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

Chapter 444, Vanity Fair

The world of fame and fortune is a competitive arena.

The older generation occupies 80% of the resources, and the privileged and prestigious circles occupy 80% of the resources, such as the Beijing circle, the CCTV circle, the Hong Kong circle, and the newly emerging Shanghai circle.

In fact, there are far more mountains in China than that; it's just that mountains in other places are too niche.

Like the mountain peaks in the northeast, after Zhao Benshan faded out of the sketch comedy field, he has been cultivating his craft and will rise again one day. But even if he rises, can his mountain peak compare with those of the others?

Can it compare to Beijing, Hong Kong, and the Shanghai metropolitan area?

It still can't compare

It is difficult for newcomers to challenge those who came before.

Just like how the Chinese film industry has found it difficult to challenge Hollywood's status.

It is difficult for the upper circles to shake the position of the lower circles.

This standard can be followed across the globe.

Even though these circles are "old," they still manage to control the most resources.

"I admired your old style of play, but it's enough for now. You have to choose between dignity and reality."

Jiang Wen earnestly advised him.

He had always thought that Li Yun's insistence on not joining any fixed circle was probably due to dignity? Pride?

One type of reason.

Jiang Wen also understood this way of life, so he was able to comprehend it.

That's enough to have come this far.

Jiang Wen, who was once arrogant, is now completely immersed in the Beijing social circle.

"I know, but I have my reasons."

Li Yun said slowly.

Joining a circle is something that can be extremely detrimental to me.

Physically 'fatal'.

They can't freely choose their own projects or the focus of their own films and TV series; they can only engage in "resource exchange" within the industry.

Then they truly become greasy, with investors stuffing people in and "friends" stuffing people in. They make movies not for good works, but for the flow of favors and benefits within the industry.

Art has become something like this.

As someone in the film and television industry, Li Yun was unwilling.

As someone who needed to survive, Li Yun was unwilling to do so.

"So, I'm sorry."

"Yes, I knew you would answer that way."

Jiang Wen patted Li Yun on the shoulder and smiled, saying, "But it's okay, with your abilities, you'll always be able to make a living."

Screenwriter, director, actor.

In short, Jiang culture can be summed up in one sentence.

"You were born for this."

At this very moment, on the other side of a courtyard house in Beijing.

This place is where the children of "big compounds" gather, and they are the core of Beijing's elite social circle. They get together for a few days every month.

It was also for exchanging resources and advice, and for discussing romance and nature.

"That Li Yun, doesn't he want to join our Beijing circle? What a pity." Zhang Mouzi expressed his regret at this moment, that the young talent was unwilling to come to his circle.

"Yes! He is truly talented. If he is willing to come, I would even be willing to let him film my script for 'Mr. Six'. I would be willing to act myself instead of directing."

Ma Xiaogang slapped his thigh; he genuinely felt it was a pity.

He greatly admired Li Yun's talent, and he felt an intense thirst for wealth in people with such talent.

"They look down on our Beijing social circle, what can we do? They only got where they were because of our resources."

Zhang Mouzi said calmly, "He's a wolf from Zhongshan. He becomes arrogant when he gets his way. There's no need to feel sorry for him. Even if he's willing to join us this time, he can still betray us one day. That's just his nature."

"Alright, the circle doesn't operate on the back of any one person. Even if Li Mo is now closer to CCTV, will it affect us? His role model of the times has become a castle in the air."

At this moment, Lü Haishi pondered.

The leader of the Beijing circle's "seven-person group"

He didn't care about Li Yun's affairs alone—no matter how talented a person is, there are limits.

He can't possibly suppress the entire entertainment industry with just one movie or TV series.

As long as this cannot be achieved, then his existence is something that Lu Haishi, who holds key resources, does not need to care too much about.

Resources are more important than talent.

This is his principle, and it is precisely because of the adherence to this principle that the Beijing entertainment circle has been able to grow to such a large scale.

"Since he's not coming, there's nothing more to say."

At this moment, Zhang Mouzi was looking at the "boss" of the resource circle.

Li Yun's matter was just a trivial matter at today's gathering.

At least verbally, they say it's insignificant.

The important thing today is to consider future projects, such as collaborations between the Beijing entertainment circle and the Hollywood circle.

The Great Wall and Mulan.

Zhang Mouzi is the main operator of these resources.

"Alright, let's talk about these things another day. I'm going home to catch up on my TV series." At this moment, Lü Haishi smiled slightly.

"You have such refined tastes?" Ma Xiaogang looked at Lü Haishi, never expecting that his boss would have such refined tastes.

"Although I have stepped down from the front line, I am still engaged in artistic work, and there will always be works that I like and am interested in."

For an old guy like Lü Haishi, there is one work that is full of endless charm.

That is the epic of heroes from the Three Kingdoms period.

That is, no matter what status I reach, I will always love the same works.

He is handsome and inspiring.

It's something that all the men in Lü Haishi's family have liked since childhood.

They are works I've always loved.

This is an excellent work that has stood the test of time.

The heroic epics of the Four Great Classical Novels.

Compared to the film industry, the television drama industry doesn't receive as much attention, even though Lu Haishi and his team started their business with the TV series "Story of the Editorial Department".

Only when energy is limited.

The sheer amount of money and influence generated by a film's box office revenue probably still have an edge.

"The new Three Kingdoms, I wonder what kind of results they can achieve this time."

"I heard that the Shanghai entertainment circle has really gone all out this time, and has specially produced two TV series with strong female leads."

Lu Haishi said this time.

For these old Beijing circle members, the composition of the Shanghai circle is not much different from that of the nouveau riche. It's just that the nouveau riche of yesteryear have found a different path, a path that they used to disdain.

They have achieved results.

It's truly remarkable.

While the Shanghai film industry has yet to penetrate the core film sector, it has secured its place in the television drama field.

This is especially true for young viewers.

For female viewers.

It essentially took away a large portion of the viewership.

This is also a very interesting place.

Male viewers' demand for TV dramas is decreasing, while female viewers' demand is increasing.

The Shanghai circle grasped this point, which can be considered as grasping the pulse of the times.

And it's impossible for all the male viewers to be captivated by the new Three Kingdoms.

Moreover, this new Three Kingdoms series is not without its own comparable rivals.

Right now, in Shanghai.

Wang Jinghua was having tea with Tang Min when Wang Jinghua took the initiative to approach Tang Min.

It was not in a private capacity, but in a business-to-business capacity.

Nowadays, the Shanghai-based entertainment circle is growing bigger and bigger in the TV drama industry, and Tang Min, as the head of Tangren Media and the head of the Shanghai-based entertainment circle, is also vaguely getting the feeling of becoming a giant.

Her visit this time was actually to discuss matters related to the TV series.

Opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefit.

Tang Min was naturally happy to welcome them, as this wasn't their first collaboration.

The male lead in "Palace" was transferred from the Beijing entertainment circle.

"The CCTV circle is old, it feels a bit stale, it always feels like a group of old-fashioned people are in control, and the works they produce are all outdated."

At this point, Wang Jinghua offered a sharp critique of the CCTV circle.

A circle that prides itself on tradition and orthodoxy.

The photographed works.

Actually, they all have a sense of gloom and lethargy.

Perhaps they themselves don't feel this way.

However, from Wang Jinghua's perspective as an outsider, the works produced by CCTV are simply not as vibrant as those produced by Shanghai-based production teams.

That feeling that young audiences love.

It is something that others cannot compare to.

"The old dog still has three teeth, so I'm quite looking forward to the performance of this new Three Kingdoms. However, since ancient times, remakes have inevitably been criticized for favoring the past over the present, making it difficult to be truly fair."

Tang Min smiled slightly at this moment.

Remakes are essentially just capitalizing on past successes.

Time and time again, they dug out the leftovers from the past.

This is not a good thing in itself.

At least for one circle.

That's not such a good thing.

This indicates a lack of new creativity.

Therefore, Tang Min set a rule for herself in the Shanghai film circle: she could not remake works that she had already filmed.

It's one thing to favor the past over the present, but new things can never replace old memories.

The first meeting is always the most beautiful.

Even if there are some flaws at first glance.

Since the advent of television, there has never been a remake that has defeated the original work.

Like the countless adaptations of Jin Yong's novels, what remains in people's minds are mostly the original versions.

Someone like Zhang Dahuzi can find a different track to delve into.

Only a minority can consistently find unique advantages.

Most remakes are only criticized as getting worse with each iteration.

This is common sense, this is the truth.

However, the Three Kingdoms theme, although it is a remake, has an extraordinary longevity, which means that the soul of this work is very resilient.

It can withstand the test of being remade.

This time it should also get a lot of viewership, although there will be fewer male viewers.

The viewership ratings for this show.

Ultimately, it will only be below his two works.

However, Tang Min also had to admit that this kind of work was relatively easy to win awards, but that was about it.

At this time.

Wang Jinghua suddenly sighed again.

"This new Three Kingdoms has suffered quite a few hardships. The casting controversy itself was controversial, and it's also a remake of a work that scored 9.1 on Douban."

"I feel that neither of your two TV series can deliver a fatal blow to them. But I know there is one work that can deliver a fatal blow to them."

They are not also works produced by CCTV.

Journey to the West.

The rebroadcast of Journey to the West was completely unexpected.

His target audience and scope overlap slightly with those of the Three Kingdoms period, but not by much.

Teenagers tend to prefer Journey to the West.

Middle-aged and older adults tend to prefer Three Kingdoms themes.

This is a subject matter preference found in surveys conducted in many places.

For TV dramas targeting middle-aged and older viewers, female characters are often chosen to be elegant and poised, while for the Shanghai audience, which is primarily young and teenage, young, beautiful, and innocent girls are more commonly used.

Appearance, temperament, star power, and acting skills.

Many elements are targeted at audiences from different fields.

This new Three Kingdoms series is clearly targeting male viewers.

It's still mostly middle-aged and elderly male viewers.

The target audience had already been determined.

But now, a new contender has suddenly emerged: Journey to the West, another of the Four Great Classical Novels, has even had Liu Xiao Ling Tong (the actor who played the Monkey King) promote the TV series.

It feels like reheating leftovers.

In fact, this is just reheating leftovers, except that Journey to the West can be reheated again and in different ways.

Who says the new one is better than the old one?

Journey to the West is a prime example; no matter the version, none can compare to the CCTV version starring Liu Xiao Ling Tong.

Regardless of the version.

Even other TV series only dare to adapt it, using its name to do other things. For example, "A Chinese Odyssey" is a very good example of this adaptation.

CCTV would never do something like having older works compete with new ones.

It shouldn't have happened.

"The Four Great Classical Novels should absolutely not be remade. Remaking such classic old works would only insult the works themselves."

The one speaking at this moment is Teacher Liu.

Actors like him.

He ate one monkey for a lifetime.

He didn't want a second Sun Wukong to replace him.

To retell a story is not to make things up, and to adapt a story is not to fabricate one’s own ideas. This is the profound truth he believed in.

The principles we trust.

As for why Sun Wukong is related to the Three Kingdoms, that's because of the Four Great Classical Novels.

The new Three Kingdoms is like a gap.

If the new Three Kingdoms is successful, will there be a new Journey to the West, a new Water Margin, and a new Dream of the Red Chamber?

You are not allowed to do that. You are not allowed to do that.

The success of new things will inevitably replace the old ones; this is an immutable truth.

This is a principle that must be consistently upheld.

He was very concerned and terrified.

I am terrified that this will happen to me.

Therefore, he wouldn't allow it.

Others have many reasons and justifications.

There are just too many reasons.

For example, there are different factions within CCTV.

Each has its own interests.

Some people hope that a new Three Kingdoms will be born because it represents something new and new benefits.

The creators of the original Three Kingdoms weren't in a hurry, but these are the Four Great Classical Novels; it's the others who are getting anxious.

The reason given is simply that it's a joke, not nonsense.

Classics should not be desecrated; these are common clichés.

However, some people think this makes sense, as re-broadcasting classic works every year can generate stable profits and viewership.

Why is it necessary to make a new version?

The success of classic works is already enviable, so why not eat the good stuff instead of the bad?

Incomprehensible and nonsensical.

"The conservatives at CCTV have become so conservative that it's almost repulsive. They actually take it for granted that resting on their laurels is something to be proud of. When did our CCTV circle get to such a degenerate state?"

On the other side, Lu Zhengguang, the head of the Aerospace Force's cultural troupe, was very disappointed with the current situation.

Rebroadcasting Journey to the West is obviously not a problem.

This TV series is rebroadcast every year.

Furthermore, each channel has a quota for rebroadcasting, so you can basically see Journey to the West all year round if you watch TV.

What's disappointing is that the internal attitude towards this is so nonsensical.

Basically, it's all about hindering the birth of new things.

This ensures that the interests of conservatives are preserved.

How pathetic and laughable!

It's become a case of "old age without dying is thievery."

Lu Zhengguang was very fortunate.

Fortunately, Li Yun wasn't forced into this circle, and fortunately, he wasn't forced to integrate.

I used to think he wasn't part of the entertainment industry and was too arrogant.

It seems that even if you join these circles of old fogies, there's little chance of getting ahead.

At this moment, Lu Zhengguang murmured.

"Can we really achieve 'no destruction, no construction'?"

-

The promotional campaign for the new Three Kingdoms has been underway for some time.

Gao Xinxin was extremely tired during this period.

After all, promoting and distributing a TV series is not a simple matter.

However, what upset Gao Xinxin was that he was suddenly informed after the publicity campaign had been going on for a while.

Yes, it's just a notification.

Tell him that this has happened.

There was no room for negotiation in the notification.

Gao Xinxin felt ridiculous. She had devoted herself to the industry, gained ten pounds from overwork, and had her hair turn white at the ends. She worked tirelessly, pouring her heart and soul into completing this work, only to be betrayed by her own industry in the end.

"The birth of something new will inevitably mean the demise of something old. They struggle because of their own interests and because they are unwilling to let go."

At this moment, producer Yang Xiaoming, Gao Xinxin's partner, said something that seemed natural: "This is the situation I expected from the beginning, but I didn't expect it to be the same group from the old Three Kingdoms."

"Of course, if our new Three Kingdoms series is poorly made, the backlash from the veteran actors will be quite significant."

"I'm not afraid of that. If I'm bad, I'm willing to be condemned, but it's a bit absurd to set obstacles for us like this."

Gao Xinxin can accept being crushed by ratings and reputation, but what she cannot accept is being dragged down in such a sneaky way.

However, just as Yang Xiaoming said.

Maybe.

The factors that ultimately determine the outcome.

It's all about quality.

Gao Xinxin composed herself.

I took a deep breath.

"Then let everyone meet the heroes of the Three Kingdoms. A brand new Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

(End of this chapter)