183: The 183rd day of being popular
Director Hua remained silent for a moment and finally tentatively asked, "Why choose this person?"
Yao Bianliang felt somewhat helpless.
What else could it be? Of course, it was because this person lacked popularity and good looks.
Moreover, Xu Yao had a very distinctive appearance. Despite not having high looks, as long as he stood there and posed like a nobleman, it would make people want to beat him up.
She was making this film intending to provoke the audience's anger. With an actor like him as the male lead, it would definitely infuriate a large portion of the audience.
Of course, she couldn't say that directly to them.
Yao Bianliang pondered for a long time, hoping to find some reasons to convince the two, but she helplessly realized that Xu Yao wasn't great in any aspect, and there were no convincing advantages to speak of.
In the end, she could only say slowly, "Because I feel... this person is very suitable."
As for why he was suitable, please don't ask her, she didn't know either.
After all, people in this world had strange thought processes and loved to imagine things. Let them imagine on their own.
"Liang-jie, it's time for makeup."
The voice of the makeup artist sounded from outside, and Yao Bianliang snapped back to reality, immediately agreeing.
"Director Hua, Sister Wan'er, I'll go get my makeup done first."
She could only temporarily put aside the thought of having a longer conversation with the two and followed the makeup artist to the next room.
Watching Yao Bianliang leave, Director Hua and Xie Wan'er sat silently, perplexed.
"Xu Yao... Where does he fit in?" Director Hua flipped the resume back and forth, still unable to figure it out after two or three rounds.
Based on this information alone, it could be said that he didn't fit in anywhere.
However, Xie Wan'er furrowed her brows slightly and fell into contemplation.
She couldn't help but recall when they were revising the script earlier, she had also been baffled by Yao Bianliang's requirements. But later, she finally understood the other's intentions.
—Yao Bianliang wanted to shoot a realistic period drama to satirize the cannibalistic feudal society.
From that perspective, what advantages did Xu Yao actually possess?
Xie Wan'er seemed to have realized something, and her eyes finally lit up slowly. "I understand."
Director Hua was taken aback and immediately looked over.
Xie Wan'er said, "Surface-level observation would suggest that Xu Yao lacks both popularity and good looks, his acting skills and demeanor aren't outstanding, and he seems to have no redeeming qualities. But in reality, he is indeed the best choice for this role!"
"Our play needs to criticize and satirize the feudal society, so the male lead can't be too handsome! Only an actor with an ordinary appearance can turn this play into a proper drama, instead of a tragic love story of ancient palace nobles."
Director Hua pondered.
Indeed, due to Luo Shuai, her thinking had initially fallen into a misconception, believing that the male lead of this play must have exceptional looks.
But looking back now, being too handsome wouldn't benefit the play.
It's precisely those actors with very average looks who can better align with the theme of this play.
"Xu Yao's acting skills are indeed quite average, but I speculate that if we let him play the male lead, he might surprise us," Xie Wan'er continued.
Director Hua raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
"Liang-jie said that Xu Yao is very suitable. This 'suitable' must not refer to his fame or fan base but rather to the unique qualities of the actor himself."
Director Hua paused at the words and couldn't help but recall Xu Yao's demeanor during his audition.
"The unique qualities of Xu Yao..." she pondered for a moment, "They seem quite fitting for an antagonist's traits?"
Xie Wan'er's eyes curved slightly, and she smiled. "It seems Director Hua has also noticed. Xu Yao's appearance and demeanor are well-suited for this character!"
"The male lead's role needs to embody both charm and authority, while simultaneously having that villainous quality."
Indeed, one cannot force such qualities.
Director Hua thought for a moment. "In that case, Xu Yao does seem more suitable than Huang-ge."
Both of them were considered competent actors without outstanding looks.
Though Huang-ge had considerable fame, almost all the characters he played were positive roles.
Moreover, he has a square face, which doesn't match the appearance of a charming prince. Even if he were to play the male lead, he might not shine as much as Xu Yao.
Once she grasped this crucial point, Director Hua suddenly felt enlightened. "Apart from lacking fame, Xu Yao basically doesn't have any other shortcomings."
"Actually, I think we don't need to worry about fame," Xie Wan'er's lips curved slightly, "After the Luo Shuai incident, our crew's popularity is already quite high. Moreover, Liang-jie is the female lead, and with the support of her fans and casual viewers, we're not lacking in popularity at all."
A sudden realization hit, and as Director Hua listened to this analysis, the more she thought about it, the brighter her eyes became.
"So, Xu Yao is indeed our best choice."
Xu Yao excelled in acting, looks, and demeanor, making him the perfect fit for the male lead.
No wonder Yao Bianliang recommended Xu Yao. Behind it all, there was such profound reasoning.
Director Hua thought this way, and a sense of anticipation couldn't help but show in her eyes. "Perhaps, this male lead, Xu Yao, really could bring us some significant surprises."
*****
As time passed day by day, the filming progress of "Spring Warmth, Dew, and Splendor" continued steadily.
She was secretly pleased when Yao Bianliang learned that the new male lead had been selected as Xu Yao.
Originally, she planned to contact Mo Yougan to have him personally decide on the male lead. After all, Mo Yougan was the first party involved. Whether the play crashed or soared, he would bear the profits and losses. Director Hua and Xie Wan'er were ultimately salaried employees. Regarding matters like casting, Mo Yougan naturally held the deciding vote.
However, Yao Bianliang didn't expect Director Hua and Xie Wan'er to choose Xu Yao as the male lead before she could implement her plan.
This actually saved her quite a bit of effort.
"Thank you, Director and scriptwriter. You all have great foresight."
Yao Bianliang felt a sense of admiration in her heart. She gained more confidence in her new play.
With Xu Yao on board, the filming progress gradually accelerated.
This male actor had a somewhat introverted personality, yet when he acted, he showed no sign of introversion, displaying remarkable acting skills.
Since joining the production, the Director rarely NG-ed him due to acting issues, almost on par with Yao Bianliang herself.
Their chemistry flowed seamlessly as they collaborated on set, and the plot advanced by leaps and bounds.
The temperature gradually began to rise as the summer vacation approached. The TV dramas for the summer season were also scheduled and prepared for release.
Naturally, the "Spring Warmth, Dew, and Splendor" production crew attracted a lot of attention. Under the official social media accounts, fans left messages daily, urging them to release their drama quickly.
During this period, Yao Bianliang received an inquiry from Mo Yougan.
Mo Yougan: "This is the lineup for the summer season's new dramas. What do you think would be the best time for our new drama to be released?"
As the filming stage was nearing its end and post-production work was steadily progressing, it was indeed time to consider the release date.
Yao Bianliang's gaze swept over the colorful posters on the lineup. It was evident that numerous TV dramas were set for the summer season release, as everyone aimed to capitalize on the prime time for viewership.
Among them, there were more than ten competitive historical dramas.
In Yao Bianliang's opinion, if they wanted to make an impact, they needed to choose the most competitive historical drama and directly clash with their opponents regarding scheduling.
Historical evidence showed that no matter how good a drama's quality was if it clashed with a popular drama of the same genre, it would inevitably face a fate of failure.
Therefore, for a drama to fail, it needed the right timing, circumstances, and competition.
It not only had to have questionable quality itself but also had to contend with formidable rivals during the same period. With this setup, their drama's failure would be almost certain.
After quickly scanning all the information, Yao Bianliang's gaze finally settled on one particular production.
—"Legend of An Hua"
"Hmm, it's a historical romance drama, with a strong female lead? The female lead is a courtesan who is skilled in both dance and song among men... It's quite similar to my drama," Yao Bianliang thought.
Her interest was piqued.
Then she looked at the production team: a prominent director, a renowned scriptwriter, a famous male lead actor, and it was even produced by An Sheng Entertainment, making it a high-budget production!
With such an immensely luxurious lineup and frequent trending topics, they would undoubtedly overshadow "Spring Warmth, Dew, and Splendor."
If they could go head-to-head with them regarding scheduling, wouldn't her drama be bound to fail?
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