Chapter 679 Award
"Didn't we agree before that Shin-kawa's character would appear in the third season first? This way, we can also generate buzz and make the audience of 'The Seventeenth Floor' interested in the spin-off series and pay attention to its development."
Zhang Yuezhen sat opposite Jiang Lan, somewhat confused by the latest news Jiang Lan had told her.
Jiang Lan explained with a smile: "The main problem is that when we were discussing the script, we found it difficult to include the character of Pinhe. As you know, if a character is added in the wrong way, it can have the opposite effect. In fact, with Pinhe as the lead actor, plus the popularity that the 'Seventeen Floors' series has accumulated, there is no need for Pinhe to appear in the third season. There will definitely be no shortage of attention. This is Pinhe's first time acting in a TV series in many years."
Zhang Yuezhen looked at Jiang Lan in silence.
For a moment, she didn't know whether she should believe Jiang Lan's explanation.
However, Jiang Lan's statement also has some merit.
“Maxine has already secured the overseas streaming rights for this spin-off series,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “As far as I know, their offer must have been quite high.”
Jiang Lan laughed and said, "The first season of 'The Seventeenth Floor' had a very good broadcast performance on Maxine, and the price of the second season had already reached Maxine's top-tier purchase price. As for the spin-off series, well, indeed, the purchase price was about the same as the second season."
Zhang Yue was taken aback.
She originally wanted to say that Maxine offered such a price for the "Seventeen Floors" spin-off series because Chen Pinhe was the lead actor, but she didn't expect Jiang Lan to answer like that.
But how come the second season of "The 17th Floor" could also reach that price?
Zhang Yuezhen learned through her own channels about Maxine's purchase price for the "Seventeen Floors" spin-off series, a price that was absolutely top-tier in the history of overseas distribution of Chinese-language dramas.
Is what Jiang Lan said true or false?
The 17th Floor wasn't as popular on Maxine as The Squid Game, or even as popular as Friends.
Would Maxine offer such a high price?
Zhang Yuezhen tends to be suspicious deep down.
However, Jiang Lan's smile seemed to indicate that she hadn't noticed anything. She said, "We also hope that Pinhe can take the 'Seventeen Floors' series to the next level. In fact, the salary we offered Pinhe was higher than that of Lu Yanhe and Chen Bige. Pinhe should be able to feel our sincerity towards him."
“Of course.” Zhang Yuezhen nodded. “However, for the spin-off series of ‘The Seventeenth Floor,’ you plan to have Pinhe carry the ratings alone, focusing entirely on Pinhe’s character, with far more screen time than Chen Bige and Lu Yanghe in ‘The Seventeenth Floor,’ right?”
"The Seventeen Floors" is actually an ensemble piece.
Jiang Lan: "Yes, to be honest, I was quite surprised that Bige, Yanhe, and Jiang Jun were all willing to return for the third season to finish filming the story from beginning to end. I am very grateful to them, as many actors would not return for the second season."
Zhang Yue really smiled.
"So that's why Jingtai signed a two-season contract with Pinhe in one go?"
“We plan to film back-to-back, for both seasons together,” Jiang Lan said. “This will make production easier and save a lot of production costs.”
Chang Yue-chen: "Will director Lien Pei continue to direct the spin-off series of 'The Seventeen Floors'?"
“We are talking to him. He directed three seasons of ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ and wants to work on other projects. We are trying our best to keep him,” Jiang Lan said. “After all, he is the most familiar with this series and is the most suitable director. If we really can’t keep him, we will definitely invite the most suitable director to take over. We want to make this spin-off series a top-tier project to follow ‘The Seventeenth Floor’.”
Zhang Yuezhen: "I have great confidence that Jiang Tai will definitely do his best to complete this project; otherwise, we wouldn't have taken it on."
Jiang Lan: "You gave me two resumes before, and we have already evaluated them internally. We are quite satisfied with both of them initially, as they have a good image and other aspects. However, we still hope to have them try out the scenes before making a decision, since they don't have much acting experience for us to refer to."
Zhang Yuezhen was somewhat dissatisfied and said, "Even Pinhe praised their acting skills. Don't you even trust Pinhe's judgment?"
“How could we not trust the eyes of a movie star? But acting isn’t just about having good acting skills; you have to see the real effect after you’re in character.” Jiang Lan shook her head helplessly. “You haven’t done our work, so you can’t understand how many actors we think are perfect for a role when we see photos or even videos, but we are very disappointed when we see them in person and they’re in character.”
Zhang Yuezhen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then let them audition."
Jiang Lan laughed.
"Also, Yuezhen, there's something I need to tell you in advance," Jiang Lan said. "It's impossible for the actresses you recommended to get both of the two main female roles."
Zhang Yue was taken aback.
Do you have any other ideas?
"This drama is one that Beijing TV is aiming to make a flagship production, so we definitely have things we need to balance," Jiang Lan said. "You should understand that, right?"
-
Chen Ziyan got out of the car, and there were several people waiting at the entrance, some carrying cameras, and others setting up equipment to broadcast live.
She glanced in their direction, didn't take off her sunglasses, and walked into the photography studio.
The filming location of "Friends" is never short of media personnel squatting there.
Even just taking photos of actors going to and from get off work can generate a lot of traffic.
Chen Ziyan arrived at the set of "Friends".
Everyone is setting up the scene.
The actors stood aside, chatting and laughing.
Chen Ziyan took off her sunglasses and greeted Hu Siwei first.
I happened to run into Hu Siwei.
"Is the filming going smoothly?"
"It went smoothly. We've all worked together many times before, and our teamwork is excellent," Hu Siwei said with a smile. "What brings President Chen here today?"
"I need to talk to Yan He about something." Chen Ziyan smiled. "By the way, the Golden Globe nominations are about to be announced, and the first season of Friends might get a few nominations. Maxine told me that."
"Really?" Hu Siwei's face lit up with surprise.
“Yes, Friends’ performance on Maxine is very stable, with each season getting better than the last,” Chen Ziyan said. “Just as Yan He said at the beginning, this show has a strong staying power. According to Maxine’s backend data, the replay rate is much higher than that of most popular dramas.”
Hu Siwei nodded.
“I’m starting to understand why Yan He said this show has a strong staying power,” Hu Siwei laughed. “Sometimes when I’m eating alone and have nothing to do, I’ll turn on Friends and watch an episode. Each episode is twenty minutes long, which is just the right amount of time to eat a meal.”
Chen Ziyan smiled and nodded.
“This is the characteristic and advantage of sitcoms,” she said. “If Friends can win a Golden Globe, it will greatly promote and help the global broadcast of Friends Season 2. Maxine is also waiting for the Golden Globe nominations to be announced. They attach great importance to this series.”
Maxine has taken it so seriously that she has bought the adaptation rights from Beijing and Taiwan to create an English version of Friends.
It just hasn't been filmed yet.
-
Lu Yanhe noticed Chen Ziyan approaching and immediately came over.
"Sister Ziyan."
Chen Ziyan nodded to him and said, "Jiang Lan said that she could reserve a spot for us as a member of the main cast of the 'Seventeen Floors' spin-off series. However, because 'Seventeen Floors' is preparing for commercial spin-off development, she hopes that we can grant them the right to use your image for the role you played."
"What are they trying to do? Make figurines?"
“In all aspects,” Chen Ziyan said, “the development of figurines, toys, animation or comics, and possibly even games.”
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "They have a good business sense; they've discovered the greatest value of a subject like 'The Seventeen Floors'."
Chen Ziyan smiled.
"What do you think about the right to use someone's image?"
“We can grant permission, but we need to agree to it before each use,” Lu Yanhe said. “In addition, my share of the revenue should not be reduced in any place where my image is used. All of this must be clearly stated in the contract.”
Chen Ziyan nodded.
"By the way, did they only ask me for the rights to use their image, or did they ask for the rights to use the images of other actors as well?"
“I think they’ll take all the main characters,” Chen Ziyan said. “As far as I know, their top priority is game development. If the game character models can’t use your likenesses, it will lose a lot of appeal to fans. The same goes for figurines—but the figurine market in China has never been very big; it’s a niche market. The main market is still games.”
“Okay.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
Chen Ziyan asked, "I'm planning to send Minglan to the production team of the spin-off series of 'The Seventeen Floors.' What are your thoughts?"
"Minglan?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Are you going to cast Minglan as the female lead?"
“Yes,” Chen Ziyan said. “If Minglan were to act in it, given her current status, she would definitely be the female lead. Otherwise, it would be difficult for others to compete for the female lead role. I heard that Chen Pinhe also sent the resumes of two actresses to Jiang Lan, hoping that Chen Pinhe could bring them to act in this drama. In addition, the spin-off of ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ is definitely aimed at the global market. Minglan will appear in ‘Source Code’, and with ‘Friends’ and the ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ spin-off, it will be beneficial for her to gain international recognition in the next few years.”
“Sure, if Minglan is suitable, let’s let her go.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
Chen Ziyan probably explained so much because she was afraid he would overthink it.
Jiang Lan left the main character role in the spin-off series of "The Seventeenth Floor" primarily out of respect for Lu Yanhe, and also because the spin-off development of "The Seventeenth Floor" still requires Lu Yanhe's cooperation.
In essence, these were the resources that Lu Yanhe had exchanged for, which Chen Ziyan planned to use for Wen Minglan.
However, no matter how famous Wen Minglan becomes or how much money she earns, it has nothing to do with Lu Yanhe.
She is Chen Ziyan's artist, not Lu Yanhe's artist.
Unlike Huang Feng, Jiang Jun, Cai Na, and Zhang Ruozhi, who signed with Shi Huo because of Lu Yanhe, Lu Yanhe personally does not receive any dividends from Wen Minglan's agency business. However, Lu Yanhe receives dividends not only from Shi Huo's shareholding but also directly from their agency business revenue. Chen Ziyan ensured that Lu Yanhe's interests would not be harmed due to the different focuses of Shi Huo and Ling He through this arrangement.
After all, the two companies have very distinct business operations: one focuses on talent agency, while the other handles production and copyright management.
If Chen Ziyan doesn't do this, it means that for all the artists signed to Shi Huo because of Lu Yanhe, Lu Yanhe will ultimately only enjoy the profits from Shi Huo's share of the company, which would actually be a huge loss for him.
After all, Linghe could easily sign these actors' agency contracts himself and monopolize the agency revenue.
Since her debut, Wen Minglan has received a lot of resources from Lu Yanhe.
The show that made her a star, Friends, was her first Hollywood film, Source Code, and now the 17th Floor spin-off series.
Without these resources, Chen Ziyan could certainly have made Wen Minglan famous, but whether she could have achieved the same level of success is hard to say.
All Chinese actors who have truly made it onto the international stage have, in a sense, caught the wave of the times.
Because China lacks a mature global star-making industry chain, all Chinese actors who gain international fame and influence rely on luck, their own charm and talent, and almost every individual's path is unique and cannot be replicated.
Many of America's globally renowned celebrities have achieved fame through paths that can be replicated, because they themselves are products of industrialization.
-
Chen Ziyan never expected that Lu Yanhe would, in just a few years in Hollywood, inadvertently create a path that would allow other Chinese actors to make it on the international stage.
Although this road is still very narrow, it can only accommodate a few people.
But who knows if this road will become wider in the future?
-
Lu Yanhe himself genuinely didn't mind Wen Minglan using these resources to advance her career.
Because he knew Chen Ziyan's character very well.
The biggest difference between Chen Ziyan and Zhou Ping'an is that Chen Ziyan is not the type to use one company to help another, nor will she engage in the foolish practice of favoring one side over the other.
If Wen Minglan can truly reach a higher level and become a more influential and popular actress, it will be a great help to him and Chen Ziyan.
This is undeniable, and it will also strengthen their power.
Just like Jiang Jun finally succeeded in getting the rights to the movie "Destruction Day".
If Jiang Jun hadn't become a global sensation with "The Squid Game," then no matter how capable Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan were, they wouldn't have been able to force him to star in a film of "Doomsday."
“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Tu Song in a long time. Where did he go?” Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan managed three artists at Xingyu Entertainment: Lu Yanhe, Wen Minglan, and the only singer, Tu Song.
Chen Ziyan said, "He is in school, studying music, and has had much less work in the past two years. I have only had him sing a few OSTs for TV dramas and release a single every year to keep his exposure, but I have not pushed him hard. His vocal abilities are limited, and I hope that he can improve his skills, learn more, and strive to become a singer-songwriter in the future, which would be more beneficial to his career."
"Singer-songwriter?"
“Hmm.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “Singer-songwriters don’t have such high requirements for vocal quality. In fact, you, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang all have the qualities to be singers and have certain basic skills. But in my eyes, you are still a bit short of the qualities to become top singers. However, if you choose the path of singer-songwriters, you can make up for your vocal deficiencies.”
Lu Yanhe nodded, understanding what Chen Ziyan meant.
“You’ve written so many songs, you could definitely go down this path,” Chen Ziyan said.
"I... I'd better stick to being an actor. Singing is fine if I write a song or two occasionally and sing it on stage. But to actually be a singer like an actor, I still don't think I have the ability."
"Whatever you want, you still think you're just an ordinary person with no talent?" Chen Ziyan didn't believe Lu Yanhe's modesty at all. "Fine, but this time, are the three of you still going to sing 'Love' on the Spring Festival Gala?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “We already had a rehearsed version of this song last year, so this year we just need to get familiar with it.”
“I heard that the production team might want you to sing one more song, and it seems they’ve arranged one for you,” Chen Ziyan said. “But it’s not finalized yet, and it’s possible they’ll decide to give the song to someone else in the end.”
Lu Yanhe: "That depends on their arrangements, either way is fine."
Chen Ziyan nodded.
"The Golden Globe nominations are about to be announced. Have you thought about which awards you'd like Friends to be nominated for?"
“Who knows? Maybe they’re just going through the motions and nominating us for a few less important categories,” Lu Yanhe said. “Anyway, I believe we won’t be nominated for Best Picture or Best Director. As for Best Actor… that’s unlikely. My role doesn’t require much acting skill. Yan Liang and Zhan Yun are actually the more promising candidates, but the characters in Friends aren’t known for their acting prowess. Who knows?”
Despite the immense popularity of the original Friends, the main actors didn't seem to win many prestigious acting awards.
“A nomination is enough,” Lu Yanhe said. “For a non-English-language drama like ours, which is not produced by an American company, a nomination is an affirmation.”
"That's the only way to think about it." Chen Ziyan nodded. "However, I still think you have a good chance of being nominated for Best Screenplay, and even a chance of winning the award."
"I don't think so, don't try to convince me otherwise."
“You see, every time I think you’re capable of something, your first reaction is always that you can’t do it.” Chen Ziyan shrugged. “You’re the number one example of being overly modest.”
Lu Yanhe: "...I really don't think there's much hope. We're not in their gaming circle. Unless Friends really breaks some record, they might give us an award."
(End of this chapter)
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