Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 462 Preliminary Selection, A New Plan
In late July, Beijing had just experienced a sweltering weekend, and the air hadn't yet cooled down from the sensational news of Wu Chen's audition when a bombshell announcement, like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirred up another massive wave:
Wu Chen's new film launches nationwide auditions, seeking actors aged 16 to 18!

China Film Group, Star Cinema Pictures, and August First Film Studio have joined forces to continue searching for suitable actors, employing a comprehensive approach with targeted efforts.

[Wu Chen's new film "1939" script has entered the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's review stage, and the title has been revealed for the first time!]

【.】

As soon as the news was announced, the media hype was even more intense than the summer heatwave.

The next morning, news of the nationwide talent search covered everything from portal websites and television news to newspaper front pages and online forums.

"Nationwide auditions open for the director of 'The Martian's' new film; screen heroes aged 16 to 18 are about to be born!"

Director Wu Chen is casting a wide net, asking who will play the war hero in his new film "1939"?

"."

The momentum was rapid, while on the other side, inside the Ideal International Building, the headquarters of Sina on the North Fourth Ring Road of Beijing.

Cao Guowei personally greeted Wu Chen at the entrance of the building. As soon as the two sat down, the secretary skillfully brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea and then gently closed the door.

In the office, the gentle breeze from the air conditioner carried a faint aroma of tea.

Wu Chen took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and asked, "So, Mr. Cao, is my proposed plan feasible? Or is it that Weibo can't expedite the process?"

Cao Guowei gave Wu Chen a deep look and couldn't help but exclaim, "Director Wu, are you really a graduate of the Film Academy? How come you understand the internet better than those of us who work in the internet industry?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen smiled faintly: "I don't know anything about the internet. I just think that the traditional nationwide audition is too slow."

Weibo is launching in August, so this event is perfect for generating buzz for Weibo. Weibo can also help me solve the casting problem, since I'm someone who hates hassle.
As for whether it will work and whether it can be made in time, that's for General Manager Cao to assess.

At this moment, Cao Guowei felt a surge of emotion and inexplicably became excited.

The nationwide audition itself is a topic of discussion.

Newcomers aged 16 to 18, new films by renowned directors, and undecided lead actors—as long as these are posted on Weibo and discussed, they're sure to garner nationwide attention!

Thinking of this, Cao Guowei slammed his fist on the table: "There's nothing we can't catch up with in the internet world. As long as we want to, we can definitely catch up."
Moreover, Director Wu, your idea is a perfect fit for Weibo's topic format. Just think, with thousands of people participating in discussions, forwarding, and recommending, once that level of attention is generated, your speed in selecting suitable actors will increase significantly!

"Becoming famous overnight on Weibo is definitely a win-win situation."

Wu Chen tapped the table lightly with his fingers and nodded slightly.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

Otherwise, the casting process would be too slow.

A nationwide audition can last for several months or even half a year, and the casting directors are probably exhausted by then.

Like the casting director of Zhang Yimou's team in the previous life, there were nearly 100,000 candidates, and they were screened one by one before entering the second round of auditions. Zhang Yimou personally oversaw the selection.

Moreover, a significant number of people were unable to reach the scene, and the issue was ultimately resolved by sending videos.

"Mr. Cao, I have two requests."

"How about this, let's call a meeting right away, and I'll have the relevant personnel from Weibo come over. We can come up with a solution on the spot."

Cao Guowei was also an impatient person, and immediately picked up the phone on the table to notify his secretary: "Notify the relevant person in charge of Weibo to come to the conference room immediately."

That's how the internet works; when opportunities come, they don't wait for anyone. You have to be quick and decisive, and adapt fast.

Within ten minutes, several core operations and technical leaders from Sina Weibo arrived at the meeting room, quickly took their seats, and awaited instructions. Cao Guowei briefly explained the purpose of their visit: "Director Wu's new film casting will be conducted on Weibo. We need a sound implementation plan. Let's discuss it directly and come up with a plan immediately."

After Cao Guowei gave a brief explanation, Wu Chen immediately spoke up:

"First, I need a feasible plan; second, I don't want it to turn into an entertainment show, nor do I want to disrupt the filming schedule of our production team."

After a while, a person in charge of operations and promotion spoke first:

"President Cao, President Wu, I think we can implement this in three phases."

Wu Chen nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Phase 1: On the day of the Weibo internal testing launch, the official topic #FindingHuangXiaoshan# was launched simultaneously by the official verified account of Xingchen Pictures."

Participants submitted their preliminary selection materials by uploading a brief self-introduction, a personal photo, and an external video link to Weibo.

Phase Two: The Weibo backend, in collaboration with Xingchen Pictures' professional casting director team, initially screened out submissions that were not age-appropriate or obviously unsuitable. The Weibo content of those who passed the initial screening was then displayed publicly on a special Weibo page, generating widespread attention, discussion, and reposts from netizens, thus expanding the influence by leveraging Weibo's inherent dissemination attributes.

The third stage: The professional casting team will review the selected candidates one by one, and the final shortlist will be personally approved by Mr. Wu.

Throughout the entire process, Sina only provides tools for exposure, traffic, and information dissemination; it will not conduct voting or ranking, thus avoiding turning it into a talent show-style gimmick.

Wu Chen listened quietly, and gradually gained a better understanding of the situation.

It's quite remarkable that such a solution could be devised in such a short time.

The considerations are thorough; video is essential. However, developing a version with video functionality would take a considerable amount of time. Hyperlinks can solve this problem.

As for the more detailed aspects, they will naturally be further improved, and Wu Chen and Cao Guowei do not need to worry about these.

"Mr. Cao, let's see if Sina Weibo can withstand the pressure."

Back in the general manager's office, Wu Chen smiled and shook hands with Cao Guowei.

Cao Guowei patted his chest and laughed, "Director Wu, don't listen to what others say. Sina's technology is still top-notch; this kind of pressure is no problem."

Wu Chen sensed that Cao Guowei's words sounded somewhat insecure and lacked conviction.

This isn't the first or second time Sina has intermittently shirked its responsibilities.
At this time, news of the nationwide auditions had spread like wildfire across the internet, and continuous media coverage was amplifying the buzz, which also served as a form of publicity for "1939".

However, Lu Xun was extremely annoyed by the overwhelming propaganda online.

"Nationwide auditions? You think you're so good at publicity?" Lu Xun sat at home, angrily shutting down his computer. "Are all these people discussing this idiots? Wu Chen's new movie is none of your business, why are you all getting involved?"

Lu Xun's anger grew as he thought about it, and he couldn't help but curse and swear. But when he thought of Ning Hao's "No Man's Land," his mood instantly improved, and he felt a renewed sense of anticipation.

"Hurry up and finish post-production. Damn it, if my movie gets banned, yours won't have an easy time either."

"."

On the other side, after finalizing the Weibo plan, Wu Chen and Cao Guowei immediately called Han Sanping.

After listening to Wu Chen's detailed explanation, Han Sanping remained silent for a moment, then asked with some doubt, "Is this really feasible? Won't it be too complicated?"

"It's entirely feasible. Those who register for the audition are mostly people who are interested in working in the film and television industry; the rest are just there to watch the excitement."

Traditional nationwide auditions often exclude truly suitable candidates due to geographical limitations. Now, through emerging platforms like Weibo, we can reach almost every eligible young person across the country, making it much more efficient.

(End of this chapter)