Chapter 319: Meetings Are Just Bickering

The movie "Love Like a Bouquet" has very simple scenes — find an apartment, find a street, find a university, and you can shoot it.

The investment won't be too high either, around thirty million will do. Apart from Liu Tianxian's higher pay, the other actors' salaries are all very low — five figures or six figures will settle it.

The cast doesn't need to be large either, just the male and female leads as the main actors; the other supporting roles don't have too many scenes.

Mainly it depicts the entire process of the male and female leads, from falling in love to breaking up.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian arrived at the 17th floor — this is Chen Zhixi's turf. Of course the two of them weren't here to see Chen Zhixi, but to attend the script reading for "Love Like a Bouquet."

A script reading requires all the principal creators to be together to thoroughly comb through the script's characters, plot, and structural setup.

Modification suggestions can also be raised to further refine the script.

So a script reading is still very necessary — it can enhance the authenticity and emotional impact of the actors' performances.

At the very least, after reading it with feeling, the sense of immersion will be stronger.

The emotional expression of the characters in the film is too delicate — try as much as possible to let the actors immerse themselves in it, and best of all let Liu Tianxian immerse herself in it; her acting level is unstable.

That's how Experiential Acting works — you have to step into the character.

A lounge with an artistic atmosphere — the furniture here is all wooden, arranged to be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

The principal creators of this drama: Producer Tian Tian, Supervising Producer Fang Hong, editor, Director Xue Xiaolu, male lead Bai Yu, female lead Liu Tianxian, and three screenwriters — Zhang Disha, Deng Ke, and Zhang Ji.

The screenwriters are all men — male screenwriters write plots that are more realistic and rational; women are a bit more sentimental, and can't write that kind of realistic feel. In his previous life it was also written by men.

Fang Hong only supervises the artistic side — that is, he checks whether the filming deviates from the plot of his previous life; he doesn't concern himself with the specifics of how to shoot it.

There's also a cinematographer here, who has already set up the equipment — this is for later promotion and can be used as material for publicity.

"Director Xue, Director Tian." Liu Tianxian called out.

"Oh, you're here!" Xue Xiaolu said with a smile, turning to look at the two walking toward her.

They had met when the film was first greenlit, so they knew each other.

The others also looked toward Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong and greeted them.

"General Manager Fang!"

"Tianxian!"

"."

"Hello, hello."

After everyone exchanged greetings, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian responded with smiles.

Fang Hong introduced to Liu Tianxian: "This is Bai Yu, who will be acting opposite you — a top student from Zhongyang Xiju Xueyuan."

"I don't deserve the praise, I haven't even graduated smoothly yet. I'll still need Sister Fei, the director, and all the principal creators to guide me. Thank you, General Manager Fang, for giving me this chance."

Hearing the Principal say this, Bai Yu's expression grew constrained; he also pressed his palms together toward everyone and bowed to Fang Hong.

This drama was personally cast for him by the Principal — how could he not be deeply grateful?

Moreover, this was his first drama, his first male-lead drama, and he was acting alongside a famous director like Xue Xiaolu and an A-lister like Liu Tianxian — his gratitude was beyond words.

"You're too polite." Fang Hong gave him a hand up.

Liu Tianxian smiled and said: "Actually, I'm also a very amateur actor, still in the process of improving."

She was putting herself down to keep the other from feeling pressured.

The people around all laughed a little, taking it as a joke — she really knew how to consider others' feelings!

Comforted, Bai Yu's mood also lightened considerably.

It was Liu Tianxian's first time seeing Bai Yu. Looking at his appearance, he seemed upright, with a touch of maturity, wearing plain glasses — he didn't look like a post-'90 at all.

"Can you take on a role if you haven't graduated from your school yet?"

"Junior and senior year you can, freshman and sophomore year you can't. I'm a senior now, just a few months from graduating." Bai Yu explained.

"Oh, that's good then. The main thing is not to delay your studies. I didn't really learn anything myself, and I still regret it now." Liu Tianxian said self-deprecatingly.

"You're already doing very well — at least you have this awareness and are improving. What we fear is many people not having this awareness." Producer Tian Tian had a square, flat face — not pretty, but not bad-looking either.

Now that fresh-faced idols are on the rise, people's aesthetics have begun to shift.

Although Liu Tianxian's acting is unstable, her story is no secret — people in the industry have all heard about her attitude toward acting; she's a very serious person.???? In the few previous collaborations, word got out long ago. The Wangyi outside don't understand anything and just like to echo what others say.

"It's just that the progress is too slow — it's killing me. Fang Hong is always nagging me about it too." Liu Tianxian said.

"When did I ever say anything about you? Don't wrong me." Fang Hong wasn't going to take the fall.

Liu Tianxian patted his chest and laughed behind her hand, "Hehehe" — she was just being casually modest and hadn't expected this man not to play along.

The others laughed along too, finding Liu Tianxian quite cheerful and talkative, with no sense of awkwardness toward anyone — many of these people were working together for the first time.

Her words and demeanor stirred an inexplicable fondness in them.

Bai Yu smiled, looking at Liu Tianxian with bright eyes, thinking she was very beautiful and had a great personality. Then his heart tightened, he glanced at the Principal, and lowered his head again.

She was the Principal's woman — how could he dare harbor covetous thoughts?

After warming up with the principal creators, someone began moving chairs, preparing to sit together and start the reading.

"I'm going upstairs. When you're done, come find me upstairs." Fang Hong said to Liu Tianxian.

"Mm, go ahead!" Liu Tianxian nodded.

"Hey Xiao Fang, you're the supervising producer — and you're just going to leave it like that?" Xue Xiaolu said, watching him about to leave.

"How to shoot it, you make the call yourself. I won't overstep." Fang Hong said.

The script reading held no interest for him — having watched the original, he had fixed thinking patterns. If he pulled people toward the original, it would be better to let the director play to her strengths while he compared.

Keep what's good, correct what's not.

After he left, the script reading began here — the voices reading the dialogue were full of feeling.

Fang Hong had just stepped out of the lounge when he was called back.

The one calling him was Chen Zhixi: "General Manager Fang, there's a meeting at the beginning of next month. Would you like to attend?"

"What meeting?" Fang Hong watched her approach.

"The film industry meeting is coming up soon—it's almost time for a leadership change. The old ones step down, the new ones step up. You still need to show your face and make a good impression," Chen Zhixi said softly.

"Isn't the leadership change next year?" Fang Hong whispered.

As they walked and talked, staff members all avoided them, clearly recognizing that these two General Managers were discussing something important.

"This year's meeting is a transition; next year, when you officially take office, it'll be the big one. You should attend both to get yourself known," Chen Zhixi suggested.

"Understood," Fang Hong realized.

This year is just a rehearsal; next year, when you officially take office, it'll be the full conference. I heard from my past life that top leaders will attend.

If a rising star like you doesn't show up, it would be impossible to justify.

Even if you say nothing, just sitting there is enough.

Fang Hong asked, "I want to ask you—how many of these meetings have you attended? What's it actually like inside?"

He had never attended one, so he didn't understand what they were even for. Before, he avoided them because he didn't want to deal with the higher-ups.

Now, at this level, some meetings can't be avoided.

When you were weak, no one cared about you. Now that you're strong, you stand out.

"I won't mention the positive stuff—the leaders will say that. But when people like us go to these meetings, we're told we're offering opinions, but really we're just bickering and complaining: the awards are unfair, the review process is too strict, film companies are engaging in vicious competition, pulling each other down, even cursing at one another."

Chen Zhixi counted off on her fingers and added, "I once saw Chen Daren angrily confront the Golden Rooster Awards committee for not giving him an award."

When she saw that scene, she was stunned. She had no idea meetings were held like this—nothing like the harmonious images shown on the news.

"Don't the leaders intervene?" Fang Hong asked, surprised.

"The leaders want to see healthy competition that pushes the film industry forward—why should they interfere? Cultural figures aren't a unified bloc. It's common for you to resent me and I resent you. The leaders don't meddle in every detail. They want to see prosperity. As long as our fights don't escalate into serious conflicts, they don't care," Chen Zhixi said.

Fang Hong understood—except for that one time, when he deliberately clashed release dates with Yu Pangzi, causing no Chinese-language film to break 500 million at the box office, and Film Bureau's Zhang Hongsen called him in for a reprimand.

Every other time, no matter how fierce the competition, he'd never been summoned or reprimanded.

After chatting for a while, Fang Hong had a clear picture in his mind!

(End of Chapter)