Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 222 Sister Furong
"You are Feng Chu?"

Lu Kuan sat in the director's chair, smoking a cigarette and looking at his watch.

"I require all crew members to be on set at 2:. Can you tell me what time it is?"

Feng Chu drank a little wine at noon. Now his face was covered with red cloth and he was showing his yellow teeth. He wanted to come up and hug Lu Kuan's shoulders.

"Director Lu, I had lunch with some leaders from the Shidu Tourist Area. After all, we were filming on their territory."

"Isn't that so? I had a few too many drinks and came late. Haha, come on, guide, give me a beating, little panda."

Feng Chuxin said, "After all, I am Dong Shuangqiang's brother-in-law, and you are his business partner, so you should at least have some face!"

Lu Kuan shook his arm off with a sullen look on his face. "If you have something to say, just say it. As a producer, why are you trying to get close to me when you don't set an example for the crew?"

"Director Lu! What do you mean?"

"I offered you a cigarette out of kindness, and I was quite considerate of you. You're only a dozen minutes late, isn't that a big deal?"

Lu Kuan glanced at him indifferently and crushed the half-smoked cigarette butt under the sole of his shoe.

The actors gathered around the script and read it, none of them got too close, just listening attentively to what was happening over there.

Su Chang whispered to her bestie in a terrified voice, "Why is this guy so scary when he gets angry..."

Liu Yifei was already used to his temper, and she read the lines without even raising her eyelids: "Wait a few days and you'll know what horror is. This is just the beginning."

Su Chang curled his lips and thought to himself, why not I just defect to the enemy? If I am discovered as your accomplice, he will kill me.

Lu Kuan unfolded the financial document handed to him by Xu Zheng on the director's desk and circled several amounts with a red pen.

"What's up with these numbers?"

"Lu Xueqi's white gauze casual dress costs over 3 yuan, and this is the quality?"

"And this sword and these horses."

Lu Kuan was furious when he saw Feng Chu's drunken appearance. He felt that the filming time would be delayed for a few days for no reason.

"You got these fucking Ferghana horses from the Western Regions, right? Hundreds of thousands a piece?"

Many stagehands who were watching the fun from a distance chuckled. They had come in early to set up the scenery and had been there for half a month.

Let’s not talk about doubling the salary during the first month of the lunar year, but everyone should be provided with food, drink and heating, right?

No hair at all!

What kind of producer is this? Is he just going to pocket the money after deducting it so strictly?

Feng Chu was sobered up by now and glared at Xu Zheng fiercely. He relied on his brother-in-law's relationship and did not take this second-tier actor seriously.

Who the hell are you to betray me?

"Lu Kuan! Don't talk to me, you fucking idiot! I'm more than ten years older than you. I'm a producer and you're a director. We're on the same level!"

He didn't dare to say that he was more powerful than the director. He was well aware that the producers of "Zhu Xian" accounted for 77.5% of the market share.

It's just that recently he's been spending more money than he earns gambling with his bad friends, so he begged his brother-in-law to find him a good job so that he can be a little more stingy and pretentious.

"Okay, I won't waste my time talking to you anymore. Just drive away."

"Xu Zheng, you'll be taking over as producer for now. Sort out all the financial documents for costumes and makeup. Anything that's clearly above market price and without a legitimate reason should be listed for future use."

"Yes! Director!"

As Xu Zheng said this, he turned around and was about to go find the crew's finance officer, but he was suddenly gripped tightly by the tall and strong Feng Chu on the shoulder.

"How dare you?"

"Lu Kuan? Don't be shameless, this Travel Channel isn't my brother-in-law, where the hell are you going to find such a good thing?"

"Fuck you..."

Could Boss Lu tolerate him? He raised his foot and kicked him hard in the heart.

Before he could scream, Ah Fei behind him flashed over with incredible speed and elbowed him in the fat face, pinning Feng Chu to the ground so that he couldn't move.

"Um... Lu... I need to find my sister... Let me go!"

Lu Kuan was too lazy to listen to him barking, so he stuffed the white skirt he had just stepped on into Feng Chu's mouth and dialed the phone.

"Hello? Lu? Filming hasn't started yet. I didn't feel comfortable disturbing you, hehe."

Dong Shuangqiang was "smiling and talking" on the other end of the phone.

I have to say that it is such a pleasure to work with Director Xiaolu. The movie "Zhu Xian" has just been hyped for over a month and the filming hasn't started yet, but advertisers are already knocking on the door like lapdogs.

He has been drinking this wine non-stop since the Chinese New Year.

There was also the first week audition of "Super Girl". The live broadcast of the Beijing competition area on Travel Channel was extremely popular, and many people went to Douban and Travel Channel's official Weibo to call for audience voting in the sub-competition areas.

Especially on the first day of the sub-competition area, Liu Yifei participated in the review as a judge. There were so many people that they almost flattened the green belt in front of the Wenjie office building.

The thing he regrets most now is that he was too conservative and didn't dare to go all in with Lu Kuan!
But there’s still next year, and many more years to come…

"Director Lu? President Lu?"

Dong Shuangqiang took the phone away from his ear in confusion and glanced at the screen.

That’s right, it’s working.

"My brother-in-law, should I send someone to take you away, or do you come to pick you up yourself?"

The whole place was silent, with only Feng Chu's whimpering and struggling. The actors knew that the person on the other end of the phone was Dong Shuangqiang, a well-known investor in the industry.

It’s just the tone of the guide...

This doesn't seem like something you would say to an investor with whom you have an equal relationship?

Dong Shuangqiang's heart sank, thinking that it must be his wife's idiot brother who did something wrong. He didn't know how he had offended Lu Kuan.

"Boss Lu! Give me thirty minutes, I'll be there right away!"

On the set, the beeping sound from the Nokia speaker was particularly harsh, and Feng Chu was as silent as a dead pig.

He looked at Boss Lu helplessly with his eyes wide open, full of desire and despair.

He knew that he was doomed and that he would lose this job.

Liu Yifei covered her mouth with the script and whispered to her best friend about Lu Kuan's biological habits.

"See? Don't piss him off on these two things, or no one will be able to help you."

Su Chang gave him an inquiring look.

"First, don't mess around when he's filming. Women are used like men, and men are used like animals. They should work when they should work, and they should exert their strength when they should exert their strength."

"Second, never try to get his money... No one can cheat him."

Fan Bingbing and Yu Feihong stood a little further away, shocked by his power, yet also a little proud as they said, "Director Lu is quite impressive."

Yu Feihong suddenly remembered what he had said to her before: if you want to be a director, be a producer first. Once you become a producer, no one can fool you anymore.

"Men have to save face. With so many beautiful girls like you, shouldn't he show off?"

Fan Bingbing smiled and his eyes vaguely glanced at Liu Yifei and the other person in the southeast corner.

Boss Lu looked at his watch. He had wasted more than an hour on a piece of shit. This was a crime in a Hollywood crew.

How much more does it cost to work an extra hour?

He told Ah Fei, "When Dong Shuangqiang comes later, tell him to take the people away. I need to lead the actors in rehearsal and reading. Don't come in."

He glanced at Feng Chu, whose face was flushed, and said, "Get some water and pour it on his face. Don't let him suffocate."

Xu Zheng happened to come over with a full file of financial documents and was about to report the details.

"You and Ah Fei wait for Dong Shuangqiang to come over. Tell him everything about Feng Chu embezzling the crew's budget and enriching himself. Just be honest."

Xu Zheng said seriously: "Yes, Director!"

Today was the first lesson for his future career as a director.

"Okay, everyone, start reading in a circle. I'll give you a few instructions, then I'll go over and make some requests."

From Liu Yifei to Su Chang, from Yu Feihong to Fan Bingbing, from Zhu Yawen to Hu Ge.

There are also two slightly more senior actors, Xin Baiqing and Wu Gang.

Everyone agreed in unison.

Those who were familiar with him, such as Liu Yifei, knew his character, and the others had experienced the director's style on the first day of filming.

It's quite scary!

Lu Kuan called Ning Hao and Wu Ershan aside and pointed at the shoddy costumes and makeup. "These props, which reek of stench and reek of cheap plastic, are a disaster for serious filmmakers and will ruin a film."

"In movies, costumes and props are a physical supplement to the audio-visual language. They transform specific words into a real existence in the eyes of the audience."

"Especially for a historical fantasy drama like 'Zhu Xian,' the costumes, utensils, palaces, and makeup determine the success or failure of the film or television work in terms of environment creation."

Ning Hao and Wu Ershan both nodded solemnly. The style and strict requirements of the first four episodes set a shooting guideline for them.

All they need to do is follow the rules and create more beneficial art under strict standards.

For a seasonal drama like "Zhu Xian" that is claimed to be different from ordinary TV dramas, the script determines its lower limit, and the costumes and props determine its upper limit.

Good costumes and props will add luster to the story, otherwise the audience will be instantly distracted by the strong sense of falsehood.

A true film master has almost abnormal requirements for costumes and props!
Kenji Mizoguchi, who lived a simple life, would be very careful in arranging the scenery for a corner when filming a movie, and would come up with more than a dozen alternative options.

The props in Kurosawa's films not only have to meet his requirements for appearance, but also have to be meticulously crafted inside.

For example, when taking a photo of a wardrobe, it is not enough to just meet the requirements of appearance. The compartments, hangers, and the types of clothes to be placed in them must also be well designed.

Even if it can’t be photographed at all!
Because he was trying to make the actors believe that this was real and not a movie.

"Xiao Fan, you're the one washing the dishes today!"

"Big Brother, wasn't it me yesterday?"

"Hurry up! Aren't you going to ask Lin Jingyu for advice on martial arts later?"

Boss Lu didn't want to disturb them, so he approached quietly.

Xin Baiqing and Wu Gang certainly don't need him to worry about them, and even Liu Yifei's line delivery is now above standard.

They are mainly young actors who have not made many movies, such as Hu Ge, Zhu Yawen, Su Chang, etc.

Hu Ge played a small supporting role in "Racing", while Zhu Yawen and Su Chang did appear in "Love Is Not Blind", but they also lacked experience.

Boss Lu listened to them reading together, and at the same time, he also paid attention to the expressions of Su Chang, Hu Ge and others.

The most common mistake made by young actors is trying too hard, especially those who have appeared in too many TV dramas.

It was not until the first paragraph of the second episode was finished that Lu Kuan began to give them advice one by one.

"I just listened to the whole thing, and there aren't any major mistakes, but Su Chang, Hu Ge, and Ya Wen should pay special attention."

The three of them had just seen how the tyrant on the set disciplined people, and when they heard this, they all sat up straight with a start.

Especially Su Chang, the two taboos that Concubine Liu Yi just mentioned are still echoing in his ears.

Drama and money!
"I just said that Hu Ge's Shanghai Theatre Academy, Xiao Liu and Ya Wen's Beijing Film Academy, and Su Chang, an experienced contestant, should pay attention to the film and television style of their performances."

"There's essentially no difference between performances in plays, TV series, and movies, but there are subtle differences in practice."

"If you're on an ordinary, less demanding crew, the director might ask you to do dubbing, reshoot scenes, or even use multiple cameras to help you find your expressions."

"But that doesn't exist in 'Zhu Xian'. I will strictly follow the standards of filming."

Hu Ge is a smart and studious person, and is considered to be one of the idol actors who pays more attention to honing his acting skills.

"Director, please correct me. I've barely made a movie before, and sometimes I don't know how to act."

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "Teacher Wu Gang knows that when performing a play, the distance between the actors and the audience is very far. Even in a small theater with a capacity of 5 people, the straight-line distance between the last row of audience and the actors is at least meters."

"This is just like what Hu Ge required in his drama performance teaching at the Shanghai Theatre Academy: your movements and expressions must be moderately exaggerated in order to convey them to the audience."

"Then came the TV series and then the movie."

"If you bring the energy you put into rehearsing various semester-end plays and theater internships to film, it would be too much."

Su Chang recalled the last time she asked Lu Kuan for his opinion on her performance in "33 Days of Broken Love" in the courtyard.

The latter directly raised the issue of her exaggerated performance.

"Let's take a simple example. Everyone knows Ma Jingtao, the go-to actor for Qiong Yao, right? His acting chops are perfectly suited for a stage play, but a bit over the top in a TV series, and a disaster in a movie!"

Liu Yifei and the others covered their mouths and chuckled. This example was concise and clear, and they all began to examine their own performance.

The reading was almost over, and Boss Lu gathered everyone together to familiarize themselves with the movements during the filming of the movie, and the pre-shooting preparations for this afternoon were almost finished.

Shidu is less than 100 kilometers away from the city center. After saying goodbye, the cast and crew all went home. After all, it was not yet the end of the New Year, and they all cherished the rare time of family reunion.

Boss Lu, Xu Zheng and others finished their tasks and were about to go home. Concubine Liu Yi, with her hands behind her back, jumped up to catch up with him.

"Why are you following me?"

"Hitch a ride!"

"Where's your mother?"

"My aunt and grandmother are here, and they happen to live in Gongjian Hutong. I'd like to take your car back."

Boss Lu had no choice but to put the cigarette he had just taken out back into his pocket, still wanting to be as happy as a god.

Seeing his constipated expression, Concubine Liu Yi said in dissatisfaction, "What's your attitude? I'm riding in your car just to give you face, and you're still being reluctant."

"Do you know how popular you are right now, sis? You have several fan sites. They'll take down your homepage at the drop of a hat!"

Maybe he found it funny as he was talking, so he covered his mouth and chuckled.

When the black fans were criticizing Boss Lu, she was a true fan who spoke up for him.

When Boss Lu had scandals with some female stars again, she became the number one anti-fan on the entire Internet.

Ah Fei had already turned on the air conditioner in the car. Liu Yifei sat in the spacious back seat and took off the down jacket that saved her life, revealing a long-sleeved T-shirt with a Q-version portrait on it.

"Huh? Where did this dress come from? It's quite interesting."

"this?"

The little girl pointed to the T-shirt with a Q version of Zhao Linger's portrait on it.

"They were given to me by my fans. Siwei organized a fan meeting a while ago, and everyone gave me so many gifts that I even set aside a room to keep them."

"Are you jealous? If you want one, I'll give it to you."

It was the first time that Liu Yifei saw Lu Kuan since that romantic snowy New Year's Eve, and it seemed like she had endless things to say.

"I'll give you one with a washing machine printed on it! Haha!"

Boss Lu's face darkened.

"You, the fan, are infringing on my rights. We have already bought out all the copyrights of 'Chinese Paladin', including the profits from derivative products, from Softstar."

"Who allowed them to produce and distribute them privately? They might even have sold a few."

Concubine Liu Yi was furious: "What rights are being infringed? What rights are being infringed? I am Zhao Linger, I just need to give you the authorization!"

Contrary to his usual behavior, Lu Kuan did not continue arguing with her. He stroked his chin and stared at the dress on her in a daze.

Concubine Liu Yi felt uneasy at his look and hugged her down jacket in her arms.

"Where are you looking, dog?"

Boss Lu finally came to his senses. He was thinking about the derivative business of several IPs.

"Do you think you're pretty? Do you think everyone likes to look at you?"

"Xiao Liu, I think you could change your online name to Sister Furong. The popular blogger on that blog should be your sister."

The horn of the Toyota Prado suddenly honked, and it seemed that even Xiaomian Zhenghe knew this joke.

That’s right, Sister Furong officially became popular during the Spring Festival...

Last year was the year when Mu Zimei made her debut as the first generation of Internet celebrity. Blog.com did not suppress her traffic based on the idea of ​​using grassroots Internet celebrities to attract traffic.

Coincidentally, at the beginning of the new year, perhaps it was the popularity of the four actresses, two ice queens and one concubine in major online voting that moved this sister, and she shifted her main battlefield from Shuimu BBS to the more eye-catching blog network.

From Tsinghua University to Maopu and Tianya, his popularity eventually exploded on Blog.com.

The girl is now a veteran netizen, and of course she also saw the fun in this, as well as Sister Furong’s reply that was pinned to the top of the blog’s selection results for the Four Dan Actresses, Two Bing Actresses, and One Concubine last night.

My attractive face, coupled with a body so hot it could make men bleed from their noses, doomed the first half of my life to tragedy.

"Ahhh! I'll hammer you to death!"

Concubine Liu Yi became more and more angry and made a threatening gesture as if she was going to hit him.

Boss Lu smiled and grabbed her wrists. He didn't take it seriously at first, but she almost broke free when he wasn't paying attention.

Damn, that’s pretty exciting!
"Stop it, stop it."

Boss Lu spoke frankly: "Actually, I was thinking of a way to make money."

(End of this chapter)