Actor: Thank you.

A Chinese Ghost Story...

Zhang Yuan frowned upon hearing the name.

Upon hearing this, Ye Weixing felt a pang of worry.

dislike?
Is it a problem with the subject matter or the content?

"Go on," Zhang Yuan said after a pause.

"What I want to know is your goal for this project, your expectations, and what you need me to do?"

Zhang Yuan quickly raised his question.

Now he has more and more work, especially on decision-making issues.

This reminded him of the "time boxing method" that has now appeared in the West and was later promoted by the upper echelons.

A boxing round only lasts a few minutes, so when thinking about or dealing with a problem, you can break it down into countless short time points and short goals.

This can better stimulate the brain's compensatory mechanism, promote dopamine secretion, and make the mind more active.

The theoretical basis is to constantly give yourself positive encouragement, "tricking" yourself into doing things at a higher intensity.

From this, there are many other working methods.

For example, Zhang Yuan agrees with Musk's five-minute rule.

If you can't explain something clearly in five minutes, then don't say anything. Go back and organize your thoughts, and report back to me once you've figured it out.

I don't have that much free time to listen to your nonsense.

Ye Weixing shook his head, clearly not used to Zhang Yuan's unusually direct way of doing things.

It's like a liberal arts student communicating with a science student.

"Well... the goal is definitely to make money." Director Ye pushed up his glasses.

People who wear glasses are more likely to make this subconscious movement when they are nervous or thinking.

"Hehehe, actually it's because your movie 'Painted Skin' did very well at the box office."

"We discussed it and found that the ghost and monster genre has recently shown signs of revival, so we plan to release a work that keeps up with the trend."

"They are all chapters from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, and A Chinese Ghost Story also has the added benefit of the old version, so it holds a very high position in the hearts of the audience."

Zhang Yuan nodded, agreeing with what was said.

"Painted Skin" did indeed revitalize the supernatural film genre, which had been dormant for many years.

Back in the Hong Kong film era, there were not only films like "A Chinese Ghost Story," but also "Green Snake," and even works like "Vampire Expert," which were actually considered supernatural tales, just on a more obscure level.

After the success of "Painted Skin," a host of similar films followed, including "Monster Hunt," "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," and "Painted Skin: The Resurrection," all of which were hugely successful.

It's a good start, but "A Chinese Ghost Story" has a "fatal flaw".

"Have you considered that the original 'A Chinese Ghost Story' has already been filmed three times, and continuing the classic is not wrong?"

"But the old version is too classic, no matter how you film it, you can't surpass it."

Zhang Yuan bluntly pointed out the biggest problem with this drama.

That is, "the pearls and jade are right in front of you".

After the classic TV series adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels—Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Journey to the West—made in that idealistic era without regard to cost or market economy, no matter who tries to adapt them, they can never surpass the original versions.

Because times have changed.

Just like the version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" starring Zhang Yuan and Xixi, the props, set design, and special effects are far superior to the version starring Louis Koo.

However, many viewers prefer the old version, which is called a preconceived notion.

Louis Koo's version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is the "white moonlight" in the hearts of these viewers.

You could argue online your whole life and still not get to a conclusion.

This is like the debate between sweet and savory soy milk; both are acceptable if one can be tolerant.

If you can't tolerate something, then you can only accept the one you've been eating since childhood.

The word "habit" is both a lovely and a terrible thing.

Like the TV series adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels, "A Chinese Ghost Story" already has a classic version. How can it be surpassed?

"Think it over carefully. This film won't be easy to make because it's not an original work," Zhang Yuan cautioned.

"It's okay, we'll adjust the script and adapt the story."

"Besides, I also hope you can take the role."

Zhang Yuan: …

You want me dead?

Me, going head-to-head with Leslie Cheung?
Not to mention that this person is a theatrical fanatic and has a very strong charisma.

He's already deceased; how can the living compare to the dead?

The deceased have a "memorial" buff, which is better than the dead. Just like how no matter how many talented singers and dancers there are in later generations, who can surpass Jackson's status in the hearts of fans?
I'm not some unknown newcomer, why would I need to ride this wave of popularity?

Being compared to Leslie Cheung, even if it draws criticism, can still increase one's fame.

I'm a perfectly fine leading man right now, why would I need to get into this kind of trouble?
"I feel I am not capable of playing the role of Ning Caichen, nor can I surpass Leslie Cheung's performance," Zhang Yuan said tactfully.

"That's alright, I didn't want you to play Ning Caichen." Ye Weixing revealed a perfectly appropriate expression: "I wanted you to play Yan Chixia."

“Fuck you…” Zhang Yuan blurted out.

Ye Weixing: ...

"Excuse me, I was just speaking my mind and said it out loud," Zhang Yuan quickly said.

You want me to compare myself to Wu Ma instead of Leslie Cheung?

"In that case, don't just talk the talk, go and write a concise plan."

"Give it to me as soon as possible."

"You not only want me to act, you also want me to invest, right?"

"Then write down the expected investment and expenses clearly."

After saying that, Zhang Yuan waved his hand and went about his business.

Ye Weixing was left somewhat bewildered.

There was nothing he could do; those with money were the bosses, so he had no choice but to comply.

Zhang Yuan then went back to continue filming.

That scene where they fight on the round table will take a long time to film.

He has sustained many new injuries in the past few days.

Every day after Zhang Yuan finished showering, he looked in the mirror and saw that no one cared about his brother...

The script was designed quite reasonably; after all, they found professional stuntmen and martial artists as consultants.

Ip Man challenged the school and fought three rounds in a row. He completely dominated the first two rounds, and only managed a draw in the final match against Sammo Hung's Hung Kuen style.

The reason why the first two masters lost to Master Ye was not only because their skills were inferior, but also because their kung fu styles were incompatible.

Master Luo's Monkey Fist is also known as White Ape Tongbei Fist.

Master Zheng uses Baguazhang.

Both of these martial arts styles are characterized by their expansive and dynamic movements within the broader category of boxing.

Zhang Yuan knows a little bit of both Tongbei and Baguazhang, especially Baguazhang. He only started practicing it for a short time in order to play the Duke of Zhou in the movie "The Founding of a Republic".

These two styles of boxing are fundamentally contradictory to Wing Chun, which originated on small boats.

In a fight on such a small stage as a round table, Wing Chun has an absolute advantage.

In particular, Baguazhang requires running in circles to strike, and there are also routines for throwing punches from behind to lure the enemy, which are not easy to perform on a round table.

Therefore, the script portrays Wing Chun as completely defeating the two masters, with the added advantage of the venue.

Zhang Yuan not only knew what to do, but also why he did it, so he felt more confident when he started filming.

The success of "Ip Man" is not just due to selling nostalgia and seeking thrills; the overall production quality is also quite good.

However, while both are directed by Yip Wai-sing, the other one is far inferior.

A few days later, Director Ye approached him again with the proposal for "A Chinese Ghost Story".

Zhang Yuan glanced at it briefly and left a six-word comment in his mind.

"Read it, utter nonsense!"

Of course, he didn't say it aloud; he just remained silent.

What kind of junk is this that you brought in front of me?

He should have just watched it, because once he did, he remembered the content of the play.

Innovation is possible, but what's the point of having Yan Chixia and Xiaoqian fall in love?
The Leslie Cheung version of "A Chinese Ghost Story," especially the first one, is quite close to the original story of "Xiaoqian."

Ning Caichen falls in love with a ghost, and Yan Chixia comes to his aid.

After finally defeating the Tree Demon Granny, Ning Caichen married Xiaoqian, who had transformed into human form, as his concubine. She even bore him children. It's a pretty happy ending.

But innovation is the worst thing, because blind innovation is worse than no innovation at all.

The TV series "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" starring Tangren was the one where he played a couple with Yang Mi.

The "innovation" at the sugar figurine shop is already a bit suspicious; Yan Chixia and the Tree Demon Granny are having a romance...

Zhang Yuan tolerated it. After all, it's a TV series; adding some content that the audience likes to watch would also help to correspond with the love story between Ning Caichen and Xiaoqian.

However, Ye Weixing directly created a love triangle between Ning Caichen, Yan Chixia, and Xiaoqian!
Moreover, Xiaoqian is no longer the ghost who turned into Grandma after death, but a fox demon.

Hey!
As Zhang Yuan watched, he suddenly realized what was happening.

Good guy!
This is not innovation; it's clearly "soft plagiarism."

I previously said that it was similar to "Painted Skin" and was a copycat film.

Looking at it now, it's obvious that this movie is copied from "Painted Skin"!

The love triangle between the three main characters is simply a gender-swapped version of the story between Wang Sheng, Pei Rong, and Xiao Wei.

Sugar Man is also the foundation of Hong Kong teams. You Hong Kong people, do you not know how to make a movie if the main characters don't have some romance?
They just have to be in a relationship.

My God, this piece of junk can make money?

"I plan to cast Ms. Liu Qianqian as the female lead, Xiaoqian," Ye Weixing replied confidently.

This is the result of his communication with his boss, Huang Baiming.

Zhang Yuan's weakness is women, so use women to seduce him.

Zhang Yuan pursed his lips and remained silent.

He didn't even want Sissi to act in it; even if it wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't a good one either.

But she has no choice in her current situation.

She can no longer get top-tier productions from mainland China.

Even though Huayi has lifted its "blacklist" of her, the capital city has already excluded her.

She's from Wuhan, not part of the Beijing clique, and has her own independent studio, so she doesn't share the pie with the Beijing clique.

As for himself... Zhang Yuan was also troubled.

Recently, he's been competing with Huayi, who, in addition to collaborating with Tudou.com, has been working on projects targeting his partnership with Youku.

Of course, there will be other actions as well!
The casting issues for several films, including "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," "Love in Space," and "Chasing Love," deeply hurt the other party.

Therefore, Zhang Yuan also received reports from Yang Siwei and Zeng Jia that there were changes in the work of his artists.

This is also a kind of internal pressure; he is enduring and reassuring.

The advantage is that the talent of the artists under his management is not as good as that of Huayi.

Moreover, he has the backing of the Hong Kong entertainment circle, while Hua Yi's reach is not as long, so she can only make a fuss about works by artists from the imperial circle.

In addition, his artists mainly work in television dramas, and Huayi's television drama projects are relatively poor.

After a series of back-and-forth exchanges, he was actually less affected than his opponent.

Moreover, Huayi is not in the right in this matter!

Because he started it, Huang Xiaoming's departure damaged the interests of many Hong Kong business owners, including Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan's actions were only directed at their family; unless someone had a particularly close relationship with the two brothers, no one would want to get involved in this trouble.

His domineering and arrogant attitude prevented the opponent from seeing the key issues or understanding the scope of the target before he attacked recklessly.

This is the consequence of being impulsive and acting on emotions.

Even so, Zhang Yuan's situation was not good either. He was under tremendous pressure and unable to mobilize more resources from his own company to help Xiaolongnv.

So after thinking it over, the "A Chinese Ghost Story" project was actually a pretty good option for her.

She is not the same person she was a few years ago; top-tier resources are readily available to her.

Now we have to accept reality.

Even if her portrayal of Nie Xiaoqian is compared to Joey Wong's, she will definitely not be as good.

She's too "upright" in appearance; she doesn't have that alluring, seductive quality, and doesn't resemble a fairy or a ghost.

If you bring Chen Zihan, she doesn't even need to act; she'll be an enchantress just by standing there.

Liu Tao is even more impressive; he can be prim and proper when he wants, and when he wants to be provocative, he can simply transform into Bai Jie...

Sisi won't do; her personality and appearance just don't have that spark.

Moreover… Zhang Yuan rubbed his chin, looking at the budget section with great confusion.

$2000 million?
Are you kidding me?

I wouldn't be willing to spend so much money just to promote Xiaolongnu.

Even for her sake, we can't do a losing business.

"Who plays the role is not important."

"The important thing is that making movies must make money. This is a matter of principle. Commercial films must make money."

"Your budget is simply a joke," Zhang Yuan replied sternly.

"Initially, the plan will definitely be slightly exaggerated to facilitate external publicity." Seeing that the "woman" trick hadn't worked, Ye Weixing quickly changed his tune.

Everyone says he has a "weakness," so why doesn't that weakness work anymore?
"How much was exaggerated?" Zhang Yuan understood the production team's tactics.

Exaggeration is one aspect; creating a buzz is another.

On the other hand, they can report more expenses so they can also make a profit.

"3%?" Ye Weixing replied hesitantly, "Because the film plans to use a foreign special effects company, which will be more expensive."

After saying that, he saw Zhang Yuan frown again, and his heart skipped a beat.

I'm a director, but now I dread seeing actors...

Zhang Yuan disliked hearing the words "foreign special effects company," because he believed they were the easiest targets for swindling money, and that they could even collude with outsiders to do so.

But just like how he asked Zeng Jia to help him promote Mickey Rourke praising him, the "foreigner" label is still useful.

"The proportion of foreign special effects companies used cannot exceed 3%."

“I also have a special effects company… Dandan, go and call Nicholas Tse over here.”

Call Mr. Xie over to discuss the special effects, since the company belongs to both of them.

"Does our company currently have the capability to handle special effects for projects of this caliber?" Zhang Yuan asked Xie Gongzi just as directly.

"I do more special effects for TV dramas, but less for movies."

After thinking for a while, Nicholas Tse gave his answer: "It's not that I can't take on the job, but I can't do all of it, and I need expert guidance and supervision."

"I lack experience, and I'm afraid I won't achieve the desired results."

“Okay, I’ll contact Hollywood and find someone there to be the visual effects director for the project.”

"As I just said, foreign special effects companies should account for no more than 3%, while our companies should account for 7%. This is the only way to save costs."

Zhang Yuan raised one hand.

"A budget of 2000 million US dollars is absolutely impossible; there is no supernatural film in all of China with that kind of budget."

"The actual budget for 'Painted Skin' wasn't even that much."

"5000 million RMB. Take it or leave it. Think about it yourself."

After saying that, Zhang Yuan was about to leave; that was his decision.

"Wait, don't rush..." Ye Weixing quickly pulled him back.

"5000 million is too little, it's definitely not enough."

"At least 1000 million US dollars." Director Ye himself also wanted to make a big-budget film to satisfy his passion and enhance his resume.

"No bargaining, that's it." Zhang Yuan showed no mercy.

"If there are sponsors, can we still film it?"

“Sponsors…” Zhang Yuan thought for a moment. Historical dramas generally don’t have many sponsors because product placement is difficult.

How much money can you give me?

"How big of a sponsor can you find that will make up for the shortfall in the film's budget?"

"Anyway, it's quite big, maybe it'll work." Ye Weixing wasn't too sure, and only gave an ambiguous reply.

"So, you already have a goal."

"Then why not write it in the proposal... Never mind, just tell me."

"How big are the sponsors?"

Zhang Yuan asked in a rather irritable tone, but received a rather unexpected answer.

"Is NetEase... big enough?" (End of Chapter)