Chapter 145 Hype Marketing
Du Sheng couldn't resist the harassment of this little witch Zheng Ziyan.

Thinking about the popularity that the other party had brought to him by reporting on him several times before, he simply revealed some interesting stories about the crew.

Lai Shuiqing is also a marketing expert.

Even though "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" has not yet started filming, it has frequently made headlines in newspapers and news websites thanks to his clever publicity methods.

With the brilliant performance of his last remake of Gu Long's work "The Twins", and his tireless promotion,
Before filming began, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" attracted the attention of many TV stations at home and abroad.

The copyright of its audio-visual products is also under negotiation, which shows that all sectors of society still have high expectations for the drama.

On this day, the crew of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" officially started filming.

The filming location was set at the Huairou base. The scene was grand and reporters from news media, film magazines and portal websites from nearly half of the entertainment industry were present.

After the incense burning and worship ceremony, the main creators immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

However, what Lai Shuiqing had not expected was that at the beginning of the press conference, he encountered wave after wave of questioning and criticism from reporters.

"Director Lai, last year's TVB version of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber is considered a masterpiece by martial arts fans.
The film you shot eight years ago is still being re-broadcast. Do you have the confidence to create a classic that surpasses the previous one this time?"

"Director Lai, recently there are many Jin Yong fans on the Internet who have expressed dissatisfaction with your casting, and some even claim that using Du Sheng, Jia Jingwen, and Gao Yuanyuan was a failure. May I ask..."

"The audience said that if the popular artists such as Ling Zhiying, Li Guanpeng and Zhou Xun were not replaced, they would not watch this TV series. What is your response to this?"

"..."

Facing the reporters' barrage of questions, Lai Shuiqing felt under great pressure.

As early as when the crew was formed, he tried to release the list of characters for publicity, but unexpectedly it caused a lot of negative voices on the Internet.

When he was interviewed at the time, he complained:

“How can we not be satisfied with the audience? When we chose Ling Zhiying to play Jiang Xiaoyu in The Twins, many people were dissatisfied. Now it seems that the response is not bad.

I don’t think the audience has a problem with a particular actor, but rather they are obsessed with nostalgia and cannot accept new things!”

These remarks once again caused an uproar.

Although Lai Shuiqing's complaints are not entirely unfounded, many viewers do have reservations about the emergence of the new version of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

The Bay City version he filmed eight years ago and the TVB version released last year have left an indelible mark in the hearts of countless viewers.

The pinnacle status of these two films is almost insurmountable in the eyes of many people.

If we remake it now, it will inevitably be seen as a blasphemy against the classics and may even arouse the disgust of the audience.

In addition, although Lai Shuiqing’s previous work "The Twins" had good ratings, its reputation suffered a disastrous defeat.

This previous experience has caused many viewers to doubt his ability to continue directing Jin Yong dramas.

At the press conference, many reporters who are also fans of Jin Yong were tasked with digging out topics and creating hot topics, and they were naturally merciless when asking questions.

Facing this series of sharp questions, Lai Shuiqing took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

“It is too early to comment on the film as the shooting has not been completed yet.

But I can assure you that the upcoming film, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, will be a masterpiece that surpasses all the previous ones!"

At this point, he turned his gaze to the slightly embarrassed leading actors and said:

"In addition, I have a full understanding of my casting and have full confidence in Jia Jingwen, Gao Yuanyuan and others.

I believe the new images of Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo will definitely amaze the audience."

Jia Jingwen stood up, bowed to the camera, and said with a smile:

"I am very grateful to Director Lai for his trust and affirmation in me, and thank you all for giving me the opportunity to play this role.

In order to play this role well, I have written a biography of more than 20,000 words and done a lot of…”

Gao Yuanyuan was not as natural as Jia Jingwen, she also stood up and said:

"I will do my best to restore the image of Zhou Zhiruo in the original novel, and I hope everyone can give me a chance to show myself. Thank you!"

Their attitude was quite humble and sincere, and they were also very polite to the reporters present.

After all, their reputation is not very good, and they have heard all kinds of voices and opinions on the Internet.

So we all cherish this opportunity.

Compared with them, Du Sheng was surrounded by guns and cannons.

The only ones who can match his news value are Jin Dong, who plays Yang Xiao in the play, and the two iron roles of Wang Gang and Zhang Guoli, who are very popular...

Du Sheng couldn't help but recall the scene of participating in the filming of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" last year.

At first, he just stood quietly in the corner, looking from afar at Hu Jun and Ling Zhiying being surrounded by many reporters, his inner thoughts rising like waves in his heart.

Later, during the filming of "Dragon Goddess", Sun Yaowei's participation led to frequent visits from the media. Although he was interviewed, it was only to get to know Sun Yaowei. The reporters even tried to create opposition and trap him...

Those past events seem like yesterday, and things are completely different now, which makes Du Sheng full of emotion.

"Mr. Du, it is rumored that you are being kept by investor Zhong Zhenbao. What do you think about this?"

"Mr. Du, some students said that the reason you became the top scorer of Beijing Film Academy was because you used backdoors and gave gifts. Is that true?"

"At present, many domestic media have paid attention to your entry into the semi-finals of "Wulin". Do you have the confidence to win the championship?"

"There are rumors online that Zhang Wuji was originally going to be played by Su Youpeng. Does this count as cutting him off halfway?"

"..." Listening to the messy questions thrown out one after another, Lai Shuiqing couldn't sit still anymore.

Before Du Sheng could speak, he said seriously:
“My criteria for selecting actors is whether they match the role, and other factors are secondary.

Moreover, the cast list has already been finalized, so there is no possibility of competing for roles.

As journalists, you should focus on the issues related to Yitian instead of creating conflicts..."

Lai Shuiqing has been in the entertainment industry for many years, and he knows the twists and turns involved as soon as he hears it.

On the surface, the reporters seemed to be asking questions about Du Sheng, but in fact, the subtext of each question was to pull people down and attract attention.

If Du Sheng's answer was slightly wrong, these reporters would definitely take advantage of it to make up stories.

The reporter who asked the last question still did not give up and kept looking at Du Sheng on the stage.

In his opinion, Du Sheng, who has been in the industry for less than two years, obviously doesn't understand the ways of the entertainment industry.

What’s the best strategy for newcomers to quickly become famous?
Of course it’s hype marketing!
Find a popular star or a big shot to hype yourself up, and your fame will naturally rise.

Just like the international chapter two years ago, it successfully gained international recognition through a series of carefully planned events.

If Du Sheng had been more sensible, he would not have missed such an excellent opportunity for hype.

Facing the reporters who were asking questions one after another, Du Sheng remained calm and unmoved.

After all, he had experienced the verbal battles at the "Dragon Goddess" press conference, so he picked up the microphone and said calmly:
“I did get into Beijing Film Academy through a backdoor, but that was a skit.

As for the support, could you please ask this reporter to ask Mr. Zhong if he is in need of any staff? The cost does not need to be over a million, just over a hundred will be fine.

And I cut off Su Youpeng's position. His popularity is there. If he is rational, he would not say such an outrageous question. "

Hearing what he said, Ye Jingzhi, who had arrived at the scene, twitched the corner of her mouth.

This guy really doesn't play by the rules.

Do whatever it takes to attract attention!
For example, in the first sentence, the reporter will definitely take it out of context and delete the last paragraph "But it was a skit."

As for the sensitive topic of marital status, have you ever seen any artist respond positively to it?
Du Sheng, on the other hand, not only did not refute or deny it, but instead jokingly gave an explanation.

This is as usual not afraid of scandals.

Sure enough, as soon as Du Sheng said this, the scene instantly exploded.

The reporters' eyes lit up and they all turned the topic to Du Sheng.

The two leading actors are both veterans, the two heroines speak cautiously, and with the protection of veteran director Lai Shuiqing, it is not easy to dig out any more explosive news.

But the situation on Du Sheng's side was completely different.

This person seems to have understood the benefits of traffic and wants to become the focus of hot searches, so he starts to actively bring up topics.

Reporters are always particularly interested in such artists who are fearless and brave.

It’s just that the other party is still too restrained.

If they could be bolder and criticize the leading actors of the previous versions of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, wouldn't it be easy to make the headlines in tomorrow's newspapers?
"Mr. Du Sheng, do you think the leading actors in this version will be better than all the previous versions?"

Du Sheng looked at him playfully and shook his head unexpectedly:

"Do not."

Hearing his negative answer, Ye Jingzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I was afraid that this guy would drop depth charges again.

However, before she finished her thought, she heard Du Sheng add lightly:
"I mean, it's going to be hard to surpass this classic."

"..."

Ye Jingzhi's breathing stagnated and she almost couldn't maintain her elegance.

Is this guy too confident?
Saying it's hard to surpass now, how much do you look down on latecomers?

Deng Chao's version of Zhang Wuji: "..."

Looking at Du Sheng's commanding demeanor, Lai Shuiqing's expression was a little complicated, but he did not say anything to stop him.

The other party's words not only showed trust in the original creators, but also indirectly praised his directing ability.

Although he may seem a little arrogant in the eyes of outsiders, his confidence is truly unmatched.

Even popular stars like Ling Zhiying, Lu Yi, and Li Guanpeng did not dare to make such a strong statement before filming began.

Moreover, he held this press conference just to promote the TV series.

Now that the leading actor is cooperating with the hype and creating gimmicks to attract attention, he is naturally happy to see it happen.

However, he had not originally expected Du Sheng to be able to achieve this.

Even if Su Youpeng were to take over, he wouldn't be able to gain such high popularity and attention, right?
Jia Jingwen and Gao Yuanyuan glanced at Du Sheng and breathed a sigh of relief.

The other party indirectly helped them out and diverted the reporters' attention.

If they were asked those ambiguous and tricky questions again, they would really be overwhelmed.

……

(End of this chapter)