Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

……

The movie "A Chinese Odyssey Part Three" is really too abstract.

In another timeline, Lu Yunzhou had never seen this movie.

Because this movie sounds like a terrible film.

He couldn't possibly spend 90 precious minutes of his life watching a terrible movie starring Tang Yan.

Even if it's pirated, it's not worth it.

But watching a movie on set is much more interesting.

After a nice afternoon nap in the RV, around 4 pm, Lu Yunzhou, having nothing to do, went to the film set to watch the excitement.

"My goodness. Is this really a movie made in 2015?"

Lu Yunzhou saw Wu Jing, who was bald and playing the role of Tang Sanzang.

At this moment, the crew seems to be filming Tang Sanzang Wu Jing's first appearance.

Wu Jing, dressed in a white suit and spy hat, is standing still at a strange 30-degree angle... Wait, could this be Michael Jackson's classic dance move?

It's actually true!

Lu Yunzhou never expected that Wu Jing's first appearance would be a dashing entrance in the desert, with Michael Jackson's signature forward lean.

There was no background music.

But Lu Yunzhou had already imagined how abstract the scene would be if Michael Jackson's classic dance music were played later.

That's so absurd!

If Wu Jing's face were replaced by Stephen Chow's, this scene would become an iconic moment... but this is Wu Jing.

His on-screen image had been firmly welded into Lu Yunzhou's mind.

This guy is definitely a tough guy.

His sudden shift to abstract concepts is really a bit overwhelming.

"They don't really think that young people would still like this kind of awkward, tacky, and noisy movie in 2015, do they?"

"Wu Jing, you've really worked hard."

Although he felt a little emotional, Lu Yunzhou sensed that Wu Jing didn't seem to be having any trouble at all and was having a lot of fun.

On set, Wu Jing was filled with laughter and joy.

"Why did 'A Chinese Odyssey' have to come to this?"

A faint sadness welled up in Lu Yunzhou's heart, as if he had witnessed his childhood treasured world-famous painting being turned into a funny cartoon.

With the same director and production team, the film became incredibly awkward simply because the lead actor was changed from Stephen Chow to someone else.

Lu Yunzhou could imagine that after the movie was released, it could attract a large number of people to the cinema in the first few days by relying on the huge sentiment and publicity gimmicks.

The box office should be good.

But once word gets out, it will inevitably be met with a barrage of online abuse.

The same is true.

This movie relied on nostalgia as a marketing gimmick, and ultimately grossed 3.6 million yuan at the box office, but its Douban score was less than 4 points.

After its release, it was ridiculed across the internet, effectively blocking Tang Yan's future film career.

……

"Brother, let me use the small electric fan to cool you down. It's too hot here."

Lu Yunzhou was watching the commotion from a corner, shaking his head and sighing from time to time.

He originally intended to learn by observing how the renowned director Jeffrey Lau makes movies.

After arriving...

It would have been better if we hadn't come at all.

After seeing Wu Jing's abstract works on site, his sense of sanctity towards the film industry was instantly shattered.

To be honest, the filming technique has a lot of flaws.

"Brother, look down at me."

Just then, a petite, pretty woman with delicate features walked over, carrying a small electric fan, and waved it in front of Lu Yunzhou.

"Thanks."

Lu Yunzhou glanced down at the pretty girl, then at Tang Yan, who was sitting not far away waiting to go on stage and save the world.

Tang Yanchong nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face.

Clearly, this pretty young woman was sent by Tang Yan to serve his younger sister.

"Brother, are you also an actress in Sister Tangtang's company? Nice to meet you. My name is Chen Yuqi, and I'm a new actress that Sister Tangtang just signed. I hope you'll take good care of me in the future."

Chen Yuqi had just graduated from university and came to Hengdian from her hometown of Chengdu to work. After a while, she finally became a "contract actor" and could earn 300 yuan a day.

Compared to the average white-collar salary in her hometown of Chengdu, she felt that this income was perfectly acceptable.

Moreover, being an extra is quite interesting; you can see different excitements every day.

She played a minor role for two days in "A Chinese Odyssey Part Three" and watched the excitement for ten days, laughing so hard she almost choked every day.

Just two hours ago, she, as an extra, sat in the inn watching Tang Yan, who played Zixia Fairy, and Karen Mok, who played Bai Jingjing, and Gillian Chung, who played Chun San Niang, engage in some kind of master-disciple battle.

She was practically dying of laughter.

Perhaps it was because her laughter was too arrogant that she caught the eye of Tang Yan, the female lead. After filming the scene, Tang Yan called her over directly.

This terrified Chen Yuqi, who thought she had accidentally offended the female lead and wouldn't get her special fee today.

Who knew that within seconds, life would take a turn for the better.

Tang Yan seemed to find her pleasing to the eye, saying that her smile was particularly cute, with a touch of innocence, and asked her where she was from, how long she had been in Hengdian, and whether she was signed with a company.

When Tang Yan learned that Chen Yuqi had graduated from university with a degree in acting, even though the school was a third-tier private acting college, the major was relevant to her studies.

As Chen Yuqi introduced herself, Tang Yan suddenly remembered that an hour earlier, Lu Yunzhou had described to her one of the 12 episodes of the TV series. In the episode, Lu Yunzhou had a dream in which he was born in Chengdu, was a rich second-generation, and had a childhood sweetheart.

That childhood sweetheart looked just like Chen Yuqi—small in stature, with a particularly clever and adorable look when she rolled her eyes.

Tang Yan then felt that all of this might be the will of Heaven.

So, without saying a word, she made Chen Yuqi follow her from now on.

"You're the artist that Sister Tangtang signed two hours ago? No, Sister Ji isn't here. Your contract isn't signed yet; it's just a verbal promise?"

Tangtang is so easygoing!

Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

However, it is Tang Yan's freedom to decide who to sign as an artist, and besides, the little girl in front of her seems quite well-behaved.

As for acting skills?

I'd rather not comment.

"A verbal promise is still a promise. Brother, please don't curse me, this opportunity is very rare for someone as insignificant as me. It's almost like winning the lottery."

Chen Yuqi looked at Lu Yunzhou pitifully.

She cleverly realized that Tang Yan herself hadn't brought an assistant, but had sent her, her younger sister, to curry favor with Lu Yunzhou.

This guy is definitely the living ancestor of Tang Yan Studio.

Thinking of this, Chen Yuqi immediately became eager: "Big brother, are you thirsty? Shall I buy you a drink?"

"Brother, would you like to find a seat? But you can't just sit anywhere here. You'll get yelled at. I have a small stool over there, I'll bring it over so you can rest for a bit."

Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but chuckle at Chen Yuqi's eager manner.

Her intentions were practically written all over her face.

"No."

Lu Yunzhou came just to watch the excitement, and now that he's had his fill, it's time for him to go back.

To be honest, the film set doesn't smell very good in the summer.

"Oh, right, extra A, you should get into position too. The director's watching you."

Chen Yuqi is pretty and charming, but the clothes on set, especially in summer, smelled really bad.

Lu Yunzhou did not want to get too close.

"Thank you for the reminder, I'll be leaving right away."

The first rule of working on film sets: You need to have a good eye.

If I curry favor with this big brother, whether I can get a permanent position will be up to him with just a word.

After Chen Yuqi finished her task of ingratiating herself, she did not immediately go to her place, but instead went to Tang Yan's side.

After completing a task in front of your superiors, how can you simply walk away?

Of course, I need to report my work to my superiors.

A working person must have a working spirit.

"Qiqi, you did a great job just now. You have a good eye for detail. That's what an actor has to be like—always watching and listening."

As a boss, Tang Yan stylistically instructed his newly recruited maid: "You must be able to tell at a glance who is the most unique person on the entire set."

When lecturing someone, Tang Yan exudes an air of dominance.

But in reality, Tang Yan was constantly lamenting in her heart at this moment.

It’s over.

Everything is over.

This movie is even worse than I expected.

Wu Jing, a tough guy, was turned into an abstract monster by them. Wu Jing had a lot of fun, but what about the female lead?

Alas!

Tang Yan could foresee that after the movie was released, a barrage of negative articles and ridicule would pour down like a torrential rain, making her afraid to show her face for at least three months.

Yang Mi's side will become even more unscrupulous in publishing smear articles against her.

Fortunately, she seized Lu Yunzhou as a lifeline in advance. Once that short film is released, her reputation should be able to recover considerably.

"Sister Tangtang, if Brother Yunzhou is the most unique person on the entire set, then you must be the most unique person in the entire Hengdian."

At this moment, Chen Yuqi saw Tang Yan frowning and suddenly interjected, her little face serious.

Haha!

You're really good with words.

Tang Yan was pleased by Chen Yuqi's words and began to think about promoting her: "Qiqi, after work, go change into a nicer dress. I'll take you out for a big meal tonight to celebrate you joining my studio."

Tang Yan had already begun preparing for a period drama in April, titled "The Princess Weiyoung".

She plans to use this drama to officially transition into becoming a producer.

Chen Yuqi is quite cute, so she decided to include this little girl in the production team.

After all, Yang Mi has almost made Dilraba a star, and she can't fall too far behind. She also needs to promote her own little sister to compete with Dilraba.

However, Chen Yuqi's thin and weak appearance makes it clear that she is no match for Dilraba.

"It's a pity that Yunzhou has no interest in being an actor. With his face and that Bach-esque cool and elegant temperament, once he debuts, he will definitely be a top star in the Chinese entertainment industry."

Tang Yan felt more and more regretful the more she thought about it.

Being a director was lucrative, but that was in the past.

With the arrival of the era of internet traffic, the earning speed and monetization value of top-tier actors are more impressive than those of directors.

In particular, Lu Yunzhou also has excellent directing skills, enabling him to direct his own projects and promote himself.

This makes the project very controllable.

All online platforms and television stations will like Lu Yunzhou.

"When Sister Ji comes back, we'll discuss this properly. We need to figure out a way to make Yunzhou a top star and help me go head-to-head with Yang Mi's Dilraba."

Now, Tang Yan truly hates Yang Mi.

The reason Yang Mi broke ties with her and disregarded their sisterly bond was to allow Dilraba to climb the ladder of success by stepping on her.

Dilraba is young and beautiful, and her acting skills are still decent. Tang Yan, due to her status, cannot personally participate.

Otherwise, people will say she's bullying the weak.

of course.

Most importantly, Tang Yan felt that if she personally got involved and failed to handle Dilraba, it would be even more embarrassing.

The only way for her to get back at Dilraba without any risk is to create her own top star, completely crush her, and vent her anger.

Chen Yuqi won't do; she's too petite and lacks presence. She can only play supporting roles in movies and TV dramas.

Lu Yunzhou is different.

Perhaps due to his early exposure to classical music, Lu Yunzhou possesses an innate elegance and refined taste.

Tang Yan believes that all it takes is one hit drama for Lu Yunzhou to become a top star.

……

Hangzhou.

Paradise Umbrella Company.

Following the plan agreed upon with Lu Yunzhou, Ji Rujing gave the free product placement of the new drama to Paradise Umbrella Company as a reward.

After learning about the entire concept of the new drama, President Li's eyes lit up frequently.

But he did not immediately agree to the request.

Maximizing profits is the instinct of every competent businessman.

After a moment of contemplation, President Li slowly spoke: "President Ji, your terms are very good. In principle, I should agree to your request immediately. However, I suddenly feel that our cooperation might be able to go a little deeper."

Mr. Li's sudden change of heart and the so-called deeper cooperation caught Ji Rujing off guard.

Ji Rujing's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down.

She looked at President Li, her face still bearing a polite smile: "President Li wants to deepen our cooperation, which we would certainly be happy to do. But we'd like to know, what exactly does this 'deepening cooperation' mean?"

Mr. Li smiled and said, "I don't lie to people. Mr. Ji, I think we should film most of the scenes in Hangzhou. I'm confident that with Director Lu Yunzhou's skill, he'll capture the beauty of Hangzhou in the film."

"In addition, our company is willing to become a co-producer of the new drama."

"Our company can initially invest 1000 million yuan in production, and will not interfere with director Lu Yunzhou's creative process. We will only be responsible for coordinating filming in Hangzhou, connecting with cultural and tourism resources, and empowering the brand."

"As for what percentage of these investments will be made... we can discuss that gradually."

What do you think?

Mr. Li had already inquired about Tang Yan's studio, which is currently preparing to film a new drama called "The Princess Weiyoung".

Tang Yan Studio is definitely facing a severe financial crisis.

In order to solve the funding problem, Tang Yan Studio will definitely bring in other production companies.

Why not ask them instead of outsiders?

Their company has a lot of cash tied up in its accounts, and they also have a very good relationship with local cultural and tourism organizations.

Most importantly, Mr. Li sensed something unusual.

Ji Rujing's appearance here, suddenly offering even better cooperation terms... most likely, the organizing committee leadership gave Ji Rujing an opportunity she couldn't refuse.

An opportunity that could bring Tang Yan and Lu Yunzhou both fame and fortune.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Yunzhou will soon win an award at an international film festival!

Directors who have won awards at international film festivals, such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang, Li An, and Wang Jiawei, seem to be a lot.

But those are all renowned directors who have been famous for decades!

Among the younger generation, those who can win international awards are extremely rare.

Mr. Li is willing to place his bet in advance!