China Entertainment 1997

The main courtyard of the Cao family, the main room in the inner courtyard

For the dumplings made today, Zeng Li prepared three kinds of fillings—leeks and three delicacies, mutton and zucchini, and beef and green onions.

Cao Xuan personally prefers beef filling, mainly because he has eaten too much supplements such as leeks and mutton in the past few days, which makes him a little overwhelmed.

Compared to him focusing on dealing with dumplings, Zeng Li and Hu Jing were more concerned about "Eternal Dragon Sword" on TV.

As the boss, starring actor and even part of the screenwriter, Cao Xuan has had a rough look at this drama. Although Dongxi Ergong has participated in guest roles, he has not seen the finished product and is still quite curious about the TV series.

Fanxing's version of "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" is almost the same as the original version at first.

The villains Cheng Kun and King Ruyang were the first to appear, pointing out that they used treacherous tactics to disrupt the martial arts world in the Central Plains with the dragon-slaying sword, causing people in the world to kill each other. Yuan Ting reaped the benefits.

This is also the main tone of the entire "Heaven and Dragon Sword". The main contradiction between Zhongyuan Wulin and Yuan Ting runs through the whole play.

This plot is also the plot in the original work, but the description in the original work is deeper. The first few chapters even tell the story of Guo Xiang and Zhang Junbao, and then the dragon-slaying knife is introduced.

Speaking of which, Jin Yong's writing power is indeed profound. One novel spans three generations, from Zhang Sanfeng and Guo Xiang to Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, and finally to Zhang Wuji and his group of confidante.

In a 40-chapter novel, the protagonist Zhang Wuji is not born until the 7th chapter, which is almost 100,000 words later. After the 10th chapter, the main point of view is.

If an ordinary Internet article author wrote this, he would die without knowing how.

However, this pair of old men is also the norm. The "big poisonous points" such as abusive masters, cuckolds, dead heroines, the Virgin's heart, giving away daughters, and losing power to others will be placed in the online literary world in the future, and the blades sent by readers can be opened. Hardware store...

King Ruyang is still the original Deliger, a Mongolian actor. He is powerful and domineering yet a bit honest and kind. He not only fits the role of the villain prince, but also can play a father-daughter role with Zhao Min.

Zhang Guoli was looking for someone, but Cao Xuan also knew him. To be more precise, they didn't know each other, but they had worked together.

In the 1998 version of "Water Margin", Ximen Qing, played by Cao Xuan, was beaten by Wu Song and then beheaded with a knife. This Deliger played Jiang Menshen, who was beaten twice by Wu Song and chopped into pieces with a knife.

To a certain extent, the two brothers can be regarded as incompatible brothers, but this time they play the role of "son-in-law", which is quite destined.

Deliger didn't act in many film and television works, but he also graduated from an opera class and was part of a serious theater troupe. He was later rated as a national first-class actor, and his professional level is not to be said.

But what’s even more amazing is Zhang Guoli.

This is a recognized model worker among the top actors in Mainland China. He can be seen in movies, TV shows, dramas, and variety shows. Although everyone jokes that he and Cheng Long are not easy, they still come out to save their son's family assets at a very young age.

But in fact, as long as their son does not commit suicide, the two of them will not have to worry about money in their lives.

The reason why I still insist on working hard is that I am too busy and can't take any time off, and the other reason is that I refuse to accept my old age.

The reason why you can still be energetic even at a very old age depends on your spirit. People with this kind of personality have to find work as they get older.

As a model worker, Zhang Guoli has acted in many works, far more than actors of the same level as Li Xuejian, Chen Daoming, and Chen Baoguo.

When there are too many films, there will inevitably be some bad ones, plus some light comedies, where you have to act crazy and act stupidly, which will naturally lower the audience's evaluation of Zhang Guoli's acting skills.

But in fact, Zhang Guoli's acting skills definitely firmly occupy the first echelon of Chinese actors.

"1942" is the best proof. The old Chiang Kai-shek in "The Founding of the People's Republic of China" is even better in Cao Xuan's heart than Chen Daoming, Ma Xiaowei, Sun Feihu and others.

"The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" is also a clear proof of Zhang Guoli's excellent acting skills, and he plays the sinister, cunning and shameless villain Cheng Kun to the core.

Although he also had a bare forehead, the drama was completely disappointing, making the audience completely forget about his characters Ji Xiaolan and Kangxi, and they were filled with hatred when they saw Cheng Kun appear on the stage.

Cao Xuan didn't look up much in other plots, but as soon as Zhang Guoli appeared, he never took his eyes off the TV, observing silently, trying to learn something from it.

Unfortunately, he was too busy on the set, and producer Zhang Guoli was also busy, and the two of them didn't have many scenes opposite each other. As a result, he had very few opportunities to ask each other for advice, which I have to say is a pity.

Cao Xuan thought about working together again if there was a chance to get more money from Lao Zhang.

This man is both dignified and humorous. He has an upright character and a ruthless villain. From emperors to beggars, he can play the role of a business elite predator and play with the people at the bottom of the market. His acting skills are even greater than that of Cao Xuan's master Li Xuejian. He has no worries. Opportunity to coorparate.

The conspiracy between Cheng Kun and King Ruyang ended, which is when Yin Susu, played by Zeng Li, appeared.

The Tianying Sect attacked King Ruyang's convoy and seized the dragon-slaying knife.

The original scene was shot on a smaller scale, with the total number of people on both sides not exceeding 100, but the Starry version has strengthened this aspect.

There are more than 300 Yuan soldiers and related supporting actors, cavalry, infantry and archers. Through editing and other means, the whole scene is dark and numerous.

There were nearly a hundred members of the Tianying Cult who came to seize the sword. They were all dressed in black with silver trim and riding horses. They were all lined up in a line. With the King of Yin Ye, played by Duan Long, riding in the lead, he was very impressive.

Suddenly there was an eagle cry, and a giant eagle-shaped kite appeared above the heads of the black-clothed Sky Eagle cultists.

The camera moves up, and Yin Susu, played by Zeng Li, stands erect, has a delicate face, a fluttering purple skirt, and a heroic spirit.

One day at a time, the brother and sister rushed up and down to the front of the formation. Duan Long jumped up from his horse, Zeng Li jumped off the kite, and the brother and sister circled around to perform their exercises, flexing their fingers and shooting forward.

In an instant, a giant air eagle emitted a shrill snarl, and rushed into the formation of Yuan soldiers with flapping wings and open claws. Along with a series of explosions, the Yuan soldiers were killed and injured numerous times.

"This is a good appearance."

Hu Jing's eyes lit up and she was somewhat surprised.

The horse formation on the grassland, the purple-clad lady with a kite, and the giant eagle in the air, coupled with a series of camera adjustments, switch smoothly between long and close shots, making it very comfortable to watch.

"If you're not handsome, you'll be in trouble. Do you know how much it cost just to shoot this scene?"

"How many?"

Cao Xuan stretched out five fingers, and then counted them for Hu Jing: "Just for the group performances, this section required no less than 1,000 people, as well as horses. Fortunately, it was filmed in the grassland, otherwise the cost would not be mentioned. , so many horses are hard to find.

There were so many people and chaos that it only took two days to schedule, and it took another two days to officially start shooting. It was like a horse chewing, but you are also a producer, so you understand the consequences.

But the most expensive ones are the highlights and special effects, especially the special effects. Just the eagle with the eagle claw function, the cost of modeling and rendering to the end is six figures. Fortunately, it can be used later, so we can share some of the cost. cost. "

The appearance of his wife was the first big scene in the first episode, and Cao Xuan spent a lot of money.

Although the cost is not as high as the climax plots such as the Siege of Guangmingding and the Lion-Slaying Conference, it is still very impressive. Compared with other martial arts dramas in the same period, it is definitely at the top level.

Especially those special effects, they are not just 50 cents, just throw in a light or cut out a dragon in 3D and that's it.

Although it is not as good as the top special effects of later generations, where it is almost difficult to distinguish between real and fake, the overall movements and smoothness are still very natural, and the appearance is higher, and it matches the shots and scenes in the drama better.

This point is actually quite particular. Many special effects don’t say whether they are good or not. The key is that they are very blunt and do not match the plot of the screen at all, which makes people laugh. This is actually worse than the 50-cent special effects.

King Yin Ye and Yin Susu looked handsome when they appeared, but not long after, the plot reversed. The two elders Xuan Ming appeared on the scene, with ice blue and gloomy ice energy around them, easily defeating Yin Susu and seriously injuring him.

Watching the beauty wither, a cold light flashed, and Zhang Cuishan, dressed in white robes, appeared as a hero to save the beauty.

Compared with Yin Susu, Zhang Cuishan's appearance is mediocre, but Cao Xuan's appearance is shown here, handsome and tall in white clothes, elegant and heroic.

Iron pen and silver hook, extraordinary martial arts. Facing the two elders Xuan Ming, he and his second senior brother joined forces to confront them head-on. After a fierce fight, they not only rescued Yin Susu, but also snatched away the dragon-slaying knife.

Of course, King Ruyang originally wanted to use the Dragon Sword to disrupt the world, so it is inevitable that there may be some suspicions of betrayal.

But even so, the abilities of the two Wudang heroes are better than those of the Yin brothers and sisters. Although their ultimate moves are not that flashy, their movements are vigorous and highly lethal. Yuan Bing, who was able to slash twice with the Yin brothers and sisters before, was obviously killed in one move. Can see strengths and weaknesses.

As I said before, Cao Xuan has acted in many martial arts dramas. After several years, he does not relax in daily fitness and exercises, and his basic skills are quite solid.

Coupled with the stand-in assistance and sophisticated martial arts design, this fight is quite beautiful, crisp, fierce and fierce, and indeed has a bit of Wudang's "Silver Hook Iron Stroke" Zhang Wuxia style.

At least Hu Jing's eyes lit up when she saw this look for the first time. Cao Xuan's costume style has always been outstanding. To this day, Jing Wuming and Linghu Chong are still the "Prince Charming" in the hearts of many girls.

Today's Zhang Wuxia is a little less cold and stern than Jing Wuming, a little less unruly and dissolute than Linghu Chong, and his overall temperament is more upright, heroic and upright.

The whole person standing there was particularly in line with most people's idea of ​​a young knight from a well-known and upright family who was a chivalrous and righteous man.

As we all know, it is difficult to play a villain, and it is even more difficult to play a decent person. It is especially difficult to play a person who can be seen as a good person at a glance and who feels that this person is down-to-earth and reliable.

Cao Xuan plays the role of a villain who started out as a villain. Among the protagonists, except Bao Zheng, who is more upright, Jin Yanxi, who is a scumbag, and Linghu Chong, who is both good and evil, kind-hearted and changeable in behavior.

It is easy for an actor who has played a good guy to play a bad guy, but it is difficult for an actor who has played a bad guy to play a good guy.

Therefore, for Cao Xuan, it is a good test to create a heroic young hero Zhang Cuishan and the honest and kind-hearted Zhang Wuji in the later period, so that the audience will forget the other negative images he has played in the past.

Fortunately, Cao Xuan supported this character.

Although his face may make people a little nervous at first.

But as the character Zhang Cuishan's playing time increased, Cao Xuan used various details such as movements, eyes, tone, expressions, etc. to constantly enrich the character and deepen the audience's impression of this character bit by bit. Zhang Cuishan naturally became vivid and three-dimensional. stand up.

For example, during the exercise healing scene, when Cao Xuan faced Yin Susu, Ximen Qing would have taken advantage of her, and Linghu Chong would probably be able to talk a few words.

But Zhang Cuishan is a gentleman, he has no choice but to keep his eyes straight and behaves uprightly.

After the treatment, he was worried about Yin Susu, but he always kept the etiquette in mind and did not dare to cross the line to mislead the girl's innocence. On the contrary, Yin Susu saw that he was old-fashioned and upright, found it interesting, and teased Zhang Wuxia to the point of embarrassment.

Seeing this scene, although many viewers were complaining about Cao Thief, he still has this day.

But I have to admit that Cao Xuan did a good job. He is completely different from the previous roles, and there is no trace of them at all.

Zeng Li and Cao Xuan were acting together live, and he had already known Cao Xuan's performance, which was calm and calm.

Hu Jing was a little surprised, but only a little. She and Cao Xuan were the male and female protagonists in "When Men Are in Love". She knew Cao Xuan's current abilities well, so it was not surprising.

However, he was a little offended by the sweet interaction between Yin Susu and Zhang Cuishan, but he felt a lot more relaxed when he remembered that the two of them were even better in "When Men Are in Love".

Zeng Li didn't have as many thoughts as she did. He just watched the two enemies who fell in love and killed each other quietly with gentle eyes.

This was also the first time that she and Cao Xuan acted as a couple or even a husband and wife. The performance was already interesting at the time, but now it is a different experience watching it again from outside the camera.

Cao Xuan thought more simply. He just felt a little itchy when he saw the heroic Yin Susu dressed in men's clothing in the drama.

Hu Jing has a bit of a baby face. She is very delicate and delicate in men's clothing.

Zeng Li's appearance is more like that of a royal sister. She looks like a female companion in ancient costume. There is a bit of charm in her heroic demeanor, and there is also a hint of orange spirit.

Looking at the familiar appearance in the TV series, Cao Xuan vaguely recalled his cosplay exchange with Nishinomiya Empress one night when the crew was filming.

Fortunately, on the second day, a certain person took the initiative to admit that he had lost his clothes, thus preventing Boss Cao from being damaged.

Afterwards, the costumer was promoted and received a salary increase because he joined the team with his left foot...

Speaking of which, two more sets of costumes were specially prepared for Jia Jingwen, Gao Yuanyuan, Dong Xuan and others, and even cameo Liu Tianxian.

It's a pity that Cao Daguan didn't use it and only took away the clothes of Yin Susu and Zhang Wuji.

The latter is collected as a souvenir, and the former... seems to exist in Caojia Hutong, and he also remembers Hu Jing's costumes from "The Unruly Princess".

Official Cao Xuan went back to the house to find a root of American ginseng + polygonatum sap and soaked it into his own wolfberry and red date tea. He planned to go back and think of a way to take Dongxi and Ergong to recall the characters.

The plot of the first two episodes of "Eternal Dragon Sword" is very simple, mainly focusing on Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu. In the second episode, the Golden Retriever Lion King and the Showdown of Swords and Demonstration Conference appear.

Similar to the previous appearances of the Yin brothers and sisters, the Golden Retriever Lion King has similar techniques to the two, especially the lion roar technique, which blasts out a huge roaring lion head in the air.

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu battled wits and courage with him, and went to sea together to live on Ice and Fire Island. During this period, their relationship also heated up rapidly.

On the other hand, Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu also appeared one after another. Compared with the original version, Jiao Enjun's Yang Xiao has a chic and elegant demeanor.

Such Yang Xiao once made people believe that Ji Xiaofu was willing to keep her name anonymous and had no regrets about naming her daughter.

If Cao Xuan wasn't handsome enough, Yang Xiao would have stolen a lot of the limelight.

In the first two episodes, Cao Xuan, Jiao Enjun, Zeng Li, Xiao Tao Hong and some Emei disciples, there are a lot of handsome men and beautiful women, with exquisite styles, which can completely attract the handsome dogs who are not interested in martial arts.

When Amao sang the ending song of "Falling in Love with Zhang Wuji", Cao Xuan turned to look at the East and West Palaces.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's pretty good-looking. If it were me, I would keep chasing it."

Zeng Li gave the answer from the perspective of an audience, while Hu Jing was more professional and comprehensive.

"The plot has a good rhythm, full of interesting content, and very little drag. There are no mistakes in the action scenes, scenes, acting skills, and special effects. It should even be given extra points. I think it has the potential to be a hit."

As soon as these words came out, Cao Xuan really took a look at Hu Jinggao. The producer who was a year younger really did not miss the point and nailed the important factors of "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword".

Many people, after watching excellent and excellent works, will praise the actors' appearance over their acting skills, action scenes, special effects, and scenes. Many people can easily see this.

But the plot rhythm or the arrangement of light and dark lines require some professional vision.

As for a TV series or even a movie, the plot and rhythm can even be regarded as the foundation of the entire work. The foundation is unstable, and no matter how beautiful other aspects are, it is just a showpiece and will fall down at the first touch.

The plot of the script is solid, the rhythm is loose and tight, and the arrangements are well-organized. Even if it is worse in other aspects, it can ensure that the lower limit is not too low.

A large part of the advantage of "Eternal Dragon Sword" is that it has an excellent rhythm that surpasses many martial arts dramas. On this basis, if other advantages are added, it will be expected to become a classic.

A few people discussed "Eternal Heaven and Slaying the Dragon", put away the dishes, and prepared to wash up and go to bed.

Cao Xuan counted the days. Yesterday he was in the West Palace, and today he was "accompanying" in the East Palace.

I don't know if she was stimulated by "The Story of Heaven and Dragon Sword", but today Hu Jing didn't even have to hide herself and entered Cao Xuan's bedroom directly in front of Zeng Li.

Cao Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment and smiled innocently at Zeng Li. Beauty Zeng rolled her eyes at him and went back to her house.

Official Cao has a headache. When will the days of dividing the palaces end? They all live in the same hospital, so why not sleep in the same bed?

If the two palaces were to fly together, he would admit eating wolfberry...

………

Early the next morning, Cao Xuan looked at Hu Jing who was still sleeping soundly, got dressed and got up.

This little girl tormented him like crazy last night, but she didn't expect that he was well prepared. She didn't take down Cao Xuan, but she was tired.

Zeng Li didn't get up either, so Cao Xuan simply warmed up and started running around the courtyards.

It turned out that he didn't feel that after living under the roof with the two palaces for these days, Cao Xuan felt the pressure of approaching thirty, and began to pay more attention to physical fitness.

Tonify internally and practice externally, combine the two, cultivate both internally and externally, and that is the right path!

One good thing about Caojia Hutong is that you can run around at home without worrying about being recognized by passers-by or disturbing your family's rest. Moreover, the place is large and there are plenty of activities.

After running for a while, Cao Xuan performed two more sets of boxing, one for military style and one for martial arts. The former consulted Zhu Jiang and the others to improve their self-defense and fitness, while the latter specialized in training moves and body stretch to facilitate shooting of fight scenes. .

Under normal circumstances, if time permits, Cao Xuan sometimes plays with two sets of weapons, mainly with swords, and occasionally with spears in the past year.

But today, before he could practice with the equipment, he called. After the call came through, it was Ding Ying, the producer of "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword".

"Boss, the ratings for the premiere are out."

"How many?"

"The ratings of Beijing Channel are 7.21, and that of Magic City Channel is a little lower, only 6.6. The two occupy nearly 20% of the total market, and they are respectively the first and second in the same period."

"Who is third?"

"CCTV, yesterday they rebroadcast "The Mansion", which happened to be the last few episodes, and the ratings skyrocketed. I asked about it, and they are preparing to broadcast "The Swordsman" next time."

"Um?"

Cao Xuan was stunned for a moment, then laughed a little dumbly.

I never thought that one day I would be teased by CCTV. If I had known that, I would have avoided this problem if I had bought "Eternal Dragon Sword".

“How are the ratings for ‘Pink’?”

Cao Xuan still attaches great importance to this new drama of the same period. If he remembers correctly, before "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword" was broadcast, this drama was the champion of the same period for several days.

"The overall average ratings are between 4.5% and 5%, maintaining a slight upward trend."

Cao Xuan nodded, this data is still very good for now.

In fact, since the beginning of this year, the ratings data of related TV series have continued to decline. They increased during the SARS period, but the general trend is still declining.

In previous years, sales of more than 10% could be called a hit, but now 7 to 8% is about the same, or even slightly lower.

The first broadcast data of "Pink Girl" can barely be regarded as a hit. However, considering that the subject matter is more like a sitcom, the replay rate will be higher than that of ordinary TV series, and the influence will be doubled, so it is not an exaggeration to call it a hit.

Cao Xuan was more or less regretful that he had forgotten about this drama, otherwise he would have stepped in and become an actor without making any money.

But it doesn't matter. When it comes to sitcoms, he still has a killer weapon in "Wulin Gaiden".

In order to get Shang Jing and "Wulin Gaiden" into his hands, Cao Xuan did not hesitate to invest 5 million to support the crew of "The Sky of History" when he recently faced Kongzheng Guo Tuan who came for financial support.

Then I accidentally learned about the "Wulin Gaiden" project. Fanxing happened to be interested in comedy, so he slowly took over the entire project.

The script of "Wulin Gaiden" is currently being written, and Cao Xuan has specially designated a piece of land in the future Fanxing Film and Television City to build Tongfu Inn and Dengshikou Street in front of it for filming.

When "Wulin Gaiden" is aired later, it might become a signature attraction of Fanxing Film and Television City.

"Pink Lady" did not pose any threat for the time being, so Cao Xuan relaxed, made breakfast for the East and West Second Palace, and went to the study to turn on the computer and browse the news.

At the current stage of SARS, some newsstands have closed down, making it difficult to buy newspapers. The Internet is the first channel for many people to learn about news.

Open the browser and search for the keyword "Eternal Dragon Sword". It is quite popular and a large number of web links appear.

"The ratings for the premiere were gratifying, Cao Xuan once again produced a high-scoring answer for the martial arts drama"

"From Linghu Chong to Zhang Cuishan, the indissoluble bond between Cao Xuan and Jin Yong"

"With beautiful appearance, the star teacher from the Chinese drama transforms into a demon witch"

"Cao and Jiao, two beauties in ancient costumes, combine to perform the most handsome Jin Yong drama in history"

"Surprise special effects, the crew spent a lot of money with full sincerity"

"It turns out that "Legend of the Condor Heroes" was cold because he was not there"

"Guo Jing VS Zhang Cuishan \u0026 Linghu Chong, both are Jin Yong's male protagonists, why is the gap so big"

"..."

After all, there are only two episodes of "Eternal Dragon Sword", and the protagonists have no official appearance. There are few places to praise, and the main focus is on the way of service and the actor's appearance.

So in addition to praise, a large part of the firepower on the Internet is "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" which premiered in March.

The drama was full of confidence when it aired, and the slogan "Big Beard" was loud and loud, and they even clamored to win the annual ratings championship like "The Swordsman".

As a result, his face was slapped and swollen less than halfway through the broadcast.

The ratings are not bad, but they are hard to say eye-catching, and they are extremely unstable. More importantly, the reputation is extremely bad, and the media and the Internet are criticizing it.

The male protagonist was scolded for being a soft-boiled boy because Guo Jing was played like a fool. The female protagonist, Mr. Zhou, was scolded for having no energy and a broken voice. The worst part was that he had a big beard and was criticized.

There have been rumors that during the filming of "The Swordsman", Cao Xuan changed the script by acting like a big name, and they once fell out with Zhang Dabeard.

Although this matter was later confirmed by all parties, it was true that Cao Xuan changed the script, but the big name was false, mainly due to the quality of the work. He had a good relationship with Cao Xuan and had a big beard, and there was no conflict.

But even so, many people still take this as an excuse. Apart from being a scumbag, Cao Xuan doesn't have many "black spots", and this is one of them.

But this time, many people realized that Cao Xuan might have been wronged. It was not Cao Xuan who was a big star, but Zhang who was a bearded man.

The two dramas have the same production team. Cao Xuan changed the script. "The Swordsman" became a big hit and gained both word-of-mouth and ratings. "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" changed its male lead. The atmosphere of the crew was particularly good, but the acting was a mess.

Many people are reflecting on whether they overestimated the role of Zhang Beard and underestimated Cao Xuan's contribution to the drama "The Swordsman".

Cao Xuan was noncommittal about this, but Zhang Dabeard was not happy and planned to wait for "Dragon Movie" to be aired at the end of the year to win back a victory for himself.

And Cao Xuan is also looking forward to this day. He knows the quality of "Dragon and the Eight Parts", and Zhang Dashu will be able to take off the title of "Cai" to a certain extent.

Lao Zhang escaped and his "grievances" were cleared. Mr. Zhou is still popular among the audience, and the temporary defeat cannot shake the fundamentals.

By then, the blame for "Legend of the Condor Heroes" will fall entirely on the soft-boiled man...