Actor: Thank you.

"Congratulations on wrapping up filming!"

On the set of "Ip Man 2," the creative team finally shouted out the auspicious phrase they had been longing for in front of the camera.

It's getting hotter and hotter; early summer is here.

Wiping his face, which was covered in cream, with a towel, Zhang Yuan took a sip of tea and thanked each member of the crew.

There will be a farewell dinner later, and a big drinking session is inevitable.

This place is full of martial arts practitioners, and they all have a high tolerance for alcohol. Zhang Yuan was prepared for a fight.

"Big brother, thanks to you this time."

“Without your guidance, this film would never have been made.” Zhang Yuan had a special chat with Sammo Hung.

Looking at the "well-behaved" young man in front of him, the older brother couldn't bring himself to say anything bad about him.

Zhang Yuan was "coaxing" him mainly for the sake of future cooperation.

The difference between him and Donnie Yen is that although he can also make action movies, and he dares to say that he is no worse than Donnie Yen in terms of both real combat and visual effects.

After all, I got a lot from "Kung Fu Emperor" Li Lianjie. There's no actor in the world whose action scenes are better than Li's.

Those who can win national championships are not just sitting around doing nothing.

Ge Chunyan, Li Lianjie's senior sister, was someone Zhang Ziyi specially traveled to Singapore to become his student before filming "The Grandmaster".

My older sister is a legitimate successor of Baguazhang and Chen-style Tai Chi. Starting in 82, she won the national Baguazhang championship five times in a row, and in 84, she won five gold medals at the national competition.

Unfortunately, like Lao Li, he immigrated as soon as he became famous.

Ordinary people reading "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" might not understand what "Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu" means.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were good enough, they were skilled fighters.

Why are you, Liu Bei, Liu Huangshu, going up there to join in the fun?
But if you've ever seen a video of Ge Chunyan wielding a double-edged sword in a competition, the swordplay is so dazzling that it leaves afterimages that it's impossible to see clearly.

They don't even need to strike you; just by setting up a starting stance, anyone would know it's time to run.

Then you'll understand that Liu Bei was no joke.

In addition, Lao Liu's hands were above his knees...

Zhang Yuan is a world-class expert, naturally far superior to a "generalist" like Zhen Zidan.

Comparing Lao Li's videos from when he was young, even a layman can understand why Shichahai Martial Arts School didn't think much of Zhen Zidan back then and sent him to train with the women's team instead.

That's already giving him too much credit!

But Donnie Yen, like Sammo Hung, has his own stunt team, something Zhang Yuan can't match.

He wouldn't bother maintaining a team for no reason, especially given the declining market for action films.

Because to support people, you have to feed them.

Chen Long and Hong Jinbao are both in their seventies or eighties and still working every day. Otherwise, who would these brothers eat?
The older brother is responsible for the younger brother.

Zhang Yuan doesn't have a team, so he has to rely on those who do, and of course he has to appease the big boss.

"Zhang Yuan, I need to talk to you." After finishing his work, Ye Weixing pulled him aside.

Let's discuss the movie "A Chinese Ghost Story".

“We already have a connection. Now that this is over, you can start the preliminary preparations.”

This person's proposal was handed to Lei Huo Studio by Yang Siwei, who was already extremely busy.

They replied, they're interested!

The game "A Chinese Ghost Story" had only undergone closed beta testing more than six months ago.

This game perfectly embodies NetEase's strategy of making the most of every opportunity.

There are several titles alone: ​​*New Ghost Story*, *Ghost Story Online*, and *Ghost Story 2*.

They're all the same thing, just with a different engine and a reskinned version, making a quick buck again.

Then the game will soon have an open beta test for elite players, which will be by invitation only.

Next comes the open beta (no data wipe), the full open beta, and then the public beta and launch.

The remaining procedures are expected to be completed within one to one and a half years.

The other party said they could sponsor the production, but required the crew to cooperate with the game's schedule throughout the entire process.

Actors also help with promotions.

Furthermore, after sponsorship, the actors' publicity and promotion must be free, and no secondary fees may be charged.

They initially offered 500 million, just to appease a beggar...

Hiring a top-tier celebrity to endorse a game would cost more than this.

After much back and forth, they reached an agreement on 3000 million!
The other party requested a review of the cast list, stipulating that the male and female leads could not be played by unknown actors, otherwise the promotional effect would not be achieved.

Don't be fooled by the fact that 3000 million is a lot of money in the film industry; in the gaming industry, that amount is probably just a few days' worth of revenue for an online game.

NetEase's total revenue in 2010 was over 50 billion yuan, with a net profit of over 20 billion yuan. Tens of millions of yuan is just a drop in the ocean for them.

As long as they can attract more players, they can make that money back in no time.

“NetEase will offer $400 million, and I'll give you another $600 million.”

"You're not allowed to exceed the budget, but you can announce to the outside world that you spent 2000 million US dollars."

Zhang Yuan instructed that the production was not very good to begin with, and that costs must be strictly controlled.

"The shooting period shouldn't be too long, so we can spend less money."

"And..." he added, "I'll make arrangements with the set designers when they go to Hengdian."

Although I haven't agreed to their proposed investment plan of over 100 million, it's still necessary to maintain a good relationship with them if I have projects to film there.

"Draw up the cast and crew list as soon as possible, finalize all the details, and also draft the cast and crew budget."

"Remember to haggle, use the name of 'A Chinese Ghost Story' to negotiate the price down."

Using intellectual property (IP) to attract actors and then pressuring them to lower their fees is a common practice.

Zhang Yuan estimated that this film, relying on box office revenue, would most likely not be able to break even.

Just like "The Legend of the White Snake," no matter how big the promotion is, even with Li Lianjie's support, can it surpass "Green Snake"?

No matter how well it's filmed, the audience will still criticize it.

But box office revenue isn't the only way out!

NetEase's sponsorship is just one way out.

Besides greed, there is another reason behind Huayi's "de-filmization" strategy.

That means they saw the potential in the gaming market!
Disney is trying to develop film and television IPs, create games, and turn them into physical theme parks.

Games are a very important peripheral product, which can generate a lot of revenue.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan was doing the same thing as them, and even earlier!
Racing against time is racing against time, just like the battle between Tudou and Youku for listing.

Besides games, there's copyright.

After Zhang Yuan finished talking with Ye Weixing, he immediately contacted Jiang Zhiqiang and asked him to help contact agents in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and other regions.

With the title of a new version of "A Chinese Ghost Story", the copyright will definitely sell well.

With these two things, you can make money!
If any one of these elements is missing, Zhang Yuan will not agree to this project.

From a business perspective, if it's profitable, of course we'll do it.

He called Xiaolongnu again.

This person is just being lazy at home.

"Hey, wake up! We have work to do!"

"Don't shout, and besides, I got up early." A lazy female voice came from the phone receiver.

"I don't know. I didn't fall asleep with you, so how would I know when you got up?"

"Be serious," the other person complained softly. "If you didn't say there was work, what kind of work?"

"Do you know 'A Chinese Ghost Story'? It was directed by Leslie Cheung."

"I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."

"They're going to film a new version!"

"I'll invest, you'll star in it."

Even though I know that whoever plays this role will be criticized.

However, she's gotten used to being scolded.

And she has been playing these iconic female roles since her debut.

Don't let her plain looks fool you; she's actually quite ambitious.

"Really!" she exclaimed, sitting up from the carpet.

"Of course, you were the first person I contacted. You're the only one I could ask for."

"I told you, I would definitely look for you if I had the chance."

"Hmm...I think I did say something like this before, this movie is actually about a love story between a human and a ghost, right?"

"The original is."

"Then I'll go and study the old version first."

"No need, it's pointless to read it. Just follow your own understanding. I'll send you the script when it arrives."

The only thing these two versions of Xiaoqian have in common is their names...

It's better not to watch it; watching it might just make you more susceptible to the influence of Joey Wong.

“There is only one Joey Wong in the world, and there is only one you in the world,” Zhang Yuan emphasized.

I briefly explained the details to her, as well as the things we needed to do to promote the game.

"Oh, I see." After a pause, she spoke cautiously.

"So, besides investing, are you going to act or not?"

The love story between a human and a ghost is unforgettable; it would be so great if they could play lovers and have time to get together.

She recalled several times they filmed together, and although it was hard work, she was always happy.

She hoped Zhang Yuan could accompany her because he was too busy and rarely had time to meet.

"Whether I act or not..." Zhang Yuan really didn't want to act.

Because he didn't want to break his golden reputation as a "box office miracle."

He made a fortune acting in ten films.

If you make a movie that loses money, all the credit for the previous ten movies will be wiped out, and you might even be labeled a "box office poison."

Adding water to ink still makes it black, but adding a drop of ink to water makes it gray.

Yang Mi isn't afraid of being criticized for acting in bad movies; what's scary is that he says, "If I were to act in one, we have a deal: you're not allowed to lust after me."

"You can't kiss me against the wall during breaks, or undress me in my room after filming, you can't do any of that!"

Liu Qianqian: ...

"Who would do such a thing? You're crying 'stop thief' when you're the one doing it!"

As she spoke, she rested her chin on her knees, which were covered by a white gauze dress, and sighed softly.

It seems a bit of a pity.

Since I came back from Africa last time, things like pinning someone against a wall and stripping them of their clothes haven't happened again; I haven't had the time.

"What's wrong? You're so young and you're always sighing. You're sighing away your good fortune."

"nothing."

"You're not thinking about me, are you?"

After her thoughts were guessed, she remained silent for a while before giving a soft "hmm".

Faced with her candor, Zhang Yuan felt a little embarrassed.

However, principles cannot be broken. If one violates the principles of doing things because of personal feelings, such a person cannot accomplish great things.

So he could only say regretfully.

"My schedule is very tight, I probably won't have time to act in this movie."

"But director, the team are all people I know, they will take good care of you."

“If I have time, I’ll come visit the set… so you’d better not bring your mom.”

"How about we do as I suggested before and find a partner for your mother?"

"I'll go to the Temple of Heaven Park to hold up a sign for your mom."

"Go to hell!" Little Dragon Girl said with a laugh, sounding annoyed.

"However, I really want to travel with you again."

"There will be opportunities. Think about where you want to go, and we'll take our time to make it happen."

"Or perhaps, life is a journey with no return." Zhang Yuan rarely indulged in a poetic remark.

Faced with her unconventional personality, Sisi nodded and smiled; "I'm looking forward to it."

Make her prepare.

There are action scenes, so I need to do physical training beforehand to get into character.

After finishing this task, I attended the wrap party for the film crew.

More than two hours later, Nicholas Tse slumped in his seat, his eyes glazed over.

I can't learn Wing Chun, but there's still hope for Drunken Fist.

Zhang Yuan then wreaked havoc, single-handedly incapacitating Hong Jinbao's team of martial arts instructors.

Because of his previous actions, the other party was somewhat wary of him.

Those two are better now, but there are still some aftereffects.

What a heavy blow!

They had no idea that an entire generation of students at the Yuncheng Martial Arts School had been wiped out by him on the set of "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

The Demon King suppresses a generation of geniuses!
So today, these guys are holding back, deliberately putting themselves in a battle of attrition.

Ha ha!

Zhang Yuan chuckled inwardly.

Aside from performing, the thing Laozi has been most good at all these years is drinking.

I am the Iron-Livered Marquis!
Every time I drink to the end, the pressure comes to my bladder.

After getting the group of roughnecks to submit, most of the previous issues were also resolved.

The advantage of a roughneck is that he's not as vengeful, since we still need him to make a living.

"See you later."

"I hope the film will be a box office hit so that we can continue making more films."

Let's all work together!

In the end, he stood on the table, raised his glass, and shouted, but there were few who could respond to him.

Back at the hotel, I planned to rest for the night before leaving, to clear my head.

He had just lain down when Cheng Hao called him.

"I've already asked about it."

After learning from Fan Bingbing that Hua Yi planned to withdraw her nomination for the Hundred Flowers Awards, he felt that things were not so simple.

I earned this nomination myself.

Not long after, the other party is already planning to go back on their word.

Indeed, rules and promises are only effective when there is a balance of power.

Moreover, withdrawing the nomination will not cause him much damage, because he has five films nominated for the Hundred Flowers Awards, and losing one will not be fatal.

But even a fool could tell that the other party wouldn't waste their time.

Therefore, withdrawing the nomination is just an overt action; there must be other methods behind the scenes.

She asked Cheng Hao to inquire for her, since she was familiar with both the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

The China Film Association... the Hundred Flowers Awards are organized by the China Film Association, which has a large number of people from the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

He deliberately avoided suspicion and did not inquire about it personally.

Actually, he has some acquaintances.

"Is there any result?"

"Yes, I asked one of Professor Xiao Guiyun's students."

"This teacher's husband is director Li Qiankuan, the chairman of the Film Association this year."

"The teacher's students said that Huayi's people... are actually Feng Xiaogang, who contacted a group of high-ranking members of the Film Association to say bad things about you."

"I think you're too flamboyant, and your reputation hasn't been good lately. The implication is that you're trying to influence future votes."

Feng Xiaogang has always been a high-ranking member of the China Film Association, and people like Li Bingbing have also been brought into the association through their companies.

Therefore, he cannot ask in person, as it would be easy for Hua Yi to find out.

The judges for major awards each year are mostly selected from the film association, and their choices are heavily influenced by personal preferences.

We should go back to the lyrics in Feng Gong's skit.

If I say you can do it, you can, even if you can't.

If you say no, then no; if you say yes, then no.

The horizontal inscription reads: You have to admit it!
When the older generation of filmmakers were around, such as directors like Xie Jin and Xie Tieli, the evaluation was relatively fair.

However, after the marketization of film and television, due to various vested interests, awards such as the Hundred Flowers Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards have gradually become entertainment venues for self-production and self-consumption within the industry.

This trend is already present, but it hasn't become as severe as it did later.

It's not entirely impossible that Hua Yi rallied the crowd to remove herself from the voting list.

"You've made progress," Zhang Yuan said with a smile.

"What progress has been made?"

"I mean, Huayi has improved; this trick was only aimed at me."

"It's clear they've learned their lesson from the Huang Xiaoming incident, preventing it from affecting others."

Huang Xiaoming's withdrawal affected the interests of many people and caused a backlash.

It seems that Hua Yi has learned her lesson and is much more cautious this time, narrowing down the scope of her attack.

"I know, there are still several months before the award."

"I will handle it personally."

"Don't be discouraged if you don't get selected. In my heart, you're the best," the kind older sister comforted her.

"You're speaking too soon. Nothing's even close to being established yet. Don't jump to conclusions."

"Actually, I don't care that much about an award."

"Of course I want it; it's proof of my career success."

"But it wasn't absolutely necessary before."

"But things are different now!"

"I absolutely have to win this award!"

If I don't take it, then my artists shouldn't take it either.

If I don't take my artists, who will want to work for me?

So if I don't take it, how can the Chinese film and television industry progress?

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"It's always better to compete for awards than to compete in other areas."

"I... can't persuade you, and some things are worth fighting for, but be careful not to go too far." Cheng Hao was also unhappy.

Why!
Why should awards be manipulated?

Shouldn't it be fair, open, and just?

Judging from what I've heard, Zhang Yuan also wants to manipulate the awards... How can that be the same?!

How can something that involves our own people be called manipulation?

This is called setting things right.

After reviewing her own moral compass, Cheng Hao stopped questioning it.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, took some time to adjust and practice his voice.

"do re mi fa sol la si..."

I drank some hot water to warm up my throat.

He planned to find Old Han to "mourn".

Because the enemy has already triggered the landmines they planted! (End of Chapter)