Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 347 Promising Talents Discovered by Producer Fan

Preparing for "Du Lala's Promotion Diary" was a pretty new experience for Fan Xiaopang.

First, there's the script. The original script differs slightly from Fan Xiaopang's acting style, so some modifications are needed.

The overall style remains an inspirational light comedy, a typical chick flick where the protagonist achieves success in both her career and love life.

However, the narrative focuses more on the character of Du Lala, and the character development is more ambitious and intense.

There's no way around it; with Fan Bingbing's face, it would be a shame not to give him some charismatic roles.

Therefore, Fan Xiaopang plays a naive and inexperienced character in the early and middle stages, but gradually shows his talent in the later stages, which also verifies the word "promotion" in the film's title.

With the script finalized, the most important thing is to find a director.

Fan Xiaopang and the crew's first destination was Tsui Hark, who had just directed "All About Women," starring Zhou Xun. Although the film did not perform well at the box office, its quality was actually quite good, and Tsui is known for his expertise in filming women.

However, Tsui Hark refused. He was planning to make an action-packed period epic with Huayi Brothers and looked down on "Go Lala Go!" as a small project.

Fan Xiaopang looked for a few more, but found that none of them were quite suitable.

Many directors at present have little understanding of urban women's themes.

They either have a superficial understanding, lack sensitivity, or prefer to delve into artistic and humanistic fields while ignoring commercial elements.

Just when Fan Xiaopang was feeling increasingly disheartened, Yan Li recommended someone to her—Xue Xiaolu.

She is a well-known screenwriter, who participated in the TV series "Don't Talk to Strangers," and is also a professor in the Department of Literature at Beijing Film Academy.

Xue Xiaolu is a screenwriter by training, with a strong grasp of storytelling and professional skills, which can enhance the character's richness, while also providing a female perspective that is rare among directors today.

However, her works tend to be realistic, and she has never been a director.

If it weren't for Yan Li's recommendation, and you needed her current resume, Fan Xiaopang wouldn't have chosen her.

However, Yan Li's judgment is renowned. Fan Xiaopang personally visited him and was pleasantly surprised to find that this man was indeed very capable.

Unfortunately, Xue Xiaolu was preparing her own self-written and self-directed film, and she was very serious about the project and did not want to be distracted by other projects.

After being rejected twice in a row, Fan Xiaopang was almost depressed.

At this time, she happened to meet someone, Jin Yimeng, the director of "Sophie's Revenge".

This person has a rather complicated background. He graduated from the China Conservatory of Music, then went to Italy to study opera, worked as a pop singer, songwriter, and published a comic book. Finally, he wanted to make movies, so he went to Florida State University in the United States and obtained a master's degree in film production.

She worked in Hollywood in her early years, and later came to China to film a movie called "Swordfish", in which she performed quite well.

Then he collaborated with Zhang Ziyi, serving as her producer on the film "Sophie's Revenge".

Female-led films, with female producers and directors, not only have better collaboration, but also generate enough buzz and can accurately capture box office revenue.

This is also one of the reasons why Fan Xiaopang prefers to work with a female director.

However, while an all-female cast sounds appealing, it's really just that kind of thing.

Zhang Ziyi has a strong personality and is the lead actress, producer, and core member of the project. The investors behind her are all there for her, so you can imagine how much influence she has on the production team.

Jin Yimeng's resume also shows that she is a very opinionated and enterprising person. As a film director, she must have her own ideas about filming.

After a while, they didn't exactly fall out, but there were some frictions. During post-production, Jin Yimeng became a "freeloader".

After meeting this person and getting to know him better, Fan Xiaopang immediately felt that this director was quite suitable for "Go Lala Go!"

Perhaps it lacks the depth and nuance of Xue Xiaolu's perspective, but having worked in Hollywood, she has a certain understanding of the fashion, female dreams, love, comedy, and entertainment aspects of chick flicks.

To put it simply, this is a typical commercial film approach, able to make "Go Lala Go!" stylish, funny, and romantic, which is precisely the core strength of "Go Lala Go!".

When it comes to exploring women, art films are more suitable. "Go Lala Go!" is a typical popcorn workplace fantasy film; it's entertaining and enjoyable, that's all.

After talking with Jin Yimeng, Fan Xiaopang became more determined about the film's style and began to recruit her to direct "Go Lala Go!"

This is still a bit difficult. Although Jin wasn't highly regarded in the "Sophie's Revenge" crew, she still had a contract, especially since Fan Xiaopang poached her, Zhang Ziyi definitely wouldn't let her go.

So, Fan Xiaopang came up with a bad idea: to instigate Jin and Zhang to quarrel, since two tigers cannot share one mountain, and then Jin could get away.

Logically speaking, Jin didn't need to be so reckless, but whether it was due to deep-seated resentment with Zhang or Fan Xiaopang's ability to manipulate people, Jin and Zhang did indeed have a falling out.

It is said that Jin also made a bold statement, saying that she would prove who was right between her and Zhang, and then she turned around and officially announced that she would join "Du Lala's Promotion Diary".

We don't know what Zhang Ziyi is feeling, but the outside world is just laughing and having fun.

Zhang Ziyi is a producer and makes chick flicks, and Fan Bingbing is the same, even using the same director and poaching talent. No one would believe it's just a coincidence.

Fan Xiaopang didn't care much about the rumors circulating outside, and even welcomed them.

She was used to Yan Li's competitive hype; regardless of winning or losing, everyone benefited.

I was initially thinking that the long gap between the releases of "Sophie's Revenge" and "Go Lala Go!" made it a bit far-fetched to force a connection between the two films based solely on their past grudges. But now, with Jin Yimeng involved, it's hard for the two films to distance themselves from each other.

After joining the crew, Jin Yimeng immediately got to work.

Then I discovered that "Go Lala Go!" was much more comfortable than "Sophie's Revenge".

Besides having made prior arrangements with Fan Xiaopang before joining and securing certain rights, Fan Xiaopang also knew how to delegate authority.

Fan Xiaopang has a strong personality, but he is also quite magnanimous and possesses certain leadership talent and charisma.

Most importantly, having spent a long time with Yan Li, she has gained considerable knowledge about the role of a producer and project management, and she also knows how to respect professionals.

This is not easy. Managing people and affairs sounds easy, but there are actually many intricacies involved.

Many people, when they first assume management and decision-making power, often struggle to grasp the appropriate level and scale due to various factors such as novelty, a desire for revenge, a sense of responsibility, pressure, and a lust for power.

Unconsciously meddling in everything, big or small, can even lead to various conflicts and contradictions.

Zhang Ziyi actually made this mistake in "Sophie's Revenge".

Lacking relevant experience, yet overly concerned with the project, and not having fully adjusted their mindset, they went beyond the boundaries of being both producer and actor, and liked to interfere with the creative process of filming.

It's common for directors and actors to have creative disagreements during filming, but usually only when one person makes the final decision can the overall tone be kept consistent.

Issuing orders from both sides, sometimes listening to the director and sometimes to the actors, is a major taboo.

While there are examples of directors and actors who don't mesh well but still create classic films, these are extremely rare. In most cases, they serve as negative lessons.

The main reason for the discord between Jin Yimeng and Zhang Ziyi was their creative differences, and in the end, Jin became a "puppet".

Fan Xiaopang has learned from this lesson and respects Jin Yimeng's authority as director. Even if there are disagreements, they are discussed and resolved without using his power to intimidate others.

Fan Xiaopang did a great job, and with Zhang Ziyi as a foil, Jin Yimeng thrived in the "Du Lala's Promotion" crew.

Preparations are progressing rapidly, and casting has already begun.

As for the male lead, Jin Yimeng appreciates the kind of male celebrity who is fashionable, noble, and has sexual appeal, preferably with a Western flair or mixed race, which can also enhance the urban white-collar elite vibe.

Therefore, when it came to casting for "Go Lala Go!", she suggested Kim Jong-woo, Wang Lihong, Ming Dao, and several Chinese and Korean actors.

Fan Xiaopang was speechless. She had seen it all before in the workplace. Yi An and the executives at Weibo were basically ordinary people. Even Yan Li, unless it was for social events or formal occasions, mainly wore casual clothes.

Jin Yimeng, the male protagonist in the workplace, is somewhat stereotypical and has a halo of positive expectations.

However, to be fair, the audience is currently willing to accept this approach.

Even Yan Li's public image has a bit of this influence, and it's hard to say whether he was influenced by the prevailing trend or whether he himself started this trend.

Fan Xiaopang personally prefers to use artists from Yi An, such as Zhou Yiwei or Qiao Zhenyu, which saves money and promotes them.

But there's a key issue: these two lack presence and are completely overshadowed by Fan Xiaopang.

It's worth noting that the male lead in the movie is an industry elite, while the female lead is just a low-level employee in the early stages. However, as she gradually develops her presence in the later stages, the story follows a dual-strong narrative. Her presence is overshadowed by Fan Xiaopang, making her character less convincing.

"If you invite President Yan, I think there will definitely be no problem."

Jin Yimeng noticed that Fan Xiaopang favored Yi An, so she suggested a backup candidate.

When it comes to playing a business elite, no one in the entire entertainment industry is as good as Yan Li. He plays himself, and sometimes he even has to hold back because of his strong aura.

Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes. If she could get Yan Li here, why would she bother?

However, after thinking about it, Fan Xiaopang also agreed with some of Jin Yimeng's ideas.

This would be better for the quality and distribution of the film. In addition, Fan Xiaopang was somewhat unsure of his ability to carry the box office on his own, so he also wanted to find a male actor of sufficient stature to co-star with.

Artists at this level require various contacts and coordination, and it's impossible to get things done immediately in a short time.

Then we'll start researching the male lead while simultaneously casting the other actors.

The role of the second female lead in "Go Lala Go!" is quite significant, and Fan Xiaopang is planning to find a well-known actress for it.

Chick flicks aren't just about the actress carrying the show on her own.

For example, Zhang Ziyi's "Sophie's Revenge" brought in popular actress Li Xiaoran to play the second female lead, with Peter Ho, who is also quite famous, as the male lead, and Yao Chen and Ruby Lin as supporting actors and guest stars.

Fan Xiaopang also seems to be following suit, casting a famous male lead and a popular actress as the second female lead.

Among mainland Chinese artists, she prefers Gao Yuanyuan and Chen Hao, both of whom are quite famous and popular actresses. They are beautiful and fit the image of a workplace film.

Shu Da Zui, Kelly Chen, and Vivian Hsu from Hong Kong and Taiwan are also good choices, and Sister Zhi Ling is also suitable, but unfortunately the two don't get along.

The original script's second female lead was actually a cold, strong, and assertive older sister type of woman, but due to Fan Xiaopang's acting style, she was changed to a gentle and resilient type.

Fan Xiaopang prefers to use mainland artists. According to the negotiations, both Chen Hao and Gao Yuanyuan are interested, with Gao being particularly eager.

I also have a male best friend and a female best friend, both of whom are quite comedic and lively.

Xu Zheng, who is from Shanghai, made a cameo appearance in the former role and is actually very good at portraying the kind of junior office worker. Fan Xiaopang brought in Liu Yan, who had worked with him in "The Legend of Yang Guifei". There were also some supporting roles to choose from or audition for.

For projects like this, which involve leading a team, the person in charge's popularity and reputation are very important.

Fan Xiaopang has good interpersonal relationships and a good reputation, but for certain reasons, she is unwilling to use many people in the Yi An Group and has to look outside for them.

In early March, the production team of "Go Lala Go!" rented a hotel conference room to begin some auditions. Since the auditions were for minor supporting roles, the executive producer and casting director were responsible for the process as usual.

At that time, some good candidates will be selected, and their information will be submitted to the director and producer for review. Then, the director and producer will make the final decision or conduct a second audition.

Sometimes, if the role is too small or the director and producer don't care, they can decide on the spot.

However, since it was Fan Xiaopang's first time in charge, he was serious and wanted to experience being a judge, so he came over in person to oversee things.

There were quite a few actors who came to audition.

Although "Go Lala Go!" has a small investment, it's still a hot project in the industry with Fan Bingbing starring and producing it. It might just be a career advancement opportunity.

In the conference room, Fan Xiaopang, dressed in a women's suit, stood with three or four crew members on either side, looking quite imposing.

"Jing Chao, were you in the 2005 class at Beijing Film Academy?"

Fan Xiaopang flipped through the resume and looked at one of the interviewers. The latter nodded and not only tried to get close to Yang Mi by mentioning that they were classmates, but also tried to flatter Fan Xiaopang.

"I especially love your acting, Sister Bingbing. I'm a fan of yours. It would be a great honor for me to work with you..."

Slick tongue!

Fan Xiaopang looked at the boy babbling on and on, and mentally rolled his eyes. Hmm, it had absolutely nothing to do with him being classmates with Yang Mi or being Dong Xuan's student.

"Okay, I understand. We'll let you know if there's any news."

Fan Xiaopang smiled politely and gave the order to leave. The next actor was also a student at the Beijing Film Academy.

This is not surprising. The supporting roles auditioned for "Du Lala's Promotion Diary" were mostly workplace roles, mainly young people, and they were required to have acting experience. Moreover, it was set in Beijing, which meant that they ran into students from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama.

At least two-thirds of the interviewees today are current students or graduates of Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama.

Fan Xiaopang doesn't discriminate against normal students from the Beijing Film Academy; Yan Li is a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, after all.

"Please introduce yourself."

"My name is Zhu Yilong, a student from the 2006 class of Beijing Film Academy, currently a junior..."

After the introduction, he tried out a scene. Fan Xiaopang nodded. Although he looked very inexperienced, his basic skills were quite solid, and his personality seemed to be rather honest and quiet.

He glanced at the others and they all nodded. Fan Xiaopang wrote "pending" on his name.

Someone handed Zhu Yilong a form and asked him to fill in more detailed information and contact details. If he doesn't perform better afterward, he'll most likely be the one chosen.

After that, she tried two more male roles, and then moved on to female roles. Fan Xiaopang wasn't very satisfied with the first few, until a petite girl with a baby face came in, and she perked up slightly.

The role I'm currently auditioning for is a minor one; it's a small assistant who grows up to become the female lead later in the story.

This assistant is a recent graduate, a bit clumsy, but kind and hardworking, somewhat similar to the female lead in the early stages of the story.

Therefore, after being promoted, the female lead felt grateful and asked the person to be her assistant. This was both a way of expressing gratitude to the person who had helped her in the past and a kind of career succession, which echoed the plot and reflected the female lead's growth.

So this character needs to be cute and silly with a bit of a softie vibe.

The previous actors were either too shrewd or their acting skills were unsuitable, but this young girl's image and temperament are up to par.

"Introduce yourself."

"Hello, Teacher Bingbing... My name is Zhao Liying, I'm from Hebei Province, I'm 22 years old, and I've acted in..."

Fan Xiaopang flipped through the resume and it roughly matched. He came from a talent show and had acted in quite a few dramas, but she didn't remember either the person or his works.

Yes, she knows about "Locking Up the Autumn" and "The New Dream of the Red Chamber", but she didn't participate in either, and the roles she played weren't important.

"Given how many films you've made, you're not a freelancer. Which company do you work for?"

Huayi Brothers.

Fan Xiaopang nodded, not entirely surprised. He had debuted by appearing in Feng Xiaogang's advertisement, so it was highly likely that he had signed with Huayi Brothers.

In addition to recruiting stars, Huayi Brothers also cast a wide net, signing many newcomers and child actors, and then giving them a hands-off approach, providing them with some minor resources, and then seeing how well they perform. If they succeed, their treatment is improved; if not, they are abandoned.

Judging from the roles played by Zhao Liying, they are most likely characters who were left to their own devices.

Zhao Liying was somewhat uneasy. Although Huayi Brothers and Yi'an Entertainment were not openly hostile to each other, there were various undercurrents, and their projects and actors rarely overlapped.

If she hadn't been busy with work and hadn't been in a slump, she wouldn't have tried her luck on "Du Lala's Promotion Diary".

"Let's audition."

Fan Xiaopang remained calm. Huayi Brothers and Yi An Entertainment rarely use each other's people, but it depends on the situation.

At least for now, as a minor supporting character who isn't even tenth in rank, I don't need to worry about so much.

Zhao Liying breathed a slight sigh of relief and began acting. Before she had even finished half of the performance, Fan Xiaopang had already written down the words "pending".

Her acting skills aren't particularly good, but she has a certain flair, and most importantly, her image and temperament are spot on.

It even forms a stark contrast to Fan Xiaopang, with one being a beautiful and powerful leader and the other a soft and cute follower.

"good."

Today was the first time Fan Xiaopang praised someone during the interview, which shows how satisfied he was. He didn't say anything about waiting for news, but made the decision on the spot. After learning that Zhao could make the decision herself, he asked the executive producer to talk to Zhao Liying about the contract.

After that, Fan Xiaopang continued casting until almost evening before it finally ended.

With someone else handling the cleanup, Fan Xiaopang left immediately, talking on the phone with Yan Li as he walked, feeling somewhat sentimental and wistful.

"Now I know how difficult it is to work behind the scenes."

"With all the preparations, weighing all the options, and considering all the factors, even my small film crew was losing sleep over it. How did you manage to do that when you were making 'Happy Seven Fairies'?"

Fan Xiaopang knew very well that he was standing on the shoulders of giants.

They have a reputation and experience, can command respect, have powerful backers, don't have to worry about funding, have an existing team, and have all the distribution channels arranged.

When Yan Li started his business, he had nothing. He had to raise funds, develop channels, build his team step by step, and coordinate the entire project.

It's true that you don't understand things until you experience them. Before, Fan Xiaopang only thought Yan Li was amazing, but now that he has personally worked on the project and experienced the difficulties involved, he has a deeper understanding of how incredible it is that Yan Li built Yi'an from scratch.

"You should know this. It's a combination of deception, trickery, and seduction, along with the use of a handsome man. It involves sacrificing one's innocence and is both mentally and physically exhausting."

Upon hearing this, Fan Xiaopang recalled how this bastard had tricked him and led him onto the pirate ship step by step. The corners of his mouth turned up, but he still stubbornly said...

"Back then I was young and naive, and I listened to bad people. If it were now, I would never be fooled."

"You're wrong. There's a way to tie a donkey. If it were now, I wouldn't be fooling you, I'd be clinging to your coattails and still manage to trick you into my hands."

Yan Li was full of confidence. He had just risen to power too quickly and hadn't really lived off his wife much, wasting his excellent opportunities.

"Bah, shameless."

Fan Xiaopang spat, then said, "I'm finishing work early today. If you don't have any important engagements, hurry home."

Yan Li hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Fan Xiaopang snorted. The Lunar New Year had just ended, the shift schedule was over, and this bastard was already trying to run wild.

Go dream!

The official scheduling was over, but privately she and Chairman Qin reached an agreement to divide their time and join forces to seize Yan Li's time, squeezing out and suppressing those women.

Although they are rivals in love, they have at least fought side by side and share common interests, so they can still guarantee a united front against external forces in this matter.

After getting into the car, it started raining heavily. Fan Xiaopang was thinking of asking the nanny to cook some warm dishes when he suddenly caught sight of a somewhat disheveled figure by the roadside.

"Wait a moment."

Zhao Liying, carrying her bag and braving the rain, ran quickly down the road. Suddenly, a van stopped beside her, opened its doors, and Fan Xiaopang inside waved to her.

"Come on up, I'll give you a ride."

Zhao Liying was somewhat flattered. Urged by Fan Xiaopang, she got into the car. After the door closed, she hesitated to sit down because she was soaked.

"Go ahead and do it. You can wipe it off in a bit."

Fan Xiaopang took a tissue and handed it to Zhao Liying, who gratefully accepted it and used it to wipe her hair and clothes.

After asking a couple of questions, Fan Xiaopang finally understood what was going on. Zhao Liying had been busy with the contract and had only finished it recently.

To save money, I planned to take the subway home, but it started raining. I didn't have an umbrella, and the rain was so heavy that I couldn't get a taxi. Feeling anxious, I braved the rain to get home.

After hearing Zhao Liying's words, Fan Xiaopang also thought of himself.
When she first moved to Beijing, she was mostly taken care of by her parents and quickly became famous, so she didn't suffer as much as Zhao, but she still had some hard times.

In some ways, Zhao and she are similar; both are not from a professional acting background and entered the entertainment industry at a young age by chance.

However, Zhao's family background was poor, and her luck and personal circumstances were far inferior to hers.

What Fan Xiaopang admires most is that when young girls encounter this situation, they inevitably feel wronged, frustrated, or even sad and complain.

But Zhao Liying was surprisingly strong and optimistic, full of energy. After getting over the initial awkwardness and chatting more, she even jokingly said that she was lucky that it didn't rain and she didn't run into Fan Xiaopang, and shamelessly asked to take a photo with him and post it on Weibo.

Fan Xiaopang thought more highly of him because of this. In this industry, talent is important, luck is important, and mindset is equally important.

Zhao Liying has a certain charm. Although she is not particularly beautiful, she has a distinctive and memorable appearance. If she maintains this mindset, she may well be able to make a name for herself in this industry in time.

Fan Xiaopang, who already had a good impression of her, developed a fondness for her talent and left Zhao a private phone number when he dropped her off.

Fan Xiaopang wasn't entirely indifferent to Qin Lan and Dong Xuan's various attempts to support Yang Mi and use her to challenge her.

However, Fan Xiaopang's own involvement was too low-class; having an agent would have been the right approach.

Besides Zhao Liying, whom I met today, I also pay close attention to young actors and actresses and newcomers in the industry to see if there are any promising talents worth mentoring and supporting…

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P.S.: I have a headache today, I'll add the missing words tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)