Chapter 682 Relationships Between People in the Entertainment Industry
Lu Yanhe's speed in writing scripts is astonishing.
If Lu Yanhe hadn't maintained this pace of writing from the very beginning, and hadn't always been an independent screenwriter without co-authoring with anyone else, people would definitely have suspected that Lu Yanhe had a ghostwriter behind him.
However, screenwriting isn't something you can do just by having a ghostwriter.
Which screenwriter can guarantee that their script will be successful every time? Even the best screenwriter can't, let alone a screenwriter who works as a ghostwriter.
Lu Yanhe had succeeded more than once or twice. Of course, the most important reason was that his status as a graduate of the Chinese Department of Zhenhua University made everyone subconsciously believe that he had the ability and talent and did not need to hire a ghostwriter.
One screenwriter even remarked, "Lu Yanhe's writing speed is enough to drive all of us professional screenwriters crazy."
Generally speaking, a screenwriter can only write one work a year at most, while a screenwriter can only write two or three films a year—and only one of them may actually enter the development stage.
Immediately, someone else stepped forward to explain for Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe's strength lies not in his writing speed, but in the fact that he doesn't have to rework his work like a typical screenwriter, and he never has to worry about his works being "unpopular" or "undevelopable."
Indeed, professional screenwriters typically write two to three scripts a year.
This isn't difficult. The difficulty lies in the actual development.
-
Whether it was due to the experience gained from the projects "2 Broke Girls" and "Roommates" or some other reason, during the airing of the second season of "Friends," several sitcom writers signed by Linghe submitted their individual episode scripts, wanting the company to evaluate whether they could continue writing.
To encourage screenwriters in the company to create good scripts, the company has always kept its doors open to contracted screenwriters.
An evaluation can be conducted with just one episode of script. If it's a good story and the company sees potential for development, they will buy it outright and pay an advance for the script, asking the company to write the next three episodes. Once the next three episodes are approved, they can continue writing. Basically, the "renewal" model starts from the script stage.
However, the decision to renew the contract wasn't made by the audience, but by the person in the company responsible for reviewing the script.
This model actually carries significant risk for the company. If the final, complete script doesn't materialize, the initial purchases of those episodes would be a complete waste. Of course, Lu Yanhe doesn't see it as a waste, because a good script can be polished over time, and if the original screenwriter can't continue, a new screenwriter can be brought in. For sitcoms, it's common to have multiple episode writers.
Most importantly, the cost is actually not high.
Linghe doesn't exactly pay out generously to these young, unknown screenwriters, but they certainly don't lose out. A single episode of this kind of script usually costs 10,000 yuan. If a complete script is successfully completed, there's an additional 10,000 yuan bonus per episode. Furthermore, if filming and broadcast go smoothly, the screenwriter will receive 5% of the revenue.
This last point is equally enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned screenwriters.
Lu Yanhe still holds the same view: if we can make money together, we will always be one family.
For a long time, neither Hu Siwei nor Chen Yin were quite comfortable with Lu Yanhe's ideas.
Whether it's the production companies in Beijing and Taiwan, or other production companies, they are all, to some extent, extremely "market-oriented." They won't spend a penny more than necessary. Everyone has accepted that "companies are meant to make money," and that "capital" is "self-serving."
What Hu Siwei and Chen Yin couldn't accept was that even though Linghe wasn't going to give that 5%, and the conditions they offered were already a very reasonable price in the industry, enough to attract a lot of talented screenwriters, Linghe still insisted on giving it to them, just like Lu Yanhe was offering Liu Teli a box office bonus.
Lu Yanhe didn't know what to say.
Perhaps because he is both a screenwriter and an actor, he genuinely believes that the script is the beginning of everything. A good script can even reduce an actor's salary. Those talented actors aren't stupid; when they encounter a script that can elevate their careers, what does it matter if they take a little less pay?
More importantly, Lu Yanhe felt that only by doing this could he demonstrate to the industry, through his actions, that the importance of good screenwriters and good scripts was not just something to be said.
"If this method can force other companies in the industry to improve the treatment of screenwriters, it would be a good thing," Lu Yanhe said. "Look at the actors around me, most of them are already famous and have status, but they still can't get good scripts or find the roles they want to play. Why? Because the terrible ecology of this industry prevents talented new screenwriters from emerging. They are exploited, manipulated, and don't even have the opportunity to prove themselves."
Chen Siqi said, "I understand that. Having worked at Jumping Theatre for so long, I've seen how many playwrights were frustrated and unsuccessful before. Do you know how we select playwrights for Jumping Theatre now?"
"I don't know." Lu Yanhe shook his head.
Chen Siqi: "We hold pitches because all the scripts for Jump Theatre are adapted from our novels. So we hold pitches and ask each playwright who participates to write three scenes. The word count doesn't have to be much, just a thousand words. As a result, a lot of high-quality and promising young playwrights are selected."
Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "You've already started pitching?"
“It’s not just about pitching; we’ve started signing screenwriters now,” Chen Siqi said. “Many screenwriters from Jumping Theater have been noticed by other film and television companies after their shows air. We now represent more than 20 screenwriters, helping them screen projects and get projects.”
Lu Yanhe was shocked.
He never expected that Chen Siqi would do this with "Jump Up".
Chen Siqi said, "Really, it can be said that the creators under our Jump Up brand are a huge force. We now have 134 signed writers, 26 signed screenwriters, and many content-oriented self-media bloggers. Li Bi told me the other day that he wanted to start a company specializing in video bloggers, and now he's doing very well in the video content sector."
Lu Yanhe: "Wow, you're really going to build a media empire."
Chen Siqi: "Didn't expect that, did you?"
"I didn't expect that." Lu Yanhe shook his head.
Chen Siqi: "A private equity firm contacted us, wanting to invest in us to build a content community platform, but I declined for the time being."
"reject?"
“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded. “We haven’t accumulated enough experience. The reason we’ve been able to achieve such success is not only because our content is strong, but also because we’ve partnered with leading companies and platforms in various fields. We’ve leveraged their resources a lot. If we were to build our own comprehensive platform, they wouldn’t be our partners anymore; they would become our competitors.”
Lu Yanhe understood.
Chen Siqi: "Another reason is probably because of your influence. I don't want to get involved in these capital games. Nobody knows what kind of pitfalls are waiting for us. We don't lack money. We've already earned enough. There's no need to rush."
Lu Yanhe: "This can also be influenced by me."
“That’s right.” Chen Siqi laughed as she turned over, straddling Lu Yanhe’s lap, looking down at him, cupping his face in her hands, and kissing his lips.
Lu Yanhe naturally wrapped his arms around her, and then, with a flip, their positions were reversed.
Why don't you say that I was influenced by you?
-
"Going to France again?" Li Zhibai asked Jiang Yuqian in surprise.
Jiang Yuqian nodded.
She stood in front of the table, barefoot on the carpet, drinking water from a cup.
Because she was only wearing a white shirt, Li Zhibai could clearly see Jiang Yuqian's exquisite and graceful curves in the light. What should have been an arousing sight was suppressed by the news that Jiang Yuqian would be leaving in two hours.
Jiang Yuqian turned around, her buttocks resting on the edge of the table, and gave Li Zhibai an apologetic smile.
"I was notified at the last minute that there was a problem with the magazine's cover model and they needed me to step in," she said. "This magazine had helped me before when I needed it, and I have to repay that favor."
Li Zhibai said with dissatisfaction, "We finally managed to squeeze in this day of rest."
Jiang Yuqian put down her water glass and, with a charm and gentleness she had never shown in front of others, coaxed Li Zhibai: "This time it was really a special case, it won't happen again."
Now that things have come to this, Li Zhibai can't stop her from going.
I'm just in a really bad mood.
Jiang Yuqian saw Li Zhibai's face and knew he was unhappy.
She called out to Li Zhibai.
Li Zhibai turned his head to look out the window, ignoring her.
She said, "You're not going to get angry and give me the silent treatment, are you?"
Li Zhibai: "...Can't I even get angry?"
Jiang Yuqian's voice held a touch of languid allure: "We only have two hours left. Are you sure you want to waste your time getting angry?"
Li Zhibai turned around somewhat unhappily, wanting to have a good talk with Jiang Yuqian about why he was angry.
My eyes widened—
Jiang Yuqian had already taken off her white shirt, and her fluffy black hair fell onto her snow-white skin.
Li Zhibai's annoyed tone softened involuntarily.
"Don't think that just because you lack martial ethics, I won't be angry."
Even so, he sat up.
Jiang Yuqian curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
-
"It's so cold, it must be below zero."
Yan Liang was shooting an advertisement outdoors today, still wearing spring clothes, and it was so cold that people were shivering.
The assistant said, "The temperature is 3 degrees Celsius now."
"That's about it." Yan Liang clasped his hands together, held them to his mouth, and breathed on them. "Next time we go on location, we'll have to bring a hot water bottle."
The assistant nodded and said okay.
He got into the car, thinking he could warm up for a while, and then asked in the group chat: What are you two doing?
No one replied.
He added: "I was shooting an advertisement on location today, and I'm so cold I feel like it's going to snow in the next few days."
Still no reply.
Yan Liang frowned in confusion.
Neither of them took any photos today, so why didn't they check their phones immediately?
That's strange.
Yan Liang waited until the director called him to film the next take, but no one replied in the group chat.
-
The next day, Yan Liang met Lu Yanhe at the rehearsal of "Friends" and asked, "What were you doing yesterday afternoon?"
Lu Yanhe: "Nothing much, just watching movies at home with Siqi."
"No wonder you didn't reply to my messages for so long." Yan Liang suddenly sighed, "I originally thought it was fine not to be in a relationship, but seeing you like this has made me waver a bit."
"What the hell?" Lu Yanhe looked at Yan Liang in surprise.
"Just saying," Yan Liang shook his head. "I still have to work hard and strive; I don't have time for romance."
"Being in a relationship won't affect your hard work and dedication," Lu Yanhe said.
Yan Liang: "I work 300 out of 365 days a year, and I'm in a different place every week. With this kind of work schedule, how can I possibly have a relationship?"
Lu Yanhe asked curiously, "Haven't you ever had feelings for anyone, or been attracted to anyone?"
"Yes, it does, but once we stop having contact, the feeling will gradually fade," Yan Liang said frankly.
Just then, Zhan Yun came over.
She smiled at them both and said, "What are you two talking about now?"
Yan Liang immediately coughed. "Let's chat. How's the next scene going? Are we about to film it? I'll go check."
He turned and left.
Zhan Yun smiled, looked at Lu Yanhe, and asked, "Yanhe, are you free tonight?"
"Hmm?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised. "Is there something you need?"
They didn't directly answer whether they were free or not.
Zhan Yun said, "My boyfriend wants to invite you to dinner. He's thinking of investing in some film and television projects and would like to ask you for advice."
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and said, "I don't know anything about film and television investment either."
Zhan Yun seemed to feel somewhat embarrassed and apologetic.
Lu Yanhe had already politely declined Yang Zhoujin's offer once before, which actually made his attitude clear.
Zhan Yun said, "But you must know about film and television dramas, so that's probably what he was thinking."
A hint of pleading appeared on her face.
Lu Yanhe sighed softly.
"Xiaoyun, let me be frank with you, I don't really like your boyfriend. We're not compatible." Lu Yanhe said bluntly. Although it sounded sharp and a bit harsh, it was better to be upfront than to force it later. "The last time he came over, in front of everyone else, he only asked me if I was free and if we could have dinner together. To be honest, I don't want to comment on his usual character, but that meeting left a bad impression on me."
Zhan Yun was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Lu Yanhe to say that directly.
However, soon, a look of helpless disappointment appeared on her face.
"Yes, I did tell him that he was very rude that day."
Lu Yanhe: "Perhaps in the eyes of a rich young master like him, we are indeed not worth his effort to show respect."
“He still respects you a lot,” Zhan Yun explained immediately.
“That’s simply because I am who I am,” Lu Yanhe replied calmly. “His disrespect for us is also a disrespect for you.”
A shadow crossed Zhan Yun's brow.
Upon noticing this detail, Lu Yanhe immediately realized that Zhan Yun herself must have already realized this, but she had deliberately ignored it.
"I'm sorry," Zhan Yun apologized to Lu Yanhe and left somewhat awkwardly.
Lu Yanhe called out, "Xiao Yun."
Zhan Yun turned around and looked at her with some confusion.
Lu Yanhe said, "He is him, and you are you."
Zhan Yun was somewhat dazed, probably not understanding why Lu Yanhe suddenly said such a thing to her.
Lu Yanhe said no more, nodded to her, and turned to leave.
-
The relationship between Lu Yanhe and Zhan Yun is a perfectly normal workplace partnership.
Although he and Zhan Yun have already filmed two dramas, and the third season of "Friends" is their third collaboration, they have almost no private contact outside of filming and promotion.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe was not at liberty to say more about why Zhan Yun liked Yang Jinzhou or how she viewed the relationship between them.
-
After filming the afternoon's scenes, because there were still two scenes to film that evening with Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, the two of them had to stay behind, even though they would normally be able to wrap up and leave by this time.
When Zhan Yun learned that Lu Yanhe had two more scenes to film that night, she was taken aback.
Lu Yanhe clearly had a legitimate reason to refuse her, but he still said those things.
Zhan Yun was feeling down.
Bai Jin noticed and asked softly, "What's wrong? You don't seem to be in a good mood."
Zhan Yun shook her head, hesitated for a moment, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Are you free tonight? Would you like to have dinner together?"
Bai Jin was a little confused and asked, "When I asked you this morning, didn't you say you already had plans for tonight?"
"I made plans with Zhou Jin tonight. He originally wanted to invite Yan He to dinner, but Yan He has to film a movie tonight, so we couldn't make it."
Bai Jin shook her head: "That's a date for the two of you. Why would I be a third wheel?"
Zhan Yun hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to see how he reacts if I bring a friend to dinner with him."
Bai Jin was taken aback.
"ah?"
Zhan Yun: "Is that okay?"
Bai Jin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay."
Zhan Yun hugged Bai Jin's arm and whispered her thanks.
Bai Jin seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes showed more worry when he looked at Zhan Yun.
Of course, she didn't say anything.
-
Here, at mealtime, Yan Liang and Lu Yanhe ate the crew's boxed lunch together.
Yan Liang asked, "Did you say something to Zhan Yun?"
"What's wrong?"
"She secretly glanced at you several times during filming this afternoon," Yan Liang said. "She looked so resentful."
"It can't be that bad," Lu Yanhe said.
"I exaggerated a bit, but anyone with eyes can see that something definitely happened between the two of you."
"Actually, it's nothing." Lu Yanhe told Yan Liang about his conversation with Zhan Yun.
Yan Liang was extremely surprised.
"Are you being so direct?"
“If you are tactful once, they will pretend not to understand. If you refuse again, there will be a second and a third time,” Lu Yanhe said. “It’s too much trouble to bother. It’s better to be clear and straightforward once and for all.”
(End of this chapter)
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