PNB Chapter 14: All Set
Chapter 14: All Set
He called his three roommates, Wang Chaowen, Liu Xiao, and Xin Hao, for a brief meeting.
"I need you to do a few things for me."
"Speak," Wang Chaowen said most enthusiastically.
"Chaowen, you're in charge of setting up the film crew. Contact some senior students from our school's photography, sound recording, and art departments to find an experienced cinematographer, sound engineer, and art director. They don't need to be too famous, but they need to be reliable and hardworking. I told them that they'll get paid if they complete the project; they won't work for free."
"Okay." Wang Chaowen patted his chest.
"Liu Xiao, you're in charge of external liaison. I need you to do market research, check the box office data for domestic romance films over the past three years, and compile a report. Also, help me find the contact information for the investment departments of major film companies, the more detailed the better."
"Brother, are you making me do the work of a producer?" Liu Xiao said, already picking up a pen.
"You were originally a film production major."
"That's true."
"Xin Hao, come with me to meet the actors."
Xin Hao nodded without asking any questions.
This is the tacit understanding between former soldiers; no explanation or reason is needed, only a single command.
Liu Yu thought about the casting choices for a long time.
The male protagonist wants Liu Ye.
Liu Ye won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in "Lan Yu". In 2002, he starred in "Lovers in the Sky" and "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress", and was in the prime of his career.
His image and temperament perfectly match the requirements of the male lead, possessing both strength and gentleness, ruggedness and delicacy.
Moreover, Liu Ye has solid acting skills and can carry a character with depth.
How can I contact them?
Through school connections, the relationship between the Performance Department of Taipei Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama has always been good. Liu Ye graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, but her agent also has dealings with Taipei Film Academy.
Liu Yu went to find Yu Li, and Yu Li helped him contact Liu Ye's agent, Teacher Chang.
After listening to the project presentation, Teacher Chang asked several questions: Who is the director? How much is the investment? Have the distribution channels been decided?
Liu Yu honestly replied: The director hasn't been decided yet, the investment is still being raised, and the distribution channels are being negotiated.
Teacher Chang's tone became somewhat perfunctory: "Liu, I will forward your script to Liu Ye, but our schedules are currently quite full, so we may not be able to accept it."
Liu Yu understood the implication: You're just a student, without a director, without investment, and you can't even handle distribution. You expect my movie star to endorse you? What are you thinking?
But Liu Yu did not give up.
He submitted the script outline through the school, along with a handwritten letter.
The letter stated three points: First, the role was tailor-made for Liu Ye; second, the salary would not be lower than the market price; and third, if the project failed, he would not owe Liu Ye a single penny.
The pledge of loyalty, sincerity, and bottom line; all three points have been clearly stated.
……
Liu Yu chose Yan Danchen for the female lead.
Why her? I just happened to see an entertainment gossip news article about the behind-the-scenes story of the competition for the role of "Wang Yuyan" in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".
Yan Danchen, a student in the 96 acting class, was classmates with Zhao Bafei, Huang Xiaoming, and Chen Kun.
The Class of '96 was a famous "star class" at Beijing Film Academy. Zhao Bafei became famous throughout Asia because of "My Fair Princess", and Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun also became A-list celebrities.
Although Yan Danchen is not as famous as her classmates, she has solid acting skills and a gentle image, making her very suitable for playing roles that are "delicate on the outside but resilient on the inside".
Yan Danchen is from Hunan, and she and Liu Yu are from the same hometown.
When Teacher Cui heard that Liu Yu was looking for a female lead, she said, "You should look for Yan Danchen. She's a good actress, down-to-earth, and her price isn't high."
"How much?"
"Around 150,000, can you afford that?"
Liu Yu did some mental calculations: Liu Ye's asking price was 300,000 yuan after tax, Yan Danchen's was 150,000 yuan, and with the costs of other actors and crew members, the labor costs alone would be 700,000 to 800,000 yuan.
With filming, post-production, promotion, and distribution included, a budget of seven million was indeed not generous.
"able."
Teacher Cui helped him contact Yan Danchen's agent, and they quickly arranged a meeting time.
Mid-December, Beijing, a coffee shop on the East Third Ring Road.
Liu Yu arrived ten minutes early, ordered an Americano, and sat by the window to wait.
The winter sun shone through the glass window onto the table in BJ. The heating was very strong, and he took off his coat, leaving him only wearing a black turtleneck sweater.
He wouldn't dress too formally either; wearing a suit to discuss projects with actors would only make them think you're an unreliable conman.
Liu Ye arrived first. He was wearing a dark gray jacket and a baseball cap pulled low. When he pushed open the door, he glanced around and saw Liu Yu stand up, wave to him, and stride over.
"Hello, Teacher Liu Ye, I am Liu Yu." Liu Yu extended his hand.
Liu Ye grasped his hand. "Oh, we're from the same clan. Don't call me teacher, just call me Brother Ye."
He took off his hat, revealing a head of messy hair. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up, giving him a somewhat childlike appearance.
Liu Yu thought to himself: This person looks quite melancholy on screen, but in reality he's like a big boy.
"Sit down, Brother Ye. What would you like to drink?"
"Latte, please."
The two sat down, and Liu Yu handed over the script: "This is the complete script, take a look. I know you're busy, but I want you to read the script first before making a decision."
Liu Ye took the script but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she asked a few questions first: "Has the director been decided?"
"Not yet. I'm looking for a director with experience in art-house films, preferably someone who has worked on emotional dramas."
"Where are the investors?"
"Qingying Film Studio provided 100,000 yuan in start-up capital, and I'm looking for the rest. China Film Group and Huayi Brothers are in talks, and I plan to raise some myself first."
Liu Ye glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"You'll pay for it yourself?"
"I have some savings." Liu Yu didn't give a specific amount. "I won't let the funding for this project run out. Even if I have to put my own money in, I'll finish filming it."
Liu Ye didn't ask any further questions and started reading the script.
......
About twenty minutes later, Liu Ye looked up.
"Did you write this script?"
"Yes."
"You're a first-year film production student, writing this kind of script?"
Liu Yu smiled and said, "Many teachers have asked this question before."
"You're stealing the screenwriter's job."
"No, I'll mainly be a producer in the future. I wrote this script because I wanted to make the film; I was afraid that someone else wouldn't be able to capture the feeling I wanted."
Liu Ye was silent for a few seconds, then closed the script, placed it on the table, and tapped it lightly twice with his fingers.
"I'll take this case."
Liu Yu was stunned for a moment.
He hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. He had anticipated that Liu Ye would hesitate for at least a few days, ask more questions, or offer suggestions for revision. But in just twenty minutes, she finished reading and said she accepted.
"Brother Ye, won't you reconsider?"
"What's there to consider?" Liu Ye picked up her latte and took a sip. "The script is good, the role offers room for development, and you're a student at the Beijing Film Academy. Professor Yu has spoken to my agent, saying you're a reliable person. With all three things in place, what else is there for me to consider?"
Liu Yu opened his mouth, wanting to say thank you, but felt that saying thank you was too inadequate.
"Regarding the payment, is 300,000 after tax okay?"
"OK."
After tax, 300,000 yuan isn't high, but it's not low either; it's somewhere in the middle of the market price range. The fact that Liu Ye didn't even haggle shows that he wasn't after the money.
"Brother Ye, where are you from?"
Jilin.
"People from Northeast China, no wonder they're so straightforward."
"You're from Hunan, you're not bad either. I've heard that people from your region are very good at doing business."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Before leaving, Liu Ye patted Liu Yu on the shoulder: "The notebook is good, don't mess it up."
"Don't worry, it won't break."
……
Not long after Liu Ye left, Yan Danchen arrived.
She was wearing a white down jacket, her hair was down, and she wasn't wearing much makeup. She had good features and looked good even without makeup.
Liu Yu had only seen her on TV in his previous life, but now that he saw her in person, he thought she was even prettier than on TV; her beauty wasn't the stunning type, but the comfortable type, and she wasn't tiring to look at.
"Hello, senior sister, I'm Liu Yu." He stood up and this time called her "senior sister" because Yan Danchen was from the class of '96 at Beijing Film Academy, so she was his senior sister.
"Hello." Yan Danchen smiled, her voice soft but gentle. "Teacher Cui told me about you, saying you write very well."
"You flatter me, Professor Cui. What would you like to drink?"
"Hot chocolate, please."
Liu Yu ordered her hot chocolate, handed her the script, and briefly introduced the project.
Yan Danchen flips through the script slowly but carefully, occasionally pausing to think before continuing.
When she saw the scene where the female lead discovers her illness, her eyes reddened slightly.
After finishing the last page, she closed the script, looked up, and her eyes were still a little moist.
"Has Liu Ye already confirmed that he'll take the job?"
"Yes, he came by earlier and agreed."
Yan Danchen nodded, remained silent for a few seconds, and then made a suggestion that surprised Liu Yu: "I don't want 150,000, 100,000 will do."
"Why?" Liu Yu asked another question.
"Because this book is good, and besides, we're from the same hometown and are junior brothers, so I'm supporting you." Yan Danchen said it very calmly, not in a deliberate way of being modest, but sincerely.
Liu Yu looked at her for two seconds.
His past life experience told him that there were only two possibilities for an actress to be willing to lower her price to take on a role: either the script was really good, or she was desperate to become famous.
Yan Danchen is clearly not the latter. She was in the 96 class of the Performing Arts Department. She had good relationships with her classmates and had connections with resources. Don't underestimate nepotism. If she wanted to be famous, she would have been famous long ago.
She genuinely liked the role.
"No, 150,000, not a penny less."
"But..."
"Senior, you're a professionally trained actress, your performance is worth the price." Liu Yu interrupted her, "I'm not some big boss, my money is hard-earned. But I have one principle: the money that's due will not be reduced by a single penny."
Yan Danchen stared at him, speechless, her mouth agape, but in the end she didn't insist.
"Okay then, thank you."
"Why are you thanking me? You helped me put on an act; I'm the one who should be thanking you."
The two said goodbye at the entrance of the coffee shop. Yan Danchen put on a scarf, wrapped her down jacket tightly, and after taking a few steps, turned back to look at Liu Yu again.
"Liu Yu, how old are you?"
"Twenty-one."
Yan Danchen smiled and said, "You don't look twenty-one."
"Many people say that."
"So how much do you resemble him?"
"Forty-one." Liu Yu laughed after saying that. "Just kidding, senior sister, drive carefully."
Yan Danchen's figure disappeared around the street corner. Liu Yu stood at the entrance of the coffee shop, a cold wind blowing into his collar. He shrank his neck, feeling incredibly happy.