The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 358 President Kang asked for 2000 million US dollars and begged Lu Zhiyuan to make a cameo appearance!
……

That night.

When Yang Mi came over, she was still somewhat expectant.

Although Xin Yukun mocked her charm, he said it was nothing compared to the reputation of being the best director in history.

However, Yang Mi doesn't think so.

She felt that she was incredibly charming.

Before heading to the event horizon of the black hole, Yang Mi made a special effort to dress up at the company and even sprayed on a perfume that smelled very similar to "Poison Girl".

If it weren't for the lack of time... well, even if there were enough time, she wouldn't be suited to copy Dilraba's look and get a princess cut hairstyle like an empress.

The main problem is that her forehead is already bald.

Lately, she's been trying to cover her forehead with her wispy hair to hide her flaw, otherwise everyone will be staring at her forehead.

All of this is Shen Teng's fault.

When asked to kiss himself on the lips during a movie shoot, this guy absolutely refused, insisting instead on lifting his forehead.

Now the whole country knows that I'm bald.

……

Sit in the car.

Yang Mi held a makeup mirror and repeatedly touched up the blemishes on her face.

"Wait a minute, I'll find an opportunity to seduce him! Maybe he'll suddenly have a crush on me today?"

In Yang Mi's mind, Lu Zhiyuan was a cold-blooded animal as a man.

But as a boss, Lu Zhiyuan is quite good.

Because he is a person who clearly distinguishes between rewards and punishments.

During this period, Yang Mi earned Lu Zhiyuan at least 200 million yuan.

Next, she has another movie, "Your Wedding," which will be released on September 25th, hoping to try her luck during the National Day holiday.

Originally, this movie was supposed to be released first.

However, Shen Teng starred in "Mojin: The Lost Legend" as the character Da Jin Ya, which garnered him considerable popularity.

Therefore, Mahua FunAge made a last-minute adjustment, releasing "Goodbye Mr. Loser" first to capitalize on the hype.

As it turns out, this popularity is enormous.

The two films were huge hits, which propelled Shen Teng from an unknown to a top-tier star!
Although Shen Teng had previously performed in stage plays and appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, making him quite famous in the industry.

To put it bluntly, a stage actor who can't become as famous as Zhao Benshan, Feng Gong, or Chen Peisi is basically just an ordinary passerby.

Many people who don't watch plays have no idea who Shen Teng is.

Two years ago, Shen Teng made a cameo appearance in Ning Hao's "Breakup Buddies," playing a very annoying guesthouse owner by Erhai Lake in Dali.

This character has a significant amount of screen time.

But after the performance, the audience had no recollection of ever having acted in the movie.

This left Shen Teng speechless.

He has appeared on the Spring Festival Gala several times and played an important supporting role in comedy films that have grossed over 10 billion yuan. Why do audiences have no impression of him at all?

What a hell!

After much thought, he finally understood.

Because he doesn't have a single memorable role!

Big Gold Tooth, though not a great character, at least made him an instant star.

After all, "Mojin: The Lost Legend" is an Eastern fantasy blockbuster that grossed over 14 billion US dollars, and every character in it is a superstar.

He was such a small fry, yet he stood out conspicuously among them.

From a certain perspective, Shen Teng in this movie was forcibly elevated to a world-class level by Lu Zhiyuan, Nicolas Cage, and Hanikezi!

World-class actors coming back to star in domestic comedies—that's like a game-changer!

The original plan during the film's promotion was to have Yang Mi carry the show's popularity. Who knew that "Mojin: The Lost Legend" would suddenly become such a hit?

Mr. Zhang immediately ordered his subordinates to change the promotional materials, directly replacing the main focus of the publicity with Shen Teng.

This is how one's status in the martial arts world changes.

After Shen Teng played an important supporting role alongside Lu Zhiyuan, his status in China rose directly from an unknown to the highest level!
After Yang Mi starred alongside Shen Teng in this movie, her status skyrocketed, and she became a prominent figure in the film industry.

By September 25th, Yang Mi will be aiming to become the second most popular actress born in 1985!

Because Liu Yifei's nemesis, Liu Shishi's movie "The Third Way of Love" was also released on September 25th!
A head-on confrontation.

Liu Yifei's "The Third Way of Love" VS Yang Mi's "Your Wedding"!
They're all romance movies; whoever has the higher box office will be the second most popular actress born in the 85s!

From a certain perspective, Yang Mi is very grateful to Mr. Zhang for rescheduling the film "Your Wedding" to September 25th.

This gave her a golden opportunity to climb to the top by stepping on Liu Yifei!
Liu Yifei is very good at making TV dramas; every drama she stars in achieves high viewership ratings. However, when it comes to making movies, she's utterly terrible.

Awkward acting.

Weak lines.

An inexplicable outburst of emotion.

"Haha...hahaha...Sister Niu, in another half month, I will step on you to rise to the top!"

Yang Mi felt so happy that she wanted to laugh out loud when she thought about it.

……

all in all.

Yang Mi felt that she had worked hard recently, and even if she couldn't sleep with Lu Zhiyuan, she could at least get a smile from him.

However, after Yang Mi arrived at the event horizon of the black hole, she suddenly froze and stood there in place.

"What's going on? What are you all doing here?"

Yang Mi looked up.

Liu Shishi was also there.

Liu Yifei was also there.

Tang Yan was also there.

Even Wang Churan, that brat who rolls her eyes at her all the time in the company... If Wang Churan hadn't been personally signed by Lu Zhiyuan, Yang Mi would have had the urge to fire her on the spot!

In addition, a heavyweight player has arrived.

Zhang Ruonan!
The female lead personally selected by Lu Zhiyuan, the eternal female lead of the Monster Universe series, the third generation of Lu Girl!

Although Lu Zhiyuan has worked with many actresses in movies, he only has three true core members.

The first generation of "Road Girls," Dilraba.

The second-generation "Road Girl," Hanikezi.

Zhang Ruonan, the third-generation "Road Girl".

In this group, Reba became the company's boss's wife, Hanikezi was the company's little princess, and Zhang Ruonan is now the only contracted artist of Yuankun Media.

Lu Zhiyuan didn't bother with the other female celebrities; he just let them fend for themselves.

Only Zhang Ruonan was left.

It's easy to imagine Zhang Ruonan's importance in Lu Zhiyuan's heart.

"Honey, you're here. Go change your clothes."

Su Lun brought an assistant, who immediately started coordinating things for Lu Zhiyuan after seeing Yang Mi arrive.

"Oh."

Yang Mi realized that today was probably going to be a huge hurdle.

If you don't perform well, you'll easily be eliminated.

Although the roles have been assigned, Lu Zhiyuan will adjust them at any time according to the needs of the situation.

Other directors probably can't be so willful.

Because a contract had been signed, the actress who was supposed to be the lead was changed to a supporting actress, and the agency refused to acknowledge the change.

But who would dare to cause trouble on Lu Zhiyuan's film set? Unless they never want to make Hollywood movies again.

Although Lu Zhiyuan could not be called a tyrant on set, he was a complete dictator who did whatever he wanted in his own crew.

Nobody can touch him!
"Gods and Buddhas above, please bless this believer and let Brother Yuan give me a good role. Please don't give me any ugly roles."

Yang Mi has no other requests.

As long as the character is pretty enough, she doesn't dare to complain about whether there are close-up shots or not.

"Honey, change into this white leather armor first."

Su Lun's assistant got Yang Mi two sets of special leather armor that were custom-made to fit her figure.

Wearing it makes you look a bit like a sex worker, someone who specializes in creating fetishistic uniforms.

Very unserious.

But everyone else went to change their clothes, and Yang Mi was no exception; she was even quite looking forward to it.

In terms of beauty, I might not win, but in terms of figure, I'm unbeatable among this group!

Yang Mi has a rare chance to win, shouldn't she hurry up and show off?
She quickly changed into her leather armor, held her head high, puffed out her chest, and walked out arrogantly.

"I really am the first one!"

"The others are dragging their feet and don't dare to come out. They're probably afraid of facing me head-on and being completely crushed by me."

Yang Mi smiled smugly to herself.

At this moment, Lu Zhiyuan walked over and carefully looked Yang Mi up and down. He had to admit that Yang Mi did have a great figure.

In today's fashionable parlance, it's called "small branches bearing abundant fruit".

It was an accident.

It is a gene mutation.

But no man would refuse this kind of body shape... A man who doesn't like this kind of body shape is either a hypocrite or gay.

"pretty good."

Lu Zhiyuan gave a rare positive evaluation.

Hearing this, Yang Mi laughed and was very happy.

"It'll be all set for tonight."

"It's rare to see this dead man smile!"

"If everyone is wearing this kind of bikini, I'm sure I can outshine everyone else in the movie."

Although she has a blank expression, she has a great figure. If she can show off her figure in a movie, Yang Mi feels she has nothing to fear.

Men can't take their eyes off their own bodies... As for whether they have facial paralysis?

That's called being aloof, okay?

When Lu Zhiyuan was making movies, wasn't he also expressionless? He basically never smiled in the movies.

What right does he have to laugh at himself?
……

"Come on, Honey, stop showing off your figure, try riding this [vibration platform] first."

To make it easier to do special effects nearby, Lu Zhiyuan converted a green screen shooting studio inside the company.

Anyway, the China Film Group's digital shooting base is downstairs. We can just find a few workers to help set it up; it won't take much time.

"Vibration table?"

Yang Mi had never filmed this kind of movie before, and she was very curious.

She went up and took a look.

This is a simple mechanical device with several hydraulic pipes underneath. It can tilt forward and backward, and lean left and right, seemingly mimicking the up-and-down motion of a car.

As for the shape of this mechanical device, it somewhat mimics the back and neck of a bird.

In addition, the saddle and frame of this mechanical device are covered with green cloth.

"This is how special effects are filmed? Interesting!"

Following Lu Zhiyuan's instructions, Yang Mi rode onto the vibration platform.

After sitting down, she subconsciously leaned forward slightly and grabbed the two fixed handles on the vibrating table.

"Are you ready?"

Lu Zhiyuan asked Yang Mi a question, then looked at a staff member operating the machine next to him.

Yang Mi gripped the handles tightly with both hands and nodded: "It's ready."

"Ok."

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the staff member next to him: "Let's begin. Let's start with a basic set meal."

The so-called basic package is the operation module that Lu Zhiyuan and the staff discussed in advance and entered into the vibration table.

A basic package includes a dive, an upward tilt, rapid left and right turns, and a near 90-degree right-angle flight!

"what!"

The next second, Yang Mi suddenly felt the mechanical device under her buttocks start shaking wildly from side to side, as if it had gone crazy.

She couldn't help but scream.

Her scream was very penetrating. At that moment, the programmers who were still working overtime in other work areas all stuck their heads out, trying to find out where this strange scream came from.

A burning desire for gossip ignited in everyone's hearts.

Some people even breathed a sigh of relief.

"The boss has finally figured it out."

"They've stopped messing with us at the company and started bringing in female celebrities to mess with us."

"that is really good!"

"Hopefully, this female celebrity can bring some novelty to the boss and keep him entertained for a while longer."

As a historically renowned director, Lu Zhiyuan's affairs with several female celebrities seem perfectly reasonable to everyone.

As a famous director, what kind of situation is it for him to be in the company all day watching everyone work overtime?
In recent years, everyone has made a lot of money, and many people want to retire and relax.

I don't want to keep Lu Zhiyuan company by working overtime day and night.

The main issue is that although the overtime pay is considerable, it has to be given to the hospital in the end, which seems a bit unfair upon closer inspection.

……

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"Brother Yuan, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to throw up."

This vibration table has a very high horsepower and a particularly large range of left and right turns.

Yang Mi's body swayed back and forth on the vibration table, and after a while, she couldn't take it anymore.

Not only were my legs weak, but my head was also a little dizzy.

"Pause."

Seeing that Yang Mi was not in good condition, Lu Zhiyuan asked the staff to stop the vibration table.

"Ugh~~"

As soon as the machine stopped, Yang Mi quickly got off the vibration table, found a trash can, and started gagging.

Tears and snot came out together.

“I told you before that you need to exercise to lose weight, not just starve yourself. Look at you now, you can’t even handle the vibration table. Your physical condition is too poor.”

Seeing Yang Mi's miserable state, Lu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Back then, Yang Mi was even able to go with Tom Hiddleston to the Marine Corps training camp for a month of rigorous training.

Now you've become a spineless coward?
Ugh.

Regardless of gender, once you approach 30, your physical fitness will inevitably decline significantly!

"Brother Yuan, I was wrong."

Yang Mi knew that in this situation, there was no point in explaining, so it was better to just admit that she was wrong.

"Have a glass of water and rest for a while. I'll show you the result after I finish rendering."

Considering how hard Yang Mi has been working lately, Lu Zhiyuan didn't get angry with her and even comforted her a few times.

……

Shooting this kind of special effects composite shot mainly involves three steps.

The first step for Lu Zhiyuan is to create a model of the flying mount, and to build its skeleton, muscles, and skin, thus creating a non-existent life form in the virtual world!
This step is the hardest!

Fortunately, he communicated with professionals in this step, not with the actors... Otherwise, he felt he could never make a special effects blockbuster even if he made films his whole life!
And now it's time for the second step!
The actors performed a nested performance against a green screen.

These performances can be nested within the mythical beings he designed, in sync with their movements.

To achieve effective compatibility between the two.

As for the third step...

That will be the most crucial step.

This is where the visual effects team truly shines.

It requires a lot of time, energy, money, and computing power.

For now, however, all he needed was a preview to see how well the actresses looked riding the different mythical creatures. To confirm who would ultimately ride which mount.
These mounts are crucial to the upcoming plot... so the choice of mount is the only way to determine which role an actor will get.

In visually stunning films like these, the actors are completely unimportant!

Unless it's a superstar who's famous worldwide and has a built-in fanbase, anyone can play the role.

The key is that the actors' temperament must match the overall visual effects!

……

The actual rendering process is very time-consuming.

However, for now, it's just to help Lu Zhiyuan determine his role, so a simple pre-dyeing is all that's needed.

A short while later, a scene appeared on the screen showing Yang Mi wearing white leather armor, riding a black-backed, white-bellied bird, soaring through the sky.

All the visual effects team members came over to take a look.

Everyone began to discuss freely.

"She's wearing white leather armor, which doesn't quite match the temperament of this [Black Bird]. The Black Bird is rather austere, while she looks rather wild."

"I feel it would be better if she joined the Zhou Dynasty. The fiery red leather armor would look quite hot on her."

The Shang Dynasty revered the color white.

The Zhou Dynasty revered the color red.

Lu Zhiyuan plans to use vivid colors to distinguish the various factions in this movie.

Otherwise, given the huge cultural gap, foreigners would likely be unable to distinguish which camp these people belong to.

Using clothing to differentiate them would be much simpler.

"Xiao Li, take Sister Mi to change into a set of fiery red leather armor."

The staff of these visual effects teams are the core competitiveness of Lu Zhiyuan's films; their influence is far greater than that of actors like Yang Mi combined.

Lu Zhiyuan naturally valued their consensus very much.

"Okay, Brother Yuan."

Lu Zhiyuan's assistant led Yang Mi back to the dressing room, where she changed into a set of fiery red leather armor.

"Honey, let's try the basic package one more time."

Lu Zhiyuan showed no mercy to Yang Mi. While squinting at her, he wondered what it would be like to see her riding a divine bird with phoenix blood.
It should be pretty good, right?

"It's time to start!"

Yang Mi took a deep breath, adjusted her state, and sat back on the vibration platform.

Having prepared herself mentally, she gritted her teeth and braced herself for the storm to come.

"Relax a little, don't tense up your face."

"This is the second time already, so you're mentally prepared. Try to imagine what it would feel like to ride a divine bird through the sky."

Without Lu Zhiyuan, who in China would make such a special effects blockbuster?

No!

not a single one!

Most domestic mythological blockbusters consist mainly of light spheres exchanging blows, with a little bit of martial arts action, which is enough to make the audience feel that it's worth the ticket price.

As long as the special effects aren't cheap (5-cent special effects), audiences are actually quite easily satisfied.

The problem is that the fighting style in mythological blockbusters has remained unchanged for decades.

How much has technology progressed in the last few decades?
It is visible to everyone.

However, the fighting style in the movie is not much different from that of decades ago.

The 86 version of Journey to the West already achieved this level of quality. And decades later, it's still the same?
That's a bit unreasonable.

Conversely, the combat effects in domestically produced games are becoming increasingly impactful, allowing them to overtake movies in a significant way.

……

Sitting on the vibration table.

Yang Mi imagined that she must be very happy riding a mythical beast.

But she couldn't actually laugh.

Because when she smiles, the lower half of her face appears disjointed from the upper half.

So she could only purse her lips and let a slight smile appear in the corner of her eye to show her happiness.

next moment.

The vibration table started working, violently swinging her around.

Fortunately, there was a safety belt on the vibration table; otherwise, Yang Mi felt she would have been thrown out.

"Ugh~~"

The vibration table had just completed a basic cycle when Yang Mi hurriedly unbuckled her safety belt and ran out to vomit.

The frequency of vomiting is a bit too high.

Lu Zhiyuan walked up to Yang Mi, handed her a tissue, and asked in a low voice, "Sister Mi, are you pregnant? If so, I advise you not to take the risk."

In another timeline, Yang Mi did something similar.

She joined the production team while pregnant.

If something goes wrong, who will be held responsible?

If an actress were to become pregnant and then secretly join his film crew to shoot a movie, Lu Zhiyuan would definitely hate that actress and block her for life.

After all, with an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, if the actress gets pregnant and something happens on set... this movie will definitely be boycotted by women's rights organizations around the world!

The film's box office revenue has been cut in half at least.

What's even more ridiculous is that these female celebrities' fans only say things like, "Our sister is so dedicated! She even went on set while pregnant. She's so career-oriented." If someone like that doesn't deserve to be famous, then who does?
Such remarks are simply laughable.

"Brother Yuan, I was just a little carsick on the way here, and this vibration table was a bit too stimulating, so I couldn't help myself. I'm definitely not pregnant!"

Yang Mi practically swore that she was definitely not pregnant.

"Then you should get some rest." Lu Zhiyuan patted Yang Mi on the shoulder, telling her to take care of herself and not ruin her health by dieting. Health is the most important thing.

Otherwise, who would you spend all this money on?

"Thank you, Brother Yuan."

Yang Mi felt that Lu Zhiyuan wasn't so bad sometimes; he was actually quite nice and even considerate of her.

While waiting for the preview footage, Lu Zhiyuan found Su Lun: "Xiao Su, make a note that every actor must have a full physical examination before joining the crew, including a chest X-ray! Anyone who is afraid to have a chest X-ray should be sued for breach of contract and kicked out of the crew."

To get a chest X-ray, you need to scan an X-ray.

I had an X-ray; I can't get pregnant for six months!
This approach can prevent most girls from getting pregnant quickly after joining the company and taking advantage of the company's pregnancy benefits.

In Lu Zhiyuan's memory, this is how pre-employment medical examinations are conducted in China.

The production crew, being more lenient, doesn't seem to be as strict.

Otherwise, how could Yang Mi have gotten pregnant and joined the film crew in another timeline?

If she were pregnant, she definitely wouldn't dare to have a chest X-ray!

After having a chest X-ray, she definitely wouldn't dare risk getting pregnant with a deformed fetus!
"Brother Yuan, you are so wise that I can only look up to you in awe."

Although Su Lun is also a girl, as a director, she also hates it when actresses on set suddenly get pregnant.

Or, a male actor gets another female actor pregnant.

How much work will this cause?
However, her production team dared not force everyone to undergo pre-employment medical examinations, firstly because it would be a waste of money, and secondly because they would be criticized and scolded.

But Lu Zhiyuan did not have this risk.

Because if an actor is kicked out of the crew by Lu Zhiyuan for not wanting to have a medical examination... that would be a huge benefit for the other actors!
……

"Boss, the preview is out."

Just then, the special effects preview of Yang Mi wearing red leather armor and riding a crimson firebird finally appeared on the screen.

Everyone gathered around to take a look.

"not bad!"

"I told you, she looks wild in red leather armor. And I was right. See? She's wearing red leather armor and riding a firebird; she has a wild beauty."

"However, she'd better not smile. Keep a poker face and look cool. It will make people more eager to conquer her."

"Oh, right, she's missing a bow and arrow. In other movies, actresses riding horses and shooting arrows is already considered quite dashing. In our movie, the actress is riding a phoenix and shooting arrows while flying at high speed. It will definitely bring a unique experience to the audience."

Archer, aloof and expressionless, the rider of the fire phoenix.

To ride a mythical beast with the body of a mortal is a scene that countless people dream of.

It is also the future of humanity that Dr. Lee wanted to achieve in "Godzilla: Monarch".

"not bad!"

Lu Zhiyuan called Yang Mi over so she could also admire the scene of him wearing crimson leather armor, revealing his thighs and arms, and riding a fiery phoenix.

Yang Mi came over and took a look, then couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Come on!

I look so cool riding a phoenix!

I never imagined I'd be making a movie like this in my lifetime! No wonder Liu Yifei spent $200 million to get into this production!
After making this movie, he made his mark on film history!
Ordinary humans riding mythical beasts like phoenixes to launch long-range attacks... Does The Lord of the Rings have similar scenes?

It seems to have.

But not much.

This filming method requires very high-quality special effects, which is extremely expensive.

Even Peter Jackson couldn't afford to play this game!
Only someone as ruthless as Lu Zhiyuan could afford to play this game! He could even offer a special package to everyone.

"However, I feel like something's missing?"

Lu Zhiyuan stared at the special effects preview on the screen, then turned to look at Yang Mi, her exposed snow-white skin, and began to ponder.

coming.

He finally realized my charm and wanted to sleep with me!
Ah.

That's men for you!
Yang Mi snorted inwardly, but on the surface, she slightly puffed out her chest and gave Lu Zhiyuan a shy yet expectant smile.

come on.

After I'm done sleeping with you, make me the leading lady tomorrow.

I'm going to make the world a sensation!
I want to become a global brand ambassador for top luxury brands!
I also want to have a masterpiece that grosses over 10 billion US dollars!
"Have it!"

Lu Zhiyuan suddenly realized something and turned to the visual effects crew, saying, "Make a special symbol on Yang Mi's arm to indicate her identity and clan!"

Character introductions don't necessarily need dialogue or plot details.

In ancient times, many things could represent a person's status.

Family crest.

Officials' attire.

The ceremonial objects worn on the body.

The specifications of the carriage used for going out.

For female riders like Yang Mi, who expose their thighs and arms, adding some beautiful and mysterious symbols to their exposed, fair skin is very convincing.

Like the lightning bolt scar on Harry Potter's forehead.

"understand!"

Each character needs to have their own unique visual symbol, which is a consistent and distinctive style in Lu Zhiyuan's films.

These staff members were well prepared.

"Sister Honey, you can go back and rest now."

"Thank you for your hard work today."

"Stay healthy and join the crew in November. Staff will contact you about the specific filming locations and procedures later."

As for the script, Lu Zhiyuan has not yet provided it.

Why do we need so many scripts to make movies?
It's not like we're filming a TV series.

In Lu Zhiyuan's movies, some characters have very few lines, and most of the scenes are even composited with special effects in post-production.

During on-set filming, Lu Zhiyuan liked to revise the footage repeatedly, searching for that unique feeling.

Therefore, the script can only be used as a reference for him or the actors in his crew.

"Brother Yuan, I'm not leaving tonight. I'll book a room at the hotel next door. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

After watching the special effects preview, Yang Mi was very certain that this might be the most handsome role she had ever played in her life.

Even if they only appear in a few short scenes, they can leave behind an immortal legend.

Just like the Dunhuang flying fairy that Gulnazar played in "Real Steel", or the alien princess that she played in "Real Steel 3".

Those few fleeting shots left a lasting impression on the audience.

She didn't dare to leave at all right now.

I'm afraid that after I leave, someone else will suddenly steal my role.

She could stay at the hotel and come over anytime to change Lu Zhiyuan's mind... If all else failed, she could call Reba and have her come over to sleep with Lu Zhiyuan that very night!
"Sister Su, aren't we best friends? Help your sister out."

Before leaving, Yang Mi found Su Lun and pleaded with him, appealing to his emotions and promising to give him a gift.

In short, she hoped Su Lun would keep an eye on things for her.

Don't let someone else steal her role!
……

After confirming Yang Mi's role, Lu Zhiyuan went to confirm the roles of Liu Shishi and others.

Lu Zhiyuan had already decided on the role of Liu Shishi; she had to wear red.

However, Liu Shishi was probably on the side of the Yin Shang Dynasty... sent to assassinate King Mu of Zhou!
Dressed in red, she assassinated the king!

Arrogant and ruthless!
This is the character Lu Zhiyuan created for Liu Shishi... So cool and stylish!
The character Lu Zhiyuan named was "Paper Kite"... which was originally the name of a bird of prey.

But over time, "paper kite" became a synonym for kite.

Liu Shishi's character in this movie is just like a kite that has lost its string.

What becomes of a kite that has lost its string?

Self-explanatory!

This character is the complete opposite of Raven, the human sage in Pacific Rim.

After successfully portraying two completely different characters, Liu Shishi's acting skills will be unrealistically highly praised by all viewers.

Therefore, when it comes to actresses born in 85, most viewers would probably think that Liu Shishi is number one.

Moreover, it truly deserves the title.

Whether it's her battle record or her acting skills, Liu Shishi is undoubtedly number one!

……

"Senior Sister, the three of us should be considered three sisters, right?"

Wang stood nervously beside Liu Shishi, quietly moving away from Liu Yifei.

"should be."

Because of Lu Zhiyuan, Liu Shishi was quite friendly to Wang Cheran, unlike Liu Yifei, who glared at Wang Cheran.

After all, Liu Yifei isn't blind.

She could tell from the corner of her eye that Wang Churan's makeup was deliberately imitating hers!

What annoyed her the most was that Wang Chiran's eyes were actually prettier than hers... In that case, in Lu Zhiyuan's mind, Wang Chiran's score would most likely be higher than hers!
Everyone knows that Lu Zhiyuan likes girls with big eyes.

Liu Shishi's eyes were small and lifeless, so no matter how she tried to seduce Lu Zhiyuan, he remained unmoved.

Jing Tian, ​​Reba, and Gao Yuanyuan all share one characteristic: they have exceptionally large eyes.

This left Lu Zhiyuan with no choice but to accept.

"Xiao Chuan, you're dressed in black with gold thread embroidery. You'll probably be sent to the Queen Mother of the West's side."

"I was wearing red, so I must have been mistaken for an assassin and sent to the Zhou Dynasty."

"As for Liu Yifei, she is dressed in white, so she will probably stay in the Yin Shang Dynasty tribe and may become the personal bodyguard of the Yin Shang prince."

Liu Shishi and Xin Yukun had a very good relationship.

The script was written by Xin Yukun.

Therefore, she knew very early on that the color of clothing represented one's status and the power one belonged to.

The Shang Dynasty revered white, while the Zhou Dynasty revered red.

On the other hand, the Queen Mother of the West reveres black... As for the reason, Xin Yukun gave her a little hint.

This is because it is based on the ancient theory of the Five Elements.

The Yin-Shang Dynasty belongs to the metal element.

The Zhou Dynasty was associated with the element of fire.

The Queen Mother of the West belongs to the water element.

There's also a hidden side story with the Queen Mother of the West. After the Great Wall story ends, she will send out a young man who possesses amazing skills in raising mythical beasts.

And this boy's name is Ying Fei!
This name wasn't made up by Xin Yukun.

According to true history, King Mu of Zhou's son would be enfeoffed in Qin Yi because Fei Zi, the founding ancestor of the Qin state, was good at raising horses!
Here's why the people of Qin revered black.
"Wow."

"Senior Sister, you know so much."

Liu Shishi revealed to Wang Cheran the concept behind the various factions in the movie, suggesting that one could discern this directly from the colors of their clothing.

There are even hidden storylines.

After listening, Wang Churan's eyes lit up. She suddenly realized that making movies was really interesting, and being able to participate in it personally was an even more exciting thing.

At this moment, she felt like she was dreaming.

I was so lucky at 16.

Liu Shishi smiled faintly, not taking it seriously. She looked into Lu Zhiyuan's direction with a distant gaze and murmured, "He chose you, and he won't waste your youth. In the future, you will become more famous than you can imagine."

"Uncle Yuan!"

At this moment, Wang ran to Lu Zhiyuan's side, called out "Uncle," and spun around in front of Lu Zhiyuan like a butterfly: "Do I look good in black?"

Liu Shishi, Liu Yifei, and Wang Churan are dressed in relatively conservative, traditional Chinese costumes.

Unlike Yang Mi, who wears sexy leather armor and looks a bit like a barbarian.

After all, Yang Mi is a "Fighting Chicken" pilot, and as an air force pilot, lightweight is the most important thing, so it is very reasonable for Yang Mi to wear leather armor!

The other three female characters are maids, so they naturally have to wear proper ancient costumes.

"not bad."

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at Wang Cheran's attire, nodded slightly, and then offered another suggestion: "Change the lipstick shade. Choose the 'dried rose' color. Hmm, Chanel No. 132, pick that one. It would suit you better."

Upon hearing this, Wang was completely dumbfounded.

What kind of perversion is this?
No wonder people call him a robot!

I just went over to say hello, and he immediately started criticizing my lipstick, saying I had chosen the wrong shade and even suggested I change it.

Chanel No. 132, what the heck is this?

"Oh."

With so many people watching, Wang Churan wouldn't refuse Lu Zhiyuan's request, so she obediently went back and changed to another lipstick.

Makeup artists, always ready.

As for lipsticks, the makeup artist definitely has all the commonly used lipstick shades on hand.

"Chanel No. 132 is very popular right now. The boss has a good eye."

The makeup artist spoke to Wang Cheran while reapplying her lipstick.

After a while, the makeup artist nodded slightly and exclaimed in genuine admiration, "Amazing. Just a slight change in lipstick and the temperament has instantly changed, becoming much more serene, like a rose slowly withering in autumn and winter."

is it?

Wang was terrified.

Perhaps it's because she's young and doesn't have many feelings to express.

However, she guessed that her character was sent by the Yin Shang Dynasty to infiltrate the Queen Mother of the West's side. Wasn't her character just a rose waiting to wither?
No one appreciates it.

The end is death!
Thinking about it this way, the lipstick shade seems to match the character's personality and fate very well!

"Sigh, making movies is really difficult; you have to consider every aspect."

Wang Churan is directing a movie for the first time, and it's an epic masterpiece right from the start.

She had thought that a so-called epic masterpiece might feature a grand scene like tens of thousands of cavalry charging into battle.

But now it seems that details are even more important!
Lu Zhiyuan was extremely meticulous about everything from the characters' fates, personalities, clothing, and even lipstick—everything that the audience could see in terms of visual effects!

"Go quickly, the boss is waiting for you."

The makeup artist was very polite to Wang Churan.

At first, they couldn't figure out what the relationship was between Wang Churan and Lu Zhiyuan.
Because, apart from Wang Churan, which of the female celebrities Lu Zhiyuan called over for an interview wasn't a top-tier star in China?
To everyone's surprise, Wang immediately called him "Uncle Yuan".

This background is too impressive!

Those actresses wouldn't be surprised if Lu Zhiyuan kicked them all out after filming this movie... but Wang Churan, this nepotism case, is a sure thing!
"You should all try them out and choose a mount you like."

After the group changed their clothes and put on makeup, Lu Zhiyuan had them sit on the vibration platform to try out the feeling of flying.

Then, he generously let the three of them choose their favorite mounts.

There won't be many special effects scenes featuring these three, but as sisters in the movie, they will share some memories.

Of all these memories, no image is more convincing than the three of them soaring through the sky together.

According to both Eastern and Western religions, after a person dies, their soul ascends to heaven.

Before a person dies, beautiful memories may flash through their mind. If these memories also involve flying in the sky, then it all feels incredibly fateful.

Lu Zhiyuan likes this kind of narrative with a sense of destiny.

All of his films, to varying degrees, carry this sense of destiny.

The audience feels that all of this is a strange cycle, an inescapable shackle.

These people all went against the tide, but ultimately could not defy fate.

A key characteristic of films with a sense of destiny is their powerful lasting impact; after watching them, viewers are deeply moved and concerned about the characters' fates.

Let's leave aside the film's box office performance for now.

Once Wang Churan has played such a fateful role, she will most likely become an overnight sensation!

……

Lu Zhiyuan was working overtime at the company.

The special effects company, Black Hole Events, is located right next to the China Film Group's Huairou filming base.

To make it easier to create special effects and to combine them with live-action footage, Lu Zhiyuan had already moved the company here.

This will also save him from having to run back and forth between the two places.

"Ah Yuan, I heard you're still working overtime. I came here specifically to check on you."

Lu Zhiyuan is over here, discussing with the special effects staff whether they should adjust the shaking frequency of the shaking table slightly.
Because, apart from Yang Mi, the other female celebrities were also shaken so badly after going up that they all vomited as soon as they came down.

Lu Zhiyuan sat up there for a while, and his whole body went numb.

Just now, Yang Mi really couldn't be blamed.

Because after sitting for a while, he also felt nauseous!
Just then, Mr. Kang, the chairman of China Film Group, came to the company and bumped into Lu Zhiyuan.

"You guys continue."

Lu Zhiyuan knew that President Kang's real intentions were not what they seemed; he definitely had something important to discuss with him. Moreover, this matter could probably not be clearly explained over the phone.

"Mr. Kang, this way please."

Lu Zhiyuan led President Kang to his office and casually instructed his assistant, "Xiao Li, pour President Kang a cup of tea."

Settle down in the office.

After closing the door, President Kang took a leisurely sip of tea and then got straight to the point: "A Yuan, you've already established the reputation of 'The Lost Tomb'."

"After discussing the Great Wall project, we unanimously agreed that, if possible, could we continue to use the name Lost Temple?"

in the country, the name of a movie doesn't matter.

However, internationally, the movie title "Lost Temple" has become a worldwide sensation.

The main reason is that Lost Temple is a classic map in StarCraft or Warcraft, representing the youth and memories of countless players.

of course.

It is also Lu Zhiyuan's youth and memories.

When he was in junior high school, he and his classmates played the map "Lost Temple" countless times at internet cafes.

"can."

"This name is also within my shortlist."

"Since President Kang agrees, then the official title of the film has been decided: *Lost Temple 2: The Great Wall*."
After all, the other party paid me to film it.

This is a custom-made piece.

Whatever name the client wanted, as long as it benefited the film's box office, Lu Zhiyuan accepted all reasonable suggestions.

When President Kang saw that Lu Zhiyuan readily agreed with his suggestions, he immediately smiled.

Working with Lu Zhiyuan is a pleasure.

"Ah Yuan, besides the movie title, after our meeting, we think that you and Hani should both appear in the movie's main cast."

"Because the audience is very much looking forward to the past lives of Ding Sitian and Hu Bayi in the movie 'Mojin: The Lost Legend'."

“If the two of you appear in the new project, it will be a huge selling point. I think it could boost the box office by at least tens of millions of dollars.”

"How about you consider providing some hidden clues without affecting the overall framework of the film?"

"You don't need too many, two or three shots will be enough."

"For example, at the gathering at the Jade Pool of the Queen Mother of the West, you, as a prince of the Shang Dynasty, glanced at the little princess played by Hani from afar. At that moment, Hani also happened to have seen her. Their eyes met, and everything was understood without words."

"It's hazy, it's beautiful. Isn't it?"

President Kang's opinion does have some merit.

Lu Zhiyuan originally didn't want to be the lead actor because he couldn't perform some of the horseback riding scenes he designed for the film.

However, designing a character without any combat scenes can give global audiences some anticipation.

That's something we could consider.

After all, as an Oscar-winning actor, Lu Zhiyuan's personal performance would definitely have a much stronger appeal than Zhao Wenzhuo's.

I wouldn't dare say more, but an additional $5000 million in box office revenue shouldn't be a problem.

That's $5000 million!
I can only work hard for two days at most.

never mind!

the last time!
After achieving the greatest record in history, he never personally participated in the game again.

"Mr. Kang, let me think about it."

Lu Zhiyuan is very receptive to advice; as long as it benefits the film's box office, he will most likely agree after careful consideration.

"Ah Yuan, regarding your salary, I've made the decision. I'll offer you 2000 million US dollars. Don't refuse; this price is the consensus we reached after our meeting!"

President Kang reciprocated the favor.

They directly gave Lu Zhiyuan 2000 million US dollars as pocket money.

He was afraid that Lu Zhiyuan would become the greatest filmmaker in history after making this movie and then retire immediately.

So, if they have similar projects in the future, who should they contact?

After all, if this is successful, there will only be more and more patriotic films produced domestically. They need to first secure a director who won't flop and have him make one film every year.

As for the other celebratory films... feel free to make them. It doesn't matter if they flop, we already have a stabilizing force.

"Thank you, Mr. Kang."

“Perfect timing, I’ve found a painting by Church that I like.”

For this movie, Lu Zhiyuan would normally receive 10% of the director's fee, which would be about 2000 million US dollars. However, President Kang offered him an additional 2000 million US dollars in salary.

In other words, if this movie has a budget of 2 million US dollars, Lu Zhiyuan will take 4000 million US dollars for himself!
He certainly wouldn't do it this way if it were his own company's project.

But this was someone else's project, and although he invested a portion, it wasn't much.

In this situation, aside from adhering to professional ethics and performing and filming well, he doesn't think too much about finances.

Go all out and bid as high as you can!
Otherwise, the foreigners would think that President Kang and his team couldn't afford to pay!

"This is right!"

"Buy whatever you like. Don't hold back. Once you've spent all your money and are enjoying it, you'll have the motivation to keep working!"

If Lu Zhiyuan were a person without desires and ambitions, only focused on pursuing the title of the greatest in history.

Mr. Kang felt very scared.

Because he had absolutely no idea what Lu Zhiyuan was thinking.

Only now did he realize that Lu Zhiyuan was a normal person.

(End of this chapter)