Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 155: The popular young actor and the [Phoenix Eagle] martial arts battle

When planning to shoot a TV series, the first stage is to plan the project, consider what to shoot, analyze the selling points and prospects, and study the budget.

Among them, some start planning the entire project based on the script, while others may plan the project and then find a suitable screenwriter to write the script.

The second stage is to solve the funding problem. No matter whether you pay for it yourself or raise investment, if the funds are not in place, the project will be difficult to implement.

If the funds are raised smoothly, we can enter the third stage - crew preparation.

The three stages are roughly carried out in sequence, but many are also being advanced simultaneously.

There are also some powerful people who use money to look for projects, or the crew has saved up projects or funds and then blows them.

The world is just a makeshift place. There are many amateurs and dabblers in the film and television and entertainment circles, and there are countless strange things.

But Yan Li's operation of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" is definitely based on the three orders.

Once the project is decided and funding is secured, it’s time to assemble the crew.

The first thing is to find a director!
Yan Li can easily raise tens of millions of dollars in investment, and can also easily sell a drama to a TV station at a high price.

When asked to discuss the script, Yan Li was able to accurately point out some flaws and offer suggestions for revisions.

If you let him act, any suitable and uncomplicated role can be handled by him.

As the producer, Yan Li can calmly manage all the major and minor matters of the crew and provide sufficient logistical support and coordination of resources from all parties for the entire crew.

But if Yan Li were asked to sit behind the monitor and act as the director himself, directing the entire filming on the set, and converting the script into film and television images, including narrative, rhythm, beauty, emotion, atmosphere, depth, etc., he really couldn't do it.

However, Yan Li can review what the director shoots, find faults if he is not satisfied, or simply reshoot it.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses!
Yan Li does not insist on developing into a director. He is a natural businessman and a qualified actor, and it is enough for him to do these two things well.

If "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" is going to be a masterpiece, then we can't use an ordinary director, the director must be capable enough.

Currently, the most well-known martial arts director in mainland China is Yu Min, the director of Zhang Da Huzi, and Yan Li is definitely not someone who can be poached.

Another is Wang Xinmin, the director of "Railway Guerrillas".

Both "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and "The Untold Story" are above standard. Although their influence is not as great, their reputation is not inferior to Zhang Da Huzi's other Jin Yong dramas.

However, Wang Xinmin is good at hard-core martial arts, and he can also portray the dark martial arts world like "The Untold Story" well, and it has a strong urban and Jianghu atmosphere, and the action design is also unique.

These do conform to Gu Long's dramas to a certain extent.

But when it comes to character emotional creation and suspense and cunning, Wang Xinmin is not incompetent, but he is not very suitable for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng".

Although Gu Long's dramas and Jin Yong's dramas are both martial arts dramas, they are two completely different concepts.

Jin Yong's dramas are the history of family and country, telling the story of the growth of heroes. The greatest heroes serve their country and their people.

Gu Long explores the existence of self and talks about the dilemma of a wanderer who has no choice but to be in the world.

One is real and worldly!
One is emptiness, and the other is transcendence!
Yan Li doesn't dare to say that he will completely replicate Gu Long's martial arts and artistic conception philosophy, but he has to capture some of Gu Long's unique flavor, otherwise it would be a waste of this subject matter.

Therefore, Wang Xinmin can be used, but he needs to find a partner who specializes in handling the character's emotions and portraying Gu Long's style.

This kind of director is not easy to find, until someone recommended a new drama to him——

"Against the Current" starring Julian Cheung and Wallace Chung.

Not to mention, some of the underworld conspiracies and human struggles in the play are portrayed quite well. The overall style is cold and sharp yet desolate, and it does have some Gu Long feel.

It is understandable that the author of "Against the Cold Water" Wen Ruian is nicknamed Xiao Gu Long, and the styles of the two are indeed somewhat similar.

If he was able to make such a good film "Against the Current", then he naturally has some unique insights into Gu Long's style.

Director Ju Jueliang also has an impressive resume, making him an evergreen in the martial arts genre.

In his early years, he filmed some martial arts dramas for TVB, and Zhang Da Huzi also participated in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

Wang Xinmin+Ju Jueliang

Yan Li felt that it was not impossible for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" to compete with Zhang Da Huzi's "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Eagle, phoenix!
Haha, our name is better than the other one.

...

After the director was confirmed, Ju Jueliang was easier to invite, as the projects he had currently taken on were obviously not as good as "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng". Yan Li's offer was also appropriate, so it was certainly not difficult to choose.

Wang Xinmin is having some troubles. He is considering planning a martial arts drama "Horses Neighing in the Wind" later, and his schedule is a bit tight.

More importantly, Lao Wang is an old-school mainland director.

Although I have collaborated with other directors, he was the main director and I was not very interested in this relatively equal joint guidance.

Therefore, there is a reason why mainland directors are sometimes not as popular with film and television companies as Hong Kong directors.

Many Hong Kong directors are happy with money, know their place clearly, and are willing to listen to their boss's arrangements. Some mainland directors are too busy and arrogant, and sometimes need to be coaxed.

Putting aside the ability level, in terms of attitude, if you are the boss of a film and television company, it goes without saying who you are willing to hire.

But because of this, many Hong Kong directors are easily affected, and the quality of their works fluctuates, while some mainland directors who are capable and insist on themselves can relatively maintain a lower limit.

Although Yan Li is not very narrow-minded, no matter what the matter is, if you have the ability and can help him make money, he will be more tolerant.

Besides, Wang Xinmin didn’t say he wouldn’t do it, he just had some conditions, so we can talk about it slowly.

Wang Xinmin was still chatting, but director Ju Jueliang had already reported to Yi'an and participated in the casting meeting for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng".

Yian Film and Television, Conference Room
The executive producer in charge of casting for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" informed the crew of the target candidates for the roles, mainly focusing on Lu Xiaofeng and several other characters that run throughout the entire play.

An investment of 3000 million is considered a medium-to-large-scale production in the industry, so the casting is naturally not small.

Although he has not given up on recruiting newcomers, Yan Li still wants to try to choose from popular or potential young actors.

Therefore, the executive producers are included, and most of them are well-known male actors in the industry.

First of all, the male lead Lu Xiaofeng is the core of the drama "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and also the most difficult role to choose for the crew.

Lu Xiaofeng in the original novel can be regarded as one of the most outstanding characters among Gu Long's heroes.

He is suave, smart, and free-spirited, with a sense of humor, agility, and a chivalrous temperament. He also has a cynical and playful demeanor, while at the same time he still has a deep love for brotherhood and women.

Yan Li didn't expect to find a "living Xiao Feng", he just thought it would be good if it could meet some of the characteristics and be somewhat similar.

The executive producer took out a photo and posted it on the whiteboard in the conference room, introducing the first candidate.

"Chen Kun, after The Golden Age, is considered one of the most popular young actors in mainland China. His fame definitely meets the requirements."

"Based on his performances in Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind and Like the Golden Age, Chen Kun's acting is quite good. He has a handsome appearance and a temperament that combines melancholy and agility. He can handle the unrestrained and affectionate character of Lu Xiaofeng. His signature smile especially fits the humor of the "four eyebrows" character..."

Yan Li sketched out the image in his mind and thought it was quite reliable. He looked at Ju Jueliang, who also nodded.

"To be determined."

The executive producer put Chen Kun's photo on the top, and then took out another photo.

"Lu Yi, one of the most popular young actors at the moment, has a handsome appearance and a calm temperament with a hint of playfulness..." Before he could finish his words, Yan Li raised his hand to stop him: "He's too handsome, not suitable."

The executive producer removed Lu Yi's photo and replaced it with Su Youpeng. This time, before he was introduced, Yan Li stopped him again.

"Too obedient, and also not suitable for Lu Xiaofeng."

However, Su Youpeng has the temperament to play Hua Manlou, but he is a little short, and it is not certain whether he is willing to play the supporting male role.

After that, Lin Zhiying, Zhou Yimin, Li Yapeng, Huang Sanshi, Bao Jianfeng and Lin Feng were all rejected by Yan Li or Ju Jueliang.

Oh, and there’s Huang Xiaoming.

Yan Li was speechless when he saw this candidate. Not to mention the matter of Qin Lan, strictly speaking, there was no feud between the two parties, but Nie Yuan and he were almost fighting to the point of losing their brains over Yang Guo.

After all, they are friends. It is impossible for Yan Li to reject Nie Yuan and then turn around and use Huang Xiaoming.

Although there are many rejections, some candidates are still pending.

For example, Huang Haibing, this guy is handsome, has a changeable temperament, and a wide range of acting skills, like a panacea.

Let me put it this way, using Huang Haibing may make the character's characteristics a little worse, but it is more stable and the probability of error is low.

Deng Chao, the least famous, is currently best known for his role as Shunzhi in "The Young Emperor", giving people a feeling of clarity and sadness.

Originally, he was not among the candidates, but after Deng Chao got the casting news, he took the initiative to shoot a video of Lu Xiaofeng's audition and sent it over. The image was good, and the key was that Lu Xiaofeng's humorous and uninhibited feeling was captured in an interesting way.

Later I learned that Deng Chao started out in comedy and had performed in the drama "Cuihua, Serve the Sour Cabbage" when he was in college, which was well received.

In addition, Huang Haibo from "Fortune Star Pig Bajie" is also one of the candidates to be confirmed.

Yan Li had a good impression of this senior brother. He felt that he was able to capture Lu Xiaofeng's humor and wit, but his image was a little lacking, and his romantic charm and other qualities were much less impressive.

So Lu Xiaofeng is at the bottom of the pending list, but he ranks very high among the pending lists of Sikong Zhaixing.

After Yi An finished speaking about the list, Yan Li looked at Ju Jueliang and said, "Director Ju, do you have any suitable candidates? We can discuss it."

"I actually have two."

Ju Jueliang was not polite either. After all, he was a director, and he could see that Yan Li attached great importance to the quality of the actors. There was no trickery involved, so he didn't hide anything.

The two actors he recommended happened to be Zhang Zhilin and Zhong Hanliang, with whom he had previously worked together in "Against the Current".

Ju Jueliang especially praised Wallace Chung, and thought that his acting skills and image were good.

"Wallace Chung?"

Apart from having seen the other person's performance in "Against the Current", Yan Li is not really familiar with his other situation.

Secretary Hu Ya went out to check and print out his information. Yan Li took a quick look and found out that he was a singer and had acted in some idol dramas. Although he was not particularly famous, he had some popularity in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.

Yan Li thought back to the other person's role as Gu Xichao in "Against the Current", his image was indeed good, and his temperament felt... forget it, let's wait and see.

After all, he is the candidate strongly recommended by Ju Jueliang, so give him an interview opportunity. If he is not suitable, we can deal with it later.

Compared to Lu Xiaofeng, Yan Li was more difficult to choose and he never found one that he was particularly satisfied with.

The second male lead Hua Manlou and the third male lead Ximen Chuxue are much better.

Hua Manlou is gentle, elegant, and indifferent. Although he is blind in body, he is not blind in heart. He is a modest gentleman who has insight into the world and is generous and open-minded.

For Ren Quan, who once played the role of Gongsun Ce in "Young Justice Bao", playing this kind of scholarly gentleman is simply his natural role.

There is also Qiao Zhenyu, who was played by Yan Li in "The Seven Fairies", and he also played this kind of role well.

In addition, Taiwan Province recommended an actor named Zhang Zhiyao, whose costume look and temperament were also very good.

Yan Li meant that any of the three could be chosen, and the remuneration or exchange of interests could be considered at that time.

Ximen Chuxue, the sword god in the play, is also the force in Lu Xiaofeng's team. He is cold and aloof, with a sharp aura, cold on the outside but warm on the inside, which requires a certain amount of emotional tension.

The Huang Haibing mentioned above can act,
There is also Yan Kuan, who has a cold face and electric eyes, and a good image, which suits the role of a proud, introverted and cool swordsman.

Yi An's Zhou Yiwei can also manage to act after some tidying up, but the prerequisite is that the first two do not act.

By the way, the executive producer and director Ju Jueliang also mentioned a candidate.

"We think Mr. Yan can actually play this role. He has a tough temperament, a deep and cold gaze, and his fighting scenes are also very good. He can interpret Ximen Chuixue's loneliness and his obsession with the supremacy of swordsmanship..."

"Cough cough."

Yan Li raised his hand to stop his men from flattering him. He said that his family knew their own business and there was no problem in letting him play those heroic tough guys.

He can play the roles of Tie Zhongtang, Yan Nantian, Fu Hongxue and Xiao Shiyilang.

But a role like Ximen Chuxue, which is full of pretentiousness, with things like white jade as snow and a sword coming from the west, always feels a bit out of place. He can act it, but he doesn't like this tone very much.

As for the last Sikong Zhaixing, he is witty, cunning, humorous and funny. He is a comedy character in the play and does not need to be so handsome.

In addition to Huang Haibo, Xia Yu, Wu Jing, and Zhang Songwen, it is not ruled out that a few comedians will be used.

The other female characters and supporting roles have limited roles and are not very important, so casting is not that difficult.

As for the supporting role, Yan Li simply delegated the power to his subordinates and turned back to wait for approval.

But he personally took care of the female characters. After all, having many beauties is one of the selling points of the whole show, and some ugly girls cannot be stuffed in.

Shangguan Feiyan, Wuyan Girl, Gong Susu, Xue Bing, Beef Soup, Sun Xiuqing, Ouyang Qing, Peacock Princess...

There are more than ten well-known characters, and seven or eight of them have certain roles and weight.

Yan Li plans to invite one or two popular young actresses to take charge, and then pair them with a few other young actresses. The key is to have them look beautiful.

Handsome man + beautiful woman
Yan Li doesn't dare to guarantee that the Gu Long dramas he shoots are the best, but he strives to make them the most pleasing to the eye.

After the meeting, although the main characters have not been finalized, the scope has been roughly defined.

The only one who was a little unsure was Lu Xiaofeng. Yan Li planned to think about it again, and by the way, inform Wang Xinmin, and then start the makeup interview.

Yan Li talked with Ju Jueliang and producer Wang Decai and then made the final decision.

"Leak the news to the public and start hyping up the casting. Besides this list, other unsuitable actors can also be brought in to hype up the casting."

Internal casting is one thing, external hype is another. The casting should be as appropriate as possible, and the hype should be as controversial as possible.

The casting of Zhang Da Hu Zi's "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has caused a lot of hype. The scope, duration and excitement of the event are very rare in the industry.

Although it received a lot of criticism, it also made "The Return of the Condor Heroes" the most popular drama crew at the moment, and TV stations are eagerly waiting to buy the drama.

"The Return of the Condor Heroes" has started, so "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" is naturally not to be missed.

It would be best if they could then criticize some of "The Return of the Condor Heroes". Given the nature of those media outlets, Yan Li didn't believe they wouldn't add fuel to the fire.

Given Zhang Da Huzi's violent temper and love of hype, he will most likely start cursing, and Yan Li will "retaliate" a few times.

[Feng Diao Wuxia Battle] is only a matter of time!

(End of this chapter)