Chapter 1368: Chapter 713: Resources and Connections
In the words of industry insiders, Zhou Lan’s career has risen in recent years along with Zhou Yun.
Countless agents envy Zhou Lan for encountering an artist like Zhou Yun, hence having a masterpiece for life and a worry-free existence.
Zhou Lan never denies this, nor does she say anything else.
She always smiles and says, "Yes, I’m lucky to have encountered an artist like Zhou Yun. I must have accumulated some virtue in my past life."
After saying this, she immediately sets out to plan the development of other people without hesitation.
Zhou Lan is a professional agent. Besides Zhou Yun, she has other artists to take care of.
What does an agent ultimately rely on?
Is it resources, connections, or that crucial bit of insight?
Zhou Lan now lacks neither resources nor connections, but this only ensures that her artists have roles to play and are not unemployed.
Looking at the entertainment circle, many people will find that there are quite a few such actors. They’re not particularly famous, yet they continue to lead in one project after another.
Why is this the case?
The most likely reason is that they have a resource-rich agent or a well-connected benefactor helping them.
So, if they aren’t popular? It doesn’t matter.
In today’s entertainment industry, many circles and networks have become entrenched.
If you’re a nobody and don’t play social games, you won’t get roles.
Zhou Lan doesn’t want Huang Zicheng and Lu Zhongting to act for seven or eight years without any career improvement, performing one role after another, from youth to middle age, without anyone knowing them.
But Zhou Lan also knows that this kind of thing is unpredictable. Popularity is a mysterious science.
"Ugh, I still haven’t found a suitable role for Huang Zicheng," Zhou Lan discussed this matter with Zhou Yun while on their way to visit Yuk Chu in the hospital.
"Why?" Zhou Yun asked.
Zhou Lan replied, "Huang Zicheng has a sunny image. He’s also an athlete by nature, different from Lu Zhongting, who doesn’t have that delicate fair look. But most young actors these days, especially male leads, are written as this delicate, fair type, and that’s what the audience likes to see."
"What types of shows do platforms prefer nowadays?" Zhou Yun inquired.
Zhou Lan replied, "First, youth school dramas; second, romantic idol dramas; third, reality dramas that can spark social discussions or attention; fourth, suspense crime or adventure genres. In the first type, male leads are all preferred to be handsome, especially those with a refined appearance. Someone like Huang Zicheng, who is more sunny and has thick eyebrows and big eyes, isn’t popular. In the second type, romantic idol dramas, Huang Zicheng’s age only suits him for roles of a younger guy dating an older woman. To put it in a casting director’s words, he’s not the type that female audiences would go crazy for or that would ignite hormonal excitement. In the third type, he has even less market, as this is often the domain of seasoned actors. The fourth type is generally adapted from IPs, and Huang Zicheng basically can’t get a part in those. What he can access are B-level projects, which I don’t want him to take part in."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun immediately understood Zhou Lan’s difficulty.
To put it plainly, Huang Zicheng’s image isn’t what the mainstream market prefers.
Zhou Yun asked, "Aren’t there any standout supporting roles suitable for him?"
"I haven’t found any. It’s not like I insist he plays the male lead," Zhou Lan said, "It’s just that if it’s not a leading actor in a top tier play, I don’t want him playing supporting roles—there’s no need for it." She continued, "I’ve reached out to several producers organizing big projects. No matter what, I want to find him a few significant roles. I hope that with a big production, he can learn more from an experienced crew. I don’t want him to join non-professional teams and pick up bad habits."
There are plenty of roles in TV dramas, and with Zhou Lan’s ability, finding some supporting roles for Huang Zicheng isn’t an issue. But these roles are unlikely to really push Huang Zicheng to a higher level.
Zhou Yun said, "If all else fails, take it slow, hone his acting skills, and eventually, there will be roles suitable for him. I see that both he and Lu Zhongting are still somewhat inexperienced."
"After all, they’re not professionally trained, nor are they exceptionally gifted actors. But both are quite diligent and eager learners," Zhou Lan added. "Let’s take things slow."
