movie "Love Letter," Lu Yanhe felt a great sense of relief.
It's not an exaggeration at all.
Directing for the first time, he inevitably experienced various anxieties and unease even before filming began. It was precisely these anxieties and unease that triggered his previously off-the-charts stress levels. In fact, it wasn't until filming wrapped up in the summer that Lu Yanhe subconsciously felt a sense of relief.
Without anxiety, there is no sense of relief.
Chen Siqi asked, "So, are you planning to finish editing the summer parts before filming in winter?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “We originally wanted to release it around Valentine’s Day next year, but we don’t know if we can make it in time. If we can’t, we’ll have to postpone the release again. In my mind, the release date of this movie is also very important. We have to find a time when people are willing to sit quietly in the movie theater and watch this story. At least the summer season is not suitable. Any season that is mainly for excitement and family entertainment is not suitable.”
Chen Siqi seemed thoughtful, "Then let's wait until the end of next year and release it during the New Year's Eve season, what do you think?"
That was during winter.
However, since the New Year's Eve period only includes a three-day holiday on New Year's Day, most blockbusters do not choose this period because its box office potential is far less than other major release periods.
This also means that Love Letter actually faces much less competitive pressure.
Lu Yanhe said, "It sounds quite suitable now."
Chen Siqi said, "Many movies are single-mindedly trying to squeeze into popular release periods, but based on my observations over the past year, I don't think that a major release period is suitable for all movies. Many movies are not suitable for release during very popular periods, such as 'Rouge' and your film 'Love Letter.' I think this is the case. Your decision to let 'Rouge' give up the summer season and other major release periods and release it during the less popular Mid-Autumn Festival season was quite unexpected for many people. Quite a few people have come to ask me why you did this."
In many people's eyes, "Rouge" is directed by internationally renowned director Wang Zhong, stars top actresses like Chen Bige and popular actors like Huang Kairen, won the Audience Choice Award at the Jose Film Festival, and has Lu Yanhe as screenwriter. With such a cast and such a level, it is definitely a blockbuster that is aiming for high box office.
No matter what the production company says, that their film is actually an art film and that they don't have high box office targets, many people ignore this and continue to believe, based on their simplistic understanding of film, that if a film doesn't reach the box office numbers they expect, it's a flop and a loss.
So, is "Rouge" scheduled for release during the Mid-Autumn Festival?
Why?
This is a question that many people have in mind.
In particular, didn't "Rouge" win international awards?
That alone is enough to make the movie sell very well—that's what many people think.
-
Upon learning that Lu Yanhe's movie had finished filming, Li Zhenzhen contacted him immediately.
“We’re about to start filming the fourth season of ‘The Days of Youth.’ You said you were filming a movie and were worried about scheduling conflicts, so you couldn’t come. Now you can come, right?” Li Zhenzhen asked.
Lu Yanhe never expected that Li Zhenzhen would be so persistent in remembering him.
Actually, the previous season of "The Days of Youth" was very successful even without him, with high viewership and business collaborations. Every episode generated a lot of buzz online.
For a variety show that has reached its fourth season, his absence wouldn't have much of an impact.
Lu Yanhe said, "Sister Zhenzhen, the filming plan for this season of our show has already been finalized, right? Would it be inappropriate for me to suddenly join in at this point?"
Li Zhenzhen said, "We are willing to work overtime to revise the plan for you. You are a key figure in our program from the very beginning. Our program has too many fans of you. As the producer, I also hope that our program can continue with the original team. I'm not just saying this casually. Do you remember what I said when I first told you that I wanted to make this program? I wanted to create a real observation sample of cohabitation life."
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected Li Zhenzhen to take her initial goal so seriously.
"Also, I don't want my father's past actions to affect our relationship," Li Zhenzhen said. "Yan He, it's okay if you can't participate in the recording of a whole season. As long as you have time, you can participate in a few episodes. Yan Liang has to film a movie this season, so he can only participate in half of the recordings. I hope that even if you can't be in every episode, you can always be there."
Lu Yanhe sighed deeply.
He was dismayed to discover that he was actually moved by Li Zhenzhen's words.
To be honest, Lu Yanhe rarely participates in programs, and the only program he has ever been a regular guest on is "The Days of Youth".
The friends he met on the show became his true friends.
Some relationships are closer, while others don't interact as much in private, but they are all good relationships.
Lu Yanhe was also reluctant to part with his group of friends.
At this moment, Li Zhenzhen dropped another bombshell.
"This season, we also invited members of the Friends cast to record the first episode. If you can come, the Friends cast will be able to reunite on screen."
-
Are you planning to record a few episodes of "The Days of Youth"?
Chen Ziyan didn't expect that Lu Yanhe had just finished filming "Love Letter" and was already preparing to go to another job.
"I've already said it before, your stress levels surged because you were working too much. Don't you ever take a break?"
“I’m taking a break,” Lu Yanhe said. “Isn’t the recording scheduled for next week? Also, my main problem before was that I had too many jobs going on at the same time. Now that ‘Love Letter’ is finished for a while, I can take on other work.”
Chen Ziyan: "How many episodes are you planning to record?"
Lu Yanhe said, "If you don't have any other work commitments, then go record it. Record as many episodes as you can. I don't have any classes next semester."
Next semester, Lu Yanhe will be a senior.
Only the graduation thesis remains as the most important task.
Chen Ziyan considered it in her mind. Lu Yanhe didn't have any other work arrangements in August, so recording "The Days of Youth" wouldn't be a bad idea.
-
At this time, the "Power Accumulation Project" also began to receive some submissions.
Chen Siqi and her team, together with the people from Aurora Video, began to review and screen submitted works.
The large number of submissions they received were clearly short films shot with their own phones, with a few friends acting out the storylines—very rough.
People watching the Aurora Video competition were incredulous. It was supposed to be a legitimate competition for young directors, so why were so many strange people submitting their work, including some who even filmed videos of themselves in bed? What were they thinking? Did they really believe that such videos would pass censorship and be uploaded to Aurora Video?
Because Lu Yanhe agreed to record this season of "The Days of Youth", Li Zhenzhen and her team also revised the plan for the first episode.
Now that Lu Yanhe is back, the first episode's planning will definitely highlight Lu Yanhe's importance.
The original idea can be saved for later. If Lu Yanhe's return is not highlighted separately in the show, Li Zhenzhen will feel that she is letting Lu Yanhe down for his straightforwardness.
After much thought, Li Zhenzhen decided to reciprocate by having all the guests serve as auditors for the "Power Accumulation Project" in the first episode. This would not only align with the long-term theme of the show "Young Days," which involves guests working to earn money for housing, but also promote the "Power Accumulation Project" within the program.
As a result, the producers and broadcasters of the program "The Days of Youth" strongly denied it.
Are you kidding me? Promoting something from another video platform in a program broadcast on Icefield Video?
Even if you are Lu Yanhe, it won't work.
Li Zhenzhen knew that her idea was a bit abrupt and radical, so she could only think of other plans.
Then, I thought of using the movie "Rouge" as the main theme for the first episode to promote Lu Yanhe's new film.
The Mid-Autumn Festival film season is next month, and it's getting late.
After receiving the proposal, Lu Yanhe immediately messaged Li Zhenzhen: "Sister Zhenzhen, let's just do the program planning normally. There's no need to try to help me with publicity. It would be strange and abrupt for 'Rouge' to appear in it."
(End of this chapter)
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