Chapter 761 Released
The news broadcast about the 3rd Jump Up International Film Festival also attracted considerable attention from the crew of "Burning Fire 2".
Even Shang Yongzhou was curious and came to Lu Yanhe to ask what was going on.
Lu Yanhe said, "I really don't know the specifics, but it must be because the guests attending the film festival were quite important that they made it onto the news."
“I remember that the artistic director of the Situ Film Festival also came at the first edition, but he wasn’t featured on the news,” Shang Yongzhou said. “Does this mean we should have some kind of collaboration with the Jose Film Festival? Wen Shengming also went to the Jose Film Festival at the last minute, which is not in line with his style.”
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected Shang Yongzhou to be so perceptive.
After hesitating for a moment, Lu Yanhe said, "There is indeed one, but I can't go into details about what it is right now, because I don't know if it can be done. In fact, I'm not involved in this matter. I only know the general outline. They are using the Jump Up Film Critics International Film Festival as a platform to make contact."
Shang Yongzhou suddenly understood and nodded.
"If that's the case, then don't tell me anymore."
"By the way, senior, the Jump Up International Film Critics Festival is setting up a curator role. It will be held for the fourth edition next year. If you haven't made any plans yet, would you be the curator for the fourth edition?"
Shang Yongzhou looked puzzled and asked, "What's this for?"
"Actually, it's just the role of the host." Lu Yanhe said, "I was the one in the first session, and this time it's Teacher Wen Shengming. It's like being the host, and there's nothing specific to do. It's mainly about hosting some specific ceremonies and occasions."
Upon hearing this, Shang Yongzhou nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll set aside time for next year."
"That's great," Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
-
Filming "Burning Fire 2" went very smoothly.
After filming the first movie, the worldview and the character he was going to play became much easier to portray.
In addition, the actors I worked with were all quite familiar with me, so there was almost no need for adjustment. Giving me roles and accepting roles went very smoothly, and there were virtually no unpleasant incidents.
Perhaps because of her role in "The Wind Rises," Zhou Ruo, who played his sister, also has a role in "Burning Fire 2."
This actress, who comes from a prestigious family, has been rarely seen in public media or at public events since filming "The Wind Rises". She is unusually quiet for a female star.
Of course, she probably didn't see herself as a female celebrity.
Lu Yanhe was fairly familiar with her because he had worked with her before.
He asked, "What have you been up to lately?"
Zhou Ruo said, "I spent two months in the English countryside a while ago."
Lu Yanhe looked shocked.
"ah?"
“Because my father is in England,” Zhou Ruo explained. “When I went to visit him, I happened to meet a friend who had a house in the countryside near London. She invited me to stay there, so I went.”
Lu Yanhe: "This is so enviable, such a leisurely life."
Zhou Ruo said, "If you want to go, I can ask my dad to help me find out if there are any suitable houses to rent in the suburbs. There should be quite a few there."
Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand and said, "I don't have that much time."
Zhou Ruo: "It would be good to stay there for a week, in an environment where no one knows you at all—well, maybe some people there do know you, but there are really very few people there, even if some neighbors know you, it's only a handful."
“Okay, I’ll ask you for help if I need it later,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
Zhou Ruo nodded.
Zhou Ruo then asked, "I thought you would come when 'Buried' premiered in the UK."
"Did you go?" Lu Yanhe asked.
“I went.” Zhou Ruo nodded. “My dad got the invitation and took me with him.”
“If you want to go in the future, just tell me and I’ll get you an invitation,” Lu Yanhe said.
Zhou Ruo agreed.
She added, "I will be holding a solo art exhibition in London this October. If you have time, you are welcome to come and see it."
Zhou Ruo is not only an actress, but also a painter.
He knew that.
Lu Yanhe nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "If I don't have time to go, could you get two tickets for my friend? My girlfriend, Siqi, her company, Jump Up, is also doing curation, so she should be very interested in these things."
Zhou Ruo nodded.
“Sure, no problem,” Zhou Ruo said. “However, it’s just a small solo exhibition, not a large-scale exhibition in the conventional sense. You need to tell them in advance so that they don’t misunderstand.”
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
The plot of "Burning Fire 2" is actually very simple: Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou, who were separated in the first part, meet again in a place called Juran City.
At the same time, they also encountered a conman played by Jia Long.
In fact, their meeting here was not accidental—they were both invited by the city lord of Juran City to help him rescue his daughter who had been kidnapped by Black Wind Valley.
The city lord of Juran City is played by Cheng Shiyan in a cameo role.
The daughter is played by Zhou Ruo.
The story of the second part actually revolves around Black Wind Valley.
The Martial Commander of the City Lord's Mansion led a few people to infiltrate Black Wind Valley. They unexpectedly discovered that the Valley Master of Black Wind Valley had kidnapped three girls, but none of the three girls were the daughter of the City Lord of Juran City.
Further investigation revealed that the daughter of the city lord of Juran City was actually the valley lord of Black Wind Valley.
The so-called kidnapping was actually a pretext to help these girls escape arranged marriages by their families.
However, the story did not end there. After some discussion, everyone discovered a problem: Zhou Ruo had not told Ju Ran City in the name of Black Wind Valley that he had been kidnapped by Black Wind Valley.
How could the city lord of Juran City believe that his daughter had been kidnapped by Black Wind Valley?
Subsequently, news that the city lord of Juran City had been controlled by the deputy city lord reached Black Wind Valley.
The actor who plays the deputy city lord is Liu He. He is not very famous, but he is a national first-class actor and a veteran actor.
The deputy city lord sent a message to Zhou Ruo, ordering her to return to Juran City alone within a day, or he would kill her father.
The subsequent plot, of course, follows Lu Yanhe and his main characters as they use a series of wits and plans to help Zhou Ruo rescue her father and defeat the major villain, the deputy city lord.
The story framework is just this framework.
Of course, there are many details inside.
Director Wanrenhai said during a meeting with the actors: "This is not a political intrigue film. Although the basic framework of the story is that the deputy city lord wants to become the city lord himself, so after discovering that the city lord's daughter is the valley master of Black Wind Valley, he wants to use this opportunity to get rid of the two. But the core of the film is still all kinds of magic."
“The story framework is just a cup, and the focus is on the wine in the cup, right?” Jia Long said with a smile.
“That’s right.” Wanrenhai nodded. “So, when you’re performing, please don’t act too seriously. The tone of this play is comedic adventure.”
Lu Yanhe and Shang Yongzhou both nodded, indicating that they understood.
The young actor who plays Commander Wu is a newcomer named Jiang Chenyang.
He has been practicing martial arts since elementary school, and he is handsome and spirited. I have no idea where Longyan was dug out from.
Among the actors playing the main roles, he was the only newcomer.
Of course, he must have some talent to be able to play a major role in such a big-budget sequel.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Director, should I act a little more relaxed?"
“No, no need.” Wanrenhai immediately shook his head. “Your and Teacher Shang’s roles were already set in the first part. It would be strange to suddenly change them. In fact, I’m also sorry, but the tone of the second part places higher demands on you. In the first part, the overall tone of your two characters was heroic and melancholic. In this part, you have a shadow in your heart that you can’t let go of, and although Shang Yongzhou’s great revenge has been avenged, the regret will always remain in his heart. This kind of background cannot be changed by you. However, once Teacher Jia Long’s character appears, it is very clear in the script that his carefree and nonsensical style will gradually dilute the heavy atmosphere that you two brought from the first part. At this time, if you retain a little of the elements from the first part and are not so quickly assimilated and infected by him, that kind of opposition will actually give a better comedic effect.”
"As for the other characters, it's the same," Wanrenhai said. "I hope that everyone will not let the impression from the first film constrain your performance. You are all new characters, and you also have a completely new world view and background. This is an expansion of the world view of the first film. You should portray the vastness and richness of this world view and make it different from the first film."
Liu He nodded and said, "I, the deputy city lord, am full of schemes and tricks, but outwardly I am just a sycophant of the city lord. The most important thing is that I have ambition but only petty cleverness. In essence, I am stupid."
“Yes.” Wanrenhai nodded and said, “Teacher Liu, that’s exactly the kind of quality I hope your character can embody.”
"Actually, I'm pretty stereotyped. I'm a very capable person, but I present myself as a very honest and simple person," Cheng Shiyan said. "Well, I'd like to add a little something to make the character even more likable."
"What little setting?" Wanrenhai asked.
"Slave to his daughter".
“That works.” Wanrenhai’s eyes lit up immediately. “Great addition.”
...
This is the creative atmosphere of "Burning Fire 2".
Although it is a commercial special effects blockbuster and the story structure itself is relatively ordinary, every actor is trying their best to add brilliance to the characters and the film in their own way within this framework, making the story's logic more self-consistent.
In fact, if you want to nitpick, you can always find fault with the plot of any movie.
However, actors can use their performances to give characters charm and a filter, making the audience subconsciously overlook those flaws.
For example, Ren Suxi in "The Nameless".
A normal paralyzed person would not be able to speak like that, but that's what the script required. Moreover, if she couldn't present herself in that way, she couldn't play the role—the character's functions wouldn't be fulfilled.
In fact, Ren Suxi's performance made everyone believe in her character, ignore the objective problems, and feel sorry for her from the bottom of their hearts.
On the other hand, the robbers played by Zhang Yu and Pan Binlong are also like that. Essentially, their performances are theatrical rather than realistic, especially the scene where they apply the medicine—
However, the actors' strong conviction and excellent performance made that hilarious scene, upon reflection, feel incredibly real, almost like a work of art.
This demonstrates the skill of a performer.
This is also the function of performance.
In "Burning Fire 2", the actors were actually required to give such performances.
-
In fact, the best scenes in the movie "Burning Fire 2," which Lu Yanhe was most looking forward to, were not shown in the script.
For example, a scene of "group fighting".
The group infiltrated Black Wind Valley, but during their rescue of the girl, she "betrayed" them, summoning the valley's guards, and a fight broke out between them.
But this is not an action movie, nor is it a martial arts movie; it is a world of sorcerers.
In this section, Wanrenhai's script was not presented in written form, but rather in storyboard sketches.
In the storyboard sketches, this "gang fight" was incredibly exciting and varied.
Each person uses a different spell, and after every few close-up shots of spells, there will be a wide-angle shot.
In the panoramic view, four or five, or even seven or eight different spells are cast simultaneously, just like "fireworks".
Most importantly, due to the urgency of the situation, each of them also had their own action scenes while casting spells.
If I had to describe it in one sentence, it would be: ever-changing, as exciting as a boiling pot.
This is the part that Lu Yanhe particularly wanted to film.
-
Originally, Lu Yanhe planned to take a leave of absence before the release of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" to promote the film.
As it happened, these past two days, we happened to be filming one of the "group fight scenes".
These kinds of scenes can be filmed for four or five days, or even more than ten days.
Lu Yanhe can certainly ask for leave, and the production crew will not refuse.
However, if he takes leave, it will inevitably affect the production crew's arrangements.
Lu Yanhe didn't want to affect anyone.
In the case of "You Are the Apple of My Eye," it wasn't necessarily him who was indispensable.
After much deliberation, Lu Yanhe gave up on asking for leave and decided to stay on set and film the movie.
He could only post one Weibo post: What a pity, I'm on set and can't go to the cinema to see "You Are the Apple of My Eye" right away. If "Love Letter" is a book of reminiscence for someone in the quiet of the night, then "You Are the Apple of My Eye" is like walking on a crowded street and suddenly seeing a few familiar faces, feeling a sense of bewilderment as if pierced by a thousand arrows of time. Ah, youth.
-
Ah, youth.
"You Are the Apple of My Eye" is a romance film, but it is also a coming-of-age film.
After "Buried Alive" grossed over 400 million yuan in April, Li Zhibai is back to conquer the box office with another film.
Of course, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" didn't rely on Li Zhibai alone to carry the box office.
The second male lead is Li Yuefeng, the first female lead is Yan Lingyu, and the second female lead is Xiao Yun.
Apart from Yan Lingyu, who has somewhat "disappeared" since "Late Spring," Li Yuefeng and Xiao Yun are both top-tier celebrities.
Only "You Are the Apple of My Eye" could bring together so many popular stars in a youth romance film.
It has been proven that the combination of celebrity influence and mainstream commercial themes like youth romance can generate astonishing commercial data—although many people know that such data is often unsustainable.
But who knows?
Love Letter managed to gross over 1 billion yuan at the box office thanks to its sensational marketing campaign. You Are the Apple of My Eye has even greater commercial appeal, so who knows what kind of miracle it will create?
Moreover, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" was released at a time when the box office ceiling had been broken, reaching billions. When the original version was released, the market was far smaller, and the lead actors were all unknown at the time. The film relied entirely on word-of-mouth and social media buzz to drive box office revenue.
The role of Lu Yanhe's "golden finger" is to know what kind of stories will be liked by the audience, and then to arm them with elements that are recognized by the market, thus protecting and supporting them.
In late June, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" was released on an ordinary Friday.
It grossed 32 million yuan on its opening day, taking first place. On the second day, Saturday, the box office soared to 48 million yuan. On Sunday, the box office dropped back to 34 million yuan. Over the first three days, it grossed a total of 110 million yuan.
Compared to the opening weekend box office of "Buried", it seems to be much weaker.
However, Linghe still issued a congratulatory announcement regarding the box office success.
Nobody was in a hurry.
As Lu Yanhe said, this film relied entirely on star power and early trailers to sell tickets on its opening weekend. As long as it maintains its screening schedule and doesn't lose out to other films, the advantages of the youth romance genre will only become apparent once the film generates buzz.
#The heavy rain we missed in those years, the love we missed in those years#
A topic has quietly entered various social media platforms.
One after another, "stories of pursuit," "stories of breakups," and "stories of regrets" are like heavy rain at dusk, large and small beads, sprinkling across the vast ocean of the internet.
In fact, these are not advertorials that were arranged in a dramatic way.
Stories like these don't need writers to create advertorials; all you need is an editor to compile and promote them.
An article titled "To truly like someone is to sit in the audience and sincerely wish her well when she marries someone else" has appeared.
(End of this chapter)
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