Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 681 Jing Tian's Winning Strategy

For a director of Li Qiutang's stature to visit any TV drama set is, to put it bluntly, like a god descending to earth.

Everyone in the group has to fawn over him.

The dinner was at an ordinary roadside food stall in Hengdian, with three tables occupied, and the food and drinks were quite ordinary. It's common for celebrities to eat at roadside food stalls in Hengdian.

Like many men, Li Qiutang likes to reminisce about the past and boast when he drinks.

Right now, he's bragging to Li Muge and Jing Tian about his experiences at the Golden Globe Awards 11 years ago.

"Their awards ceremony isn't as good as ours. To put it nicely, the process is relaxed and free, but to put it bluntly, it's unruly. The Golden Globes are like a cocktail party, but you know who actually drinks? They just take a sip or two as a formality. But Americans are different. Many Americans are addicted to alcohol, and every year at the Golden Globes, someone gets completely drunk and throws up backstage hugging the toilet."

"They knew they had work to do on stage today, but many couldn't resist. They couldn't resist the alcohol and forgot about their business."

"Luck played a big part in my winning the award that year. My biggest competitors that year were The Social Network and The King's Speech. The former is a typical American Dream and American mainstream film."

"Is The Social Network the mainstream ideology in America?" some people questioned.

"Of course it is! 'The Social Network' practically plasters itself on its forehead that America is a hotbed of internet wealth and lucrative opportunities. Mainstream themes aren't always about war. Sci-fi films like 'Captain America' are mainstream; the title itself is Captain America, and the American flag is practically on their person. It's just that their commercial packaging is better, and the film is more visually appealing. They are definitely more mature than us." There's nothing to deny about that. "Our current mainstream themes are still at a relatively rudimentary stage of just shouting slogans."

Returning to the 11 Golden Globe Awards, Li Qiutang said: "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a bit strange. Most of the time, it is in cahoots with the Hollywood mainstream, but sometimes it is very willing to go against the Hollywood mainstream, and it has even done a lot of things to disgust Hollywood."

"I benefited from this in my year. Actually, we didn't intend to submit for the Golden Globes because we felt that the ideological struggle in the film was too obvious and the Americans definitely wouldn't accept it. It was our North American distributor who encouraged us, saying that we should give it a shot. After submitting it, it actually became a hot favorite. It's probably because the films in the previous Golden Globes were too predictable and too politically correct. That year, the association gave me a push and disgusted Hollywood."

It's like he won the award entirely by luck; how pretentious.

"On the red carpet, a reporter friend told me that he bet on me to win the prize through a betting site. I don't know how much he made in the end."

"You can even win this kind of prize by eating spinach?"

"Sure, the Golden Globe Awards are a hot prize, and where there's attention, there will be people betting on it."

He also said, "I've been there once, and it's just like that. I don't speak the language, I don't know anyone, and I just sit there like an idiot."

Next, I'll talk about my time as a jury member at Cannes in 12; Cannes has even more to offer.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Liying came over with a cup. "Director, it's been a long time."

The two had indeed not seen each other for a very long time, so long that Li Qiutang almost forgot that Zhao Liying had played the Nightingale for him in "Making a Name for Him".

Accompanying Zhao Liying were director Zhang Kaizhou and Feng Shaofeng.

"Hello director, we're also filming in Hengdian, 'The Story of Minglan'," Zhang Kaizhou said.

"You're filming Li Qingzhao?" Anyone with a bit of culture would guess that the name refers to Li Qingzhao.

"No, it's an ancient fictional family drama."

I understand now, it's about power struggles within ancient Chinese households.

Even Noon Sunshine Films makes dramas like this.

"We heard you came to Hengdian to visit the set, so we came uninvited since we were having dinner in the next private room."

"It's alright, it's alright." Li Muge invited the three of them to sit down. "Sit down." But Jing Tian, ​​who was sitting next to Li Qiutang, showed no intention of giving up her seat. Li Muge also did not intend to give up his seat and let the three of them sit opposite Li Qiutang.

"We're not sitting down, we just came to say hello."

Zhao Liying still wants to act in movies. The competition in TV dramas is too fierce. Yang, Shu, Tang, Liu, and other rising actresses are all her competitors. Only by moving up to the film industry can she get rid of these entanglements and prolong her acting career.

However, her film resources are too poor. You don't need to network in TV dramas, but you do need to network in movies. The film industry doesn't recognize her, and her team doesn't have the ability to bring her high-quality film resources.

Her current partner is Huang Bin, who is very capable, but he can't bring her into the film industry.

She came from Huayi, but she has no connection with Huayi. Huayi has a strong circle culture, and she was not considered a close associate when she was at Huayi. Now that she has left Huayi, there is no connection at all, and she never thought of getting anything out of Huayi.

“You’re really famous now.” Li Qiutang praised Zhao Liying, but Zhao Liying seized on the compliment and joked, “I haven’t even acted in one of your dramas, which means I’m not famous enough.”

Li Qiutang smiled and said, "You're already famous enough without acting in my movies. My movies don't promote actors." This wasn't exactly modesty. Although Li Bingbing's Golden Horse Award for Best Actress and Huang Xiaoming's Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor were both brought to the screen by "The Message," Li Qiutang's other movies didn't really promote the actors.

Despite this, countless actors still want to be in Li Qiutang's productions.

Everyone present could tell that Zhao Liying was trying to curry favor with him; who among them wouldn't want to curry favor with her?

Then Zhao Liying said, "You guys don't know, do you? My first movie was directed by a director."

“I had just started out then, and I played Nightingale in ‘Fame and Fortune’.”

Regardless, Zhao Liying is indeed the biggest star at this gathering besides Li Qiutang, and everyone still adores her.

"You played Nightingale? I didn't even realize it," the crowd echoed.

Zhao Liying laughed and said, "I was too young back then and didn't understand anything. I'm so grateful for the director's understanding."

"Fame and Fortune" achieved a box office success of over 100 million yuan due to its novel format, which generated considerable buzz.

Jing Tian felt that Zhao Liying was being smug when she heard her words. Indeed, she was being smug. Jing Tian was a little jealous. You have a good relationship with the director, as if I don't. The director even directed my debut MV. I also have a good relationship with Sister Yifei. I've even been to their house as a guest. Have you been there?

Jing Tian, ​​who was usually not competitive, also wanted to speak up. She said, "I remember in 06, when the director was filming 'Comet,' Sister Yifei and I went to your little studio, which was in the neighborhood outside the film academy. We watched DVDs there."

"Eleven years have passed in the blink of an eye."

You filmed his movie in 07, but I've known him since 06, when I was with Sister Yifei!
"Back then, you hadn't even entered film school yet, and you still had a bit of baby fat, like you hadn't fully grown up."

“Oh dear, it’s been 11 years, why are you bringing this up!” Jing Tian said, “Don’t dredge up my embarrassing past.”

"Why bother looking at it? The music video for 'Who Am I' is all over the internet right now."

Everyone laughed.

Zhao Liying didn't respond at all, saying, "There's still a table of guests over there, we'll be leaving now."

With that, he left with Zhang Kaizhou and Feng Shaofeng.

Jing Tian felt she had won.

(End of this chapter)