Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 404 About the New Movie

When he had nothing to do, Zhang Chen went to the China Film Digital Base for a visit.

"Painted Skin" has more than 1000 special effects shots, which were completed by China Film Digital and Hong Kong's Centaline Digital, among which China Film Digital is the highlight.

After looking at the results and progress, he felt it was okay. When he returned to the company again, he found it was very lively.

Seeing his confusion, the front desk clerk answered before he could ask, "Director Ning is back~"

"Oh~"

Zhang Chen continued to go deeper, and sure enough, in the hall, Ning Hao was smoking with a group of people.

These guys actually dared to smoke in the hall. Fortunately, Chen Xi was not there at that time.

When he saw Zhang Chen, Ning Hao threw a cigarette to him. Zhang Chen caught it, and then Huang Bo next to him lit it immediately.

Zhang Chen imitated the scene in "A Big Tree Attracts the Wind", patted Huang Bo on the shoulder, and then asked:
"Has the filming of 'The Race' wrapped?"

"Well, we finished filming yesterday. I'm back today and will start post-production tomorrow~"

Ning Hao blew out a smoke ring comfortably.

"I've scheduled it for you to be released on November 11th. Will it be in time?"

"no problem."

It's only May now, and there are still five months before the release, so there is plenty of time for post-production.

"Everyone, take a good rest these two days. You've all been exhausted~"

Zhang Chen said to the other people nearby that it was mainly Huang Bo and Yue Xiaojun, and the other main creators dispersed after the wrap-up banquet.

"Not tired, not tired. I've gained weight during this period of time~" Huang Bo was very excited.

"Racing" was mainly filmed in Xiamen. These guys eat seafood after work every day. Their life is so comfortable.

Huang Bo felt that these were simply heavenly days. Plus, this was his first movie in which he had a leading role. He was excited every day and couldn't wait to see the finished film.

Huang Bo talked nonstop about his experiences during filming.

This guy is a real crowd-pleaser. He can chat and create atmosphere. No matter what the occasion, it will be lively as long as he is there.

A group of people were smoking in the living room, and soon the house was filled with smoke, like a fairyland.

Ning Hao flipped through the screening schedule. The summer schedule is "A Quiet Place", the National Day schedule is "Crazy Racing", and the Lunar New Year schedule is "Painted Skin".

"Haha, the rival of "Racing" is "The Banquet"? " Ning Hao discovered big news.

"What, are you scared?"

The latter shrugged: "How is that possible? Whoever is afraid is a grandson. The script of "Racing" is very perfect. Let alone Feng Xiaogang, I am not afraid of Zhang Yimou~"

Ning Hao patted his chest so hard that he thought the script of this version of "The Racing" had been optimized countless times. In terms of multi-line narrative, it was no less impressive than "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".

He doesn't know what level "Night Banquet" is, but for "Racing", he believes he is as good as anyone.

"Do you have any ideas for the next movie?" Zhang Chen asked casually after exhaling a puff of smoke.

"I do have some ideas~"

Speaking of this, Ning Hao's expression became more serious. "There is a Sichuanese in my crew. Once when we were having a meal and chatting, he told me a story that I found quite interesting..."

"He said that in the Taklimakan oilfield area, there is a road with shrubs planted on both sides of the road to prevent sand.

But that place is a desert and the growth of vegetation depends entirely on groundwater, so there is a pump house every five kilometers on that section of road. The function of the pump house is to pump out groundwater and transport it to the irrigation network.

There are 97 pump rooms in total, and in each pump room lives a pump-watching worker. The worker's job is to maintain the pump and ensure that it works properly.

This guy on my crew does just that.

They work in the pump room for half a year every year, and then have vacation for the other half. He had nothing to do so he came to the crew to be an extra.

He said that the six months he spent in the pump room was extremely boring. He didn't see anyone every day and he just faced machines, which could easily cause mental problems.

Later, the company discovered this situation and replaced the people who looked after the pumps with a couple, so that at least they had something to do.

Then something even more outrageous happened. He found that those couples who watched the pump together actually played the game of swapping dates~"

Ning Hao was talking to himself, and then he noticed that Zhang Chen had no reaction, so he couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you surprised?"

Zhang Chen curled his lips and shook his head: "I'm not surprised. In extreme environments, morality will be lost and people are likely to do anything. Otherwise, why do you think those European directors like to explore these things so much..."

Ning Hao nodded thoughtfully.

Zhang Chen continued to ask: "Why, do you want to shoot this?"

"Well, I've written a script, you can take a look~"

As he spoke, he took out a script. Zhang Chen didn't say anything and took it. He looked at the name and it was indeed...

I opened it and started reading. It was similar to the original story.

By the time Zhang Chen finished reading, his brows had already furrowed.

He was thinking about how to convince the other party. Ning Hao was a stubborn person.

"You don't think it will work?" Ning Hao guessed the answer when he saw Zhang Chen's expression.

"Hmm~"

Zhang Chen nodded, and then said: "The style of your play is too different from the previous ones. I'm afraid the audience won't be able to accept it. You have finally made a name for yourself in the comedy field. It's best not to change the track casually..."

Xing Aina also advised: "Yes, that's what I said to him. We have finally established our foothold. Let's focus on comedy first and talk about other things later. But he just wouldn't listen."

Zhang Chen felt relieved when he heard that Xing Aina shared the same opinion as him.

It is much easier to persuade a couple if they are not of the same mind.

But Ning Hao was obviously not so easily convinced: "But I think this play is more interesting. It is like a microscope, through which we can see the magnified human nature..."

Upon hearing the word human nature, Zhang Chen wanted to curse.

Most directors have the idea of ​​making an auteur film to some extent. If it is any other film, Zhang Chen would acquiesce.

Just compensate for each one, it doesn’t matter.

But not this movie!
Zhang Chen didn't want him to touch this movie at all.

"Humanity is bullshit, are you suffering from literary youth disease again? Have you forgotten the situation when you were filming "Incense"?"

The two have a very close relationship, so Zhang Chen doesn't care about their attitude.

"Look at this movie, there is not a single good person in the whole movie. Do you expect it to be banned after you make it?"

"Banned? Not really?"

"How could it not be? It has to pass censorship in China. Evil cannot prevail over justice. Look at your play. It depicts a lawless place.

Can there be a place outside the law in the country? "

Zhang Chen really didn't want to see Ning Hao fail in this movie.

When many people heard that the film was banned, they naturally thought that there must be something fishy about it, and the audience was full of expectations.

Actually, there is nothing.

There's really nothing much to this movie except that it has a dark core.

If you are really stubborn and film it now, maybe you can get it on the screen with some connections, but it's just a possibility.

Zhang Chen didn't want to verify it, nor did he want to gamble with Ning Hao. Besides, this movie was not a great classic.

If we just talk about talent, Ning Hao is truly the best in mainland China.

Zhang Chen must have a cheat, otherwise he wouldn't even be worthy of being Ning Hao's younger brother.

Looking at Ning Hao's movies, including "Stone", "Racing", "My Lucky Star", and the mediocre "The Golden Years", no matter how good or bad each one is, at least it makes people feel comfortable watching it.

What does this mean?
This shows that Ning Hao has a high level of attainment in narrative rhythm.

Why is it that in China, only his multi-line narrative is so colorful? So many clues are clearly organized in his movies, and each clue is so appropriate in his hands.

Is multi-line narrative difficult?
Very difficult.

There are only a handful of directors at home and abroad who can master this form, and Ning Hao is one of them.

Zhang Chen didn't want to see such a talented person getting stuck in a rut.

Therefore, Zhang Chen advised earnestly:

“There is no film rating system in our country, so anything too dark cannot be shown.

There is not a single good person in your film. After watching it, the audience will not think that you are exploring human nature, they will only think that you are using metaphors. Can you afford this consequence?"

Zhang Chen was so moved by what he said. "New World" is such a good story, wouldn't it be great to put it in Golden Harvest?

Not fragrant!

It really doesn’t smell good!

"New World" would absolutely not be released in mainland China without changing the ending.

too dark.

But if the ending is changed, is it still "New World"?

The charm of the whole film immediately decreased by 50%.

So he would rather give it to South Korea.

“Brother, to put it mildly, this is your personal problem. It is your freedom to make any kind of movie you want to make, and I shouldn’t stop you.

But to put it in a broader sense, if you film it, you are taking a step backwards.

Look at our country, how many people can make good commercial films? Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, you, me, and at most Lu Yang. I think it's not too much to say that Xingchen Entertainment occupies half of the market, right?

But even so, there are still too few. It is not easy for a commercial film director to emerge in China. You have already succeeded, but you go back to shoot this kind of subject matter. Do you want to be the next Jiang Wen? "

Zhang Chen even resorted to moral blackmail, but still felt it was not enough, so he simply joined the game himself and continued to increase the stakes:
"Besides, man, I have a selfish idea~"

Seeing Ning Hao looking over, Zhang Chen simply said, "You know Feng Xiaogang and I don't get along. I'm not afraid of him in terms of box office, but this guy has a label - the King of Comedy in Mainland China.

I am not good at comedy, but you are. I hope you can help me grab this title, so that when the media reports on him in the future, they can only say one sentence at most: "Former King of Comedy in Mainland China."

puff~
"You are too mean, kid~" Ning Haole said happily.

Zhang Chen simply put his arm around his shoulders and said, "Just tell me if you can fulfill my wish~"

"Yes, of course I can. From now on, you can leave Feng Xiaogang to me. I will let him know what it means to have Liang instead of Yu."

Seeing that Ning Hao was finally convinced, Zhang Chen finally felt relieved, and Xing Aina also laughed beside him.

Brothers work together, and their strength is invincible.
"Then I won't shoot No Man's Land, but I still need to think about what to shoot next~"

Zhang Chen went with the flow: "Don't worry, I've thought about it for you, just wait for me~"

After saying that, Zhang Chen ran to his office and came back after a while with a script in his hand.

"This is a script I wrote for you. It's all based on your preferences. It has minor characters and multiple narrative lines~"

Ning Hao took it. What a coincidence, it turned out to be from the Wu Zi generation~
"Nobody?"

"Ah."

Ning Hao didn't waste any words and just watched from the side. Huang Bo and Yue Xiaojun also gathered nearby, watching with admiration.

The three of them were watching intently, and only then did Xing Aina have time to secretly make a gesture of thanks to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen also blinked.

Now that Ning Hao is no longer subject to the multiple reviews, modifications, and bans of the original time and space, the spiritual energy should not disappear.

The general process of film review is that the producer submits a review application to the Film Bureau, and then the review committee organizes a film screening.

After reviewing the film, the Review Committee will give a receipt with several results including 'passed', 'passed after revision', 're-reviewed after revision', and 'failed'.

Generally, there will be clear modification suggestions under 'Approved after modification' and 'Re-examination after modification', which parts are unqualified and need to be deleted, and which parts need to be modified.

The producer needs to resubmit the film for review within thirty days of receiving the receipt, after making modifications based on the "revision suggestions" given by the Film Bureau.

If the review is successful, you will obtain a "Film Screening License", also known as the Dragon Mark.

But in the original time and space, after Ning Hao submitted it for review, there was only a "review after revision" and no revision suggestions were made below.

Just telling you that it's not possible without telling you why it's not possible is very telling.

"Tsk tsk tsk~"

The three of them couldn't help but speak out when they saw the exciting parts.

Poor security guard~
Airplane head
Curly~
Paralyzed venomous woman~
A lost old gun
Robbery in the city
Numerous clues come together to form an absurd story about a group of "unknown people" centered around a lost old gun.

“This script is interesting and very similar to Crazy Stone.

They all focus on small people, and their identities are all security guards. They all face dilemmas and want to prove themselves through something.

Both are spoken in mountain city dialect, and both begin with an object. The clue in "Nobody" is a gun, and the clue in "Crazy Stone" is a piece of jade.

But it’s a little different, it’s also a multi-line narrative, but it’s also interspersed with reverse order~”

As Ning Hao watched, he constructed a picture in his mind.

"It was originally written in imitation of The Stone. The structure may not be as good as The Stone and The Racer, but this kind of film can only be shot by you. If you don't shoot it, other directors won't be able to control it, and the final result will just be a bad film~"

Zhang Chen told the truth that with multiple narrative lines, no one in the country could handle it except Ning Hao.

There are many bad movies that everyone knows are bad movies, but no one can explain why they are bad movies.

In this case, there is most likely a problem with the narrative rhythm, which is what we often say, the story is not told well.

Making a movie is actually very similar to telling a story. It should be fast when necessary and slow when necessary, with ups and downs, so that you can't feel the passage of time.

When a movie is over and the audience rushes to the bathroom, it at least shows that the rhythm of the movie is still good. If everyone rushes to the bathroom at some point in the middle of the movie, then the rhythm of the movie will definitely be messed up.

The level of most well-known domestic directors is only at the stage of being able to tell a story fluently, and there is still a long way to go before they can tell it well.

In this regard, even Zhang Yimou cannot compare to Ning Hao.

The latter really understands.

"Haozi, this is definitely a good show~" Huang Bo was looking forward to it, and so was Yue Xiaojun.

Ning Hao was still pondering, obviously moved. Huang Bo couldn't wait to say, "If you want to shoot, please leave the role of the airplane head to me..."

Yue Xiaojun: "Leave the curly hair to me~"

Ning Hao smiled bitterly: "I haven't decided yet, and you've already divided up the roles~"

"Come on, you're not going to miss out on such a good script. Director Zhang also said that only you can shoot a multi-line narrative. If you give it to someone else, it will definitely be a bad movie~"

"Okay, I'll film this, but I'll make some changes to the script~"

"It's up to you. Since I've given it to you, you can decide everything~"

The script of "Nobody" is indeed not as good as "Stone". I hope it can become more exciting after being written by Ning Hao.

"Cough cough cough~"

At this time, a cough was heard at the door. The person who came in had been attacked by biological weapons before he even entered the room.

"Who, ahem, who's smoking?"

It was Chen Xi's voice.

The people in the room immediately started to clean up. Huang Boyue and Xiaojun ran to open the window for ventilation, while Ning Hao put out his cigarette.

Then Chen Xi, Lu Yang and Guo Fan appeared at the door. They must have just returned from outside.

Chen Xi saw everyone in the room and asked in surprise, "Ning Hao, when did you come back?"

Zhang Chen walked over first, "It's just right that you're back. Come on, let's go out for a drink tonight to welcome Haozi and the others~"

The big boss is going out for drinks, so of course no one wants to spoil the fun.

Ning Hao and others were packing up their things. He was still thinking about putting the script away, but Zhang Chen took it away first.

"This script is mine. Don't think about it anymore. Just pretend you never saw it~"

Just in case, Zhang Chen decided to help him cut off the last bit of thought.

He was really afraid that Ning Hao would never forget it~
As the group was about to go out, the elevator door opened and they happened to run into Fat Fan.

"You guys, are you going out?"

"It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. We are going to welcome Ning Hao and it's just right for you to come~"

Fan Xiaopang went there happily.

She came here today to find Zhang Chen. She saw in the news that Zhang Chen claimed to make a science fiction film and immediately realized the opportunity.

While others were still trying to find out through others, Fan Xiaopang was the most proactive and went directly to visit.

I took a shower before coming here.

Zhang Chen was busy with Jiahe's affairs some time ago and didn't pay much attention to Fan Xiaopang. Fan Xiaopang took the initiative to ask her out to play cards several times, but was rejected. This made her feel uneasy, fearing that Zhang Chen had a new love.

During the dinner, Jiuyi finally got the chance to ask secretly, "The news said that your next film is going to be a science fiction film?"

Zhang Chen nodded: "It's not really a science fiction movie, to be precise, it should be a special effects movie~"

Seeing that Zhang Chen did not deny it, Fatty Fan's eyes immediately lit up: "What aspect? Do I have a chance to act in it?"

Zhang Chen looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to them, so he slapped the latter on the butt: "Of course, didn't I say before that I would bring you to Hollywood? Why, you don't believe me?"

“That’s not the case~
I still remember you said you could let me replace the international chapter~"

Fatty Fan's eyes were bright, and Zhang Chen looked at her with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll keep my word~"

Seeing Zhang Chen admit his mistake, Fatty Fan finally felt relieved: "By the way, you haven't told me what the subject of your new movie is?"

Zhang Chen picked up the tea and took a sip: "I want to make a movie about robots fighting monsters~"

Fat Fan was stunned: "Robot? Fighting monsters? Who should I play? A robot? Or a monster?"

Zhang Chen was amused by him and was laughing heartily when the phone suddenly rang. It was Han Sanping.

When the call was connected, I heard the other end say, "Where are you? Why is it so chaotic around here?"

Zhang Chen walked a little further away, and then he answered loudly: "I'm eating outside, what do you want to talk to me about, Master San?"

Han Sanping on the other end said, "Nothing. I heard you were going to make a science fiction film. What's the specific situation? Do you need help from China Film Group?"

They were all old acquaintances, and Zhang Chen knew what the other party meant as soon as he heard it.

Han Sanping is well-known for his love of tinkering with blockbuster movies, and the theory that blockbuster movies can save the world was coined by him.

I heard that Zhang Chen was planning to make a science fiction film, so of course I wanted to get involved.

There is no such thing as a low-budget science fiction film.

Zhang Chen simply told the truth: "Third Master, do you trust me so much? My new movie, conservatively estimated to cost several hundred million, this is my first time making it, aren't you afraid of losing money?"

Han Sanping on the other side laughed out loud: "At first I thought you were a horror film director, you said your next film was going to be a suspense film, then when I thought you were a suspense film director, you said your next film was going to be a spy film, after the spy film was successful you wanted to make a fantasy film, now you want to make a science fiction film, I have invested in suspense films, spy films, and fantasy films, so it makes no sense not to invest in science fiction films, don't you think?"

"Haha~"

Zhang Chen was also amused by Han Sanping's words. "Okay, I'll come to see you tomorrow and tell you my thoughts in detail then..."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

(End of this chapter)