Chapter 164: Palace

"Mm?"

If Yue Jun hadn't reminded him, Lin Nan would have almost forgotten about this.

"This is about to start broadcasting?"

"Yes, the promotion on Mango TV is overwhelming, and the heat is very high.

It claims to be the first female-led Qing dynasty time-travel drama in the country; the gimmick is not small."

Lin Nan nodded; Mango TV is indeed quite capable in this regard.

Of course, the theme of this TV series itself is also a blockbuster, which will take Yang Mi's popularity and career to a higher level.

"Tell me once the ratings come out after it's released." Lin Nan instructed.

"Alright. There is one more thing..."

"What thing?"

"Ceng Jia wants the company to support Yang Mi, for example, posting on Weibo or something."

Hearing this, Lin Nan smiled. "She can't be hoping for me to post it, right?"

"That's not necessary; the company's Weibo will do."

Lin Nan thought about it and agreed.

"Can do, just use the account of Lin Nan Film."

Yang Mi is, after all, an artist under his hands; Lin Nan still wouldn't refuse this little request.

"Then I'll go handle it in a while?"

"Mm, go."

…………

A piece of film information attracted the attention of the entire entertainment industry.

"Huayi will mainly invest and fully distribute Director Stephen Chow's new film, 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons'..."

Once the news came out, the production companies in the industry couldn't stay calm.

If there was still any Hong Kong director who could ensure box office profit, it must be Stephen Chow!

Now, after many years, Stephen Chow personally operated the "Journey to the West" theme.

Not mentioning how he himself looked at it, anyway, in the eyes of a group of film companies in the mainland, this film that hadn't started shooting yet was definitely going to make money!

Huayi made a big move, directly investing 88 million as a guarantee for the film's distribution, which was also investment capital.

The total cost of the film was less than 120 million, and the Wang brothers instantly became the largest producer.

"Still too cautious, and not confident enough in himself..."

Lin Nan muttered. He thought Stephen Chow was a bit too conservative this time, seriously underestimating his own box office appeal.

…………

Ever since "Let the Bullets Fly" was taken off the screen, the commercial films in the film market were wrapped up by Hong Kong films and imported films.

There were too few films in the mainland that could fight; a group of art films and story films were beaten by small and medium-cost Hong Kong films.

The cliché "All's Well, Ends Well 2011" dominated the second half of the New Year's Eve slot, giving people the illusion of "no tigers in the mountains".

"New Shaolin Temple" had already been sentenced to death, and the evaluations were almost all words like: cliché, disappointment, etc., and the box office was also going down all the way.

On the other side, the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film became the focus of discussion in the industry again.

Because "Aftershock", recommended by the bureau, was eliminated.

At the same time, Hong Kong's "Echoes of the Rainbow" and Taiwan's "Monga" were also eliminated.

In the words of the official media, this was the eighth consecutive year that Chinese-language films had missed the nomination for this award.

Once the news was reported, Zhang Weiping was the first to speak out on Weibo with sarcasm.

"For this kind of thing, it still needs experienced people to do it. The result of being unworthy of the position is obvious..."

The internet instantly turned into two factions, arguing endlessly.

However, most people supported Zhang Weiping this time; after all, the box office of "Aftershock" did have a lot of water.

"I just can't figure it out; why are they so concerned about the Oscar awards?"

Lin Nan complained.

He hadn't rested for this period of time; official meetings were one after another, none of which were big or urgent matters, but all of them named him; he couldn't not go.

"You know the answer."

Han Sanping had a stomach full of words, and in the end, it turned into four words.

"Chairman Han, do you know what the busiest time of the year is in Hollywood?"

Lin Nan looked at Han Sanping and asked with a pointed tone, anticipating the latter's answer.

"Awards season?"

"Then do you know who is the busiest during awards season?" Lin Nan smiled and continued to press.

At this, Han Sanping was a bit confused.

"Actors? Film crews? Production companies?"

Lin Nan shook his head.

"What you said is all incorrect. The busiest ones are those thousands of judges and the people from PR companies.

No matter how good a film is, it still needs PR; you have to spend money to hire PR companies. This is the rule..."

Lin Nan said speechlessly.

Domestically, every year we go to register for the Oscars with full confidence, and after registering, we just wait dryly for the results. It would be a miracle if the results were good!

"The foreign language film category, does it have to be like this too?" Han Sanping's tone carried skepticism.

Lin Nan shook his head and said nothing more.

Although the foreign language film category isn't as nakedly competitive as other categories, you should at least make a move and run around; it wouldn't hurt.

We are so proficient at this domestically, so why do we become so clumsy once we step out the door? How could a traditional skill spanning thousands of years be lost once we get outside?

……

A meeting at the Bureau took up another day of Lin Nan's time.

Originally, he was supposed to attend the class reunion for the '02 cohort, but now he can only wait for Liu Yifei to come back and tell him about it.

……

The latest Weibo post from Lin Nan Film is an introduction to Yang Mi's new drama, including the drama's name, broadcast time, and broadcast platform.

Zhang Yi, Lei Jiayin, and others were also pulled by Yang Mi to post on Weibo.

"Palace" is doing its final round of promotion.

In the Mango TV backstage lounge, Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi were chatting aimlessly.

"To be honest, I'm quite envious of you."

"Ah? Why?"

"Although I debuted earlier than you, I've only been able to take on TV dramas all these years. I can't compare to you; you've already acted in several films."

Feng Shaofeng said with a look of deep emotion, without any pretense.

"It's luck. Who knows, maybe in a few days you'll receive a film role."

Yang Mi felt a bit embarrassed; thinking about it carefully, the other party wasn't wrong.

Then she saw Feng Shaofeng smile, looking somewhat helpless:

"Then I'll take your word for it; the company has indeed been helping me communicate about a film recently.

But the other side seems very hesitant, feeling that I'm not very hot and don't have much popularity, not comparable to Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun, and them. There's a high probability there's no hope, hehe..."

Hearing this, Yang Mi became a bit curious.

"What film? The requirements are so high!"

"They say it's a grand historical war epic, about the Chu-Han Contention..."

…………

Liu Yifei hasn't been idle today.

The news about the '02 class reunion of the Beijing Film Academy acting department is still hanging on the portals, and the click-through rate and comments are quite high.

"A group of us went to have a meal in the morning, and we were followed and filmed by the media for a long time; in the afternoon, we went to sing karaoke..."

Liu Yifei leaned on Lin Nan's shoulder, telling him about the day's activities.

Lin Nan quite admired Miss Liu's energy; he heard she was the "mic hog" for the whole afternoon! One song after another, she never stopped, and there was someone specifically responsible for skipping songs...

Not long after, Liu Yifei, leaning on Lin Nan, began to doze off...

…………

"Palace" has started airing on Mango TV.

The first day's ratings soared to 1.99, becoming number one in the country for that time slot, with a viewership share breaking 8 points.

The second day was the same, and the third day's momentum didn't diminish in the slightest...

The media are all scrambling to report on this TV drama, and the theme song has quickly become popular across the entire internet.

A hit TV drama was born just like that, and it's a new genre...

The first person to eat crab always makes a fortune.

Yang Mi was already a first-tier young actress, and now her popularity has multiplied.

The one who benefited the most was Feng Shaofeng, who shot directly to the first tier, with his topic popularity even surpassing all other first-tier young actors in the mainland.

"Even those has-been actors from Hong Kong have become popular again."

Yue Jun said with a sigh. He guessed this subject matter would be popular, but he didn't expect it to be this popular!

"Looking at it this way, her announcements should have exploded, right?" Lin Nan asked.

"Yes, the announcements and invitations sent to Shanhai Media have increased more than tenfold. Advertisements, endorsements, commercial performances, New Year's Eve galas..."

Hearing this workload, Lin Nan felt terrified; even if she worked around the clock, it would be very difficult for her body and energy to handle it.

"Let them screen them; health is important..."

Before Lin Nan could finish speaking, Yue Jun was already shaking his head, a helpless smile on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Zeng Jia and Yang Mi want to take them all; they communicated with me, and their attitude is very firm..."

Hearing this, Lin Nan suddenly didn't know what to say. Is this starting to risk their lives?

He thought for a moment and instructed Yue Jun:

"Let the team pay attention; if her body can't take it, stop it. I don't want to be accused of exploiting artists."

"Mm, I've already arranged it that way."

…………

"Palace" is too hot.

Hengdian, the "Scarlet Heart" film crew.

Cai Yinong had a dark face, looking at the entertainment news, especially the reports on "Palace."

"Our script, including the actors, is not something their shoddy production can compare to."

In Cai Yinong's view, "Palace" has already helped confirm the value of this Qing-dynasty time-travel palace intrigue subject matter in the TV drama market.

The rest is to let "Scarlet Heart" overtake the former, using quality and word-of-mouth to finish off the former.

"How much longer do we need?"

"According to the schedule, we can wrap up in March."

"Mm, then proceed step by step; don't worry about things outside."

…………

Tiangong Color, Lin Nan stared at the final shots of "The Fault in Our Stars" being finished, and a heavy stone in his heart finally landed.

"You've all worked hard during this time."

"Lin Dao is too kind. Should we send it to the Film Bureau in these two days?"

Lin Nan shook his head, "Let's submit it for review after the Spring Festival; there's no time left now."

The Film Bureau also takes a Spring Festival holiday; they won't work in the last ten days before the New Year, as they are all busy with various meetings and summary reports.

The actual film review process won't start until after the New Year.

……

Human sentiment and connections are very important things in the industry.

Even a big shot like Han Sanping needs to pave the way for his daughter; he can't look after her forever...

Han Sanping's private dinner party didn't have many guests, but they were all famous directors or producers in the industry, and Lin Nan was of course there.

"This is Lin Dao Nan, the youngest Golden Lion-winning director in the country and a great commercial film director."

Good heavens, Han Sanping really gave him face; Lin Nan wasn't used to it for a moment.

"Hello, Senior Lin Nan, I am Han Jia, I applied for the directing graduate program at Beijing Film Academy this year..."

Don't say, being father and daughter, they really do look somewhat similar.

"Hello, which mentor did you apply for?"

…………

People are different from one another.

This circle has always been this realistic.

Some people want to get ahead, but face countless difficulties and have to rely on luck;

Some people never lack opportunities because their families have them all...

However, Han Sanping's daughter seems different from most second-generation individuals in the circle.

She has good upbringing and very upright values!

"In the future, when I retire, I'll have to trouble everyone..."

Han Sanping held his wine glass and said with a smile. No one would refuse to give this face.

Hearing this, Lin Nan couldn't help but want to laugh.

His term is only halfway through, so why talk about retirement? It's all just polite talk...

Just like that, at a meal before the New Year, Han Sanping introduced his daughter into the circle—the top-tier circle!

…………

This Spring Festival, I reckon many actors won't be able to rest well.

Because Zhou Xingchi's "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" has announced its casting requirements to the outside world.

This time, Zhou Xingchi isn't acting, which makes the audience feel it's a pity.

The media is breaking news from time to time about which artist has been invited and who has been eliminated...

Quite a few acquaintances have come to consult Lin Nan on how to audition to catch the eye of a great director.

This is simply a brain-dead question.

Different directors have different preferences and requirements; how could there possibly be a unified answer!

I don't know if the media reports are true, but I heard Zhou Xingchi invited Ma Yun to play the Monkey King, but he was refused.

Lin Nan couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Ma Yun playing Sun Wukong.

"Don't say, the appearance really does fit quite well, haha..."

…………

Sometimes, it's really not easy for a director to make a good film.

For example, Zhang Yimou.

"The Flowers of War" has only been filming for twenty days, and another mess has occurred.

Lin Nan heard it from Yue Jun.

"Stopped filming?"

"Stopped yesterday; all the actors are resting."

Lin Nan could only say it's a big move; every day costs several million in expenses.

"Is there any news about the reason?" Lin Nan was quite curious.

Yue Jun seemed to think of something, and his face showed a look of disdain.

"I've never seen such a producer, arguing directly on set with the director—and with a director like Zhang Yimou at that!"

Hearing this, Lin Nan wondered if Zhang Weiping was under too much pressure and had gone crazy?

Looking across the country, Lin Nan only remembers Jiang Wen butting heads with Zhang Yimou on set, but that was also due to differences in understanding during filming.

"Why argue?"

"Producer Zhang demanded to add several close-up passionate scenes and bed scenes for the female lead Ni Ni, as well as rape scenes for other actors..."

This is impressive—a producer forcibly interfering with film shooting.

Seeing Lin Nan's shocked face, Yue Jun added another sentence:

"I heard the reason given was very serious: for the sake of the film's box office, and also for the overseas market!"

One has to admire Zhang Weiping's thought process; he'll stop at nothing.

There are quite a few people in the circle waiting to see the joke of Zhang Yimou and "The Flowers of War," but the crew resumed filming after stopping for two days.

Lin Nan knows that this time Zhang Yimou must have conceded; it's really not easy...

…………

The song "Love's Offering" has been a bit brainwashing recently.

I heard this song can be heard in every street and alley, and this TV drama has also become completely popular.

In terms of popularity, Yang Mi should be the highest among actresses born in the 80s right now.

Beating Huang Shengyi and Wang Luodan, and crushing Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, and others is absolutely no problem.

Of course, Liu Yifei is not in the comparison.

……

Yang Mi returned to her residence, looking slightly exhausted, with Zeng Jia accompanying her.

"Are you okay? If you're too tired, why not take a break?"

Although she's making a fortune these days, Zeng Jia is still quite worried about Yang Mi's health.

"No need, I can handle it; I'm just simply sleepy."

Yang Mi sat on the sofa, drinking honey water; she's almost sung that "Love's Offering" until she's sick of it these days.

In her mind, she was still thinking about the matter Feng Shaofeng told her today.

"Jiajia, what do you think about what Old Feng said today?"

Hearing this, Zeng Jia's eyes lit up instantly.

Today, Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi were on a show together, and while resting backstage, they talked about the film.

Relying on the massive popularity brought by "Palace," Feng Shaofeng successfully secured one of the male lead roles in that film.

"You want to try for the role of Consort Yu?" Zeng Jia asked.

Yang Mi nodded; she has an advantage when paired with Feng Shaofeng.

I heard that although that film hasn't been shot yet, it has already been scheduled for release during this year's New Year's slot.

If she acts with Feng Shaofeng, they can completely leverage their "couple" image from "Palace" for promotion and hype.

This is also Yang Mi's confidence in aiming for the role, because "Palace" is really too hot right now!

Zeng Jia understood Yang Mi's meaning, and she frowned slightly.

What is an agent for? An agent is for helping actors and artists find resources and build bridges.

"I heard that for this role, the first choice was Yifei..." Zeng Jia said lightly.

"Yeah, a 12 million salary, and she refused. Just refused it so lightly."

Yang Mi muttered; she also heard it from Feng Shaofeng.

If this news got out, it would make a group of people sour, including Yang Mi; she's very sour right now.

"Go help me contact them; I'm not as expensive as her."

Zeng Jia nodded.

"Mm, I'll go ask in these two days; after all, we have the backing of Shanhai Media and Lin Nan Film."

…………

There are still a few days until New Year's Eve.

The Spring Festival films are all rushing to do promotions.

"All's Well, Ends Well 2011," just hearing the name, you know it's just for fun.

To be honest, Lin Nan has a pretty good impression of Principal Gu.

Whether it's the former "The Return of the Condor Heroes," "A Step into the Past," or "Round Moon Scimitar," he likes them all.

Besides, the man is genuinely donating schools, and has been donating all along...

How does the saying go? Some people can be forgiven for making bad films!

Unlike his attitude toward the male lead, Lin Nan really dislikes the film's female lead, Sandra Ng.

This person has said quite a few things belittling the mainland and mainland actors, and Peter Chan is also making money from the mainland while playing deaf and dumb!

……

"When this film is released, shall we go see it?"

Liu Yifei looked at Lin Nan with a smile, suggesting.

She was talking about "What Women Want," starring Gong Li and Andy Lau.

A city romance film with an investment of over 100 million, and the producers are big companies like China Film Group, Bona, and Paramount—this is rare.

Lin Nan nodded, "Okay. But we have to wrap up tightly when the time comes; be careful of being blocked in the cinema. You are much more conspicuous than me."

"Mm, I'll definitely be fully armed this time."

Liu Yifei nodded with a smile; she was recognized last time and had to sign autographs for a long time before she could slip away.

…………

Haven't seen Ning Hao for several months; this guy rushed back for the New Year.

After resting for two days upon returning, he called his friends out for a meal.

"This film has really dragged me in; if it loses money, I'll have to jump off a building."

Ning Hao was eating pig's head meat and complaining.

"If it loses money, China Film Group loses money; at most, you just won't have a share of the profits."

Huang Bo said directly, looking like he was in a very good mood.

Lin Nan was eating his food on his own, while Xing Aina was still looking at what dishes to add.

"Two directors, it's time to congratulate me."

The smile on Huang Bo's face was about to overflow.

Ning Hao was a bit confused; they hadn't seen each other for only two or three days, what was there to congratulate Huang Bo about?

Lin Nan, however, stopped his chopsticks.

"Congratulations on getting Zhou Xingchi's role."

"Damn, what's going on?" Ning Hao was truly stunned now.

"Haha, you've been ignoring the world outside for the past two days, only focused on your own business.

Zhou Xingchi invited me to play the Monkey King; I auditioned once and got it directly..."

In front of acquaintances, Huang Bo spoke without thinking; at this moment, Xing Aina's gaze could kill.

"You should have gotten it directly; you both have hairy faces and thunder-god mouths!"

Xing Aina said lightly, with a hint of mockery.

"Don't be so sarcastic; among those present, I'm only a little worse than Lin Dao."

"Enough, are you insulting Lin Dao? Or are you saying Yifei has bad taste?"

Xing Aina's one sentence directly shut Huang Bo up.

"You're good; you truly deserve to be the one who can manage Director Ning."

After not saying two sentences, Huang Bo started sighing.

"I originally thought Zhou Xingchi was filming Journey to the West, so the monkey would be the protagonist no matter what.

It turns out the protagonist is Tang Seng, and he even fell in love..."

"Teacher Liu, I'm afraid he'll have something to say again..."

Lin Nan added silently, drawing a burst of laughter.

…………

Bi Gao Film's efficiency is very high.

The main actors of "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" were announced one by one, all unexpected choices.

The biggest stars inside are Huang Bo and Shu Qi.

But the most unexpected one is the choice for the male lead.

They chose Wen Zhang, the godson of Jet Li, who had just wrapped up filming for "The Sorcerer and the White Snake."

…………

Lin Nan was originally prepared to have a good New Year, but then things came up again.

In the office, Lin Nan sat in his seat, with Yue Jun and Zeng Jia opposite him.

After going around in a big circle, this "White Vengeance" has come back around.

"What's the situation now?"

Lin Nan looked at Zeng Jia and asked.

"Mi Mi heard about this film from Feng Shaofeng's side, so I went to ask about it.

Lin Dao, you know, "Palace" is very hot right now; if she and Feng Shaofeng act as a couple again, it will definitely be very topical.

The other side considered it for two days and agreed in principle..."

Lin Nan rubbed his temples; those people in Hong Kong aren't fools either; they definitely understand what "popular actors" are, and right now Feng Shaofeng and Yang Mi belong to this category.

"I don't think this is a good film project; the Hong Kong team has no achievements in historical subjects and can't even film them well. Besides, this is just a vase role."

Lin Nan spoke bluntly.

Zeng Jia didn't expect Lin Nan to be so direct, but this is a film with an investment of 150 million, and there might be additional investment later.

"Lin Dao, you know, there aren't many big productions, and Mi Mi really wants to try..."

"Even if it's a vase role, this is indeed one of the rare female roles in it; it's almost the female lead."

……

……