Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 264 Are you two flirting here?

After agreeing to a cameo appearance for Xu Zhengding.

Xu Ming led Fan Bingbing to the preparation room.

Upon seeing the latter, Guo Fan and the others in the room immediately stood up to greet him.

Fan at this moment is somewhat similar to Zhao Bate a couple of years ago, a uniquely popular figure in China.

His social standing may not have risen yet, but his popularity has already reached its peak.

Last year, the other party ranked 9th on the Forbes 2011 China Celebrity List, while Uncle Benshan was only 10th.

It is rumored that they have a chance to come in second this year.

As for the first choice, naturally there is no other option but Xu Ming.

"Take a look at the script first."

Xu Ming gestured to Guo Fan to hand the script over to someone.

Fan Bingbing took the script: "This should be your first TV drama script, right? Why did you suddenly switch to making TV dramas?"

“Well, movies are still not as popular as TV dramas in China. My mom always says that the villagers can’t see my work, so she doesn’t want to brag. That’s why I thought about making one,” Xu Ming said.

Fan Bingbing looked at the other person in disbelief: "It's that simple?"

"Otherwise what?" Xu Ming shrugged.

So willful.

But they are indeed qualified.

Fan Bingbing muttered a few words to himself and began to carefully read the script.

The appearance of the aliens at the beginning left her somewhat confused.

Is this a script written by Xu Ming?

She had previously thought that only a grand and epic work would be worthy of the other party's status.

But the script in front of her clearly stated its genre—a fantasy romance drama.

Is it tacky?

That's so tacky.

But she got absorbed in it, and even mentally visualized the scenes depicted in the script.

It's really interesting. Compared to the flashy and cheap stuff on the market, this show actually has a touch of freshness.

Fan Bingbing has never looked down on any so-called vulgar works; she herself has made her way up from the bottom of society.

Despite the vulgarity of "Princess Pearl," it didn't stop it from becoming a hit throughout Asia.

The film she starred in, "Apple," is a movie with erotic elements.

More importantly, the screenwriter of this script is Xu Ming.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow; the fact that the latter dares to write and act in the play shows that he has high hopes for it.

"Although it contains fantasy elements, it is actually a romance drama. As long as the love scenes are acted well, that's enough."

The character Liu Ruyan is essentially a brainless, beautiful celebrity. You're just playing yourself in the latter half of the role. The key part is the brainless part, so it's difficult to act in a way that doesn't make the audience dislike you.

You can try making the character less sensitive. Being silly and being naive are two different concepts. The former makes someone seem foolish, while the latter makes them seem harmless and more likable.

Xu Ming was giving Fan Bingbing advice.

The script was changed to a Chinese setting, so the names of the male and female leads were naturally localized as well.

The male lead's name is Xu Jun, and the female lead's name is Liu Ruyan.

After his own artist was excluded from the female lead selection, he was inclined to let Fan Bingbing play the female lead.

The latter has a major advantage: connections and reputation in the fashion industry.

"My Love from the Star" can conveniently incorporate fashion elements, which means it can attract a lot of sponsorships. If Fan Bingbing plays the female lead, the level and price of sponsorships can be raised several notches.

However, the prerequisite is that the other party must fit the role, which is why Xu Ming provides off-stage guidance to help the other party find the right feeling.

"Is he stupid?"

Fan Bingbing murmured to himself and began to ponder.

Xu Ming didn't say anything more to disturb them.

The other person has more acting experience than me; she won the Best Actress award at the Tokyo International Film Festival just two years ago.

As long as you find the right approach, you should be able to handle it easily.

Soon, Fan Bingbing closed the script and said, "I'm almost ready. Shall we give it a try?"

“Come on, let me rehearse with you.” Xu Ming nodded.

"Let's press the elevator button."

Fan Bingbing selected a scene that best showcased the female lead's personality.

Xu Ming raised an eyebrow. He had almost no lines in this scene; it was purely a test of the other person's delivery and rhythm.

To be fair, the male lead doesn't seem to need much acting skill; just maintaining a poker face and looking cool is enough.

Why don't you press it?

"I mean, why didn't you press the stair button?"

Before Xu Ming could answer, Fan Bingbing scoffed, tossed her hair, and said, "Yes, I am Liu Ruyan. When did you start stalking me?"

"I see you're not that old, and I know you're full of energy. Go back and study hard, or go exercise and release some of that energy... I've met people like you more than once or twice..."

"stop!"

Xu Ming frowned and called for a halt, "Be a little more dramatic."

"Ok?"

Fan Bingbing was stunned; this was the first time she had ever been asked to perform like this.

“Liu Ruyan is a very superficial person. It’s acceptable for her to act a little exaggerated and pretentious. You don’t need to be too down-to-earth,” Xu Ming reminded him.

This is what is meant by being able to control one's emotions. The other person has clearly acted in too many so-called art films and knows how to control their emotions but not how to unleash them.

Xu Ming pondered for a moment and then pointed out, "Take the state of mind from 'Princess Pearl' and be sad when you're sad and happy when you're happy. A simple-minded person's emotions will only be on one level."

Actually, Yang Mi could easily handle this kind of down-to-earth drama.

Fan Bingbing still has a bit too much of a star quality; this woman's aura has definitely been cultivated by the world of fame and fortune over the past few years.

"understood."

Fan Bingbing seemed to be deep in thought.

She has always wanted to prove her acting skills and is used to playing complex characters. Suddenly asking her to return to her original state is actually quite difficult.

Fortunately, Xu Ming was there to guide him.

The latter has now evolved to the point where they can give pointers on other people's acting skills.

However, he did not force Fan Bingbing to portray the original Jun Ji-hyun's style. It is difficult for different actors to achieve consistency when playing the same role.

He prefers to see Fan Bingbing as Liu Ruyan rather than Jun Ji-hyun's version of Cheon Song-yi.

Anyway, it's just an idol drama, so just treat it with a playful attitude.

Another round of audition performances.

Fan Bingbing's performance this time was well-received by the entire audience.

“This is good, Guo Fan, what do you think?” Xu Ming turned his head and asked.

“I think Sister Bingbing is quite suitable,” Guo Fan said.

The male lead is Xu Ming, and the female lead is Fan Bingbing. This combination in an idol drama is simply a winning combination.

Don't ask him if he's satisfied; he can't wait to start filming right now.

"What are you calling Sister Bingbing, you scruffy-bearded girl? If I'm not mistaken, you were born in '80, right? She was born in '81," Xu Ming teased.

"Uh, shall I call you Teacher Fan?" Guo Fan asked tentatively.

"Just call me Bingbing," Fan Bingbing said casually.

"Ahem, Bingbing, welcome to the crew," Xu Ming said with a light cough.

Everyone's eyes widened, especially Fan Bingbing's.

She meant for Guo Fan to call her Bingbing, since she was a year younger, but unexpectedly Xu Ming agreed.

Why does Xu Ming, who is eight years younger than her, call her Bingbing? Why does she feel like she's being flirted with?

"Well, it's only flirting when the status difference is similar. If the woman is stronger than the man, it's offensive. If the man is stronger than the woman, it's teasing." Fan Bingbing chuckled. "I prefer to hear you call me 'sister'."

She's seen it all; when it comes to flirting, the other guy is definitely a junior.

No.

Are you two flirting here?

Aren't we human? Are we even human?

As an aside, the source of the loud voice is the crew of the drama "Special Identity" which features the battle between Zhen Huan and Zhao Wei.

With the roles finalized, it was inconvenient for the two to discuss the specific contracts in the preparation room.

So he made up an excuse and moved back to the office.

As they left, the ambiguous glances from Guo Fan and the others left Xu Ming feeling somewhat helpless.

If I'm doing something honest, how could I be misunderstood?
These bastards have a very deep misunderstanding of themselves.

"How about 600,000 per episode?" Xu Ming offered his quote.

This price is the highest possible salary for a female actress in a domestic TV drama; even Sun Li only gets this much.

Although there is some premium, it's normal for Fan Bingbing's prices to be a bit inflated, given her background in film and television production.

“I want to convert it into an investment share,” Fan Bingbing said earnestly.

She hasn't taken on any TV dramas since "The Golden Era" in 09, even though this is only the second one produced by her studio.

The first one was "Rouge Snow," written by Yu Zheng; the entertainment circle is that small.

The reason I agreed to audition for "My Love from the Star" was not only because I was interested in Xu Ming's self-written and self-acted role, but also because I had the idea of ​​co-producing the film.

"Okay, then we can only calculate it as 500,000 per episode."

Xu Ming nodded and continued, "The total investment for 'My Love from the Star' is expected to exceed 100 million yuan. I can give you 30% of the share."

Unlike movies, it's hard to predict whether a TV series will make a profit or a loss before it's released.

But the TV series can be sold even before it airs. With the lineup he and Fan Bingbing assembled, it would be hard for them to lose money. It's just a matter of how much they make.

Moreover, this doesn't even include sponsorships. If enough brands are brought in, half of the costs might be recovered before the machine even starts operating.

"Can't you have more?" Fan Bingbing blinked and asked.

"Hehe, it's not impossible, actually..."

Xu Ming reached out and touched the other person's soft hand, stroking the back of his hand.

The latter blushed, adopting a coy and reluctant stance.

“As long as you can persuade the others in Qiming…” Xu Ming said.

With a swift movement, Fan Bingbing withdrew her hand, giving him a disapproving wink: "You're not that old, but you're incredibly shrewd."

"Each each other."

Xu Ming cupped his hands in greeting, acknowledging that the other party was quite adept at putting on an act.

"I'll take 30% of the shares. I'll have someone come over and discuss the details with your company later."

Regarding brand sponsorship, I'll help contact them in the meantime, but if they want to raise the price, I suggest waiting until the production team is fully prepared and there's more publicity; that will make negotiations easier.

Fan Bingbing's identity changed very quickly; she has already started to consider issues from the perspective of the investors of "My Love from the Star".

“Okay, it’s settled then,” Xu Ming said.

……

3 month 23 day.

Jennifer Lawrence's "The Hunger Games" was released in North America.

The former invited Xu Ming to attend the premiere, but the latter declined.

Given the box office performance of "The Hunger Games," even if I went, they probably wouldn't have time to focus on me.

One movie propelled Jennifer to the position of a top Hollywood actress.

Xu Ming stroked his chin, thinking that with Jennifer's future commercial value, it shouldn't be difficult for him to make a small profit by investing in her projects.

This will provide a good outlet for any surplus funds the association may have later.

"Ming-ge, Teacher Guo has arrived," Xiao Juan said.

"It seems he's made his decision," Xu Ming said with a smile.

Although he was determined to acquire the "Tiny Times" IP, he was worried that the other party would raise the price. So after the other party left the company that day, he remained calm and did not inquire or contact them again.

Of course, covert surveillance still exists.

In case another company tries to steal the job, it can be detected in time.

It seems that Guo Jingming has gone around in circles and found that Qiming is the most suitable.

After all, companies that are more willing to offer conditions than Xu Ming cannot match Qi Ming's production capabilities and achievements.

Companies with better production capabilities and achievements than Qiming would never be willing to offer the same terms that Xu Ming gave to Guo Xiaosi.

This involves an information gap.

Xu Ming has memories of his past life, so he naturally knows the value of "Tiny Times".

But for others, investing is gambling.

Highly capable companies are unwilling to invest heavily, while less capable companies are willing to invest heavily, which Guo Jingming disdains.

If "Tiny Times" doesn't perform well, no matter how good the conditions he gets are, it won't matter.

We arrived at the reception room.

Guo Xiaosi was flipping through the company's artist introduction booklet.

The latest version also includes several artists from Yuzheng Studio.

This can be seen as an admission that Yuzheng Studio is a subsidiary of Qiming.

This was Yu Zheng's own request. Don't feel that being dependent on others is undignified. In fact, using Qi Ming's name will help the studio in every aspect.

When you go out to discuss projects, the other party will also give you face, even if they don't care about your reputation.

"This actor is good; he can play Gu Yuan."

As Xu Ming approached, Guo Xiaosi pointed to Yang Yang's photo and said...

“If you think it’s okay, then it’s okay. There won’t be any problems with the artists,” Xu Ming said decisively.

Despite its poor reputation, "Tiny Times" certainly made its stars famous.

“And this Chen Xiao, we can give Xi Cheng a try…” Guo Jingming said with great interest.

"Call them all over for auditions later, and you can make a decision after you meet them," Xu Ming said casually.

"Too."

Guo Jingming looked at the other person: "How about we co-write the script?"

“Cough, Tiny Times is your masterpiece. It would be better if you did it yourself. No one knows better than you how to make it.” Xu Ming choked for a moment and said seriously.

He's worked so hard to build a solid reputation as a screenwriter, he shouldn't ruin it for nothing.

However, what he said was not just empty talk; "Tiny Times" does indeed bear Guo Jingming's distinct mark.

Without this brand, there's no unique feature that the target audience likes.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jingming's face lit up with an undisguised smile, clearly pleased with the compliment.

He looked Xu Ming up and down and said thoughtfully, "Actually, I feel you would be better suited to play Gu Yuan."

You repay kindness with enmity, don't you?

Xu Ming's eye twitched, and he said in a serious tone, "Alas, it's a pity, I really can't find the time. This year, I have a TV series, a movie, and an album scheduled."

Fearing that Guo Jingming might say he was willing to wait for him again, he quickly changed the subject: "Why don't you start casting while you're working on the script? There are so many characters in your book, it might be hard to find actors. Why not screen them in advance?"

"Yes, professionals like you are very thorough in your considerations."

Guo Jingming nodded seriously, his gaze towards Xu Ming growing increasingly affectionate. From what Xu Ming had just said, he could tell that the other man had clearly read through his book, which was about to be adapted.

Having faced much criticism along the way, he rarely feels respected here.

Sensing the other person's gaze, Xu Ming decided that after today, he would still contact them through an intermediary in the future.

I truly feel restless and uneasy.

(End of this chapter)