Became the best actor, the system just finished loading

Chapter 282 Life is Like Having a Cheat Code (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
When "Lost in Thailand" grossed over 100 million yuan, Qi Hao didn't hold any celebration banquet.

This thing is basically just for showing off.

Its impact on box office revenue was negligible, since there were no competing films that could squeeze out the screenings of "Lost in Thailand," and some films even chose to postpone their release.

Since there's no promotional effect, why should Qi Hao bother?

It's the same as celebrating after the movie has finished its run.

What he has in abundance right now is prestige.

Even the magazine "Film Art" came to the film crew to do an exclusive interview with him and took photos to put on the magazine cover.

It wasn't just an ordinary article published in a magazine; it was the kind with a cover.

That's pretty impressive.

Founded in 1956, Film Art magazine mainly features columns such as special reports, film criticism, interviews, theoretical research, film history exploration, profiles, and industry news.

As a core journal that has consistently ranked among the top in film-related academic journals, Film Art is highly forward-thinking, academically leading, and at the forefront of trends, often standing at the forefront of the development of Chinese cinema.

It is also the first academic journal in New China specializing in film criticism and film theory research, and a source journal of the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI).

If "Popular Cinema" and "Movie View" are aimed at movie fans, then "Film Art" is aimed at professionals.

This professional magazine may not have the same reach as a fashion magazine, but for a film actor or director, it instantly elevates their status.

The person who gave the interview in the last issue seems to be Gu Changwei.

That's one of China's top photographers, and now he's crossed over into becoming a top director. If you don't reach a certain level, these kinds of professional magazines won't even give you a second glance.

The fact that Qi Hao accepted the invitation is enough to show that the industry recognizes him.

What's there to disagree with?

Whether or not the Golden Horse Award for Best Director for "The Piano in a Factory" was inflated, it was certainly not that much of a fraud; the film's quality speaks for itself.

The film itself wasn't very controversial.

The only point of contention is Qi Hao himself. Some say the film wasn't directed by him independently, while others say it's inappropriate for him to win the Golden Horse Award for Best Director on his first film.

If that's all there is to it, then it's just a casual report at most.

The film that played a decisive role was "First Love".

If you look at "The Piano in a Factory" and "First Love" separately, it wouldn't be anything particularly amazing if someone could make one of these two films.

The Chinese film industry is full of talented people, and many outstanding individuals have emerged.

The key point is that both films were directed by Qi Hao.

This is very worthy of being studied.

Moreover, Qi Hao's own experience is legendary. He started as a small extra and worked hard for two years before finally making a name for himself. He was a rising star for several years, then suddenly transformed into a serious actor and won the Best Actor award. Only after winning the Best Actor award did he start directing. He first made an award-winning art film and then a commercial film that made money at the box office.

To use a popular phrase on the internet, his life is like he's been given a cheat code.

However, there are quite a few people in this world who are cheaters.

Many of those so-called successful people seem to have superpowers; one more or one less wouldn't make a difference.

"Click~ Let's take a break before taking more pictures."

Lu Yang was holding a box of instant noodles, but he really couldn't eat anymore.

There's no way around it, they've been eating too much dog food.

Qi Hao and An Feng showed off their affection in front of the camera.

Filming is currently in its mid-to-late stages, with scenes depicting the romance between the male and female leads beginning to be shot.

If a romance movie can't make people feel the beauty of love or the bittersweetness of romance, then no matter what the ending is, it won't move the audience.

A tragedy is simply tearing something beautiful apart and showing it to people.

The same goes for regrets.

Only when expectations are extremely high will there be enough regrets.

The plot and scenes are quite different from the original script.

Qi Hao revised the script quite a bit to better suit the city of Tianjin—after all, you're filming in this city, so you definitely have to adapt to local conditions.

March and April are the peak season for peach blossoms, and the film included many panoramic shots of related scenic spots.

What about Hongqiao Peach Blossom Embankment, Nankai Bitao Garden, Jizhou Panshan Mountain, Jinghai Lüguantun...

It doesn't cost too much money.

The local government was very supportive of the film's production and provided various conveniences.

Not only peach blossoms, but also cherry blossoms in Nanjing University's Cherry Blossom Garden and Xiqing Cherry Blossom Avenue; magnolias in Changhong Ecological Park, Xigu Park, and Munan Park; crabapple blossoms in the Five Avenues; peonies in the Riverside Park Peony Garden and the Eighth Street Peony Garden in BHX District; and other apricot blossoms, pear blossoms, rapeseed flowers...

All of these are beautiful views taken around April.

In addition to natural landscapes, Tianjin also boasts a unique architectural style.

The photographer cleverly integrated these elements into the film's plot.

To ensure the film's quality and avoid any jarring or overshadowing elements, Qi Hao has upgraded the cinematographer and art director this time.

The production cost also reached 30 million.

Qi Hao and An Feng together received ten million, and the rest was for production costs.

The money wasn't wasted; the visuals in this movie are far superior to those in "First Love."

"Didn't you eat lunch? You're eating a box of instant noodles here. The whole crew smells like your instant noodles."

Qi Hao looked at Lu Yang with a hint of disdain.

"Why don't you just say that the whole of Tianjin smells like my instant noodles? I'm so busy at noon, where would I find the time to eat? Have you forgotten that I'm also the director of Team B?"

Lu Yang was filled with grievances but didn't know how to express them.

Aside from the lead roles, he and Wu Jing did most of the filming, which even required them to be divided into A and B teams. "Thanks for your hard work, Lao Lu. When your movie starts filming, I'll be your assistant director."

Qi Hao sat in his chair and sighed comfortably.

It shouldn't have been too difficult to finish filming this movie in a month.

The challenge lies in the complexity of the location; it can be said that filming took place throughout the entire city.

This whole ordeal has made the schedule quite tight.

Qi Hao and Lu Yang had to work overtime, and they couldn't even take a lunch break.

While filming here, Qi Hao occasionally has to socialize and attend dinners with local bigwigs.

They are all big shots in this city, and he came from this city, so it's impossible for him not to give them face.

As they chatted, they developed a lot of anticipation for the film shot in Tianjin.

Qi Hao could only work even harder on this film.

Of course, they also provided a lot of convenience. For example, they arranged all the locations for the scenes where Qi Hao and An Feng were in love.

If you want to clear the area, I'll clear the whole street for you.

If you want to take photos independently in the park, I can arrange as many days of independent time as you need.

Of course, the production team usually gives some money.

"I wouldn't dare. Just make sure you pay the money."

Lu Yang couldn't imagine Qi Hao being his assistant director; it was just a joke.

Actually, the assistant director is not the director's assistant.

His position in the directing team was very low. Whether it was the assistant director, the action director, the director of photography, etc., they were all of higher status than him.

Some assistant directors, because they are the director's confidants, even have more say than the assistant directors.

"Just tell me how much you need."

Qi Hao didn't care; money was the last thing he needed right now.

If Lu Yang really has the ability to make good movies, he wouldn't mind giving Lu Yang more opportunities.

So does everyone else.

If you want to rise to a big shot in the entertainment industry, it's definitely unrealistic to rely on just two or three movies you make each year.

"Not too much, two million six hundred and seven thousand will do!"

Lu Yang had been waiting for this sentence, and immediately took out the script from his backpack.

"You've prepared very meticulously, with both small and large portions."

Qi Hao curiously took the script and looked at its title, "The Blind Cinema," which immediately brought to mind Giuseppe Tornatore's "Cinema Paradiso," also one of Qi Hao's favorite films.

It could even be said that Qi Hao's love for movies began with those films.

Other films include *The Shawshank Redemption*, *Léon: The Professional*, *The Truman Show*, *In the Heat of the Sun*, and *Back to Back, Face to Face*.

These are all types of shows that can be watched repeatedly.

"Xi'an Film Studio promised to give me one million; just give me the rest."

Lu Yang is a second-generation rich kid, so he doesn't lack connections.

Finding investment is very easy, but he can't keep making low-budget films forever; he'll definitely have to struggle with finding investment in the future.

Therefore, he cherishes Qi Hao's network of connections.

"You even have a detailed budget spreadsheet? Have you almost finished planning this?"

Qi Hao had a vague feeling that his film was holding Lu Yang back.

If it weren't for the last-minute addition of scenes to his own film, Lu Yang's team would probably have already started filming his own movie.

"I've been preparing for this, and I'll start filming as soon as I finish making 'You Are the Apple of My Eye'."

Lu Yang was indeed delayed, and he even had to renegotiate the schedule with the actor he had chosen. However, it was all worth it, as he learned a lot from Qi Hao.

Making movies is not a simple matter.

If he hadn't spent the last two years learning from Qi Hao, and had rashly taken on the task, the resulting film certainly wouldn't have been very good.

"80,000 for the director, 15,000 for the assistant director... No, that's a bit stingy."

Qi Hao stared at the project budget sheet, completely bewildered.

The executive director only gets 15,000 yuan. What kind of stubborn person would be willing to take on this kind of job?

Although the executive director may not have that much authority, they have so many things to do. The director can say a word and the executive director will be running around like crazy. In many production crews, the executive director is even responsible for calling "action" and "cut".

"I only plan to shoot the movie for a month. It's 15,000 yuan a month, which is pretty good. Quite a few people have called to take the job."

Lu Yang felt that Qi Hao was too rich now, and had a bunch of people helping him, so he didn't really understand the market situation anymore.

"The director's fee is 80,000, how much will you pay me for making this movie with me?"

Qi Hao asked a question.

"Two hundred thousand!"

Lu Yang smiled wryly. Qi Hao was really good at paying people. Even though he was only the executive director of "You Are the Apple of My Eye," he still received 200,000 yuan.

Of course, he added it up little by little.

The first collaboration was for a fee of 50,000 yuan. At the time, he was just an ordinary assistant director who got in through connections.

The second part earned 100,000, and the third part even earned 200,000.

What boss wouldn't like that?

(End of this chapter)