Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 1164 - 648: Deep Sea Broadcast (Part 3)

When filming "Dingfengbo," she often had a bit of rivalry with Xu Siyao on set, and their performances were charged with tension.

Of course, this tension perfectly matched the character settings in the drama.

But later on, when their characters’ conflicts were resolved and they became friends, those scenes became quite insincere to act.

Cong Lan is a director who mostly shoots contemporary dramas, and his filming style often leans towards realism, which is a bit different from Kang Xin.

Using four words to describe their styles: Cong Lan leans towards simplicity and genuineness, while Kang Xin leans towards freshness and naturalness.

In Zhou Yun’s heart, she naturally prefers Kang Xin and trusts him more. This trust was built through their collaborations on the dramas "Heart Inquiry" and "Chen Yin."

On the other hand, in terms of aesthetic appreciation for film and television, Zhou Yun’s tastes align more with Kang Xin’s.

But this doesn’t mean Zhou Yun doesn’t appreciate Cong Lan’s aesthetics—it’s just that the two aren’t so similar.

Initially, when Zhou Yun filmed "Dingfengbo," it was partly because the drama was a self-produced series by Chengqian, tailored for their in-house actors. Moreover, Zhou Yun was already popular at the time, and both the platforms and investors recognized her. Zhou Yun acting in this drama had little to do with Cong Lan—in reality, Zhou Yun was chosen by the production, and Cong Lan was also hired by the production, so both were working for the production.

Cheng Shenlv, however, is different.

The company and investors behind her are not the same as Cong Lan’s; otherwise, Cheng Shenlv wouldn’t need to find Zhou Yun to help with introductions.

And for a major drama by Cong Lan, choosing which actor to use often requires considering many interests, especially in today’s era, where it’s not just about acting skills.

Cong Lan gave Zhou Yun face by giving Cheng Shenlv an opportunity, mainly because this drama doesn’t have just one lead actress. It’s an ensemble drama about several girls’ stories. Cheng Shenlv has a good image and some fame, not a complete newcomer. Having collaborated with Zhou Yun in "Under the Grand Dress" and "Chen Yin," this experience is explainable to both the investors and the platform.

As for whether Cheng Shenlv can ultimately secure one of the roles, that will depend on the timing, location, and human factors moving forward.

Zhou Yun completed her task and went back to the hotel to rest.

Soon, she’ll be setting off to the United States.

There’s still a lot of work to be done there.

On the first day "Deep Sea" aired, it hit several hot search lists on major platforms, but that was all bought by the platforms. Zhou Yun’s own team, on the other hand, didn’t take any action because both Zhou Yun and Zhou Lan felt it wasn’t necessary—why waste money when you can ride the platform’s popularity?

In the years Zhou Lan has worked as Zhou Yun’s agent, she’s learned particularly well that propaganda and marketing must be precise; otherwise, it could end up as a futile effort.

Promoting someone’s divine beauty or comedic talent is less effective than leveraging a performance in a variety show or a segment in a film or drama, which leaves a deeper impression on people.

Especially for actors, to truly be remembered by the audience and to stand firm, it relies on works and characters. In terms of national recognition and audience approval, awards should take a backseat, relying mainly on how popular and memorable the works and characters are.

Zhou Lan watched the finished version of "Deep Sea," and Yuk Chu’s performance in it was quite good. His acting wasn’t extremely refined, but there were many praiseworthy parts. Zhou Lan was already prepared with a promotional plan, and as the drama airs, there will be a lot of corresponding promotions to increase Yuk Chu’s exposure.

Of course, there is an issue with Yuehai buying hot searches, which is that their philosophy is very much "keep the water on your own fields."

Even when buying hot searches for Zhou Yun, they include the name of the male actor they’re promoting, Xin Zhike.

Zhou Yun herself doesn’t mind this.

As long as she’s not associated with people she dislikes.

However, Zhou Lan is not pleased. Yuehai letting Xin Zhike play the male lead, she already felt was a disadvantage for Zhou Yun. If it weren’t for both female leads being her own actors, she certainly wouldn’t let Yuehai take advantage.

What does having Zhou Yun’s new drama’s male lead mean? It means that even if he was a newcomer, a rookie before, he could, after this, directly enter the candidate pool for male leads in other dramas, no longer needing to start from supporting roles.