Chapter 561

"The second time on the Spring Festival Gala, I will still be very nervous. This stage has a very different meaning for us Chinese. This time, the stage performance we bring is also a very Chinese performance."

Ten days before the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve, the three of them, Lu Yan He, began to cooperate with CCTV to carry out promotional activities for the Spring Festival Gala.

Now CCTV is also trying its best to enter the choices of young viewers.

There are online video platforms and self-media, and all channels are played very smoothly. Of course, this also means that CCTV's demand for various content has also increased.

After the three of them accepted an interview for a derivative program of the Spring Festival Gala, they went to another derivative program together to participate in a few small games.

Of course, they could actually refuse this work. There is no remuneration for doing this work. But the three of them had OK time, and it was rare to be able to work together, so none of them cared about the remuneration.

It is also rare for artists to care about remuneration with CCTV. At least for these small remunerations, no one will care.

CCTV's dressing room is limited, so they were arranged in the same one.

Near the evening, they ate boxed lunches in the lounge together.

Halfway through eating, the director responsible for their performance program, Li Qingbing, came over.

This director was also the director responsible for their "Green Apple Paradise" last time.

"You are eating." After Li Qingbing came in, he saw the food on the coffee table and said with a smile, "Then I'll come back later."

Li Zhibai: "No need, director, don't toss. If you don't mind, we will listen to you while eating. Are there any changes?"

Li Qingbing nodded and said: "The director group wants to invite three foreign friends who work or live in China for a long time to tell their stories in China after the performance of the song 'Chinese Language' ends. Originally, it was planned to invite the host to interview them, but after our discussion, we think it is better for each of you to be responsible for one interview."

After Li Qingbing said this, he explained it in detail again.

"We hope this link looks more real." Instead of looking like it was arranged.

Although in fact, as long as it happens on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, any sentence that appears is basically written in the script in advance, and it will not allow for ad-libbing.

The three of them, Lu Yan He, looked at each other.

"Okay." Lu Yan He nodded, "I have no problem."

Li Zhibai and Yan Liang also nodded and said there was no problem.

For them, it is actually just staying on stage for a few more minutes and performing the interview questions that need to be asked according to the script.

No wonder it had to be handed over to the three of them.

The song "Chinese Language" is very suitable for this link.

If the last "Green Apple Paradise" was a reminiscence and commemoration of the young era of the previous generation by the current generation, expressing inheritance and commemoration, then this time's "Chinese Language" is the young generation's confidence in Chinese culture, and a gesture of highlighting cultural strength in such a globalized and internationalized background.

What Li Qingbing didn't tell the three of them was the director group's emphasis on the performance of "Chinese Language" this year—

Any artistic creation is inevitably in a bad situation: the more mainstream, the more political tasks are required, the more lacking in artistry, and the less attractive the content.

But this song "Chinese Language" has a position, has a meaning, and the song is very lively and good to listen to.

Li Qingbing said with a smile: "At the beginning, we struggled for a long time when choosing between the two songs 'Chinese Language' and 'Love.' Choosing 'Chinese Language' was also because it had already been decided that there would be an international friend link."

Lu Yan He nodded.

Li Qingbing said: "Can the song 'Love' also be kept for now? This song is also very suitable for CCTV's stage."

Lu Yan He said: "Okay."

Li Qingbing: "Then I won't disturb your meal first, see you later."

"Good."

One day later, the last two episodes of this season of "Friends" were broadcast.

The peak of ratings broke 4% for the first time, but it was only a peak, and the average per episode remained at 3.52%. It was a pity that the average per episode did not break 4.

But in any case, for the resurrected "Friends," this resurrection match was played exceptionally beautifully.

Not only did it slap Jing Station in the face, but it also fired a loud shot at the traditional TV stations that had gradually entered the era of "mixing and waiting to die."

Yes, the ratings can still reach 3%—the problem is, do you have content that can make the ratings reach 3%?

"TV Review" took the ratings of "Friends" as an example, focusing on analyzing why the audience is willing to return to the TV set. Leaving aside the appeal of content and actors, the article emphasized: because "Friends" established a viewing habit for the audience.

There are not so many fancy scheduling methods, just returning to the basics and broadcasting on Friday and Saturday nights between December and February every year.

Therefore, once it reaches this time, the audience will remember that they can watch "Friends."

Similarly, why is everyone willing to sit in front of the TV and watch "Friends"? Because whether it is Jing Station or Yuehu Station, they still firmly grasp this exclusive window period and hold the priority of broadcasting in their own hands.

If you want to watch this show first, you can only watch it on TV.

At the end of the article, it was mentioned that Yuehu Station and "Jump Up" are already carrying out new major cooperation moves. When the day of the announcement comes, it will shock the entire entertainment industry.

Li Zhibai and Yan Liang both curiously came to ask Lu Yan He what major moves there were.

Lu Yan He told Li Zhibai and Yan Liang about the "Jump Up Theater."

Li Zhibai said in surprise: "Damn, awesome."

Yan Liang was also very surprised.

"This is really a big move."

Lu Yan He said: "At that time, you may also be invited to appear in one or two of the shows, please support me."

"This is of course." Yan Liang said, "Moreover, the filming period for the shows in this theater is only one week. In fact, for many actors, the schedule is not a problem."

No matter how popular an actor is, wanting to move out a one-week schedule is certainly much easier than moving out a two- or three-month schedule.

Moreover, a one-week schedule is relatively easy to coordinate.

Li Zhibai suddenly remembered and said: "The short novel I wrote before, someone bought it and said they were going to adapt it. It hasn't been adapted for so many years. Is the authorization about to expire?"

"Not yet." Lu Yan He said, "Our copyright department is watching it, don't worry. Once the deadline passes and they haven't started filming, the authorization will be taken back. Yuehu Station also took a fancy to your novel."

Li Zhibai raised the corners of his mouth.

"Otherwise, I'll just act in it myself."

"It's not impossible." Lu Yan He said, "You can even film it yourself."

Li Zhibai: "No, I won't consider being a producer for the time being."

As soon as this matter was mentioned, Li Zhibai's face darkened.

Obviously, "Nineteen Years" had already tossed him enough.

Lu Yan He and Yan Liang looked at each other and smiled.

When "The Mist" was released for one month, its box office in North America exceeded 140 million, and the global box office also reached 260 million. The overseas box office exceeded 120 million, among which South Korea and Japan both contributed more than 10 million US dollars in box office results—

Such results, for a horror movie, belong to "explosively good."

Therefore, when Lu Yan He was busy with the Spring Festival Gala work, Chen Ziyan was finally urged by D19 company to start negotiations for the sequel to "The Mist."

Chen Ziyan firmly insisted on box office dividends, and D19 company finally compromised and took a step back, saying that Lu Yan He could get box office dividends outside of North America.

Chen Ziyan proposed that if this were the case, Lu Yan He's remuneration would have to be increased. Not only that, but it also needed to sign clauses regarding box office rewards—for example, when the sequel's North American box office exceeded 100 million US dollars, Lu Yan He needed to enjoy extra bonuses.

The two sides wrestled back and forth in this regard and negotiated for several rounds.

Fortunately, at this time, Wan Qingqing and Song Jiang had already accumulated some resources in Europe and America.

Before the key negotiations, Wan Qingqing had already figured out the basic rules of the situation in Hollywood, and through her connections, she found the contract conditions that D19 had given to some actors in the past.

Therefore, while Chen Ziyan firmly demanded a base salary of 6.5 million without loosening, on the basis of box office dividends outside North America, she demanded an increase that if the North American box office exceeded 100 million US dollars, Lu Yan He would receive another 2 million US dollars in rewards.

D19 still felt that Chen Ziyan was asking for a lion's share.

However, just at this time, in the global playback list of drama categories for the last month announced by Maxine, "Friends" actually rushed into the top three of the global list.

At the same time, Chen Ziyan also received a very unexpected invitation.

The Oscar Awards ceremony invited Lu Yan He to serve as a presenter for this year.

At this critical moment, Chen Ziyan told Lu Yan He and agreed immediately.

Thus, when the Oscar official announced the third list of presenters, the name of Chinese actor Lu Yan He was clearly on the list.

D19 company was very surprised.

They have never been an Oscar-affiliated film company, and the films they produced in the past did not follow the Oscar route at all.

Although it was announced this time that they would rush to the Oscars for "The Mist," especially for Lu Yan He's performance, in fact, it was just thunder and little rain, mainly to build momentum for the movie's release.

However, the Oscars actually invited Lu Yan He to be a presenter?

This is certainly not as shocking as Lu Yan He's name appearing on the nomination list.

However, this is enough to show that Lu Yan He has indeed entered the vision of the Oscars.

In the end, D19 proposed that if the sequel movie's North American box office could exceed 150 million US dollars, that is, not lower than this one, they would agree to pay Lu Yan He a reward of 2 million US dollars.

Chen Ziyan was relatively satisfied with this condition, so she told Lu Yan He and started to review the contract.

On the twenty-ninth day of the New Year, Chinese people had already entered the holiday mode from the state of work one after another, but there was no such atmosphere overseas.

"Variety" magazine once again exclusively broke the news: Lu Yan He returns to the sequel of "The Mist" with a super high remuneration of base salary + bonus + box office dividends!

Regardless of ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign, how much a person's income is, it is always one of the topics that everyone pays attention to.

Lu Yan He, a Chinese actor, succeeded in his first work in Hollywood, and his second work is the sequel to this successful work. In this case, he can get a remuneration far higher than his market price, which can be understood in the Hollywood system.

Hollywood—or Europe and America—is a place that values personal talent very much. Their cultural tradition advocates "a person given a mission" and "a hero." Therefore, if he is the person who plays a decisive role, even if he takes away half of the proceeds of this work, everyone feels it is a matter of course.

With the box office results achieved by "The Mist" now, D19 can only pay for the promotional route they focused on before.

Since they set the promotion of "The Mist" on Lu Yan He's Asian identity, their move achieved the box office while also achieving Lu Yan He's popularity in Europe and America and his importance to "The Mist." Now if they say that the box office success has little to do with Lu Yan He, let alone the attitude of Lu Yan He's side, the American Actors Guild will not agree either.

In Hollywood, why can many famous actors not fall behind when negotiating with film and television giant companies? Because when fighting for their own interests, they are not alone, and there is a very powerful force behind them supporting them. Everyone has a "collective consciousness" in this regard. If this person can get better treatment and break some limitations of the industry, then it actually benefits everyone.

When shortly after, "Variety" revealed that the base salary of Lu Yan He's remuneration was at least 6 million US dollars or more, the media in Europe and America reported one after another—

Domestic media also followed up on this matter.

This time, Lu Yan He's high remuneration once again received everyone's attention.

Lu Yan He also felt strange. He remembered that the last time he received large-scale attention and discussion because of his high remuneration was the last time he was on the Spring Festival Gala. How could such a thing happen once he was on the Spring Festival Gala.

However, this time it seems that no one attacked him because of this matter.

On the contrary, many people are excited and happy about this matter.

Chen Ziyan: "Because this time you got such remuneration from abroad, not domestically. If there is media saying that you got a remuneration of 50 or 60 million for filming a movie in China, look at what others will say."

Lu Yan He: "I can't get such remuneration in China either."

"Indeed, you filmed 'Burning Fire,' and the remuneration of 12 million was negotiated with great effort." Chen Ziyan smiled, "After this news came out, many film companies in China have people coming to confirm the authenticity of the news with me. They are all worried that you getting such remuneration in Hollywood will make your remuneration in China rise with the tide."

"Now the box office of domestic movies is a metaphysics. Except for Teacher Jia Long and the others who have very stable performance and can get super high remuneration and dividends, who dares to quote too high? Let alone raising remuneration, isn't the overall remuneration falling now?"

The general environment is not good, and the remuneration of many actors is falling.

In the past, remuneration of tens of millions was common, but now, except for those few top big dramas, it is basically impossible to give out such exaggerated numbers again.

Among young actors, only Lu Yan He can get this number by relying on stable performance. Like Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, their remuneration is about the same, and the remuneration per episode is also at the level of 500,000 to 800,000. If placed three or five years ago, their remuneration per episode would definitely be over 1 million.

The era of hot money relying on throwing money to grab actors has passed.

Even popular actors like Li Zhibai and Yan Liang who have hit works are in this market, let alone others.

And filming movies is even more so.

Movie remuneration is now far lower than TV drama remuneration.

Chen Ziyan said: "Actually, speaking of which, except for 'Burning Fire,' you really haven't taken any domestic commercial films."

If it's not a commercial movie, the remuneration can't be priced high.

Not every movie should care about the number of remuneration.

Lu Yan He said: "Now that there is 'The Mist,' can my commercial film route slow down a bit and not be so anxious?"

Chen Ziyan: "Of course, next, let's look at the box office performance of 'Burning Fire.' I hope it can exceed one billion at the domestic box office, otherwise, it will be lower than the initial expectation of this movie."

For "Burning Fire," if the box office cannot exceed one billion, it belongs to failure.

Such a star lineup, such high special effects production costs, clearly aimed at the annual box office champion.

Lu Yan He asked: "When is 'Burning Fire' prepared to be released?"

"The post-production hasn't been completed yet. If it's completed quickly, it will be released in the summer file. If it can't catch up, it is estimated that it will wait for next year's Spring Festival file. For a movie of the volume of 'Burning Fire,' only these two files are suitable to get its expected box office."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Heh, no wonder everyone goes to be a star, a movie can earn tens of millions."

When He Lan heard her father say this sentence with a bit of drunkenness, her heart sank.

She knew that her father had always looked down on those star artists, especially their income.

He Lan actually didn't have the idea that Lu Yan He should earn so much money—

Even if she was Lu Yan He's fan.

Indeed, this is an era with a large gap between rich and poor, and the income between each other is so disparate. The money a star earns in a month may be more than the money an ordinary person earns in a lifetime.

This is abnormal.

He Lan has read so many books. When she was at Zhenhua, she read many introductions, reports, and analyses on the human progress and social evolution of ancient and modern times, Chinese and foreign.

She also thinks it shouldn't be like this.

However, what He Lan wants to say is that this is not Lu Yan He's problem. This is not a problem he caused.

Of course, He Lan didn't say anything to her father.

Because she also knew that her father was not really targeting Lu Yan He.

It's just that Lu Yan He appeared at this time.

He Lan has been an assistant to Chen Siqi for a while.

During the time she was by Chen Siqi's side, she had a very profound feeling.

Although she is one year older than Chen Siqi, Chen Siqi is far more mature than her.

And He Lan has such a feeling because she realized one thing.

Chen Siqi never questions or entangles why a certain situation occurs.

She will get angry, point at people's noses and scold, but after she vents her emotions quickly, she will not fall into the swamp of emotions because of this, but will use all her strength to solve this situation.

Moreover, she never thinks there is anything that cannot be solved.

Although "we cannot solve everything" is a consensus, Chen Siqi faces everything with such an attitude. It must be admitted that she has accomplished far more things than others.

He Lan feels that it is because she is by Chen Siqi's side, watching her attitude in dealing with people and things, that her first reaction to many things is also changing.

In the past, she would always spend a lot of time asking "why such an outrageous thing happened" and "why I encountered such an outrageous thing," which was all consumption of emotions.

Now, the first question she often asks is "do I want to solve this problem?", whether to face it or drop this problem and not care about it. Confirming to face it, okay, then the next step is "how should I solve this problem."

Facing the high income of star artists, the obviously abnormal high income, He Lan's reaction is not "why can they get such high remuneration?", but "are you questioning why they can get such high remuneration, or are you depressed about why you can't get it?".

He Lan quickly figured it out; she is the latter.

She also hopes to earn a higher income.

Therefore, for He Lan, on this issue, her question became "how should she get a higher income."

People can certainly keep questioning fairness and questioning disparity and gaps. This is the right given to everyone. But He Lan increasingly recognizes a truth, that is, if your questioning and questioning will not cause any changes to reality, then your questioning and questioning are no different from complaining.

He Lan has no intention of preaching, so she used to refute her father a few words, but now she no longer picks up this conversation.

Figuring out what you want is always more important than convincing others what you should want.

He Lan picked up her phone and looked at the time, and said: "Let's go see the refrigerator in the afternoon. My year-end bonus has been issued. Haven't you always said that our family's refrigerator cooling effect is not good? Let's change one."

"Why change the refrigerator at this time? Wait until there is an event and a discount." Mom said, "Now refrigerators are quite expensive, and better ones cost over ten thousand. When there is an event, it can be one or two thousand cheaper."

He Lan said: "It's okay, I worked harder this year, and the year-end bonus is very generous."

She smiled very brightly, "Change to a better refrigerator for the New Year, new atmosphere for the New Year."

Since she said so, her parents no longer opposed it.

"By the way, Dad, just tell me what you said just now, don't say it outside." He Lan said, "I work at 'Jump Up.' Your identity saying this is easy to be used by others, amplified on the Internet, and has an impact on my work."

Her father waved his hand and said: "Don't I know this truth? Put your heart in your stomach."

That's enough.

"How much is your year-end bonus?" Her father suddenly asked.

He Lan said with a smile: "One hundred and twenty thousand."

"How much?!" Her father sat up straight with a thud.

He Lan said: "Because I haven't worked for long, I got less. It will be more and more in the future. Moreover, according to the company's arrangement and positioning for me, after I accumulate two more years of work experience, I will be allowed to be specifically responsible for some businesses in the future. At that time, my annual income can also reach seven figures. Don't tell others that I earn money too easily."

Her father's expression became very wonderful, and after a while, he said: "Your company is quite generous."

"Yes, our company is not only generous, but also very open and transparent. More work, more pay. The more irreplaceable your value is, the more you can get." He Lan said, "Don't always blame me for why I can't come back to see you often in the future. I am really busy at work, almost no rest."

"Got it, got it, you work hard."

In the evening, the family had a New Year's Eve dinner and sat together to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

He Lan looked at her phone frequently. There was really nothing good to watch. The program was almost surrounded by various slogans, which made people lose interest.

But the sense of ritual must be there. No matter how bad it looks, it still has to be watched.

What's more, there is Lu Yan He's new song tonight.

Although that song is called "Chinese Language," it sounds strange and mainstream, and it feels like it doesn't sound very good.

When it reached nine o'clock in the evening, it was finally time for this program to be broadcast.

Looking at the program information, He Lan was stunned for a moment. Is the lyricist and composer still Lu Yan He?

Is this actually written and composed by Lu Yan He?

He Lan was very surprised.

She had already seen the name of this song before, and thought it was a song written by someone found by the Spring Festival Gala director group, letting the three of them, Lu Yan He, sing it.

When a group of children's voices read "The shoulder pole is wide, the bench is long, the shoulder pole wants to be tied to the bench" in a babbling voice, He Lan opened her mouth in surprise.

On the screen, a group of little radishes were shaking their heads and reciting this tongue twister, and the picture was strangely cute.

Subsequently, the three of them, Lu Yan He, appeared.

Is it actually a tongue twister Rap?

The melody and style of this song are completely different from what He Lan expected when she saw the name of this song.

It's also... strangely good to listen to.

When the three of them sang in unison, "The whole world is speaking Chinese, Confucius's words are becoming more and more international," He Lan's father was surprised and said a sentence: "This lyric is written quite well."

Good to listen to.

——It has to be Lu Yan He, "Chinese Language" is awesome.

——I thought it was that kind of mainstream song, it turned out to be a tongue twister Rap.

——Tongue twisters feel like they have disappeared for a long time, they were all played in elementary school.

——This song is written too coolly. Can those who engage in mainstream propaganda learn something?

——Lu Yan He wrote a new song again! He really should write more songs. His talent in acting is not enough to cover up his talent in writing songs.

——I really hope the three of them become a reserved program for the Spring Festival Gala every year. This song will definitely be popular.

——They fulfilled their promise. They said they would bring us a stage every year, and this year's stage is here.

On the Internet, discussions about this performance appeared overwhelmingly in an instant.

The three of them quickly climbed the hot search, and the three words "Chinese Language" also climbed the hot search together.

When the three of them finished performing this song, according to the script, completed the interviews of three international friends, and returned to the backstage, Li Qingbing came to tell them very excitedly.

"Your performance has been praised by the big leader!"