Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 351 Jealousy Makes Me Look Ferocious
The little cannon recently encountered a problem: filming in Kuandian required a battle in the snow, but it hadn't snowed there since the Lunar New Year.

The sky was overcast, and it remained overcast, but no snow fell.

After filming a set of shots in the morning, Xiao Gangpao couldn't help but ask his assistant, "Did you ask the weather bureau? What did they say?"

The assistant was a little exasperated. Little Cannon had already asked the weather bureau several times recently, as if the weather bureau could control the weather.

Sigh, I'm probably going to get yelled at again this time.

Despite inwardly complaining, the assistant forced a quick reply: "Director Feng, the meteorological bureau said that it will be cloudy for the next two weeks, with heavy snow in some areas. It could snow here at any time."

"Hold!"

Little Cannon couldn't help but curse again:
"Anytime, anytime, what the hell do you mean anytime? I want a specific time and place, I want it to snow here—right here where we're standing—when will it snow, not some localized, random thing..."

The assistant kept his head down, letting the little cannon spit as he cursed and swore.

Everyone could see that since Director Cao came last time, several producers had been replaced, and it was said that a meeting was held to point out some mistakes made by the crew, which suddenly increased Xiao Gangpao's anger.

They get angry easily.

If an actor's performance is poor, they will be criticized.

If a staff member makes a slight mistake, they get yelled at.

Recently, people have started criticizing the weather bureau because it hasn't snowed.

The assistant also suffered the consequences, as if the fact that it wasn't snowing was due to the meteorological bureau's inaction or the assistant's poor communication.

The assistant had no choice; she had been with Xiao Gangpao for several years and knew him quite well.

Little Cannon is a very emotional person at times.

When he's in a good mood, he can patiently guide and correct actors who don't perform well or staff who make mistakes, making him seem very approachable.

But if he's in a bad mood, then good luck to him. He's made more than one or two actors cry with his scolding. When he starts scolding, he really doesn't hold back and can say the most nasty things.

Those insults were truly filthy, and they were aimed at people's vulgarity.

Of course, when Xiao Gangpao swears during filming, it depends on who he's swearing at.

The assistant rarely saw Xiao Gangpao scolding Ge You, nor did he ever scold Li Xiaoran, with whom he had worked on two dramas.

Furthermore, when Ge You is around, if Xiao Gangpao swears, Ge You can usually offer some advice.

But this film, "Assembly," doesn't have Ge You or any big names, so there aren't many people qualified to advise Xiao Gangpao.

The young director sat sullenly in the director's chair, stared blankly for a while, then suddenly frowned, looked up and asked his assistant, "Is today the Oscars ceremony?"

The assistant nodded quickly.

"Yes, due to the time difference, the Oscars start at 9:00 AM here."

Little Cannon checked the time; it was already past 11 a.m., and the Oscars shouldn't be over yet.

"Go and find out about the Oscars, and tell me about it during lunch."

"Okay." The assistant quickly nodded in agreement.

The film crew's lunches were also quite particular, with clear class distinctions and completely different meals.

The extras' meals were served in a designated area. The food was just enough to fill their stomachs; don't expect any good taste. They had to eat either standing or squatting.

The staff and regular actors get the same meals, which is definitely better than what the extras get.

The director, cinematographer, art director, lighting technician, and others eat the same food as the main actors in the crew, usually choosing to eat on set, or sometimes at a nearby restaurant.

When eating on set, there are specially set up tents with tables and chairs inside.

Of course, the director has the most privileges and can give special treatment.

"Director Feng, where are you having lunch?"

The assistant came over and asked.

Where to eat might seem like a small matter, but it's a big deal for the assistant, as it falls within her job scope.

Sitting in the director's chair, Little Cannon beckoned his assistant to come closer and whispered, "Have the Oscars results come out yet? Did Cao Yang, that bastard... cough, did Cao Yang win the big award?"

The assistant gently shook her head and said softly, "Inception was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, but it didn't win any of those major awards, however..."

The director jumped up from his chair with a bang, a smile instantly returning to his face. He completely ignored what his assistant was about to say and said directly, "Let's eat on set with the comrades today."

After saying that, he called out to photographer Lü Le, who was not far away, with a smile: "Come on, Lao Lü, let's go eat."

Based on her understanding of Xiao Gangpao, the assistant could roughly guess why her boss had suddenly become happy. It is said that colleagues are enemies, and this is also true among directors.

However, Xiao Gangpao usually compares himself with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. In the past, when Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige's box office was not good, he compared box office with them instead of awards.

Now that Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige have surpassed him in box office revenue, he's started comparing reputation and awards—although he doesn't have any, neither do Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, since none of them have any awards and their reputations are terrible.

The key point is, I'm a commercial film director, and you're all "great artists"...

Little Cannon is very happy to compete with the two of them in terms of awards and reputation.

As for Cao Yang, Xiao Gangpao had long since lost the desire to compete.

However, Xiao Gangpao was still very happy to see Cao Yang "get his comeuppance".

It's not so much malice, as the gap is large enough that it's impossible to generate "malice." A twisted sense of humor is the more accurate description.

Xiao Gangpao is actually quite self-aware. He's alright compared to Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige in China, but he's not even in the same league as Cao Yang.

With just nine Oscar nominations, Little Cannon probably can only dream about it for the rest of his life.

There were quite a few people sitting in the tent where we ate today.

Several people in charge of the production team were present, as were two South Koreans. On the actors' side, Zhang Hanyu, Liao Fan, Wang Baoqiang, Ren Quan, and Li Naiwen, the main actors who had scenes to film today, were also there.

Before Xiao Gangpao and Lü Le came in, everyone was chatting and laughing. However, once they entered, the atmosphere immediately became awkward.

Little Cannon didn't seem to mind. He laughed and said, "Everyone's here, right? Everyone did a great job this morning. I've already told them to have extra food."

For a moment, everyone was even more confused.

Did you do well this morning?
If everyone's memories haven't been altered, Director Feng must have been cursing people quite a bit this morning, even telling Zhang Hanyu that any random passerby he picked up from the street could act better than him.

Why did everyone behave so well this morning?

However, if the director says that if the performance is good, there will be extra food, then it's definitely good, and no one would dare to raise any objections.

"Thank you, Director Feng."

"Thank you, Director Feng."

……

Little Cannon thought everyone was quite happy, so he smiled and waved his hand. After everyone quieted down, he casually asked his assistant.

"By the way, have the Oscars been announced yet? I remember our producer Cao's 'Inception' received nine nominations, which is a remarkable achievement. Being nominated is the biggest victory."

He almost blurted out: Some of our directors fight tooth and nail every year for an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film...

His original intention was to satirize Zhang Yimou, who was competing with him this year. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and stopped in time, otherwise he might have been implicated.

The assistant knows Xiao Gangpao well; is this an attempt to embarrass Director Cao a little in public?
However, it's not exactly embarrassing. Even if Director Cao doesn't win a single award, just nine nominations are enough for domestic directors to chase for a lifetime.

But Director Feng, you didn't let me finish speaking.

I understand your quirky sense of humor, but although Director Cao didn't win the biggest awards, he won five out of nine nominations. His film "Inception" is the most awarded film and one of the biggest winners.

For a moment, the assistant fidgeted and murmured, her mind racing, but she just didn't know how to start the conversation.

Lü Le was a kind and understanding person.

He was a classmate of Zhang Yimou and Gu Changwei in the 78 class of the Cinematography Department at Beijing Film Academy.

He is quite famous in the domestic film industry. For example, he was the cinematographer for Lulu's famous film "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl".

As a photographer, he must have witnessed Lulu's youthful beauty firsthand. Furthermore, Lü Le was the cinematographer for Zhang Yimou's films *To Live*, *Shanghai Triad*, and *Keep Cool*.

The photographer who takes the photo is actually quite interesting.

In 97, Xiao Gangpao gained fame with "Party A, Party B", which led to special requirements for the cinematographer.

When he was filming "Be There or Be Square" in 98, he had his eye on Zhao Fei, the cinematographer who was Tian Zhuangzhuang's go-to director before he was banned from directing.

Zhao Fei was also a student in the cinematography department of Beijing Film Academy in 78. She was classmates with Zhang Yimou, Gu Changwei, and Lü Le. As Lao Tian's cinematographer, she shot films such as "The Horse Thief", "Illegal Life", and "The Great Eunuch Li Lianying".

After Lao Tian was banned from directing "The Great Eunuch Li Lianying", he still worked as a cinematographer for Zhang Yimou's "Raise the Red Lantern" and Chen Kaige's "The Emperor and the Assassin".

The fact that Xiao Gangpao recruited Zhao Fei to be his photographer is probably somewhat related to Lao Tian.

Unfortunately, after filming "Be There or Be Square", Zhao Fei was noticed by the famous director Woody Allen and was brought to Hollywood to develop her career.

As a photographer, I shot Woody Allen's "Sweet and Humble," "The Amateur Thief," and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" in succession, and then I went back to the United States. Hollywood is not easy to make a living.

Xiao Gangpao probably felt that these photographers from the 78 class of Beijing Film Academy were indeed amazing, and after tasting the benefits, he searched for a year and found Zhang Li, who also graduated from the photography department of Beijing Film Academy in 78.

Zhang Li was classmates with Zhang Yimou, Gu Changwei, Lü Le, and Zhao Fei.

As the photographer for "Little Steel Cannon," he has shot films such as "A Sigh," "Big Shot's Funeral," "A World Without Thieves," and "The Banquet."

Then, Zhang Li could no longer suppress his desire to become a director, so he went and became one.

Currently, as a director, he has filmed "Towards the Republic", "Military Secrets", "The Embroidered Uniform Guard" and "Ming Dynasty 1566", which have received good reviews.

The little cannon has lost another "beloved general".

At this point, he probably already had an opinion in his mind: Graduates from the 78 photography class of Beijing Film Academy are really useful!
So, when preparing for the assembly call, he invited Lü Le, who was also a graduate of the photography department of Beijing Film Academy in 78.

Lü Le was a kind-hearted man who couldn't bear to see people suffer, especially young and beautiful girls.

Seeing that Little Cannon's assistant was stammering, he thought that the girl might have been too busy to understand Oscar's situation.

I know that!

As a member of the famous 78 Cinematography Department of Beijing Film Academy, Cao Yang, who is now the face and spiritual leader of the academy, must be able to keep track of information about film production within the academy.

As soon as the Oscars ended, Lule received the relevant information.

What's infuriating is that Gu Changwei, that lucky bastard in their class, actually won the Oscar for Best Cinematography again, which made everyone in the class so envious that they wanted to strangle Gu and take his place.

Lü Le shared the same idea.

As classmates, who is worse than whom?

It was just a matter of luck.

"Director Feng, what a coincidence! I just received news about Director Cao's 'Inception' at the Oscars. Director Cao is also a leader in our crew, and I was just thinking of telling everyone about it."

Lü Le took the initiative to pick up the conversation.

He's a veteran with a great reputation and achieved fame early on, so it wouldn't seem out of place for him to take the initiative to accept the role from Xiao Gangpao.

Xiao Gangpao's eyes lit up. As a student of Beijing Film Academy, Lü Le's opinion was perfect; he was much more credible than his assistant.

"Quickly tell us about Producer Cao's situation at the Oscars."

Little Cannon urged on with a grin, seemingly in a good mood.

Lu Le thought that Xiao Gangpao was so happy because he already knew the news. Director Cao was the leader of the crew, and he was urging the actors and staff to film well. Maybe he could catch Director Cao's eye, right?
Yes, that must be it.

Lü Le first coughed dramatically to get everyone's attention before speaking:

"The Oscars have just ended. Although Director Cao's 'Inception' received nine nominations, unfortunately, as the media analyzed, it failed to win the biggest awards such as Best Director and Best Picture because of its nearly $80 billion global box office."

Little Cannon also sighed dramatically, looking quite regretful.

Actually, he was trying to suppress his laughter, but when Lü Le mentioned the box office figure of 80 billion, he couldn't laugh out loud and instead felt a pang of bitterness.

"but……"

Lü Le lightly tapped the table, his tone becoming somewhat impassioned.

"Although our producer Cao didn't win Best Director and Best Film, Inception won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Effects..."

He paused for a moment, then said softly, somewhat reluctantly, "With five awards for Best Cinematography, it is the most awarded film at this year's Oscars and one of the biggest winners."

Why is it one of them?

It's because Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing. Although it didn't win as many awards as "Inception," Best Picture and Best Director are very prestigious.

"Five, five items?"

Just moments ago, Little Cannon was all smiles, but now he's suddenly dumbfounded, like a face-changing act in Sichuan opera, completely shocked.

Lu Le secretly praised Xiao Gangpao, thinking that with such acting skills, it was a real pity he wasn't an actor.

"Yes, Director Feng, Director Cao's 'Inception' won five major awards, which is a remarkable achievement."

The little cannon had its mouth half-open, revealing quite a few teeth.

He turned around somewhat blankly to look at his assistant, wanting to confirm if it was true.

You said you didn't win a major award? This is what you call not winning a major award? Five Oscar statuettes! Five of them!
Stop pretending!

At this moment, Lü Le felt that Xiao Gangpao's acting skills were simply superhuman. If he continued like this, he would win the Best Actor award sooner or later.

"Director Feng was surprised too, right? When I first heard the news, I was so shocked I couldn't speak. We were all fooled by those media outlets!"

Lü Le shook his head and sighed.

His shock wasn't from Inception winning five Oscars, but from Gu Changwei winning the Oscar for Best Cinematography for the second time.

"Wow! Director Cao is amazing, this is an Oscar."

"It has to be Director Cao again. If I remember correctly, this is Director Cao's third time winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay, right?"

"Yes, you could say that. So far, Director Cao has won one Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and two for Best Adapted Screenplay."

"Director Cao is really amazing. He has already won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director. This is unique among Chinese people. It's simply incredible."

"What's most impressive is that Inception grossed nearly 80 billion worldwide, while the total box office in China last year was less than 30 billion, right?"

……

Everyone was talking at once, all expressing their amazement.

Little Cannon was silent for a while, then suddenly shouted, "Where are the extra dishes? Why aren't they ready yet? What the hell are you doing? Why are you taking so long? Don't you want to quit?"

After saying that, Little Cannon stood up, took off his hat and threw it on the seat, and loosened the collar of his cotton-padded coat.

"It's so damn stuffy in here. You guys keep eating, I'm going outside for a smoke and some fresh air."

Before anyone could say anything, he quickly left the tent.

Once outside, Xiao Gangpao lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, then threw it on the ground and stubbed it out with his foot.

In the time it takes to take a puff of a cigarette, he made up his mind.

It's never snowing, has it?
If it doesn't rain, it doesn't rain. I've already thought of a solution. It's just that I've always felt it was a bit inhumane for the actors and crew to film in that kind of environment.

But now that I think about it, regardless of humanity, everyone should be quite willing to make a little "sacrifice" for the sake of filming.

So he picked up the phone and dialed.

“It’s me. Go and buy 20,000 bags of fertilizer. We won’t wait for the snow; we’ll use fertilizer instead.”

As for the script, which requires many actors to lie or even throw themselves into snowdrifts, will the pungent smell of fertilizer cause psychological trauma to the actors?

What are you thinking? Actors endure this hardship and earn this money. That's what professionalism is all about, don't you know?
If you really want to blame someone, blame that bastard Cao Yang. Who told him to have such a huge box office success while also winning so many awards? I'm just jealous, I'm so jealous!
I'm so envious and jealous that I'm unrecognizable!

(End of this chapter)