Director of Photography Department of Huayu

No need to elaborate on Chapter 454 and beyond.
In the sweltering heat of July, the mainland film market was even hotter than the sun, experiencing another surge.

Transformers 2 has seen its box office soar since its release, breaking numerous records for imported films.
Based on this trend, the box office revenue for the film in mainland China is expected to reach 4 million yuan.

This would have been unthinkable in the past.

For a time, everyone from forums to film critics, from production studios to distribution companies, was discussing:
"It really is different now."

"These days, box office numbers can easily soar to 4 million?"

"After 'The Martian,' the box office is really going to explode."

The box office in mainland China at this time seemed to have its meridians opened up.

Before the heated discussions had subsided, the press conference for Feng Xiaogang's "Aftershock" arrived as scheduled.

The press conference was held in front of numerous media outlets. Feng Xiaogang made no secret of his ambition for box office success: "We aim for 5 million yuan in box office revenue."

These words caused a media frenzy.

But the media, always eager to stir things up, weren't about to stop there, and follow-up questions quickly emerged:
"Director Feng, are you confident you can break Director Wu Chen's 600 million yuan box office record?"

Feng Xiaogang was less irritable than before, and unusually patient.

"Personally, I certainly hope to break the record set by director Wu Chen's 'The Martian,' but even if I do, director Wu Chen will still be the number one in the 600 million yuan box office club, that's beyond doubt."

If it can break 600 million, the first person I'll thank is director Wu Chen.

These words puzzled the media.

"He's changed his ways."

"Is this still Feng Xiaogang?"

"."

The media below whispered among themselves.

Feng Xiaogang sneered inwardly.

Damn it, it's always the same trick. Do they really think I'm stupid?

Anyone can do advertising, right?
If we can break 600 million, why not thank Wu Chen?

[Filming begins for "Aftershock," Feng Xiaogang hopes the new film will reach 5 million yuan at the box office!]

Feng Xiaogang stated frankly that if the box office surpasses 600 million yuan, he will first thank director Wu Chen!

Huairou Post-Production Base.

The color grading room was dimly lit, and the air conditioning made the pages of the script flutter.

Ning Hao nestled in his chair, staring at the screen, and casually teased Wu Chen:
"Now things are great, the box office ceiling has been opened, and everyone's talking about 400 million or 500 million right off the bat, you see? Feng Xiaogang said, if the box office reaches 600 million, the first person he'll thank is you."

"He's just doing this for publicity. I'd be grateful if he said even one thing that was genuine."

Wu Chen crossed his arms and shook his head, his gaze fixed on Ning Hao's "No Man's Land".

"How about it? My film is still in post-production, but you should be able to see the shadows by now, right?" Ning Hao raised an eyebrow confidently upon seeing this.

"It's pretty good, it's a good film. Let's take our time with post-production."

Wu Chen patted Ning Hao on the shoulder.

"That will definitely come gradually. There are still several months until the Lunar New Year film season, which is plenty of time."

At this time, Cao Guowei, whom I occasionally contact, also called, laughing heartily:
"Director Wu, the Weibo account is basically finished. Would you like to come and take a look?"

"Oh?"

Wu Chen was delighted upon hearing this.

Weibo is coming out.

This is a big deal.

Although Weibo is not a good investment, public opinion is the most terrifying weapon in the era of internet traffic.

Because the best way to destroy a person or a company is to spread rumors.

For example, if someone spreads a pornographic rumor, almost no one can withstand it.

This kind of public opinion battleground is one that we must participate in.
Wu Chen glanced at his watch, smiled, and nodded: "I definitely have to take a look."

Seeing that Wu Chen had hung up the phone, Ning Hao casually asked, "Sina?"

"Yes, the new product is about to be launched. You can help out and be among the first users."

"Is it easy to use? You seem to care a lot about it."

"More followers would be quite useful."

Wu Chen chuckled.

The atmosphere in the conference room at Sina's headquarters, located in the Ideal International Building on North Fourth Ring Road West, was quite relaxed.

Cao Guowei personally accompanied him, while the technical director demonstrated the technology.

On the computer screen, the words "Weibo" were prominently displayed. Although the interface was still somewhat rough, its basic structure was already taking shape.

Input boxes, timeline, follow relationships, share button. Original and authentic.

"How was it, Mr. Wu? Not bad, right?" Cao Guowei asked with a broad smile, his confidence evident on his face.

"It's fine." Although Wu Chen really wanted to complain about these UI elements, he couldn't spoil the mood at this time, so he would just iterate slowly.

When will it be released?

“吴总，我们准备2009年8月14日上线内测版本，公测版则在8月28日开放注册.”

The technical director took over and responded.

"Okay, then I'll wait for Weibo to launch and register as soon as possible."

"Hahaha!" Cao Guowei laughed, "Then Mr. Wu will have to give us a good shout-out!"

Wu Chen has two scripts, each with its own progress.

"1939" was a document that Wu Chen had placed on the left side of his desk; it had already printed out into a thick stack.

Every day he would set aside three or four hours to delve into one section, scrutinizing the dialogue, logic, and historical details.

Writing films about the War of Resistance Against Japan is not just about fighting, but also about faith, humanity, and the oppression and rifts of the era. Moreover, his perspective is from the point of view of a messenger.

This requires slow and meticulous work.

Interstellar, on the other hand, naturally uses a native 3D system.

The frequent moves by the Fine Arts Department of Beijing Film Academy and the China Academy of Art naturally did not escape the notice of other art academies.

The Central Academy of Fine Arts is the one that suffers the most.

As one of the top art academies in China, it has always been known as one of the "twin peaks" alongside the China Academy of Art.

This time, however, the project that was rumored did not invite the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) to participate. Instead, it reached a cooperation agreement with the China Academy of Art. As soon as this news spread internally, the CAFA leadership was almost unable to sit still.

This hasn't been fully announced yet. If the project were to be fully revealed, the China Academy of Art would laugh at it to an unprecedented degree.

“Professor Zhang, this doesn’t make sense. Our art academy’s academic level and elite talent are in no way inferior, and our teachers are top-notch in the industry,” Pan Gongkai called Zhang Huijun specifically.

We're both in Beijing, both art schools, so we have some connections. We should definitely try to get what we can.

"Principal Pan, it's like this..."

Zhang Huijun was both happy and troubled.

“Professor Zhang, I’ve heard that the China Academy of Art is stronger than us in animation, visual media, and craft design.”

Pan Gongkai's voice rose further: "To be honest, this assessment is too arbitrary, completely untrue, and absolutely a fallacy! The Central Academy of Fine Arts has never lost to the China Academy of Art."

Faced with Pan Gongkai's excited words, Zhang Huijun suppressed his laughter and didn't dare to laugh out loud.

It is generally acknowledged that both art academies have their strengths and weaknesses.

The Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) is more prominent in art history and theory, traditional painting, and sculpture.

Moreover, the animation, visual communication, and craft design departments of the China Academy of Art have been booming in recent years, with many graduate students going directly into the advertising and film industries.

Not to mention that Wu Chen's preference for "spatial design" and "structural visual logic" is very much in line with the teaching model of the China Academy of Art in recent years.

"Principal Pan, this project looks big, but we're actually playing a supporting role more than the core part. The most important part still relies on Industrial Light & Magic's art consultant team."

Zhang Huijun's words only made Pan Gongkai more agitated.

This opportunity was clearly something Wu Chen had specifically fought for. For certain majors at the school, if they missed this chance, who knows when they would get another one like this.

The film and television industry in China is still in its infancy, as is the art direction of the film and television industry. Almost every opportunity means "initial public offering (IPO) shares".

Moreover, he learned that this was definitely a major project. If Wu Chen's film succeeded, wouldn't the China Academy of Art's name be written into the industry textbooks for the next five years?

How can this work.

Pan Gongkai finally organized his thoughts.

"Principal Zhang, this isn't a question of whether the division of labor in the project is important or not!"

"Forehead"

"It's like the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama. Let's say, hypothetically, Wu Chen is at the Central Academy of Drama."

"Alright, Principal Pan, that's all for now."

(End of this chapter)