Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

[Director: Beginner (12/100)] → [Director: Junior (1/200)]

The moment he confirmed it, he felt countless pieces of knowledge about how to make movies flooding his mind.

The vague concepts I had when watching Chen Fuguo's films before have become exceptionally clear now. Things I didn't understand or didn't know have suddenly become clear.

Lighting, camera positions, shot composition, staging... countless knowledge points are no longer scattered fragments, but are connected by logical lines to form a complete system.

After everything was over, Zhang Ze slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He turned to look at Li Xiaoran, who was still fast asleep beside him. Her peaceful sleeping face had soft contours under the dim bedside lamp.

Several images automatically popped into his mind.

An overhead panoramic view reveals the bedroom's mess and lingering ambiguous atmosphere.

A close-up captures the lingering tear stains at the corners of her eyes and the satisfied weariness.

Then cut to a close-up of himself, showing his calm and analytical demeanor at this moment.

This sudden change made him realize that the upgrade in his directing skills did not give him knowledge, but rather an instinct—an instinct to deconstruct and reconstruct all the images.

Unfortunately, being a director requires more than just knowing how to film; it also requires coordinating the entire crew. While not everyone needs to be an expert, at the very least, one shouldn't be fooled by others.

Zhang Ze snapped out of his thoughts.

Li Xiaoran next to her stirred and murmured as she turned over.

For the next few days, Zhang Ze and Li Xiaoran spent most of their time in bed.

On the first day, Li Xiaoran was beaming and enthusiastically showed off her cooking skills, making him all sorts of soups to nourish him properly.

Zhang Ze naturally accepted all offers without hesitation.

As a result, Li Xiaoran began to regret her actions that evening.

Zhang Ze was full of energy and almost stood up to kick.

The next day, Li Xiaoran opened her eyes, looking exhausted. Looking at Zhang Ze, who was still full of energy and eager to try, she couldn't help but beg for mercy.

"No, you rascal, please spare me, I'll never make soup for you again."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze stopped making any further moves.

It seems that being too healthy has its troubles.

But I have to say, practicing dance is great; you can easily pull off any pose.

Dancing is great! We should practice dancing!

In the afternoon, Li Xiaoran finally woke up. Seeing Zhang Ze, she scolded him with a reproachful expression, "You don't know your own limitations! My body is still aching!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze smiled and asked, "So what are we having for dinner today? Will we make soup again?"

"I'm not making it anymore, I'll never make it again!" Li Xiaoran shook her head repeatedly.

What a joke! With Zhang Ze's health, if she makes soup for him, she'll probably die in bed.

Then, Zhang Ze told her about his upcoming trip to Shanghai.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoran's eyes showed reluctance. "Can't you spend more time with me?"

Zhang Ze put his arm around her waist, his hands starting to wander. "Don't want to leave me?"

Li Xiaoran's eyes were like water as she gently bit her red lips. "Go, go to the bedroom."

That night, the air was filled with the sounds of gunfire.

The next day, Zhang Ze dressed neatly, walked to the bedside, and pinched her cheek.

"I'm leaving."

Li Xiaoran didn't even have the strength to get out of bed.

When Zhang Ze said goodbye, she barely opened her eyes and said, "Have a safe journey."

After saying that, he fell into a deep sleep again.

Seeing Li Xiaoran's expression, Zhang Ze couldn't help but shake his head.

It seems I need to be more careful in the future.

It's only a two-hour flight from Beijing to Shanghai.

As soon as the plane landed, Zhang Ze didn't waste a moment and took a taxi directly to the hotel where Zhao Liying's film crew was staying.

Zhao Liying didn't have many scenes in the drama, and today is the day she finished filming.

When Zhang Ze arrived, she was walking out of the hotel carrying a small suitcase, looking relaxed as if she had just finished a job.

When she saw Zhang Ze standing by the roadside, she froze.

"Aze! What brings you here?" She walked over quickly, her voice full of surprise.

"I'm picking you up and taking care of some errands along the way." Zhang Ze naturally took the suitcase from her hand.

"What do you need me for?"

"I'm taking you to meet someone."

Half an hour later, in a private room at a high-end club, Zhao Liying met the person Zhang Ze had mentioned, Cai Yinong, the CEO of Tangren Media.

Cai Yinong wore a well-tailored business suit, her hair was styled in an updo, and she exuded a powerful aura.

She sized up Zhao Liying, her gaze lingering on her round face with a touch of baby fat, before looking away a few seconds later.

Zhao Liying unconsciously clenched her fists on her knees. She could sense the other person's disapproval and felt a little flustered, but she maintained her composure.

"President Cai, this is the actress I mentioned to you, Zhao Liying."

Zhang Ze broke the silence.

Cai Yinong put down her teacup, leaned back in her chair, and said bluntly, "Zhang Ze, Tangren has its own standards for casting. Not just anyone can be the female lead. She can't carry the role."

Her words were quite blunt, and Zhao Liying's face paled slightly.

Zhang Ze didn't mind and continued, "I know that the V-shaped face is popular in the market now, and Li Ying's face shape may not conform to mainstream aesthetics."

"But I think that what allows an actor to ultimately establish themselves is not their face shape, but their acting skills."

He looked directly at Cai Yinong and spoke, word by word.

"Mr. Cai bought so many copyrights, he must want to create good works. A good role needs a suitable actor to bring it to life."

"If we only look at appearances, what's the point of having actors? I guarantee that Zhao Liying is the most suitable candidate for Ruoxi."

Zhang Ze's words were filled with confidence and certainty.

Cai Yinong glanced at Zhang Ze and then at Zhao Liying, who was sitting upright next to her. Although the girl was nervous, she stood up straight, and her indomitable spirit was somewhat similar to the description in her profile.

She remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Ze could tell she was weighing the pros and cons, so he immediately added, "If President Cai is still worried, I can also take out other copyrights I have and give them to Tang Ren for joint development."

Cai Yinong was immediately tempted.

Although Zhang Ze doesn't have as many copyrights as Cai Yinong, these are free. Not only do he not have to pay copyright fees, but he also covers part of the production costs.

After hearing Zhang Ze's sincerity, Cai Yinong finally relented.

"Talking is not enough."

"Next week, director Li Guoli and his team will come to Shanghai, and an audition will be arranged then."

Whether she can land the lead role depends on her own abilities.

Zhang Ze breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; as long as Cai Yinong relented, that was all that mattered.

These copyrights were originally prepared by Zhang Ze for Tang Ren.

Most of the novel's copyrights are for television series, which doesn't align with Zhang Ze's future development plans; they're merely tools for making money and accumulating capital.

Now that we've partnered with Tang Ren to open it up, we not only save half the cost, but also let Tang Ren handle everything except paying for the copyright. All we need to do is invest and collect the money.

This move can also leverage Tang Ren's resources to accumulate distribution experience and cultivate a team.

This is a win-win situation!

Zhang Ze won twice.