Chapter 246: Not Looking at Any Studio's Artist

On the 17th floor, in a conference room of the Film and Television Department, a long table stretched across the space.

People entered one after another, some sitting along both sides of the table, others on seats against the wall.

There were too many people to fit on either side of the table, so an additional row of seats had been arranged along the back wall.

This was a major film, and beyond common roles like art, special effects, lighting, sound, and cinematography, it also included new roles such as on-set color grading, modelers, physical simulation, and virtual shooting.

Virtual shooting involves real-time motion tracking, real-time chroma keying, real-time rendering—integrating live-camera footage with CG elements instantly, a highly complex process.

This is also why over 90% of the budget goes to post-production: actor salaries must be compressed to near nothing to guarantee funding for behind-the-scenes work.

Fang Hong would never pay a star tens of millions; that's fantasy—act if you want, if not, get out!

He now had the authority to say this, because none of his films had flopped—he'd proven his value as a director.

The goal was to channel most of the funding into advancing film industry technology; a major film could truly drive massive technological progress! Soon, the conference room was packed with dozens of people.

Those seated here, besides the lead actors Duan Yihong, Zhang Songwen, Zhu Yilong, and Xie Miao, were the behind-the-scenes elite—the core production team: Li Anran, Liu Yin, unchanged as ever.

Two assistant directors: Chen Sicheng and Lu Yang! Zhang Zhijian didn't come—he was older, and would join the set directly when needed.

The assistants and support staff didn't need to attend; they'd hold their own departmental meetings later.

Just as everyone had arrived, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian entered the room one after the other.

Both wore calm expressions, no trace of the earlier flushed faces or ambiguous atmosphere—everything seemed perfectly normal.

Liu Tianxian returned to her seat—the first one on the left.

Everyone turned to look at them; some were seeing the Principal for the first time, curiosity rising, especially from Duan Yihong, who was even more intrigued.

He was an artist under Huayi—logically, the Principal shouldn't have cast him, yet he had been cast! That was strange. Jiang Shuying was among them, her gaze shifting between Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong, searching for clues.

She'd heard rumors too—their romance wasn't a secret—but she was just a nobody, outside the circle, and no one would bother telling her anything.

Liu Tianxian had noticed her too, recognizing the woman who'd spoken face-to-face with Fang Hong that morning, but showed no sign of it.

Then she glanced across at Duan Yihong; she'd heard they'd be acting together, and had specifically watched his films.

The pressure was heavy—he was an excellent actor.

Duan Yihong caught her gaze, smiled, and nodded politely; Liu Tianxian returned the courteous gesture.

"This film is Yutu Company's first true blockbuster, and it will face significant shooting challenges. No matter what, I hope we all work together to complete this project—if technology is a hurdle, break through it; if shooting is a hurdle, break through it."

Fang Hong took his place at the head of the table and opened the meeting.

Then the Producer, Han Jianü, outlined shooting requirements, precautions, contract obligations, and filming locations.

No delays allowed, no sick leave, no taking on other projects—the lead actors and core team must stay with the production for its entire duration.

Lesser roles had fewer demands.

They earned less, but still needed to eat, so extras and guest actors weren't monitored—just shoot and leave.

Filming locations: Macau, Shanghai, and Zhongying Digital Film Base. Macau was only for renting casino venues.

Shanghai for city scenes; Zhongying for special effects scenes.

Shooting begins August 15th! Completion expected around October—roughly two months of shooting.

This period has the best weather; after that, winter arrives, and filming becomes difficult.

Fang Hong had no intention of enduring the misery of winter shooting.

Except for his first year, he never shot in winter during the next two years.

The meeting covered all this—once done, it was essentially over; details could be discussed privately with assistant directors or the Producer.

As for Fang Hong, he was just a figurehead—a presence to command the room.

For a project worth hundreds of millions, no one at Yutu Company had the authority—not even Chen Zhixi—only he did, because only he dared to gamble, while everyone else feared to.

If it flopped, it wouldn't just be losing a few million—it would crush the entire team's morale and shake the market's confidence in making blockbusters.

Like Feng Kuzi—after The 1942 flopped, he never made another large-scale production again; his perceived value plummeted.

Simply put, capital has its own ledger: can you make a blockbuster? Will it bring returns? They know exactly.

Like Lao Mouzi—after The Great Wall, he made only narrative films, never touching this genre again.

Only two directors after him dared to touch it: Guo Fan and Wu Ershan.

Even these two faced multiple funding interruptions—investors pulling out—during the making of The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Wandering Earth.

In plain terms: capital lacked confidence, so filming was extremely hard.

Without Fang Hong pushing hard, Yutu would never have taken on a blockbuster project—this company was founded on low budgets; a mid-sized film was already a stretch.

Their sweet spot was 30 to 80 million—anything over a hundred million? Forget it!

The meeting ended, and people filed out one by one to prepare for what came next—there wasn't much time left.

Everything needed for shooting had to be finalized in this final window.

"Principal, I'll go first."

Jiang Shuying waved goodbye, then offered a friendly smile to Liu Tianxian beside Fang Hong.

Fang Hong merely nodded faintly in response.

Liu Tianxian smiled back—she refused to assume ill intent, and the woman had done nothing wrong.

"Principal!"

As the two walked out with the crowd, someone called out from behind.

They turned to see Duan Yihong quickening his pace to catch up.

"What is it?" Fang Hong looked at him.

He wore simple clothes, his appearance rugged—but upon closer look, he seemed remarkably refined.

It was a kind of contradictory aesthetics—like a sword sharpened by grinding.

"I'm just curious—why did you choose me to act?" Duan Yihong asked.

"Is there a problem?" Fang Hong replied.

"I'm an artist under Huayi. You and Huayi aren't on good terms—why out of nowhere are you asking me to act in your film? I've always felt uneasy about it," Duan Yihong said plainly.

Indeed, Yutu had quietly approached him for the film; he couldn't shake the feeling that there was some hidden scheme.

But he didn't want to get caught up in the rivalry between the two companies, nor did he want to become a pawn—he simply wanted to act well.

Liu Tianxian watched curiously too; she couldn't understand why Fang Hong was acting this way. Logically, Fang Hong's feud with Huayi had already reached a boiling point.

A state of mutual annihilation. "Yutu never cares which company an actor belongs to when casting—only whether they're suitable," Fang Hong said casually.

This made Duan Yihong feel a bit ashamed—he'd been assuming the worst, and even his agent had said Yutu hiring him must have ulterior motives.

But the script was good, and the film's budget was high. Opportunities like this don't come often.

And he'd be acting alongside Liu Tianxian and Zhang Songwen—actors with real fame. It didn't seem like there was any malice at all.

So he came with an attitude of just giving it a try!

"Just act well. Don't overthink it. My grudge with Huayi has nothing to do with you," Fang Hong added.

Liu Tianxian's eyes were clear and bright; she realized this man's perspective had suddenly broadened, and she felt deeply relieved—he truly had changed.

In the past, he either tried to poach other companies' artists or demanded breakups—like Zhao Xiaodao and Li Xian.

Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang were also definitely planning to leave Huayi.

"I understand. Thank you, Principal," Duan Yihong nodded, his concerns finally eased.

The two brothers at Huayi simply didn't have this kind of vision! Duan Yihong left; the meet-and-greet was over; now they just waited for filming to begin.

At lunchtime, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian ordered four dishes and one soup in the "Tandang" office.

It was Liu Tianxian who ordered it, having it delivered up—Fang Hong was too lazy to go downstairs.

"Come eat quickly. You're so lazy you won't even walk two steps downstairs," Liu Tianxian teased.

She carried the bag to the sofa area, placed the food on the coffee table, then opened and arranged it.

"I'm busy—millions change hands every minute," Fang Hong bragged, walking over.

"Wasn't it billions last time?" Liu Tianxian teased.

Last time, Fang Hong had bragged on set of "The Four Great Constables" that millions changed hands every minute.

She had an excellent memory.

"Really? Let me check the financial report again—maybe I missed a zero," Fang Hong joked, turning to walk back.

"Get over here," Liu Tianxian rolled her eyes—he was brazenly exaggerating.

Fang Hong grinned and gave her cheek a loud "smack": "Aww, Xiao Feifei smells so good!"

He looked mischievous, just like that.

Liu Tianxian held her chopsticks, glaring at him with a reproachful look.

That made Fang Hong nervous—he carefully took the chopsticks from her hand, then let out a pitiful "Ai-ai!"

Liu Tianxian had struck his arm twice with the chopsticks; after that, she handed them back to him: "Take them."

She looked fiercely cute.

Fang Hong wore a short-sleeved shirt—his arms were bare—and he rubbed the spot where he'd been hit; it hurt a little.

But he didn't complain, silently taking the chopsticks.

They were just fooling around—he teased, and she put him in his place.

They sat side by side on the sofa; Liu Tianxian held her rice bowl, chopsticks pinching a piece of greens, and chatted: "After seeing all the actors cast in this film, I feel immense pressure."

In the past, she'd always been the sole lead—no comparison, no harm. Now she was acting with people like Duan Yihong and Zhang Songwen.

If she got outshone, she'd inevitably face criticism again. "You can't keep doing solo performances—you need to learn how to act with these skilled actors. Watch how they perform. There's a saying in acting: 'Opponent-driven acting!'" Fang Hong said, holding his rice.

Liu Tianxian had spent three years making youth films and female-led movies—all highly character-focused, but lacking depth.

She needed to slowly shift and act alongside some masters—but for now, avoid roles with deep complexity.

The female lead in "Now You See Me" also lacks depth! Fang Hong ate and added: "And you need to aim higher—whether in production quality or budget. Avoid low-tier projects unless they're art films. Don't repeat yourself, and don't drag your own standard down."

This was Fang Hong's advice to her. Low-budget films aren't bad—they just drag an actor's status down.

Why do people always want to work with big names and big directors—even on terrible films? Because they bring their own prestige—that's why.

And now Fang Hong himself carried a halo—every film he made was a massive hit. He hadn't won any awards, but that didn't affect his status at all—box office was the most visible achievement.

The media called him the leading figure of the new generation of filmmakers.

Of course, that was hype—the academic world didn't accept it, because his films had no substance, just pure thrill for thrill's sake!

Liu Tianxian chewed slowly, thinking—she knew he was giving sincere advice, otherwise he wouldn't say these things.

This man never gave advice on anyone else's life.

Not one person!

Even now, with his high status—even if he were a prophet—he'd never offered advice on anyone's life.

He never played teacher! Big bosses often have that habit—like Jack Ma!

Watching her chew slowly, Fang Hong picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in her bowl: "Why do you only eat greens? You're eating too little."

"I can't eat meat," Liu Tianxian tossed the pork back into his bowl.

"Then why did you order it?" Fang Hong asked.

"I ordered it for you. I can only eat rice and greens now—I can't eat too much," Liu Tianxian said.

"You used to eat it happily," Fang Hong said.

"I'm about to act—don't you know gaining ten pounds on camera is a disaster? Lucky you're a director," Liu Tianxian scolded him.

Fang Hong didn't mind and asked again: "How do female stars manage to gain or lose weight so easily?"

"Diet and exercise—that's all."

"No drugs or injections? I heard about liposuction—is that true?" Fang Hong asked many questions.

"Yes, but there are probably side effects—I haven't looked into it, so I don't know."

Liu Tianxian set down her rice bowl, took a new one, ladled out a bowl of soup, and took a sip. "This soup's not bad. Try it."

Saying so, she brought the bowl to Fang Hong's lips, and Fang Hong opened his mouth to take a sip.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Not bad, just missing a little flavor of 'love.' If you fed it to me mouth-to-mouth, I think the taste would be even better."

"Why don't you go roll off somewhere!"

Liu Tianxian shot him a look. Flavor of "love" my foot — really good at spouting nonsense.

(End of chapter)