Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 208 Young Directors Support Program, Golden Globe Awards
Early January, Beijing.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the sky was already bright, and a thin layer of snow covered the asphalt road outside the Huairou base.

The wind blew through the branches of the old locust tree by the site, shaking off the frost that had formed overnight, which gently fell on the eaves of the antique-style opera stage built by the film crew, much like a scene from the start of filming on a cold winter morning in the 1980s.

Inside the photography studio, the heating equipment hadn't been turned on yet, the cold air had nowhere to dissipate, and even the light from the industrial chandeliers on the ceiling seemed to be frozen in temperature.

The staff members were all wrapped in thick down jackets, circling around the kettle, and some even secretly brought two electric heaters to the corner of the rest area to warm their feet.

"Is there still a kettle? Quick, go get it ready, fill it all up, we'll need it as soon as we turn it on!"

"You can't wear too many thick clothes, because stage makeup will show the bulges. At most, you can put thermal pads under your costume."

"."

At the other end of the stage area, the actors, having changed into their costumes, walked onto the stage one after another, ready to begin filming.

The one who had the hardest time was undoubtedly Liu Yifei, the female lead, because there were always outdoor scenes, and when the cold came, she would shiver from the cold.

Fortunately, everyone was eager to end this outdoor shoot.

"Crack!"

With Wu Chen's command, this section finally came to an end.

Liu Yifei immediately put on a down jacket, her nose already slightly red from the cold.

"Here, ginger and jujube water, I just had it made." Wu Chen smiled and handed over the cup.

"Hehe, I almost lost all feeling in my hands." Liu Yifei chuckled. She reached out and took the cup, and only when her hand touched the warmth of the cup did she feel her fingers come back to life.

She sipped her tea, blinked, and asked softly, "Did I shake a little during my performance just now?"

"There's a tiny bit, but only you and the camera can see it to that extent. The audience can't tell. It can be edited out later. The performance was quite good."

"Well, that's good then." Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly pouted, "Shouldn't you give me a compliment?"

"what?"

"I'm freezing to death, and you're not even praising me? Do you want me to join the crew while I'm sick, die in the snow, and then have the media write a report like 'Liu Yifei died from the director's indifference'?"

Wu Chen was taken aback, then burst out laughing:

"Could you be any worse off? You're always talking nonsense. It's only because your aunt finished filming her scenes that she's done. Otherwise, if she were here, she would definitely give you a whack on the head."

Liu Yifei raised her little head and looked at Wu Chen expectantly.

"Alright, alright, with this acting style, we'll have to add more scenes for you later," Wu Chen said, handing her another hot water bottle. "Warm your hands up, don't let them get cold."

Liu Yifei took it, a smile on her face.

"You're always like this," she said softly, but a hint of smugness was hidden in her eyes. "You don't say it, but you're faster than anyone else."

Which one do you prefer?

"Guess," Liu Yifei smiled slightly, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

Wu Chen's filming of "Black Peony" is progressing smoothly, but the bureau is now facing a dilemma regarding the newly proposed funding plan for young directors.

The program will provide government funding support to promising and innovative young directors under the age of 45 who have achieved initial success.

The grant amount is 500,000 for each director.

"How about we remove Wu Chen? He seems a bit out of place here, and we don't need this 500,000. If the list is released, the public will laugh at us."

"Our plan was originally intended to strongly support young directors, with an age limit of under 40. Removing Wu Chen from the list would actually make it seem like there's something wrong with him."

The managers discussed the matter with smiles.

Everyone knows that this 500,000 yuan subsidy might be useful for directors like Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Xu Jinglei, Ning Hao, Ning Cai, and Zhang Yibai, because most of their films actually have very low budgets.

For a low-budget domestic film, a grant of 50 yuan is nothing short of a "huge sponsorship".

However, this seems a bit too little for Wu Chen, since he makes hundreds of millions for a single movie, so 500,000 would be a bit awkward.

"That's fine, it's nothing. The purpose was just for the bureau to provide some support, it's just a token gesture."

Tong Gang finalized the decision immediately, then, as if remembering something, instructed his secretary:
"The Golden Globe Awards are in a few days. On behalf of the bureau, please congratulate Wu Chen. Also, tell him to be careful with his wording during the ceremony, as it will be broadcast live in China this time."

These days, "Get Out" is still showing in theaters, and it has already grossed $1.5 million in North America, which shows its influence in North America.

January 14th arrived, and Jason Blum and Universal urged Wu Chen to fly to Hollywood as soon as possible because the Golden Globe Awards ceremony was on the 16th Beijing time.

After arranging things for the film crew, Wu Chen flew to Los Angeles that very night.

The upcoming Golden Globe Awards are drawing close attention from the industry.

Because mainland directors haven't won such awards for a long time. At the three major film festivals, domestic directors often bring back some awards, but when it comes to the Golden Globe Awards, we have to go back to Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine".

As for the Oscars, he only received a nomination. If Wu Chen wins, it will fill the long-standing gap of no mainland Chinese directors having won a Golden Globe award.

As for the Taiwanese media, their feelings are quite complicated.

If Wu Chen wins a Golden Globe, Li An's special status will be greatly reduced; if he also wins an Oscar, then mainland China will have an Oscar-level director.

Mainland media outlets are already extensively collecting Hollywood media's predictions and analyses of this year's Golden Globe Awards.

[Analysis of the 64th Golden Globe Awards nominations: "Babel" has the most nominations but may not be the big winner; "Get Out" is a strong contender for the top prize!]

[Get Out won Best Picture at the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Awards, and this major trendsetter has a 80% chance of being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars over the past 10 years!]

According to Hollywood media analysis, "Get Out" has at least a 50% chance of winning the Golden Globe Award this year.

As the Golden Globe Awards approach, industry media outlets are publishing numerous reports excerpted from Hollywood media.

Netizens are completely confused.

"No, sometimes the win rate is 80%, sometimes it's 50%, what is it exactly?"

"One second the media was saying that the main rival was 'Infernal Affairs,' and the next second the main rival became Miramax's 'The Queen.' Damn, they've already said everything."

"After reading over a dozen analyses, I understand now. These articles are all blatant exaggeration. To claim that the combined winning probability of all those films in a single award exceeds 100%? I seriously doubt the editors understand math."

"."

The domestic analysis has already been extensive. The current film and television season is not hot, and the Berlin nominations have not yet been announced. The Golden Globe Awards are the only point of discussion, and with Wu Chen receiving six nominations, the discussion has been heating up.

The sixth princess even made a special video broadcast.

Other entertainment media outlets only provided brief news reports.

1 p.m. local time in the United States on January 15.

In the California night, palm trees swayed quietly, and the evening breeze passed through the meticulously arranged arched light fixtures on both sides of the red carpet.

Outside the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, cameras and microphones were clustered together.

The Golden Globe logo and the words "64th Golden Globe Awards" shimmered and rippled on a giant LED backdrop.

The air was filled with a faint mixture of perfume and the scent of magnesium.

The red carpet was laid out like a crimson cloud.

Familiar names such as Eva Longoria, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg arrived one after another.

The media's calls for action were constant.

Amidst this sea of ​​flashing lights, the host shouted:
"Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Wu Chen and the crew of 'Get Out'."

This loud announcement was like a thunderclap, instantly igniting cheers from both sides of the red carpet.

A group of Black movie fans held up homemade signs in the crowd that read:

"Wu Chen used a horror movie to tell the truth."

"Thank you for making Get Out, thank you for seeing us."

"."

The Sixth Princess was watching this scene live from the side.

"It's definitely different. Wu Chen's crew's appearance at the Golden Globe Awards felt much better than other domestic directors."

"Nonsense, don't you know how many movie fans there are!"

"Hmm, that woman in the white dress is the female lead from 'Get Out,' right? Tsk, she has a great figure."

At this moment, Wu Chen, Chadwick Boseman, Jason Blum, and the others were all dressed simply, in either black or blue suits.

However, the actresses' costumes are not so simple.

This is a stage for beauty contests; who wants to be outdone?

Blake Lively, in a flowing white dress, waved to both sides with a bright smile.
She'd never walked a red carpet of this caliber since her debut, so this was her first time. Naturally, she pulled out all the stops with her signature smile, and of course, she also showed off her already large breasts.
Viola Davis wore a bright red dress, but as a supporting actress not known for her beauty, she didn't attract much attention.

Wu Chen glanced at the movie channel staff waving at him, then nodded and led the main actors over.

The movie channel had contacted him beforehand to conduct a brief interview before the Golden Globes, since this year's Golden Globes will be broadcast live.

"Dear viewers, welcome to the special live broadcast of the 64th Golden Globe Awards ceremony brought to you by the Movie Channel."

The director next to me needs no introduction.

He is Wu Chen, the director, producer, and screenwriter of "Get Out".

(End of this chapter)