nashuaworldcup Chapter 648 A-Jie's Advice as the Spring Festival Gala Begins
Chapter 648 A-Jie's Advice as the Spring Festival Gala Begins
……
……
"Xiao Gu, time waits for no one, you guys go first."
After the pleasantries were over, Director Lü didn't want to waste any more time and immediately urged them to hurry up.
He clapped his hands and herded Gu Qing and his group onto the stage like ducks.
This situational musical, adapted from the famous painting "The Night Banquet of Han Xizai", already has a complex cast of characters.
The opening scene alone, the banquet on the couch, includes the actor who plays Han Xizai, as well as the guests and musicians.
In addition, there are two core lead actors, Gu Qing and Chen Duling.
The twelve actors had to be perfectly positioned, with impeccable expressions and body language.
This doesn't even include the extras and musicians in the street scenes; the entire show has nearly forty performers and staff, making it comparable in scale to a medium-sized gala.
Director Lü spared no expense in constructing a street scene that conformed to the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty.
They took a scene from the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and recreated a street scene of a Jiangnan water town in the studio.
The artificial stone bridge arches gracefully, with several artificially planted willow trees beside it, and various shops lining the street:
Pastry shops, jewelry stalls, cloth shops, and teahouses were densely packed with signs and banners, creating a bustling scene reminiscent of the Song Dynasty marketplace.
Director Lü never allowed anyone to change the street scene set on the stage after it was built.
Just now, when Panzi's skit crew was rehearsing, they were moving around and rehearsing their lines in the corner area of this set.
……
On the stage,
After several rehearsals
Gu Qing walked skillfully to the bedside and saw the actor who played Han Xizai.
With a large beard, broad face, and robust build, he bore a striking resemblance to Han Xizai in the original painting after donning that dark round-necked robe.
He sat upright on the couch, his hands resting on his knees, his chin slightly tucked in, his eyes lowered, already in a state of deep meditation.
They are clearly already in character.
"A good actor."
Gu Qing inwardly praised him, smiled gently at the actor playing Han Xizai beside her, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Subsequently,
He sat down on the other side of the couch.
Gu Qing bent her left knee and propped herself up, her fair hand casually resting on her knee, her other elbow supporting her on the couch, her body leaning slightly forward.
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips, and her eyes were slightly upturned, exuding a natural and elegant charm.
Just from the fact that he was sitting, the bearded male actor sitting upright on the couch next to him turned his gaze back and his eyelids twitched wildly.
Is this a case of being possessed by a deity?!
Before this,
This actor, who specializes in portraying Han Xizai, has always believed that he has done his best to capture Han Xizai's demeanor and that his level of realism is unmatched.
But looking at Gu Qing beside him now, he truly understood what it meant to be perfectly natural.
Gu Qing didn't deliberately try to portray a character by making exaggerated facial expressions; he simply sat down casually, blending seamlessly with the surrounding scenery.
Every frown and smile perfectly captured the air of Lang Can, a young scholar who had just passed the imperial examination and was riding high on his success.
"Good! Xiao Gu, keep it up, stay in this position!"
Director Lü, who was initially very anxious, finally relaxed a little when he saw Gu Qing's condition.
He then pointed to the male actor beside him: "This teacher, move your body half an inch further into the couch to leave space for Lang Can to receive guests. The composition should be centered around him."
In the past, he would mostly sit in the audience watching the rehearsals of other programs.
But for the programs to which they have poured their heart and soul,
Director Lü strode onto the stage and personally corrected each actor's posture and eye angle, not letting any detail slip by.
In the end,
Director Lü looked toward the girl holding a pipa by the screen.
For a moment I couldn't recall Chen Duling's full name, only that this girl was very good at robot dancing.
"Li Ji, let me tell you about the play."
"Okay, okay, director."
Chen Duling was tense all over, not daring to relax even for a moment.
Director Lü cleared his throat and patiently explained the shot composition: "You must remember, you admire the top scholar. In the first scene, as soon as the red curtain rises..."
I'll first shoot a panoramic view of you, then a close-up shot to capture your details, and finally, I'll switch to your perspective.
You're holding the pipa, your eyes meet Lang Can's, and you shyly lower your gaze—is that alright?
"No...no problem."
Chen Duling's slender fingers gripped the wooden body of the pipa, and she could only nod vigorously, unable to even speak coherently.
The stage of the Spring Festival Gala
Even just rehearsals are far too much for a little Karami like her; the pressure is unimaginable.
"Surely it's not that serious. What if this little girl gets so nervous during the actual performance that she cries?"
Director Lü looked at the girl's pale, tense face, and his brows furrowed even more.
But the next second,
Chen Duling was completely disoriented. Her head unconsciously turned slightly towards the bed, and her gaze inadvertently met that of the red-clad boy on the bed.
Their eyes met suddenly.
The boy had gentle features, with a hint of encouragement and tenderness in his eyes, without a trace of urging or impatience.
Chen Duling hugged the pipa tightly, slowly lowered her head, and her long eyelashes trembled.
"Um?!"
Director Lü's eyes lit up suddenly, his previously furrowed brows relaxed abruptly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in praise: "Yes! Act like that, it's very natural, not at all pretentious!"
Director Lü turned around and followed Chen Duling's gaze to look at Gu Qing on the bed, and suddenly realized what was going on.
It turns out that off-field assistance was playing a role.
"Alright, now that the emotions are right, let's go through the entire process from the beginning!"
Director Lü was very satisfied and raised his hand to signal the stage crew to prepare to pull up the curtain.
The heavy red curtain slowly opened to both sides, and the lights came on one after another.
On the bed, Gu Qing did not remain stiff in one position.
He moved with a relaxed and casual air, his body swaying gently to the rhythm of the faintly playing music, his fingertips resting on his knees tapping lightly.
All the staff members in the audience watched this scene with their eyes glued to it.
The production team allocated a precious five minutes of live broadcast time to this entire situational musical.
The original version of the song "Wandering in the Painting" is 3 minutes and 21 seconds long, with the remaining 1 minute and 39 seconds reserved for the ending after the red curtain falls.
The story background is simple and easy to understand:
Han Xizai invited the top scholar to his home. Li Ji, a musician who was carrying a pipa, fell in love with the top scholar at first sight. The two held hands and went on a date.
As the melody of "Wandering in the Painting" begins, the clear and melodious flute music evokes the bright spring sunshine and the backdrop of a beautiful scene.
Gu Qing stepped off the bed. Amidst the laughter and chatter of the guests, he took Chen Duling's delicate hand, his left hand brushing against the beaded curtain, the jade beads making a crisp sound.
Leaving behind the lavish banquet, we arrive at the bustling, harmonious, and peaceful marketplace where ordinary people live and work in peace.
“Scholar, there are pastry shops and hairpins by the roadside. Feed her pastries and put hairpins on her. You can also snatch a child’s kite and let Li Ji fly it.”
Director Lü stood offstage, shouting and constantly directing the performance, enriching the stage details bit by bit.
The crew members watching the rehearsal were engrossed in the tender and beautiful atmosphere between the male and female leads when they were interrupted by the director's repeated calls.
Everyone could only endure it silently with bitter faces, and even though they were full of helplessness, they dared not utter a word of rebuttal.
“Li Ji, you should be more lively and free-spirited. You are a woman from a music academy, and you should be bolder than women from noble families.”
As the music drew to a close, the flower seller carrying a bamboo basket slowly passed by the two, following his usual route. The basket was filled with blooming peonies, their colors vibrant and full.
Chen Duling stopped and reached out her slender fingers to pluck a bright red peony from the flower basket.
She tiptoed slightly, and with a gentle flick of her fingertips, she firmly placed the hairpin in Gu Qing's temple.
The elegant custom of men wearing flowers in their hair during the Northern Song Dynasty was perfectly realized at this moment.
The lights froze on the two smiling at each other, and the entire room fell silent.
"Okay, this place is good. Everyone, go back to your seats and rest for a bit."
Director Lü breathed a long sigh of relief, all the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days vanished, and he clapped his hands vigorously, finally showing the first relaxed smile on his face in days.
"Now I finally understand why it was fashionable for men in the Song Dynasty to wear flowers in their hair."
“I used to think that men wearing flowers were effeminate, but when Gu Qing wears them, he doesn’t look feminine at all.”
"The color is like the flowers at dawn in spring; this line from Dream of the Red Chamber is accurate."
The young crew members nearby, especially the young female staff, covered their burning cheeks and screamed in hushed tones.
"Keep your voices down. Do you guys not see celebrities often enough?"
Director Lü was speechless at the infatuation around him. He raised his hand to calm the situation, his smile quickly fading as he seriously began assigning tasks.
"Xiao Gu, you guys hurry up and take advantage of the break to rehearse the entire sequence twice more, making sure all the movements are perfectly executed."
"That's fine, Director Lü."
Gu Qing sat back down on the couch and smiled at the actor playing Han Xizai beside her.
this time,
The actor who played Han Xizai couldn't help but laugh back.
Next,
Everyone immediately fell silent and resumed rehearsals.
After two more run-throughs, Director Lü made minor adjustments to a few small physical details, but was otherwise very satisfied with the overall choreography.
After three consecutive complete performances, he raised his hand and clapped his hands.
"Alright, that's enough for today's rehearsal. We have several other programs waiting to go on stage, so we can't keep occupying the studio."
"Xiao Gu, you and your group should go back to your accommodations to rest and recharge before the live broadcast."
"Director Lü, you should get more rest. I see dark circles under your eyes, and you look really unwell."
Gu Qing led Chen Duling off the stage, her gaze lingering on his face.
On weekdays,
Director Lü is known in the station as a stern judge, extremely strict with everyone and never smiling, earning him the nickname "Bao Qingtian" (a legendary upright judge in Chinese history).
None of his staff dared to joke with him easily, let alone receive a gentle response.
But at this moment,
Director Lü's tense expression softened involuntarily. He waved his hand, his tone becoming much gentler:
"Once the Spring Festival Gala broadcast is over, I'll be able to get some rest after this busy period. Don't worry about me, go back and rest."
The young employees around him exchanged a furtive glance. What kind of "iron tree blooming" expression was that?
"Director Lü, we'll be going now."
Gu Qing was preparing to leave with Chen Duling.
At this time,
A stagehand carrying a small dish of delicate glutinous rice cakes hurried down from the stage, hesitatingly asking:
"Director, what should we do with these pastries that were used as stage props after the rehearsal?"
"They're all made with fresh ingredients, so we can't let them go to waste. You can share them, and we'll buy a new batch of pastries tomorrow."
Director Lü gave the instructions earnestly.
"They broke up?"
Chen Duling's pink lips still had a thin layer of glutinous rice flour stains on them.
She hasn't eaten much all morning.
Just finished rehearsing.
When Gu Qing fed her pastries, Chen Duling took bigger and bigger bites with each bite; the child was truly hungry.
"Brother Lü, can I have this one?"
Gu Qing said naturally, "I'm actually a little hungry."
And these pastries look vaguely familiar.
"These are the traditional Huiji pastries that you sent to the audience last year."
Upon hearing this, Director Lü took the small wooden tray from the employee and handed it to Gu Qing.
"Last time, many children didn't receive the pastries you gave them and cried to their parents."
I also received several phone calls from my superiors, telling me to prepare more this year so that the children wouldn't cry again.
"Then this year, I will give one to every child who attends."
Gu Qing smiled as she accepted the wooden tray and bid farewell to Director Lü once again.
"Brother Gu Qing!"
Along the way, we encountered office workers passing by, and several girls were even waiting for us.
Gu Qing promptly released her hand, smiled and nodded to each of them, signed a few names, and then quickened her pace, leading Chen Duling out of the broadcasting hall one after the other.
Away from the noise of the studio, the atmosphere became much quieter.
……
"Little Ears, is this pastry delicious?"
"It's delicious!"
"Then I'll try it."
Gu Qing picked up a small piece of square cake, watching the girl's eyes follow the food blankly.
He smiled, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "It's alright."
"Yes, it's delicious. It tastes like it's made with glutinous rice."
When Chen Duling saw Gu Qingxiao, she couldn't help but smile happily as well.
"Of course, the square cake is made of glutinous rice. Stop grinning and eat it."
Gu Qing handed the pastries to Chen Duling, his fingers brushing against her slightly cool fingertips, clearly feeling the thin calluses on her fingertips caused by the pipa strings.
"It's obvious you didn't have lunch, but you lied to me and said you had."
Gu Qing sighed softly.
"Was I being too obvious?"
Chen Duling took the wooden plate containing the pastries and asked in a low voice.
"If you open your mouth any wider, you'll bite my finger off."
"what……"
Chen Duling lowered her face, picked up a piece of square cake, and ate it in small bites.
Gu Qing teasedly slapped the glutinous rice flour off her fingers:
"What, are you afraid I'll invite you to dinner and you'll feel bad?"
"Yes, you've always taken such good care of me, but my career is just so-so right now, and I have no way to repay you."
Chen Duling paused in her bite of the pastry, lowered her eyes, and softly admitted it.
She never dared to take Gu Qing's care for granted, and she didn't even dare to bother him too much.
She herself is not ambitious enough; she has only been able to find a job thanks to Gu Qing's help.
Chen Duling was afraid that one day he would get annoyed.
She was constantly torn between wanting this warmth and feeling uneasy about the vast difference between them.
And then,
Chen Du felt a warm hand gently covering the top of her head.
She casually ruffled her soft hair with her fingertips. Her clear, gentle voice slowly reached my ears: "Then you can owe me this favor for now. Once you've established yourself and become a big star, you can repay me slowly."
"..."
Chen Duling bit her lower lip tightly and subconsciously raised her head.
"Let's go."
By the time she looked over, Gu Qing had already let go of her hand and taken a few steps toward the end of the corridor.
"Idol dramas are definitely a lie. If you rub your head with your palms, your hair will definitely become messy."
Chen Duling smoothed her ruffled hair, finished her analysis in a serious tone, and quickly caught up with Gu Qing, holding the pastries.
Should we go back to the hotel now?
"Want to play some games together when we get back to the room? I've been practicing a new hero lately, and my skills have improved a lot."
"We can't win."
Gu Qing gently shook her head. "I need to be at the recording studio by five o'clock to do voice-over work."
"Voice acting?"
Chen Duling's beautiful eyes lit up slightly, "I watched your 'The Voice,' and I never knew you could do voice acting. You're amazing."
"May I go take a look?"
"You want to go?"
Gu Qing turned her head to look at her.
"Is that alright? I promise I won't bother you."
Chen Duling blinked, revealing her rabbit teeth, and showed a nervous and expectant expression.
Gu Qing looked at him, and Chen Duling seemed a little confused. "What's wrong?"
I'll buy you a carrot later.
Gu Qing raised an eyebrow, turned around, a slight smile playing on her lips, and took a step forward.
"carrot?"
Chen Duling slightly opened her almond-shaped eyes, initially not reacting, but then she remembered the comments her fans often left for her.
Only then did I suddenly realize,
Xu Yi seems to be praising... himself for being cute?
"I'm the older sister, am I cute?"
Chen Duling's ears turned red involuntarily. She muttered something to herself and followed after him.
The two returned to the dressing room to change out of their costumes, walked out of the TV station building, got into a pre-booked van, and sped towards a private recording studio in the city center.
The vehicle drove smoothly on the city's main road, and the street scene outside the window slowly receded behind.
Have you found a new job?
Gu Qing turned her head and asked, "Did the poor reception of that drama a while ago have a big impact on your subsequent acting opportunities?"
"It's not big, it's not big."
Chen Duling quickly waved her hand, looking a little embarrassed. "Before the series aired, the production team bought several rounds of trending searches for me, and several production teams offered me roles at that time."
After reading the script, I immediately signed a contract for a new film. Even if they back out now, it's too late.
"Haha, that's clever enough."
Gu Qing was amused by her actions and sincerely remarked, "If you calculate it this way, even if the series flops, you've actually gained a lot of exposure, so you're guaranteed to make a profit."
"It's definitely worth it."
Chen Duling smiled broadly, eager to share the good news, "This drama was invested and initiated by Wanhe Tianyi, and I can even act opposite Bai Ke. It's an ancient costume light martial arts comedy."
But I was always unsure of myself, especially worried that I wouldn't be able to portray the character well.
Speaking of which,
She quickly pulled out her phone, opened the notes app, found the character sketch she had stayed up all night to write, and handed the screen to Gu Qing, her eyes full of anticipation:
"Xu Yi, could you help me check if my understanding of the character is flawed?"
"Let me see."
With nothing to do on the long journey, Gu Qing reached out and took the phone, his eyes fixed on the screen as he quickly skimmed through the text.
[Title of the drama: The Legend of Ming Hong]
[Genre: Lighthearted comedy martial arts period drama]
"In the past two years, there has been a similar light martial arts comedy, such as 'The Medical Examiner Dr. Chi Chi,' which has a very solid audience base and a very good market prospect."
Gu Qing provides an objective analysis of the industry situation.
"Yes! I used the comedic rhythm of this show to figure out the character!"
Chen Duling was even more delighted to receive the recognition.
But as I watched,
Gu Qing's brows furrowed involuntarily.
"That's not right..."
He swiped the screen with his fingertips, repeatedly checking the text, then looked up at the girl, both amused and exasperated: "Are you sure this is a martial arts drama?"
The background stories in the character biographies clearly state the emergence of divine weapons, the invasion of the demon realm, and the upheaval of the three realms.
Later, it escalated directly to a war between humans, gods, and demons, instantly expanding the scope to a grand fantasy drama about saving the world.
The ending was even more tragic:
In the midst of the chaotic battle across the three realms, the female protagonist bravely shielded her beloved from a fatal blow, ultimately dying on the battlefield.
Gu Qing remained silent for a brief moment.
Since "The Journey of Flower" became a huge hit, the entire film and television industry seems to have fallen into a vicious cycle of homogenization.
Of ten period drama scripts, eight are all about tragic love between immortals and demons, with plots of battles for supremacy in the three realms and sacrifices for love being used repeatedly.
The formulas have become so rigid that screenwriters can no longer come up with fresh stories.
"Am I misunderstanding the subject matter of the script?"
Seeing his expression, Chen Duling's heart jumped, and she asked in a low voice, feeling uneasy.
"The character biographies are written with great care, the female protagonist is three-dimensional and well-developed, and this tragic ending of dying for love is enough to bring tears to the eyes of a large number of viewers."
Gu Qing quickly composed herself, put on a gentle smile, and offered words of comfort.
"It's just that this kind of tragic female lead is not easy to handle, with extreme emotional fluctuations. You need to work hard to hone your acting skills."
In the Chinese entertainment industry, there are very few dramas that can truly become wildly popular and break out of the mainstream throughout the year.
High-quality scripts are a scarce resource, and most scripts cannot escape the assembly-line formula.
Gu Qing was able to land one hit script after another simply because of the memory advantage brought by her rebirth, allowing her to lock in trending dramas in advance.
He didn't tell Chen Duling how many flaws the show had.
It's not that I don't want to tell the truth,
But Gu Qing knew very well that
In this industry, minor actors like Chen Duling simply don't have the right to choose scripts.
Currently, securing a project invested in by Wanhe Tianyi is an opportunity that countless third-tier actors would fight tooth and nail for.
"Okay, I'll study hard! I'll add that teacher you introduced me to on WeChat tonight."
Chen Duling breathed a sigh of relief, held her phone to her chest, and smiled happily.
"Remember to ask for half of your payment before filming, to avoid being owed wages."
Gu Qing glanced at her and gave her another word of advice.
The industry's salary cap will be officially implemented in the middle of this year.
Before this,
Second- or third-tier celebrities can easily earn tens of millions of yuan in film and television remuneration, and the phenomenon of exorbitant salaries is rampant.
But once the salary cap is issued,
The industry's salaries have plummeted, and the Chinese entertainment industry has fully entered an era of salary reductions for artists.
The higher the level of a celebrity, the greater the impact on their salary.
Gu Qingdu had no choice but to plan his future in advance.
Once the new industry regulations are fully implemented,
When the three major studios and companies were only willing to offer a few million or ten million for the entire series' cast and crew salaries.
Gu Qing naturally didn't want to do a losing business.
Amidst a jumble of thoughts,
The vehicle slowly came to a stop; we had arrived at the recording studio.
Push open the door and get out of the car.
What comes into view is a state-of-the-art private recording studio, which was founded by A-Jie himself.
Push the door open and go in.
I immediately spotted Ah Jie, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, adjusting the mixing console equipment.
"Teacher Gu, you've arrived?"
When Ah-Jie saw the person, he immediately put down his equipment, overjoyed, and walked up to greet him with a warm smile, "Why didn't you let me know?"
"There's no need to announce it. Just come in."
Gu Qing smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the other party, "I feel really bad for troubling Teacher A-Jie to vacate his private tent for me."
"I've paid, I've paid."
Ah Jie scratched his head and laughed.
“Teacher A-Jie, time is indeed tight. Let’s get started quickly. I need to finish recording Ye Hua’s lines for ‘Three Lives Three Worlds’ first.”
Gu Qing got straight to the point, "When I encounter situations where I'm unsure about controlling my breath, I need to consult you."
"No problem, Teacher Gu."
Ah Jie pushed open the door to the cubicle and handed a chair to Chen Duling.
The two put on monitoring headphones, received the printed script, and began recording.
The formal recording will begin soon.
At first, the matching went relatively smoothly.
But afterwards,
When faced with several scenes requiring emotional outbursts, Gu Qing always felt that he lacked the breath control to fully express his emotions.
Whenever he hit a roadblock, he would pause recording, humbly ask Ah-Jie for advice, and repeatedly refine the emotional nuances of each line.
Outside the recording booth,
Chen Duling sat quietly in the leather chair, her elbows propped on the table, her hands supporting her chin, staring intently at Gu Qing inside the cabin through the double-layered soundproof glass, not finding it boring at all.
The spotlight fell on Gu Qing, whose usual relaxed and gentle smile faded, his brows furrowed and his expression tense as he fully immersed himself in the role.
As the plot progresses...
His expression followed the ups and downs of the character's fate; when his brows were furrowed, he was filled with sorrow, and every line he spoke was brimming with intense emotion.
"Xu Yi is really amazing. Why is he so good when everyone else is just an ordinary person?"
Chen Duling murmured to herself, her eyes filled with admiration, "Playing games, acting, and now even voice acting..."
Wow, she's definitely one of the two top players in the team!
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and the setting sun disappeared below the horizon.
Gu Qing didn't stop to rest during the recording session. He only ordered takeout at the recording studio, quickly ate a few bites of dinner, and then put on his headphones again to get back into recording.
He dared not waste a single second, working tirelessly to hone his acting skills.
This year's salary cap is merely the first wake-up call for industry regulation.
In just two or three years,
The authorities will further tighten the standards for broadcasting TV series, requiring all actors to refrain from using their own voices for dubbing.
TV series that rely entirely on lip-syncing by voice actors are not allowed to be broadcast on satellite TV and are not eligible to compete for major film and television awards.
If you wait until the new regulations are implemented and then cram at the last minute, hastily practicing your lines, you simply won't have enough time to keep up with industry standards.
To maintain his current status and position in the industry, Gu Qing must hone his acting skills and delivery of lines day after day.
Once you stop and become complacent, all the popularity and reputation you've worked so hard to build will collapse in an instant.
Gu Qing's hard work, coupled with her humble and eager-to-learn attitude, impressed even A-Jie, who was sitting on the sidelines giving guidance.
As A-Jie dragged the audio track, he thought to himself:
No wonder Teacher Gu became so popular at such a young age.
Don't say that,
There are now a large number of popular idols in the entertainment industry.
Even when A-Jie dubbed for top-tier actors, he rarely saw actors like Gu Qing who dedicated themselves to perfecting their lines.
The recording continued until after nine o'clock at night. Gu Qing could clearly feel that his throat was dry and tight, and his breathing was becoming unstable, so he could no longer reach the best recording state.
He raised his hand to press the pause button and spoke into the microphone: "Teacher A-Jie, let's stop recording here for today."
"Teacher Gu, if you don't stop soon, I won't be able to hold on any longer."
Ah Jie breathed a long sigh of relief, raised his hand to wipe the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face. "Oh, right, I suddenly remembered something."
"Mr. Gu, your acting skills are so solid, would you be interested in trying anime voice acting in the future?"
He is not only a voice actor, but also the voice director for the first season of the hit Chinese animation "The King's Avatar".
"If I come across a truly high-quality domestic animation IP, I'd be willing to give it a try."
Gu Qing smiled and shook her head, looking helpless. "It's just a pity that my film and television schedule is completely full this year. My schedule is occupied by film crews all year round, and I simply can't spare any large chunks of free time in the short term."
"But to be honest, there are very few projects in the entire industry that can afford to hire you, Professor Gu, to take time out of your schedule to cross over into animation."
Ah Jie had given up hope anyway.
"That's not necessarily true."
Gu Qing chuckled and said, "If it's a Chinese animation project that I genuinely like, I don't care about voice acting fees. If that's not possible, I'm even willing to invest more money out of my own pocket."
By the way, Mr. Jie, is your "The King's Avatar" Season 2 project still looking for investors?
Upon hearing this, A-Jie couldn't help but start complaining, his face full of helplessness:
"The production company is exclusively owned and operated by Tencent Video. They have tight control over it and would never give away any profits to external parties."
He leaned closer and lowered his voice to chat with Gu Qing about the industry inside story:
"Teacher Gu, I sincerely advise you to be very cautious about investing in any future Tencent IP projects."
"After the first season of 'The King's Avatar' became a hit, the production team for the second season changed immediately. The production budget clearly increased, but the visuals... were even worse."
Ah Jie fell silent and helplessly spread his hands towards Gu Qing.
Gu Qing was slightly taken aback, then nodded to show her understanding.
He recalled the news he had seen in his previous life: Little Ma publicly lashed out at an internal meeting, angrily criticizing the project for being chaotic and wasting funds.
It turns out that even during this period, the video platform's internal project management was already in chaos, with constant internal friction. No matter how good the project was, it couldn't withstand the internal turmoil.
The two chatted for a while about the latest developments in the industry, then packed up the recording files and ended their recording session for the day.
In the following days,
Gu Qing lived a monotonous life, going back and forth between three points:
Rehearsals, dubbing, and recording.
Before you know it,
February 25th arrived.
The studio was brightly lit, with tens of thousands of stage lights illuminating the stage one after another.
The audience was packed, with every seat filled.
Lunar New Year's Eve
On the day the Spring Festival Gala was officially broadcast live, every household turned on their televisions without prior arrangement.
In a villa in the capital,
A certain "unlucky guy" who had been criticized on the internet for five days managed to pull himself together and turned on the TV.
……
...(End of this chapter)