Chapter 834 Number One Fan
Wen Shengming had actually heard about this script before.
He didn't expect that Lu Yanhe would come to him with this script at this time.
Although he had wondered before whether he would be offered the role of the father in the film.
To put it simply, this movie is an ensemble piece featuring three main characters.
The other two roles are played by Lu Yanhe and Yu Mengling respectively.
Which actor wouldn't be attracted to such a pair of co-stars?
Wen Shengming's status in the domestic film industry is undoubtedly high, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to collaborate with these two people.
Especially after he collaborated with Lu Yanhe on the film "Dingfeng No. 1".
Why is it that almost all veteran actors find acting somewhat difficult?
Putting aside those who deliberately try to disgust people, there are also people like Wen Shengming, just like Lu Yanhe now. Everyone cherishes their own reputation.
Therefore, in the early stages of cooperation, there will be some probing and some struggle for the right to speak.
For example, Wen Shengming initially asked Lu Yanhe to have breakfast with him every day.
This is actually to make Lu Yanhe understand who the actor with real power is in the production crew.
Lu Yanhe was not angry at this point and could still accept it because Wen Shengming did not take advantage of the situation.
If Wen Shengming uses this as an excuse to take advantage of his age and start to torment him, he is certainly not a fool to sit idly by and wait to be bullied.
But having truly understood Lu Yanhe's character, would Wen Shengming have ever done such a thing?
Naturally, it won't happen.
On the contrary, after working with him and learning what kind of actor Lu Yanhe is, there's a phrase that describes how "irresistible" it is.
That's what it's like when a good actor is acting opposite another actor with whom he can create sparks.
-
Many people don't know what Wen Shengming's criteria are for accepting roles now.
It seems like he hasn't seriously acted in a play or played a role for many years, making people wonder if he doesn't want to act anymore.
However, his past glories and popularity in China make him seem like he has "retired" from the entertainment industry, but he has never truly left.
Before "Dingfeng No. 1", Wen Shengming even starred in a period drama.
It was also extremely popular for a time.
The film "Dingfeng No. 1" brought him back to the film industry.
After that, a large number of scripts and roles came his way, but Wen Shengming's agent rejected them all.
Of course, there are reasons to politely decline.
For example, the role was the same as one that Wen Shengming had played before.
For example, the script is a bit rough.
For example, Wen Shengming is currently taking a break and hasn't considered taking on another role yet.
etc.
Chen Pinhe could lie low for so many years, let alone Wen Shengming.
Like gold being sifted from sand, they are the actors who stood the last in their generation.
They no longer need to rely on one or two films per year or two to solidify their position.
As long as they want to make a film, they just need to spread the word, and various companies will scour their script collections and send them invitations.
As long as they give their approval, the project will be given the green light immediately.
They are the big shots who get projects approved.
Therefore, everyone thought that Wen Shengming might really be unwilling to take on another film just because "The Wind Rises" has just been released.
As a result, news suddenly broke that he would also be joining the cast of "The Boat," which had been the subject of much discussion recently.
"Wen Shengming has become completely tied to Lu Yanhe these past two years."
"Yes, how come you've been cooperating with Lu Yanhe so many times?"
"You know what, you see, basically all the actors who have worked with Lu Yanhe continue to work with him."
"The movie 'The Boat' was clearly produced by Yu Mengling, and Lu Yanhe was just the lead actor. But in your mouths, it's become a movie by Lu Yanhe. He didn't even write the script."
"But the film was personally invested in by Lu Yanhe, and Linghe also invested a portion. Do you think Lu Yanhe isn't a producer?"
"..."
"Lu Yanhe is now incredibly wealthy and powerful, earning a third of the money in the Chinese film market all by himself."
“It’s Linghe, not just Lu Yanhe. You can’t believe Lu Yanhe made all the money. What about the hundreds of people at Linghe who are starving? There are so many directors, screenwriters, and production staff. And it’s not like Lu Yanhe wrote all the scripts.”
Is there any difference?
"You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. I admit that Lu Yanhe is rich and powerful, but I suspect you're just being jealous of him and trying to incite hatred against him."
"You're not a fan of Lu Yanhe, are you? Why are you so upset about this?"
"Is this a dilemma? There's a sour tone in your words. If you have something to say, just say it directly. What's the point of hiding it?"
"Alright, alright, what are you arguing about? You're all too concerned about this. How much money Lu Yanhe makes is none of your business. It's none of your concern how much he earns."
"It would be great if Lu Yanhe were willing to invest in a film like 'The Boat,' otherwise it's not a new problem that art films have been struggling to find investment."
“Lu Yanhe invests in quite a few art films every year, so ‘The Boat’ is no exception.”
"The key point is, with Wen Shengming, Lu Yanhe, and Yu Mengling starring, are you telling me that it's hard to find investment with such a cast? Wouldn't they be fighting over investors if they were in the same boat?"
"It's easy to say, but when investors actually look at the film's subject matter, they still have doubts. This time, 'The Wind Rises' didn't even gross $200 million worldwide, which led to some media attacking Lu Yanhe, saying that his box office appeal had failed. They made it sound so convincing, but do you think those investors really understand? One investor I know even asked me seriously if Lu Yanhe's new film couldn't find investment, and whether he could gain Lu Yanhe's favor by investing at this time."
"..."
"Is your friend completely out of his mind? He has absolutely no idea about the market."
"How many investors do you think truly understand the market?"
"Shouldn't we be discussing why Wen Shengming accepted this film?"
"What else could it be? It's because of Lu Yanhe."
-
Chen Pinhe, who was promoting the movie "The Pianist," saw the news on the street and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Yuezhen immediately noticed Chen Pinhe's unusual behavior.
“Wen Shengming has also joined the cast of the film ‘The Boat’,” Chen Pinhe said.
Zhang Yuezhen was also stunned for a moment.
"Wen Shengming and Lu Yanhe are getting so close."
"Yes, he's now so influential that he can get Wen Shengming to collaborate on two consecutive films."
In fact, Chen Pinhe has not yet collaborated with Wen Shengming.
In the early years of his career, Wen Shengming was at the height of his fame, and he was not qualified to join the crew of Wen Shengming's production.
Later, he became famous and won awards, but Wen Shengming "retired" and rarely appeared in the public eye.
Sometimes, if you haven't worked with key figures in a certain circle, you won't gain the approval of that circle.
Chen Pinhe and Wen Shengming were a generation apart.
It was precisely this generation that allowed Chen Pinhe to maintain a stable position in the Chinese entertainment industry, but prevented him from taking it any further.
This further step actually reflects the level of acceptance from the previous generation.
Many people believe that the director is the top Chinese film director, but in fact, for a long time, he was no match for another true academic.
The older generation did not necessarily respect the Imperial Advisor.
What is considered orthodox, what is considered mainstream.
It wasn't until the older generation died or became paralyzed that the Imperial Preceptor truly secured his position and became the new orthodoxy and the new mainstream.
Marry, one of the leading actresses in Chinese films in recent years, also needed to star in his film to win a Best Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Marry is certainly fully capable of winning Best Actress, but did she really need to star in his film to win? With so many films before, couldn't she have won? It's a matter of opinion.
You can certainly win awards even if you don't star in a film directed by these influential figures, but only when these figures aren't actively protecting you. Otherwise, if everyone has the ability to win awards, the ones with close ties will definitely take the prize.
Chen Pinhe originally thought that he wouldn't force himself to fit into the previous generation's circle since he couldn't fit in.
However, Lu Yanhe managed to get into the television industry through Luo Yuzhong and Chen Lingling, and then established connections with Wang Zhong and Wen Shengming. In just a few years, Lu Yanhe became a favorite of the older generation.
How could Chen Pinhe not be furious?
Working with Lu Yanhe on two consecutive films is practically a blatant display of "I'm very satisfied with Lu Yanhe."
No wonder—
So many attacks against Lu Yanhe and his film and television projects seemed to be defused by an invisible hand, having no effect on him whatsoever.
No matter the release date, if Lu Yanhe's film is going to be shown, no one can stop it from being shown for any reason.
Whether it's honors or awards, Lu Yanhe can always emerge unscathed from competing with the Golden Tripod Awards, leaving the Golden Tripod Awards to suffer significant losses.
Perhaps even Lu Yanhe himself doesn't know how much power is protecting him.
The thought of this made Chen Pinhe feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Unbeknownst to him, the power Lu Yanhe held in his hands and the power gathered around him had already reversed the disparity between him and Lu Yanhe.
This also means... a sense of crisis.
When did he suddenly lose control of the situation?
This feeling is very unpleasant.
Of course, no one cared about that. Because only he himself knew how he felt.
-
"Yan He, have you noticed that now when you're working on a film project, even a low-budget art film, you can't help but use the best production team?"
Chen Ziyan winked at Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe said, "The script for 'The Boat' is so good, it would be a shame not to use the best team to produce it."
“However, how could a script that you’ve taken a liking to be bad?” Chen Ziyan laughed. “It’s a paradox, but there are always some films that don’t seem to have a great production team at the beginning of their production. Of course, you may never encounter such a production team again. The best production talents are all waiting to work with you. With your style, I guess you will support any script you take a liking to without reservation. Now everyone outside is saying that you are rich and powerful, and that you support art films regardless of cost.”
Lu Yanhe: "...Then I really don't know what to say."
Chen Ziyan: "Because what you said came true, right?"
Lu Yanhe: "You make me sound like a coal mine owner."
“That’s quite similar, after all, the most popular investors in the entertainment industry used to be coal bosses,” Chen Ziyan said. “Apart from handpicked leading ladies, the rest of the projects were all high-paying and low-stress, which producer or director wouldn’t like that?”
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Chen Ziyan: "Of course, you not only handpicked the lead actors, but you also handpicked the director."
Lu Yanhe: "It sounds like I must be the kind of collaborator who is very unpopular."
“In artistic creation, those who are favored are those who lack talent,” Chen Ziyan said. “Those who are talented are wasting their time if they cannot showcase their talent. You are not a newcomer. Job opportunities are more important than artistic attitude. You are Lu Yanhe. Artistic attitude is your core value, and artistic aesthetics are the feathers you must cherish. Those who do not seriously consider your opinions have much more problems than you who make the opinions.”
Lu Yanhe: "...Sister Ziyan, you really are my number one fan."
“Pretty much, you’re right.” Chen Ziyan smiled. “I’ve never denied that. If I were just your manager, I couldn’t have lasted that long.”
-
Chen Ziyan has indeed said many times before that she is not a person who keeps her word. Even Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige said they would not cooperate if they wanted to.
Her legendary status in the martial arts world is definitely partly due to this incident.
However, Lu Yanhe's collaboration with Chen Ziyan is no longer the typical collaboration between an agent and an artist.
Chen Ziyan had previously mentioned that because of him, she had the opportunity to do what she had always wanted to do: "picking up fires".
Chen Ziyan said, "Wen Shengming's agent, Chen Keqiu, also contacted me."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
“He said he hoped to entrust Wen Shengming’s brokerage business to us, and he himself would act as an independent agent and partner to handle Wen Shengming’s brokerage business,” Chen Ziyan said. “He also realized that if Wen Shengming wanted to expand his international influence like Jiang Jun, his current resources were not enough.”
"What's Teacher Wen's opinion?"
"He said he hasn't spoken to Teacher Wen yet, and he wants to clarify things with us before he talks to Teacher Wen."
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment, "Professor Wen might not be willing. He's not quite the same as Professor Jiang Jun. Professor Wen doesn't really care about advancing his career further. He's very concerned about the international performance of 'Dingfeng No. 1' purely because, as a Chinese filmmaker, he wants to see what kind of results the film can achieve. If it requires his cooperation to help 'Dingfeng No. 1' achieve better results, he will do it. But if it's just for his own sake, then he might not be willing."
Chen Ziyan said, "Teacher Wen won the Best Actor Award at the Venice International Film Festival, and 'The Wind Rises' helped him make a name for himself in the international film industry. If he really wants to see Chinese films gain more and more influence in the international arena, he shouldn't just be a bystander. He can definitely become one of the driving forces to promote this. I also think that since Chen Keqiu came to me, he must have realized that Wen Shengming still has ideas about the international market. Otherwise, why would he bother to do this?"
Lu Yanhe nodded. "Indeed, I may have misunderstood. Chen Keqiu is the one who understands Teacher Wen the most."
The two of them have been working together for decades.
Just as Lu Yanhe had no doubt that Chen Ziyan probably understood him better than he understood himself.
Chen Ziyan said, "If Teacher Wen's agency business can be signed by Shihuo, that would be great. Among the actors we currently sign at Shihuo, the oldest is Teacher Jiang Jun, and we are just lacking actors of Wen Shengming's age."
Lu Yanhe said, "However, Teacher Wen usually has very high standards for the roles he accepts. Can we, Shi Huo, meet his requirements?"
"I'm not afraid of high standards, I'm only afraid of unclear standards," Chen Ziyan said. "Chen Keqiu will come along. With him to communicate, what Shi Huo needs to do is actually execution and finding resources. These are Shi Huo's strengths. With Chen Keqiu around, we don't need to guess what Teacher Wen is thinking. This is the most troublesome part of working with established artists. Everything else is relatively okay."
Lu Yanhe: "Understood."
Chen Ziyan said, "There's another thing. Zhang Ruozhi's mother asked if Zhang Ruozhi could take on one or two roles if there were suitable performance opportunities during the winter and summer vacations."
"Her mother has changed her mind and now supports Zhang Ruozhi becoming an actress?" Lu Yanhe was astonished.
He still remembers how much Zhang Ruozhi's mother didn't want her to become an artist when she was in Jiangzhi.
Chen Ziyan said, "No, it's not that. Her mother just wanted to give Zhang Ruozhi more options in the future. I think Zhang Ruozhi herself doesn't really want to be an actress. She has a really easygoing personality and enjoys university life very much. Even though the movie 'Love Letter' brought her so much exposure, many people are still sharing clips of her from the movie."
Lu Yanhe said, "Ruozhi's own thoughts are the most important. Why don't we ask Ruozhi what she thinks? If she is willing, we can find her a few roles during the winter and summer vacations to keep her in the public eye. This way, she will still have a foundation if she wants to act after graduation."
Chen Ziyan nodded, "What if Ruozhi really doesn't want to be an actress? Should we try to persuade her? To be honest, she has great talent, and it's a real pity that she's not an actress."
“You can’t force something like this,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides, when she acted in ‘Love Letter,’ it was completely her own performance. It didn’t involve any acting skills. It was just that she had a great sense of the camera. In this respect, she’s truly blessed. She can try whatever she wants to do first. To put it bluntly, with ‘Love Letter,’ even if she wanted to come back to acting ten years later, she would still have the opportunity. She’s very lucky. She can try whatever she wants to do first. She can have more freedom in her life. There’s no need to hastily cut off all other possibilities for a little visible future.”
Chen Ziyan: "You're really something else."
"What's so great about me?" Lu Yanhe shook his head. "My number one fan, please put away a little of your admiration and affection for me."
Chen Ziyan burst out laughing.
"I'll say the same thing to you: live a freer life. You've already worked so hard, and the world has expanded for you. Don't always keep yourself running on the track."
Lu Yanhe: "I... if I was born to be an athlete, the only time I feel comfortable is on the track."
"Never mind what I said, keep running."
-
The team behind "The Boat" is basically all set.
It will be ready to go next month.
Lu Yanhe went to record the latest episode of "The Days of Youth" and reunited with his old friends.
This variety show has run for eight seasons, making it one of the longest-running variety shows in China.
What's most amazing about this show is that all the cast members have risen to stardom and secured their positions as top-tier celebrities, yet not a single one has been replaced. From the first season to the latest, even though scheduling has become increasingly difficult and it's harder to get everyone together, not a single one has been changed or lost.
With "The Days of Youth" reaching its ninth season, it remains Lu Yanhe's only regular variety show appearance since his debut—not counting "The Birth of an Actor," where he served as the initiator in the first season.
Just by looking at Lu Yanhe's fans, you can tell how important this variety show is to him.
Even now, Lu Yanhe still lists "The Days of Youth" as one of his representative works in his personal profile on social media platforms.
Li Zhenzhen happily invited everyone to eat together.
Because of exceptionally good luck, Lu Yanhe returned to participate in this episode, which was quite rare, as everyone was present.
(End of this chapter)
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