Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 273: Who should we choose, Sister Zhiling or the director of "New Three Kingdoms"?

In late April, Yan Li, a member of the crew of "Red Cliff," visited the set at the invitation of Han Sanye.

As mentioned before, although Yi'an did not invest in this film, its outstanding ground promotion and anti-theft capabilities will make it one of the distributors of "Red Cliff".

As the distributor, it's natural to need to know the production progress and other details of the filming. Of course, I also took the opportunity to visit Fan Xiaopang on set under the guise of official business.

"Director Wu, I'm sorry to bother you."

Yan Li shook hands with Wu Baige. During this period, Wu Baige had been traveling to the mainland quite a bit and had dealt with many mainland bosses.

Although Yan Li was not among them, they had met on several occasions.

"Not at all, Master Yan is an expert, please give me more guidance."

Wu Baige still had a deep impression of Yan Li. Putting aside everything else, Yan Li's youthful appearance alone made him hard to forget among a group of industry bigwigs.

Not to mention, Yan Li's wealth and influence are among the top in the mainland film industry, and he started from scratch.

Wu Baige is also a seasoned veteran in the underworld.

I've also met many young millionaires and know how to deal with them.

Is he relying on his seniority and showing off his experience?

These young people who have risen to prominence in just a few years are the least likely to fall for this kind of thing. If they're particular, they'll try to appease you a bit; if they're not, they'll just take advantage of you.

Internationally renowned directors certainly have prestige in front of their sponsors and are often showered with praise.

But the reason for promoting you is to make money. If you encounter someone who doesn't care about saving face, even an internationally renowned director is just a director.

Other investors might support you to make money, but they might not necessarily stand up to certain people for your sake.

Directors from Hong Kong have a deeper understanding of this, having been criticized or thoroughly humiliated. In contrast, mainland directors, due to the relatively new industry environment and market, often hold themselves in a more arrogant manner.

Based on Yan Li's personal experience, he finds it more comfortable to work with Hong Kong directors.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yan Li and Han Sanye, along with several other investors or distributors, toured the interior and exterior sets and filming locations of "Red Cliff".

Including the Jiangdong army camp and Cao Cao's camp, they even tested the iron chain bridle on the boat before Prime Minister Cao.

Putting the plot aside for now, the hundreds of millions invested in "Red Cliff" were well spent; the costumes, props, and sets are all of excellent quality.

Yan Li pulled a long spear from a weapon rack, fiddled with it, and swung it around. He discovered that even the weapons, which were merely decorative, were all one-to-one replicas.

As expected of a blockbuster, it really costs a fortune.

Yan Li had previously considered whether he could learn from the costumes, props, and sets of "Red Cliff" if he were to film a new "Three Kingdoms" series, but now he's having some reservations.

It's not that it's bad, it's just too expensive!
No matter how much money was spent on "Red Cliff," it only produced footage for a few hours. "New Three Kingdoms," on the other hand, has dozens of episodes. With the production costs of this level of costumes, props, and sets, the investment would probably be several times higher.

So learning it is out of the question. Let's see if we can pick up some "junk" from "Red Cliff".

Since it's secondhand, it's definitely cheaper than buying or making it yourself. Even if it's about the same, the quality is more reliable.

With this in mind, Yan Li didn't mean to find fault. Instead, he was curious about and asked questions about everything in "Red Cliff" with the intention of learning and buying/renting second-hand costumes and props.

If it weren't for the film crew keeping the production secret and not allowing photography, Yan Li might have already made a second-hand pre-order catalog.

After touring the set and filming location, Yan Li and his team also met the main cast and crew of "Red Cliff".

Because the crew filmed the scenes in Cao Cao's camp first, not everyone was present, but Fan Xiaopang and Lin Zhiling were both there.

That's right. Besides Sun Shangxiang infiltrating Cao Cao's camp, Xiao Qiao also went to Cao Cao's camp in the movie to delay Cao Cao's troops and buy time for battle.

Cao Cao, in his eagerness to drink and chat with Xiao Qiao, actually missed a crucial opportunity in battle.

The most outrageous thing is that Xiao Qiao offered herself to him, and Cao Cao only drank and chatted with her, without cuckolding Zhou Yu.

Pooh!
This insulted both Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao, as well as Prime Minister Cao.

Every time Yan Li thinks about the plot of "Red Cliff" and then looks at the exquisite costumes, props, huge investment, and star-studded cast, he feels it's a waste.

It's like the best chef in the best restaurant using the best ingredients, and then making a cucumber salad that's not even cooked...

...

"Hello, Mr. Yan."

Lin Zhiling came over specifically to greet Yan Li. It wasn't the first time the two had met; they had actually met once before at an event, but it was just a brief greeting. However, Yan Li still had a deep impression of her.

She has a sweet, charming voice and is tall with long legs!
Yan Li wasn't quite sure if Lin Chih-ling was the tallest female celebrity he had ever seen, but she was definitely among the top. The key was her good body proportions. Although the nickname "Taiwan's No. 1 Model" was somewhat exaggerated, it wasn't given for nothing.

Lin Zhiling came over, said hello, chatted for a few words, and then left under an excuse.

It's not that Boss Yan lacks charm, but rather that there's a ruthless woman lurking nearby, eyeing him menacingly.

Everyone knows Yan Li is Fan Xiaopang's man, and Lin Zhiling doesn't want to cause trouble for herself.

After Lin Chih-ling left, Fan Xiaopang, still in his costume, strolled over and nodded with slight satisfaction.

"That's right, I thought you'd chat with her for a while."

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

Yan Li rolled his eyes. Although Fan Xiaopang's jealousy wasn't as intense as Dong Xuan's or Qin Lan's, it was still quite sour. Although he wasn't afraid, he was just asking for trouble.

"Who do you think you are?"

Fan Xiaopang curled his lip, knowing exactly what kind of person this bastard was.

As for that Taiwanese guy, although she didn't like him, she still thought his coquettish and flirtatious manner was quite alluring to men. In any case, he was more popular than her on the set of "Red Cliff".

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Fan Xiaopang has someone backing him up, so he doesn't care about paying attention to some boring social engagements and interpersonal relationships.

Likable!

This word might be a compliment in the entertainment industry, but sometimes the hidden metaphors are hard to say.

Yan Li raised an eyebrow, decisively skipping over this debatable topic, and asked in a low voice.

"Nobody's bothering you, is they?"

Before Fan Xiaopang joined the crew, Yan Li considered that "Red Cliff" was a large production with complex internal affairs, so he asked her to keep a low profile to avoid conflicts.

Even his visit to the set this time was partly to support Fan Xiaopang.

"Don't worry, I'm being lenient by not recruiting them."

Fan Xiaopang remained confident, saying that while it was good that Yan Li valued and cared for her, he sometimes underestimated her.

Putting aside Yi'an's background and her own fame and status, she is not someone that anyone would easily offend.

Even if there are those who aren't afraid of death, she's not someone to be trifled with!

Seeing her like this, Yan Li realized that he might be worrying for nothing. But since they were already there, he still took Fan Xiaopang to visit Master Han, Wu Baige, and the various bigwigs and main creators of the film crew.

This is meant to emphasize that Fan Xiaopang is under my protection, and that I should take good care of him and be understanding.

Let me make this clear from the start: if you're going to cause trouble again, don't blame him for being "considerate" of the other party.

Although Fan Xiaopang felt that Yan Li was going to unnecessary trouble, he still enjoyed being protected by Yan Li.

Being highly capable and being pampered by others are two different things!

She even vaguely sensed the envy in the eyes of a certain supermodel. After all, who in the industry doesn't want a powerful backer, especially one with other advantages?

Feeling wary, Fan Xiaopang made an excuse to send Yan Li to catch up with Tong Dawei, who had also joined the crew.

Yan Li is great in every way, and he's very cool when he shows off, but he's just too much of a target for people's attention.

...

In "Red Cliff", Tong Dawei plays a common soldier who is good at playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and has a vague romantic relationship with Sun Shangxiang, who infiltrates the army camp.

Then, before the game even started, he died on the battlefield right in front of Sun Shangxiang.

Judging from this plot, it may be trying to depict the ruthlessness of the battlefield and the simplicity and sorrow of ordinary people, but Yan Li always feels that it is just padding out the runtime.

There are many inexplicable plot points in "Red Cliff".

If it could be cut, it might be possible to make a 200-minute extended version and tell the whole story in one movie.

But there's no way around it. Big directors have their own art and rhythm, big stars need enough screen time, and investors want to make money twice. So, the movie naturally ends up being split into two parts.

However, it seems no one has mentioned what to do if the first movie's reputation is poor and no one watches the second one?
Although Yan Li felt the role was dispensable, Tong Da felt quite satisfied with his performance.

The main reason is that he hasn't acted in many movies, and "Red Cliff" is an internationally renowned director and a super big production. As the only mainland actor in the cast, this may be a significant milestone in his career.

Yan Li wasn't too concerned about Tong Dawei's career, since he wasn't one of his artists. As a friend, he preferred to gossip about his love life.

"Is there still any contact with that Jiang guy?"

According to Dong Xuan's information, Tong Dawei had been trying hard to please Guan Yue. Although they hadn't officially reconciled, it was pretty much the case. Anyway, I heard that the two of them are living together again.

This is somewhat similar to his relationship with Dong Xuan before, when they reconciled but lacked a formal status. It's unclear whether Guan Yue was manipulating Tong Dawei or if he had other ulterior motives.

"It's been broken off for a long time."

Tong Dawei looked like he had reformed, but he was also a little embarrassed, since Yan Li was also present when Guan Yue caught him cheating.

"Really behaving himself now?"

Yan Li was somewhat skeptical, perhaps because of his heart condition, or perhaps because he himself couldn't do it, so he held a pessimistic view of human nature in this regard.

There are upright gentlemen who don't cheat on their partners, but it's not easy for someone who has cheated to turn over a new leaf.

The saying "there are only zero times or countless times when someone cheats" may be a bit extreme, but it's not entirely without reason.

"I've been honest. You can ask her if you don't believe me. I broke up with her before the Spring Festival and haven't contacted her even once since. If I were lying..."

Tong Dawei was about to swear an oath to the heavens, but Yan Li stopped him, saying, "He's not Guan Yue. What's the point of him swearing an oath?"

However, with Tong Dawei's reformation, the lack of a control group has put him in a somewhat awkward position.

But you can't just do that to yourself and encourage them to turn into scum. They're friends, after all. How could he do something so despicable as to ruin their relationship?

He patted Tong Dawei on the shoulder: "If you've settled down, then live a good life. I'll be waiting to drink your wedding wine."

Tong Dawei smiled and said, "There's no rush for the wedding banquet."

He did promise to get married when he tried to win Guan Yue back, but he is currently in the prime of his career, so there's no need to rush into marriage. Even if he does get married, he might not hold a banquet to announce it, as it's common for celebrities to secretly get married.

Yan Li smiled as well. Tong Dawei wasn't in a hurry, but Guan Yue was.

He had already anticipated what tricks that woman would use to get Dong Xuan pregnant, based on her previous tactics.

When the baby in her belly is born, Tong Dawei will be completely helpless. It will depend on Guan Yue's control over Tong's wrist. At that time, he won't be able to make the decisions about the wedding banquet anymore.

Yan Li considered reminding Tong Dawei, but then thought it unnecessary. Tong Dawei had already agreed to get married, and it was best not to interfere too much in their private affairs.

Moreover, you can only prevent this kind of thing temporarily, not forever. As long as you don't distinguish between right and wrong, you'll get caught sooner or later.

Yan Li even suspected that Tong Dawei had already fallen into a trap, and if he were Guan Yue, he would definitely hold onto the trump card first.

Is there no rush for the wedding banquet?
I ended up having to attend two events in a row: a wedding banquet and a full-moon celebration.

Yan Li was eager to see Tong Dawei make a fool of himself, but when he thought of Dong Xuan, he couldn't laugh anymore.

My best friend is on maternity leave, and women like her tend to overthink things!

...

After touring the set of "Red Cliff," Yan Li attended a reception that evening and met some acquaintances who had no connection to the film.

For example, Mr. Li, the owner of Xiaoma Benteng.

This person wasn't entirely unrelated to "Red Cliff." It seems he facilitated and secured some indirect advertising collaborations, and he was quite interested in Director Wu, intending to cultivate a good relationship with him.

This is quite normal; most business owners involved in the film industry like to befriend and cultivate relationships with directors.

If it weren't for the plot of "Red Cliff" which shattered Yan Li's positive feelings towards Wu Baige, he would have already been having a long talk with Director Wu about their life ideals by now, according to his usual style.

Many bosses wanted to win over Wu Baige. Boss Li went over and chatted with her for a while, then gave up his seat and came to find Yan Li to catch up.

"Brother Yan, it seems to me that you're not very interested in that Director Wu."

Mr. Li asked out of curiosity that the two had met at a meeting and had a good chat. They had also met up for business dinners a few times and were quite familiar with each other.

This man is a former soldier, with a forthright and somewhat江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) style. He doesn't even like being called General Manager Li or Boss Li; his close friends call him by his nickname "Brother Dog" or "Big Dog Brother."

This slightly bandit-like title might be uncomfortable for some people, but it can also quickly bridge the gap between them.

Yan Li always spoke to people in a human way and to ghosts in a ghostly way.

Among those he was willing to socialize with, Yan Li would accommodate whatever form of address the other person preferred, as long as it did not offend him.

Mr. Li is more than ten years older than him and is a senior figure in the business world. They have a good relationship, so calling him "brother" won't hurt him.

"Brother Gou, it's not that I'm not interested, but the big director is too generous, spending hundreds of millions at a time. I'm just a small investor with meager profits, I can't afford to serve him."

Yan Li chuckled and made up an excuse. He didn't like Wu Baige, but he wouldn't say it outright and offend her.

"If your Yi'an is only making small profits, then no one else should bother either."

Mr. Li couldn't help but complain that although Xiaoma Benteng was considering investing in movies, it was currently still mainly focused on TV series.

That's why they know very well how much money Yi An makes.

Putting everything else aside, they rake in so much in publishing fees alone that their annual income is at least tens of millions.

Producing TV dramas also brought in a fortune.

Rumors circulate that Yi An has set the price at 1.2 million yuan per episode for "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang," and the pre-sales for "Investiture of the Gods 2" and "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan" are also aiming for 1 million yuan per episode.

It's even rumored that within Yi'an's distribution department, there's a boast that Yi'an's goal this year is to sell double-digit numbers of dramas with a million-level sales per episode.

This will drive up the market price of TV dramas, making the million-yuan mark the mainstream price for popular dramas.

A single company can potentially influence the overall market and its potential ceiling; if it doesn't make money, the entire industry is just a bunch of beggars.

However, he understood why Yan Li wasn't enthusiastic about Director Wu. Many people in the industry knew that Yan Li had a conservative attitude towards blockbusters.

Wu Baige's approach to "Red Cliff" is indeed not in line with Yanli Investment's style.

This is actually a good thing for Mr. Li. If an industry giant like Yi An were to seduce Wu Baige, there would be no place for them. He doesn't care, so he has a better chance.

With a few words, Mr. Li lightly brushed aside the topic of Director Wu and then asked about something else.

"I heard that Yi An is planning to film the Three Kingdoms?"

Yan Li was somewhat surprised, as the Four Great Classical Novels project was only in the discussion stage in Yi'an and had not yet been fully approved.

Many people within the company know this. Where did Mr. Li find out?

unless……

Yan Li narrowed his eyes, unless Little Horse Galloping also wanted to film the Three Kingdoms.

Although Yi An did not officially approve the project, she did make some preparations, such as finding people to study the script and inquiring about directors and locations.

This situation is common in the industry and usually doesn't attract much attention. However, if the other party is also working on similar topics and their actions overlap, it's not hard to guess what's going on.

With the new adaptation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in full swing, it's clear that Yi'an is not the only one in the industry eyeing the Four Great Classical Novels.

For example, Emperor Yongle had his eye on "Journey to the West," and Zhang Dahuzi also said that after filming Jin Yong's works, he would film the Four Great Classical Novels.

There are also rumors from CCTV that someone is planning to remake "Water Margin" to make up for the regrets of the original CCTV version due to cost-cutting in the plot. It seems that the director has already been found, Wu Ziniu, who directed "The Granary of the World".

Yan Li didn't take it too seriously. Planning and implementation are easy to say but difficult to do.

With an investment of hundreds of millions and the production of such a large project, there are too many aspects involved, and few companies have the ability to operate it.

Moreover, the Four Great Classical Novels are national-level IPs with a huge influence. They can't be filmed by just anyone. Even if you have money, it won't work. The relevant authorities have to give their approval.

Yi'an has money, qualifications, and connections; it would be a fool for an ordinary person to try and snatch the project.

Even if there are some powerful ones, Yan Li is not someone to be trifled with.

In a good ending, everyone cooperates and shares the spoils; in a bad ending, they part ways, and if Yan Li can't handle it, no one else can either.

Don't be fooled by Boss Yan's smiling face. Anyone who takes him for a fool is a complete idiot. Success is hard to achieve, but failure is incredibly easy.

Therefore, Yan Li was not nervous when he learned that Xiao Ma Ben Teng also had his eye on the Three Kingdoms.

Xiao Ma Benteng and Boss Li have some strength and background, but they still can't snatch the meat from Yan Li.

Moreover, since Mr. Li took the initiative to bring up this matter, he is more inclined to let Mr. Li approach him for cooperation.

Sure enough, Mr. Li's subsequent remarks implied that he wanted to collaborate with Yi An on the "New Three Kingdoms" project.

Yan Li did not object to cooperating with Xiaoma Benteng.

As mentioned before, this project is too big for Yi'an's family to handle, not to mention Yan Li's big appetite and his interest in "The New Water Margin".

The two classic works represent an investment of at least 2 million yuan, involving not only money but also various resources from all aspects.

Therefore, Yan Li cannot rely solely on those financial backers and investors to get things done. Even without Xiaoma Benteng, Yan Li would seek other partners.

Xiaoma Benteng dares to covet "New Three Kingdoms" because they must have some skills. Having such a partner can save Yan Li a lot of trouble.

However, while cooperation is important, many things still need to be clarified to avoid being put in a passive position in the future.

For example, as an investor, Xiaoma Benteng has the right to add actors, but it depends on how they are added.

Yan Li remembered that Bai Zhantang from "My Own Swordsman" seemed to have signed with Little Horse Galloping.

If Mr. Li insists on casting him as Zhao Yun, it'll be easy to mistake his seven charges in and out of Changban for the Sunflower Acupuncture Technique...

...

At the dinner party hosted by the "Red Cliff" crew, Yan Li and Boss Li chatted a lot about "New Three Kingdoms".

Even when I visited Fan Xiaopang's room that evening, he couldn't help but keep talking about it.

Fan Xiaopang knew that Yan Li was considering filming "New Three Kingdoms", but he didn't expect the progress to be so fast.

She was quite interested in the drama and thought she could make a cameo appearance as Diao Chan, which would mean she would play two of the Four Beauties, including Yang Yuhuan.

Yan Li didn't care whether Fan Xiaopang made a cameo appearance or not; he had just chatted with Boss Li for a while.

The latter was straightforward and didn't hold back when discussing cooperation, directly showing his sincerity. Yan Li was generally quite satisfied, but the other party's conditions made him hesitate.

Mr. Li hopes that the director of "New Three Kingdoms" can consider Gao Xixi, the head director of their company.

It seems that Gao Xixi really wanted to film the Three Kingdoms, and the involvement of Xiaoma Benteng in the Three Kingdoms project is also closely related to him.

Gao Xixi, who has directed dramas such as "The Sky of History", "Happiness Like Flowers", "New Shanghai Bund", and "Wrong Car", is considered a well-known director in the industry.

He has the skill, but he has never filmed such a large-scale historical subject before, so Yan Li doesn't trust him.

But then again, if not Gao Xixi, who else could they use?

Yi An's directors certainly don't have that level of skill; even Ju Jueliang and Yan Li don't think highly of them.

Zhang Li?

In terms of historical dramas, this actor is a representative, with "Towards the Republic" receiving excellent reviews. However, his style is more artistic, with complex narratives and character portrayals.

The new Three Kingdoms has an investment of at least hundreds of millions of yuan. Yan Li hopes that the style will be more popular and have a higher acceptance among the general public so that it can make more money.

Hu Mei?

The dramas "Yongzheng Dynasty" and "Emperor Wu of Han" also made her a leading director of historical dramas.

However, the other party has already accepted the role in "The Dream of Red Mansions" and their schedules don't align.

Furthermore, Yan Li personally feels that director Hu Mei's political intrigue dramas are alright, but war dramas are a weakness. The war dramas in "The Emperor Wu of Han" are actually quite average, and not even as good as "The Legend of Xue Rengui".

Chen Jialin?
The director of "Kangxi Dynasty", "Emperor Taizong of Tang" and "Empress Wu Zetian" is skilled in grand narratives and the portrayal of emperors and generals.

However, this person may be getting older and has lost some of his market acumen. His works in recent years have received relatively lukewarm responses, which carries a certain risk.

There are also Feng Xiaoning and Kong Sheng.

The former, Yan Li, had worked with him on "The Legend of Xue Rengui," and their cooperation was quite good, with a certain level of understanding and trust.

Yan Li particularly praised the war scenes, and the outside world also gave high marks to some of the battlefield scenes in "The Legend of Xue Rengui".

The latter was gleaned from intelligence reports, claiming he was one of the best TV drama directors of the future, and a jack-of-all-trades who could film any subject and do it well.

Yan Li had long harbored designs on him, and after assessing his abilities, he might be able to recruit a key figure.

　(92000)

　　Book recommendation: "After Spoiling My Parents, I Became a Super Rich Person"

　　With parents alive, life still has a source;
　　With parents gone, life is only a journey home.

　　As 30-year-old Lu Mingchen watched his father, hunched over, repairing a water pipe, and his mother haggling over a few cents at the market, a sudden lump formed in his throat, and tears welled up in his eyes. That evening, he emptied his savings and transferred 2 yuan to his parents for living expenses, unexpectedly activating a [Feedback System].
　　"You raised me when I was young, and I will take care of you when you are old. From now on, every act of filial piety you show will be a gift from fate."

　　Buy your father a pair of leather shoes for 598 yuan? Get a 5980 yuan rebate!
　　Take your mother for a full physical exam? We'll reward you with a house in a top-tier city's school district!
　　While others were still engaged in a frantic internal competition, Lu Mingchen had quietly built a vast business empire.
　　"Mom and Dad, you gave me the whole world, now it's my turn."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)