Chapter 727 The Male Lead Can Only Be Yan Liang (8600 words)
Lu Yanhe was still unable to participate in the recording of the entire season of "The Days of Youth".
Not only him, but also Li Zhibai and Xiao Yun.
The show is facing the problem that its regular guests are becoming increasingly famous and their schedules are becoming more and more difficult to coordinate.
Li Zhenzhen also had to face a choice: whether or not to replace the group of people.
If this continues, the show will eventually come to an end.
However, Li Zhenzhen could tell from chatting with each of the regular celebrities that everyone was very willing to continue making the show.
The problem everyone is facing is scheduling, specifically the difficulty in coordinating time.
Li Zhenzhen wanted to continue persisting.
It was in this state of mind that she wrote the opening text for this season:
—They're becoming more and more popular; they're acting, holding concerts, and preparing to release an album.
—Can their story continue to be told through this program?
—Should we replace the cast, reorganize the crew, and film a new story of "The Days of Youth," or should we continue filming the show in an incomplete form?
—We had in-depth conversations with each of them, and the difficulties they all expressed were the irreconcilable contradictions between the rising phase of their careers and the difficulty in coordinating their schedules.
—But do you still want to continue making this show?
—They all say they want to.
This is more than just a TV show.
Six years ago, this show started with a group of young newcomers, and in the past six years, they have become famous one after another.
They are becoming more and more glamorous, but behind the stage, they are still real.
—Since it's a record, completeness is one kind of record, and incompleteness is another.
Sometimes, we must accept imperfections; it's each star striving to get closer to the sun and shine brighter.
Their trajectories are changing, but they are always in the starry sky.
—This season will be the set visit season. Amidst mountains and seas, old friends will reunite. See you there!
Li Zhenzhen set this theme, invited everyone to record a video, and combined it with the script to create a promotional trailer.
In the video message, Lu Yanhe said, "We all hope that this show will not end. That's for sure. However, we are indeed facing the problem of scheduling conflicts and insufficient time. Everyone is shining in their respective fields. We are all in what is perhaps the busiest period of our lives and careers. Therefore, I am especially grateful and moved that the production team was able to come up with this format and try to keep the show going."
Nobody knows how this season of the show will turn out.
Because it's not a conventional shooting method.
However, fans of the show said, "Just watching them sit at the dinner table talking and chatting makes me very happy."
Another fan said, "This show is the only one where I can see them in a way that is close to their real lives. It really did what it said in the first season: to record. Of course, it's not recording their cohabitation anymore, but their friendship. I hope their friendship will last forever."
However, a program should never rely on past successes as its main content.
If a program cannot continuously attract new viewers, its audience pool will only shrink.
Everyone came to find Lu Yanhe for this recording. Li Zhibai and Xiao Yun were absent because they were filming "Those Years". Liu Zhiyin was also holding a concert and could not come until the next day.
The first group to arrive were Yan Liang, Qin Zhibai, Song Linxin, Peng Zhixing, and Su Xiao.
There were six people in total.
Because it's the set visit season, Li Zhenzhen didn't include any guest appearances this season—actually, it's because the show's budget for this season isn't enough, and sponsorship hasn't been going smoothly so far. Clients are unsure whether this new format will maintain the show's popularity.
During the day, while Lu Yanhe was filming, Li Zhenzhen set up outdoor games for the other five people, allowing them to accumulate points based on their game scores and exchange those points for dinner.
The higher the score, the better the dinner.
The lower the score, the worse the dinner.
The theme of this episode is "Treat Lu Yanhe to a good/bad meal".
By the time Lu Yanhe finished work in the evening, it was already 7:30.
He rushed to the hotel rented by the production team at 8:10.
Everyone is already waiting for him.
His director quickly put the microphone on him.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Hey, long time no see!" Peng Zhixing gave Lu Yanhe a bear hug as soon as he came up.
Lu Yanhe greeted each of them with a smile.
"You all look very tired. Are there any outdoor games planned for today?"
He asked with a smile, having a deep understanding of the program production process.
"You're right." Everyone nodded.
Peng Zhixing said, "The production team is going too far. Tonight's dinner will be determined by our performance in the game during the day. If we do well, we'll have a good dinner; if we do poorly, we'll have a bad dinner."
Lu Yanhe immediately realized what was going on and asked, "The production team isn't going to use me as a pretext, are they? Like, what kind of meal will they invite Lu Yanhe to in order to provoke you?"
“You guessed right.” Song Linxin nodded. “In the end, we were treated like donkeys, working ourselves to the bone to achieve good results.”
Lu Yanhe: "Thank you everyone!"
He smiled, clasped his hands together, and bowed.
"Wow, such a big gift." Peng Zhixing quickly pulled Lu Yanhe over to sit down.
Even though it's dinner time, we still have to play games.
“We’re all really hungry, maybe we should stop playing games,” Lu Yanhe said, rubbing his stomach. “They’re hungry too.”
The others nodded immediately.
Li Zhenzhen said, "What about this part of the material? The program needs content."
Lu Yanhe said, "It's okay. After we finish eating, I'll redesign a game for you. I guarantee you'll have plenty of material. You can record the later parts, and I'll authorize you to play this game."
Lu Yanhe introduced many fun mini-games in "The Days of Youth".
Upon hearing this, Li Zhenzhen immediately said, "Okay, then you've decided to design a new game for us later."
Song Linxin asked, "What kind of classic game are you going to bring us this time?"
Lu Yanhe: "Not a classic, but fun."
"Tsk." Song Linxin said with a smile, "You should hurry up and register a copyright. Before this show airs, look at the little games you played on the show before. Now they've been copied all over the place by various variety shows."
“Let them copy,” Lu Yanhe shrugged. “The founder is sitting right here; the eyes of the masses are discerning.”
So they had a very relaxed meal.
Everyone sat around a round table.
“I heard your current movie is very difficult to film.” Peng Zhixing always automatically took on the role of host, starting the conversation by saying to Lu Yanhe, “A month ago, I interviewed Miao Yue—Miao Yue is the screenwriter of ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ which Yanhe is currently filming, as well as the screenwriter of ‘Late Spring’, and Yanhe’s college classmate. She said that the difficulty of your performance in the movie ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ far exceeds that of ‘Late Spring’.”
Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment and said, "That's not wrong, but 'Late Spring' was also difficult to film. Filming 'Late Spring' was just as exhausting, and I felt like I was being skinned alive."
"Then it seems that 'Dingfeng No. 1' is of epic difficulty," Peng Zhixing said with a smile.
"For me, because I've never acted in a film like this before, and this is a role like this, it's truly an epic challenge," Lu Yanhe said frankly. "But thankfully, in this crew, although you never know how a scene will turn out before filming begins, it's all filmed in the end."
They were really hungry. They talked and chatted, and as a result, they finished every last dish on the table.
Li Zhenzhen was shocked.
Keep in mind, there were six of them, but twelve dishes were served.
Completely dry?!
However, the atmosphere at their meals was indeed very good.
They've known each other for so long, and each of them has gone through so much together, so many stories. Whenever they sit down together and start talking, they almost always end up discussing topics that would interest the audience.
The entertainment industry, celebrities—their private lives that aren't exposed to the public…
This includes "Tropical Rainy Season," which is scheduled for release during the National Day holiday.
This was a topic that Li Zhenzhen specifically asked Peng Zhixing to bring up.
This episode aired around the time when "Tropical Rainy Season" was entering its promotional period and about to be released.
Li Zhenzhen usually promotes everyone's work in each season of the show.
It wasn't the kind of hard-sell advertising.
Peng Zhixing asked, "It's quite rare for an art film like 'Tropical Rainy Season' to be released during the National Day holiday. Why did you choose this option?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "This was decided by the publicity company. However, I think it's quite meaningful for them to do this. Indeed, everyone's first choice is definitely to see some movies that are more sensory-stimulating. 'Tropical Rainy Season' isn't aiming for the top three spots at the National Day box office. This is a very large period that can accommodate more movies. Maybe out of a hundred moviegoers, only one wants to quietly watch a story-telling film, but with such a large audience during the National Day holiday, it's still quite considerable."
Peng Zhixing asked, "What are your expectations for the box office of 'Tropical Rainy Season'?"
“Of course, the higher the better,” Lu Yanhe said. “But it doesn’t matter. The film doesn’t have the pressure to break even. Both the production company and its distributor in China have already recouped their costs.”
"Really?" Peng Zhixing was shocked. "Why? Well, I do know some things, but how exactly was it done? Many viewers probably don't know either."
“Actually, movies don’t just rely on box office revenue for profit, especially art films. Many people think that art films are likely to lose money, but that’s not the case,” Lu Yanhe said. “Take ‘Tropical Rainy Season’ as an example. Although it hasn’t been released yet, as far as I know, it has already sold the domestic online streaming rights, TV broadcast rights, additional pay-per-view, and a business cooperation agreement.”
Peng Zhixing asked, "Can most art films achieve this?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head: "No, it depends on the distribution channels of the distributor, including the degree of market attention the film itself receives. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary art film may only have box office revenue from theaters, copyright revenue from domestic video websites and TV stations, plus some overseas distribution revenue."
"In my understanding, art films actually need big stars like you to star in them to get more attention."
"Actually, that's not it." Lu Yanhe shook his head. "In our country, we rely too much on box office revenue and too much on celebrities. This is because our domestic film market developed very late, only about 20 or 30 years ago. Therefore, many revenue channels have not had enough time to develop and form a complete industry chain."
"You're like DVDs. Although streaming media has risen in popularity, and in our understanding, there aren't many people buying them anymore, in Europe and America, they've gradually transformed from a source of home entertainment revenue into an expensive collectible for movie fans, just like vinyl records today. Although the sales volume is smaller, after the industry transformation, the sales price has become the price of collectibles. They have still found new ways to continue the disc format, and for film companies, it is still a considerable source of income."
"However, in China, the DVD market has never really been opened up on a large scale. For a period of time, it flourished because of piracy. So, to be honest, the industry was never fully established in the first place, let alone transformed."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"In fact, the Chinese market is very large," Lu Yanhe concluded. "Many people in this industry can only repeatedly copy a successful and profitable model, but they are unable to develop new profit models, which severely limits the profit channels for films."
"So what is Linghe doing now? Besides what you just mentioned, does Linghe's film business have any other profit models?" Peng Zhixing asked.
This is something he's genuinely curious about.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said to the camera, "These are too technical, and the audience may not want to hear them. Please try to cut them out."
After saying that, Lu Yanhe began to introduce himself.
"We've made many attempts. For example, in business collaborations, like with 'Love Letter,' we've partnered with over a dozen brands in the coffee and retail industries. With 'Rouge,' even after the large-scale screenings ended, we've been holding special screenings in various places. Although each screening only brings in tens of thousands of yuan in box office revenue, we can hold about a hundred screenings a year."
"Not only our organization, but also our copyright operation department in Linghe is constantly licensing film screenings for some events. Of course, this is something we actively negotiate; we weren't aware of this before."
“When some cities hold Ghost Festival activities, we will take the initiative to talk to them and arrange a screening of the film ‘Rouge’ during the event.”
"You know, there are many similar themed events, the key is whether there are people who are willing to communicate such collaborations and expand the scope of film operations."
"It's also because these films are classics in themselves," Peng Zhixing said.
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Actually, whether it's a classic or not is another matter. Nowadays, which film company doesn't have the copyright to some classic films? But the problem is that the entire industry is chasing the top, only focusing on those films that have grossed billions at the box office. Everyone wants to grab a big piece of the pie in one go. You may know what I'm saying, but in their eyes, these are all petty profits and not worth doing."
"After listening to what you said, I think it does require a lot of manpower and resources, and it will take a lot of time," Peng Zhixing said.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“But this is the norm, isn’t it?” Lu Yanhe said. “Look, ‘My Own Swordsman’ built a Qixia Town in Jiangzhi. They specially hired a screenwriter to write a new script and recruited actors to do live performances. From preparation to official opening, it took several years. They didn’t make quick money, nor did they just intend to use the popularity of the show to make a quick buck for a year or two. So, they gradually built up a reputation, and many people who have been there praised Jiangzhi’s sincerity.”
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Actually, I think it's quite interesting. You know, many people ask me why Linghe's movies are all such low-budget films. It seems that Linghe's movies can also sell well at the box office, like 'Love Letter.' You know, many people want me to make 'Love Letter 2.'"
“I understand why you don’t want to make ‘Love Letter 2,’ but I’m also really puzzled as to why Linghe doesn’t make blockbusters?” Peng Zhixing said.
“Because we don’t have the capability,” Lu Yanhe stated frankly. “I don’t want Linghe to become a company influenced by others, so this company doesn’t receive any financing and doesn’t accept equity transactions. In reality, it’s a very small company that has just managed to produce a few successful works by chance. Its essence is still a small company making big-budget films. If it succeeds, great, but what if it fails? What if it loses money? If a film loses hundreds of millions, then this company can just shut down.”
The others seemed thoughtful.
"I don't want to get fat in one bite. I also believe that you should only take what you are capable of, and take it one step at a time, accumulating little by little. The most important thing is that only by taking each step solidly can you avoid falling because you are going too fast."
"This is why I think Linghe should try to expand its copyright operation scope and revenue sources as much as possible. Even if it's just a little bit of profit most of the time, it's okay. Having more options means being prepared for any eventuality."
Lu Yanhe's words made everyone fall into deep thought.
This goes beyond what an artist needs to know, yet it has inspired them all.
Every artist is essentially a small company.
These are the core products of this small company.
The industry problems that Lu Yanhe mentioned are also the problems that celebrities encounter in their image management and operations.
They are caught in the same vicious cycle, experiencing the same "involution" of homogenized marketing.
Similarly, their business plans and strategies are all geared towards achieving a large, decisive victory.
We no longer believe in the power of "you reap what you sow".
Song Linxin suddenly sighed.
“I suddenly realized that in the past few years, I have written a lot of songs, but I have fallen into a vicious cycle. Every time I release a new song, if I don’t get positive feedback or the platform data is not good, I will doubt myself and become anxious. Then this feeling will make me even more anxious about the next creation. How many fans will like the next work? Is this just another self-indulgent creation?”
Su Xiao asked in surprise, "Your song is already very popular, do you still think like this?"
Song Linxin nodded and turned to look at Qin Zhibai.
Can you?
Qin Zhibai shook his head, "I don't care about other people's opinions, I only write the songs I want to write."
"You don't get anxious when the songs you write don't get good feedback?" Song Linxin asked.
Qin Zhibai: "No, I'm already more famous than I expected, and I don't want to be this famous."
"..." Song Linxin was a little unsure what to say to Qin Zhibai.
Yan Liang smiled.
"Qin Zhibai never wanted to become a big star from the beginning of his career. You've come to the wrong person if you're looking for validation from him."
Song Linxin: "I thought he had changed his mind."
From the beginning of his career, Qin Zhibai has always been a singer who only wants to make music.
Apart from "The Days of Youth," almost all of his work is related to music.
Moreover, he's quite remarkable; despite the current popularity of film and television OSTs, he almost never accepts OST projects.
Song Linxin is a singer like him, but their career paths are very different.
Song Linxin takes a more mainstream and popular approach, while Qin Zhibai takes a more niche, independent, and unconventional celebrity route.
The main reason is that Qin Zhibai's family is too rich, so he has no pressure to survive. He entered the entertainment industry purely for his dream.
Song Linxin immediately said, "Then when you go back to record 'The Voice of China,' can you understand the feelings of those contestants who want to become famous, make money, and change their lives?"
Qin Zhibai retorted, "Why should I experience it? I just need to help them create better songs."
Song Linxin was speechless for a moment because she realized that Qin Zhibai was right.
She had nothing to say.
-
Every time Lu Yanhe records "The Days of Youth", he feels that people are really too different.
Even people who seem to have similar personalities can end up being vastly different.
However, even people who are completely different can have commonalities.
Among the group of people in "The Days of Youth," Lu Yanhe felt that they all shared a certain degree of "idealism."
Everyone still retains some things that are not of this world.
Moreover, and most importantly, everyone is still willing to regard the connection between them—the show "The Days of Youth"—as an important entity and is working hard to maintain it.
By the sixth season, everyone on the show had let their guard down as much as possible and stopped caring about the cameras.
This is the trust that has been gradually built between them and the production team.
Even if they say one or two wrong things, Li Zhenzhen will cut out those potentially controversial lines during the editing process instead of keeping them in the final cut.
The show is definitely very protective of them. This is also the tone of the show; even when there are arguments, it will try its best to present multiple perspectives, rather than maliciously favoring one side or creating controversy.
So, the reason why Lu Yanhe still enjoys recording "The Days of Youth" is because everyone here is genuine and doesn't pretend much.
It's like a group of people who have known each other for a long time having the opportunity to sit together, chat about what's been going on, and play games.
After dinner, they went back to their accommodation together to wash up and rest, switching from a variety show to a "reality show" format.
Once inside the house, the production crew will disappear from their sight.
They were in control of everything.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang rode in the same car.
They made a video call with Li Zhibai from the car.
"You ran into each other?" Li Zhi asked.
"Hmm." Lu Yanhe nodded, and then couldn't help but yawn.
"Why do you all look so tired?" Li Zhibai asked with a smile.
He, on the other hand, seemed to be in high spirits.
"I filmed all day, and Yan Liang was running around outdoors all day, recording a program, which was also an outdoor recording," Lu Yanhe explained. "He had just finished dinner and was feeling dizzy from eating too much."
"How's it going on your end?" Yan Liang asked with a smile.
Li Zhibai: "We're filming now, it'll be almost over. When will Yan He wrap up filming?"
"It should be around the end of September."
“Then I must have already finished filming by then.” Li Zhi asked, “Yan Liang, when will you start filming your next project?”
"We're just waiting to film 'Friends'," Yan Liang said. "The other shows won't start filming until next year."
"How wonderful!" Li Zhibai said enviously. "Then you can finally get some rest."
Yan Liang: "I would like to take a good rest, but the problem is that I can't. I have to record programs, shoot commercials, and have several business trips. There is no time to rest."
"Even if we have to make some changes in the middle, we can still take a break from time to time," Li Zhibai said.
Yan Liang: "Compared to the two of you, I'm much better."
They chatted for a while and then hung up the video call.
Yan Liang said, "Why did Li Zhibai have a buzz cut in the movie?"
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized: "Ah, this place... Sister Zhenzhen, Li Zhibai's look cannot be shown on the show. If it is broadcast, remember to blur out Li Zhibai's hairstyle. The buzz cut that Yan Liang mentioned earlier also cannot be broadcast."
The director accompanying them gave them an OK sign, indicating that he would pass on the message.
"Is it a key plot point in the movie?" Yan Liang asked.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Yan Liang: "Haha, okay."
Lu Yanhe: "By the way, you just said you've been very busy lately, have you been doing your physical training?"
Yan Liang simply stretched out his arm.
"Feel it."
Lu Yanhe pinched it.
Wow.
Very firm muscles.
Lu Yanhe looked at Yan Liang in surprise.
A smug look flashed across Yan Liang's eyes.
“I haven’t slacked off for a single day,” Yan Liang said. “My mentor even said I could take the certification exam.”
Lu Yanhe: "That's amazing."
Yan Liang nodded.
Lu Yanhe: "Okay, I admit it. You're amazing."
Yan Liang: "Is there any news about that movie you told me about before?"
“Yes, I’ve had some initial contact with a few companies in Hollywood. They’re all quite interested in the script, but they have some reservations about casting a Chinese actor in a Hollywood action movie. Although the budget for this film won’t be too high, it’s not like a film like Buried, which is mainly experimental. In the current mainstream market, there’s basically no precedent for a Chinese actor to star in a mainstream American action movie,” Lu Yanhe said.
Upon hearing this, Yan Liang asked, "Should I continue preparing for this film?"
“Of course.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “This script was written for you. If they don’t agree to you starring in it, I’ll raise the investment myself to make it.”
Yan Liang: "Damn, this puts so much pressure on me."
"What's so great about it? I don't do things I'm not sure I can do. This movie will definitely be a success," Lu Yanhe said confidently. "If they're unwilling to do it, it's their loss."
Yan Liang gasped.
Lu Yanhe laughed, "Besides, I've already found the female lead."
"Huh?" Yan Liang was taken aback.
-
The female lead that Lu Yanhe found for "Speed" was Lily Williams, who had worked with him on "The Mist".
Lily Williams, a near-A-list actress in Hollywood, is another actress who benefited from the success of the film "The Mist".
She was already somewhat famous in the United States, and after this movie, her career reached a new level.
Lu Yanhe and she had always maintained a good relationship, so when Lu Yanhe was considering the movie "Speed of Life and Death", she was the first person he thought of.
He immediately contacted her about the project and asked about her interest.
After reading the script, Lily Williams immediately agreed to the role.
"I thought it would be another female lead who's just a pretty face."
Lily Williams exclaimed in surprise over the phone, "But you actually wrote such a charismatic female lead for a film with such a subject matter."
This was actually a strong feeling Lu Yanhe had when reading the original work. Unlike typical male action films like "007" and "Mission: Impossible," "Speed," although also an action film told entirely from a male perspective, allowed Sandra Bullock's character to break free from the constraints of being a "tool" or a "sexy vase" due to the story's background, making her presence in the film almost as strong as Keanu Reeves'.
Lily Williams asked, "Are you going to play the male lead?"
The male lead in the script was written to be of Chinese descent, so Lily naturally assumed that this was a role that Lu Yanhe had prepared for her.
Lu Yanhe said, "No, I can't play this role with my physique. I'm going to let Yan Liang play it. He has acted in 'Friends' and 'The Gold Rush'."
Oh, him!
At this point, the advantage of having a representative work becomes apparent.
At least when people mention him, they recognize him.
-
"Yes, I insist on having Yan Liang star in this movie."
During another discussion with Zebi Doyle of Parameter about the movie "Speed", the two once again argued about the choice of the male lead.
Zeby Doyle said, "Lu, I don't have a problem with choosing a Chinese actor for the male lead, but Yan Liang is a television actor who is almost unknown in the United States. Having him as the lead actor will not help the film at all."
Lu Yanhe: "He is suitable. Zebi, when I was writing the script, I wrote it based on his image. Moreover, I have already found Lily Williams to be the female lead of this movie. The combination of the two of them is the most suitable male and female lead for my script."
Zebi Doyle: "If you were to play this role, I would have absolutely no objection."
“Zebi, if you’re worried that Yan Liang’s name recognition isn’t high enough and that it’s too risky to play the male lead, I can cover the main production costs for this film,” Lu Yanhe said. “As long as you can handle the large-scale global theatrical distribution.”
What Lu Yanhe valued was Parameter's global distribution capabilities.
This movie absolutely must be released in theaters.
The film, which was originally made for $30 million, grossed over $300 million worldwide, making Keanu Reeves and Sandro Bullock instant stars.
It's a movie that's perfect for watching in a theater.
It is also a very rare movie that manages to have a good love story within an action film.
Zebi Doyle was helpless.
Lu Yanhe's support for Yan Liang in this film is giving him a headache.
“Of course, you can wait a little longer,” Lu Yanhe said. “After the movie ‘Buried Alive’ is released, you’ll know why I said you can trust me.”
Zebi Doyle: "Lu, even without the release of 'Buried', I will still believe in you."
“No, Zebi, you don’t understand what I mean. Li Zhibai has no reputation in Europe and America, and his fame is even less than Yan Liang’s. But I can tell you that as long as you make ‘Buried Alive’ according to the distribution scale you promised me, the box office of this movie will definitely exceed ten million US dollars.” Lu Yanhe’s tone was very firm.
The production cost of "Buried" was no more than $1.5 million, and even with the later marketing and distribution costs, it would not exceed $3 million.
If Buried grosses over ten million dollars in North America, along with revenue from overseas markets and other sources, it will be a classic example of a small investment yielding a huge return.
The ten million US dollars that Lu Yanhe mentioned was even an understatement.
He said, "Zebi, the male lead of Speed can only be Yan Liang."
(End of this chapter)
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