Chapter 577 Signing the Contract
"You've improved. I thought you were going to fight Liu Manbo."
Lin Suyang smiled at Li Zhibai.
Li Zhibai: "Why would I fight with him?"
“If you had disagreed with someone before, wouldn’t you have already started a fight? You really impressed me this time,” Lin Suyang said. “You were able to control your temper and avoid conflict with Liu Manbo.”
“Sigh, he doesn’t have any background or influence in the crew to begin with. If I clash with him, how can he maintain his authority in the crew?” Li Zhibai said irritably. “Then I can only be more tolerant.”
"You've really grown up," Lin Suyang praised.
Li Zhi smiled and a slight upturn of his lips.
Lin Suyang: "Zhibai, after producing 'Nineteen Years', will you continue to produce your future works?"
Li Zhibai would have refused without hesitation if he had encountered a similar problem before.
But this time he hesitated.
After a while, he said, "I don't know, we'll see."
Perhaps it's true that "it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality." Li Zhibai thought again: if he were to act again, especially in a drama where he was the lead, would he be able to control himself, adhere to the duties of an actor, and not interfere with other matters on set?
Ideally, a film crew operates with everyone fulfilling their duties and staying in their positions. However, in reality, many people's mindset is simply "get the job done." Often, it's not that every actor rewrites the script to add scenes for themselves, but rather that the script is genuinely terrible. It's not that every actor wants to overstep their bounds and interfere too much, but rather that others are performing so poorly that if they don't intervene, the production will only flop.
Li Zhibai had never been so deeply involved in the production of a film or television series. After becoming involved and realizing that the operation of a series involves so many intricate and uncontrollable aspects, he found it difficult to ignore all of this and focus solely on his role as an actor.
Conflicts with others will increase in the future.
This was almost entirely predictable.
However, at the same time, he was no longer so passive about how a play could turn out.
This feeling was somewhat addictive to him.
"Power." Lin Suyang smiled slightly and told him with certainty that this was a desire for power.
Li Zhibai frowned and asked, "Do I have a desire for power?"
"What do you think power is?" Lin Suyang asked.
"Manage...others? Rule others?" Li Zhibai asked tentatively.
“No, it’s about making things go in the direction you want,” Lin Suyang said.
Li Zhibai seemed to be deep in thought.
-
On the day Lu Yanhe left Malaysia, many fans came to the airport to see him off.
He signed many photos and posters on the spot and took photos with many fans.
The enthusiasm of these fans is no less than that of Lu Yanhe's fans in China.
Despite some unpleasant incidents in the past, Lu Yanhe still has a large and supportive fan base.
After returning to China, Lu Yanhe did not rush home. Instead, he went to Shihuo and signed his contract with the company.
His management contract with Star Entertainment is about to expire, and Shi Huo will take over his management duties from now on.
At the same time, he also signed his agency contracts for Europe and the United States with Williams Agency.
That way, when he goes to work in Europe and America in the future, his people in China won't need to take care of him.
Darren Wilson was very enthusiastic towards Lu Yanhe.
He presented Lu Yanhe with three Asia-Pacific brand ambassadorship contracts in one go—all long-term contracts that would lead to him becoming a global brand ambassador in two years.
They showed their full attitude and sincerity.
The first message released by Shi Huo, the studio established for Lu Yanhe, was about these two signings.
From now on, Lu Yanhe has nothing to do with Xingyu Entertainment.
This can be considered an amicable breakup.
This surprised many in the industry. Given Lu Yanhe's current status and commercial value, how could Xingyu Entertainment let him go so easily?
Meanwhile, the news that Lu Yanhe signed with Williams' agency made everyone realize that Lu Yanhe really intends to expand overseas in the future.
"Will Lu Yanhe shift his filming focus overseas in the future?"
"It's also possible that, like those top actors in South Korea, they'll all start collaborating with streaming media."
“Lu Yanhe will definitely still make theatrical films. His first English film grossed 200 million worldwide. If he just wants to achieve success on streaming platforms, his own films are enough.”
"Yes, he has several shows like 'The Squid Game' and 'Friends' in hand. If he just wants to get production funding from streaming services to make some shows that will be released on streaming platforms, he doesn't need to sign with an overseas agency."
...
There is much discussion about the future development of Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi went to Luo Yuzhong's house for dinner, and Luo Yuzhong asked a question out of curiosity.
"Do you plan to venture overseas in the future?"
"The main reason is to make it easier to get in touch with some overseas film projects." Lu Yanhe said frankly, "The film 'Mist' was more successful than expected, but because I don't stay overseas for many years and don't have any work connections there, many projects have come to me, but I don't have any channels. Signing with a relatively strong overseas agency can help me handle a lot of things."
Luo Yuzhong nodded. "I thought you were planning to develop your career overseas for many years."
"No, I don't know how. I have so many roles to play myself," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "Teacher, actually, there's something I want to tell you."
Luo Yuzhong asked, "What is it?"
Lu Yanhe pulled a thick stack of scripts out of his bag.
He said, "I've written a script and would like to invite you to direct it."
Luo Yuzhong looked surprised.
“You’ve finished filming the movie you’re working on, and you don’t have any other projects coming up, right?” Lu Yanhe was well aware of Luo Yuzhong’s current situation. He smiled and said, “You’ve probably heard about it. This is a script I wrote for Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, and me. It’s a fantasy drama called ‘Chinese Paladin.’”
Luo Yuzhong looked shocked. "A fantasy drama? You want me to direct it?"
"Teacher, why don't you read the script first? This is quite different from the popular fantasy dramas on the market. It's closer to the kind of fantasy and supernatural stories in our traditional culture."
The look of disbelief on Luo Yuzhong's face had not yet faded.
He said, "I told you, you're so busy you don't even have time to rest. Why did you bring Siqi to see me today? You call it a free meal, but you have ulterior motives."
Lu Yanhe: "If you have any problems, just ask the teacher."
"Chinese Paladin" is a drama that Lu Yanhe attaches great importance to, and it is also a gift he gave to the three of them.
The three of them had never filmed a movie together, so Lu Yanhe had always hoped that there would be a movie that would capture their current state.
However, filming such a drama is very difficult and has high requirements.
This applies to both the difficulty of filming and the difficulty of post-production.
Lu Yanhe first watched "Chinese Paladin" when he was in elementary school. At that time, he thought it was quite good and didn't think the production was rough. However, when he was in high school, he accidentally saw some scenes from the show again and realized that the show was actually poorly made. At that time, Lu Yanhe also thought that it would be better if the show could have been made to a higher quality.
To say that this drama is particularly profound or culturally rich wouldn't be an exaggeration. However, it perfectly suits the current age of Lu Yanhe and his two co-stars, capturing the youthful passion and chivalry that only actors of this age can portray.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe hopes to find Luo Yuzhong to be the director.
"Fantasy dramas are very popular, but it's difficult to produce a high-quality one. I hope to invite a director to make it a masterpiece." Lu Yanhe stated frankly, explaining why he chose Luo Yuzhong to direct the drama.
Luo Yuzhong took good care of Lu Yanhe, but that didn't mean he would accept any request from Lu Yanhe.
Especially things like this.
“I want to see the script,” he said.
"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile. "Thank you, teacher."
-
After having dinner together, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi didn't rush to leave. They sat down on the sofa with Luo Yuzhong's family, watched TV, and chatted.
"Qiqi, how's that overseas film critics' festival you guys organized going?" Luo Yuzhong asked.
Chen Siqi said with a smile, "It's about time. We plan to hold it in June when the weather is better and more comfortable, and it will also avoid the timing of more popular international film festivals."
Luo Yuzhong nodded.
"I saw on your WeChat Moments that 'Jump Up' has been released in Japanese and English versions?"
Chen Siqi nodded and said, "Yes, but so far only one volume of each of these two versions has been released, and the sales are not very good. The publisher does not want to release a second volume."
"Will they continue releasing more?" Luo Yuzhong asked.
"Of course we'll release it," Chen Siqi said. "We are contacting other publishers and media outlets, whether it's electronic or physical book publishing. I still hope that the 'Jump Up' brand can gain recognition overseas."
Luo Yuzhong nodded.
"You two are really remarkable right now. One of you is creating content, and the other is handling promotion. When you two work together, everyone else has to give way," he joked. "I hope that Chinese-language films and television dramas can reach even greater heights under your guidance."
Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand and said, "Teacher, with that hat on your head, we're all too scared to speak. We don't have such lofty ambitions."
"Why are you being so modest at a time like this? I'm being serious," Luo Yuzhong said solemnly. "I've attended several high-level meetings in the past six months. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is very satisfied with your dramas that have achieved great success overseas. It's rare to see Chinese-language dramas that have truly spread and won the hearts of audiences, especially 'Friends.' People believe that this drama reflects the lives of contemporary urban young people in our country and effectively refutes the rumors spread by overseas media that our country is underdeveloped and falsely prosperous."
Lu Yanhe: "...These phrases are all over the place, teacher. From which leader's speech did you hear them?"
"You're just being sarcastic," Luo Yuzhong laughed. "Anyway, you know what I mean. Haven't you noticed that in the last year or two, as long as it's one of your shows, whether it's filming, getting approved, or airing, everything has gone smoothly without any obstacles? Your shows have been on the radar of many leaders."
Luo Yuzhong then said to Chen Siqi, "The same goes for 'Jump Up.' You have this idea to sell the magazine overseas. Although you haven't succeeded yet, it's definitely supported. What you're doing is in the direction that the higher-ups are strongly advocating. So, to be honest, I really hope that you can bring our Chinese films and television dramas to the world stage and make them shine. I've never thought that our film and television art is inferior to others, but we are indeed getting old. In the past, we didn't have such an environment. Now the environment has changed, and we are willing but unable to do so."
Lu Yanhe: "How could that be? You're still the best. The Legend of Sword and Fairy is a very difficult drama to film. The only person I can think of who can bring the quality I envisioned to this drama is you."
Luo Yuzhong: "You told me not to flatter you, but you immediately put one on me."
“It’s true. Nowadays, many people can make a fantasy drama that is really good and has great special effects. But if you want to make a fantasy drama with a realistic feel and real chivalry, there are very few directors I know,” Lu Yanhe said. “It is even harder to find a director who can make a fantasy drama that is good but has the feel of a serious drama. Anyway, you are the only one I know.”
Luo Yuzhong: "What are you going to do if I don't plan to take this role in your movie later?"
"Then I'll continue to visit you three times to persuade you and convince you," Lu Yanhe said with a shameless grin.
Luo Yuzhong: "..."
-
After leaving Luo Yuzhong's house, Chen Siqi said to Lu Yanhe, "I feel that even Teacher Luo was shocked by your shamelessness."
Lu Yanhe laughed.
"It doesn't matter how thick-skinned you are in front of your teacher."
“However, I really didn’t expect you to want Professor Luo to direct ‘Chinese Paladin’,” Chen Siqi asked. “How did you come up with the idea of Professor Luo?”
"Because the period dramas directed by the teacher are all of very high quality," Lu Yanhe said. "If we could use a very high-quality costume, makeup and props to film 'Chinese Paladin,' it would definitely be good."
“That’s true. Nowadays, almost all fantasy dramas are just idol dramas disguised as fantasy dramas. They’re all the same. It’s quite refreshing to see a drama like this,” Chen Siqi said. “Ten or twenty years ago, there were actually quite a lot of fantasy dramas of this type.”
Lu Yanhe: "Actually, it's all about increasing homogenization. Once you get tired of a certain subject and nobody watches it anymore, it comes back out again after ten or twenty years and becomes fresh again."
Chen Siqi: "If Teacher Luo is willing to direct 'Chinese Paladin,' the cost of just the salaries of the four of you will be very high. Plus, the special effects and post-production will also cost money... You're not planning to make an all-star cast again, are you?"
Lu Yanhe said, "We really need to control the costs. Let's wait until the teacher agrees to direct. If the teacher really doesn't want to direct in the end, then we'll have to find another way to shoot it."
(End of this chapter)
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