The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 767 - 766. The mouth dislikes, but the body is upright

Chapter 767: 766. The mouth dislikes, but the body is upright

For actors, a big-budget quality drama like "Corridor Pavilion" is a rare opportunity that can’t be missed.

It’s even more so for the judges.

This year, a drama directed by Director Li emerged, causing turbulence in the entire television industry; not only did this attract the attention of the discerning judges, but it also sounded an alarm for other professionals in the industry.

In the spacious private room, several directors and producers looked enviously at the people chatting across from them.

"Listening to Old Mr. Wu just now, it seems certain that ’Corridor Pavilion’ will be nominated for Best Director."

"I’m looking at the male and female leads battling it out too, the drama team does have three national treasure-level veteran actors."

"However, I have a different opinion. The lead actors indeed performed brilliantly in the drama, but those few already have Best Actor and Best Actress trophies in hand; this time, they surely should make way for newcomers."

"Oh? Newcomers... you mean ’Corridor Pavilion’ has a good chance of taking the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards?"

Apart from Best Actor and Actress, what’s left are the supporting role awards, aren’t they?

The person nodded, feeling more certain about what they had said, "I think the possibility is high. Regarding ’Corridor Pavilion,’ I’m afraid you’ve only watched the drama series, right?"

The other two exchanged a puzzled look, wondering, "As colleagues, if we don’t watch Director Li’s series, what else should we watch? Why do you say it like that? It’s so strange."

When Director Li’s series premiered, it attracted not only the broad audience but also directors and actors within the industry, yet their focus was not on the storyline but on filming techniques and the actors’ performances.

Watching is a must.

"Hehe, what era are we in now? You should keep up with the times. When I mentioned ’Corridor Pavilion,’ I wasn’t just referring to the drama series, but also to video compilations edited by young people on the internet. Among them, there are several segments summarizing the roles of the supporting actor and actress, accumulating over tens of millions of clicks."

"Video compilations? That’s just a spontaneous act by the audience, how can it be mixed with awards selection?"

As acclaimed directors in the entertainment industry, the first things that came to mind when they heard ’video compilations’ were all those bizarre edits.

These videos have one thing in common—they’re a complete mess with no logic.

To put it bluntly, those edits are not presentable; they’re just random clips chopped up by amateur fans based on personal preferences, not even qualifying as works.

The director who spoke first, however, held an utterly different view.

"Of course, there’s a connection, you know. Aside from professional perspectives, the judges also take into account the preferences of the broad audience when scoring. Those video segments I just mentioned have even more views than the lead actors’ compilations."

What does that indicate? It indicates that the supporting characters are more appealing than the leads!

The gaze of the public is the standard by which the quality of a TV series is measured, and capturing their affection is tantamount to a sure win.

The two were astonished, "What, the view count is even higher than the leads’ videos? How is that possible!"

You should know that the reason why someone is the lead is because they outshine all other characters in the drama; it is virtually impossible to be surpassed by a supporting role under normal circumstances.

Of course, there are exceptions where a supporting role in some dramas carries the show with acting skills, but these are rare.

"Could it be that actors are hiring click farms to promote themselves?"

After all, such tactics are all too common in this industry.

"No, no, at first I also thought it was the actors self-promoting, but after watching the video compilation, I changed my mind. You guys... never mind, I’ll send it to you."

If the videos could even convince me, what’s the chance they wouldn’t persuade these two colleagues?

The person took out their phone and transferred a few edited clips.

The edited video wasn’t long, merely a series of connected scenes, but with the addition of background music and the editor’s personal insights, the result was very satisfying. The storyline emerged seamlessly, and it earned a wave of comments from netizens raving about how addictive it was.

The two directors, who initially hadn’t thought much of it, were stupefied after watching, unable to extricate themselves from the atmosphere crafted by the video for a long time.

"This Crown Princess Consort is really outstanding. I already liked her when I was watching the TV series, but not to this extent..."

"Yes, when you compile her scenes like this, it really highlights Lu Xiangtong’s character, making her even more three-dimensional and full!"

"You know what, after watching the video, I really feel indignant for the Crown Princess Consort. With her noble birth and upbringing, she could have been the mother of a nation. It’s a pity she met the wrong person..."

"No wonder she comes from a scholarly family; this is what the ancients called a ’lady of noble birth’ — truly worthy of the Empress’s position in terms of virtue!"

The more they talked, the more excited they became, leaving their colleague beside them bewildered.

What’s going on with you guys? You looked so unimpressed just now, and in a matter of minutes, you’ve completely changed your tune!

Typical case of ’their words disparaging but their hearts approving’!

"Ha, so that’s what you two are like!"

After watching the video, the three of them sighed for a long time, "Just a supporting character, and yet she shines so brightly under Director Li’s guidance. If she were in another TV series, she’d be a proper female lead..."

That’s what makes a great director. Their mastery over character development is simply flawless.

"I think, if you want to succeed in the future, you need a good script. As for ’traffic stars’... after all, they are a step behind."

"Exactly. Traffic stars may bring in high ratings for a time, but they show their limitations when it comes to winning awards."

"But good scripts aren’t just lying around everywhere!"

"Script, director, actor — all three are indispensable. If we want to move forward, we’ll definitely have to work harder!"

Inside the private room, the seated directors nodded in agreement.

A gathering, a TV series, had made everyone realize the path they should take in the future.

***

The next day, the finale of "Corridor Pavilion" unsurprisingly topped the trending searches.

The extremely high ratings and the dramatic plot had many netizens exclaiming their satisfaction, and many viewers expressed their reluctance to part with the show.

"The Crown Prince, that scumbag, finally bit the dust. What a joyous occasion!"

"The ending was as expected. History doesn’t lie; the transfer of power has always been steeped in the smell of blood."

"So satisfying! I won’t say anything else, I’m off to rewatch it twice, three times!"

"After the finale, I suddenly felt a sense of loss. Good shows are too rare; I have no idea what to watch during dinner from now on..."

"Teacher Ke’s Empress Dowager was peerlessly imposing! Emma’s last scenes were simply too thrilling; they got my blood pumping!"

"I just feel a bit sorry for the Crown Princess Consort. She was clearly so exceptional, yet she ended up with such a scumbag. From now on, she’ll spend her days and nights in the palace with only the eternal lamps for company."