Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 503 Character Trial Meeting, Future Mulan

In the conference room on the seventh floor of the Wenjie Building, the staff simply hung up a banner that read, "Welcome all the actors of 'Ball Lightning' to come and provide guidance." The wording was rather old-fashioned and polite.

Large companies with confidence and vision are generally not hesitant to show humility to their guests. In other words, when relatively young actors like Huang Xiaoming and Duan Yihong officially stepped into this building, their feelings were completely different.

This is a force that began to emerge in 2001, reached the pinnacle of domestic film production in 2004, and has been dominating ever since.

For everyone in the film industry, including actors, lighting technicians, cinematographers, and all other professionals, this building represents the highest level and prestige in the industry.

People often hear some interesting rumors.

For example, the high quality of the food and the pleasant environment of the canteen in Wenjie Building are so good that sometimes district leaders even discuss borrowing it for a meal during large meetings. This reflects the good relationship between the Wenjie system and its superiors and subordinates.

For example, every night around nine or ten o'clock, nearby taxis would rush to line up downstairs in front of the building, because since 2005, Wenjie has been providing employees with free dinners and reimbursement for taxi fares for overtime work.
For example, the security system of the AI-powered company is very strict. Especially after the joint office was established with the AI-powered company, the technology department, which has many patents, implemented RFID work card + fingerprint dual authentication, USB disabling, watermark tracking system, etc.

In particular, a big data R&D department with more than a dozen foreign employees is currently the most mysterious place in the company.

Huang Xiaoming and others stepped into the Wenjie Building and, guided by staff, exited the elevator on the seventh floor.

Seeing such humble words as "your presence and guidance" only made them approach today's meeting with even greater caution.

This was my first working meeting with Lu Kuan, an internationally renowned director.

Before Huang Xiaoming, Duan Yihong and others even entered the conference room, they heard Li Youbing's deep and steady voice.

Duan Yihong, who was lagging behind, couldn't help but glance at his phone. It was still 10 minutes away from the agreed 9 o'clock, and he and his group were involuntarily late.

"Teacher Li, how's the filming of 'The Great Earthquake' going?"

Li Youbing held a teacup in his arms, the tea stains clearly indicating he was an old-timer: "It's a mainstream film, just following the established procedures, but revisiting the earth-shattering events again evokes a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion)!"

This refers to a commemorative film about the earthquake, which began filming at the beginning of this year and is scheduled for release on May 12, 2009, the first anniversary of the earthquake.

Li Youbing plays Lieutenant General Liang Zhidong, the commander-in-chief of the earthquake relief front.

Lu Kuan and Li Youbing knew each other a long time ago, because in this life, Wenjie had already started filming "Bright Sword" in 2004, and it was this work that made Travel Channel famous for its prime time slot.

Huang Xiaoming and the other two looked at each other, and were about to knock on the door with some restraint when a cheerful female voice came from behind them.

What are you doing standing here? Come on in!

The group turned around and saw Liu Yifei and Zhou Xun, both heavily pregnant. They had just finished breakfast at the Wenjie Cafeteria.

"Yi Fei! You're in this state and you're still running around everywhere?" Huang Xiaoming was a little horrified. The girl in front of him not only had a bigger belly than when "Let the Bullets Fly" premiered, but she also seemed to have grown taller.

This is because relaxin, secreted during pregnancy, loosens the ligaments of the pelvis and the joints of the spine, causing a slight widening of the intervertebral space, which temporarily increases height.

Liu Yifei, who is currently wearing flat shoes, is actually about 173 cm tall. Combined with the visual effect of her long legs, Huang Xiaoming felt a little depressed.

At this moment, his thoughts were similar to those of Jay Chou back then. It was difficult for a male star of average build to project a tall and imposing image next to Liu Yifei.

Duan Yihong greeted the two men after being introduced by Huang Xiaoming. Xiao Liu said in a serious tone, "My whereabouts are strictly limited now. I can only go to my home, company, and hospital. I can't go anywhere else."

"You guys were having a script reading this morning, so of course I had to come and join in the fun. I've read the script myself, so maybe I can be of some help."

Zhou Xun joked, "It's no use reading it; the role is mine now."

"But with a Berlin Film Festival Best Actress acting alongside us and reading the narration, our star power is definitely top-notch, haha."

After exchanging a few words of laughter, everyone walked into the conference room together.

Li Youbing, Xin Baiqing, and Lu Kuan turned around, and the latter stood up and said with a smile, "Welcome, everyone."

Duan Yihong had met Lu Kuan three years ago on the set of "Soldiers Sortie," but they didn't have much contact. His impression of this talented director came from Wang Baoqiang and others.

He looked a little embarrassed: "I'm sorry, Director Lu, we're late."

“You’ve arrived early; it’s not even nine o’clock yet,” Lu Kuan said with a smile. “Next time, please arrive at the right time. Don’t be like Teacher Li Youbing, who comes early to discuss the script, making it so I don’t even get to eat breakfast.”

"Hahaha!"

Li Youbing: ? Where's my Italian cannon?

The veteran actor knew he was joking and that it was to help the male actors, who were working together for the first time, relax.

This scene reminded him of the extreme nervousness he felt in 1985 when he was 27 years old and first acted in the movie "Death Certificate".

Although these young actors were no longer greenhorns, they were still somewhat intimidated by such a renowned director.

Admittedly, this is related to Mr. Lu's power in the industry.

However, for outstanding actors like Duan Yihong, Feng Yuanzheng, and Xin Baiqing who love to delve into their craft, while they were certainly uneasy because of Lu Kuan's power, they were even more in awe of his rigorous pursuit of acting and his ultimate dedication to the art of film.

They knew that the director in front of them, who was not yet thirty years old, was one of the top professionals in the country.

Faced with his exquisite camera control and almost obsessive attention to detail, these actors, who are usually known as "drama fanatics," had to be on their toes and could not afford to be careless in the slightest.

Everyone had arrived, and the actors took their seats in the conference room. This was the main cast of "Ball Lightning".

His age and image fit are undeniable, and he is among the top actors of his age in China in terms of professional ethics and acting skills.

However, as a commercial film, "Ball Lightning" has a very obvious problem:
Four years ago, "A Home Too Far" had Leonardo DiCaprio as its mainstay. This time, with an all-Chinese cast and at most cameos from foreign actors like Oscar winner Lewis, how can it guarantee global box office success?

This involves a significant change in the development of science fiction films: the subversion of the traditional "star power dependency" path, and the shift towards a logic built through unique commercial attributes.

For example, the director's appeal, technological innovation, and world-building narrative are the core driving forces.

Just like Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, the stars of Cameron's "Avatar," although they have a certain degree of fame, they are far from being A-list superstars.

Sam later had works like "Hacksaw Ridge," but even if domestic audiences have seen the movie many times, it is difficult for them to remember the name of the female lead, Saldana.

The casting logic for truck drivers is that the actor serves the role:

Through motion capture technology, the actor's performance is transformed into the image of the Na'vi, and the actor's personal characteristics are greatly weakened. What the audience remembers is the "blue-skinned warrior" rather than the actor himself.

The same applies to "Ball Lightning".

However, unlike Avatar, Ball Flash achieves its success through the construction of science fiction concepts, the unfolding of a grand worldview, and a national narrative that delves into the core of the film.

Although Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" is only in its first part, and this life was inspired by the concept of "dimensional ascension and dimensional reduction" during the lighting ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, "Ball Flash" can certainly exist as a prequel to the "The Three-Body Problem" series.

Therefore, Cameron used technical means to diminish the actors' presence;

Lu Kuan, on the other hand, uses thought-provoking propositions and worldview construction to make the characters containers of ideology, thus achieving the same goal of "de-superstarization" in science fiction expression.

What he needs are outstanding actors who can perfectly portray the characteristics of the characters, to work together to create a magnificent and spectacular science fiction epic.

For actors like Leonardo DiCaprio in "A Home Too Far," who are more popular due to their star power, the casting logic is secondary. Of course, Leonardo's acting skills are not bad, but his face steals the show.

“Alright, everyone should have read the original novel and the script by now.” Lu Kuan picked up a manuscript covered with tiny, densely written characters. “You are all professional actors with rich experience, especially Teacher Li, who has been in the industry for almost thirty years.”

“I don’t think we can treat everyone with the same standards as ordinary actors, so I want to do this script reading in a different way today.”

Everyone, including Liu Yifei, looked up at the young director with a bewildered expression, and felt inexplicably nervous.

It's been so many years since graduation, but I'm feeling this familiar feeling again.

Those years were filled with endless biographical sketches, countless observations of characters, and numerous graduation plays to rehearse, not to mention the stern reprimands from academic professors.

Li Youbing laughed and said, "I knew I'd come to the right place. This is already very interesting even before filming has started!"

"Director Lu, shall we make our request?"

Mr. Lu laughed and said, "The Stella School in New York has a way of teaching theatrical actors called the Role Judgment Meeting, which is especially for film and theatrical scenes with complex plot conflicts and character relationships."

A character trial?
This is a term that even Liu Yifei, a disciple of the Ge school who has devoted herself to studying performance, has never heard of, let alone others.

Mr. Lu explained, "First, please briefly describe your name, life story, and personality traits, just like a courtroom statement."

"Next, I will act as a 'judge' and question each of the characters you are playing. You must answer from the perspective of the character and cannot deviate from the character's logic."

“Other roles that have significant interactions and conflicts with the person being tried can assist the trial as a jury and delve deeper into the issues.”

“If the person being judged answers incorrectly, hesitates, or deviates from the core of their role, they are guilty.”

Liu Yifei, always eager for drama, asked, "Shouldn't those who are guilty be punished?"

"Punishment? The punishment is simple: have a dinner party tonight, and the person who behaved the worst will have to pay, or have a couple more drinks."

Boss Lu laughed and said, "I know that Teacher Li is a good drinker. It's just a matter of whether there's someone who can keep him company."

Everyone laughed, but their expressions were not very relaxed. Apart from Li Youbing, who seemed somewhat detached, and Zhou Xun, who was relatively calm, who wouldn't want to perform well in front of this top director?
The roles are also in competition with each other; they are all excellent actors, and professionally, no one will easily be convinced of the other's superiority.

Huang Xiaoming, whose acting skills might be slightly weaker, is a proper academic graduate from a prestigious academy. Moreover, he had read through the script and the original work well in advance and had prepared carefully.

"I'll give you five minutes to think about it."

As instructed by the director, the room fell silent, with only the rustling sound of pages turning.

Ball lightning is a central theme in the film, a supernatural phenomenon, but scholars and military scientists have been working to capture and study it.

Strictly speaking, *Ball Lightning* has no male protagonist, only a female protagonist, but the story begins with the male protagonist's life experiences—

The protagonist, Chen Guang, witnessed his parents being turned to ashes by a mysterious ball of lightning when he was a teenager, and thus decided to spend his life pursuing its mystery.

After reaching adulthood, Dr. Chen joined the military's "ball flash" research project and met Lin Yun, a eccentric and genius female officer.

Lin Yun firmly believed that ball lightning could be used as a new type of weapon, and even went so far as to conduct experiments on living targets such as animals and prisoners of war. Chen Guang could not agree with Lin Yun's values ​​and chose to withdraw.

Throughout the process, he met Professor Zhang Bin, Lin Yun's fiancé Jiang Xingchen, Lin Yun's father Lin Feng, and others, constantly glimpsing the mysteries of "ball flash" and the deeper scientific ethics.

Ultimately, in the face of the calamity of foreign invasion, when the nation faces the crisis of foreign invasion—

Lin Yun chose to use himself as the experimental subject, deliberately allowing ball lightning to strike him, causing him to collapse into a "quantum state" and repel the invading enemy.

All of this is inextricably linked to the fact that Chen Guang's research was used by the enemy.

It was at this moment that he came to understand this stubborn, genius, crazy, cold yet passionate patriotic female officer.

. . .

Liu Yifei, who had read through the script earlier than anyone else, looked at the actors lined up in the conference room with a relaxed mood, like a student who had been recommended for admission watching others take the postgraduate entrance exam.

After enduring so much torture for so many years, it's finally satisfying to see others being rigorously disciplined by the washing machine!
"Okay, let's begin. Don't talk about things we already know. Talk about the desires, demands, and mental constraints that are deeply buried in your character's heart."

"I'll go first," Xin Baiqing said, raising his hand.

“I am Chen Guang. On the night of my fourteenth birthday, ball lightning burned my parents to ashes in front of me. From then on, I became its ‘hunting dog’. But when I discovered that Lin Yun wanted to turn it into a weapon, I realized: what I was chasing was never revenge, but rather not wanting more people to become orphans like me.”

Childhood trauma drove Chen Guang's scientific research mission, but the intense struggle with scientific ethics and the dangers of war also revealed his cowardly side.

Zhou Xun carefully considered and said:
"I am Lin Yun, a major. My mother died from an enemy biological weapon, so I have spent my life pursuing the ultimate weapon of 'stopping war with war.' The consequences of the ball lightning macro fusion are not important to me. War is a selection process, and only those who survive have the right to talk about the cost. What is important is that I am protecting my country."

Lin Yun is the key character in this film.

She is a paranoid and weapons expert who uses extreme rationality to mask childhood trauma, willingly bearing the burden of sin, and is an extreme hawk.

The male and female leads set the stage, and these two most complex characters were portrayed, making the remaining actors relatively simpler.

Huang Xiaoming said solemnly, "I am Jiang Xingchen, the captain of the 'Mount Everest' aircraft carrier, and also Lin Yun's fiancé. I have the sense of responsibility of a traditional Chinese soldier, which is different from Lin Yun's radicalism of 'exchanging destruction for peace.' However, my sacrifice is also the fuse that pushes Lin Yun to self-observe and become a quantum state."

Jiang Xingchen has few scenes, but he is a typical example of a Chinese "hidden talent," using humility to conceal strength and sacrifice to warn against madness, creating a strong contrast with Lin Yun.

Similarly, Li Youbing's portrayal of Lin Feng is concise and incredibly succinct in its summary.

“I personally trained my daughter to become a weapons expert, and I also personally signed the arrest warrant for her. Under the military uniform, there is no father.”

Xiao Liu nodded secretly upon hearing this. Li Youbing's portrayal of soldiers has always been impressive. He had just won the Golden Eagle Award in 2008 for "Crossing the Guandong" and was also the vice chairman of the China Television Artists Association.

With long-term support from his roles and the actor's own professional skills, this performance by Raymond Lam was not particularly difficult for him.

Next is Ding Yi, whom Liu Cixin's readers in the previous life called "Sextant," played by Duan Yihong.

In both the film and the novel, he is a kind of tool, responsible for explaining concepts such as "quantum entanglement," "quantum state," and "quantum collapse" to the audience.

Finally, there's Feng Yuanzheng.

“I am Zhang Bin, Chen Guang’s mentor at university. I used my own tragedy to warn of the dangers of obsessive scientific research, but I unknowingly became Chen Guang’s spiritual guide and a martyr for scientific ethics.”

Lu Kuan listened with narrowed eyes, made no comments, and immediately began to analyze the pain points of each actor.

He turned to Zhou Xun: "Lin Yun! Your mother died from biological weapons during the Sino-Vietnamese War, yet you have created an even more dangerous ball lightning weapon."

"You saved the country, but macro-fusion also brought huge negative effects. For you, is this a salvation or a deeper decline?"

Zhou Xun paused for a few seconds, lost in thought, and everyone else's expressions changed.

The youngest person in this conference room is Liu Yifei; the rest are all actors who have been in the industry for many years.
Regardless of how they started, they've all worked on quite a few film crews.

Some film crews don't even have script readings, but some film crews start by going from a junior high school level "script reading" to a graduate level "soul-searching questioning".

Why did Lu Kuan skip basic plot analysis and acting instruction and go directly to explore each person's core understanding of their own role?

Perhaps only a few actors who had worked with him before, such as Zhou Xun and Liu Yifei, could understand the director's intentions.

The reason for this lies in the interpretation of science fiction works.

For example, the "quantum state" in "Ball Lightning" is neither the flame of an explosion nor the deformation of a machine, but a "superposition of existence and nothingness" that defies common sense.

Traditional special effects can easily turn it into a simple "transparent ghost" or "electronic effect," which weakens the shock value of the "scientific horror" in the original work.

During his honeymoon in South America with his wife, he conceived the idea of ​​using color methods, namely "two-color gamut tearing the screen" and "negative primary colors".

This is only one aspect; the director can also use color, composition, editing, sound, special effects, and actors' performances in a film to serve the ultimate goal.

How can the actors' performances be used to synergistically convey this science fiction concept and humanistic connotation?

This is what he needs to do now:

The actors must be guided to transform the cold, futuristic concepts of science fiction into the emotional logic of their characters. Only in this way can the audience believe in the surreal plot and in those tears from light-years away.

When faced with this question, Zhou Xun clearly had some insights: "I think it's about redemption, redemption from the incurable scar of childhood."

"My mother was corroded into blood by chemical agents on the battlefield, and this is my eternal nightmare."

"Ball lightning is not just a weapon to me, but also a ritual of revenge against 'uncontrollable death,' where I decide how to end the war and destroy the enemy with the least cost."

Xin Baiqing interrupted her: "This is not redemption, it is a deeper level of destruction. It's just that you are covering it up with the righteousness of defeating a powerful enemy. Your self-sacrifice is great, but it also has two sides."

This passage aligns with the cowardice and childhood trauma exhibited by Chen Guang, the male protagonist played by Xin Baiqing.

The dialogue the actors are having now is, in itself, an interpretation of the core of their characters.

Duan Yihong, who plays the scientist Ding Yi, said: "Truth needs martyrs. Lin Yun was a soldier and a scientist. He sacrificed himself to win the war for the country and at the same time dedicated himself to the military science he had studied all his life."

"In this sense, I think Lin Yun is a savior."

Liu Yifei frowned as she flipped through the script. She had also played Lin Yun before and had put in a lot of hard work.

In the film, Lin Yun faces two moral dilemmas:

One question was whether to use ball lightning to strike the bandits and rescue the kidnapped children, but there was a risk of accidentally killing some of the children. She chose to attack by force, which resulted in casualties.
One of the scenes is the climax of the movie, where the military scientist resolutely sacrifices himself to achieve strategic deterrence against the enemy, but also brings negative consequences.

Xiao Liu shares Zhou Xun's view that Lin Yun is actually trying to redeem himself, even if his methods are so extreme.

The crowd argued endlessly, but in the end, they could only look to the director, Lu Kuan.

The latter did not give a direct answer, but smiled and said, "Through this question, everyone should be able to understand my intention, right?"

"From the answers just now, the core images of the three characters, Chen Guang, Lin Yun, and Ding Yi, are vividly portrayed—"

"Dr. Chen's traumatic obsession, Lin Yun's extreme rationality, Ding Yi's cold divinity—what are these? These are the labels we've given to the audience, their most basic understanding of the characters."

Before filming officially began, Lu Kuan tried his best to guide the actors, who had little experience with science fiction, in their performances:

"I don't know if everyone has seen Marvel movies like Iron Man. In these movies, the good guys and bad guys are clearly defined, and each character has only one label."

"But in science fiction movies, we can't just give characters such a simplistic image, that would be too flat."

"Everyone should know that each character is part of the construction of a science fiction worldview. You are not only yourselves, but also bear the responsibility for the conflict between instrumental rationality and value rationality."

By this point in the deconstruction of the film, the actors, including Li Youbing, were deeply immersed in the discussion, yet also filled with questions.

Most actors believe that once they get a role, they just need to analyze the action chain, logic, and psychology, then design the details, and complete the performance.

Why does making movies seem like such a mysterious and enigmatic thing now?
But thinking back carefully from the moment I stepped inside today, what was this renowned director doing?
He seems to be constantly pushing everyone into this world of "Ball Lightning," calibrating and aligning them.

Treat everyone like pieces of a puzzle, slowly piecing together the truth of this science fiction world.

Lu Kuan knew this was a bit difficult to understand, so he gave an example:

"The idea that characters cannot be flat is simply reflected in conflicts."

"We just had everyone participate in the role judgment, 'attack' each other based on their own characters' perspectives, the purpose of which was to highlight the conflict."

"For example, the value conflict between Chen Guang and Lin Yun, and the decision-making conflict between Lin Feng and his daughter."

"Among these conflicts, the biggest one is Lin Yun's exploration of his own spiritual world. I wonder if anyone has considered this question—"

"Lin Yun was a military scientist. She was a soldier and a scientist. In the end, she chose to perish together with the enemy, disregarding the enormous harm that might result, in order to achieve a strategic deterrence against the enemy."

Lu Kuan looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Soldiers use order to fight against chaos."

"Science is the process of transforming chaos into order."

He suddenly turned to Zhou Xun: "So what am I asking you to portray as Lin Yun? When you quantify yourself, the actor, with the help of special effects and a sci-fi worldview, must convey at least several layers of emotion to the audience—"

"Your voice calmly reports the coordinates; that's the composure of a scientist."

"Your resolute self-sacrifice is the kind of determination that Chinese soldiers have."

"Beyond this, you are also a daughter who suffered childhood trauma, and an executioner who 'disregards children's lives'."

"This contains our Eastern collectivist values, as well as the embodiment of Western individualism and heroism, and an ultimate reflection on humanistic ideals."

"What audiences, especially Western audiences, see in you is an existential tragedy, the eternal loneliness of humanity in the face of the rules of the universe, and that is what touches people's hearts the most."

As he patiently and eloquently narrated his story, a poignant, austere, and rational picture, ultimately imbued with the warmth of humanism, quietly unfolded before everyone's eyes.

This is far more understanding and deeper reflection than they can gain from the script and the original work.

Lu Kuan then said a few words on a different topic: "Everyone should have heard of Avatar recently. Wenjie has collaborated with them, and I have also seen some of the film footage."

"It is no exaggeration to say that this is a masterpiece that will sweep the world, not only in terms of commerce, but also in terms of values."

"Let's talk about this behind closed doors today: What are the values ​​of Avatar?"

"It's about white leaders taking over the power to transform civilization, using technology to complete cultural colonization, and using the framework of a Christian messianic savior. Does that sound familiar?"

Li Youbing is a major general and has participated in meetings of all sizes. He is particularly sensitive to cultural values.

He said in a deep voice, "This has become a widespread cultural phenomenon, starting with Titanic, but unfortunately no market in the world can resist it."

Lu Kuan said seriously, "This might sound like a conspiracy theory, but when I got this novel and when I was adapting this screenplay, I kept asking myself, what is my goal?"

"Our kung fu films were once popular all over the world, with chivalry and righteousness as their core. But in the field of science fiction films, if we simply copy the core ideas of the West, Chinese science fiction may lose its meaning."

"Because technically speaking, it's almost impossible to catch up with them within ten years!"

"So, as the director, I'd like to share my creative philosophy with everyone—"

"I believe that the unique mission of Chinese science fiction is to sow the seeds of humanistic values ​​under the steel sky, and to package Eastern wisdom into universal values ​​through film, so as to avoid falling into the sense of powerlessness in the pursuit of technology."

Everyone in the meeting room remained silent.

If these words were spoken to future generations of young actors and actresses, it would be like casting pearls before swine.

They can't even perform basic acting, let alone explore their roles or the film on a deeper level.

But today, Lu Kuan started with the character's basic image and profound connotations, guiding, exploring, and sublimating the core idea of ​​the entire film, which was very enlightening for Li Youbing and others present.

After all, this person is unique in China in terms of having the capability, courage, and vision to film science fiction.

The reason why the previous film, *The Wandering Earth*, was successful and became a representative work of Chinese science fiction cinema was because it showcased values ​​different from those of Western science fiction:

Unlike Hollywood science fiction films that promote individual heroism, "The Wandering Earth" depicts humanity forming a united government, with the Chinese people as the main representative, uniting all of humanity to devise solutions.

"The Wandering Earth" breaks away from the "escape from Earth" paradigm dominated by American science fiction films, creating a brand-new "Wandering Earth" paradigm that reflects a deep affection for our home planet Earth.

This paradigm is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Chinese nation, inheriting the tradition of protecting one's homeland represented by myths such as Yu Gong moving mountains and Jingwei filling the sea.

The same applies to "Ball Lightning".

What is national is also international. After creating all the necessary conditions and prerequisites for this film, all Lu Kuan had to do was to implant the culture, "properly package" it, and then promote it to the world.

When Avatar came out, I took Ball Lightning with me.

The inclusion of having dumplings conceive of the Chinese mythological system, the subtle influence of Netflix on Western audiences, and this sci-fi blockbuster are all part of the time traveler's "conspiracy."

Films going global, culture being exported.

Of course, in future marketing and promotion, we must also handle various details properly in order to achieve a subtle and effective impact.

The "role judgment meeting" continues.

Starting with the most complex character, Lin Yun, all the actors engaged in intense intellectual exchanges, ultimately arriving at a clear understanding of the character's essence.

The logic of science fiction is conveyed through a more intuitive emotional transformation, which is understood by the actors and then passed on to the audience.

. . .

The so-called punishment of the "judged" was just a gimmick. In the evening, they still had a special meal at the luxurious canteen in the world of inquiries, and the first meeting of the main actors came to an end.

At the end of the day, all the actors, including Li Youbing, had many feelings.

This was the first time they had participated in the film's creation to this extent, and this deep involvement allowed the actors to achieve groundbreaking professional growth.

That's the allure of working with top directors.

Judging solely from his training of actors, Lu Kuan, a recognized future master of film, already possesses a considerable air of a grandmaster.

A skilled director can only teach actors to imitate step by step, but a master often becomes a spiritual mirror for the actor:
Innovate the creative process, build a performance system, and cultivate actors' comprehensive cultural awareness.

So much so that when he got home that evening and sat in his study, Xiao Liu was still sullen.

"I'm so disappointed! The character of Lin Yun was so interesting, it's a pity I missed out."

The girl helplessly stroked her increasingly protruding belly and laughed, "And what about the mission and connotation of Chinese science fiction that you talked about? After you put it into such a fuss, it doesn't feel like we're making a movie, but rather engaging in anti-cultural colonization against the West!"

Boss Lu joked, "It's one thing to fool them, but you actually believed it! It's all just to lower the pay."

"This movie has a very high budget, so we need to save as much as we can."

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "I've been doing positive prenatal education all day, but you ruined it with just one sentence. The baby is going to start being cunning again."

“Actually, everything we’re doing now is just an experiment,” Lu Kuan said thoughtfully. “We have to consider the commercial nature of the film, as well as its artistic merit, and also its cultural value and significance.”

"There are very few themes that can meet all these requirements at the same time; they are rare and hard to come by."

Liu Yifei pondered, "Martial arts films would be one, but they've been made to death. How about the idea you told Yang Yu about using animated films to enrich the Chinese mythology system?"

"Yes, for example, we could make a 'Fengshen' series, either an animated or live-action film, but first of all, it has to be a coherent system, and it also requires a high level of commitment and artistic skill from the director."

“Science fiction counts too, like the embedded ideology in ‘Ball Lightning’.” The girl looked up at him: “Anything else?”

“A war film, and an ancient war at that. Modern wars are heavily influenced by ideology and cannot be disseminated in the West,” Lu Kuan said with a smile.

Liu Yifei suddenly remembered something: "Isn't there a movie called 'Mulan' starring Chen Kun and Zhao Wei that was released this year? It's actually a good subject. I've seen Disney's 'Mulan' before."

When Disney's animated film "Mulan" was released in 1998, it grossed over $3 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films of the 90s, and its merchandise has been a long-selling success.

This animation was the first to adapt a Chinese folktale into a mainstream Hollywood animation. Its theme song, "Reflection," became a classic, and the image of Mulan was incorporated into the Disney Princess series, influencing a generation of Western viewers' perception of "Chinese heroes."

This is also one of the examples that Lu Kuan previously cited as evidence that animated films are easier to spread.

However, Disney's Mulan also has many problems such as Westernized values, symbolic representation of China, and historical distortion, which are difficult to avoid.

Our domestic version of "Mulan," directed by Hong Kong director Jingle Ma, is even more appalling—

The war scenes rely on sheer numbers, and the special effects are at the level of 90s TV dramas, comparable to the old "Three Kingdoms".

Adding to this the Hong Kong directors' tendency to be casual and playful in historical films, Jingle Ma's attempt to mix three elements—historical drama, the love story of Mulan and Wen Tai, and the martial arts style of the villainous Chanyu played by Hu Jun—ultimately resulted in a stinking mess.

Little Liu playfully poked the washing machine with her finger, her voice tinged with a hint of mischief: "To tell you the truth, I have a nickname: Little Mulan, you know?"

"I know, you're really good at horseback riding, but it makes my hips hurt."

"roll!"

Liu Yifei suddenly stood up and gracefully straddled Lu Kuan's legs.

Her round pregnant belly pressed slightly against her husband, but it did not hinder her "pretending" actions at all.

Pregnancy hormones made her hips fuller and softer than usual, sinking into the man's thigh muscles like two warm marshmallows.

Her slender arms encircled his neck, her fingertips lightly brushing aside the stray hairs at the back of his neck, biting her lower lip, her alluring eyes brimming with desire:
"Director Lu~~~ Do you think I'm any good?"

The girl's thick eyelashes fluttered like small fans, and despite her pregnant belly, she insisted on striking a charming pose.

Unfortunately, her rounded waist made her "seduction" look particularly naive and funny.

"Mulan is a public IP. Either you get someone to write a script for it and let me take on the role."

The actress, who was recently captivated by "Gone Girl," has gotten back into the swing of things, leaving her husband's embrace and striking a heroic pose with her pregnant belly.

Her right hand was loosely clenched as if holding a sword, while her left hand was poised as if drawing a bow. Her eyes narrowed sharply: "The northern wind carries the sound of the watchman's clapper, and the cold light shines on the iron armor! How about that, doesn't it feel good?"

Lu Kuan sneered, "After you unload the goods, I'll personally test your horsemanship and let you experience the power of my marksmanship before making a decision!"

"Hmph!" Little Liu gently snuggled into his arms, rubbing herself forward even more aggressively, her round buttocks almost overflowing the edge of his thighs.

She pouted deliberately, her full lips almost touching his nose: "Don't leave after school! I'll make sure you can't get out of bed!"
-
On January 10, 2009, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), after reviewing the renamed "Wuyue Culture Media Co., Ltd.", concluded that:

The company's main business operations meet the requirements of Article 13 of the "Administrative Measures for the Initial Public Offering and Listing of Stocks" (2006), which states that "the main business has not undergone significant changes in the past three years."

Although there was a change in shareholding, with Fan Bingbing becoming the largest shareholder, the core business remained unchanged, and the registered capital was fully paid up after the restructuring.

Following the submission of the sponsor's report on the company's profitability, asset integrity, and internal control system, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) officially replied.

After review by the Issuance Examination Committee, it was determined that Wuyue Culture Media Co., Ltd. meets the requirements of Article 13 of the Securities Law, namely, "having a sound and well-functioning organizational structure" and "having continuous profitability."
The information disclosed is true, accurate, and complete, without any false records or misleading statements;
The business model is clear and aligns with national cultural industry policies.

The final approval was granted on January 9, 2009, formally approving Wuyue Culture's IPO application on the SME board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The funds raised will be mainly used for film and television project production and cinema cooperation and construction.

Bingbing, who was able to be discharged from the hospital normally, along with CITIC Securities and a newly revitalized management team, began an exciting IPO roadshow.

Meanwhile, Damai.cn launched a series of promotional activities for Lunar New Year and Spring Festival movies on Saturday the 10th through various online and offline channels.

There are still two weeks until the Spring Festival, which is the end of the Lunar New Year film season and the beginning of the Spring Festival film season.

Damai.com went beyond the original 10 yuan discount for first-order customers, launching a dazzling array of "big discounts," "big promotions," and "further subsidies," almost replicating the style of Jiangnan Leather Factory.

The nascent Chinese film e-ticketing industry is about to erupt into a massive spending war.

(End of this chapter)