Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 352 had a huge impact.

Everyone has troubles, and Hou Keming, whose career has been incredibly successful in recent years, is no exception.

As the current head of the Beijing Film Academy, he suddenly fell into a dilemma after lunch today, not knowing what to do.

"You've been like this ever since you got a phone call during dinner. You're laughing like an idiot and sighing all the time, and you can't even eat. What happened?"

His wife couldn't help but ask.

You might think it's a bad thing, but he laughed so hard he spat out his food.

You think this is a good thing? But he just sighs and looks worried.

broken!

His wife's expression changed, and she suddenly thought of a possibility.

Could it be that Old Hou is keeping a fox spirit outside, and that fox spirit has given birth to a litter of cubs for him?
Otherwise, why would he be both excited and frowning?

I knew it! This is a case of having a child late in life, isn't it?
You're happy but don't know how to handle this, right?

You're afraid that if outsiders find out, it will affect your career, right?
I knew you were getting more and more perfunctory at night, only doing it once or twice a month at most, and always rushing in and out...

"Huh? Didn't I tell you?"

Old Hou was taken aback. After thinking about it, he realized he had been so caught up in his joy and annoyance that he hadn't actually told his wife about it.

"Fine, let's get a divorce!"

Old Hou's wife was thinking about his strange behavior when she casually remarked.

"Ok?"

Old Hou was truly dumbfounded.

He blinked, adjusted his glasses, and seemed to have misheard. He must have misheard.

He said with a smile, "At the recently concluded 79th Academy Awards, Cao Yang's 'Inception' won five Oscars. You know this movie is a co-production, and Qingdao Film Studio also had a share. Isn't that great news?"

Seeing his wife nod, somewhat puzzled, he continued, "What's even more gratifying is that Professor Cao Yang from the Directing Department has once again won the Best Adapted Screenplay award."

Gu Changwei, the deputy director of the photography department, won the Best Cinematography award once again.

Huang Haipeng, a teacher in the recording department, also won the Best Sound Effects Award... You know what I mean, right?

His wife blinked, still not quite understanding.

The school teachers achieved excellent results and won Oscars, which is a great achievement for you, the big leader. But what's the meaning of your sighing and complaining?

Seeing that his wife hadn't fully understood him, Old Hou was slightly disappointed. He could only sigh again, shake his head, and say, "Sigh, there are too many award winners. How are we going to hang up the congratulatory banners? There's no room!"

"what?"

His wife paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

So it turns out Old Hou was just being arrogant.

How old are you? Still putting on this act in front of me.

"boring!"

Old Hou's wife rolled her eyes at him, "Look how smug you are."

Go ahead and pretend, keep pretending.

Why bother? I have it.

You might as well just come and let me experience your masculine prowess.

At the same time, she also had some doubts in her heart. She was only in her forties, was she about to go through menopause? Otherwise, why would she be so sensitive? She started to have all sorts of wild thoughts.

Well, it's all Old Hou's fault, she rolled her eyes at him again.

Who can put anyone at ease knowing that he's now a high-ranking leader at the Beijing Film Academy, with his status rising higher and higher, and he's surrounded by young, beautiful women?

The Beijing Film Academy has always touted itself as an art school. If a teacher or student wins an award at one of the three major European film academies, they will definitely hang up a banner to celebrate.

The Oscars are the most prestigious awards in Hollywood's commercial film industry. The European film and art circles hold the Oscars in high regard, to the point that some older generation artists in China also look down on the Oscars.

However, that is all in the past tense.

In recent years, even in the European film and art scene, those directors or actors who constantly proclaim their contempt for Hollywood and disdain for the Oscars would not hesitate to go to Hollywood if given the opportunity.

The situation is similar domestically.

Those who despise Hollywood commercial films and look down on the Oscars are almost all directors from the fourth generation and earlier. Starting with the fifth generation, directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige have long since changed their thinking and concepts.

Furthermore, with the fifth generation winning all three major European awards, and then turning their attention to "winning the Oscars," they inadvertently added a layer of prestige to the Oscars.

The key issue is that they have repeatedly failed to win an Oscar, even struggling to get a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. This has led the general public to believe that the Oscars are much harder to win than the three major European films!
Furthermore, almost all of China's top filmmakers who went to Hollywood ended in failure.

As a result, Hollywood and the Oscars have naturally become more and more "high-end" in the eyes of the general public.

Meanwhile, with the fifth generation of actors collectively aiming for the Oscars, and the fourth generation retiring to the second line or stepping down from leadership positions, Hollywood and the Oscars have become increasingly important in art schools such as the Beijing Film Academy, the Central Academy of Drama, and the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

In fact, in the eyes of the younger generation, the Oscars are even more important than the three major European awards.

Therefore, it is a major breakthrough for the Beijing Film Academy that three people have won Oscars this year.

The key point is the identities of the three individuals; they all hold teaching positions at the Beijing Film Academy, making them legitimate members of the academy.

A banner is a must-hang.

Lao Hou has already discussed it with several leaders of the school. This is another very rare publicity opportunity for Beijing Film Academy, and an opportunity to further widen the gap with other universities.

Not only should we hang banners, but we should also focus on publicity, covering print media, the internet, and television in all aspects, so that those so-called sister schools can't even smell the exhaust fumes from Beijing Film Academy.

In the future, the structure of art colleges should be completely dominated by one superpower, and the rest can be ranked however they like.

This "superpower" refers to the fact that Beijing Film Academy is the only super-strong school among art colleges, making the other schools not even have the desire to compete with it.

Of course, to maximize the publicity effect, the help of many well-known alumni of Beijing Film Academy will definitely be needed.

They don't need to do any big publicity; they just need these outstanding alumni, including film and television directors, photographers, and actors, to record a video to congratulate them.

Then we can put these videos on the Beijing Film Academy's official website, and select some "special" ones to release on the internet and in the media.

After a long day in the editing room of Qingying Film Studio, Lao Tian dragged his tired body out, only to find his apprentice Ning Hao already waiting for him outside.

What's infuriating is that Ning Hao was holding a cigarette and laughing and joking with a young girl from the Qingying Film Studio, making the girl... well, she wasn't young, anyway, her laughter was quite shaky.

Old Tian quickly banished the thought from his mind.

He knew this young woman; she was a sound engineer who had graduated from the Beijing Film Academy less than two years ago. She and her mentor were doing part of the work on Pietà.

Old Tian walked over and slapped Ning Hao on the head. He knew this little bastard all too well; he was the kind of guy who liked to leave his mark on everyone.

Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows... No, you little bastard, you have a girlfriend now, can't you change that bad habit you picked up from the photography department?
Alas, what a disaster! Old Situ was right after all. The feng shui of Beijing Film Academy is indeed problematic, especially the photography department, which is definitely a disaster area.

In comparison, the directing department is more normal.

For example, myself, for example, Cao Yang...

Forget it, that little brat Cao Yang isn't any better. Just from what I know, there's Li Xiaoran, Yu Feihong, Gao Yuanyuan, Dong Xuan...

Hey?
Old Tian was suddenly stunned. He had never thought about this question before, but now that he thought about it, weren't these the leading ladies in the movies he had made before?

How could that little bastard do such a thing?
If people find out, won't that ruin the reputation of the directing department?

Unlike myself, although I also had a brief relationship with Lü Liping and Xu Fan while filming a movie.

But after filming the movie, we realized we weren't compatible, so it ended automatically... Well, maybe we didn't completely break up back then, but we definitely have now.

Hmm, it seems like Xiao Gangpao is filming a new movie in Northeast China recently...

No, I'm not that kind of person.

Old Tian quickly stopped himself from thinking that, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that he had been working too hard in the editing room lately, and the pressure had been too much, causing him to get stressed. Ning Hao didn't need to turn around to know that Old Tian had slapped himself.

His status is different now; he's one of the very few directors in China whose films have grossed over 100 million yuan. Only Lao Tian dares to hit him, and he still has to greet him with a smile.

Ning Hao quickly threw the cigarette he was holding on the ground and stomped it out before smiling obsequiously and saying, "Teacher, you've had a busy day. You must be tired."

The young sound engineer, whose chest jiggled when she laughed, gave Lao Tian a sweet smile, then covered her mouth and smiled at Ning Hao before jogging away.

The two pairs of little rabbits trembled as well.

Ning Hao grinned foolishly as he watched the little girl walk away.

Old Tian slapped Ning Hao on the head again, saying with exasperation:
"Stop looking, they've all gone far. You, you have a girlfriend now, and you're a director who's made movies that gross over 100 million. Can't you just focus and put your mind to the film?"

"Hehe, teacher is right, I'll remember that. Don't worry, teacher, I really didn't mean it that way. I just thought the little girl was cute, so I just said hello when we met."

Ning Hao chuckled and scratched his head, looking like a simple and honest man.

Old Tian wouldn't fall for it. He knew his graduate student too well. Beneath his honest and simple exterior lay a shrewd, clever, and incredibly bold person.

It's unlikely that you'll be tricked or "trapped" by a woman.

However, as a teacher, I certainly want my students to go down the right path and not be influenced by the bad influences of the photography department.

"Don't you dare cause any more trouble, or I'll make sure you don't graduate."

Old Tian glared at him and said something intimidating, but of course, it was just a threat.

Given that Ning Hao is one of the few directors in China whose films have grossed over 100 million yuan, graduating is not a problem at all.

"Don't worry, teacher, I'm determined to fight against the bad practices of the directing... cough, the cinematography department, and resolutely promote the fine traditions of our directing department. I'm determined to learn from you," Ning Hao said earnestly.

Old Tian nodded, "This young man is teachable."

"Why aren't you at home spending the Lunar New Year with your girlfriend? What are you doing here?"

Speaking of this, Ning Hao immediately perked up, laughed heartily, and said, "Teacher, my junior uncle, your junior brother Director Cao's 'Inception' won five Oscars this time."

He raised his hand, shook it, and spoke with envy in his voice.

Old Tian was taken aback. He remembered asking Cao Yang, who said it was hard to say this time because the box office was so high, and it was best not to have any hope.

"Five?"

"Yes, five!"

Old Tian smacked his lips, speechless for a moment.

That little bastard Cao Yang, winning awards is as easy as drinking water for him. Sigh, it's infuriating to compare yourself to others.

For a moment, Lao Tian was a little dejected.

Since Cao Yang gave me the script for "Saint's Lament," I have been working diligently day and night, never daring to slack off for a moment.

This script is so simple, but we've been preparing it since August, and now it's almost the end of February and we're about to enter March, and we still haven't finished editing. I'm still feeling uneasy, because I feel like there's something I'm not entirely satisfied with.

This is exhausting.

Unlike Cao Yang, who always seems to make movies as if it's child's play. He can casually give the actors some pointers, and they can perform beyond their usual level, just like they stepped right out of the movie...

Is this the crushing power of talent?
"Let's go eat. I'm a little tired today. Have a drink with me."

Old Tian patted Ning Hao on the shoulder, his tone filled with inexplicable disappointment.

Today... I'll break my vow one more time, just to have a drink and relieve my fatigue.

Old Tian wasn't jealous of Cao Yang, but his confidence had been shaken.

"By the way, teacher, I received a call from Dean Hou today, saying that we should both film a congratulatory video. It's a large-scale mobilization, and many alumni who have already graduated will be filming."

Ning Hao walked and talked with Lao Tian.

His words immediately made Lao Tian stop.

Old Tian stared wide-eyed, somewhat shocked, and asked, "That kid Cao Yang won the Oscar for Best Director again?"

"Well, not really."

Before Lao Tian could even breathe a sigh of relief, Ning Hao continued:

"However, among these five little golden statuettes, there is Director Cao for Best Adapted Screenplay, Teacher Gu Changwei for Best Cinematography, and Huang Haipeng, a teacher in the Sound Recording Department, also won the Best Sound Effects Award."

Old Tian was, after all, a man who had seen his share of ups and downs.

He kicked Ning Hao in the butt and started cursing and swearing incoherently:
"That little bastard actually helped someone win two Oscars... Old Gu, that scoundrel, this is his second Oscar for Best Cinematography. He should be most grateful to me; if it weren't for my recommendation..."

I know Huang Haipeng, that kid. He's an honest, unassuming sound engineer at Qingying Film Studio. There's nothing special about him, except that he's honest and hardworking..."

Finally, he kicked Ning Hao in the buttocks again, cursing loudly:

"Drink, drink, all you know is drinking! What are you drinking for? I have to do post-production on 'Pieta' tomorrow, how can I drink? You better quit drinking, and oh yeah, and sex..."

The fact that "Inception" received nine nominations and won five Oscars also surprised domestic media.

Wasn't it said that Inception's box office was too high to win any major awards? In China, all Oscar awards are collectively referred to as "major awards."

So, the so-called "not winning the big awards" means exactly what it says: not winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor!

But you won five awards in one go, and three of them were won by Chinese people, all from the Beijing Film Academy. That's really big news.

It is absolutely record-breaking that three Chinese people from mainland China have won Oscars at the same time.

They have three or four Black people nominated for Oscars, and two of them have won, so they dare to claim that this is a Black Oscars.

Shouldn't we also call this the Chinese Oscars?

Of course, we Chinese people are proud and humble, so we certainly can't call it that, but a title like "Chinese Shining at the Oscars" is definitely fine.

So, as soon as the Oscars ended, domestic portal websites were the first to publish articles, all with huge headlines: "Chinese Shine at the Oscars," "A Night of Great Victory for Beijing Film Academy Students," "A Galaxy of Stars: The Road to the Oscars for Chinese"...

Of course, there are also headlines like "Inception achieves both box office and awards success," "Director Cao Yang dominates the Oscars," and "Inception wins five out of nine nominations, becoming the biggest winner at the Oscars."

Furthermore, that evening, CCTV's "News Broadcast" also aired a brief news segment reporting that "Inception" had won five Oscars.

With CCTV already doing it, traditional media certainly won't want to fall behind.

The next day, print media followed up, with many major print media outlets dedicating special pages to report on the matter in detail.

The reason for such a high-profile report on this matter is that the Olympics will be held next year, and the Oscars, which are watched by almost the entire world, have a huge influence. This event can help increase attention and boost national pride.

Then, the Beijing Film Academy started to exert its strength.

Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Wu Ziniu, Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Ning Hao, Guan Hu, and many other film directors who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy all made videos.

Li Shaohong, Zhang Jianya, Hu Mei, Gao Xixi, Zhang Li, and many other TV drama directors who graduated from Beijing Film Academy also made videos.

Tang Guoqiang, Zhang Tielin, Zhang Fengyi, Shen Danping, Wang Zhiwen, Yu Feihong, Jiang Wu, Huang Sanshi, Yuan Li, Liu Lin, Liu Zi, Xu Jinglei, Jiang Qinqin, Jin Qiaoqiao, Fu Dalong, Zuo Xiaoqing, Sun Li, Chen Kun, Huang Xiaoming, Guo Xiaodong, Wen Zhengrong, Dong Xuan...

In short, all the actors who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and have some fame have filmed videos.

The video begins entirely with congratulations to my alma mater, Beijing Film Academy…

Then came the awards for Cao Yang's film "Inception," and the Oscars won by Cao Yang, Gu Changwei, and Huang Haipeng.

Of course, all of these videos are on the official website of Beijing Film Academy. As for those released online, they are all videos of alumni with very high profile and influence.

This event was quite a grand affair, making many people who weren't familiar with it realize that the Beijing Film Academy has trained so many big stars and directors.

At the same time, it also raised the profile of Beijing Film Academy to a new level, firmly surpassing the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy, making it the undisputed number one in China.

The top leaders of the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy privately lamented that Cao Yang alone had elevated the reputation and influence of the Beijing Film Academy to a new level. They wondered when the Central Academy of Drama (and the Shanghai Theatre Academy) would produce their own "Cao Yang".

(End of this chapter)