Chapter 739 Hoping everyone's life has such cinematic moments (7200 words!)
The Situ Film Festival closed on February 24.
"In the Waves" did not win any awards.
However, due to polarized reviews and high media discussion, making it a highly topical film, "In the Wave" had already sold distribution rights to seven countries, including North America, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, and Brazil, before the closing ceremony. Considering the average selling price of films selected for the main competition at the Situ Film Festival, these places combined must have sold at least $2 million.
This trip to Situ has already recouped the costs and is now profitable thanks to revenue from overseas copyrights.
Director Wang Shuai recounted his trip to Situ on his social media platform, dedicating a third of the post to his story with Lu Yanhe and expressing his sincere gratitude.
It was only then that everyone realized that several of the big names who attended the premiere of "In the Waves" had been introduced to them by Lu Yanhe the night before.
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"This is truly helping Chinese films."
"Even though he's so busy with his own awards season campaign, he still remembered to support 'The Wave'."
"Yes, he not only posted updates on various social media platforms to let more people know about the movie, but he also specifically invited the director and actors to get to know his circle of friends, and even invited his friends to attend the premiere of 'In the Wave'."
"Think about it, in the first year or two after he became famous, quite a few people said he was too nice."
"A nice guy? Who said that? That's nonsense. He's been a real troll from the start, okay?"
"Those who are criticizing Yu Jiang are the kind of people who deserve to be criticized. They started it and they're the ones who are despicable. Have you forgotten Lily Winton who attended the premiere of 'The Wave'? Before, quite a few people said that Lily Winton wasn't very enthusiastic towards Lu Yanhe at the time, and her fans made a fuss about it for a while."
"Those who follow the right path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little help."
"The problem is that Lu Yanhe has had people helping him since the very beginning when he wasn't famous."
"Indeed, he was very lucky as an actor. He started with a film directed by directors of the caliber of Luo Yuzhong and Chen Lingling, and his first movie role was in a film by Wang Zhong."
"Don't exaggerate too much. In Luo Yuzhong and Chen Lingling's films, Lu Yanhe only played a supporting role. When he acted in Wang Zhong's film, Wang Zhong had not yet won an award at the Citour Awards. He was just a director with a relatively big name, but far from his current status."
"Isn't this kind of resource good enough for newcomers?"
"That's enough. The problem is, you're acting like Lu Yanhe only got everything he has today because of good luck. Why don't you ask why Huang Kairen, Zeng Qiao, and the three main actors in 'Three Mountains' aren't as successful as Lu Yanhe?"
"Don't compare them to others, don't invite criticism. Huang Kairen and the others are just as good."
"I did not mean that."
Whether you mean it that way or not, watch your words.
...
Domestically, online discussions are raging.
At this time, Linghe announced a new film project.
Another new director, He Songyan, with "There's a Strange Woman in the Building".
They also stated directly in their official press release: "1 million yuan production budget. Regardless of the results, the director will film entirely according to his own ideas. The company will not interfere. We welcome all talent agencies to contact us and recommend actors."
Many people immediately commented: 1 million? To make a movie? What year is this? What kind of shoddy film are they making?
Linghe's official Weibo account responded: "Home Alone" had a production budget of less than $2 million, but its global box office has now exceeded $300 million. Cost is never the standard for a good movie. Yan He once said, 'A movie's production budget should be spent only as much as needed. Don't waste money to make it look like a blockbuster, and don't be stingy to save money.' Let's all keep this in mind."
It was only then that everyone realized how low the production cost of "Home Alone" was.
Makes a killing.
It immediately captured everyone's attention.
Many people even discussed and analyzed how much money Lu Yanhe could make from the movie "Home Alone".
Lu Yanhe's fans bluntly stated: "No matter how much money he earns, it's all rightfully and honestly earned by him. If you want to earn it, you can earn it too. Nobody's stopping you. Don't be sour."
Meanwhile, Lian Bei, the director of "The Seventeen Floors," started filming his new work, "Jiang Yan."
Starring Yan Liang, with an all-star cast.
Lu Yanhe's name appears after both the producer and executive producer titles.
One project after another.
Some people joked: It feels like Lu Yanhe will dominate the entire entertainment industry from now on.
Some people say: I wish the entertainment industry could be monopolized by Lu Yanhe. As it stands now, there are too few projects as good as Lu Yanhe's, but a whole bunch of projects are worse than his.
Some people say: "I would rather Lu Yanhe had more projects, so that more excellent directors, screenwriters and actors could be seen. Thank goodness, more and more young actors with good acting skills are emerging now, and my favorite IPs no longer have to be ruined by those sycophantic cronies."
Some people refuted this, saying it was as if Lu Yanhe was the one who did all the credit.
Some people ask: Who revived the trend of script readings? Who revived the trend of multiple rehearsals before filming? So many newcomers have been able to emerge, whether it's Wang Dashan in "Lost in Thailand" or Liu Zi and He Jiang in "My Own Swordsman," weren't they all able to land leading roles right away thanks to Lu Yanhe's support? For every project he undertakes, the casting process is through auditions. How long has it been since the entertainment industry truly used auditions to select actors?
It was bustling with activity.
-
There are only a few days left until the Oscars ceremony.
Helena told Lu Yanhe that the British Academy Film Awards upset Uber Clark because many people felt that his momentum was too strong and he would have many more opportunities to win awards in the future, but this year might be Uber Clark's best chance.
Lu Yanhe: "That's ridiculous. This is just an excuse they're making up."
Helena hesitated for a moment, then said, "I share your opinion. Actually, I've heard that many people don't really want to see you win the award."
"Because I am Chinese?"
"Because the heights you've reached are already beyond what the younger generation in Hollywood has achieved. And—you know, the Oscars, they are actually the most demanding and selective the more famous and top-tier the star is, it's always been that way."
Lu Yanhe believed her when she said that.
After all, he knew that Oscar did indeed have this problem.
Hollywood's most popular stars, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Anne Hathaway, all spent many years being bitter and resentful before finally achieving their dreams.
It can only be said that the box office success of "Home Alone" is a double-edged sword.
However, everything has two sides.
Without "Home Alone," he might not have been a sure winner of the award.
The weakness of "Tropical Rainy Season" is that it didn't gross enough at the box office; it hasn't broken nine million dollars to date.
It was the lowest-grossing film in the Best Supporting Actor category.
In short, this is the only way.
He has nothing left to do now.
-
February 18th, the Oscars ceremony.
Lu Yanhe has adjusted his mindset and is prepared not to win the award.
He mainly didn't want to lose his composure and look bad if he didn't actually win the award.
Not winning an award doesn't affect his current "dominance" and "desirability" in Hollywood.
Therefore, now, attitude is more important.
Chen Bige was also invited to attend this year's Oscars.
Clearly, her appearance at the Golden Globe Awards not only brought Lu Yanhe a huge amount of exposure and discussion, but also brought her the same level of popularity.
Unfortunately, she was only invited to attend and will not be on stage.
This time, Chen Bige didn't pull off another "show-stopping" performance; she returned to her usual red carpet style: simple and elegant.
Lu Yanhe attended the event with the film crew.
Huang Feng, who had already started school, also took leave and walked the red carpet with them.
Huang Feng's popularity even surpassed that of Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe was not surprised at all by this.
To be honest, if it weren't for his vampire parents and his own various self-destructive behaviors, the influence of the "Home Alone" series would be second only to Shirley Temple, the first being Shirley Temple.
It's safe to say that "Home Alone" is definitely in the top three when it comes to the strongest child stars in history.
The red carpet was extremely extravagant, with eight hosts broadcasting live.
They randomly select people to answer questions, play games, and so on.
This live stream was broadcast globally, and its level of exposure is truly unmatched by any other film and television event.
Lu Yanhe and Huang Feng were the key targets of the "capture".
Especially Huang Feng.
When a child becomes incredibly popular, it's like a "heavenly star has descended upon us."
After finally making it across the red carpet and into the backstage area, it was incredibly lively.
Amidst glittering jewels, elegant attire, and the rustling of hair, celebrities gathered, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
When you suddenly walk into this kind of place, you might even have the illusion that all the big names in Hollywood have gathered here.
Huang Feng has once again become a darling.
Everyone—really everyone—greeted Huang Feng warmly and enthusiastically, touched his face, then squatted down, hugged him, and took photos together. Their affection for him was so great that it's clear that humans love harmless and non-aggressive cubs.
At this event, Lu Yanhe also met many big names that he hadn't seen during the long awards season.
A true top-tier expert.
Everyone expressed their kindness and encouragement to him.
Having this kind of attitude is enough.
Lu Yanhe also adopted a very "junior" attitude, expressing his appreciation and admiration as a movie fan to each of the big names, and in a vulgar way, just like everyone else, he expressed his hope for future collaborations.
Everyone was chatting enthusiastically backstage.
Home Alone has surprisingly become a hot topic.
Despite being in the midst of Oscar season, "Home Alone," which is not part of this year's awards season, seems to have been seen by everyone.
Of course, a movie that becomes a box office hit like this is bound to attract attention in Hollywood, where box office success is highly valued.
For Hollywood, poor box office performance is a cardinal sin, especially for blockbusters.
For example, Babylon, the film directed by Whiplash, was exactly the kind of film the Oscars would favor, both in terms of its theme and its production quality. It actually performed quite well during awards season, remaining a strong contender even up to the Golden Globes. Then, on December 23rd, the film was released, and its box office performance was a near flop, if not a disaster, then close. And that was it. Ultimately, it only received three technical nominations at the Oscars.
We've gone off on a tangent.
It basically boils down to one thing: if your film doesn't do well at the box office, don't even think about competing for an Oscar.
Oh, except for foreign language films.
Foreign films generally don't do well at the box office in the United States, so "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a miracle.
Huang Feng, as the first underage actor to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in nearly 20 years, is unique in his own right because of this achievement. He then became a sensation in the United States almost overnight with "Home Alone".
Compared to him, Lu Yanhe is just an ordinary Oscar-nominated actor.
While the box office of "The Mist" wasn't significantly different from that of "Home Alone," its influence was far less.
With its continued run, Home Alone has the support of the Chinese New Year box office. While its North American box office may not break $300 million like its predecessor, its global box office may surpass that of its predecessor, reaching over $500 million.
Although he had expected it, Lu Yanhe was still very happy and relieved when he actually saw it happen.
Huang Feng's future development seems to be much better than McCauley's.
With Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen keeping an eye on things, and studying in China, well, at least she definitely won't come into contact with drugs.
-
When the awards ceremony officially began, Lu Yanhe and Huang Feng were seated in the first row.
Chen Siqi and Huang Feng's mother sat next to them.
Huang Tianlin and Qin Shulan were seated in the second row, right behind them.
The other people's seats were even further back.
Looking from the audience, Lu Yanhe realized that although the theater where the Oscars were held looked quite large on television, it wasn't actually that big.
The host was standing about two or three meters away from them, very close.
The first award presented at the Oscars now is Best Supporting Actress.
There are some technical awards to be presented.
The Best Supporting Actor award was presented when the ceremony was about a third of the way through.
Lu Yanhe thought this was fine too.
You don't have to wait too long, until the very end, to hear the results of this award.
The host started with a teasing remark, and when he mentioned Lu Yanhe, he said in an exaggerated tone that Hollywood this year is a bit different. The most popular young person is a creator from China who can be nominated for an Oscar as an actor and has five films as a screenwriter, each of which has grossed over $100 million worldwide, totaling over $1 billion, and he is only twenty-five years old.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
In this atmosphere, Lu Yanhe could only show a flattered expression, indicating that he was a little embarrassed by the praise.
The atmosphere of joy and laughter began to turn tense as the first group of award presenters took the stage.
When the name of the Best Supporting Actress winner was announced, the winner screamed and hugged the people around her.
It's not Qin Shulan.
Lu Yanhe didn't recognize her, but he clapped and offered his heartfelt blessings. Then he turned to Qin Shulan and said, "We'll come again next time."
Qin Shulan smiled generously and applauded for the other party, saying "Okay."
Then, his gaze met that of Uber Clark.
There were about four or five seats between him and the other person.
Uber Clark looked at him with a complicated expression.
Lu Yanhe nodded slightly in greeting.
Uber Clark did not do anything impolite and returned the greeting with a nod.
Our biggest rival has, to this day, maintained a relatively peaceful mode of warfare.
No one resorted to any underhanded tactics; they simply conducted their public relations activities within permissible limits.
So far, the odds of them winning the award are roughly 50/50.
Lu Yanhe's advantage lies in the fact that *Tropical Rainy Season* is an Asian film, benefiting from the strong support of Asian judges. In contrast, Uber Clarke has the support of other American actor nominees. Furthermore, Lu Yanhe's awards season public relations campaign was arguably far superior to Uber Clarke's. It was precisely because of this outstanding campaign that *Tropical Rainy Season*, which wasn't initially considered a strong contender, was able to ultimately break through and compete against other films.
Ub Clark's advantage lies in his homegrown Hollywood background. He's been a star for many years, a highly decorated actor, and his films grossed tens of millions more than *Tropical Rain*. This, to some extent, means that more voters have seen his performance than Lu Yanhe. Furthermore, Lu Yanhe's later "dominance" has led some to believe he still has a chance to win an award. This is only his first time entering awards season, and a nomination is already a huge affirmation. Ub Clark, on the other hand, has been striving for this award for many years.
-
Lu Yanhe repeatedly told himself that it was normal for Uber Clark to win the award.
With a voting system like the Oscars, no result is surprising.
With thousands of college members voting, the only factor that can influence the outcome is the prevailing trend.
It depends on how everyone thinks about it.
To this day, Lu Yanhe is still unaware that Uber Clark had initially considered having him apply for Best Actor.
If Lu Yanhe is nominated for Best Actor, then it's practically a done deal for Uber Clark to win Best Supporting Actor this year.
Uber Clark's performance also rightfully deserves an Oscar.
Of course, except for a very few years and a very few awards, there is a reason why any Oscar nominee would win.
When it comes to the public relations battle, the discussion often revolves around "the significance of the character, the film, and the actor winning awards this year," rather than the quality of the performance—at the nomination stage, no one is bad.
-
Before the Best Supporting Actor award was presented, the awards ceremony took an intermission.
Lu Yanhe got up and went to the restroom.
After coming out, I ran into quite a few celebrities in the corridor.
He greeted them all with a smile.
The atmosphere here made him feel a bit stifled, and he wanted to find a less crowded place to get some fresh air and calm himself down.
He found a room with an unlocked door, went inside, and opened the window.
A refreshing breeze blew in instantly.
It made him feel a sense of comfort.
The pent-up discomfort had dissipated considerably.
"Hey, Uber, don't worry, that prize is definitely yours later." A strange voice suddenly drifted in from outside the window.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
ha?
And yet, by some twist of fate, I've become an eavesdropper again?
The sound seems to be coming from next door.
Uber Clark's voice followed: "Hopefully, I've had terrible luck this year, running into Lu Yanhe."
"That's just a lucky kid. You're the one we truly respect. He's not one of us in Hollywood."
"Johnny, don't say that."
“Am I wrong?” Johnny said. “It is already a huge honor for him to be nominated. Moreover, as you have seen, so many Asian Americans are calling for him to vote. These people no longer use the standards of film art to measure the voting criteria. They have completely become a group of people who form cliques and seek personal gain.”
“Johnny, there’s nothing wrong with everyone in the circle of nominees calling for the vote,” Uber Clark said. “I’ve dealt with him a few times, and he’s a pretty good guy. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m competing against him this year, I would actually like him. He’s not arrogant or conceited.”
“Uber, you shouldn’t be so kind. That’s your enemy. I told you long ago, you should be more ruthless. This is Oscar’s competition!”
“Johnny, I want an Oscar, but I don’t want to get one through these kinds of means. People who get Oscars through these means always end up getting burned. The meaning of an Oscar is the industry’s recognition of you. If the industry doesn’t recognize you, it’s useless if you win it.”
...
Lu Yanhe was quite surprised.
He never expected that he would hear Uber Clark's remarks here at this moment.
As Uber Clark said, although he and Uber Clark have met many times this awards season, it has only been a fleeting encounter.
Because of the competitive relationship, everyone knows that this is not a good time to deepen communication.
He hadn't even seen the movie starring Uber Clark.
Lu Yanhe stood by the window and listened silently for a while, after which they seemed to leave.
A moment later, he heard someone outside the door loudly reminding them that the awards ceremony was about to continue and asking them to return to the scene.
Lu Yanhe then took a deep breath, opened the door, and went out.
-
The first award presented after the commercial break was the Best Supporting Actor award.
As soon as the presenter stepped onto the stage, Chen Siqi reached out and grabbed Lu Yanhe's hand, holding it tightly.
Lu Yanhe smiled at her.
She smiled too.
“No problem,” she whispered.
The presenter offered his "praise" to each of the five nominees.
Previously, they would show short performance clips, but in the last two years, they have suddenly changed to this form of "praise" and "confession".
Of course, Lu Yanhe felt that this format was actually better than short performance clips.
One of the main reasons he likes award ceremonies (the real kind, not the kind where you just hand out prizes) is that he can feel the camaraderie and mutual respect among colleagues in the industry on such occasions.
Competition is always temporary.
In fact, as everyone knows, sometimes it is not your friends who bring you success, but your nemesis.
Lu Yanhe was momentarily stunned.
When he came to his senses, he suddenly heard his own name.
Then, the people around cheered and applauded thunderously.
Chen Siqi was so excited that she hugged him tightly and kissed him on the lips.
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized, as if waking from a dream, "Ah, I won an award?!"
He suddenly came to his senses.
For a moment, he felt a strange sense of calm and happiness, but not a sense of surprise.
He hugged Huang Tianlin, Qin Shulan, and Huang Feng one by one, his face maintaining a slightly dazed smile that seemed to be detached from reality the whole time. He was very happy, but it also seemed like he wasn't quite in the present moment.
Lu Yanhe went on stage, accepted the trophy from the presenter, thanked him, and then stood in front of the microphone.
He had been to this place twice before as an award presenter, but this was his first time as an award recipient.
The lights were a bit dazzling.
He blinked, his gaze fixed on Chen Siqi, before he regained his composure.
"Thank you, Oscar. You have shown me tolerance, support and encouragement from the very beginning."
"Thank you to my agent, Chen Ziyan. I've never said this before, but I want to say it today. You saved my career, allowing me to survive in this industry again and get to where I am today. Please never leave me again, otherwise I don't know what I would do."
"Thank you, Helena Rubinstein. Without you and your team, the film 'Tropical Rainy Season' and I would not have been able to go this far in this awards season and finally reach the Oscar stage. We know that perfectly well. 'Tropical Rainy Season' is a great film, we are a great crew, and your outstanding team has allowed us to be seen and recognized."
"Thank you, Director Huang Tianlin. I know that 'Tropical Rainy Season' is only your second film, and your film career has just begun. I will always be your most loyal companion. Thank you, Teacher Qin Shulan, young Huang Feng, and everyone in the film crew. I love the Oscars tonight because every department's contribution to the film is being recognized. And please believe that in the hearts of everyone in 'Tropical Rainy Season,' you all deserve an Oscar."
"Thank you, Siqi, the love of my life. Thank you for never being perfunctory when everyone was joking about this title. You should know that every time I feel dizzy, I must see you first. Just like the moment I stood on the stage just now, I clearly realized that you have become the anchor of my life."
"And to all of you who were nominated for this award alongside me, outstanding and unparalleled—Jack, Madison, Uber, Leonard—each and every one of you gave a masterful performance, especially—"
Lu Yanhe's gaze fell on Uber Clark.
“Uber, thank you for choosing to defend me when others questioned, belittled, and attacked me, even though no one else knew about it.” Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. “Because of you, I feel that this trophy in my hand is even more precious. It was given to me by you. I hope we can cooperate in the future, and I hope that one day I can make the trophy in your hand even more precious.”
"Thank you for tonight. I was prepared not to win, but it still came to me. This is a cinematic moment, and I hope everyone has such a cinematic moment in their life. Thank you again!"
Lu Yanhe raised the trophy in his hand and swung it forcefully.
At this moment, a heartfelt and genuine joy rose from the soles of his feet, spreading along his limbs and throughout his entire body.
(End of this chapter)
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