Chapter 490 What can't kill me will eventually make me stronger
July 2, 2023
After "The Hidden Corner", Wang Qian's second short web drama "Unkillable" is launched.
Previously, Shanhe was preparing to enter the online drama market, so it formulated two development strategic directions, which were the subject selection routes for Shanhe's online dramas.
Of these two directions, one is the adaptation of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", a well-known IP owned by Xue Jun, and the other is Wang Qian's web drama in the criminal investigation reasoning/suspense crime type.
Needless to say, "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", novel IP adaptation is a general trend in the film and television industry, and Shanhe is late to the game.
If it weren't for the company's "original" power, Zuo Le would have started adapting external IP two years ago.
As for criminal investigation reasoning/suspense crime online dramas, this is because many of the current popular online dramas are based on this theme, and it is also one of the most popular themes in the online drama industry.
The two popular online dramas of Shanhe before, "Mao Liar" and "The Hidden Corner" are also related to this theme.
These two successful examples further prove the correctness of this route.
If we say "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" was used by Shanhe to test the waters and open up the online drama market for the company.
What Wang Qian is responsible for is to take advantage of these suspense crime/criminal investigation and reasoning online dramas to ensure that Shanhe will not be completely defeated in this online drama battle.
This was made clear to several company executives, and Wang Qian also understood her mission.
After the series of "Serious Case Group Six" is completed, her future works will most likely be based on web dramas, and she will become the gold medal director of Shanhe web dramas.
Wang Qian still likes this positioning.
To be honest, these directors from Shanhe Pictures are all very good.
Needless to say, Zuo Le, Lao Gao and Kong Sheng are both top TV drama directors now.
Xue Jun is not far behind. Now he is very popular with the "Detective Di Renjie" series, and he has already crossed the threshold of being a top TV drama director.
The seniors are so awesome, they put a lot of pressure on Wang Qian.
After all, they are all directors from Shanhe. She doesn't dare to expect to surpass these few, but at least she can't be too far behind.
Wang Qian, who has always been known as the Iron Lady, is very ambitious and wants to make some achievements and improve her status among several directors.
However, the achievements of the previous mountains are too high, so it is not possible to compare them with each other.
The "Senior Crimes" series she directed has done very well and is a well-known masterpiece outside the country, but in Shanhe, just picking a few movies can completely crush "Senior Crimes".
If Wang Qian hadn't been mentally tough, she would have been left with a psychological shadow by such a devastating blow.
However, even if there was no problem with her mentality, Wang Qian also realized that Kong Gao and the others had a strong foundation and were constantly improving. If she wanted to follow them, it would be impossible without taking some shortcuts.
The popularity of "The Hidden Corner" last year allowed Wang Qian to find this shortcut.
The internal competition in Shanhe drama is too fierce. Even if you break 3, you may not be able to stand out. You have to break 4 at least to show your face. However, online dramas are different.
There are too few pure online dramas produced by Shanhe. Except for one "Mao Liar" which stands out, the rest of the honor wall is mostly blank.
If I make some achievements in the online drama market, find a new way, and become the representative director of Shanhe online dramas, my presence will skyrocket.
Even Kong and Gao Ren’s TV series will be broadcast on online platforms, but with the TV platform sharing the profits, no pure online drama can be more powerful if it is broadcast exclusively on an online platform.
Although it is just a prediction, the future of Shanhe web drama is not yet clear, but there is a way out, which is better than looking at those mountains in despair.
Wang Qian rolled up her sleeves and prepared to fight.
Kong Sheng is known as the number one director of dramas, and Gao Xinjian is striving to become the king of mythological dramas. There is no reason why she, Wang Qian, cannot make a name for herself in online dramas.
Web drama Wu Zetian? Or, the queen of suspenseful criminal investigation web dramas... The fastest updated PC version::/
If Zuo Le knew what Wang Qian was thinking, he might not be able to help complaining.
I don’t know if there is something wrong with Shanhe’s corporate culture, or if the company’s site selection is not good at feng shui, why one or two of them are either trying to become kings or dominate.
Good guy, what about the entertainment industry?
………
But no matter what, Wang Qian's motivation is finally up.
After the filming of "Serious Case Group 6 5" was completed, she began to prepare for a new work.
Zuo Le had several web drama scripts with suspense crime/criminal investigation reasoning themes in hand, and gave three to Wang Qian. After several selections, she settled on "Unkillable".
The original version of "Unkillable" is a short crime suspense web drama filmed by the original cast of "Mao Liar".
It mainly tells the story of two little people who accidentally collided and were involved in a major robbery case. They experienced life and death and finally transformed.
The title of the play "The Unkillable" means what the famous German philosopher Nietzsche famously said. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger.
Wang Qian chose this film because of its small length, fast pace, and relatively low shooting difficulty.
So I deliberately used this drama to train myself and make myself more familiar with the style and production model of online dramas, and then go on to shoot those difficult scripts.
"Unkillable" only has 12 episodes, which is not a lot of episodes and has a lot of characters, the most important of which are the two male protagonists.
Lin Sen, a cowardly and kind-hearted "mama's boy" who sells in a 4S store.
A 4S shop mechanic, Lin Sen's best friend, and a careless "second-rate" whistler.
The main plot of the entire online drama revolves around two people. The title of the drama "Unkillable" is also defined by the two people, especially the first protagonist Lin Sen.
After all, it is a small film crew with a small investment, so Wang Qian did not make a big move in casting.
Except for the two male protagonists Lin Sen and Shao Zi, who were played by Shanhe's internal artists Zhang Ze and Lei Jiayin respectively, there was only one big villain who was played by a second-tier star, and most of the others were ordinary actors who were not famous but had some ability.
It’s all about cost-effectiveness!
Even though "Unkillable" doesn't have many stars, compared to some big-budget Shanhe dramas, it can even be considered shabby, but that doesn't mean "Unkillable" doesn't attract attention.
Although Zhang Ze and Lei Jiayin are not high-profile within Shanhe, they are well-known second-tier stars to the outside world and still have a certain appeal.
Especially Zhang Ze, who previously performed amazingly as the villain Geng Xiaohui in "Mao Liang", attracted many acting fans, and among certain audience groups, his influence is stronger than that of some first-line stars.
As for Wang Qian, although she is not as well-known as Kong, Gao and Xue, she has not been in vain for so many years.
Moreover, "The Hidden Corner" she directed last year was a big hit, and the protagonist Yu Entai even won the Best Actor. It was the first pure online drama actor to be awarded the Golden Phoenix Award in so many years.
Therefore, "Unkillable" is branded as Wang Qian's new web drama, which is quite attractive.
Many viewers who have watched "The Hidden Corner" are very interested in this drama.
On the day "Unkillable" was released on Penguin Video, the first two episodes that had been released successfully exceeded 5 million views in just one hour.
This result obviously cannot be compared with the previous "Mao Liar" which broke 1 million within three minutes of its release, but it is understandable considering the lineup and publicity scale of the two dramas.
"The Hidden Corner" has been on air for ten days. As of the finale, it has a total of 1.9 billion views. It has increased a lot since then, and now it has exceeded the 3 billion mark.
Considering that "The Hidden Corner" only has twelve episodes, it is difficult to increase the number of views. This level of views is already considered a phenomenal web drama.
Wang Qian didn't dare to think that "Unkillable" could compete with the hit "The Hidden Corner".
As long as it can reach 500 million views during the broadcast period and eventually pass the 1 billion mark, it will be considered a success.
…………
The whole story of "Unkillable" is quite exciting in design. Although it is not comparable to "Mao Liar", it is better than many so-called "brain-burning dramas".
The first episode at the beginning mainly introduces the background of the story and the character traits of the two protagonists, and then introduces the main plot.
The male protagonist, Lin Sen, is a decadent young man who grew up in a single family. He has a cowardly personality and has achieved nothing in his career. He is ostracized and bullied by his colleagues in the workplace. Fortunately, the owner of the 4S store where he works is his uncle. I am afraid that Lin Sen has been fired long ago.
Needless to say, Zhang Ze's acting skills were great. When he was filming "Mao Liang", Zuo Le greatly admired him and considered him to be one of the best actors in the cast.
His own image is also very suitable for playing this kind of cowardly young man. He wears a slightly fat suit, slightly dull hair, a pair of wide-rimmed glasses, with a little dodge and avoidance in his eyes, and has a thin physique.
He just looks like a doormat.
The web series spent five minutes at the beginning, using various details to highlight Lin Sen's character.
When I see someone bullying a weak person on the roadside, I dare not say a word. When I am ostracized by my colleagues, I dare not speak out in anger. When my boss and uncle scold me, I just say yes.
The audience can easily understand that Lin Sen is a wasted good-for-nothing, which also pave the way for his subsequent transformation through various "unkillable" experiences.
Lin Sen made it clear that one of the other two male leads of the show, Shaozi, will appear.
With a playful smile and a carefree attitude, in just a few words, he showed his rogue character and the fact that he is Lin Sen's best friend.
The two male protagonists are ready, and then the plot begins.
Lin Sen had a crush on the front desk of the 4S store opposite, so Shao Zi encouraged Lin Sen to pursue her. Lin Sen was timid and dared not to think about it, so Shao Zi came up with a bad idea.
While the two parties were eating in a restaurant, he stole the wallet of the receptionist whom Lin Sen had a crush on, and then asked Lin Sen to contact the other party, pretending that he had picked up her wallet and was going to return it to her.
Firstly, Lin Sen successfully connected with his goddess, and secondly, he was able to leave a good impression.
Although it is a bit damaging, I have to say that the possibility of this move being implemented is extremely high.
It can also be seen from this video barrage of Penguin Video that countless male netizens regret that they do not have such a "good brother".
However, Lin Sen was a good boy. Although he was a little tempted, he still felt that it was not good to steal things. Just as he was about to persuade his friend to give up the idea, the resolute whistle had already taken Goddess Lin Sen's wallet.
After taking the wallet, Lin Sen wanted to return it to the goddess on the spot, but he didn't know how to explain it, so he could only make mistakes.
After returning to the 4S shop from the restaurant, the whistler looked through the goddess's wallet and found a package of diamonds inside.
I thought it was the kind of fake diamonds used for girls' manicures and mobile phone cases. Unexpectedly, during the discussion between the two, the whistle playfully scratched the glass, only to discover that the diamonds were real.
This pack of real diamonds is worth at least several million.
Shaozi immediately forgot about returning the wallet and prepared to keep it with Lin Sen. However, Lin Sen strongly demanded that Shaozi return it. Under his insistence, Shaozi had no choice but to give in.
Lin Sen called the goddess and agreed to return the wallet at 6 p.m. However, when Lin Sen was helping his colleagues take the customer to test the car in the afternoon, he accidentally left his wallet on the test car because he was focused on meeting the goddess in the evening.
Coincidentally, by the time he realized something was wrong, the car had already been picked up by the customer.
With millions of diamonds, Lin Sen didn't dare to bet on the customer's character, so he could only raise his whistle and follow the customer's address at the 4S store quietly, then take out his wallet.
During this period, he also explained the reason why Shaozi was greedy for money. He liked to gamble and owed money from outsiders. His wife was divorcing him. Although his family kept talking about demolition, they never got any confirmation.
All kinds of things were pressing on him, causing Shaozi's psychology towards the bag of diamonds to constantly change. Although it was hindered by Lin Sen, he still wanted to make a comeback.
The process of retrieving the wallet was not very smooth. The customer's car was a common model and we could only find them one by one in the huge parking lot.
The sneaky Lin Sen was discovered by two security guards, who caught him as a thief and beat him up.
It is worth mentioning that the two security guards who guest-starred were Jiang Chao and Guo Jinfei, who were the arch-rivals of the villain Geng Xiaohui played by Zhang Ze in "The Liar".
This time, the three leading actors of "Mao Liang" got together again at the right time. The two swindlers became security guards, the villain became a fake thief, and they were beaten by Jiang Chao and the two.
It can be regarded as an intimate interaction between Xiaoxiao and "Mao Liang". Many fans of "Mao Liang" couldn't help but smile knowingly when they saw this.
Fortunately, the whistle came in time and rescued Lin Sen. The two found the wallet. Lin Sen returned the wallet to the goddess in a mess. However, the goddess took a look at it and said categorically.
The wallet is not hers.
The sudden reversal stunned Lin Sen, but the whistle next to him was ecstatic. He took his wallet back and prepared to secretly share the diamonds with Lin Sen.
Just as the two were thinking about their own thoughts, a van suddenly drove over and parked next to the three of them. Two strong men got out and grabbed the goddess and dragged her into the car.
The movements were neat and swift, and by the time Lin Sen and the others reacted, the van had sped away, and the first episode had come to an end.
It can be said that this ending whetted the audience's appetite. The dozens of minutes of the first episode left many suspense and questions.
Whose wallet is it full of diamonds?
Who is the kidnapper who kidnapped the goddess?
What is the connection between the two?
What are Lin Sen and Shao Zi going to do next?
Will the whistle, which is in a worrying situation, become darker as a result?
………?
Relying on this bottomless pit, the audience honestly clicked on the second episode of "Unkillable", hoping that their questions would be answered.
However, as soon as they opened the second episode, the film crew answered some of their doubts.
A flashback plot explains the origin of the diamond wallet
This wallet does not belong to Goddess Lin Sen, but to a woman named Zhongli. Their wallets are exactly the same. The goddess accidentally took the wrong wallet with Zhongli in the bathroom when they were eating in a restaurant.
Later, the goddess's wallet was stolen by the whistle. She didn't know that she had taken the wrong wallet, but Zhongli immediately contacted a group of gangsters.
This group of gangsters had just robbed a jewelry store, and Zhongli was their agent. When they learned that the diamond had been taken away by others, they immediately investigated the identity of the goddess, which is why the scene where the goddess was kidnapped at the end of the first episode appeared.
This kind of flashback beginning is a characteristic of the drama "Unkillable".
The buttons created in the previous episode will be explained through flashback at the beginning of the next episode.
It not only explains the reason clearly to the audience, but also does not delay the rhythm of the main plot. The method is quite novel.
Of course, "Unkillable" has only released two episodes now, so the audience has not noticed anything yet. After two more episodes, they will discover this ingenious way of inserting memories into the plot.
ps: Zhang Shuang is the original name of a certain actress and has nothing to do with "Chu Yuxun"
