Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 268 Film it! We absolutely have to film it! (Science Fiction)

The following afternoon, inside the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television building.

The air conditioning in the conference room was on full blast, but the atmosphere inside was sweltering.

This was an emergency meeting held without any prior notice—everyone in the industry knew from the moment they received the notification that this was no ordinary meeting.

China Film Group, Huaying Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media Group, Stellar Media Group, Yinghuang Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, August First Film Studio. Rows of familiar names appeared on the sign-in sheet, and even the deputy director of CCTV sat in a prominent position.

Wu Chen was also among those invited.

Before the meeting began, he glanced around the room and found that there were indeed many attendees, including many well-known directors.

Chen Kaige, who is currently preparing for "Mei Lanfang", has arrived.

Ning Hao ultimately didn't come, out of consideration for his ongoing filming schedule. However, a copy of the meeting minutes would be sent to him afterward, and he was asked to study it carefully.

Zhang Yimou is in a crucial period of preparing for the Olympics, and is obviously being given special treatment.

In the front row, Tong Gang didn't engage in any small talk; his very first sentence elevated the atmosphere to another level:
"This meeting was a systematic discussion and deployment of the current development of the cultural industry and its external communication, led by our bureau, based on the strategic deployment of relevant departments."

The key development points outlined at the National Film Work Conference must now be fully implemented.

"We must understand that we are facing an era of increasingly fierce global cultural competition."

"Next year is an Olympic year—it's a stage for sports, but also a stage for culture. We can't just win gold medals on the sports field; we also need to win gold medals in the cultural field."

"Film and television are the vanguard in the cultural battlefield."

Tong Gang paused, glanced at the upright crowd below the stage, and then continued:
"The next few years are a crucial window of opportunity. The year after next marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and we will successively launch a series of key celebratory films, industrial blockbusters, and international co-productions, aiming to achieve breakthroughs and successes in multiple fields."

Over the next three years, our support for commercial films will truly be implemented in practice.

Wu Chen's gaze sharpened slightly upon hearing this; clearly, the era of Chinese-language films taking off was about to arrive.

State-owned film giants such as China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group have voiced their support and presented their own performance reports.

The atmosphere eased a bit afterward, and Wu Chen was called upon to speak, just like everyone else.

In recent years, Starry Night Pictures has achieved remarkable results, which is the envy of everyone present. Although they have not participated in many films, every single one of them is a masterpiece, making everyone swallow hard.

"We also strongly encourage private enterprises to get involved in cinema chains. Relying solely on large local state-owned factories is not enough; their coverage is too limited," Tong Gang said, giving his approval when Wu Chen mentioned Xingchen Cinemas.

"By the way, I heard that Director Wu has a new film project planned recently, and it's an international co-production?" Tong Gang suddenly asked.

Wu Chen was not surprised by Tong Gang's sudden question, and nodded in response.

Upon hearing this, the heads of major film studios and private enterprises all brightened up and subconsciously looked over.

It seems the media reports were true.

"Oh no, this is bad." Upon seeing this, Han Sanping immediately sensed something was wrong; it seemed like he now had a lot more competitors.

"That's great. Film and television works should go global, tell Chinese stories well, and actively participate in international narratives, exporting Chinese values, scientific perspectives, and visions for the future."

Tong Gang nodded affirmatively, and then moved on to other topics.

During the three-hour meeting, representatives took turns speaking, covering topics ranging from the film and television industry, scriptwriting, building overseas channels, and establishing co-production platforms, to talent support mechanisms and technology platform development. Almost every key aspect was addressed. Everyone listened with great excitement, and some film companies with substantial capital were already itching to get started.

As soon as the meeting ended, the once quiet and solemn meeting room came alive.

Many producers have already quietly gotten up and moved closer to Wu Chen.

Han Sanping turned his head and found that Wu Chen was surrounded by people from several private film companies and state-owned film studios, so he quickly rushed over from the front row.

Wu Chen was laughing so hard he was almost numb, and he was getting tired of saying things like "I haven't thought it through yet, I haven't even written the script, it's just an idea."

Chen Kaige stood up and looked on expressionlessly, just like when he brought back the Palme d'Or years ago.

Just as he was having a headache, Tong Gang's secretary suddenly rushed over and said in a low voice, "Director Wu, Director Tong wants you to come over."

"Great!" Wu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. This was truly a good rescue.

"Please sit down, Director Wu. It's not convenient to ask during the meeting. What are your thoughts on co-productions? Sino-US co-productions?"

Tong Gang smiled and gestured, saying that nowadays, all the big directors are busy, and Wu Chen is the only one left who has the ability to direct, has new projects, and is also related to the international community.

"Hmm!" Wu Chen didn't hide anything.

"What subject matter? Next year is a big year for the Olympics, and the year after that is a commemorative year. We strongly support international co-production projects, but we hope you can better reflect the country's positive values ​​and the best aspects."

Tong Gang's words were quite veiled, but Wu Chen understood them perfectly. He essentially hoped that international co-production companies would not focus on hardship but instead portray a more positive side of the story.

"Science fiction, I guess." Wu Chen nodded affirmatively.

Actually, he had this idea ever since he started making cuts for Interstellar.

Science fiction is the genre among top-tier blockbusters that can best help China gradually build confidence in its films, preventing it from screaming at the mere sight of Hollywood blockbusters.

Moreover, a good science fiction film can help countless children plant the seeds of science from a young age.

Most importantly, science fiction is more likely to cultivate values ​​and a sense of responsibility, which is something that many films struggle to achieve, but science fiction does it very easily.

"Science fiction?" Tong Gang was surprised that Wu Chen would choose this genre. This genre had been buried in China for many years, and few directors had dared to take on it.

"That's right. This year, China's space program has achieved remarkable results. Chang'e-1 will be launched in October, and I heard that Shenzhou-7 will have an extravehicular activity mission next year."

So I started thinking about a hypothetical scenario: what if an accident happened, and our astronauts lost contact with their team on Mars, and the astronauts survived independently and tenaciously?

Meanwhile, 2 million kilometers away, we are working hard to organize an unprecedented space rescue mission.

Wu Chen slowly described the story concept of "The Martian," but he omitted some background and setting details that he hadn't yet finalized. Even so, Tong Gang's eyes lit up as he listened.

"shoot!"

After listening to Wu Chen's explanation, Tong Gang immediately replied, "We absolutely have to film it. This story must be made into a film, no matter what."

What a great subject matter!

Space science fiction, rescue missions, and international cooperation—this embodies the responsibility and commitment of a major power. This is exactly the kind of cultural dissemination he wants, much better than those pointless, sentimental movies.
Whether this movie is released in next year's Olympic year or the year after, it will definitely be a celebratory blockbuster.
(End of this chapter)