Chapter 96

Because he had arrived at Tianyu Company, Ye Ming was too lazy to continue wearing his sunglasses. After the Spring Festival Gala, it wasn't surprising that someone could recognize a singer who performed "Blue and White Porcelain," a popular symbol of the gala.

Indeed, at this moment, Ye Ming was very happy, as he had been searching for her for a long time, and suddenly, there she was, right before his eyes.

He saw Tang Wei, a nineteen-year-old Tang Wei, whose appearance was almost unchanged from her previous life.

If there was any change, it was that she wore almost no makeup.

In her youth, she exuded a pure and innocent aura.

Ye Ming nodded with a smile and said, "I'm Ye Ming. What's your name? It just so happens that I'm here to look for actors today, specifically for the lead role in my new movie."

Sure enough, the little girl was very interested and said, "I'm Tang Wei. Ye Ming, are you really looking for me to act in your movie?"

"There are too many scammers in the entertainment industry," her friends had told her, so Tang Wei was quite cautious at this moment.

Of course, Ye Ming's celebrity face added considerable persuasiveness.

Ye Ming nodded very confidently and said, "Of course. This is my agent, Fang Fang. If you're willing, you can sign a contract with us right away."

Fang Fang was in a bad mood and glanced at Tang Wei, saying, "Ye Ming, what are you doing? You're bringing a complete newcomer with no acting experience to star in your movie. Are you out of your mind?

Besides, you're here to find the lead for an MTV, not a movie. Why are you bringing someone you just met to star in a movie?"

Ye Ming laughed heartily, feeling extremely lucky. He never expected to meet Tang Wei at Tianyu Company. No wonder Hong Fei, with his extensive network, couldn't find her. She hadn't even entered the industry, so it would be strange if he found her.

At this moment, Ye Ming nodded very confidently and said, "Don't worry, Fang Fang. One guest doesn't trouble another. Whether it's a movie or an MTV, Fan Binbin, you don't need me to introduce her, right? She played Jin Suo in 'The Story of a Concubine.' Tang Wei is a very promising newcomer. You can laugh about it, but listen to me, you won't regret it. Just sign her."

On this point, Ye Ming was very stubborn, insisting on signing both of them.

Fang Fang had no objections to signing Fan Binbin, but Tang Wei, who couldn't even walk in a straight line, was a different story. If she signed her and they ended up losing money, who would be responsible?

However, Ye Ming firmly stated that both of them would definitely be used in his movie and MTV, and even Hong Fei wouldn't change his mind.

Ye Ming was now a star who had appeared on the Spring Festival Gala. If it were last year, he wouldn't have dared to be so insistent, but now, as the leading man of Yonghua, if he insisted, Fang Fang had no choice but to sign Fan Binbin and Tang Wei.

However, Fang Fang didn't hold back when it came to the price. Five hundred yuan per song was a very low price in the industry.

Shooting an MTV is actually very demanding. Although it's short, the requirements for the camera are very high. It's normal to reshoot a scene ten or eight times, and sometimes even twenty times.

Therefore, this price was considered a newcomer's price.

Fan Binbin, who was familiar with Ye Ming, said without much formality, "Brother Ming, how many MTVs are you planning to shoot? I heard you're currently filming 'The Grand Mansion.' That's a big production directed by Guo Baocang, and I heard Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige are even running as extras. Won't it interfere with your filming?"

Hearing the names Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, Tang Wei's eyes lit up. These two were top directors, internationally renowned. Collaborating with either of them would be a lifetime's luck for an actor.

However, Tang Wei's eyes quickly dimmed. This wasn't something she could think about.

Ye Ming thought for a moment and said, "Five, maybe five MTVs. Two will be in animation form, and the other three will be shot. 'Legend' is the lead single of this album and will be animated. 'Rice Loves Rat' will also be animated due to the nature of the song. 'Blue and White Porcelain,' 'Invisible Wings,' and 'I Believe' are the three songs you two will shoot."

Clearly, Fan Binbin was more concerned about Ye Ming and immediately pointed out the omission, "What about 'It's All the Moon's Fault'? That's your breakout hit. It won't be included?"

'It's All the Moon's Fault' was the song that truly introduced Ye Ming to the national audience and was quite popular, especially among couples.

Ye Ming was a bit hesitant and said, "I think we won't shoot an MTV for this song. I haven't discussed it with the company yet. It will be included in the album, but we'll see. The key is that time might not be enough. I still have to shoot a movie, and it might end up being animated."

It wasn't that Ye Ming didn't want to shoot it, but the time was tight. Three MTVs in a month, and this had to be done between the shooting of 'The Grand Mansion.' It was a challenge for Ye Ming.

Therefore, when Ye Ming discussed this with Hong Fei, he didn't even mention this song.

This was also a song that had stood the test of time. Each of the six songs had the potential to be a lead single, and each was a classic.

Fan Binbin said with a smile, "What's there to hesitate about? 'It's All the Moon's Fault' is very popular. Even the kids in the kindergarten downstairs can sing it. Not shooting it would be a waste. This is a proper album, not all animation. It's not a children's album."

Ye Ming had his own reasons. 'Legend' was a song about Chen Xi. Only Chen Xi could play the female lead. If anyone else did, it would cause trouble.

At this moment, Chen Xi clearly didn't have the time to shoot an MTV, so he had to make 'Legend' into an animation.

Ye Ming said with a smile, "Alright, alright. If there's time and everything goes smoothly, we'll see."

There were two reasons why Ye Ming was so eager to release the album quickly. One was the appearance of Chen Yang, which put a lot of pressure on the Chen family. Ye Ming had to disrupt his plans and speed up.

The other reason was the major flood in the summer of 1998. If the album wasn't released in advance, and a flood occurred, it would be inappropriate to release a new album. He didn't want to be criticized.

After returning to the set and finding out he wouldn't have any scenes for a while, Ye Ming felt relieved and began shooting his MTVs.

Fang Fang took Ye Ming to a studio and introduced him to a tall, handsome young man.

Fang Fang said, "Ye Ming, this is the famous hair stylist Li Dongtian. I've hired him as your professional hair stylist for the entire album. For the two animated MTVs, the company will hire professionals from Taiwan. You need to put your heart into making a high-quality album. Otherwise, neither I nor Brother Fei will let you off."

Li Dongtian walked over with a smile and said, "Ye Ming, your 'Blue and White Porcelain' is very well-written, with a lot of depth. Even people in the fashion industry love it. I will do my best to help you create a great MTV. You can rest assured. Just tell me the style you want, and trust the professionals for the rest."

Li Dongtian, a future famous stylist, was already well-known in the industry. Otherwise, Fang Fang wouldn't have specially invited him.

The first to be shot was 'Blue and White Porcelain.' Ye Ming was very familiar with the style and nodded, saying, "I'll leave it to you, Mr. Li. I want a Chinese style, ancient and elegant. Our female lead, Fan Binbin, will be dressed in traditional Chinese attire. The whole MTV will have a classical Chinese literary style, with a touch of elegance and refinement."

Ye Ming wrote down the general concept of the MTV: a woman in traditional Chinese attire, holding a blue and white porcelain teapot, slowly brewing tea, every movement revealing the inheritance of thousands of years of Chinese civilization.

Special effects would be added in post-production, but the initial shooting was the most important.

This was a small matter for Li Dongtian. Half an hour later, a beautifully dressed Fan Binbin, looking like a woman from a thousand years ago, appeared before everyone.

The liveliness in Fan Binbin's eyes was something other actors lacked. She exuded a unique aura.

Every successful actor has their unique aura. Fan Binbin's aura was the light that occasionally flashed in her eyes, as if it could penetrate the soul of anyone.

Although Fan Binbin was still somewhat inexperienced, she already possessed the potential to stand at the top of the entertainment industry.

Some people are born for this, and Fan Binbin was one of them.

The company originally planned to hire a professional director, but Ye Ming disagreed. It wasn't about the cost, but Ye Ming's words stopped Fang Fang.

"If I can't even shoot an MTV, how can I make a movie?"

There was another point Ye Ming didn't mention: a hired director might not fully understand his vision. It would be better to shoot it himself and get some practice.

Fan Binbin, who had acted with Ye Ming before, hadn't seen his strict directorial style.

After experiencing Ye Ming's filming, Fan Binbin realized that shooting an MTV was much more challenging than shooting a TV drama.

Just the scene of washing a teacup with tea water, Fan Binbin had to shoot it 26 times.

After the shoot, Fan Binbin was almost exhausted on the set. She had to be fully focused in front of the camera, and the mental and physical toll was evident.