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

Chapter 535: When people leave, scenes remain
We are all smart people.

Some things can't be hidden from each other.

A boss like Yu Dong, who is in charge of a large company, has countless things to do every day. How could he possibly be so bored as to go out to the wilderness to enjoy the scenery?

He looked towards Yu Dong.

Li Luo chuckled again.

The latter shook his head and then bit down hard on the cigar.

Yu Dong does indeed have this idea. Currently, "Bodyguards and Assassins" is in the preparation stage, and the most important part of that movie is the city in the film.

Director Chen Deshen has been preparing for this film for nearly ten years.

The project stalled multiple times due to various unforeseen circumstances that prevented it from progressing.

But no matter what.

There is one point that the other party absolutely must insist on.

That is to recreate the scene of Central, Hong Kong Island in 1905 at a 1:1 scale, building his dream of Victoria City from scratch. In fact, the so-called "October Siege" refers to Victoria City.

It's Vienna!
I just felt it was too literary, so I changed it to the character "围" (wéi).

It sounds even more dangerous.

Therefore, finding a suitable location to build the set has become the top priority. Currently, Yu Dong and others have included Shengqiang Film and Television Base, Hengdian Film and Television Base, and Nanhai Film and Television Base in their shortlist.

The entire Central Ring Road scene is expected to cost more than 30 million yuan to build, which Yu Dong considers a huge investment.

But today I came to Tonglu to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony.

He was both amused and exasperated to find that he had been completely overshadowed.

But they're doing quite well.

The set construction is estimated to cost 100 million.

"five million?"

Yu Dong exhaled a heavy cloud of smoke.

"Ah."

Li Luo nodded and continued to explain to the other party: "This subsidy has requirements. There are corresponding requirements for the strength of the production company, the director's reputation, and the cast. Moreover, the main filming scenes must be filmed in Tonglu."

"But for your project, none of these are problems."

If even big names like Bernard, Peter Chan, Tony Leung, Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse, and Fan Bingbing can't get the highest subsidies, then there's no point in having this policy.

With such a cast and crew coming to Tonglu to film, the local authorities must be absolutely delighted.

Actually, it's Li Luo.

He was also delighted to hear this.

The landing of such an important project in Xinghuo Film and Television City will greatly promote its reputation and the construction of the base.

We welcome you, but we still need to discuss things.

So from the beginning, I made it clear to Yu Dong that I didn't necessarily have to beg him to come down to earth.

To avoid being overcharged.

"Ah."

Yu Dong pondered for a moment, then looked intently at Li Luo: "I need about 120 acres of land, and it has to be near the river. The movie 'Bodyguards and Assassins' needs to build a dock area."

"A filming environment with open water is required."

That's why I had this idea.

The reason is that none of the main targets we have identified can provide the necessary environment.

Hengdian is just a small river, and Shengqiang Film and Television Base is located in Shanghai. The area is already small, so it would be very difficult to coordinate more than 100 acres of land.

And there is still no open water.

The South China Sea Film and Television City is large enough, but it still lacks a large body of water.

The entire Victoria Harbour exterior scene was obviously created using special effects; otherwise, no amount of money could build such a scene. However, if the pier scene had open water, it would definitely save the production team a lot of work.

The entire movie could be filmed in one location.

It may seem like nothing, but you can save a lot of money without even realizing it.

Not to mention setting up a set here.

It can also make good use of Hengdian's resources.

"can."

Li Luo thought for a moment and gave an affirmative answer.

The set construction for "Empresses in the Palace" did not require proximity to water, so the design plan used 500 acres of land near the national highway. There were just over 100 acres of land left on the other side, which was fine for Yu Dong to use.

A location near water.

I don't lack anything myself.

From here, you can travel nearly three kilometers down the river and have all the land to yourself. Making room for a few hundred meters is no big deal at all.

"in addition."

Yu Dong smiled and said slowly, "The construction of the siege scene in October is expected to reach around 35 million. Although it can't compare to your more than 100 million, considering that this money is used in more than 100 acres of land..."

"Therefore, the scene setup is more expensive, and the construction is absolutely top-notch."

"Those buildings."

"They were all built based on real-world scenarios."

Some things are immediately clear to Li Luo. He understood that the other party wasn't boasting about how well-made "Bodyguards and Assassins" was, but rather trying to get more leverage from him.

This is understandable.

No matter how good our relationship is, we still need to keep business as it is.

While it's true that Xinghuo Films provided over 100 acres of land, Yu Dong was going to spend tens of millions of yuan on it. He couldn't just let you end up with such a well-produced set out of thin air.

This type of project can be set up anywhere.

Actually, there will be subsidies.

Therefore, given the current conditions, it is not enough to satisfy Yu Dong's appetite.

"Brother Dong."

Li Luo smiled and shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You know I'm poor right now, yet you still have the nerve to try and take advantage of me. How about this, besides this land, Xinghuo Films will give you an additional five million in subsidies."

"When filming is finished, the people will leave, but the scenery will remain!"

"Think about it?"

"Add some points?"

Yu Dong hesitated.

We are now getting a piece of land to use for free, and we also have a total of 10 million RMB to recoup.

That sounds really good.

Let's look at this from a different angle and calculate the costs again.

Xinghuo Films only needs to spend five million yuan and a piece of land with an estimated extremely low acquisition cost to obtain a filming set worth nearly forty million yuan, as well as a large number of celebrities for publicity and promotion.

Compared to what is given.

The benefits that are actually received are obviously greater.

Even though we're friends, we still need to be clear about our interests when it comes to money.

"My Dong-ge".

Li Luo bit his cigar and exhaled a large puff of smoke: "You can't just calculate how much I benefited. After you guys finished filming in such a big venue, how much money will I have to spend on maintenance costs every year?"

"As long as the film and television base doesn't make a profit, I'll have to keep throwing money into it."

"How about we forgo five million and just follow the rules of Hengdian? Once the scenery is built, you can leave it here, and we'll pool our money to maintain it."

"When the film crew shoots on location, tourists will come to visit and sightsee."

"These revenues."

"Shall we split it up, you two brothers?"

When Plan A failed, Li Luo decisively introduced Plan B, which was to avoid getting entangled with the other party about whether the five million was a lot or a little, allowing Yu Dong to choose between getting it all at once or taking it slow and steady.

This is the standard Hengdian uses to receive large film crews.

Filming is finished.

The scene left them with memories.

Once there is revenue, it will be shared proportionally.

Actually, filming in Hengdian is said to be free, but it has always only applied to old or unfinished sets. Those sets only charge a few hundred yuan a day for sanitation fees, and most film crews usually choose to film in these places.

Some of the best-built and most exquisite scenes, however, require a fee.

The daily income can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan.

Those production teams that have the resources, but not enough to build a large number of sets themselves, are willing to film in such settings, as the quality of the footage is much better, and the cost is within their budget.

Hearing the second option given.

Yu Dong nearly choked on a puff of smoke. With this barren land in front of him, when would he ever get his share of the profits?

He forced himself to swallow, knowing he couldn't show those thoughts at this moment.

It makes it sound like I'm pessimistic about this project.

Compared to unpredictable profits, he would naturally prefer to get the money in one lump sum. Anyone who does business understands the importance of cash and payment terms.

The latter is money that may be received gradually over several years, and the amount received is still unknown.

The former gets millions very quickly.

With that money in hand, you can invest or manage it as you please.

How to choose?

It's actually not difficult to weigh the pros and cons.

"Add two hundred!"

After a few seconds of deliberation, Yu Dong carefully extended his palm.

Money is going to be spent anyway, so it's good to get more back. This is both a good thing and a burden for Xinghuo Films, as it creates an extra space that needs long-term maintenance.

It's true that you can't just look at where others are getting the best deal; that aspect also represents a significant expense.

But nevertheless.

He still wants to do his best to secure his own interests.

"one hundred."

Li Luo took a deep drag on his cigar, making it even more crimson.

"can."

Yu Dong chuckled to himself.

There was a snap.

Li Luo and he gripped each other's hands tightly.

They paid six million, plus land at almost zero cost.

They can acquire sets built at a cost of tens of millions of yuan, which will be excellent locations for filming period dramas and spy dramas. The maintenance cost of the hundreds of acres of film set will certainly be a lot of money.

But if you turn over a year's bills, several hundred thousand is more than enough!
This deal was definitely worthwhile.

Yu Dong was naturally overjoyed to be able to recoup eleven million yuan and find a more suitable filming location.

This number is not ideal.

But it's still within acceptable limits.

Compared to other film studios, the conditions are already quite good. The most important thing is that this scenery is rare and hard to come by. Not every place can provide such a wide expanse of water for its own use.

A verbal agreement was reached.

The group then continued strolling along the riverbank.

Yu Dong gestured to his assistant to take one photo after another, despite his immense influence.

But ultimately, it's not a one-man show.

Whether the venue can be finalized still depends on the opinions of Chen Kexin and others, but no one will refuse him in this matter!
A cool river breeze was blowing.

The news of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Xinghuo Film and Television Base on the banks of the Fuchun River has spread wildly on online media.

Along with it.

There were also reports about the approval of the "Empresses in the Palace" project.

"Under the blazing sun, top film and television resources from across China converge in Zhejiang."

"At 9:30 a.m. on September 1, Xinghuo Film and Television Company officially held a groundbreaking ceremony for its film and television base in Tonglu County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The total planned land area is over 3,000 mu, with a total investment of up to 15 billion yuan!"

"He Yichen came to Zhejiang today and announced that he would settle down in Tonglu amidst cheers from more than 10,000 people."

"Xinghuo Film and Changsheng Film and Television have joined hands again to produce the ancient costume palace drama Zhen Huan Zhuan. The drama is directed by Zheng Xiaolong and stars Li Luo. The production budget is expected to reach 150 million yuan."

"He Yichen has transformed into an ancient emperor; who will become the empress?"

"The heads of four film and television media companies, Huayi, Bona, Enlight Media, and Changhong, attended the ceremony to offer their congratulations, and firecrackers were set off at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Xinghuo Film and Television Base."

Wang Zhonglei: Congratulations to Li Luo. I hope we can have more collaborations in the future.

Wang Changtian: Guangxian Media is indeed venturing into the film and television industry, but I am just a newcomer in this field. I have learned a lot from Li Luo, such as his serious attitude towards film and television works.

"Next, Guangxian Media will release the blockbuster film 'Painted Skin' starring Li Luo."

"An excellent work."

"I hope to win the audience's favor."

"Relevant officials from the Provincial Publicity Department, the Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, the Provincial Department of Commerce, and the Municipal Bureau attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Xinghuo Film and Television Base held today."

"The excellent film and television company led by Li Luo has settled in Tonglu."

"We extend a warm welcome."

"And we hope that Xinghuo Films can take root in Zhejiang Province and produce more and better works."

"Li Luo is keeping a close eye on online novels. Following 'My Sunshine,' he continues to adapt the best-selling novel 'Empresses in the Palace.' This time, he is collaborating with director Zheng Xiaolong and personally playing the male lead."

"It is understood that the female lead and a number of supporting roles have not yet been decided."

"Production budget."

"Up to 150 million yuan."

"Its scale is even greater than that of the new Four Great Classical Novels currently in preparation."

According to an on-site interview, Li Luo said that the pressure to make a profit is very high, but it is rare to encounter such a wonderful script. Even if it costs a lot, he will still make it into a good film and present a wonderful show to the audience.

Driven by generous red envelopes and good media relations.

The various reports were dazzling to netizens.

First, the fans of the novel "Empresses in the Palace" were in an uproar online, having already learned that the film and television adaptation rights for the show had been acquired by Xinghuo Films.

In fact, everyone was skeptical, hoping it was true, but also not daring to believe it was true.

The project is now officially approved.

Book fans were overjoyed.

In their opinion, Li Luo was the perfect choice to play Xuan Ling. The novel describes the protagonist's appearance as handsome and dashing, with a very refined face and a resolute look in his eyes.

Everything described.

They can all be matched with Li Luo.

With director Zheng Xiaolong and a production budget of 150 million yuan, book fans were practically celebrating a festival, flooding the novel's online forums with excited gossip about who would play the main characters.

However, the vast majority of netizens still don't know what "The Legend of Zhen Huan" is.

Driven by various news reports.

The frequency of Baidu searches for "The Legend of Zhen Huan" has increased exponentially.

Aside from excitement and curiosity, the biggest emotion was actually shock. No one expected Li Luo to make such a big splash one after another. His new drama broke long-standing ratings records, and his endorsement advertisements were everywhere.

They stole the show at the Golden Eagle TV Art Festival last night, and today they're investing heavily in building a film and television base.

And it was the opening work of the park.

It was a massive production costing 150 million.

Next up for everyone is the fantasy film "Painted Skin" starring the other party.

In previous years, the National Day holiday, which usually goes unnoticed, has surprisingly seen a giant squeeze in, reportedly forcing the films "Nanjing! Nanjing!" and "All About Women" to urgently adjust their release dates.

Only "Keep Talking" is holding on.

Compared to the quiet first half of the year, Li Luo is about to create a huge wave in the mainland entertainment industry in the second half of the year!
This guy has such a fierce momentum of development.

jaw-dropping.

"Dong dong."

There was a loud knocking on the office door.

"Come in."

Before he could finish speaking, the door was pushed open quickly.

"Mr. Liu."

Under Liu Yanming's puzzled gaze, Chang Jihong strode in, placed a hastily printed report on her desk, and said excitedly, "Big news, absolutely the biggest news of the day."

"Oh?"

Having known each other for so long, Liu Yanming had never seen the other person so impatient. He picked up the report in confusion.

I quickly browsed through the content above.

"A film and television base? Li Luo's got some big money to burn!"

"What does it have to do with us?"

"The Legend of Zhen Huan?"

"Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, starring Li Luo."

"1.15 billion? Did the report get the number wrong? Is it based on some famous novel? The female lead is yet to be determined. The production team of 'Empresses in the Palace' will hold a large-scale audition at the appropriate time!"

The more Liu Yanming read, the more astonished he became.

"Are you crazy?"

He looked at Chang Jihong in surprise and shook the paper in his hand: "This investment is indeed huge, but Li Luo is really not afraid of losing money by doing it this way. Even if there is some exaggeration in it, it will still be close to 100 million."

"The female lead is yet to be determined."

"Could it be that guy is just creating hype?"

The other party is right.

This is indeed the biggest news in the industry today.

Even after years of being in the industry, he couldn't help but be extremely surprised. This young man in his early twenties was incredibly energetic!

"Will not."

Chang Jihong quickly shook her head and tapped the paper, saying, "Although I have never dealt with Li Luo, and some people outside say that he has a bad temper, based on my observation, Li Luo is still very particular about what he does."

"Especially on this occasion, he rarely makes boastful remarks."

"Given Xinghuo Film and Television's current financial situation, it has no problem coming up with more than 100 million yuan. Whether the TV series makes a profit or not is not important; their main focus is on building a filming base."

"So the project must be reliable."

"Even though the female lead has already been cast, there are still a lot of supporting roles in this film!"

"Even if you're the third or fourth female lead in a TV series with such a huge investment, it's still better than being the lead actress in a small production. At least the attention you receive is on a completely different level."

"Two of our artists have a good relationship with Li Luo."

"Sun Li".

"I worked with him on 'The Bund'."

"Wang Luodan".

"He was also Li Luo's classmate."

"If we don't hurry up and get on board now, all the important roles will probably be snapped up by the time casting officially starts!"

He rattled off a string of words.

Liu Yanming nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The director just made a work like "Golden Wedding", the lead actor is He Yichen who won the ratings championship for eighteen consecutive weeks, plus such a terrifying production budget, who the hell wouldn't be envious?

Predictably so.

They'll definitely fight tooth and nail over it.

Supporting roles are fine; their pay might be reduced at most. But for roles with more importance in the film, you can't just get a free role without exchanging benefits or giving something in return.

Don't even think about it.

Even knowing the enormous price to pay, no brokerage firm would pass up such an opportunity.

Li Luo is currently the most popular TV drama actor.

Why did it happen in one go?

The series has made actresses Liu Shishi, Yuan Hong, Jiang Shuying, and Sun Yizhou famous to varying degrees. All four of them have received advertising endorsements, although they are not as glamorous as the male and female leads.

However, they all gained fame and fortune, and quickly came into the public eye.

Now I can act alongside Li Luo.

It's even more tempting than starring in one of the Four Great Classical Novels.

"Call Luodan."

Without a second thought, Liu Yanming decisively slammed his fist on the table: "Have her arrange a dinner with President Li. The specific time depends on President Li's convenience. Arrange a high-class venue so that Sun Li can join us for a get-together."

Inadvertently.

The CEO of Hairun Qianyi no longer addresses him by his first name; he has changed from Li Luo to CEO Li.

"it is good."

Chang Jihong immediately took out her phone.

Huayi Economics was also busy at this time.

After receiving a sudden phone call from Wang Zhonglei, apart from Zhou Xun's working group, the remaining four studios quickly sprang into action like ants on a hot plate.

They quickly compiled information on all the artists they had on hand.

First, confirm the corresponding schedule.

At the very least, there needs to be time to act at that time. Such a major production would take at least two or three months to film, and there would probably be intensive training beforehand.

If you don't have time, you won't even get a chance.

Status and relationships also need to be considered.

Actors like Huang Xiaoming and Su Youpeng, who are heavily promoted by their companies, have no shortage of roles and would not be willing to play supporting roles to Li Luo. As for actresses like Ruby Lin, although they are not short of acting opportunities...

And such an opportunity is needed, but I reckon I won't even get to the audition stage.

I was downstairs at the company building before.

Li Luo and Lin Xinru's assistant had a minor altercation.

Such news tends to spread the fastest within the industry. In fact, everyone has already heard about it, so there's no need to send out audition materials at this time; it's just a waste of paper.

There are quite a few companies like Hairun and Huayi that have become agitated because of the news.

Everyone is ready.

Each displayed their unique abilities.

I hope that before or after the official announcement of the audition for "Empresses in the Palace," I can successfully join this giant ship that is about to set sail and ride the waves together.

Aside from industry insiders.

Many people also noticed this sudden big news, which caused a small disturbance.

"Although Xinghuo Films was established not long ago, its productions such as 'Rage' and 'My Sunshine' have received widespread acclaim, and 'Crazy Stone,' created by its predecessor studio, was a dark horse."

"Today, Xinghuo Film and Television Base announced its establishment in Tonglu."

"The total investment is estimated at 1.5 billion."

"A group of film and television producers, including Li Luo, Wang Changtian, and Wang Zhonglei, attended the event and brought news of their new project, 'The Legend of Zhen Huan'."

On the television set.

It's currently showing a Chinese entertainment news report.

Host Xie Nan is smiling at the camera, sharing today's important entertainment news with the audience.

on the screen.

Li Luo and Wang Changtian smiled and shook hands.

As the scene changed, the two picked up shovels again and piled soil around the plants.

Other people were also shown on camera, but the main focus was on the two of them. Of course, the show's producers would only be so bold as to remove their own bosses' shots if they wanted to quit.

Pick up the remote control.

Lin Yue turned off the TV.

She smiled and strode forward, clapping her hands as she said, "Dinner is ready. Everyone, take a break from your work and go grab something to relax!"

"Oh~"

"understood!"

"Thank you, Sister Yue. I'll go later."

Various responses arose, but few actually set off.

Before us is a large conference room located inside the guesthouse, but the huge conference table has been removed and replaced with tables that resemble office desks, with computers, fax machines and other office equipment everywhere.

On the four walls.

The walls were covered with densely packed blueprints.

These drawings are covered with blueprints of various ancient buildings, as well as clothing, shoes, crowns, hats, and the like.

Before her eyes.

There were at least several dozen people.

These people were all extremely focused, tirelessly busy with various tasks.

Being able to join a production team with an investment of over 100 million yuan, and to plan and build an extremely elaborate ancient palace and royal garden from scratch, is an extremely rare opportunity for anyone working in art direction.

It's not just about the opportunity to make money, but more importantly, the experience gained from it.

Everyone is tirelessly dedicated to this cause.

They are also used to extremely irregular working hours, after all, they are engaged in creative work, and sometimes when inspiration strikes, they can't stop even if they want to.

So much so that at any time, these guys who work day and night would wander into the canteen looking for food in a daze, making the guesthouse canteen serve meals almost 24 hours a day.

"I'm going to eat first."

"I'm so sleepy, I'm going back to sleep for a while. Goodbye, teacher, goodbye, senior."

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Li Luo looked up at the tired-looking art student, then turned his attention back to the computer monitor in front of him and continued to watch Gu Kaizhi's Admonitions Scroll on the screen.

"At that time, it was fashionable to wear flowing robes and wide belts."

Professor Liu enlarged the drawing and pointed to the loose sleeves and hem of the skirt: "To put it simply, the clothes need to be loose and have a flowing feel."

“This is called a curved hem, and this is called a straight hem; both are types of clothing in our Han Chinese system.”

"Restore it."

"Actually, it can be made to look very beautiful."

"It's just that many filmmakers these days don't talk about these things. Li Luo, I'm actually very happy that you're willing to spend a lot of money to restore these things. Our culture shouldn't just remain in the archives."

"Times are changing."

"But there are some things, some cultural confidence, that we should reclaim."

Listening to Liucheng's rambling.

Li Luo scratched his nose and turned to look at Lin Yue, who was walking towards him lightly.

"It's time to eat."

The latter smiled radiantly and quickly pulled out her phone, which had suddenly vibrated in her pocket: "I have your favorite fried spiced chicken legs."

"immediately."

Li Luo smiled in response and looked at the screen again.

"Hello, District Chief Chen."

"Yes, thank you so much. I didn't expect you to have noticed this news as well."

"what?"

"No, no, that's not true at all. In fact, the district has always been very concerned about Xinghuo Film and Television, and Mr. Li and I are very grateful."

"Yes, it is."

"Want to meet with President Li? Of course, no problem!"

Hearing Lin Yue's words, Li Luo turned around and looked at her with great confusion.

(End of this chapter)