Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 974 Daily Life (33)

The screening of "Dying to Survive" has ended...

The main creators went on stage to share their experiences during filming.

Then each left.

Shen Yan is also going to attend the 'Belt and Road Film Roundtable Forum'...

As a leading figure among the younger generation of Chinese filmmakers, he will definitely participate in the Belt and Road Film Forum!

The address is in the Golden Hall of the Crowne Plaza Silver Star Hotel…

The Shanghai Grand Theatre is about a 15-minute drive from the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Inside the car, Maoyan Movies conducted a brief interview.

"Dying to Survive...it's truly a great movie!"

"Thank you!"

"Dying to Survive" is definitely a good movie - on Douban, more than 187 million people have rated it, which is a very high number on Douban, and the score is 9.0!
"Dying to Survive" was released in 2018. At that time, mainstream films had just entered the stage, capital was still hesitant, fan films were declining, and the capital market was in a period of confusion.

In 2019, "Shanghai Fortress" completely tore off the fig leaf of fan films, and fan films were abandoned. After that, mainstream films became unstoppable—Zhang Yimou even made "Sniper," which was of a very high standard.

Then, patriotic films took center stage!

When everyone is making money effortlessly, good movies are often hard to come by.

Artistic creation often requires a freer or more challenging environment.

Following this pattern, the next 9-point film may appear after the decline of patriotic films, during a period of uncertainty in the capital market.

No track can remain prosperous forever; there will always be a period of decline.

Boxing movies were all the rage, and then films like "Good Stuff" and "The Decision to Leave" both broke 9 points—however, their ratings were subsequently lowered…

Recently, films about the War of Resistance against Japan have become popular…

It has become the new key to wealth!

As an aside, a certain newly released film—regardless of whether it's considered a documentary, a narrative film, an art film, a war film, or an emotional film—is completely unqualified and an insult to everyone.

I know this subject matter is very difficult...

But it looks really bad!

Moreover, it shares the same characteristics as "Man Jiang Hong" and "The Young Lion," employing a coercive marketing approach coupled with endorsements from official media.

Well, most opinions online are: even if it's a huge mess, just because of the subject matter, you have to eat it. Anyone who doesn't is unpatriotic!
"Brother Yan, why are you playing a supporting role?"

"...This show was really good, I didn't want to miss it...but I wasn't suited to play Cheng Yong, so I played Cao Bin instead..."

"Why not?"

"I'm not the right age, and my appearance isn't good either..." Shen Yan smiled wryly, "I'm too 'sunny'..."

"So what are your criteria for accepting roles now?"

Shen Yan thought for a moment and replied, "Whether the script is good or bad, or the role... I'm past the stage of pursuing exposure now. For me, it's better to have nothing than something bad!"

"Is box office revenue a factor you consider?"

"I never consider box office performance when I accept roles... and besides, there's no way to predict that!" Shen Yan waved his hand, then seemed to remember something: "Ji Xiang told me before that he wanted to invite a female star, and her team said something like, 'We only accept films with a budget of 10 billion yuan now...'"

"A movie worth 10 billion?"

"That means the box office is 1 billion..."

"Can this be used to determine?"

“I’m also very curious… judging box office numbers by looking at them with the naked eye!” At this point, Shen Yan waved his hand: “Actors shouldn’t be judged by box office numbers. What matters most is whether they like the story, whether they like the character, and whether they are moved by the story.”

"So, box office revenue doesn't matter?"

"For actors... box office revenue is certainly important, but it's not the only criterion..."

……

For actors, especially young actors, exposure determines their career!

Without consistent exposure to new work, even the best acting skills can be buried. This is especially true for those with less refined acting skills, who need extensive practice to hone their craft. Struggling through different productions, playing different roles, and even working on bad films is itself a demanding learning experience.

Moreover, taking on more roles means increased income, building industry connections, and, most importantly, gaining wider audience recognition.

The entertainment industry is very competitive; without fame, you have no choice.

Only when you have a basic market appeal and fan base will producers and investors be willing to trust you and give you a ticket to star in works with greater artistic depth.

Of course, if a strategy is flawed, it may lead to a wrong turn and a predicament.

For example, some actors take on so many roles that they end up playing a bunch of similar characters, which quickly depletes their mystique and versatility.

Once someone is stereotyped by the market as a "domineering CEO specialist," a "sweet romance drama heroine," a "loser," a "comedian," or a "small character," it becomes incredibly difficult to break free from that mold.

Viewers may experience aesthetic fatigue, and platforms may hesitate to adopt new content.

Moreover, when an actor frequently appears in works of varying quality, it will erode the audience's trust in them.

Over time, your name will no longer represent "quality assurance," but rather "watchable or not watchable" or even "box office poison"!
At the same time, in the high-intensity, assembly-line style of filming, actors can easily fall into mechanical performances, lose their observation of life and their delicate understanding of the characters, and ultimately extinguish their most precious artistic perception and creative passion.

These are all processes that destroy a person.

Oh, the Belt and Road Film Roundtable Forum… Shen Yan was just listening in, smiling…

This is more of a political connection and has little to do with the film itself—the Shanghai International Film Festival invited representatives from film festivals and film institutions from 13 countries, including Hungary, Greece, the Philippines, Lithuania, and India, to jointly sign a memorandum of understanding on film culture cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, working together with film festivals in countries along the Belt and Road to promote the dissemination and exchange of film culture among countries.

……

Shen Yan returned to the hotel, packed his things, and prepared to leave…

He has to go to Hainan to film "Zaijiutang"!

Then I received a call from Shishi.

Who are you with?

"Tang Yan?"

Somewhat surprised—Shi Shi and Tang Yan's relationship has always been just so-so…

Shi Shi didn't answer, but instead asked, "...Do you want to come over?"

"Who else?"

"And director Jingle Ma!"

Jingle Ma… oh, that's for promoting the movie "Europe Raiders"…

Shen Yan immediately said, "Then I won't go... You guys chat!"

"...Director Ma wants to talk to you about a film..."

"Tell him to get lost!" Shen Yan replied directly. "Who does he think he is? Just because he wants to talk, does that mean I have to go over there?"

"...Okay...Are you going to Hainan?"

"Yes, my flight is tonight..."

"Be careful... I'm still busy here for another month. Once I'm done, I'll come visit the set!"

Shen Yan was speechless and replied directly, "...A month? I'd probably finish filming my movie by then!"

"That's right, you're a quick shooter!"

"What did you say? What gunman?"

"...I'm praising your efficiency!"

"Let me tell you, in nature, lions mate for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Do you know what that means? It means that, from an evolutionary point of view, the faster the better!"

Shi Shi on the other end of the phone immediately said, "...However, during mating season, lions need to mate about 40 to 50 times a day, and the mating process usually lasts four or five days, with the number of matings ranging from 20 to 40..."

Shen Yan was stunned: "How did you know?"

"...I see everything you search for every day!"

(End of this chapter)