Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 475 Choice
Cao Yang had several urgent matters to attend to during his return to China.

Not only did Hou Keming tell him about the "1+1+1" being greater than 3, but also about his doctoral dissertation and graduation project.

Two more films, initiated under Cao Yang's name, are waiting for him.

The film "Aftershock," directed by Xiao Gangpao, wrapped up filming in mid-January and is currently in post-production. Xiao Gangpao has been keeping a close eye on the project.

However, the closer it got to completion, the more uncertain Little Cannon felt.

He still feels lingering fear when he thinks about the online hype he caused back then, so he's a bit hesitant about the final product of the film. He's been calling Cao Yang a lot lately, hoping to wait for Cao Yang to come back and make a final decision.

Another film, "The Founding of a Republic," is also in preparation. The main actors were decided after President Han called Cao Yang to discuss the matter.

Cao Yang didn't say much about the selection of Han Zong, he only gave a bottom line, that is, the actors in this tribute film must have Chinese nationality.

Cao Yang is not discriminating against people who have acquired citizenship in other countries.

However, if you choose someone who no longer holds Chinese citizenship to play a role in a tribute film, that would be disrespectful to history.

President Han didn't say anything about what Cao Yang said.

Compared to this period in the previous life, when several big stars in China had acquired foreign citizenship, in this life, although those big stars have also acquired foreign citizenship, the number of big stars in China far surpasses that of the previous life.

Top female stars include the Four Great Actresses and Fan Bingbing, while male stars include Duan Yihong, Liu Ye, and Huang Xiaoming from mainland China, and Jackie Chan and Wu Qihua from Hong Kong. All of these people are much more famous than in their previous lives because of Cao Yang.

Almost all of them are top-tier celebrities, and all of them are still Chinese citizens. If needed, they can completely replace those foreign nationals.

Although preparations for "The Founding of a Republic" were complete, after discussing with the other people who were pushing the film forward, President Han decided not to start filming immediately, but to wait until Cao Yang returned to China before holding the opening ceremony.

The things mentioned above are all quite important.

This allowed Cao Yang to shorten his stay in the United States. After reaching an agreement with Disney CEO Robert Iger, he declined all social engagements and ignored Isaac Perlmutter's request to speak with him again before returning to China.

Pang Bing did not return to China with Cao Yang.

Jim Carrey won an Oscar, and with his starring role in "Joker" grossing $15 billion worldwide, he once again reached the pinnacle of his career, no longer the somewhat faded superstar he once was.

Jim Carrey knew perfectly well who had provided all of this, and he kept his word, proactively introducing resources to Fat Bing.

Fat Bing's ambition isn't that strong now, and it certainly can't compare to her previous life when she declared she wanted to build herself into a "wealthy family".

So even though Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Jim Carrey all introduced her to opportunities, she was still very "picky."

Some of the resources she turned down for various reasons are absolutely enough to make Zhang Ziyi drool with envy.

The reason why Fat Bing stayed was because she was recommended several good resources. Although none of them were leading roles, it is true that, unless it is a specific movie, it is almost impossible for Chinese actresses to get leading roles.

Jim Carrey recommended her to Meet the Parents 3.

Depp recommended her to Tim Burton, who was interested in making "Alice in Wonderland." He immediately contacted Depp, who then recommended Bingbing.

However, Depp himself is unsure if he has the time to star in "Alice in Wonderland," and the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" will definitely require Depp.

Compared to Tim Burton, who made him famous, Depp can only apologize in his heart. If there is a scheduling conflict, Depp will definitely choose Cao Yang without hesitation.

It depends on scheduling coordination. Cao Yang clearly told Depp that preparation and filming for "New Pirates of the Caribbean" will definitely start this year, but the specific time has not yet been determined. We will have to wait a while before we can plan it out.

Cao Yang hasn't confirmed it yet because he doesn't know what his doctoral dissertation and graduation project will be. He will only be able to confirm it after returning to China.

In addition, Nolan also introduced a resource to Bing: his fellow British, Paul Anderson, plans to reboot Resident Evil after three years and prepare to film a fourth installment.

So Nolan thought of Fat Bing, who was close to Cao Yang. He felt that Fat Bing's appearance was very suitable for filming some amazing action scenes, so he recommended Fat Bing.

Cao Yang didn't know how Nolan could tell that Fat Bing was suitable for action movies, as he remembered that Fat Bing rarely made this type of film.

However, seeing how eager Fatty Bing was to try, he didn't stop him.

Fan Bingbing's filming career in Hollywood has, on the surface, relied on resources introduced by Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others, which has avoided a lot of trouble.

If someone with some inclinations were to delve deeper into the relationship between Fan Bingbing and Johnny Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio, and suddenly learn that Cao Yang is the one supporting Fan Bingbing, then Fan Bingbing would be in no trouble at all.

Those who are qualified to not care too much about Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio are almost all high-ranking executives of major Hollywood companies. And which of these people would not give Cao Yang face? Do they still want to cooperate in the future?

For the sake of a woman, he offended a top producer and director like Cao Yang, who also held numerous copyrights and had no "burden" of production studios and distribution companies, nor was he tied to any film company...

Is it worth it?

This isn't even a multiple-choice question.

Upon returning to China, Cao Yang first went to see Hou Keming.

Old Hou is currently enjoying a period of great success.

The banners that can be seen everywhere in the school all represent his "great achievements" during his tenure as principal. In addition, the Beijing Film Academy was not only praised by the Ministry of Education last year, but also by the People's Daily.

In addition, in the latest global ranking of film schools, the directing program of Beijing Film Academy ranks first in the world, and its overall strength is also among the top three in the world.

Each of these happy events, taken individually, would have excited Hou Keming for a long time, let alone the fact that they happened one after another.

"Sit down, sit down."

Hou Keming personally brewed the tea and placed a cup in front of Cao Yang, saying with a smile, "I recently got some Lu'an Melon Seed tea, it's pretty good, you should try it."

Cao Yang took a sip and found the aroma to be delicate, with a distinct bean flavor.

He rarely drank Lu'an Melon Seed Tea before, but he thought it tasted pretty good and must be a good tea.

"Yes, the bean flavor is very obvious."

Hou Keming looked at Cao Yang with a smile, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure, with a maternal smile on his face.

"Right, I think it's good too."

As he spoke, he stood up, opened a drawer, and said to Cao Yang with a smile, "Since you think it tastes good, then it suits your taste. Perfect, I have two packs here, let's each have one."

Cao Yang didn't refuse, took it and put it away, then asked, "What are the school's considerations regarding my doctoral dissertation and graduation project?"

Old Hou waved his hand and said with a smile, "No rush, we'll talk about it later."

Then he stood up, opened the door, looked outside, and closed it again.

Then, he asked mysteriously in a low voice, "What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to focus on politics?"

After saying that, he deliberately lowered his voice and said, "You are still young, and you are already a deputy minister. If you are willing, given your previous achievements, it is very possible that we can arrange a powerful deputy minister position for you."

Then he added, “However, if you choose a career in politics, you will have fewer opportunities to direct movies yourself in the future. Unless you are assigned a major task, you should try to avoid directing.”

Cao Yang had already thought about this problem.

To put it bluntly, given the immersive experience provided by the system, as long as he tries to "educate" the audience as little as possible and can tell the story clearly, the movie will definitely not be too bad.

No matter when, as long as the story is told clearly and the actors perform exceptionally well, even if the film doesn't become a classic, it can still be a high-quality film.

In a film, an actor's ability to find the right role is crucial and makes them shine. This is the origin of the saying that a good actor can save a movie.

However, if one chooses to pursue a full-time political career...

Cao Yang knew very well that because his starting point was too high, this path would definitely not be easy.

In fact, because of its unique nature, barring any unforeseen circumstances, one can almost always see the end of this road.

The key point is that if he doesn't choose to work full-time and continues to be a director, as long as he can maintain his current influence, such as by only holding positions in people's organizations, the National People's Congress, or the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The final compensation may not be worse than that of a full-time employee.

It might even exceed that.

At most, it just means their authority isn't that great.

However, even if he didn't pursue a full-time political career, his influence in the film and television industry wouldn't be lacking.

"Honey Hou, I still love movies very much and don't want to leave this industry."

Cao Yang said directly.

"Cao Yang, you need to think this through carefully. This is the best opportunity, and it will be the best arrangement for you. If you refuse now, you may not have such an opportunity in the future."

Hou Keming gave a somewhat serious reminder.

"I know, Dean Hou, thank you. If you don't let me touch the tube, I feel like I have no advantage at all."

Cao Yang said.

Hou Keming was silent for a moment, then said, "Have you ever thought that maybe the higher-ups will arrange for you to be the principal of the Beijing Film Academy or the Central Academy of Drama? Let you stay in that position for a few years, and then put you in another important department?"

Cao Yang was stunned for a moment; he really hadn't considered this possibility.

Both the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama are provincial-level schools, but provincial-level schools can also have principals who are vice-ministerial level.

If I'm just staying in this position, I can still find time to make movies every year.

However, on the other hand, if a school principal like you were to personally direct a film every year, that would be a bit of a "neglect of your duties"...

Forget it, I'll just focus on being a director; that's the foundation of my career.

"Director Hou, how could I possibly take your place? I'd better just focus on making my movie, haha..."

Cao Yang made a joke to Hou Keming, but also expressed his refusal.

Hou Keming smiled and said, "Alright, focus on making movies and take on a deputy position in some departments. That's a good choice, and you'll have more freedom. Maybe your salary will even surpass mine."

Although the Beijing Film Academy is a provincial-level institution, Hou Keming's outstanding achievements during his tenure as president of the academy have earned him the privileges of a vice-ministerial level official.

Cao Yang's heart skipped a beat. If the treatment was better than Hou Keming's, wouldn't that mean...?

Seemingly understanding Cao Yang's meaning, Hou Keming smiled and said, "Don't overthink it. Although it's just about the benefits, this step alone is difficult for most people who want to advance. Don't have too high hopes, just keep a calm mind."

"Yes, yes, I know."

Cao Yang said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll convey your intentions first. There will be a formal discussion in a few days. Are you sure you've thought it through?"

Hou Keming asked again.

"I've thought it through. I can't live without movies," Cao Yang said.

"ok, I get it."

Hou Keming nodded and said with a smile, "Let's not talk about that anymore. Let's talk about your thesis and graduation project instead."

Cao Yang quickly asked, "Is the school confirmed? What are the requirements?"

Hou Keming shook his head. "After careful consideration, the school thinks it's best to let you have your own ideas. Once you've made your decision, just submit it."

"what?"

Cao Yang was a little dumbfounded and asked, "The school didn't require it?"

"The school feels that setting high standards for you would limit your potential, so they'd rather let you express yourself freely."

Hou Keming waved his hand and said, "However, you need to submit the topic of the thesis you want to write and the type of graduation project before the end of March, so that the school can enter it into the system."

Are there any requirements regarding the type of graduation project?

Cao Yang asked again.

“Full-length feature films, documentaries, experimental short films, in-depth creative reports with footage or clips... you can choose any of these.”

Hou Keming said with a smile, "The school thinks it's a bit... a bit presumptuous to make demands on you. In short, you can do as you please and make your own choices. There are no restrictions."

In fact, the school had been arguing about this matter for a long time, or rather, it had been putting it off for a long time. Old Situ pushed the matter to the school, and no professor in the school felt that he was qualified to assign tasks to Cao Yang.

Even Xie Fei declined.

The main reason is that these people are afraid that if word gets out, people will think they are being arrogant.

Who is Cao Yang?

Let alone in China, even globally, which director or film school professor dares to say that in terms of artistic achievement, they can surpass the only living director who has won the grand slam of the three major European film awards?

Or perhaps a director who has won all five major awards?

They're afraid they'll be laughed at if word gets out.

So, after much deliberation, the school decided to let Cao Yang choose for himself.

"correct."

Hou Keming chuckled twice, refilled Cao Yang's cup, and then said, "After you graduate with your doctorate, would you be interested in supervising graduate students? Master's or doctoral degrees are both fine, as long as you're willing."

Cao Yang frowned slightly.

Supervising graduate students is a very troublesome task. I saw in the interviews with Qian Xuesen and Yuan Longping that they scratched their heads with headaches when they talked about their students.

However, when Cao Yang thought of Lao Situ, he felt that supervising graduate students was an easy task. Lao Situ had always been very hands-off with him, not caring about anything. Being a mentor like that would be easy.

"I still have some time before I graduate, let's talk about it then."

Cao Yang didn't refuse outright, saying he'd decide based on the situation later, but he'd better think about his graduation thesis and project first.

(End of this chapter)