Chapter 307: Wang Po Sells Melons, Praises Her Own (8,000-word update)

Xitu'er is in the Southern Hemisphere.

In February, when the Northern Hemisphere is immersed in the tail of winter, it is summer here.

Coming abroad to participate in an international film festival for the first time, and it is the Xitu'er International Film Festival, Lu Yan He is more or less excited in his heart.

Of course, like the trip to South Korea not long ago, this time coming to Xitu'er, Lu Yan He is also a pure newcomer.

No one knows him.

Therefore, Lu Yan He can rarely avoid being recognized from time to time after going out.

Accompanying Lu Yan He to Xitu'er this time, besides Zou Dong, there is also Chen Ziyan who arrived a little later.

"There are many opportunities at the film festival," Chen Ziyan said. "I have to be here."

After they arrived at the hotel, they met with Director Wang Zhong first.

Wang Zhong's schedule this time is much tighter than Lu Yan He's.

He has deep qualifications, and even in the international film scene, there are many people who know him.

Therefore, this time he brought his new work to the Xitu'er Film Festival, and early on received interview applications from film magazines and related media in various countries.

In addition, many activities organized by the Xitu'er Film Festival officials and sponsors also invited Wang Zhong.

This director who has never achieved any significant results at the box office has a pivotal position in the film circle, and this position also affects everyone's definition of him.

When Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan went to see him, he was still accepting an interview with a foreign reporter.

They waited for more than ten minutes on the side.

Chen Ling, the producer who has always cooperated with Wang Zhong, waited with them on the side.

Chen Ling said with a smile: "Every time I come to the film festival, Director Wang will receive many interview applications from the media. I don't know why, clearly the box office is not high, but it seems that people who come to the film festival have seen his movies and like them very much."

Lu Yan He said: "Because it's a film festival, people who come here, more or less, love movies."

Chen Ling turned to look at Lu Yan He and said with a smile: "I heard you are also writing a movie script?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded with a smile, "Uncle Ling, are you interested?"

Chen Ling: "Who is not interested in the script you wrote? Haha."

Although he said so, he didn't ask Lu Yan He for the script further.

Lu Yan He knew that people were just polite on the surface.

Of course, even if Chen Ling really wanted it, Lu Yan He couldn't take it out.

The movie scripts he has written have all been given out.

Chen Ling said: "Actually, you really have talent for acting. Don't always act in TV series, act more in movies. Although *Friends* is popular, that doesn't count as real acting."

"Hmm?" Lu Yan He was taken aback.

*Friends* has been airing for so long, and this is the first time someone has said to his face that his performance in it doesn't count as real acting.

Chen Ling: "Maybe you don't like to hear it, but I'm serious. Sitcoms, it's hard to have real characters."

Lu Yan He pondered silently for a while and said: "Uncle Ling, it's just different styles, different forms of expression. If you talk about the difficulty of acting, the difficulty is indeed much lower, but I don't think that is not real acting. As long as you can shape a three-dimensional, complete character, even if he doesn't have the deeper and more complex life experience of a movie lead, I think that's enough."

Chen Ling: "You are still very young now, and you only have some intuitive understanding of acting."

"Hmm, that's true."

"When you truly understand what acting is about, you will know what I'm talking about."

Lu Yan He fell silent and didn't argue with Chen Ling anymore.

He realized that arguing about these things with Chen Ling was meaningless.

Because he couldn't convince Chen Ling, and Chen Ling couldn't convince him.

Lu Yan He really didn't understand the art of acting, let alone speak about it properly.

However, Lu Yan He has always had a very simple idea, that is, nothing compares to the audience liking it.

Some shows can win temporary liking, some shows can win long-term liking, and some shows have mediocre evaluations when they are released, but are liked by people for a period of time.

Aesthetics is nothing more than private and public, as for whether it can enter the classics, that is a matter of doing one's best and listening to fate.

Lu Yan He knows this point, so he doesn't agree with Chen Ling's statement.

With the advent of the internet era, the distance between the audience and the work is only their subjective willingness, rather than being decided by a medium like a TV station whether the audience can see it or not.

Good sitcoms will also leave a lifetime trace in the hearts of generations of audiences.

Lu Yan He knows this, so he doesn't agree with Chen Ling's statement.

It's just that Chen Ling is obviously a person who walked out of the glorious era of film, and for a long period of time, film was the most advanced media art. These concepts of theirs have been deeply rooted, and it's not something Lu Yan He can explain clearly in a few words.

Lu Yan He also knows that in the current era, the contempt chain of film > TV series > variety shows still exists and has not changed.

After Wang Zhong finished the interview, they sent away the media reporters before they had time to chat with Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan properly.

Wang Zhong let them sit down and asked: "When did you arrive?"

Lu Yan He said: "I arrived last night, and Sister Ziyan arrived this morning."

Wang Zhong nodded, "This time you came over, are there any other work arrangements?"

Lu Yan He looked at Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan shook her head and said: "We are just here to participate in the premiere of *Sanshan* this time. There are no other work arrangements. This is Little Lu's first time coming to a film festival, and I hope he can feel the atmosphere of the film festival more."

"Hmm, the Xitu'er Film Festival is almost one of the film festivals with the best atmosphere in the world. Everyone here talks about movies, as if it's a holy land for movies. I like the atmosphere here very much," Wang Zhong said. "I think you will definitely like it here."

Lu Yan He nodded.

Wang Zhong: "Take advantage of the time before too many people know you, and explore well. After *Sanshan* is released, the ten minutes you appear in the movie will make most people at this film festival know you."

Lu Yan He showed a look of surprise.

Wang Zhong's words made Lu Yan He at a loss, flattered, and even produced a sense of unease of "Am I worthy of such high evaluation?"

Acting in this movie was only a short night.

Will his performance be this good?

Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He with a smile: "Director Wang told me that you must come this time, otherwise many people will be disappointed."

Lu Yan He had heard many people mention their shock at *Sanshan* before.

Especially many people were because they saw his performance in *Sanshan* that they had the saying "Lu Yan He is a genius."

Wang Zhong said: "This scene of yours is the finishing touch, especially when it's cut and put on the big screen to watch. The feeling of life being dreamlike as bubbles and like ghosts haunting that I wanted to express in the whole movie was laid down by this scene of yours. Chen Jiang, Sui Fangran, and the others are increasingly unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and are on the verge of collapse, so there are traces to follow."

Hearing Wang Zhong say this, Lu Yan He was itching to see this movie immediately and see his performance in this movie.

The movie hasn't been released yet, but many people have seen this movie at internal viewing meetings.

The feedback given by everyone was too exaggerated, making Lu Yan He feel that it was out of touch, as if they were just saying some polite words, but as more and more people said such things, Lu Yan He's heart gradually gave birth to more practical expectations.

Now Wang Zhong said such words with such a solemn attitude, making Lu Yan He look forward to it even more.

"When are you leaving?" Wang Zhong asked.

Lu Yan He said: "Two days later."

The premiere of the movie is tomorrow. After the premiere, there are press conferences, photocalls, and other links, which will be a very tiring day.

The day after tomorrow, Lu Yan He has work initiated by two domestic media.

Then Lu Yan He will go back.

Because of participating in the Xitu'er Film Festival, Lu Yan He had to ask for leave from school.

This was even the first time Lu Yan He asked for leave from his course teacher since he enrolled.

Before, no matter how busy the work was, he didn't ask for leave.

It was also fortunate that because of filming *Late Spring*, he didn't choose many courses at the beginning of this semester. Coming out for these few days didn't delay too many courses.

Hearing this, Wang Zhong was somewhat disappointed, "Leaving so early?"

Lu Yan He said: "Asked for five days of leave from school, it's not good to ask for more. There are many courses this semester."

Chen Ziyan asked: "Director, is there anything you need Yan He to do?"

"No, it's just that in a few days, Ruyi and the others are preparing to do a Chinese-language film night activity here. Because they don't have Yan He's contact information, they asked me to ask Yan He if he can participate."

Such activities generally gather many Chinese filmmakers, and will also invite well-known international filmmakers to attend through their respective channels. The purpose is of course many, generally speaking, it is to increase influence.

Ruyi is one of the largest film companies in the country, and the movie *Nineteen Years of Crime Record* was developed by them.

Lu Yan He was also very sorry that he couldn't participate.

Although *Sanshan* is the only Chinese film shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Xitu'er Film Festival, there are quite a few Chinese filmmakers coming here.

Lu Yan He unexpectedly ran into Jia Long on the road.

When he first met, Lu Yan He thought he had seen it wrong.

It was Jia Long who called him first.

"Jia Laoshi!" Lu Yan He didn't expect it to be Jia Long, and waved his hand in surprise.

They met by chance on a small path by the river.

Jia Long was alone.

"Are you strolling here?" Jia Long asked Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "There is no work today."

Jia Long: "I'm also strolling around, let's go together."

"Okay." Lu Yan He nodded.

Seeing this, Zou Long pulled away a few steps at the right time.

Jia Long said: "Tomorrow is the premiere of *Sanshan*, right?"

"Yes, will you come, Jia Laoshi?"

"Hmm, Director Wang has already greeted me. Our only Chinese film shortlisted this year, I must support it," Jia Long said with a smile. "Coming here this time, I was thinking about when to invite you out for a meal."

Lu Yan He said: "I just arrived."

Jia Long: "I came here this time with *Searchlight*. They want to find international buyers here and have arranged some promotional activities."

"Is this movie also a comedy movie?" Lu Yan He asked.

"Consider it black humor, a crime comedy," Jia Long explained. "In addition, I have a job here myself. Later, there is a movie night activity by Ruyi Pictures. They want to announce a movie of me and them at this activity, so I have to be there."

"Looking forward to it," Lu Yan He said immediately. "I really like watching your movies."

Jia Long finally mentioned *Lost on Journey*.

"This script, I didn't expect that basically everyone is not optimistic about it," he said somewhat helplessly. "It's not that no one is willing to invest, but I can't get the budget I want."

Lu Yan He was taken aback when he heard this.

"Ah?" He didn't expect to encounter this situation.

In his impression, the box office of this movie is quite good, so there is a sequel that broke the box office record.

And now Jia Laoshi Long is starring, how can he not find investment?

Is it because the script was written badly?

"Is it a problem with the script?" Lu Yan He asked.

Jia Long shook his head, smiled bitterly and sighed, "Speaking of the script, they all said it was written well, very good, and there are many funny points. But they mainly don't look at the background of this story. They feel... a bit earthy, not like the comedy movies with high box office in recent years, which are relatively foreign. They are worried that this movie will be considered a township theme by the audience and they won't want to watch it."

Lu Yan He looked at Jia Long dumbfounded.

At this moment, he didn't even know what to say.

"Ah?"

Jia Long: "I didn't expect it either. So, many film companies are willing to invest money, but only willing to make it a low-cost small film, not willing to take out a large budget to do it."

Lu Yan He thought for a while and asked: "Does this movie need a very high budget?"

"Low cost has low cost filming method, high cost has high cost filming method. This script is too good, don't settle if you can, film it well, I think it will be a classic," Jia Long said.

Hearing this, Lu Yan He fell silent for a while and asked: "Then is this movie not going to be filmed?"

Jia Long: "It doesn't have to be so discouraged. If it really doesn't meet my expectations, I will lower my expectations and talk slowly."

Lu Yan He nodded.

He said: "If it doesn't work, I will invest money to film it myself."

Jia Long was taken aback.

"Ah?" He looked at Lu Yan He incredulously.

After Lu Yan He realized what he said, he reacted and said immediately: "I am arrogant, I don't have that much money at all."

He didn't know what was wrong with him, just because he earned nearly 20 million from *Friends*, he felt that he could afford the filming of a movie?

Jia Long laughed loudly.

He patted Lu Yan He on the shoulder and said: "Yan He, don't worry, a movie from preparation to filming, there are those who have gone through ten years, this is a matter of the right time, the right place, and the right people. Good food is not afraid of being late, since it is a good script, we must have the patience to wait."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"I know, Jia Laoshi."

Jia Long looked at him and said: "However, if you are willing to make public that you are the screenwriter of *Lost on Journey*, with the success of *Friends*, I think several film companies will be willing to change their minds."

Before, Chen Ziyan proposed not to make Lu Yan He's screenwriter identity public.

Lu Yan He said: "Actually, it doesn't matter if it's public. We didn't make it public before, just worried that my identity would bring negative impact to this movie. After all, I am not a professional screenwriter. Now with *Friends*, if making it public that I am a screenwriter can promote the filming of this movie, I am willing."

"Then I know what to do. After I go back from Xitu'er, I will talk to them properly again," Jia Long asked Lu Yan He, "Are you preparing to invest in this movie yourself?"

"If I can invest, of course." Lu Yan He thought, a movie with a successful box office precedent, and he has some money on hand now, why not invest.

Jia Long said: "I talked to those film companies before that I want to give you a 5% revenue share. Even if you don't invest, you can still get a share."

Lu Yan He smiled and said: "Actually, I don't doubt at all that this movie will make money, it's just a matter of how much. If it weren't for the fact that my own money is too little to film it myself, I even want to film it myself."

Actually, Lu Yan He felt it was nonsense when he said it himself, a bit fake.

But Jia Long smiled understandingly and said nothing.

He said: "Let's see later, see if we can get better conditions."

Walking with Jia Long, and sitting in a street corner coffee shop, drinking coffee.

They chatted about the creation of sitcoms and Lu Yan He's later projects.

Jia Long was surprised to know that Lu Yan He was still preparing another sitcom.

He also asked: "Is it still like *Friends*, a short drama aired by season?"

"Not necessarily, it might be a sitcom under the framework of a long series," Lu Yan He said. "It's a completely different style and story from *Friends*, and it can't be said to be completely different. They are all stories about a group of people coming together and finally becoming the best friends in their lives."

Jia Long: "I followed *Friends* from beginning to end without missing an episode. I won't hide it from you. When I first watched it, I didn't understand why such a simple show, just some dialogue between a few people and the change in character relationships, could cause such great attention and so much discussion, until I saw what many people said on the internet, and then I knew what I underestimated."

"Hmm?" Lu Yan He looked at Jia Long in surprise.

"Not just me, including many people, didn't realize why this show would be so popular," Jia Long said. "Just because it's simple enough, just six people, each of them is too simple and natural, without the various complex character settings in current film and television dramas, it's easy to enter their world. At the beginning of this show, just a few of them sitting in a coffee shop chatting, the dialogue is like the dialogue that will appear around us, and then in this daily scene, occasionally popping out some dramatic conflict, making it easier for everyone to substitute into their own lives."

"Look at why so many people are discussing this show on the internet, and even analyzing the choices and attitudes of each character?" Jia Long said full of praise. "Just because their different choices, different attitudes, including the different things everyone said, are all born from our lives, and while being funny and relaxed, they occasionally knock on our memories like knocking on a wooden fish, evoking some similar emotional experiences we have. So, later I specifically went to find someone to ask for your script manuscript to read. After reading it, I found out why it's so good."

"I am most afraid of that kind of script that is written very realistically and wants to explain everything to you," Jia Long said. "In your script, there are basically only dialogues, but just relying on dialogues, you can make people fully understand what the whole story is about. This ability is not possessed by many screenwriters, and these words of yours are shallow and white, but not vulgar. This is the most rare, the language that truly belongs to sitcoms, really good."

Lu Yan He was praised by Jia Long's words to the point of almost reddening his eyes. During this period, including the audience who liked this show, in fact, no one thought this was a very excellent show in terms of quality. Everyone thought the show was good, but when it comes to so-called literary, character, and artistic, they were all very mediocre.

Lu Yan He wanted to defend this story too many times, this show is not that simple at all. But as a screenwriter to explain that this story is not that simple, it's too "Wang Po sells melons, praises her own."

Today Jia Long suddenly said these words, giving Lu Yan He a kind of "there is still someone who understands" emotion.

Strictly speaking, the story of *Friends* is not Lu Yan He's original creation, but it was typed out by him word by word. Unable to copy the script 100% with golden fingers, when writing this script, besides trying to dig more content from his memory, he also had to rely on his own ability to organize these fragmented memories into a complete story, and even a good-looking story.

He is like a small landlord who owns a gold mine. The gold mine has been dug out, but it has to be refined to become gold with high purity.

Lu Yan He said to Jia Long: "Jia Laoshi, for so many days, you are the first person to praise this script like this."

Jia Long: "There are only a few people who truly create comedy and understand comedy. Others are just pretending to understand, looking at *Friends* with the standards of other types."

Jia Long's words made Lu Yan He smile very brightly.

"My mood has suddenly become better, Jia Laoshi."

Obviously, the top priority of coming to the Xitu'er Film Festival this time is *Sanshan*, but after meeting Jia Long, Lu Yan He returned to the hotel, but couldn't help it, found the script of *Friends* from his laptop, and read it from beginning to end again.

Lu Yan He read it and felt more pity, and also felt more angry.

If Beijing TV hadn't done so many disgusting things, he could have gone to create the later scripts smoothly.

Instead of being like now, holding his breath, and never being able to return to this series again.

I really hope that one day a film company will buy the film adaptation rights of this show, so that the movie has nothing to do with Beijing TV, allowing him to continue to be a screenwriter for the movie and tell the stories behind properly.

But that can only be thought about. Even if it is really adapted into a big movie one day, Lu Yan He doesn't know how to write the script for this big movie, there is no precedent to refer to at all.

And to this day, Lu Yan He also clearly knows a fact: a movie is not a TV series that has gathered two hours of material. There are some very obvious differences between the two.

Lu Yan He could only angrily close the script of *Friends*, open the document of *My Own Swordsman*, and start writing the key points and outline of the story.

This time, no matter what, the copyright of *My Own Swordsman* must be firmly held in his own hands, and cannot be like *Friends*, because the copyright is in someone else's hands, once they fall out, there is no share for him.

The premiere of *Sanshan* is at 2:30 in the afternoon.

In the morning, Lu Yan He accepted interviews from two domestic film media under Chen Ziyan's arrangement.

This interview was his solo one.

After the interview, he hurriedly ate something in the hotel, acting as lunch, then changed into a dress, and prepared to set off for the premiere.

He first gathered with all the main creators of the crew.

This time Chen Jiang, Sui Fangran, and Wang Lu all came. Starring in a movie shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Xitu'er Film Festival, for them, it's just like winning the lottery.

Setting off, getting on the red carpet, and then entering the screening hall, the whole process was noisy. Lu Yan He felt that his brain and ears had no quiet time. It seemed that someone was talking to him every moment, or someone was greeting him and calling his name.

Most of them are Chinese filmmakers and media personnel.

This feeling is very different from attending a film awards ceremony in China.

To be honest, domestic film awards ceremonies are still a bit more grand, and the rituals are also relatively solemn.

The atmosphere of the film festival here is really heavy.

All the way, getting on the car, getting off the car, there are people everywhere, and it seems there is no isolation, including after getting off the car, they were also surrounded by the crowd for the first time.

There are many fans at the scene, including many Chinese.

There are security guards controlling the scene, and some isolation belts are placed, but the distance between each other is almost equal to zero.

After Lu Yan He and the others got off the car, they still had to walk a distance to get to the red carpet area. All the way, too many people were holding cameras and mobile phones to shoot them, and constantly asking them questions, chatting, just like being surrounded by a group of fans at the airport.

Until they entered the red carpet waiting area, those without a pass were intercepted outside.

As the main creators of *Sanshan*, as soon as they appeared at the scene, they attracted the attention of photographers, and even some photographers abandoned the guests who were on the red carpet and aimed their lenses at them who were still waiting.

Of course, they were mainly aimed at Director Wang Zhong.

Media at the film festival are also chasing stars, but for big directors with popularity like Wang Zhong, they are also chasing.

Lu Yan He and the others, a few actors, didn't get much attention.

Those who pay attention to Lu Yan He are the fans around who call his name.

After they got on the red carpet, this phenomenon was even more obvious.

Lu Yan He heard a photographer call his name and let him look at them. But more photographers from different countries called Wang Zhong with broken Chinese pronunciation. Lu Yan He was very surprised. He had walked the red carpet many times, but this was the first time he saw so many photographers paying attention to a director.

Moreover, these photographers are basically formal wear and leather shoes, dressed very formally—at this moment, Lu Yan He suddenly realized the importance of ritual sense. In a sense, it is everyone's solemn treatment of these details and the face presented that makes this scene feel serious and high-level.

Being in it will give people a feeling that they are participating in a very grand and beautiful ceremony.

The premiere of *Sanshan*, the artistic director of the Xitu'er Film Festival, Wintour Robey, came to support in person.

The artistic director is the one who selects films for the film festival. Generally speaking, which films are selected for the main competition unit each year is decided by him. He is a powerful figure in the film circle—however, generally no one will call him such a person. This kind of statement will happen to the giants of film companies, not the artistic director of a film festival. But in fact, that's how it is.

Wintour Robey didn't come to support *Sanshan* alone. He would appear at the premiere of all films shortlisted for the main competition unit to show the film festival's importance and cherishment of them.

Lu Yan He saw this famous figure in the film circle for the first time.

And what Lu Yan He didn't expect was that after seeing him, he took the initiative to call his name: "Yan He, our rising star, welcome to Wintour."

Lu Yan He looked at this famous artistic director flattered, "Mr. Robey, hello."

Wintour Robey held Wang Zhong's arm and said with a smile: "This movie of yours has brought us four excellent young people again. I hope to continue to see your figures in Wintour in the future. You must continue to bring works over in the future."

Chen Jiang and the others were nervous and excited.

Lu Yan He smiled and said okay.

After a simple exchange of pleasantries, the movie screening was about to begin.

Everyone took their seats one after another, waiting for the lights in the screening hall to dim, and the movie began to play.

Lu Yan He sat in his seat, holding his breath, waiting for the movie to start.

This was his first time watching this movie. Before this, he hadn't even seen a clip.

Lu Yan He took a deep breath.

The nervous emotion finally spread from his heart inevitably.

Domestic.

Chen Siqi came out of the dormitory and called Bai Yu.

"Bai Yu, how is that article about Yan He written?" She asked.

Bai Yu said: "It's already written, and the layout is also arranged. Just waiting for when you say it can be sent, we will send it."

Chen Siqi said: "Sister Ziyan told me that if there are no accidents, Yan He's performance in *Sanshan* will get a wave of praise. I want us to make good use of this popularity to re-consolidate the impression that Yan He is a talented acting school. Before, because of *Friends*, although the show was popular, it made some people feel that Yan He acted in this kind of sitcom very superficially."

Bai Yu: "Don't worry, in *The Golden Age* and *Phoenix Terrace*, the highlight moments of Yan He's performance were specially made into dynamic pictures by me and put in the article. However, are you sure to send it on our own account? Everyone knows that one of the bosses of this account is Yan He. Don't be said to be Wang Po selling melons and praising her own."

"It's okay, this article is either Yan He's performance in the new film is widely praised at the Xitu'er Film Festival, reviewing his acting highlights, or don't send it," Chen Siqi said. "It won't be Wang Po selling melons." ===== CHAPTER 308 =====