Chapter 493 Key Points for the Biceps (7,000-word update!)
The day before the premiere of "Squid Game", Yan Liang finally returned from filming "The Peak".
If Yan Liang was skin and bones when he returned from filming "The Gold Rush", this time he returned with a more sinister and twisted aura of murderous intent.
Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai were both utterly shocked.
Yan Liang was still unaware of what had happened. Faced with the shocked looks of Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai, he asked, "What happened to me?"
Only after he opened his mouth did the chilling aura he had given off earlier disappear.
Li Zhibai said, "I almost thought you had gone to receive assassin training and come back."
Lu Yanhe nodded in agreement, "That's an exaggeration. How come you always come back from acting like a completely different person?"
Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai basically did not have this situation.
Yan Liang, completely unaware of his own ignorance, asked, "Is that so?"
Yan Liang always gives his all when he acts. This dedication is a kind of rudimentary approach. He doesn't get into character very quickly, nor does he have a particularly strong expressive ability, so he can only keep himself in the character's state at all times, whether on set or off-set back at the hotel.
This is why he still carried the feeling of the character even after filming wrapped. But Yan Liang didn't realize why.
To welcome Yan Liang back after filming wrapped, they went out to eat together.
Yan Liang asked Lu Yanhe, "The 'Squid Game' is airing tomorrow, and you don't have to do any promotions today?"
“I’ve done all the promotional work I needed to do. I’m not an actor in this show, so I don’t need to be so busy,” Lu Yanhe said. “What about you? The third season of Friends is about to air, so are you going to start promoting it soon too?”
Yan Liang smiled sarcastically, "That's not necessarily true."
"Not necessarily? What do you mean? They don't need you to do the publicity anymore?" Lu Yanhe was very surprised.
Yan Liang is now arguably the most popular actor in "Friends," not just one of them. After all, besides this drama, he also has the idol status in "Idol Era" and the popularity brought to him by "The Days of Youth," which is unmatched by others.
Or do Beijing and Taiwan think that it's enough to let Zhang Lan handle the publicity alone?
Yan Liang said, "No, they don't want to go head-to-head with 'The Squid Game.' It seems they want to reschedule, waiting two weeks until 'The Squid Game' finishes airing before airing the third season of 'Friends.'"
Li Zhibai was taken aback. "Are Beijing and Taiwan so cowardly? One TV station is broadcasting it exclusively, and the other is broadcasting it exclusively on a video platform. One is broadcasting it weekly, and the other is broadcasting it daily. They don't even seem to be in sync. And they're worried about waiting until 'The Squid Game' finishes airing before broadcasting it themselves?"
“Yes,” Yan Liang said. “It is said that their internal evaluation of the third season is very low, and they say it is the worst of the three seasons. Of course, this is not surprising at all.”
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Li Zhibai: "What on earth are they thinking? After driving Yan He away, they drove Bai Jingnian away too. I'm speechless."
Yan Liang: "They thought anyone could replace him, so they found a great director with an impressive resume to direct the third season. But the script they revised with the screenwriter was even more melodramatic than a prime-time family drama from ten years ago."
Lu Yanhe: "Who's the director for your third season? I don't remember him at all?"
Yan Liang laughed and said, "You've probably never heard of Gao Bohua. He used to be an assistant director for some American TV series. He's a returnee from overseas."
Lu Yanhe: "Huh? An assistant director for an American TV series? Why would they hire an assistant director for an American TV series from abroad?"
"They say that the director is very experienced and has participated in the production of many sitcoms. In reality, I guess they can't find any top-tier directors in China to take on this show. Who would want to take it on? Director Bai, who worked diligently for two seasons, was ruthlessly kicked out by Beijing TV, making such a mess of things. People are still criticizing you for your conflict with them. Top-tier directors, who doesn't need this kind of project? No normal person would take it on."
Yan Liang was furious whenever he brought up this matter.
Lu Yanhe sighed softly.
Yan Liang said, "I really don't want to film anymore. They asked me to sign contracts for the fourth and fifth seasons, but I didn't agree."
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "Let's not rush to make a decision. Let's wait and see. Maybe things will turn around."
“What turnaround?” Li Zhibai said immediately. “If things have come to this, I’d say Yan Liang, you really shouldn’t continue acting. You don’t lack roles now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If it weren’t for the Friends series, how could Zhou Ping’an have let Yan Liang play the second lead in two consecutive films?” Lu Yanhe said. “Both The Gold Rush and The Summit were great acting opportunities, but if it weren’t for the Friends series, Zhou Ping’an definitely wouldn’t have let Yan Liang take them.”
Zhou Ping'an's criteria for accepting roles has never been whether the role is good or not.
Yan Liang said, "I don't know what's wrong with Zhou Ping'an lately. He's suddenly become very interested in my career and brings me a script to read every now and then."
“Ma Zhiyuan is in a slump. He has no one else under him except you,” Li Zhibai pointed out incisively. “Now he finally realizes that you are the most popular and promising person under him.”
Yan Liang: "So he really did have a change of heart."
“He probably thinks that one day you will leave him too,” Lu Yanhe said. “After all, neither Li Zhibai nor I broke up with him on a particularly amicable basis.”
Yan Liang: "That's true. I didn't think I would work with him forever either. It's right for him to have that idea."
“But he needs you now. At least, before another version of you appears, you are the only bargaining chip he has to negotiate and exchange benefits with others,” Lu Yanhe said. “So, I left easily. Li Zhibai was someone he chose to give up on himself. You—you shouldn’t be leaving now, right? It would be quite troublesome for you to leave now.”
"Why should I leave now? Right now, he has to support my work, and I can enjoy the time when he's doing high-quality work." Yan Liang pursed his lips. "Once I've established myself, I really won't need him anymore, and then he won't be able to keep me even if he wants to."
Li Zhibai hooked his arm around Yan Liang's shoulder and said with a smile, "I really can't wait to see this day. You must call me when the time comes. I want to see his expression with my own eyes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhibai burst into laughter.
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Yan Liang: "..."
There aren't many people around them who can laugh out loud so easily on their own.
Sometimes, Lu Yanhe really envied Li Zhibai's personality.
He won't become depressed even if someone else is.
Lu Yanhe suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, since you're all here, I have a script for you. It's not finished yet, but I've already written eight episodes. You can take a look at it first."
He went to his room, took out the two copies of the script that he had printed yesterday, and gave one copy to Li Zhibai and one to Yan Liang.
"The Legend of Sword and Fairy?" Li Zhibai took it in his hands. "Oh my, I've been hearing about it for so long, and I've finally seen the script!"
While it's true that the production cycle for a film or television project in the entertainment industry is much longer than in some fictional novels—from preparation to scriptwriting to filming and final broadcast, it can take three or four years or even longer—several years have passed since Li Zhibai and Yan Liang first heard the story of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" until they finally saw the script. And this is only the first eight episodes; it's not even finished yet.
"The role of Li Xiaoyao was prepared for Li Zhibai, and the role of Tang Yuxiaobao was for Yan Liang," Lu Yanhe said. "I will play Liu Jinyuan."
"There are so many characters."
“Yes, there’s a main cast, a total of six people, three men and three women,” Lu Yanhe said. “It’s a fantasy drama, after all, they fight monsters and level up along the way.”
Li Zhibai: "Holy crap, so this drama finally doesn't have to have any more cheesy, lovey-dovey romances, right?"
"There is still a romantic storyline, but it's quite different from the current fantasy romance dramas," Lu Yanhe said. "It leans more towards traditional fantasy and supernatural tales."
Yan Liang said, "I was thinking that since there were no more plays coming up, I should hurry up and read the scripts, but now another script has come in."
“Then you should find yourself a script first. I plan to film this movie the year after next,” Lu Yanhe said. “Next year is my full year. All the movies I didn’t act in this year will be scheduled for next year.”
Yan Liang: "That's an exaggeration, okay."
Li Zhi asked a hundred questions: "How many films are you going to make next year?"
"I don't know yet, but we need to finish filming 'Love Letter' first, and then we'll start post-production. We'll be filming the movie 'Burning Fire' in the first half of the year, and the second season of 'Seventeen Floors' and the movie 'Mist' in the second half," Lu Yanhe said.
Li Zhibai nodded. "Three dramas? That's a bit of an exaggeration."
Lu Yanhe said, "Yes, but it seems to have been this pace for the past few years, and I've gotten used to it."
Li Zhibai: "You've written so many scripts yourself."
"That's alright. I can finish writing the script myself in my spare time, unlike filming, where I don't have to stay in one place for a period of time." Lu Yanhe shrugged. "I can write anywhere."
-
The premiere of "Squid Game" took place at a different time than traditional television broadcasts.
Its first episode was released at noon.
Lu Yanhe and the other two were all off work that day, so they sat together, turned on the projector, and watched the first episode together.
Lu Yanhe had already seen the full movie.
Therefore, he is not worried about the quality of the final product.
Aurora Video has indeed invested a lot in this series.
Whether it's the set design, the filming, or the special effects, you can tell that a lot of money was spent on quality.
Even Li Zhibai exclaimed, "The cinematography in your drama is truly cinematic!"
Lu Yanhe said, "Yes."
Li Zhibai: "Tsk tsk, will 'Chinese Paladin' be filmed according to this standard?"
"Should, maybe, possibly?" Lu Yanhe laughed. "I don't know right now, I don't even know who will do it."
Li Zhi asked, "Who are you planning to give it to? This is a play starring the three of us. Why don't you direct it yourself?"
“No way.” Lu Yanhe immediately made a big X with his arm. “You have no idea how hard it is to be a director. It’s like being a nanny and managing everything from beginning to end. I’m absolutely not going to do it.”
Li Zhibai: "So, who are you planning to look for?"
He said, "Even though you plan to shoot the year after next, good directors are already starting to book their schedules. Good directors don't have as many free days as we do."
Li Zhibai reminded Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe, of course, first habitually searched among the directors he knew.
Unfortunately, he himself has never filmed a fantasy drama, nor has he ever worked with a director who has filmed a fantasy drama. Oh, wait, the director of "The Seventeenth Floor" made his very first fantasy drama, which also became a huge hit.
Lu Yanhe said, "Let me take a look first. I haven't even finished writing the script yet, and I haven't thought about the director and production team."
Li Zhibai: "I really want to know everything about our film right now. The three of us have never acted together before."
Yan Liang: "I've filmed with Yan He."
“I’m talking about the three of us,” Li Zhibai emphasized.
Yan Liang nodded and emphasized, "Yes, you're the only one who hasn't filmed with us."
“Damn.” Li Zhibai took a deep breath and glared at Yan Liang.
Yan Liang smiled and said, "Don't be so impatient."
Lu Yanhe then said to Yan Liang, "Yan Liang, remember to keep up with some martial arts training next year."
Besides this film, Lu Yanhe had already planned to write an action movie for Yan Liang.
Yan Liang was somewhat puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless.
Lu Yanhe said, "Your character, Tang Yu Xiaobao, has some action scenes in the film."
Li Zhi asked a hundred questions: "Don't I have any?"
“You have it, but in terms of action choreography, Tang Yu Xiaobao’s part is more realistic,” Lu Yanhe said. “I will definitely have the crew arrange for everyone to practice together before filming starts. If Yan Liang can start his action training in advance, we can design some more difficult action moves during filming.”
What Lu Yanhe didn't mention was that he already had a foundation when filming martial arts movies later on.
Li Zhibai: "Damn it, do you really look down on me? You said you'd write a martial arts film for Yan Liang, but you didn't. Now you're playing favorites, telling him to keep up his martial arts training without mentioning me at all."
Lu Yanhe looked at him speechlessly.
He stopped saying anything.
"Yan Liang, show me your biceps," Lu Yanhe said. "Roll up your sleeves and show Li Zhibai."
Yan Liang, both amused and exasperated, rolled up his sleeves and showed off his arm muscles.
Li Zhibai's eyes widened in shock.
Lu Yanhe grabbed Li Zhibai's arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing his lean and well-proportioned arm.
"Tell me, are you judging me by my muscles, or do you just lack self-awareness? If you want to film, you need to build up your muscles first. I don't film those fancy, empty moves!"
Li Zhibai: "..."
"Damn it!" he cursed.
Yan Liang then looked at Lu Yanhe and asked, "Are you going to write me a martial arts script?"
“Well, after reading ‘Nine Yin’, I wanted to write martial arts novels. It seems like you’re the only one around me who can have that chivalrous figure like Mr. Zhou Yuning,” Lu Yanhe said. “You have to make sure you have time for me when the time comes.”
Yan Liang smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll save it for you."
Lu Yanhe said, "Sigh, if only the three of us really knew kung fu, I have a ton of martial arts stories in my head."
Lu Yanhe, who came from an era that was filled with brilliant stars like Jin Yong, Gu Long and Wen Ruian, sighed inwardly, "That was truly a gold mine!"
Guo Jing and Huang Rong.
Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu.
Li Xunhuan and Lin Shiyin.
Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min.
...
That really was Lu Yanhe's childhood.
Li Zhibai rubbed his shoulder and said, "At worst, we can learn kung fu together."
"Are you serious? Do you know how much time and effort it takes to learn kung fu?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Li Zhibai: "If we really plan to prepare for filming in the future, it's not a bad idea to learn it. If we can't learn it all at once, we can practice slowly for four or five years. We're only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old."
Lu Yanhe: "That makes a lot of sense."
-
On the first day of its release on Aurora Video, "The Squid Game" generated over 12 trending topics purchased by the production company and various actor teams within six hours, along with 6 naturally occurring trending topics.
This data is all available internally.
The show garnered 7.5 million viewers, a very high number, meeting Aurora Borealis's expectations for the series.
The high production quality, the star-studded cast, and the novel worldview have all generated tremendous discussion online.
Jiang Yuqian alone generated 8 trending search terms across the entire platform, while another popular young actor, Liu Zefan, ranked second with 6 trending search terms.
Both teams are putting in their best efforts to maximize their profits from this production.
Fortunately, none of the actors' teams caused any trouble at this time.
The "Red Light, Green Light" game level went viral across the internet.
A game that almost everyone played as a child has become a terrifying murder game.
That giant killer doll has become one of the most popular things on the internet.
Toy manufacturers immediately approached Lu Yanhe and Aurora Video, wanting to obtain authorization to develop and manufacture killer doll toys.
Lu Yanhe watched with satisfaction as everyone discussed the drama.
Of course, the buzz and discussion surrounding the first episode were expected. Both the production value and the pre-release promotion of "The Squid Game" made it a contender for the top drama. With such high expectations, even a spectacular opening couldn't overwhelm viewers.
The most crucial factor is the viewership of tomorrow's second episode.
With such a large audience, retaining them is the only way to truly succeed.
And it wasn't just them waiting for the second episode; Xu Bin from Beijing and Taiwan were also waiting.
They are waiting to see how "The Squid Game" goes before deciding whether to reschedule the third season of "Friends".
Avoid direct confrontation.
We can't afford to mess with it.
For Beijing and Taiwan, the success of the third season of "Friends" is something they cannot afford to lose.
When the second episode was released the next day, and the number of viewers exceeded 4 million within an hour, Xu Bin no longer hesitated and began to arrange for the rescheduling of the third season of "Friends".
Xu Bin clenched his fist in frustration, wanting to slam it hard on his desk.
But when he was about to punch down, he looked at his hands, which had become soft and delicate from years of pampered living, and couldn't bring himself to actually do it.
In the end, he just cursed "Damn it!" in his office.
"..."
His office was empty, so of course no one answered him.
-
Lu Yanhe knew how popular the original version of "Squid Game" was.
It became so popular that many people questioned "why it's so popular," but no one questioned "is it really that popular?"
He had always wanted to know what kind of success this drama would achieve in this time and space.
From a domestic perspective, it was indeed a wildly popular drama series, but whether it reached the same level of phenomenal success as the original timeline remains to be seen.
Lu Yanhe dared not say that.
Of course, the phenomenal success of "The Squid Game" was not originally achieved in China, but on streaming platforms that are available worldwide.
In ten days, "Squid Game" will be launched on Maxine.
We'll see then whether this show can replicate its phenomenal success.
From Jiang Jun to Jiang Yuqian to Liu Zefan, the main cast members all dedicated all their time to promoting the drama.
It's fair to say that the promotional schedule that Aurora Video prepared for this drama was comparable to that of a blockbuster movie.
They traveled non-stop to fifteen cities, holding meet-and-greets with thousands of attendees, appearing on various programs, and advertising and promoting "The Squid Game" to reach audiences from all walks of life as much as possible.
Aurora Video even collaborated with several magazines, connecting the main cast with cover shoots for top-tier magazines.
This is something that web series production teams have never achieved before.
Jiang Jun became an overnight sensation.
Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan, needless to say, have seen their careers revive and reach new heights, with all their metrics flourishing.
This is what effective broadcasting of dramas refers to.
What is a true hit drama?
Lu Yanhe felt that there should be at least one standard, which was whether the drama had any actors.
This "actor emergence" refers to bringing previously unknown actors to the forefront, bringing actors who might have faded from the spotlight back into the public eye, and elevating actors who were originally in position A to a higher position B.
That's undoubtedly how "Squid Game" is now.
Moreover, it covers all of these scenarios.
Unlike other dramas, "The Squid Game" was a show that every actor's team had already bet on long ago. They didn't wait until the show became popular before rushing to promote it. They were prepared well in advance.
Therefore, once the show became a real hit, Aurora Studio could simply withdraw all its promotional and marketing efforts for the characters and actors.
The major talent agencies and actor teams are doing very well on their own, without needing their video platforms to get involved at all.
Instead, they can focus their resources on promoting the production of the series.
Aurora Video focused its promotional resources on director Yao Yuanzhi and screenwriter Lu Yanhe.
Then, Lu Yanhe repeatedly refused to cooperate.
"Stop promoting me, I'm famous enough already," Lu Yanhe said. "Really, I'm not joking with you, nor am I being polite. You should promote other things."
The person watching the aurora borealis video looked frustrated.
-
"Hahaha, oh dear, Mr. Liu, the idea of a trilogy for 'The Squid Game' was indeed conceived from the very beginning, but everyone is busy with the airing of the first part right now, and no one has time to worry about the second part."
After Lu Qingzhen knocked on the door and went in, she saw Chen Ziyan sitting in her chair, laughing heartily—the more radiant, the more businesslike.
She shook her head, holding a box of cherries in her hand, and sat down by the bay window while eating them, waiting for Chen Ziyan to finish her phone call.
"With the popularity of 'The Squid Game,' your phone has been ringing off the hook again," Lu Qingzhen said with a smile.
Chen Ziyan: "They've already decided to send people into the sequel."
Lu Qingzhen shook her head, "These people, they don't even know to contact the Northern Lights."
"How do you know they haven't been in contact?" Chen Ziyan said with a smile. "Anyway, you should try to reach out to those with connections."
Lu Qingzhen said, "Our major client, Liu Min, just called me and wants to play a major role in the second season of 'The Squid Game'."
The smile on Chen Ziyan's face slowly faded.
"These people reacted really quickly, and they have quite the appetite. They immediately identified themselves as key figures."
Lu Qingzhen: "She said she was willing to pay an eight-figure service fee."
“This isn’t a service fee, it’s a bribe.” Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes. “Eight figures? An opportunity to revive one’s career is only worth eight figures? She’s seriously underestimating how much money celebrities can make these days.”
Lu Qingzhen laughed, "Well, they've been out of fashion for so many years, it's normal that they don't know the market value."
Chen Ziyan: "For the sequel to 'The Squid Game,' if there are suitable roles, we can help her get an audition, but don't even think about getting a role through connections. Lu Yanhe's roles aren't that easy to get. Our service contract with her doesn't include Lu Yanhe's roles either, that was made clear a long time ago. If she wants to make a comeback, she should listen to our arrangements."
Lu Qingzhen asked, "Do you have any thoughts?"
Chen Ziyan nodded: "Icefield Video has a program, I'm going to contact her about it."
Lu Qingzhen: "She might not be satisfied."
Chen Ziyan said, "She can refuse if she's not satisfied."
Lu Qingzhen: "Didn't Yan He say he had several program ideas before? When will Yan He come and talk to us about them?"
Chen Ziyan said, "Let's wait a few days. He's been having a get-together with his classmates these past few days."
"ha?"
"This is their last winter break, and they rarely get together otherwise."
"This expert really doesn't treat the promotional period as a promotional period."
“What need does he have for a publicity period now?” Chen Ziyan said. “Over the past year, we’ve saved a lot on publicity and marketing expenses, and all of it has been used to remove him from the trending topics. I don’t know how he can get on the trending topics so often.”
“A chosen one in the entertainment industry.” Lu Qingzhen laughed. “Why don’t we contact a Taoist priest, perform a ritual, and share some of his hot search potential with Liu Min and the others?”
Chen Ziyan: "Don't come up with such a bad idea, or you'll ruin Yan He's luck."
"I thought you were going to call me a feudalist and superstitious person."
"No matter what it is, if it's bad, don't come near us!"
There are quite a few people in the entertainment industry who practice superstition.
Chen Ziyan doesn't believe in superstitions or supernatural phenomena, but that doesn't mean she's indifferent to them.
-
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(End of this chapter)
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