The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

Wang Lihong raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not speak upon hearing this. His gaze simply returned to Li Xu.

He spoke with a distinctive Chinese American accent, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry:

"Three hundred thousand?"

"Director Li, your budget for commissioning this article is very generous."

"I heard from Producer Wang that you have very high standards for this song? So high that you feel many existing works on the market, even some specially commissioned compositions, don't meet your standards, and you're in a lot of hurry?"

"It's not high."

Li Xu replied calmly, "Yes, it's approved."

He leaned forward slightly, looked directly at Wang Lihong, and calmly corrected her, "I don't want this song to be a decoration for the movie, nor is it the background music for the end credits."

"I want it to be the emotional backbone of my film 'Love Announcement'—supporting the emotional direction of the entire story."

"This theme song is the musical expression of all the unspoken words that the protagonist, Du Minghao, cannot say to Song Qing. It is the musicalization of the thousands of words hidden in his eyes, actions, and silence."

"I want the audience to feel, when they hear any melody or any lyric in this song, that 'Yes, this is exactly what Du Minghao is like; this is how his songs should be.'"

Wang Lihong raised an eyebrow slightly.

He has met many directors and received many invitations to sing.

Some directors talk about the market, saying things like, "It has to be catchy and easy to sing."

Some conversations felt like they should be "a little sad, or a little sweet."

Others simply shrugged and said, "Teacher Wang, you decide. As long as it sounds good."

However, while Hollywood directors or domestic directors like Jiang Wen might have such a strong sense of importance as Li Xu, elevating a song to the level of "the backbone of a film," he had never seen a novice director with such stubbornness.

interesting.

Wang Lihong's face lit up with interest.

He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming serious, "Since you take this song so seriously, can I watch a clip from the movie first? It's about Du Minghao, about his story with that girl."

"After all, if I didn't understand the man in your movie, I couldn't have written a song that resonated with his feelings."

"certainly."

Li Xu nodded, "That's only natural. Even if Teacher Wang hadn't mentioned it, I would have been prepared."

He gestured to Wang Jing, who immediately took out the prepared documents from his briefcase.

The film's synopsis, detailed character biographies of the male lead Du Minghao and the female lead Song Qing, and a laptop containing several selected clips.

Wang Lihong first looked at the written materials.

He read very slowly, occasionally pausing to tap lightly on a particular passage with his finger.

Although he demanded high royalties for his songs, he also demanded high standards when creating them.

We must not only live up to the expectations of those who invited us to sing, but also live up to our own expectations.

Half an hour later, Wang Lihong closed the biography. When she looked up, the professional smile on her face had faded, replaced by a focused expression as she entered work mode.

Then, he opened the video file on his laptop.

First scene: [The first encounter between Du Minghao and Song Qing at a bookstore late at night.]

Light and shadow danced across their faces in a strange interplay, one at one end of the bookshelf, the other at the other, their gazes briefly meeting between the pages before shifting away.

Second scene: [In the rain, Du Minghao catches up with Song Qing as she turns to leave, and they share a restrained yet passionate kiss. Raindrops drip from his hair, and her eyelashes tremble.]

The third scene: [At the concert, Du Minghao held the microphone, his gaze piercing through the stage lights, landing on a blurry figure in the audience. His eyes were tender, almost melting, yet held an unapproachable distance.]

These three segments are all short, totaling less than ten minutes, but they are quite entertaining.

After reading it, Wang Lihong remained silent for a long time.

Although he is a musician, he has also acted in many movies. Recently, he even just finished filming "Lust, Caution" by the famous director Li An, in which he played an important supporting role.

Therefore, he could see what was contained in these three fragments.

The nuanced performance, the precise camerawork... and the emotional tension that almost overflows from the screen.

Most importantly, the actor playing Du Minghao is actually the director himself, Li Xu!

"Director Li, did you direct and act in this yourself?"

Wang Lihong looked at Li Xu with a doubtful tone and undisguised surprise in her eyes.

"Mm." Li Xu nodded.

"You acted very well."

Wang Lihong spoke very sincerely, "Although my acting skills are not top-notch, I can see that you have brought depth to this character."

"Especially the loneliness of standing on stage under the gaze of millions, yet having only one person in your heart."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "To be honest, I was a little resentful when you rejected me from the audition, Director Li."

"After all, the male lead you interviewed, Du Minghao, is a pop star, a singer-songwriter, and handsome. To be narcissistic, I think this is based on my own template."

"So you rejected me, and I'm very angry."

"Now that I see it, I underestimated you, Director Li. I would like to formally apologize here."

Li Xu was somewhat surprised.

He didn't expect Wang Lihong to be so direct.

"You're too kind, Teacher Wang."

Li Xu said calmly, "My choice at the time was based solely on the suitability of the role, and I had absolutely no other intentions."

"I see."

Wang Lihong waved her hand, a longing look on her face, and said, "To be honest, I also plan to direct a movie myself, and I will most likely direct and star in it, in the next few years."

"As for the subject matter... it will probably be a romance film. The male lead is likely a celebrity or a successful person who falls in love with an ordinary girl. The female lead will probably be one of the most popular A-list actresses in the industry right now."

As she spoke, Wang Lihong looked at Li Xu, feeling a sense of kinship with him: "Director Li, it seems we have a lot in common. For this reason, I'll accept your song, for 300,000. I'll turn down some other offers and give you the demo as soon as possible."

Li Xu's heart stirred slightly.

The film "Love Announcement" does indeed have many elements derived from Wang Leehom's future works in his memory.

However, among my fragmented memories of future movies, Wang Lihong's self-directed and self-acted romance film received... less than ideal reviews and box office results.

He didn't know the specific plot because Wang Lihong's movie wasn't very exciting, but the "celebrity falls in love with an ordinary person" premise was probably quite similar.

However, despite their similarities, their quality is completely different.

Li Xu is confident in his film, believing he has a more solid script, more realistic characters, and more restrained expression. He also boasts a stronger acting ability as the male lead and a world-class director.

Li Xu didn't look down on Wang Lihong; it's just that they had different pursuits.

He composed himself and looked at Wang Lihong: "After reading all this, Ms. Wang, do you have any initial thoughts on the creative direction of this song?"

"Yes," Wang Lihong answered quickly.

He touched his chin with one hand and tapped lightly on the table with the other, as if simulating some kind of rhythm.

"Don't worry, Director Li, you understand me, so I understand you too."

"Based on your understanding of Du Minghao's psychology, I think this song that can express his innermost thoughts definitely can't be a straightforward, shouting love song, nor can it be a saccharine confession."

"It should be... that feeling of having a thousand words in my heart, but being able to say only a few words out loud, it should be subtle and restrained enough, but beneath the restraint lies an even more turbulent emotion."

"Therefore, the melody and lyrics of this song cannot be too complicated, but the harmony can be layered, like a quiet night, with Du Minghao whispering his inner story."

Looking at Li Xu, Wang Lihong's eyes were firm and confident.

Li Xu's heart stirred. This little king in front of him, although he was a bit too confident, seemed to have undeniable strength.

Perhaps my movie theme song will truly be born in his hands.

Thinking of this, he reached into his bag, pulled out a notebook, and decisively handed it to Wang Lihong.

"Teacher Wang, let me show you. I have some thoughts on this theme song written in my notebook."

Wang Lihong took Li Xu's notebook and carefully looked at the fragmented thoughts.

The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became.

"You don't know why I left you, and I insisted on not telling you, letting you cry."

"It takes a butterfly several blinks to learn to fly."

Wang Lihong gently pressed the broken lyrics and melody on the notebook, humming softly for a while. Then, she looked up, her tone serious:

"Director Li, this is not just your directorial approach. You clearly have thought about what Du Minghao is thinking. I feel these lyrics are very good. I even think they don't need to be changed."

"Director Li, now that you have your own ideas, could you hum these lyrics to me softly? Just a random tune will do."

"Our ideas need to be in sync. I need to see your thoughts first, so that the creation doesn't go astray."

Li Xu was stunned for a moment.

Humming?

Wasn't he here to ask for a song?

How did it all turn into a live concert?

Li Xu felt a pang of reluctance, but seeing Wang Lihong's expectant gaze beside him, and wanting to secure a better performance, he frowned and began to hum softly:

"You don't know why I left you... I insisted on not telling you, letting you cry..."

Li Xu hummed softly, like someone talking to themselves in an empty room late at night, telling a story in a gentle and unhurried manner, without much musical technique.

But Wang Lihong was surprised to find that Li Xu's singing was actually quite good, and he had the feel of a powerful, lyrical singer.

Under Li Xu's questioning gaze, Wang Lihong strode towards the black grand piano in the corner of the studio.

He opened the piano lid, sat down, and listened to Li Xu humming as his long, slender fingers fell rapidly.

"Ding-dong-ding..."

A clear, slightly lonely piano note rang out, which was the main melody of the lyrics that Li Xu was humming.

But what's different is that Wang Lihong's fingers lightly roll across the keys, and simple triads unfold—the tranquility of C major, the tension of G major, and the return of F major.

He instantly infused this fragmented half of the song, with its originally thin melody, with vitality and life.

Emotions began to develop layers, and moods began to fluctuate.

Wang Jing watched from the side. He was originally a little bored, but now he looked at Wang Lihong playing the piano and then at Li Xu humming on the sofa. His mind was a little confused.

What happened to the promised song invitation?

What happened to the promise that we needed time to communicate and revise repeatedly?

Is it possible that the person who commissioned the song and the creator had different opinions?

How come the pace is so fast and the harmony so good on our first meeting and the first time we've seen each other's materials?

"This song won't be finished today, will it?"

Wang Jing felt restless, feeling that he couldn't understand this world where both sides were geniuses.

"Director Li."

After playing the melody on the piano, Wang Lihong turned around and smiled smugly with a hint of arrogance, "Let me tell you, I have perfect pitch. There are very few people in the domestic music scene who have it. Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou has it, but it's hard to say about the rest."

"So even though I only heard you hum it once, the whole melody of the song is already in my head. I added chords to make it more complete. What do you think?"

"Teacher Wang, I now have absolute confidence that you truly understand what I want."

"Your perfect pitch... is truly perfect."

Li Xu clapped his hands lightly twice, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

He was never one to flatter, but he was truly impressed by Wang Lihong's perfect pitch and that improvisational performance.

Hearing Li Xu say this, Wang Lihong waved his hand. He walked back to the sofa, but instead of sitting down, he looked at Li Xu earnestly and invited, "Director Li, if you're not in a hurry today, why don't we continue our conversation?"

"Go on with your ideas, talk about Du Minghao, talk about Song Qing, talk about the inner thoughts of those characters that weren't filmed. I'll turn them into musical notes. I'm really inspired right now, let's not waste any more time."

There were no formalities, no business pleasantries.

When inspiration strikes, Wang Lihong ignores the disapproving glances from her manager. Her mind is filled with only the genuine love of music from a genius musician, and the focus and excitement that ignites instantly when inspiration strikes.

Seeing Wang Lihong working so hard, Li Xu, who had already finished filming almost all the important scenes of "Love Announcement" and only had some fragmented scenes left to shoot, also checked the time on his watch—3 PM.

His most important filming for today is finished, and Shen Ao can handle the rest of the scenes.

Seeing this, he immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, Mr. Wang, I'll call the assistant director and ask him to oversee the filming for the afternoon."

"I'm spending the whole day here with Teacher Wang, looking forward to your work."

Li Xu took his phone out of his pocket and quickly called Shen Ao, giving him a brief explanation.

"Likewise, I'm a genius in music, and you're a genius in film and acting. We're both talented people."

"This talent cannot be wasted."

Wang Lihong smiled and nodded. As he spoke, he sat back down at the piano, "Come on, Director Li, let's continue. I think that part we just discussed can be further refined..."