Chapter 912: Artist

This day, Liu Bige came to the small courtyard in Lingyang District to find Lu Yan He.

"Why do you suddenly have time to find me?" Lu Yan He welcomed him in with surprise.

Liu Bige said: "Just had a creative meeting for *Moon Legion* with Bolai in the United States, I want to come and hear your opinion."

"Uh-huh?" Lu Yan He asked, "What's wrong?"

"I have some communication problems with them. They have very strict settings for the style and character direction of *Moon Legion*, and don't allow me to change them. After I've been in contact with them for so long, the space they give me to play is actually very small."

Liu Bige shrugged his shoulders.

"To be honest, compared to them, I feel I have much more room to play when cooperating with Long Yan."

"That's how big IPs are; they won't allow you to unleash your imagination at will. You can only dance in shackles," Lu Yan He said. "To them, they would rather not make a mistake than have one film ruin the reputation of an entire series."

"But they are tired of that set of things, and the audience and fans are tired of it." Liu Bige said, "Don't they know it in their hearts?"

Lu Yan He nodded.

"They know, but it's hard to turn around. A small boat can easily turn around and change course, but a big ship needs a lot of effort."

"Sigh."

"Are you retreating?" Lu Yan He asked curiously.

Liu Bige said: "A little bit, but the contract is signed, and I don't want to be a director who gives up halfway."

"Then what is your disagreement with them now?" Lu Yan He asked.

"The biggest disagreement is in style." Liu Bige said, "They still hope that the style of this movie will be epic and magnificent, while I hope to change the routine that every movie in this series has to usher in a big battle at the climax. Don't let every main plot revolve around a big battle; this is also a very routine place."

"But you also know that this is a story about a legion." Lu Yan He said, "If the legion doesn't fight, what are they doing?"

Liu Bige said: "Actually, I provided them with two plans. The first plan is that the main story is that there is a spy in the legion, and they must find out this spy to prevent a crisis. Actually, this is already very routine, however, they think that this main story involves too many story lines and character facets, which does not meet the tone of this series."

"You want to use catching spies as the main plot, there are too many literary scenes, the story is complex, it's not the theme of *Moon Legion* in the past."

"That's it. For the second plan, I proposed that in the face of a certain crisis that is about to happen, the legion is divided into two factions with different claims, so internal contradictions began. It just so happens that this contradiction was also noticed by the villain, so a spy was specifically arranged to further provoke internal contradictions, allowing the villain force to once master the initiative. Of course, in the end, both sides discovered the spy's identity and reversed the situation at the last moment, successfully resolving the crisis."

"This sounds good, it's also a typical commercial story main plot, why are they unwilling?"

"Because they still think that such a main plot cannot further expand the *Moon Legion* universe, and the scenes where the story takes place don't need further development."

"They hope that every movie of *Moon Legion* will go to a new place, start a new adventure, and then end with a big battle." Lu Yan He summarized, "Is that what it means?"

"Yes." Liu Bige shook his head speechlessly, "But if it is such a setting, it will inevitably be routinized. You have to go to a new place, you must spend a certain amount of space to introduce the culture, history, and other humanistic information of this new place, and then spend a certain amount of space to create the conflict of the main plot. These information become inevitable elements, plus the big battle behind, there is almost no space to do any innovation, your creativity can only be exerted in special effects scenes and art details."

Lu Yan He understood completely.

It means that for this movie series, the framework is almost fixed.

"..." Lu Yan He shook his head and smiled, "They are doing this because for the entire *Moon Legion* IP, the income of the movie itself doesn't count for anything. Peripheral products, entertainment derivatives... these are the big heads of this IP. If you don't do a new worldview development, you can't make money in these aspects, just like games that have to release new characters and new skins from time to time, including new dungeons. Without these new things, you can't cut leeks one after another. Relatively speaking, the income of the movie is really not worth mentioning, and it doesn't even matter if it doesn't make money, as long as it can continue to develop the money-making universe of this IP."

Just like the *Harry Potter* movies, compared to the benefits brought by the derivatives of this IP, such as amusement parks, character peripherals, game development, etc., the benefits of this movie series itself do not account for the big head.

Lu Yan He asked: "Then what do you plan to do?"

Liu Bige said: "I changed my thinking."

"What thinking did you change?"

"Since they want to do it this way, and invited a Chinese director like me over, OK, I will follow the framework they built. Several main characters of the Moon Legion were attacked by traitors and drifted to a planet with a similar Chinese cultural background, then were saved by the locals, and successfully wiped out the traitors with the help of the locals." Liu Bige said, "Since they don't allow me to change the big framework, then I will innovate in the movie worldview and art, using our Chinese history, culture, and some characteristics to build a cyberpunk-style future planet world."

"Will Bolai agree?"

"They have to have a meeting to study it. I said directly that since the main plot of the framework can't be moved, they can only make a fuss in this aspect. *Moon Legion* has shot so many parts in the past, no matter how to expand the worldview, it can't be separated from the history and culture of Europe and America, it is already very convergent. Instead, the Eastern culture is a blank. If they can't accept this point, then they can only move the main plot and move the framework, otherwise the things shot out will still be changing the soup without changing the medicine, and there will be no freshness for the audience and movie fans. Everyone is not stupid, they went to study it."

Lu Yan He: "Your creativity is definitely interesting for *Moon Legion*, but it is also very easy to be picked on for ideology."

"I didn't intend to make it a sightseeing film of Chinese history and culture, not to that extent." Liu Bige said, "And the natives of this planet can't be villains, and I won't allow them to become villains here. The natives of this planet are helping them wipe out the traitors."

"This handling is indeed quite clever."

"And it can also show some of our things in this big IP, why not." Liu Bige shrugged his shoulders, "In the past, many Hollywood movies were used by them to shape some one-sided, dark, strange Eastern worlds with their own fantasies and prejudices. I think it's good to have such a film to reverse such an image."

Lu Yan He felt that Liu Bige was quite bold.

To some extent, his courage was not as great as Liu Bige's.

He dared to do such things in the movies he controlled.

But, *Moon Legion*?

No matter what, this movie is Bolai's movie.

Liu Bige is just a director.

For this series, the director may not even have the final cut right.

Uncontrollable means risk.

Lu Yan He definitely wouldn't challenge such risks now.

Liu Bige dared.

Lu Yan He admired him very much.

Liu Bige: "Let's see what Bolai says."

"If Bolai agrees, then the movie you directed will probably use a lot of domestic production talents and actors."

Just building a worldview, from on-site art to costume design, from makeup and styling to action guidance...

Liu Bige: "Bolai has money, they open their mouths and close their mouths that the budget is enough to burn, let me do less literary scene design, saying their movie is different from my past movies..."

Lu Yan He: "They are actually that kind of attitude?"

Liu Bige: "On the surface, the attitude is still quite good, but the words inside and outside are just that meaning."

Lu Yan He: "Sigh, typical Hollywood arrogance."

Liu Bige: "What about you? After filming *Men in Black*, I didn't hear that you joined any crew."

"Rest for a while, not joining a crew for now." Lu Yan He said, "I've filmed too much in the past few years, I want to stop."

"That's good." Liu Bige nodded, "Indeed, you can't keep joining crews without stopping, this is too much consumption for you actors. I'm already shocked that you can persist for so long."

"I couldn't stay idle before, always feeling that those plays, I also wanted to shoot, and many were promised long ago, one after another. Now I finally have time." Lu Yan He said.

Liu Bige: "I see you haven't been idle either. You have been live streaming frequently recently, either reading books or writing scripts."

"Those have no pressure, before it was rushing for work." Lu Yan He said, "The state is very different."

"This year's International Film Critics Film Festival, I didn't see you attend either."

"It's a film festival mainly for film critics, why should I go to participate." Lu Yan He said.

Liu Bige: "I was invited to do an exchange activity, how can you still be so idle?"

"I've been there several times before." Lu Yan He said, "You just support it."

"I've already agreed."

"Oh, you just simply want to crusade against me." Lu Yan He asked, "Do you have an appointment tonight? If not, have dinner here?"

Liu Bige nodded, "Okay, is Siqi there too?"

"Yes." Lu Yan He nodded, "I'll take you to the *Jump Up* editorial department later."

Liu Bige: "Okay, I haven't been there yet. I've subscribed to your magazine and read every issue."

"Looking for novels suitable for adaptation into scripts inside?"

"Both." Liu Bige said, "Xiaoyue and I both like to read this magazine."

"By the way, where is Miao Yue? Why didn't she come with you today?"

"She had an appointment with someone from the publishing house today. The publishing house wants to publish the articles she usually publishes in *Jump Up* and writes on the public account." Liu Bige said, "By the way, you might not know yet, she took on another movie for Northern Lights, and is writing a script for them."

"A movie?" Lu Yan He asked curiously.

"Yes, Wang Xiao specifically invited Xiaoyue and me to dinner, just wanting to ask her to write a script." Liu Bige said, "Cooperating with Director Zheng Ximo."

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised.

Miao Yue cooperating with the director of *The Pianist*, Zheng Ximo...

Lu Yan He doesn't know Zheng Ximo well.

But the reason Zheng Ximo went to Northern Lights Movies was because he and Chen Ziyan bridged the gap.

At that time, Zheng Ximo had a very unpleasant conflict with Chen Pinhe because of the publicity orientation of *The Pianist*.

"Is Zheng Ximo easy to cooperate with?"

"Xiaoyue didn't say much, but I found that you Zhenhua people are really helpful to each other. Originally, I was preparing a new project myself, but Xiaoyue directly asked me to prepare it myself, saying that Wang Xiao is her senior brother, and this is the first time he opened his mouth to her, so she must go to help." Liu Bige said, "Are you Zhenhua graduates so united?"

"Uh, to be honest, if they are really Zhenhua graduates, and they have dealt with each other in school, they will definitely help." Lu Yan He said, "When we enrolled, we heard about such traditions. Like when I did Linghe, many seniors and senior sisters came to pass words, if you need investment, you can find them."

Liu Bige said with envy: "It's already the highest institution of learning in the country, and still forming cliques."

"It was originally a circle that could only be entered after hard work, so everyone will naturally help each other within their ability. You need me, and I need you." Lu Yan He laughed, "The circle itself is a relatively more trustworthy relationship, reducing a lot of communication and testing costs. You and Xiaoyue talked about the adaptation of *Late Spring*, and you even called me, because I am an actor, isn't it also based on trust in me? At that time, I wasn't very familiar with her, but I am her classmate, and she believes that under normal circumstances, I definitely wouldn't fool her."

Liu Bige nodded: "That's true, if you are in the same circle, the cost of betrayal will also increase, reducing the probability of being cheated."

"That's not necessarily the case. Not to mention the small deception, if it is that kind of very bad nature, huge amount of deception, it often comes from a trusted circle, otherwise you wouldn't be cheated." Lu Yan He said, "Those seniors and senior sisters took the initiative to tell me that they could invest. On the one hand, their investment amount was not large. On the other hand, it was because I am a star, a public figure, to some extent, representing credibility. You change to a Zhenhua graduate who is not a public figure, and it is not easy to get investment at will. Everyone is just helping each other within their ability, not taking real money as a touchstone of trust."

Liu Bige: "Alright, I'm just very surprised that so many people in the country are looking for Xiaoyue to write scripts, and she refused them all, but Wang Xiao asked her, and she agreed immediately."

Lu Yan He shook his head speechlessly.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

"I'm shaking my head because you are really a director, an artist." Lu Yan He said, "Wang Xiao is not only her senior brother, but also the person in charge of Northern Lights Movies. She agreed immediately, besides helping her senior brother, it is also to help you and herself. You can't even see this."

"Huh?"

"You will shoot movies in the future. Besides Long Yan, besides Linghe, are there any familiar ones that can invest in your movies? I'm not saying that no other company is willing to invest, I mean, investment parties you can trust, not afraid of being cheated." Lu Yan He said, "Other film companies came to find Miao Yue, it was at the production level, she only considered the cooperation itself, but Wang Xiao personally found her, she considered the space for Northern Lights Video, which Wang Xiao can steer, to cooperate with you in the future."

Liu Bige: "... Really? Even considered to this extent."

Lu Yan He: "Otherwise, I don't think the relationship between Wang Xiao and her could make her agree immediately. I was very familiar with Wang Xiao in college, she and Wang Xiao are not in this relationship, just know each other. Miao Yue is not some small screenwriter, how could she agree to help people write scripts at will."

Liu Bige: "Didn't you just say that your Zhenhua gang is quite united?"

"What I said is, help if you can within your ability, make a good relationship. Within your ability means help if you can, without paying too much cost. Real money is a cost, time and energy are also. Writing a movie script is such a thing, alright, it is indeed within Miao Yue's ability, I used the wrong word—it should be said, help if you can, but those who need to pay more costs are not in this category, okay?" Lu Yan He shrugged his shoulders.

Liu Bige: "Okay."

"What help or circle, there is nothing to envy. If there is a basis for cooperation, without a circle, you can reach cooperation through other ways. Without a basis for cooperation, it is useless to be in a circle. If you, Liu Bige, want to do something today, as long as you let people know, people in any circle, if they can help, will be willing to help you."

"That can't be said either. Look at yourself, you also have a circle now, how many people want to enter your circle, but can't." Liu Bige said.

"My circle? What circle?" Lu Yan He didn't realize he had a circle at all.

"Although you definitely think you don't, but think about it, Li Yuefeng, Wang Jing, Jiang Yuqian, Jiang Jun, Yan Lingyu... these actors who have nothing to do with the companies you invest in, but can frequently get your resources, for them, this is entering your circle. Including Liu Zefan and the others." Liu Bige said, "In fact, for you, I know, it's because you are very familiar with them, and they are also very cooperative in the cooperation process, so you are willing to find them to act if there are suitable roles later. You think it is a very normal cooperation, but you must admit that objectively, this is a kind of circle. Didn't others say? Li Zhibai came to star in *Can't Even Fake Death*, it was all recommended by you. Before that, Li Zhibai had no movie resources."

"Forget it."

"Indeed forget it, but I don't think what they said is particularly wrong. I didn't find Li Zhibai because of your recommendation, but I also noticed Li Zhibai because of you, and then had subsequent cooperation." Liu Bige said, "Just like my cooperation with you, if it weren't for Miao Yue's relationship to know you, letting you have a period of understanding of me, you might not have agreed to star in *Late Spring* at that time. The controversy of you starring in this movie at that time was also very big, saying you were sick in the head."

Lu Yan He: "Facts prove that my vision is good."

He pondered for a moment.

"Maybe it's because I define the concept of circle relatively secularly, and I don't want to accept such secular things."

"Hmm, understand, artist." Liu Bige found an opportunity and immediately fought back. ===== CHAPTER 913 =====