Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 132 Commercial Film
In the next few days, Cao Yang started socializing again, including an official cocktail party in Cannes, a party hosted by MK2, and several private parties.

At the Sony Classics celebration party, Bellman asked Cao Yang: "What are your plans next? Are we making a movie?"

Cao Yang smiled and shook his head, clinked glasses with Behrman, and said, "I'm going back to China to make a commercial film. As for Hollywood, let's wait until you win the Oscars and see how it goes."

After thinking for a while, Cao Yang said again: "I now feel that we don't need to make movies in Hollywood. There are too many restrictions. It's better to try another way."

Behrman was stunned for a moment and asked, "Another way? For example?"

"For example, if I register a company in the United States, how about you help me manage the copyright?"

"what?"

Bellman thought he had misheard. Operational copyright? What does that mean?
"I have registered five scripts with the U.S. Copyright Office. As you probably know, I have expanded these scripts into short stories and am preparing to publish them. I named it "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey."

I also plan to use my spare time to write more short stories like this and put them all in this collection. How about you help me manage it?
When the time comes, as long as someone is interested, you will be the producer. The company will invest some money and then attract more investment. We will be in control ourselves and follow the Hollywood model.

Of course, there are a few that I plan to photograph myself in the future, so I’ll just keep a few of them.”

Berman frowned and thought. After completing "Despicable Milk", he held a press conference. He still remembered what Cao Yang said at the press conference, that all kinds of strange ideas would always appear in his mind, and he would write them down.

Is this true, or is it just something Cao Yang is talking about?

"My dear director, I want to know how many novels like this you plan to include in Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey? Can all these novels be adapted into scripts?"

Cao Yang smiled, he knew that Berman was moved.

"A lot. Very much. I can guarantee that even if you are the main producer once a year, you will not be able to retire within 20 years."

Cao Yang clinked his glasses with Berman and said with a smile, "Berman, you are my friend, so I thought of you first. How about it, do you want to do it?"

"Done!"

Cao Yang has made plans to write short stories based on some famous Hollywood movies, as long as they do not involve copyright issues, and publish them in "Cao Yang's Fantasy Journey" when he has time.

Even if it's a few thousand words, it's fine as long as it occupies this story.

After finishing all the social events in Cannes, Cao Yang bought a plane ticket and returned to China.

Since Hou Keming knew Cao Yang's flight in advance, he ran to the airport to pick him up. This time there were no reporters at the airport, so it was quiet.

Hou Keming explained in the car, "We didn't notify the reporters to come to the airport this time. Go back and have a good rest for two days. The school will hold a press conference next Monday. There will be reporters from TV stations and print media. You should prepare yourself."

"Mr. Hou, why are you suddenly making such a big fuss?"

"Haha, you won the Palme d'Or, so you must hold a press conference. Also, your appointment as a distinguished professor has also gone through the process, so we'll announce it together on that day."

Hou Keming felt a little regretful because of his illness, he was ultimately unable to complete the process before the Cannes Film Festival. Otherwise, if he had appointed Cao Yang as a distinguished professor first and then won the Palme d'Or, it would have shown the school's sincerity.

It's not like now, it's as if Cao Yang was appointed as a special professor just because he won the Palme d'Or again, which seems a bit petty.

"What will the scale of the press conference be? What do I need to prepare?" Cao Yang calculated that today was Thursday and there were still a few days before the press conference.

"Haha, don't worry about the scale. Just know that there are CCTV reporters there. They might capture a few clips and put them in the news."

After Hou Keming said this, Cao Yang suddenly felt that there was no need to worry about the scale of the press conference. As long as there were reporters from CCTV, that was enough.

Cao Yang thought about it and suddenly felt that this seemed to be a way to build momentum for himself. Could it be because he won the Palme d'Or and agreed to shoot a commercial film?

After a night's rest, Cao Yang went to Lao Situ's office first the next day.

Ever since Cao Yang won the Palme d'Or, Old Situ has come to the office every day these days and often visits Xie Fei, Zheng Dongtian and others.

Sometimes I couldn't help but sigh, "How come the Palme d'Or in Cannes is just a leaf? It doesn't look good at all. If you don't believe me, when Cao Yang comes back, I'll let him bring the Palme d'Or so you can see that what I said is true. If it doesn't work, I'll let Brother Kai bring his too, and you'll know after comparing..."

Xie Fei was very angry. So your apprentice is the only one who won the Palme d'Or, right?

Later, I thought that there were only two of them in the entire Chinese circle, and both Brother Chen Kai and Cao Yang were his apprentices, so I became even angrier.

Xie Fei is lucky, he has won the Golden Bear in Berlin and can still fight back.

Zheng Dongtian was helpless. This old guy was too annoying. As a fourth-generation director, he had never won any important awards. So he could only comfort himself in his heart that he was a feature film director and didn’t have to be on the same level as a documentary director…

So, I got even angrier. A crappy documentary director brought out a bunch of famous feature film directors in China, including two directors who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Is this justice?

Bah, the old guy is just lucky!
When Cao Yang arrived at old Situ's office, he heard old Situ clapping his hands and singing an unknown opera, seeming to be enjoying himself.

"teacher."

Cao Yang called out. When the old Situ saw that it was Cao Yang, he was obviously very happy and waved his hand, signaling Cao Yang to come in.

Cao Yang sat here for a while, then said goodbye to the old Situ and went to sit with old Tian.

In the evening, Cao Yang drove to the community where Gao Yuanyuan lived.

Gao Yuanyuan has been in Beijing recently, and the two haven't seen each other for a while. She misses her very much.

No matter how close people are, if they haven't seen each other for a long time, there will be some estrangement when they first meet. In fact, there are many ways to eliminate it, and Cao Yang took the simplest and most direct one.

The distance between the two of them suddenly became negative, and all the barriers disappeared.

"It's been so long since we last met, do you miss me?"

Gao Yuanyuan held Cao Yang's face, kissed him on the lips, and asked softly.

"Of course I did. Don't we talk on the phone often?"

……

"Cao Yang, I want to give birth to you..."

Cao Yang directly blocked Gao Yuanyuan's way. He knew very well what Gao Yuanyuan would shout at the critical moment, so he simply stopped her from saying anything in advance.

After a long while, Gao Yuanyuan gently bit Cao Yang and asked, "Are you still going to Hollywood to develop your career?"

"I'm not going there for now. That place is boring."

Then, he gently flicked Gao Yuanyuan's forehead with his hand to stop her and said, "Don't do anything weird."

Gao Yuanyuan bared her teeth, stopped her provocative behavior, chuckled, and said, "It's better not to go to Hollywood, otherwise it will take a long time for me to see you. What plans does the big director have next?"

"It may be a commercial film, and it will probably be approved soon."

"Commercial film? Are you crazy? Why are you..."

Perhaps thinking of Zhang Yimou's movie "Hero" which grossed 2.5 million yuan, Gao Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment and thought that if Cao Yang could get high box office, it would be okay for him to switch to making commercial films?

In this era, art film directors stand at the top of the contempt chain and naturally look down on commercial film directors. This is why Xiao Gangpao has always wanted to win awards to prove himself.

But if the box office of a commercial film reaches a certain level, like that of Zhang Yimou's, many people will probably hesitate.

"It's just a commercial film, there's nothing to make a fuss about." Cao Yang smiled and patted Gao Yuanyuan's head.

"Didn't Zhang Yimou also make 'Hero'? From now on, commercial films will rise."

"Really?"

Gao Yuanyuan no longer wanted to think about the dispute between art films and commercial films, she just wanted to listen to Cao Yang.

"Where is it really big?" Cao Yang asked.

Gao Yuanyuan laughed
The next day, Cao Yang went to see Hou Keming with the written script.

Hou Keming didn't expect that Cao Yang had already written the script, and thought he would have to wait for a while.

After flipping through it casually, Hou Keming looked up and asked in surprise, "Nine-tailed Demon Fox? Liao Zhai?"

“Not really. I just read a few of the short stories and found them quite interesting, so I used Painted Skin as the framework and wrote this script. It’s not an adaptation of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, I can only say it was a reference.

Don’t use the name of adaptation and don’t rely on Liao Zhai to avoid criticism. The preparation period of this movie is not long, and the investment is not as exaggerated as that of Hero, so it is quite suitable. "

Cao Yang explained.

Hou Keming didn't read on. Having worked with Cao Yang for so many years, he believed that Cao Yang would not do anything without a purpose and there would be no problem in passing the review.

Besides, the higher-ups are anxious for Cao Yang to take action. Even if there are some things that are usually difficult to pass the review, no one will dare to stop him this time.

"How much investment is needed? How long will the preparation and shooting period be?" Hou Keming asked the key question, which is what the superiors want to know most.

"If we don't invite those international superstars, it will probably take an investment of between 70 and 80 million."

Cao Yang has already made a rough budget and estimated the preparation and shooting periods.

"The preparation period is about two months, and the shooting period should not exceed three months."

(End of this chapter)