Huayu, can you be called the best actor if you don’t indulge yourself?

Chapter 534: A Series of Revelation
The sound emanating from the speakers caused a stir among the surrounding crowd.

The so-called greenhouse.

It's actually just a giant canopy.

Except for those behind the stage, people in three directions could see the figure sitting in the first row stand up, followed by incredibly excited applause and cheers.

Amidst this clamor.

Li Luo steadily climbed the steps, but he didn't head straight for the podium.

Instead, he and Lin Yue went to the backdrop. The two grabbed the red cloth covering it and pulled hard. As the red cloth fluttered down, the stage backdrop, which had been covered, was officially revealed to everyone.

Tonglu Xinghuo Film and Television Groundbreaking Ceremony and Zhen Huan Zhuan Project Launch Conference

A huge line of text.

Bear the brunt.

Below that is a huge portrait drawn by the art team. In the magnificent palace, a man in gorgeous clothes stands with his hands behind his back. His profile looks somewhat similar to Li Luo's.

With him in the center, images of equally splendidly dressed women are depicted on both sides.

However, he carried all these images on his back.

I can't see their faces clearly.

The entertainment media present realized what was happening and excitedly raised their cameras, frantically pressing the shutter button on the giant portrait. There was no doubt that this was the next big event for Xinghuo Films.

After producing a work like "My Sunshine," who wouldn't be curious about Li Luo's next move?

Unexpectedly, besides the groundbreaking ceremony for the film and television base...

He also dropped this bombshell on the spot.

"Hello everyone."

Amidst the flashing lights, Li Luo strolled to the podium, smiled, and picked up the microphone: "Good morning, distinguished guests and leaders."

"And our friends outside."

He looked around and raised his voice a few decibels: "Whether you can hear me or not, I wish you all well and thank you for letting me experience such unprecedented enthusiasm."

"I am Li Luo."

"Thank you so much for your support of Xinghuo Films!"

This sound.

There is no doubt that it can be heard.

The crowd outside was surprised to be called upon. After a moment of stunned silence, they responded with even more enthusiastic cheers. The deafening roar sent shivers down the spines of those sitting in the canopy.

"thanks, thanks."

Li Luo smiled and waved around, then turned to the microphone after the commotion subsided slightly: "Please allow me to once again express my gratitude to leaders at all levels for their strong support."

"Only then could the Tonglu Xinghuo Film and Television Base successfully break ground."

"Everyone's enthusiasm."

"This has convinced me that my initial choice was correct. I hope that with the support of all sectors of society, Xinghuo Film and Television Base will thrive and become one of the top film and television shooting bases in China."

In such situations, it's necessary to say a few platitudes.

It's not enough for just yourself to be successful.

These people have come all this way to show their support; it wouldn't be right not to express our gratitude.

"The Xinghuo Film and Television Base has a total planned area of ​​over 3,000 mu. Its future goal is to gradually build it into a large-scale cultural and entertainment project integrating indoor and outdoor scenes, studio shooting, and sightseeing tourism, with a total investment of up to 1.5 billion yuan!"

His powerful words were met with thunderous applause.

Yu Dong, Wang Zhongjun, and the others exchanged glances.

Although their development strategies differ—for example, Huayi focuses on film and television investment and promoting the company's listing, Guangxian's focus is naturally on the media sector, and Berna also pays more attention to distribution.

But one thing is certain: everyone is focusing their efforts on the film industry.

It owns a film and television base.

If things run well, there will certainly be a stable rear base.

However, it's really hard to imagine them spending billions of yuan to build filming locations. That amount of money could easily fund a dozen or twenty medium-to-large-scale film and television projects.

We are industry leaders, that's true, but none of us have this kind of extra money that we didn't plan for right now.

On the return on investment.

It's clear that film and television projects are more lucrative.

Wang Changtian doesn't count.

The rest are all top players.

They have easier access to high-quality film and television projects, and about a third of those projects actually come to fruition.

They can all maintain a profitable state.

They weren't particularly optimistic or pessimistic about Xinghuo Films' situation, but one thing was certain: if Li Luo couldn't maintain its current rapid growth...

This film and television base will undoubtedly become a heavy shackle on Xinghuo.

Just press the accelerator.

It's not something you can easily stop.

Countless people will push it forward until the project is finally completed or it runs out of fuel and crashes into the mountainside. Of course, there is a third option: the gecko sheds its tail to survive.

But this tail is not so easy to cut off; one must endure the huge losses from the initial investment and the risk of offending countless people.

"Of course, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Regardless of what others thought, Li Luo continued to speak loudly into the microphone: "No matter how wonderful the blueprint is, we still have to move forward step by step, as long as we persevere and work hard."

"The Spark Film and Television Base will eventually shine with its own unique charm on the banks of the Fuchun River!"

The groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

Another burst of thunderous applause followed.

"Thank you."

Despite the sweltering heat, Li Luo remained ramrod straight: "Next, let me introduce the first step taken by the Xinghuo Film and Television Base, which is also the first phase of the base's construction project."

"The Legend of Zhen Huan".

Raising his palms behind him, he smiled under the excited gazes of the reporters and said, "This TV series project is expected to officially begin filming in July or August next year. It is a major opening project for the Xinghuo Film and Television Base!"

"This grand opening film is a joint production of Xinghuo Films and Changsheng Films."

At his prompting, Zhang Guoli, the head of Changsheng Film and Television, stood up with a smile and clasped his hands together in thanks for the applause.

"The one in charge of directing this film."

Li Luo moved his hand, smiled and continued nodding, "It's director Zheng Xiaolong, who made excellent films and television works such as 'A Native of Beijing in New York,' 'Never Give Up,' and 'Golden Wedding.'"

The shutter clicked away again.

The reporters swallowed hard and kept taking pictures of Zheng Xiaolong as he stood up.

When we saw Zheng Xiaolong earlier, everyone was full of questions. They wondered what this big-name director from Beijing was doing at the groundbreaking ceremony for Xinghuo Film and Television Base. They didn't seem to have heard that he had any private relationship with Li Luo.

And now.

The entertainment reporters were so excited they were blushing.

Industry insiders are well aware that director Zheng Xiaolong's resume is not as simple as Li Luo described. Zheng Xiaolong was the producer of the TV series "Aspiration," which once caused a sensation.

The other party was the chief planner of the well-known TV series "Stories from the Editorial Department".

The gray-haired old man in front of me was the producer of many popular TV series, such as "Young Justice Bao" and "Happiness Like Flowers".

A true bigwig in Beijing's elite circles.

His numerous classic works have attracted countless actors to pursue his career.

Especially with the recent hit drama "Golden Wedding" which garnered high ratings and critical acclaim, countless actors aspire to appear in his productions, and many are eagerly anticipating Zheng Xiaolong's next project.

No one expected that a hot director and an equally hot actor would collaborate.

The entertainment reporter's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

Xinghuo Film and Television is building a film and television base and is also launching a major production with Zheng Xiaolong.

There is nothing to say.

This is definitely the biggest news in the industry today.

Wang Zhonglei, Yu Dong, Wang Changtian, and the others all turned to look at Zheng Xiaolong, who was smiling and waving around. They had all assumed that Li Luo had invited him to come and support them, just like themselves, to be a tool.

This news.

This surprised them all.

He quickly considered various things, such as whether to try to get involved in the film. With Zheng Xiaolong's talent and Li Luo's current popularity, it would be difficult for the film not to make money.

"The Legend of Zhen Huan is the opening work of the film and television base."

After Zheng Xiaolong sat down, Li Luo flashed his pearly white teeth: "So this TV series will be produced with a huge budget, with a total production cost of 150 million RMB!"

"Spark Films and Changsheng Films will spare no effort to create an excellent large-scale palace intrigue drama."

"To all our viewers who support and care about us."

"Presenting a wonderful show!"

His jaw slammed off.

Wang Zhonglei, Yu Dong, Zhang Long, and others pursed their lips tightly again.

The desire to get involved vanished in an instant. Gao Xixi's upcoming production of "New Three Kingdoms" has been rumored to have a budget of 95 million yuan, a fact recently revealed to reporters by the producer of "New Dream of the Red Chamber".

The production budget has exceeded 100 million.

The other party complained to reporters that 100 million was still not enough to spend, and that they would have to go around begging for donations.

But it's only 100 million after all.

Zhang Dahuzi's "New Journey to the West" is expected to have a production budget of 100 million yuan.

The new Water Margin is currently in preparation.

Still 100 million!
The content of Journey to the West will undoubtedly involve a lot of special effects, Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms have a lot of war scenes, and Dream of the Red Chamber will recreate those incredibly gorgeous scenes.

These are all four classic Chinese novels, which is why they cost so much money.

The Legend of Zhen Huan.

No one had ever heard of it.

It actually cost 150 million RMB!
Is it themselves who's gone mad, or Li Luo, or perhaps Zhang Guoli and Zheng Xiaolong who's lost their minds? With an investment of this scale and no famous works to back it up, do they even want to make money anymore?

wrong
Wang Zhonglei's gaze fell on the Xinghuo Film and Television Base on the background wall.

This is 150 million.

A significant portion of the money is definitely used for infrastructure development.

This made him even less interested. This kind of project was extremely risky for outsiders. It would be very easy for Li Luo to manipulate the books to show a loss if he just made a little tampering with them.

Anyway, once filming is finished, such a huge film and television base will appear out of nowhere.

No matter how you calculate it, you won’t lose money.

Yu Dong and Zhang Long weren't worried that Li Luo would cheat them, but the pressure to make a profit seemed overwhelming to them.

The two quickly backed down.

As for the journalists, they are now largely silent.

I was stunned!

If you said Li Luo spent 150 million to make a movie, they would never think it was that much. After all, with his track record, he was qualified to challenge such a large investment. But this is a TV series.

Although the main purpose is definitely to build a film and television base, it will cost more than 100 million yuan to build sets.
This guy is absolutely insane!!!

However, while most people present were excited to hear this number, they were not dumbfounded. In their view, it was perfectly normal for a project with a total investment of 1.5 billion to have an initial investment of 150 million.

So the moment Li Luo's voice fell.

There was thunderous applause.

With the official groundbreaking ceremony approaching, leaders from various departments and important guests walked forward, beaming with joy, to the location of the foundation stone to take a group photo.

Everyone then gathered together and picked up shovels.

Amid cheers, everyone shoveled sand and threw it towards the center, creating a lively and enthusiastic scene.

For the vast majority of people.

It's all just for show.

But Li Luo and Lin Yue both looked very serious, shoveling and turning inside again and again. For the two of them, this was not just a simple foundation-laying ceremony.

starting today.

Xinghuo Films is about to take another solid step forward.

"Let go~~~"

Another loud shout came from outside.

A dense array of firecrackers and thunderclaps were lit, their crackling sounds echoing along the banks of the Fuchun River amidst the cheers of the crowd, while the booming explosions in mid-air resounded through the sky.

The groundbreaking ceremony has concluded.

Reporters, carrying cameras and microphones, swarmed forward and surrounded the important guests present.

The cameras were also moving around everywhere.

We will try to include all the leaders in the shot.

Due to the extremely hot weather, it was impossible for everyone to speak on stage for a period of time. Otherwise, the groundbreaking ceremony would probably take two or three hours to finish. Therefore, we could only give more screen time at this time.

They've come all this way to show their support; how can we not let them make an appearance?

Filmed by a camera.

Li Luo quickly shook hands with the smiling leaders.

Once the formalities were completed, entertainment reporters swarmed around him, Zhang Guoli, and Zheng Xiaolong.

"Thank you, thank you everyone."

"Yes, I am very happy today. Thank you all for your support. Actually, what I want to do is very simple: just to make more good films."

"Also, for me, it's also about saving costs!"

"No."

"I never intended to challenge Hengdian, nor is there any question of challenging it. We're all in the same industry, and I hope Hengdian can develop even better, since I often film there myself." After the pleasantries, Zhao Jun eagerly inquired about relevant information:

"Luo Ge."

"Regarding this 'Empresses in the Palace,' what is its genre? If I'm not mistaken, you'll be starring in it, right? Is there any information you can share about the cast?"

It's not just him.

The other reporters were all curious about this.

The idea of ​​Zheng Xiaolong collaborating with Li Luo is exciting to even think about.

What's even more intriguing is the cast. A TV series with a total production budget of 150 million yuan is sure to cause a huge stir in the industry, especially given Li Luo's current strength; no one would think he couldn't afford that amount of money.

The director who just released "Golden Wedding" has just directed the male lead in "My Sunshine".

In addition, it has strong financial resources.

It would be difficult for this show not to attract a lot of attention.

"Is such that."

Li Luo exchanged glances with Zheng Xiaolong and Zhang Guoli, and said with a smile, "This TV series is adapted from the online novel 'Empresses in the Palace,' which is a very popular romance novel."

"He won the Tencent Writers Cup Original Literature Competition last year."

"It mainly describes the brutal power struggles within the palace."

"I am indeed the lead actor."

"Moreover, the role I play in the play is completely different from my previous roles. It can be described as cold-hearted, suspicious, ruthless, and decisive, which is very challenging for me."

"I'm very nervous, and I hope I won't disappoint the audience."

Hear this.

The reporters were even more excited.

Li Luo has never played such a character before, and with director Zheng Xiaolong as her co-star, it seems the new drama is heading towards a more serious tone.

Following "My Sunshine", this is another TV series starring Li Luo.

Everyone secretly thought to themselves that the trip was worthwhile.

Big news broke out everywhere today.

Even if Xinghuo Films didn't prepare a big red envelope, well, it's not unacceptable.

The reason why Li Luo took on the role of Xuan Ling, which had a bad ending and a bad image, was because although the TV series and movies he had acted in over the years had excellent ratings, none of them were works that could compete for awards.

Having high viewership ratings without awards is not enough.

We urgently need to address our shortcomings.

He can't always play the role of a warm and caring man; if he plays that role too often, he'll easily become typecast.

It's not that my acting skills have become stagnant.

The ability to play a thousand faces can help him perfectly avoid this problem, but he can't do anything about the fixed image in the audience's mind, so playing Xuan Ling is imperative.

"As for the cast."

Holding the microphones with their logos affixed to them, Li Luo continued to leak information: "It's not that I don't want to reveal it, it's just that I can't. Currently, I'm the only one confirmed."

"Next, the production team will conduct auditions for the actors according to the schedule."

"This is a massive production expected to have ninety episodes."

"The Legend of Zhen Huan is a female-centric drama. Because it is a palace intrigue drama, there are dozens of main characters in the show, especially a large number of actresses, so the casting work is very extensive."

"Hopefully, the production team will be able to find a group of very outstanding actors by then."

The more he talked, the more...

The reporters' eyes gleamed.

With a massive investment of 150 million, the number of episodes produced was naturally considerable, but no one expected it to be a staggering 90 episodes, with dozens of main characters that left everyone speechless.

The combination of Li Luo and Zheng Xiaolong was used to promote the brand.

Once the casting process begins, the battle for roles will likely start in real life even before the palace drama has been filmed.

"Has the female lead not been decided yet?"

Zhao Jun swallowed hard and quickly asked.

"Not decided yet."

Li Luo smiled and shook his head, saying frankly, "This is a female-centric drama. The female lead, Zhen Huan, is very important and must be treated with utmost care. Apart from physical appearance, Director Zheng and I mainly considered acting skills."

"Hopefully we can find a suitable candidate as soon as possible."

Oops! ! !
Upon hearing the female lead's name, all the reporters' eyes lit up with excitement.

The female lead is Zhen Huan.

The drama is called "The Legend of Zhen Huan".

It seems to be a female-centric drama without a doubt.

A reporter stepped forward and asked about several female artists signed with Xinghuo Films: "Fan Bingbing, Huang Shengyi, Wang Ou, Bian Xiaoxiao?"

"Not really suitable."

Li Luo gave an answer that surprised them all, saying generously, "Their acting skills are all very good, but sometimes you have to consider compatibility when filming, and you have to choose the actors based on the script."

"Here I am."

"The play always comes first."

Actually, he did consider Fan Xiaopang. Although he felt it was a waste to spend a lot of money on a show to promote an outsider, after thinking it over, he still felt that Xiaopang was too sycophantic.

Therefore, if possible, he still prefers the original candidate.

With "Painted Skin" as his trademark.

That's enough for Fan Bingbing to make a name for herself!

Precisely because of the large sum of money involved, I should not joke around with over 100 million yuan; making a good film is the most important thing.

The words that came out of Li Luo's mouth left the reporters present completely astonished.

When you have control over resources.

Which company in the industry doesn't blatantly promote its own artists?

Especially for a role like the female lead, I didn't expect Li Luo to be so direct in stating that he wouldn't be looking for someone from his own company.

I think he's stupid.

But in his heart, he couldn't help but secretly admire him.

Zhao Jun smacked his lips and gave Li Luo a round of applause without any hesitation.

Anyone can say anything.

But it is extremely difficult to do.

The applause from the reporters made Li Luo extremely embarrassed, and he repeatedly pressed his hands down. He would certainly not hesitate to place people wherever possible, but it was not appropriate to do so now.

But that doesn't stop him from using it to say some high-sounding things.

This earned him some applause.

"Teacher Guoli".

With limited interview time, the reporters quickly moved on to the next question: "What made you choose to collaborate with Li Luo again?"

"To make money!"

Zhang Guoli naturally spread his hands.

Such a reaction.

This elicited a burst of laughter.

"Director Zheng."

Meanwhile, the reporters quickly changed their focus: "If I remember correctly, this is your first period drama. Do you feel any pressure?"

How was this collaboration brought about?

"What made you choose to collaborate with Li Luo for your first period drama?"

"handsome!"

Zheng Xiaolong's personality is actually quite meticulous and serious, but this also depends on the person. He smiled and put his arm around Li Luo's shoulder: "Li Luo is handsome, which is the main reason why I cooperate with him."

"He's definitely handsome."

Amid the reporters' laughter, Zheng Xiaolong said very seriously, "But the most important thing is that I felt Li Luo's passion for film and television. He is very focused and serious."

"Approach television and movies with utmost enthusiasm."

"He is an excellent actor and also an excellent film and television producer."

"Cooperate with him."

"I feel at ease."

"I hope everyone can support 'Empresses in the Palace' and support this work that we have poured our hearts and souls into. The pressure is indeed great, but I believe in having such excellent partners as Li Luo and Zhang Guoli."

"The cast and crew of 'Empresses in the Palace' will definitely bring everyone a surprise!"

They have access to a large sum of money.

You can freely draw up your vision.

This would be a dream come true for any director.

Zheng Xiaolong spared no praise for Li Luo, and his praise seemed unstoppable, almost elevating Li Luo to the status of an outstanding youth, which drew bursts of laughter from the audience.

The river wind howled.

Roll up the bright red firecracker paper.

The sounds of laughter, rising and falling, gradually faded away.

After bidding farewell to the still reluctant onlookers, and taking photos and signing autographs amidst screams of "Brother Luo," Li Luo boarded a minibus and returned to Tonglu County to attend a banquet organized by Xinghuo Film and Television.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, congratulations and laughter resounded once more.

Until you are full of wine and food.

The people gradually dispersed.

The morning's hustle and bustle has faded away.

Instead, a series of construction machines roared to life.

Level the corresponding land.

Excavate waterways according to the design plan.

The next step is to work day and night to ensure that the first phase of the scenario is delivered on time.

The roar of the engine echoed along the Fuchun River, stirring the heart. Li Luo strolled up to the top of the hill, a cigar dangling from his lips as he gazed at the rolling, emerald-green river.

A sense of pride and pride welled up within me.

From now on, this will be another new home for me.

"Whoo~"

A panting sound arose, and the chubby-faced guy behind him grabbed his assistant's hand and struggled to get up the hill: "Was that real alcohol or watered down? Your alcohol tolerance is terrifying!"

"Even if it's watered down, you try drinking it and see?"

Shaking off the eggplant ash, Li Luo glanced at the guy.

We've had a meal.

Zhang Long, Wang Zhongjun, and others took their leave.

Only Yu Dong dawdled, and after everyone else had left, he chuckled and asked if he could go back to the scene for a closer look. So, having just finished eating and drinking, they strolled over to Jiangnan Town.

"cut."

Yu Dong rubbed the mud off his shoes onto the tree trunk, then took a deep drag on his cigar.

He can hold his liquor quite well.

In the early days, the business was built up through drinking sessions.

So even though he drank until his face was flushed.

He was perfectly lucid, though.

Seeing that the two big bosses had quieted down, the assistants tactfully chatted and walked to the other side, giving them space to talk.

"good."

Looking at the Fuchun River, which he estimated to be seven or eight hundred meters wide, Yu Dong nodded repeatedly at the vast expanse of emerald green water: "This place is really nice, a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains."

"Ah."

Li Luo savored the aroma of the cigar.

"These river waters."

Adjusting his breathing, Yu Dong stomped his foot on the ground: "They can all be brought in, right?"

"can."

Watching the ships slowly sailing across the river, Li Luo answered decisively, "But the relevant environmental standards must be met; we cannot pollute this incomparably beautiful 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains' landscape."

"Furthermore, considering the scale of your 'Bodyguards and Assassins' project."

"If we choose to build here, the Tonglu government should be able to provide a subsidy of five million yuan."

"It's not far from Hengdian."

“It’s less than three hours by car. You can use the extras and supporting resources there, which can save you a lot of costs. But I’m planning to stay here for decades.”

"You can't have too big an appetite, and you can't just sloppy with the set design."

"otherwise."

"Mr. Yu, please find another place!"

Meeting Yu Dong's somewhat stunned gaze, Li Luo said with a smile, "Of course, if President Yu simply wants to come and see the scenery, then just consider what I just said as nonsense."

A cool river breeze swept by.

The ash from the cigar in Yu Dong's hand fell in a flurry.

(End of this chapter)