Global Film Emperor

Chapter 518 An unexpected gain
A stack of papers was placed on the table. Lu Ze glanced at them and saw that there were seven or eight scripts. Looking at Liu Ying sitting opposite him, who was applying moxibustion to his wrists, Lu Ze couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Uncle, this is..."

“I know what kind of program you want to film, and it requires a lot of scripts. You came to me, after all, you asked me to do it. If I don’t approve of what I want to film, I can’t go back empty-handed.”

Liu Ying chuckled, the wrinkles on his face rippling. His appearance had lost the ferocity of his youth, and instead he looked somewhat naive. He stopped looking at the notebook on the table and focused entirely on the moxibustion stick, afraid of burning himself, and began to recite.

"Uncle isn't without his own selfish motives. I'm quite optimistic about your show. These scripts are all hand-picked by me and are all from friends. If this show really becomes a success, then I'll take advantage of you this time."

Liu Ying spoke frankly, and Lu Ze understood what he meant. A spot for a major supporting role is hard to come by, especially for a famous director's work. Without extremely strong connections, it's difficult to even get an audition, let alone get into the production team. In addition, the high degree of fit between the actor and the role, or the actor's own high popularity and influence, are also important indicators for determining whether an actor can join the production team.

This time is different from the past. After all, it is a variety show organized by the Cultural Bureau. All the companies are optimistic about the prospects of this variety show. If they really make a few newcomers popular, even if they can't get commercial contracts from these newcomers, they can at least bring them into the group to attract traffic and get a share of the pie.

This is equivalent to having four sets of guarantees, arranging a path for the sixteen newcomers who stood out from the national auditions. This is about connections. At the same time, the broadcast of the variety show will bring a certain amount of popularity and attention to the newcomers. Most importantly, the four teachers choose the script first and then the actors, which can guarantee the fit between the actors and the roles. In this way, all three points mentioned above can be achieved.

Actors with connections, ability, and popularity are highly sought after. Everyone in the industry hears rumors, and with hints from company leaders, directors who are approached will naturally cooperate. Otherwise, do you really think Song Guiyuan has such power that he could gather four scripts over a single drinking session? It's simply a matter of everyone profiting from it.

Lu Ze was in the same situation. Most of the scripts Liu Ying prepared were sent over by other directors and screenwriters who were on good terms with him after hearing the news. These people have a keen business sense. They are like sharks that have seen blood. As soon as there is the slightest disturbance, they will rush over in droves.

Seeing Liu Ying continuing to do moxibustion, Lu Ze smiled. He was probably too embarrassed to look up, so he could only find other things to cover it up. After all, on the surface, it seemed like a mutually beneficial thing, but in reality, he was indebted to both sides. Although it was like being forced into something, it was indeed a bit awkward.

Lu Ze didn't care. Regardless of whose favor Liu won, it didn't matter much to him. On the contrary, all these documents were put together, saving him from running around and getting tired. It was a good thing no matter how you looked at it.

Furthermore, Liu Ying has made it clear that he wants to take advantage of Lu Ze, which shows that Liu Ying never intended to hide the matter or make Lu Ze owe him a favor. Since he's been so open about it, Lu Ze certainly won't care about such a small thing. Even if he makes up some nice things, Lu Ze, with so many years of friendship with him, even if he knows perfectly well what's going on, he'll still have to accept it, right? After all, these scripts are right there on the table.

"What about Teacher Mao?"

Looking at Mao Xiaotao, who was sitting quietly drinking tea beside him, Lu Ze felt a sense of hope. He had a great liking for Mao Xiaotao because of his works. If another of Mao Xiaotao's works was to be adapted, and Lu Ze happened to be there, that would be a good thing.

"You didn't know? Jianjun is the screenwriter for my next film, and the script is right there in that pile."

Liu Ying interjected, pointing to a stack of scripts on the table. His words were casual, but they pleased Lu Ze. He looked at Mao Xiaotao, who still had that rat-like face, but was smiling gently and nodding to Lu Ze.

"Looks like I don't even need to look at my first script, it's already settled. Alright, Uncle, Teacher Mao, it's lunchtime, how about we go downstairs and have some food together?" "No, I have something to do later. I booked train tickets for around 8 pm to go to Guangzhou for location shooting. Jianjun and I are leaving soon. We'll postpone this meal until the next time your students come for auditions, then we can have some drinks. Take the script with you, and we're off."

When it comes to work, Liu Ying is as decisive and efficient as ever. Although Lu Ze has only worked with him on one film, he has already figured out Liu Ying's character. So he didn't linger any longer, put the script in his bag, and went down the elevator with them. After exchanging contact information with Mao Xiaotao, he watched them drive away.

"Teacher Lu, where are we going?"

The script in his hand was heavy, and Lu Ze couldn't help but grip it tighter. Filmmakers are always eager to read good scripts, and thinking about all the scripts waiting for him to read, he couldn't wait. He got into the car and pointed out the direction to the driver.

"Let's go back to the hotel."

……

Over the course of several days, Lu Ze had read through all seven scripts in total. He kept four and returned three. After signing a confidentiality agreement with the director who kept the script, Lu Ze returned to the capital.

The four screenplays include the film "Ren Dies for Money" directed by Liu Ying and written by Mao Xiaotao, the campus film "Spring Sunshine" directed by Zhao Chengwu, the emotional TV series "Everything is a Small Problem" directed by Zhang Ling, and the drama film "Poor Village" directed by Peng Jiuwen.

Among them, the one that Lu Ze valued most was "Ren Dies for Money," which tells the story of Huang Ren, a poor local living in an urban village, who suddenly finds millions of dollars hidden by an assassin and squanders them, only to be hunted down by the assassin. The story vividly portrays Huang Ren's former simplicity as an ordinary citizen and his insatiable greed after acquiring a windfall. The story is also very humorous and interesting, full of dark humor. The role that Lu Ze got was the assassin with a low level of education in the play.

The second-ranked script is "Poor Village," a story adapted from the director's own experiences. Lu Ze was surprised when he first received the script. He never expected that among the few scripts that others had casually thrown at him, there would be one that could stand on the same level as Mao Xiaotao's new work.

This is extremely rare, making Lu Ze marvel at his own luck, or rather, the luck of the future trainees. As long as these two scripts aren't poorly made and the directors are competent, getting nominated for awards is definitely not a problem.

"Poor Village" is based on director Peng Jiuwen's personal experience, with only minor adaptations. It tells the story of a poor village in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China in the last century, where a poor harvest was caused by the Yellow River breaching its banks, leading to a series of absurd events. The text is full of the idea that people only care about having enough to eat and dare not think about anything else. What Lu Ze remembers most vividly is the role he asked for: a young man who was so hungry that he made dumplings out of loess soil. In the end, the dumplings were so realistic that he couldn't help but eat them and choked to death.

As for the remaining two, the scripts for the campus movie and the family drama are both above average. As long as they are filmed well, box office success will be no problem.

Lu Ze, who had returned to the capital with the four scripts, filmed some additional footage at the airport, then got into a vehicle provided by the sponsor and headed towards Huaxi Academy, filled with rage for Song Guiyuan. Four hundred and sixty-six children selected from all over the country were waiting there, anxiously awaiting their fate.

"..."

(End of this chapter)