Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 316 Bowing one's head is not necessarily a sign of weakness
After finishing up the cooperation with Colombia, Cao Yang had some free time for the time being.

However, he wasn't idle.

Lao Tian has already started training the actors for "Pieta". He said he plans to spend two to three months getting the actors into character and determined to do his best to make the movie well.

To this end, he also had his apprentice Ning Hao serve as his assistant director. The two of them worked together to instruct and train the actors.

Furthermore, Cao Yang would be called in at least once a week to explain to the actors the roles and the core of the film.

Lao Tian said that before filming begins, it is essential to ensure that the main actors understand their roles and what the film aims to convey.

Aside from occasionally giving acting advice to the actors in "Pieta" and starting to write the script for "The Fault in Our Stars," Cao Yang spends most of his time watching movies.

He only watched two movies: Nolan's "Batman Begins" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".

He was very likely to take on one of the two films, so he watched it countless times and even did a close-up analysis at the Beijing Film Academy.

Regarding Nolan's "Batman Begins," Cao Yang felt that Nolan gave "Batman" a new life, no longer the superhero from the comics and movies, but portraying him as a "human."

Cao Yang even believes that Batman has transcended being merely a symbol, reaching a completely new level.

He perfectly embodied why Bruce Wayne became Batman—overcoming his inner fears, arming himself, upholding moral principles, and possessing unparalleled self-control.

Bruce Wayne can be everyone's shadow, the "person" that everyone hopes to have.

Nolan took on a sequel and managed to make it feel fresh and original – that's real talent.

The relatively low box office revenue could be due to a variety of reasons.

First, there's the film's length. At over two hours long, coupled with its slow pace, it really tests the patience of viewers who are looking for an "exciting" movie.

In addition, the plot of this movie is far too complicated for many ordinary Americans.

This is Batman, the "sky" of Gotham City, the crime nemesis, the invincible force that fights criminals. What are you showing me?
Do I need to see how he became Batman? Do I need to see his mental journey? I'm here to see how he blows those damn criminals' heads off!
In conclusion, Nolan's Batman is incredibly humane.

But it is precisely because of this that "Batman" came to life; Nolan gave "Batman" a new life.

So if you look back on it later, or rent a DVD to watch it slowly, you'll find that "Batman" is actually a human being with desires, not a superhero who is detached from worldly affairs.

If the next movie can build on this foundation, speed up the pace a bit, expand the scale of the scenes, and make the fights more exciting, it is very likely to be a box office hit.

The movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" was somewhat unexpected for Cao Yang.

He had heard before that after Depp joined the film, he not only changed the character's behavior and lines a lot, but also changed the plot of many movies.

Of course, these words were revealed later when Disney wanted to replace Depp.

At that time, many people thought Depp was an oddball, and many people thought that his changes to the character and the plot were more in line with Depp's persona.

Cao Yang didn't know who was right and who was wrong, or what exactly happened.

But this time, without Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean was indeed different.

You could even say that it's a completely different movie from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" that Cao Yang remembers.

This Pirates of the Caribbean movie became entirely a love and adventure story between blacksmith Will Turner and his fiancée Elizabeth Swann.

As for the great Captain Jack Sparrow, sorry, he's just a minor character, not even one of the two main characters.

Furthermore, Captain Jack Sparrow is not a "fancy character"; he has no memorable traits and is a very normal character.

The main selling point of this movie is its special effects, while the plot is downplayed. Or, to put it another way, the producers and director thought, "I'll use the money wisely, make the special effects great, and then embark on a fantastical sea voyage featuring handsome men and beautiful women."

Keira Knightley, the lead actress, was at the peak of her beauty at this time, and she dared to take her clothes off. Her look in this movie was also very eye-catching, with her breasts squeezed so tightly that they seemed to be completely free from the constraints of her clothes.

That was even more eye-catching than Zhang Yimou's "Full City of Big-Breasted Women".

Orlando Bloom, the male lead, was also at the peak of his handsomeness. His role as the Elf Prince made him famous, and he can certainly be considered a handsome man.

However, this film, with a production cost of $1.5 million, failed to gross $1 million worldwide, which is a real flop. No wonder Disney wants to shelve the series.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the movie flopped. There may be preconceived notions at play. If the reboot is made into a different kind of movie, people might be even less likely to accept it, and it could very well flop again.

"Why have you been watching this movie on repeat these past few days? Oh, right, there's also a very long Batman movie."

Yu Feihong walked into the small screening room, which she had specially converted in her home, so that Cao Yang could easily watch films there and the two of them could watch movies together.

Cao Yang has been staying at her place for the past few days. After dinner, he helps Yu Feihong wash the dishes and then goes to the small screening room to watch movies carefully.

When Yu Feihong came in, Cao Yang had already stopped the movie and was taking notes. After writing the last few words, he said to Yu Feihong:
"I am very likely to take on one of these two films. Neither of these films is one that I will be in charge of, so I need to do the preparatory work."

Yu Feihong put her arm around Cao Yang's shoulder from behind and pressed her head against the side of his head.

Instantly, a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted into Cao Yang's nostrils, with a slightly milky scent.

"Are these two films very risky to make? I've never seen you analyze and take notes so meticulously before."

Cao Yang rubbed his head against Yu Feihong's head, their faces touching.

"The risk of 'Batman' is not high, and as long as I follow the premise of the first movie, I am very confident that it will be a huge hit again."

"Are you going to take over 'Batman'?" Yu Feihong asked.

"It's highly unlikely."

Cao Yang explained with a smile: "If it's a reboot or a film that has already appeared, we call it a sequel. If it's an ordinary director, it's fine to follow the plot of the previous work, but if it's a famous director, it won't work."

You have to come up with something new, otherwise both the media and film critics will criticize you harshly. That's why famous directors generally don't take on such films; they're too easy to fail.

Take "The Batman" for example. I know how it will be a box office hit, but it's hard to come up with anything new. Even if it is a box office smash, the film company will be happy, but it might negatively impact my reputation.

Yu Feihong glanced at the screen and said, "So you want to take over 'Pirates of the Caribbean'? You think you can bring something new to it?"

Cao Yang pulled her over and made her sit on his lap.

He kissed her on the cheek and said, "Compared to the original, it's definitely a fresh idea, but it's very risky, and I'm not confident about it."

"I believe you."

Yu Feihong sat on Cao Yang's lap and said earnestly.

"Then give me some motivation?"

Cao Yang glanced at it, then lowered his head and gently bit down on it through his pajamas.

Yu Feihong snorted softly, then rolled her eyes at Cao Yang and lowered her head.

Sometimes, bowing your head isn't a sign of weakness; it could also be a way of finding something to use against the other party.

(End of this chapter)