2001 Media Godfather

Chapter 45 Old Sun came with a knife.
The rhythm and sensory stimulation created by the rules of weekly dramas are something that daily dramas cannot replicate.

The long narrative and unified creative approach of daily dramas are something that weekly dramas find difficult to achieve.

This might sound a bit abstract, but an analogy will make it much clearer.

Weekly dramas are somewhat like online novels in later generations, where creators must pursue rhythm and create sensory stimulation. Daily dramas, on the other hand, are more like traditional literature, where the entire story is written before publication, slowly unfolding and laying the groundwork for a profound or moving tale.

Neither is superior to the other.

As for Sun Jianyi, she studies policy and has to consider things more deeply.

This puzzled Lu Mingze greatly. "Even if our weekly broadcast model isn't better than daily broadcast, it has at least been tested by the market and is beneficial to the TV drama industry!"

Mr. Sun should be supportive, right?

Instead of giving a direct answer, Chu An suddenly asked Tong Meng, "If you can no longer sign contracts for full-length roles and only short contracts for one or two episodes, would you be willing?"

Tong Meng shrugged. "Who doesn't want stability? Of course not!"

Chu An asked again, "If ten people were competing for a role in Director Lu's weekly drama series, or for a role as a new director with no competitors, which would you choose?"

Without even thinking, Tong Meng said, "Of course I'll choose Director Lu! He's experienced and a big director. If he can get the role, the chances of the show being filmed for a long time are much greater! As for a new director, even if there's no competition, if he can't air an episode or two, he'll have to find another company."

Chu An asked the question for the third time, but this time it was directed at Ma Lan: "If you were a viewer, and you were only allowed to watch one or two episodes of the story each time, with no sequels, would you like it?"

Without even thinking, Ma Lan replied, "I don't like it! It's too painful."

After asking three questions in a row, Chu An stopped and turned to look at Lu Mingze, "Do you still think that Old Master Sun will support Zhou Bo?"

Lu Mingze, "..."

The answer is obvious, and these are the drawbacks of weekly dramas that everyone sees but easily overlooks.

Chu An said, "Weekly broadcasts do make it easier to produce good dramas and make money, which seems to be good for the industry."

"But the essence of weekly dramas is that they are the most conducive to capital operation, and they are a winner-takes-all game!"

"At least in China, once this door is opened, nobody knows whether it will be good or bad!"

Everyone, "..."

Chu An's words inexplicably aroused a sense of crisis.

Lu Mingze even broke out in a sweat. "If what you're saying is true, then Old Sun's visit to the set isn't a good thing! 'The Best of Us' might very well become the swan song of weekly dramas?"

Unexpectedly, Chu An silently shook his head, "It's a good thing that Old Master Sun came to visit the set. At least after he became alert, we were the first to make contact and had a channel to speak out."

"While other companies in the industry haven't realized this yet, if we wait until they do, they'll realize that weekly dramas aren't good for them. They'll take the initiative and force the rule-makers to ban weekly dramas, leaving us in a passive position."

"Of course, Old Sun's arrival is also a bad thing!"

"Because if he becomes convinced of our intention to ban weekly dramas, then 'With You' might not be the last of its kind!"

Lu Mingze's eyes widened. "What is that!?"

Chu An, "Cut in half!"

For the sake of the bigger picture, it's not impossible that they might cut it off before it's finished airing.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone was terrified, feeling as if they had fallen from heaven to hell.

Tong Meng looked bewildered. "Everything was fine yesterday, so why did we suddenly stop filming?"

Ma Lan still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking, "It can't be that bad, can it? I don't think Old Sun would be so heartless!"

Chu An smiled wryly, thinking to himself, "Is it really that serious? It might be much worse than he analyzed."

He only analyzed Mr. Sun's motives from the perspective of industry development, but Sun Jianyi had to consider much more than just industry development!

One move can have far-reaching consequences, and he also needs to consider regulatory issues.

Lu Mingze's film is an urban campus drama, avoiding sensitive topics. So, it's unlikely that all future productions will be campus dramas, right?

So what other dramas or elements can be fast-paced and stimulate the audience's senses? Of course, it's pornography! Explosive content! And novel and unique things. So how do the relevant departments address the chaos in supervision and management?

There are also review issues.

This was a special case handled with special assistance, and Liaoning Provincial Radio and Television also provided support. It was approved in just one week, setting a new record for the shortest approval time.

What happens after that? Is it always a week? With such a short approval cycle, won't there be any problems?

So, don't be fooled by the impressive results, which may seem like a remarkable achievement. In reality, from a holistic perspective, it might not be a good thing.

Chu An's worries were not unfounded at all.

In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that the old man came with a knife, and it was uncertain whether Lu Mingze could protect his little Dingding.

Next, Director Lu confirmed Chu An's guess.

Lu Mingze didn't even eat, nor did he look at any materials. What the hell is this "episode 10 ending"? If he waits any longer, episode 10 will be the finale.

He rushed back to the guesthouse and, under the guise of visiting the former leader, knocked on Sun Jianyi's door.

"Boss! I'll sell 'You Are My Glory' to CCTV for 200,000 yuan per episode! Please, have mercy and let me finish filming 'With You'!"

With Lao Lu's emotional intelligence and straightforwardness, the only thing he could come up with was the idea of ​​exchanging dramas for dramas.

This surprised Old Sun quite a bit. He hadn't understood anything just now, so how did he suddenly get it?

Is this because...someone with expert guidance is around?

He smiled and looked at Lu Mingze, "Little Lu, don't be nervous. I also hope you can present a complete and good work to the audience!"

These words were spoken frankly, which put Lu Mingze at ease.

but……

"But!!" Old Sun changed the subject, "You're considered a leader in this industry. When you're really needed to step up, you won't refuse, will you?"

Lu Mingze, "..." His face turned pale instantly. He stood there stunned for a long time, then said sincerely to Sun Jianyi, "Boss, let me be honest with you, I'd rather cut 'You Are My Glory' than have 'The Best of Us' abandoned halfway through!"

"I just want to prove myself with this movie!"

If Chu An were here, he would kick him down the building.

This isn't a heart-to-heart talk; this is a threat!

In other words, Old Sun knew what kind of person he was, and he wasn't that petty.

He just smiled and said, "Don't rush, let's take a look and see!"

Lu Mingze, "..."

After leaving Sun Jianyi's place, feeling completely lost, I wanted to go to the classroom to discuss a plan with Chu An.

Unexpectedly, I saw a familiar face at the entrance of the guesthouse.

"Old Zou, what brings you here?"

Zou Qingsong had collaborated with Lu Mingze many times before and was the actor with the best working relationship with Lu Mingze.

Although Lu Mingze is not very emotionally intelligent and has a bad temper, he has always respected good actors, and the two became friends over time.

At this moment, Zou Qingsong also looked bitter when he saw Lu Mingze. "Me? I didn't want to come, but I'm living under someone else's roof, so I had no choice."

After finding a quiet corner with Lu Mingze, he said, "It was Liang Guoliang who targeted you. He's already been stripped of his power by Chen Ru, so it's unlikely he'll target you again."

Lu Mingze: "Oh."

Zou Qingsong said, "Also, President Chen asked me to tell you that Xu Shu's contract can be postponed indefinitely, and you can decide on the overdue payment. There's only one request: it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. The matter with Tiandu was all a misunderstanding, so let it go."

Lu Mingze wasn't thinking about this. "Fine, I'll think about it for your sake."

Zou Qingsong smiled, "President Chen also asked me to pass on a message to you: he is happy for you that 'The Best of Us' has achieved such great success, and he wants you to cherish it. He and Director Sun are also old friends."

"Oh," Lu Mingze responded again, then asked curiously, "Does Chen Ru know about Elder Sun's visit to the set?"

Zou Qingsong laughed, "Old Lu! Do you know how much trouble you've caused?"

"The industry is in an uproar right now. You earned 6700 million from just one movie. Add to that the affair with Tian Du, and nobody can be as famous as you!"

"So many eyes are on Ning Yuan! How could President Chen possibly let go of the news of Sun Tai's visit to the set?"

Lu Mingze: "It's not 67 million, it's definitely over 100 million."

Zou Qingsong: "..."

He stopped talking about Lu Mingze and Tiandu, knowing he needed some time to process it.

"I'll stay here for two days?"

Lu Mingze: "Okay! I'll treat you to drinks tonight."

After parting ways with Zou Qingsong, Lu Mingze's thoughts were still on Old Sun, and in the end, he couldn't resist going back to find Chu An.

Chu An didn't react to Old Master Sun's words. However, after hearing about Actor Zou's visit to the set, he sneered, "They've got Tian Du got their weakness out of them!"

"what?"

Lu Mingze was confused again. "What weakness? Didn't they deal with Liang Guoliang and take the initiative to seek peace?"

Chu An didn't bother to explain to him, because it was pointless anyway; this guy had never mastered the art of speaking.

Judging from Lu Mingze's description, the request for peace was indeed a request for peace, and it also showed sincerity.

The problem is, Tiandu is still Tiandu, and it hasn't lowered its stance at all.

Why did I mention Old Master Sun?
Why is it that everyone in the industry is arguing about Director Lu earning 6700 million?

This is a reminder to Lu Mingze to know when to stop!

otherwise……

Everyone knows why Sun Jianyi came, and they also know the impact weekly dramas have on the industry. If he really wants to fight to the death, even the heavens can't do anything to Lu Mingze.

Chu An rubbed his temples helplessly. It was truly one problem after another. The filming was still not settled when two more troublemakers appeared.

Lu Mingze couldn't help him on this level, so he had to find a solution himself.

He said sullenly, "Tell Zou Qingsong not to leave. Let him play a cameo role, and we'll arrange a scene for him later."

That's the good thing about weekly dramas; you can add scenes at any time without disrupting the overall flow.

Zou Yingdi still has influence, so there's no harm in using it.

However, since it's a campus drama after all, the surprise that Zou Yingdi brought to the audience was still a bit small.

If they replaced the guest star with a popular actor who fits their style, Chu An wouldn't have to worry about the ending of episode ten.

Take Lin Wanxing, for example.

Chu An has a strong ability to make connections; he thought of other things from Zou Yingdi.

Just think, if Lin Wanxing, who is on par with and an adversary of Xu Shu, were to make a cameo appearance, what would be the point of a plot? The two of them standing in the same shot would be enough to ignite the audience.

Pity……

Chu An hadn't thought much about it beforehand; in order to keep Xu Shu, he used her as a pawn.

The feud is now set in stone, and there's no way to get him to come now.

Just as he was lamenting, the classroom door was suddenly pushed open forcefully, and a brother and sister stood in the doorway, glaring fiercely at Lu Mingze.

Lin Wanchen, tall and handsome, strode in with his hands in his pockets. "Director Lu, don't you owe Wanxing an explanation?!"

Lu Mingze: "..."

I thought to myself: Did I not wipe properly after using the toilet today? Or did I offend the Grand Duke Jupiter by not checking the almanac? What a bunch of bad things keep happening!
Chu Anren was dumbfounded...

Wow! The delivery arrived!
……

(End of this chapter)