Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 278, Section 276: Recruited Again
Just as "Happy Family" was making great strides on the big screen, solidifying its position as the king of the Lunar New Year film season, television screens were being swept by another wave of rich local flavor from the black soil region—

The 12-episode rural-themed TV series "Liu Laogen," fully invested by Shengying Media and directed, starring, and co-written by Zhao Benshan, has gained immense popularity since its simultaneous premiere on December 1st on multiple partner satellite TV channels and dozens of local TV stations. In just half a month, it has already become a wildfire hit.

With Wang Sheng's support of "abundant production resources," this TV series was able to overcome the financial constraints that might have existed in the original timeline. The costumes, props, and sets were of high quality, and the scenes were realistic and magnificent (especially the initial scale of Longquan Villa was presented earlier and more completely). The script was also polished to a more solid level due to the ample preparation time.

The characters played by Zhao Benshan (Liu Laogen), Fan Wei (Yaoxiazi), and Gao Xiumin (Dingxiang), with their vibrant life, simple humor, and down-to-earth fighting spirit, quickly captured the hearts of a wide audience from north to south and from cities to villages.

Ratings reports flooded into Shengying Media and Zhao Benshan's team.

"Liu Laogen" not only consistently topped the ratings charts of multiple satellite TV channels, but also became a ratings pillar and the center of discussion for dozens of local TV stations.

The drama's exploration of farmers' entrepreneurship, rural economic development, honest business practices, and the complexities of human relationships has resonated with a wide audience across different regions.

The "Liu Laogen spirit"—that indomitable spirit, daring to think and act, and the drive to lead fellow villagers to prosperity—perfectly aligns with the national theme of encouraging entrepreneurship, focusing on rural issues, and boosting domestic demand.

Its social influence is so great that it has even attracted the attention of the highest-ranking official media.

After careful evaluation and market research, Yangshi decisively entered the fray and officially purchased the exclusive rights to broadcast "Liu Laogen" for the second time at a very favorable price.

This means that, while the initial broadcast's popularity remains high, this phenomenal rural drama is about to land on the most authoritative and widely covered national platform, where it will be reviewed by a wider audience, and its brand value and influence will surely reach a new level.

When the news reached Wang Sheng, he was shuttling between Shenyang and Qipanshan, personally sorting out and finalizing the preliminary set design and preparation work for the "Crossing the Guandong" large-scale film and television cultural tourism base.

Upon receiving Li Tingting's report, Wang Sheng simply called Zhao Benshan back: "When you've mastered the skills, the timing is perfect. This is what you deserve, and this is the kind of success 'Liu Laogen' should have. Stay calm and don't let up on the subsequent creative work."

The "Crossing the Guandong" film and television city project is the first major substantive action following the tripartite cooperation agreement between Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, and Mayor Xu of Shenyang.

The reason for choosing Qipanshan as the site is its relatively pristine landform and potential for development.

Wang Sheng's investment was not just financial, but also a visionary perspective from the future and a forward-looking understanding of the integrated development of film, television, and tourism.

He requested that the restoration not only be of a few isolated scenes, but also that an immersive "Crossing the Guandong" themed time and space area be constructed with a complete sense of life and capable of supporting the filming of scenes from different eras.

From farmhouses in Shandong Province to villages in the snowy forests beyond the Great Wall, from bumpy canal wharves to the early prototype of railway hubs, planning and design drawings filled the offices of the temporary project department.

Wang Sheng, along with the historical consultants, art directors, and construction managers he hired, meticulously reviewed every detail to ensure that every brick, tile, plant, and tree was as close as possible to historical truth and the needs of artistic expression.

This project is massive and cannot be accomplished overnight, but it requires solid preparation in the early stages.

After establishing the main framework and direction for the early stages of the film and television city project and entrusting it to a professional project management team, Wang Sheng's focus began to irreversibly shift towards "Lurking".

The script for this TV series, which he had high hopes for, has been polished several times and is now mature.

The cast is dazzling, featuring a gathering of veteran actors: Wang Zhiwen plays the meticulous and steadfast Yu Zecheng; Jiang Wenli challenges herself by portraying the outwardly feisty but inwardly resilient Cui Ping; Li Youbin lends his support as the cunning Station Chief Wu; and Li Youbin also portrays the loyal and reliable Li Ya. In addition, a host of talented actors play supporting roles. Such a lineup is truly top-tier in the television drama field.

Wang Sheng drew on mature industry experience.

For a period spy drama like "Lurking," which has relatively concentrated scenes (mainly inside and outside Tianjin Station, Yu Zecheng's residence, etc.), but extremely high plot tension and performance requirements, he estimated that the production cycle would be relatively tight but leave room for flexibility.

The script for "Lurking" has about 30 episodes and the scenes are more restrained, but the polishing of the performances may take even longer.

Wang Sheng and his directing team (he personally took the lead as the chief director and equipped the team with experienced executive directors) jointly formulated a plan: the initial intensive shooting would last about 10-15 days, mainly for actors to get used to each other and set the tone, and then the shooting would proceed at a high efficiency level, with the total shooting cycle controlled at around 90 days, or about three months.

This includes time allotted for potential weather factors, actors' condition adjustments, and the pursuit of perfect shots.

Post-production was carried out simultaneously to maximize efficiency.

On December 26, 1999, a day that will be etched in history, the crew of the TV series "Lurking" held a brief but solemn opening ceremony at the meticulously reconstructed exterior of the "Jincheng Station" office building in Tianjin.

There was no lavish pomp and circumstance, no noisy media; the atmosphere was serious and focused.

Wang Sheng, Wang Zhiwen, Jiang Wenli, Chen Daoming, Li Youbin and other key members of the production team gathered together to unveil the camera.

Wang Sheng stood before the crowd, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "We're not standing here today to film a simple TV series."

We want to recreate a thrilling period of history and portray a group of heroes who sought light in the darkness and heard thunder in the silence.

"Faith" is the soul of this drama. I hope that everyone here, whether actors on stage or crew members behind the scenes, will approach this work with reverence for history and sincerity towards art.

His gaze swept over Wang Zhiwen and Jiang Wenli: "Zecheng's forbearance and wisdom, Cuiping's growth and sacrifice, require you to delve into the soul of the characters."

He then looked at Li Youbin and others: "Station Chief, Li Ya... every character, whether good or bad, should have its own complexity and logical consistency. What we want is for the audience to believe that in that era, that group of people really existed and struggled."

The cold wind swept across the old-fashioned telephone poles, making a whistling sound, like an echo of history.

Wang Zhiwen's eyes were calm, and he had already entered the restrained state of Yu Zecheng.

Jiang Wenli took a deep breath, trying to find the "rustic" and unease in Cuiping at the beginning.

Li Youbin nodded slightly; Station Chief Wu's shrewdness seemed to have already taken shape in his eyes.

After the opening ceremony, without a moment's rest, the crew immediately began filming the first scene—Yu Zecheng's first encounter with Station Master Wu upon arriving at Tianjin Station…

(End of this chapter)