Chapter 776: Is the threshold for sitcom creation too high?

"This time, three Chinese films were shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Locarno Film Festival, indicating that Chinese films are becoming more and more diverse. From Wang Zhong, Lu Yan He, Chen Bige to Wang Shuai, Liu Teli, Xu Yiren... only when more and more Chinese filmmakers take different works to the international stage will the stereotypes about Chinese films slowly be reversed."

"The Chinese film market is so big; it can't always have only one Lu Yan He, one Wang Zhong. The most surprising thing this time is Xu Yiren. Everyone thought she was just a pretty commercial film actor, but she starred in *Portrait* for zero salary and was shortlisted for the main competition unit of Locarno, one of the four top international film festivals, for the first time, leaving behind actresses of the same period."

"Box office and awards are the hard amulets of actors. Without these two things, no matter how high the popularity is, it is empty and doesn't count. Xu Yiren has a very bad reputation in the industry, especially among actresses. Many media also say she is competing with other women, however, the achievements she has made in recent years are obvious to all. Even if it is Jiang Yuqian, if we really talk about actual results, she can't compare to Xu Yiren. Xu Yiren is a rare actress who has carried the box office in recent years."

Lu Yan He saw such an article published by the media.

He was a bit curious, was this a press release bought by Xu Yiren?

Or was the author who wrote this article a fan of Xu Yiren.

However, to be fair, Xu Yiren's career in recent years has indeed been like opening a cheat code, advancing by leaps and bounds.

Even if she is not "blooming outside the wall and fragrant inside" like Jiang Yuqian, and has no recognition from mainstream awards, she can still produce a film with good box office every year to prove her influence, which is awesome.

Apart from her, there is no second actress who can produce film box office so stably.

However, with Xu Yiren developing so smoothly, Sister Yuqian probably feels a bit uncomfortable in her heart.

Lu Yan He remembered that Jiang Yuqian and Xu Yiren's relationship was not very good.

In fact, Jiang Yuqian's mood was not as bad as many people imagined.

*Doomsday* had already been filmed, *Red-Eye Flight* was about to start filming, and another script for a romantic comedy film had been delivered to her hands—

A project of the studio, the female lead.

She had painstakingly managed the overseas route for these few years, and finally had a harvest.

For the first time, without the influence of Lu Yan He, she got the female lead of a non-B-movie or small-budget film in Hollywood.

And the independent film she and Li Zhibai starred in was also shortlisted for the Locarno Film Festival, although it was not the main competition unit, it was still an official competition unit.

Now, if we talk about the most popular Chinese actresses overseas, one is Chen Bige, and the other is her, Jiang Yuqian.

Even in terms of public popularity, Jiang Yuqian is even better. Her high-frequency exposure in recent years was not for nothing.

Jiang Yuqian sent a message to Li Zhibai, asking: Has the time been coordinated? You won't just let me attend the Locarno Film Festival alone, right?

Li Zhibai: Of course not, it's already being coordinated.

Li Zhibai: This time going to Locarno, you will meet Xu Yiren. At that time, you won't be unable to control your temper, right?

Jiang Yuqian: You don't understand women too well.

Li Zhibai:??? How did you suddenly shift the topic to me not understanding women?

Jiang Yuqian: Even if the face has really been torn, when meeting in public, "whoever throws a tantrum publicly first loses" is an unchanging iron rule.

Li Zhibai:... My brain turned for two seconds before I understood what you were talking about.

Jiang Yuqian: I received a script from the studio, it's a romantic comedy, the female lead.

Li Zhibai immediately said: Are there any intimate scenes?

Jiang Yuqian: From the script, there are no relatively explicit scenes, and they won't film restricted-level scenes either. They still hope that this film can be released in various markets around the world.

Li Zhibai: That's fine.

Li Zhibai: Intimate scenes that are too revealing are not allowed to be filmed.

Jiang Yuqian: Understood, you have said it many times; you are not old, but your possessiveness is not small.

Li Zhibai: Yeah, right.

Righteous and confident.

Jiang Yuqian: Understood, understood.

"We are preparing to take *There is a Strange Woman in the Building* to the Locarno Film Festival to find buyers." Chen Yin said to Lu Yan He at the video conference of Linghe's senior management, "This film stars Jiang Yue, and *Hesitant Outlook on Life*, which she acted in with Yu Mengling, was shortlisted for the main competition unit. Jiang Yue will also be there at that time."

Lu Yan He said okay, and then said: "In the future, the films we produce can all be submitted to the four major international film festivals. Although it is a bit difficult for these new directors' films to be directly shortlisted for the main competition unit, other units are also fine. If the film can be screened at these film festivals, the topic and exposure will be greater than holding a premiere in China. Most importantly, I don't know if you have this feeling, but in China, film publicity seems to be increasingly difficult to make audiences feel moved. Instead, films shortlisted for film festivals, which also have good word-of-mouth at the film festival, can attract audiences."

Chen Yin nodded and said: "We also found that last year and this year, several small-budget art films with good word-of-mouth at international film festivals were released in China and actually harvested tens of millions of box office, earning quite a lot."

Lu Yan He: "Yes, the current film publicity in China is a bit dysfunctional. In essence, it is because everyone does not trust the 'good' presented in the publicity, thinking it is all fake. And the praise gathered by overseas media and film critics at international film festivals is still slightly trusted by everyone, thinking it is worth a look."

In fact, this is industrial dysfunction.

The Chinese film industry has made audiences "lose interest."

The reasons behind this are certainly very many, but Lu Yan He feels that the most terrible thing is that there are really some good films that, after being released, even if the praise is very high and the quality is indeed very high, the "new user acquisition rate" is very low. Because audiences don't think this "good" comes from quality, but from the "flower sedan chair lifted by people" of the entire film industry.

How to attract audiences back to the cinema and make audiences believe that there are good films is the real long and arduous journey.

Movies have never been a necessity, but good content is.

Originally, Lu Yan He did not plan to go to the Locarno Film Festival.

Because he had no works shortlisted for any unit this year, and he himself was quite busy.

Even if Linghe wanted to sell films there, Lu Yan He didn't think it was necessary for him to stand on the stage.

However, several brands he endorsed all hoped that he could attend the Locarno Film Festival.

For these brands, if Lu Yan He attended, the exposure he brought to the brand would be far higher than other cooperating stars.

Every year, many stars cooperating with sponsored brands attend the film festival.

The film festival also needs such "star-studded" to "earn shouts."

"If you don't want to go, it doesn't really matter." Chen Ziyan said, "You have attended quite a few public events this year, especially the Academy Awards, Locarno Film Festival, and Hexi Film Festival, you have had many public events, and the contract tasks of the endorsed brands have long been completed."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Let's go anyway." Lu Yan He said, "Anyway, *Squid Game* will be finished filming at the end of the month. This is the first time December has been cleared, and there is plenty of time. It's fine to go to the film festival to watch movies."

As a result, shortly after making this decision, another piece of news came.

The animated version of *Squid Game* was additionally shortlisted for the "Exhibition Unit" and will have a special screening at the Locarno Film Festival.

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised, and then he learned that this was operated by Maxine behind the scenes.

The animated version of *Squid Game* had already been bought for overseas exclusive broadcast rights by Maxine, and Maxine was doing this to warm up for this work through the Locarno Film Festival.

The animated version of *Squid Game* will be launched and broadcast three days after the Locarno Film Festival ends.

The domestic broadcast platform is Chestnut Video.

After the Locarno Film Festival confirmed that Lu Yan He would attend, they contacted him immediately, wanting to invite him to participate in several official activities.

Even, if Lu Yan He was willing to stay until the closing ceremony, they wanted to invite Lu Yan He to be an award presenter.

Chen Ziyan said: "Take all these jobs. Your status in the international film circle is already a big shot. This event can consolidate this impression of you in the film circle, especially since you don't have any works shortlisted this year, and the Locarno Film Festival can still give you such high-standard courtesy, which is an attitude." Lu Yan He nodded.

"Okay."

He also felt that Chen Ziyan was right.

These jobs, the time is appropriate, there is no reason not to take them.

Thus, at the end of November, the Locarno Film Festival announced heavily that Lu Yan He would attend the Locarno Film Festival "Master Dialogue" forum activity, being the youngest among the five guests, and also the second youngest "master" in the history of this activity.

This news was released by the official Locarno Film Festival.

Participating in this activity with Lu Yan He were two world-class famous directors, one Sandra Vici who had won the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and two Locarno Film Festival Best Actress awards, and a screenwriter who had won the Emmy Award for Best Screenplay and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay twice.

What kind of status a person has sometimes depends on who you participate in activities with.

Lu Yan He saw his photo placed together with these people, officially announced by the film festival, and felt "honored." He hadn't had this feeling for a long time. These people have truly accumulated their reputation in this field with a long and outstanding career.

By comparison, although Lu Yan He's work resume is not weaker than theirs at all, when placed together, even he himself feels that it is still lacking a little bit.

As for what is lacking?

Lu Yan He also spoke without any avoidance that it is actually the sense of reputation of an "industry evergreen" endowed by time and seniority.

Lu Yan He also became the first content in the film channel's report on this Locarno Film Festival to exceed 5 minutes.

Because the official activity he attended was "Master Dialogue," this inevitably required introducing his "Master Achievements."

The audience of the film channel said that they had really watched it too many, too many times, but—

Why can't they help but want to watch it again?

Why do they still feel it's so awesome and burning after watching it again? -

"After the Locarno Film Festival ends, we can't return to China temporarily; we have to transfer directly to the United States." When confirming the itinerary, Wang Biao said to Lu Yan He, "The premiere of *Mist 2* will be held in three places, and D19 has also arranged for you to participate in the interview part of a talk show, including two magazine covers to be filmed."

The various supporting publicity resources that come with a major project have always been like this.

As the absolute lead actor and No. 1 publicity position of *Mist 2*, the most critical publicity resources are definitely concentrated on Lu Yan He.

Of course, now it can't be said that Lu Yan He is a very high-status actor in Hollywood.

It can only be said that he is a very popular actor.

But is he a very high-status filmmaker? The answer to this question is different.

Just like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who wrote *Fleabag*, *Killing Eve*, and *No Time to Die*, as an actor, she can at most be said to be a well-known actor, but after adding the identity of a hit screenwriter, her status in Hollywood is different.

Her main positioning has become a creator, a film artist.

Lu Yan He's situation now is the same.

Therefore, D19 did not pay too much of a price for Lu Yan He's publicity resources—

People are also very willing to cooperate with Lu Yan He.

Even those magazine covers of Lu Yan He are paid for by the brands, and Lu Yan He can even receive high commissions.

Many people actually don't know that many stars appear on magazine covers, or even endorse high-end luxury brands, and at most receive a labor fee; it is impossible to receive high commissions.

However, Lu Yan He can.

Because Lu Yan He has value.

The sales of print media are going down, and advertising fees are also going down. Despite this, it has not perished, and in top-tier magazines in various fields, covers are still rare resources.

It's not that whoever wants to be on it can be on it.

Precisely because of this, Lu Yan He generally does not refuse the work plans set by these partners, unless it is particularly pit-like and inappropriate.

Lu Yan He knows that behind these work arrangements, a lot of people's coordination, planning, and back-and-forth communication are involved, consuming a lot of manpower and material resources.

Lu Yan He didn't want his casual picking and choosing to make some people's hard work go down the drain.

Especially since this is also to publicize the film he starred in.

*Mist 2* is the first Hollywood A-level production film starring Lu Yan He.

Although it is a sequel film, its box office performance is still important.

After all, Lu Yan He took on this film series to prove his commercial value.

It would be best if the box office could be a little higher than the first one.

Unfortunately, *Mist 2* still cannot be released in mainland China, otherwise, Lu Yan He would be quite confident in making the box office of this sequel film exceed the first one.

When Lu Yan He arrived in Locarno, it was an afternoon.

The sun was just right.

Many media and fans came to the airport. They didn't know where they heard the news, and they were really his fans, not people who came to join the fun. They held various movie posters of his in their hands, excitedly shouting his name, or his character's name.

Lu Yan He waved to them, or showed a smile, and they would scream and cheer even more excitedly.

He actually really doesn't like fans coming to send him off or pick him up, but at this time, in this place, Lu Yan He felt it was understandable and normal.

He went to sign autographs and take photos with many people.

Because he wasn't in a hurry, he stayed at the scene for about five minutes.

Few actors would stay this long on this occasion.

Many foreign fans at the scene were even asking if the next season of *Friends* could be broadcast in advance.

Lu Yan He said in shock: "This season of *Friends* is still being broadcast and hasn't finished yet."

In recent years, every time Lu Yan He came to activities overseas, he had a profound feeling, that is, there are more and more viewers of *Friends* overseas.

More and more people are asking about *Friends*.

The power of sitcoms is still so destructive.

This result made Lu Yan He very happy.

Lu Yan He has always felt that sitcoms are actually one of the most important types of TV dramas.

However, it did not get the respect it deserved.

Lu Yan He didn't understand even more, why there are so many hit sitcoms as pearls in front, although various platforms are developing the sitcom track, the quantity is far less than other types.

Could it be that the threshold for sitcom creation is too high, leading to the fact that not every director or screenwriter can get involved? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 777 =====