This director lacks vision.

Chapter 263 A Group of Problem Girls

Today's audition was semi-open, and there were quite a few media present.

When Jiang Yifeng entered the venue, he was immediately surrounded by reporters, with microphones shoved in front of him like long guns and short cannons.

"Director Jiang Yifeng, Lost in Thailand was met with a lukewarm reception after its release in Taiwan, with only NT$100 million grossing in its first week. What are your thoughts on this?"

Jiang Yifeng: "???"

"Excuse me, I'd like to confirm. Lost in Thailand only grossed 100 million NTD in its opening week in Taiwan. Is that a lukewarm reception?"

Jiang Yifeng's question drew laughter from the audience.

In Taiwan's film market, a film that grosses NT$100 million is considered a very good result.

The fact that "Lost in Thailand" achieved this result in just one week is already incredibly impressive.

Despite being ridiculed, the reporter who asked the question remained calm and said, "This is a report from Taiwanese media. They not only said that Lost in Thailand had a poor box office performance, but also that the film was vulgar and lacked depth, and was completely inferior to 'You Are the Apple of My Eye'."

"You Are the Apple of My Eye" will be released in mainland China on January 6th. What is your opinion on the claims made by Taiwanese media and the film itself?

The years the reporter mentioned refer to the movie "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

This film was released in Taiwan last August and broke the Taiwan box office record.

It's going to be released in mainland China now.

The promotional campaign has been quite extensive these days, and the song "Those Years" has started charting in mainland China.

Jiang Yifeng had little interest in this movie.

Although many Chinese entertainment novelists will love to copy this movie in the future, its box office in mainland China is not very high, only 7000 million yuan, which is less than Xu Jinglei's "Go Lala Go!".

Overall, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" is a decent youth campus film, and the songs are very catchy.

But that's about it; it's not very competitive, and its influence isn't as great as it's claimed.

Jiang Yifeng said, "Since I announced that I would not participate in the Golden Horse Awards, the Taiwanese media has been reporting on me in a rather negative way, and I've gotten used to it."

Audiences can tell whether a movie is good or bad. No matter how much the Taiwanese media criticizes it, Lost in Thailand is still a hit in Taiwan.

As for those years, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I can only wish it good success.

After all, the competition in the Lunar New Year film season is still very fierce.

The Lunar New Year film season isn't over yet; next up are "The Viral Factor," directed by Lin Chaoxian and starring Zhou Jielun and Xie Tingfeng, as well as Mission: Impossible 4 and other films set to be released.

With such fierce competition, coupled with the phenomenal box office success of Lost in Thailand, those years might have actually seen a lukewarm reception.

Jiang Yifeng answered a few more questions about Youthful Days, then left the media area and went inside the venue.

Dozens of girls had already changed into their practice clothes and stood on one side of the field with bare faces.

Han Jianu walked over and said, "President Jiang, these are the girls we selected after two rounds of screening, a total of 48 people."

We recorded the entire screening process for future reference.

After returning to her 20s as a producer, Han Jianu joined Fengxing Media directly.

She was also one of the producers of the film *Youth*, and she was in charge of casting.

There were many applicants this time, making the casting process very demanding and time-sensitive.

To prepare for the casting, Han Jianu didn't rest during the New Year's Day holiday and worked late into the night, which prompted Han Sanping to call Jiang Yifeng to "complain."

Jiang Yifeng nodded, sat down at the long table, and said with a smile, "Let's begin. Let's get this over with quickly. I have an appointment this afternoon."

For these selected girls, this audition could be a life-changing opportunity.

But for Jiang Yifeng, it was just another ordinary audition among many others.

It's just routine work.

"Hello Director Jiang Yifeng, hello teachers, my name is Song Yameng, I come from Shanghai, I am 13 years old, I can sing and perform opera, and I also know a little martial arts."

Jiang Yifeng looked at Song Yameng in front of him and felt that she looked somewhat familiar.

This woman is tall with long legs, has a very standard figure, and a nice face shape that is both dignified and classic. However, her facial contours are rather blunt, and her smile looks unnatural. She actually looks better with a cold expression.

Jiang Yifeng took out Song Yameng's information and asked, "Are you really 13 years old? The information says you study in Zibo, so why does it say you're from Shanghai?"

Looking at Song Yameng, Jiang Yifeng felt like he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't remember who she was.

However, this girl looks older than her age, and she is already close to 1.7 meters tall, so she doesn't look like she is 13 years old.

Age fraud is so common these days, Jiang Yifeng needs to be more careful.

Not all girls of the new generation are well-behaved; Song Yameng, for example, has quite a temper.

Upon hearing Jiang Yifeng's question, she subconsciously rolled her eyes before replying, "I really am 13 years old, and I have an ID card and birth certificate."

I participated in variety shows when I was a child, which can also prove my age.

I was born in Shanghai, so of course I'm a Shanghainese. However, after my parents divorced, I moved to Zibo with my mother.

That eye roll was all it took to get the point; Jiang Yifeng recognized the other person's identity.

Wang Churan is a rising star in the entertainment industry, and Jia Shikai's latest masterpiece after Liu Shishi. She is hailed as a high-end version of Liu Yifei.

It has to be said that the young actresses in the industry are all rife with scandals.

Wang Churen's real name is Song Yameng. That's how she was introduced on variety shows when she was a child. It's said that she stole the stage name Wang Churen from a classmate...

Jiang Yifeng didn't care much about this situation.

The entertainment industry will have greater exposure in the future, competition among young actresses will be fierce, and all sorts of scandals will be flying around.

..., ...

If we really get serious, there are no clean people in the entertainment industry, and this will never end.

Jiang Yifeng has only one standard: don't settle scores about things that haven't happened yet; let him "teach" them slowly.

Moreover, the problems of these young actresses are nothing compared to those of the older actresses; the early Hong Kong entertainment industry was also full of messes.

After all, no one is perfect, and no one can withstand scrutiny under a magnifying glass.

Jiang Yifeng didn't argue with Wang Churan, but instead said, "Show us your talent."

Wang Churan performed a dance and sang a piece of opera.

Jiang Yifeng then realized that Wang Churan before her plastic surgery looked more like Yang Caiyu.

The two have similar skills; they can both sing and dance, and they also know a bit about traditional opera.

At this time, Wang Churan was weaker than Yang Caiyu in every way, and the title of "Little Yang Caiyu" was more suitable for her.

Of course, things are different after plastic surgery; Wang Churan is still quite capable after the adjustments.

Following Wang Churan was the old acquaintance Guan Xiaotong.

After Guan Xiaotong, another rising star has emerged.

"Hello everyone, I am Cheng Xiao. I come from Shenzhen. My dream is to become a big star. I will definitely succeed!"
I started learning to dance when I was 5 years old. My mom is a singer, and I have many talents!

Perhaps due to nervousness, Cheng Xiao spoke rather quickly and her sentences were not coherent.

But Jiang Yifeng still sensed a strong, energetic vibe emanating from her.

If Cheng Xiao got a tattoo and dyed her hair, she would look exactly like a girl on the street.

This rebellious spirit is just perfect!

Jiang Yifeng glanced at Han Jianu.

Han Jianu said, "Cheng Xiao dances quite well; her modern dance is very energetic. Mr. Jiang, you didn't specify what kind of dancer you wanted, so I picked out a few from various styles."

Jiang Yifeng nodded and said, "That's good, let's show our talents."

Cheng Xiao immediately started a street dance.

It must be said that she is indeed very talented. Although she is only 14 years old, she has already shown promise and is already showing signs of aptitude for dancing.

The street dance was pretty good, quite professional.

After Cheng Xiao, there were no other acquaintances.

But the overall quality is quite good, after all, they were carefully selected from tens of thousands of people.

When he reached number 46, Jiang Yifeng's eyes lit up.

"Dear Director Jiang Yifeng, hello Teacher Han, I am Liu Yicun. It is an honor to participate in this audition."

I am 13 years old and a student at the affiliated middle school of Yenching Dance Academy.

I'm skilled in folk dance, and I've been practicing for eight and a half years. I hope you enjoy it.

Zhang Yimou has many flaws, but in terms of visuals and camera work, he is indeed world-class.

This includes footage and shots of the female lead.

Although his leading ladies have been jokingly referred to by netizens as "copies of Gong Li," most of his choices have actually been quite good.

Most of the "Zhang Yimou Girls" are beauties who fit the classical Chinese aesthetic. They may not be the most stunning beauties, but they are all very attractive in front of the camera without makeup.

The same applies to Liu Jicun.

Jiang Yifeng liked her very much when he saw her.

She has a great figure and temperament, well-proportioned features, and a lot of white space on her face. She speaks in a gentle tone, but deep down she also has a stubborn, boyish spirit.

From a professional perspective, Jiang Yifeng believes that among the 48 girls who auditioned today, Liu Yicun is the most suitable for the role of Liu Miaomiao.

The only shortcoming is that Liu Jicun doesn't embody the feeling of a poor person.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

People from artistic backgrounds are usually not poor, and Jiang Yifeng also requires auditionees to have dance skills.

Those who made it to the final interview were all from relatively wealthy families.

For this reason, Jiang Yifeng did not make a decision on the spot.

He selected 8 people from 48 for a six-month training program.

It includes Guan Xiaotong, Liu Jicun, Cheng Xiao, and Wang Churan.

All eight of them will have roles in the movie, but who will ultimately play Liu Miaomiao depends on their performance.

After the casting was completed, Jiang Yifeng said to Han Jianu, "Do you know why I've always put you in charge of casting?"

Han Jianu said self-deprecatingly, "Because my dad is Han Sanping, am I not afraid of offending people?"

Jiang Yifeng shook his head and said, "You were the one who chose Shu Chang to return to her 20s, and you also suggested the sentimental marketing campaign between Shu Chang and Liu Yifei."

To be honest, you haven't shown any talent in directing yet.

However, they have an excellent eye for talent.

I'm very satisfied with the casting for this season of Youth.

You can realize your greatest value by identifying your talents and working in your area of ​​expertise.

I think you should develop your career in the area of ​​selecting, training, and promoting artists, and strive to become the general manager of the artist department at Fengxing Media.

Han Jianu's eyes lit up when she heard Jiang Yifeng's words.

She really enjoys casting and is also somewhat interested in training artists.

Jiang Yifeng continued, "I have already formulated a plan and goals for Fanghua's six-month training program. Please refine them."

The training camp is now in your hands.

As you can see, Cheng Xiao is very rebellious; even Song Yameng dares to roll her eyes at me.

The new generation of girls are not easy to manage.

I don't trust anyone else with this task; only you can handle it.

Your journey to becoming the General Manager of the Artists Department begins with this training camp!

In addition to Yan Danchen and the eight girls, some other actors will also be selected for this training camp for "Youth".

The training camp was predominantly for women.

Women are the best at dealing with women.

It would be best to entrust the training to Han Jianu.

Han Jianu was persuaded by Jiang Yifeng and was full of enthusiasm.

"Don't worry, President Jiang, I will definitely manage these people well."

However, things might change with Guan Xiaotong. She has good resources and doesn't lack acting opportunities, so she might not accept the six-month intensive training unless we promise her a role.

"There are no promises. If she doesn't accept, let her go and choose a replacement."

"I still have the highest hopes for Liu Jicun. Keep a close eye on her situation and remind her parents not to cause any negative publicity, otherwise we'll abandon her immediately."

The incident of someone being paralyzed due to Liu Jicun's home dance studio has not yet occurred.

Jiang Yifeng couldn't say it outright, but he still wanted to remind her, both to prevent a tragedy from happening and to prevent Liu Jicun's dirty secrets from affecting Fanghua.

Han Jianu nodded and said, "Okay, I will keep that in mind."

Liu Jicun's family isn't the most troublesome; this Cheng Xiao ran away from home without telling her parents.

I only found out about this when her mother arrived in Yanjing this morning.

And then there's Song Yameng (Wang Churan), whose mother is also a drama queen; she's clearly from Zibo, but insists on pretending to be from Shanghai.

Jiang Yifeng sighed, and just as he was about to speak, he heard an argument coming from the second floor of the venue.

"I clearly won! I held a plank for 37 minutes, longer than that!"

"Bullshit! Your technique was off; you just cheated. Do you think I didn't know?"

"I didn't cheat, I won this time. According to the bet, you have to call me 'sister.' Call me 'Sister Tian' now!"

"You big dummy, Tian! Do you think you're Jing Tian? Sweet Sister! You cheating bastard!"

Jiang Yifeng was used to these arguments; they were just the usual quarrels between Tian Qianwei and Song Zuer.

But the argument that broke out at this moment made Jiang Yifeng sigh, "They really are a bunch of problem girls."

For the sake of the future quality of young actresses in the entertainment industry, and for the sake of making the audience more satisfied, Jiang Yifeng had no choice but to take action and properly discipline this group of problem girls.

Who understands the hard work and effort involved?
After the audition, Jiang Yifeng had a quick lunch and then went to the company.

I had only been sitting in my office for a short while when a man and a woman came to visit.

The woman was dressed in a professional suit, exuding shrewdness and assertiveness; the man wore a plaid shirt, looking every bit the programmer.

It was Wang Qiong, an investor Jiang Yifeng had met at the American Club, and Zhang Yiming, who was preparing to start his own business.

(End of this chapter)