Chapter 658 Golden Period of Career
Compensation with a male lead—
In fact, male leads like Zhou Yuning, who already have a box office hit and have won the Best Actor award, will not lack male lead roles for the next five to ten years.
One film, "Nine Yin," is enough for him to first mess around in the film market. If a few films he makes are unsuccessful and all of them flop, he can still go on to make TV series and web series.
In this day and age, a successful production can sustain you for a very long time.
However, in the entertainment industry, there are always some resources that even the biggest stars have to try to obtain, and some they may not even be able to get.
For example, Chinese films by Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou, English films by Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg, Korean films by Bong Joon-ho, and Japanese films by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
It's not that those big-name actors don't have high enough status, but rather that in the film industry, their films have already reached their peak and can't go any higher. And there are only so many of them; there are too many monks and not enough meat. Even if you become a Buddha, you still only have that one piece of meat.
Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded at Zhou Yuning.
"I'm sure I can find a suitable role in the future."
Zhou Yuning said "okay" with satisfaction.
-
The filming of "Dragon Inn" was carried out in secret, and no information was released to the public.
The same thing happened when Lu Yanhe came to visit the set.
With the production team behind this film, there's no need for much pre-release promotion.
This movie is a game-changer no matter which release window it's in—of course, in terms of subject matter, it might be at a slight disadvantage if it's released during the annual "battleground" of the Spring Festival.
After all, the Spring Festival film season is a period of rapid change. It relies heavily on explosive growth in a short period of time. Even if you make 100 million yuan at the box office in one day, if it's not higher than other films, your screenings will be significantly reduced the next day, leading to even worse daily box office results, creating a vicious cycle. The box office performance that could have been achieved may evaporate by hundreds of millions of yuan due to the intense competition.
Lu Yanhe and Liu Bige talked about his and Longyan Film Industry's plans for the film.
Linghe and Lu Yanhe also invested in this film, but Longyan was the main controller.
The film version is in Longyan's hands, but the story itself and other copyrights are still retained by Lu Yanhe himself.
Of course, putting all that aside, Lu Yanhe is just as concerned about this movie.
Liu Bige said, "Maybe Dragon Inn will go to the Jose Film Festival or Venice. We won't consider the other two film festivals because the style of this film is not to their liking and it would easily lower its reputation."
“I completely agree.” Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
“But we actually still position ‘Dragon Inn’ as a blockbuster film. It’s not a commercial film, nor an art film, but a top-notch production,” Liu Bige said. “Longyan wants to blur the lines between commercial and art films and expand the audience as much as possible.”
"This film is a commercial film, so they absolutely mustn't promote it as an art film," Lu Yanhe said. "Otherwise, they'll end up with a bad film, and they shouldn't create unrealistic expectations among the audience."
"This movie is different from traditional commercial films."
"Of course, I am very confident that this story and this group of people will leave a mark on the history of Chinese-language films."
Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "Are you kidding me? The character Jin Xiangyu is an unshakeable screen image that has influenced the creation of countless Chinese films and television dramas since then."
“But if you go around telling people that this movie is amazing, thought-provoking, and artistic, then there’s no need for that, really,” Lu Yanhe said very seriously. “People who go to the cinema with those expectations will definitely be disappointed.”
Liu Bige was stunned.
“The publicity for ‘Even Faking Death Is Not an Option’ has already drawn criticism from some of your fans,” Lu Yanhe said. “From a box office perspective, it was certainly a success. But what about your next film? If you have another misleading publicity campaign, your fans will go to the cinema again and again expecting to see ‘Late Spring,’ only to find it’s not what they expected. They’ll be disappointed, won’t they? Let me be clear from the beginning: this isn’t an art-house film like ‘Late Spring.’ Those who want to see ‘Late Spring’ won’t see it in the movie. Without that expectation, there will be less disappointment, and they might still like your new film. For a filmmaker, reputation determines the foundation for every project you undertake in the future. Longyan and their people care about the box office revenue of one or two films, but you’re a director who’s going to be making films for a lifetime.”
Liu Bige was somewhat embarrassed and said, "If Longyan wants to promote themselves this way, there's nothing I can do to stop them."
“You don’t have to cooperate with them,” Lu Yanhe said. “I certainly won’t. I’m the screenwriter, and I’ll tell them very clearly what kind of story I’ve written. But the script is never the most crucial part of a film. I’m not the key; the director is, and so are you.”
If a movie fails at the box office, no one will ever blame the screenwriter.
This is the inherent characteristic of film.
The script is just the ingredients for the director's cooking; how to cook it and what to make are all up to the director's skill.
To put it bluntly, in the film industry, screenwriters don't serve the audience, they serve the director; the director is the one who serves the audience.
It's not that screenwriters don't want to serve the audience, but just as no one would criticize a farmer for serving such unpalatable vegetables to a customer, they occupy different positions in the industry.
One script, ten directors, can produce completely different works.
It's like a classic Journey to the West; the characters are the same characters, and the story is the same story—all very familiar.
However--
Well-made films are all uniquely good, while poorly made films are all strangely bad in their own way.
-
Lu Yanhe genuinely hoped that Liu Bige wouldn't be kidnapped by Longyan.
He felt that this was not a problem with Longyan.
No film company is a charity; it will always prioritize profit.
But the same applies to directors, who are creators.
He shouldn't compromise or back down.
Does that mean "Even faking death won't work" can't make money if he doesn't back down?
A director should have their own strong points and principles.
If cooperation is possible, then cooperate; if not, then forget it. Compromising won't earn you any respect; it will only make people realize that you can be exploited even more.
-
After Lu Yanhe's visit to the set of "Dragon Inn" ended, he returned to Yuming and suddenly received a call from Huang Tai, who wanted to meet him.
He thought that Huang Tai had found out about his conversation with Liu Bige and that the latter had come to confront him.
After all, Liu Bige was discovered in Longyan. In Huang Tai's eyes, Liu Bige belonged to Longyan, and Lu Yanhe's actions constituted "inciting rebellion."
Of course, Lu Yanhe wasn't afraid of Huang Tai coming to question him.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Huang did not contact him about this matter.
Huang Tai wanted to buy out the film rights to "Dragon Inn" with Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe shook his head directly.
"Mrs. Huang, no."
Mrs. Wong asked, "Do you want to make other movies yourself?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head: "No, I won't do it, just Liu Bige's one."
Mrs. Wong asked in confusion, "Then why are you unwilling to transfer the film rights to us completely?"
"Because I don't want it to be made into a series by you," Lu Yanhe said frankly.
Mrs. Wong: "..."
That was indeed her purpose in coming here.
The cast of "Dragon Inn" would be perfect for a sequel movie.
Each character can continue to tell their story afterward.
Mrs. Wong asked, "Why? This movie has such great characters and a great story; it could totally be developed into a series."
“Because you will develop it into a series of formulaic and commercialized martial arts films.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “I don’t want this group of people to become like that, especially since Longyan is so powerful that you can even get these actors to make your sequel movies.”
Mrs. Wong: "This—"
"I must first clarify that it's not that I'm unwilling to make a sequel to the film, nor is it that 'Dragon Inn' can't be made, but how to make it, what kind of story to make, and what kind of result to make it are not in the hands of others," Lu Yanhe said. "I really like this group of characters and I like this story. I don't want them to become some kind of stereotypical, formulaic money-making tool."
Mrs. Wong: "Of course, Yan He, perhaps I didn't explain it clearly, but we are very happy for you to participate in the production of these dramas."
Lu Yanhe: "Participate? To what extent?"
Mrs. Wong: "Like 'Dragon Inn' now?"
“I haven’t been very involved in ‘Dragon Inn’ lately because I have complete faith in director Liu Bige. I believe he won’t treat this film carelessly,” Lu Yanhe stated frankly. “However, I don’t think Longyan would let Liu Bige direct all the sequels indefinitely, would they?”
Huang Tai hesitated.
“Mrs. Huang, if you want to develop a sequel, or a movie based on one of the characters, I hope you can come up with a concrete and mature idea and come to me. If I think it’s suitable, I will grant the rights,” Lu Yanhe said. “But I’m not comfortable with granting you the film production rights to the story of Dragon Inn and these characters without knowing anything about it.”
Huang Tai was somewhat dissatisfied and asked, "Yan He, do you have so little faith in us?"
“Mrs. Huang, I saw how you used director Liu Bige’s name during the promotion of the movie ‘Even Faking Death Is Not Acceptable’,” Lu Yanhe said bluntly. “You turned a blind eye to the dissatisfaction of so many viewers, but I cannot. I don’t like your attitude towards this matter. It’s just that Liu Bige was discovered by you, so he suffered so much. I have nothing to say about his forbearance. But if you want to use my accumulated reputation and word-of-mouth to promote ‘Burning Fire’ and ‘Dragon Inn’ in the same way, I will definitely not cooperate.”
Huang Tai was taken aback by Lu Yanhe's tough attitude.
So much so that after meeting with Lu Yanhe, she couldn't calm down for a long time after returning home.
"What kind of attitude is that?!"
-
“Lu Yanhe is too arrogant now. His repeated successes have clouded his judgment! When he’s riding high, we in Beijing and Taiwan can only temporarily avoid his sharp edge,” Xu Bin said to Huang Tai with a smile.
Mrs. Huang never expected that Xu Bin would be in her house.
"Why did Xu Tai come over?" Huang Tai smiled at Xu Bin, then looked at Huang Zhongjing.
Huang Zhongjing said, "He wants to invite you to come out of seclusion."
"You want me to come out of seclusion?" Huang Tai asked. "What would you do there?"
Xu Bin: "Please come and record a program for our Beijing TV station."
"Huh?" Huang Tai was taken aback.
Before she became Mrs. Huang, she had her own name, Wen Zhimao.
She used to be an actress, a famous actress.
But later, she retired from acting and became Mrs. Huang, the boss of Longyan Film Industry.
Even after that, she remained a public figure and continued to appear frequently in the media.
But she never worked as an artist again.
Xu Bin said, "Mrs. Huang, we at Beijing TV are preparing to produce a variety show. The theme of the show is to invite celebrities who were once known to the public but are no longer active as entertainers to return to the spotlight, travel together, and reminisce about their past as entertainers."
Without much thought, Mrs. Wong said directly, "I'm sorry, I'm no longer an artist, and I have a lot of work to do, so I don't have time to participate in this program."
“Mrs. Huang, times have changed,” Xu Bin said. “This program isn’t about bringing you back to being an artist. The important thing is that this program is bound to be a hit because it features big names that everyone is familiar with. You can also use this opportunity to make Longyan Film Industry more well-known to the public, allowing everyone to further understand Longyan Film Industry, what kind of films you’re making, and what kind of philosophy you have in running this company. This is a window for the public to understand you. Of course, it’s also a free publicity window. Longyan’s film projects for the next one to two years can all be learned about through your words on this program.”
Huang Tai looked at Huang Zhongjing.
Huang Zhongjing smiled at her, implying that this person had come prepared.
“Mrs. Huang, this era is all about hype and data,” Xu Bin said. “Longyan is a top-tier film company that has produced so many great movies. But apart from you, several other established film companies have already been wiped out because the film market has abandoned them. Now, a single blockbuster film can basically secure a place for a film company in the industry. And now, which of the well-known film companies in the industry, especially the emerging ones, doesn’t have its boss standing on the front lines? This is no longer an era where bosses can stay behind the scenes.”
Mrs. Wong said, "Even though you say that, I've never stayed behind the scenes. I'm quite active."
“Yes, we think so too, especially since you’re so beautiful and suitable for the show,” Xu Bin said. “Longyan has been so active in recent years, discovering a talented director like Liu Bige and launching a big project like ‘Burning Fire.’ To be honest, Longyan and you guys actually deserve even more applause than you are now. Look at Lu Yanhe’s companies, from Jump Up to Linghe, from building Jump Up Theater to supporting new directors, they’ve made a big splash with everything they do. They’ve really promoted their company brands and philosophies, and they’ve cultivated a great image for themselves, so everyone thinks they’re doing something amazing.”
Huang Tai said, "Lu Yanhe's success lies not in the success of his company, but in himself."
“Yes, I admit that, but Mrs. Huang, you see, it's precisely because he's so popular and respected that it benefits his company a lot,” Xu Bin said. “If you could truly return to the forefront, instead of just giving interviews or attending public events, and seriously cultivate a personal image of yourself as Mrs. Huang, just like Lu Yanhe is now cultivating himself as a filmmaker who supports newcomers and promotes the film industry, wouldn't that be helpful to Longyan? Not to mention, Longyan has so many projects every year, and they need to recruit directors and actors—”
“I know that for Longyan, they would definitely be willing to cooperate with Longyan’s projects, that’s not a problem. But if you yourself are popular and well-liked by the public, I believe that when negotiating with others, whether investors or actors, you will definitely receive completely different help than you do now.”
If Xu Bin kept talking to Huang Tai about how much the audience wanted to see her, Huang Tai wouldn't take it to heart at all.
However, what Xu Bin is saying now is exactly what Huang Tai is thinking.
In this day and age, a high-ranking, powerful company boss is, to some extent, out of touch with the mainstream. Many bosses of large companies are now themselves highly followed "internet celebrities" with a huge following. This is determined by the current economic model, especially for companies more deeply integrated with the internet, where the boss's "internet celebrity" status is stronger.
Xu Bin added, "If you, Mrs. Huang, already have many fans and are well-liked by everyone, especially if your passion and contributions to the film industry are recognized by everyone, would Lu Yanhe still dare to be so arrogant towards you?"
Mrs. Huang is quite rational.
“He has never been arrogant towards me, Mr. Xu. Don’t talk nonsense. Lu Yanhe’s cooperative relationship with Longyan has always been good. From ‘Late Spring’ to ‘Burning Fire’, and now the movie we are currently filming, Longyan is the film company that Lu Yanhe has the closest cooperation with.” Huang Tai glanced over and warned him not to talk nonsense outside. “His falling out with Jingtai is your own fault for being blind. Longyan has always treated talented young people well.”
Xu Bin: "..."
He felt like he'd been offered a warm welcome but was met with indifference.
“I can consider your program, but what can you offer me and Longyan? You need to provide more specific terms,” Huang Tai said. “The editing rights are in the hands of Beijing TV. Your words are not enough; all of this needs to be written into the contract.”
Xu Bin felt a little better when he heard Huang Tai relent.
"Of course."
"So who else is involved in this program?"
"We are also discussing..."
-
"Beijing and Taiwan want to invite you to record a variety show?" Huang Kairen looked at Xin Zixing in surprise. "What kind of variety show is it?"
"Nominally, it's about inviting public figures who aren't celebrities but have some connection to the entertainment industry and a certain level of fame to travel together and talk about the entertainment industry," Xin Zixing said. "To be fair, the idea behind their show is pretty good, it's quite interesting. To put it bluntly, it's about grabbing a group of people who have some connection to the entertainment industry and openly talking about entertainment gossip in order to attract viewers."
Huang Kairen: "It's amazing that they could come up with this."
Xin Zixing laughed: "Yes, it's amazing that they came up with this idea."
"Are you going?" Huang Kairen asked.
“No, I refused outright,” Xin Zixing said. “My work is so closely related to Yan He’s. It’s not that I’m worried about making Yan He unhappy. He definitely won’t be unhappy just because I’m recording this show. We’re all just trying to make a living. But if this is out in the open, a lot of people will definitely think, ‘Why would I record a show on Beijing TV?’ I’ll probably get a lot of criticism. So forget it. Otherwise, I’d be quite happy to make some money easily.”
"Yan He will still be unhappy, right?" Huang Kairen said. "To some extent, you were in charge of most of the variety show production on Yan He's side. Although he and Beijing TV have reconciled on the surface, everyone can see what the real situation is."
“You don’t understand Yan He,” Xin Zixing said bluntly. “If I were in charge of producing this show, Yan He would be really unhappy. But just recording a show doesn’t bother him at all. His greatest advantage is that he can understand everyone’s selfishness. I don’t earn money as easily as you famous artists do. Recording a show for more than ten days and getting a seven-figure sum in my account, only a fool wouldn’t do it.”
Huang Kairen: "Okay."
“Also, if I go on this show, they will definitely use my relationship with you to create hype, which I don’t like,” Xin Zixing said. “There’s no way to prevent this. Forget it. In the end, people will be talking about other people’s gossip while others are enjoying our gossip. It’s better not to make this money.”
Huang Kairen: "I have no objection to this matter. Since it has already been made public, I have no burden."
“Hmm.” Xin Zixing nodded. “By the way, when do you plan to send out the wedding invitations? They need to make time to attend our wedding, so we need to do it a little earlier. All the people in your circle have incredibly tight schedules.”
Huang Kai-ren said, "After I finish filming this movie, there are some people I should see off in person."
"Okay." Xin Zixing nodded. "Don't you have to go back to the film set tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow," Huang Kairen said. "I have an advertisement shoot tomorrow. Since I'm already here, I'll take all my leave at once so the production crew can coordinate the shooting schedule."
“Okay,” Xin Zixing said. “However, once you’re done filming, my work will start again.”
“It’s okay, this is fine. You can keep me company when I’m working, and I can keep you company when you’re working,” Huang Kairen said. “I will reduce the frequency of filming in the future, and I will only film one or two movies a year.”
“No, this is the prime of your career. You go ahead and do your thing, don’t regret it later and blame me,” Xin Zixing said.
-
I recommend the classic entertainment novel, "I Became the Scandalous Leading Lady Overnight".
I finished writing the update in the office because I was working late, and now I'm home.
good evening.
(End of this chapter)
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