Beijing, Hengdian.
Zhao Liying was wearing a maid's makeup, going from an unknown small production team to a large investment production team.
Although she was acting as a maid, it was still considered a kind of progress.
She contacted Chen Pingsheng today mainly because she had a scene that required him to complete.
In the past few months, whenever she had free time, she would also go to Tengsheng Fruit to help.
She was happy to see Chen Pingsheng making rapid progress in just a few months.
It's just that such an achievement is nothing in the vast Entertainment Circle.
How many people are still grassroots today and become big stars attracting everyone's attention tomorrow.
She wasn't envious, but she would occasionally have a small fantasy.
When Chen Pingsheng arrived, Zhao Liying had already prepared a bottle of black tea for him in advance.
This time, he came for a difficult jumping scene. The director was the same assistant director who had given him his business card before.
Since the fruit store started making money, Chen Pingsheng no longer took on extra roles.
This time, he came to help.
A five-meter-high city wall, the young male lead, let alone jumping, even standing on it made him tremble.
Chen Pingsheng wasn't afraid, after all, things were already stacked below.
After putting on makeup, he jumped when told to. If it didn't work once, he did it two or three more times.
He wasn't injured, just a little tired.
After he finished filming, Zhao Liying came over to wipe his sweat.
"Chen Ge, thank you."
"Thank me for what? You also often come to help me."
After a pause, Chen Pingsheng asked her again, "I say, Liying, you can't keep playing maids like this forever, do you have a chance to be the lead?"
Zhao Liying's small face fell. She also wanted to be the lead.
It's just that the investment for a TV series is at least tens of millions.
To be the lead, in addition to the role itself being suitable, the most important thing is to have someone to promote you.
She didn't have anyone to promote her, which is why she had been a supporting actor for five years.
"Chen Ge, if I can't be the lead forever, I'll go sell fruit with you in the future."
"Don't be silly, you've persisted for so many years, how can you give up just like that?"
After thinking for a moment, Chen Pingsheng asked curiously, "Speaking of which, I don't really understand the rules of making money in your Entertainment Circle. Is investing in TV series really profitable?"
"Of course it's profitable."
Zhao Liying chuckled, as if she thought of something funny again. She laughed at herself:
"Not only can you make money, but you can also embrace the director and producer and say, 'You guys film well, she will be the lead.'"
Money is power. Her 'embracing' only stopped short of explicitly naming the female lead and second female lead in her arms.
Chen Pingsheng understood what she meant, and then thought that his Little Aunt Song Wu would also be graduating soon.
Would she also rely on such methods to get ahead?
Secretly giving small cards or room numbers to the director.
When the so-called unspoken rules are rampant, staying pure becomes a joke.
Chen Pingsheng didn't know how to respond to her for a moment. Such a hardworking girl.
She had been a supporting actor for over five years, which shows that she looked down on those dirty methods.
However, he also thought, if he could invest in a superstar in the Entertainment Circle.
That would be a great help to his future career.
But, would such a good thing happen to him?
He shook his head and stopped thinking about it. When it was noon.
Zhao Liying also specifically invited the assistant director to have dinner together. Like Zhao Liying, he was also a frustrated person in the Entertainment Circle.
He had been an assistant director for ten years and had never truly been a main director.
This had a lot to do with no one investing money in him. Actually, Zhao Liying really appreciated his ability.
Most of the scenes were completed by him, the assistant director.
It's just that without investors and some good opportunities, he had never taken that crucial step.
"That young Chen, I heard from Liying that your fruit store is doing great now, that's really good."
"Just so-so, barely making ends meet."
"Being able to make ends meet is good. To be honest, I recently got a very good script, but unfortunately, I've always lacked the startup capital."
The assistant director's name was Yang Jiancheng, in his early forties.
The fact that he said this actually contained a little thought of attracting funds.
"What kind of script? Director Yang, can you tell me about it?"
"A light comedy about ancient romance."
Yang Jiancheng briefly introduced it. The script had a considerable background; it wasn't his original work.
Instead, it was a popular novel he found on a female-oriented website.
The plot wasn't particularly novel, but it was very interesting.
It was about a story of getting into the wrong sedan chair but marrying the right groom.
"This kind of ancient romance light comedy doesn't require a large investment, it's most suitable for a small investment to make a big profit. Once a small investment can be broadcast on a satellite channel and become popular, the returns will be significant."
Chen Pingsheng was very interested, but he still needed a few days to think about it.
Firstly, he didn't know Yang Jiancheng very well yet, and secondly, he also needed to read that novel before making a decision.
Yang Jiancheng hadn't held much hope for him in the first place, so there was naturally no disappointment.
This time was purely casual chat.
After returning home, Chen Pingsheng asked Song Yanxi to read the novel he recommended.
This made her feel confused.
What kind of Husband doesn't let his wife work properly and makes her come home specifically to read novels?
Truly strange.
But after a while, Song Yanxi didn't even need to be urged anymore. She was holding the novel and reading it with great interest.
Chen Pingsheng also recommended it to Du Juan and the others. After finding that they all liked it, he felt that adapting this novel into a TV series would definitely work.
According to his understanding, the core of a TV series is still the script.
As long as it's not drastically altered, a good script, even without any big stars, can achieve an effect of eight or nine points.
Conversely, a three-point script, even if stacked with big stars.
It will still be a bad show that audiences complain about.
He felt that the TV series market in recent years had been too distorted.
Traffic stars flooded the market, and no matter whether you liked it or not, capital could force-feed you garbage.
For example, the current top few traffic stars, they all returned from being trainees in Europe.
After entering the drama circle.
Creamy young men playing tough boxers?
All kinds of effeminate domineering CEOs.
He didn't know what the directors were thinking, he only knew that when he watched, he was so awkward that his toenails could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.
It was the kind that polluted your eyes.
Not only this, but there were also various other examples, which simply treated the audience as fools.
After he confirmed that this was truly a good script, he then actively contacted Yang Jiancheng to discuss investment.
According to his calculations, without inviting big stars to film this drama.
The total investment would not exceed ten million.
Yang Jiancheng himself planned to sell his house to raise money, which was the key point for Chen Pingsheng's decision to invest in him.
Just think, if he himself wasn't willing to invest in something he decided to film, who would dare to believe him?
Yang Jiancheng didn't expect him to actually invest, so this meeting was quite rushed.
However, he still said, "I can raise about five million myself. The estimated filming period is three to four months. If everything goes smoothly, it can be broadcast on a satellite channel before the New Year. The funding gap is about five million."
That was fast. Chen Pingsheng could invest money, but he also had his own requirements.
"I can invest, but the female lead must be Zhao Liying, and only her. This is the only condition for my investment."
Although the hope was slim, Chen Pingsheng still wanted to give it a try.
What if he really did invest in a big star in the future? Even if she didn't reach the first-tier standard, he would make a huge profit.
"Okay." Yang Jiancheng agreed without hesitation, mainly because he felt that the young girl Zhao Liying was indeed very suitable.
The key is that she herself is not just ordinarily hardworking.
This amount of investment, let alone inviting a first-tier star, even an eighteenth-tier star might not be willing to come.
Zhao Liying, this beautiful and hardworking little unknown, was too suitable.
Chen Pingsheng provided the money but not the effort. According to the rules, investing half could only account for 40%.
The remaining 60% belonged to Yang Jiancheng himself.
He couldn't come up with five million all at once, so he had to pay two million first.
The remaining three million would be paid when the filming was halfway done.
This way, it wouldn't put much pressure on him.
No matter what.
It's relatively simple for a small investment to break even. He also held a try-it-and-see attitude with this.
What if it works?
The return on investment is one thing, and cultivating a big star is another.
When he told his wife Song Yanxi about this after returning home, she didn't expect that besides running a fruit store, her Husband.
Had also stepped into the Entertainment Circle.