Chapter 650 Audition
"Sister Xiaoyuan, did you just go to film 'Chinese Paladin'?"
The waiting area for the auditions for "2 Broke Girls" was packed with people.
A rough estimate suggests there were at least a hundred people present.
This is just the first batch of people who came to audition.
The girl talking to Deng Xiaoyuan is also an actress who has acted in several dramas; her name is Fang Fang.
Deng Xiaoyuan nodded, smiled, and said, "Yes, I played a small role in 'Chinese Paladin'."
“I’m so envious,” Fang Fang said. “I also auditioned for ‘Chinese Paladin’ back then, but I didn’t get any of the small roles.”
She sighed as she spoke.
Deng Xiaoyuan: "I was lucky to be selected."
"How could that be? Sister Xiaoyuan, your acting is so good, and you're so beautiful," Fang Fang immediately said. "But, Sister Xiaoyuan, since you acted in 'Chinese Paladin,' do you know Lu Yanhe? Do you know anything about the show '2 Broke Girls'?"
"How would I know any inside information? If I knew any inside information, why would I be sitting here auditioning?" Deng Xiaoyuan shook her head.
"That's true." Fang Fang sighed again.
Deng Xiaoyuan glanced at her, maintaining a faint smile.
"I heard that Lu Yanhe even directly refused to be a judge for the main competition section of next year's Xituer Film Festival." Fang Fang's tone was not without envy.
"I'm so envious. She's already been invited by Satur to be a judge."
Deng Xiaoyuan smiled slightly.
"So many people auditioned for this drama, the competition is too fierce." Fang Fang sighed, "I don't know if I can get a role in this drama. I don't even dare to ask for the lead role, I'll be happy with any small supporting role."
“Who doesn’t think so?” someone immediately said. “Even a minor supporting role can become famous and gain attention as long as it’s in Lu Yanhe’s drama.”
"Sister Xiaoyuan must be here to audition for the female lead, right?" Fang Fang asked tentatively.
The others looked at Deng Xiaoyuan with some surprise.
Deng Xiaoyuan said with a smile, "I want to audition for the female lead? I'd love to."
That one sentence dispelled everyone's surprise.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed in surprise.
The exclamation was quite loud.
"My God!" came a somewhat exaggerated voice.
Everyone was drawn to look in that direction.
A short, middle-aged man, about 1.3 or 1.4 meters tall, was wearing an ill-fitting suit.
The stares from all around him made his cheeks flush red, revealing a mix of embarrassment and shyness.
Deng Xiaoyuan also looked at him with some surprise.
Oh... is he here for an audition too?
Is this man considered a dwarf?
This is the first question that comes to many people's minds.
The reason for this question is that he is not particularly short, and he is actually quite handsome, which does not fit the general impression of dwarfs.
However, no matter what, it shouldn't have warranted such a gasp.
"..."
The girl who had just exclaimed showed a hint of disdain on her face and turned to talk to her companion.
The rather short man remained silent and quietly found a place to sit down.
Seeing this scene, Deng Xiaoyuan felt inexplicably sad.
"Is this person also here for an audition?" Fang Fang asked in a low voice, somewhat curious.
"Maybe."
"With his height, what kind of roles can he try out?" Fang Fang said.
"Maybe it's a special type of character specifically designed for comedy."
"I don't think so. Lu Yanhe has never written a character like this before."
Upon hearing this, Deng Xiaoyuan suddenly realized something.
Special type?
Specializing in comedy?
Deng Xiaoyuan did indeed know a little more information than others.
For example, this show no longer focuses on the daily stories of a group of handsome men and beautiful women like "Friends," but instead highlights the living environment of the "lower class."
For example, in this drama, the composition and appearance of the main characters will be more diverse.
In the waiting room for auditions, most of the people are good-looking men and women—this is also the type of people you see most often in the acting industry.
However, for the show "2 Broke Girls", this does not mean that the main cast members are these people.
The person who provided Deng Xiaoyuan with the information told her that when auditioning, she should not aim for the kind of stunning beauty found in idol dramas, but rather for someone with a down-to-earth, relatable personality.
So far, in the audition waiting room, he is the only one with a build similar to the man from earlier.
Deng Xiaoyuan's eyes flickered, and she got up and walked towards the man.
Fang Fang and the others were taken aback when they saw Deng Xiaoyuan suddenly stand up, wondering what she was going to do. They were all shocked when they saw her walk up to the man and sit down in the empty seat next to him.
-
“This actor, Bai Yunfei, used to be an acrobatic performer.” Hu Siwei held up a photo and introduced him to Lu Yanhe and the others. “He is only 1.4 meters tall, but he is very agile. Moreover, he has a delicate and handsome baby face, so he doesn’t make people feel uncomfortable on camera. He fits the character profile you initially gave him, Yanhe.”
In "2 Broke Girls", the restaurant owner is a short Asian.
Lu Yanhe has always felt that one of the most important reasons why the show "Bankruptcy" became popular and well-liked was that it consciously addressed the issue of equality in Hollywood before the rise of political correctness and feminism.
Moreover, the fact that this topic is discussed in an ordinary restaurant setting makes it all the more authentic and valuable, and because it is wrapped in the guise of a sitcom, it lacks the heaviness of a social issue.
Lu Yanhe wanted to retain this characteristic of the drama.
He didn't expect that Hu Siwei would actually find an actor with such an appearance.
"Of all the actors who auditioned, he was the only one I invited," Hu Siwei said. "Of course, if you think he's not suitable, just give him a low score."
Lu Yanhe asked, "He used to be an acrobat. Was he physically very capable?"
“Yes.” Hu Siwei nodded. “I have seen his performance. Although it is very different from his acting in film and television dramas, he is very capable. As long as someone guides him to adjust his acting style, he will definitely have no problem acting in our drama.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
Today I'm here for the casting audition for "2 Broke Girls".
This drama didn't actually cast any actors; the casting process relied entirely on auditions.
It includes two female leads.
Lu Yanhe is now quite used to auditioning.
Many people still came to greet him, and Lu Yanhe became more and more adept at handling such situations.
Anyway, it's just a joke.
There were six screenwriters for this drama.
It's incredibly exaggerated, yet perfectly normal.
The scripts in the film crews that Lu Yanhe encountered were basically written by one or two people, with at most a director who participated in the scriptwriting.
Normally... In fact, for sitcoms, there are usually many writers.
Because each episode of a sitcom is a different sub-theme, it needs jokes and laughs. Unless you have someone like Lu Yanhe who has a knack for creating scripts, relying on just one or two people to write the scripts will quickly lead to a lack of creativity.
If you look at classic sitcoms, you'll find that almost every sitcom is written by a large team of writers.
Of course, Hu Siwei originally wanted to put Lu Yanhe's name in the head screenwriter column for the show "2 Broke Girls", but Lu Yanhe immediately refused. He didn't write a single word and was too ashamed to be listed as the head screenwriter.
Scriptwriting and script consultant. This was his last title.
The screenwriters have already written several episodes of the script, and today's audition is to test the actors' skills using those episodes.
Each person only has five minutes.
One by one, the actors came in to audition, and one by one, they left.
It must be said that many of the actors who auditioned performed quite well.
The problem is... it's too academic.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how to put it, but if a sitcom is performed with that kind of academic style, it will actually feel very awkward—making the audience feel awkward.
Lu Yanhe would occasionally make marks on his list.
During halftime, Hu Siwei chatted with Lu Yanhe, asking him how he felt and what the markings meant.
Lu Yanhe said, "Oh, these marks are because I think they are more suitable for some of the roles in my other dramas, so I wrote them down and will invite them to audition later."
Hu Siwei asked, "Among the actors who have already auditioned, are there any you think are suitable for these regular roles?"
"A few seemed okay, but the audition time was too short," Lu Yanhe said. "We'll probably have to take a closer look later."
Hu Siwei nodded.
"In fact, quite a few A-list actors have taken the initiative to inquire about acting in this drama and have even lowered their fees."
Lu Yanhe shook his head.
“Sitcoms… uh, A-list actors can make guest appearances, but let’s not have them as leads.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “Unless it’s like Friends, where everyone became famous through this show, it’s hard for the audience to get into the story. Besides, if an established actor is placed in a cast of leads whose fame is not comparable to his, the show will easily become centered around him.”
Hu Siwei hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Back then, there was no other way to make 'Friends'. First, although I was quite popular at the time, my status as an actor wasn't as high as it is now. Second, if I didn't star in it, the show wouldn't have even started. Actually, this problem existed when the first season aired. All the promotion revolved around me. The other five people clearly had similar screen time to me, but I overshadowed everyone's highlights."
Lu Yanhe knew immediately what Hu Siwei wanted to say.
“I didn’t act in the second and third seasons, which is a good thing in that respect,” Lu Yanhe said. “At least for the show, the other actors and characters have become the real protagonists in the hearts of the audience during this period, and their fates have also been noticed.”
Lu Yanhe added, "Moreover, I am not only the lead actor in this drama, but also the screenwriter. I am willing to give up the role and the exposure, and replace it with another A-list star. To be honest, the other actor has already lowered his salary. Can you still treat him the same as the other actors? Other actors do not have assistants, trailers, or private dressing rooms. Does he have them? If he does, the distance between him and the other actors on set will be widened, which will affect the creative atmosphere of the sitcom. If he does not have them, then it is unethical of us."
Hu Siwei nodded.
"Okay, you're right."
“Sitcoms are a natural genre that attracts audiences, so let’s build up our audience slowly,” Lu Yanhe said. “Top stars can’t sign contracts for several seasons at once. I welcome them to make guest appearances and I’m willing to pay their market price, but I refuse to cast them as leads.”
Hu Siwei: "Okay, I trust your judgment."
“Brother Siwei, since you’re willing to delve deeper into sitcoms, I think having your own projects to lead is one thing, but on the other hand, I suggest you learn from the Jump Theater model and start making pilot episodes directly,” Lu Yanhe said. “First, you need to find directors; second, you need to find writers; and third, you need to find actors. As long as you have a good idea, you can gather a crew and shoot a story first. To put it bluntly, it’s like a skit from a stage play, ten or twenty minutes long per episode. When you release it to the market, the number of views doesn’t matter. What matters is how the audience reacts. If the feedback is good, then continue developing it; if the feedback is bad, abandon it in time. Through pilot episodes, you can build up several sitcom teams and have enough projects to support the production team.”
Hu Siwei looked at Lu Yanhe with some surprise.
“The pilot episode requires a significant investment of real money, and there’s no guarantee of making a profit.”
Lu Yanhe said, "Pilot episodes don't make much money, but a sitcom that can be further developed can definitely help you recoup the production costs of dozens of pilot episodes. Not to mention, these pilot episodes can help us discover and accumulate a lot of talent for sitcoms. These are intangible gains that cannot be measured simply by numerical revenue."
Hu Siwei nodded: "I understand. I'm willing to do it. How much budget can the company allocate for this?"
“You make the proposal, and we’ll decide on the budget in a meeting later,” Lu Yanhe said. “The company can provide a budget for your pilot episode every year thereafter.”
Hu Siwei laughed.
“I think other film and television companies will be even more resentful,” he said. “The Jumping Theater has already invested dozens of more shows into this market and taken away a lot of market share. Now we’re starting to produce sitcom sketches on a large scale, and if the feedback is good, we’ll make long-running dramas. This market will be taken away even more.”
“We’ve never been competing for their market; we’re operating in a market that other companies can’t,” Lu Yanhe said. “We’ve been running Jump Theater for almost half a year now, and Linghe has also produced several shows. To be honest, the combined profits are less than the profits from a single episode of ‘My Own Swordsman.’ It’s a market for low- to medium-budget dramas, a market that other companies find too low-profit and no one wants to operate in.”
Hu Siwei: "They're also competing with other film and television companies for actors' schedules and for platforms' film purchase budgets."
“Then let them take it back,” Lu Yanhe said. “They only ever want to produce top-tier productions, investing hundreds of millions in a single show and making hundreds of millions in profit… We at Tiaoqilai Theater might not even make as much as one of their top-tier shows in a year. And they’re envious of that? To be honest, the real small companies are the ones that make a living by producing shows for Tiaoqilai Theater, instead of being left to starve by the current industry trend of only pursuing top-tier productions. Who are those people who keep whining and complaining?”
Hu Siwei: "Hahaha, in the final analysis, it's because we disrupted the ecological balance they had created, changing their production environment where they could make money effortlessly. They can't just lie around anymore. Especially in the last six months or so, we've unearthed so many directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, lighting technicians, makeup artists... They never had a chance to stand out before, but now the entire industry has more choices. Those who were just sitting around doing nothing and didn't have any real skills are naturally having a hard time and starting to criticize us."
"Let them criticize; they'll eventually be eliminated."
During the intermission, the two chatted for a while before returning to the audition room to continue watching everyone's auditions.
I saw over a hundred actors in one day.
If Lu Yanhe used to think that this pace made it impossible to properly observe each actor's performance, he now approves of this model.
Because actors are meant to compete for the audience's attention.
The actors who can still be remembered under this model are those who have the qualities to make a living from the camera and the audience.
The auditions continued until 8 p.m. before all the actors finished.
Lu Yanhe stretched and yawned, feeling his buttocks were a little numb from sitting.
Hu Siwei said, "Shall we go get something to eat together later?"
"I'm not eating," Lu Yanhe shook his head. "I already have plans with Siqi."
"Oh." Hu Siwei smiled. "Then I won't disturb your date. We'll stay here tomorrow."
"Hmm." Lu Yanhe yawned. "Everyone has worked hard. You guys eat. This meal is on me tonight."
Hu Siwei: "Okay, then let's have a big meal."
Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
-
Chen Siqi's car has arrived.
Lu Yanhe walked out while talking on the phone with her.
"You guys go back first," Lu Yanhe said to Zou Dong and Wang Biao. "You've worked hard today. Xiao Yan and Huang Hai can pick me up tomorrow. You guys can rest for a day."
Wang Biao and Zou Dong nodded.
Zou Dong then asked, "Yan He, are you and Si Qi going out to eat later, or are you going straight back?"
“We made a reservation at a restaurant and are planning to eat out,” Lu Yanhe said. “We’ll go back after we finish eating.”
Zou Dong: "Then I'll just follow behind you. If someone is interested in auditioning here today, they might follow you. If someone bothers or bothers you, it will be convenient for me to be there."
Lu Yanhe initially wanted to say no way, but then he thought about how he had been harassed by some crazy people in the past, and felt that it was still necessary.
He nodded.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
"It's nothing." Zou Dong shook his head. "There are three people taking turns with me now, what's so hard about it?"
Lu Yanhe laughed.
"Then I'll head back now." Wang Biao waved with a bright smile.
How will you get back?
“I’ll just call a car,” Wang Biao said.
Lu Yanhe and the others walked outside while talking.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them.
It was a somewhat familiar figure.
"Um?"
The man's face lit up with surprise when he saw them approaching.
"President Lu."
"You are... Fang Fang?" Lu Yanhe looked at her with some surprise.
"You actually remember me?" Fang Fang looked flattered and surprised.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Are you waiting for me here?"
"Yes," Fang Fang said. "Today's audition was too short. I... I don't think I did well. I was too nervous."
She looked at Lu Yanhe with some nervousness and unease.
"I wanted to ask if I could try to get another audition opportunity?"
Lu Yanhe said, "You've made it to the second round of auditions. They'll let you know later."
"Oh? Really?!" Fang Fang exclaimed with surprise.
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Really."
"Ahhhhhhh—that's great!" Fang Fang screamed as she spun around on the spot.
She seemed so excited that she lost all composure.
However... for some reason, Lu Yanhe could see the signs of acting in the scene before him.
"..."
"Thank you, thank you!" Fang Fang suddenly stopped and bowed to Lu Yanhe. "I will try my best!"
After saying that, she turned around and ran away like a happy little bird.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh.
“What is she doing—” Wang Biao asked, a puzzled look on his face.
Zou Dong said, "Probably, she wanted Yan He to have some impression of her."
They walked and talked.
Wang Biao: "Sigh, people's hearts have changed. Why are there so many tricks and schemes now?"
Zou Dong said, "That's a skill in itself; at least she's fighting for herself openly and honestly."
They were talking, before they had even finished speaking.
They saw a lot of people standing in the lobby on the first floor of the building, at the entrance of this corridor. There were also security guards standing guard, not allowing those people in the lobby to enter.
People would occasionally glance or look around into the corridor.
When someone saw Lu Yanhe and his group, they immediately ran to the security guards and stared at him expectantly.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
Wang Biao muttered under his breath, "Upright and honorable? The ones who are truly upright and honorable are these people who were stopped by security guards and were waiting for Brother Lu outside. The fact that she could stay in the corridor and wait is not something that can be done uprightly and honorably."
A chill ran through Lu Yanhe's heart.
-
I recommend "I Became the Leading Lady of a Scandal Overnight".
(End of this chapter)
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