Chapter 822 Like an Emperor Choosing a Concubine
Chen Siqi didn't know what was wrong with Lu Yanhe.
He didn't seem to like clinging to her this much before.
Of course, she was very happy.
She always felt that there was a wall in Lu Yanhe's heart, blocking everyone and making everyone think that it was the end of his soul.
Only Chen Siqi herself knows that this is not the case.
Things have gotten a little better in recent years, but only a little.
However, this time when Lu Yanhe returned, something seemed different.
"How are you?"
"Okay, very good." Lu Yanhe smiled languidly.
Chen Siqi nodded: "I know you're fine. It's strange, I don't know why I asked you this."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
Are you going to the company today?
"I'm not going today," Chen Siqi shook her head. "My work is all arranged, and I can rest for the next couple of days."
Lu Yanhe asked, "How about we go to the mountains and find a place to be secluded from the world?"
Chen Siqi: "Sure."
Lu Yanhe immediately messaged Wang Biao, asking if he had any recommendations.
Wang Biao has enough information and resources in this area to start his own high-end service company.
Sure enough, not long after, Wang Biao sent him three options.
Lu Yanhe picked one out and settled on it.
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Lu Yanhe finally returned, but those who wanted to contact him found that they still couldn't reach him.
Not only him, but Chen Siqi can't be contacted either.
At the age of 26, he received three Oscar nominations and won two Oscars.
It's not just about becoming famous early; it's about becoming famous as early as possible.
The film association wanted to hold a seminar on his works, but couldn't find anyone to attend.
Longyan wants to discuss the performance agreement for "Burning Fire 3" with him as soon as possible, but can't find him.
Chen Yin wanted to communicate with him about the work arrangements for Linghe this year, but couldn't find him.
Various collaborations are seeking him out, and—
No one can be found.
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"He didn't even bring his phone, so we can't contact him at all," Chen Ziyan said helplessly to the person on the other end of the phone. "Mr. Zhang, this is really not an excuse. Please ask around outside. If anyone can contact him, I'll treat you to dinner right away to apologize."
"I'm telling the truth, I can't get in touch with him at all." Chen Ziyan sighed with a smile, "If I could get in touch with him, I would definitely talk to him."
After a few more words, the other party finally hung up the phone.
Chen Ziyan put down her phone.
Just then, Lu Qingzhen knocked on the door and came in. Through the glass door, she saw Chen Ziyan's actions and expressions.
She smiled so broadly her eyes crinkled, and said, "Looking for Lu Yanhe again?"
“Yeah.” Chen Ziyan shook her head speechlessly. “It’s always the same. Sigh.”
Lu Qingzhen: "Which mountain is Yan He on now?"
"I think it's called something like 'Big Girl Mountain'?" Chen Ziyan said. "I don't know where it is, but according to him, it's a secluded place."
Lu Qingzhen: "Such a nice place, I'll ask him about it later, and I'll go there for a vacation too."
“I really need to take a good vacation.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “These past two years have been so tiring and exhausting. I feel like I wasn’t even this mentally exhausted when I first started working.”
Lu Qingzhen: "When I first started working, I wasn't mentally exhausted. I was physically exhausted because I was sacrificing my health to build my career."
Chen Ziyan: "My health isn't what it used to be."
Lu Qingzhen smiled slightly, "We're in our prime, what's there to say about not being as good as we were back then? We're about to achieve our original goal."
Chen Ziyan said, "Really? Is it about to be realized? I feel like the closer we get, the further away it seems. Sigh, I'm increasingly realizing that accumulation is something that really takes time. Compared to those behemoths, we at Shihuo are too young. And, to be honest, if we hadn't met Yan He, a genius that comes along once in a century, how would we have narrowed the gap with them? We wouldn't even have the right to negotiate."
“Why think about these things? What do you mean by saying that if we hadn’t encountered Yanhe, we would have encountered him now? Why think about things we haven’t encountered yet? What does this mean? It means that fate wants us to succeed.” Lu Qingzhen said, “What we might only be able to do in thirty or fifty years, we can do now. Isn’t that great? Do you really want to wait until you’re old and gray to lament your bad luck? If you ask me, being able to encounter this crucial moment when I’m most energetic and capable is the best thing.”
"You're becoming more and more motivated, while I'm becoming less and less willing to make any changes."
“You’ve already reached a certain height and want to stop and rest, to enjoy the scenery,” Lu Qingzhen laughed. “But that won’t do. We can’t stop halfway up the mountain. Yan He is still climbing. You yourself said that we can’t hold him back and we need to ensure he has sufficient support behind him.”
Chen Ziyan: "Damn it, what kind of support is this! He went on a secluded vacation and left me with this mess! No way, when he comes back, I'm going on vacation too."
Lu Qingzhen: "...So, the crux of the problem is right here."
Chen Ziyan: "What's wrong? Is it not okay?"
“Is there anything wrong with you here?” Lu Qingzhen said with a smile. “How about we take a break this weekend and go shopping in France?”
"Too tired."
"Don't worry, I've arranged everything for you. You just need to get out the door."
"Okay."
Lu Qingzhen rolled her eyes with a smile.
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After the Chinese New Year, Yan Liang joined the crew to film "Speed".
This film was not shot in the United States, but in Germany—in order to take advantage of Germany's tax refund policy.
Knowing that Yan Liang was coming to Germany to film, Hua Ruzhen specially helped Yan Liang find accommodation. Parameter had arranged hotels, but Hua Ruzhen insisted on finding a more comfortable place for Yan Liang, especially when he didn't have filming days and could rest.
Not only that, after learning that Parameter had not arranged a separate vehicle for Yan Liang, Hua Ruzhen specially arranged a car and a driver for him to serve him at any time.
Yan Liang was shocked.
It's not that he can't enjoy such services in other film crews now, but that Hua Ruzhen doing these things is completely not what she needs to do.
Hua Ruzhen said, "I treat all of you like younger brothers. If you were filming somewhere else, that would be fine, but you've come to Germany, and I'm not going to arrange everything for you? I might as well not contact you at all, and you can call me 'sister' for nothing."
Yan Liang could only laugh for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Hua Ruzhen added, "Don't feel pressured. Yan He is filming in the United States, and every time he wants to organize a party, I'm the one who takes care of it. Arranging these things is normal work for me, and it doesn't take much effort."
"Thank you, Sister Ruzhen."
“That’s right,” Hua Ruzhen said. “From now on, if I arrange something for you, just say thank you. If you accept it, don’t be shy, okay?”
Yan Liang nodded with a smile.
“I imagine you’ll have a lot of filming work every day while you’re filming ‘Speed,’ so don’t skimp on the logistics,” Hua Ruzhen said. “You actors especially need to be in good condition; this isn’t something you can just grit your teeth and get through.”
"good."
A little later, Yan Liang told them about it in the group chat.
Li Zhibai said: When I was filming in the United States, she took good care of me.
Yan Liang: Oh right, she told me that Muken wants you to play a role in his next movie, and he'll probably come to China to see you next month, did you know that?
Li Zhibai: I know. Yan He told me. Sigh, there's nothing I can do. I'm just that outstanding. Everyone loves me. Every director wants to work with me.
Yan Liang: ...
Li Zhibai: Tsk, how can someone be this outstanding?
Yan Liang: Get lost.
-
Li Zhibai put down his phone with a smile.
"What are you laughing at?" Jiang Yuqian asked.
Li Zhibai said, "I teased Yan Liang a few times."
Jiang Yuqian glared at him and said, "Can't you be serious for once? You're always teasing this or that."
Li Zhibai: "It wouldn't be fun if we didn't tease them a bit."
Jiang Yuqian: "The role of Wang Xiaojian is really perfect for you. I didn't see it wrong."
Li Zhibai: "This character is quite interesting; he's different from any of the characters I've played before."
Jiang Yuqian: "Does this mean you can completely let loose and perform?"
Li Zhibai: "I'm afraid that if I go all out with my performance, you'll break up with me."
Jiang Yuqian couldn't help but smile and said, "My tolerance is greater than you think."
Li Zhibai: "The extent to which I act crazy is beyond your imagination."
Jiang Yuqian: "Then let's give it a try."
Li Zhibai: "Sigh, do you really want me to act in this?"
Jiang Yuqian said, "Why don't we play a couple once?"
Li Zhibai gasped.
"I have to act, I absolutely must act."
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In March, the Italian films "Crocodile" and "Housewife," produced by Linghe, were released in China one after another.
One film grossed 13 million RMB at the box office, and the other grossed 25 million RMB.
Both films essentially recouped their purchase costs through theatrical box office revenue.
Chen Yin now steadily acquires the distribution rights to seven or eight foreign films in China. He doesn't expect them to be box office hits, but rather to use these films to open up domestic distribution channels and ensure that the publicity channels they've worked so hard to build always have something to do.
For both films, Linghe specially invited the main creative team members and then invited domestic filmmakers to hold dialogue and exchange activities with them.
These activities are mostly held on university campuses or in theaters.
Tickets are required for everything at the event.
Of course, there will also be live streams online.
This is a film culture international exchange project specially approved by the higher authorities; otherwise, live streaming would not be permitted under normal circumstances.
However, given that film is now an important medium for international cultural exchange in China, and with Linghe's background, it still managed to obtain such qualifications.
For films like "Crocodile" and "Housewife," Linghe doesn't pursue screen time at all, nor does it engage in large-scale promotion. It doesn't appear on popular variety shows or in splash screen ads. It also promotes very little through local advertising.
Linghe spent almost all of its publicity budget on media platforms like "Jump Up" and Yemai.com, where literary and artistic youths gather. Then, it invited book bloggers, movie bloggers, and art bloggers with large followings on these platforms to watch the film and interact with the creators.
This promotional model achieves the best cost-effectiveness with minimal funding.
Although other film companies consider both films to be flops, even if they make a profit, it will be so meager.
Chen Yincai didn't care what they said, nor did he care that such figures would look bad in the financial report.
Not at all.
Lu Yanhe didn't care. The company wasn't listed, didn't accept investment from others, and didn't have any directors to interfere.
Chen Yin felt that this job was incredibly engaging and fulfilling.
Many people in the company are very enthusiastic about doing these tasks.
To reiterate, with a large project, everyone can get a piece of the action, but with a bunch of small projects, everyone can see the hope of becoming independent.
The carrot dangling in front of the mule wasn't entirely meaningless.
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By the end of March, Lu Yanhe finally reappeared in front of everyone.
This is the Red River Award ceremony.
Lu Yanhe presented the award to the Best Actress as a presenter.
After disappearing for almost a month, his reappearance caused quite a stir.
Once inside, almost everyone greeted him.
Li Yuefeng, who was nominated for Best Actor this year, also attended.
Li Yuefeng's career has been developing very well in recent years. He has popularity, buzz, awards, and nominations.
Back when Lu Yanhe first met Li Yuefeng, he was an actor who, although quite popular, had not yet established himself. Now, he has firmly established himself as a top-tier actor in China, and his achievements in all aspects are no less than those of other top-tier actors.
Last year, he took on a serious drama series that aired on CCTV and achieved high ratings. It was this serious drama that earned Li Yuefeng this year's nomination.
I just don't know if he'll be able to win an award this year.
Li Yuefeng said, "I really didn't expect you to come today."
Lu Yanhe: "I took a break a while ago. I had already promised the Honghe Award, so I couldn't not come."
Li Yuefeng: "I've discovered that the ancients were right."
"What the heck? The ancients were right again?"
“Since I met you, I’ve not only started acting in movies and improved my acting skills, but I’ve also been able to take on more diverse roles and scripts. My standards have also risen. After watching the movie ‘Crocodile,’ I even sent a review to my acting coach.” Li Yuefeng said, “If it weren’t for that, I might still be thinking about how to make myself handsome, gain fans, and maintain a high level of popularity. The ancients were right, you become like those you associate with.”
"Oh my god, can you please stop with this? It's giving me goosebumps," Lu Yanhe said with a laugh.
Li Yuefeng: "To tell you the truth, you'll get goosebumps. You've lost all ability to feel genuine emotions."
Lu Yanhe: "...I can't take it."
"Sigh, I've really played several roles that I've never encountered before in the past few years." He said, "I don't care about fame and stuff anymore. I want to play a role that I can really enjoy. Now, if you ask me to just look cool or show off my muscles, tsk, that's not interesting."
Lu Yanhe: "...Don't tell me, go tell someone else."
“What can I say to others?” Li Yuefeng shook his head. “What do they know?”
Lu Yanhe: "I haven't watched any of the TV dramas you've acted in this time."
“You have to see this. I’ve never played a lawyer so seriously before,” Li Yuefeng said. “Wow, I even spent two weeks at a law firm to experience it firsthand. You didn’t expect that, did you? I didn’t even realize it myself.”
"Then I'll definitely go and watch your show later."
“You only need to watch my cuts, you don’t need to watch the others,” Li Yuefeng said immediately. “There are quite a few talented actors in this drama. If you watch other people’s clips, you might give my role to someone else. I don’t want to create competitors for myself.”
"Come on, you're talking about competitors? Now everyone else is competing with you."
"You're kidding me. When you ask me to act, I always make sure to clear my schedule and take the role, no matter what. Other film companies are competing with me, but why would you need to compete with me?" Li Yuefeng said. "You're like an emperor in ancient times choosing his concubines. Whoever he chooses, they'll obediently come to serve him."
"Shut up, you're getting more and more ridiculous." Lu Yanhe was speechless.
Li Yuefeng laughed.
-
Unfortunately, Li Yuefeng did not win the Best Actor award at this year's Honghe Awards.
The Best Actor award went to He Man, the lead actor in director Luo Yuzhong's "The White Doctor".
This is the first award won by a talented actor who has been acting for over twenty years.
He Man was moved to tears on stage.
The Best Actress award was won again by Wan Xin, who had won the award a few years ago.
Two seals.
This year, there were no stories of young actors rising to prominence; all the winners were established actors in their forties and fifties.
After the awards ceremony, Lu Yanhe and Li Yuefeng bumped into each other backstage.
He asked Li Yuefeng, "Are you feeling alright?"
“It’s not bad. I know I probably won’t get it,” Li Yuefeng said. “Being nominated is good enough. I’m very satisfied.”
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"We'll wait until you win the award next time."
Li Yuefeng winked at Lu Yanhe.
"Then write me a script, and I'll win an award."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Lu Yanhe said, "Let's see how they perform in 'The Corpse' and 'My Sassy Girl'."
Li Yuefeng: "With me starring, do you still need to worry about my performance? It's guaranteed to be a box office hit and profitable!"
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The movie "The Corpse" has indeed started its promotional campaign.
This crime thriller will be released during the Qingming Festival period.
This is a low-budget film produced by Linghe, with a production budget of 12 million yuan. Linghe also contributed 10 million yuan for publicity and distribution, bringing the total cost to 22 million yuan.
According to the conventional calculation formula, this movie needs to gross 66 million yuan in theaters to make a profit.
However, Linghe's films do not rely solely on theatrical releases to recoup their costs.
The broadcasting rights for the television stations, from CCTV to Yuehu TV, have been sold for the first three rounds, totaling 6 million RMB.
The overseas distribution rights have already been sold to six markets: the United States, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. Although these weren't outright buyouts, the guaranteed prices were relatively low, yet they still generated $3.5 million in revenue, which translates to nearly 25 million RMB. The guaranteed payments from the overseas distributions already sold have already recouped the costs and started generating profit.
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"Therefore, in doing business, you still need to expand the market; you can't rely on just one tree to bear fruit."
Li Yuefeng was extremely dedicated to this film; not only did he arrange the promotional schedule himself, but he also cooperated with it very well.
He also used a lot of his connections and resources, including shooting for two fashion magazines, all of which were specifically done around the theme of "The Corpse".
The pre-sale figures for "The Corpse" are impressive; it had already surpassed 10 million yuan in pre-sales before April.
The publisher of "The Corpse" in North America is not Green Valley, but D19.
Because D19 is top-notch in the industry when it comes to making horror and thriller films, Xu Tianming believes that entrusting "The Corpse" to D19 would be more secure.
D19 also did a great job. After missing out on "Buried," they specially hired top voice actors to dub "The Corpse" and arranged a promotional event at a comic convention.
In North America, comic conventions are a huge promotional window for exposure.
Li Yuefeng and others are not well-known in North America.
However, D19 is also good at creating hype, describing him as "an actor of the same level as Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang in China", and describing "The Corpse" as "another Chinese-style thriller after 'Buried'".
For this kind of movie, whether it's famous or not isn't that important.
After all, many horror movie enthusiasts have heard of "Mermaid in the Sewers," but how many people actually watch it because of a particular actor?
The most distinctive feature of Hollywood film promotion lies here. They clearly understand which actors have genuine box office appeal and therefore need to be highlighted in the promotion, while the promotion of other actors is used to emphasize a certain feature or characteristic of the film, rather than the actors themselves.
This is something Lu Yanhe now requires Linghe to pay attention to when promoting film and television dramas.
We must never make celebrities the end point of our publicity efforts. Celebrities should always be the medium of publicity, not the content of the publicity itself.
Most people who watch a movie are the silent majority who don't care about the stars.
The key is the general public's perception.
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The low-to-medium budget film "The Corpse" has also begun a global promotional campaign due to its release date being roughly the same as the film's release date.
This approach actually has one advantage: it can save on advertising costs.
Publishers in each market can leverage promotional elements from other markets, saving significant manpower, resources, and money.
After finishing his promotional tour in the United States, Li Yuefeng did not return to China but went directly to Japan.
Japan is also a major market for thrillers.
In Japan, we helped him get a cover shoot for a very famous horror and thriller magazine.
In addition, Li Yuefeng also appeared at a comic convention in Japan, signing movie posters in the guise of a movie character.
He still has a certain level of fame and fans in Japan.
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"Why do I feel that the movie 'The Corpse' can still achieve high box office returns in the global market?"
Privately, Mrs. Huang told Huang Zhongjing.
Huang Zhongjing said, "Linghe has now expanded its global distribution channels. In particular, each of their films can be released in several overseas markets at the same time as the domestic market, with concentrated promotion. A low-to-medium budget film can be made to look like a blockbuster. There's no way to compare."
Mrs. Wong: "Sigh, we've worked so hard on making this movie for so long, but it's not as big as the ones that have been made in two or three years."
Huang Zhongjing: "His vision and perspective are indeed broader, and he dares to take action."
(End of this chapter)
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