At a restaurant next to the National Theater, Cao Xuan met director Wang Xiaoying introduced by Li Xuejian.
Wang Xiaoying, graduated from Chinese Opera, is one of the four famous directors of Mandarin in the future, a national first-level director, vice chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, vice chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, and vice president of Mandarin.
In short, the boss among drama bosses.
Although Wang Xiaoying is not well-known to the outside world now, he is also a well-known director in the drama circle, and is even considered one of the leading figures of the "younger generation".
In fact, among drama directors, Wang Xiaoying's works are relatively Western-oriented. His representative works such as "The Girl of Death" and "Copenhagen" are all adapted and rehearsed from Western opera stage plays.
But at the same time, Wang Xiaoying has also been trying dramas with Chinese elements.
This time, he saw the MV for "Chi Ling" on TV and felt that the story in it was suitable for adapting into a drama, so he contacted Fanxing to get the copyright.
Later I learned that Cao Xuan himself was a screenwriter, so I wanted to chat with him. In addition to copyright, I also wanted to see what his understanding of the story was.
And he has his eye on Cao Xuan and wants to hire him to play the leading role in "Red Ling".
Cao Xuan doesn't care about the tens of thousands of yuan in copyright fees for adapting a play, but he is still very interested in the story of "Chi Ling" being put on the stage of a play.
He liked this story and wanted to see more of it, so he accepted Wang Xiaoying's invitation to have a chat.
But acting is not necessary, he really doesn't have the time to rehearse and tour.
Hundreds of people from Fanxing and related cooperative companies, large and small, are now pointing at Cao Xuan to carry the flag for dinner. He cannot abandon the company and go to the theater.
So he declined Wang Xiaoying's invitation to star in the beginning. Wang Xiaoying expressed his understanding, but could not hide his regret.
"I see your appearance in the MV, it's really like Leslie Cheung in "Farewell My Concubine" back then. It's a pity that if you don't come, it will be difficult to find actors."
It is not easy to act as a male dancer who wants to be successful, especially a persistent male dancer like this. He must have the charm of a daughter and the backbone of a man. He must be soft on the outside and strong on the inside. His appearance, charm and temperament are all indispensable.
Cao Xuan had the first impression, and coupled with the halo and emotional rendering of the MV song, as well as the length of the editing, it was highly praised by the outside world.
Therefore, Cao Xuan knew that he had taken a shortcut. If he had filled out the story and added details, his performance might have been three points weaker.
It may still be excellent, but it may not be as stunning as the MV.
Of course, for now, Cao Xuan is confident that if he gives himself a few more years to practice, he will be sure to nail the amazing feeling of the MV.
The two parties didn't talk too much about the actors, they just talked about the story itself, and there were no restrictions. You could talk about whatever came to mind.
"This story is my own fiction. The protagonist Pei Yanzi has no specific prototype. It is a story based on the character of some old artists of that era.
Pei Yanzhi is just a proxy, a representative of countless actors and actresses who have never dared to forget their country."
"Yanzhi, the sea is clear and the river is Yanzhi, the country is peaceful and peaceful, a good name and a good meaning."
With one name, Wang Xiaoying thought of others, and even Cao Xuan was a little confused. He had never thought that Pei Yanzhi's name might have this meaning.
Sure enough, a good story needs constant inspiration and extension to become fuller and more three-dimensional.
The two people had a heated discussion on the script of "Chi Ling", including careful analysis and unbridled inspiration.
The plot of the drama "Chi Ling" is roughly the same as the MV according to Wang Xiaoying's vision, but with more details added.
For example, in the early stage, Pei Yanzhi loved theater and became obsessed with it. The interaction between Pei Yanzhi, the theater troupe and the regular guests created a peaceful and quiet theater life.
In the middle period, when the troubled times came, he felt the turmoil of his family and country, and the lively scene of going back and forth no longer existed. Pei Yanzhi was angry but helpless. This is the sorrow of people in troubled times.
In the later stage, the Japanese appeared on the scene and added a few scenes of committing evil acts to reflect the ugliness of the invaders and the anger of the people, while also allowing the audience to accumulate emotions.
Afterwards, the Japanese asked Pei Yanzhi to serve in the army, but Pei Yanzhi refused. He would rather die than flatter the invaders. There was a conflict between the two sides. The Japanese attacked the people around him. After paying a certain price in blood, Pei Yanzhi pretended to "give in" and arranged the retreat for others.
, and eventually died together with the Japanese.
The framework is still the same, but a lot of additions and detailed adjustments have been made to the plot, and the plot rhythm is arranged more appropriately.
To be honest, after talking about the script, Cao Xuan was moved. He didn't want to act in a drama, but wanted to make a "Chi Ling" movie.
In fact, when he first shot the MV, director Chen Hanzhu said that the story was very suitable for adaptation into a movie. The plot structure is complete, there is no shortage of climaxes, and it has a strong ability to empathize.
Putting aside feelings, from a creative perspective, "Chi Ling" has found the point of "an actor serving the country" particularly well.
The Chinese believe that "everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world", and they deeply admire the feelings of family and country. This spirit of sacrifice for the greater good is believed in and admired by countless people.
At the same time, the identity of "actor" is somewhat derogatory in most people's eyes, let alone a male actor.
Many people seem to be sissies, feminine and gentle, delicate and weak, without any masculinity, and they entertain people with sex on stage.
Such an image shows admirable feelings for family and country and the courage to sacrifice one's life for righteousness at critical moments, which can create extremely strong contrasts and conflicts, and then shock people.
In Cao Xuan's impression, there were two similar film and television images in later generations that were well received.
One is the second girl (second aunt) in the TV series "Dog Stick". When she first appeared, she was a sissy. She spoke coquettishly and had no tough personality. She was a weak chicken + dog licker + wife slave?
But when he finally fought a bloody battle with the Japanese and sacrificed himself rather than retreat, it was definitely one of the climaxes of the whole drama.
After playing the role of Yu Ji all my life, I became the overlord once before my death!
This character doesn't have many roles, but he steals all the limelight from the leading actors. He is one of the most prominent characters in the entire drama "Dog Stick".
There is also an old eunuch from "Broken Throat Crossbow". When he appears, he looks strange and ghostly. He looks like a perverted old thing.
But later when the Japanese invaders came, the old man shouted, "The Japanese are provocative, and they will go to extreme lengths, and they will be punished immediately to vent the anger of humans and gods." He used a spray gun to fight against the Japanese invaders, and died heroically.
No one watched the TV series Blood on the Street, but this video was widely circulated.
Even many netizens who don't like the Manchus and eunuchs say that they don't have anything for men, but they do things that are more manly than men, and they are qualified to be called "father-in-law".
Therefore, if this kind of contrasting character is played well and particularly brilliant, it can better reflect what is meant by "I dare not forget my country despite my humble position".
From a commercial perspective, "Chi Ling" has the popularity of the song, a broad base of popularity and support, and the storyline and rhythm are also guaranteed.
Even if the box office may not meet high expectations because of the main theme, there is a certain chance that it can win awards due to the advantages of the theme and characters.
Cao Xuan thinks that "Red Ling" can be listed as an alternative project for Stars, and then he will look at the feedback from the drama before considering whether to make a movie.
At the same time, the incident of "Chi Ling" also reminded Cao Xuan that he seemed to have neglected the important IP in his hands.
That is, his song MV can be adapted into film and television.
This is not a whim, but a real example.
Later generations. The song "Later" by Liu Milk Tea was adapted into a movie and won a box office of 1.36 billion.
Although it is suspected of box office fraud and there is a lot of water in the box office, even if it is squeezed out, the remainder is still very considerable. At least compared to the investment, it is definitely a big profit.
Liu's milk tea can sell feelings, so why can't he, King Cao.
When it comes to fame, influence, and fan base, Cao Xuan scorns Liu Milk Tea.
"Fairy Tales", "Those Years", "Fireworks Are Easy to Cold", including the current "Chi Ling", have plots and stories, and are widely known and influential among fans and even the public. In fact, this is an IP in a certain sense.
Since it is an IP, it can be adapted into a movie. As long as the quality is not bad, the audience will buy it.
You can shoot the parts that are suitable now, save the ones that are not suitable, and slowly spread the influence. When the time comes, the movie will be online, the fans will return to their youth, and the small money will fly into Cao Xuan's pocket.
Why did you listen to pirated copies back then, and now that I’m grown up, I’ll give you a concert ticket.
But this alone is not enough, Cao Xuan not only wants concert tickets, but also their movie tickets...
What a profiteer!
Cao Xuan couldn't help but spurn himself, but when he returned to Fanxing, he immediately contacted relevant departments to discuss the feasibility of the "Music IP Film and Television" plan.
I even took out "Those Years" and planned to film it to test the waters.
The reason why I chose this song is because there are standard movies that can be used as reference, the cost is controllable, and it is also suitable for the performance of the company's artists.
Cao Xuan had a plan to let Fanxing make a movie last year, but he has never found a suitable project.
Now it seems that "The Girl We Chased Together in Those Years" is pretty good.
Because the song and MV have a certain popularity base, and the box office of the original movie is not bad, it has achieved very good results in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan Province, and even Southeast Asia.
Even if there is a butterfly effect, and due to the time, it may not be able to achieve the results of the original work, Cao Xuan does not believe that he will fight to the end.
Moreover, the male protagonist of the original work is too badass. If the work robs him of his fame, maybe he won’t have the chance to be disgusting, which can be regarded as justice for God.
This was one of the rare times that Cao Xuan did it without any guilt, and he even felt a little refreshed.
The script framework of "The Girl We Chased Together in Those Years" is ready-made, but compared to the original version, it must be adapted locally.
Most domestic youth films feature falling out with a wife, breaking up, jumping off a building, changing schools, fighting, and bullying.
This movie is a very rare normal youth movie. Although there are some exaggerations, there are no bloody and disgusting plots.
This is one of the reasons why Cao Xuan is willing to make this movie.
In fact, most people don't have high requirements for youth movies. They don't impact normal people's outlook on life, don't insult ordinary people's IQ, and capture some of the beauty and vitality of youth, then they meet the standards.
———
ps: The previous chapter about Asian sales and related descriptions was wrong. Book friends pointed it out and it has now been corrected.
(Referring to Cao Xuan’s sales volume changing from Asia’s annual champion to top five/top ten)
As I said before, I don’t know much about the European, American, Japanese and Korean entertainment circles. There is little domestic information and it may not be accurate. If anyone has relevant information channels, you can introduce it to me. I would be very grateful. [No charge for this paragraph]
