Chapter 656: Golden period of career

Compensate with a male lead—

Actually, for a male lead like Zhou Yuning who already has a box office hit and is a Best Actor, he won't be lacking male lead roles for the next five to ten years.

One *Nine Yin* is enough for him to toss around in the film market first. If he tosses around a few films and they don't succeed and all flop, he can still go to film TV dramas and web dramas.

In this era, if one play succeeds, it can really be eaten for a long time.

However, in the entertainment industry, there are always some resources that, no matter how big the actor, still need to find ways to fight for, and even might not necessarily be able to fight for.

For example, Chinese-language films by Li An or Zhang Yimou, English films by Nolan or Spielberg, Korean films by Bong Joon-ho, or Japanese films by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

It's not that those big-name actors don't have high enough status, but in the ecological environment of film, the films of these people have already reached the top and cannot be higher, and the quantity is just that little. There are many monks and little meat; even if you have cultivated into the Tathagata Buddha, the meat is still only that piece of meat.

Lu Yan He smiled and nodded at Zhou Yuning.

"There will definitely be suitable roles in the future."

Zhou Yuning said contentedly that it was good.

The filming of *Dragon Inn* was proceeding in secret, and no news was released to the outside world.

Lu Yan He coming to visit the set was the same.

With the team of this film, there is no need to do too much promotion in advance.

No matter which release window this film is thrown into, it is a king bomb—of course, perhaps in terms of subject matter, putting it into the annual "Shura Field" of the Spring Festival window will still be at a disadvantage.

After all, the Spring Festival window is a rapidly changing window. It is too dependent on instantaneous explosive power. Even if you made 100 million in box office in one day, if it is not higher than other films, the next day, your screening schedule will be eaten away a lot, and then, the daily box office will be worse, entering a vicious cycle. The box office results that could have been achieved might evaporate by hundreds of millions due to huge competition.

Lu Yan He and Liu Bige chatted about his and Long Yan Pictures' plans for this film.

Linghe and Lu Yan He himself also have partial investment in this film, but the main control is still Long Yan.

The film version is in Long Yan's hands, but the story itself and other copyrights are still retained in Lu Yan He's own hands.

Of course, setting these aside, Lu Yan He is also very concerned about this film.

Liu Bige said: "Perhaps *Dragon Inn* will go to the Hexi Film Festival, or it will go to Venice. The other two film festivals are not considered. The style of this film is not their cup of tea, and it is easy to lower the reputation."

"Very agreed," Lu Yan He smiled and nodded.

"But we actually still position *Dragon Inn* as a blockbuster film, not a commercial film, nor an art film, but a top-production blockbuster," Liu Bige said. "Long Yan wants to blur the boundaries between commercial and art in this film and expand the audience as much as possible."

"This film is just a commercial film, they must not promote this film toward art," Lu Yan He said. "Lest they smash it in their own hands, don't let the audience have some unrealistic expectations."

"This film is still different from traditional commercial films."

"Of course, this story, this group of people, I am very confident that they can leave a mark in the history of Chinese cinema."

Lu Yan He thought to himself, kidding, the character Jin Xiangyu is an enduring screen image that has influenced how many Chinese film and television creations later.

"However, if you go to promote it to people, saying this film is awesome, very thoughtful, very artistic, then there is no need, really," Lu Yan He said very seriously. "People who walk into the cinema with this expectation will definitely be disappointed."

Liu Bige was stunned.

"The promotion of *Even Faking Death Won't Work* has already made some of your fans quite critical," Lu Yan He said. "From its box office, this is of course successful, but what about your next film? Another promotion that doesn't match the title, your fans walk into the cinema one after another with the mood of wanting to see *Late Spring*, but find it's not the case. They will be disappointed in you, right? Putting the words in front at the beginning, this is not a literary film like *Late Spring*. People who want to see *Late Spring* cannot see *Late Spring* from the film. Without such expectations, there can be much less disappointment, and they might not necessarily not like your new film. For a filmmaker, a person's reputation determines the basic foundation of every project you have in the future. Long Yan cares about the box office revenue of one or two films, but you are a director who will film for a lifetime."

Liu Bige was a bit embarrassed and said: "If Long Yan wants to promote it like this, I can't stop them."

"You can not cooperate with them," Lu Yan He said. "Anyway, I won't cooperate. I am the screenwriter, I will clearly tell them what kind of story I wrote. But the script has never been the most core place of a film. I am not the key, the director is, you are."

If the film box office fails, absolutely no one will attribute the responsibility to the screenwriter.

This is the characteristic of the film itself.

The script is just the ingredients for the director to cook. How to cook, what to make, that is the director's ability.

To be extreme, in the film field, the screenwriter does not serve the audience, but serves the director. The director is the one who serves the audience.

It's not that the screenwriter doesn't want to serve the audience, but just like no one will blame the farmer who grows vegetables for why they provided such bad vegetables to customers, they are in different positions in this industry.

One script, ten directors film, can film completely different works.

Just like a *Journey to the West*, the characters are those characters, the story is also those stories, all well-known.

However—

Those filmed well are good in their own ways, and those filmed badly are also bad in strange ways.

Lu Yan He really hopes Liu Bige will not be kidnapped by Long Yan.

He feels this is not Long Yan's problem either.

Any film company, it is not doing charity, it will definitely consider the matter of profit to the maximum extent.

But by the same token, the creator, the director, is the same.

He should not compromise, should not retreat.

Could it be that if he doesn't retreat, *Even Faking Death Won't Work* couldn't make money?

Directors should have their own tough, persistent places.

If you can collaborate, then collaborate; if you can't, then forget it. Yielding will not make others look up to you, only make people realize that you can still be squeezed.

After Lu Yan He's *Dragon Inn* set visit ended, he returned to Yuming and suddenly received a call from Mrs. Huang, who wanted to see him.

He thought it was his conversation with Liu Bige that was known by Mrs. Huang, and the latter was coming to question him.

After all, Liu Bige was dug out by Long Yan. In Mrs. Huang's eyes, Liu Bige belonged to Long Yan, and Lu Yan He belonged to "instigating rebellion."

Of course, Lu Yan He was not afraid of Mrs. Huang coming to question him.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Huang was not contacting him for this matter.

Mrs. Huang wanted to buy out the film copyright of *Dragon Inn* from Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He shook his head directly.

"Mrs. Huang, no."

Mrs. Huang asked: "Do you want to do other films yourself?"

Lu Yan He shook his head: "No, don't do it, just this one by Liu Bige."

Mrs. Huang was puzzled and said: "Then why are you unwilling to transfer the film copyright to us completely?"

"Because I don't want it to be filmed into a series by you," Lu Yan He said bluntly.

Mrs. Huang: "..."

She really came for this purpose.

This group of people in *Dragon Inn* is too suitable for filming sequels.

Any character can continue to tell their stories later.

Mrs. Huang asked: "Why? This film has such good characters and stories, it can be fully developed into a series."

"Because you will develop it into a series of patterned, commercialized Wu Xia films," Lu Yan He shook his head. "I don't want this group of people to become like this, especially since your Long Yan is powerful, you can even handle these actors, and then film your sequels."

Mrs. Huang: "This—"

"I must first declare, I am not unwilling to let the film film sequels, nor is it that *Dragon Inn* cannot be filmed, but how to film, what kind of story can be filmed, what it looks like, I cannot let it be in the hands of others," Lu Yan He said. "I like this group of characters very much, and I also like this story. I don't want them to become some labeled, patterned money-making tools."

Mrs. Huang: "Of course, Yan He, perhaps I didn't make it clear, we are very happy for you to participate in the production of these plays."

Lu Yan He: "Participate? To what extent?" Mrs. Huang: "Just like *Dragon Inn* now?"

"*Dragon Inn* I am not participating much now, because I trust director Liu Bige very much. I believe he will not treat this film rashly," Lu Yan He said bluntly. "However, I don't think Long Yan will let Liu Bige continue to serve as the director of these sequels, right?"

Mrs. Huang showed a look of hesitation.

"Mrs. Huang, if you want to develop sequels, or develop films for one of the characters, I hope you can come to me with a concrete, mature idea. If I think it's suitable, I will authorize it," Lu Yan He said. "But letting me grant you all the film production rights of the *Dragon Inn* story and these characters without knowing anything, I am not very at ease."

Mrs. Huang was a bit dissatisfied and asked: "Yan He, do you have so little confidence in us?"

"Mrs. Huang, during the promotion of *Even Faking Death Won't Work*, how you used the signboard of director Liu Bige, it's not that I didn't see it," Lu Yan He said bluntly. "So many audiences' dissatisfaction, you turned a blind eye, but I couldn't turn a blind eye. I don't like your attitude toward this matter. That is to say, Liu Bige was dug out by you, so he suffered so much loss, he endured, I have nothing to say. But if in the subsequent work of *Burning Fire* and *Dragon Inn*, you still hope to use the reputation and word-of-mouth I accumulated to promote them like hanging sheep's head and selling dog meat, I will definitely not cooperate."

Lu Yan He's tough attitude shocked Mrs. Huang.

So much so that after she met with Lu Yan He and went back, her mood did not calm down for a long time.

"What kind of attitude is this!"

"Lu Yan He is too arrogant now. Success after success has clouded his reason! When he is proud, even our Jingtai can only avoid his edge," Xu Bin said to Mrs. Huang with a smile.

Mrs. Huang also didn't expect Xu Bin to be in her house.

【No errors, first release, content seen at a glance!】

"Why did Station Master Xu come?" Mrs. Huang smiled at Xu Bin and looked at Huang Zhongjing.

Huang Zhongjing said: "He wants to invite you to come out of the mountains."

"Invite me to come out of the mountains?" Mrs. Huang asked, "Come out to do what?"

Xu Bin: "Invite you to record a program for our Jingtai."

"Ah?" Mrs. Huang was stunned.

Before Mrs. Huang became Mrs. Huang, she had her own name, called Wen Zhimao.

She was once an actress, a famous actress.

But later, she retired and became Mrs. Huang, the boss lady of Long Yan Pictures.

After that, she was still a public figure and still frequently appeared in the media.

But she never acted as an artist again.

Xu Bin said: "Mrs. Huang, our Jingtai is preparing to make a variety show. The theme of the program is to invite celebrities who were once known to the public but are no longer active as artists to return to the camera, travel together, and review their past artist lives."

Mrs. Huang didn't even think about it and said directly: "Sorry, I am no longer an artist, and I have a lot of work, so I don't have time to participate in this program."

"Mrs. Huang, the era is different now," Xu Bin said. "This program is not asking you to return to the status of an artist. The important thing is that this program will definitely explode because they are all big names familiar to everyone, and you can also make Long Yan Pictures better known to the public, let everyone further understand Long Yan Pictures, understand what kind of plays you are doing, and what kind of philosophy you are operating this company with. This is a window for the public to understand you. Of course, this is also a free propaganda window. The film projects of Long Yan for the next one to two years can all be known to everyone through your mouth in this program."

Mrs. Huang looked at Huang Zhongjing.

Huang Zhongjing smiled at her, meaning, this person came prepared.

"Mrs. Huang, in this era, it is an era of heat and data," Xu Bin said. "Long Yan is a top film company and has made so many good films, but besides you, actually several old film companies have already been wiped out because the film market abandoned them. Now, basically, a box office hit film can push a film company to occupy a place in the industry, and now the famous film companies in the industry, especially those emerging ones, which company boss is not standing on the front line? This is no longer an era where the boss is suitable to hide behind the scenes."

Mrs. Huang said: "Although you say so, I have never hidden behind the scenes, I am quite active."

"Yes, we also think so, especially since you are so beautiful yourself, suitable for being on the program," Xu Bin said. "Long Yan has made so many moves in recent years, dug out a talented director like Liu Bige, and started a big project like *Burning Fire*. To be honest, Long Yan and you should have received more applause than now. Look at those companies of Lu Yan He, from Jump Up to Linghe, doing Jump Up Theater, supporting new directors, they have done every thing vigorously. They have made their company brand and philosophy very hot, and they have done their own image well. The result is that everyone thinks he is doing a great thing."

Mrs. Huang said: "Lu Yan He's achievement is not that his company is well managed, but in himself."

"Yes, I admit this, but, Mrs. Huang, look, it is precisely because he himself is popular enough and respected enough that the benefits fed back to his company are also many," Xu Bin said. "If you can truly return to the front of the scenes, and not just accept interviews or attend some public activities, seriously manage a personal image belonging to you, Mrs. Huang, like Lu Yan He is now managing himself as a film creator who supports newcomers and promotes the film industry, won't it form help for Long Yan? Not to mention anything else, Long Yan has to start so many projects every year, needs to knock on directors, knock on actors—"

"I know for Long Yan, they are definitely willing to collaborate with Long Yan's projects, this is not a problem, but Mrs. Huang, if you yourself are popular and welcomed enough by the public, when negotiating with others, whether it is investors or actors, I believe there must be help completely different from now."

If Xu Bin kept saying things like how much the audience wanted to see her, Mrs. Huang wouldn't take it to heart at all.

But what Xu Bin said now completely hit what Mrs. Huang thought in her heart.

In this era, a high-ranking company boss with great power, to some extent, has already failed to keep up with the mainstream. Now many big company bosses are themselves "internet celebrities" who receive great attention and have many fans. This is determined by the current economic model, especially companies that have a deeper relationship with the internet model, the "internet celebrity" attribute of the boss is stronger.

Xu Bin said again: "If you, Mrs. Huang, have many fans yourself and are welcomed by everyone, especially if your love and contribution to the film industry are seen by everyone, would Lu Yan He still dare to be so arrogant to you?"

Mrs. Huang was quite rational.

"He has never been arrogant to me, Station Master Xu, don't talk nonsense. Lu Yan He's cooperative relationship with our Long Yan has always been good. From *Late Spring* to *Burning Fire*, to the film currently being filmed, our Long Yan is the film company that Lu Yan He collaborates with most closely," Mrs. Huang looked over, warning him not to talk nonsense outside. "He broke up with your Jingtai because you have eyes but no pearls. Our Long Yan has always treated talented young people well."

Xu Bin: "..."

He had a feeling of a hot face sticking to a cold butt.

"I can consider this program of yours, but what can your program provide to me and Long Yan? You take out more concrete conditions," Mrs. Huang said. "The editing right is in the hands of your Jingtai, you have no proof, these must be written into the contract."

Xu Bin heard Mrs. Huang loosen up, and his mood improved a bit.

"This is of course."

"Then who else is participating in this program?"

"We are talking to, there are also..."

"Jingtai wants to invite you to record a variety show?" Huang Kairen looked at Xin Zixing in surprise. "What kind of variety show is this?"

"In name, it says it invites some public figures who are not artists but have a certain relationship with the entertainment industry and have a certain fame, travel together, and then chat about the entertainment industry," Xin Zixing said. "To be honest, the creativity of their program is quite good, a bit interesting. To put it bluntly, it is to grab a group of people who have something to do with the entertainment industry and openly talk about the gossip of the entertainment industry to attract the audience."

Huang Kairen: "They really thought of it."

Xin Zixing laughed: "Yes, they really thought of it."

"Then are you going?" Huang Kairen asked.

"Not going, refused directly," Xin Zixing said. "My work is so closely related to Yan He's, it's not that I'm afraid Yan He won't be happy. He definitely won't be unhappy because I went to record this program. It's all about making money and eating. But this matter is put on the table, there must be many people who will think why I went to record Jingtai's program. I guess many people will scold me at that time, so forget it. Otherwise, I would be quite willing to go and make some money easily."

"Yan He will still be unhappy, right?" Huang Kairen said. "To some extent, most of the variety show production on Yan He's side is your responsibility. He and Jingtai, although they reconciled on the surface, what the situation is actually, everyone can see."

"You don't understand Yan He," Xin Zixing said bluntly. "If I were responsible for producing this program, Yan He would really be unhappy in his heart, but just going to record a program, he won't be at all. His biggest advantage is that he can understand everyone's selfishness. I don't make money as easily as you famous artists usually. Recording a program, recording for more than ten days, seven figures arrive, only a fool wouldn't go to record."

Huang Kairen: "Okay."

"Also, if I go on this program, they will definitely use my relationship with you to hype it up, I don't like it," Xin Zixing said. "This thing can't be prevented, forget it. At that time, talking about other people's melons, others eating our melons, this money, it's better not to earn it."

Huang Kairen: "I have no opinion on this matter, anyway it has been made public, I have no burden."

"Hmm," Xin Zixing nodded. "By the way, when do you plan to send the wedding invitations to everyone? They need to leave time to attend our wedding, so it must be a bit earlier. Those people in your circle, one by one, their schedules are so tight."

Huang Kairen said: "Wait until I finish filming this play, some people I need to send it in person, it's more appropriate."

"Okay," Xin Zixing nodded. "Are you going back to the crew tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow," Huang Kairen said. "Tomorrow I have an advertisement shoot. Since I'm out, I'll ask for all the leave at once, so the crew can also coordinate the filming schedule."

"Okay," Xin Zixing said. "However, after you finish filming, my work will start again."

"It's fine, this is quite good. When I work, you can accompany me, and when you work, I can also accompany you," Huang Kairen said. "Later I will reduce the frequency of filming. In the future, I will just film one or two plays a year."

"Don't, it's the golden period of your career. You do yours, don't regret it later and blame me," Xin Zixing said.

Recommend the old entertainment-themed book *I Became the Protagonist of a Scandal Overnight*.

Working overtime too late, finished the update in the office, now going home.

Good night.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 657 =====