Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 194 Swimming with Arms
The 2003 Golden Eagle TV Art Festival officially closed, and Yang Siwei and Liu Yifei, mother and daughter, found Lu Kuan backstage.

"Aren't you in Hong Kong doing a roadshow? How did you find the time to come here?"

If Boss Lu was a pure love warrior, he would definitely look at her affectionately and give her a gentle blow:

"Sissi, I will not miss any important moments in your life."

It’s just that my forty-year-old soul can’t open its mouth to talk about the love affairs of these little kids.

He was very straightforward: "The organizing committee gave me money, and I'm here to make money!"

"Do you think I came here for nothing?"

Liu Xiaoli smiled and said, "Xiaolu, thank you for choosing Xixi to star in 'Chinese Paladin'. I'm going to put this award in the most conspicuous place in my living room when I get home!"

Concubine Liu Yi said proudly: "This is just the beginning. You will have more to show off in the future, haha."

Yang Siwei reminded him, "Mr. Lu, it seems that Teacher Tian was looking for you just now."

"Ah? Let me see."

Lu Kuan took out his cell phone. He was actually called by Lao Tian, ​​who was entrusted by the organizing committee to invite him, the young director and producer of "Chinese Paladin", to attend the meeting.

"Hello? Teacher Tian, ​​huh? Okay, see you later."

Lu Kuan turned to Liu Yifei, her mother, and her daughter: "Let's go eat together. Teacher Tian wants to tell me something."

"Are we suitable for each other?" Liu Xiaoli asked politely.

Liu Yifei quickly answered: "It's appropriate. Teacher Tian is a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy, and I am also a student of the Beijing Film Academy. How can it be inappropriate?"

After that, he walked out first: "Let's go, guide."

As he was talking, he started laughing again. It was really embarrassing to be on the stage just now.

Boss Lu was helpless and thought, forget it, ignorance is not a crime, just wait and see.

Tian Zhuangzhuang was also arranged to stay at the Huatian Hotel where the guests were staying. Several people entered the box, but he was the only one sitting there drinking tea with a sad face.

"Teacher Tian, ​​please stop frowning so much. Your wrinkles are so deep that even a mosquito would get pinched to death if it flew in!"

Lu Kuan has always had a close relationship with him, and now he is joking with him in a somewhat disrespectful manner.

Concubine Liu Yi smiled and patted his arm, signaling him not to talk nonsense.

Tian Zhuangzhuang didn't take it seriously at all. He greeted Liu Xiaoli and others and congratulated the little girl on winning the award.

"Teacher Tian, ​​you must have something wrong? Can we talk while we eat?"

Yang Siwei went to ask the waiter to serve the dishes. Seeing that there was no one else present, Tian Zhuangzhuang sighed and began to tell his story.

"Xiaolu, you often go to the United States, and you're going there next month to film 'Alien Land'. I have a favor to ask of you."

Seeing his serious expression, Lu Kuan also put away his lazy attitude and said, "Teacher Tian, ​​what's the point of talking about pleases and no pleases between us? Just say it directly."

"It's about Li Xuejian."

These few words contained so much information. No one present had not heard of Teacher Li Xuejian, but Lu Kuan knew that they were relatives.

Tian Zhuangzhuang's mother, Ms. Yu Lan, is the aunt of Li Xuejian's wife, and Li Xuejian calls Tian Zhuangzhuang his cousin.

Lu Kuan's heart moved: "Wasn't Teacher Li hospitalized for nasopharyngeal cancer two years ago? What's wrong with him now?"

In November 2001, exactly one month before Lu Kuan was reborn as a young Taoist priest, Li Xuejian was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer while filming the serious drama "China Track".

The leader’s instructions: Treating the disease comes first, and filming is temporarily suspended.

But when his lover Yu Dan conveyed the opinions of his superiors, Li Xuejian declined with a smile.

If he were just an actor, there would be nothing wrong with his withdrawal and replacement.

But he invested a lot of effort in this drama, from the early preparation stage of funding, screenwriters, and even many actors came for him.

Whatever the reason, his withdrawal will inevitably lead to the collapse of the entire project.

From then on, Li Xuejian's time was split into two: his wife took him for radiotherapy in the morning, and he went to the scene to film in the afternoon. He persevered like this for more than a month until the filming was completed.

Later, the crew director recalled his last scene and burst into tears:

At that time, it was very difficult for him to speak, and the director directed all departments to prepare carefully in order to get it right in one go.

But Teacher Li's lines were delivered in one breath, with rich emotions and full confidence. No one could tell that he looked like a cancer patient!

Finally, the news published this report with the title "He is risking his life, we are crying", which moved countless viewers.

After hearing this, Liu Yifei and others fell into a suppressed silence.

In particular, the first person she thought of was Anita Mui from Hong Kong, who had also managed to finish filming the guest role in "The Drummer".

Lu Kuan had heard this story in his previous life, but now it was 2003 and Li Xuejian was basically able to return to the stage. Why did he ask him for help?

Tian Zhuangzhuang then explained the whole story.

"Xue Jian is still very weak, but his medical treatment has used up most of his savings. I contacted him with a treatment facility in the United States, but he refused to accept my help."

"so..."

Boss Lu understood.

He pondered for a few seconds. "Well, there's a position called performance consultant in Hollywood crews. Generally, their job is to provide performance guidance to crew members, observe and evaluate performances, and assist with rehearsals."

"The work is relatively easy, which is conducive to his living and recovery there."

"Labor costs in Hollywood are very high. Some top actors pay their dialogue and acting teachers hundreds of dollars an hour."

"Teacher Li's level is more than enough for this job."

Liu Yifei's eyes suddenly lit up. She thought that she could ask him for advice on acting skills at that time.

Tian Zhuangzhuang's frown finally relaxed a little: "Is it convenient? If not..."

Lu Kuan interrupted him, "It's very convenient, and I couldn't ask for more. Teacher Li is both virtuous and talented, and he's a role model for all of us practitioners."

"I was thinking of asking him to act in a play with me in the future, so this is a good opportunity to get to know him first."

Tian Zhuangzhuang was very pleased and looked at the young director in front of him happily.

Although he lives a somewhat dissolute life and likes to be cunning and adventurous in doing things, he still has a pure heart.

The fifth-generation director, whose youth has passed, raised his glass: "Here, this glass of wine is for you, Director Lu, haha."

Liu Yifei also followed suit: "Teacher Tian, ​​he is only in his twenties and is a young guide!"

Boss Lu's face darkened.

Tian Zhuangzhuang had solved a big problem in his mind, so he drank to his heart's content today. Fortunately, Lu Kuan's drinking capacity was enough to keep him company.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed.

Lu Kuan asked the waiter to send the drunk Tian Zhuangzhuang back to the room, and then he started to care about his cash cow again.

"Siwei, did you discuss your salary with Zhang Jizhong last time?"

"Director Lu, he's still hesitating. I've already committed to 20 yuan and there's no room for negotiation."

"Well, this figure does exceed her actual worth, but it's not an exaggeration for you to say so."

Yang Siwei hesitated and asked, "What if he still refuses?"

"I'll teach you a way."

"Aren't Zhang Jizhong and Jin Yong both here at the Golden Eagle Awards? Tomorrow, take Xiao Liu's nearly torn copy of The Return of the Condor Heroes to Zhang Jizhong and tell him a way to hype it up."

"Have him take you and Xiao Liu to see Jin Yong, bring this book, and ask him to comment on the heroine and write a title for the book."

Yang Siwei was stunned and took a long time to come back to his senses.

"Mr. Lu, what are you saying?"

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Is there anything more conducive to endorsing the heroine than the approval of the original author?"

"With Jin Yong's inscription, you can negotiate the price with him."

Yang Siwei wondered, "What if Jin Yong didn't write an inscription?"

"Have Xiao Liu tell Jin Yong that Yin Zhiping in the book is a real historical figure and the founder of the Taoist revival. He is not suitable to appear as a negative character who molests women in The Return of the Condor Heroes."

"Liu Yifei's image and temperament are consistent with the image of Jin Yong's characters. This book reflects her meticulous research on the original work and also provides a very pertinent suggestion."

"If he really doesn't react, then forget it. You won't lose anything."

Whether there is a chance or not, it's a shot. Boss Lu is just making a move casually.

Yang Siwei nodded thoughtfully, and couldn't help but admire his former boss's imagination.

It seems that I am still too young.

On September 2003, 9, Lu Kuan, along with A Fei and other staff members, landed in Los Angeles to prepare to start the tight filming schedule of "Foreign Land".

Boss Lu brought Emil and the financial and legal teams behind the scenes to the office to handle the preliminary work.

Australia's Beast Logic packaged the overall special effects cost of "Alien" at $3000 million. After several difficult rounds of negotiations, Emile finally signed a contract for $2700 million and paid a deposit of $500 million in advance.

Next was the estimated $1000 million bid for the advertising placement part. With Tom Cruise as producer and Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead actor, the advertising part of the work was very easy and was even completed ahead of schedule.

The advertising placement model in the Hollywood market is very professional and commercial. Generally speaking, blockbusters with high investments, grand scenes and star-studded casts are highly favored.

Lu Kuan saw in a research report that the advertising placement market in Hollywood last year was as high as 24 billion US dollars, and almost every North American box office weekly champion had a large number of top advertisers spending lavishly.

In this industry chain, film producers, brand owners, evaluation agencies and advertising agencies will form consultation groups.

As early as after the script was submitted, the team began to analyze the plot and content of the film line by line, looking for solutions that could be implanted without affecting the overall effect of the film.

There are many retired directors and producers among these evaluation agencies and brand owners, who will give evaluations from a professional perspective.

Sometimes the plans made are even more appropriate than the director’s own ideas.

As a director, Lu Kuan will, based on past experience, copy some classic product placement ideas, but he also needs to avoid pitfalls and not put the cart before the horse. A typical example is the Chinese man wearing glasses in "Transformers 3," holding a bottle of Yili Shuhua milk and delivering nonsensical lines.

"I'll tell you after I finish this bottle of Shuhua milk."

It became a laughing stock after its release.

There is also "Du Lala's Promotion" by the "talented woman" Xu Jinglei, which is known as the first fashionable urban film in China.

As a result, audiences went to the cinema just to watch commercials. Executives from Fortune 500 companies drove Passat sedans, used Lenovo thin and light laptops, and wore LOTTO sportswear.

And there is also the damn Zhilian Recruitment endorsed by Xu Jinglei herself, which is really an eyesore.

In the end, the crew of "Alien" decided to use internationally renowned brands such as Saleen, McDonald's, Gillette, and Adidas, which was commensurate with the level of this $7500 million blockbuster.

The total price of advertising placement was 1500 million US dollars, 500 million more than expected, which was all due to Leonardo's appeal.

Among them, McDonald's exists as a restaurant in the normal world, which is a plagiarism of Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element".

Another purpose is to use McDonald’s stores around the world to promote through posters and display racks, and even bundle themed packages.

The implantation of Saleen S7 is a car chase scene that is popular in Hollywood movies.

The Adidas product placement was copied by Lu Kuan from the pair of Converse worn by Will Smith in "I, Robot".

Contrasting the gradual loss of local sentiment among human beings in the high-tech age with the old-fashioned image of the protagonist is conducive to shaping the character's personality.

After everything was settled, Boss Lu wrote all the details of the advertising placement into the filed storyboard script in accordance with the contract agreement, and also signed a flexible payment mechanism.

If the global box office exceeds $4 million, advertisers will need to settle at 125% of the base price.

At the same time, the crew of "Foreign Land" also received an initial advertising advance of 600 million from the advertising company.

Lu Kuan finished processing the last document in the office when Liu Yifei suddenly pushed the door open.

Liu Xiaoli and her daughter flew to Los Angeles with him yesterday. The last time they came, they passed through customs directly, but this time they have to apply for a visa.

Lu Kuan looked up and glanced at the arrogant Concubine Liu Yi.

"Boss Liu, are you here to inspect our work?"

"That's right, Xiaolu, report to me about your recent work!"

"Where's your mother?"

"She went to help Teacher Tian and Teacher Li contact the hospital. I heard on the phone that Teacher Li won't be here for another two weeks."

Boss Lu put the cap on the pen.

"You came here alone?"

"Yeah, it's not like I can't speak English, and I'm not a child, so it's normal for me to come alone."

Lu Kuan felt it necessary to remind her: "There are so many homeless people and black people on the roadside, you should be careful. If you want to go out, call Ah Fei with you."

Concubine Liu Yi was delighted to hear that he cared about her, and jokingly said, "I don't think it's that dangerous. The food on the roadside is all yours."

"What dish?"

"Blondes with big breasts, don't you guys like those?"

Hollywood is the film center of the United States. It is not only the largest producer of commercial films in North America and even the world, but also the largest producer of pornographic films.

Where there is demand, there is an industry. The big-breasted blonde girls in porn movies are the aesthetic standard for men all over the world.

As a result, the blocks surrounding Hollywood are filled with cheap plastic surgery and breast augmentation institutions, and girls chasing their "dreams" plunge into this quagmire.

Those who can make movies make movies, those who can't spend thousands of dollars on breast augmentation to make porn movies, and those who can't make even porn movies just stand on the street.

Boss Lu said righteously: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not that kind of person."

Concubine Liu Yi was deeply skeptical: "Really? Then let me see where you look when we get out later."

"Go out, what are you going out for?"

"Eat! My mom's not around, it's too dangerous for me to go out alone. I'm here to work as your stunt double, and you won't provide me with food?"

The capitalist scoffed, "The crew doesn't start work until tomorrow, why would they care about your meal today? You'll pay for it yourself!"

"Lu! I've registered as a union actor today. If you don't provide me with food, I'll sue you!"

"Besides! Just because I saved you back then, I deserve to eat you for the rest of my life!"

It was like those days, we talked as if we had known each other for years.

Boss Lu was helpless when he saw the little girl acting like a scoundrel.

He put on his coat and called Ah Fei to ask him to drive first.

"Forget it. Seeing you're all alone and helpless like a cabbage, I'll take you for a walk."

"Where are you going?"

"When you come to Hollywood, you have to go to the Walk of Fame! Let's go."

Ah Fei drove the two of them to this sidewalk built in 1958, which is actually an ordinary commercial street over a kilometer long.

Being in a foreign country with his mother away, Ah Fei trailed behind him very far, fearing that he would become a third wheel.

Concubine Liu Yi suddenly had an unbridled impulse.

"The road is wide, give me your clothes, I'm cold!"

Los Angeles has a typical Mediterranean climate. It is mild and dry in October. How can it be cold?

Liu Yifei wore a purple girlish cardigan and a beret today, and for the first time, she wore two diamond earrings.

It's hard not to suspect that she had dressed up carefully before coming to look for the washing machine.

Seeing her staring at him with burning eyes, Lu Kuan felt helpless about the love-sickness of college girls, so he took off his coat and handed it to her.

Concubine Liu Yi took it and smelled it, keenly catching the fragrance of some Chinese herbal medicine that she had carefully selected, and then she draped it over her shoulders with satisfaction.

Looking at Lu Kuan's tall figure walking in the crowd with his hands in his pockets, the little girl felt that this moment was extremely beautiful. This was her little romance.

There are countless movie-related shops on both sides of the Avenue of Stars.

There are baseball caps and T-shirts from "Star Wars", windbreakers from "The Matrix", one-to-one replicas of Oscar statuettes, and countless other shoes, pants, posters, and postcards.

Concubine Liu Yi looked around and soon her hands were full of things.

But when she really reached the core area, the little girl was still a little disappointed. Is that it?
I originally thought it was an extremely luxurious place, but it ended up ending with me walking through a crowded street that was not even as wide as Nanjing Road in Shanghai.

Being really bored, the two started looking for stars of various celebrities.

The first Joan Wood star was placed on the Walk of Fame in 1960, and the number of stars has been increased by 30-40 per year since then.

Each star is inlaid with a copper border and outlined with a light red five-pointed line. The name of the star is written on the top and various symbols in the middle.

The symbols are camera from the film industry, television from the television industry, phonograph from the record industry.

The masks of tragedy and comedy represent the theatrical industry.

Boss Lu acted as a tour guide for Liu Yifei and took her to find three stars who are Chinese actors.

Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Anna May Wong.

There is no need to say much about the first two, but Concubine Liu Yi was a little curious about Ms. Anna May Wong.

"She was a Chinese American film star who entered the film industry in the 20s. She became a star in 30 and became a figure in the Hollywood silver-cast Four Ladies' Tower statue along with Marilyn Monroe and two other actresses."

The two also passed by the stars of Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

Liu Yifei asked in confusion, "Why do I feel like there are so many directors and actors missing?"

"Where's De Niro? Where's Leonardo?"

Boss Lu's mouth twitched. You only know these handsome guys, right?
"There are many who didn't keep their stars, including Lucas, Al Pacino, and Coppola."

"In capitalist countries, these kinds of organized activities that look like industry associations all require money."

"The Avenue of Stars has a committee that meets every year to select the next year's recipients. They must agree to attend the awards ceremony and pay $1.5 for maintenance and cleaning."

"As a result, many superstars are disdainful of this, like Al Pacino in 'Scent of a Woman', who voluntarily gave up the selection after being selected, simply disdaining such empty fame."

The two of them walked and strolled, and Liu Yifei was fascinated by his explanation of these movie facts. However, the road was too short and soon reached the end.

"This is the Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars are awarded."

Concubine Liu Yi exclaimed in amazement, but the theater looked too plain.

"Lukuan, do you also dream of being crowned here?"

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Not really. My main purpose in making movies is to make money and satisfy my artistic pursuits."

"For me, the Oscar is just a box office boost. I don't care whether I win it or not."

In the early 21st century, the Oscars were the highest honor in the film industry in the minds of Chinese people. However, with the awakening of national consciousness and the establishment of cultural confidence in the country, people are no longer too interested in this topic.

"Generally speaking, an Oscar nomination can bring an absolute increase of about $3000 million to a film's box office, and winning an award can double that number."

"So for me, the only consideration in deciding whether to spend money on lobbying is whether the money will be greater than the box office revenue after winning the award."

Concubine Liu Yi looked at Lu Kuan with a mixture of laughter and tears, thinking that he was truly the most eccentric person she had ever met.

They say he is very realistic, but he is willing to make a historical disaster film that is full of difficulties and even has to pay for the marketing out of his own pocket;

It is ridiculous to say that he is idealistic. The only considerations he seems to have are risk and benefit.

Not only in career, but also in love.

If he had.

The little girl instantly felt very frustrated. She felt that it was very difficult to change him, and she felt that she was too weak at the moment.

(End of this chapter)