Age of Legends

Chapter 371 Each strives in their own way, though separated by a thousand miles, they share the same wind (Part 8)
Zhang Chen wasn't actually very interested in this area. He initially helped his godfather, Wang Bowen, because he had this background to start a business and earn initial capital.

But if we're talking about making money later, there are plenty of opportunities. The film and entertainment industry is a huge arena of fame and fortune, and the arena of fame and fortune also means a lot of trouble. Having been reborn, I can swim in the ocean, so why bother to wallow in the muddy waters?

But given Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran's personalities, if they wanted to do it, Zhang Chen could only do his best to help.

Right now, it's clear they have high hopes for Xu Ming and intend to invest in this distant relative. Zhang Chen has seen Xu Ming's work and acknowledges his solid foundation and good core ideas, but his understanding of commercialization is lacking. So, for now, he's only offered a few suggestions. Xu Ming's desire to achieve big results with a small investment is currently impossible, at least for now. However, after a few years of accumulation and developing his own style, he might have that opportunity.

Xu Ming was still somewhat arrogant. Although he didn't openly refute Zhang Chen because of Wang and Chen, it was clear that he didn't quite agree with Zhang Chen's idea of ​​taking commercial comedy to the next level.

But don't worry, this is something he has to work out on himself.

While Xu Ming needs time to mature, Zhang Chen is more in agreement with Wang Bowen's idea of ​​creating a sitcom.

Within this niche, "I Love My Family," which aired in 93, was an outstanding work and was once considered difficult to surpass.

This drama was filmed during the profound changes in Chinese society in the 1980s. With a heartwarming family story as its framework, the drama cleverly incorporates a large number of social hotspots and popular elements from the late 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, the classic lines and Liang Zuo's perfect fusion of the language and humor of crosstalk with the dramatic structure of situational comedy, his ability to modernize and television the essence of traditional folk art is rarely matched by his successors.

Looking at the cast, there are Wen Xingyu, who has accumulated a lifetime of stage experience, Song Dandan, Yang Lixin, Liang Tian, ​​Guan Ling... Each character is portrayed vividly and realistically.

Many subsequent works failed to achieve this, either because they couldn't grasp the contemporary context, lacked creative depth, or had issues with performance style. Later sitcom characters became cartoonish and stereotyped, making it difficult to create characters that audiences could truly believe in.

This is the real reason why sitcoms have cooled off since then. It won't be until next year, with the huge success of "The Story of the Cooking Squad," that people will realize the true source of the previous predicament faced by lighthearted sitcoms.

However, Zhang Chen has the natural advantage of being an observer and knows some lessons that require time to learn. From this perspective, he also thinks Wang Bowen has a chance to stand out here.

"Godfather, what was the reason you said before that this kind of drama is difficult to film?" Zhang Chen asked.

Wang Bowen shook his head and said, "The return on investment is slow, the advertising rate is low, and the actors' salaries are high. This is the problem we are currently facing. No investor is willing to spend money to make this kind of 'life humor' drama."

Zhang Chen nodded, "I don't think any drama is impossible to produce; it's just a matter of whether people have a demand for it. Previously, there wasn't one because no one had successfully developed it, the costs were too high, and capital didn't pursue it, so few people were willing to try. I believe that as long as there is market demand, many good dramas like this can be produced."

Chen Xuran smiled and said, "You're being modest."

“These are weaknesses that ordinary production teams have, but we don’t have them. Slow return on investment? No problem. We can use our resources and connections at the TV station, as well as our advertising channels, to get a considerable return. The actors’ salaries are high simply because it’s not easy to hire famous and popular actors for this kind of sitcom. But it’s unnecessary. If you’re going to do it, I think you can use some non-professional actors.”

"What amateur?"

"They are not professional actors, but that doesn't mean they don't have real lives. Since we're making 'Old Friends' Canteen,' we could actually cast many ordinary people who can play themselves. We could give it a try."

Xu Ming remained silent, clearly listening intently to Zhang Chen's train of thought, but he had no chance to interject. Zhang Chen had just graduated high school, but his strong confidence and logical reasoning ability were enough to suppress Xu Ming, leaving him no opportunity to refute. Wang Bowen laughed, "It would be good if this method were effective, but what kind of ordinary person could do it? I can't exactly find a retired driver from my workplace to play the driver, can I?"

"If it's a good performance, it's not necessarily a bad thing," Zhang Chen said.

Xu Ming and Wang Bowen both shook their heads repeatedly.

Zhang Chen added, "How about this, we need someone who 'looks incredibly genuine.' For example, I know a singer from Qingdao named Huang Bai. I've heard people say he can play any role convincingly, and he speaks in a down-to-earth way. If we can find him, he could play a rural migrant worker in the city, which would be perfect!"

Wang Bowen had already taken out his notebook to write something down, but he still raised an eyebrow with some doubt: "How did you meet him?"

Wang Shuowei spoke first: "Hey, Zhang Chen must have heard about it from my brother Zhao, or from friends who went to Sichuan University or USTC to see the performance!"

Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran both suddenly realized.

Zhang Chen glanced at Wang Shuowei, who nodded smugly at him.

Zhang Chen chimed in, "That's right, outstanding people shine wherever they are. There are a few more, we don't need to go that far, we can find them in Rongcheng itself. For example, there's a guy named Wang Xun, he's an actor with the Rongcheng Drama Troupe, he's down-to-earth, speaks fluent Sichuan dialect, and he fits the role... And Godfather, you know a lot of people in Rongcheng, you can call on local stars to help out, for example, Liu Yiwei who's running a food channel now, he can do it too, he loves cooking so much, he can just play a chef!"

Wang Bowen said, "I've heard of Wang Xun too, but he used to act in sketches. Can he act?"

Zhang Chen said, "I think it's a good idea. His voice perfectly captures the rhythm of life in Fuzhou, which is exactly what we're going to do in this show. Plus, having experience in comedy sketches would be even better. Speaking of which, I think the guy who played Ma Rulong in 'It's All Because of Angels' is also a good fit for the role of a waiter who's also the comedic relief."

"We can organize a meeting, we can arrange it, and have a go at them." Wang Bowen now has the confidence, after all, he has some decent works. If he can produce this drama, his status as a producer will be elevated.

"Besides, we can use what we have on hand. I think you, Godfather, are a great fit. You can play the 'Reporter Teacher Wang,' a regular at the cafeteria, and we can connect it to social issues. Godmother can also come in and play a single female restaurant owner. Teacher Wang is attracted to the owner's beauty, so he often comes to the restaurant to pretend to be her. Wouldn't that be a good premise?" Zhang Chen laughed.

Chen Xuran chuckled, overjoyed. They were already taking their fake relationship too seriously.

Wang Bowen glanced at the notebook. "Where are the waitresses? Aside from Xu Ran, all the ones you recommended were male. Where are the female ones?"

"As for waitresses, there's actually one nearby. Jiang Rong has a good image and temperament, and she can be the young and pretty Sichuan girl there. She's one of our own, so it's easy to arrange."

Zhang Chen mentioned someone, and Wang Bowen noted that person down and commented on them. When Zhang Chen recommended Jiang Rong as the waitress, Wang Bowen glanced at him suspiciously and said, "You didn't make a whole bowl of dumplings just for this dish of vinegar, did you?"

(End of this chapter)