Chapter 568 Response
Before the recording of the second episode of "The Birth of an Actor" officially began, Lu Yanhe was inexplicably quite nervous.
The tension mainly stems from the many unexpected events that occurred during the first phase.
Too dramatic.
While the more dramatic the storyline, the more buzz it generates, Lu Yanhe still hopes that the show's original purpose—a discussion about acting skills—won't be overshadowed by these topics.
Lu Yanhe has always felt that the reason why the show "The Birth of an Actor" was able to achieve such success in the original world was because it happened to coincide with the phenomenon of traffic actors having no acting skills due to the rise of the traffic era. For two or three years, almost everyone was lamenting why good actors had no roles to play and why the plays that appeared in front of everyone were so bad.
Thus, a discussion arose about what constitutes a good performance.
Just then, this program came on.
Most importantly, this show has indeed brought many refreshing and talented actors to the audience. In almost every episode, one or two previously unknown actors suddenly become the focus of attention, their popularity soaring, receiving tremendous attention as if they were idol stars.
For example, Zhou Yiwei, Shu Chang, Xin Zhilei, Ling Xiaosu and Lan Yingying, Liu Mintao, Peng Yuchang...
This show also contributed many memorable variety show moments unrelated to the performance itself, such as Ms. Zhang throwing her big leather shoe, the ants racing, and Haiwa.
However, putting all that aside, the fact that this show has brought so many talented actors into the public eye shows that the show's content has resonated with the audience.
Lu Yanhe hopes the program can achieve this.
The recording of the second episode was ultimately not as dramatic as the first.
Overall, the recording went very smoothly, without any incidents like He Sha withdrawing from the competition.
However, one group of actors still had a conflict and disagreement due to coordination issues. After the performance, the two sides directly blamed each other on stage, which gave everyone a headache.
Both of these actors are somewhat famous and have fans, but they are not considered top-tier celebrities.
The two started blaming each other, which made Chen Lingling angry on the spot.
"You must always remember that it's okay to argue and have conflicts, but don't bring them onto this stage! You can fight backstage! This is where you're facing the audience, and you must respect them!"
In fact, Chen Lingling also lost her temper over a similar issue in the previous episode.
Chen Lingling seems to be very concerned about not letting the audience see what happens behind the scenes.
Of course, Chen Lingling later offered an explanation.
"The audience has no obligation to understand why your performance went wrong. When your show has problems, your approach is to blame each other and shirk responsibility. I don't care who's right or wrong between you, now that you're standing here, you both have to apologize to the audience. Why? Your performance already hurt the audience, and now you're causing them further harm because of your personal squabbles. Who cares about your little issues? People come to see a performance, not to watch you argue."
Chen Lingling's very stern tone made both actors look very uncomfortable.
Even Zhou Zifang, who advanced to the next round, didn't show much joy at his advancement.
After the recording of the second episode was completed, the production team went to talk to the three mentors and Li Songfan, the guest mentor for this episode, about filming short videos with the contestants who advanced.
Lu Yanhe did not participate in this segment; he went backstage to rest for a while.
The short film will be shot separately tomorrow and the day after.
The contestants who advanced from the first round and those who advanced from the second round took a photo together.
Chen Lingling will direct three of the short films, while the other short films will be directed by other directors found by the program team.
The production cost of this show, due to the design of these segments and the personnel salaries, is almost several times that of other variety shows.
Too many people are involved.
Others might be able to record an episode in a day, but it takes them at least three days.
Moreover, they invited at least twice as many big-name celebrities as other programs.
With just three mentors in one episode plus Peng Zhixing and Lu Yanhe, totaling five people, plus the guest mentors in each episode, six people in total, it's already the top-tier lineup of any other S-level program.
It can be said that the production cost of recording one episode of "The Birth of an Actor" is two to three times that of other programs.
Fortunately, the show was able to continue because it was jointly invested by Yuehu TV, Aurora Video, Linghe, and Chen Ziyan's Shihuo, and because the show was popular enough that the revenue from brand sponsorship and product placement was high.
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Lu Yanhe saw several contestants who were going to perform on stage today recording their pre-interviews backstage.
A bizarre scene unfolded: of the three people being interviewed, two had red eyes, as if they had just been crying.
Is this show... really that good at making people cry?
Lu Yanhe felt extremely tired.
Just like Peng Zhixing told him before, if it weren't for this show, he might really have had a hard time meeting so many... how to describe it? So many "actors"? Well, you can't say that, it sounds like you're portraying them all as too scheming—
People who are too fond of expressing their emotions.
Let's just describe it like this.
The crew he worked in before had indeed gone through many rounds of screening.
The actors who are able to join these production teams are all top performers who have gone through many rounds of auditions and interviews.
However, what he saw in this program was the normal state of the entertainment industry.
Not everyone prioritizes acting, nor does every actor respect their co-stars or understand that a good co-star is essential for a good actor to perform well.
Furthermore, not every actor knows that they shouldn't give instructions to others' performances on set unless the other person asks for their opinion.
Therefore, in the collaboration of these performance segments, we can see all sorts of friction and conflict.
None of them were newcomers; they had all worked their way up in this industry. Their reasons for participating in the show were different, their intentions different, and what they wanted to express different things. They had many distractions and little genuine passion for acting. None of them were willing to concede to anyone else. If it weren't for Chen Lingling and her two companions sitting in the audience, this group probably wouldn't have stood there obediently to be reprimanded.
Fortunately, Chen Lingling was invited.
This person is not only capable, but also renowned and experienced.
Honestly, it wouldn't be appropriate for Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige to bring this up.
They are not old enough.
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.
Making a show like this is much more tiring than filming a movie.
However, Lu Yanhe had no regrets whatsoever.
Especially after going to the Oscars and experiencing Harvey's incident, Lu Yanhe realized more and more that in this era, if you want to create good film and television projects and gain a foothold in this environment where all sorts of malice can appear at any time, you have to gain the industry's recognition.
Lu Yanhe thought to himself that the main reason he was able to gain support in his conflict with Harvey was, of course, because Harvey's remarks had angered Asians in Western circles and were very inconsistent with the current "politically correct" public opinion environment. But in addition to that, there was another crucial point: the industry he was in had given him a lot of support.
The first people to stand up for him and criticize Harvey for needing to apologize to Lu Yanhe were not those American celebrities who defend "political correctness." Their criticism of Harvey was directed at the things he said, not at Harvey's accusations that Lu Yanhe instigated racial conflict between Black and Yellow races.
Standing on the front line, directly pointing out Harvey's attempt to confuse the public and shift blame, were Jiang Yuqian, the creators of "Friends," "The Squid Game," and "The Gold Rush," and artists in the Chinese-language entertainment industry who have some international influence.
They were the ones who first stood up and spoke out publicly, which led to other artists from other Asian countries and regions speaking out.
Although Harvey has not yet specifically apologized to Lu Yanhe, their public statements and the combined momentum they have created suggest that Harvey's actions are not merely limited to discrimination against Asians, but also include shirking responsibility and shifting blame.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe hopes to use his own strength to make the entire Chinese film and television industry better.
If "The Birth of an Actor" can truly become a stage for good actors to emerge, that would be the most direct contribution it can make to the industry in the near future. Of course, it would be even better if the show could bring about further changes to the industry.
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The first episode of "The Birth of an Actor" aired in early March.
This show didn't experience any doubts or skepticism. Just like the storm of discussion it generated in the early stages, for the next two days after the first episode aired, almost all major social media platforms were filled with discussions about the show.
From the performances themselves to the various incidents caused by the competing actors, and the judges' evaluations... there are just too many topics to cover.
The show lived up to expectations and became a huge hit. The only thing that made Lu Yanhe a little nervous and worried was in what direction the show would become a hit.
Fortunately, despite the high level of buzz surrounding the topic, the actors' performances still garnered a lot of attention.
Ryu Ji-eum, a popular idol, participated in the show but was immediately eliminated. This was seized upon by many of her detractors, who ridiculed her relentlessly and even trended her on social media. Of course, in reality, Ryu Ji-eum had anticipated this outcome when she decided to participate in the show.
She didn't take it too seriously, knowing that the darkness wouldn't last more than a few days.
She is not a professional actress, and she made it very clear on the show that she was just there to see her potential.
With the intentional guidance of the program team, viewers who actually watched the show realized that Yoo Ji-eum, as a non-professional actress, had already demonstrated a surprising attitude and quality in her performance.
Just look at the evaluations from the mentors.
The main focus is on encouragement and praise.
When Yoo Ji-eum was being heavily criticized, her competitor Jang Ping-cheong posted an article recounting how he met Yoo Ji-eum during their collaboration. From the perspective of both a competitor and collaborator, he described the hard work behind the scenes of a newcomer actress who was unfamiliar with acting but took it very seriously.
Lu Yanhe had originally planned to speak out himself, but after reading Zhang Pingqing's post, he felt there was no need for him to say anything more. He simply forwarded Zhang Pingqing's post and added only one sentence—
Zhiyin is the most adventurous person I know. She's willing to come to this show as a popular idol and compete against other actors as an ordinary contestant. I believe that what she cares about is not winning or losing—if she did, she could have simply not come. The competition format is just to make the show more competitive, but the actors participating in this show definitely have things they care about more than winning or losing, such as exploring the boundaries of the performing arts stage.
Liu Zhiyin responded generously: "I'm very happy that director Chen Lingling got to know me through this program. I've already received the script, and I will continue to work hard and do my best. Let's meet again as actors in the future!" Newcomer actress Liu Zhiyin is here!
Compared to when she first returned to China, Liu Zhiyin is now undoubtedly more familiar with the domestic entertainment industry. She is no longer so stubborn and competitive, and she knows how to respond to things in a way that the audience likes.
No matter how much the haters jumped around, she didn't break down. She openly admitted her shortcomings and said she would continue to work hard.
This attitude, along with her already impressive performance on the show, won her a lot of fans and support.
Besides this pair, another actor who caught everyone's attention was Wang Dashan.
This newcomer actor, who rose to fame in "Lost in Thailand," played a mentally challenged younger brother on this stage. In just over ten minutes, his physical control and immersive performance completely overshadowed Liu Yu, a very mature actor.
Was Liu Yu's acting bad? Was Liu Yu's acting wrong?
No, they're all fine.
However, compared to Wang Dashan's simple and unpretentious performance, which seemed to be a return to nature, no amount of profound skill could compare to the overwhelming emotion that resonated with the audience.
Chen Lingling's comment about Liu Yu was praised by the audience as being incisive and to the point—
You are good in every way, but you lack the power to touch people's hearts. This is the difference between an ordinary good actor and a great actor. Liu Yu, if you cross this threshold, you will have taken this step towards becoming a great actor. If you don't cross it, you will forever remain just an ordinary good actor.
Liu Yu blushed on the spot.
He couldn't refute what Chen Lingling said.
However, although Chen Lingling criticized him harshly, she later cast him as an opponent for the advancing actors in a short film she directed.
The other advancing actors all had scenes with Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige to compete against each other, but the actors who advanced who chose her could only be chosen by her to compete against them.
Chen Lingling asked Liu Yu to be a competitor in two of the groups.
Their dedication is evident.
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Compared to these two groups, the other two groups stirred up even bigger controversies.
He Sha and Cheng Hai, Liu Zhiyao and Zhen Hongyu.
The former has been discussed for a long time, while the latter, Zhen Hongyu advanced by audience vote, while Liu Zhiyao was eliminated. The veiled remarks made by the two on stage afterward have been interpreted in many ways.
However, Jiang Yuqian ultimately used her right to resurrect Liu Zhiyao.
This allowed a competition that could have been highly controversial to land safely.
However, many people still say that the reason why Zhen Hongyu was able to get more audience votes in such an evenly matched contest is because she is more famous and has higher popularity.
Many people also went to Lu Yanhe's Weibo comment section to ask how the show selected its audience. Couldn't they have selected some fairer audience members?
After thinking for a moment, Lu Yanhe decided to respond by posting a Weibo message containing what he had long wanted to say but hadn't:
As producers of the show, what kind of fairness do we need to ensure? We need to ensure that no one wins through favoritism, personal gain, or other factors. We need to ensure that the show doesn't maliciously edit the performances, cutting out all the highlights for contestant A and all the bad shots for contestant B. As for the fact that some are famous while others aren't, some have been acting for years while others haven't acted in a long time, some have better audience appeal while others have only average audience appeal, to these questions, I want to ask, so what? Actors rely on their looks to make a living; are we supposed to make actors wear masks to perform? Are we supposed to find two hundred people who never watch movies or TV shows and don't know any actors to vote? Is that absolutely fair? What's the point of actors chosen by such an audience? Acting is the most difficult thing to be fair about; even if you perform with 100% skill, it might not be as good as someone else's genuine emotion. Acting is a profession where audience favor is priceless; that's my understanding.
Naturally, Lu Yanhe's statements have still been refuted by some, with others finding fault and logical loopholes.
Lu Yanhe did not offer any further explanation.
Many things are said simply so that "those who understand will understand."
-
In early March, as usual, Chen Ziyan held a small meeting with Lu Yanhe to inform him of his main schedule for the month. Wang Biao, as Lu Yanhe's current executive agent, began to take charge of this aspect.
"This month you'll be going to Thailand to attend a film festival. Besides that, your main schedule this month includes recording 'The Birth of an Actor,' then going to Malaysia to attend a film awards event, and having dinner with director Huang Tianlin to discuss the filming of 'Tropical Rainy Season.'"
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Overall, this month remains a busy one.
But it's relatively okay, it's quite regular.
The trips to Thailand and Malaysia were scheduled around the same time, allowing for a week-long trip that could be completed in one go.
“I expect the media in both places will still be focused on the Oscars this time, so I declined media interviews in both places,” Chen Ziyan said. “You should also try not to bring it up again. The hype has finally died down, so I don’t want to dredge it up again.”
"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.
“Linyu will go with you to these two places this time, so I won’t go with you. Wang Biao will handle the work coordination,” Chen Ziyan said. “You can get in touch with their young directors and see if they have any good works at these two film festivals. If so, you can exchange ideas and invite them to come to China. The film environment in Thailand and Malaysia is not very good. If it’s suitable, you can sign a few promising young directors from there to come to Linghe.”
Lu Yanhe agreed.
Wang Biao asked with some doubt, "Does signing them mean they'll come to China to make movies?"
“They can come and make suitable Chinese-language films, or they can make their own films,” Chen Ziyan said. “The production costs for them to make films in Malaysia and Thailand are much lower than for Chinese-language films we make, so supporting them doesn’t require a large investment. Moreover, Linghe is currently in dire need of cultivating some young directors to make films that are lighter in scale and subject matter. The film directors in these two places are very good at making this type of film: family, ethics, romance, and comedy… In this regard, our domestic commercial film market tends to make films with large box office revenue, and most of these types of films are art films.”
Lu Yanhe understood what Chen Ziyan meant.
Indeed, in Southeast Asia, because their domestic box office market is not large, it is impossible to make special effects blockbusters like Hollywood. They can only focus on the script. However, the local environment has nurtured the unique characteristics of Southeast Asian films.
From "A Little Thing Called First Love" to "Ilo Ilo," from "Rental House" to "Grandma's Grandson."
Apart from the youth romance genre of "A Little Thing Called First Love," which has become a major source of bad movies, this type of film is a rare genre in domestic commercial films.
This refers to films in the so-called 100-300 million yuan box office range.
Domestic film companies are too eager to make movies with box office revenue of billions or tens of billions of yuan, and are not interested in this small box office, which has led to a gap in this type of subject matter.
Lu Yanhe told Chen Ziyan, "I will keep an eye on it."
Linghe should definitely sign more directors.
Of course, according to their plan, they could only produce low- to medium-budget films in the first few years. Large-budget films would not be able to keep up with their cash flow. Even if they took out loans from banks or attracted investment from outside, if the films failed at the box office, it would cause the entire Linghe to collapse.
Therefore, we should proceed steadily and start with these smaller-scale films.
Most importantly, if we can truly achieve the ideal state and cultivate some young directors, they will gain experience through these small-scale films. As Linghe develops, their directing abilities will also be honed. In the future, when suitable large projects come along, they can certainly try even bigger adventures.
After all, before making "The Wandering Earth," Guo Fan had already made "My Old Classmate," which was a box office success, which made it possible to make "The Wandering Earth." Everyone says that Guo Fan's film was very difficult and hard-won, but without the box office success of "My Old Classmate," he might not have even taken the first step in making "The Wandering Earth."
(End of this chapter)
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