Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 29 Casting

With the investment of 80 million yuan officially finalized, the project can now be accelerated across the board.

The crucial casting process has moved from theoretical discussions to substantive implementation.

The lead actor is, without a doubt, Pan Yueming, who was already confirmed.

Despite the ongoing turmoil, Qi Yue's trust and the highly challenging twin premise of "Day and Night" solidified Pan Yueming's resolve, even giving him a do-or-die attitude.

Any mature director tends to use "familiar people" who have worked together and trust each other, and Qi Yue is no exception.

He also absorbed almost the entire original team from "Yu Zui".

Li Qing plays Zhou Shutong, a junior detective; Ning Li plays Han Bin, a criminal psychology expert; and Jiang Qiming plays Ye Fangzhou, who walks the line between right and wrong.

These constitute the creative team that Qi Yue is most familiar with.

With the skeleton built, the next step is to fill in the crucial flesh and blood.

When Qi Yue was reviewing a large amount of actor information and industry recommendations, he noticed Zeng Li's name when he was looking at the role of Gao Yanan (Guan Hongfeng's ex-girlfriend, a female forensic doctor).

The recommender simply mentioned, "She was a former campus beauty at the Central Academy of Drama, a good actress with a unique temperament."

Qi Yue quickly browsed through clips of Zeng Li's past works. Whether it was a fleeting glimpse in a period drama or a composed performance in a modern drama, Zeng Li's qualities, which combined classical beauty with a modern coolness, immediately matched him with the professional, rational, and emotionally reserved Gao Yanan in the script.

"She's the one."

Without hesitation, Qi Yue immediately instructed the casting director to contact Zeng Li's team.

The connection went smoothly, and Zeng Li's team was very interested in the script for "Day and Night" and the momentum of the "Tongfan" team.

In a brief video conference, Qi Yue clearly explained Gao Yanan's role, and Zeng Li was also attracted by this layered role. The two parties quickly finalized their cooperation.

The process was efficient, without too many twists and turns, and was purely based on the mutual recognition between the character and the actor.

During a casual conversation after discussing the details with Zeng Li, Zeng Li recommended a friend to Qi Yue.

"Director Qi, the character Zhou Xun needs to be hot-tempered, a man of action, and have a raw sense of justice... I have a classmate from the Central Academy of Drama, Duan Yihong, who seems like a good fit. Do you want to cast him?"

Duan Yihong?

This is considered a very capable male actor.

Qi Yue immediately pulled up Duan Yihong's collection of works, especially clips of several tough-guy policemen or soldiers.

After watching for only ten minutes, Qi Yue made a decision:

Whether it's the angularity of his appearance or the realism and explosiveness of his performance, Duan Yihong is almost the embodiment of Zhou Xun.

"Contact Professor Duan Yihong," Qi Yue immediately instructed. "We need to take this person down."

The subsequent process became more compact and focused.

Through Zeng Li's connections, Qi Yue's team established contact with Duan Yihong's agent.

When actors reach a certain stage, they become qualified to choose roles rather than roles choosing actors. Duan Yihong clearly belongs to the former category.

Qi Yue did not send a message through an intermediary, but flew to Shanghai himself.

I had a two-hour meeting with Duan Yihong, who was filming GG at the time.

"Teacher Duan, Zhou Xun is not a stereotypical policeman. He is impatient, but not stupid; he is rough, but warm-hearted; he is suspicious of everything, yet he values ​​loyalty above all else. I need an actor who can portray the smell of sweat and cigarettes under his police uniform, as well as that indomitable spirit."

Qi Yue's gaze was frank and sharp. "I believe that you are the best candidate in China to portray this role so vividly."

Duan Yihong flipped through the materials prepared by Qi Yue, listened to his enthusiastic explanations, and occasionally asked a few pointed questions.

Finally, Duan Yihong closed the document and nodded:

"The script is good, and Zhou Xun is a believable character. Director Qi, I really admire your creative passion; I'll take this role."

With his roles in several hit dramas, Duan Yihong's salary is among the top tier in the market, which puts considerable financial pressure on the entire production team.

However, after a quick assessment, Qi Yue and Guo Fan unanimously agreed that:

Worth it! Duan Yihong's addition not only provides an extra guarantee of acting skills, but also adds the most significant weight to the overall quality and significance of the series.

With Duan Yihong's confirmation, the core cast of "Day and Night" has been finalized.

Pan Yueming and Duan Yihong faced off, while Zeng Li, Li Qing, Ning Li, Jiang Qiming, and others surrounded them like stars.

A cast of top-notch actors, market appeal, and perfect fit for their roles was quickly assembled thanks to Qi Yue's decisive decisions and skillful networking.

The next step is to use these trump cards to achieve a victory that will shock everyone.

Just as Qi Yue and Guo Fan were full of ambition and ready to make a big splash.

As expected, an "accident" came knocking.

The big spender is about to send people over.

This is almost an unspoken rule in the industry.

With an investment of 80 million, "Day and Night" became a hit even before filming began, attracting countless eyes eager to get a piece of the pie.

Xu Wei, who was in charge of the liaison, also gave Qi Yue a heads-up beforehand:

"The big boss mentioned that there's a young woman he wants to arrange a role for. She's also from your film academy, a sophomore now, has some acting experience, and a very good appearance. Be prepared, and try to accommodate her as long as her requests aren't too unreasonable. After all, it's their money that's being paid."

Qi Yue certainly understood.

He was not a clueless naiveté who didn't understand social etiquette.

As long as the other party's conditions aren't too outrageous, and their acting isn't so bad as to be an eyesore, we won't force them to add or change scenes to the point of affecting the main plot.

It's not unacceptable to do someone a favor and arrange for her to be cast in a suitable supporting role.

There are many female characters in "Day and Night". In addition to the already confirmed Zhou Shutong (Li Qing) and Gao Yanan (Zeng Li), there are many other roles to choose from.

A few days later, arranged by Xu Wei, an informal "meeting" took place in a quiet tea room.

Qi Yue took Guo Fan with him.

Pushing open the door, I saw that Xu Wei had already arrived, and a girl was sitting next to her.

The girl looked up at the sound.

Qi Yue's gaze met hers.

That was a face that would be considered top-tier even in the entertainment industry.

With well-defined features, fair skin, a high nose bridge, and large, clear, bright eyes, she exuded a subtle tension and curiosity.

She wore a simple white shirt and jeans, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, exuding youthful energy.

But perhaps her outstanding appearance gives her a natural sense of aloofness.

"Director Qi, come, let me introduce you." Xu Wei stood up with a smile. "This is Nazha, a student in the acting department of the film academy. Nazha, this is Director Qi Yue, and this is cinematographer Guo Fan."

"Hello, Senior Brother Qi and Senior Brother Guo."

Gulnazar quickly stood up, bowed slightly, and greeted him in a clear and polite manner, even a little cautiously.