I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 263, all show and no substance, calling you a low-budget version of Xiaoming is really accurate!
At this moment, there is a work that is currently generating buzz in the market, namely "To Live". Although there is still some time before it is broadcast, it is the earliest work to generate buzz.

It is a significant 'IP' work, a gem of traditional Chinese literature. Yu Hua once said that he lives by 'To Live', and he has never denied this.

To produce such a enduring work in one's lifetime is something to be proud of as a novelist.
This is a source of pride for a novelist, and he also came out to support "To Live." In terms of popularity and publicity, it was quite powerful, although most people regarded this TV series as Yu Hua's way of making a living by relying on "To Live."

But ultimately, it's impossible to ignore the powerful presence of this work, which is indeed undeniable.

The status of "To Live" in the history of Chinese literature is so great that it can even be considered the foundation of modern literature on trauma, although Yu Hua always denies this.

My work is definitely not 'pain literature'!
At this moment, Han Ping said with a smile.

"I'm afraid I'll have to be a little 'passive' during this period, as all the films being released are works I like: 'The Plot,' 'To Live,' 'Chu Liuxiang,' and 'The Return of the Condor Heroes.'"

"Oh dear, you don't watch any of the popular TV dramas on the market?"

Jiang Wen said that the most popular works in the market, the phenomenal ones that cover all ages, are "My Own Swordsman" and "Home with Kids", which also has a wide reach.

While shows like "Golden Wedding" also had high viewership ratings, their target audience was too specific, focusing on middle-aged and elderly viewers who had a relatively strong sense of control over their television viewing experience.

However, Han Ping doesn't really like these kinds of trivial family matters.

"Sitcoms that are too youthful for me to relate to anymore. I used to watch 'A Family in Northeast China' and 'Ma Dajie the Idle Man,' and I had a good laugh, but I would forget about them after a while." Han Ping lamented at this point, "I am no longer a particularly core audience."

"No, it's because you've become too focused. When you look at works, you're no longer pursuing simple 'happiness,' but rather more philosophical contemplation. For you, this has already become something like spiritual nourishment."

At this moment, Jiang Wen exclaimed, "What I pursue is to make spiritual nourishment 'delicious' and 'satisfying'."

You can enjoy delicious food and have a full stomach.

He seeks both box office success and intellectual depth; this is what he pursues as a director and an actor, and it's also what Han Ping finds most appealing about Jiang Wen.

As a true connoisseur, I need works like this to fill my soul.

However, in most cases, this kind of grain is very difficult to produce.
Therefore, Han Ping also cherishes creators like Jiang Wen and provides necessary assistance for his future works.

It's also a form of investment. In the future, people's pursuit of spiritual nourishment may go beyond simply having fun.
Only food that is delicious, visually appealing, and filling is qualified to go global, without having to engage in undignified competition for market share. If I had to give an example, it would be the recent situation of two outstanding students from the Beijing Film Academy. In Han Ping's words, both of them are highly promising talents, but they have now become bullets in the hands of capital.

There is only one thing: to survive better.

The Central Academy of Drama has a higher employment rate, but the Beijing Film Academy is clearly better at producing top stars, just like it is now.

Cruelly, only one person can occupy a position in the ecosystem.

Now, one of Han Ping's most anticipated works, "Plot Against," is about to be broadcast.

This is also a test to see if he is really just 'Little Huang Xiaoming'.

In fact, he felt that this was a very unfriendly start for Li Xuan.

Li Xuan is currently in the eye of the storm. Huang Xiaoming's popularity is already quite high, and with the addition of Zhang Jizhong, a master of stir-frying, who is also a genius of the production team, he started composing music before filming even began. The music "Jianghu Xiao" for Liu Yifei's birthday party has been hyped for quite some time, adding bricks and tiles to his "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Huang Xiaoming has 'forced' Li Xuan to be at the same level of attention.

Of the three TV dramas that Li Xuan is about to air, Han Ping thinks that "Plot Against" is the most challenging to act in.

"To Live" has Ge You as a predecessor to emulate. Although it is not easy, at least there is a predecessor's work to emulate. You can see the essence of the work.

The role in "Plot Against" is a completely new type of character, with a future full of uncertainty. It really depends on the actor's own understanding and the guidance of the director and crew.

In terms of publicity and promotion, "The Plot" was not even as well-received as "To Live".

There's no other reason than that this isn't a particularly big project, and its IP strength isn't as strong as "To Live." Even if it's promoted, it will only be promoted from the perspective of a "war drama." Throughout the year, there are quite a few war dramas, and they're even showing a rapid expansion trend.

Although Mai Jia is number one in 'spy novels', his novel 'To Live' is a much larger genre, and there are also excellent adaptations of it.

Liu Guanglong was aware of this, since he himself needed a similar cold and aloof aura for filming war dramas and police dramas, so the actors were often interchangeable.

Within the industry, this work has actually garnered a considerable amount of attention.

As a completely new genre, 'espionage' is something that the industry is naturally paying attention to as the first to try it out, to see how it tastes.

If you tear it open, is it edible or inedible?

At this moment, Liu Guanglong must have felt a bit emotional.

"I didn't expect Li Xuan to get into directing and acting so quickly. I noticed he had talent in this area back then, but I didn't expect it to happen so fast."

Mai Jia admired him greatly.

However, right now, he is more concerned about whether his 'anti-Japanese war drama' variant can be accepted in the market.

Will their readers be able to gain recognition when those characters appear on television?

For Huayi Brothers, this project, "Plot Against," is undoubtedly one that deserves attention.

The company sent a "highly promising" newcomer to explore the field.

Wang Baoqiang serves as a role model for dreams, giving hope to those who have migrated to Hengdian or Beijing.

Of course, what lies behind hope?

That's something that makes you want to laugh just by hearing about it.

A dream is just a dream, nothing more. If a dream could come true, would it still be a dream?

Of course, it's only because it's unattainable that it seems so noble.

Just fulfill the contract casually and let him fend for himself.

However, one thing is for sure: everyone in the industry wants to see what the quality of the spy dramas derived from the war dramas will be.

The main focus, naturally, is on the director.

Director Liu Guanglong is also an ambitious man, a true veteran of the Beijing entertainment circle.

Whether it's their registered residence, their alma mater at the Beijing Film Academy, or their filming experience, they are all genuine members of the Beijing circle, with sufficient authenticity.

Even if casting Li Xuan as the lead actor wasn't a favor, his background is strong enough that even if Huayi Brothers insisted on casting him, there was nothing they could do about it.

It's still because the actor's own strength and integrity are sufficient.

I just don't know how good his directing skills are.

"This kid has a good eye for scripts, whether it's spy dramas, period dramas, or martial arts dramas."

Script comprehension, acting skills, and audience appeal.

As the lead actor, this represents the three major hurdles he faces as an actor.

Originally, Wang Haiyang, or rather, people within Huayi Brothers, thought that this guy would die in "The Young Pioneers".

But now it seems the situation is quite different.

It seems that this film, "The Plot," has reached a dead end.

This follows a very simple principle.

Trailblazers are often the ones who fail, while expanders are the ones who reap the rewards.

As one of the "first batch".

They were merely pioneers.

When Lu Tan understands, it's also when he's burned out.

At this very moment, Wang Haiyang is in his office watching Shandong TV.

The Plot Against has officially begun.

And when they first appeared.

The TV series begins with a rather cold and gloomy color tone.

picture.

This is the first impression conveyed by the artwork's style.

Most period dramas, idol dramas, and modern urban dramas use warm color tones, giving the first impression of warmth. Viewers can usually guess the gist of the story that follows.

Some directors who like to show off their skills like to use different color tones in the early, middle, and late stages of a story to represent different plot developments and hints.

Most war dramas feature a hard, cold color palette that contrasts with the bright flames of explosions and the contrasting color of blood.

The visuals in "The Plot" evoke a chilling, extreme feeling.

The color tone is even colder than that of other war dramas on the market; it is a somber, cool color.

This color tone is often used in many old movies, especially Hong Kong films, to highlight the gloomy atmosphere. In this gloomy color tone, during the rainy season, the protagonist, An Zaitian, slowly appears from the camera.

When Wang Haiyang saw Li Xuan appear in this scene, he squinted.

This Liu Guanglong really knows how to photograph people.

At this moment, Wang Haiyang squinted and said.

"This person is really despicable, resorting to such tactics."

What came into Li Xuan's view at that moment was an extremely handsome man. Truly handsome.

As expected of me.

What clothes make a man look his best is a matter of personal preference.

But Li Xuan felt that it depended on his personal subjective situation.

The coolest clothes are none other than military uniforms.

Unit 701, the counter-espionage unit of New China, features An Zaitian, an officer who changes his uniform from one style to the other throughout his life.

Military uniforms in spring, summer, autumn and winter styles.

I can only say two words.

So handsome.

"He's so handsome." At this moment, Wei Ming didn't look at this first shot with any subjective feelings. Wearing a simple standard military uniform and with his hair slicked back, he exuded a mature male charm from head to toe. There was also a trace of melancholy between his brows, as if he was worried about something.

That sense of maturity—any more and it would be greasy; the shot is just right.

It's not just Li Xuan's appearance and makeup, but also his temperament.
And then there's Liu Guanglong. He really knows how to photograph handsome men. He's also that type of handsome man himself, so he can handle the role. He knows what kind of approach is best to highlight his appearance and temperament.

In his photos, he appears as a very handsome man.

Basically, this opening is not at all about the War of Resistance Against Japan, yet it is extremely attractive—a very simple kind of attraction.

Handsome guy, mature handsome guy, full of hormones.

"They can even eat full-body photos!"

"Aren't you getting yourself dragged into this mess too?"

Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun are both interested in spy dramas—as actors.

Anti-Japanese War dramas are a large category, no less so than historical dramas, with a very wide audience. Some Republican-era dramas are more or less related to anti-Japanese war dramas. Many young actors are envious of the influence brought by anti-Japanese war drama scripts. Last year's "Bright Sword" directly broke through the shackles of many years and made Li Youbin a star overnight. When it comes to anti-Japanese war dramas, one cannot avoid mentioning Li Youbin.

In a sense, he has become an "idol" of "tomb" level in the field of anti-Japanese war dramas.

To perform well in this drama, one really needs both a good script and acting skills. Moreover, war dramas are full of characters with rural backgrounds, which can actually affect one's "idol image." Generally, those who come from the Central Academy of Drama are just showing off their acting skills.

Unexpectedly, this time, this variant of the war drama, the spy drama genre, actually gives people a feeling of being cool.

He looks handsome from every angle, even in full-body shots—something Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming can't pull off.

There's nothing we can do about height; it's something we're born with.

This Li Xuan is damn tall! The information says he's 178cm, and I can't believe he really is 178cm!

He actually didn't lie!

He was really tall, and his figure was very well-proportioned, like a perfect clothes hanger. The military uniform made him look even more upright.

Even more handsome.

Whether a person looks good in clothes depends on both the clothes themselves and the person wearing them.

He's the perfect clothes hanger; I can't even imagine how handsome the clothes he endorses would look on him.

And there's the melancholy air about him.

"His physical appearance."

At this moment, Chen Kun said, "If I were selling clothes, I would definitely look at this scene and ask him to be my spokesperson."

This physical condition.

Chen Kun felt confident in his appearance. His top-notch looks and temperament made him stand out among the outstanding students of the Class of '96.

Huang Xiaoming got into Beijing Film Academy with a perfect appearance, and so did Chen Kun.

As a war drama, "The Plot" uses the most mundane method to attract viewers from the very beginning: Li Xuan's appearance—

I don't know if spy dramas can be engaging, but the male lead's physique is...

Definitely.

That's fucking ridiculous.

That's too common.

However, Huang Xiaoming was quite shocked by one thing: he had studied Li Xuan's works before, and his character portrayal in "The Legend of the White Snake" was the most direct.

Masculine, domineering, stern, and as fiery as the midday sun, somewhat resembles Hu Jun.

Temperament is something that is hard to change. A person is born a certain way. If you ask Chen Kun to play the role of Hu Jun, it's just a waste of his talent.

Li Xuan seems to have accomplished something quite strange. Based on the masculine tone of "The Legend of the White Snake," he made everyone, including Huang Xiaoming, think that his acting career should be heading in the direction of Hu Jun. However, the answer he gave this time was not like that. The feeling that An Zaitian gave people was the melancholy revealed in his eyes and the temperament revealed in the shadows.
Chen Kun also felt that something was off about this image and temperament.

Why does this seem like they're not after Huang Xiaoming, but after me?

Chen Kun, who had initially seemed to be observing from a superior position, now felt like he had been shot while lying in the road!
Wang Fengsheng was also paying attention to "The Plot". As someone who came from that era, many things were not like those of others, which were things that existed in high-rise buildings, but were real and existed in his memory.

Wang Fengsheng had also experienced roughly the same era as An Zaitian, so he felt a strong sense of identification with the characters.

I also know just how despicable those people who have fled to Taiwan are; it's an era where big warlords can't control small warlords.

It's better to buy than to make; things like coupons and unethical couples are best left unsaid.

In short, Wang Fengsheng's viewing criteria for "Plot Against" is probably to see how the Guozi Army was defeated. Espionage is a very new genre, at least on the screen. It is different from direct confrontation, but rather a battle of wits and information.

In a sense, this makes it difficult to take a good-looking photo.

Without the thrilling exchange of guns, but only the scheming and intrigue between information, the intensity of the battle is inevitably less than that of a gunfight, which may present a certain viewing barrier.

Even within the existing audience of war dramas, there is a certain threshold for selection.

In this light, the director and producer of "The Plot" used a very clever approach: having Li Xuan use his handsome looks and charisma as weapons.

The opening scene directly showcases An Zaitian's beauty from various angles, highlighting her perfect clothes hanger and elegant demeanor.

It will directly boost the ratings!
That's so tacky.

But it will definitely be useful!

What surprised Wang Fengsheng was the temperament that Li Xuan used to portray the character An Zaitian this time.

He is completely different from Fahai in "The Legend of the White Snake".

A soldier walking in the shadows.
How many more variations can his temperament undergo?
"plot".

That's so tacky.

Too vulgar.

The opening shots focus heavily on the protagonist, An Zaitian, giving no opportunity for the supporting characters to shine. The emphasis is solely on the protagonist's handsomeness and dashing appearance. Never before has a war drama used such an unconventional approach to portray and express this character.

This even gave companies in Beijing's financial circles something to criticize, prompting their marketing departments to launch a direct and forceful attack.

A work that has skin but no bones.

Wang Haiyang felt that the marketing department was being a bit too hasty in starting to take action. Although the work did initially attract people with Li Xuan's "appearance," was it a bit biased to say that the work had "skin" but no "bones"?
"If he can use the underhanded tricks of the Shanghai entertainment circle, what kind of skills does he have?"

At this time, Wang Yuping, who was in contact with Wang Haiyang in the marketing department, was 45 years old and had no romantic experience. Some people said she looked a bit like a foreign stand-up comedian named Bohr: "Now, suppressing that guy named Li Xuan is the most important thing, right? I heard from a friend at CCTV that he was very disrespectful to women when he was filming 'Chu Liuxiang'."

Does this sound like a misuse of public resources?
Something feels off.
But actually, it seems to make sense. Targeting Li Xuan is indeed a high-priority "killing the chicken to scare the monkey", especially now that he has been "disregarded for gains and losses" and marked as an enemy.

So far, "Plot Against" hasn't shown any abnormalities. It can only be said that the way it starts is indeed a bit low-class compared to previous war dramas.

Is it too little to publish an article now?

"Furthermore, I also have artists under my management on board."

"Ah, that ugly freak, wasn't she a discarded pawn? Thrown into that project?" Wang Yuping frowned and teased, "So ugly and she still wants to be an actress, what a pipe dream."

Wang Haiyang felt a little uncomfortable; no matter how they were sacrificed, they were still part of their department's planning and execution.

That's not right of you.

However, Wang Haiyang didn't say much. The marketing department has a lot of authority. A lot of the money and plans for external publicity have to go through here.

But now the die is cast, and the press release for "The Plot" has already been sent out.

However, there was one thing he was still somewhat confident about: the upper limit of Li Xuan's achievements in this work was still within his prediction range.

A good-looking appearance and a good physique can give you an advantage in the first round.

But this is indeed a 'trap'.

As we all know, no matter how much actors and celebrities compete for status, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but idols really can only sit at the children's table.

If his main focus in this round is on appearance.

Calling him a low-end version of Xiaoming doesn't seem wrong at all!
(End of this chapter)