Jiang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Not many agencies in the industry can be trusted. Instead of signing exploitative contracts, being squeezed dry by the company, or even facing unspoken rules and being taken advantage of, it's better to work for myself. I want to establish a studio and go solo."
"Great! Working for yourself means you won't have to put up with such indignities. I support you!" Sister Sa cheered Jiang Ling on.
They say adversity reveals true friendship, and Jiang Ling truly felt it. Her heart was filled with warmth.
Shen Mingjue's ten million yuan quickly arrived.
Jiang Ling took out one million yuan and had Sister Sa rent an office in a good location in Modu. Then, she officially established her personal studio.
After the personal studio was established, Jiang Ling became her own boss.
Sister Sa smoothly transitioned from assistant to agent and began busying herself with finding resources for Jiang Ling.
Despite being blacklisted by the entire internet and losing a large number of fans, Jiang Ling's popularity remained high.
In this era of impetuousness and emphasis on traffic, being infamously popular was still popular. The worst fear was not being talked about at all.
Therefore, at this moment, there were still plenty of film crews and production companies seeking Jiang Ling for acting roles. They wanted to leverage Jiang Ling to generate buzz. Whether it was discussion or criticism, the heat was on. Many crews didn't fear being scolded; they feared being unknown. The more people scolded, the better the ratings. Hiring Jiang Ling could save tens of millions in promotional expenses and guarantee the drama's popularity. Why wouldn't they do it?
"Little Lingzi, these are scripts sent by the production companies. Take a look." Sister Sa presented a stack of scripts to Jiang Ling, her expression quite grim.
Although many crews were approaching Jiang Ling for acting roles, even more than before she terminated her contract, none of the roles were leading lady. Most of them were for those foolish, wicked, and unlikable brainless villainous female supporting characters.
Having navigated the industry for so many years in her previous life, Jiang Ling was accustomed to the fickleness of human nature and the tendency to fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. Without even reading the scripts, she knew they were offering her supporting roles.
However, Jiang Ling remained unconcerned, as the role she was meant to play had already been designated by the system. She went through all the scripts and finally pointed to the script for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," saying, "This one."
"Ah?" Sister Sa was instantly stunned. "Little Lingzi, the character in this script is a 96-year-old woman. You're still so young, how can you play such a role?"
Jiang Ling smiled faintly. "Roles are neither good nor bad; it all depends on whether one can bring them to life. If I want to shed the label of a 'traffic star,' I must earnestly portray every character."
Sister Sa listened, stared at her for a long time, and then a look of relief spread across her face. "Earnestly acting is the way to go!"
...
Hengdian World Studios.
Inside the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" production crew.
Director Zhang, affectionately known as "Big Beard" in the industry and famous for his love of adapting Jin Yong's wuxia dramas, was recently very troubled. After years of meticulous preparation, he had finally obtained approval to film Jin Yong's magnum opus, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils." The male lead, female lead, and various supporting actors had all been cast. However, the role of Tianshan Tonglao was causing him considerable distress.
Although Tianshan Tonglao was not the main female lead, she was the most crucial supporting character in the growth arc of one of the three male protagonists, Xuzhu. The success or failure of this role directly impacted Xuzhu. Her screen time was far more significant than that of Meng Gu, the female lead who had little presence. Previously, Hong Kong had filmed a version of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."