585: Chapter 585, "Diamonds"—what the heck is that?

...

Tank top, braided hair, holding a gun, a sharp and capable aura... This is a new look for Ruan Xingyu that fans have never seen before.

Thinking back to when Xingxing was focused on the music scene, although her stage looks were diverse, compared to now, they still paled in comparison.

Fans never expected that the new movie would have such an unexpected surprise so early on.

[Brother, I beg you, film it soon, I can't wait.]

[Director Lin, this look! I want to see this look! Please keep it!]

[Director Lin is too good at filming his wife, there's absolutely no trace of "la la land" here.]

[Sister, I love these arm muscles of yours, truly worthy of being the heartthrob of the lesbian community... Ah, I'm dead.]

[In preparation? Preparing until when? Tell us!]

[A Best Actress is a Best Actress, my sister has been working out a lot lately, her "cool older sister" aura is maxed out.]

[For "mr. & mrs. smith", you can't just post photos of the female lead, Lin Chuyan, where are you?]

...

Lin Chuyan was on the phone; it was Producer Zhang Man calling.

"Boss, the good script you wanted is here."

Lin Chuyan asked casually, "How good is it?"

"Complete, interesting, but I feel the plot is a bit messy. For the specifics, it's better to talk after you've read it yourself!"

"Alright, I'm just finishing up here, wait for me."

A script isn't something that can be explained in a few words. Lin Chuyan didn't let Producer Zhang Man say too much over the phone, and after ending the call, he rushed back to the company.

As soon as he arrived at the company, Producer Zhang Man immediately came up to greet him and handed him the script.

"Here, this is it."

Lin Chuyan took the script and frowned, "The movie title? "Diamond"? What a common name."

"It is a bit... but the plot is still very exciting," Producer Zhang Man explained.

"Alright, I'll read it now."

Lin Chuyan took the script and went back to his office to read it.

However, as he read, he felt something wasn't right. He couldn't help but stand up, wanting to go out and talk to Producer Zhang Man, but after thinking about it, he sat back down to continue reading—wait, why do these character names look so familiar?

"Dao Ge? Heipi? What the hell? So this movie was originally called "Diamond"?"

Lin Chuyan simply read the entire script in one go.

Well, it was indeed different from the version he had seen released; it seemed to be the original draft before revisions.

Currently, this version has significantly fewer comedic elements, a grander story structure, numerous characters and subplots, and overall appears somewhat messy. It is difficult for ordinary audiences to understand, and it lacks commercial appeal. Furthermore, the key prop has become a diamond. Hmm, this script definitely needs to be polished well.

Lin Chuyan called Producer Zhang Man in again.

"Sister Man, help me arrange a meeting with the script's creators as soon as possible, be quick."

"You like it too?"

"I love it! But it needs to be revised well. Sigh, I'll talk to them in person."

"Alright, wait for my news."

...

Producer Zhang Man was very efficient, but she didn't expect the other party to be even faster. Upon learning that Lin Chuyan was interested in the script, the two creators came to the company the next day.

The two who arrived were both older than him, and their appearances were quite ordinary, with one of them being especially... ordinary.

"Hello Director Lin, I am Director Li Hao, this is my buddy, he is an actor named Wang Bo."

"Hello, hello..." Lin Chuyan responded while trying to match them in his mind with people from his previous life, almost forgetting to shake hands, "Oh, you are the actor, Wang Bo, right?"

Wang Bo was a bit surprised, "Director Lin knows me?"

Wang Bo had indeed acted in a feature film before, but he hadn't managed to make a name for himself. Before that, it went without saying; he had worked as a resident Singer, Dance instructor, film and television voice actor, and such.

Lin Chuyan laughed, "To be honest, I didn't know you before, but since you're here, we're friends, let's have a good talk."

Director Li Hao added from the side, "Wang Bo's acting is very good, he just hasn't met a good opportunity. To be honest, I originally planned to let him play a role in "Diamond"... if I could get the investment."

Lin Chuyan asked casually, "Which role? I read the script."

"Heipi."

"... Good, very good." Lin Chuyan felt a spark of an idea and continued, "Teacher Wang Bo, do you have a signed agency?"

Wang Bo smiled and shook his head, "Not at the moment."

"Alright, let's talk about the script first." Lin Chuyan already had some ideas in mind.

Director Li Hao didn't know where to start for a moment; after thinking about it, he simply opened up and poured out all his thoughts on the script.

For example, his absurd presentation of social reality, and the absurd behaviors of small, grassroots characters driven by desire;

For example, his filming techniques, and how non-linear narrative enhances the fun and engagement for the audience;

For example, he focuses more on the philosophical and artistic nature of the film, rather than purely pursuing commercial interests.

Lin Chuyan listened quietly until he finished, then nodded, and slowly began, "The expression of ideological and artistic quality is not contradictory to commercialization; they can be perfectly integrated. In fact, current domestic films either only pursue commercial interests and are crudely made, or are too niche and artistic. What is most lacking are excellent works that can perfectly combine the two. Of course, niche art films are still better than shoddily made blockbusters; the latter cheats both investors and audiences, which is the kind of person I hate the most. Always remember one thing: commercialization is fine, but don't just chase easy, trashy money."

Director Li Hao was thoughtful and didn't speak.

Lin Chuyan didn't beat around the bush, "I'll be blunt, this script needs to be changed. If it's changed well, money is not a problem."

Director Li Hao and Wang Bo, who were sitting opposite him, looked at each other and felt relieved; changing was nothing, changing meant hope, and Lin Chuyan's later sentence was the real reassurance.

Lin Chuyan wouldn't let the other party change it blindly like a headless fly, so he immediately gave them a few suggestions.

"One thing I appreciate about this script is that the comedic elements here don't rely on stacking jokes to create laughter, which is very high-level and rare. So, you need to further explore the potential in this area—in this script, comedic elements should be placed first; I want to see more laugh points."

"Also, this script is very suitable for localization. I hope you can find a suitable city and integrate local characteristics into it. This will make the work appear more real and solid, and the images of these small characters in your work will also be fuller."

"Furthermore, in the current version, there are too many characters and subplots, and the content you want to express is too complicated; it needs to be streamlined. Your filming technique is already very exquisite; what you need to do now is subtraction."

Lin Chuyan didn't say it too specifically; he felt that after giving the general direction, the rest should be left for them to figure out; there was no need to rush.

"Of course, these are just my personal thoughts; the final decision is in your hands."

Director Li Hao didn't hesitate at all and immediately nodded, "I have no problem with that!"

But the next second, he became coy again, "I don't know if Director Lin... is willing to invest how much money?"

Lin Chuyan asked back, "How much do you want?"

Director Li Hao was cautious, "Emmm... 6 million?"

"Does this mean you don't intend to hire famous actors?"

"Can't afford them," Director Li Hao pointed to the Wang Bo beside him, "And I believe my brother can act better."

"I believe you. Anyway, you should rewrite it first, rewrite it well, rewrite it a few more times, don't rush, you have to polish it meticulously." Lin Chuyan laughed, "I said, money is not a problem; as long as it's rewritten well, I will give you double the investment."

Director Li Hao and Wang Bo looked at each other again, with undisguised joy on their faces.

Lin Chuyan suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, I have another thought. I think the name "Diamond" is too common. Mainly, a diamond isn't that interesting, why not change it? Since it's a story about small characters, why not make it more down-to-earth?"

Director Li Hao didn't expect the other party to have even considered this, so he asked curiously, "Change to what?"

"Jade. The movie title will be "crazy stone"!"