Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 243: Which drama should I submit my application to? I really dislike him.

"Director Wu, there are three essential elements for the success of a TV series: script, director, and actors."

It's very difficult to find a script these days that doesn't follow trends, doesn't contain unnecessary padding, and truly has originality and valuable content.

Galloping Horse.

Zhong Lifang, Li Mingzheng, and Wu Chen were exchanging ideas.

Wu Chen nodded slightly and smiled upon hearing this.

Xiaoma Benteng is actually quite interesting. Li Ming, the chairman who comes from the military and is loyal and sentimental, doesn't communicate much with the outside world. He is almost invisible in the industry and is extremely low-key. Instead, he is keen to deal with screenwriters and directors.

General Manager Zhong Lifang is responsible for external interactions and capital-related operations.

The two, one inside and one outside, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

"This is some information we've recently gathered about TV dramas. 'Little Horse Galloping' covers a wide range of topics; besides large-scale period dramas, we're currently paying attention to and involved in other genres as well."

Li Ming handed over some information about the TV series, which included script information that Xiao Ma Ben Teng could access.

Cooperation is something that should be done sooner rather than later, and both companies hope to finalize and finalize the deal as soon as possible.

However, as this is Xingchen Pictures' first foray into the television drama field, both parties are very cautious.

Zhong Lifang and Li Ming were also afraid that their first collaboration would be a disaster, so they made a special selection process.

Wu Chen glanced at it; there were quite a few genres included, covering a wide range of topics: historical dramas, period dramas, modern dramas, and military dramas.
However, the sharp-eyed Wu Chen still noticed a spy drama.

"Lurking?"

Wu Chen muttered to himself.

Upon hearing Wu Chen mutter this name, Zhong Lifang immediately introduced, "Director Wu, this script was written by director Jiang Wei, and it originated from a novella of only 14000 words by Tianjin writer Long Yi last year."

Spy dramas may not have the budget of historical dramas or period dramas, but they have a large audience. This type of drama is often favored by new companies entering the industry because the fees for selling the film and its rights may not be as high.

“I think this story is quite interesting,” Wu Chen said without hesitation, ready to make a decision.

As the pinnacle of domestic spy dramas, "Lurking" holds value not only in the present but also in the future.

Although the fees for selling films and copyrights are not that high now, the value of such classic works in the future will far exceed their current value.

"This script will be a little more complicated because it's currently in the hands of Dongyang Qingyu, with whom we previously collaborated on 'The Lancet,' but it shouldn't be a problem; I'll handle the arrangements."

Zhong Lifang confidently took on the task.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to Mr. Zhong." Wu Chen nodded, then casually asked, "Mr. Li, Mr. Zhong, I heard you've invested in two films."

"Yes, Director Wu, we're just testing the waters, with a very small share of the film market: Zhang Jiandong's 'Drug Enforcement Police' and Wang Xiaoshuai's 'Left Right'."

Wu Chen's eyes flickered slightly. The first one was definitely going to lose money, and the second one wouldn't make much profit either.

Xiao Ma's film career took off after meeting Ning Hao in his previous life, but the greater achievement was due to Zhong Lifang.

Because he is a true "operator" who treats filmmaking as a financial business, and even tries to inject rational business logic into the film industry, which is full of artistic temperament.

This is why Pegasus Media has had zero losses in the film industry since 09. Even if the films themselves are unprofitable, Pegasus Media can still turn a profit thanks to Zhong Lifang's business acumen and strict risk control measures.

After getting off at the Little Horse Galloping, you'll find Starry Sky Pictures. Wu Chen glanced at the elevator behind him and thought it was quite convenient, saving him the trouble of running around.

Lu Yang, Pang Hong, and others are still preparing for "Painted Skin," and the casting auditions are just around the corner.

However, Ning Hao still managed to come up with some new tricks when it came to casting.

Before the casting auditions, three requirements for public auditions were specifically announced:
"First of all, we don't want handsome men and beautiful women, we want actors who are unique and creative in appearance;
Secondly, one must be able to act or have the potential to act;

Third, the main characters must be able to speak a dialect, and the secondary characters must be able to speak Minnan-accented Mandarin.

The three casting requirements were immediately ridiculed by netizens, who called it the "most shabby" audition in the industry. Sure enough, Wu Chen was quite surprised when he was invited to attend.

The audition was filled with actors of unique styles, none of whom met the traditional standard of being 'eye-catching'.

"Are you filming a movie or an intangible cultural heritage documentary? With your requirements, our school would probably eliminate 99% of them just from the first item. Even the Central Academy of Drama probably wouldn't have many left," Wu Chen couldn't help but tease.

"But we still have Huang Bo!" Ning Hao didn't care.

Following Ning Hao's gaze, Huang Bo and Xu Zheng were standing together outside the studio, chatting with several extras about dialects.

Huang Bo sported an out-of-place long hairstyle and wore an old leather jacket, looking like a mix of a wandering guitarist and a secondhand motorcycle dealer. Coupled with his not-so-young appearance, he was surprisingly "normal" among this group of "eccentrics".

"By the way, is Xingchen really planning to enter the TV drama field?" Ning Hao suddenly asked.

Wu Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping lightly over the scene: "In the early stages, we have limited energy, so for now, we'll cooperate with other companies and see how it goes."

"That's true, it's not that difficult for you."

Wu Chen didn't stay at the audition for long, mainly because Ning Hao's casting was really uninteresting. Even some media reporters who came only muttered a few complaints, took a couple of photos, and left.

At this moment, Lu Xun, who had been silent for a long time, finally stood up proudly, his eyes reddening during the interview.

"With the new film approved, those who are envious can finally relax."

"Although the process was lengthy, the result was exhilarating. I thank the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. I have been in seclusion for the past few months preparing for 'Nanjing! Nanjing!', and this is a powerful response to the slander I suffered before!"

"I don't want the film to feel like it's about seeking gore. Of course, some violent scenes are unavoidable, but most of the film will be in black and white to reduce the impact of the color of blood on the audience."

I want to use "Nanjing! Nanjing!" to showcase humanity and express something more than just hatred, so that everyone can draw strength from history.

When Wu Chen went to China Film Group, Qin Hong from Stellar Media was also there. He was very excited to see Wu Chen, but he felt a little embarrassed when he thought about what Lu Xun had said on stage.

After all, the media has already published articles: "The film 'Nanjing! Nanjing!' has been approved for production; Lu Chuan hints at being slandered."

There are many titles like this.

Who is slandering us? Jiang Wen or Wu Chen?
People in the industry are kind of laughing.

"Director Wu and Director Lu Xun were just being sarcastic; we hope Director Wu won't take it too seriously."

Qin Hong still wanted to resolve the situation, since Star Media had invested a large portion of the film's budget. If Wu Chen were in a bad mood and tried to sabotage it, wouldn't they suffer a huge loss?
"Hehe. I hope so. Actually, it doesn't matter whether he slanders me or not. Anyway, I don't like him." Wu Chen said indifferently. He didn't need to care about other people's opinions. Saying this was already giving Xingmei face.

Gao Chengsheng and Han Sanping were both a little surprised, not expecting Wu Chen to speak so frankly.

However, Qin Hong, who had seen a lot in the industry, did not show much change in expression. It was unclear whether he was well-controlled or not surprised. He then gestured to Han Sanping before leaving.

After Qin Hong left, Han Sanping finally spoke: "You're quite direct."

“What’s the point of being indirect? Everyone in the industry knows that. There’s no need to be so hypocritical, right, Chairman Han?” Wu Chen grinned.

"By the way, I must congratulate Chairman Han. This seat is indeed much more spacious than before."

Wu Chen glanced at the scene. In recent days, the power within China Film Group had been quietly being transferred. Han Sanping had also successfully taken up the position of chairman of China Film Group, and had truly reached the pinnacle of Chinese cinema in a certain sense.

"What's there to congratulate?" Han Sanping's expression had calmed down considerably, as if the excitement had subsided. Instead, he said in a low voice, "Only now do I realize that this position wasn't easy to attain."

Wu Chen's gaze sharpened slightly. The combination of the roles of general manager and chairman would inevitably bring some differences, which meant that Han Sanping would truly be responsible for the aircraft carrier that was China Film Group.

"By the way, what are your plans for Cannes? It's getting late. The bureau has recommended several films, and China Film Group will be responsible for selecting them to compete in this year's Cannes."

Han Sanping is quite concerned about this matter. On the one hand, it coincides with the 60th anniversary, and the Cannes organizing committee has even contacted the Film Bureau. On the other hand, the influence of Chinese-language films this year is not low, so this is a good opportunity.

Wu Chen smiled and said, "We'll try to finish the final cut a few days before the unveiling. If we can't finish it, there's nothing we can do. We still need to prioritize quality."

"Can it really be delayed this long? The shortlist will be announced next month." Han Sanping frowned. He knew that the Cannes deadline couldn't hold some famous directors back, and they would usually postpone it appropriately, but could it be delayed this long?
"Yes, a surprise video."

(End of this chapter)