Chapter 689 The Dust Settles (10,000-word update!)
Lu Yanhe was once the spokesperson for Yemai.com for a period of time, and they had a honeymoon period together.
For YeMai.com, Lu Yanhe's cooperation with them has indeed helped YeMai.com reach a new level.
This collaboration is still considered one of the classic examples of collaboration in the entertainment industry.
The website's tone and user base brought Lu Yanhe a large amount of stable attention and exposure in its early stages. Lu Yanhe's public image and his popularity among the public also helped to further solidify YeMai.com's website image and increase its brand awareness.
If the cooperation hadn't run into problems later on, the two sides might have been able to open up even greater opportunities if they had continued working together.
After Lu Yanhe stopped cooperating with Yemai.com, although Yemai.com failed to find Yu Jiang to create a new e-magazine called "Star!", the website's overall development was still quite good.
Will the top management of YeMai.com agree to the acquisition?
“Then it depends on the offer from Shijin Group. If the offer is high enough, why not? Everyone’s shares can be cashed out directly,” Chen Siqi said. “Maybe everyone will be financially independent and can choose to retire and enjoy life.”
Lu Yanhe: "That's a bit of an exaggeration."
Chen Siqi: "For those who own company shares, going public is a good opportunity for them to make money, and being acquired is another good opportunity. It all depends on what the owner of Yemai.com thinks."
Lu Yanhe: "After Yang Zhouli was punched by Yang Zhoujin, they did not contact us again, nor did they respond to the matter. They remained silent for a while, and then suddenly resurfaced because of this news, which is quite surprising."
“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded. “However, it does fit my previous deductions. The more I think about Yang Zhouli apologizing in your live stream, the more I feel that we were just used.”
"You mean, Yang Zhouli directed and acted in that whole thing himself?"
"Saying it was all staged isn't quite right either. Unless Yang Zhoujin's scoundrel side was all an act, he's not someone Yang Zhouli can control. I think Yang Zhouli just saw an opportunity to bypass Yang Zhoujin and step into the spotlight," Chen Siqi said. "Think about it, when Yang Zhoujin called Yang Zhouli a bastard that day, what do you think that meant?"
"You mean Yang Zhouli is also an illegitimate child?"
“That’s definitely not the case.” Chen Siqi shook her head. “Although he has rarely been in the public eye before, he has been known since he was a child, but it’s possible that they don’t have the same mother.”
"Well."
"Anyway, before that incident, among all the young people in the Yang family, only Yang Zhoujin was able to make public appearances and cause various news incidents under the Yang family name," Chen Siqi said. "Moreover, according to what I've heard, Shijin Group originally wanted Yang Zhoujin to be in charge of the cultural and entertainment industry, but as you can see from this news on Yemai.com, this line is now being handled by Yang Zhouli. I don't know if this is related to what happened on the day of the live broadcast, but anyway, Yang Zhoujin has never appeared again since then."
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully.
"So, we should try to avoid their mess as much as possible, otherwise we don't know what trouble might follow." Chen Siqi shrugged. "It would be really frustrating if we ended up becoming part of someone else's camp for no reason, being misunderstood, and suffering undeserved disasters."
Lu Yanhe: "We'll just have less contact with Yang Zhouli from now on."
"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded. "That's true. We should have less contact in the future."
After speaking, Lu Yanhe belatedly realized something: what Chen Siqi had just said sounded very much like what Chen Ziyan would say.
These women in the workplace seem to possess an innate keen insight and associative ability. Lu Yanhe wasn't surprised that Chen Ziyan could say these things, but he was still somewhat astonished that Chen Siqi could—
Chen Siqi didn't know much about his work or Yang Zhouli as a person.
Lu Yanhe smiled and shook his head, finding it unbelievable.
-
Lu Yanhe met up with Yan Liang and Zhan Yun, and they prepared to walk the red carpet together.
When Li Zhibai saw Lu Yanhe, he immediately started winking and making faces at him.
"You're going a bit too far. I can't even get you to agree to go out for a bite to eat."
Lu Yanhe said, "I'm not as free as you. I have to keep Siqi company. Don't you have Yan Liang to keep you company?"
Li Zhibai immediately complained, "He's never accompanied me. He's incredibly busy. He started working as soon as he landed. I even worked as his assistant for a while."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?"
Li Zhibai: "I hope one of you two can win an award, otherwise it will be a waste of my time to come here."
Lu Yanhe said, "This isn't something I can decide. If you're so capable, why don't you become a judge and then you can have the final say?"
"You're dreaming," Li Zhibai said, curling his lip.
“Of course my dreams are beautiful. If my dreams aren’t beautiful enough, then what else can I say?” Lu Yanhe said. “Although I’m being modest, I do dream every day. Sometimes the dreams are so beautiful that I wake up laughing.”
Li Zhibai: "You're really something!"
-
There are quite a few celebrities waiting in the waiting area for the Golden Globe Awards red carpet abroad.
The star-studded lineup here is quite impressive.
Lu Yanhe met Edward Hodgson again.
Darren Wilson specifically asked them to take a group photo together, which he planned to release to the media later.
At times like these, besides winning awards, exposure is the most important thing.
Edward Hodgson whispered a thank you to Lu Yanhe once again.
Lu Yanhe: "You acted wonderfully, you absolutely deserve the award."
Edward Hodgson laughed and said, "That depends on whether the judges are willing to give it to me."
He looked at the others around Lu Yanhe.
“Oh, you’re the cast of Friends, right?” Edward Hodgson said. “I recognize you, including you, who had a guest appearance on Friends. I remember you.”
Edward Hodgson said this last sentence to Li Zhibai.
"Are you also watching Friends?" Zhan Yun asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, I’m watching it. I’m a big fan of the show,” Edward Hodgson said. “I heard that it’s going to be remade into an American TV series and they’re casting.”
"I don't know what the situation is right now," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "All I know is that Maxine is making it."
Edward Hodgson: "I wish you all the best in winning the award, and I will give you a big round of applause."
"I hope so." Lu Yanhe no longer showed any modesty in front of him.
After exchanging pleasantries, Edward Hodgson took another group photo with everyone.
It's not just Darren Wilson who has a publicity mission; they all have one too.
How could the three main actors of "Friends" not take some photos and send them back when they came to the Golden Globe Awards ceremony?
The second season of Friends is currently airing, which is itself a promotional period.
-
Indeed, Friends is quite well-known overseas, and has been watched by many viewers.
After Lu Yanhe and his group walked onto the red carpet, Lu Yanhe not only heard the photographers calling his name, but also heard him call out the names of Li Lili and Hu Fan.
These two names are Zhan Yun and Yan Liang's character names in the TV series "Friends".
Zhan Yun and Yan Liang were equally pleasantly surprised to hear these two names.
They had only heard from others that Friends had a large audience overseas, but to truly understand the extent to which a show is popular and well-liked, one must see it for oneself.
Before they heard the photographers shouting, they were actually a little nervous, worried that no one would recognize them when they walked on the red carpet.
However, the Golden Globe Awards red carpet is actually quite short and easy to walk.
The truly difficult red carpets are those at the Oscars and international film festivals. Their red carpets either look like runways or are packed with photographers, making it almost impossible to walk without having to stop.
For Lu Yanhe, attending any event or walking the red carpet no longer makes him too nervous, but he does feel excited. This time, however, he didn't feel that way at the Golden Globe Awards. He was surprised, thinking it was because he was with other people, so he didn't feel alone.
Furthermore, although no one said it, he sensed from Zhan Yun and the others that "he was their support," so he couldn't be nervous or show too much excitement at this time. He would unconsciously come to his senses and have to act "as usual," as if "I am already very familiar with this and it is commonplace."
Once inside, the real social interaction begins.
Before Lu Yanhe could even greet anyone, many people had already come to him.
Everyone started by congratulating and congratulating him, and then they talked about the film projects "Red Eye Flight" and "Source Code", and then about "Godless", which he will star in later. From everyone's attitude, you can clearly feel that they believe Lu Yanhe will be able to establish himself in Hollywood in the future.
Lu Yanhe, along with Yan Liang, Li Zhibai, Zhan Yun, and a few others, greeted the group of actors and introduced themselves to each other.
Because the red carpet event was very long, they weren't in a hurry to go to the main hall to take their seats.
In the waiting area inside the venue, there were cigarettes, alcohol, and drinks. People chatted and exchanged pleasantries. Because there were no media or paparazzi, everyone was relatively relaxed.
About twenty minutes later, Jiang Yuqian came in, and ten minutes later, Chen Bige and Zhang Ruozhi came in one after the other.
Lu Yanhe himself couldn't help but exclaim, "I have never seen so many Chinese actors at the same time in an event abroad."
Just as he said this, Jiang Yuqian finished exchanging pleasantries with the person next to her and turned around.
“This is my first time experiencing this too,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”
They entered the main hall one after another to find their seats.
The creators of Friends and another nominated British drama sat at the same table.
A spy drama that was very popular last year.
Everyone got to know each other and exchanged pleasantries.
Chen Bige sat on the other side with Zhang Ruozhi.
Chen Siqi said, "I didn't expect the Golden Globe Awards ceremony to be held at round tables. I thought it would be a theater setting."
She looked around with considerable curiosity.
Since it was her first time inside, Chen Siqi was quite surprised to see so many celebrities she had only ever seen in the news or in movies and TV shows.
Many people, after dealing with the entertainment industry for a long time, lose their mystique towards celebrities. However, some people maintain their passion for this industry, and Chen Siqi is one of them. She knows that many celebrities are undeserving of their status and rely entirely on image management.
However, she is someone who finds the positive rather than amplifying the negative. In the entertainment industry, she has met some people she truly admires and respects, such as Chen Bige, who has superb acting skills; Jiang Yuqian, who is even more hardworking than a model worker; Jiang Jun, who finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel; and the many unknown but passionate and talented actors in the Jumping Theater.
Therefore, when Chen Siqi saw these celebrities, her reaction was not "these are trash," but rather she was curious about the experiences behind each of their successes.
Becoming popular for a short time is a matter of luck, being popular for a period of time is a matter of ability, and being popular for a long time requires support from all aspects.
The later someone is in the group, the richer their experiences tend to be.
-
As the Golden Globe Awards began, to their surprise, the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category, for which Lu Yanhe was nominated, was among the first few awards presented.
Before Lu Yanhe could even react, it was announced that the award had nothing to do with him.
The award went to an actor from an American TV series.
Lu Yanhe subconsciously clapped along with everyone and kept smiling.
Chen Siqi whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing." Lu Yanhe shook his head. "I already knew that winning the award was basically hopeless."
Chen Siqi asked, "What about the Best Screenplay award later?"
"I don't know, maybe there's a chance, maybe not," Lu Yanhe said. "For acting awards, unless the work is a huge hit, or I have accumulated enough competitive capital in Hollywood, for foreign actors like us in foreign dramas, being nominated is an affirmation in itself. That's the general perception in this environment."
Chen Siqi nodded.
"Understood."
Lu Yanhe added, "Relatively speaking, the screenplay award is purer and focuses more on the content. Among these technical awards, it's probably because it's not a major award—although the screenplay award is a major award, it doesn't have the same level of bias as the acting award."
"This might not even be called prejudice."
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Anyway, that’s the gist of it. When choosing the script award, people won’t consider so many off-stage factors.”
Chen Siqi nodded.
-
Lu Yanhe is going to present the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
This award was presented after the two awards.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe will soon be going backstage to make preparations.
When Lu Yanhe appeared on stage, there was a considerable round of applause.
Lu Yanhe had a bright smile, the kind of bright smile that looks great on camera.
"Thank you!" he said to the audience first, and then began to read the award speech, introducing each nominee. However, he did not know any of the nominees, so he could only read from the script. Then, he announced the winner, Leonard González.
Lu Yanhe remembered him; in addition to being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, he was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Film this year.
Two nominations in hand.
A very talented actor.
He went on stage amidst applause.
Lu Yanhe smiled and presented the trophy to him.
The attitude was quite polite and congratulatory.
What Lu Yanhe didn't expect was Leonard's attitude when he accepted the trophy from him.
Generally speaking, no matter what, the award recipient will not forget to say thank you to the award presenter.
However, Leonard not only didn't say thank you, he didn't even glance at Lu Yanhe once throughout the entire process.
Lu Yanhe showed a hint of surprise.
At that very moment, he and Leonard were both on the live television broadcast and on the big screen at the venue.
Lu Yanhe's rather surprising eyebrow-raising gesture was noticed by everyone.
The people on the scene were also taken aback.
Lu Yanhe did not say or do anything because of this.
He quietly stepped aside, following the usual procedure, and waited for Leonard to finish his acceptance speech before leaving the stage with him.
After Leonard finished his acceptance speech, he walked off the stage without looking back, unlike usual when he would turn around to look at Lu Yanhe and walk off the stage with him.
Lu Yanhe was now certain that Leonard did indeed dislike him for some reason.
Lu Yanhe almost immediately guessed that Leonard was going to get scolded.
At the very least, they'll be branded as racist.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe was more surprised than angry.
He didn't understand why Leonard would do that.
He followed closely behind him off the stage and returned to his seat.
Just then, after another award was presented, it was time for commercials.
-
“Leonard was so rude. He shouldn’t have accepted the award from you in that manner.”
The British actor sitting at the same table with him said just that.
Lu Yanhe shrugged, indicating his helplessness and that there was nothing more to say since things had come to this.
The British actor sitting at the table asked, "Have you ever had any conflicts with him?"
They subconsciously thought that if one person could be so rude to another in public, especially since both are well-known and influential people, how could Leonard have done something so disrespectful if there hadn't been past conflicts and disagreements?
Lu Yanhe said, "If you believe me, today is actually the first time I've met Leonard. Before this, I had never spoken to him once."
The people at the table all looked surprised.
It's truly puzzling and leaves me at a loss.
Afterwards, Darren Wilson came over and said to Lu Yanhe, "He must be doing this because of your support for Edward. He and Edward are both competing for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year, and they are both in the top tier."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized, somewhat surprised.
Is that really the reason?
"His agent contacted me immediately to discuss the matter and hopes that we can understand."
"Forgiveness? Shouldn't he apologize first?"
“I reckon he will apologize. Leonard is not thinking straight. He is expressing his dissatisfaction and venting his anger in this way. In fact, your support for him is a very normal public relations behavior. He does the same thing,” Darren Wilson said. “However, his performance on stage this time was too low. His agent is particularly afraid that you will turn around and lead the criticism of his behavior. This will cast a shadow over his Oscar campaign.”
Lu Yanhe: "I won't do that, but even if I don't, there will definitely be a lot of people criticizing him online. Do you think he can handle it through public relations?"
“Public relations is very difficult to manage, but normally, his agent should immediately start writing a response stating that Leonard’s behavior on stage was not intentional, but rather that he was too nervous and therefore ignored you, and then apologize to you. Although even if he does this, many people will still not believe him, but on the surface, this matter will be over,” Darren Wilson said. “It depends on whether you are willing to let him off the hook.”
“Of course, I advise you not to pursue this matter further, not to relentlessly attack him,” Darren Wilson added. “This is also to build a good reputation for you. Leonard has many friends in Hollywood, and if you are willing to forgive and tolerate him this time, it will benefit your image.”
Lu Yanhe asked, "After he apologizes, do I have to stand up and accept his apology?"
Darren Wilson: "It depends on how you look at it, whether you want to save face."
Lu Yanhe: "No to him. I'm too lazy to criticize how outrageous his behavior was, but if I have to play along and act out a scene of forgiveness, I'm not willing to do that either."
It's not wrong for people—especially artists—to be decent human beings. Therefore, Lu Yanhe didn't want to appear petty or fussy about such things. But if he were to be treated coldly and then cooperate by expressing "understanding," he would be too cheap and easy to bully.
Darren Wilson nodded.
“Fine, given your current position, there’s really no need for you to compromise,” he said. “Then we won’t respond.”
-
After that, Yan Liang won Best Actor and Zhan Yun won Best Actress, but both were eliminated.
Friends did not win any of the three acting awards.
Lu Yanhe smiled and shook his head, saying to Yan Liang and Zhan Yun, "It's alright, we'll come again later."
The next award to be presented is for Best Screenplay.
Yan Liang: "I hope I can win this award."
"Keep a calm mind," Lu Yanhe said.
I didn't do any public relations or associate with that circle; being nominated was enough.
That's pretty good.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, the presenter for the Best Screenplay Award for a Comedy Series was Jiang Yuqian.
Jiang Yuqian gracefully stepped onto the stage, radiant with beauty.
Lu Yanhe suddenly had a feeling—
Could it really be Friends that won the award?
That's why Jiang Yuqian was specifically chosen to present the award during this segment.
Jiang Yuqian read out an award speech, opened the envelope, and took out the list of winners.
When she opened it and saw what was inside, she was overjoyed and even cried tears of happiness, covering her mouth with one hand.
"Friends!"
She looked in the direction where Lu Yanhe was.
Yan Liang was the first to stand up and applaud enthusiastically.
Lu Yanhe wore an incredulous expression, and a surge of joy welled up from the depths of his heart.
He turned to look at Chen Siqi, and suddenly, unable to resist, he impulsively kissed her on the lips.
The applause from all around was thunderous and enthusiastic.
Zhan Yun and the others all stood up, laughing excitedly.
Chen Siqi patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go and collect your award."
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath to calm himself down. As he walked along, Darren Wilson suddenly crossed several tables and came to the middle of Lu Yanhe's way to the stage, where he gave Lu Yanhe a warm hug and congratulated him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Yanhe also saw Chen Bige and Zhang Ruozhi.
The two women, their faces beaming with genuine surprise and excitement, stood up and applauded for him.
Lu Yanhe met their gazes and waved.
He took office along the way.
Jiang Yuqian's eyes were already red from crying tears of joy.
She handed the trophy to Lu Yanhe and excitedly hugged him.
Lu Yanhe: "Thank you, Sister Yuqian."
He took the trophy and went to the microphone.
At this moment, he could see that, in addition to the people he had just seen, many others had stood up and were applauding him.
Including Edward Hodgson.
He even whistled in congratulations.
Lu Yanhe gripped the trophy tightly, turned to look at Jiang Yuqian standing next to him, and said, "Thank you, Sister Yuqian, you are my lucky charm."
Jiang Yuqian covered her mouth with both hands, still immersed in excitement and elation, and had not yet come to her senses.
Lu Yanhe looked down at the audience.
"Thank you, Golden Globe Awards, and the Foreign Press Association. You not only nominated me, but also several other awards for Friends and Love Letter. So, I was able to receive my first significant award in the United States, witnessed by my friends."
"The return of Friends was an unexpected and wonderful experience in my life, and being able to meet so many like-minded friends to make this show together was another wonderful experience in my life."
"I am a Chinese actor and a Chinese screenwriter, yet I have received recognition from an award that does not belong to China. As a creator of film and television dramas, this praise from my peers is very encouraging. I also welcome all of you to come to China and see for yourselves. I really hope that I can write enough good scripts in the future and work with every excellent producer, director, and actor here today. I will continue to work hard."
Lu Yanhe raised the trophy in his hand and revealed a particularly bright smile.
-
It was a pleasant surprise that Friends won the Best Screenplay award at the Golden Globe Awards.
When Chen Bige unsurprisingly lost in the Best Actress category, their Golden Globe journey came to an end.
Of course, there was also an after-party.
They will all participate.
Lu Yanhe and his team mainly considered this trip as a promotional tour for "Friends".
For a Chinese-language TV series to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award is significant in itself. Their attendance together was to leverage the award's influence to further increase the popularity of "Friends" in Europe and America, attracting more viewers.
The after-party is also an important promotional opportunity.
The atmosphere is much more relaxed here.
Every award has been decided.
For filmmakers, this is just a stop along the way; the final destination is still the Oscars. But for the TV series, this is already a done deal.
The other award is the Emmy Awards, which are not much more influential or authoritative than the Golden Globes.
Darren Wilson was very excited and grabbed Lu Yanhe to say it many times.
"Hollywood really loves you! You won an award on your first nomination!" Darren Wilson told Lu Yanhe. "Nobody expected that Friends would win the Best Screenplay in a Comedy Series award. It's unbelievable."
Lu Yanhe said, "It's alright. After all, this show has a group of viewers all over the world. Although it's not a top-tier hit in Europe and America, the viewership numbers are already quite good for a non-English drama."
“Of course,” Darren Wilson asked. “Are you really going back tomorrow? Aren’t you going to stay a few more days? Sigh, you’re always in such a rush, I can’t even arrange some exposure for you.”
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "There will be plenty of opportunities for me to make movies or promote my works later."
Darren Wilson nodded, thinking about all the projects Lu Yanhe would be working on with Hollywood, and said, "That's true, okay, I'll keep an eye on some of the projects you want for you too."
Lu Yanhe wanted projects that could compete for top film awards. He already had plenty of commercial films. "The Mist" and "Godless" were enough to guarantee his success in the commercial film field for the next few years.
Darren Wilson added, "Just after Friends won the award, Leonard's agent came to me again. This time he was more sincere and hoped we wouldn't hold that against him. He also said that an apology would definitely be released tonight."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"Has his behavior just now already caused a lot of controversy and criticism online?"
“Yes.” Darren Wilson nodded. “Especially among Asians in Europe and America, there have been a lot of protests and criticisms, with many believing that he is racially discriminating against you.”
The current environment in Europe and America is indeed prone to being blown out of proportion.
Lu Yanhe didn't know if Leonard discriminated against Asians, but in this matter, his motive was probably not that.
“The winner of Best Supporting Actor in a Movie was James Gray. Leonard and Edward didn’t win, but their Oscars should have been a sure thing,” Darren Wilson said. “However, if Leonard’s situation isn’t handled well, it might affect the Asian judges’ votes for him, and it might even affect the votes of other judges.”
"He was too impulsive." Lu Yanhe was surprised that he had made such an objective and indifferent comment.
But he genuinely agrees that in the world of fame and fortune, even if you dislike someone, you must still show them basic respect unless they provoke you first.
To be honest, his support for Edward is one of the most normal public relations behaviors during awards season. It's not like he affected fairness at all. If he stood up to praise Edward while stepping on Leonard, then Leonard would still have the right to do what he did at the Golden Globe Awards. The problem is, Lu Yanhe didn't mention Leonard at all.
-
At the After Party, Lu Yanhe also met Schmidt Lowry of Midoriya and Zeby Doyle of Parameter.
These film company executives, especially those in the front lines of film production, are almost never absent from events like this.
This kind of place offers two advantages: first, it keeps you up-to-date with industry trends; second, it allows you to maintain relationships with the most popular actors and producers.
Meeting up from time to time is crucial for interpersonal relationships.
Lu Yanhe inquired with Schmidt Lowry about the preparation progress of "Red Eye." The production of this film is relatively simple; the hotel and the airplane cabin are the two main scenes, although the airplane cabin is actually the most important scene.
Schmidt Lowry's quick decision to acquire "Red Eye" was also based on this point.
The production difficulty is so low that any emerging film company could produce it.
Schmidt Lowry said, "We are in talks for the male lead. This film is essentially a one-man show by the male and female leads, and we need a more well-known actor."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Do you have a direction?"
Schmidt Lowry said, "We have a list and we're looking at them one by one. There will be auditions later. If you have time, you can come and take a look."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Although there's a high probability I won't have time, if I do have time, I'd like to come and see how Hollywood selects actors."
Schmidt Lowry said with a smile, "Every company is different."
“The basic logic should be the same, right?” Lu Yanhe said. “What about ‘Athena’?”
"The script for 'Godless' is still being revised; casting will begin once it's finalized," Schmidt Lowry said. "Are you interested?"
“Hmm.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “I’m very curious about how you select actors. Sometimes, your Hollywood blockbusters don’t really care about big stars and always have A-list actors in the lead roles. I’ve seen some big productions, like your ‘Transformers’ from two years ago, that used actors who weren’t famous at the time.”
“Because this IP already has a very solid fan base, and based on our understanding of the market, this subject matter itself has a market. Using A-list stars might actually deter some viewers from watching the movie, unless the actor is so suitable that everyone expects him to play the role,” Schmidt Lowry said. “For example, when they approached you for a role in ‘Godless,’ everyone told me that the Asian character was perfect for you. We conducted audience surveys, and everyone was also looking forward to you playing the role. In this case, choosing a star makes sense.”
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully.
The relationship between films and movie stars is indeed dynamically adjusting. However, in China, it's impossible to say "it's okay not to have stars." In China, films without stars are almost guaranteed to flop—that's market logic. Even if Lu Yanhe gleaned some insights from Schmidt Lowry's words, he wouldn't dare to easily challenge this rule.
However, conducting audience surveys before selecting celebrity actors to understand the audience's acceptance and expectations of a particular celebrity actor playing a certain genre or type of role is still quite valuable.
As soon as Lu Yanhe finished talking with Schmidt Lowry and wanted to find other people, he was immediately greeted by others.
-
It was almost midnight when Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi left first.
In fact, when they left, the after-party was far from over.
Jiang Yuqian and the others also stayed at the scene and met different people.
Before getting into the car, Lu Yanhe glanced outside. Outside the railings and barriers, many paparazzi were filming with cameras, and some fans were kept outside, observing the scene.
Several people recognized Lu Yanhe and called out his name in surprise.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and then walked over.
Why are you still out so late?
These people included Asians and Europeans, but Lu Yanhe couldn't quite tell where they came from.
He knew that Europeans and Americans could distinguish between people from different regions, but Lu Yanhe couldn't. He guessed it was like how Europeans and Americans viewed Asians – they all looked the same.
The people who called him were all young students.
"Can we take a picture together?"
Lu Yanhe nodded, took the phone from their hands, and took a selfie with them.
"I have to go back now, you should all go back soon too."
They nodded.
Someone else asked, "Is Lili still inside and hasn't come out yet?"
Lili?
Lu Yanhe realized that they were talking about Zhan Yun.
"Oh, right." Lu Yanhe nodded. "Are you waiting for her?"
“Yes! We’re all her fans!” a girl exclaimed excitedly. “She’s so beautiful!”
“I’ll message her and tell her,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
"Can all six of you appear together on Friends sometime in the future?" another girl said. "I really like this show, and I'm a fan of all six of you. I hope to see all six of you appear together."
"I'll try my best in the future." Lu Yanhe smiled. "And please continue to support this show. Are you watching the second season of 'Friends' which is currently airing?"
“Of course, we’re watching!” they replied firmly.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Bye-Bye."
"Bye~"
Lu Yanhe turned around and took Chen Siqi's hand.
Chen Siqi glanced back at them before saying to Lu Yanhe, "Isn't it great to meet fans like this in a foreign country?"
“Of course.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Actually, it’s always nice to meet fans. How can you not be happy when someone likes you? The only thing I’m afraid of is encountering some uncontrollable extreme situations, especially extreme situations that might affect those around you.”
"There's nothing we can do about it. Right now, you don't have that many fans in the US. Once you have as many as you do in China, you won't be able to stand in front of them like you did just now, chatting and laughing with them."
“Indeed.” Lu Yanhe suddenly thought of something. “By the way, where is Zhang Ruozhi? She’s been following Sister Bige all day. Is anyone watching her? She’s only just come of age. Don’t let her get fooled in a place like this.”
"Don't worry, I saw her manager following her when I left just now." Chen Siqi nodded. "But, does Sister Bige usually drink this much like today? I hesitated for a moment just now, wondering if I should persuade her to stop."
Lu Yanhe: "You can't persuade her to stop, she loves to drink."
-
Chen Bige was actually very happy.
After winning Best Actress at two of the four major international film festivals, she was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Although they didn't win an award in the end.
Over the past few years, her film career, which had stagnated due to her age, has suddenly experienced a surge in growth.
What moved Chen Bige the most tonight was that she had also tried her luck in Hollywood when she was young. However, her career in Hollywood was not very smooth at that time. The two movies she starred in received only mediocre reviews and box office results. After that setback, she returned to China.
Unexpectedly, a completely Chinese film, "Love Letter," earned her a Best Actress nomination.
She met several people who recognized her as the female lead in "Love Letter," even though they didn't know each other before and only recognized her through the movie.
Chen Bige found it difficult to describe her feelings.
If I could only use one word to describe it, it would undoubtedly be "happy".
And tonight, something else happened, something unexpected.
She left in the early hours of the morning, returned to her hotel, and immediately called her agent in China.
This time, her agent did not come with her.
"Bige, aren't you asleep yet?"
“I can’t sleep at all,” Chen Bige said. “I just ran into someone from the Venice Film Festival organizing committee at the Golden Globe Awards after-party. He asked for my contact information and asked if I was available next September. Although he didn’t say it explicitly, he hinted that Picasso seems to have an idea and invited me to be the president of the jury for the main competition at next year’s Venice Film Festival!”
Although Chen Bige is a film queen, she is also an ordinary person.
She holds a very high position in the domestic film industry, almost at the very top. However, she still allows herself to act spontaneously on many occasions—she always assumes that she is an artist and should have the space to act spontaneously to maintain her inner freedom.
But this doesn't mean she's detached from worldly affairs.
She knew very well what experience as the president of the jury for the main competition section of the Venice International Film Festival could bring to her career.
This is an honor no less than that of a top-tier Best Actress award.
Of course she was willing, and of course she wanted it.
It's just a signal right now, and it's not certain yet.
Chen Bige is still too young for the position of jury president. She is only in her early forties, and there are very few jury presidents at top international film festivals who are that young.
Therefore, if Picasso does indeed intend to invite her to be the jury president for the next term, then the prestige of her position as jury president will be self-evident.
Chen Bige knew that she was considered by Picasso for two reasons: firstly, she had won the Best Actress award at the Jose Film Festival, and secondly, she had won two Best Actress awards from the Big Four film festivals, which placed her in the top tier of actresses worldwide.
Recently, Chen Bige received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in "Love Letter".
This resume is very impressive.
Excited and unable to sleep, Chen Bige ordered room service again, which brought up two bottles of red wine. She took out her e-reader and began reading the scripts she had recently received while drinking alone.
(End of this chapter)
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