Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 319 Filming Ends (14)

The academic school...

They definitely have a sense of admiration for film festivals!

To be honest, the subject matter of "Bad Genius" is also very suitable for making an art film...

Inequality in educational resources, class disparities, wealth disparities…

You can elaborate on either!

The problem is this—many things are not suitable for discussion.

When Zhang Yimou was promoting "The Great Wall," a reporter asked him, "Why don't you make films that are profound..."

He retorted directly, "Profound? Who dares to be profound these days?"

Shen Yan thought for a moment, then said, "If you want to participate in the film festival, I can recommend a few investors to you..."

"Really?"

"There are plenty of rich people anyway. Instead of letting them get scammed, let's invest in some good movies... Keep it up!"

Shen Yan was telling the truth…

While "The Coffin in the Mountain" and "Wrath of Silence" didn't make much money, they also didn't lose too much money...

The movie "Hot Search" really lost a lot of money!

This forced iQiyi to slow down its film and television investment plans, especially its movie investment plans…

After thinking for a moment, he said something: "If you have anything you want to film, you can give it to Yang Siwei. She knows quite a few bosses..."

"Thank you, Brother Yan."

"Brother Yan, I have a script I've always wanted to film..." Qi Yukun immediately said, "It's called 'The Funeral Coffin'... It tells the story of..."

Shen Yan interrupted him: "Don't tell me the story yet. When you're looking for investment, the two most important things are: what type of project is it? And how much will it cost approximately? These need to be discussed first!"

"what?"

"First of all, the title itself means it won't sell well... It's very likely to be an art film, so you have to consider the market prospects... You should know that 'The Piano in a Factory' only grossed a little over 800 million at the box office!"

"The Piano in a Factory" is quite awkward. If it had been released a few years later, when the market was better, although it might not have been a box office hit, at least there would have been a lot of investment and the preparation process would have been less bumpy!

Back then, there were very few film pitching events. Zhang Meng, the director of "The Piano in a Factory," took his project to the Shanghai International Film Festival. He was competing against director Han Jie, whose script was later hailed as a new wave of magical realism, "The Tree," also known as "Hello! Mr. Tree."

At the venture capital conference, "The Piano in a Factory" received recognition, winning Best Screenplay and Most Promising Award, but it did not attract any investment or sponsorship, only receiving a reward of 30 yuan.

"Hello! Mr. Tree" caught the eye of Jia Zhangke, who facilitated the project, leading to Bona Film Group and Shanghai Film Group jointly investing in "Mr. Tree"...

Shen Yan continued, "...I read a script where the director mentioned a budget of 500 million, requiring filming in China, Japan, and South Korea... I really suspect he's never been abroad; he seems to have no concept of this. Bringing people to Japan and South Korea would cost so much before filming even begins... So, first, you need to find the right positioning, and the budget can't exceed 500 million! Unless you can persuade a big star to join for free..."

Qi Yukun nodded: "Actually, I was planning to ask Professor Huang Bo for help..."

"do you know him?"

"...I don't know you. Do you know me?"

Shen Yan shook his head: "I'm not familiar with her either... but Yang Siwei should know her... you can ask her..." After thinking for a moment, he lowered his voice: "You can try talking to Jing Tian... she's rich!"

……

Yan Fei and Peng Damo were also on the set; initially, they were made assistant directors…

One feeling...exhausted! As the assistant director, I have to convey the director's instructions, organize the entire crew for filming, and the daily workload is strictly calculated. We have to film quickly and efficiently, without any slack. I basically don't even have time to pee. I can only rest for about 10 minutes after lunch...

Actually, Shen Yan's film crew is doing alright...

At least half of the rest time can be guaranteed - it often starts at 6 pm and ends at 7 pm!
Compared to most film crews in the industry, the intensity wasn't actually that high.

Moreover, once online films become popular, the workload for film crews will increase further.

Online films generally have very small budgets, so they have to compress the time as much as possible. What used to take a month to shoot, an online film crew might only give you 20 days, or even 15 days.

So why do people still do it?

Because the film and television industry is so booming, there are many practitioners and the competition is fierce.

Online films have provided many second-tier workers with opportunities to rise to the top. Experienced second-in-commands in cinematography, lighting, and other key personnel in film crews can become heads or even directors in online films.

I gave you a chance, why aren't you giving it your all?

Yan Fei and Peng Damo probably have the same mindset now—after filming each day, they review the shoot with the two directors and discuss the next day's filming...

Over two months, I was able to sleep an average of 4 or 5 hours a day…

But I did learn a lot...

They were both stage play directors before, and stage plays differ from films, most notably in the change of space…

A stage play is just a stage, and the director's role is more about performance guidance—so stage plays and dramas are the art of actors!
……

That day, the final scene being filmed for Shen Yan was the one where Bank turns to the dark side…

Bank pulled out a GAT flyer and, in the same tone and language, invited Lynn, who was preparing to turn over a new leaflet and start anew, to join him. He even threatened to report her and demanded that she cheat!
"So what if you studied abroad for four years and finished your degree? You still ended up sitting in an office, earning only tens of thousands a month. But you can earn a million a month now!"

From then on, he equated his studies with making money.

The powerlessness of the lower classes is vividly displayed, and their limited thinking is laid bare...

For Xiaolin, seeing Bank turn to the dark side was a major reason that prompted her to turn herself in.

Because she liked Bank, that honest, ambitious, and intelligent boy, but she only realized that she had destroyed her own ideal man when Bank threatened her to cheat with him.

Then she dragged her father along to turn herself in…

Yes, she turned herself in…

You were the one who initially coveted money, you were the one who harbored resentment, you were the one who destroyed the future, you were the one who used coercion and enticement, you were the one who deserted at the last minute, you were the one who remained unmoved, and you were the one who suddenly realized your mistakes…

That's a bit unreasonable!
In fact, Shen Yan had thought of an ending—the male and female protagonists walked in the gray area, made enough money to start a business, and with the resources of their rich second-generation classmates, created Thailand's "New Oriental". After going public, they successfully whitewashed themselves through various media promotions and university lecture tours, becoming well-known educational entrepreneurs and positive role models in the eyes of students.

From laundry worker to CEO, look how inspiring that is! Who cares what you went through in between?
But that won't work...

Then Fumino offered a suggestion: "What if the scene abruptly stops just as the female lead grasps the doorknob?"

"Leave it to the audience's imagination?"

Shen Yan thought for a moment: "That works... but it would be best to add a subtitle saying that Lin turned herself in!"

"I know!"

"Alright, I'll take a break now... you two keep filming!"

After giving him a word of advice, Shen Yan turned and went to the lounge.

(End of this chapter)