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

Chapter 464 The Big Winner (14)

Whether the Beijing Film Festival made a splash or not, Shen Yan didn't care...

But he gained a lot this time.

I invested in "Monster Hunt" and "Monkey King: Hero Is Back".

In addition, I exchanged contact information with many people in the industry…

Most of them are senior figures, such as Tian Zhuangzhuang and Li Xuejian.

Tian Zhuangzhuang really liked Shen Yan's movies and offered a lot of suggestions.

Shen Yan initially thought that since the director was an art film maker and a fifth-generation director, he would definitely look down on Shen Yan's films. Generally, big-name art film directors look down on commercial films, finding them vulgar, and believing that films lacking aesthetic pursuit, audiovisual style, and narrative innovation are all vulgar...

They even suggested to him, "If you want to be a director, you'd better get in touch with the Beijing Film Academy..."

Well, Shen Yan had previously considered taking a refresher course at the Beijing Film Academy, just to enhance his resume...

Later I realized it wasn't necessary.

He makes commercial films, relying on the audience…

Whether you win an award or not, whether you're mainstream or not, it doesn't really matter...

Moreover... in later generations, people were quite disgusted with the so-called mainstream film industry!
Because they've become too clique-based and too closely connected with capital!
For capital, smooth cash flow is the most important thing, and quick cash recovery is the top priority. Whether or not profits can be made is secondary. As long as cash is flowing in day and night, they have made money.

That's true in a sense!

Maintaining healthy cash flow and effectively shortening the monetization cycle are the keys to survival and progress in the industry…

But that doesn't mean making easy money.

An industry should have both large and small players, both cutting-edge and mediocre players, but it cannot be without bottom lines!
Unfortunately, people like Lu Chuan and Wu Ershan belong to the latter category…

Shen Yan added Tian Zhuangzhuang's phone number, intending to go back and discuss it with Ji Xiang and the others...

……

At the company, Shen Yan chatted with Rao Xiaozhi...

Rao Xiaozhi has already adapted "The Game That Never Ends".

Shen Yan flipped through the script...

not bad!
The male protagonist's name is Yan Jin.

These types of works usually set up a large background in advance, and then create intense dramatic conflict through the contradictions between a small number of characters.

acting…

Aside from Yan Jing, the other participants in the exercise didn't seem to have been able to complete their identity transition, and that's how the comedic conflict was created.

In other words, it would be reasonable to put such a script on the stage.

The script clearly establishes Yan Jin's character and the exercise setting from the outset, then cleverly weaves in comedic moments through several supporting characters until the final twist. The most successful aspect of the script lies in the exercise setting, which creates a sense of detachment between the audience and familiar police drama plots…

In fact, the original "Never Ending Game" satirized two points: environmental satire, in an environment where everyone is not serious, a person who works hard is ostracized, a typical case of bad money driving out good; and systemic satire, the more serious the protagonist is, the more it highlights the incompetence of the local police system and the corruption of the bureaucracy.

Rao Xiaozhi's adapted script remains a satirical comedy, only toned down the original satire of the system...

The reason is obvious to everyone, but it deepens the first aspect and criticizes the unhealthy tendencies in our daily philosophy of life.

"You could add a more detailed description of the robbery of 3 million. A newly issued 100-yuan bill weighs about 1.15 grams, so 3 million in cash would be about 34.5 kilograms, or 69 jin (34.5 catties)... The robbery itself wouldn't be too difficult, but getting it out of there would be a lot of trouble. Taxis are often congested, buses stop at every station, and the subway is always packed..."

Rao Xiaozhi nodded: "Yes, yes, we can also add some family details, for example, the protagonist's parents support him, and his father says, 'Not everyone has the opportunity to rob a bank legally and legitimately. If there are difficulties, overcome them; if there are no difficulties, then create difficulties for the police!'"

"Yes, without a family like that, you couldn't raise a child like that!"

Shen Yan nodded: "After I refine it a bit more, we can almost start casting!"

"This requires quite a few actors...who should we cast for the lead role?"

"Who do you want to use?" "Huang Bo!"

“…Huang Bo won’t do…” Shen Yan shook his head: “He’s been resting recently… Moreover, he’s already associated with the word ‘high emotional intelligence.’ If you ask him to play someone who is stubborn, has high standards, and doesn’t demand anything of himself, it will make the audience feel uncomfortable.”

"That…"

"Zhang Yi, what do you think?"

"We've never worked together before..."

“He’s a veteran, you should meet him… have a chat with him. This movie is an ensemble piece, and I’ll also have a cameo role… as the reporter… I don’t have many scenes!”

"...You're not playing the lead role?"

"Veterans...must be at least 35 years old, how do I qualify?"

"Okay, I'll go back and find the actors."

"Hmm... I'll have Shi Shi play that tough policewoman!"

"What about the female lead?"

“Yu Haijiao…” Shen Yan pondered for a moment, “Qin Hailu or Yuan Quan… who do you think is more suitable?”

Rao Xiaozhi thought for a moment, then said, "Yuan Quan, perhaps..."

"As for the other main roles, you can decide... just choose the actors based on the roles!"

"Um…"

Shen Yan asked again, "What's the name of our play?"

"...'Pretend to be a Robber'?"

"Too blunt..."

"What about 'The Big Winner'?"

"Okay, let's call it 'The Big Winner'!"

……

After discussing the movie, the two talked about recent films.

Rao Xiaozhi really likes Du Qifeng.

He initially had great enthusiasm for "Drug War," but after watching it, he felt... that it was nothing except for its explicit content!

Shen Yan scratched his head: "Personally, I feel that those veteran Hong Kong filmmakers have gotten old in recent years and can't keep up with the times!"

"What about Tsui Hark? His films like 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame' and 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate'..."

"You really think 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' is great? He also made 'Detective Dee Prequel'... I heard he's going to experiment with underwater monsters..."

My impression is that they seem to be very fond of new technologies, but the results they produce are rather mediocre.

Judging from his films, he seems to have lost the tight, focused style of his earlier works. Now, his films feel neither human nor ghostly; they're like an old man, decaying and shackled, struggling to move forward step by step.

"Du Qifeng... is a different kind of person. He can't poop, so he blames gravity... The central theme of his works is the power struggle in the gray areas of Hong Kong, but to be honest, there aren't many viewers who are interested in this subject. However, he can't change the central theme, so he just sticks to his own ideas and can't express them to the market."

"The biggest problem with 'Drug War' is that the two sides are not truly adversaries. Louis Koo's character, drug dealer Cai Tianming, and his cunning and treacherous path to survival are inherently advantageous in the text's design concept. Moreover, the entire story unfolds through Cai Tianming's constant revelations, repetitions, and the introduction of other drug dealers. These introduced characters reveal the core of Cai Tianming's character in different relationships... In contrast, Zhang Lei, the anti-drug captain played by Sun Honglei, has a weak and passive driving force..."

"Actually, adding a corrupt cop who's been bribed would create a complete love triangle in the story, but... it's impossible for me to design such a character!"

"Therefore, the conflict setting of the whole script feels awkward and lacks a sense of exhilaration."

　I fell asleep last night…

　　
　
(End of this chapter)