Global Film Emperor

Chapter 514 "An Actor's Diary"

This is a project proposal called "Actor's Diary," a thin book printed on clean, white A4 paper. It seems to have never been read before, with no folds on the sides.

While stirring the noodles with his chopsticks, Lu Ze's gaze was fixed on the project plan. He flipped to the first page, skipped over the project list, and went straight to the general process.

This is not a show that has completely broken away from the nature of a talent show, but unlike most talent shows nowadays, it skips the audition stage and puts a fixed group of newcomers directly on stage to start filming.

On the contrary, the selection mechanism of this program is a very important part, somewhat similar to the Super Girl and Happy Boy competitions of twenty years ago. The selection process is conducted nationwide. In this plan, the preliminary selection is a very important part because the competition in this program is very fierce. There are four teachers, and each of them selects only four students. There are only sixteen people in the whole country.

Of course, the contestants in the preliminary rounds also need to have a certain level of basic skills. Unlike the Super Girl competition, they won't bring in some weirdos to attract attention. The competition areas are divided by geographical location, such as South China, North China, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, and Central Plains. Foreigners are not allowed to register, and there are also strict age requirements. Only those aged 18 to 25 can register.

The age limit is very strict, and the selection locations are all in the best art schools in each major competition area. Only a few selection venues are located in a few large film and television cities in China. Anyone with eyes can see what's going on, so let's not talk about it.

Although age restrictions will deprive many talented but currently unknown individuals of another opportunity to gain fame, it is undeniable that, excluding minors, this age group is indeed the most malleable. Twenty-five is already a bit late, and many personal habits are difficult to change. Moreover, this age group is also the one that audiences enjoy the most, and the production team also needs to consider the investors.

The preliminary selection has already begun. Instead of the four teachers invited by the program team, local professional teachers will conduct the initial screening. At this stage, about 500 to 600 people nationwide will be selected by the four teachers in the second round.

The above is the plan for the selection stage, which is conventional and lacks originality. Lu Ze only became interested after seeing the later parts. If the filming were to proceed according to this plan, it would indeed be quite interesting.

This show doesn't have an elimination mechanism; once you're selected, you'll be filmed until the end of the show. But that doesn't mean there's no way to cultivate a sense of crisis among the contestants. On the contrary, their sense of crisis is stronger than that of contestants in other actor shows.

This is where the role of the teachers comes in. Unlike teachers in other shows, whose function is simply to sit on stage cheering, laughing foolishly, or fighting, and then casually give lessons to students backstage to get by, the teachers in "The Actor's Diary" have it quite tough. They not only have to compete with other teachers for results, but also have to teach students, and even... act as their agents.

The process is that the teacher first negotiates with the production team to get four audition slots for film and television roles for the four students. Then, the teacher selects actors with strong acting skills and suitable for the role from the five or six hundred contestants who have completed the initial screening. After a period of training, the actors are sent to the production team for auditions. If they are selected, today is a good day; if they are not selected, it is the temptation to go home.

Furthermore, if one teacher takes the audition script first, the other teacher must give up and look for another audition spot in the next production team. This is why the production team looks for experienced teachers rather than currently popular actors, because currently popular actors certainly do not have the same resources as experienced veteran actors.

Although the film and television company and the production team will make arrangements in advance, it often still requires a teacher with a close relationship with the director to persuade and plead for a good role in a good script.

Otherwise, logically speaking, an important role in a good production would naturally be played by an actor with rich acting experience or a lot of popularity. How could it be given to a newbie who may not even have been on a film set before?

This is a war among teachers, a competition of who has the widest network and the strongest background, vying for roles in good works, unlike the current shows where a group of mentors compete to snatch up people.

Of course, talented contestants are also sought after, as this is part of the interesting storyline. However, compared to other shows that make empty promises like "I'm holding 3,800 concerts this year, come to my team, and I'll take you on the show," the teachers on "The Actor's Diary" need to reveal the audition scripts to the contestants in advance before considering their teaching abilities.

Furthermore, students are free to move around after their performance. If you are noticed by a teacher, you will receive a call to negotiate privately. It's similar to contacting clubs of players privately before the player transfer window opens. The key is to be quick, accurate, and ruthless. Take advantage of the other teachers' inattention and give the student an offer they can't refuse. Steal the ball directly and become the sixth player.

However, compared to the competitive pressure on the trainees, the teachers are not so bad. After all, there are many film crews starting production, and the scripts and required character images are different, so the competitive pressure is less. To put it bluntly, the pressure on the trainees is so great that those with weak psychological resilience can easily be crushed.

First, trainees shouldn't worry about failing the initial screening. Even if they pass the initial screening, they might not be selected. Even if they are selected, they might not be able to play the role given by the teacher well. Even if they play the role well, they might not be hired by the production team. This isn't about winning or losing in a show. After all, you might be eliminated earlier. As long as you perform well in front of the camera, you can still gain some fans.

The setback in "The Actor's Diary" will affect the future career development of most of these trainees who have not yet started their professional careers. After all, there are only a few opportunities in life to succeed.

The teacher personally requested a suitable script for you, taught you step by step, and tailored a plan to suit the role for you. You're also considered to have connections. Under these conditions, even a pig can fly. If you still haven't joined the crew after all this... well, let's just start over.

No one dares to take such a risk, and no one wants to bear the consequences of failure. They can only blindly forge ahead, otherwise they'll miss a chance to soar to great heights. Then, even without others laughing at them, they'll be so devastated they'll want to die. This isn't just a severe challenge mentioned in other programs; it's downright cruel. When you're chosen by the teacher and become the summoned child, you're standing between heaven and hell.

"Quite interesting."

After finishing reading this part of the plan, Lu Ze had also finished his noodles. Having not tasted the saltiness of the noodles for a long time, he was still savoring the flavor. Looking at the remaining sauce stains in the bowl, he couldn't resist picking up the bowl, taking a chopstickful of cucumber shreds, and rotating the bowl clockwise to evenly coat the cucumber shreds with the sauce on the bowl wall before happily putting it into his mouth.

"You think it's quite interesting too, right?"

Fifth Brother didn't leave; he just sat at the dining table. The nanny handed him a glass of water, which he took and placed next to Lu Ze. Hearing what Lu Ze said, he nodded in response with a smile.

"Teacher, Fifth Brother, who are you looking for?"

"Three have been confirmed so far: Teacher Tang Juan, Teacher Guan Yong..."

"Wow, they're all familiar faces, but won't the two teachers have enough energy?... Wait a minute, Auntie, let me have another bite."

Tang Juan and Guan Yong were both Lu Ze's co-stars when he filmed "The Boxer". Tang Juan played Lu Ze's mother, and Guan Yong played Lu Ze's uncle. They had known each other for more than ten years and still maintained a stable relationship. However, one of them is now nearly sixty years old and the other is close to seventy. When they participated in a variety show, especially a long-running one, Lu Ze's first thought was about their health.

"That's alright. The two teachers have recently had physical examinations, and their bodies are quite strong. We definitely can't let them overwork themselves."

While the nanny was clearing the dishes, I secretly picked up a piece of vegetables and put it in my mouth again. As I chewed, I nodded, only then realizing that there should be one more person.

"Who is the other one?"

"Old Eight."

"Huh? Oh, that's right."

Lu Ze suppressed the doubts that arose in his mind. After thinking about it carefully, it made sense. Old Song had been acting for more than 30 years. Although he rarely touched movies, he was still a veteran actor in the system and a part-time commercial actor. In addition, he was well-liked, loyal, and had many friends in the capital. Moreover, he was from an academic background and his mentor was a well-known senior. His connections in the northern film and television industry were truly unbreakable.

Furthermore, the film industry only produces a handful of high-scoring works each year, while television dramas are a major market segment and are very effective at making actors famous. If the production team doesn't value the television drama industry, then they're just being irresponsible. So it's not unreasonable for Song Guiyuan to be a mentor. It's also quite interesting that there are three mentors, all of whom are familiar faces.

Thinking of this, Lu Ze swallowed the food, took a sip of water, looked at his fifth brother who was still smiling at him, and slowly leaned back in his chair, revealing the same smile as his fifth brother.

"Can I join you?"

"It's done."

"..."

(End of this chapter)