Actor: Thank you.

Chapter 1037 Personality
"Let's welcome our guests for this episode, Zhang Yuan and Wu Jing!"

The recording site of the Zhejiang TV program "I Love Lyrics".

Guided by host Hua Shao, Zhang Yuan and the Kung Fu Kid made a dazzling entrance from backstage, jogging and waving.

After leaving the "The Message" crew, he only stayed at home for one night and didn't even have time to have dinner with friends before he immediately started promoting "The Message".

From south to north, you have to go through all the programs on major TV stations first.

At this point, Zhang Yuan discovered another benefit of Lao Han arranging for his film to be shown on Labor Day.

That means no one is competing for publicity!

There are only a handful of variety shows that major TV stations can promote during the same time slot.

If it's a movie released during the summer season, everyone's vying for a spot on TV shows right now.

He is different.

The films released around the same time, "The Diary of John Rabe" and "City of Life and Death," were not promoted or distributed by any television stations.

How can a serious film about the Nanjing Massacre be featured on a variety show?
Those who laugh and joke around will be criticized by the audience.

They might even have to make the entire crew kneel down and apologize.

The subject matter is too serious; it's not entertaining at all.

They can only adopt a high-end, sophisticated promotional style.

That's great, there's no one competing with "Ip Man" for publicity, it's all empty.

Moreover, when selling "My Brother is Called Shunliu", they had already contacted the major TV stations in advance, so they were able to secure a release date very smoothly.

Wow, so handsome!

"Finally, I've met the real person!"

Another host, Zhu Dan, immediately presented it to him after he stood still.

"I'm very happy to be on the 'I Love Lyrics' program. I've been queuing up for a number for more than half a year, but they still haven't let me on," Zhang Yuan joked in a practiced manner.

At that time, Hua Shao and Zhu Dan were the top male and female stars of Zhejiang TV.

"I Love Lyrics" was Zhejiang TV's strongest variety show before "The Voice of China".

How strong is it?

It is one of the few variety shows in the country that can rival Hunan TV's "Happy Camp," and its viewership ratings have consistently remained above 5%.

However, like most variety shows in China, "I Love Lyrics" is not an original program.

"Imitation" is actually plagiarism of the American music quiz show "Singing Bees".

However, there have been some changes; the prize money is still awarded for singing.

However, the destination of the prize money differs.

In the US, individuals receive the money, but on Zhejiang TV, it's taken the public service route.

There's no way around it; China's television stations are essentially public institutions, so they need to be elevated in status.

They rarely produce programs that aim to win big prizes or make a lot of money.

"Big Winner" type programs are very popular in the US and Britain.

It involves audience members going on stage to answer questions, with the chance to win up to a million dollars or pounds. These kinds of shows are not allowed in China, for fear of having a negative impact.

Zhang Yuan came to this show simply to have some fun and interact with the audience.

However, the props team brought out a truckload of sponsor products shortly after the show started filming.

"Xiangpiaopiao milk tea sells more than 300 million cups a year. If the cups were lined up, they could circle the earth three times."

Hiss... Zhang Yuan listened to Hua Shao's voiceover.

It's back, everything is back.

I haven't had Xiangpiaopiao for many years.

Back then, Xiangpiaopiao became quite famous because of its advertising slogan, "If the cups were laid end to end, they could circle the Earth three times." It was even called the "Xiangpiaopiao Planetary Orbit Defense System."

Even aliens would have to get past Xiangpiaopiao first.

Hua Shao does speak very fast, almost like a machine gun in later generations.

However, Zhang Yuan noticed that although this person was fast, he also spat out a lot of words.

This shows that his so-called speed is only an external skill, and his internal skill is not up to par.

According to the old rules of the performing arts, when practicing tongue twisters, people used to hang a piece of Xuan paper in front of them and recite tongue twisters.

After I finished speaking, if there was even a wet spot on the Xuan paper, I would get a slap on the hand.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that neither of the two from Zhejiang TV were very good.

Zhu Dan's hosting skills are just so-so, and Hua Shao's personality is...

how to say.

This person is somewhat similar to Teacher Guo; both suffered hardships and setbacks in their youth, which is why they are particularly aggressive after achieving success.

And he often makes inappropriate jokes in public.

In short, it's crazy.

Godfrey Gao later died on his show.

Brother Gao is already lying on the ground, not moving, while he's still passionately giving his commentary.

Fortunately, he's not that famous yet, so his behavior is relatively restrained, and he didn't ask Zhang Yuan any inappropriate questions; he behaved quite properly.

We recorded for an hour or two, then it was time for a break.

The group settled down backstage, drinking water and touching up their makeup.

"Hello, Teacher Zhang Yuan and Teacher Wu Jing."

"I have some nuts as a snack to replenish my energy."

A tall young woman came up to them with a smile and handed them each a packet of snacks.

The girl is the third host of the show, and her name is Yi Yi.

She's a newcomer, and the station's plan for her is to be Zhu Dan's apprentice.

"Brother Hua, you should eat something too."

"Oh my, you can eat this kind of thing?"

"It's cheap stuff, not the real thing."

"Let me tell you, I only eat imported nuts," Hua Shao said with disdain.

"Oh, Sister Dan, do you want some?"

"Whatever," Zhu Dan replied coldly.

The two seniors' attitudes left the girl speechless with embarrassment.

"Give it to me, I love to eat it." Zhang Yuan waved and came to my rescue.

[Received a thank you from Yi Yi, Latin dance basics +1!]

Zhang Yuan felt that, as outsiders had said, the atmosphere at Zhejiang TV was indeed not good.

Internal pressure is high, and the competitive pressure is immense.

Despite being the "top female host" right now, Zhu Dan is actually close to breaking ties with Zhejiang TV.

I wanted to ask for better treatment, but the station wouldn't give it to me.

I want to rest, but the station won't let me.

And then they used Yi Yi, the younger sister who had been following Zhu Dan since she came to Taiwan, as a threat.

Tell her that if she keeps causing trouble, she'll make her leave "I Love Lyrics" and let Yi Yi replace her.

Therefore, Zhu Dan had already become estranged from Zhejiang TV at this time, which led to her later departure from Hunan TV.

But when the tide goes out, we'll see who's been swimming naked.

When he got to Hunan TV, he was completely unsuitable.

Zhu Dan's departure from hosting was not due to one incident, but rather a series of major mistakes.

He mispronounced the station name, the sponsor's name, and the guest's name during the show.

She even ruined her own husband, Zhou Yiwei's, reputation.

Ultimately, it's because Zhejiang TV has a very unique style.

This TV station is a bit crazy; they like to use all sorts of low-class methods to create program effects. Once you get used to this place, you can't work anywhere else.

Zhang Yuan glanced at Hua Shao.

Actually, this person also asked for a raise along with Zhu Dan, but he was completely unaffected.

Because his wife is the director of "I Love Lyrics," a famous director and screenwriter at Zhejiang TV.

You still need connections and inside help.

Wu Jing also noticed the discord among the hosts on the station, but remained silent, pretending not to see it.

They left without even eating after filming the show.

The atmosphere is bad; let's avoid causing trouble.

Of course, they didn't intend to keep them there.

They headed straight to the airport, then went to Hunan TV to record "Happy Camp".

Upon arriving at this place, I immediately felt much more at ease.

At first glance, they all look familiar.

Moreover, as soon as he landed, his superior, Zhang Huali, came to invite him to dinner.

We ate the local specialty, steamed fish head with chopped chili peppers.

He Jiong, Xie Na, and other program hosts also arrived.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Please help promote the show later.

"My show relies on Hunan TV to boost its box office."

"You're welcome, of course." Zhang Huali pointed to He Jiong and the others: "If you have any requests, just tell them."

"As long as it's within the rules, we can do it your way."

Mr. Zhang was quite pleased because he had also heard about how he had "targeted" Huayi's TV series.

Because Chen was born and ran away during the New Year, although Zhang Yuan asked Hua Ge to save the day, the station still issued an internal rectification notice, requiring all participants to reflect on their actions.

But at least there was no punishment.

After Zhang Yuan's reminder, Hunan TV conducted its own investigation and quickly discovered that Hua Yi was Chen Sheng's "scapegoat".

it is good!
Without your support, this guy wouldn't dare to mess with us.

Just wait for me!

This created a deep-seated enmity.

So they felt that Zhang Yuan had helped them vent their anger.

No matter who is attacking Hua Yi, Hunan TV will always stand up for her.

"Mr. Zhang, don't rush. Let's drink slowly and do things slowly." Zhang Yuan raised his glass to him with a smile.

"Oh?"

"From what you're saying, you have a backup plan." "We'll see."

"Hehe, you're even playing riddles with me." Mr. Zhang clinked glasses with him.

“Teacher He.” He turned to look at He Jiong again.

"I need to go over the lines with you in a bit; I really do need your help with some things."

I'm not familiar with Zhejiang TV, so I just played it smoothly as usual.

But he thrived at Hunan TV, and he was ready to cause trouble!
After dinner, back at the station, Xiong Dailin and Fan Shaohuang also came to show their support.

It's nothing more than some activity procedures.

Zhang Yuan specially arranged a segment involving driving wooden stakes, and even taught the hosts how to do it.

After the hosts' attempts were clumsy and awkward, he took over himself and his smooth and effortless movements stunned the audience.

But this is just a standard marketing tactic.

He has other plans.

One is to establish a persona.

"Zhang Yuan, I heard that you were actually injured while filming the movie 'Ip Man'."

"Oh, you got injured while filming?" Xiong Dailin had no idea about this and was hearing it for the first time.

"He wasn't injured on the set of 'Ip Man'."

"It happened during a car chase scene while filming another Hollywood movie in Shanghai."

"I fractured my arm, but I was afraid it would affect the filming of 'Ip Man,' so I didn't tell anyone."

He was telling the truth; there was nothing false about it.

But the key question is when and how to say it.

He didn't mention this at Zhejiang TV because he was afraid that Hua Shao and Zhu Dan wouldn't cooperate well with him.

Teacher He is different; he's the best supporting comedian in the hosting world, and we have a great relationship.

"Wow, that's really not easy."

"I know that Brother Chenlong has also suffered many injuries while filming."

"It seems that filming action movies is really dangerous," Teacher He said, reciting his lines.

"Brother Chenlong is my idol, and I have worked with him several times."

"His spirit has greatly inspired me."

"When I'm injured, I think, what would Brother Chenlong do if he were in my shoes?"

"He definitely won't take it seriously and will continue working."

Zhang Yuan made this call to establish a "dedicated professional" persona.

This is almost an essential quality for action movie actors.

From Chen Long, Li Lianjie, and Zhang Jin to Wu Jing, everyone was covered in injuries.

But Chenlong is rather cunning; he'll use this to promote himself, so everyone knows about it.

But they weren't lying; they really suffered so much before they dared to say that.

Li Lianjie suffered from numerous illnesses and aged much faster than normal.

Wu Jing almost became paralyzed.

Zhang Jin is even more impressive; in the old drama "Romance in the Rain," Yi Ping jumped off a bridge for He Shu Huan.

Most people have seen this scene before; it's a classic melodramatic plot reminiscent of romance novels.

It was Zhao Wei who cried, and Zhang Jin who jumped off the bridge.

Because of his tall and thin build, Brother Zhang often works as a stunt double for actresses.

He was the one who stood in for the scene where he jumped off the bridge.

The long legs that everyone sees peeking out from the slit in the cheongsam are not Zhao Wei's, they are his.

Therefore, it is perfectly appropriate for action movie actors to establish a dedicated persona; it is almost tailor-made for them.

They can also use their injury to generate news and add some buzz to the film.

The most crucial point is that he planned it so that Teacher He would mention Brother Chenlong and connect him with him.

I just wanted to piggyback on the fame of the senior colleague.

Given his relationship with Uncle Long, this is nothing.

Furthermore, she had already contacted Yang Siwei in advance, asking her to prepare a short essay to pave the way for her own reputation.

She is particularly good at this.

The article I wrote for Liu Tao, which we agreed on during the Chinese New Year, has already been published.

Tao Jie is portrayed as a brilliant woman who gave up her career for her family, and now she has picked up her career again for the sake of her family.

"Women like this deserve our respect."

She gave the article this title, exaggerating Liu Tao's hardships, which resonated with many viewers.

The article also twisted Liu Tao's obvious desire to marry a rich man into a whirlwind marriage into an impulsive act of love.

Anyway, the audience really liked this, which established Tao Jie's image as someone who juggled both career and family, and persevered through hardship.

You might think she's just making things up, but that's not really the case.

However, the style of writing in the Spring and Autumn Annals blends reality and illusion, highlighting strengths and avoiding weaknesses.

Just a few days after the article was published, Liu Tao received several endorsement deals for maternal and infant products, and the endorsement fees were much higher than before.

Zhang Yuan was quite reassured that she was in charge of his publicity and marketing.

But this "dedicated persona" is only the first step.

He's here at Hunan TV today to establish yet another "persona".

After a brief interaction, we completed some projects such as a telephone game and an electric shock game.

Holding a stick and walking around a fully electrified mold, you might occasionally get an electric shock.

"So this is what it feels like to be electrocuted like Zhang Hanyu." Zhang Yuan had experienced it firsthand.

With the game segment over, the show needed to maintain a balance between tension and relaxation, so it was time for the interview segment.

At that moment, Teacher He and he exchanged a quick glance on stage.

Zhang Yuan nodded almost imperceptibly.

Teacher He took a deep breath, a little nervous.

I am now afraid of what I am about to say.

Zhang Yuan gave him a calm, reassuring look, as if to say, "I'll take care of everything."

Have you seen the eye contact between Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat before their crotches were set on fire in "A Chinese Odyssey"?

That's roughly the idea.

At this time, He Jiong was already a well-known host and a candidate for the top male host of Hunan TV.

Hunan TV has a much better internal atmosphere than Zhejiang TV. Not only did it not instigate the infighting between He Jiong and Wang Han, it also used healthy competition to resolve the conflict.

Even with his current status, He Jiong still swallowed hard before daring to say what he was going to say next.

"Zhang Yuan, I've heard something else."

"Everyone is now very familiar with your character Wang Sheng in 'Painted Skin'."

"But I know you hesitated when you accepted this role, didn't you?"

“You were offered other roles at the time.”

"Yes, I turned down John Woo's offer to star in 'Red Cliff' back then," Zhang Yuan replied steadily, holding the microphone.

This, like the fact that he fractured his arm, is also true.

Jiang Zhiqiang and Yang Shouchen did approach him at the time, saying they could give him a chance to star in "Red Cliff," which terrified Takeshi Kaneshiro.

But he didn't go, saying the movie was bad.

Now they're bringing this up again to ride on the coattails of the famous director's popularity.

Moreover, the movie "Red Cliff" has become a laughing stock, with everyone complaining that it's not good.

In particular, Lin Chih-lin's character, Xiao Qiao, says to a group of horses, "Mengmeng, stand up."

It made the audience laugh.

Even during the pre-release promotion of "Red Cliff Part II", some media asked John Woo what he thought about people treating "Red Cliff" as a comedy.

Director Wu could only awkwardly reply, "Life needs happiness, and I'm willing to bring happiness to everyone."

The fact that "Red Cliff" is funny is funny in itself.

Although it was edited into two parts and released as a two-part film, it grossed 6 million yuan at the box office, plus copyright fees from Japan and other regions, but ultimately still suffered a huge loss.

With a budget of 6 million, Zhang Yuan reasonably suspects that John Woo made at least a small fortune himself.

Moreover, his reputation is completely ruined; people say he ruined a classic.

So, in comparison, "Painted Skin" is quite enjoyable to watch.

Although it's a fantasy romance film, it received good reviews, and many viewers are looking forward to a sequel. It was also the highest-grossing film of the year.

The worst thing is to compare yourself to others.

In comparison, Zhang Yuan's decision to turn down "Red Cliff" and take on "Painted Skin" demonstrates his excellent eye for choosing films.

The second persona he wants to establish is his discerning eye for film selection!

Is he afraid of offending people by making fun of John Woo?

I'm not afraid at all, because although Director Wu is a big star, he has a good temper and rarely loses his temper.

Moreover, the producer of "Reign of Assassins" is keeping an eye on him and wants to collaborate, so it's even less likely that they'll fall out.

Zhang Yuan wasn't afraid, and Teacher He was nervous, not because of Director Wu.

His panic stemmed from someone else.

Then, Teacher He continued to ask questions.

“We already know that Zhang Yuan is very busy.”

"I often have to make choices between different works."

When you took on the role in "Ip Man," did you give up any other acting opportunities because of this film?

"Speaking of which, there really is one." Zhang Yuan feigned great regret.

"Before taking on the role in 'Ip Man,' I had received offers from other production teams."

"Unfortunately, the schedule clashed. After reading the script, I felt that this play was more suitable for me."

"So I gave up the opportunity to star in another production."

"Then could you tell us the name of the work you gave up?" Teacher He continued.

"OK."

Zhang Yuan answered solemnly.

"The film that I didn't act in was just released recently."

"The feature film directed by Chen Kaige, 'Mei Lanfang'!"

(End of this chapter)