Chapter 344
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that Shang Yongzhou would take so long to prepare for a role.
This is something he doesn't quite understand now: does it really take half a year to prepare for a role?
Many new actors, having never acted before, are selected by directors and then undergo one to two years of training.
But that's because they haven't received acting training, and the roles themselves require them to achieve the character's state in terms of physique, movements, demeanor, and so on, which is why they undergo such long-term training.
When it comes to acting in a drama for the first time, Lu Yanhe also feels that long-term preparation is very important.
But now, perhaps because he's become more familiar with the roles, he feels that unless a role requires specific skills or an accent to learn, or is based on a real person and requires a lot of research, it generally doesn't take that much time.
Lu Yanhe certainly didn't think that Shang Yongzhou had taken too long to prepare; he wasn't that arrogant.
It was during this phone call with Shang Yongzhou that he realized the change in his mindset.
That's a bit too confident.
Perhaps because everyone around him was praising his acting, he gradually went from not understanding what acting was to having some understanding of it, and thus lost his initial reverence for acting.
This is not a good sign.
Lu Yanhe silently warned himself that he needed to be careful.
-
That day, as soon as the Introduction to Culture class ended, Lu Yanhe hurriedly went to the library.
He had to find the book he needed to borrow within fifteen minutes and get to the school gate within ten minutes—the campus was huge, and even something like this required calculating time so that he could get to the school gate by eleven o'clock.
Peng Zhixing came to pick him up.
Zou Dong took leave. He was attending his son's parent-teacher conference. Chen Ziyan arranged for a new bodyguard, but a problem arose: the bodyguard couldn't drive. How embarrassing! Luckily, Peng Zhixing said he was coming too.
So Lu Yanhe simply went alone.
“I’ll have a meal with them, and then I’ll come back. I don’t need bodyguards,” Lu Yanhe said. “I won’t go anywhere else by myself.”
“You still need someone to keep an eye on you when you eat at a restaurant,” Chen Ziyan said. “I’ll have him wait for you at the restaurant.”
Lu Yanhe could only say yes.
He rushed all the way and barely made it to the school gate before the agreed time.
As he got into the car, panting heavily, Peng Zhixing asked him with a look of surprise, "You...were you in PE class just now?"
Lu Yanhe let out a silent sigh.
Today is the "Days of Youth" gathering.
Except for Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, who are both unable to attend, everyone else is welcome to come.
This was a rule they had set beforehand: as long as someone suggested a gathering, no matter who couldn't come, the gathering would still take place.
Peng Zhixing said at the time, "Given how busy you guys are, we don't know when we'll be able to get everyone together. We should try to get as many people as we can. We don't want to end up only being able to meet up during the few days of recording the show each year because we can't get enough people together."
If they weren't all young people, they might have thought that if they didn't run into each other normally, they wouldn't, and there was no need to force it. But they met and became friends through "The Days of Youth," so they all wanted to meet up more often.
The idea that true friends won't grow distant even after a long time apart is true in principle. But if you're truly good friends, why haven't you seen each other in so long without a special reason? Good friends should see each other more often!
Lu Yanhe also felt that this was a good opportunity to have a proper talk with Peng Zhixing about the "Jump Up" video account.
“Brother Zhixing, we’d like to start a series of interviews on the ‘Jump Up’ video channel,” he said. “Not just people from the film and television industry, but people from all walks of life. Are you interested?”
Peng Zhixing was surprised to hear this, "Me?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Yes, I would like to invite you to participate in this program."
Peng Zhixing said, "I already have an interview column with Northern Lights, and my agency contract is with Northern Lights, so they won't agree to me taking on private jobs."
Lu Yanhe laughed, nodded, and said, "Brother Zhixing, it's like this. Let me first introduce our program to you. The main reason why we still want you to do our program, even though we know you already have one, is that there's a big difference between the two programs. 'Zhixing' is a supporting program for Aurora Video to promote movies and TV series. The main interviewees are the creators of the movies and TV series broadcast by Aurora, and many of them are your assignments, right?"
“Our interview column adheres to the mission of the magazine ‘Jump Up’: to discover the best things,” Lu Yanhe said. “All the ideas you can’t realize in ‘Journey’ can be put into this column. You are the biggest director and host of this column, and we will not interfere much.”
Peng Zhixing was taken aback.
"As for the contract between you and Aurora Video, don't worry, you don't need to make things difficult for us. We will talk to them directly. We don't want to make a lot of money from advertising through this program, but we hope to expand the influence of 'Jump Up' and let more people know about 'Jump Up'," Lu Yanhe said. "Previously, we conducted in-depth interviews with people in written form in each issue of the magazine. We hope to make such interviews into videos."
Peng Zhixing was surprised and also very interested.
Lu Yanhe's words truly resonated with him. For Peng Zhixing, the job he valued most was actually the interview work he did as a host. He grew up watching these kinds of programs, and later studied broadcasting and hosting because of this dream, which led him down this path.
Creating the program "The Journey" has already set him apart from his peers. After all, it's truly remarkable that someone so young can have an interview program named after himself.
In such circumstances, Peng Zhixing often had to compromise because he felt he had to be "content".
—You're already very lucky, why are you making so many demands?
—You already have your own show, isn't the platform supporting you enough?
What's the point of doing the things you want to do if they're not what the platform wants?
...
Various voices, from the outside world and from within, intertwined and influenced him.
Peng Zhixing took a deep breath. Of course he knew these principles, but no one would not want to realize their own ideas.
“Yan He, do you want me to bring my own team to do this program?” Peng Zhixing said. “But my team for ‘Zhixing’ is all arranged by Aurora Video.”
“I don’t think we need a large production team like the one for ‘The Journey’ to do this,” Lu Yanhe said. “In my understanding, you are the interviewer, there is an interviewee, a photographer, and two cameras. That’s the most basic requirement. Of course, if we want to make this program high-quality and stand the test of time, we can’t just do it so casually. So, what you need and what kind of team you want to build are things you have to decide for yourself. As long as you know what you need.”
Peng Zhixing said, "Even if you don't spend any money, the cost of a single interview, including staff, venue, makeup, equipment, etc., can easily add up to tens of thousands of yuan."
“You didn’t calculate your payment,” Lu Yanhe pointed out. “I didn’t hire you to work for free, Zhixing. Don’t worry, this program will be sponsored and there will be no shortage of money. Our team at Jump Up has accumulated a wealth of resources in this regard through the past two years of operation.”
Peng Zhixing asked, "What is your budget for producing one episode?"
Lu Yanhe said, "It depends on what kind of interview video you want to make for this column, whether it's a chat or some other format. In short, I can only say that as long as it doesn't lose money but gain publicity, we will definitely support your idea."
Peng Zhixing was somewhat surprised: "Don't you have a profit target?"
"The success of this program will benefit all departments of our 'Jump Up' program," Lu Yanhe said. "If our primary goal were to make money, we wouldn't have invited a famous host like you to host this program. You are the most expensive. Even if we invited a completely unknown person to do the interview, or even one of our editors, we could still make a fortune with our existing channels and brand resources. We might not be able to make as much money as you."
Lu Yanhe laughed.
Peng Zhixing was somewhat surprised and asked, "Am I that expensive?"
In fact, given Peng Zhixing's current market value, his appearance fee for just one episode would start at 100,000 yuan. After all, his current level of fame is undeniable. Not to mention, this program requires Peng Zhixing to take on a series of important creative and thoughtful roles, including planning and directing.
Lu Yanhe said, "There are cheap ways to hire people, and there are expensive ways to hire people. I'm here to ask you to do something important, Brother Zhixing."
Peng Zhixing was both amused and exasperated, and gave Lu Yanhe a thumbs up.
"You're awesome."
Seeing Peng Zhixing's reaction, Lu Yanhe knew he had succeeded.
-
When the cast of "The Days of Youth" had a rare get-together, the first thing they asked each other was when this year's show would be recorded and if there was any news.
The first two seasons of the show have already amassed a large number of loyal fans and have received very positive reviews.
In addition, all the guests on the show have become famous. Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, who were not very popular at the time, are now top-tier celebrities. Liu Zhiyin, after more than a year of accumulation, has also stepped into the ranks of popular female idols with "Idol Era". Not to mention Xiao Yun, who is said to have been "extremely lucky" in the industry to become a hit with "Phoenix TV" and a campus idol drama, and has become a popular young actress...
The biggest problem with this show right now is that the combined fees for everyone are too high, making it difficult to afford to hire them.
However, with this group of people recording a show together, many brands will definitely be willing to pay. As long as they don't ask for exorbitant prices and just charge market rates, the show can still be filmed. The production team will earn even more.
"I heard it's the same as last year, filming will be in August."
“Sister Zhenzhen talked to me about this before. I’m going to be filming in August this year, so I probably won’t be able to participate in the entire recording. I can only record a few episodes,” Lu Yanhe said.
"I was just saying, I remember you were going to join the crew in August." Xiao Yun sighed, "What a pity, I thought we could hang out together again."
Lu Yanhe said, "It's just that I'll be missing a few episodes during filming. I'll come back after I finish filming."
Because Chen Lingling's drama was an eight-episode short series, the filming time was less than a month. Lu Yanhe was basically able to wrap up filming by early September. The short filming time was a very important factor in why he took on this role.
However, due to the need to coordinate everyone's schedules, the production team of "The Days of Youth" couldn't accommodate only him. Therefore, Lu Yanhe had to miss one of the recordings scheduled for August.
Xiao Yun said, "Why are you able to get this kind of short drama? All the roles I get are long dramas, and I really don't want to film long dramas."
There are many differences between long-form and short-form dramas.
For domestic video platforms, they definitely prefer to produce longer dramas. The more episodes, the higher the viewership, and the more advertising revenue they earn. However, overseas streaming services use a different algorithm. They look at subscriber viewership, paid subscribers, and "completion rate." Therefore, many dramas are made very short. Shorter means costs can be controlled, and even the most expensive ones won't be astronomically high. And if a drama becomes a hit, it can attract a large number of paying viewers.
This is due to different profit models and different requirements for the length of episodes.
Chen Lingling's drama is a customized series for streaming media, and it was produced in accordance with international practices from the script stage.
Lu Yanhe said, "If you want to make a short drama, you have to look for opportunities overseas. If this drama wasn't a streaming service commissioned by them, it wouldn't be this short."
In mainland China, very few dramas with fewer than ten episodes can be profitable. Advertisers can't cover production costs no matter how much they pay. And given the current state of the drama industry, very few people are willing to pay to watch it.
An example like Friends is a miracle.
They dared to do it that way because the cost was low enough—the Beijing-Taiwan region approached this experiment with the mindset of failure from the very beginning.
Peng Zhixing also said, "Moreover, the membership fees of our domestic video platforms are actually very low, much lower than those of international streaming media. Therefore, it is very unrealistic to expect to make a profit by attracting new members in the short term."
"I heard that the number of new members acquired by 'The Days of Youth' ranked in the top ten of Icefield Video's annual rankings."
The fact that a variety show can attract more new users than most TV dramas and movies speaks volumes.
Variety shows primarily generate revenue through advertising. They don't have the revenue generated from "advanced on-demand viewing."
Will your show be broadcast on domestic video websites?
"Probably, but I don't know the specifics yet. I'm just an actor in this film, and no one has told me anything about what happens afterward," Lu Yanhe said frankly.
"And you?" Lu Yanhe looked at everyone. "What are your plans for the second half of the year?"
Liu Zhiyin: "Recently, a drama approached me and wants me to play the female lead."
"Huh? Sister Zhiyin, are you also preparing to act?" Xiao Yun asked in surprise.
Liu Zhiyin shook her head, "I refused. I've finally made some progress in 'Idol Era,' and I still prefer the stage. However, I'd also like to ask for your opinions. Do you think I need to hone my acting skills to prepare for a future career transition? I can't be an idol forever."
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Peng Zhixing said, "Sister Zhiyin, if you are interested in acting, you can give it a try."
"I mainly feel that I have absolutely no acting skills." Liu Zhiyin shook her head. "I tried it at home and acted in front of the mirror. Let me describe it in four words: it was terrible."
This is also why Yoo Ji-eun refused to act without hesitation.
She didn't want to contribute to a disaster.
Xiao Yun nodded, took Song Linxin's arm, and said, "If you're not entirely confident, Sister Zhiyin, you can try a cameo role first and start learning from those few scenes."
Lu Yanhe agreed with Xiao Yun's idea and nodded, saying, "I think so too. I always feel fortunate that my first drama was 'The Golden Era.' I didn't have many scenes, but because there were only a few scenes, I could concentrate on figuring out those scenes and start to understand how an actor should prepare for a role. Sister Zhiyin, if you are going to act, I can recommend my acting coach to you. I have invited her to read the script and practice lines for almost every drama I've worked on."
Liu Zhiyin's eyes lit up. "Okay, then give me her contact information. I think I really need a teacher to help me see if I have the ability to act. If I really don't have this ability, I don't need to worry about it anymore, I can just give up."
She seems to lack confidence in her acting skills.
-
Lu Yanhe suddenly thought of something.
"Sister Zhiyin, if you want to give it a try, why don't you come and play a cameo role for me?"
"Huh?" Liu Zhiyin was taken aback.
Lu Yanhe said, "The movie I wrote, 'Lost in Thailand,' actually has many characters, but there are only one or two scenes. There is a character in it that is really suitable for you, if you are willing to come."
Of course, Liu Zhiyin knew about the movie "Lost in Thailand".
“Great! You’re willing to give me a chance, I’ll do it!” Liu Zhiyin was overjoyed. “But I’m just afraid I’ll act too badly.”
"Don't worry, it's really just one or two scenes, even simpler than shooting a music video."
Xiao Yun immediately asked, "Would you like us to make a cameo appearance?"
"You're all so famous now, how could I possibly ask you to make a cameo appearance?" Lu Yanhe laughed.
Xiao Yun chuckled and said, "We're not famous, how could we possibly make a cameo appearance for you? That would be called trying to get screen time."
Lu Yanhe: "Are you kidding me? You're really willing to make a cameo appearance?"
"Of course I'm willing, as long as you think of us brothers, sisters, and cousins more when you have roles in the future." Xiao Yun used her usual teasing tone again.
She has a bit of a tomboyish vibe.
Lu Yanhe was suddenly taken aback, and a thought struck him.
"Why are you being so polite? If you need us to make a cameo appearance, we'll definitely go," Peng Zhixing said.
One characteristic of road comedy movies is that they have a huge cast of characters; a bunch of new characters appear wherever you go.
To ensure the quality of a film, you can't just randomly cast actors to play roles that may only have one or two shots. In a sense, every second in a film is important, let alone one or two shots.
Lu Yanhe cupped his hands in a fist and said, "Okay, I'll remember that. I'll call you guys when I need your help."
-
Before the event ended, Lu Yanhe said to Xiao Yun, "How about we meet up sometime? I have an idea I'd like to discuss with you."
Xiao Yun looked suspicious, then suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, and she asked, "Are you looking for me to act in a movie?"
Lu Yanhe: "I don't know yet. I'm not sure if you're suitable. Just now, a thought flashed through my mind that might be suitable, and I wanted to ask you to try on the makeup."
“Sure.” Xiao Yun nodded, raised his chin confidently, and said, “I don’t believe there’s a role I’m not suited for.”
From the first day she met Xiao Yun, she had this carefree and easygoing personality, extremely confident, which was completely different from the gentle and quiet Su Xiao and the competitive Liu Zhiyin.
-
At the end of May, after rehearsing nearly five or six times, Lu Yanhe and his two companions finally performed "Green Apple Paradise" in its entirety.
"Damn, this song is really... the more you sing it, the more addictive it gets, it's both corny and youthful." Li Zhibai complained.
Lu Yanhe laughed uncontrollably, covered in sweat, and wiped it with a towel.
“This song will be a hit,” Lu Yanhe said confidently.
“That’s for sure. I knew this song would be a hit the first time I heard it. The melody is so catchy,” Li Zhibai said. “However, I definitely wouldn’t sing it by myself if it weren’t for the two of you singing it with me. It would sound too rustic and affect my outstanding temperament.”
Yan Liang walked over with two bottles of ice water, stood behind Li Zhibai, grabbed his collar and pulled him back, shoving one of the bottles of ice water directly down Li Zhibai's neck.
With his outstanding temperament, Li Zhibai suddenly snapped like an electric rooster, crowing loudly, and twisted apart like a pretzel.
Yan Liang: "Truly outstanding."
Lu Yanhe burst into laughter.
"You're asking for it!" Li Zhibai took out the water and cursed at Yan Liang.
Yan Liang responded with the middle finger.
"I'm hungry, want to go eat?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I've made an appointment with Teacher Jia Long. Would you like to come with me?"
"Shall we go without disturbing you?"
“It’s okay, no worries, we were just talking about some things related to ‘Lost in Thailand’,” Lu Yanhe said.
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang then went with Lu Yanhe.
-
As the three boys walked in, Jia Long looked at them and clicked his tongue.
"You are so young! Seeing you all walk in together, your energy and handsome faces make me jealous."
Chen Ziyan sat next to him and laughed, "Finally, someone shares my feelings. Every time I see them, it feels like someone is reminding me that I'm getting old, and it's really painful for me."
Jia Long: "Come on, are you even the same age as me?"
Jia Long is now forty years old.
Chen Ziyan said with a smile, "Once you're over thirty, you're all the same. But the best age for male actors is their thirties and forties, that's the golden age, they still have a long way to go."
Jia Long: "You can't say that. Look, most of the TV dramas and movies these days feature young people as the main characters."
"This is just an illusion. Someone has done statistics showing that the main male characters in our films and television dramas are mainly between 30 and 50 years old, and the main female characters are mainly between 25 and 40 years old," Chen Ziyan said.
Several people sat down.
Jia Long looked at Lu Yanhe and the other two and said, "Heh, seeing how good you guys are, when are you three going to make a movie together? Let Lu Yanhe write a script for you."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I'm writing."
Li Zhibai said, "If Teacher Jia needs three younger brothers next time, he can just take the three of us with him."
Jia Long laughed and said, "We can't afford to hire the three of you to play the underlings in ordinary plays."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Teacher Jia, 'Searchlight' is about to be released, you must be very busy, right? I thought you hadn't had time to work on 'Lost in Thailand' lately."
During the promotional period for a movie's release, the actors work non-stop, like spinning tops.
Lu Yanhe had experienced this firsthand.
Especially actors like Jia Long who play a central role in a film.
Jia Long said, "Fortunately, all the necessary promotional work has been done before the release, and we're just waiting to start the roadshow after the release this Friday."
Searchlight is a dark comedy.
Lu Yanhe found it quite interesting when he saw it at the film festival, but he also felt that this film might not be as popular with the general public as Jia Long's previous films, because it would take some effort to understand it.
Industry insiders estimate the film's box office to be between 700 million and 1 billion yuan. This is less than Jia Long's previous comedy films, which often grossed over 1 billion yuan, partly due to concerns about the subject matter.
"For the movie 'Lost on Journey,' I talked to several directors, some with prior experience, and others who had only worked as assistant directors. I met with over a dozen, and finally settled on one. He had worked as an assistant director on many films, but had no experience directing independently—I need to make that clear first. But why did he impress me? Because after reading the script, his descriptions and visions of the film were basically consistent with my own," Jia Long said. "The core tone of this film is down-to-earth, rather than using a lavish and extravagant approach to make a movie."
Lu Yanhe nodded; this was also a consensus he had reached with Jia Long.
Never make a story that seems down-to-earth but is actually unrealistic. Comedy films are actually very easy to make unrealistic—making them feel too fake and unrealistic. Comedy is comedy, but only comedies that truly delve into the soil of realism can make people laugh and satirize at the same time.
“Sure.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Anyway, you know the most about this, so I have no objections.”
Jia Long asked, "So you really only plan to make a cameo appearance as that handsome guy in it?"
“I don’t even want to play that role anymore,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ll just find someone else to play it and I won’t appear on screen.”
“That won’t do. You’re such a big star, it would be such a waste if you didn’t appear on camera,” Jia Long said.
Lu Yanhe smiled helplessly.
"I have quite a few friends who have said they'd be willing to make a cameo appearance," said Lu Yanhe.
(End of this chapter)
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