As soon as the storm-like interview bombardment on Hao Ren ended, it was Kerry's turn, the film's male lead, to "appear."
Kerry was originally a "pillar" of the comedy world; his acting style was incredibly exaggerated, even a bit extravagant, almost screaming "I am a comedian."
In the United States, for a comedian like him, winning a legitimate actor award was as difficult as climbing the heavens with bare hands, with a near-zero possibility.
Therefore, after being recommended to Su Yu by Allen this time, Kerry was energized and pulled out all the stops, determined to perform brilliantly in this film.
Why? He desperately wanted to prove himself; he was unwilling to be seen only as a "comedian" who could only perform comedy.
However, compared to the screenwriter Su Yu, who had skyrocketing popularity and heat, and the great director Hao Ren, who had directed billion-dollar blockbusters, while Kerry had some fame abroad, his recognition in China was somewhat lacking.
The media and reporters who came from overseas showed absolutely no interest in him, as if he were air.
A movie, yet no interest in its main male lead?
Kerry was utterly bewildered, probably thinking, "Who did I offend?"
But he had no choice but to bite the bullet, a stiff, mask-like smile plastered on his face, nodding repeatedly, enduring until the curtain of the film's premiere slowly opened.
He held a strong determination in his heart: "You all look down on me, right? This time, I'm going to make your jaws drop and question your lives!"
The film began with the Dragon Mark and Tianxing Entertainment's logo animation flashing by, followed by a familiar face appearing on screen.
Hey, isn't that Director Hao Ren? This guy actually came to act in this movie too?
Is this a case of abusing power for personal gain, secretly indulging in an acting addiction?
But then again, a director playing a director doesn't seem to have any flaws; after all, for him, this role might be as simple as eating and drinking.
Hao Ren on screen stared at the monitor and said solemnly, "We watch plays, and we're tired of fake expressions. We're tired of flashy special effects. the truman show can be said to be fake. Truman himself is not fake at all. This show has no script, no prompting..."
"A show? What the heck is that?" Everyone was confused, their minds filled with questions.
Just as everyone was filled with curiosity, the scene suddenly shifted, and Truman, played by Kerry, appeared on screen.
At this moment, Truman was talking to himself in the mirror, saying things that made no sense, like listening to gibberish.
However, a group of sharp-eyed, detail-oriented viewers had already understood: "Good heavens, this is a reality show in a movie! Can it even be done this way?"
Sure enough, after Truman finished speaking and left, the subtitle "Day 10909" appeared on the mirror.
It turned out that Hao Ren did not follow the script's routine, leaving the original interview footage for later.
Su Yu saw the finished product and thought it was quite interesting, so he didn't ask him to change it back.
After all, he's a great director; he should be given some room to play.
Looking at the domestic advertising sponsors, they were all grinning from ear to ear, their wrinkles deep enough to trap flies.
Why? Because the mirror was surrounded by daily necessities like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and facial cleansers, with brand logos so clear they were practically shoved into the audience's faces, making them impossible to miss.
This method of advertising placement was subtle and seamless, blending into the film's bloodstream as naturally as if it were part of it.
The foreign reporter who had wanted to nitpick earlier instantly realized the reason for Su Yu's numerous ad placements upon seeing this scene.
It turned out that the film's setting was a reality show, and reality shows have advertising sponsorships—this was practically a mandatory requirement!
The slap in the face echoed loudly, making him probably wish he could crawl into a crack in the ground.
The screen lit up again, and Truman, tidied up, walked out of the room with a briefcase bearing a brand logo, urged by his wife.
No need to guess, this briefcase was also product placement.
Even the car he drove was given a large close-up of its emblem.
If it weren't for the special genre and content setting of the film, this would simply be a blatant advertising movie!
But for those viewers who understood, all of this was so clever that it made them clap their hands in admiration, marveling at Su Yu's incredible creativity.
The plot continued to advance; from the moment Truman left home, a grand drama centered around him officially began, raising the "curtain."
The dog rushing towards him, the neighbors enthusiastically greeting him, the twins stopping Truman, insisting he buy insurance, and the incredibly conspicuous billboard close-up behind Truman—all of this frantically hinted to the audience: "Hey, this is not a real world!"
By this point, even the most sluggish viewers had noticed the uniqueness of this film.
Miraculously, not only did everyone not find anything wrong with a movie full of advertisements, but they were instead spurred by an interest to "find fault," and began searching for hidden advertisements in the film.
Even more amusingly, the insurance company where Truman worked was actually a super-famous company in China.
Everyone whispered to themselves, "How much did that product placement cost? I'm genuinely envious!"
This advertising placement was simply out of this world.
Subsequently, the computer, printer, and other office supplies on Truman's desk were all brand placements.
Seeing this scene, everyone felt their scalps tingle, exclaiming, "Oh my god, this placement is too dense!"
But thinking about it more carefully, aren't our real lives also surrounded by various brands?
Viewed this way, this scene in the movie seems incredibly reasonable.
While other production companies were still racking their brains trying to figure out how to make product placements less awkward, Su Yu directly integrated advertising into life, reaching new heights, practically invincible, and this kind of operation is also particularly difficult to replicate and imitate.
After Truman entered the office, he began to secretly make calls like a thief, inquiring about going to Fiji.
And his other colleagues would constantly glance at Truman, like they were supervising a prisoner, secretly watching and listening, all sneaky.
It turned out that Truman had already begun to doubt whether the world he lived in was real.
The scene shifted to Truman's college days.
In the library, Truman met a woman who made his heart flutter.
This woman was like a light, appearing briefly in his life, but bringing him a completely different feeling.
She told Truman that this world was not real, and everyone was secretly watching his every move.
However, on the very night she said this, the woman was forcibly taken away by her "father" in a car.
But before she left, the woman said she was in Fiji, which made Truman constantly remember Fiji.
Clearly, the woman didn't want Truman to remain in the dark; she genuinely hoped Truman would go out and see the real world.
It turned out that Peach Blossom Town was just a false life woven for Truman by the truman show variety show crew; in the entire Peach Blossom Town, only Truman was kept in the dark, everyone else was an extra, his wife, childhood friend, and even his father and mother, were all actors!
Viewers who understood all this felt their scalps tingle, unable to help but put themselves in Truman's shoes, whispering to themselves: "Am I also living in a reality show? Are countless cameras watching me, and countless viewers outside the lens pointing fingers at my life?"
This thought is truly chilling upon closer inspection.
The plot continued to develop; Truman's trip to Fiji fell through, and the crew had a hundred ways to stop him.
The higher-ups, citing his poor performance, assigned him a task, telling him to go by boat to negotiate a deal.
But when Truman arrived at the port, he couldn't bring himself to move forward.
Memories then surfaced; it turned out that when Truman was a child, his father took him on a boat, and his father "accidentally" fell into the water and drowned, leaving a huge shadow in Truman's heart.
And what exactly was on the other side of the sea? Why wouldn't the crew let Truman go into the water?
These questions, like seeds, planted deep foreshadowing in the hearts of many viewers.