Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 226 I Grow Potatoes on Mars

The next day, noon.

After Chi Ye and Shang Youshu spent another morning together, the announcement ended, and the two waved goodbye to the program crew members and Teacher Fang and the others.

Teacher Zhang and Teacher Wu also came out to see him off, but after the camera moved away, the two turned and left—they didn't even want to talk to Chi Ye anymore, and could only say that the young man had taken the wrong path.

Chi Ye didn't pay much attention to this. He left, but Teacher Shi stayed. Sister Shang, like him, was a guest on this episode of "Unexpected Journey".

The two left the filming location with their respective teams. Afterwards, Chi Ye looked at Shang Jie, who was still by his side, and asked with some confusion, "Aren't you going back to China? Haven't you had enough to eat yet?"

"what?"

Sister Shang blinked: "What are you going to do next?"

Chino thought for a moment: "I made plans to have dinner with a friend."

"Is it...is it about a science fiction movie?"

Sister Shang paused for a moment, then assured, "I will absolutely not tell anyone."

Ikeno's eyes were filled with suspicion.

However, there was no need to keep this a secret, because the entertainment industry is only so big, and the news that "Ikeno is going to make a science fiction movie" had already spread throughout the industry.

Ikeno himself had no intention of making a science fiction film so soon.

While science fiction movies sound sophisticated, they actually have very long production cycles and require high standards for post-production, special effects teams, and set design. If the standards are low, the result will be another "Shanghai Fortress".

But after receiving a call from his superior, and hearing the subtle hints in the other person's words, Ikeno felt that the opportunity had arrived.

Of course, with the emergence of "The Fortress of Shanghai," the door to domestic science fiction films has been blocked.

Various investors, production companies, and even actors and audiences have become disheartened, making it no easy task to get this kind of project up and running.

This is also one of the most important reasons why Ikeno came to the United States this time; he is looking for someone.

"You want to act?"

Chi Ye looked at Shang Jie's furtive expression, paused, and then told the truth: "This project is still nowhere in sight, you..."

"No no no."

Sister Shang waved her hand: "I'll just watch, I won't act, it's too tiring."

Chiye: "?"

"...Then go ahead and get busy. I'll look at you when you're filming."

Sister Shang waved hesitantly, "I... I'm leaving now?"

Chi Ye glanced at her sideways and asked, "You want to come along?"

"?"

Sister Shang raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled and shook her finger: "Following along is tiring too. I didn't get enough fun when I came here last time... cough cough, I didn't get enough rest. I'm going on vacation first. Let's get in touch when 'Girl' is released."

Chi Ye gestured, "Then you'd better hurry, it's almost National Day."

"So fast?!"

Shang Jie was struck dumb: "Wow... this was done so quickly in post-production?"

"Youth films are all about speed."

Ikeno grinned: "Go ahead, you still have... about two months."

"...Gone, love is gone, sigh, why even make movies?"

Sister Shang turned away dejectedly, but then suddenly stopped and turned back: "Oh, right, Teacher Xiao Chi..."

"Ok?"

Ikeno turned around: "What's wrong?"

Sister Shang's face turned a little more serious as she reminded him, "Zhang Guowen and Wu Yibo are both big names in the film industry... They are not quite the same as the Beijing circle; they belong to several other circles."

"So...you should be more careful. Although your movies have achieved some success now, it's always better to make friends than enemies."

"..." Ikeno nodded: "I understand, thank you."

"Hmm..." After hesitating for a moment, Sister Shang couldn't help but say, "But you really looked handsome this time... I'm very impressed with you."

Chiye: "?"

Bye-bye-bye, goodbye!

After finishing her sentence, Sister Shang dashed into the van, moving with lightning speed.

Chiye: "..."

He watched Shang Jie's van drive away before walking to the car and shaking his head: "I really don't know what she's so happy about all day..."

Over here, Xiao Liu had been waiting for a long time: "Brother Chi, get in the car."

Have you set a time?

"Yes, the other party said it would be 5 p.m., which is when he is resting."

"Okay, let's go then."

Ikeno nodded, and the team members got into the car and headed to their destination.

……

The Chinese entertainment industry, or the Chinese film industry in particular, has always been one of the cultural industries that the government values ​​most. A large part of the reason why the film industry is so highly regarded is that film is recognized worldwide as the seventh art form.

Art films, commercial films, Category III films…

There are many types, but in recent years, or rather, all along, commercial films have been the strongest mainstream in the industry, and the biggest benchmark for recognizing an actor, both inside and outside the industry and for audiences and movie fans—after all, in many people's eyes, a movie that can make money is a good movie.

It's especially extreme within the circle.

Ikeno's film career has only just begun, but his subsequent works are almost all commercial films... To be honest, he didn't think about winning any awards; he was only aiming for box office success.

The villainous second male lead in "The Boss" is basically ineligible for mainstream awards.

"Girl" is a teen film, made to generate revenue for the studio.

"Flu" is a possibility. It is Ikeno's only film to date that has achieved a relatively good balance between commercial success and "artistic merit," and it has a history of excellent box office and critical acclaim.

But we also need to see how it is received after its release... and you have to admit that this is also a commercially driven film with strong industrial elements... but it's not made in mainland China.

Yes, industrialization.

The goal of producing domestically produced industrialized films has always been demanded and anticipated by the higher authorities, and science fiction films are an excellent subject for achieving this.

Because in a sense, science fiction films not only represent the formation, progress, and benchmark of China's industrialized film industry, and the opportunity to break Hollywood's monopoly, but they can also represent a country's soft power and become a "stage" that attracts worldwide attention.

—For example, in the movie "The Wandering Earth 2" on Earth, many technologies that were not yet realized at the time were realized one by one during the preparation of "The Wandering Earth 3". It can be called a textbook example of official and movie collaboration.

"Strengthening the nation through science and technology" is a national policy being implemented across the country. That's why "The Wandering Earth" was so inspiring, even elevating the film team to legendary status.

Therefore, this subject matter is different from any other subject matter. Ikeno either doesn't do it at all, or he must do it well, otherwise it will be like "The Fortress of Shanghai" where he simply disappears without a trace.

In the past few years, when industry capital was so shrewd, it targeted science fiction on a large scale, just to get a movie like "The Wandering Earth" and seize this once-in-a-century opportunity.
Ikeno also wanted to give it a try, so first, he needed an "insider," someone who could help him set up the project.

He met this talented person at five o'clock in the afternoon.

……

Inside the cafe.

Chi Ye sized up the unshaven young man opposite him. He was not old, but he had a thick beard and looked like he was still sleepy.

But Ikeno knew that this was a talent.

Guo Feng, a relatively unknown director in the Chinese entertainment industry, has never produced any groundbreaking works since his debut.

Five years ago, he began to delve into the field of science fiction films. When there were no policies in place, he used his connections to go to the United States at his own expense to learn advanced industrial film technology. He also had a team with shared aspirations, a positive and passionate team.

He is a complete obsessive-compulsive "talent".

Why is he considered a talented person?

Because Chi Ye searched the entire world but couldn't find Guo Fan, and after several more rounds of searching, he finally locked onto him.

He was different from Guo Fan, but also somewhat similar, so Chi Ye decided to give him a try.

"A science fiction movie? Are you going to make one?"

After listening to Chi Ye's explanation, Guo Feng's eyelids drooped: "This is not easy to do... With the current technology in China, it is very difficult to do it well... I watched that 'Magic City Fortress'... To be honest, I am a little discouraged."

Are you disheartened by "The Fortress of Shanghai" or by the industrialization of domestic films?

Guo Feng was taken aback.

Chi Ye turned his phone over and pushed it toward him: "This is a movie I'm currently making, a post-apocalyptic disaster film with a budget of 3 million. You can take a look."

Guo Feng paused, then took the phone with surprise and astonishment. He flipped through the contents of Chi Ye's phone and remained silent for a long time.

"This was not filmed in mainland China."

Ikeno explained, "Because the subject matter is a bit sensitive, we spent a long time building sets outside, including other teams. To be honest, we wasted a lot of money. Even the extras were required to practice the 'zombie dance' for at least six months."

Guo Feng put down his phone and exclaimed, "You really put your heart into this."

Chino glanced at him sideways: "I'm not showing you this for nothing."

Guo Feng was taken aback.

"To put it simply, 'Flu' is also an industrialized film, but because the industrialization in mainland China is not mature enough, we can only find an outside team... Even under such circumstances, we still managed to make it."

Chi Ye thought for a moment, then spoke frankly: "I've received some support from above, they'll open a fast track for me, and I also have documents and investments..."

Guo Feng opened his mouth, completely unexpected that Chi Ye was so direct and so... hard to refuse.

"Then...I'll think about it..."

Don't even think about it.

Ikeno interrupted him, saying bluntly, "It's me who needs to consider you, not you who needs to consider me."

Guo Feng: "..."

“Your team members are all excellent and young... but you lack practical experience, so I can’t just hand over a large project to you all at once.”

"...I...we can do it, we really can. It's just that there aren't any scripts available in China right now. We can't work on 'The Three-Body Problem' right now, but we can work on other genres..."

Guo Feng wanted to explain.

Without realizing it, he became a little anxious... because what Ikeno had just said and what he had shown him were indeed very attractive to him.

—Ikeno, he knew him, the most popular young artist in the Chinese entertainment industry right now… that was his impression of Ikeno before.

But only now did he realize that the other party was indeed the most popular artist in the Chinese entertainment industry right now, but at the same time, he was also a boss, a "capital" that held all kinds of resources that were extremely attractive to him.

Hmm... Judging from how the other person instantly reversed their "identities" in just a few words, he felt that Chi Ye was indeed different from the Yu Yan of the past.

Yu Yan is a top-tier star, but Chi Ye, besides being a top-tier star, undoubtedly has more outstanding personal abilities than Yu Yan.

"I can invest in you, but if you want to get started on a project, you have to show me one first."

Chi Ye took a document from Xiao Liu and handed it to Guo Feng: "Take a look at it first. If there are no problems, we can continue the discussion. If you are not willing, I will find someone else."

"..."

Guo Feng was a homebody. When he first talked to Chi Ye, he felt a lot of psychological pressure from the other party. He felt a little uncomfortable, but also a little excited.

—There are projects, funding, and scripts… Yes, Chi Ye’s scriptwriting ability has become well-known after “The Boss”, which is why he was willing to come.

Science fiction films require more than just special effects and industrialized post-production; the script is equally important. Unfortunately, given the current situation in China, it's impossible to produce a film like "The Three-Body Problem," and there are no other major IPs besides "The Three-Body Problem."

Now, what is this document that Ikeno gave him?
Can he write excellent science fiction scripts?
Guo Feng was skeptical, but when he saw what followed, he was clearly stunned.

"Mars... farming... this... this is soft science fiction (first draft of the script, before consulting with domestic scientists)?"

He glanced at the script, titled "The Martian," and immediately recognized it as a soft science fiction piece. Slightly disappointed, he continued reading...

Because this story seems quite interesting.

Ikeno sat opposite him, not disturbing him as he read the script and planned the project.

Ok…

The higher-ups wanted him to make a science fiction film, and a project like "The Wandering Earth," which had already been a huge hit in China, was naturally the best choice. However, making "The Wandering Earth" in a short period of time would require a lot of preparation work, which was not very realistic.

Of course, the script for "The Wandering Earth" was polished for four or five years before it became a reality.

Ikeno can directly provide ready-made scripts, which can save a lot of time in terms of scripts. Once the scripts are completed quickly, the work involved in costumes, props, set construction, and even special effects will be greatly shortened.

Even so, it cannot be completed in a short period of time.

Therefore, before "The Wandering Earth," it would be best to develop a relatively quick "soft science fiction" project to test the abilities of "Guo Fan" in this world, while also giving the authorities and moviegoers a good treat.

Is The Martian considered good?

This movie, in 15, grossed over 45 billion RMB worldwide, ranked in the top 250 on Douban, received 7 Oscar nominations, and more importantly... had a smaller budget (Ikeno version).

The original "The Martian" had a high budget because the male lead's salary alone accounted for more than 20% of the total budget. And that doesn't even include the salaries of the other actors. It was driven by Hollywood's industrialization (with a significant premium).

However, if it is localized, Ikeno himself will be an investor, and his salary will not be included in the calculation. In addition, the actors he finds will not be too expensive, so a lot of money will be saved.

It is expected to be higher than that of the flu, but not by much.

Therefore, in terms of time, investment, subject matter, and performance, "The Martian" is very suitable as Ikeno's first science fiction work.

(End of this chapter)