The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

"Sweetie, don't listen to that kid's nonsense."

After Lu Zheng got into the car, he saw that Jing Tian was in low spirits and comforted her, saying, "I've seen too many people like this who get carried away by temporary success and start giving orders."

Gu Ning's remarks just now were utter nonsense in his eyes.

As long as you spend money to buy a good script, hire a big director, and then spend money on promotion after the movie is made, what does it matter if the acting is good or not?

Are all the high-grossing movies made by actors with great acting skills?

They still became famous, didn't they? Jing Tian has plenty of connections and resources, so why can't she become famous?

"Uncle Lu, I think Senior Brother Gu's last sentence makes sense."

Jing Tian recalled the last words Gu Ning said when he saw them off at the company.

"Acting skills are the foundation of an actor's career. Without acting skills, one can only be popular for a short time at most."

Jing Tian wasn't a newbie in the industry; she had heard of many celebrities who suddenly became famous and then quickly disappeared from the public eye.

"Does good acting skills guarantee fame? Haven't those good actors ever acted in bad movies? Do they act well in every film?"

Lu Zheng said earnestly, "Sweetie, although this is also my first time in the entertainment industry, all industries are the same in the world. It all comes down to connections and relationships."

When Uncle Lu invests in companies, this is what he looks for when they're seeking funding.

"I know, but that doesn't conflict with my efforts to improve my acting skills."

Jing Tian smiled and said, "Uncle Lu, please take me back. I'm about to start filming, so I need to prepare properly."

"It's good that you understand."

Lu Zheng nodded with satisfaction, instructed the driver to drive, and said, "I've had this script analyzed carefully, it's definitely fine. After you finish filming 'The Great Biography of Sun Tzu,' I'll let them prepare for the production."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Uncle Lu," Jing Tian said.

"Why are you being so polite with me? Our two families are old friends, and it just so happens that your Uncle Lu is also planning to invest in film and television." Lu Zheng waved his hand.

"There's something else I'd like to trouble Uncle Lu with."

"What is it?"

"I don't know if the book that Senior Brother Gu mentioned can be bought in mainland China. Uncle Lu, could you ask someone to buy me a copy from Taiwan?" Jing Tian said.

"Sweetie, you don't actually have a crush on that guy, do you?" Lu Zheng asked, frowning.

Jing Tian said coquettishly, "Uncle Lu, what are you saying! If you're not willing to help, I'll have someone else buy it for me."

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. Anyway, your dad said he won't interfere with you, so Uncle Lu won't be a nuisance."

Lu Zheng said, "I'll have someone buy the book for you later."

…………

Since the script isn't finished yet, Fan Chunxi is in charge of casting. The casting process will be officially announced once the script is complete.

As for why they held a public casting call even though the casting process had already been done privately, the reason is simple: for publicity.

The publicity for a film begins as soon as the project is approved.

Do you think Zhang Yimou and Stephen Chow held open auditions for female leads because they couldn't find a suitable one?

There may be some of those factors involved, but they are certainly not the main one.

The real purpose is still publicity. The cost of doing so is not large, but the publicity effect is very good.

Otherwise, why didn't Zhang Yimou hold open auditions for the male lead?

Because the female lead receives more attention, the publicity effect is better.

Gu Ning left the pre-production of the film to the company and focused her attention on shooting the short film.

This short film was a big gift he prepared for Lu Chuan. The reason he didn't want Sohu's copyright fee was precisely for this short film.

Gu Ning drove his newly purchased Mercedes-Benz S450 to Liu Sanxi's company.

"How is it? My company is pretty good, isn't it?" Liu Sanxi led Gu Ning on a tour of the company.

Gu Ning said with a hint of sourness, "The company is good, but the name is a bit corny."

Liu Sanxi's company is located in a high-end office building, covering an area of ​​over a thousand square meters, and is very well decorated.

He went home, and his parents gave him three million to buy a house.

When Liu Sanxi went home, his father gave him 20 million yuan to start a company.

However, Liu Sanxi is also a man who likes to make a fuss, and he spent several million yuan on the company premises.

"Haha, I think it's great."

Liu Sanxi laughed and said, "Let's go, let's talk in my office."

"Hello, Mr. Liu!"

Liu Sanxi led Gu Ning to the office with the general manager's sign hanging outside, pushed open the door, and went inside.

A young woman with a pure and innocent appearance, dressed in professional attire, quickly stood up to greet him.

The young woman looked to be in her early twenties and spoke with a hint of reserve.

"Xiao Du, brew me a pot of black tea and bring it in," Liu Sanxi instructed.

"Yes!" the little girl replied quickly.

Liu Sanxi nodded and led Gu Ning into the inner office.

"You really know how to enjoy yourself."

Gu Ning looked at the 50-square-meter office and didn't know what to say.

"The company has a good reputation, so it definitely needs to be well-maintained, otherwise people will look down on us."

Liu Sanxi greeted them, "Sit down!"

Gu Ning shook his head. In his previous life, when he went to Liu Sanxi's company, it was even more impressive than this.

"I've received quite a few scripts recently. Could you take a look and see if any of them are worth investing in?" Liu Sanxi said.

"Okay." Gu Ning nodded.

"You came all this way to see me, there must be something you need, right?"

Liu Sanxi asked, "Are you short of money?"

He knew that box office revenue sharing would take a considerable amount of time, and Gu Ning's second film was in preparation. He thought Gu Ning wanted to borrow money but was too embarrassed to ask, so he took the initiative to ask.

Hearing this, Gu Ning felt a warmth in her heart and smiled, "You're not planning to invest in my new movie?"

His next movie has already been announced, but Liu Sanxi hasn't contacted him about it.

"You are different now."

Liu Sanxi said seriously, "You've just established yourself in the industry, and there must be many companies wanting to invest in your films. This is a good opportunity for you to expand your network, so I won't get involved."

Gu Ning was even more touched upon hearing this, and said with a smile, "You've really arranged things for me. I've reserved a share for you, and President Xiang and President Peng also have shares, but not many. You get 10%, and they each get 50%. Go back and ask them if they want to invest."

"Old Gu, I know you value relationships..."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Gu Ning interrupted, saying, "Do as I say."

Liu Sanxi looked at Gu Ning seriously for a moment, and finally nodded and said, "Okay, as for those two, there's no need to ask. They will definitely vote. They asked me several times before, but I turned them down."

Thanks!

"Why are you being so polite with me!"

At this moment, Secretary Du brought in tea and poured it for the two of them.

"You can leave now," Liu Sanxi waved his hand.

"Do you remember my promise to take revenge?" Gu Ning asked with a smile.

"Um?"

Liu Sanxi was taken aback upon hearing this, then exclaimed with delight, "The opportunity has arrived?"

"Um!"

Gu Ning took a script out of her bag and handed it to Liu Sanxi, saying, "I'm going to shoot a short film and put it online when his movie is released."

Liu Sanxi took it and looked at it, then asked with a puzzled expression, "What's the use of this?"

The script could barely be considered a war-themed work, but he really couldn't see the point in doing it.

Is Gu Ning convinced that Lu Chuan made a bad movie and trying to prove that her short film is better than his movie?

This did allow him to vent his anger, but Liu Sanxi still felt it wasn't satisfying enough.

It feels like someone slapped you in the face and then slapped you back.

Not only did my face hurt, but my hands hurt too. I didn't even have a clear sense of how much pain the other person was in.

"Of course not."

Gu Ning smiled and said, "I've already found out the details of his movie script; it's about..."

He gave a brief overview of Lu Chuan's movie script.

"How dare he make a movie like this?"

Liu Sanxi asked incredulously, "How could this have passed the review?"