Chapter 512 The Big Shot (11,000 words updated!)
Even if a TV series director already has representative works, it is still very difficult to find investment if they want to make a movie.
Lu Yanhe had heard of him before, but perhaps because he had watched "The Gold Rush", in Lu Yanhe's mind, this director Wu Zhouyou was a director who could make TV series with the quality of movies. He was very capable and talented.
Lu Yanhe subconsciously felt that Wu Zhouyou was different from other TV drama directors; he was capable of making movies.
His directing style, narrative pacing, and grasp of quality are actually much stronger than many film directors.
Because of this preconceived notion, he subconsciously believed that the industry should "know his worth" when it comes to such a director.
This is purely because Lu Yanhe genuinely doesn't know how difficult it is for a project to find investment.
He really hasn't experienced many times when it was difficult to find investment.
Even with "Lost in Thailand," because the pressure was all on Jia Long at the time, Lu Yanhe didn't personally experience the difficulties in finding investment for the film.
Lu Yanhe asked, "How much investment does Director Wu want for this film?"
"He said it would cost at least 30 million to produce the film," Yan Liang said.
For a film, not counting marketing and distribution costs, a film costing 30 million is not considered a large budget; it falls into the category of medium-budget films.
Lu Yanhe couldn't say anything at this point, since he had already read the movie script, after all, Huang Kairen had shown it to him privately.
"Have you read the script?" Lu Yanhe asked. "I quite like the style of Director Wu's 'The Gold Rush'. If his new film lacks investment, I'd like to see what kind of project it is. If possible, I'd be willing to invest a little and also help him find investors."
Lu Yanhe didn't dislike the script for "Yesterday Once More," but it was slightly inferior to "A Shot in the Dark."
Lu Yanhe actually really hopes to see scripts of all kinds and themes emerge, so that the market won't be full of monotonous films.
To be fair, Chinese-language films, like TV series, are now very homogenized, and can basically be categorized into two types: crime and comedy.
It's hard to come up with anything truly original.
Yan Liang said, "Then I'll talk to Director Wu about it, and he'll be very happy."
-
Long Fei frowned slightly when Huang Kairen finally decided to take on the script for "A Needle to the Heart".
Of course, he did not try his best to stop Huang Kairen.
In this matter, Long Fei still managed to maintain a proper balance and did not act as an agent who excessively interfered with Huang Kairen's decisions.
He doesn't have the confidence to do that yet.
"This script is good, but it's an ensemble piece, so we'll probably have to do a lot of promotion for it," Long Fei said.
In fact, Long Fei's concern was not unfounded.
In the timeline before Lu Yanhe's arrival, there were many similar situations. For example, in "The Nameless," you might remember the paralyzed Ren Suxi and notice Zhang Yu's ambition to "make it bigger and stronger," but many people forget that the male lead of this dark horse film was actually Chen Jianbin.
Was his acting not good enough? No, it's just that the more outstanding character in this movie wasn't him, the lead actor.
So why do many actors tend to choose roles with a strong male or female lead? Putting aside the old arguments, there are these very practical considerations.
Long Fei didn't want Huang Kairen to be used as a sedan chair or ladder by other actors.
Huang Kairen was also aware of Long Fei's concerns.
He told Long Fei, "Brother Fei, the reason I finally accepted 'A Shot in the Dark' is because I considered that I had already filmed a workplace drama and a comedy 'My Own Swordsman,' both of which are waiting to be broadcast. I wanted to take on a drama with a very different style from these two dramas to avoid my image in the eyes of the audience becoming homogenized."
Huang Kairen took the initiative to tell him his considerations.
When Long Fei heard Huang Kairen's consideration, he knew that Huang was not the kind of artist who would arbitrarily make choices based on "what I like," and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Huang Kairen's considerations are certainly reasonable.
Long Fei said, "Now that you've won the Best Actor award, you should take on more movies. 'My Own Swordsman' is going to run for three to five seasons. Before this series finishes airing, you don't really need to take on any more TV series. You should take on more movies."
“I would like to, but there aren’t that many good scripts,” Huang Kairen said. “If possible, I would like to take on both ‘A Shot in the Dark’ and ‘Yesterday Once More’. You know, apart from ‘Rouge,’ those two are the best scripts I’ve ever received.”
Long Fei said, "Don't worry, 'Yesterday Once More' is still facing funding issues and might not be able to start filming normally. The reason it's scheduled to start filming this September is because Wu Zhouyou will be filming the second season of 'The Gold Rush' early next year, so we're vying for this time. If it doesn't start filming, then this movie can only be filmed after he finishes filming the second season of 'The Gold Rush,' and then your schedule will be available."
A look of surprise flashed across Huang Kairen's eyes.
"Really?"
Long Fei said, "If you are very willing to act in 'Yesterday Once More,' I can talk to Director Wu. Maybe after he knows that you are willing to act in this movie, he will wait for your availability. In fact, as far as I know, there are not many male actors of the right age who are as optimistic about this script as we are. Shang Yongzhou directly refused. He usually does not act in this kind of movie, so it is not surprising that he refused. However, Zeng Qiao also refused, which I did not expect."
"Zeng Qiao refused?" Huang Kairen was surprised. "Why? Was his schedule not right?"
“That shouldn’t be the reason. Zeng Qiao doesn’t have any other projects besides filming the second season of ‘The Silent River’,” Long Fei said. “Moreover, he has always been involved in the TV drama industry and has never entered the film industry. I’m really surprised that he would refuse.”
Huang Kairen hesitated for a moment, "Then he must have already been involved in a project that is currently being kept secret, which is why he doesn't like 'Yesterday Once More'."
Long Fei: "Then I'll go and inquire again."
-
Shortly after news broke that HP had bought "The Gold Rush".
Tom White then asked Lu Yanhe to record a video introducing "The Gold Rush" to HP users.
Tom White said, "There aren't many Chinese actors recognized internationally, and they don't usually watch Chinese-language dramas. Now you've broken down that barrier, making people recognize you, see your name and your face, and they'll be willing to give it a try. The biggest problem that 'The Gold Rush' needs to solve is also the problem that most overseas viewers probably never watch Chinese-language dramas. We want to invite several Chinese actors, directors, and producers who are well-known to many overseas viewers to recommend this drama. In this way, they might be able to see you and remember the Chinese-language films and television dramas they've watched before, thus being willing to try watching 'The Gold Rush'."
Lu Yanhe nodded and agreed without saying a word to help Tom White record this video.
There's really no need for Tom White to explain all this.
Because it was he who recommended "The Gold Rush" to Tom White, and now that the show has actually been bought by HP and has the opportunity to meet audiences worldwide on streaming platforms, and because Tom White has put great effort into its promotion and distribution rather than releasing it quietly, it shows that HP has indeed recognized the value of "The Gold Rush" and values it.
Lu Yanhe thought about it carefully before recording this video. He didn't just spout some filler words; instead, he seriously explained why he recommended the show.
HP did indeed do a lot of promotion for "The Gold Rush," not only inviting internationally renowned Chinese filmmakers like Lu Yanhe and Wang Zhong to recommend it, but also conducting offline interview and exchange activities in several countries, including Japan and Thailand.
"The Gold Rush" had no popularity overseas. The only character that could be considered somewhat popular was Yan Liang, but that was just a drop in the ocean for the show.
Yan Liang followed Director Wu Zhouyou and others to Japanese and Thai TV talk shows, gave interviews to the media, and held offline meet-and-greets. Basically, HP used their resources to help him.
The day before "The Gold Rush" was scheduled to air, the six main actors of "Friends" released information about the show and asked everyone to keep an eye on it and support it.
It can be said that HP provided far more promotional resources for "The Gold Rush" than it could have obtained in the market.
However, as Lu Yanhe said, the biggest attraction of "The Gold Rush" is its subject matter and creativity. All the promotional methods are not really intended to attract their fans to watch the show. No single star's fan base can support the success of a hit drama. The role of celebrity promotion is to make more people aware of the show and discover that, oh, there is a treasure hunting adventure drama about to be broadcast.
Are you interested? If so, come and take a look!
So, Gold Rush was launched on HP on May 14th and immediately jumped to 7th place on the Asian charts and 19th place globally.
Once again, Chinese-language dramas have broken into the top ten of the Asian charts of top international streaming media.
And this is only the first day.
The entire "Gold Rush" series was released at once.
International streaming services often do this for many shows: releasing the entire series at once so that everyone can enjoy watching them to their heart's content.
Lu Yanhe has posted about "The Gold Rush" three times on his overseas social media. Some fans said that he has never promoted his own dramas so actively.
Lu Yanhe replied: Nonsense, I've promoted my own dramas at least ten times.
He's not someone who doesn't use the internet, nor is he the kind of celebrity who would reduce publicity to maintain his image and prestige in order to protect his reputation.
During promotional periods, he is generally cooperative whenever he has free time, not to mention promotional methods such as social media.
It's worth noting that whenever Lu Yanhe's films are in the promotional period, he's never alone. At press conferences, preview screenings, live streams, and more, Lu Yanhe usually brings along seven or eight friends to help with the promotion.
He has a strong belief in the power of publicity, and he believes that successful publicity multiplies the value of a good work.
"The Gold Rush" was starring Yan Liang, and it was also broadcast on HP through his connections. Even though he had no actual interest in it, Lu Yanhe still hoped it would achieve good results.
Putting aside everything else, at least it proves that his vision was correct and his judgment was correct.
On its third day of release, "Gold Rush" broke into the top three on the Asian charts.
Seeing the show's popularity, HP capitalized on its success by increasing promotional resources and expanding its reach.
As one of the two main characters in "The Gold Rush", and the one with a higher popularity base, Yan Liang went to several places to promote the film and appeared on TV shows, which greatly increased his media popularity.
So why do actors have to participate in big-budget productions?
Because actors participate in big-budget productions not only because the production might generate even greater box office revenue and bring them to the attention of a wider audience, but also because the extensive pre-production promotional campaigns can transform an actor from complete unknown to overnight sensation and stardom.
A show like "The Gold Rush" is well-received and receives additional promotion from the platform, which means that Yan Liang can play the lead role in the show and get resources that he might not otherwise be able to obtain.
For example, they appeared on television interview programs in seven or eight countries, and were repeatedly reported on by media outlets that HP was associated with, resulting in a surge in exposure.
Yan Liang said in the group: I am really glad that I was influenced by Yan He and learned English. Although I am not very proficient, at least I can communicate with people.
Lu Yanhe: Keep studying hard, you might even have to act in English in the future.
-
The Gold Rush can hardly be described as a great success.
Clearly, it did not create a global viewing frenzy like "The Squid Game".
It won more praise from the media and critics—who expressed surprise at the production quality of such a Chinese-language drama.
The shows they were previously known for, such as Friends, The 17th Floor, The Silent River, and The Squid Game, were not particularly difficult to produce. However, Gold Rush was filmed on location, which meant there would be many challenges during the filming process.
The quality of the on-location shooting brings the most authentic Southeast Asian adventure experience.
Even if *The Gold Rush* didn't become a blockbuster like *The Squid Game*, as Lu Yanhe previously told Tom White, the show had its audience. Moreover, the viewership numbers were impressive; compared to its $12 million purchase cost, *The Gold Rush* undoubtedly brought HP several times the return.
The second season of "The Gold Rush" will be filmed early next year.
This is a series.
Yan Liang once again enjoyed the benefits of "blooming inside the wall but fragrant outside".
As an artist, his biggest weakness is that his commercial value has never been high. Brands believe that he lacks star power and has few loyal fans, and has not achieved the same "star power" as Li Zhibai or Lu Yanhe.
Therefore, even though Yan Liang is the second most popular actor in "Friends" and an idol artist with a fixed stage, he has very few, if any, high-end endorsements.
Of the few remaining, most were people Zhou Ping'an had taken from Ma Zhiyuan's resources after Ma Zhiyuan's downfall.
However, the success of "The Gold Rush" both domestically and internationally has allowed industry insiders and the public to see Yan Liang's potential as an actor for the first time.
Indeed, while Friends was a huge hit, it didn't demand much from the actors. No one thought Yan Liang had the potential to be an actor; his acting was just average. Without the filter of his role in this blockbuster show, he would hardly make a splash in other dramas.
But "The Gold Rush" reversed everyone's opinion of him.
Entertainment critic Guan Suchen wrote: "Yan Liang can be considered a benchmark for young actors. To be honest, his talent as an actor isn't outstanding (not that he has none, but compared to others of his generation, please don't argue). However, under these circumstances, he chose a path that almost no young idol actor would choose—a path that requires enduring hardships and solitude that ordinary people cannot bear. Look at this photo, and then look at his transformative performance in 'The Gold Rush.' I want to say that for all actors, Yan Liang's standard for accepting roles is a smooth road to success, but how many dare to step onto that road?"
The photo Guan Suchen attached was of Yan Lianggang returning to China after filming "The Gold Rush". He looked dark and thin, as if he had become a completely different person.
In her commentary, Lin Yu wrote: "The success of 'The Gold Rush' and the success of its lead actor Yan Liang are, to some extent, complementary and mutually reinforcing. They both chose a path less traveled, fraught with difficulties, tackled subjects few were willing to film, engaged in extremely challenging location shooting, and pursued an uncompromising artistic vision. It is this combination that led to their current success. Similarly, it's particularly worth mentioning that when 'The Gold Rush' was released on HP, it was the mutual appreciation and recommendations from many film and television professionals in China that gave it its initial foundation for being seen. It was this kind of collective support that allowed such a good drama as 'The Gold Rush' to be seen by a wider audience. I hope that there will be more and more good dramas like 'The Gold Rush' in the future, and 'Film and Television Critics' will continue to pay attention to every outstanding Chinese-language film and television drama."
-
Zhou Ping'an was very flustered.
The Gold Rush has become popular again.
At first, Zhou Ping'an was not optimistic about "The Gold Rush".
However, his focus was not on Yan Liang at the time, so he played the role of Yan Liang.
Now, "The Gold Rush" has become a hit both domestically and internationally. Yan Liang's popularity, buzz, and commercial value have doubled in the first half of the year, all thanks to this show.
Seeing Yan Liang steadily step into the top tier of the industry, with two popular series at his disposal, and the path to long-term success already paved, Zhou Ping'an deeply realized that Yan Liang had embarked on a path beyond his experience and capabilities.
Especially when action star Cheng Shiyan sent Yan Liang an invitation to star in his next action film, Zhou Ping'an remained silent for a long time.
How much longer can Yan Liang stay in his hands?
When Yan Liang leaves, he will lose his last trump card. What cards will he have left to play?
Why didn't you treat Yan Hao better back then?
Zhou Ping'an's bitterness was something no one could share or understand.
To outsiders, all they would think is that he's really lucky.
Even though Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai left him, and Ma Zhiyuan collapsed, Yan Liang immediately stepped up again.
How come Zhou Ping'an, this agent, is so lucky?
That's incredible.
Others felt envy, jealousy, and hatred towards Zhou Ping'an; they were itching to get their hands on him.
Only Zhou Ping'an himself knew how precarious his situation was.
We need to get the newcomers up and running quickly, or... poach talent?
Zhou Ping'an's mind raced.
In any case, he has to maintain his position.
At that moment, Cheng Hai suddenly arrived.
"Brother Ping An".
Seeing Cheng Hai enter, Zhou Ping'an collected his thoughts and sighed softly.
This idol, who was once ranked in the second tier of popularity in the show "Youth With You," saw his popularity decline steadily after going solo. He tried many things but failed to make any waves. Now, four years later, he has been officially declared "flop" by the industry, and there are few opportunities for him to appear on variety shows or become a variety show personality.
Zhou Ping'an nodded to him and said, "Sit down."
Cheng Hai sat down somewhat awkwardly.
Cheng Hai was always a little nervous every time he came to see Zhou Ping'an.
Especially in recent years, he has become less and less popular and has gradually disappeared from the entertainment industry. He has become less and less confident in front of Zhou Ping'an.
Zhou Pingan asked, "Cheng Hai, how have you been lately?"
"It's...it's pretty good." Cheng Hai couldn't bring himself to say the words "pretty free."
Zhou Pingan said, "I've got you a role in a movie, about twenty scenes. Go back and prepare for it."
He took the script out of the drawer.
Cheng Hai looked at Zhou Ping'an with some surprise.
When Zhou Pingan called him over today, Cheng Hai was still worried, wondering what Zhou Pingan wanted to talk to him about.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ping'an actually got him a job.
Zhou Pingan said, "For a while, we may only be able to take these small jobs. Don't be discouraged. No matter how small the job is, it will give you exposure and may become your chance to turn things around. As long as you don't give up, you will have a chance to turn things around in the future."
Cheng Hai looked at Zhou Ping'an in surprise, even disbelief, his eyes gradually reddening.
Zhou Ping'an would never normally say such things to him.
Cheng Hai was both surprised and touched, but also taken aback, wondering what was wrong with Zhou Ping'an.
-
What are your thoughts on the popularity of "The Gold Rush" on HP?
In the video of the Northern Lights, Lin Desheng asked Zheng Huairen a question.
Zheng Huai-ren said, "The popularity of this show was unexpected. However, I think what is more noteworthy is that the show was able to be released on HP. Lu Yanhe's relationship with HP seems to be closer than we know. HP is willing to spend more than ten million US dollars to buy even shows that he did not star in or write. This shows that they fully trust his judgment."
Lin Desheng said, "If Lu Yanhe recommended a TV series to you and asked you to spend hundreds of millions to buy it, would you buy it just because of his recommendation?"
Zheng Huai-ren hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“For projects of this size, no matter how much I trust his judgment, I would never buy them just because of his recommendation,” Zheng Huai-ren said. “The risk is too great; a professional evaluation is necessary.”
“The same goes for HP. HP wouldn’t buy ‘The Gold Rush’ just because of Lu Yanhe’s recommendation,” Lin Desheng said. “However, Lu Yanhe’s move has definitely made many people eager to get involved. Of all the dramas that have aired in China, 80% or 90% have never been broadcast overseas. The copyrights are in our own hands, but they don’t generate any value; they’re useless. ‘The Gold Rush’ sold its overseas distribution rights for over ten million US dollars, netting over seventy million RMB. Just think about it, that’s a profit that many dramas can’t even achieve domestically. How many people will be eyeing this lucrative opportunity?”
Zheng Huai-ren said, "But if they could sell, they would have sold long ago. Isn't it because they can't sell?"
Lin Desheng said, "Hasn't a salesman appeared now?"
Zheng Huai-ren was taken aback.
Lin Desheng: "From collaborating with Lu Yanhe, writing scripts, acting, to broadcasting, it may take two or three years to see any return. But in their eyes, as long as Lu Yanhe makes a recommendation, they may directly earn tens of millions. Even if it's less, they can earn a few million from a single show. Just think about those companies that hold dozens or hundreds of copyrights."
"It's impossible for someone to buy so many at once."
“But as long as you sell, it’s pure profit. At this point, it’s a risk-free, no-cost business.” Lin Desheng smiled. “I think Lu Yanhe is going to be driven crazy by this.”
Zheng Huai-ren smiled knowingly.
Lin Desheng: "Huai Ren, we should also be more proactive."
"Um?"
“We have a lot of self-produced dramas, just like Aurora Borealis. We don’t necessarily have to go through Lu Yanhe to reach overseas streaming media. We’ve contacted them before and have smooth channels. We take the initiative to introduce good dramas ourselves. Don’t always be complacent and only think about the domestic market. The domestic market is big, but if you keep eating from the same pool, the meat will eventually be limited,” Lin Desheng said. “It’s time to increase our efforts overseas.”
Zheng Huai-ren suddenly realized what Lin De-sheng meant by telling him all this.
“Understood, Mr. Lin,” he said.
Lin Desheng said, "When we make dramas for Aurora in the future, we will consciously plan one or two dramas every year according to the internationally popular formats, themes and standards. They can be broadcast not only in China, but also overseas, and they will meet everyone's viewing habits."
Zheng Huai-ren: "Okay."
Lin Desheng sighed, "Look, all of us in the industry combined can't beat one young man. Why is Lu Yanhe's drama so popular with overseas audiences? Is he the only actor with international recognition? Many people only focus on Lu Yanhe, but forget that any drama that is popular with audiences must be engaging. Who can stare at one person's face for seven or eight episodes? Lu Yanhe's live stream usually only has a few viewers. You still need to analyze the drama itself."
-
Lu Yanhe's phone was switched off.
It's too noisy and annoying.
In the past two days, suddenly, bosses, producers, directors, and so on from various film and television companies have been contacting him one after another, as if they had made a pact. They have been calling him and asking him to recommend a particular film or television project they have in hand.
Lu Yanhe was speechless.
Recommending a book called "The Gold Rush" has unexpectedly caused me so much trouble.
However, Lu Yanhe did not answer the phone, and some people came to the set of "Burning Fire" looking for him.
They called it a set visit.
As a result, Lu Yanhe would hide in his RV as soon as he finished filming his scenes.
People are easily swayed by self-interest.
Lu Yanhe actually understood this principle very well, but... a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way! Don't make such a fuss!
Everyone joked about Lu Yanhe.
“Now you’re truly the most popular person in the film and television industry, bar none,” Wan Renhai said to Lu Yanhe. “Anyone who wants to sell their film overseas has to go to you; going to you is the only way.”
Lu Yanhe: "...Please, please stop creating this kind of persona for me. The persona will collapse, and before it collapses, it will annoy me to death."
Wanrenhai: "There's really no other way. You can only endure it for now, get through this intense period, and wait for everyone to calm down."
Lu Yanhe: "Actually, if everyone has established their own channels, there is no need for me to introduce them."
Wanrenhai: "Do you think it's because people don't want to build channels? It's the same principle as a store sourcing goods. If the goods you put on someone's shelf don't sell or don't sell well, they naturally won't buy from you. If your goods sell well, then you don't need to say anything, people will come to you on their own initiative, just like how they've been watching your show for a long time."
"In reality, I can't recommend them all by myself."
"Yes, that's true, that's why everyone's in such a hurry, afraid of being beaten to it by someone else," Wanrenhai said.
“I wish we had a big market like the top international film festivals that could attract film distributors from all over the world,” Lu Yanhe said. “That way, we wouldn’t have to go out and promote our films one by one.”
"Don't even think about it in the short term," Wanrenhai said. "Until Chinese dramas achieve enough phenomenal success, even if you build up such a market, people won't really be interested. At most, they'll show up and make an appearance. Those foreigners are just as shrewd."
"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.
Suddenly, Wanrenhai seemed to remember something, laughed, and said, "But if you put your script on the market for sale, or put your film and television drama on the market, people will definitely come."
Lu Yanhe seemed to be deep in thought after hearing what Wanren Hai said.
-
By the end of May, many actors from "Burning Fire" had finished filming and left the production.
Including Li Yuefeng.
Before leaving the film crew, Li Yuefeng made a point of having another drink with Lu Yanhe.
"Yan He, let's meet up again at Yuming after you finish filming," Li Yuefeng said. "Don't forget to contact me."
Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded, "I'll definitely remember. Let's make another appointment later."
The farewell in "Burning Fire" was also the time when Lu Yanhe felt the least sorrowful about parting.
Perhaps because the cast of this movie is so large, people are joining and leaving the crew almost every week, with personnel constantly changing. In reality, only Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou stayed with the crew from beginning to end.
Moreover, everyone here is a very mature actor. Having experienced so many separations from the film crew, they're used to it.
Those who truly clicked with each other in the production team would often meet up in private, even after they parted ways. Those who didn't click as well would feel a little melancholy when they left, but it would quickly dissipate.
After filming for more than two months, Lu Yanhe felt that he had never spent so long in a film crew before.
However, he has never had such an easy time filming before.
There are basically only one or two scenes a day, so there is plenty of time to prepare and present my best self.
A blockbuster is a blockbuster; they can afford to spend money and give everyone time to film it at their own pace.
Because he was on set, he couldn't do anything else, so he had a lot of time to read books and write scripts. Lu Yanhe first finished writing the script for the first season of Friends on the set of Burning Fire, and then wrote the script for the rest of My Own Swordsman.
Wanrenhai was quite surprised to see him often on set typing away on his laptop.
"Don't you need a particularly quiet environment when you're writing a screenplay?"
Film sets are not quiet environments.
Lu Yanhe: "It's alright, not really necessary."
Other screenwriters have to think about the plot development and character development when writing a script. For Lu Yanhe, these are all ready-made. All he needs to do is write them down and express them in a good way.
Therefore, whether the environment is noisy or quiet, it doesn't really affect his concentration on writing the script.
Wanrenhai: "You are truly a genius. Few people possess such composure as to be oblivious to others."
It's worth noting that on set, some actors even check their phones as soon as they finish filming—
Asking them to study the script and the characters seems like a matter of course, something every actor should do. But it's just like students studying; there are always situations where they know what they should do but can't do it.
Lu Yanhe smiled.
Wanrenhai asked, "I'm also quite curious. How do you write scripts so quickly? You have to act, go to school, and do a lot of other work as an artist. Now I know that you basically make the most of every spare moment to write."
Lu Yanhe: "Because I already had the story in mind, I quickly wrote it down."
"Can you take a look at the script for my next film?" Wan Renhai said. "Actually, I'm still working on the script. I wrote it myself."
Lu Yanhe said, "Great! I also really enjoy reading other people's scripts; I can learn a lot from them."
The next play by Wanren Hai is called "The Palace of Impermanence," which is also a fantasy story.
A boy named Wang accidentally saves a Dream Bird from being preyed upon by a Hellhound. Wang is then captured by the Hellhound and taken to the Hall of Impermanence. The Dream Bird follows him in to rescue him, but they happen to arrive just in time for the chaos of the Hall of Impermanence's Soul Master replacement. The boy and the bird are caught up in the chaos and are mistaken for members of the resistance army of the old Soul Master, experiencing all sorts of bizarre and strange battles, traps, and wars.
Lu Yanhe was quite shocked when he saw this story because it was so animated—
Wanrenhai is preparing to make a live-action movie.
"This investment must be quite substantial, right?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Just by looking at the large-scale scenes and special effects in the script, you can tell how much money was spent.
Wanren Hai nodded, "The production alone will cost 280 million."
Based on such a production cost, plus subsequent marketing and distribution, this movie will barely break even with a box office of 1 billion.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but wonder, "Is 'The Hall of Impermanence' also primarily sponsored by Longyan?"
Wanrenhai nodded and said, "Yes, but half of the investment came from other film companies."
Lu Yanhe said, "The script is already very mature and it is a very complete story."
The symbolism and allegory of this story are very obvious.
However, its story structure is not very market-oriented.
Although the surface is a story of a teenager's adventure and growth, its main plot is too unclear. The further it goes, the more it feels like a supernatural story similar to "Three Mountains".
For a commercial film with such a high investment, you can include some philosophical or symbolic elements, but if the main plot is not straightforward and clear, it will leave the audience confused.
At least, Lu Yanhe felt that the main storyline of "Wang" and the Dream Bird escaping from the Hall of Impermanence was not clear enough in the current script.
It became merely a prelude. Just by reading the script, one can tell that Wanrenhai actually wanted to describe the bizarre and fantastical world within the Wuchang Palace, rather than telling the story of a young man's adventure in a strange place.
The different focuses result in very different viewing experiences.
Wanrenhai asked Lu Yanhe for his opinion.
Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment and then subtly expressed his opinion.
"After reading this script, I was quite shocked. There are many things that I need to digest properly," Lu Yanhe said. "There are many symbolic and traditional Chinese cultural elements in it."
Wanrenhai nodded and said, "This has actually been a subject I've always wanted to work on."
Lu Yanhe asked, "But this movie has such a large investment, so the expected box office revenue must be very high, right?"
Wanrenhai suddenly revealed a helpless smile that said, "Just as I thought."
Do you also think that current scripts are unlikely to achieve particularly good box office results?
Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment and said, "The main thing is that we all know that the higher the threshold for understanding, the fewer people will be able to cross this door."
Wanrenhai: "Do you like this story?"
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Actually, I am very much looking forward to the presentation of the worldview of Wuchang Palace on the big screen. Director, you have always been particularly good at constructing novel and unprecedented worldviews. The visual effects are beyond doubt. However, the main story of Wuchang Palace is not as clear as that of Burning Fire. The entire story of Burning Fire revolves around Wei Yang's revenge. Therefore, everyone will be very clear about the meaning and role of each character's appearance and the changes in the plot."
Ten thousand people fell silent.
Lu Yanhe was unsure if what he had said had angered Wanren Hai.
But after a while, Wanrenhai asked, "If it were you, how would you change it?"
After finishing speaking, Wanrenhai added, "Under the premise of not affecting all the scenes I want to present."
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "I will design a task for this boy named Wang."
"Hmm?" Wanrenhai looked at him in confusion.
“Right now, Wang and the Dream Bird's escape from the Hall of Impermanence lacks motivation; it's like running around aimlessly in a dream. Giving them a motive, their exploration of the Hall of Impermanence would have real meaning,” Lu Yanhe said. “For example, Wang and the Dream Bird could need to fulfill certain conditions to leave the Hall of Impermanence, and to fulfill those conditions, they would need to go to certain places and obtain certain things. Or, we could simply use the Cerberus setting; the Cerberus brought Wang into the Hall of Impermanence to achieve a certain goal, but this process failed because the Dream Bird interfered, and they were chased by the Cerberus all the way—”
As Lu Yanhe spoke, a clearer storyline emerged in his mind.
"The Hellhound can't let anyone discover that it brought a human to the Hall of Impermanence, so it has to chase after them alone. Wang and Rumeng, in order to escape the Hellhound's pursuit and find a way out of the Hall of Impermanence, can only follow clues and constantly change maps. In the process of changing maps, the world of the Hall of Impermanence that you want to present, director, will emerge one by one. In each small map, there is a small climax with the Hellhound finding them and a chase and struggle ensuing. In this way, the main plot is from beginning to end that the Hellhound is chasing Wang and Rumeng, while Wang and Rumeng are looking for a way out of the Hall of Impermanence. In this way, the script doesn't actually need to be changed much. Just make some adjustments according to this main plot and string them together."
Wanrenhai looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise.
"You just finished reading the script and these thoughts already came to mind?"
"Isn't this a bit cliché? This setting?" Lu Yanhe scratched his head. "It might be a bit cliché. I think that Director, your script, from the River of Oblivion to the Tower of Purgatory, every part of the content and every NPC character is cleverly designed. But if you put a little effort into the entry point, the audience will be more immersed."
Wanrenhai seemed to be deep in thought.
"Your suggestion is very helpful to me."
Lu Yanhe initially thought that Wanren Hai was just being polite and didn't really accept his opinion.
Unexpectedly, Wan Renhai's next words were, "Yan He, why don't you become a consultant for our film?"
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
Wanrenhai said, "I found that you completely understand my script, what I want to say, and are able to offer suggestions for revisions that I can accept while preserving what I want to say."
Lu Yanhe was stunned. "Huh?"
“The problems you mentioned have actually been raised by others as well, but they can only raise questions without offering solutions. They blame me for adding too many elements and say that I wrote the script too profoundly and not simply enough,” Wanrenhai said. “I need your help.”
"Director, this is so sudden! Let me... let me process this first," Lu Yanhe said.
Wanrenhai patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder.
"Okay, think about it and I'll come back to ask you again tomorrow."
-
"Go ahead, it's just as a consultant. It's not like you'll be rewriting the script or doing any actual work. A consultant's job is to give advice."
Chen Ziyan was very supportive of Lu Yanhe becoming the consultant over the phone.
"The Palace of Impermanence is a very large production, and you can learn a lot from participating as a consultant. Besides, you can also get to know more people in the production department. In such a large production, every job is definitely filled with top-tier professionals in the industry."
Chen Ziyan's words convinced Lu Yanhe.
So, the next day, when Wanrenhai found him again, he nodded and agreed.
Wanrenhai immediately ordered people to prepare the agreement.
"We should still sign the agreement, just in case you go back on your word," Wanrenhai said.
Script consultant: Lu Yanhe.
I inexplicably unlocked a new identity.
-
I recommend the older book, "I Became the Scandalous Woman Overnight." It went from 7 initial subscriptions to over 1,000 average subscriptions per day, and it's definitely worth reading.
(End of this chapter)
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