Reshaping the landscape of the Chinese entertainment industry

Yu Feihong listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

However, after the thought of needing He Ye's assistance arose in her mind, she asked more in-depth questions.

"And what about the actresses?" Yu Feihong pointed to the two female leads. "How did you choose the female lead? Is it the same person for the current one and the past one?"

He knew exactly what she meant, and glanced at her: "Senior, do you want to act?"

Yu Feihong did not deny it: "I want to act."

"You're not suitable," He Ye said directly.

Yu Feihong frowned: "Why?"

"Because the female lead is a young girl." He Ye said it very bluntly, "In the past life, the female lead was sixteen or seventeen years old, gentle, lively, and naive. In this life, the female lead is in her early twenties, aloof, independent, and with the detachment of an urban woman."

"Senior, you're thirty this year. Your temperament is mature, composed, and intellectual, which doesn't fit either of these images."

"The key to making a film is to engage the audience. If the audience can't engage, then..."

Although He Ye did not finish speaking, Yu Feihong understood. Her expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

"So you mean I can't act?"

"It's not that I can't act, it's that I'm not suitable." He Ye's tone was very sincere. "Senior, if you insist on acting, it's not impossible. But the audience will feel something is off when they watch it. They'll think, 'Why doesn't this person look like a young girl?'"

"Instead of making the audience lose immersion in the story, it's better to find a truly suitable actor to play the role."

"So who do you think is suitable?"

He thought for a moment, and a name popped into his mind, but he didn't say it aloud.

"I haven't thought of anything yet." He shook his head. "But this kind of role is best suited for a newcomer. Someone with talent, potential, and no fixed impression on the audience."

Yu Feihong was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"You have a point." She paused, then added, "What about the male lead?"

"The male lead needs to be a young actor who has a youthful spirit, a chivalrous spirit, and a touch of scholarly refinement."

He thought for a moment but couldn't think of anyone suitable: "This role is harder to cast than the female lead because his scenes mainly focus on his 'past life,' requiring him to complete the emotional span from childhood to death in one scene."

"This kind of role requires a high level of acting skills."

Yu Feihong nodded thoughtfully.

As they chatted, time passed by unnoticed.

He glanced at his watch; it was almost five o'clock.

"Senior, that's enough for today." He closed his notebook. "Think about the story I told you when you get back. Feel free to let me know if you have any thoughts."

Yu Feihong looked at him and suddenly asked, "What you just said, were you speaking from the heart, or were you just putting on an act for me?"

He hadn't expected Yu Feihong to be so direct and straightforward. However, he really didn't have any ulterior motives towards her; he just wanted to take advantage of her influence at the right time.

So He also answered very straightforwardly: "Senior, I have a problem; I don't like to lie."

"Besides," he paused, then added bluntly, "you're nobody to me, so why should I bother trying to impress you?"

Yu Feihong stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded: "I can see that. You're quite direct."

"It's better to be direct, so we don't have to guess and be frustrated."

Yu Feihong stood up and stacked the books on the table together.

What you said today was very enlightening for me. Thank you.

"You're welcome."

"Oh, right," Yu Feihong suddenly remembered something, "you said you're also preparing to make a movie? What kind of subject matter?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then told her directly: "A story about being laid off, starting a business, and family."

"Could you elaborate?"

He thought for a moment and organized his thoughts.

"The protagonist is a worker in his sixties who has worked at the docks his whole life, only to be laid off. He is unwilling to accept this and wants to start over by opening a noodle shop with his own skills."

"But his children don't understand him and think he's just making a fuss. His adopted daughter supports him, but she also has her own difficulties. His ex-wife feels guilty towards him, but doesn't know how to express it."

"The family had many ups and downs, and after all the bickering and arguments, the noodle shop was finally about to open, but the male protagonist collapsed."

"And the ending?" Yu Feihong asked.

"The ending..." He smiled, "I haven't decided on the ending yet. It might be good, or it might be bad, depending on how the editor does it."

Yu Feihong looked at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "I thought you could only adapt romance movies, but I didn't expect your story to focus on reality. It's completely different from what I thought."

"But the emotions are the same: one is romantic love, and the other is familial love. One is romanticism, and the other is realism."

"Then why are you so interested in 'Ginkgo, Ginkgo'? And why did you even help me come up with adaptation ideas?"

He was silent for two seconds, thinking to himself, "This is difficult. If I tell one lie, I have to tell many more to cover it up."

But since things have come to this point, there's no other way but to bite the bullet and go for it: "Because of my mom."

"Your mom?"

"My mom used to be an editor at Emei Film Studio. She resigned and started managing my studio."

"When she was young, she also liked reading romance novels and told me about this novel. She also thought about writing screenplays and making movies herself. But after she got married and had me, she gave up her dreams."

"So what I just told you... can be considered a kind of compensation."

Yu Feihong was genuinely moved upon hearing this.

"You're quite an interesting person, and you're also very filial," she said.

"It's alright."

"Alright, I won't bother you anymore." Yu Feihong picked up the stack of books. "Thank you for today, He Ye."

"You're welcome, senior."

Yu Feihong turned and took two steps, then turned back: "By the way, has the script for your movie been finished?"

"It's finished and has been submitted for review."

"Can I take a look?"

He thought for a moment, then took a script out of his bag and handed it to her.

"This is the version submitted for review. Take a look at it first, and feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions."

Yu Feihong took the script and glanced at the cover.

"Tides and Smoke / Noodles and Poetry?" she read aloud. "Why are there two titles?"

"I haven't finalized what name I'll use yet, and I'm not entirely satisfied with any of them..." He said, feeling a little embarrassed. He never expected that he would be stuck on a name.

"If it were me, I would quite like the name 'Tides and Smoke,' it's poetic and artistic. Of course, the other one is also okay, it's a bit more down-to-earth. Of course, it would be even better if it were simpler."

He also directly expressed a different opinion: "Movies are made for the general public. If the title is too artistic, no one will understand it."

Yu Feihong laughed: "You've thought this through quite well."

"It's not that I understand it, it's that I've learned my lesson." He Ye finished tidying up the documents on his desk and stood up.

"When I used to write novels, I would choose titles that were vague and ambiguous, and readers simply didn't buy it. Later, I learned my lesson and started choosing titles that were as straightforward as possible."

"You've also written novels?"

"I've written a few books, but none of them were very successful."

"Then why do you still make movies?"

"Just because I can't write novels doesn't mean I can't make movies." He Ye pushed her chair under the table. "Senior, I'm leaving now. Let's talk later."

"it is good."

He walked out of the library, and it was already dark outside.

The streetlights on campus lit up one after another, their orange glow appearing especially warm in the early winter twilight.

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