Chapter 453 New Entrants
In fact, when the other artists' teams from "The Days of Youth" received the new plan from the production team, they all felt that it wasn't quite right.
The production team included promotion for "Rouge" in the program, but not in the form of hard-sell advertising—that would have been more normal. Instead, they made "Rouge" a key plot point in the program's design, expecting viewers to "spontaneously" discover the theme, which is ridiculous.
However, because this was a favor the production team was giving Lu Yanhe, the other artists' teams hesitated for a while, but none of them objected.
Lu Yanhe is now at the height of his career. He's not just famous and popular on his own; he's become a screenwriter, director, and producer, owning a production company. He's already entering the realm of capital. They all know that their artists might need to get resources from Lu Yanhe in the future.
Apart from Liu Zhiyin, who takes the pure idol route, and Peng Zhixing, who takes the pure host route, the others are all acting to some extent.
Of course, putting aside these practical interests, given the relationship between their own artists and Lu Yanhe, they certainly wouldn't be willing to voice their objections over such a trivial matter.
Lu Yanhe's movie "Lost in Thailand" features a cameo appearance in two-thirds of the film, "The Days of Youth".
It's easy to imagine the nature of their relationship.
To everyone's surprise, Lu Yanhe actually took the initiative to reject the plan.
Li Zhenzhen said, "Is our plan so bad?"
She was quite direct.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "You guys helped me change the plan at the last minute, and you also wanted to help me promote my new movie. It's already quite an achievement that you could come up with such a plan on short notice. I just don't want to affect the audience's perception of our program because of promoting 'Rouge'. The main purpose of our program is still to observe how we get along with each other, isn't it?"
Unlike typical slow-paced variety shows, "The Days of Youth" focuses on the keywords "cohabitation" and "social interaction".
Li Zhenzhen said, "That's true, then let's revise it again."
Lu Yanhe said, "Sister Zhenzhen, actually I have an idea."
"An idea?" Li Zhenzhen asked in surprise, "What good ideas do you have now?"
It's worth noting that Lu Yanhe's idea of working to earn a living is still being used in the program today.
Li Zhenzhen takes Lu Yanhe's ideas about variety shows very seriously.
Lu Yanhe said, "We have a lot of people in our first episode. Our show has eight celebrities. In addition to me and Yan Liang, there are four more people in 'Friends,' making a total of twelve. It must be rare to have so many celebrities in one episode, right?"
"It's almost one of the episodes with the most guests in the history of variety shows," said Li Zhenzhen. "Because it's the first episode of the fourth season, we also wanted to make a great start."
Simply put, the strategy is to leverage the sheer number of celebrities to generate explosive buzz for the first episode of the fourth season, attracting everyone's attention.
Lu Yanhe's idea was actually very simple.
He said, "Based on the original plan for the first episode, give each of us a secret mission. This secret mission is related to the wishes of others. You can find information about these wishes through our previous interviews, online statements, and other channels. If you really can't find it, ask our fans. They will definitely know. In short, the first episode can be themed around helping each other fulfill a wish."
Li Zhenzhen frowned subconsciously because she didn't quite understand the purpose of doing this. Was it just to create some heartwarming moments?
Lu Yanhe said, "At the end of this episode, we will add a segment where everyone sits down and chats. We won't talk about anything else, but just why we had such a wish at that point in time, because behind every wish is a story."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhenzhen's eyes lit up instantly.
If she still doesn't understand what Lu Yanhe means after hearing this, then she has wasted all these years in the variety show industry.
Li Zhenzhen screamed with delight on the other end of the phone.
"Wow—Lu Yanhe, your idea is brilliant!"
Behind every wish lies a story.
Behind every story lies the true side of a celebrity behind the scenes.
This idea focuses on "revealing the secrets of celebrities," which aligns with the program's "observation" theme. Through this segment, the attitudes and reactions of each other are examined, and only through such in-depth exchanges can further interaction be possible.
Li Zhenzhen took a deep breath.
I'm off to write the program proposal.
"Yan He, your name absolutely has to be included in the planning of this episode," Li Zhenzhen said. "You're amazing! With so many ideas, why don't you become our consultant!"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "I'm very tired and too busy. Sister Zhenzhen, even without me, your plans are just as popular."
“But every idea you come up with is a new model that can be continued,” Li Zhenzhen said. “It is also a new model created by ‘The Days of Youth’.”
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Lu Yanhe is that kind of person. No matter what job he does, he will do his best to make it better.
After experiencing so much, he has come to a deeper understanding. To be a person with many friends, someone who can help their friends, is the only way to confidently gather such a group of people to help you do what you want to do when you need them or need help.
Without everyone's help, he simply couldn't have made the film "Love Letter." Although he's called a director, he's really just someone who constantly makes demands. He needs others to fulfill those demands. Without the tremendous assistance of Luo Yuzhong, Xin Zixing, and Liu Bige, he probably wouldn't have even been able to get the film started.
The show "The Days of Youth" was one of the first jobs Lu Yanhe took on after his college entrance exams, and it's remarkable that it has continued to this day. Especially considering that many of the show's guests have become famous, no longer the unknown newcomers they once were. Everyone's schedule is packed, and their market value has increased significantly. Of course, it's impossible for the show to raise everyone's salary according to market rates; that's not something a single program can afford, not even the most popular one.
Why do many popular shows change their cast as they continue filming? A major reason is the conflict between rising salaries and the show's production capacity. So, when everyone becomes popular and salaries remain high, the only option is to bring in new, inexpensive talent. Even if the show's popularity is slightly lower, the overall production cost is much lower.
The reason why "The Days of Youth" has been able to continue with the original cast is because everyone took a pay cut, allowing the show to continue.
The very nature of "The Days of Youth" makes it difficult for it to become a nationally popular variety show. It doesn't appeal to all age groups, and its audience and profitability have their limits. By having everyone take pay cuts, the production team faces significantly less pressure, and the staff can receive more substantial bonuses as a result.
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When it was officially announced that Lu Yanhe would be returning to the recording of "The Days of Youth," his fans were shocked.
God knows how long it's been since they last saw Lu Yanhe on the show.
For the past six months, Lu Yanhe has basically only appeared at some business events, film festivals, and film sets, and it has been very difficult for any program to invite him.
Some people say that after Lu Yanhe rose to fame at the film festival, he began to cherish his reputation and stopped participating in program recordings.
Lu Yanhe specially cooperated with the production team to record a video message, saying: "I originally thought I wouldn't be able to participate this season, and I had already asked the production team for leave. Unexpectedly, the filming of the summer part of 'Love Letter' went smoothly and has already ended, without clashing with the filming schedule of 'The Days of Youth'. So, I'm back!"
Forwarding "The Days of Youth": Welcome home!
To everyone's surprise, many fans were asking the following questions in the comments section of this Weibo post:
Why do you continue to participate in shows like "The Days of Youth"? It's no longer worthy of you.
—With this time, why not take on another movie? You haven't won Best Actor yet.
—You're aiming to be an artist, right? Why are you becoming a variety show personality?
...
These comments were something Lu Yanhe truly hadn't expected.
Chen Ziyan said, "There is no need to reply. Many fans always hope that their idols are gods, hanging high in the sky, never descending to earth and never touching the mundane world."
Lu Yanhe said, "I didn't expect them to have such a big prejudice."
“It’s not exactly prejudice, it’s just that people always like gods to maintain their divine image, without the human emotions and desires,” Chen Ziyan said. “Your entire image is now associated with high-class international film festivals, so fans who like this high-class image of you naturally hope that you can maintain it, differentiate yourself from other celebrities, and stand on your pedestal. In fact, some celebrities in the past have followed this high-class route. If their popularity isn’t high enough, or their works aren’t substantial enough, it doesn’t matter, as long as their image is high, and once this public impression is formed, naturally people are willing to pay for this high-class public image.”
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. "So fans' love for celebrities is a god-making plan."
“It’s not just fans’ love for celebrities; management companies also have a god-making plan for their artists,” Chen Ziyan said. “No one idolizes ordinary people, and no one is willing to pay for ordinary people.”
Lu Yanhe: "That's really cruel."
Chen Ziyan: "For this group of fans, there is no need to make any explanation. No matter what explanation you make, they will not listen. They don't even like you, but rather the high-class you. Once your high-class image disappears, they will stop being fans."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
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However, Lu Yanhe's announcement of his return to the fourth season of "The Days of Youth" has made other production teams eager to participate.
Is Lu Yanhe willing to come out and record a show again?
Major television stations and program production teams have begun to contact Chen Ziyan.
After careful consideration, Chen Ziyan decided to get Lu Yanhe a TV program in September to promote "Rouge".
All the others were turned down due to scheduling conflicts.
However, this did not dampen everyone's enthusiasm at all. Many programs even indicated that they could adjust their recording times to accommodate Lu Yanhe's schedule.
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At that moment, Lu Yanhe suddenly received a phone call.
It was a call from director Fu Kai.
"Yan He, I have good news for you."
"Hmm? What good news, Director?" An idea had already popped into Lu Yanhe's mind.
Fu Kai said, "The Road to Glory has been selected for the Horizons section of the Venice International Film Festival."
"Wow! That's fantastic, congratulations!" Lu Yanhe exclaimed with delight.
Fu Kai: "I originally wanted to see if I could be shortlisted for the main competition, but in the end I was moved to the Horizons category, which I accepted."
Lu Yanhe said, "It's already great."
The film *Road to Glory* possesses a unique Eastern cultural background, and its subject matter is precisely what film festivals favor. However, director Fu Kai is not a frequent festival participant, lacks international renown, and is not a typical art-house director. Logically speaking, it would be extremely difficult for this film to be nominated for the main competition.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe felt that it was quite remarkable that it was shortlisted for the Horizons section.
Fu Kai asked, "The Venice International Film Festival opens at the end of August. Do you have time to go with us?"
"The end of August should be fine. I'll talk to Sister Ziyan later and ask her to set aside some time," Lu Yanhe said.
Fu Kai laughed and said, "That's great. If this movie doesn't participate in the Venice International Film Festival, its star power will be halved."
Lu Yanhe quickly said, "No, even if I don't go, my senior brother can still support the star power of our movie."
This film, starring Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou, is a true art film. It's even more artistic than "Three Mountains." You could say that "Three Mountains" at least incorporated many traditional Chinese supernatural tales and fantastical scenes, creating a lot of visually striking and impactful images.
"Paths of Glory" is a film that is entirely about people, life, and the grand theme of existence.
Lu Yanhe was not at all surprised that the film was shortlisted for the Venice International Film Festival.
Its theme is practically tailor-made for international film festivals. The only difference is which festival it will ultimately attend. With Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou starring, this film, aside from the main competition, is almost guaranteed to be selected by major film festivals, considering the selection ratios from various countries.
The official announcement was released two days later.
The Venice International Film Festival officially announced this news.
In addition to "The Road to Glory", director Yu Qin's new film "Happy Time" has also been shortlisted for the main competition of this year's Venice International Film Festival.
Because two Chinese-language films were shortlisted for the competition, major media outlets reported on it.
Yu Qin's "Happy Times" comes ten years after her last work.
She is one of the most renowned female directors in China, with a low output but a great reputation.
She is also a regular at international film festivals.
After disappearing for a long time, she suddenly appeared with a new work, attracting a lot of attention and discussion. Even film-related media discussed her work more than "The Road to Glory" starring Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yanhe.
Of course, their collaboration on "Road to Glory" has been extremely popular across the internet.
Lu Yanhe goes without saying. Shang Yongzhou, after several years, has finally returned to the film festival with his work.
His output is very low, and in recent years he has mainly made commercial films such as "Enjoy Life" and "Go for It, Superstar!", so naturally he hasn't taken any works to film festivals for a long time.
Shang Yongzhou far surpasses Lu Yanhe in terms of status, fame, and number of fans. After all, Lu Yanhe lacks sufficient background and experience.
His return to the film festival with his new work has fans practically beating drums to express their excitement.
For those who follow Lu Yanhe, the reaction to this news was almost identical—
He has been shortlisted for one of the four major international film festivals.
In just three years, Lu Yanhe's achievements at international film festivals have been incredibly impressive.
Moreover, he has attended almost every one of the four major international film festivals in the past year.
He can be seen at every film festival.
Why are films with Lu Yanhe involved so popular with top international film festivals?
Some film media outlets have conducted a retrospective, attempting to analyze the reasons behind it.
However, no pattern was found.
To put it simply, Lu Yanhe has filmed a lot of movies and TV shows, and the quality of those movies is high.
But why did he end up in all these dramas?
Of the many Chinese-language films produced each year, only a handful are shortlisted for the four major international film festivals.
Do they not want to be shortlisted?
It's because their standards are high.
Of course, Lu Yanhe actually felt that he had benefited from the connections of others. "Three Mountains", "Night Run" and "Rouge" benefited from the connections of director Wang Zhong, and "Late Spring" benefited from the connections of Liu Bige. Liu Bige had someone in the international community who helped him, so his debut film was shortlisted for the main competition and won a major award because it was indeed well made.
This time, Lu Yanhe felt that "Road to Glory" was more or less due to the fact that Shang Yongzhou was the lead actor, which brought the film to the attention of the international film festival selectors. Otherwise, given the huge output of films from all over the world, even if the subject matter of "Road to Glory" was very suitable for the film festival, they might not have known about the film.
As for himself... many people say that Lu Yanhe now has a great international influence, and the movies he stars in will directly enter the field of vision of international film festivals.
However, Lu Yanhe was self-aware. Although he appeared to be a regular at major international film festivals for various reasons, and many people even believed that he had good personal relationships with many key figures overseas, he had not actually reached the level of being able to get a film to receive the attention of top international film festivals.
At this point, some media outlets also came forward to say that Lu Yanhe was just lucky, and that it was too early to say that he had become a leading figure in Chinese-language cinema.
(End of this chapter)
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