Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 388 Fight for
For the post-production editing of "Love in the Seaside City", Cao Yang still hired Yang Qian from Qingdao Film Studio.

To say that Yang Qian is a highly creative editor is pure nonsense; he's just a "skilled worker" who has been working in the editing position for many years.

The main reason Cao Yang continued to use him was that he was obedient and skilled at his work. He would cut however Cao Yang asked him to, and even if he didn't understand, he would still do it according to the requirements.

This reduced a lot of arguments, and Cao Yang didn't have to convince him why he should cut it that way.

"This film uses two narrative lines, which revolve around the male protagonist and his brother's family respectively."

Cao Yang said to Yang Qian, "I plan to intertwine these two storylines and not use a simple linear time sequence in the narrative, but rather a lot of flashback shots."

I wanted to use multiple sudden flashbacks to interrupt the ongoing narrative, gradually revealing the life of the protagonist and his brother's family through the interweaving of the present and the past.

"Reverse order? Flashback?"

Yang Qian touched his chin, and the first thing that came to mind was the dissolve effect, the difference in shadow color, or using related objects to guide the memory. This is also a common technique used in movies that use reverse flashbacks.

However, considering that this is a film directed by Cao, Yang Qian guessed that Cao would not be so "mainstream".

What do you want to do?

Yang Qian didn't offer any suggestions or waste any words; he went straight to the question.

He actually has a clear understanding of himself; otherwise, Cao Yang wouldn't have used him, much less promoted him to be the editor of "The Fault in Our Stars."

“I don’t have any outstanding abilities, nor am I one of those so-called geniuses, but as long as I’m committed to one thing, I’ll do whatever Director Cao tells me to do.”

This is something he often says to himself, and it's a constant reminder that he must never get carried away, no matter what.

"In the first half of the film, the narrative uses flashback shots to create suspense and attract the audience, making the audience have a double curiosity from the beginning: what happened to the male protagonist that made him so depressed, irritable and melancholy?"
Why did his brother suddenly die, and who will take care of his son? The mystery is gradually solved through a series of flashbacks, adding a sense of tension to the otherwise mundane storyline.

It avoids the dullness of typical family dramas, which are often presented in a straightforward manner, and instead generates strong viewing enthusiasm among the audience.

Yang Qian nodded, indicating that he understood, and praised, "Doing this can indeed add suspense to a bland story and make people want to keep watching."

Cao Yang continued, "The flashback shots in the film don't use traditional techniques; they just switch directly and crisply, seamlessly connecting the past and present. This direct contrast shocks the audience and makes the film full of tension."

In the narrative that interweaves memories and reality, the protagonist's past happiness and present suffering form a stark contrast. This explains his series of indifferent behaviors and highlights his grief and despair after the fire.

Yang Qian slapped his thigh.

"The film's narrative, with its frequent interweaving of the past and present, perfectly echoes the protagonist's emotional fluctuations."

The trauma is repeatedly unearthed; flashbacks are not merely a narrative device to disrupt linear time, but rather elevate to a way of expressing the characters' tragic emotions—it's brilliant!

After he finished speaking, he even gave a thumbs up.

Cao Yang smiled. Although Yang Qian's words were suspected of being flattery, the fact that he could say the last part proved that he understood what Cao Yang meant.

It's good enough if you can understand the meaning, so as not to pretend to understand when you don't, which would result in a messy edit.

The post-production work for the film had only been underway for two days when Cao Yang finally received the phone call he had been waiting for.

"Dieter, you must be pretty busy lately, with so many art films from all over the world waiting for you to choose from. What made you think of calling me?"

After answering the phone, Cao Yang jokingly said with a smile.

Dieter Kosslick is the president, artistic director, and chairman of the selection committee for the Berlin International Film Festival, and also serves as the festival's commercial director.

Such a long list of titles clearly indicates that he is the most powerful figure at the Berlin Film Festival.

The biggest difference between the Berlin and Cannes Film Festivals and the Venice Film Festival is that their presidents and artistic directors have almost "lifetime" positions—they usually serve for about twenty years.

The president of the Venice Film Festival serves a four-year term and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.

The Berlin Film Festival in 2008 was held in February, but now it's November. Dieter Kosslick must be busy selecting films for the competition, which is why Cao Yang said that.

"Cao, I heard you made a new movie? Or is it an art film?"

Dieter Koslick didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

"Yes, after finishing Pirates of the Caribbean, I originally planned to take a break in China for six months or a year, but then I suddenly had a great idea and decided to make it."

Cao Yang said.

"Cao, I heard from my colleagues who are selecting films in China that you are currently working on the post-production of a new film. Have you ever thought about bringing this film to Berlin?"

"Dieter Coslick asked."

He had actually heard about Cao Yang's new film a long time ago, and had been hesitant about whether to personally invite him to Berlin to attend the film festival.

However, it's not so easy to take the initiative to speak up.

Given Cao Yang's status and influence, he would certainly very much like Cao Yang to come to the Berlin Film Festival.

If I were to ask him to do it, I would incur another favor. Including the previous invitation to Cao Yang to be the chairman of the jury in Berlin, I would already owe him two favors.

If it were a regular director, with no regard for personal relationships, it would be an honor for you if I took the initiative to invite you, wouldn't it?
Dieter Kosslick's idea is actually quite good. If a director were to receive a personal invitation from him to attend the Berlin Film Festival, he would indeed feel honored.

But Cao Yang is different; no matter which of the three major European film festivals he attends, he receives the greatest goodwill and welcome.

Great directors are a rare resource worldwide.

Especially now that the influence of the three major European film studios is declining, it would be a great honor for a big-name director to come.

Therefore, if Dieter were to invite Cao Yang, it would be as if he owed Cao Yang a favor, which is why he has been hesitant to invite him.

However, as Dieter received more and more information: international action star Jackie Chan was the lead actor in the film, Venice Film Festival Best Actress Yu Feihong seemed to be the female lead, and Jackie Chan seemed to be getting into character, which was being heavily hyped by the Hong Kong media...

Cao Yang, Cheng Long, and Yu Feihong—that's a huge influence.

Dieter Koslick couldn't sit still any longer.

He began to inquire about when Cao Yang's new film would be finished and whether it was possible to make it to the Berlin Film Festival.

When Dieter learned from the film selectors who came to China that the film had wrapped up and a wrap party was being held, he really couldn't sit still.

It's only November now, and there are still three months until the opening of the Berlin Film Festival. Can't post-production be completed in three months?
So, I called Cao Yang.

Cao Yang didn't answer immediately, but instead said somewhat irrelevantly, "Dieter, you know, I've already got two Venetian Golden Lions..."

Dieter Kosslick frowned; Cao Yang's words made him think more deeply. Currently, there are three directors worldwide who have won the most Venice Golden Lions: Louis Malle from France, Zhang Yimou from China, and Cao Yang, each with two Golden Lions.

From Cao Yang's words, he assumed that Cao Yang wanted to win the third Golden Lion in Venice.

If Cao Yang wins his third Golden Lion, he will set a record as the director with the most Golden Lions, which will surely be recorded in the history of the Venice Film Festival.

Of course, winning three Golden Lions can't compare to winning all three European Grand Slams, but the key point is that Dieter won't easily give Cao Yang the Golden Bear.

Dieter hesitated for a moment before saying, "Cao, winning the Golden Lion three times doesn't really mean much to you, compared to winning it twice now..."

As he was talking, he ran out of things to say. Getting three times was a record, and it was definitely much better than getting two times and being tied with two other people.

However, as the president of the Berlin Film Festival, Dieter has been able to hold all the power since taking office in 01, which shows that he is a capable and intelligent person.

He immediately thought of several reasons.

"Cao, as a good friend, I'll tell you the truth: even if you go to Venice, it will be very difficult for you to win the Golden Lion this year."

I know you are good friends with Marco, the president of the Venice Film Festival, but you should know that Venice has awarded the Golden Lion to a Chinese director for three consecutive years. Marco is in the eye of the storm this year, and many people have a lot of opinions about him.

This is Marco's fourth year in office, and he will run for another term. Do you think he dares to give the Golden Lion to a Chinese person for four consecutive years? You know that's very difficult, even more difficult than winning a Grand Slam.

Cao, we are friends, good friends, very good friends, otherwise I wouldn't have told you so much.

I think if you want to win the Golden Lion for the third time and set a new record, the best time would be towards the end of Mark's second term; that would be the optimal time.

Cao Yang was somewhat disappointed. Dieter had said so much, but still hadn't mentioned the most important thing. It seemed that the Golden Bear was indeed not an easy thing to win.

Not hearing a response from Cao Yang, Dieter knew that what he had said alone wouldn't be enough to sway Cao Yang. He thought for a moment and then said:

"Cao, we're friends, so I'll be frank. The Golden Bear Award needs the right timing, and I don't know when that time will come. Maybe it will come at this year's Berlin Film Festival, or maybe it will come at the next one..."

I can't give you a specific timeframe, but I can assure you that I will help you achieve a grand slam before I step down as president of the Berlin Film Festival.

Perhaps feeling that his promise was too vague, Dieter continued:

"Cao, my friend, as far as I know, you have already won Best Director at the Venice Film Festival and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, but at the Berlin Film Festival, you only got the Jury Prize..."

Trust me, if your new film can impress the judges, I believe they won't let you come for nothing.

At this point, Dieter Koslick stopped talking, making no promises, but seemingly making a promise nonetheless.

Cao Yang was well aware of Dieter's concerns. He hadn't seen his new movie yet and was worried about its quality, which was why he didn't dare to make any specific promises.

Dieter's final words actually implied that as long as the film could impress the judges, that is, as long as it maintained a high standard, it would definitely win an award.

Cao Yang won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for "Secret Sunshine" and Best Director at the Venice Film Festival for "Nine-Tailed Fox," an experimental film "selected" by Venice.

He is currently only missing the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival to achieve a grand slam of the three best directors in Europe.

While it cannot compare to the three major European awards, no one has yet achieved a grand slam of Best Director awards.

It wasn't until 12 that American director Paul Thomas Anderson won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival for "The Master," becoming the first person in the world to achieve a grand slam of Best Director awards.

However, he has only won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival so far, and he will win the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival next year for "There Will Be Blood".

In other words, if Cao Yang participates in this year's Berlin Film Festival, he will be in direct competition with Paul Thomas Anderson.

“Dieter, as a friend, I will definitely support you. See you in Berlin next February.”

Cao Yang said with a smile.

"It's done."

This was Dieter Koslick's first reaction.

"Okay, Cao, my dearest friend, I'll be waiting for you in Berlin."

After hanging up the phone, Dieter pumped his fist and a grin spread across his face.

He could imagine that the combined influence of Cao Yang, Cheng Long, and Yu Feihong would bring worldwide attention to the Berlin Film Festival.

Especially for Jackie Chan, who is known for his "kung fu" skills, making an art film would be a huge gimmick, and we must make good use of it to make the Berlin Film Festival great again.

On November 5th, Cao Yang unexpectedly received another invitation.

However, this time it wasn't an invitation from a film festival, but from the Writers Guild of America. They invited Cao Yang to participate in their upcoming major strike.

Due to the time difference, the Writers Guild of America's major strike will take place in the evening Beijing time.

Cao Yang is a member of both the Directors Guild and the Screenwriters Guild.

Furthermore, he is a member of the PGA, an organization comprised of film and television producers in the United States, whose purpose is to protect the rights of producers.

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is actually a bit different from the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG); it is not a union in the strict sense.

Therefore, studios have greater discretion when distributing various "producer" titles. Generally, the details of the credits are negotiated separately for each project, which is slightly more complicated than for directors and actors.

Cao Yang has won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, so naturally he is a highly regarded member of the Writers Guild.

When the Writers Guild was about to hold a major strike, they extended an invitation to Cao Yang. After all, Cao Yang's influence in Hollywood was undeniable, and the Writers Guild certainly hoped to get his full support.

Unfortunately, the reason for this major strike by the Writers Guild of America was the breakdown of negotiations between them and the Association of Film Producers.

The main issue is still about interests; the point of contention lies in revenue negotiations within the new media sector.

Cao Yang didn't know what the Writers Guild was thinking. As a member of the Writers Guild and the Producers Association (PGA), how could he possibly oppose himself?

However, after inquiring about the news, Cao Yang understood somewhat.

The Writers Guild's major strike is primarily targeting the major film studios, whose executives are almost all members of the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

The Writers Guild's ultimate goal is to extract more profits from major Hollywood studios, especially in the new media field.

However, Cao Yang is busy with the post-production of the film, so how could he possibly go to the US to get involved in this mess?

(End of this chapter)