"Lu Yanhe is a very trustworthy collaborator. Unlike most geniuses, he actually respects everyone who works with him. I can't imagine any normal collaborator who doesn't like him."When Bai Jingnian was interviewed by a media outlet, he was inevitably asked about Lu Yanhe.
He also very generously expressed his views on Lu Yanhe in the interview.
"You see, after he left the first season of Friends, many people actually criticized him, including myself. I have to admit that my thought at the time was that although the platform that broadcast the show did do some bad things to you and caused you a lot of negative impact, Friends was so popular and well-received by everyone, and the work was innocent. Why couldn't you just be patient?"
"Of course, I didn't need anyone to say anything later. I slapped myself in the face. After the second season, I left the company." Bai Jingnian laughed self-deprecatingly, "Including the third season, the reputation was so bad that everyone felt sorry for it and thought it was hopeless. However, the person who left first has always been paying attention to our project. I always thought he had left long ago and didn't need to come back to watch such a sitcom, but his feelings for it are actually no less than any of us."
"So, you see, he brought Friends to reboot - OK, I was wrong, didn't he actually admit this before? I messed up, we wanted to keep it secret until it was aired." Bai Jingnian looked panicked as if he had made a big mistake, "What should I do?"
The reporter looked at Bai Jingnian as if he had found a treasure.
This is the first time that Lu Yanhe has been directly acknowledged to return to "Friends"!
Even though everyone thought it was a done deal before!
But after all, it has never been directly acknowledged!
"Can you not put this sentence in?" Bai Jingnian looked at the camera innocently and pleadingly.
The camera was as silent as the reporter.
Obviously it is impossible.
Bai Jingnian was dejected. "Okay, let me continue. What I want to say is, you see, when everyone gave up on Friends, he stood up and restarted the show so that it could continue. Moreover, he did not forget any of us. He invited the original producer, Hu Siwei, to be the director. He told me that the director of Friends can only be me, and no one else can be the director, even though he himself could have been the director. I don't know if you can feel that I am respected and recognized, and that I feel a strong excitement from the bottom of my heart that I have a close friend."
He smiled lamely, "Actually, as a creator, with this kind of trust, it doesn't matter if you are a little bit worse in other aspects."
Everyone knew what he was referring to at this moment.
When Bai Jingnian left Beijing and Taiwan, many marketing accounts sent him messages saying that he was poached by Northern Lights with a high salary because he felt that the treatment in Beijing and Taiwan was too low, and that he was greedy for money and profit-driven, etc.
His words could actually be considered a counterattack.
Is it about money? Not only that, it's also about trust and dignity.
"So, you see, Yan He always has someone in mind. As long as he likes, recognizes, and trusts a collaborator, he will always keep you in mind and will continue to work with you." Bai Jingnian smiled, "Look at the drama "Wulin Wai Zhuan". As long as there is a suitable role, he will definitely recommend me friends he knows and is familiar with. He will not mess with you or make random recommendations. As everyone knows, Liu Zhiyin is an idol artist with no acting experience. Therefore, Lu Yanhe only invited him to guest star in a few scenes. He didn't have many scenes, but he was very suitable for her. He appeared with Xiao Yun and was the first guest actor to appear in our drama."
"I can say that there are surprises in every episode of our drama." Bai Jingnian said, "Many geniuses are gifted but may not be very good at interpersonal relationships. He is a very special person. He has so many friends to help and promote every drama he stars in, which is closely related to his usual behavior. You see, the role of Tong Zhanggui is one of the two heroines in "Wulin Wai Zhuan". When I chose Liu Zi, who had never acted in a TV series, I was quite worried about whether Yan He and Beiji Guang would be satisfied. After all, you know, she has never acted in a TV series and has no fame, and she plays the heroine of such a big investment right away."
"Can you believe it? After I told Yan He, he only asked me one question. He asked me if Liu Zi was the most suitable actress among all the actresses I had seen. I said yes, and Yan He immediately made time to go with me to watch a play performance by Liu Zi, and then talked to her once. Just once, he supported my choice and helped me convince Northern Lights. This was really a huge risk, but he dared to trust me." Bai Jingnian smiled, and he didn't seem to believe it himself. "After so many years as a director, I have only been trusted like this by Lu Yanhe."
"I think the reason why Lu Yanhe has so much cooperation with Northern Lights Video is because Northern Lights has given him enough trust. Think about it, there is Squid Game and Swordsman, and at that time there were only a few movies such as Rouge and Lost on Journey. Both dramas have S+ level production budgets, plus some investments in movies. In fact, it is very risky for Northern Lights to invest so much money in one person in so many projects at once. How much pressure is there?" Bai Jingnian said, "But Mr. Lin supported Lu Yanhe because he trusted him. I have seen many reports saying that Northern Lights is lucky and got so many projects from Yanhe at once. In fact, there is no such thing as luck without reason. It is all mutual."
"The plan is to finish the unfinished parts of 'Wulin Waijiao'. Yan He has already completed all the scripts. We will shoot in two batches and release five seasons. Currently, only two seasons have been shot." Bai Jingnian said, "The number of episodes in each subsequent season will not be as many as the 18 episodes in the first season, but you don't have to worry about waiting for five years. We want to make five seasons for filming and commercial reasons, but there will not be a year between each season."
"As for my next plan—" Bai Jingnian smiled slightly and kept the secret, "I just want to say that this is another play that is completely different from "Friends" and "Wulin Waijia". I will share it with you after I finish it."
-
This interview with Bai Jingnian contains too much information.
Almost every clip that is cut out is likely to explode.
The effect of Bai Jingnian not calling out names is greater than that of calling out names.
The two words "Beijing and Taiwan" directly became a hot search, were suppressed, removed, and then appeared again. The popularity was so great that it could not be suppressed.
This is not the first time that Bai Jingnian has directly "backstabbed" Jingtai -
It can be seen how much resentment and anger he has towards Beijing and Taiwan.
It just so happens that Beijing and Taiwan have not been able to stand up and say anything. On the project of "Friends", they have made many stupid moves from before the show started to after the end of the third season. Looking back, they don't even know how they came up with those stupid moves.
Beijing and Taiwan can only play turtle and not respond.
Bai Jingnian's long description and evaluation of Lu Yanhe also allowed many people to see another side of Lu Yanhe.
This is a relatively unfamiliar, private Lu Yanhe besides the familiar academic master Lu Yanhe, actor Lu Yanhe, and screenwriter Lu Yanhe.
What moved the fans of the "Friends" series the most was Bai Jingnian's words: In fact, Lu Yanhe has never given up his attention and concern for "Friends".
So, when everyone gave up on it, he chose to come back and restart it.
Anyone who has liked the drama "Friends" would not want the drama to be presented in a better way.
Is the show really going to end with the third season which has such a bad reputation?
No one wants to see it.
-
While flowers and applause are flying, there are naturally some people who are dissatisfied and criticize the show, or they try to find fault with the show from all kinds of incredible angles.
But the number of viewers per hour, which is getting higher and higher with each episode, is the best response.
However, when Bai Jingnian, Huang Kairen, Liu Zi, Jiang Jun, Xiao Yun and others appeared one by one in various promotional activities, everyone discovered that Lu Yanhe, who had finally become a little active some time ago, had disappeared again.
He disappeared again.
Always disappear when it’s at its hottest.
At this time, Lu Yanhe had quietly arrived in Canada to prepare for filming the movie "The Mist".
As soon as he landed, before leaving the airport, Lu Yanhe received a call from Lei Shuangcheng.
Lei Shuangcheng first congratulated him on the phenomenal popularity of "Wulin Waijia" before getting back to the topic.
"I had a discussion with the director and screenwriter of Future Life, and we decided to adopt your suggestion." Lei Shuangcheng said, "I made an estimate, and it will cost at least 800,000 to reshoot the last episode."
Lei Shuangcheng said this number because Lu Yanhe said at the time that he was willing to pay for the reshoot of this episode.
Lu Yanhe said, "Okay, no problem. I'll ask my assistant to transfer the money to you later."
Lei Shuangcheng didn't expect Lu Yanhe to have no hesitation at all.
This has nothing to do with whether he is short of money or not, but with his attitude.
When Lu Yanhe said he was willing to pay for the reshoot, it was not just a casual remark.
"I'll give you one million, don't cut corners." Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Boss Lei, Future Life will become a niche but highly praised drama."
It may not make a lot of money, but it shouldn't lose money.
After all, including his one million, the total cost of its production was only about 10 million, which was really nothing.
Lu Yanhe added, “Boss Lei, when the post-production is done, please give me a copy. I think this subject and style are quite suitable for Shanghai overseas streaming media. I want to promote it to them and see if they are willing to buy it.”
Lei Shuangcheng was stunned. He didn't expect Lu Yanhe to take the initiative to mention the overseas streaming media.
"Will they be willing to accept such a low-budget drama?"
"It has nothing to do with whether the cost is low or not. There are actually quite a few dramas of this type overseas. Every year, there are several dramas that are well-received. Similarly, many people don't know about these dramas because they are not very popular. They are only spread by word of mouth in a small range and have good reputations. However, despite this, they have also achieved commercial success." Lu Yanhe said, "Big movies can make big money, and small movies can also make small money."
Topics like "Future Life" have a fixed audience.
Moreover, it has a fixed audience all over the world. In comparison, it will definitely sell much better than "Wulin Waijia", which has a higher investment and is also very popular in China.
Because in the eyes of those foreigners, they can at least understand what "Future Life" is about at a glance.
But Lu Yanhe doesn't dream of becoming a huge hit.
-
In fact, Lu Yanhe’s relationship with streaming media is not as close as everyone says.
Just like until now, Zhong Benshuo has not come to tell Lu Yanhe that they are going to remake the English version of "Friends".
Lu Yanhe recommended "The Gold Rush" to HP, which suddenly gave HP a small hit in May. The key point was that the purchasing cost was low and the cost performance was extremely high. This seemed to make Zhong Benshuo a little depressed.
In Zhong Benshuo's opinion, they had just collaborated on a hit movie like "Squid Game".
Even if there were some unpleasantness before, we should put aside the past grudges in the face of common interests.
Of course, there is one more thing. Zhong Benshuo does not want to buy the drama "Wulin Waijia", even though the drama is very popular in China.
He, a Korean, can hardly understand it, let alone other countries whose culture is not so close to China.
But every time Zhong Benshuo proposed a new collaboration to Lu Yanhe, Lu Yanhe would evade him by saying that "Wulin Waijia" could actually be a new collaboration.
Zhong Benshuo thought to himself, he is not a fool. Even HP, which has a relationship like yours, didn’t buy it. Do you want to trick me into buying it?
However, the success of "The Gold Rush" did make Zhong Benshuo start to pay more attention to Chinese dramas.
Nowadays, there are more and more short Chinese dramas with only a dozen episodes, and their format is more in line with the broadcasting standards of international streaming media.
The key is, it’s cheap.
Among the current Chinese-language dramas, only Lu Yanhe's dramas can be priced high, while the prices of other dramas cannot be raised.
In fact, when Zhong Benshuo saw HP say that it spent 1200 million US dollars to buy "The Gold Rush", he was shocked and felt it was unbelievable.
For a play like this that has neither world-famous superstars nor Lu Yanhe as its screenwriter, what kind of brains does HP have to pay such a high price?
Even though it achieved such a huge success afterwards, Zhong Benshuo always felt that in the market environment at that time, "The Gold Rush" could be bought even if one zero was reduced.
Perhaps, if we pick carefully, there should be more Chinese dramas that can be as successful as "The Gold Rush".
Zhong Benshuo went to China and made appointments to meet with major IP parties.
However, after meeting and talking with them, Zhong Benshuo discovered something terrible.
After these people learned that "The Gold Rush" was sold for 1200 million US dollars, they realized that the good work in their hands was actually a gold mine and they could not be fooled by him into selling it to him at a low price.
Zhong Benshuo was very annoyed.
In the past, only Lu Yanhe’s dramas could be sold at high prices. Now, a drama that has nothing to do with Lu Yanhe is also sold at a high price.
This is not the price that was sold because "The Gold Rush" became a global hit.
Zhong Benshuo's idea of buying the overseas streaming distribution rights of a drama for one or two million US dollars was directly thwarted.
-
After Lu Yanhe learned about Zhong Benshuo's recent developments from people in China, he found it inexplicably funny.
A friend in China cursed him on the phone: "Damn it, he wants to buy my movie for only a few hundred thousand dollars, he's treating me like a bargain! I just turned my back on him, he really thinks we don't understand the market, The Gold Rush just sold for 1200 million dollars, who in our industry doesn't know that? I'm not saying I want it to sell like The Gold Rush, at least it can't be a few orders of magnitude lower, right? I owe him this little money, I won't sell it, I can't let it rot in my hands, but I can't let this person down."
Lu Yanhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said, "He really lowered the price maliciously. He probably thought that our Chinese dramas have never been sold at a high price, so he wanted to take advantage of the situation."
It can only be said that Zhong Benshuo is still sensitive, but his style of doing things is still the same as Lu Yanhe felt before -
Too stingy.
At the same time, Lu Yanhe felt inexplicably relieved.
Everyone knows how valuable their works are and will not be fooled by people like Zhong Benshuo and sell them at a bargain price.
However, this incident also reminded him again.
Perhaps in the future we can really establish a trading market so that more buyers can come here and see the value of Chinese dramas.
Only when there are more buyers and competition arises, will the market gradually calculate the price that things deserve.
Otherwise, the $1200 million from "The Gold Rush" would just be a miracle of HP's accidental change of conscience.
-
Wang Biao walked in carrying two large bags of things.
They were not staying in a hotel here, but a real house.
The crew rented it for them.
Chen Ziyan also found a local guide through her connections in Canada. He is a Chinese and also a local actor, but he is not very famous. His name is Alicia Lu.
Chen Ziyan was worried that Lu Yanhe would suffer losses if he didn't have someone familiar with the local entertainment industry while filming in a foreign country.
After all, Lu Yanhe’s overseas agency has not yet arrived.
The official shooting time of "The Mist" was not long, only thirty-six days.
A very precise number.
D19's producer Xin Nalin is a woman around years old.
She has a typical European and American appearance with blonde hair and blue eyes, deep facial features and obvious freckles on her face. She can't be said to be very delicate and beautiful, but she is a woman who makes people impressed at first sight.
It was she who arranged Lu Yanhe's residence in Canada.
Lu Yanhe dealt with her and met her twice. His impression of her was that she was capable, real, and direct. She would answer any questions directly, and at the same time, she maintained such personality traits without being sharp.
This is a very likable personality.
As soon as Lu Yanhe arrived, Xin Nalin came to see him, even though there were still a few days before the filming started. The place where Lu Yanhe lived was independent and not with other people.
Xin Nalin said: "It is an honor to work with you. I am a fan of your movies and I like "Late Spring" very much."
"Thank you." Lu Yanhe thanked him politely, "I hope the filming of our "Mist" goes smoothly as well."
Xin Nalin then contacted Aliche Lu specifically and asked Lu Yanhe to provide a list of Lu Yanhe's needs, such as what he likes to eat, what he avoids, what he needs in life, etc.
Alicia Lu contacted Wang Biao.
Wang Biao came to ask Lu Yanhe whether he should provide it normally.
In China, there is actually no such procedure. Generally, if Lu Yanhe really has any needs, they will all be written into the contract, and the agreement will be made in the contract.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how overseas actors signed contracts with the crew.
But because this was his first English film, he was not very clear about the situation. When signing the contract, the content they agreed on was mainly about performance and ideology. Regarding accommodation and crew life, they only set limits on the daily shooting hours.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "Just ask for it normally. I don't have any excessive demands. It's fine if she wants to do it or just pretends to do it. We don't want to take advantage of her convenience."
Wang Biao agreed and gave a list.
For example, Lu Yanhe’s favorite fruits, favorite foods, and things he doesn’t like.
Lu Yanhe came from abroad to film, and there was no equipment here, from the on-site chairs, small fans, etc., to Lu Yanhe's hope to get his own character image design in advance, etc.
Not polite or subtle at all, the list took up four A4 pages.
After Xin Nalin received it, she didn't show any surprise at all and just said "good".
Almost the next day, Lu Yanhe received some of the things he needed.
For example, mosquito and insect repellent drugs.
Wang Biao was sprinkled all around the house.
Before the filming officially started, Xin Nalin also arranged for Lu Yanhe to meet with the makeup artist and stylist to communicate his character in the film.
The moment he saw their design drawings, Lu Yanhe was glad that he had made such a request.
The character designs they made are so shocking.
It turned out to be an image like a vampire.
Lu Yanhe was silent for a moment, then said, "Has this design been decided?"
When Xin Nalin heard Lu Yanhe ask this, she guessed that Lu Yanhe might not be satisfied.
"Any questions? We can communicate first."
Lu Yanhe said: "This design is cool, but it looks... a bit like a vampire? Is the character set for me in our "The Mist" a vampire?"
Lu Yanhe's tone was relatively gentle, and not particularly sharp.
However, the stylist named Wendy seemed to have been insulted and provoked. She immediately exploded and said angrily: "How come this image looks like a vampire? If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. What do you know about vampires?"
Xin Nalin turned her head and looked at Wendy, and said, "Wendy, since we are discussing the problem now, let's discuss it properly."
Wendy was very dissatisfied and said: "I spent a long time to come up with the design, but he only took one look and said it looked like a vampire. He didn't respect my work!"
Lu Yanhe looked at Wendy and said, "Wendy, if you think I disrespect you, I apologize, but I'm not targeting you. I'm just telling you my true feelings as someone who saw this design for the first time."
Wendy frowned and looked at Xinnalin.
"Sinalin, I've done movie styling for Marian Gal and Keshio Yoder, and they've never been so unsure about my work." Wendy said, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have taken on the styling design for such a low-budget horror film."
Xinnalin's face changed and she glared at Wendy sternly.
"Wendy!"
This is a warning.
Wendy glanced at Lu Yanhe, with a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
"You don't understand art at all." Wendy said this and turned away. "Since you think the shape I designed looks like a vampire, then design your own."
Lu Yanhe looked at Wendy in surprise.
Is this a show of force?
Or is he just unprofessional?
But what made Lu Yanhe feel strange was that neither Xin Nalin nor the makeup artist had any intention of stopping him from leaving.
Lu Yanhe really didn't quite understand the situation.
But no matter where you are, these things are just small matters.
Lu Yanhe really wasn't worried at all that the stylist would quit and he wouldn't be able to act in this drama.
After all, I have worked hard for several years and I know a lot of people both at home and abroad. If I really need a stylist, it is not difficult to find a stylist to cooperate with.
Lu Yanhe was more concerned about the matter itself.
Perhaps it was because he had experienced too many similar things that this unusual "conflict" occurred. Lu Yanhe couldn't help but wonder if there were any other reasons behind this "conflict".
Xin Nalin said to Lu Yanhe, "Yanhe, I'm sorry, Wendy is a person with a very strong personality. I will communicate with him later. If you have any opinions, why not communicate with me first and I will negotiate with him."
"No need." Lu Yanhe shook his head. Although he had no idea if there was any other trick behind this matter, he was now confident enough not to care. He said, "From what happened today, it is indeed difficult for him and I to work together. I will talk to the director about my looks in the play and see how to solve the problem."
Lu Yanhe was too lazy to coax, deceive, flatter or anything else to get the person back - he had his own resources to complete the job and didn't need to ask anyone for help.
Another thing is that Lu Yanhe also felt that there was little point in communicating with the producer here.
The person who is responsible for the aesthetics of the film and understands his role is the director.
The key is that the director recognizes him.
-
After leaving, Lu Yanhe noticed that Aliche Lu seemed to want to speak but hesitated several times, as if he wanted to say something to him, and did not open his mouth for a long time.
"Alice, what's wrong?" Lu Yanhe turned to look at the Chinese boy who was about the same age as him.
Aliche Lu actually speaks fluent Chinese. He is the second generation of immigrants and grew up in China as a child. He is actually very familiar with China. He is not one of those third or fourth generation Chinese who know little more about China than other foreigners.
He scratched his head and said, "Yan He, I know you are a very good actor and very famous in China, but Wendy is an artist that Xin Nalin has worked with for a long time, and she has also won many awards in the industry. You directly said that his design looks like a vampire. It is really insulting to him."
Lu Yanhe didn't expect that Aliche Lu would actually say this.
He asked: "Maybe I really didn't pay attention to the way I expressed myself, but, Aliche, when the lead actor of a movie gets comments on his look, even if it's a way he thinks is disrespectful to him, is it reasonable for him to respond like that?"
Alicia Lu hesitated and shook his head. “That’s not reasonable either. He has a bad temper, which is beyond my expectation.”
"Then there's no need to pursue right or wrong. The film is about to start shooting. Rather than getting used to him, I care more about coming up with a look that I can accept and that the crew approves of before the film starts shooting, so that it doesn't affect the filming." Lu Yanhe said, "There's no need to force someone who's not suitable to work with you."
Alicia Lu was a little confused.
“But, he is the artist for this movie.”
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "He is not the only artist in this world."
When Lu Yanhe signed the contract for "The Mist", there was a specific clause that stated that the image in the film must be confirmed and agreed to by Lu Yanhe, otherwise Lu Yanhe had the right to veto.
At that time, Lu Yanhe made such an agreement in the contract in order to avoid some ideological problems, but he did not expect that it would be used in this place.
Lu Yanhe sent a message to Chen Ziyan and told her about his situation.
First, he needed Chen Ziyan to help him contact a stylist who could help him redesign the character's appearance. Second, this matter was actually a bit unhappy and something happened with the crew. Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan had already reached a consensus, and such things would definitely be told as soon as possible.
Chen Ziyan replied to him immediately: Don’t worry about the stylist, I will find one for you. As for Wendy, I will communicate with the crew first and see what the situation is.
Chen Ziyan: Have you contacted director Muken?
Lu Yanhe: Not yet. I plan to call him and tell him when I get back.
Chen Ziyan: Okay.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yanhe sent a message to Xin Nalin: Thank you for your hard work today.
Xin Nalin: Sorry, Lu, I will communicate with Wendy. I apologize to you for his attitude.
Lu Yanhe: It doesn’t matter, you are you and he is him.
-
After returning to the house, Lu Yanhe sorted out his thoughts and called Muken Sorge.
He was actually still a little nervous, not knowing whether Muken Sorge would agree with his idea.
Unexpectedly, after hearing what he said, Muken Sorge was surprised and said: "Lu, your evaluation is exactly the same as my wife's!"
Lu Yanhe was stunned.
"Even if you didn't call me, I would have told them that the image they designed for you is not acceptable." Muken Sorge said firmly, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Muken, Wendy couldn't accept my suggestion and left unhappily. I want to find someone to design it myself. Is that okay?" Lu Yanhe said, "Of course, I won't do it on my own. I will definitely get your consent before adopting it."
"You want someone to design it yourself?" Muken Sorge seemed a little hesitant.
At this time, Lu Yanhe heard a woman's voice coming from Mu Ken's phone: "Hey, honey, who are you talking to? Is it Lu? When are you going to invite him over? I can't wait to see him. Did you tell him that my chocolate cake is top-notch?"
This is a woman whose voice sounds very happy.
Lu Yanhe guessed that this person might be Muken Sorge's Chinese wife.
Muken Sorge seemed to whisper something to the other side, and then the voice on the other side became quieter and could not be heard clearly.
-
Recommended old book "I Became the Scandal Heroine Overnight" (End of this chapter)
