This director is vindictive.

Chapter 96: It’s time for the Knife-Stabbing Sect to shine again
"Are there any other male actors you would like to recommend?" Chen Mo asked Zhao Mingdao.

"Yes, there are many, but those are the most suitable candidates in all aspects." Zhao Ming said helplessly.

"Actually." Zhao Ming suddenly looked at Chen Mo strangely, and hesitated to speak.

"Actually what?" Chen Mo looked at Zhao Ming puzzledly.

"Could it be that the male actor is not suitable?" Zhao Ming was silent for a long time before speaking softly.

"Uh? What do you mean?" Chen Mo couldn't help but be a little surprised.

"Then I'll be frank. You've told me more than once that this time's leading actor will definitely be the envy of others, but from my perspective, the one who's most envious is you, the director?" Zhao Ming felt a little uneasy after he finished speaking.

Chen Mo's mouth twitched. Don't say it, really don't say it.

Seemingly, seemingly, probably, seems.
"Is it really that obvious?" Chen Mo asked quietly.

"Ahem, it's a bit obvious. If you ask me, you should just not look for other actors. Aren't you an actor yourself? And you haven't acted for a long time. Why don't you try it yourself?" Zhao Ming coughed twice.

In his heart, he was secretly complaining, Chen Mo was saying one thing and thinking another. What male actor is not suitable? You just randomly picked out a scene for someone to play, and then directly said it was not suitable. Is that not suitable? It means you don't want to be suitable, okay?
Of course, as a man, Zhao Ming also expressed his understanding. After all, in this drama, the current girlfriend is indeed Fan Binbin and the official partner is Ye Lanqiu.

Although there are no large-scale performances in the play, there are still some intimate scenes.

Gao Yuanyuan and Fan Binbin are both well-known top beauties in the circle. Not to mention Chen Mo, if it were him, Zhao Ming would definitely be envious and jealous!

Although it is not certain that something will actually happen, what if?
Well, Chen Mo was particularly touched by this. In his previous life, after filming this drama, Da Meiyuan fell in love with her. Zhao Youting even said that it was hard not to fall in love with her after filming this drama. Was that love? It was clearly just coveting her beauty and her body.

Chen Mo has two films, "Love is Not Blind" and "The Shallows". Although the hype and publicity played a big role in these two films, the box office was there, so his new film is naturally highly anticipated.

Of course, what makes the movie "Search" more eye-catching is its subject matter.

Internet violence!

Media reporters have not forgotten that Chen Mo fabricated the first online defamation case of the "Stabbing Cult" two years ago. This case was directly recorded by the Supreme Court and even written into law textbooks.

According to official statements, this case has far-reaching implications for the crime of "cyber defamation."

And now, as the original party involved and plaintiff, Chen Mo chose to adapt "The Death of Net", a novel about cyber violence, which naturally brings its own traffic.

Chen Mo chose this drama before, naturally partly for this reason. It has its own traffic, which can save a lot of publicity.

If the crew of "Love Is Not Blind" was indeed a bunch of small-time celebrities, using those tricks of "Love Is Not Blind" to promote the film, although the effect was very good, it was actually a helpless move.

Since "The Shallows" is just a low-budget domestic thriller, its publicity was not particularly grand.

But this time it was completely different.

Although "The Lost World" is not a particularly famous novel, it is a realistic novel.

The key point is that this drama can be regarded as the movie with the largest cast directed by Chen Mo.

So naturally, in terms of publicity, there is no need to do so many things, and there is no need for too many unconventional tricks. Normal and conventional publicity is enough.

For this purpose, a press conference was held before the filming began to warm up the movie.

The media reporters were also very considerate. At the press conference, media reporters from all over the country arrived at the scene early.

Xie Nan, the host of Light Media, walked onto the stage.

"First of all, thank you all for coming to the press conference for the film 'Searching.' You've all come from afar, and I imagine you don't want to hear more from me. So, let's invite the director of 'Searching' and the actors involved to answer your questions."

Soon Chen Mo took the lead and brought the leading actors of "Search" onto the stage.

Suddenly, flashes of light lit up in the audience and shutter sounds rang out continuously.

"Hello everyone, I'm Chen Mo, the director of the movie 'Search'!"

"Hello everyone, I'm Gao Yuanyuan, and I'll be playing Ye Lanqiu in 'Search.'"

"I'm Fan Binbin, and I'll be playing Chen Ruoxi in 'Search.'"

"I'm."

The actors introduced their roles one by one.

The introduction was over very quickly, but the reporters below were all stunned and kept looking back.

Because they all discovered a problem, that is, the actresses, supporting actors, etc. in this movie all appeared, but the male lead was nowhere to be seen.

But after everyone had introduced themselves, the male protagonist still did not appear.

Fortunately, we quickly entered the question-and-answer session with reporters.

The first reporter to ask a question directly asked this question: "Director Chen, why is the actor of the male lead not here today? And who will play the male lead role?"

Chen Mo smiled and said, "The male lead was unable to attend due to some unexpected matters. I apologize to everyone here! As for who the male lead is? Please forgive me for keeping it a secret. I can only say that everyone should be very familiar with the actor who plays the male lead. You will know when the time comes."

Although the reporters were not very satisfied with Chen Mo's words of keeping the secret, they did not hold on to it. After all, such a thing could not be kept secret forever.

Their focus today is not on this, but on the next question.

"Director Chen, 'Search' is adapted from the cyberbullying novel 'Death on the Net'. Could you please tell me if it has anything to do with the online defamation you experienced with the Stab Cult?" asked a reporter from Sohu Entertainment.

Other media reporters also turned on their recorders early, waiting for Chen Mo to answer this question.

"That's true. In fact, I bought the film and television adaptation rights for this novel two years ago. Just as the journalist friend just said, it was because I suffered from online violence that I came up with the idea of ​​making a work on this subject."

"I hope this film can teach people about the horrors of the mob and cyberbullying. I also hope it can serve as a warning to some people. To paraphrase Chen Ruoxi in the film, 'Our job is to diligently record the truth of life, but what is truth?'"

In this age where everyone is a media person, we've all learned to use the internet to make our own weak but authentic voices heard. But when you scramble to write 140 characters or a lengthy op-ed and click "Publish," have you ever asked yourself this question: "What is the truth?"

Just like the "Stabbing Knife Cult" incident, without figuring out the truth, they made all sorts of final judgments about me, without ever asking themselves, "What is the truth?"

"Director Chen, it is rumored that Director Chen Shishi also had his eyes on this work, but you finally got it first. Is that true?" another reporter asked.

Chen Mo couldn't help but be a little surprised. He didn't expect that this matter had been dug up.

It seems that we really can't underestimate these media and entertainment reporters.

"That's true. When we talked about this work, we had some conflicting opinions. Perhaps it was because I had been hurt by cyber violence before, so I was more radical. These will also be shown in the movie." Chen Mo said.

This is a good opportunity for publicity. Of course, poet Chen also agreed to let me use him for publicity.

"Binbin, why did you take this role? Chen Ruoxi seems to be a villain in the play, and as far as I know, you have never played a villain before. What was the idea behind playing such a role?" Another reporter asked Fan Binbin.

"The role of Chen Ruoxi, perhaps because I have a strong personality. To some extent, Chen Ruoxi is also a career-oriented woman. This role cannot be simply described as a villain. She is a more complicated person, which is also a challenge for me, but I believe I can play this role well." Fan Binbin's answer was quite standard.

After the press conference ended, the relevant press release was directly published on the front page of entertainment news.

"Rising star director Chen Mo's new film 'Search' focuses on the topic of cyberbullying, and he personally admits to being influenced by the stabbing incident!"

"Chen Mo's new film 'Search' stars a star-studded cast that is considered the pinnacle of Chinese cinema, with Fan Binbin, Gao Yuanyuan, and He Saifei leading the cast!"

"The male lead of Chen Mo's new film 'Search' remains a mystery, he acted like a big shot and didn't show up at the press conference!"

"The happiest male lead has been born. The former male lead of 'Search' is Fan Binbin, and the current one is Gao Yuanyuan. He is so lucky. If he plays big, he may face replacement!"

Under the influence of several investors behind "Search", the "stabbing incident" once again appeared on the Internet.

Everything that happened two years ago was brought up again.

Some media even used the phrase "Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished. Chen Mo, the victim of the "Stabbing Knife Cult" incident, has made a brilliant turnaround with three films in two years, while the careers of all the "Stabbing Knife Cult" artists have been damaged!"

"The latest updates on the celebrities from both factions involved in the Knife-Stabbing Cult incident: Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished, and no one will be spared!"

"The first case of online defamation, the 'Stabbing Cult Incident', has resurfaced, and Director Chen Mo, a victim of the Stabbing Cult, has once again focused on the topic of online violence!" Two years is enough time for many things to fade away, and many of the people involved in the Stabbing Cult Incident have forgotten that such an incident ever happened.

After all, the news in the entertainment industry changes every day, but it can't help but be brought up again and again.

The results were very significant. This wave of hype was obviously well prepared and was intended to promote the movie.

As you can imagine, it is definitely impossible to end it in the short term.

Once the movie is released, it is likely to be brought up again, and some artists who spoke out about the "stabbing incident" will be dumbfounded.

Their careers had finally started to pick up again, but this news broke out again, causing the crew members of the drama they were filming to look at them differently.

There is no way, after all, this kind of thing is really disgusting.

And it happened in the entertainment industry.

More importantly, Du Chunke and Chen Mo were brothers at the time.

Although no one in the entertainment industry dares to say that they are good people, no one wants to be close friends with their good brothers or sisters, and suddenly one day they are stabbed in the back.

This is the entertainment industry. Everyone has something dirty on their butt. If it is really dug out, they are not like Chen Mo who can use the law to overturn the table directly, so the best way is to stay away from it.

Especially those people who stabbed you in the back, they all have criminal records!
Du Chun was dumbfounded because he was the leader of the Knife-Stabbing Cult.

His acting career has been affected a lot in the past two years because of this incident. He finally got the help of his father's connections to get another role, but Chen Mo was so disrespectful that he actually brought up the same old thing again, which made him embarrassed again.

On the set, I always feel like someone is watching me from behind.

Moreover, he originally thought that he was very capable in the crew and had good relationships with all the actors in the crew, but after the news was brought up again, one by one they began to distance themselves from him.

As for the other female protector who stabbed him in the back, Wang Ludan was also dumbfounded.

She seems to be the least affected in the past two years, but in fact, only she herself knows. Apart from anything else, Bai Baihe became famous with "Love Is Not Blind".

The key point is that she looks very similar to Bai Baihe, and when they were competing for resources, she suddenly found that she could not compete with the other party.

For example, she also auditioned for the new drama "Ups and Downs" directed by Teng Huatao at the beginning of the year, but the role was finally taken by Bai Baihe.

Now she is facing a similar situation as Du Chun.

Although it seems that nothing has changed, in fact, everyone's attitude has become more distant.

Again, no one wants to have people like the "Stab in the Back" in their circle of friends! Who isn't afraid of being stabbed in the back?
The theme of "Search" about cyber violence can be said to be appropriate.

Because in recent years, cyberbullying incidents have been emerging one after another. Although there was an example like what Chen Mo did back then, where the cyberbullies were prosecuted and the instigators were sent to jail, in reality, very few victims of cyberbullying incidents actually file private prosecutions.

It can be said that this topic hits the nail on the head for many people.

Of course, there are definitely publicity reasons for this.

"I hope Chen Mo can educate everyone about the law in the movie and tell them how to deal with cyberbullying perpetrators."

"Yes, although the first cyber defamation case had a huge impact, it was actually very difficult to implement in practice!"

"Look at what's happening around us. I remember a news story a while ago about a man who hit someone with his car. The media picked up on it, netizens dug it up, and the next day, he became a second-generation cold-blooded murderer. Public opinion immediately swung to one side, with the man himself completely ignoring his own voice. Then it was revealed that he had dumped several girlfriends, cheated in school, got into fights, and violated traffic rules. It would have been great if it had sparked widespread public outcry."

The key is that after this man is sentenced, his parents will probably be left with nothing but shame, kneeling and kowtow to everyone and admitting their mistakes. His former friends will also have to distance themselves from him. But the biggest problem is that no one seems to care. What is the truth?

"I remember there was an investigative experiment before, where someone filmed a video, and it was shot according to a script, and then paired it with a sensational headline and some indignant comments!
This message quickly garnered thousands of responses. Every righteous netizen spit on this fake news video, criticizing, blaming, and insulting it to the utmost.
But the sad thing is, no one knows that this is just a video shot according to a script!
This experiment proves that cyberbullying is not that far away from you, and it is really very scary! "

However, before filming began, Chen Mo also had to attend a movie premiere for Ning Hao's new film "Crazy Racing".

Speaking of this movie, it is actually quite interesting. Shengshi Pictures did not invest much in this movie. The most important thing is that the biggest embedded advertisement in "Crazy Racing" actually came from Chen Mo's family's grave industry.

Xu Zheng was even invited by Chen Mo's father to act as a salesperson to sell the grave on the spot.

Moreover, the promotional trailer made from the dialogue of that "gangster" style funeral service successfully became popular on the Internet.

Chen Mo didn't know the specific effect of the publicity, but he thought it should have some effect. Inspired by it, the Chen family's grave company actually launched a sales model and sales method similar to the real estate sand table, and it is said that the effect is quite good.

Anyway, every time he filmed the movie "Mr. Vampire", his father used the scene of the dragonfly touching the water hole as a negative example.

"Director Chen!"

"Mr. Wang, Mr. Xu!"

Chen Mo didn't expect that after the premiere, Wang Changtian and Xu Zheng from Light Media would come to him together.

"Mr. Xu, I heard that the lines for selling the grave house were thought up by you yourself?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

"Haha, come to think of it, this really has a lot to do with your father. Director Ning came up with the idea of ​​product placement. He thought that since Director Chen was able to do product placement for a graveyard in Mr. Vampire, then our film could do the same. So, he gave it a try, and your father agreed right away.

Later, he visited the Yinzhai Company's sales office and witnessed the salespeople's sales pitches. This made him wonder why Yinzhai couldn't be sold openly. He then thought of that line, which actually made Director Chen laugh. Baldy Xu wasn't yet the box office-breaking director he would become, so he kept a low profile in front of Chen Mo.

"Don't mention this. The product placement in my movie 'Mr. Vampire' has been used a lot by people to mock me for being a spendthrift and doing more harm than good." Chen Mo shook his head and laughed.

"Mr. Xu, Mr. Wang has something to talk to me about, right?" After chatting for a while with a smile, Chen Mo asked.

He had actually guessed some of it.

"It's like this. Mr. Xu has a project on hand. He plans to learn from Director Chen and try to direct the project himself. Director Chen has a unique vision, so he came here to let Director Chen take a look." Wang Changtian said with a smile.

In fact, Light Media has been in an awkward situation in recent years. Although its distribution capabilities are very good, the projects it has invested in are really mediocre.

Light Media has invested in dozens of movies before, but it didn’t actually make much money, and some films even made losses. The outside world’s evaluation of Light Media is that “any movie produced by Light Media is bound to be a bad movie.”

In fact, Wang Changtian himself thought Xu Zheng’s project was pretty good, but his vision for the movies he had invested in before was indeed not very accurate, so he took the opportunity of this premiere to find Chen Mo.

Chen Mo has achieved success one after another. Every movie he made has been invested by his own Shengshi Pictures, and they have all been a huge success with small investments.

Chen Mo immediately thought of a movie.

I just didn't expect that I would have the opportunity to participate in the investment of Xu Guangtou's movie.

Next, Xu Zheng almost "acted" to tell him the outline of the story for 20 minutes. After that, although Chen Mo knew that it was "Lost in Thailand", a true box office myth of Chinese-language films, and had already made a decision, he couldn't help but sigh that some people's success is really not accidental.

Xu Zheng really worked hard to attract investment and shoot his first movie.

His "acting" here looks a bit funny, even a bit "shameful", but once he succeeds, it will become a good story.

"How much investment is still needed? Our Shengshi Pictures can take it all." Chen Mo gave the answer immediately.

Xu Zheng looked at Wang Changtian.

"Since Director Chen is also optimistic about it, why don't we each take half? The total investment is 30 million, and we each contribute 15 million." Wang Changtian said with a smile.

"No problem!" Chen Mo naturally agreed without hesitation.

"Thank you, thank you Director Chen, thank you President Wang!"

"By the way, Director Chen, I need your help with something else." Xu Zheng suddenly spoke again.

"Oh? What's the matter?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

"It's like this, there is a plot in the film that requires a female star to make a guest appearance, and that's Fan Binbin." Xu Zheng said a little embarrassedly.

"It's just a small matter. I'll tell her when the time comes. It should be fine." Chen Mo agreed directly.

In fact, if the movie "Lost in Thailand" was released ten years later, Chen Mo would not invest in it even if it made more money. After all, the Southeast Asia region was really too dark at that time.

But there is no problem at the moment.

(End of this chapter)