Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 244 Xiantao Digital
Inside the China Film Group building, as soon as Wu Chen left, Gao Chengsheng couldn't help but look at Han Sanping and asked in a low voice:

"Chairman Han, what did Director Wu mean by what he just said?"

There are always exceptions! You'll see later.

Han Sanping smiled upon hearing this. Wu Chen's words had instantly raised his expectations for "Black Peony" considerably.

Although China Film Group has selected six films to compete in Cannes, in his eyes, most of them are just "accompanying" the list.

If we're really going to make it into the competition, it will most likely depend on Jiang Wen, Wu Chen, and Wang Xiaoshuai.

As for Li An's new film "Lust, Caution", it has already been announced that due to the rush to finish post-production, it will be submitted to the 75th Venice Film Festival instead.

Han Sanping didn't think much of it, then quickly came to his senses, slowly tapping his fingers on the edge of the coffee table, looking at Gao Chengsheng, his tone unhurried:
"Cheng Sheng, how many years have you been with me?"

Gao Chengsheng was taken aback, unable to hide his excitement, for he knew the underlying meaning of those words.

"It's been more than five years, almost six years."

"Six years have passed in the blink of an eye. It's time to take on more responsibility," Han Sanping said cheerfully, with a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Boss, you can't be without anyone here."

"I'll come back later to see who's a good fit, or do you have any recommendations? A guy is fine."

"Boss, I don't have any recommendations."

Gao Chengsheng declined.

Under normal circumstances, you should agree to things your boss asks you to do. However, if your boss asks you to recommend someone, especially if they are your secretary, you should never agree under any circumstances.

"Alright, I'll find one myself. You can take care of it for a few days."

Han Sanping thought for a moment and finally gave his instructions.

At his position, secretaries are usually male. This is partly to maintain a professional image, as male leaders typically use male secretaries, and partly because it's convenient for him to attend various events without feeling overly cautious.
Meanwhile, in a villa on the outskirts of Beijing, Liu Xiaoli was sitting on the sofa flipping through a newspaper, her brows furrowing slightly from time to time.

A film news program was playing on TV, focusing on the upcoming 60th anniversary of Cannes.

"It's almost April, and the media are saying that this year's Cannes Film Festival will be a major competition for the global film industry," Liu Xiaoli sighed softly.

She has been keeping a close eye on film festival news lately, and because of the news of Cannes' 60th anniversary, as April approaches, all sorts of news about Cannes are coming one after another, and the entire entertainment page seems to be being taken over.

Thinking of this, she immediately turned to Liu Yifei, who was playing on her phone and sending messages, and asked, "Did Wu Chen tell you which film festival he's planning to go to for his film 'Black Peony'?"

Liu Yifei paused slightly, then pursed her lips and pondered for a few seconds:
"My junior said he'd go to whichever one he could catch, but he actually prefers Cannes."

As she spoke, she suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice mysteriously, "Mom, I have a secret to tell you."

Liu Xiaoli's eyes flickered, and she curiously pressed her ear closer.

"Actually, both the Cannes and Venice film festivals have already extended invitations. Even if you miss Cannes, you can still go to Venice."

"What?" Liu Xiaoli's heart trembled, somewhat incredulous. She then tapped Liu Yifei's head: "Why didn't you tell me about something so important sooner?"

"Oh dear, my junior brother said not to be too high-profile, that there was no need to be ostentatious, so I just..." Liu Yifei's voice trailed off, and she could barely make out the rest of her words, feeling a little guilty.

"You brat." Liu Xiaoli was both annoyed and amused, and couldn't help but raise her hand and tap her forehead.

"Oh Mom, stop knocking! What if you knock it until you're stupid? Your daughter is incredibly smart."

"You've used all your intelligence on your mother!" "I was wrong, I was wrong, I admit I was wrong, okay?" Liu Yifei laughed and covered her head, gently leaning against Liu Xiaoli's chest and acting coquettishly.

The villa was warmly lit, and the sounds of the mother and daughter playfully teasing each other filled every inch of the moist air.

In late March, the warmth of early spring had quietly spread across the capital city.

The run of "Get Out" in China is nearing its end. Due to piracy, the film's box office revenue ultimately settled at around 170 million yuan, failing to break the 200 million yuan mark.

The North American box office has surpassed the $2 million mark, reaching $2.2 million.

However, the overseas box office is what's truly cause for celebration.

On the other end of the phone, Jason Blum's voice was unusually excited: "Overseas box office has already exceeded $1.2 million, and it is expected to easily reach $1.5 million."

We used three million US dollars to create a box office phenomenon of 3.7 million US dollars, it's insane!
Wu, do you know that many people in Hollywood want to contact you now? They want to replicate that miracle again.

Wu Chen smiled and asked in return, "Is such a thing even possible?"

"Heh, of course not. But in Hollywood, everyone wants to take a gamble; after all, winning just once is enough. It's a pity you're not staying with us long-term, otherwise, with your current achievements, plenty of people would be throwing money at you."

Blum's words also carried a hint of regret.

Wu Chen was also looking at the email sent by Obsidian's lawyer, which contained a revenue analysis of "Get Out". Seeing the numbers in front of him, Wu Chen couldn't help but sigh.

Currently, it's still faster to make money in the US.

According to the previous bet with Universal, after deducting costs, publicity and public relations expenses, the net profit from the film's box office alone has reached more than 80 million US dollars.

Not to mention the peripheral revenues that will be realized in the future: copyrights, DVDs, Blu-rays, television broadcasting rights, and even pre-orders from the increasingly popular North American streaming platforms.

With both money and time, he couldn't resist wanting to make a big-budget production, but there had been no news from Interstellar.

Fortunately, Wu Chen learned from Jason Blum that Paramount's development had also stalled, and Spielberg had also been unavailable, so it seemed that the project had temporarily fallen into a state of silence.

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, at the Shanghai Film Group headquarters.

Ren Zhonglun hung up the phone, his gaze falling on a document on the table bearing the "Xiantao Digital" logo, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

After a moment's thought, he raised his hand and dialed Wu Chen's number.

"Director Wu, I have some news about special effects that I think you might be interested in." His tone carried a long-lost seriousness:
"However, Director Wu, you might need to make time to come to Shanghai, preferably in the next couple of days. It just so happens that Shanghai Film Group is working with Hong Kong to implement a talent training system for behind-the-scenes industry personnel. The founder of Xiantao Digital is also here. I'll send you the materials."

Wu Chen on the other end of the phone was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Xiantao Digital?"

After hanging up the phone, he immediately checked the information sent by Ren Zhonglun.

This is a long-established special effects and post-production company in Hong Kong, founded in 1985. It entered the field of film special effects by producing the movie "The Storm Riders".
He later participated in the special effects production of films such as Tsui Hark's "The Legend of Zu", Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" and Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle". He has mature skills and a tough style, but his business management is somewhat lacking.

The document included a few lines of concise yet precise text:

"Internal turmoil, founders facing financial difficulties, and failed market expansion from 04 to 06 have led to an intention to sell, with the aim of preserving technology and continuing the project."

Wu Chen's eyes flickered slightly. If he remembered correctly, it seemed that Xiantao Digital was later acquired by a Hollywood company.

But it must be said that this does meet his requirements quite well, at least he doesn't have to build a special effects company from scratch, saving a lot of energy and time.

(End of this chapter)