Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 626 How to Make Actresses Famous

"Sweet~"

Zhang Chen and Jing Tian were chatting when a woman's voice came from the side.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw two young girls in elegant dresses walking towards him. Their steps were slow, but their eyes were fixed precisely in his direction.

The girl walking in front had shoulder-length curly hair, and her burgundy dress made her skin look even whiter. She had a sweet smile on her lips.
The girl behind her had short, neat hair, wore a black suspender dress with a silver necklace, and had a look of urgency in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian turned around, noticed the newcomers, smiled, and naturally raised her hand to indicate, "Director Zhang, let me introduce you. These two are my college classmates, Kan Qingzi and Zheng Shuang. They haven't attended an event like today before, so I took the liberty of bringing them along. You won't mind, will you?"

Jing Tian's classmates probably haven't graduated yet. Without an invitation, they definitely can't get in for an occasion like today unless Jing Tian brings them in.

Zhang Chen waved his hand dismissively.

Kan Qingzi stepped forward and introduced herself in a sweet and respectful voice: "Hello, Senior Brother Zhang Chen, I am Kan Qingzi. I am a loyal fan of yours, and I am finally able to meet you in person today."

As she spoke, she gave a slight bow, her eyes filled with undisguised anticipation.

Zhang Chen smiled and nodded.

Zheng Shuang, who was standing next to her, also spoke up, her tone even more enthusiastic than Kan Qingzi's: "Hello, senior brother, I am Zheng Shuang, Tian Tian's classmate. I admire you very much and hope to have the opportunity to learn from you in the future."

Both of them kept their eyes fixed on Zhang Chen, adopting extremely humble postures, clearly intending to establish contact with him.

Zhang Chen nodded again: "Hello, junior sister~"

However, he frowned slightly when he heard the name Zheng Shuang.

He usually didn't show any special treatment to his juniors at the Beijing Film Academy, and would even lend a hand if he could. But the person in front of him stirred up a memory.

Just as Kan Qingzi was about to say something more, trying to further build rapport, a melodious voice suddenly came from not far away: "Director Zhang, over here~"

The group turned to look at the same time and saw Fan Xiaopang standing in the central rest area of ​​the banquet hall, wearing a bright gold dress, holding a glass of champagne, and smiling at Zhang Chen.

Standing next to her were Guo Fan and Ning Hao.

Excuse me~

Zhang Chen turned to Kan Qingzi and Zheng Shuang and said something before walking away.

Kan Qingzi and Zheng Shuang's smiles faltered slightly, clearly disappointed, but knowing they couldn't stop them, they could only nod quickly: "Senior brother, you're busy, you're busy."

Zhang Chen nodded to the two of them again, then gestured to Jing Tian before turning and walking towards Fan Xiaopang.

The light from the crystal chandelier fell on him, elongating his tall figure, leaving only Kan Qingzi and Zheng Shuang standing there.

Upon approaching, Fan Xiaopang gave him a flirtatious wink: "Aren't you going to thank me already?"

Zhang Chen was surprised: "You knew?"

Fan Xiaopang: "I can tell from your furrowed brow that you definitely don't want to stay there anymore~"

Zhang Chen smiled and raised his glass, relieved: "Thank you for your amazing rescue!"

Guo Fan and Ning Hao: "..."

Have you two adulterers developed a tacit understanding?

"It doesn't seem appropriate for us to stay here any longer."

"Yeah, we'd better be sensible and get out of here quickly."

The two left on their own, prompting Fan Xiaopang to cover his mouth and laugh. After a few seconds of laughter, he looked at Zhang Chen again: "You wouldn't even accept being surrounded by beauties? Those eyebrows of yours were so furrowed they could have built a shed!"

"You don't understand~"

Zhang Chen didn't know how to explain.

Zhang Chen didn't have much of an impression of Kan Qingzi, but he had a deep impression of Zheng Shuang. Zhang Chen didn't want to have anything to do with her because she later had her career ruined.

Moreover, the collapse was so devastating that the sky and earth seemed to split apart.

Before her scandal broke, I thought Zheng Shuang was so pure, cute, and pitiful. Looking at her appearance, she was the epitome of a "white lotus" (a term for a seemingly innocent but actually manipulative woman).

After the collapse, it will shatter your worldview. It's completely unimaginable that a person, especially a woman, could be so audacious.

The moment the house collapsed was probably the highlight of her life, giving rise to the popular meme of "daily salary of 208 million," and even her own name became a quantifier.

"Never mind, let's not talk about that. Hey, you look really pretty today!"

Fan Xiaopang, dressed in a gold suit, looked elegant and luxurious, attracting a lot of attention.

Gold is notoriously difficult to pull off, and few female celebrities dare to challenge this color, but Fan Bingbing does.

This woman steadfastly embodies the phrase—"I'm the most beautiful woman here!"
"What are you looking at?"

Fan Xiaopang noticed Zhang Chen's probing gaze and felt a secret delight.

Zhang Chen frowned and looked Fan Xiaopang up and down: "No, this is definitely not right."

"What's wrong?"

Fan Xiaopang looked himself over, wondering if there was something wrong with his look, but then Zhang Chen said, "Is it because your chest has gotten bigger? Or did you change your hairstyle? It doesn't seem like either. But why do you seem a little different today than the Fan Xiaopang I used to know?"

Fan Xiaopang rolled his eyes beautifully, and the guys secretly watching from all around couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

Fan Xiaopang's understanding of beauty is definitely a level above all the female celebrities present. This woman really knows how to show her charm. Every smile and frown is captivating.

Moreover, she really suits heavy makeup; it brings out her beauty without wasting a single bit of her charm.

Zhang Chen's gaze fell on her pair of lotus root-like, jade-like arms, and he finally noticed something: "You've been working out?"

In the past, Fan Xiaopang, although not fat, had fleshy arms and was slightly plump. But today, the lines of Fan Xiaopang's arms outside his dress are obviously different, and his whole body has a more powerful beauty.

"You have a really sharp eye!"

Fan Xiaopang looked around and knew he was the center of attention and shouldn't show off his muscles, but he still couldn't help but gesture with Zhang Chen.

"Why did you suddenly decide to work out?"

"I've always had it, okay?"

Fan Xiaopang seemed to have suffered a great injustice, and after a long while he said, "But the image consultant said that I would look better with a bit more strength, so I worked out specifically for that. I thought it would come in handy in 'Mission: Impossible,' but I didn't expect..."

Fan Xiaopang spoke of self-pity and sorrow, but his expression betrayed no trace of it.

"Alright, stop playing the victim with me. Didn't 'Edge of Tomorrow' come out early? It's no worse than 'Mission: Impossible 4'!"

"really?"

"of course it's true."

The original "Edge of Tomorrow" was ranked seventh on Netflix's list of the top ten films worldwide, with 410 million views and 770 million hours of runtime.

That's 10 years later! The fact that it's still ranked seventh in the world 10 years later shows how highly regarded this film is by moviegoers.

"Alright, I'm waiting for Edge of Tomorrow to completely crush Mission: Impossible 4!"

"That's probably difficult. Neither Star Entertainment nor Warner Bros. would allow these two movies to compete head-to-head."

Zhang Chen laughed heartily.

"By the way, what were you guys talking about while I wasn't here?"

"What are we talking about? Of course, we're talking about the movie. Don't you remember what you wrote in the script?" Zhang Chen was completely confused: "What did I write?"

"In 'Edge of Tomorrow,' the female lead is a female warrior proficient in both cold and firearms. To showcase the warrior's strength, didn't you design a very difficult action for her?"

Zhang Chen finally remembered; it seemed like there was such a thing.

It wasn't something he designed specifically; it was already in the original version—the Russian push-up.

"What do you think I've been working out so hard for lately? It's all for this!"

"You've got it sorted out?"

Fan Xiaopang nodded proudly, then gave a seductive smile: "Want to see?"

"Want to~" Zhang Chen swallowed unconsciously.

"I booked the presidential suite on the rooftop. I'll cook it for you tonight!"

……

夜晚
Before the celebration banquet was over, Zhang Chen sneaked into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

A soft knock sounded at the door of the presidential suite.
The next second, the door opened, and Zhang Chen was grabbed by the tie and dragged inside.

"Wait a minute, let's chat first~"

Zhang Chen's reaction was a bit slow.

"What, you've gotten so used to Western fast food that you look down on our local cuisine?"

"What are you talking about?"

Zhang Chen changed the subject: "Did you find acting in 'Edge of Tomorrow' difficult?"

Fan Xiaopang was certainly intrigued, but after careful consideration, he replied, "It's not that difficult. The acting is much simpler than 'Gravity.' To be honest, 'Gravity' really improved my acting skills a lot. Many roles I wouldn't have dared to take on before, I'm confident I can handle now."

"That's why many actors can hone their skills in art films. Art films easily improve acting skills. Although 'Gravity' isn't an art film, it was carried by one actor. In terms of the demands on acting skills, it's no less demanding than art films. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to let Warner Bros. push for an Oscar for you..."

"Can he really win an Oscar?"

Fan Xiaopang suddenly squeezed hard, and Zhang Chen felt a bit of pain from being squeezed.

"A nomination is practically guaranteed, but whether I'll win depends on luck."

Fan Xiaopang let out a long sigh; she was very bothered by this.

Especially after losing to Angelina Jolie at the last Golden Globe Awards, she became even more bothered by it.

None of the actresses who make it big are laid-back; they all think, "If you slap me in the face, I'll slap you back myself."

You won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, so I'll win an Oscar for Best Actress and make sure I outshine you.

"Yes, didn't you say you wanted me to see that move?"

As the two were talking, Zhang Chen touched Fan Xiaopang's muscles and couldn't help but think of what he had said earlier.

On the bed, Fan Xiaopang assumed a Russian push-up position—

Zhang Chen frowned; this pose was a bit difficult to "do."
……

With the celebration party for "Train to Busan" over, Star Entertainment finally has time to discuss the cast for "Running Man".

Three variety shows were approved at the same time. Two of them have already started, while only "Running Man" is still in preparation.

The behind-the-scenes team of "Running Man" is almost entirely composed of Koreans.

South Korea really blows the Chinese entertainment industry out of the water when it comes to reality shows!
Those variety show producers in the Chinese entertainment industry really lack a sense of crisis. They never pay attention to innovation. No matter what kind of program they make, they only have one idea—to pile on celebrities.

As for the content, it doesn't matter; the audience is only interested in the celebrities.

South Korea is different. In South Korea, variety shows are at the very bottom of the entire entertainment industry ecosystem. Variety show stars are naturally inferior to other film, television, and music stars when they stand together.

This has led to South Korean variety show personalities working exceptionally hard, resulting in a constant stream of excellent programs.

From X-Man, Infinite Challenge, Love Letter, 2 Days & 1 Night, Family Outing to the later universally popular Running Man...

There are all kinds of types and all kinds of segments: game shows, family shows, idol group shows, shows about specific professions, talk shows, cooking shows...

Of course, China is not without its merits.

Since we didn't have any money at first, we just copied, copied, copied!
Later, when I had money, I just bought, bought, bought!
We've bought the rights to almost all the slightly famous variety shows.

Zhang Chen had very high expectations for "Running Man", but since there were no suitable talents in China at the beginning, they used a Korean team behind the scenes.

However, the host will definitely be Chinese.

The male hosts were fine; they chose Wang Baoqiang, Deng Chao, Zheng Kai, and others.
Then the female host was freed up by him.

Shows like "Running Man" make it too easy for actresses to become famous.

In later generations, not only film and television companies, but even ordinary viewers knew how to make a female artist famous.

The answer is simple: have her appear on a reality TV show.

Yang Tianbao is the best example.

What does she have? Besides a pretty face, she has nothing else.

But it became incredibly popular~
Such good fortune is unlikely to fall into her lap again in this lifetime. Zhang Chen plans to make Janice Man the first person to become famous.

As for male actors, they should just stick to their established personas.

A variety show like "Running Man" relies heavily on the personal brand of its cast.

There is actually no concept of a persona in China now. This concept was brought over by South Korean producers, and the persona in variety shows is best embodied in "Family Outing".

"Family Outing" is like a long sitcom, where each MC has a clear role.

Each episode has a storyline, and within that storyline, each MC's reactions are based on their established persona.

This is actually very complicated.

The downside is that it requires a huge amount of work during the design process, but the upside is that the audience really likes it, or rather, the audience really likes it until the character's persona collapses.

The clever interaction between various tasks is the most attractive aspect of this type of program; when the interaction is engaging, the ratings will soar.

But his persona was both his strength and his downfall...

The production team spent a lot of time on the relationships between characters and the personnel configuration, which resulted in insufficient consideration of the program flow and interaction, thus lowering the audience's expectations.

In this situation, if there are problems with the cast, such as an important character leaving the show, it will have the same consequences as American dramas, with viewers abandoning the show altogether.

Many people stopped watching the episode of The Walking Dead where Glenn dies.

This is inevitable:
After Lee Chun-hee and Park Ye-jin left the show, "Family Outing" became less and less interesting.

After Gary left the show, Running Man gradually declined.

Even the domestic variety show "Running Man" was like that; after the cast members left, it gradually became impossible to continue, and the original audience almost all changed.

(End of this chapter)