Chapter 5: It is normal to brag during an interview
In the next few days, the filming went smoothly and there were no more actors getting upset.

Zhang Yuan became completely familiar with the other actors.

In the entertainment industry, connections are even more important than acting skills, and having lived two lives, he is well aware of this.

Eating and living together with the leading actors every day, our relationship naturally improved a lot.

"Ah, life is all about fate." Sun Honglei sighed while they were having dinner and drinking together that day, with a look of resentment on his face.

"Brother Hong Lei, what's wrong?" Zhang Yuan asked puzzledly.

The director had to go out for something today, so the leading actors did not have dinner in the hotel private room. Instead, three or five of them found a barbecue stall to eat skewers and drink beer.

After the last incident of “dealing with” Ma Xiaoming, everyone knows that he can drink a lot and they always invite him to private gatherings.

Also because it was a private meal and the atmosphere was more casual, Sun Honglei was able to open up and talk about his grievances.

"You don't know, actually Director Gao invited me to join the crew, but I refused once because my schedule was already full."

Sun Honglei entered society very early, and with his superb dancing skills, he had already achieved a monthly income of over 90 yuan in the s.

But his ambition does not stop there. After venturing into the film and television industry, he also starred in big productions such as "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind", but unfortunately he was only a small supporting role.

But just at the end of last year, he was invited to play the leading role in the TV series "Dust Settles".

The budget of the film "Dust Settles" exceeded 2000 million, and the pay offered was ten times that of "Conquest".

In addition to Liu Wei, who starred in "Tang Ming Huang", this film also stars Song Jia, who became famous in the 80s for her role as Wu Zetian in Qiong Yao dramas.

More importantly, the leading actress of this movie is Fan Bingbing!

Whether in terms of funding or actor configuration, this film crushes "Conquer". At that time, any fool would choose "Dust Settles".

Sun Honglei also made this choice and signed the contract quickly.

Since the film was adapted from a novel by a Tibetan writer and tells the story of the rise and fall of the XZ chieftain family, the crew planned to shoot on location, and all the cast and crew, including Sun Honglei, went to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau together before filming began.

And then... no more.

Sun Honglei never expected that despite his strong physique, many years of dance experience and extremely powerful cardiopulmonary function, he would suffer from extremely severe altitude sickness. After arriving at the crew, he could only lie in bed and shiver all day, breathing oxygen, let alone performing.

Fortunately, the crew was pretty nice. Seeing that he really couldn't act, they terminated the contract peacefully and didn't ask him to compensate for the losses.

The actor who replaced him was Lin Pingzhi in the bearded version of "Swordsman" and Li Jie, who played Ouyang Ke in Hu Ge's version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

Sun Honglei was desperate, he felt that he had lost the opportunity to become famous!

Gao Qunshu, who learned about this, was determined to stick with him and invited him again to star in "Conquer".

Sun Honglei was of course grateful to Gao Qunshu for his recognition, but he had been to both crews and found a huge gap when comparing them!
After hearing what he said, Zhang Yuan laughed secretly in his heart.

Yes, this is fate!

But Sun Honglei thought he had a miserable life and missed a great opportunity.

But Zhang Yuan knew that this was an opportunity sent to him by God!
20 years later, how many people know "Dust Settles"?
20 years later, how many people don’t know "Conquest"?

The east corner is lost, and the mulberry elm is harvested.

He who was replaced is a shining star, but Li Jie who replaced him did not become famous. Isn't this fate?

"Brother Hong Lei, this is all good news. What if you become famous with the role of Liu Huaqiang? Who knows?" Zhang Yuan advised with a smile.

"Brother, the director is not here today, so I have to tell you the truth." Sun Honglei's cheeks were slightly red, and he was a little drunk: "I don't know whether our film is good or not, and how the final film will be."

“But I doubt whether this film can be sold, let alone broadcast.”

Sun Honglei looked around and confirmed that there was no one he knew, then continued, "Do you know why the director wasn't here tonight?"

Zhang Yuan probably guessed it, but still shook his head.

"I heard from the cameraman that the director took some rough cuts to the seller."

Sure enough, he guessed it right.

"Generally, TV dramas have investors, so there is no need for directors to take care of selling the film. Moreover, if it is a big production, they will arrange a broadcast schedule with the TV station early on."

Sun Honglei still had a sad look on his face, but in fact he was very confident about this role and his performance.

But if no one buys the film and it cannot be broadcast, then all his efforts will be in vain and his dream of becoming a superstar will be far away.

"True gold is not afraid of fire. I think our film will definitely meet a talented person. Just wait for it to become famous all over the country."

"Haha, I'll give you good luck." Sun Honglei forced a smile and continued to drink to drown his sorrows. But Zhang Yuan put down the beer bottle and thought in his mind.

From the very beginning, he chose to come to this crew for several purposes.

On the one hand, he wanted to make friends with future superstars, but on top of that, he already knew that it would be difficult to sell the film.

According to his memory, "Conquer" was eventually sold to a female restaurant owner in Qin Province when there was no other way out. This woman wanted to transform into the film and television market, and she got a huge bargain by spending only 450 million!

Gao Qun Shuguang spent 420 million yuan on making this film, but in the end, after all his hard work and making a classic masterpiece, he only earned a pitiful 30 yuan.

Zhang Yuan already had the idea of ​​selling the film in his mind, and he would implement it as soon as he finished filming his part.

Sparks flew as the iron rods were rubbed, and after eating and drinking, the actors went back to their hotel rooms to rest.

Zhang Yuan arrived at the crew late and stayed in a double room with Li Jingxiang, who also arrived late. He was the one who would later star in "Blind Well".

Apart from the director and Sun Honglei, Zhang Yuan was the one who was most familiar with him in the crew, after all, they lived in the same room.

The two returned to the room together. Zhang Yuan threw himself on the bed and lay there in a big letter shape, trying to relax from a day of filming. Turning around, he saw Li Jingxiang on the bed next to him, smoking a cigarette restlessly, obviously worried about something.

"Brother Jingxiang, what's wrong with you? Are you worried that the movie won't sell?" Zhang Yuan thought to himself, are all these actors so dedicated?
"No, I... I'm fine." After saying that, Li Jingxiang screamed and then shook his hands.

"Come on, you didn't even know that your hand was burned by a cigarette butt, and you still say that you are not worried." Zhang Yuan sat up and handed over a bottle of water out of habit.

Li Jingxiang gritted his teeth and told the truth.

"Brother, you know I have a scene tomorrow."

"The plot of tomorrow's scene is that my character takes the heroine out to look for his niece."

"and then?"

"I have to ride a motorcycle when I go out." When he said this, Li Jingxiang's face twisted.

"What's the problem?"

"The problem is, I'm a little unfamiliar with motorcycles..."

If you don’t know how to ride, then just don’t ride. Why are you saying in a pretentious way that you’re not good at it?
"That's not right. Didn't the director ask you if you could ride a bike before you came to the crew?" Zhang Yuan didn't know what to say.

"I was asked, and I said I can ride two wheels."

"What's the truth?"

"I can ride a bike." Li Jingxiang took a deep puff of cigarette.

Zhang Yuan: …

Although both motorcycles and bicycles have two wheels, motorcycles have clutches and the gas and clutch need to be coordinated. It's impossible to ride them without learning.

Seeing his contemptuous expression, Li Jingxiang coughed a few times and explained, "It's normal to brag during an interview. Everyone does it."

Yes, you have to get the role first. Many people who play ancient costume roles say that they can ride a horse. When it comes to filming, they have to find a few people to carry them and pretend to be on horseback.

Compared with riding a horse, riding a motorcycle is obviously much simpler.

But this small crew has no money to find a substitute.

"I'm fine, but I'm afraid that if I'm carrying Liu Weiwei, she might get hurt and it would delay the filming."

When the car hit the wall you knew you turned, when the child died you had to breastfeed, and when the filming starts tomorrow you know you can’t do it anymore.

"Don't look at me, I don't know how to ride a motorcycle." Zhang Yuan spread his hands.

"Brother, you have a sharp mind, help me think of a solution."

Li Jingxiang has been watching Zhang Yuan's performance in the crew these days. The director always looks for him when he has something to do. Ma Xiaoming is so difficult to deal with, but Zhang Yuan can solve it with a bottle of white wine.

Seeing the other party clasping his hands together with a pious attitude, Zhang Yuan sucked his teeth, but had no idea what to do for the moment.

Coincidentally, after they returned to their room, they turned on the color TV in the house. Televisions in those days were all "big-butt" and it was still several years away from the LCD era.

The news broadcast has just ended and the weather forecast is being broadcast.

Zhang Yuan stared at the TV for a while, then turned away with a smile.

"Brother Jingxiang, I have a plan!"

(End of this chapter)