It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 192 The City Is Covered in Golden Armor? No! It's the City Covered in "White Jade Waves"

"Warmest congratulations on the successful start of filming for director Lü Rui's new film, following 'Taken'."

"Faced with external controversies, Liu Yifei's high-EQ remarks garnered praise and support from multiple media outlets. She demonstrated clarity and self-awareness. We wish 'Dying to Survive' a box office success and 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' a ratings explosion..."

"Following 'Crossing the Guandong', Ruishijie Animation's new work 'Qin's Moon: Hundred Steps Flying Sword' has once again landed on CCTV-1 and is currently airing."

...

After handing over the public relations tasks to the crew of "Dying to Survive", Lü Rui devoted himself to filming.

He wasn't worried about any negative public opinion.

It's worth noting that Visionway never skimps on its public relations investments each year.

The media chases trending topics in order to make money. Now that they have funds to collect in advance, they will naturally try to control any negative voices.

Of course, relying solely on spending money to control comments is not a reliable approach.

The safest approach is actually to control your own channel where you can voice your opinions.

Regarding this matter, Lü Rui had already been making arrangements in secret, and was now just waiting for the right opportunity to make his move...

"Ready, 3, 2, 1, action!"

On set, as the clapperboard fell, the camera focused on Ge You.

Ge You's acting skills never disappoint; he brought the role of a down-to-earth innkeeper to life.

With a slightly hunched back, a greasy makeup look, and vivid facial expressions, a character with "kidney deficiency," a mercenary nature, and a touch of cunning little man is instantly established.

Jiang Wu, who acted opposite him, also gave a brilliant performance.

Compared to when he auditioned, he is now noticeably thinner, and with his haggard makeup, there is a hint of weakness in his eyes, as if he is about to fall ill.

"Hey? Did you keep that batch of oil I gave you at your little hotel?"

"It's on display, but nobody uses it! Everyone uses Viagra these days, who would use this piece of junk?" Ge You grumbled, her eyes sweeping over Jiang Wu's face, and suddenly teased, "You don't happen to have kidney deficiency too, do you? Why does your complexion look worse lately?"

"You're the one who's weak! I just have a cold!" Jiang Wu retorted with a frown, his tone tinged with annoyance.

He couldn't explain what was wrong with him; he just felt increasingly weak and couldn't muster any energy...

"Click! Passed!"

The shot was smooth and natural, without a single flaw, and Lü Rui immediately called it a pass.

Immediately afterwards, he also filmed Ning Hao locking the hotel door and pasting a rent arrears notice on it.

After filming, Ning Hao prepared to leave the crew first.

"Why don't you have lunch before you leave?" Lü Rui stood up and tried to persuade him to stay.

Ning Hao shook his head: "No, maybe next time. I have to go back and work on the new script. I've been resting for more than half a year, it's time to get back to work."

"Okay, be careful on the road." Lu Rui waved to him.

The two were quite familiar with each other, so there was no need for formal farewells.

As soon as a scene was finished, the crew immediately got busy adjusting the lighting and tidying up the props.

Lu Rui sat back in the director's chair and reviewed the playback, Shen Ao helped him organize the storyboard, and Lu Yang was busy coordinating the actors' movements for the next scene, each doing their own job.

"Brother Rui, the next scene is Zhang Yi's first appearance, the scene where he meets Jiang Wu."

"Okay, I understand." Lü Rui nodded.

He had memorized the script perfectly and knew exactly what to film in each scene.

After this scene is filmed, Ge You's cameo appearance will officially end.

It's quite rare in the film and television industry for two actors to finish filming right after the production started.

More than ten minutes later, the scene was adjusted, and Zhang Yi and Jiang Wu's first scene together officially began filming.

It's worth mentioning that Zhang Yi really went all out for the role of "Lu Shouyi"!

In the month between the end of the audition and the start of filming, he managed to lose weight down to just over 110 pounds, and he's still losing weight.

In his words, "Getting sick is a gradual process; your body will only get worse, so how can your constitution not change along with it?"

This meticulousness aligns perfectly with Lü Rui's creative philosophy.

A good actor should have this sense of awe for the role!
Shooting begins.

In the scene, Zhang Yi, playing Lü Shouyi, carefully takes out the box of sorafenib, a drug used to treat liver cancer, and tentatively asks Jiang Wu to help him purchase it, but is flatly refused: "I don't do smuggling, it's illegal..."

"It's profitable; there are so many patients taking this medicine..."

Zhang Yi quickly added, his tone full of urgency.

...

Time flew by and the afternoon was over.

With the morning's filming over, Ge You's cameo appearance also came to an end.

At the hotel dinner table, Lü Rui suddenly remembered something and asked him curiously, "I'm quite puzzled, what was Feng Xiaogang thinking? Why did he let you play 'Emperor Li' in 'The Banquet'? Doesn't he think it's incongruous?"

Ge You paused, then sighed, "Actually, I don't understand it either. I'm getting dizzy just filming this. Sometimes I don't even know what he's trying to express, but he seems to be having a lot of fun filming it..."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui subconsciously exchanged a glance with Jiang Wen, who was sitting at the same table.

Both of their expressions were somewhat subtle.

"Won't it end up being a film similar to 'The Promise'?" Jiang Wen asked bluntly, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Ge You paused in her chopsticks-picking motion and remained silent for a long time.

He wasn't really sure himself, and even felt a little uneasy, so he didn't know how to refute it.

Filming continued in the afternoon.

The early episodes of "Dying to Survive" mainly revolve around the male lead played by Jiang Wu.

As for Li Bingbing and Fan Bingbing's scenes, they are mainly concentrated in the middle and later stages.

So the two said their goodbyes and agreed to rejoin the crew when needed.

Jiang Wen was also worried about his wife, who was in early pregnancy, so he gave Lü Rui a few instructions and then left in a hurry.

Zhang Yi and Wang Baoqiang, on the other hand, did not go back to the hotel to rest even though they had no scenes to film next. Instead, they stayed on set, helping the staff move props and check equipment. They would lend a hand with any task they could manage.

This made Lü Rui feel more favorably toward the two of them.

Many actors in the industry go back to their hotels to rest when they're not filming, even if they're not working on multiple projects at the same time. It's rare to see actors like them who are willing to stay on set and lend a hand.

For Lü Rui, such a down-to-earth and hardworking actor is undoubtedly a very worthwhile person to work with.

When starting new projects in the future, if there are suitable roles available, they will naturally be given priority consideration.

It's worth mentioning that Liu Yifei is also quite busy.

The TV series "The Return of the Condor Heroes" will premiere next month, so she needs to start promoting it in advance.

Meanwhile, thanks to her immense popularity and national recognition, she recently snatched the endorsement deal for the online game "Perfect World" from actresses like Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, and Zhang Baizhi, and filmed a lot of promotional materials.

One of the photos, in which she is holding a bow and arrow, left a particularly deep impression on Lü Rui.

Her small, delicate face, framed by spirited eyebrows and eyes, exudes both girlish charm and a touch of chivalry, making her exceptionally striking.

"Senior, I'll be going now, I'll be back in a few days."

Liu Yifei packed her things and walked over to Lü Rui to say goodbye.

"Okay, be careful on the road, and don't forget to memorize your lines," Lü Rui casually reminded him.

"Know it!"

Liu Yifei smiled and agreed, then turned and left.

As soon as she left the film set, the innocence and naivety on her face faded somewhat.

After leaving Lü Rui's side, she would always subconsciously put on a layer of "armor" to deal with the complexities of the outside world.

Once inside the car, she immediately asked Liu Xiaoli, "Mom, did what I said at the press conference cause any controversy?"

The recent promotion of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has generated a lot of buzz, and coupled with her status as the female lead in "Dying to Survive," a lot of negative news targeting her has surfaced in the industry, clearly an attempt to suppress her momentum.

"Don't worry." Liu Xiaoli shook her head and handed over the laptop: "Director Lü has already arranged for someone to handle it."

"what?"

Liu Yifei was taken aback, then took the computer and looked through it.

The computer screen was filled with praise for her: "So clear-headed," "Courageous to face controversy," "Much more insightful than other actresses of her generation"...

It's obvious without even guessing that someone has done public relations and controlled the narrative.

"This senior is such a nice person..."

She muttered to herself, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turning up, her eyes curving into crescents, laughing like a naive and simple-minded fool.

Liu Xiaoli glanced at her daughter's expression and shook her head helplessly. This silly girl, her thoughts are all written on her face!
……

Here, Liu Yifei's public pressure has vanished.

However, on the other hand, Jiang Yiyan paid a heavy price for her previous remarks.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jiang, we've already chosen a more suitable candidate for this role. It's a pity we couldn't work together this time..."

From afternoon to evening, she received no fewer than ten phone calls!
Film auditions fell through, TV drama roles were recast, variety show invitations were canceled, brand endorsements were terminated...

All the collaborations that were about to proceed were abruptly halted within half a day.

At first, she didn't think much of it, assuming it was just normal in the industry. But as she received more and more calls, she finally realized something was wrong.

By the time she frantically contacted her agent and told him everything, most of her work in mainland China had already come to a standstill.

"Who have you offended recently?" The agent rushed over overnight, his face frighteningly serious.

"I haven't offended anyone!" Jiang Yiyan's eyes reddened with anxiety. "I haven't been doing any events lately, except..."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly remembered the news she had seen online that afternoon about Liu Yifei being praised by the media, and her face instantly turned pale.

The sarcastic remarks she made to Liu Yifei during a recent interview have recently gone viral online.

But today the public opinion has suddenly shifted. Could it be...?

The agent, who was making a call on his phone, saw her like this and quickly asked, "You figured it out? Who is it?"

Jiang Yiyan's voice trembled, tinged with embarrassment and panic: "Maybe...maybe it's because during the interview a few days ago, I said a few things about Liu Yifei..."

The agent fell silent instantly, stared at her for a few seconds, and then continued making the call with his head down.

There are hardly any secrets in this circle, especially since Lü Rui didn't hold back at all when he made his move.

He wanted to give everyone a clear warning, to let them know what would happen if they offended him and those he protected!
A moment later, the agent put down his phone, his face so dark it could drip water: "It was Ruishijie that did it."

"Ah?!" Jiang Yiyan's face changed drastically, her voice trembling. "Then... what do we do now?"

"Go apologize," the agent said bluntly.

"Apologize to whom? To Ruishijie?"

"Go apologize to the person you really offended, and get her to forgive you. Only then will there be any chance of things turning around." The agent emphasized.

Jiang Yiyan's expression instantly became uncertain. She bit her lower lip tightly, neither speaking nor making any move to get up.

She simply couldn't swallow her anger and apologize to Liu Yifei!

Why?
It was just a few exaggerated words; was it really necessary to make such a big fuss?

"Sigh." Seeing this, the agent shook his head helplessly, got up and walked towards the door. "Think about it carefully yourself."

I'm laying this out in the open today: the company is completely powerless to help you unless you gain their understanding, or Director Lü stops paying attention to you and treats you like a fart. Otherwise, your career in mainland China is basically over.

With a "bang", the door closed.

Jiang Yiyan shuddered violently, tears welling up instantly, her face turning red and white!
She wanted to slap herself twice right now!

Why couldn't you control your mouth and say those things back then?
Now, things have turned out differently. Not only did he fail to cause trouble for Liu Yifei, he has also pushed himself into a deep pit and suffered a major setback!
……

The filming of "Dying to Survive" went very smoothly, with almost no major problems since filming began.

Although there are quite a few minor issues, this is normal during the crew's adjustment period and can be resolved quickly.

Meanwhile, in late February, "Qin's Moon: Hundred Steps Flying Sword" officially entered its peak period on CCTV!

Although the show only has 10 episodes, its average viewership rating exceeded 2.5%, and its highest viewership rating even reached 4.1%, far surpassing other animated programs in the same period.

What's particularly amazing is its 3D animation effects.

Motion capture technology makes character movements smoother and more natural, and the cartoon rendering style combines traditional Chinese aesthetics with visual appeal, even making the details of the character's hair clearly visible...

These technologies have undoubtedly pioneered many new frontiers in the domestic animation industry, bringing audiences an unprecedented and fresh experience.

Online forums and blogs are now filled with praise:

"The visual quality is amazing! I used to think 2D animation was good enough, but now I don't know how stunning 3D animation can be!"

"The plot is fast-paced, from Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin to Tianming's escape, the rhythm is well controlled, and finally there are some outstanding works in Chinese animation."

"Judging by their technical capabilities, it seems that Ruishijie really wants to make good animation, rather than just testing the waters. Maybe in a few years, our domestic animation will be able to catch up with Hollywood's level!"

"Looking forward to the next installment, and the song 'Moonlight' is really beautiful."

"..."

In addition to its outstanding ratings on CCTV, the show's online viewership has soared after being licensed to Tudou.com.

With an average of nearly one million views per episode, its viewership has consistently remained at the top of the charts.

Backend data shows that Tudou.com not only saw a surge in traffic, but also a massive increase of 50,000 new users in just a few days, with over 70% of them coming specifically for "Qin's Moon".

Moreover, these users are mostly young people with extremely high activity levels.

Driven by them, the popularity of other dramas on Tudou.com also increased, and the market share, website influence and reputation all improved significantly, with the backend data showing a very positive trend.

To Wang Wei's even greater surprise, advertisers actually came to her door seeking cooperation!

It's important to understand that the video website industry is still in its exploratory stage, and there are almost no platforms that can reliably collect advertising revenue.

Tudou.com's ability to find this profit point is undoubtedly a huge breakthrough!
Riding this wave of momentum, and with Lü Rui's help, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" also became a partner of Tudou.com.

However, Zhang Jizhong was quite cunning. In addition to discussing copyright fees, he also made an "extra request".

He wanted to leverage Liu Yifei's status as the female lead in "Dying to Survive" to launch a joint marketing campaign.

Lu Rui was both amused and exasperated.

Some time ago, in an attempt to capitalize on a trending topic, Zhang Jizhong marketed the news that "Liu Yifei will team up with Huang Xiaoming for the second time, playing A Ke in 'The Deer and the Cauldron'".

However, Liu Yifei immediately contradicted her during an interview: "I'm filming 'Dying to Survive'! How could I have time to act in 'The Deer and the Cauldron'?"

This embarrassed him greatly, but he couldn't say much.

After all, he was worried that Liu Yifei would reject him before the marketing campaign, so he didn't give her any advance notice.

Unexpectedly, he has now set his sights on "Dying to Survive".

“As long as you don’t overhype it, I don’t mind,” Lu Rui specifically reminded him. “But you need to think it through. The subject matter of ‘Dying to Survive’ is completely unrelated to your martial arts drama.”

"Furthermore, my film has official backing. If it causes any problems, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

"Don't worry, Director Lü! I definitely won't make a fuss about this!"

Zhang Jizhong repeatedly assured him.

Furthermore, since he was willing to sell the copyright of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" to Ruishijie for authorization to Tudou.com to broadcast it, it was also a favor, so Lü Rui did not refuse and let him do whatever he wanted.

Of course, although Zhang Jizhong loves to create hype, he also knows how to keep his distance.

He previously harassed other actresses because he was confident he could withstand the subsequent pressure and wasn't afraid of retaliation.

But when it comes to "Dying to Survive," he really doesn't dare to mess around; he can only honestly try to ride the wave of popularity.

The topics of hype always revolve around the "safety line".

He deliberately paired Liu Yifei's doctor role in "Dying to Survive" with Xiaolongnu in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," who was dressed in white.

The press releases were full of phrases like "From a doctor who saves lives to a fairy in the martial arts world, Liu Yifei's white-clad look has always been ethereal" and "The image of a pure and innocent woman remains unchanged, and Liu Yifei uses her roles to interpret the multiple possibilities of 'fairy sister'".

Ostensibly, they're promoting Liu Yifei's persona, but in reality, they're using her popularity to drive traffic to "The Return of the Condor Heroes."

Lu Rui looked at the press release online and saw that there was nothing outrageous about it, so he paid no more attention to it.

……

time flies.

In late February, "Fearless," starring Li Lianjie, officially ended its run, with its final box office gross settling at 1.05 million yuan.

Another film with a box office of over 100 million yuan has been born, but it has also generated a great deal of controversy!
Unlike Chen Kaige's lawsuit against Hu Ge for distorted editing in "The Promise," the trouble in "Fearless" comes from the descendants of the Huo family.

Huo Yuanjia's relatives have publicly sued Li Lianjie, claiming that the film's depiction of Huo Yuanjia as a "brave and ruthless young man whose family was wiped out" is purely fictional, severely distorting Huo Yuanjia's true image and damaging the Huo family's reputation.

As soon as the news broke, public opinion instantly split into two camps!

Some people supported the Huo family's fight for their rights, while others felt that film art creation did not need to completely restore history, leading to a heated debate.

Just as this controversy was still ongoing, Zhang Yimou's new film "Curse of the Golden Flower" suddenly released a character poster.

Netizens flocked to click on it, but after watching it, they were full of jokes!
On the poster, actresses such as Gong Li are wearing low-cut dresses, with outfits that are both revealing and eye-catching!

Many people bluntly said: This isn't "Curse of the Golden Flower" at all; it's clearly "Curse of the White Jade Waves"!
The banter was mixed with criticisms of the film's excessive reliance on sex appeal to grab attention, generating considerable buzz even before filming began...

Without a doubt, this must have been Zhang Weiping's idea.

The Zhang family members are all incredibly talented at hype...

ps: Asking for monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)