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

Chapter 281 Judging a gentleman by one's own petty standards (Seeking monthly votes)
After attending the press conference for the start of filming, on his way out of the "Nanjing Photo Studio" crew, Lü Rui sat in his car scrolling through the news and soon saw the news that "Nanjing! Nanjing!" had started filming.

However, compared to the solemnity and high-profile theme of the opening ceremony of "Nanjing Photo Studio", Lu Chuan's film on the same subject appeared to be particularly low-key.

The press release only mentioned the start date and the main cast and crew.

Regarding the film's core content and narrative perspective, almost no details have been disclosed, and there are very few behind-the-scenes photos of the crew circulating online.

"Hey? This guy's pretty good at keeping things under wraps."

Lu Rui pursed his lips, fully aware of Lu Chuan's concerns.

Clearly, he was afraid that if his creative inclinations were exposed, it would trigger a barrage of attacks against him.

At the same time, they were even more afraid of touching on sensitive issues, attracting the attention of the Film Bureau, and even having filming stopped, so they could only start filming quietly first.

However, he can hide for a while, but he can never hide forever!
Because too many people are watching him.

Too many people want to punch him in the head, and the leader of them is none other than Jiang Wen, whom he once regarded as an "idol".

Actually, he brought all of this on himself.

If he hadn't brought this upon himself, there wouldn't be so many people in the industry who consider him trash these days.

Back when he was filming his debut film, "Looking for a Gun," he not only cast Jiang Wen as the lead actor, but also had Han Sanping make a cameo appearance.

The investor lineup includes two major powerhouses: China Film Group and Huayi Brothers Media Group.

The seventh generation of directors has already accumulated all the necessary advantages; he's just waiting to reap both fame and fortune.

But how did he do it?

After "The Missing Gun" was taken off the screens, he quickly distanced himself from Jiang Wen, fearing that others would say that he didn't direct the film.

The later film "Kekexili" was even more plagiarized, earning him the nickname "Lu the Copycat".

With these questionable tactics, he managed to squander all his advantages.

That's pretty stupid...

When Lü Rui saw the gossip about "Chen Kun secretly getting married and having a son who is already 5 years old," he was genuinely surprised.

After all, there have always been rumors in the industry that this person has a very unusual sexual orientation... How come he suddenly has a 5-year-old son?
Meanwhile, the gossip news only mentioned the existence of the child, but made no mention of the child's mother, or even a single clue about her.

"Could it be that she was born via surrogacy?"

Lu Rui muttered to himself, but didn't pay any more attention.

After all, there are indeed quite a few celebrities in the industry who choose to have children through surrogacy for various reasons.

This way, one can avoid the impact of their marriage and relationship being exposed on their career while still fulfilling their desire to have children.

However, although this practice is not currently explicitly prohibited, it falls into a gray area, and few people would openly admit it.

Upon returning to Ruishijie, Lü Rui immediately went to the "Reversal of Life" project team.

Zhao Peng was organizing data on his computer when he saw him come in. He immediately stood up and reported, "Brother Rui, all the funds from the investors have arrived."

We plan to release the casting announcement and hold public auditions tomorrow. We have already shortlisted a preliminary list of qualified actors..."

This arrangement can be described as well-organized and clear.

Having been trained by Lü Rui for so many years, Zhao Peng has become quite skilled, displaying the professional level of a seasoned director in every gesture.

Lu Rui nodded and solemnly instructed, "Take your time with the casting process, there's no need to rush."

This film has a unique subject matter; the characters who "age in reverse" place extremely high demands on the actors' acting skills. They not only need to convincingly portray the weariness of old age but also the vibrancy of youth—they must handle this role perfectly.

Zhao Peng immediately promised, "Don't worry, Brother Rui, I understand the importance of this."

I plan to organize multiple rounds of auditions, assessing each actor's performance from lines and physicality to emotional control, ensuring that unsuitable actors do not negatively impact the film's quality..."

Compared to other companies, Vision has a unique advantage.

I don't work as an artist manager!

This means that when casting actors for projects produced by the company, there is no need to worry about whether to give opportunities to their own artists. They can select the most suitable candidates from the entire domestic entertainment industry or even the international market.

Even when recommended by acquaintances, the recommendation will be based on the premise of suitability for the role, and the quality of the work will never be sacrificed for personal relationships.

On the other hand, preparations for "The Witch" are also progressing quite smoothly.

Although this is Xue Xiaolu's first time directing a film independently, she has a wealth of past experience.

She has worked with many major film crews and collaborated on projects with Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and others, and has a thorough understanding of the entire film and television production process.

In addition, she had a wide network of contacts in the Chinese entertainment industry, so she quickly assembled a dedicated team.

"I'll be going abroad for a while. You'll need to learn from Director Xue, cooperate well with the crew's preparations, and communicate with me promptly if you encounter any problems..."

After finishing his work, Lü Rui found Liu Yifei, who was reading a script in the company's break room, and gave her some advice.

"Ugh, I know!" Liu Yifei put down the script, wrinkling her nose and complaining, "You're just like my mom, always nagging, so annoying!"

As she spoke, she even tried to reach out and cover Lü Rui's mouth, not wanting to hear him continue lecturing.

"Hey? We've only exchanged a couple of sentences, and you're already starting to dislike me?"

"I don't dislike you." Liu Yifei pouted and lowered her voice. "I just don't want to talk about work. I want to have some heart-to-heart talk with you."

"Sweet words?"

Lu Rui immediately became interested, raised an eyebrow at her, and said, "Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."

Liu Yifei leaned closer and whispered, "When you go abroad, you're not allowed to associate with those fair-skinned, thin, and tall foreign women, or I'll get jealous."

"..."

Lu Rui was speechless.

Goodness, Director Lü's character is well-known in the industry.

Having been in the industry for so many years without even a scandal, how could he possibly come into contact with those strange women carrying germs in Hollywood?

He considered himself a virtuous and upright man!
Liu Yifei's words were a complete case of judging a gentleman by his own petty standards!
However, before he could even refute her, Liu Yifei suddenly leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, saying in a sweet voice, "Mwah, love you~"

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui immediately decided to forgive her petty-mindedness.

"I'm leaving. Be good on your own."

"Okay." Liu Yifei stood up as well, her eyes full of reluctance. "Be careful on the road. Message me as soon as you arrive. I'll miss you."

"Okay." "You bad boy, you didn't even say you'd miss me!" Liu Yifei pouted, acting coquettishly with a hint of grievance.

Lu Rui deliberately dragged out his words to tease her: "I'll tell you I miss you when you agree to let me be naughty."

"Hey, what are you saying in broad daylight!"

Liu Yifei's face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment, and she covered her burning cheeks as she ran back to the lounge.

Lu Rui couldn't help but smile knowingly.

This silly girl, so innocent and adorable, is like a little bundle of joy.

"The romantic fantasy film 'Reversal of Life,' with an investment of up to 3.5 million RMB, is officially launched today. It is controlled by Ruishijie and co-produced by China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, Xi'an Film Group, Enlight Media, and Wanda Group."

"Reveal Vision has released the casting list for 'Reversal of Life' and the requirements: the male lead, Dai Wenjie, must be between 35 and 40 years old, and the actor must be able to maintain a consistent temperament and behavioral logic throughout the role."

The female lead, Zhong Siying, is between 30 and 40 years old. The role requires two actresses: one playing a child and the other an adult. As a child, she is innocent and carefree... but as an adult, she possesses both elegance and strength (she needs to master certain dance skills).

In addition, the actor resume submission channels are now open for all roles including the male lead's adoptive mother, the second female lead (a married woman), the captain, the male and female leads' daughters, and the male lead's father..."

"The fantasy film 'Painted Skin,' a co-production between mainland China and Hong Kong, jointly produced by Huayi Brothers Media and Hong Kong Taiji Films, was officially launched today, and the cast list was released."

Zhou Xun (as the fox spirit Xiao Wei), Zhao Yanzi (as Pei Rong), Chen Kun (as Wang Sheng), Donnie Yen (as Pang Yong)...

"Ruiyue Animation has announced the premiere date for the second installment of the 'Qin's Moon' series, 'The Night Ends and the Dawn Begins.' The animation will premiere on July 17th on Shanghai Animation Channel."

After more than ten hours of flight, Lü Rui's flight finally arrived in Los Angeles.

During this period, he kept a close eye on what was happening in the industry.

As expected, the casting announcement for "Reversal of Life" immediately ignited a fierce competition among actors in the Chinese entertainment industry!
Companies such as Huayi Brothers, Orange Sky Entertainment, China Film Group, Tangren Media, and Hairun Media have all brought out their best artists, from veteran actors to popular young actors and actresses. Resumes have flooded into Ruishijie's casting email address like snowflakes.

Although Wu Kebo was seething with hatred because he had been tricked by Lü Rui before.

However, he still arranged for Chen Hao to audition immediately.

Because he was all too aware of the value of this opportunity.

Even a supporting role in a 3.5 million dollar production is enough to elevate an artist's status to another level, making it an absolute must-see!

Wang Zhonglei was not lagging behind either, urging Li Bingbing to get started quickly.

In order to dispel the public pressure from the previous "public relations manager" incident, Huayi Brothers held a high-profile new round of contract renewal ceremonies for Li Bingbing and Ren Quan.

The exorbitant renewal fee of 80 million yuan over three years is still prominently displayed on the homepage of Toutiao.

This also solidified Li Bingbing's position as the top female star at Huayi Brothers.

With her younger sister being the manager of Huayi Artists Agency, the two sisters' combined influence has propelled their status to new heights!
On the other hand, Zhou Xun, who was previously riding high, was severely suppressed by Liu Xiaoli due to the controversy surrounding his participation in the Golden Horse Awards and his contact with a certain independent artist.

She won't be able to compete for the title of Huayi's top female star for the time being.

On the other hand, the casting announcement for "Painted Skin" has also sparked much discussion within the industry.

The dual male lead and dual female lead structure, in particular, left many viewers puzzled.

With the production team doing this, aren't they worried about causing a fight between the two male leads and the two female leads over billing order and star power?

However, some speculate that this was probably a deliberate move by the production company, with the aim of generating buzz and discussion through a "battle for star power."

After all, Zhou Xun, Zhao Yanzi, and Chen Kun are all top-tier actors, and Donnie Yen is a kung fu superstar that Hong Kong has put forward to succeed Jackie Chan and Li Lianjie. The fact that the four of them are on the same stage is inherently controversial.

Compared to the excitement surrounding the previous two projects, the release date announcement for "Night Ends, Dawn Breaks" seemed unusually quiet.

After all, in the current cultural and entertainment industry, animation is still a niche category and has not yet entered the mainstream.

In addition, the recent forced removal of "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit Seven Heroes" due to complaints from parents has further fueled the industry's pessimism about the animation sector, which is seen as a field with high investment, slow returns, and high risks.

Even Kung Fu Panda, produced by Ruishijie with a whopping $1.3 million investment and a foreign team, didn't receive much recognition within the industry.

"If we spend so much money to make an animated film and it doesn't suit the audience's taste, wouldn't we lose everything?"

"Lu Rui is probably too confident this time. Animated films are not that easy to make."

"Why would they choose to tackle animation, a hot potato, when they could easily make a live-action movie?"

"Just you wait and see, he'll be dumbfounded when he loses money..."

The doubts kept coming, but Lü Rui didn't care at all.

Because he had anticipated this reaction.

After all, most investors and practitioners in the Chinese entertainment industry are driven by short-term interests, focusing only on box office figures and viewership ratings, with few willing to look up and consider the more distant future.

They fail to see the enormous hidden potential of the animation industry, and they don't understand the true value of "long-term IP operation."

In their view, spending so much money to make an animated film and investing in the animation industry is not as profitable as investing in a few live-action dramas starring A-list celebrities.

But Lü Rui knew in his heart that their so-called "safety" was nothing more than short-sighted self-comfort.

The strategy for Kung Fu Panda was never limited to the domestic market from the very beginning.

What he wants is not the box office success of a movie, but an animated IP that can span the globe!

The panda is a cultural symbol of China. Using Hollywood technology to wrap Chinese stories can make them acceptable to overseas audiences and export Chinese culture. This "East-West combination" model has the potential to break into new markets.

More importantly, movies are just the starting point for an IP. The theme park, merchandise factory, and co-branded projects that Ruiyue Animation is currently preparing are the real "profit engines".

Once the image of "Kung Fu Panda" becomes deeply ingrained in people's minds, the revenue from theme park tickets, toys, and co-branded merchandise will far exceed the film's box office revenue. This is the huge profit that he truly values!
As for the animated series "Qin's Moon," he never expected it to become as popular as the live-action drama.

The animation industry needs nurturing, it needs time for viewers to develop viewing habits, and it needs high-quality works to break the stereotype that animation is only for children.

Even the industry downturn caused by the removal of "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit" actually presented him with an opportunity.

The less people are optimistic about something, the more you need to calm down and refine your work. This way, when the market matures, you can seize the opportunity by relying on your reputation and accumulated experience.

Patience is key to life!

Lu Rui silently repeated this sentence to himself.

He was never in a hurry to prove himself to the outside world, nor did he care about those short-sighted doubts.

In his view, true success doesn't require words of explanation, but rather actions and results.

Every step we take now, every investment we make, is paving the way for the future.

When Kung Fu Panda became a global phenomenon, when other subsequent animated projects became national-level animation IPs, when theme parks were packed with tourists...

Those who once mocked his foolishness will naturally realize what they missed!
(End of this chapter)