When the first episode of "Friends" ended and the ending song sounded, everyone present Yanhe clapped his hands with emotion and turned to look at everyone around him.
Every time at this time, Lu Yanhe would understand more deeply why the film and television industry always attracts the attention of the world.
It is obvious that their output value is not worth mentioning compared with many industries.
However, there is perhaps no other industry in the world that attracts more worldwide attention than it.
That is a world, a group of people living there, and stories happening there.
We all know it is fake, but once we invest our emotions in it, it becomes real and even begins to affect our real world and real life.
"Great, the first episode landed very smoothly." Yan Liang said to the people next to him, "We can all relax and sleep well. Of course, I guess everyone will be too excited to sleep tonight."
Just as Yan Liang said, the first episode had just finished airing and "Friends" already had six trending searches on the list.
Searches for all actors soared.
Hu Siwei held his phone the whole time, not joining in the heated discussions around him. Until he got the news he was waiting for, he shouted excitedly, "Real-time ratings, the highest peak reached , and the average ratings for the first episode were !"
Everyone at the scene shouted in surprise at the same time.
When Lu Yanhe heard the number Hu Siwei said, he lowered his head and smiled.
Bai Jingnian excitedly hugged every actor and gave every male actor a warm kiss on the face.
Zhan Yun laughed out loud.
Yin Xincheng said excitedly: "Tonight, we must celebrate and drink! Why don't we drink together?"
"Don't forget, we have to record a show together tomorrow afternoon."
"It's afternoon now." Yin Xincheng said to Bai Jin, "Do you think you can sleep if you go home now? I swear, I will not sleep before 3 . tonight. I will keep checking the comments online to see what everyone thinks of our drama."
Zhan Yun: "I'm sure the same, but I don't want to drink with you guys until so late. It's okay to go have a drink now, but I have to go back before twelve o'clock. I need to take care of my skin. I can't appear in front of the camera in a dull manner tomorrow."
Bai Jin nodded: "Yes, you can rely on makeup artists to retouch your unkempt hair and big pores to get a score of 70 and still look good on camera, but we will be criticized if we get less than 90 points."
Hu Siwei smiled and said, "I've already booked a place. Let's go. As usual, just have fun, drink some wine and juice, whatever you want. If you feel tired, tell me so I don't think any of you are drunk and lying in the toilet. You can leave at any time."
-
The ratings of the first episode of "Friends" ignited everyone's emotions.
There are dozens of people in the crew, and it is not easy for Hu Siwei to find a place to accommodate so many people.
Hu Siwei contacted a friend of his and booked a bar.
Everyone gathered in the bar in a mighty manner.
Why is everyone happy, excited and even thrilled about this achievement?
The success of a drama not only brings career development to creative people such as directors, screenwriters, photographers and actors, but also adds luster to the resumes of technical jobs such as coordinators, lighting, makeup and even stage management.
The result of the added luster is that each of them can get a salary increase.
In this case, a successful work is the basis for everyone's survival. And there is another very important reason why they are so happy -
In the film and television industry, they actually do not receive a fixed salary, unless they sign a contract with a company and become employees, then they may have the possibility of receiving a fixed salary.
This means that after finishing a project and earning money from it, if they don’t find the next project immediately, they will have to sit at home for a while.
The failure of the third season of "Friends" made many of them think that they were going to lose this long-term meal ticket. However, the successful return of "Friends", especially the first episode with such good ratings, allowed them to regain this long-term meal ticket, and it is a long-term meal ticket that will obviously continue to increase in salary.
For a TV series, the income will only increase, not decrease.
-
"I guess Jiang Xun must be regretting it now."
Hu Siwei said with a smile in Bai Jingnian's ear.
Jiang Xun was the assistant director of the previous "Friends" series, and had always had a good relationship with Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian. However, after Bai Jingnian left Jingtai, he stood up for Jingtai and said some not-so-positive things about Bai Jingnian on the set, which led to his estrangement from Bai Jingnian.
When they reorganized "Friends", they did not ask Jiang Xun to come back.
In fact, only one-third of the original production staff of "Friends" came to "Friends", because most of them were employees of Beijing and Taiwan. They would not give up their iron rice bowls in Beijing and Taiwan for a drama.
Bai Jingnian and Hu Siwei both understood this point very well.
They are all ordinary workers, and no one should put their family's income at risk for such a risky dream.
We are all adults and should understand and sympathize with each other.
Only Jiang Xun and Bai Jingnian couldn't let it go.
At the beginning, even Hu Siwei did not stand up and say anything bad about his old friend because of the pressure from the station. However, Jiang Xun, because he wanted to take sides and gain recognition from the station, stood up and accused Bai Jingnian of being responsible for the poor reputation of the "Friends" series.
Everyone knows what's going on, but he can lie with his eyes open.
Bai Jingnian snorted, "I don't know if he regrets it or not, but I hope he will never contact me again. If one day he contacts me and wants to get my forgiveness, I will definitely humiliate him severely."
Hu Siwei smiled.
"Once we finish filming Friends, we can put our show Roommates on the schedule," he said to Bai Jingnian, "Let's see if we can finish filming in the second quarter and air it in the summer. In this way, we can film Roommates in the first half of the year and Friends in the second half of the year. The people who follow us won't have to look for work outside, and we can keep filming."
Bai Jingnian nodded and said, "Okay, but you'd better find two more assistant directors. I have signed a contract with Northern Lights, so I can't always focus on these two projects. I have to help them shoot one or two dramas. If "Housemates" can continue to be filmed, the sequels may have to be handed over to them."
"I see. I know that." Hu Siwei nodded. "I'm very grateful that you can help direct the first season."
"Let's not be so polite." Bai Jingnian smiled, "But have you really thought it through? Are you going to use new actors in "Housemates"?"
"Yes." Hu Siwei nodded, "Only in this way can we control costs."
"But there's a good chance it won't make a splash."
"The production team of 'Friends' won't fail completely, right? I believe in your ability, and I also believe that our story will slowly attract its own audience." Hu Siwei said, "If we use only newcomers, the cost of shooting one episode can be controlled within one million, and our production pressure will be much less."
The production cost of one episode is one million, of which 500,000 is Bai Jingnian’s salary and the other 500,000 is other filming expenses.
Bai Jingnian nodded, "Indeed, this is a good way to control costs."
"There is another main reason." Hu Siwei smiled at Bai Jingnian, "The cooperation model between our drama and Northern Lights is base price + profit sharing. Although the contract has not been officially signed yet, according to the intention of previous communication, their base price for purchasing this drama is expected to be around one million per episode. This is the first drama I have independently directed since joining Linghe, and I can't take the risk of losing money."
"You are too cautious." Bai Jingnian said, "In fact, according to the domestic TV drama market, if you can find two first-line actors, I believe that with the reputation of "Friends" and your qualifications, you can definitely find them. The purchase price of this drama can be increased by a zero."
“But it’s also possible that we didn’t lose money, but the show failed and Northern Lights lost money.” Hu Siwei shook his head. “It’s still very risky after all.”
Bai Jingnian: "I still say the same thing, you are too cautious. You don't even know how many dramas Northern Lights produces lose money every year. It only makes money from a dozen or twenty dramas. It's good enough for the remaining dozens of dramas to break even. There are always more loss-making dramas than profitable ones."
Hu Siwei: "I can't help it. I have developed this kind of professional attitude. I can't accept the loss of the drama I am responsible for."
When Hu Siwei was in Beijing and Taiwan, the way he played was different from when he arrived in Linghe.
He is in Beijing and Taiwan, and everything from production to investment promotion to broadcasting is covered by Beijing and Taiwan itself. Therefore, the success of a drama depends on the final ratings and the revenue it generates.
But after he arrived at Linghe, Linghe was not responsible for broadcasting, but only for production. So according to Bai Jingnian, as long as they could successfully sell "Housemate" to the broadcasting platform, even if it failed in the end, it would be a loss for the platform, and they would have already made a profit in advance.
With Hu Siwei's credentials and his experience with the hit sitcom "Friends", he doesn't have to worry about what will happen if one or two of his shows lose money. As long as he releases new shows, the platform will still pay for them. Unless he fails three or five times in a row, the platform's trust in him will be discounted.
Bai Jingnian hopes that he can do it freely.
In the domestic film and television circle, there are very few dramas that become popular without the participation of celebrities.
Those that are popular are all rare species.
Hu Siwei knew what Bai Jingnian meant.
He patted Bai Jingnian on the shoulder and said, "Please understand the feelings of an old man who has just come out. I have some concerns. I can only be cautious and take it slow."
-
Lu Yanhe was well aware that Hu Siwei wanted to make "Men and Women Living Together".
In fact, when he and Chen Ziyan recruited Hu Siwei, helping him to film "Housemates" was one of the conditions for lobbying him.
Now, Hu Siwei plans to produce this drama with only 1200 million yuan, and Lu Yanhe understands his idea.
In fact, Lu Yanhe really appreciates Hu Siwei's approach.
Step by step, steady and cautious. 1200 million yuan was used to produce "Housemates". Even if the show was not very successful in the end, the loss would be limited. If Hu Siwei wanted to make an S-level drama right from the start, Linghe really wouldn't have that much money to give him all at once.
"Oh my god!" Yan Liang suddenly made a surprised sound while holding the phone.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"Zhou Ping'an has signed Meng Li over!" Yan Liang looked at Lu Yanhe in disbelief. "What is Zhou Ping'an thinking?"
Lu Yanhe also looked shocked.
"Has it been published?"
"No, it was posted by a marketing account. However, the news posted by this marketing account is generally more reliable and was later confirmed to be true."
Lu Yanhe asked: "Have you followed this marketing account?"
"The small account has been followed." Yan Liang said.
"Meng Li..." Lu Yanhe immediately thought of Li Zhibai, "If Li Zhibai knew about this, he would definitely explode."
"Absolutely." Yan Liang nodded.
Lu Yanhe still found it difficult to understand.
"But why did Zhou Ping'an want to sign Meng Li? Doesn't he already have Fu Li who he is training? If I remember correctly, Fu Li and Meng Li are similar in age and style, right?"
Generally speaking, an agent will not manage two competing artists at the same time.
Yan Liang: "Maybe because Fuli hasn't gotten up yet, Zhou Pingan can't wait any longer, and he wants to get a popular first-line female star directly?"
Lu Yanhe: "Him and Meng Li? I can imagine how many conflicts there will be when the two of them are put together. Didn't Zhou Pingan learn any lessons? Does he think he can handle Meng Li?"
"Maybe Zhou Ping'an didn't even think about getting Meng Li. He just needs a first-line female star to enrich his hand and let him play more combinations." Yan Liang said bluntly, "After all, I am the only card he can play now."
"In fact, it's good enough for many agents to have one first-line artist." Lu Yanhe said, "You can't bite off more than you can chew. Although Li Zhibai and Ma Zhiyuan have their own reasons for not getting along, on the other hand, it's also because there are too many competitions between them that Zhou Pingan needs to make choices between the two of them again and again. Sister Zi Yan said that her energy is limited, so she arranged executive agents for me, Minglan and Tu Song. She no longer manages everything like before."
Yan Liang: "You reminded me that I can actually train an executive agent and let him take charge of all my specific work."
"Will Zhou Ping'an agree? He must be worried that you will leave him now. It is not a good sign for him that you suddenly want to train an executive agent." Lu Yanhe said.
Yan Liang: "He has to take care of Meng Li and other artists, so he can't focus on me alone. No matter what, my current job should be worthy of a dedicated agent, right? If he disagrees, I will go to the company and ask him to either give up the other artists and only take care of me, or arrange an executive agent for me."
Lu Yanhe looked at Yan Liang with some surprise and surprise, "Cool, Yan Liang, you are using the opponent's force to counter the opponent's force."
Yan Liang: "I am worried about leaving all my agency work in his hands. Who knows if he will set a trap for me in the future? He is willing to do such a wicked thing just to prevent me from leaving him in the future. Find an executive agent. No matter who it is, I think he will definitely not want to be inferior to Zhou Ping'an forever."
Lu Yanhe gave Yan Liang a thumbs up.
"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Zhan Yun came over with a glass of wine. "Everyone wants to have a drink with you, but you cat is here, so they are embarrassed to come and disturb you."
"We were just chatting." Lu Yanhe pointed at Yan Liang, "We just saw a marketing account online saying that his agent Zhou Ping'an signed Meng Li."
"Who? Meng Li?" Zhan Yun rolled her eyes immediately, "That crazy woman."
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang smiled at each other unexpectedly. They didn't expect that Zhan Yun had the same attitude towards Meng Li.
"When did you ever have a conflict with her?"
Lu Yanhe had never heard of it before.
Zhan Yun put down her wine glass and said angrily, "In the movie "Thirty Days", she competed with me for the role of the female lead. At that time, the producer had already decided that I would star in the role, but she called the producer's wife and hinted that I was having an affair with the producer. Can you believe it? In order to grab the movie, she actually did such a thing!" Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang looked at each other.
"This is really..." Lu Yanhe didn't know what to say.
It is not uncommon in the entertainment industry for actors to resort to various means to compete for roles, but this is the first time Lu Yanhe has heard of someone like Meng Li doing such a thing.
"She went a little too far."
"It's more than a little too much!" Zhan Yun said angrily, "After I knew about this, I went straight to her, but she still refused to admit it. She refused to admit it. At that time, she and I were the only ones competing for this role. If it wasn't her, who would have the time to make up rumors about the producer and me to the producer's wife!"
"She didn't succeed in the end, did she?"
"Of course." Zhan Yun smiled somewhat proudly. "You know, the reason why I was invited to star in 'Thirty Days' is that the producer's wife liked me very much. So after reading the script, she said that I was very suitable, so the producer thought of me."
There are many actors in the entertainment industry.
There are many actresses suitable for a romantic comedy movie like "Thirty Days".
Sometimes, it depends on who they think of first.
For Zhan Yun and others, a good, non-vase movie heroine is much harder to find than a TV drama heroine.
Let me say something that has not been proven but is based on reality: if the TV drama market is basically dominated by the female perspective, then the film market is basically dominated by the male perspective.
There aren't that many female characters in movies, especially good female characters.
Lu Yanhe said to Zhan Yun: "In the end, it's fine as long as the movie remains in your hands."
"I was lucky this time. What if it happened to someone else? If it happened to someone else who was more suspicious, it would cause a lot of trouble." Zhan Yun said firmly, "Just wait and see. I will definitely not let it go so easily. I will definitely retaliate."
Lu Yanhe: "Don't you want to think about it again?"
"Consider it?" Zhan Yun looked at Lu Yanhe in disbelief. "Do you think my idea of revenge is wrong?"
"Oh, no, no." Lu Yanhe shook his hand. "We just want to remind you to think twice before you retaliate, because she is really a little crazy. You have to be prepared that once you retaliate, she will stick to you like a dog-skin plaster and will never stop fighting you."
"I'm afraid of her!" Zhan Yun snorted, "Don't think I'm easy to mess with."
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang took a breath at the same time.
-
"It's fine if the marketing account posts it in advance. We'll have an official announcement in a few days anyway." Zhou Ping'an said to Meng Li, "When the time comes, the company will also hold a grand welcome ceremony for you."
Meng Li: "Have you told Yan Liang about what I asked you last time?"
"Friends is not decided by Yan Liang. If you want them to write a role for you, you need Lu Yanhe's consent." Zhou Ping'an said, "Based on what happened between you and Li Zhibai before, Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai are almost like brothers. How could he let you play the role?"
Meng Li said, "You didn't actually mention this to Yan Liang, right?"
"Because it's useless to mention it, and you don't need to act in this drama." Zhou Pingan said, "No matter how popular it is, it is a sitcom after all. Actors who come from sitcoms are worthless once they don't play the role."
Meng Li: "I don't need it to maintain my status, but I need it to maintain my exposure. God, do you know how long it has been since I last acted in a movie?"
The few plays that Meng Li had acted in before were all kept in backlog for various reasons and had not been shown to the audience.
Two of her endorsements have expired and her contracts have not been renewed.
This is a very serious market signal.
Zhou Ping'an knew what Meng Li was worried about.
"Don't worry, Lili, I have arranged a one-stop service for you." Zhou Ping'an said confidently, "Starting from next week, you will appear frequently in the public eye and your popularity will be off the charts."
"Are you talking about the scandal you arranged for me?"
"That's right." Zhou Ping'an said, "At this stage, what you need most is exposure and popularity. You and Liu Yuanting dated, were photographed, denied it, were photographed again, and then appeared on that show together. After the show was over, you broke up. You had exposure and popularity for a full six months."
Meng Li: "...Do you want me to become a variety show star?"
"Li Li, gossip will never turn an actor into a variety show star." Zhou Pingan emphasized, "I asked you to be on this show, not to make you comedic or create a persona."
Meng Li: "What about the rest? I've met Liu Yuanting once. He's just a stupid rich second-generation who doesn't know anything. Are you sure he'll leave obediently when we break up?"
"Wouldn't it be better if he didn't just leave?" Zhou Ping'an said bluntly, "What legendary female star doesn't have such a person around her, an admirer who is always inseparable from her?"
Meng Li was convinced.
"Then I still have to film. I didn't get the chance to star in "Thirty Days" before, so what about other dramas? Do you have any other scripts for me?"
"Don't worry, I've already told you that I've prepared a gift for you." Zhou Ping'an said, "The script you read last time, the one you were satisfied with, didn't you not believe I could negotiate for you? Now I'm telling you, the director wants to meet you."
"What? Really?"
"Really." Zhou Pingan laughed, "Li Li, you have to believe that signing with me is definitely the right decision."
After hanging up the phone with Meng Li, Zhou Ping'an took a look at the trending search list, and seeing that "Friends" occupied five of the top 20 spots, he knew that the show was a success, just as expected.
Zhou Ping'an called Yan Liang.
"Congratulations, Yan Liang! I've seen the heated discussions about Friends online. You guys have successfully saved the show. That's great!" Zhou Ping'an asked, "Are you celebrating with Lu Yanhe? It's quite lively over there. Please congratulate Yanhe on my behalf as well. I can stay in front of the TV tonight to watch the show and not miss a single minute."
"Your acting is getting better and better, especially relaxed." Zhou Pingan praised, "Really, when I saw your performance in this drama, I was very moved. Your efforts in the past few years have not been in vain. I even thought about whether I should give you a lighter comedy to act in. I'm not talking about a sitcom. You have a sitcom like "Friends" now, which is enough."
Yan Liang listened to Zhou Ping'an's crazy talk on the phone with no expression on his face.
How should I put it? Probably, you already know a person's true face very well, no matter how shocking his performance is, you can only remain indifferent.
"Thank you," Yan Liang said, "We are also very happy that the first episode of Friends broke the record."
Zhou Pingan: "I have another piece of news to tell you, Yan Liang, I am going to sign Meng Li."
"Oh, really?" Yan Liang didn't sound surprised at all.
Zhou Pingan: "I know you had some conflicts with her before, but I promise you that there will not be too many intersections between her and you. In fact, you also know the current situation. I have you as the male actor, but I am short of female actors. Meng Li, come here, I will also have more sufficient conditions to help you negotiate and get better scripts and better conditions."
Yan Liang smiled and said, "Congratulations on signing a top female star. However, Brother Ping An, I think you must be very busy to be in charge of both of us. After all, both of us have a lot of work to do and we have frequent announcements."
"Don't worry, I will coordinate this and it won't affect any of your work."
"Brother Ping'an, I need an executive agent who can focus on me." Yan Liang said bluntly, "I don't want to hide it from you, but I don't want to work so hard to this point, and then I have to fight for the attention of the class teacher like a primary school student. You have helped me so much, and I can't do without you, but at least I need an executive agent who can follow my work throughout the process, instead of just an assistant who helps me serve tea and water. You know, a lot of work requires the presence of an agent, which is more convenient than me communicating with others in person."
Zhou Ping'an was completely stunned.
Yan Liang's sudden request hit him in the face like a snowball.
It knocked him unconscious.
Yan Liang: "Brother Ping An, please help me find one."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
I was wondering when to tell Zhou Ping'an about this.
There has to be an opportunity.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ping'an came to my doorstep.
-
That night, Lu Yanhe did not return to Ziyuan Bridge until 1:30 in the morning.
Chen Siqi had fallen asleep. When she heard him coming back, she opened her eyes drowsily.
"You just got back?"
"Oh, you're here!" Lu Yanhe was surprised to see Chen Siqi and apologized, "I thought you were not here. If I had known, I would have gone over there and woke you up."
Chen Siqi sleeps at the Lingyang District headquarters most of the time.
"I have an appointment to discuss something here at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, so I came here to sleep." Chen Siqi asked, "Did you drink?"
"Yes, I drank a little beer, but it's okay, not much." Lu Yanhe said, "You go back to sleep, I'll take a shower."
Chen Siqi nodded.
Lu Yanhe turned off the lights in the room again and went to take a shower.
After the house was renovated, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi moved in.
When Lu Yanhe was not filming, they would basically sleep together four or five days a week.
But as Chen Siqi is currently preparing for the International Filmmakers Festival, and Lu Yanhe has started filming "Friends", they have not been living together these days.
Originally, Lu Yanhe was not planning to return here tonight, but to return to Li Zhibai and Yan Liang.
It was Yan Liang who said that Zhou Ping'an would probably come to attack us early tomorrow morning, so Lu Yanhe came back here because he didn't want to see Zhou Ping'an.
After taking a shower, Lu Yanhe did not rush back to his room. Instead, he sat in the living room and went online to read everyone's comments about "Friends".
He wanted to watch it early in the morning, but didn't find any opportunity all night.
As a creator, he enjoys reading comments at this time.
Good or bad, Lu Yanhe actually likes to watch it as long as it is not the kind of sarcasm or insult that carries a personal attack.
Because as long as the comments are serious, it means that others have read them.
He also had many messages that he hadn't had time to reply to.
These are all the viewing experiences sent by friends.
Lu Yanhe responded seriously one by one to express his gratitude.
The stone in my heart fell to the ground gently, and I felt at peace.
"Friends" gained the support of the audience with a trajectory that was completely different from the original time and space.
This seems like a no-brainer because the show is so good.
But Lu Yanhe was nervous and frightened throughout the whole process, because there was no definite answer to tell him whether this approach would work.
Lu Yanhe let out a long sigh of relief, turned off the lights, walked into the bedroom, got on the bed, and gently hugged Chen Siqi.
Chen Siqi mumbled in a daze: "I thought you fell asleep in the bathroom."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I was just outside reading everyone's comments on Friends."
"See? We all like it." Chen Siqi said with a smile, "But I can't discuss this with you now. I'm really sleepy. I have to meet someone early tomorrow morning."
Chen Siqi's tone sounded lazy and powerless.
"Well, go to sleep."
Lu Yanhe kissed Chen Siqi on the lips.
At this moment, the night is deep and it’s time to sleep well.
His heart was at peace, which reminded him of when he first traveled to this world five years ago. At that time, he was nervous, uneasy, frightened, and unable to sleep.
Humans are truly extremely adaptable animals.
Lu Yanhe closed his eyelids heavily. (End of this chapter)
