novelraw Chapter 66 My Love from the Star and the Photo Studio
Chapter 66 My Love from the Star and the Photo Studio
Taken 2 earned $2042 million at the North American box office in its third weekend, securing its third consecutive week at number one. Its total North American box office has now reached $1.18 million.
The media gave it extensive coverage, and online discussions were intense.
Countless netizens regard Shen Qing as a hero, and more and more people consider Shen Qing and Jackie Chan and Lee Lianjie to be actors of the same level.
Some netizens who disagreed argued that Shen Qing has a strong background as a director and his directing achievements are more outstanding, so he cannot be simply equated with the level of Jackie Chan and Lee Lien-chi.
Some netizens also pointed out that Jackie Chan has also been a director!
Finally, one netizen simply summarized it as follows: Shen Qing can be seen as Cheng Long, whose directing achievements are more outstanding, while Cheng Long is Shen Qing, whose acting achievements are more outstanding. Cheng Long and Shen Qing are on the same level, while Li Lianjie is a level below the two.
Li Lianjie was shot just like that.
Having just finished filming "The Forbidden Kingdom," a film featuring the duel between JJ Lin and Jackie Chan, he was already considered by netizens to be inferior to Shen Qing and Cheng Long.
Some netizens also said that Jackie Chan is a bit past his prime, while Shen Qing is the rising star, so Shen Qing is still stronger.
Then news spread that a Hollywood chairman was waving cash at Shen Qing to make a movie, reportedly offering a base salary of $10 million plus 1000% of the box office revenue.
Shen Qing saw the news, but didn't come forward to deny it. Deny what? Not the $1000 million, but the Greater China copyright? No need.
The news immediately caused a sensation across the internet. Those netizens who had previously been dismissive when discussing Shen Qing's status as being on par with Cheng Long and Li Lian were speechless upon seeing this news.
It seems that Shen Qing's status has truly risen.
At this point, "Taken 2" had already grossed 2.24 million yuan in China, over 5000 million yuan in Hong Kong, and over 3000 million NT dollars on its opening day in Taiwan.
A series of achievements have delighted Shen Qing's fans, but left her industry peers speechless.
You can get good grades, but please do them within the normal range, okay?
Looking at the series of achievements that Taken 2 has made, is it really normal?
……
Wan Qian came to Beijing to find Shen Qing and stayed at Shen Qing's house for one night. The next morning, Shen Qing received a call from Fan Bingbing, saying that she was coming over.
"Let's wait a couple of days, it's not convenient right now," Shen Qing said, looking at Wan Qian, who was fast asleep on the bed.
"But I'm already downstairs at your place."
He hung up the phone after saying that.
Shen Qing glanced at Wan Qian, who was still sleeping on the bed, then walked to the window and looked downstairs. Sure enough, he saw Fan Bingbing waving at him. Shen Qing didn't care anymore; let her come up if she wanted. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, it was others who would be.
A knock sounded at the door. Shen Qing opened the door, and Fan Bingbing entered and casually closed the door behind her. She then threw herself into Shen Qing's arms and tried to kiss him.
Shen Qing dodged her mouth. There was one person lying in the bedroom, how could she be having sex with another person in the living room? Wan Qian came out of the bedroom wearing only a shirt and hugged Shen Qing from behind.
Shen Qing instantly felt an electric shock coursing through her body; the stimulation she received today was quite intense!
It was only then that he began to realize what was going on. Had these two women planned this all along?!
Fan Bingbing whispered in Shen Qing's ear, "How about I let you experience being an emperor today?"
Shen Qing, his blood boiling, said, "You two have misunderstood me. I'm not the kind of person you think I am. I'm not that lecherous—let's not stand at the door, the three of us go into the bedroom and rest!"
……
After finishing, Shen Qing took out the script for "My Love from the Star".
"Bingbing, this is a script I wrote especially for you. Qianqian, there's a supporting actress in it who's quite suitable for you. You two will film this in the second half of the year, and I'll try my best to find a good director."
Fan Bingbing had heard Shen Qing mention this TV drama script before, but what was Shen Qing's status back then, and what is it now? She no longer finds TV drama scripts appealing.
Acting in TV dramas doesn't give you the same status as acting in movies!
But she had to accept Shen Qing's gift happily.
He kissed Shen Qing on the cheek and said, "Thank you."
Then I carefully flipped through the script.
……
The next day, Shen Qing brought the script to the company and handed it to Chen Zhixi.
"Take a look at this script first, and then find a good director based on the script's theme and style."
"OK."
……
The post-production of "The Shallows" was completed, and Shen Qing watched it in the screening room of his own company.
Surprisingly, the effect is even better than the original version in the original timeline.
Yang Mi's acting skills are definitely not as good as the original Blake Lively, and the current computer technology is not as advanced as it was in the original era. But there is one thing that the original film cannot match: when Shen Qing made this version, he had already combined the abilities of four major directors.
Especially Steven Spielberg, who directed "Jaws" in the era before computer-generated special effects. With today's technology, combined with Spielberg's narrative and atmospheric strengths, Shen Qing has transformed the low-budget film "The Shallows" into a top-tier blockbuster.
Yang Mi's acting skills are indeed lacking, but the repeated filming and constant refinement at the time did have an effect, and the final result was very good.
Yang Mi also worked very hard, especially when filming the scene of stitching without anesthesia. She even deliberately kicked her toe to use real pain to simulate the excruciating pain of stitching. Although Shen Qing didn't like this method, the effect was actually quite good, making it look very realistic.
The next step is to determine the specific release date for the film.
……
Chen Zhixi found two director candidates for Shen Qing, both surnamed Liu: Liu Jin and Liu Jiang. Shen Qing spoke with both of them separately and ultimately decided to entrust the direction of "My Love from the Star" to Liu Jiang.
The casting process for the TV series then commenced.
Fan Bingbing will play the female lead, Cheon Song-yi, and Wan Qian will play the supporting role, Liu Shi-mei. These two roles are basically confirmed, and other roles will be chosen for the casting.
……
The news that Magical Pictures has cast actors for the TV series "My Love from the Star" has caused quite a stir in the entertainment industry, as many people know that Magical Pictures is Shen Qing's company.
Even for the minor role of young Cheon Song-yi, she received hundreds of resumes.
Director Liu Jiang personally reviewed each candidate's application and ultimately selected 10 people to proceed to the interview stage.
The interview was held at Magical Film Company, and Shen Qing was also present on the day of the interview.
When they arrived at the scene, wow, there were so many future stars.
Zhao Liying, Jing Tian, Jin Chen, Li Yitong.
The first to enter was Zhao Liying, who introduced herself as soon as she came in.
"Hello everyone, my name is Zhao Liying, I was born in 1987..."
Liu Jiang leaned close to Shen Qing's ear and whispered, "The role requires you to be sixteen or seventeen years old. When I saw this girl's resume, I immediately ruled her out because she was too old. But after thinking about it, I picked her resume out again because she looks younger than her actual age."
Shen Qing nodded.
At this time, Zhao Liying should have won the championship of Feng Xiaogang's group in "Yahoo Search Star" and signed with Huayi Brothers, but she didn't have many resources.
"Her face shape is so different from Fan Bingbing's, isn't it?" Shen Qing whispered.
Liu Jiang nodded.
Zhao Liying has been eliminated.
Then Jing Tian came in.
It's the same routine: introduce yourself as soon as you enter.
"Hello everyone, I'm Jing Tian, from the 07 class of Beijing Film Academy..."
She was also their junior. In fact, Liu Jiang also graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, but in the acting department.
Liu Jiang leaned close to Shen Qing's ear and said, "This age is also above the requirement, but she looks younger than her actual age."
Shen Qing looked at Jing Tian in front of her and thought that if she were to play the young Cheon Song-yi, regardless of whether the image was suitable, her acting skills would most likely be lacking.
Moreover, Jing Tian should have had good resources by this time, so why did he come to audition so quietly?
Shen Qing suggested that Liu Jiang set a test for this junior sister.
Then Jing Tian was also eliminated.
Jin Chen and Li Yitong are classmates. They came together after hearing about the audition.
Ultimately, Li Yitong was chosen because she looked younger than her actual age.
The most difficult role to play was Do Min-joon. Shen Qing felt that none of the actors she chose were quite right, and Liu Jiang shared the same sentiment.
But Liu Jiang knew one person who could definitely do it, and that was Shen Qing. The problem was that Shen Qing couldn't possibly act!
Huang Xiaoming?
He can't play the domineering CEO type of role; these kinds of roles are inherently incompatible with him.
Bao Jianfeng?
Liu Jiang recommended him, but Shen Qing rejected it. It seems that this guy later became a member of the Backstabbing Cult?
Deng Chao?
Zhang Han?
Chen Kun?
Huang Lei?
One candidate after another was proposed, and one after another was rejected. Finally, Shen Qing proposed a candidate: Pan Yueming.
At this time, Pan Yueming was at the peak of his looks, with no problems in his image. He had a mature-beyond-his-years feel, which suited him well with Professor Do.
It just seems to lack that powerful aura of an alien.
However, the actor's image, including his later image, is a plus for Shen Qing.
So the role of Professor Do was ultimately decided to go to Pan Yueming. Anyway, we couldn't find a perfect candidate, so we just made do with whoever came along.
Li Zaijing chose Zhang Yi, who was still relatively unknown at the time.
Cheon Song-yi's younger brother, Cheon Yoon-jae, was paired with Li Jiaxing, a student from the 06 class of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
At this point, the main cast of "My Love from the Star" has been basically finalized.
……
A few days later, Lu Zheng suddenly visited Shen Qing, accompanied by Jing Tian, at Shen Qing's Magical Film and Television Company.
The purpose is easy to guess: they want to give Jing Tian a role in Shen Qing's movie.
Shen Qing's upcoming film, "Little Lolita's Kung Fu Uncle," has a total investment of at least 6000 million US dollars. This is a film of the same level as "The Forbidden Kingdom," and it is clear that Shen Qing's status in the hearts of Chinese people is much higher than that of the director of "The Forbidden Kingdom."
Any actor with even a little bit of ambition would want to join such a production team.
"Mr. Lu, I've already met Jing Tian before. She's only a freshman now, which is the time for her to hone her acting skills. It's not really suitable for her to rush out to film."
Shen Qing had already put it very tactfully, but what he really meant was that he disliked Jing Tian's acting skills. What does "the time to hone one's acting skills" mean? It means when one's acting skills are terrible!
Moreover, there really wasn't a suitable role for her in "Little Girl's Kung Fu Uncle".
"I heard that Mr. Shen holds the Greater China rights to 'Little Girl's Kung Fu Uncle'? I wonder if you would be willing to part with it? I'm willing to pay 4000 million for a 20% stake in the film in Greater China."
This is definitely a premium.
Shen Qing's Greater China copyright was an either-or offer, or a base salary of 1000 million US dollars. In other words, theoretically, the value of his Greater China copyright is 1000 million US dollars, which is equivalent to 7400 million RMB.
Offering 4000 million, which is more than half of its theoretical total value of 7400 million, yet only asking for 20% equity, what is this if not a premium?
But this doesn't mean Lu Zheng will actually lose a lot of money.
If the film's box office performance in Greater China far exceeds expectations after its release, coupled with non-box office revenue such as DVD sales, it is possible to break even or even make a small profit.
But Shen Qing certainly wouldn't agree so easily.
"I'm sorry, there really isn't a suitable role in the script."
"If it's not in the script, but the director has it in his mind, isn't that the same thing? Mr. Shen is both the director and the screenwriter, can't he at least create a role for him?"
"This film is of great importance to me, and any changes to the plot must be made with utmost care and caution."
"Mr. Shen's next movie, 'The Shallows,' is about to be released, right? I do have some connections regarding the movie's screening schedule."
"Well..."
"The role doesn't need to have many scenes, just as many scenes as Nightingale in 'Fame and Fortune'. Of course, it would be best if it also had the same stunning presence as Nightingale."
"A role like Nightingale is rare and highly sought after!"
"Just do your best."
"Then... it's a deal!"
……
The idea that Lu Zheng wanted to buy the copyright from Shen Qing at a premium was actually quite common in later generations.
Many film investors recoup all their costs and start making a profit before the film is even released.
This is the power of financializing film.
For example, if I make a movie and invest 5 million yuan, but because of my fame and the cast of the movie, the market generally believes that the movie's box office can reach 60 billion yuan.
At that point, someone will buy shares of the film from the production company, which is me.
For example, they could spend 8 million to buy 5% of my share. If the movie actually grosses 60 billion after its release, the production company can get 2 billion, and the 20% share means they'll get back 5 billion, making a profit of 10 million.
The production company sold half of the film's shares, but recovered 8 million yuan in advance, breaking even and making a profit of 3 million yuan. Moreover, they still have 5% of the shares remaining, and will receive a large sum of money after the film's release.
What if the movie doesn't reach 60 billion yuan at the box office after its release? Or even only 10 billion yuan?
All I can say is that the market is risky, so I'll just have to accept the loss.
Regardless, the production company has already made 3 million.
Lu Zheng's approach is similar: he spends 4000 million yuan to acquire only 20% of the Greater China copyright. The probability of losing money is indeed high, but there is also a chance to make a profit. Moreover, his purpose is actually to promote people.
If someone is truly praised, their value becomes immeasurable.
As for how to incorporate characters into the movie, it's actually quite simple.
The male lead, Jackie Chan, is Chinese. Chinese people always have their own relatives and friends, right?
For example, if Jackie Chan has a niece or nephew in China, and happens to see on TV Jackie Chan's heroic act of sending a little girl a thousand miles away, she will feel proud of her uncle.
Perhaps we could also arrange a scene where the young female character picks up Jackie Chan after he returns to China.
The character could even be made more important, such as Jackie Chan's daughter in China!
As for Shen Qing...
Arranging such a role can secure preferential screenings and allow the copyright to be sold at a premium, so it's still worthwhile.
……
Tianjin.
On the set of "Nanjing! Nanjing!"
"Director, I heard that Director Shen Qing has filed a new film, which is also about the Nanjing Massacre."
The assistant director said to the director, Lu Chuan.
"Do you know when it will be turned on?"
"I heard they'll start filming this after that big Hollywood production."
"Shen Qing is always a quick shooter. Even if he finishes filming that movie and then starts filming this one, it's very likely that his schedule will clash with ours."
"Yes, that's why it's a bit of a hassle. Director, you and Shen Qing are alumni, can't you have a proper talk with him and suggest that it's best not to film the same subject matter? At least don't schedule them too close together."
"Hehehe, let him go whenever he wants, what's there to say?"
Lu Chuan's tone was rather dismissive.
Shen Qing is good at making purely commercial films, but how could he possibly compare to Lu Chuan when it comes to making films on such heavy topics?
It would be better if the two movies were released at the same time!
Outshining Shen Qing might be the fastest shortcut to fame for directors in China right now, right?