Chapter 779: Praise me for being too cautious but at least not rash

When Lu Yan He's photo with fans caused a lot of controversy on social media, Lu Yan He had already been "renewed" with the help of a stylist.

Throughout the process, Anna White was sitting on the side, observing him.

Regarding the styling he was about to appear on the red carpet, almost everything on Lu Yan He had an endorsement brand—

There were quite a few people in the room—

This was done in the house rented by Zou Dong and Wang Biao.

There were too many people, and it was too easy to make Anna's house messy and dirty, although Anna herself repeatedly said it didn't matter, and she would clean it up later.

After Lu Yan He was done from head to toe, Anna White said with some surprise: "You seem to have no opinion on your styling."

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "Unless it's something I really can't stand, generally speaking, I leave it to them."

Anna White said: "Why is your self much less in this regard? Generally speaking, every star artist has almost harsh requirements for their image."

This does not distinguish between men and women.

Lu Yan He said: "Because if I follow my preferences, every appearance will be the same. I am still quite willing to show a different look. Red carpet, I don't want to be dressed in a suit and leather shoes every time, like a model."

Anna White: "Okay."

This time he even had to hold a scepter on the red carpet.

This was borrowed from the jewelry brand he endorses, and it is worth over a hundred million.

There are so many people in the room, and four of them are the bodyguards for this scepter.

The scepter is currently in their hands, and they will give it to him later.

That is why his endorsing brand insisted that he must come to the Fushan Film Festival.

There are only so many events of this caliber in a year; if Lu Yan He doesn't come this time, the next ones might be the Golden Globe Awards or the Academy Awards, but those occasions aren't suitable for him to enter carrying a scepter—it depends on the occasion.

The more occasions Lu Yan He attends, the richer the types of things the brand can present through him.

Undoubtedly, this scepter is not meant to be sold through his hands either.

Things like this are purely used by the brand to enhance its own brand image and value.

The moment Lu Yan He appears with this scepter, okay, this exposure will imbue the brand with an impression of "nobility, mystery, and lineage."

Third-rate stars help brands sell goods; top-tier stars help brands consolidate their overall value.

The brands that collaborate with Lu Yan He really don't just expect him to help bring in sales.

That is not where his value lies.

That is for internet celebrities and traffic stars to do.

Lu Yan He's styling was relatively easy to handle, taking about half an hour in total.

In particular, there was a brand that wanted to add a few more accessories to his outfit, but Lu Yan He refused directly.

"I'm already holding a scepter; if I add a few more accessories, I could go straight to a masquerade ball." This was the only suggestion Lu Yan He rejected today.

For the red carpet of the Fushan Film Festival opening ceremony, Lu Yan He was scheduled for somewhere in the middle-to-latter section.

This is exactly when the red carpet is at its most noisy and chaotic.

However, how could the Fushan Film Festival let Lu Yan He be mixed in with a crowd of people?

If they were to do that, the media wouldn't agree.

If this current hotshot were to appear, the others on the red carpet wouldn't move, and no one would go to photograph them anymore.

Therefore, when Lu Yan He got out of the car and arrived at the red carpet entrance, the on-site security began to control the flow of people, preparing to clear the area.

This is something major top-tier film festivals often do.

This is the courtesy they give to big stars.

But many people mistakenly believe that as long as one is a big star, they will receive such courtesy every time.

In fact, that is not the case.

You have to look at the situation of the big star and what they are here for.

For example, Lu Yan He is an officially invited guest, and since there is no film crew of his entered this time, he is here in a personal capacity; in that case, the nature is purely "invited big-name guest," and under such circumstances, the film festival officials are highly likely to clear the area for him.

Otherwise, it would also be disrespectful to the film festival itself.

The crew of "Hesitant Outlook on Life" was scheduled to step onto the red carpet right behind Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He greeted them happily.

Subsequently, the on-site staff signaled that Lu Yan He could walk onto the red carpet.

Lu Yan He walked up unhurriedly, holding the scepter, and with a lazy and composed posture, smiled and waved to the media and photographers on both sides.

The music on site suddenly changed, and the soundtrack of "Tropical Rainy Season" began to play.

Melodious, slow.

Lu Yan He stepped to the beat of the music, performing his own mime on the red carpet.

He had never been so "diverse" on a red carpet before.

He seemed like a young gentleman who had walked out of the old century—refined, graceful, and relaxed.

Just as he walked a third of the way, the music suddenly changed into that cheerful, tense, and exciting soundtrack from "Home Alone."

The whole audience heard it and let out a burst of cheers and screams.

Lu Yan He simply carried the scepter in his hand and began to perform some lighthearted and funny movements in rhythm with the music.

There were waves of screams and cheers from the scene.

Lu Yan He really gave the Fushan Film Festival enough face; this was the first time he had played around like this on the red carpet.

Suddenly, he thought of something, turned around, and with a series of cheerful steps in time with the music, walked to the red carpet entrance and said to Director Wang Shuai, Yu Mengling, Jiang Yue, and the others: "Come on."

They were all stunned.

Lu Yan He turned directly to Yu Mengling and made a gesture inviting a lady to dance.

Only then did Yu Mengling smile with pleasant surprise, and somewhat reservedly, she placed her hand in his.

Lu Yan He took Yu Mengling's hand and, following the accompaniment of "Home Alone," spontaneously danced a bit of the cha-cha.

The applause, cheers, and screams on site reached a climax.

This was something they hadn't discussed at all beforehand, and it was something Lu Yan He thought of on the spur of the moment.

He danced with Yu Mengling for about ten seconds before smiling and letting go of her hand, making an elegant bow and a gesture for her to exit, waving to Wang Shuai and Jiang Yue who hadn't followed, and then, he took Yu Mengling's hand again, led her back to the red carpet entrance, and placed her hand into Director Wang Shuai's hand.

"Director, shall we take a group photo together?"

Lu Yan He invited everyone from "Hesitant Outlook on Life" to walk onto the red carpet with him. After taking the photo, he said, "I'm off, see you inside!", waved to the photographers on both sides with long strides, and only stopped at the very end to let the photographers on both sides take pictures for a while before entering the Film Palace.

This performance by Lu Yan He on the red carpet became content that was frantically reported and spread by major media outlets.

The "cha-cha" that he and Yu Mengling performed on the red carpet also became one of the hottest GIFs on social media that day.

While everyone else was performing conventionally, he directly pulled off a big move on the red carpet.

The red carpet has always been the place most prone to going viral and, at the same time, the easiest place to attract attention.

For an actor of Lu Yan He's level, as long as he can make a move that goes beyond the conventional, it will definitely be reported by media from all over the world.

Yu Mengling also gained a wave of fame because of this.

The actress who danced the "cha-cha" with Lu Yan He on the Fushan Film Festival red carpet.

Every media outlet reporting this news would mention Yu Mengling's name.

By doing this, Lu Yan He was actually helping Yu Mengling and the "Hesitant Outlook on Life" crew gain a huge wave of exposure and traffic while creating a very big topic for the Fushan Film Festival.

A triple win.

In fact, every time Lu Yan He comes to an international film festival, he can bring it huge exposure and heat.

Such exposure and heat do not rely on taking risks, nor do they rely on exaggerated words or actions to grab eyeballs; on the contrary, every topic he sparks is very consistent with his status and public impression, which not only brings traffic and attention to all parties but also increases his favorability in the public's heart.

This is a talent.

"Wasn't this communicated in advance?" A familiar media reporter asked Lu Yan He inside the Film Palace, questioning him about the situation on the red carpet just now with great shock.

Lu Yan He shook his head and said, "No communication, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea."

Of course, this reporter was not the only one with such thoughts.

Many people thought that this scene between Lu Yan He and Yu Mengling on the red carpet was designed in advance. Lu Yan He met many people who took it for granted that this was the case.

"Looks like the effect is pretty good." Lu Yan He said with a smile when he saw Yu Mengling again.

Yu Mengling: "You gave me a fright. I was completely unprepared, I was totally dazed, and you didn't even give me a heads-up."

"I didn't pre-plan these things either; the atmosphere on site just reached that point," Lu Yan He said. "I wanted to invite all of you to do the cha-cha together, but I ended up taking your hand and coming out, while they just stood there."

Jiang Yue puffed out her cheeks and said, "At that time, who could react that quickly? If I had rashly followed, and it turned out you didn't mean to invite me at all, wouldn't I have become a clown trying to crash the red carpet?"

"You're being subtle now; weren't you quite bold before?" Lu Yan He said with a smile. "Even if I really didn't mean it, if you misunderstood and followed along, would I have kicked you off? You missed out on such a huge wave of media exposure yourself."

Jiang Yue: "I'd rather not have this exposure than be misunderstood by you as a thick-skinned, red-carpet-crashing schemer."

Lu Yan He: "... I suddenly don't know what to say."

Jiang Yue: "Praise me for being overly cautious but at least not rash."

"The deepest impression I have of you is that you are cheerful and bold; don't let the mold of a celebrity artist frame your own personality," Lu Yan He said. "You are an actor, not an idol; there's no need to be so perfect. At worst, you'll just get scolded by people, what's there to be afraid of?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yue said, "It's very uncomfortable to be scolded by people, how can I not be afraid?"

Yu Mengling took Jiang Yue's hand, "Alright, stop arguing with him; he's deliberately provoking you, haven't you realized that yet?"

Jiang Yue widened her eyes.

Lu Yan He beamed, "Look, you're at your most vivid when you're fighting with people and have a bit of a temper. I saw you on the red carpet just now, pretending to be such a lady—it was boring."

Jiang Yue: "..."

Lu Yan He saw a bit of Wang Jing in Jiang Yue.

Of course, the wildness and the quality of going crazy at any time in Wang Jing were much stronger than in Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue's temperament is that of a hot-blooded, slightly tomboyish girl you'd find in every class.

This is precisely what makes her most recognizable as an actress.

Compared to uniform beauty, on the red carpet, unique characteristics are more memorable.

Lu Yan He feels that for a newcomer actor like Jiang Yue, she shouldn't miss such exposure opportunities. If she can be exposed in a good state once, maybe some director will take a fancy to her and give her a role opportunity.

Many people feel that such opportunities to be noticed by directors are too ethereal and slim.

But in fact, actors must constantly create such opportunities for themselves.

Just like how Liu Ye, in order to be noticed for "The Postman in the Mountains," specifically ran in front of the director and pretended to be playing basketball, just to leave an impression on the director.

Lu Yan He understands the anxiety and caution of everyone who is new to the scene, but after experiencing such occasions many times, Lu Yan He's advice is: don't be afraid; it's better to be a bit reckless than to be timid and invisible.

The bigger the stage, the more it can accommodate a person's sincere recklessness; in fact, sincere recklessness is the most green and moving embellishment of this stage, and no one will mock it.

"Ah, Sister Mengling, I'm really so envious."

Jiang Yue whispered in Yu Mengling's ear.

"Envious that he is so at ease and like a fish in water even on this foreign turf?" Yu Mengling asked with a smile as she and Jiang Yue watched Lu Yan He chatting and interacting with the foreign filmmakers around him.

"No, I'm envious that he can be so composed," Jiang Yue said. "I'm really so nervous and excited; I know I should be a bit calmer, but I can't do it."

"Why do you need to be calmer?" Yu Mengling held Jiang Yue's hand. "Just be yourself; wasn't that what Yan He meant just now?"

Jiang Yue: "I know, but I just can't control myself; I'm afraid of losing face, so I envy Little Brother Lu's composure. He seems to have performed well since the first time he stepped onto such an international film festival."

"Have you seen the video of his first time at an international film festival?"

"Yeah, that time when 'Sanshan' went to the Xitu'er Film Festival," Jiang Yue said. "I've seen many videos of him on site."

"That only proves one thing: his acting skills are much better than yours," Yu Mengling chuckled and said gently to Jiang Yue. "No one is not nervous or excited when attending such a top-tier film festival for the first time. Actually, your state in front of Yan He just now was very good, because you were familiar, so even if you were excited and nervous, it was very vivid. He was right; he really does have an eye for people."

Jiang Yue listened to Yu Mengling speak, like a woman who had walked out of the Jiangnan water towns, gentle and soft, with the crisp sound of gold and jade.

"Sister Mengling, I also want to become like you."

She leaned in close to her.

Yu Mengling's eyes curved.

"You are very good as you are; you don't need to become like me."

Starting from the opening film, for the next few days, Lu Yan He's main activity every day was watching movies.

But this time it was different; he was watching with Anna White, a professional film magazine editor and critic.

Every day, in addition to watching movies, he and Anna White also engaged in boundless exchanges, discussions, and even arguments about the films and various topics derived from them.

After watching "On the Xunyang River" starring Liu Teli, Anna White said: "This film has too heavy traces of imitation; one can hardly see the director's own expression. It is just an exquisite replica."

Clearly, Anna White did not approve of this film.

"Dozens of films like this are produced every year; there is nothing outstanding about them."

"Your requirements are too harsh. Although the style of the film itself has many traces of imitation, the completion of the whole film is very high. Using a fisherman's family to see the big picture from the small, and moreover, you can feel the subtle flow of time from the changes in this family; it has a sense of immersion that makes one forget the real time and space and enter a cinematic time and space," Lu Yan He said. "And the male lead of this film gave a very high-level and restrained performance."

Anna White: "The actors' performances are indeed very good, but they also make me feel the traces."

"Is there any performance that is truly so-called 'trace-less'?"

"No, but there are performances that allow us to ignore the traces," Anna White said bluntly.

Lu Yan He was speechless for a moment.

Anna White wasn't just this harsh toward "On the Xunyang River."

Her harshness was directed at all films.

From the opening film until now, not a single film had been praised by her.

This woman, who usually looked enthusiastic, gentle, and polite, suddenly became mean, sharp-tongued, and nitpicky at this time.

However, you couldn't refute her.

You could only say that she was using the highest, most idealistic standard to measure and judge these films, but you couldn't say she was talking nonsense.

Moreover, after chatting with her for these few days, Lu Yan He deeply realized that for a critic like Anna, in her mind, things at the technical level of film are all second-rate; the outlook on life and philosophy reflected by the author are first-rate, and possessing a style and quality that others don't have—that is top-tier.

In short, Anna White was using a perspective of measuring "personal works" to evaluate a work that was clearly created by many people together. She knew this was a paradox, but she still regarded the film as the director's personal work, and other crafts, including actors, were just the director's tools, the "paintbrushes" in their hands.

It was extreme, yet... pure. It was irrational, but the criticism given was also hitting the nail on the head.

While Lu Yan He thought to himself that critics are just critics and can only build castles in the air, he was also slowly being influenced by some of Anna's theories, ideas, and attitudes.

Because no matter how many objective reasons he found for himself, he also knew that from the perspective of creation, what is right and what is good. (End of chapter)