Actor: Thank you.

The work that Zhang Yuan wanted to discuss with Zheng Xiaolong was, of course, "The Legend of Zhen Huan", the copyright of which he had already bought.

The later drama "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" has proved that filming a costume TV series is not something that anyone can do.

Sometimes it’s not just a question of the director’s ability.

The director of "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace", Wang Jun, is actually a very experienced and capable director.

But the problem is that his background is not strong enough, so he can't suppress the heroine Zhou Xun.

To be honest, Brother Xun does have a talent for acting.

But the intelligence and cultural level are really not that good.

She has the final say in the crew, so how can that be good?
Zheng Xiaolong is different.

Even if we put aside his personal abilities, his background alone can overwhelm any actor on the market.

"Desire", China's first long indoor TV series, attracted thousands of people when it was broadcast. He was one of the producers at that time.

He was the chief planner of "The Story of the Editorial Department", one of the pinnacle sitcoms in China.

"Beijingers in New York", he was the chief director and chief producer, and brought Feng Xiaogang to his debut.

So in the entertainment circle, everyone from Feng Xiaogang to Zhao Baogang has to call him "Big Brother" when they see him.

These people all followed him back then.

Therefore, any movie with him in it will definitely dominate the stage.

And his personal ability is even stronger.

Zhang Yuan believes that only Zheng Xiaolong and his wife can complete the film "The Legend of Zhen Huan", and anyone else will fall short.

Note that it is Zheng Xiaolong and his wife, not Zheng Xiaolong.

Her wife Wang Xiaoping is also a great contributor.

The most important reason why this film has become the pinnacle of harem dramas and has never been surpassed is that the characters in the film are all "human beings".

People have their own thoughts, their own personalities and desires.

In most of the later harem dramas, except for the male and female protagonists, everyone else is just a tool.

To write and film each person vividly and in a way that is reasonable and in line with behavioral logic is a huge project that requires a lot of skill.

The reason why Zheng Xiaolong can participate in so many landmark Chinese TV dramas is because he possesses the two most important elements in the entertainment industry.

He served in the army and graduated from the Beijing Film Studio.

But before going to the Beijing Film Studio, he and his wife Wang Xiaoping both graduated from the Chinese Department of Peking University!
Are you kidding me about Peking University’s Chinese Department?

The value of its works crushes those directors and screenwriters who graduated from Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy.

Without this level of education and skills, it would be impossible to produce such good works.

Those who scored 200 points in the college entrance examination and those who scored 600 points are not on the same level of intelligence and definitely cannot be compared.

So even though Zhang Yuan obtained the adaptation rights, he still had no plans to replace him with another director.

Still found this person.

He is not a stranger to him. He came to the last celebration banquet together with Zhang Guoli and Jiang Wenli, who co-starred with him in "Golden Wedding".

So I am usually polite to him.

When Zhang Yuan mentioned that he had a novel and wanted to collaborate on it, the man was stunned at first.

I drank a lot today.

When he got together with his brothers Han Sanpin and Zhang Guoli, they never stopped drinking.

So I'm a little confused at the moment.

"novel?"

"What novel?"

"An online novel." Zhang Yuan said kindly.

"Hey..." Zheng Xiaolong frowned and looked up: "What kind of award-winning work do I think I am."

"Online novels are all for..."

Director Zheng was about to say something inappropriate.

To say that Zhang Guoli really supports him is because of the friendship in the crosstalk industry.

Speak immediately.

"Hey, Xiaolong, young people love to read online novels nowadays."

"We old guys don't understand, so we have to learn from the young people."

Seeing that he was drunk and talking carelessly, his wife Wang Xiaoping also pushed him gently with her hand.

"Xiaolong, listen to what he has to say first."

"Thank you, Teacher Wang." Zhang Yuan nodded and smiled at Wang Xiaoping.

"This is a work about the imperial harem of the Qing Dynasty."

"I want you to take a look first. If you like it, we can talk about it in detail."

"If you don't think it's good, we can talk about it later."

"Qing Dynasty dramas are costume dramas." Zheng Xiaolong's cheeks flushed: "I have never filmed a costume drama."

"I especially don't like dramas about pigtails. Those remnants of the Qing dynasty... Ouch!"

Wang Xiaoping quickly pinched her husband's waist, causing him to squint and cry out in pain.

"Teacher Wang, I'll ask the kitchen to prepare some snacks and hangover soup."

"Okay, okay, thank you for your help." Wang Xiaoping was sweating.

We are both authentic Han people, but many of the people present today are descendants of the Eight Banners, and some of them specialize in filming Qing Dynasty dramas.

How many people will you offend with this sentence?

It is said that the truth comes out when one is drunk, so Zhang Yuan could only smile awkwardly.

However, he knew that the couple's son was named Zheng Hanqing, which was obviously taken from the famous poem "Since ancient times, everyone has to die, but I will leave my loyalty to shine in history."

But the relationship between the couple can be seen from their poems.

In contrast, Li Yong and Ha Wen's daughter is named Fatuma, a typical Islamic name.

You and your wife didn't choose such a proper name, and your parents and grandparents also had Chinese names. How come your children are going back to their roots?

"You hit me so hard that I'm sure he'll be purple." Zheng Xiaolong was still complaining.

"What kind of hangover-soaking soup? I'm not drunk, what can I do to sober me up?"

This is typical drunken talk.

"Xiao Zhang, let's not talk about whether it's a novel or not, the main thing is that I don't have time."

"I have several dramas lined up for the future, so I don't have time for them."

I'm not bragging when I say this.

Zheng Xiaolong's work schedule has already extended until the year after next.

Having just finished filming a TV series called "Ten Days of Life and Death", another TV series called "Spring Grass" is about to start, starring Tao Hong and Xi Meijuan.

This film hasn't even started filming yet, but because the movie "Golden Wedding" was so popular, a large group of investors immediately came to him and specifically asked him to make a sequel.

Zheng Xiaolong thought that the story of "Golden Wedding" was already complete. From young to old, everything that needed to be said had been said.

How else to take pictures?
But he later made a decision that violated his ancestors' teachings and planned to shoot again.

Because the other party gave too much...

Artists also need to eat.

Then there was the movie "Golden Wedding" starring Hu Jun and also featuring Jiang Wen and his wife.

This movie was badly criticized after it was aired.

Because the name takes advantage of the popularity of "Golden Wedding", but the story and characters are completely different.

Moreover, Zheng Xiaolong, the investors and the TV station were too aggressive in making money, and they put up advertisements too much, which aroused the audience's disgust.

This time of year happened to be the craziest year for product placement, with all kinds of product placements appearing on the Spring Festival Gala.

He has already taken on these two films, and there are many people who have come to him with scripts and money, banging on his door to ask him to act in movies.

"Director Zheng, you are a famous director. You have a lot of work to do and are very busy. I know that."

Zhang Yuan heard the rejection in the other party's words.

This was somewhat beyond his expectations.

But he was not annoyed, after all, the other party was drunk.

"But I still think that if this novel is to be adapted into a TV series, it has to be you."

"If you have other work, then I can wait, it's okay."

Having said that, Wang Xiaoping immediately took over the conversation for her husband, and Zhang Yuan took them to drink sobering soup.

"Good things take time." Zhang Yuan patted the back of his head.

I have a lot of things to deal with, and I have to deal with them one by one.

It’s normal for great directors to have their own personalities.

If you want to achieve great things, you must have a broad mind.

I tolerated Jiang Xin, but a drunk Zheng Xiaolong is no big deal to me.

Then I chatted with friends from all over the place.

At around eleven o'clock in the evening, Zhang Yuan, who had just finished a walk, discovered that Liu Qianqian was already blinking with sleepiness.

"If you are tired, go back and rest early. We still have to work tomorrow."

“Ah…” She rubbed her eyes: “I finally got a day off, and you’re not on the set with me anymore.”

"It's rare to meet you, so I want to chat with you for a while."

"Okay, let's go to the backyard and talk."

"Oh, but no..." she mouthed.

Zhang Yuan guessed that she was not allowed to take off her clothes.

"Zhang Yuan, I have something to tell you."

They were about to go to the backyard, but Jiang Zhiqiang came out slowly and called him. "Hey, I'm just..." Zhang Yuan was about to respond, and glanced at the girl next to him.

"Boss Jiang, wait a moment, I'll come find you later."

"Row……"

"Mr. Jiang must have something important to talk to you about." Xiao Longnu said.

"Chatting with you is also business, let's go."

"Oh." She smiled with narrowed eyes, obviously very proud of the answer.

There are so many guests outside, so he naturally can't do anything out of line.

He just took her to the study, sat with her for a while, and played a song she was familiar with together.

"Well, there are so many guests outside waiting for you to entertain."

"I am already very satisfied that you can spend this little time with me."

"Go and do your thing. I'm going to go back first." She was very tactful and left on her own initiative.

She doesn't try to gain a sense of presence by acting coquettishly or throwing tantrums like common little girls do.

"Sometimes childish, sometimes mature..." Zhang Yuan thought as he waved goodbye to her and Liu Xiaoli as he sent them to the door.

Because there were so many guests, it took almost two hours just to see them off one by one.

Especially those who had discussed investment matters with him before, they held his arms tightly and kept talking.

It was almost two o'clock in the middle of the night when the yard finally became quiet.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, Boss Jiang is still waiting for you." The assistant brought him a cup of tea.

"Have you forgotten him?"

"No." Zhang Yuan replied with a chuckle.

He deliberately left the other party alone.

Only then did he turn around and go to the small reception room.

Several hours had passed from the time Boss Jiang came to look for him to the time he finally had time to show up.

Jiang Zhiqiang is now over fifty years old.

Normally, at this age, if it's late at night, he would be dazed.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

But when Zhang Yuan came to him, he was still very energetic and did not look sleepy at all.

It was in stark contrast to Liu Qianqian's appearance just now.

The state of mind is naturally different when there is something on your mind and when there is nothing on your mind.

Boss Jiang has something on his mind!

"You're busy enough." Jiang Zhiqiang felt a little unhappy.

Throwing me here to pick up girls...

But on second thought, this behavior is actually suitable for his age.

Being in his twenties, when hormones are running high, he behaves more like a normal person than his usual abnormal behavior.

"I hope I can stay busy so I can keep making money."

"Haha, that's right." Boss Jiang took out a pack of Marlboro from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and threw the cigarette box in front of him.

After Zhang Yuan also drew his cigarette, he was silent for a while before speaking.

"Our cooperation this time was very successful and enjoyable."

"My business motto is to make money together."

"What a coincidence, me too." Zhang Yuan replied calmly.

"I studied the art film 'Apple' that you brought to me before. It's pretty good." Boss Jiang also said steadily.

"With Fan Bingbing here, there should be a market."

"I can help you establish Asian channels outside of the mainland, and I can also introduce you to some overseas distribution resources."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Jiang."

The conversation between the two was as calm as water.

"You're welcome. It's because of the high quality of the film." Jiang Zhi said against the wall, stroking the armrest of the sofa with his fingers.

This was a manifestation of his restless mood, and Zhang Yuan saw it all.

"Besides releasing it, what other plans do you have for this film?"

Zhang Yuan grinned.

"Movies are all about box office sales and winning awards."

"You also said that the film is of good quality."

"This is my first time as a producer, so of course I hope to win an award."

"What is your target prize?" Jiang Zhiqiang asked, his tone a little more urgent than before.

"I can't participate in the Hong Kong Film Awards, and the Golden Rooster Awards are also quite difficult because of the subject matter."

“The three major overseas awards give priority to films that premiered at film festivals, and now they can’t catch up.”

“So the most important award is Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards.”

Hearing the words "Golden Horse", Jiang Zhiqiang tightened his fingers that he was rubbing repeatedly.

The Hong Kong Film Awards are dominated by Hong Kong people, while the Golden Rooster Awards are dominated by mainland China.

In comparison, the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan at that time were a competition among three places, so it had the highest gold content.

Before being discredited by the Democratic Progressive Party, the Golden Horse Awards had always been slightly higher than the other two.

Part of the reason is that foreigners recognize the Golden Statue and Golden Horse Awards more.

After all, Hong Kong and Formosa films were exposed to the international market earlier.

And that’s the problem, Jiang Zhiqiang is also eyeing this year’s Golden Horse Awards!

The film he was eyeing for the Academy Awards was Lust, Caution, which Liu Qianqian had turned down.

By the same token, because of the subject matter and content, forget about winning the Golden Rooster Award.

And to be honest, Jiang Zhiqiang is more concerned about overseas channels, and the Golden Rooster has little weight in his eyes.

As a Hong Kong native, he should keep his eyes on the Academy Awards.

The problem lies here.

This time Jiang Zhiqiang made a mistake, he was too greedy!

Wanting too much, but ultimately getting nothing.

His original goal was to have "Lust, Caution" win a Golden Statue Award, and then rely on Ang Lee's fame and sensitive subject matter to break into Hollywood and win another Golden Statue.

Because Ang Lee just won the Oscar for Best Director for "Brokeback Mountain".

This time he wants to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

In order to satisfy the tastes of foreigners, just like "The Forbidden Kingdom", a full overseas team was used.

The screenwriter, photographer, editor, art director, and visual effects designer are all foreigners.

I have made all the preparations and am planning to make a big splash in Hollywood.

But I was told that "Lust, Caution" did not meet the selection criteria.

The reason Oscar gave was that there were too few Taiwanese people in the team.

This blow stunned Jiang Zhiqiang.

Is there any other reason like this?
It is obvious that he is thinking about art and literature, while others are playing politics with him.

This is the result of being superstitious about foreigners and wanting to please them.

Boss Jiang was feeling depressed when the Hong Kong Film Awards spoke again.

"Lust, Caution does not meet the requirements for the Academy Awards."

The reasons are pretty much the same as those given by Oscar.

"The proportion of Hong Kong people in the team does not meet the standard and does not comply with regulations."

Jiang Zhiqiang covered his chest and almost fainted on the spot.

The team is full of foreigners, so of course the proportion of Hong Kong people is not up to standard.

This is the result of trying to please foreigners.

These two blows made him stupid!
The two most anticipated prizes were directly rejected.

How to do?
Only the Golden Horse Awards are left!

This is what he wants to discuss with Zhang Yuan now.

A film, especially an artistic one, has completely different values ​​in the copyright market whether it wins an award or not!

The cost of making the movie "Lust, Caution" was 1600 million US dollars.

Want to make back your investment just by box office?
1600 million US dollars is equivalent to 1.3 million Chinese yuan, which is enough to make a movie like "Night Banquet".

If the box office doesn’t reach over 3 million, it will be a huge loss.

Blockbusters like "The Banquet" lost money just on box office revenue, and an arty film like "Lust, Caution" didn't even have Tony Leung and Tang Wei stripping naked.

Even if Ang Lee took off all his clothes, it would be impossible for the film to sell so many tickets.

Therefore, the only way to make a profit is to rely on selling overseas copyrights and channels, which is what Jiang Zhiqiang is best at.

All of these require the support of big prizes.

But now, Zhang Yuan's "Apple" is also going to compete for the Golden Horse Awards.

At this time in the small reception room, Zhang Yuan was smiling, but Jiang Zhiqiang had a worried look on his face.

Because they were partners who were all so friendly and happily talking about the box office and making money together just a few hours ago.

In the blink of an eye, it became...

Enemy! (End of this chapter)