Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 481 Who is the Director? A Distorted Business Model

The next morning, the sunlight streamed clearly through the car windows, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

"The sun is shining brightly today, but I don't know if the photos will turn out well," Wu Chen muttered to himself, thinking about what Jiang Wen had said yesterday.

He didn't actually think Jiang Wen was stubborn. Waiting for the right sunlight was no different from his patience when answering "wait for a cloud" in class back then. Both were for the sake of making the movie footage more perfect.

"What are you muttering about?" Liu Yifei, sitting in the passenger seat, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at him.

"nothing."

"By the way, you said yesterday that Wanda could invest at a 50% premium?"

"Well, how about it? This should help relieve some of your stress. Even if the movie loses money, it won't be a huge loss," Wu Chen replied with a light laugh.

"We definitely won't lose money..." Liu Yifei pouted, her expression full of confidence. "Jingjing's story is really good. She's been very enthusiastic while writing the script lately, and I'm very confident too!"

"Oh." Wu Chen nodded slightly, his eyes crinkling with a clear smile.

The filming of "Let the Bullets Fly" took place in Huairou, and they specifically chose a relatively remote location.

The train carriages lay across the mountain tracks, surrounded by desolate wilderness, appearing particularly out of place.

A black sedan pulled up here, and the production crew set up a cordon, signaling them to enter the film set.

At this moment, Jiang Wen was holding a camera and pointing it at the blazing sun, his eyes half-closed, his expression focused.

"I'm getting the hang of it, but it's still not quite there," Jiang Wen muttered to himself.

Wu Chen's voice came from behind: "How much is it short?"

Jiang Wen turned around and chuckled, "You're here? Sit down, sit down, we were just a little bit short."

Zhou Yun brought over two bottles of water and handed them to them. Liu Yifei smiled and accepted them, whispering a thank you.

The set wasn't crowded; apart from a few key actors, everyone else was waiting on the sidelines.

There weren't many people on set. Ge You and Carina Lau were chatting in the distance, occasionally casting curious glances in their direction.

Jiang Wen must have been quite happy, probably because he hasn't directed a film in a long time—his last one was "The Sun Also Rises"—his face beamed with joy.

"Come on, help me look at the details and give me some suggestions. You know I love receiving advice."

"That's not a good idea, you're the director."

"Oh, it's just a suggestion, it's no big deal," Jiang Wen waved his hand dismissively.

“Alright then.” Wu Chen stepped forward; he knew the script. He looked up at the blazing sun in the sky. “Actually, it’s almost ready; we can start filming right away.”

Jiang Wen shook his head and said firmly, "It's almost there. Trust me, or you can try it yourself."

"Then I'll give it a try?"

A few minutes later, Wu Chen finished filming.

"Is that okay?"

"It's alright." Facing the footage Wu Chen had taken, Jiang Wen stroked his chin and examined it carefully, without saying anything against his conscience.

"This train, actually, the details like this are also acceptable," Wu Chen casually offered another suggestion.

Jiang Wen shook his head immediately after hearing this: "Impossible, I've investigated it."

“I know the script very well.” Wu Chen raised an eyebrow. “Don’t believe me? Let me try.”

Liu Yifei watched with great curiosity, while Zhou Yun, standing next door, began to feel that something was off about the scene.

Ge You and the others scratched their heads and began working under Wu Chen's command.

In the first scene, the two sides are still having friendly discussions;

In the second scene, a slight dispute arose between the two parties, but it was still considered a minor negotiation.

The third, the fourth
Gradually, his rhythm became more and more skillful, and the staff were subconsciously led by Wu Chen, even adjusting the camera positions to follow his pace.

Jiang Wen froze on the spot, staring blankly at the scene before him.

A strange sense of familiarity suddenly rose within him—

This scene... it looks so much like when he filmed "The Missing Gun".

Thinking of this, Jiang Wen finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Wu Chen, what are you doing here?"

Wu Chen glanced at the camera and replied casually, "Just visiting the set."

"Then who is the director?"

"You."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Give me some advice."

"Do I need to physically intervene to give advice?" Jiang Wen glared angrily.

Wu Chen spread his hands, looking surprised and innocent: "Don't you need to get your hands dirty when giving advice? How do you know my advice is right if you don't get your hands dirty?"

After their conversation, the room fell into an odd silence as everyone tried to suppress their laughter.

Ge You covered her mouth, her face turning red with suppressed laughter. Liu Jialing turned away, secretly laughing. Even Liu Yifei and Zhou Yun couldn't help but cover their mouths, their shoulders trembling slightly. "Do we still need advice?"

"If you keep making suggestions like this, you'll probably be the director," Jiang Wen said, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but laugh first: "Hahaha!"

The sound immediately caused the others to burst into laughter.

In the end, Wu Chen was personally escorted to the car by Jiang Wen, who patted him on the shoulder earnestly:

"That's enough. Go back and work on your new film. I'll take care of things here. As an investor, you can completely trust me."

"Don't you really need me to give you more advice? I saw that you were very enthusiastic at the beginning," Wu Chen asked again.

"Your suggestion is excellent," Jiang Wen quickly opened the car door. "I've learned so much today, so much more than enough. Have a safe trip!"

Jiang Wen breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the car drive away from the film set.

Damn it, he swore, this was the most advice he had ever received in his life; all the other days combined didn't give him as much as today.

"Hahaha"

In the passenger seat, Liu Yifei clutched her stomach and burst into laughter. After a while, she finally spoke, "Director Jiang, are you alright?"

"We only filmed a few shots of him, what could possibly happen?" Wu Chen couldn't help but chuckle. "Besides, he asked me to try it, so why not?"

In early autumn in Beijing, sunlight pierced through thin clouds, but the entertainment industry was already filled with a restless, capitalist atmosphere.

With Huayi Brothers' IPO date fast approaching and the initial offering price just finalized, the news has sent shockwaves through the film and television industry.

A-list celebrities like Huang Xiaoming seem to have seen their net worth skyrocket overnight. Although their stocks are still subject to lock-up periods, the potential for further wealth appreciation is already enough to shock the outside world.

"So he's a billionaire now?"

"Is Huayi Brothers' valuation really that high?"

"Even if Feng Xiaogang and Huang Xiaoming were robbing money, they wouldn't have arrived this fast!"

"."

The industry is abuzz with discussion, and capital is rushing in at an unprecedented pace.

At the same time, other companies were not to be outdone, with Bona Film Group taking the lead by announcing its upcoming IPO in the United States.

Bona Film Group is poised to become the first Chinese film company to list in the US, having already secured listing status on the New York Stock Exchange's main board.

Yu Dong reacted quickly, immediately drawing the attention of investors.

For a time, the film and television industry seemed to have entered a period of great prosperity.

In the capital city, inside a traditional-style private kitchen, the air is filled with the aroma of tea and the subtle fragrance of wood.

Xiong Xiaoge, dressed in a dark suit and looking resolute, sat opposite Wu Chen and talked about industry matters.

"Bona cannot be listed on the main board of the NYSE; at most, it can only be listed on Nasdaq."

Xiong Xiaoge put down her teacup, her tone extremely certain.

"Oh?"

“Institutional investors on the NYSE do not have high trust in Chinese cultural and entertainment companies. On the one hand, they are worried about box office statistics and policy risks, and on the other hand, they have stricter requirements for financial transparency and corporate governance. As far as I know, Bona Film Group probably does not meet the NYSE’s requirements.”
Therefore, if Director Wu has any ideas in the future, he needs to be careful to avoid these points.

Xiong Xiaoge is very professional.

Wu Chen nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, the waiter pushed open the door and led Zhang Yi, who was dressed in a Zhongshan suit, in.

“Senior brother,” Wu Chen stood up and introduced, “this is Mr. Xiong Xiaoge, the founding partner of IDG Capital.”

"Director Zhang, hello, hello!" Xiong Xiaoge shook hands warmly.

After exchanging pleasantries, the three sat down, and the dishes on the table were served one after another.

During the meal, Wu Chen mostly remained silent, acting primarily as a listener.

Both of them are seasoned veterans. Although Zhang Weiping usually handles Zhang Yimou's affairs, they both know what's what.

During the meal, Xiong Xiaoge spoke frankly:
"We at IDG will invest through our funds, so rest assured we won't interfere with the director's creative process. We are professionals in investment and finance, but we don't understand filmmaking and we won't overstep our boundaries."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi was clearly very satisfied and almost designated IDG as one of the major investors. Wu Chen immediately knew that the share would likely be at least 20%.
The negotiations lasted from dusk until late at night. During the meal, there was much conversation and no empty talk. In the end, both the host and guests left satisfied.

Before parting, Wu Chen deliberately lowered his voice to remind him, "Senior brother, about Zhang Weiping's matter..."

“No problem, I’ve already talked to him about it this time, he’ll listen to me.” Zhang Yi was very confident this time, waved his hand, and left first.

At this moment, Xiong Xiaoge was somewhat surprised.

Through some subtle questioning, he became increasingly certain that Zhang Weiping had played almost no role in the film's production. He had no money to invest, yet he managed to acquire the domestic distribution rights empty-handed and even profit from it.

Xiong Xiaoge has seen countless capital operation methods, but this is the first time he has seen a model of "zero investment but holding core resources".

Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou's distorted business model prompted him to ask Wu Chen:
"Director Wu, what exactly is the close relationship between Zhang Weiping and director Zhang Yimou? Is this business even possible?"

(End of this chapter)