Since Yin Xincheng became famous with "Friends", he is now considered a rising star in the entertainment addition to the two "Friends" series, he also starred in an idol drama as the male lead, which was not very popular.
His agent spent a lot of effort to get the drama "Scenery of Flowers".
Nowadays, there are only so many big dramas released by various companies every year, and there are too many people and too little meat. For example, when Yin Xincheng wanted to take over "Flower Scenery", it was not that he was willing to star in it, and the other party would immediately agree. He reduced his salary a lot to get this drama. Not to mention sacrifice, he also paid a lot.
Now Chen Ziliang has popped up again.
Yan Liang told Lu Yanhe about this on the phone.
He said: Yin Xincheng himself is embarrassed to tell you, for fear of disturbing you.
Lu Yanhe: Which company produced the play "Scenery of Flowers"?
Yan Liang: Sheng Yang.
Lu Yanhe: I have never dealt with this company, but does he want to withdraw from the show now?
Yan Liang: There is definitely no way to quit.
Lu Yanhe: I'm not familiar with Sheng Yang and I can't communicate with him, so I can't help him.
Yan Liang: Forget it since you don't know him. I just heard him talk about this matter, and when I thought that it was Chen Ziliang who was causing trouble again, I wanted to ask you on his behalf.
Lu Yanhe asked: Do you have a good relationship with Yin Xincheng?
Yan Liang: Not bad.
Lu Yanhe and Yin Xincheng had only dealt with each other during the filming of "Friends", so they were not very familiar with each other, and they had no personal relationship at all.
Yan Liang and Yin Xincheng filmed two seasons of "Friends" together and participated in various promotional activities. They had a lot of contact and their relationship is of course likely to be more familiar.
If you can help, of course you can help. If you can't help, don't force it.
-
Here, Zhan Yun, who played Li Lili in "Friends", was also drinking coffee and chatting with Liu Zhiyin.
Liu Zhiyin said to Zhan Yun: "I really like your role in Friends."
Zhan Yun immediately smiled and said, "All my girlfriends tell me the same thing."
"Well, the other two girls, Chen Wanqiu is more literary and Zhen, and Zhou Zhixi is a little weird." Liu Zhiyin said, "Of course, they also have their own lovely points, but I can more easily substitute them into Li Lili."
"Li Lili is the truest version of most of us. She is a bit nervous, cries, is vulnerable, values her friends, and has her own vanity," said Zhan Yun. "After playing the role for two seasons, I sometimes can't tell the difference between the on-screen and off-screen."
Liu Zhiyin: "How did you get the role of Li Lili?"
"The producer told me that it was Yan He who spotted me at first sight and said that I was suitable for the role of Li Lili," said Zhan Yun. "We went through several rounds of auditions at the time, but we never thought that we would get the leading role."
Liu Zhiyin nodded and said, "Nowadays, few TV dramas dare to use newcomers as the protagonists."
"Yes." Zhan Yun said, "Anyway, acting in the drama "Friends" is really like a dream. It suddenly changed my life."
After saying this, Zhan Yun glanced at the camera in front of her and said to Liu Zhiyin, "I'm not used to it. I'll be filmed by the camera no matter where I am."
Liu Zhiyin: "I wasn't used to it before, but after recording so many shows, I feel okay. Do you usually appear on fewer shows, right?"
"I rarely record reality shows." Zhan Yun replied, "Before that, I was basically acting."
Zhan Yun is the actor who has benefited the most from "Friends" because the character she plays, Li Lili, is also the most popular character in the show.
After that, Zhan Yun was lucky. She got two supporting roles in two commercial films. Both of them performed well at the box office and received good reviews. This was really luck. Generally speaking, supporting roles in such films are all vase-like. They don't need much acting skills and won't make many splashes. But it may be that Zhan Yun is popular with the audience. Therefore, every time she appears in a movie, the audience likes her.
The good performance of several consecutive dramas made the market more optimistic about her.
There are constant offers for acting.
Liu Zhiyin asked: "Will "Friends" continue to be filmed?"
"This is the plan at the moment," Zhan Yun said. "We are also willing to continue this story. We don't want the stories of these people to end."
-
"OK, Zhan Yun was able to say this in our show, so we can say that Friendship has gained popularity." Li Zhenzhen said with satisfaction, "Before dinner tonight, talk to Zhixing and try to steer the topic towards Friendship. If Yan He is willing to talk more about this topic, the audience will definitely want to watch it."
The assistant director nodded.
"However, Yan He has basically said everything he needs to say about the drama Friends, so what else can we talk about?" Someone wondered, "What else can we talk about?"
"For the audience, even if it's just a repetitive conversation, they are willing to listen." Li Zhenzhen said, "Friends has been on the air for two years, and Yan He's role is still mentioned from time to time. The audience still recognizes the six-member group in the first season. Previously, Yan He talked more about the sequel and the production, but rarely talked about the role he played, his views on the show, the story and the characters. There are too many things to talk about."
"Come to think of it, it seems Yan He has never talked about Friends from the perspective of a screenwriter."
For the director team, although they have to try their best not to interfere with the guests' performance in front of the camera, it is impossible for them not to provide any guidance at all.
They will definitely guide the guests on what the audience wants to watch and what they are interested in.
As for how they say it and what they say, it is their own business.
-
Peng Zhixing has always played the role of "guide" in this program.
If the director team wants everyone to talk about some topics, or has some directional arrangements, they will communicate with Peng Zhixing and let him guide everyone.
At this point, Peng Zhixing and the director team have already cooperated very well.
The other members also know this, so they usually cooperate with the topic of Peng's trip.
However, the director team did not expect that this time Peng Zhixing rejected them.
"Whether Yan He talks about Friendship or not, I can't guide him." Peng Zhixing also said bluntly, "You all know that Friendship is a bit sensitive to Yan He."
The director team didn't expect Peng Zhixing to reject them directly.
"We're just bringing up this topic. If Yan He doesn't want to talk about it, then he can just not participate," the director team said. "We won't force him to join in on this topic."
Peng Zhixing said, "But when we all talked about this drama, he didn't join in. This is also very strange. Didn't you notice? We have been recording for three days this time. When we are together, as long as Yan He doesn't take the initiative to mention "Friends", no one will mention this drama?"
Director team: "..."
It really is.
Peng Zhixing: "Everyone has the same idea, including the people from Friend of Six. They didn't take the initiative to talk to Yan He about Friend of Six, so how could I bring it up?"
Peng Zhixing's words surprised the director team.
This was really unexpected.
However, since Peng Zhixing was unwilling to do it, they could not force him.
The directing team had no choice but to give up.
Of course, they are still more or less depressed.
Everyone knows that this is a breaking point.
"Friends" is so popular that it has been widely discussed. After two seasons, many parts of the show have been brought up for discussion again.
If Lu Yanhe could respond to netizens' interpretations from the perspective of the leading actor and screenwriter, it would definitely attract attention.
However, until the end of the first phase of recording, Lu Yanhe did not take the initiative to mention "Friends".
The first time that "Friends" appeared together on the show ended like this.
-
"Where are you going back to?" Lu Yanhe asked Li Zhibai and Yan Liang.
Li Zhibai said, "I'm going to Hongcheng. I have a job there."
Yan Liang said, "I have to go to Jiangguang as well. I have to meet with Director Shen Mofan to discuss the upcoming filming of "The Mountaintop."
"What is Director Shen doing in Jiangguang now?" Lu Yanhe was a little curious. "After the release of "My Home I Haven't Returned To For A Long Time", I thought his next work would still be a movie, but I didn't expect him to suddenly take on the drama "The Mountain Top"."
Yan Liang said: "I didn't expect that either. I heard that he and our show's producer Zhang Chi have been good friends for many years, and he had already agreed to direct this show with Zhang Chi a long time ago."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Then I will have to go back to Yuming alone." Lu Yanhe was helpless. "I thought I could go back with one of you."
Li Zhibai: "Anyway, we will continue to record this program after a while."
"Well, Yan Liang, have you not come since the second stage?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"The Mountain Top" was about to start filming, and Yan Liang said at the time that he would not be able to complete the recording of this season of "Young Days".
Yan Liang said: "I can still come for the second phase, but I can't record the third phase. We will start filming "The Mountain Top" at the end of September."
"Where is this drama being filmed? Let's come and visit the set when we have time," said Li Zhibai.
"Jiang Guang," Yan Liang said, "I don't know if you will come, but Yan He will definitely come, and Si Qi is there."
Lu Yanhe curled his lips with a smile.
They broke up on the set of the show.
Lu Yanhe got into his nanny car and prepared to go back to the hotel, pack up, rest for a night, and return to Yuming tomorrow.
On the way, he suddenly received a call from Jiang Yuqian.
"Hello, Sister Yuqian." Lu Yanhe laughed.
Jiang Yuqian asked: "What are you doing?"
"I just finished recording 'Young Days' and am on my way back to the hotel." Lu Yanhe said, "What's wrong? Do you need me for something?"
"Yes, I want to ask you, when do you plan to shoot the movie "The Call"? I received a script and it will start shooting at the end of the year. Let's see if I can take it. If the shooting schedule conflicts with mine, I will have to turn it down."
Lu Yanhe said: "Sister Zi Yan is still helping me communicate with various film companies about the script of "The Phone Call". I don't know the specific situation yet."
He added: "You take it first. We need to set up a crew for The Phone Call, so it won't be that fast. We definitely won't be able to start filming by the end of this year."
Jiang Yuqian said, "Okay, then I'll take that role first."
Lu Yanhe was curious: "What play is it?"
Jiang Yuqian: "The sequel to Behind the Golden Robe."
"Ah?" Lu Yanhe sat up straight.
This "Ah?" made Jiang Yuqian confused and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this movie?"
Lu Yanhe never thought that this movie would come to Jiang Yuqian again. "Well, Director Zhou Changying came to me a few days ago and asked if I was willing to invest."
Jiang Yuqian said: "Is that so? Did you vote?"
"No." Lu Yanhe said, "Many people told me that the director should try not to work with her and have less contact with her, so I refused."
Jiang Yuqian was stunned.
"Sister Yuqian, why do you want to take on the sequel to Behind the Golden Robe?"
"I watched this movie and I think it's pretty good. Also, I saw good reviews. The box office has almost reached 40 million. The role that came to me for the sequel is the female lead. You know, apart from The Call, I basically can't get any serious female lead roles now. The roles that come to me are basically vase roles."
Lu Yanhe understood what Jiang Yuqian meant.
In fact, if Zhou Changying hadn't made that scene, Lu Yanhe felt that the sequel to Behind the Golden Coat would have been a good project for Jiang Yuqian. Because the movie itself was well made, and judging by the first movie that's currently being shown, Zhou Changying is a director who knows how to shoot actors. If Jiang Yuqian hadn't been fooled, and the role she was given was indeed a flesh-and-blood heroine, the sequel to Behind the Golden Coat would have been the best project Jiang Yuqian could have gotten.
Jiang Yuqian asked: "Is there something wrong with the director Zhou Changying?"
"The problems I heard actually have little to do with the actors and the content. They are basically about the production," Lu Yanhe said. "This will not affect your acceptance of this film."
Jiang Yuqian was a little surprised and asked, "You refused to invest in this film, do you still think this film is worth my acting?"
"I refused to invest because she was deceiving others under the name of my willingness to invest. Putting this aside, I actually like the movie Behind the Golden Coat very much. It is indeed well-made and it reflects the big picture from the small," said Lu Yanhe.
"Okay, I feel relieved when you say that." Jiang Yuqian said.
-
Jiang Yuqian's call reminded Lu Yanhe that he didn't know what the progress of the two movies, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" and "The Phone Call", was.
The pressure brought by the movie "Love Letter" made Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan decide to adjust their thinking in time. They still chose the model of "keeping the copyright in their own hands and cooperating with other companies in production and distribution". In this way, they can save a lot of trouble and do not have to face the pain of becoming fat in one go.
Chen Ziyan said: "The script of Those Years has made everyone a little cautious because all the youth romance movies released this year have failed. Even if you are the screenwriter, because the copyright must remain in our hands, your screenwriter's remuneration is not low. I think the conditions currently offered by various companies are not good, and they are still struggling."
"The problem with the project 'Call' is that they don't think highly of the two female protagonists, Jiang Yuqian and Wang Jing," Chen Ziyan said. "The prerequisite for us to cooperate with others is that the film must use these two actresses as the female protagonists. The production company basically has no room to intervene, and the investment share is so small."
To put it bluntly, Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan are faced with the dilemma of "wanting both".
The copyright must be retained in one's own hands, a portion of the investment share must be taken, and the main actors must be determined. The production and distribution parts are like finding a contractor. The risks are too great and the profit margins are too small.
Lu Yanhe said: "We only retain the copyrights of other derivative works and sequels of the story. The income from the film copyright is still shared according to the investment ratio, right?"
"It's the same. For them, there is not much difference." Chen Ziyan said, "These projects are not the kind of projects that will have a box office of more than 2 or 5 million yuan. The target box office is in the range of - million yuan. Their profit margin is too small, but they have to bear the huge risk of the film failing."
What Chen Ziyan said is indeed a big problem.
Unless they are willing to give up the copyright and only retain a certain share of the investment, there will be many more film companies willing to take over.
Chen Ziyan: "There is another way."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was stunned.
"Let's buy a production company," Chen Ziyan said, "so that we can make movies ourselves."
Why did Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan feel overwhelmed by the previous film "Love Letter"? Because every person and every department in the crew needed them to build it. The process of creating something from scratch is actually very difficult and strenuous.
And if they have a mature production company, a lot of things are ready-made and mature.
Lu Yanhe said: "It should cost a lot of money to acquire a production company, right?"
"If we want to acquire a company that can shoot and produce movies independently, we must prepare a lot of money. Let's not talk about those large production companies, let's talk about small and medium-sized production companies with 30 to 50 people. If we want to acquire them, it will cost at least 300 to 500 million yuan. We definitely can't do it on our own. Production companies that are lower than this price cannot meet our requirements, and the acquisition will only be a decoration." Chen Ziyan said, "But in the long run, it will be very beneficial to us. Many film and television dramas can be produced by us, instead of having to negotiate with various companies and talk about conditions like we do now."
"If we can't do it on our own, then this can't be achieved," Lu Yanhe said.
Chen Ziyan said: "There is a way."
"Ok?"
"We can raise funds to acquire production companies through other capital investments," said Chen Ziyan. "After the establishment of Linghe Film and Television Production Company, many investment institutions and fund organizations have shown interest in Linghe. Several of them have come to me for discussions, but I have temporarily rejected them because our company had not released any works at that time, so it was impossible for them to offer a high price. However, with the success of the movie Lost on Journey, the valuation of Linghe, which owns the rights to develop the sequel, has increased a lot, not to mention that it also has the two dramas My Own Swordsman and Squid Game, as well as the movie Rouge. We can give out some of our shares in exchange for the cash flow we desperately need."
Lu Yanhe didn't know much about business matters. However, if a company wanted to become bigger and stronger, it would be difficult to overtake others if it only relied on original accumulation, and Lu Yanhe knew this.
Otherwise, Lu Yanhe should not focus on production as the core of his career, and should still stick to the path of being an actor, with production only as a supplement. Otherwise, if he really wants to own a production company of his own, and also wants to produce TV series, it is inevitable to accept investment from outside capital. Acquisition is only the first step, and filming TV series later also requires a lot of funds. The Linghe Film and Television Production Company that Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan cooperated with is not valuable in production and distribution, but in the copyrights of the TV series created by Lu Yanhe. Without these copyrights, it is just a shell company, an empty shell.
Lu Yanhe fell into deep thought.
No one wants to be a fool who suffers a loss.
Other film companies are also unwilling to become tools of Lu Yanhe and his team when the copyright does not belong to them. They help Lu Yanhe and his team make movies, but they don’t get much benefit and have to share the risks.
The current situation is not unsolvable.
It is a multiple-choice question.
Is to choose to do nothing, give up all plans temporarily, and slowly accumulate strength.
It is better to choose to take a step back and not retain the copyright of the film or TV series, but to participate in the project production as a screenwriter or as a leading actor.
Or, as Chen Ziyan said just now, accept investment from others, exchange equity for cash, take a big step, purchase a production company, and change the current positioning and basic structure of Linghe Film and Television.
-
Seeing Chen Ziyan hung up the phone, Lu Qingzhen put down her chopsticks, took a sip of wine, and asked with a smile: "Why are you suddenly talking to Yan He about raising funds?"
"It's not about raising funds, but about providing him with this choice." Chen Ziyan said, "In fact, to be honest, how far Yan He will develop in the future is beyond my control. Do you understand my feeling? He is only a senior and has not graduated from college yet, but his career has reached a level where I can't say I can cover his back. Therefore, I can only give him more options, and he can decide what to choose."
"If you let him make the decision on his own, he may not be able to do it." Lu Qingzhen did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Chen Ziyan said: "You have to learn to make decisions. Well, it depends on what he wants to do. No matter which way he chooses, he can go. I can't say which way will lead him to a higher level. It's better to let him figure out what he really wants."
Lu Qingzhen asked back: "Zi Yan, have you ever considered taking a step forward from being a manager?"
"You know, if I had to take those two steps, I would have taken them a long time ago."
"Things are different now." Lu Qingzhen said, "You said it yourself, you have never met an artist like Lu Yanhe before. The height of his future career development is beyond your imagination now, right? In this case, why not take a few more steps forward with him?"
Chen Ziyan fell silent.
Lu Qingzhen said: "You leave the choice to him because you subconsciously feel that you will not participate in his more glorious future, right?"
Lu Qingzhen's words hit Chen Ziyan right in the heart.
Chen Ziyan couldn't deny this.
"I--"
"Whether it's Shang Yongzhou or Chen Bige, you've found a thousand or ten thousand reasons to part ways with them, saying different pursuits, different stages, different ideals. Let me be frank. You're actually just afraid that one day..." Lu Qingzhen stopped talking halfway. She spoke too quickly and almost said what Chen Ziyan was most concerned about. "You're afraid of affecting them, and you're also afraid that they'll look at you with tinted glasses. So, you'd rather part ways amicably at the best time. But you know Lu Yanhe's situation better. Will he mind?"
Chen Ziyan took a deep breath.
Lu Qingzhen said, "If you really intend to break up with Lu Yanhe like you did with Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige, then I advise you to give him a heads-up as soon as possible. This kid is more sentimental than you think. He still lives with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, and he is willing to record the fourth season of "Young Days". Too many of his actions prove this point. Your amicable breakup may not be a form of abandonment in his eyes."
Chen Ziyan clenched her fists.
"It's too early to tell."
"Too early? I don't think so. It's only a matter of time before he reaches the top." Lu Qingzhen looked at Chen Ziyan seriously, "You'd better think it through as soon as possible."
Good medicine tastes bitter, and so do good advice.
Chen Ziyan knew that what Lu Qingzhen said hit the nail on the head.
She could deny it verbally, but she couldn't deny it in her heart.
"If Chen Pinhe is really his biological father, what are you going to do?" Lu Qingzhen suddenly asked again.
-
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi discussed it seriously for a long time.
Chen Siqi did not rush to give her own advice on his troubles, but asked: "Is it urgent to set up a company that can independently produce film and television dramas?"
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "It's not that urgent."
"It sounds like you made this choice because neither Those Years nor The Phone Call were as popular as you expected at the beginning, right?" Chen Siqi said, "Not many other film companies are willing to take over under the conditions you expected."
"Correct."
Chen Siqi: "This is what I am confused about. If you are not in a hurry to make these films, why do you need to make a choice now? Whether you do it yourself or for others, the market conditions now and next year will definitely be different. "Lost on Journey" is just the first one. When "Original Swordsman" and "Squid Game" are broadcast, if they are as popular as you expected, will the price others offer now be the same as next year or the year after?"
Lu Yanhe immediately understood what Chen Siqi meant.
"First, your company is not short of money. Second, Linghe Film and Television Production Company was established from the beginning to serve as the copyright holder of your scripts so that it can participate in the production of every project." Chen Siqi said, "If you can't find a production company for "Those Years" and "Call" for the time being, just put it aside and find one slowly. Anyway, it's just a script at the moment and won't cause any loss to you. When you finish the project "Love Letter", you will have a team you have worked with and the experience of shooting a film. At that time, you can find someone else to direct these projects, or you can take a rest and direct these projects yourself. In my opinion, this is not the time to make a choice now."
Lu Yanhe seemed to be thinking about something.
Chen Siqi: "Just like I have always wanted to publish Mook "Jump Up" overseas. After so long, there has been no particularly substantial progress. There is no need to rush. Just prepare this plan and keep trying and thinking of ways later. The foundation of your career in the entertainment industry is not a screenwriter or a producer. Your most important identity is an actor. Without your achievements as an actor, even if you are a famous screenwriter, you can't get the current conditions and treatment. But if you run a production company now, to be honest, you were overly anxious not long ago because of too much work and too much pressure?"
Chen Siqi's meaning was very clear.
She didn't want Lu Yanhe to take too big a step now.
Mainly it's not necessary.
You can obviously get to the top position by taking steady steps, so why take risks?
Out of selfishness, Chen Siqi also hoped that Lu Yanhe would not be too busy and too tired, and would not cause the same problems as before, such as excessive stress and out-of-control expression.
Chen Siqi: "Look at the team of Jump Up. It was built up slowly, expanding little by little. Although the speed is a bit slow, at least every step is under their control. You may not have heard about it? The e-magazine Star!, edited by Yu Jiang, has already had internal disputes."
"Ah? What happened?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Siqi said: "Yu Jiang also wanted to imitate our "Jump Up" and do self-media. They wanted to do it on all platforms and hired a lot of people. However, because they were all newly established teams, each person was responsible for a certain task. As a result, they fought over advertisements, authors, and space... There was serious internal strife. It was her former colleague who told her about this privately. "Star!" is now in a mess. It is said that the income and expenditure have not yet been balanced, and is losing money on every issue."
This was also the first time Lu Yanhe heard about this.
"This is really——"
"You're shooting yourself in the foot." Chen Siqi continued, "Let's not talk about anything else. You've seen the results of this rapid expansion. Even if you have money and people, it doesn't mean you can work as a team. A team without team spirit and control is just a pile of loose sand that will constantly cause you trouble."
After listening to Chen Siqi, Lu Yanhe had an idea in his mind.
Capital has its own way of playing, but he has never mastered the way of playing capital. From the first day he came into this world, he has been following the belief of being honest and taking one step at a time, and has walked steadily to where he is today.
Chen Siqi is right. No one can predict what the future will be like, but at least now he can be more calm, slower, and hold the initiative in his hands for a little longer. He is in the rising stage, and the more time passes, the more chips he will have. (End of this chapter)
