Acting school started in 1998

Chapter 478: Talking together

"Mahua? What kind of name is that!" Zeng Jia looked disgusted.

"Let me just say this, if you really want to create an independent brand, you should really think about it. But I think you should not rush it first. Wait and watch the drama "If you want to eat mahua, I will screw it for you now" Let’s talk about the situation after the performance. I told you that the first shot is very important in everything. If the first shot doesn’t hit, I don’t think we should start an independent brand. It’s better to use it as a training for the company’s future talent reserve.”

If Zeng Jia has a shortcoming, it may be that he has a quick temper.

However, everything has two sides. On the one hand, you can be impatient and do things vigorously and resolutely, without being sloppy. This is needed in the company's start-up stage. But once a company is on the right track, what it needs is often to be steady, one step at a time, down-to-earth, and at the same time avoid various risks.

After all, the company now has 40 or 50 people, and the decisions to be made are not only related to the future development of the company, but also the jobs of these 40 or 50 people, so they must be cautious.

Fortunately, these words came from Li Tang's mouth, and Zeng Jia was still willing to obey. She thought about it thoughtfully, then nodded and said, "Okay, let's see and then talk."

She has been tinkering with this stage play project for more than half a year, but there has been no progress. In fact, the biggest reason is that I can't find a good script.

To put it bluntly, the foundation of a stage play is the script. A good script is something that can only be found but not sought. Take Meng Jinhui, the current leading figure in domestic avant-garde drama, for example. He started developing avant-garde drama with Zhang Baibai, Diao Yinan, Cai Shangjun and others more than ten years ago.

You must know that these people are all from the literature department of China National Theater Academy, the highest university in the domestic drama industry, and this is what they eat. But after so many years, the only play that Meng Jinhui can produce so far is "Rhinoceros in Love". In recent years, except for the classic Western dramas he has directed, other original dramas seem to have been uneventful.

Moreover, "Rhinoceros in Love", which has been staged in multiple versions, is not actually an original version at its core. It is derived from the absurd play "Rhinoceros" by the famous French playwright Ionescu.

It's just like the "Big Diamond" that Ning Hao is planning to shoot now draws on the drama "The Diamond Commandment" created by Zhang Cheng and Yue Xiaojun.

There are also the two largest drama groups in the country, Beijing People's Art Theater and Shanghai Drama Center. Over the years, they have rehearsed classic scripts written decades ago. For example, Renyi's "Teahouse", "Thunderstorm", and "Longxugou"; Drama Center's "Shang Yang", "Under the Red Flag", "Under the Roof of Shanghai", etc. are truly new and original dramas. Very few.

It is also a coincidence that the company is currently cooperating with director Tian Youliang on the script of "If you want to eat mahua, I'll screw it for you". The company has been cooperating with Zhang Baibai, Diao Yinan, and Ning Hao since last year. Each of their works has been able to visit the three major European film festivals, causing quite a stir in the industry.

Everyone knows that Tang Dynasty Film and Television has a relationship with France's MK2, so those so-called directors who claim to have unappreciated talents have come to the door one after another, and they look like they missed me, you must regret it, but the scripts they brought out are nothing but self-indulgence. Yun, what happened made Zeng Jia extremely disturbed.

Of course, there are also some that are more realistic, such as director Tian Youliang, who is excited to see Zhang Baibai and Diao Yinan transform into directors one by one.

He graduated from the Department of Performance of Chinese Opera, and was a classmate of the famous "Five Golden Flowers" such as Gong Li, Shi Ke, Wu Yujuan, Chen Wei, Jin Lili, etc. He later stayed at the school to become a teacher after graduation. As a teacher in the Chinese Opera Performance Department, he actually became a director very early. Of course, he was not a film director, but a director who directed students' stage plays.

The entertainment industry is a very small circle. For example, he directed Zhang Cheng and Yue Xiaojun's "Diamond Commandment" back then, and "The Nth Close Encounter" which caused quite a stir in the Chinese Opera Theater in the past two years. and "Green Flowers, Sauerkraut" are also student works directed by him.

But simply directing stage plays produced by students could no longer satisfy his ambition, but he did not yet have the courage and confidence to direct a movie, so he followed Zhang Baibai's example and chose to make a TV series first.

The reason why I approached Shengtang Film and Television was, on the one hand, the relationship between Zhang Baibai and Diao Yinan, and on the other hand, I may have felt that Shengtang Film and Television was easy to talk to, and it seemed a bit like being taken advantage of.

In fact, if you stay in the capital for a long time, you will get into the habit of being good when you get an advantage. This was not the case when Zhang Baibai approached Li Tang.

At that time, he was going to adapt a novel called "The Difficult Love of Diamond Kings". As soon as it came to the door, the lion asked for an investment of 6 million.

At that time, black lines appeared on Zeng Jia's face. However, due to the identity of the other party as a Chinese opera teacher, and the introduction by Zhang Baibai and Diao Yinan, she could only greet him with a smile.

It is definitely impossible to invest in a TV series. After all, six million is too risky, let alone a new director. But during the conversation, we happened to talk about drama.

I have to say that Zeng Jia is still very discerning. When he chose the stage play project, he set his sights on comedy themes from the beginning. The reason is very simple. Today's movies include both serious works and light-hearted works, especially Feng's comedies, which are particularly good at the box office. Looking back at the drama market, almost all of them are serious works. Since we are going to do a stage play, we have to make a comedy that the audience will like.

Entertainment is just a word for fun. The audience is watching the performance just to be relaxed and happy, rather than actively asking to spend money to buy tickets to receive education, unless they are mentally flawed.

Comedy happened to be Tian Youliang's field of expertise, and it happened to be despised by the mainstream. As a result, the two had a common language, and the more they talked, the more they became more and more speculative.

What surprised Zeng Jia even more was that Tian Youliang happened to have such a script on hand. This script called "I Want to Eat Twist Twist Now I'll Twist It for You" has a hilarious plot and humorous lines. It also takes stock of current events throughout the year and criticizes various bad phenomena in society. In the end, The ending is also happy and heartwarming. It was the script Zeng Jia was looking for, and the two parties hit it off immediately.

Li Tang then inquired in detail about the current preparation progress. Based on his many years of experience on Broadway, although director Tian Youliang is not particularly professional, the overall approach is still right.

Of the four newcomers that the company is planning to sign this time, except for Bai Xue, who has just entered the first year of Nortel and is favored by Zeng Jia, the other three are recommended by Director Tian. However, judging from the fact that he took the initiative to recommend Shen Teng, a martial artist, to play the protagonist Wang Dong in "I Want to Eat Mahua Now" instead of the other two students of his own, it at least shows that this person's selfishness is not too serious.

In this case, Li Tang readily signed his name on the proposal for signing the new contract.

"Teacher Li! Mr. Zeng!"

As soon as he finished processing the documents on the table, Ning Hao knocked on the door and came in.

Not only was this guy out of breath, he was actually sweating all over his forehead.

"Not driving?" Li Tang couldn't help but asked in surprise. Although the weather is very hot, the car is air-conditioned after all, and each floor of the company is equipped with powerful ceiling-mounted Daikin air conditioners, so the interior is quite cool.

"It's open!" Ning Hao responded quickly.

"Then you're still sweating profusely?"

Ning Hao realized it later, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and explained: "Oh, I just ran all the way up here."

"I'm only on the third floor here. Have you been feeling weak recently?" Li Tang couldn't help but be surprised.

"Uh……"

It’s hard to answer this question. As a young man in his twenties, this is a matter of dignity. He couldn't answer that it was because he went a little crazy while traveling around the country looking for filming locations, and he had to hand in homework too frequently after coming back?

He could only laugh "hehe" twice, and then quickly took out the script from his bag.

"Teacher Li, please take a look first."

After that, he smiled sheepishly at Zeng Jia.

Zeng Jia was quite polite. While asking Ning Hao to sit down, she personally made him a cup of tea.

"Brother, Director Ning, let's talk. I'll go down first."

"Jiajia, wait a moment."

But Li Tang stopped her and turned to Ning Hao and asked, "Is there anything you want to do tonight?"

"fine!"

"It's okay. Let's have dinner together tonight?"

"Okay, I'm treating you to a treat, just in time to welcome you." Ning Hao said hurriedly, his attitude towards his boss and sponsor who supported him was unusually correct.

Li Tang smiled, and then said to Zeng Jia: "Please book a table for me at the Diyuan Restaurant of the 21st Century Hotel. At six o'clock, I will invite Xu Zheng, the two of them, and Director Ning to have dinner together. By the way. ,Are you free?"

Zeng Jia would have been very happy if she had invited her to dinner alone, but now it was obvious that she was trying to make up for it. She could only weigh the large stack of documents in her hands and said with a smile, "I'll forget it, I still have a large stack of documents here." There’s a lot of trouble!”

The boss has signed, but there is still a lot of work to be done. From the establishment of the company to now, working overtime is a common occurrence for her.

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

Ning Hao, who was sitting aside and heard the conversation, looked obviously strange. After Zeng Jia went out, he said coyly: "Teacher Li, do you know everything?"

"Why, you don't want to eat with your idol?" Li Tang said deliberately.

"No, no, no, this is what I want!" Ning Hao waved his hands quickly, and then said embarrassedly: "I sent an email to Teacher Taohong, but there was no reply from her. I thought this matter was gone."

Everyone has their own idol. Unexpectedly, Ning Hao's idol was actually Xu Guangtou's wife Xiao Taohong.

But it’s normal to think about it. Xiao Taohong debuted very early after all.

Li Tang then smiled and said: "You really have no chance of filming with her. Her schedule has long been filled. But her husband is quite interested in your drama."

"Teacher Xu Zheng wants to act in my play?"

Ning Hao looked surprised, but his expression immediately became subtle again. He looked at Li Tang, as if he was hesitant to speak.

Li Tang saw Xiao Jiujiu in his heart and said angrily: "Don't worry, I told you before that I won't interfere with your creation and keep your word. Xu Zheng just wants to play the role of Security Section Chief Bao Shihong. Let me Let’s help you talk about it, that’s all... Oh, by the way, if you use Bao Shihong’s name, is Bao Shihong willing?”

One more thing, in the script Li Tang read before, the characters in it didn't have serious names. And the "Bao Shihong" he just mentioned was none other than the production director of "Incense". He is a serious graduate of Nortel Management Department and is currently the director of the company's production department.

　First update, more!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)