Chapter 10: Selection of Brokerage Companies

Song Meng doesn't have any distinctive features, although she's not ugly, she's not exactly beautiful either.

When Wei Shanshan said this, Song Meng knew she didn't mean any harm, and she was easygoing: "It's okay, I know my own limitations. I won't become an actress."

She turned to Yun Xiangxiang and said, "Xiangxiang, I'll be your assistant, helping you with everything. You just need to focus on moving forward, and I'll be by your side, happily being a fan, even if you don't pay me!"

Her words instantly amused everyone, bringing them closer together and sparking discussions about the script and their own opinions.

Around one o'clock, Zhou Wei appeared. It turned out that he had given everyone a break for lunch, but Fang Nanyuan and the others had stayed to work on the script.

"Director Zhou, I'll come over at twelve-thirty from now on, and I can come at nine in the evening if you need me," Yun Xiangxiang said to Zhou Wei.

The makeup for this film was simple, and Yun Xiangxiang mostly appeared without heavy makeup, just changing clothes and styling her hair, so it was very convenient.

"I was just about to tell you, there are a few night scenes." In fact, giving Yun Xiangxiang such favorable conditions was because, apart from the scenes in the classroom, the four of them rarely had overlapping scenes. However, there were important scenes where Wei You accompanied Yang Qi home in the evening. "I'll rearrange the schedule to concentrate your scenes with your co-stars on the weekends."

This way, the filming progress would be greatly increased.

There was no filming at noon today. Zhou Wei asked Yun Xiangxiang to register for a Weibo account and added her to the Weibo group, encouraging the four of them to get to know each other better and openly praising Yun Xiangxiang's acting skills, encouraging more communication among the four of them.

Perhaps Zhou Wei had chosen the actors very well, as Wei Shanshan and the others had very good characters and didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, because Yun Xiangxiang, the youngest, took care of them, she gradually became the favorite of the group.

Although Yun Xiangxiang only appeared on set for an hour and a half at noon, and they hadn't had any scenes together, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the three of them were already very skilled at acting at this age.

It was truly the result of the training at Hua Ying.

It seemed that Zhou Wei had done a great job in selecting the actors this time, focusing on finding the right people rather than the most expensive ones.

Two days later, there were night scenes, and they had to film the scenes with Yun Xiangxiang and her on-screen parents at home. Su Xiuling personally accompanied Yun Xiangxiang.

In this way, they struck up a conversation with Wei Shanshan and the others who hadn't left, and they chatted very comfortably. Su Xiuling knew that they ate the boxed meals from the crew every day and felt that it was too hard for them at their age. Since their house was just across the street, she invited them to come over for lunch, and if they couldn't make it, she asked Yun Xiangxiang to bring the food over at noon.

As a result, Wei Shanshan and the others started coming to Yun Xiangxiang's house for lunch, and they took turns bringing dishes and fruits each time. Su Xiuling knew that the four kids didn't want to freeload, so she told them not to buy expensive items, but let them do as they pleased.

As a result, the bond between the four of them grew rapidly, and they even created a private group chat.

[Wei Shanshan @Yi Yan: Yi Ge, how's your contract with Tengfei Media?]

[Yi Yan: Tengfei Media's resources are okay. I signed with them because they offer a five-year contract.]

The management company has strict requirements for artists. No one wants to create a cash cow and then have them leave at the first opportunity. The standard contract is at least ten years, and fifteen years is more common. A contract of less than ten years is only for special cases, and they are rare.

For male actors, five years is like going to school. Even if Yi Yan, at twenty-seven, doesn't make a name for himself, he will have gained some exposure and understanding of the rules of the entertainment industry, and it will be no problem for him to come back as a serious actor. Male actors starting at twenty-seven and becoming popular after thirty is not uncommon. But for female actors, if they don't make a name for themselves between the ages of twenty and thirty, it's almost impossible to become popular after thirty.

[Wei Shanshan: The agent from Huihong Entertainment contacted me today and asked me to sign with their company. I'm a bit scared of the new company. A senior from school recommended me to her company before, saying she would take care of me.]

[Yi Yan: Which company?]

[Wei Shanshan: Zhongxing Era.]

Yun Xiangxiang, who had just finished showering and was drying her hair, picked up her phone: [Don't consider Zhongxing Era.]

[Yi Yan: ???]

[Wei Shanshan: Why not?]

Even Fang Nanyuan, who had been quiet, chimed in: [Zhongxing Era is now a major company on par with Huan Yu Century. Both companies have fashion endorsements, rich international resources, and connections to Hong Kong. Compared to Huan Yu Century's high profile, Zhongxing Era is more approachable.]

Zhongxing Era and Huan Yu Century have been at odds for a long time, and in this industry, they are two giant dragons. It's a coincidence that He Zhen and Chen Yinghui, both of whom made a name for themselves in Hong Kong in their early years, have connections to both companies.

He Zhen, who has a background in the underworld, has the ruthlessness of a businessman and a capitalist, but he has his limits. However, Chen Yinghui does not.

He Zhen can give up shares to keep Li Man, the pillar of Huan Yu Century, but Chen Yinghui used despicable means to turn Yu Jinlin, the pillar of Zhongxing Era, into his lover.

When she was still a flower, she happened to see Yu Jinlin and Chen Yinghui meeting by chance. From the fleeting embarrassment and disgust in Yu Jinlin's eyes, she could tell that Yu Jinlin was not there willingly, which meant that Chen Yinghui had some major leverage over her.

[End of translation]

He Zhen is ruthless, but he judges actors and actresses solely based on their skills. Chen Yinghui's private life is not a secret, but anyone who can make Chen Yinghui take action must be at the level of Yu Jinlin, and this influence trickles down. Although there haven't been any major scandals in the entertainment industry, Hua Xiangrong is not optimistic about the current era of stars.

But how can she explain to Wei Shanshan, especially now that she has become Yun Xiangxiang, who has not yet set foot in the capital?

After a moment of contemplation, Yun Xiangxiang typed: "I've seen a lot of salacious news about the general manager of the current era of stars, and several times it involved their female artists. I think their company is in chaos. If you're considering resources, you can choose Huanyu Century."

Wei Shanshan: "[Feeling wronged JPG] I also want to join Huanyu Century, but their selection process is extremely strict, even more so than a beauty pageant. If you get chosen, that's great, but if not, my options will be limited."

This is indeed true. Unless an artist is personally invited by them, Huanyu Century conducts high-profile interviews every March. Over the years, their management and talent selection are similar to the national college entrance examination.

To demonstrate fairness and transparency, many media and companies pay attention during the interviews, which is also a form of indirect publicity. Some people can become popular through just one selection process.

If an artist is rejected by Huanyu Century, although other companies may still be interested, their options will be significantly reduced. For example, the current era of stars will definitely not accept anyone rejected by Huanyu Century.

Following closely behind, several large-scale companies are also very picky for the sake of their reputation. Even if they accept someone, the contract terms will not be as favorable as those offered by other companies. Even if they smoothly enter the company, they will inevitably face a cold period.

This is the high-handedness of Huanyu Century, but Yun Xiangxiang likes it that way!