Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 64: Nothing can stop Director Lin from heading towards a better future!

The opening ceremony for "My Love from the Star" was held as scheduled.

This opening ceremony was nowhere near as lively as the one for "Twelve Citizens." The last one was a joint event between the three schools, semi-official in nature, and involved quite a few celebrities, making it a very grand affair.

This was just a simple opening ceremony for the film crew; apart from the actors and the main creative team, no other people in the industry were invited.

However, a lot of reporters came.

To be precise, there are a lot.

The news that Hu Ge and Liu Shishi have switched allegiance to Wang Jinghua is explosive.

It's worth noting that Hu Ge was a pillar of the Tangren (a popular children's entertainment company) business, and Liu Shishi was a rising star who gained immense popularity last year with "Scarlet Heart." The fact that both of them left Tangren at the same time, especially at a time when rumors of problems were rampant, was incredibly tempting for reporters.

The news was kept under wraps until last week before being released as a warm-up, and the entertainment industry immediately went into an uproar.

The discussion on Weibo remained heated, with all sorts of rumors flying around. Some said that Tangren was going out of business, some said that the two had been poached, and others said that the two were forced into this situation by some shady means.

It's a mix of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, but it's definitely generated a lot of buzz.

This opening ceremony also marks the first official public appearance of the two since they switched careers.

How could the media possibly miss this opportunity?

The reporters swarmed in like cats drawn by the smell of fish.

The opening ceremony was held in Hengdian. They filmed several ancient scenes first, and then took advantage of the holiday to move to Nanjing University to film the university scenes.

Nanjing University is a great place; we can even film there in the future.

As for why they didn't go to the Beijing Film Academy, it can only be said that this drama bears the important responsibility of cultural export, and cannot be too petty.

Early in the morning, before the opening ceremony even started, a large group of reporters had already gathered outside the film set.

"Here it comes!"

Someone shouted something, and the reporters immediately became agitated.

A black van slowly drove up and stopped at the entrance to the red carpet.

The car door opened, and Brother Hu got out first.

Today he was dressed in a white Ming-style scholar's robe, over which was a black Taoist robe with gold cloud patterns, a wide leather belt around his waist, and a jade hairpin in his hair. He looked quite like a hermit sage.

This outfit is the costume of the male protagonist, Shen Xinghe, in the drama. He is an extraterrestrial who accidentally landed in the Ming Dynasty four hundred years ago.

"Hu Ge! Look this way!"

"Hu Ge! Can you say a few words?"

"Hu Ge! Can you respond to the matter of leaving Sugarman?"

The reporters bombarded him with questions like a machine gun.

Fortunately, Lin Yu had the foresight to send extra personnel in advance, preventing the reporters from breaking through the defenses.

Hu Jintao smiled and waved to the reporters, but didn't stop, walking directly onto the red carpet. His robes fluttered in the breeze, giving him a truly ethereal and otherworldly air.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Shishi also got off the car.

She was dressed in Ming Dynasty women's clothing. She wore a moon-white cross-collar long jacket underneath, a lake-blue double-breasted jacket over it, and a horse-face skirt with delicate intertwined floral patterns embroidered on the hem. Her hair was styled in a simple double-loop bun, adorned with a white jade beaded hairpin. She looked elegant and refined, with a touch of nobility.

This is the look of the female lead, Qin Chanjuan, in the drama. Don't worry about whether it fits the character setting. Idol dramas don't need to worry about so much about whether it is reasonable or not. What we need is to look good!

Although Liu Shishi wasn't the one acting in the ancient scenes, they still made her a costume to attract attention.

The flashes became more frequent.

"Liu Shishi!"

"Shishi! Look this way!"

"Shishi! Can you tell me why you chose to leave Sugar Man?"

"What are your expectations for your new employer?"

Liu Shishi simply smiled faintly, lifted her skirt, nodded slightly to the reporters, and then followed Hu Ge onto the red carpet. Her Ming-style women's clothing accentuated her graceful figure, making her steps appear as if floating on lotus petals.

The two people, one in front and one behind, worked together seamlessly, clearly having discussed their strategy in advance.

Lin Gengxin was the third to get off the bus, but he was clearly dressed in modern clothes, since the roles he played in the drama were all in modern settings and there were no ancient costume scenes.

It would be strange if someone insisted on wearing Ming Dynasty clothing for the opening ceremony, and might even be accused of false advertising.

The reporters weren't as enthusiastic towards him as they were towards the previous two, and the loudest voice was still:

"Lin Gengxin! Is this your first time working with Hu Ge and Liu Shishi? What are your thoughts?"

Lin Gengxin almost stumbled when he heard this, feeling a surge of resentment.

It's like he's some nobody. He's a proper professional actor who's played the second male lead in several hit dramas!

Lin Yu didn't walk the red carpet; he wasn't particularly fond of being in the spotlight. Besides, the actors were the main focus today, so why should he, as the director, steal the limelight?

He arrived early at a small building near the scene and stood by the second-floor window, looking down at the three main actors who were being besieged by reporters below.

"Director Lin, how's it feeling? Does this feel familiar?" Lin Yu stood by the window, glancing back at the middle-aged woman sitting at the table drinking tea. "Does it feel like we're filming a movie with a sugar figurine?"

Lin Yufen.

He is in his forties, a veteran director, and has made significant achievements in the fields of period dramas and fantasy dramas.

Logically speaking, she should have stayed at the Shanghai Sugar Man shop.

After all, following the acquisition of Sugarman, Kenneth Fok promised that the original team could remain with their current salaries and benefits. As one of Sugarman's top directors, Lin Yufen could easily continue filming her period dramas in Shanghai.

But if someone is willing to go out and make their own way, Kenneth Fok can't forcibly stop them, right?

Just like Lin Yu didn't stop several artists under Sugar Man from going to the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

You can't stop others from striving for a better future!

It took Lin Yu a lot of effort to persuade her to come out of retirement.

First, Liu Shishi called her personally, saying that the drama had many modern scenes and needed a director who understood both period dramas and modern dramas to oversee it, hoping that she could come out of retirement to help.

Then, Brother Hu went to Shanghai and specifically invited her to dinner, trying to appeal to her emotions. The two had worked together on several films before and had a good relationship. As soon as Brother Hu spoke, Lin Yufen began to waver.

Finally, Lin Yu also personally went to Shanghai, bringing the script and his sincerity, and talked face-to-face for two hours.

Then Lin Yufen reluctantly came to Hengdian and became the executive director of this drama.

"That's all too familiar. You dug up the lead actors and director from the sugar figurine business." Lin Yufen put down her teacup. "You dug up the lead actors and director from the sugar figurine business, how could we not be familiar?"

Lin Yu wasn't annoyed by Lin Yufen's sarcasm. After all, they were now under his command, so what was wrong with scolding the boss a few times?

Although Lin Yufen is more famous for period dramas and fantasy dramas, she is also quite capable in modern dramas, she just isn't as famous as the former two.

"Let's go, almost everyone's here." Lin Yu looked downstairs; the main actors had all arrived, and the reporters had set up their equipment.

By the time Lin Yu arrived downstairs, the actors and reporters were mostly in place.

The venue was decorated in a very unique way. In addition to the words "My Love from the Star" in large letters on the backdrop, there were also costume photos of several main actors.

Besides Hu Ge and Liu Shishi, there is also a young actress dressed in ancient costume, while the rest are in modern attire. The alternation of ancient and modern costumes creates a strong visual impact.

The altar was already set up, with fruit, roast suckling pig, and incense on it.

As is customary, the opening ceremony begins with a prayer to the gods, seeking a smooth filming process.

Lin Yu walked to the incense table and straightened his clothes.

He is certainly not superstitious, but the proper sense of ritual is still necessary.

This is not only a respect for tradition, but also a signal to the entire crew to officially begin.

The entire process was meticulous and conducted with utmost sincerity.

Hu Ge, Liu Shishi, and other lead actors also stepped forward to offer their prayers. Dressed in Ming Dynasty attire, they stood before the incense table, and the traditional ceremony created a sense of temporal displacement.

Several photojournalists captured the scene, and the sound of shutters clicking filled the air.

After the prayers, the next steps included unveiling, filming, and interviews.

Lin Yu picked up the clappers he had prepared beforehand and tapped them three times lightly on the machine.

"Good luck with your startup!"