Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 333 is finished. Did I steal the boss's thunder?

On February 20th, Beijing was still freezing cold, but there was a faint hint of spring restlessness in the air.

Although the Lantern Festival has not yet passed, the Beijing Film Academy ended its winter break yesterday, and all teachers and students returned to their posts.

Most universities' winter break ends the day after the Lantern Festival, but this year, the vast majority of universities in Beijing ended their winter break before the Lantern Festival.

A large part of the reason is that many universities in Beijing undertook Olympic volunteer service tasks.

But what attracted the attention of the entire school was the casting auditions for "The Martian".

The audition was held in the main teaching building auditorium and studios three, four, and five of building three on the south side. The area was cordoned off with police tape and signs. Early in the morning, many students stopped to look around and discussed the audition in small groups.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the campus loudspeaker blared, its sound echoing through the wintery campus:
"Hello everyone, this is Beijing Film Academy Campus Radio. The auditions for the international co-production of 'The Martian' will begin today in our school's auditorium and studios 3, 4, and 5."

Please refrain from approaching the audition area if you are not a participant in this audition or a volunteer assigned by your school, and please enter in an orderly manner under the guidance of staff.

Please remember, do not approach or take photos without permission. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

As the broadcast ended, a few cheers could be faintly heard below the teaching building, with the most excited students from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy.

"Senior brother is so kind. We can try out those supporting roles too. But it seems like there are very few roles available. Are some roles already cast? Even important supporting roles seem to be almost nonexistent."

"It's just a trial. I saw a lot of teachers come, and I can't compete at all. I feel like I'll just be going through the motions."

"Will my senior be here today for the supporting role casting? I'm under so much pressure!"

"Dream on! Didn't you see Andy Lau just arrived? Senior brother is definitely going to choose the male lead."

"Just like the casting for Director Zhang's 'House of Flying Daggers' and Director Chen's 'The Promise,' it's so exaggerated! I'm afraid even more people will come this afternoon."

"."

Today, the Beijing Film Academy resembles a film festival red carpet.

People came in an endless stream, including many auditionees, as well as those who came with companions or simply to join in the fun.

At this moment, Shu Chang pulled Liu Yifei along:
"Sisi, let's go visit your school later. I heard that most of the people in Beijing went today."

"It's not that exaggerated."

Liu Yifei shook her head, indicating that she did not believe it.

"Seriously, I've seen a lot of people in various group chats thinking about trying their luck, hoping to get selected while browsing randomly because a role might be added at the last minute."

"Okay, let's go this afternoon." Liu Yifei smiled, and thought that since she had nothing else to do anyway, it would be good to go for a stroll.

"."

At this moment, Wu Chen, Han Sanping, and Ren Zhonglun were traveling to Beijing Film Academy in a minibus arranged by China Film Group.

Also accompanying him were Jason Blum of Blumhouse and David Lyndon of Universal Pictures, who also brought two casting directors from Universal's casting department.

The group arrived in the capital yesterday.

David Lyndon took the casting of the male lead very seriously. He was in charge of this project at Universal Pictures and was responsible for its profitability.

However, at this moment, David Lyndon, Wu Chen, and Jason Blum were not talking about "The Martian," but rather about "Paranormal Activity."

Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun exchanged a glance and both sighed.

Horror movies aren't suitable for China; even with their combined resources, they couldn't handle them and could only watch helplessly.

“Wu, Jason, trust us. Universal’s marketing and distribution of horror films is no worse than Lionsgate’s or Paramount’s,” David Lyndon advised.

These days, Jason Blum has been mainly working on "Paranormal Activity," approaching Paramount, Lionsgate, and Universal, all of which have vaguely seen the potential of this horror film.

Of course, the most important thing is that the publicity and distribution costs are borne by Wu Chen and Jason Blum, and they do not need to pay in advance.

In this situation, as long as the film isn't a complete flop, there's absolutely no chance of losing money with this kind of distribution; it's practically a sure-fire way to make a profit.

Moreover, Wu Chen's talent for horror films is evident. He only collaborated with James Wan on one horror film, which grossed nearly $200 million worldwide on a budget of only $1.5 million, demonstrating his top-notch eye for talent. "Wu, Jason, I understand your concerns, but please believe me, Universal has completed its transformation in genre films over the past decade. We are no longer the Universal of the 90s that relied on 'box office stars' to carry the film."

David Lyndon smiled slightly, then changed the subject: "Especially horror movies. You see, Saw isn't just Lionsgate; Universal also has a complete 'fear pacing' system."

Our marketing team can complete a viral campaign within 48 hours, including placement in theatrical trailers, pre-launch videos, seed topics on online forums, and word-of-mouth marketing on campuses. We can guarantee that your marketing budget will be spent precisely and effectively.
Furthermore, we have partnerships with several horror movie forum administrators on Fandango and IMDb. If the film is solid enough, word-of-mouth promotion can generate buzz up to ten days in advance.

As he spoke, he handed over a folded promotional flowchart, on which several "scattered fermentation points" were marked, indicating that he had been prepared in advance.

Jason Blum took it, glanced at it, and then looked at Wu Chen.

"How do you calculate the distribution costs?" Wu Chen looked at it, then folded it up. Every distribution company has these, just with slightly different methods, but they are all similar.

“If you really bear the publicity and distribution expenses yourself, then our basic distribution commission will remain at the lowest level. We can even give you priority in 25 cities, and even if it is a midnight premiere, we can arrange a complete press release.”

Wu Chen nodded, but did not immediately express his opinion.

Seeing this, Jason Blum chimed in, "Wu and I will give it a serious consideration!"

The car moved forward.

Hundreds of media reporters had already gathered inside and outside the Beijing Film Academy.

Tripods were everywhere, and flashes went off frequently. Some early-arriving photographers even set up telephoto lenses on high ground near the school gate, all in an effort to capture valuable shots.

"I heard that people from Universal Music are here too!"

"That's normal. After all, it's the casting for the male lead. They say the casting for Hollywood's 'The Martian' didn't include a female lead, so it might be a male-centric film."

"No way, a male-centric drama?"

The media has been making some speculations lately, but the people from the major companies haven't said anything, so the speculation remains just that—speculation. The only thing that's really hot is the choice of the male lead to audition.

Amidst hushed conversations, the convoy slowly entered the school gate. When Wu Chen appeared with representatives from Universal and Brenhouse, the atmosphere instantly ignited, and reporters bombarded the crowd with questions:

"Director Wu, are there any candidates you particularly like from today's auditions?"

"I heard that Universal Pictures didn't cast a female lead in their Hollywood casting call. Is it by invitation only, or is there simply no female lead available?"

"Director Wu, does your personal involvement in casting mean you already have a choice for the male lead in mind?"

Faced with a barrage of questions, Wu Chen simply smiled and waved his hand.
"Please don't worry, everyone. We're not accepting interviews for now. We'll see if we have time to talk after the auditions."

After speaking, he walked towards the teaching building under the guidance of security personnel.

For companies like Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Pictures, this was their first time visiting the Beijing Film Academy. This was another "showcase project," and Zhang Huijun, Xie Xiaojing, Mu Deyuan, and others also made a special appearance. Everyone was ready to take a group photo.

"This is our principal."

Although Han Sanping also graduated from Beijing Film Academy, Wu Chen was more suitable to act as the introducer at this time.

Beijing Film Academy has consistently ranked among the top ten film and television arts colleges in the world, and has been among the top five for many years. It is firmly ranked first in Asia and holds a prestigious position. It also has cooperative exchanges with several film schools in Hollywood.

David Lyndon and Jason Blum were naturally aware of this and were exceptionally enthusiastic.

"This is my teacher." When Wu Chen introduced Mu Deyuan, the two men's eyes lit up and they shook hands firmly.

Wu Chen's teacher—considering Wu Chen's current achievements, it's clear that he has a great teacher, a master of film, who is at least outstanding in some aspect.

“You must be very knowledgeable.” Jason Blum was very good at speaking, subtly and gently.

"Where, where!"

Mu Deyuan was so touched by this enthusiasm that his mouth twisted into a grin, and he cupped his hands in a gesture of greeting.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mu Deyuan turned around and found that Zhang Huijun was still there.

"Oh no, did I steal the boss's thunder?"

(End of this chapter)