I'm not mentally ill, I'm a master of a thousand faces!

Chapter 321, Their Youth

What makes a great person great.

It's because their past relationship can't be replicated.

Their very existence is great.

They were great people from their youth, and they tried to replicate the feeling of their youth in a work of art.

Young people of this era can't do it.

It's not that I think there's anything wrong with Li Yun being among them, but rather that I feel that young people of this era can't replicate the youthful vigor and spirit of that time.

As someone who lived through that era, Liu Shanhe understood this perfectly well.

No one can replicate the great achievements of the great figures of that time.

Their feelings and emotions.

The subject matter itself is flawed.

"The youth of great men, it's amazing that they came up with this subject matter, and even labeled it as a different kind of youth film."

At this time, Liu Shanhe felt quite disgusted with the term "youth film".

In his view, youth films are just decadent and petty things produced by the islanders.

It's simply not presentable.

This kind of subject matter is simply not suitable for the table.

This is the kind of subject matter that's not suitable for the table.

How much trouble and commotion can it cause?

It can certainly cause a lot of trouble.

The storm that made them a laughing stock was quite a mess.

It's still a turbulent situation of wavering between two options.

Wanting both? How is that possible? You've got all the good things to yourself.

"I said there's a problem, Li Modu, what you're saying doesn't sound like commercialization, and it doesn't sound like mainstream ideology either. How did they get this project approved in the first place?"

At this moment, Liu Shanhe and Li Mo were discussing this matter in the office.

In recent days, Li Mo has frequently visited the August First Film Studio, which is actually Li Mo's former employer.

He himself came from the August First Film Studio.

He can use the resources here as he pleases.

You could say that Li Mo is his representative.

As it turns out, Li Mo was indeed qualified to be the representative of the August First Film Studio.

"Indeed, some of these projects are aimed at middle-aged and elderly audiences, and young people are not the target audience. However, 'Just Like Our Youth' seems to cater to young people too much."

Li Mo pondered for a moment.

Of course, there was also a degree of flattery in his words.

After all, "Just Like Young Students" was indeed a very novel and innovative concept.

The resources are indeed plentiful, with outstanding young people drawn from the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

To be honest, even Li Mo himself was envious of these young people.

They are all young and promising talents.

The one he found most complicated was also among them.

This is also the factor that Liu Shanhe is least optimistic about.

Li Yun is a representative of those who pander to popular tastes and appeal to young people.

These are not topics or themes that young people like.

They still insist on touching it, on getting involved with it.

Our mainstream TV dramas are aimed at people over middle age.

How could shallow teenagers possibly understand this?

If you don't understand it, there's no need to perform for them.

When they transform from superficial people into non-superficial people, they become the target audience for the mainstream ideology.

Only then can one truly grasp that spirit.

"How wonderful it would be if such great publicity resources were in my hands and then went out."

Liu Shanhe was somewhat envious.

In his view, such publicity is nothing short of extravagance and waste.

It even caused him some heartache.

Only then did Liu Shanhe speak.

What we need to do is urgently let the higher-ups, let the people in the Film Bureau know, what kind of works can be both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

The right audience orientation.

Correct ideological guidance leads to the great sublimation of praise and eulogy.

This is the kind of theme that the audience needs.

Instead of being a flashy, superficial youth film that is neither genuinely appealing nor fully embodying the main theme, it is a half-hearted and indecisive production.

How can such a work possibly achieve any results?

In truth, Li Mo knew this deep down.

Young students are more likely to achieve great things.

But it can't lead the trend.

Or rather, it can't lead the way for a particular theme.

But I can.

I, Li Mo, am fine with anything.

Only I can do it.

"In the prime of youth, we students are full of vigor and ambition. Who will rule the world?" This slogan is certainly loud and clear.

Li Yuxuan clicked his tongue in amazement.

He knew this project very well; it was a CCTV project that was highly regarded in the industry.

The total amount of resources in the collection is unknown.

The outstanding graduates of CCTV and Shanghai Theatre Academy gathered in this production team to present the youthful years of those great people.

This topic is quite novel.

The resources are good enough.

As a mainstream project targeting young people.

I decided to make this my first mainstream work for young people.

Li Yuxuan belongs to the group that is optimistic about it.

First of all, his nephew is in the cast of this TV series.

As an uncle who has a soft spot for the work, I should also make him feel good about it.

It's not wrong for industry professionals to give it a try.

It's often said that young people don't follow mainstream narratives.

Why not try combining the frivolous elements that young people like with the elements of the mainstream ideology?

Aren't all themes discovered through experimentation?

Therefore, he genuinely did not feel that some people in the industry were unjustly pessimistic.

"I also think it's quite novel, but if I'm a young person going to watch a youth film, why not go to the Taiwanese or Shanghai film circles to see handsome men and beautiful women?"

"Wife, I'm not happy to hear you say that. Isn't my nephew handsome?" Li Yuxuan felt a little unhappy. His nephew's appearance was far superior to those of those inexperienced young men.

"You're arguing with me like that. The Taiwanese and Shanghai circles are full of handsome and beautiful people," the female executive at the broadcasting station rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "How can one person compare to a whole group?"

This is actually a sore spot for CCTV's planning.

Are the actors at the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy not good-looking?

good-looking.

They are definitely good-looking, but in reality, compared to other circles that are purely based on appearance, the looks of the central circle do seem to be somewhat lacking.

The idol industry, which focuses on youthful looks, is all about appearance.

No matter how much people in the industry disapprove.

In terms of pure appearance, he is the best in Taiwan.

The absolute best.

So, you see.

To attract young people.

It's a choice between a good-looking face and a group of good-looking faces.

Those would definitely be a group of good-looking people, which would be even more attractive.

This is an objective reality.

This number is a very objective and realistic thing.

"So you also think this project is a mess?" Li Yuxuan asked, looking at his wife.

"It's not that it's a hodgepodge, but rather that a new genre needs a new attempt, and trial and error is something that is forged from countless failures. I actually think this genre has potential."

Actually, what she said was...

I'm optimistic about this subject matter.

But whether the creators of this subject matter can achieve success remains to be seen.

That's a completely different story.

"Well, my uncle will definitely support my nephew," Li Yuxuan said with a smile.

At this time.

The matriarch of the Li family.

This elderly woman, who is actually the head of the Li family and has impeccable revolutionary credentials, is very old.

They can be described as having "pure and upright lineage".

"I heard that our family member is in the recent drama 'Young Students'?"

"Yes, that's right," Li Yuxuan said respectfully.

For this elderly lady who is over seventy years old.

Yet they did not slacken their efforts in the slightest.

The Empress Dowager's authority remains.

The old man who brought the Li family to its peak.

Its majesty remains.

"I shouldn't be completely blind yet," the old lady said with a slight smile. "Let me see him then."

"Okay, I've also been wanting to check out this project, let's take a look together then."

Li Yuxuan smiled.

He was genuinely quite interested.

Like the old lady, he was extremely interested in this work, and suddenly he thought of something.

It dawned on me.

Even without his nephew's involvement.

The Empress Dowager herself must be quite interested in this TV series.

"So many years have passed in the blink of an eye; it's almost as old as history now," Old Master Li mused, her eyes slightly closed as she sat in a wicker chair in the courtyard.

Thinking about the past.

After a long while, she opened her eyes and spoke.

"Our long-lost bloodline, doesn't he want to return to our Li family? Why has there been no news for so long?"

"I contacted him."

Li Yuxuan paused for a moment before speaking.

"He seems to have his own pride as well."

That was a very tactful way of putting it.

It's actually quite obvious.

Li Yun was unwilling to return.

Or rather, there's no reason for them to come back.

This has nothing to do with pride.

For those pursuing fame and fortune, this unfounded label of the Li family might actually be an obstacle.

Many people believe that Li Yun ruined the rise of role models of the times.

Within the entire Li family, only a handful of people, including Li Yuxuan, appreciated and liked Li Yun.

Moreover, he's just an actor.

What can he do? What can he bring to the family?

Unlike Li Mo, who is a one-man show, a highly talented and versatile director.

He is the one the Li family needs.

"When did we ever have to listen to factions within the circle?"

"It's Li Yun's own fault for not wanting to. If he wanted to, I wouldn't care about any faction he belonged to, and I wouldn't even care about my brother."

"Alright, let's get to know each other better. After all, we're blood relatives."

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes.

Then, as if remembering something, he returned to his room, the study in the antique courtyard house.

She was rummaging through something.

"Let me help you find it."

Li Yuxuan came to help, but under the Empress Dowager's instructions, what he found was a photograph.

A photo that even Li Yuxuan didn't know about.

When he looked at the photo, it was clearly a picture of the Empress Dowager when she was young.

Wearing the school uniform of Qiannan Girls' School.

She and Xiang Jingyu are alumni.

"Ji Tielan, it's been a long time since anyone called me by that name. Almost all of my generation are buried in the ground, and most of them have disappeared into the long river of history without even leaving a trace."

As the old lady looked at her own name in the photo, she fell into memories once again.

This is why she had an unusual interest in the novel "The Young Students".

The historical figure appearing in the TV series is his senior from university.

Time flies.

The Empress Dowager was also a person who had come through the years.

Those who witnessed the sunrise with their own eyes.

(End of this chapter)