Looking for Novels with a Director Protagonist, No Mindless, Formulaic Fluff 求主角是导演的小说，不要那种流水无脑小白文

1. 1 钻 A Diamond Company Wants an Ad, but You Film Titanic 钻石公司拍广告，你拍泰坦尼克号 Hui Huanghuang辉皇皇Urban1.4M WordsCompleted After Chen Xiao transmigrated, he found himself a new hire in his company’s advertising department. His boss told him to shoot a diamond commercial. Chen Xiao had planned to figure out a way to phone it in. But just then, his System activated! Chen Xiao instantly gained master-level directing skills and the complete screenplay for Titanic! The diamond company: We only asked you to make an ad. How did you turn it into the greatest romance film ever?! The Ministry of Culture: We asked you to make 29kReads8.7Score2.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   It looks good (in my opinion).

2. 2 导 Director: I Plundered Japan and Korea to Become a Great Director 导演：薅光日韩，我证道大导演 Urban Desert Island都市荒岛Urban1.4M WordsCompleted + + + + = ??? The entertainment industry’s three great regrets: Leon Lai and Vivian Chow, me and Liu Yifei, and all of you and Nanny Rong. Sorry, now that he’s back from the dead, Lin Fan says you can leave him out of the second one. He scored 728 on the college entrance exam, but chose the Beijing Film Academy over Peking University. Others mocked Lin Fan for not knowing what was good for him. Lin Fan mocked them for not u 19.6kReads7.5Score76914d adds

   Reader note

   This is the most detailed post I've seen on Tomato. Keep it up, it's very well written.

3. 3 成 Becoming a Billion-Dollar Female Director Starts with Filming Cheesy Short Dramas 成为百亿女导从拍土味短剧开始 Writing Books for Meal Money写书赚饭钱Modern Romance449k WordsCompleted [Transmigrate + Entertainment Industry + Copycat Author + Female-Oriented + Director + No CP + Feel-Good Power Fantasy] Ying Jia transmigrates to a parallel world with a hundred-billion-yuan movie System and sets her sights on becoming the first female director to join the hundred-billion box-office club. But the damn System only gives her scripts, not money. She gets a movie script, but has no way to pay for production! Ying Jia slaps her forehead. Then she’ll make some cheesy short dramas to e 10.8kReads9.2Score1.4k14d adds

   Reader note

   1. Some chapters briefly describe the content of movies or TV series, such as "Kung Fu Hustle," but each movie or TV series only has about two chapters. 2. So far, the protagonist hasn't encountered any major difficulties; it's basically a smooth ride, or rather, a series of "being ridiculed" – "being slapped in the face." It's a satisfying and enjoyable read. 3. The specific filming process isn't described in detail, and real-life celebrities aren't mentioned; most characters are fictional (I didn't see any based on real celebrities). 4. It's not vulgar or melodramatic (personal opinion).

4. 4 娱 Showbiz: Slander? I Absolutely Never Slept My Way to the Top 娱乐：诽谤，我绝对没有潜规则 Orange Trees in Lingnan橙生岭南Urban1.6M WordsCompleted Cao An discovered he had transmigrated to a parallel world and become a directing student. Bound to an entertainment System, he could earn all kinds of rewards by making popular works. From the start, he entered the National Young Directors Competition, ready to give this world a little shock. Every film Cao An made was both critically acclaimed and a box-office hit, becoming a sensation across the country. The “Cao girls” became more and more famous. Mi Mi, Fei Fei, Ba Ba, Yuan Yuan, Shi Shi… T 17.6kReads8.4Score1.2k14d adds

   Reader note

   It's very good. I have to say the author is very good at describing things. Several of the movies I watched almost brought me to tears.

5. 5 重 Reborn: Starting by Saving Leslie Cheung 重生之从拯救张国荣开始 Neat And Efficient Huo Xiaolin干净利索的霍啸林Urban1.1M WordsOngoing In 2003, Chen Zui was reborn. He saved Leslie Cheung and broke into Hong Kong's film and television industry. From screenwriter to director, he used one hit work after another to revive Silver City, while holding fast to his love for his country and his sincere ideals amid the tides of the times. P.S. This is not a wish-fulfillment novel. It is not a wish-fulfillment novel. It is not a wish-fulfillment novel. The pace is extremely slow, and it contains quite a bit of dialogue in Cantonese. If yo 8.2kReads7.3Score53414d adds

   Reader note

   This is a story I wrote myself. The plot may develop slowly. It's not a fast-paced entertainment product that aims for "thrills." It's a story about salvation, a story that blends personal fate, industry changes, historical memories, and national sentiments into one.

6. 6 重 Back to Chinese Entertainment in 2003: I'm a Seventh-Generation Director 重回华娱2003，我是七代导演 Everyone Laughs笑皆非Urban2.7M WordsCompleted A deputy professor in the directing department at Beijing Film Academy is reborn in 2003, a year when Chinese entertainment flourished and commercial movies swept the country. In his previous life, he was mocked as an academic who could only talk theory. This time, he'll change himself and change Chinese entertainment! 34.8kReads8.3Score1.5k14d adds

   Reader note

   These look alright 👍

7. 7 华 Chinese Entertainment in 2006: My Era as a Director 华娱2006，我的导演时代 Very Noble非常君Urban666k WordsCompleted [Director + no System] In 2006, when Chinese-language cinema has only recently begun to take off and Hollywood blockbusters are sweeping up the domestic box office, Li Xia's era as a director begins. This is the age when Chinese-language cinema steps onto the world stage and rises to glory! 7.6kReads8.6Score23714d adds
8. 8 华 Chinese Showbiz: A Carefree Life 华娱：潇洒人生 The General Below将军在下Urban1.2M WordsCompleted I joined the entertainment industry to experience life! I’ll act in whatever I want, and I won’t act in anything I don’t want to! I’m not short on money! I’m a billionaire, so who am I supposed to be afraid of? The life I want is one of freedom and carefree living! 52.5kReads8.8Score2.4k14d adds
9. 9 华 Rising to Fame Through Super Boy 2007 华娱从07快男走红开始 I'm Not a Novice我并不是小白啊Urban217k WordsOngoing Everyone says the entertainment industry is murky, impossible to get a handle on. Yu Haoran wants to find out just how deep it goes. As it turns out, it’s deep, and it’s easy to take a fall. If you do your best to be an actor both on and off the set, surely things will get easier, right? Starting out as a popular contestant on Super Boy, then becoming a star, a director, and a company boss... Step by step, he wants to climb higher and build a steadier career. The pacing is slow in the first ten —Reads—Score—14d adds
10. 10 钱 Qian Youdao Makes His Way in Chinese Entertainment 钱有道闯荡华娱 Tomato Resonance西红柿共鸣Urban1.4M WordsCompleted Qian Youdao was born in the 1990s after being reborn. He thought he could use what he'd learned in his previous life to become a top student, or at least a famous alumnus of Tsinghua or Peking University. But as it turned out, being reborn didn't make him smarter. He'd only managed to get into a junior college in his previous life, and this time around he had no better luck becoming a top student. So he might as well try his luck in the entertainment industry, where a degree is hardly necessary 1.7kReads6.3Score10114d adds

    Reader note

    It's not mindless, there's no system, no harem, no womanizers, she's not a teddy bear, and she doesn't two-time. The female lead is independent and has a strong personality.

11. 11 重 Reborn in 2002, Starting Out as a Chinese Showbiz Director 重生2002年，从华娱导演开始 Qing in Blue Robes青衣QingUrban724k WordsOngoing [Chinese Showbiz] [Director] [Copycat] [Multiple Heroines: Liu and Fan] Lu Ye, a veteran of the film industry, is reborn in 2002 as a freshman in the directing department at the Beijing Film Academy. The good news: his mind is full of classic movies from the next twenty years. The bad news: with only a few tens of thousands left in his pocket, he can't afford to make a single one of them. That year, Chinese cinema was bursting with stars, and the gods were still at their peak. Above, Jia 33.7kReads6.5Score2.3k14d adds

    Reader note

    What are you waiting for? Here you go!

12. 12 这 This Big-Time Director Can Do It All! 这个大导演啥都会！ Top Grades全绩佳Urban206k WordsCompleted [Read with confidence, no need to turn off your brain] A director who treated filmmaking as a hobby dies suddenly, then is reborn in 2003 as a rich, spoiled second-generation student at the Beijing Film Academy. In this life, he’ll do things differently! After seven days in seclusion, he makes the future hit Night Shop his own! He earns a million before even filming a frame! He makes a name for himself by riding on a famous director’s reputation, then signs a team of future superstars! Everyone 489Reads5.4Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Use your brain to watch with confidence.

13. 13 华 Chinese Showbiz: Reborn, Tianxian, Don't Run Away! 华娱：重生归来，天仙同学别跑 Potato Dumpling Candy土豆丸子糖Urban1.0M WordsOngoing (Showbiz Director Novel) (Writes Books First, Then Becomes a Director) (This story is a slow burn! The protagonist is no pushover!) After Zhang Mingqing was bullied by the Great Fortune Immortal Venerable in 2026, he opened his eyes to find himself back in 2000, at the age of fifteen. He has a golden finger, but he stole it! And it's defective! Fortunately, he has memories of his past life! He plans to write books first to earn money and build up his standing in the industry! Then he'll enter t 43.3kReads8.2Score4.2k14d adds

    Reader note

    Director's novel, first write the book, then direct, Palme d'Or winner, single female lead.

14. 14 吃 Living Off Reba: Spent Her Little Fortune from the Start 吃热芭软饭，开局花光她的小金库 Fire Fox Fire Fox火狐火狐Urban1.4M WordsCompleted Lin Mo transmigrates and becomes classmates with Reba, a future superstar. From the start, he even talks her into becoming his wife! While his classmates are still struggling to figure out how to shoot their graduation films, Lin Mo invests in Love Is Not Blind, turning it into a box-office dark horse! An investment of 4 million brings in 300 million at the box office! The entire industry is stunned! After that, Lin Mo takes the director's chair and shoots films such as Goodbye Mr. Loser, Dying 33.9kReads8.8Score2k14d adds

    Reader note

    This book is super good!

15. 15 混 Making My Way in Showbiz, Bringing Warmth to the Actresses 混在娱乐圈，给女明星们送温暖 Dreams Come True梦想会成真Urban2.1M WordsCompleted Director Chen the Good Samaritan is generous and kind, and loves nothing more than showering female stars with kindness. But the enchantresses and celestial maidens are always trying to remake the soul of this great benefactor. The threads cannot be untangled; the more they wind around each other, the more tangled they become. 6.3kReads6.4Score36214d adds

    Reader note

    Both of them are good.

16. 16 混 My Years in the Entertainment Industry with All Those Actresses 混在娱乐圈，和女明星们的那些年 Dreams Come True梦想会成真Urban538k WordsOngoing [Multiple Heroines] + [Behind-the-Scenes Story] + [Director Novel] + [Hot-Tempered Bean Shark Bun] In the glittering entertainment industry, the actresses all show off their talents, while Director Wang displays his own extraordinary skills. My name is Wang Teng. People say I have the bearing of a great emperor. Beyond the poetry of the Great Tang, there's also an immortal, Bing Tian... 3.1kReads5.2Score12314d adds
17. 17 我 I Just Want to Sell Some Toys, I’m Really Not a Director 我就想卖点玩具，真的不是导演啊 A Mo SeA墨瑟Urban426k WordsOngoing Zhao Cheng worked himself to death in his previous life after taking on too much overtime. But it wasn't a big deal. He was reborn. In this life, he just wanted to be a rich second-generation layabout, living off his family until the end of his days. But then his father, who regularly brought in a steady stream of money, suddenly told him, "Son! Our toy factory is going under!" To save the family toy factory, Zhao Cheng started making toy commercials in another world. And so a series of works ca —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    These books should be okay. They all feature protagonists who are also directors. Since I haven't read them in detail, I don't know if there are any issues with updates being discontinued or anything else. Please forgive me if there are any. 😅🙂

18. 18 谁 Who Gets It? A Top Director's Life Is Absolutely Amazing 谁懂啊？大导演的日子爽翻了 Winter's Hot Water Bottle冬天的热水瓶Urban1.0M WordsCompleted My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novels. I hope you enjoy it. Your support is my motivation to write, and I will strive to tell every story well! 15kReads7.5Score58314d adds
19. 19 我 I'm a Director, So It's Only Natural I Have a Few Billion More Skills! 我一导演，技能多亿点很合理吧！ Cola with Frost可乐加霜Urban125k WordsOngoing [System + entertainment + doctor + lighthearted comedy + slow pace] Reporter: “Director Su, every director has their own strengths. What would you say you’re best at?” Su Yang: “I’m a tiny bit good at everything.” Reporter: “Just a tiny bit? You’re too modest.” Su Yang: “No, I mean... I’m invincible.” After transmigrating to Blue Star, Su Yang awakens a film and TV lottery System. As long as he produces high-quality film and television works, he can draw all kinds of skills and rewards: Make the 7Reads—Score—14d adds
20. 20 地 Underground Filmmaker 地下电影人 Dough Drops with Scrambled Egg面疙瘩打鸡蛋Urban2.0M WordsOngoing [1990s + Director’s Journey + Banned from Directing + Art Films + Award-Hunting] Starting out as a director in 1990, I make a career of winning awards and handling publicity. One female lead, multiple supporting actresses... 720Reads9.1Score—14d adds
21. 21 开 From the Start, I Landed The Infiltrator. I Want to Be a Director, So Here's the Truth 开局拿下潜伏，想当导演我摊牌了 Northeast Strolling Chicken东北溜达鸡Urban1.9M WordsCompleted [No System] + [Director story] + [Realistic] + [No excessive wish fulfillment] A third-rate director from his previous life transmigrates into the body of a struggling ghostwriter screenwriter, and begins a legendary career as a director... 6.8kReads7.4Score28914d adds
22. 22 从 It All Began When I Spent Money on Tian Xiwei and Got Treasure Chests 从给田熙薇花钱掉落宝箱开始 Lucky Emperor NO Discount欧皇NO打折Male-Channel Fanfiction983k WordsCompleted [King of Entertainment] + [Multiple Heroines] + [Fearlessly Taking on the Entertainment Industry] + [Film and TV Crossover] + [CP Fans Run Wild] Short version: The moment Fang Mo, then just an extra, met Tian Xiwei, he knew that this big-eyed cutie would absolutely be the mother of his future son! Regular version: While pursuing his dream of becoming an actor, Fang Mo unexpectedly activated the Treasure Chest System. Whenever he spends money on a target, he can get treasure chests of different g 924Reads6.2Score10314d adds
23. 23 娱 The Godfather of Entertainment: From Wooing Women to Global Box Office Legend 娱乐教父：从泡妞到全球票房神话 The Invincible Pile Driver无敌打桩机Urban1.1M WordsCompleted [Showbiz] [System] [Feel-Good] [Lighthearted Comedy] “A jerk? No, I just want a sincere relationship!” Ye Su transmigrates to a parallel world and becomes an obscure actor at Yang Mi's company. He awakens a System, but can't complete the beginner mission, leaving him useless for five whole years. On the final night of his contract, he gathers four friends for a spectacularly embarrassing social-death challenge as a farewell ceremony. But Yang Mi suddenly shows up and inadvertently helps him comp 34.3kReads8.9Score2k14d adds
24. 24 娱 Entertainment Mogul 2002 娱乐大亨2002 The Internet’s Number One Newbie全网第一萌新Urban1.0M WordsOngoing In 2024, Chen Zheng, a struggling actor with barely a handful of fans, was reborn at the dawn of the new century and immediately encountered the most beautiful Chang'e in Chinese entertainment... Given a second life, Chen Zheng sets sail in 2002 to build a vast entertainment empire. PS: This novel has no System! 124Reads8.8Score—14d adds
25. 25 华 From Top-Tier Star to Entertainment Mogul 华娱从顶流到资本大佬 Hot Dry Noodles with Egg Liqueur热干面拌蛋酒Urban2.5M WordsCompleted [Modern Entertainment Industry + Rebirth] + [Careful Timeline] + [All-Round Top-Tier Star] + [Business Tycoon] + [Multidimensional Characters] + [Solid Logic] Reborn with the script of the future in his hands, Zhou Huairen sets out to dominate both the Chinese entertainment industry and the world of capital! He founds Chayan Yue Se, Xinghe Films, Xingguang Media, Xingkong Interactive... and invests in ByteDance, miHoYo... He signs all kinds of rising actresses, and every move Zhou Huairen makes 31.4kReads6.8Score1.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    Then take a look at this one.

26. 26 华 Chinese Showbiz: A Guide to Raising a Top-Tier Star 华娱：顶流养成说明书 A Little Sheep sl一只小羊slUrban278k WordsOngoing [Showbiz + multiple heroines + film and television + System] Lin Chuan is reborn in 2015 and makes his way back into the entertainment industry. His approach, however, is pretty straightforward. “Director Lin, people say you built your company by poaching talent from other companies. What do you have to say?” “That's called the rational flow of talent.” “You criticize Korean pop culture, yet you promote fan-club culture in practice. How do you explain that?” “My colleagues forgot to chant the sl 3.3kReads6.6Score12714d adds

    Reader note

    You can take a look at this.

27. 27 跑 Keep Running: You Told Me to Make a Bold Claim, So Why Are You Taking It Seriously? 跑男：让你放豪言，你给我玩真的 Fa Da发炟Urban2.3M WordsCompleted [Chinese Entertainment Industry] [Stars] [Plenty of Variety Shows] [Keep Running] [Bai Lu] [Multiple Heroines] [Back to Field] [Challenges] [Peak] [The Inn] Chen Cheng transmigrated to a parallel world that was similar, yet not quite the same, and became an entertainer who had trained for two and a half years and been in the industry for two and a half years. After awakening the Great Entertainer System, he had his entire fortune wiped out on the spot and drew a skill that was both incredibly po 25.9kReads7.5Score1.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    Comedy in the entertainment industry

28. 28 导 Director: Turns Out Slacking Off Works Better Than Trying 导演：不是不努力摆烂效果更好 Stone God Has No Coffee石神没有咖啡Urban412k WordsCompleted My new book, Game Over, I’m Surrounded by Rich Women, is now being serialized. If you’re interested, check it out. [Livestream + director + slow pace + unconventional + filming live] Xu Wuhen transmigrates to a parallel world. As a director, he’s competing on a show called The Birth of a Film. Twenty directors and a hundred actors are split into twenty teams to compete. All the participating directors are ranked into different tiers. Xu Wuhen is at the very bottom. No reputation, no projects, no 238Reads8.3Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Director 👍

29. 29 华 Showbiz: The Immortal Beauty's Star-Making Plan 华娱之神仙姐姐养成计划 Seraph 1980炽天使1980Urban1.6M WordsCompleted How a reborn great director builds his own entertainment empire, step by step. Movies, TV, music, animation, special effects, and cinema chains: here I come. The Big Three European film festivals, the Oscars, I'm coming for you. 5.8kReads6.1Score23214d adds
30. 30 这 This Actor Plays by His Own Rules 这个演员路子野 By Imperial Decree, Demanding Back Pay奉旨讨薪Urban3.9M WordsOngoing A reborn story set in the Chinese entertainment industry. After being reborn, the male lead, Li Mufu, has no idea that he is gradually turning into a monster. Only after becoming a megastar does he discover his true form. When that time comes, what should he choose? Become a traditional monster that eats people, or a traditional scumbag in the entertainment industry? 310Reads7.0Score18814d adds

    Reader note

    The male lead is a producer; he started as a small-time actor and later started a company managing a large group of people. (See the accompanying image in the review.)

31. 31 综 The Variety Show Director Reboots the Original Running Man and Crushes the Traffic Stars 综艺大导演重启初代跑男吊打流量 Newbie Here, Got a Question萌新求问Urban239k WordsCompleted Welcome home! To all the fans of the original Running Man crew Variety show + original Running Man + entertainment industry + celebrities + director + daily life + System + reality show The original seven-member Running Man team reunites Everyone thinks it will be the veterans' farewell performance! Unlimited funds: rebooting the original Running Man to crush the entertainment industry’s traffic-driven idols! 446Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    This is the director's statement.

32. 32 华 Chinese Showbiz, 1978: The Rise of a Legendary Entertainment Mogul 华娱1978之一代娱乐枭雄 Wise Traveler智慧旅者Urban2.0M WordsOngoing 1978: It was all just beginning! Watch as he plots every move, gathers all the stars of an entire era into his arms, and becomes an undisputed entertainment mogul of his generation! 560Reads6.1Score1814d adds

    Reader note

    I recently read a period drama about a director, and unlike other formulaic novels, it was quite enjoyable.

33. 33 华 Chinese Entertainment: The International Mega-Director 华娱之国际大导演 Ask for Nothing, and Return Loaded无所求必满载而归Urban266k WordsOngoing (This book's completion rate was too low, so I've switched to a new one: Showbiz: From the Start, Making Titanic in Hollywood. Thanks to all the readers for your support.) In his previous life, Chen Le graduated from the directing department at Beijing Film Academy, spent twenty years languishing on film sets, and ended up as an ill-fated director of short dramas. Reborn in 2003 with his memories from his previous life, he remembers the plots of all the movies he watched back then. He'll win ove 34Reads—Score53314d adds

    Reader note

    Director's works, featuring multiple female leads, and include both domestic and international films.

34. 34 我 I Crush the Modern Entertainment Industry with Real Actors from Ancient Times 我靠古代真演员，吊打现代娱乐圈 Ni Linsheng逆鳞生Historical219k WordsCompleted [A top-tier star director transmigrates + ancient cast with genuine acting chops + outclasses the entire entertainment industry + feel-good tale of making money across time] Framed and saddled with a billion in debt, he was completely blacklisted by the entertainment industry! The life of genius director Zhou Fan had fallen apart. At his darkest hour, a mysterious bracelet activated, sending him to ancient times! Here, there is no terrible acting, no lazy performers, and no investors meddlin 1Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    I recommend one, it's very good!

35. 35 文 Showbiz 1980: Starting with He Chaoqiong 文娱1980之开局何超琼 Infinite Showing Off无限装币Urban118k WordsOngoing Xu Xuexi transmigrates to 1980s Macau, into He Chaoqiong’s bathroom, carrying a Blue Star pocket dimension. He Chaoqiong is right in the middle of doing something perfectly proper and aboveboard... He doesn’t steal her spotlight, her fame, or the center stage. He only serves as the steadiest support behind her. Dressed as a man, she sweeps through the entertainment industry and becomes the top heartthrob of her generation. And behind her is a god-tier mogul who dotes on her alone. This is a fict 38Reads—Score—14d adds
36. 36 米 America’s Greatest Live-In Son-in-Law 米利坚最强赘婿 Infinite Showing Off无限装币Eastern Fantasy118k WordsOngoing This is a story about the global entertainment industry, not just Hollywood. Xu Xuexi brings a Blue Star dimension with him when he transmigrates to America in 1999. President Chuan says, “My granddaughter Xu Ruoxi has the bearing of a great ruler.” Xu Xuexi hurriedly replies, “Father-in-law, your Home Alone was excellent. In the world I came from, there were plenty of blockbuster movies like Avatar and Transformers that would suit you perfectly as a leading man. Please don't waste your time on —Reads—Score—14d adds

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