Chapter 206 - Male Lead

“Lu Chen, this time, it is really thanks to you…”

In the office of the music director of Flying Stone Records, Lin Zhijie said to Lu Chen with a smile: “For a happy cooperation!”

The title song of MSN’s debut album, “Not Yet Lovers”, was written by Lu Chen and co-arranged and co-supervised with Lin Zhijie. At the listening session that had just finished, it was highly praised by the company’s senior executives and industry personalities.

This song was so in line with the temperament and characteristics of MSN. Although Lin Zhijie had been full of confidence throughout the production process, it was only until the dust has settled that he was really relieved.

The music director of Flying Stone Records has rich experience. He has supervised and produced a lot of albums, and has worked with some of the biggest stars in the country. So, it stood to reason that someone like him, who was accustomed to great winds and waves, didn’t need to be so serious.

The reason was that there was a lot of controversy from within the company some time ago, which made this old gun1 feel more pressure.

Especially when Lin Zhijie decided to asked Lu Chen for a song. It was unknown how much gossip he caused.

The price tag of Lu Chen’s song was 350,000, and the friendly price for Flying Stone Records was 300,000. Together with the remuneration of the producer, it has completely reached the level of top songwriters in the industry.

He’s just a newcomer who has just made his debut. What virtues or abilities does he have2?

Some people even suspected that Lin Zhijie got a kickback! It wasn’t until a large number of Lu Chen’s works landed on the Original Music Chart that the rumor died out in the company.

Others believed that Lin Zhijie seizing MSN and MSN’s debut album was an act of trying to seize power by overstepping authority to meddle in other people’s affairs.

While some people were just waiting to see him made a fool of himself!

But today, the listening session passed through smoothly, and the future of MSN was full of promise. Lin Zhijie was naturally very grateful to Lu Chen.

He also admired his vision and determination.

Lu Chen said with a smile, “Brother Lin is too polite. I still have to rely on your help with my album! “

His own album, “You Who Sit Next To Me,” completed the crowdfunding a few days ago. At present, the CDs and peripheral products have been put on Flying Stone Records to start production. If everything goes well, they can be distributed all over the country next week.

In this process, Lin Zhijie contributed a lot.

Lin Zhijie smiled: “We open our door to do business, how can we refuse customers? What ‘help’ are you saying…”

After a pause, he said: “But I do need your help.”

Lu Chen asked curiously, “Help with what?”

Lin Zhijie said with a smile, “We are preparing to shoot the music video of the title song for MSN. At present, we are missing a male lead.”

“Not Yet Lovers” music video’s male lead?

Lu Chen didn’t expect that Lin Zhijie actually wanted him to appear in MSN’s music video!

What help? He must be kidding. Flying Stone Records has many artists under them. Wanting to find someone who was about the same age and appearance as Lu Chen was really very simple.

Such a good thing, many people would break their heads for it. How could the fertile water of Flying Stone Records flow to Lu Chen’s field?3

Lu Chen didn’t believe it: “Brother Lin, don’t joke like this.”

Lin Zhijie said, “I’m not kidding. You are the original songwriter of this song. Moreover, you meet all the requirements. It would be good publicity. I think it’s perfect!”

It turned out to be a publicity stunt!

Lu Chen understood. Flying Stone really spared no effort to make MSN popular.

With his identity and reputation, cooperating with MSN to shoot the MV was indeed a good publicity stunt.

Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, “When will the shooting be?”

Lin Zhijie replied, “The day after tomorrow. Can you spare the time? The shooting will be completed in two days at most. The main shots are all in the school, so it won’t take too much time.”

“As for the pay for the performance. Our budget is limited. Do you think 30,000 yuan is okay?”

Music video was completely different from commercials, movies, and TV dramas. Lu Chen cooperating with MSN to play the male lead, was usually due their friendly relationship. The price of 30, 000 was very good.

If it was played by Flying Stone Records’ own artists, it would be completely free.

Lu Chen still has some understanding of the market. He nodded and said, “The payment is not important. I just have one condition…”

Originally, things like this should have been discussed with Lu Xi, but because the amount was very small and it had the nature of friendly help, he directly agreed to it, and then his sister could make up the contract later.

Of course, Lu Chen was not completely without any request. He has conditions.

…….

Monday, October 12. Northern Conservatory of Music.

The Northern Conservatory of Music was one of the three major conservatory of music in Beijing. It has the same status as Jingyin and Zhongyin4. It was famous for its open-minded and free style of study in the higher music institutes in China.

Beiyin attached great importance to social practice. After graduation, most of its students have entered various media and entertainment companies and have wide influence in the industry.

As an established music production company, Flying Stone Records has always had a good cooperative relationship with Beiyin.

Therefore, the shooting location of the music video of MSN’s “Not Yet Lovers” was in the Northern Conservatory of Music.

Flying Stone Records attached great importance to this music video. They had sent an elite team, consisting of no fewer than three cameramen, an art designer, lighting crew, makeup artists, costume coordinator, prop manager and so on.

In a classroom, Lu Chen was sitting in front of a vertical piano.

He was wearing a specially-made school uniform, and was engrossed in playing the tune of the song “Not Yet Lover”. The early morning sun cast mottled light and shadow on his face and body through the gaps between the leaves and glass windows.

The three members of MSN, Mu Xiaochu, Su Jiajia and Ning Tian, were sitting in the front row and enjoying Lu Chen’s performance with a smile on their faces.

Mu Xiaochu was in the middle, Su Jiajia and Ning Tian were on her left and right.

This was the second scene of the music video of “Not Yet Lovers”.

In this music video, Mu Xiaochu was the female lead, Lu Chen’s partner, while Su Jiajia and Ning Tian were her best friends.

Originally, Flying Stone Records preferred Ning Tian to be the female lead, because she was the most beautiful and her appearance condition5 was also the best.

But Lin Zhijie believed that Mu Xiaochu’s pure and sweet temperament best fits the theme of “Not Yet Lovers”, so he chose her in the end.

After playing half of the song, Lu Chen raised his head and looked at the seat in front of him, which happened to be in line with Mu Xiaochu.

He smiled and then winked at the other party mischievously.

The latter lowered her head shyly, not daring to meet Lu Chen’s eyes. She was as shy as a startled rabbit.

Although he knew that he was shooting a video, and knew that two cameras were pointed at him at the same time, Lu Chen still felt a wonderful feeling in his heart, and he inadvertently thought of two poems.

It is most gentle one that bows its head, just like a water lotus flower, extremely shy.

And the sound of the piano swayed like clear spring water, causing ripples one after another.

Just like Lu Chen’s mood at this moment.

Sitting in the corner of the classroom, Fang Hui, the director of the music video, bit her lip for fear that she would shout out on the spot.

This shot was amazing!

Fang Hui was the outside director6 that Flying Stone Records hired. She was famous in the circle for shooting movies and dramas that express women’s delicate emotions. She has also shot many music videos and has extremely rich experience.

Fang Hui originally didn’t want to come, because the male and female leads of this music video were all newcomers, so they must lack shooting experience and will waste a lot of her time.

She has very strict requirements for her works.

But because it was Xia Guoyuan, the boss of Flying Stone Records, who personally invited her, Fang Hui still gave face.

What she didn’t expect was that the shooting process went unexpectedly smooth.

First of all, Mu Xiaochu, the female lead. She obviously didn’t have much experience in acting. At the beginning, she made several mistakes, all of which were low-level mistakes.

But her comprehension was very high. After being reminded and instructed, she didn’t make the same mistake again.

The most important thing was that Mu Xiaochu herself was a college girl. It was a natural performance. She played the psychological state of the female lead’s longing for love, longing to be loved, and dare not take the initiative to express her love to the male lead, very naturally.

Fang Hui even felt that more so with Lu Chen.

Speaking of Lu Chen, Fang Hui really didn’t believe that Lu Chen was a newcomer who has just made his debut, and has no acting learning experience before. His performance in front of the camera was impeccable, and his movements and eyes were very good.

Lu Chen’s acting skills seemed to be natural. His acting skills made Fang Hui’s heart beat with excitement.

He was a natural actor.

In Fang Hui’s opinion, Lu Chen’s performance today was the biggest surprise she has received.

The female director even had an idea.

“Cut!”

When Lu Chen finished playing the tune, Fang Hui finally couldn’t help standing up and said with a smile, “It’s a pass!”7

If they could maintain such excellent condition, it wouldn’t take two days at all, and they could finish the shooting today.

Not far from Fang Hui, Li Feiyu was still shooting with a mobile camera.

All the scenes he captured were being transmitted to the live broadcasting room of [Whale TV] through the 4G network!

Lu Chen agreed to appear in this MV on the condition that Flying Stone Records would allow him to shoot the scene live.

Lu Chen has a two-year contract with [Whale TV], which required him to spend enough time each month to host live broadcasts and interact with fans.

Although there were ways around the terms of the contract, and the contract has become out of date as Lu Chen’s reputation continued to increase, so far, he has no intention to give up on live streaming.

Because Lu Chen has not forgotten what has supported him all the way to the present. Most of his fans come from the live streaming platforms, and it was the rewards of these fans that helped him through the initial difficult period.

Even though Lu Chen now spent less and less time playing and singing in the live broadcast room, his fans have no complaints, and they still enthusiastically buy his albums and participate in his album crowdfunding activities.

To be human, one should know how to be grateful!

So, when conditions permit, Lu Chen would appear in his live broadcast room, not necessarily to sing. just like now live streaming of the shooting of the MV, it could also bring great surprise and novelty to fans.

This was also his small reward to his fans who have always supported him.

Lu Chen stood up and waved at Li Feiyu’s camera.

Good morning, everyone!