Chapter 829

Halfway through dinner, everyone inevitably started talking about the movie they were filming.

"The movie *The Boat* is really hard to film," Luo Yuzhong said. "Other shows have changing scenery, numerous characters, and many dramatic highlights, so you don't have to worry about being boring, but this movie has a lot of daily life, and it's really hard to film it without being boring."

Li Zhibai said: "I can't watch some art films now; I feel they are too dull."

"Yes," Chen Ziyan said. "Actually, handling this kind of subject matter depends on skill. How to film a large amount of seemingly information-less scenes so that the audience will keep watching, and watching with full interest, is almost the most difficult thing."

"There are so many genre films in theaters now, actually, it's just because genre films can handle the rhythm very fast, which can reduce a lot of foreshadowing," Lu Yan He said. "But *The Boat* is not that kind of movie at all. You can't abandon its original temperament just to make it look good, and you can't completely ignore the viewing threshold of the movie's imagery itself."

Lu Yan He actually likes movies like *Tokyo Family* very much. He also finds it amazing why such movies can film very daily things in a way that makes people willing to keep watching.

However, *Tokyo Family* is easier to film than *The Boat*. The former has so many people, each with a perspective, and different perspectives can bring different information, and different information is different stories and emotions.

*The Boat* spends more than half of its time boiling water.

Before it boils, it looks almost unchanged, calm and unruffled.

Li Zhibai: "When I was watching on the scene this afternoon, I felt that I definitely couldn't act in a movie like *The Boat* now. I can't act it; I can't even imagine how I would handle it if I were to act in it. Most of the time, there is no emotional change, and I feel like I would fall asleep directly while acting."

"It requires a lot of inner support," Lu Yan He laughed. "Maybe there isn't a single line of dialogue, but there are a lot of emotions and thoughts in the heart, and these can only be presented in a very subtle way."

"Yes," Li Zhibai nodded. "That's it. It might be because I haven't read the script, I don't know what kind of story this is, and I don't know what you were acting this afternoon. To be honest, I didn't understand it."

Chen Ziyan said with a smile: "Filming a movie is really like this. A scene might take several days to film. Looking at this scene alone, if the amount of information is insufficient, you really don't know what it's talking about, let alone a story like *The Boat*."

Li Zhibai: "But the acting is really good. You guys are really too strong. I don't know what you are acting at all, but I can watch it. Sister Mengling was adjusting paint or something there all afternoon. I just watched her sitting on the side alone, slowly tending to the pile of things in front of her, occasionally looking at you, and her son was wandering around nearby. The whole picture is very full of life. Anyway, I have rarely seen such filming when I act. You are always doing your own things, and it's the camera that comes to find you."

"It's because the scene we filmed this afternoon should be a transition scene in the movie, right, director?" Lu Yan He asked.

Luo Yuzhong nodded.

"Yes, but the most important thing about this scene is the relationship of this family," Luo Yuzhong said. "The power structure of this family, and the division of labor of each person, including some details of the positions, can be revealed, the relationship between the sister and brother and the relationship between the sister and brother and the father, who is close and who is distant."

Li Zhibai: "Ah, right, I was just about to ask this. Why do I feel that Sister Mengling has a deliberate avoidance of the father played by Teacher Wen?"

"Look, although you said you wouldn't act in such a play, your capture is still very accurate," Chen Ziyan laughed. "This kind of keen observation is a talent."

Li Zhibai laughed immediately.

"Overpraised, overpraised."

Lu Yan He: "Then what do you think my attitude is in this scene this afternoon?"

"You are a bit restless, confused, you are a line between the two of them," Li Zhibai said. "At least in terms of Sister Mengling's emotional relationship with Teacher Wen, you are the line that pulls it up."

Lu Yan He: "Sister Ziyan is right, you are really keen. A segment of the play that is neither here nor there can also be seen by you so much."

Li Zhibai said immediately: "After all, I have been praised as a genius by Luo Dao. Luo Dao, do you remember? You came to Star Entertainment to interview us many years ago. For the role of Old Lu in *The Golden Age*, you praised the sense of relaxation in me, saying it was worth learning for all of them, and also said I had the talent to be an actor, so I became an actor later."

"You kid are suitable for acting," Luo Yuzhong laughed. "The plays you take are all very suitable for you. I also watched your *Flying Over the Grass* this time, it's quite rare. I originally thought it was a character of the same type as Li Xiaoyao, but I didn't expect it to be completely reborn. It's a role very different from your usual self, heavy, with the determination of revenge, occasionally with a bit of the flying spirit of a young knight, but not bright. Very good, you took this role yourself, right?"

Li Zhibai nodded.

"It can be considered that I started participating in the creation from the script stage."

"A very good role," Luo Yuzhong said. "Although because this show is a martial arts theme, the awards won't open the door for you, but for you, this is a very good breakthrough. Your image becomes serious, playing a serious role, has a very different charm. You have to thank your parents for giving you a great face."

Li Zhibai: "..."

Lu Yan He smiled, then thought of something, his eyes dimmed slightly.

Li Zhibai put his arm on Lu Yan He's shoulder and said: "There are thousands of great faces, but great souls are one in ten thousand."

Lu Yan He curled his lips and smiled.

Luo Yuzhong: "You kid, your skin is really thick."

Chen Ziyan laughed and said: "I actually hope Yan He can learn from Li Zhibai's skin, to be thicker."

The next day, Chen Ziyan and Li Zhibai left Wangxian together and went to the high-speed railway station to take the high-speed rail back to Yuming.

Chen Ziyan asked in surprise: "I am because I have several online meetings today and cannot be disconnected from the Internet. Why do you want to take such a long high-speed rail back instead of taking a plane?"

Li Zhibai said: "Too lazy to toss. I get on the high-speed rail, put on an eye mask, and go straight to sleep."

"You didn't sleep yesterday?"

"I only slept for three hours," Li Zhibai said. "Last night I had an online video with the US side, chatting for more than two hours."

"New project?"

"Yeah," Li Zhibai said. "I don't know if it's reliable, the chat was not very appetizing."

"If it's not appetizing, there's no need to take it," Chen Ziyan said. "Don't force yourself. When you reach your stage, any project you take must be right in terms of time, place, and people. It doesn't matter if you take a role in two or even three years. Your status has already been firmly stabilized."

Li Zhibai said curiously: "I think so too. However, sometimes seeing Yan He fighting alone overseas, I always think, if I have some resources and connections overseas, can I help him a little sometimes? He is stupid, and he treats everyone close to him as his responsibility, trying every means to lift everyone up, which is tiring. But it's useless to tell him, so at least when he is powerless in the future, there will be strength to push him."

Chen Ziyan laughed.

"Yan He's luck is really good."

"Huh?"

"Do you know? What is a talented genius most afraid of?"

"Hmm?"

"The people around him only think about eating him dry and wiping him clean," Chen Ziyan said. "For many people, Lu Yan He is a treasure. Whoever occupies him a little more can gain more benefits."

"But Sister Ziyan, didn't you also not eat him dry and wipe him clean?"

"Me?" Chen Ziyan smiled, "Maybe it's because money is the thing I lack the least in my life."

Li Zhibai widened his eyes in shock.

"It's really been a long time since anyone said this in front of me," Li Zhibai said. "Even I, a genuine rich second generation, have never said such things."

"You, a genuine rich second generation, are really not that genuine in front of me," Chen Ziyan blinked at Li Zhibai, and that was all she said, not saying any more. "It's quite good. I have always been worried that people like him will be very lonely in their hearts. I'm not telling you something pretentious. People like this are all lonely. Fortunately, there are the two of you, and there is Chen Siqi."

"He really changed a lot in his third year of high school, too much, too much. Since falling into the water, he has almost become a different person," Li Zhibai sighed. "I didn't understand why before, until I knew his relationship with Chen Pinhe. He actually guessed it, right? Why he was pushed into the river. Escaping death, so it's completely different. Compared to him, the conflicts I have with my parents are really small troubles."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"You are very happy, Li Zhibai. The troubles your parents cause you are troubles that will not bring shadows to your life," Chen Ziyan said. "Not everyone's original family is as healthy as yours."

"Then I can't say my original family is very healthy, I can only say it's very rich."

"Your parents just don't know how to love you, don't know how to express love, but they don't not love you," Chen Ziyan said. "This is the most important thing, don't get the point wrong. They can open a company just for you, serving you alone. The film and television industry is really unnecessary for your family to step into. Your family is not Shijin, needing big entertainment to supplement the strategic map, but your family still did it. It's actually to support you."

Li Zhibai was silent.

Chen Ziyan: "Happy."

Li Zhibai: "Okay."

Chen Ziyan: "In the past few years, do you really not plan to fight for a few trophies? With your acting skills, it's completely possible."

"There's nothing to fight for. What's the point of having so many? I've already reached the top in my age group. Does it matter whether I win an award or not?" Li Zhibai shrugged his shoulders. "When it's really time to win an award, they will naturally give it to me. Compared to taking some subjects and projects for the sake of winning an award, I would rather put my time and energy into projects that can help me open up a new situation, like *Flying Over the Grass*."

Chen Ziyan: "You did a great job as a producer this time. I haven't said congratulations yet."

"Hehe," Li Zhibai smiled. "The process is painful, and the result is beautiful."

Chen Ziyan: "What project are you preparing to do next? Do you have any clues? Or are you starring in it yourself?"

"*Flying Over the Grass* is going to have a sequel. I won't star in it. I have already made this clear, but I will continue to be the producer," Li Zhibai said. "After Liu Manbo's script comes out, I will control the project throughout. I used to think I was very young and couldn't hold it. After experiencing more projects, I found that it actually requires someone who has the final say, who can manage from beginning to end. As long as the judgment is not outrageous, it is always better than seven or eight voices to command."

Chen Ziyan: "Hmm, this is true."

Li Zhibai suddenly thought of something and asked: "Sister Ziyan, if we took the initiative to find you like Yan He did and asked you to be my agent, would you agree?"

Chen Ziyan shook her head.

Li Zhibai originally thought she meant "no," but she said: "I don't know. This kind of thing depends on the eye. Agents choose the artists they want to bring, and the eye is more important than anything else. I have always told actors that compared to so-called big directors and famous directors, they should cooperate with directors who truly appreciate them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The relationship between director and actor is like this, and the relationship between agent and artist is also like this. Only when the agent truly thinks you are worth being seen can you get real support."

Li Zhibai: "Zhou Ping'an often says that nothing is as reliable as resources."

"This is true. Without a material basis, just talking about appreciation and love is indeed unreliable. But it is undeniable that in the entertainment industry, if you rely entirely on so-called materials, it would have collapsed long ago. How many artists who couldn't be supported by force left in a dejected manner, and how many grassroots finally fought their way out? Look at the entertainment industry now, those who can get the audience's love still rely on their own real skills and real charm, not the forced support of capital and resources," Chen Ziyan said. "There are so many rich second generations in this circle, so many true feelings, and even so many bad tempers, but aren't you the only one? Some people want to replicate your route, but they were sprayed and directly retired. This kind of thing, the more you replicate, the less you can become. Artists, to put it bluntly, are characters, so it depends on whether this person has that thing, just this person."

Li Zhibai nodded, thoughtful.

"Yan Lingyu, you are very familiar with her, your old CP," Chen Ziyan laughed. "She has no acting skills, no talent, and her personality is lukewarm, not like a star, but she became one. All these qualities that don't look like a star became her qualities when they reached her. She has nothing, so she is particularly clean and ethereal. She looks lukewarm, so she is somewhat detached from this entertainment industry. If you say she relies on the blessing of a few life roles, she could also be chosen by Liu Bige at the beginning and directly play the heroine of *Late Spring*. This kind of thing is mysterious and mysterious, and cannot be explained. You can only use the result theory. Before the result comes out, no one can predict it."

"Lian Bei can't direct?"

Chen Pinhe frowned in shock, "Why?"

Zhang Yuezhen's face looked ugly.

"Linghe has reached a cooperation with Jingtai and will develop three derivative movies of *Seventeen Layers*. Lian Bei is going to be the director of these three movies."

Chen Pinhe's face turned even darker.

Should it be said that things are unpredictable?

"Why would Linghe also develop three derivative movies of *Seventeen Layers*?"

"It is said that it was planned by Chen Ziyan, and Lu Yan He will not return to star," Zhang Yuezhen said. "It should be developed based on the roles of Chen Bige, Jiang Jun, and Li Yuefeng."

Chen Pinhe: "Then that derivative movie of mine—"

"Yours is handled by Jingtai and Maxine, and has nothing to do with Linghe," Zhang Yuezhen said. "Their three derivative movies are based on their trilogy and have no connection with us."

Chen Pinhe: "Then what about the sequel to *Seventeen Layers: Reboot*? Wen Zichong has already been kicked away by Jingtai, and Lian Bei can't direct either. It won't really be left to the directors inside Jingtai to do it, right?"

Zhang Yuezhen said: "I have already communicated with Jiang Lan. She also attaches great importance to *Seventeen Layers: Reboot* and will not watch those directors who are occupying the position and not doing anything in the station ruin this show. She will find capable and suitable directors from the outside to take over."

Chen Pinhe: "If it really doesn't work, then don't act in this sequel."

"The contract has already been signed," Zhang Yuezhen said. "And this is not a cooperation with Jingtai alone, but also includes Maxine. They attach great importance to this show."

Chen Pinhe said: "Maxine's importance is also limited. They won't use the best resources to push this show. With *Squid Game* and *Friends* in hand, other Chinese dramas can only be ranked in the second echelon."

Zhang Yuezhen said: "No, in recent years, the Asian market growth rate has been very high. Maxine and HP and other streaming platforms are all increasing their investment in Asian content. The production budget of *Seventeen Layers: Reboot* alone has already been fully ranked in the first echelon."

Chen Pinhe: "Then my salary for the second season of *Death Stranding* still hasn't been negotiated?"

"They are still stuck on the price and refuse to raise it," Zhang Yuezhen was also helpless. "The first season of *Death Stranding* was not a big hit, and they also have to control costs and risks, not daring to let the production budget rise sharply."

Chen Pinhe: "The problem is that my salary for the first season was already too low. I'm just raising it to a normal salary price now, and they won't agree?"

"Wang Jiaqi's salary has also risen, so the budget space left for us is not large. I estimate that at most it will be raised a little, 250,000 US dollars per episode at most."

Chen Pinhe frowned.

"Wang Jiaqi is mixing in Hollywood after all, her agent has a good relationship with Maxine, and she has been relatively popular in recent years," Zhang Yuezhen said. "Let's sign the contract for the second season of *Death Stranding* first and act. If the third season is still like this, we won't act. Currently, let's stabilize the current situation first, what do you think?"

Chen Pinhe said: "I actually think that we have an Asimov movie later, a Hollywood romantic comedy movie, it's fine not to take the second season of *Death Stranding*." (End of chapter)