Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 419 What is Textual Reification?

The topic is gaining popularity online, which is exactly the effect Zhang Chen wants.

Projects like "Pacific Rim" must maintain sufficient popularity and constantly raise audience expectations in order to create miracles at the box office.

Zhang Chen thought about it and felt that he should still post a blog.

A lot of things were said at the press conference that day, but the media and netizens focused on different things, so Zhang Chen felt it necessary to emphasize them.

Half an hour later, a blog post was published, still emitting enthusiasm:
Thank you all for your love for Storm Red. To be honest, I thought Storm Red would be popular, but I didn't expect it to be so popular.

But it's understandable. Every boy has a dream of owning a mecha.

During the discussion, I noticed that some people were questioning that a mecha as big as Storm Red was using a diesel engine, which was a bit low-level...

Let me explain here.

First of all, the main power of Storm Red is not the diesel engine. The diesel engine only has auxiliary power. There is also a rocket thruster on the back. The purpose of the auxiliary power is to make the mecha punch more powerful during combat...

Secondly, although the Storm Red that debuted this time is the mecha that has appeared the longest in this play, it is not the most advanced mecha in China. In the story setting, Storm Red is a fourth-generation mecha, and the most advanced is the fifth-generation mecha, which is driven by nuclear energy.

If Storm Red is compared to a person, "Pacific Rim" is actually a story about a soldier retiring and returning to the battlefield.

As the monsters become stronger, the mechas also become stronger.

Moreover, in addition to China's Storm Red, the United States and Russia also have corresponding mechas, and their combat capabilities are quite good.

However, due to design issues, this will only be released later.

Leaving a hook, Zhang Chen got down to business.

After the press conference, netizens were joking that it was easy for me to raise 8 million yuan to make a science fiction film, as easy as sprinkling water.

Honestly, I was shocked.

I also wish I had such a strong appeal, but in fact, I don’t.

The birth of "Pacific Rim" was not easy. I have a good record in the past, so if the investment is one or two hundred million, it is indeed not difficult.

But eight hundred million
Even if you are not in the film industry, you would probably find it difficult to make a profit.

So when the project was launched, everyone was just waiting and watching, and no one dared to really invest.

Even though I have publicly stated that out of the 800 million, 200 million will go to Xingchen Entertainment and Golden Harvest, and that my 200 million will be used first in the project budget, there is still no one who dares to invest.

If no one really invested at that time, Pacific Rim would have been difficult to produce.

After all, you can’t make a science fiction film with 200 million yuan. Maybe you can, but you definitely can’t make something like “Pacific Rim”.

So I am very grateful to China Film Group and Haixin Films.

You may not be familiar with Haixin Film and Television because it is a new company. My first work, "Dark Invasion", was invested by Haixin Film and Television.

Strictly speaking, they are not actually insiders. Investing in me is purely investing in me as a person.

Haixin’s boss told me very clearly that the 5000 million invested in “Pacific Rim” was earned from my other film and television projects, so it didn’t matter even if I lost money.

In fact, they wanted to invest 100 million yuan, but I did not agree because it was my first time to manage such a large project. Although I was confident, I was also uncertain about the future.

The second person I want to thank is China Film Corporation, or more precisely, Mr. Han Sanping.

Mr. Han has always been very caring towards my projects, not because of my good personal relationship with him, but because we are on the same path and are both working hard to advance the development of domestic commercial films.

So at the press conference that day, when Director Wang Xiaoshuai publicly accused President Han of discriminating against art films, I stood up angrily.

If you know Mr. Han, you will know that he has always advocated the blockbuster strategy, that is, the commercial film approach.

Some people may bring up "The Promise", but in fact, movies are inherently uncertain.

No one can guarantee that their movie will be a hit, and the greater the investment in a movie project, the greater the return.

Do you think Han Sanping doesn’t know that a blockbuster movie might lose money?

Of course he knew.

He has been dealing with the film industry all his life. He was already the director of Emei Film Studio before joining China Film Group. How could he not know such a simple truth?

Do you know why we have to do this thankless task? It is for the development of the entire film industry.

The film industry was in a downturn during those two years, and apart from young couples, not many people were willing to spend real money to buy tickets to watch movies.

The purpose of introducing Hollywood movies is to stimulate the market and cultivate the habit of buying tickets to watch movies.

Only when there are enough audiences can this industry continue to develop.

But Hollywood movies alone are not enough. Local films must also grow and develop. Otherwise, even if the market is developed, it will only serve as a tool for others. By then, China will become Hollywood's leeks, and they can cut it however they want.
So Han Sanping promoted commercial films.

Because Hollywood movies are commercial movies, this is a proven path to success.

People like Huayi Brothers and Feng Xiaogang actually grew up with his support, but at the same time, he also affected the interests of another group of people.

The directors in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s learned the European film style and were keen on making art films and exploring human nature, but this style has actually become obsolete.

Han Sanping harmed the interests of these people, so of course they would oppose Han Sanping.

But did Han Sanping really treat art films differently? When he was at the Beijing Film Studio, those art directors were frequent visitors to the studio. At that time, they relied on Han Sanping for their meals. Why didn't they say that Han Sanping treated art films differently?

I can say with certainty that Zhang Yimou is a pioneer in domestic commercial films. The first large-scale commercial production in China was born under his leadership, and it has been Han Sanping who has been promoting it since then.

But making blockbuster movies is a very expensive activity in itself, not to mention that our country has just started in this area and is still in the exploratory stage.

In terms of contribution to the film industry, Han Sanping may have made a greater contribution than Zhang Yimou.

So I admire China Film Group and Han Sanping very much.

They have been building infrastructure for the Chinese film industry. Judging from the box office figures, they are definitely losing money, but if you take into account the invisible benefits of cultivating audiences' viewing habits and training production teams, then they are making money...

The blog is only a few hundred words long and was quickly reprinted by major media once it was published.

Zhang Chen must speak up for Han Sanping.

It's the same reason. Han Sanping is a public official, and there are some things that are not suitable for him to say.

But Zhang Chen is a great director, and what he says is very convincing.

It is obvious that what happened that day was not Wang Xiaoshuai’s personal behavior.

Although Han Sanping is now highly valued by his superiors, the internal structure of China Film Group is not monolithic, and there are always people hoping that something will happen to Han.

Han probably realized this, which is why he said he was careless.

In the original time and space, Han Sanping did a good job. When he retired in 14, the total domestic film box office had grown to 296 billion.

Moreover, after his retirement, domestic films did not collapse. Instead, they defeated Hollywood blockbusters. Although there were external factors such as Hollywood's own self-inflicted destruction, it is undeniable that Han Sanping's commercial film strategy played a huge role.

For such a tough guy, Zhang Chen actually doesn't need to do anything special. He just needs to stand up when it is time for him to stand up, and express his position when it is time for him to express his position.

After writing the blog, Zhang Chen stopped paying attention to this matter. Just at this time, Teacher Fu called him and said, "Zhang Chen, if you are free, please come to school. It's about the graduation thesis~"

Zhang Chen is from the class of 02, and this year happens to be graduation season.

Even though Zhang Chen is a big director and has just made such a big splash, he still has to submit his graduation thesis and work.

But these are nothing to those who have works.

The graduation work submitted by Zhang Chen is "A Quiet Place", and his thesis is also based on this, called "Introduction to Horror Film Creation", which writes down his thoughts and experiences on horror movies.

He didn't plan to write something earth-shattering, he just wanted to write it simply for graduation.

Zhang Chen drove to Beijing Film Academy and went straight to the performance building carrying a bag of oranges.

The Performance and Directing Building is very busy at this time of year, as students from the Performance Department are rehearsing their graduation drama.

This is very important.

Many students from the acting department were spotted by film and television companies through this graduation drama.

As soon as I arrived at the door of the building, I ran into Liu Tianxian.

"What a coincidence~"

"What a coincidence~"

"What are you..."

"I'm here to ask for leave. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the graduation show..."

"Oh~"

Only then did Zhang Chen remember that the other person was from the same class as him.

"What have you been busy with lately?"

Liu Tianxian brushed the hair by her ears and said, "Interviewing for the female lead of "The Forbidden Kingdom"..."

"The one with Jackie Chan?"

"Hmm~"

“Feeling hopeful?”

"do not know."

"Don't worry, the heroine is definitely yours~"

Zhang Chen said this because he knew that the heroine was Liu Tianxian.

Liu Tianxian thought Zhang Chen was optimistic about her, so she smiled and said, "Thank you~"

The teachers' office is on the second floor, just go upstairs.

"Okay, we're here, everyone go find your own mother, oh no, find your own teacher~"

After walking into the office and saying hello to the teachers, Zhang Chen started distributing oranges.

"Everyone, try this. These are the oranges Liu Yifei and I bought for the teachers. We won't be responsible if they don't taste good~"

Zhang Chen distributed oranges to everyone while joking, and he also helped Liu Tianxian out of a dilemma. Otherwise, Zhang Chen would have brought oranges to the teachers when he came to school, but you, Liu Tianxian, came here with empty hands. What's wrong? Are you a big shot?
Teachers may not think so, but there are all kinds of people in this society.

Liu Tianxian was the same. She felt a little embarrassed at first when she saw Zhang Chen handing out oranges. Why didn’t she think of it?
After hearing what Zhang Chen said, I wanted to explain but didn't know how to start.

The teachers took the oranges with a smile on their faces. "These are the oranges brought by Zhang Chen and Yifei. We have to try them. Big stars and big directors treat us to oranges. Even if they are sour, we have to say they are sweet..."

Zhang Chen also echoed, "Hey, Teacher Zhang, look at what you said, aren't all the big stars and directors trained by you?"

"Hahaha~, Lao Fu, your student is really good at talking~"

Teacher Fu smiled as he watched everyone laughing and joking with his students, and ate the oranges handed to him by his students: "Well, who said it's sour? It's very sweet~"

After all the oranges were distributed, Zhang Chen came up to Teacher Fu.

"Master summoned me, what are your instructions?"

"Go, stop talking nonsense~"

Teacher Fu spat, then said: "It's your graduation work. Isn't A Quiet Place released in July? Director Tian said that you shouldn't submit it yet. If it gets out and affects the box office, it will be bad..." "Is that okay? Isn't that against the rules?"

"It's against the rules, but aren't you special? You are proud of the school, and the school is proud of you. It's just a graduation project. Even if you don't submit it, you are guaranteed to graduate~"

Zhang Chen is now a popular figure at Beijing Film Academy. He graduated from the directing department and likes to use actors from his own school. He is a huge added value to Beijing Film Academy.

It is recognized domestically that the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy are the top-ranked domestic film and television majors.

But there is no definite answer as to which one is the first among the two.

The appearance of Zhang Chen is unintentionally a huge weight for Beijing Film Academy and has become the signature of Beijing Film Academy. Even in the enrollment of the directing department this year, Beijing Film Academy has included Zhang Chen's name.

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Chen will be named an outstanding graduate at the graduation ceremony.

"Row."

Zhang Chen agreed immediately. Since Director Tian made special arrangements for him, he was happy to accept it.

Zhang Chen was about to leave when Teacher Fu stopped him again: "Don't leave in such a hurry. Do you have time to give another speech to the school in the next two days? You are about to graduate. Don't you want to give some advice to your juniors?"

Sure enough, he was waiting for me here.

But when I thought that I also had something to do at the school, I agreed.

"Okay, but the scale shouldn't be too large. Just two majors, directing and photography. I also want to find a few people to help out on the Pacific Rim crew. Let's see if anyone is willing to go..."

This time, Zhang Chen plans to talk about the skills required to be a director. The reason why he brings up the photography department is because many people in the photography department also want to become directors.

Even before Zhang Chen, all the famous directors at Beijing Film Academy graduated from the photography department.

"To join the Pacific Rim crew? That must be their dream..."

"Not necessarily. In the past, I wasn't an assistant director. I helped with preparations, which were all trivial matters. They might not be willing to do that..."

Zhang Chen himself studied directing and he knows very well what these people are thinking.

Being an assistant director can be said to be a way to gain experience and do miscellaneous tasks, but some people will definitely think it is a waste of time.

"Where's the time?"

Teacher Fu did not continue to dwell on this issue. Everyone has his or her own destiny, and it depends on how they choose.

Zhang Chen thought about it for a while and said, "Maybe in two days. I can prepare for it."

Zhang Chen asked to resign again, but this time Teacher Fu did not try to keep him.

Liu Tianxian had just finished her work.

"Have you finished asking for leave?"

"Well, what about you? Why did I hear you were going to give a lecture?"

"It's not a lecture at all. The school just wants me to share my experience with my juniors and make myself familiar with them..."

Nortel pays great attention to this aspect.

The advanced ones help the less advanced ones.

If there are students who graduated earlier and are doing well, they will be asked to help support their younger classmates.

So the film and television industry is a circle, and there are naturally various factions within it.

According to the schools, there are Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, Shanghai Theatre Academy...

According to the circle, there are Beijing circle, Hong Kong circle, Northwest circle...

There are countless other small groups, such as brotherhood and sisterhood...

Zhang Chen is now a small group called Xingchen Group, which is basically centered around Zhang Chen. Any opportunities for actors and directors who are on good terms with him are basically handled internally. The next layer is Wang Jinghua's Shijiu Culture...

"Then can I go?" Liu Tianxian suddenly asked.

"you?"

Zhang Chen was full of doubt, then shook his head: "This talk is mainly about the director and the behind-the-scenes. It won't help you at all~"

Liu Tianxian thought Zhang Chen didn't want him to go, so he said "oh", and the two fell silent.

Then he suddenly asked, "Can you save a role for me in your Pacific Rim?"

Zhang Chen stopped this time: "Are you serious?"

Liu Tianxian nodded.

She has always wanted to improve her relationship with Zhang Chen, but Zhang Chen never seemed to be interested in her.

It was a presumptuous request to make this time, but she made it anyway. She wanted to see how Zhang Chen would answer.

Zhang Chen hesitated for a moment: "The main Chinese female roles in my film have basically been decided. Even if you come, you can't play the leading role~"

"Then I am willing to do so~"

Zhang Chen continued to refuse: "It's not appropriate. You will be the heroine of "The Forbidden Kingdom" by then, but you are going to play a supporting role for Fan Binbin in my movie. The media will definitely say something wrong, which will be detrimental to your development..."

Zhang Chen rejected the offer with facts and reason. It was because Liu Tianxian’s fans were too powerful and they didn’t want to be targeted.

Liu Tianxian was a little disappointed when she heard the rejection at first, but after Zhang Chen finished speaking, she became a little agitated.

"Do you really think I can get the female lead role in The Forbidden Kingdom?"

"Of course, it can only be you. There can't be a second person..."

"why?"

"Don't you know much about your popularity? Wang Yuyan, Zhao Linger, Xiao Longnv, you are now the fairy sister of the whole nation. Among female stars, no one can compare to you in terms of popularity. Let me put it this way now. If you announce that so-and-so is your boyfriend, that person will be ruined..."

Liu Tianxian’s current popularity is truly beyond description.

After "The Return of the Condor Heroes", if gods stand in the way, gods will be killed; if Buddhas stand in the way, Buddhas will be killed.

The most obvious example is that in the original time and space, when "The Forbidden Kingdom" announced that she was the heroine, no one thought she was unworthy.

"What if I announce that you are my boyfriend?" Liu Tianxian said with a mischievous smile.

"Don't hurt me, I still want to live two more years~"

Zhang Chen decided to stay away from her. He dared not to offend her.
……

Two days later, in the Beijing Film Academy's lecture hall
Zhang Chen looked at the densely packed classroom and smiled bitterly.

He specifically stated that he only wanted to look for candidates with majors in directing and photography, but the news still leaked out.

Originally, according to his estimation, there would be dozens of students studying the two majors.

Now, the lecture hall, which can accommodate about 200 people, is full.

Zhang Chen walked up to the podium and looked at the crowd below: "Hello everyone, are you all from the directing and photography departments?"

Some people shook their heads, while others nodded.

"The directors and those in the photography department, please raise your hands?"

There were a few arms sticking up here and there, and a few kittens.

"What about the others? Which department are you from?"

Environmental design, animation, recording, new media, screenwriting, performance...

Basically, people from all majors of Beijing Film Academy came here.

"But what I'm going to talk about today is some content about directing. Students from other departments may not gain much from listening to it..."

"It's okay, we're willing to listen too~"

Someone said this below, and then others echoed him. Zhang Chen also shrugged helplessly.

"Okay, let's get started~
First of all, I would like to ask students from the directing and photography departments, what abilities do you think are required to be a director? "

Zhang Chen asked his opening question, and someone immediately answered:
"Coordination ability~"

"Storytelling ability~"

"Art appreciation ability~"

"Last name ability~"

……

Wait, whoever said his last name was Nengli, stand up!
Young man, your level has surpassed others. You have reached the stage of seeing the essence through phenomena.

"Everyone has said a lot, so I'll share my opinion. I think the most important ability of a director is the ability to turn words into pictures~"

Seeing that everyone was puzzled, he continued to explain: "This ability is originally required of screenwriters, but directors must also have it, and they cannot be worse than screenwriters."

"Let me give you a common example, such as martial arts novels. If we want to adapt a well-known martial arts novel into a film or TV series, how should we do it?
A sentence that often appears in Gu Long's novels: Flying flowers and fallen leaves can all hurt people.

When readers read this, they will naturally feel a sense of artistic conception, which is given by the text.

But how is this artistic conception reflected in the picture?
Flying flowers and fallen leaves can all hurt people. How can we visualize this?
Hong Kong filmmakers provide us with a way of thinking. In the colorful falling leaves, there are a few sounds of hidden weapons flying. No shadows can be seen, but then someone is injured or even killed, and there is a bamboo leaf on the wound.
This is the earliest concretization.

Another thing is, the word "zhenqi" also often appears in martial arts novels, but how is it reflected?

A very inferior method is to find two jet tubes hidden in the sleeves, and the jet of gas is equivalent to the jet of true qi~
But there is another idea, for example, in "Tai Chi Master", Jet Li practices Tai Chi in a water tank. In the picture, he just stirs the water, and the water flows rapidly in the tank.

But at the last moment, when he stopped, the water tank broke into pieces. The first reaction of all the audience must be one word - a combination of hardness and softness.

This is what a director needs to be able to do.

Another example is the four words "great accomplishment in martial arts". In a novel, it is enough to clearly state that the protagonist has achieved great accomplishment in martial arts.

But in film and television dramas, there must be a corresponding way to express it, otherwise it will lack impact.

How "Tai Chi Master" was made? Yang Yuqian practiced Tai Chi in the yard every day.

It was just a simple exercise at first, but after a while, the swinging of the whip would cause the leaves on the ground to rotate like a tornado.

After a while, when he finished his martial arts, the leaves formed a yin-yang fish pattern. At this moment, the audience naturally understood that the protagonist’s martial arts had reached perfection…”

“Do you understand what I said? Oftentimes, the difference between a good movie and a mediocre one lies in just a few shots.

These shots will become the audience's memory points.

For example, when you think of "Fang Shiyu", you will think of the bench formation and Fang Shiyu blindfolded from the street to the end of the street~
When I think of "A Better Tomorrow", I think of guns hidden everywhere~
When I think of The Shallows, I think of using a necklace to sew wounds.
When I think of "Taken", I think of the Mozambique shooting method~
A good director's movies can make the audience lose their imagination, follow your plot, and then be shocked by your imagination~"

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he noticed that some of the audience had flushed faces, as if they had just obtained some martial arts secrets, and their eyes were full of excitement.

Zhang Chen made the final summary: "Of course, a director needs to have many abilities, but the one I just mentioned is the most important.

Without this, you can still be a director, but you can’t be a good director.”

(End of this chapter)