Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 493 Taking action after hearing the news
Sunlight squeezed through the gray-white sky and fell on the granite steps of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television building, while a cold mist drifted along the ground.

The security guards shivered as they changed shifts at the entrance, while passersby pulled their scarves up and their work badges, pinned to their chests, fluttered gently in the wind against their coats.
The lobby was well-heated.

The air was filled with the smell of photocopier toner.

Two lines of people were queuing at the elevator entrance, and those holding blue folders would occasionally exchange a whispered remark:
Will the topic of tomorrow's meeting be changed?

The words were swallowed up by the "ding" of the elevator bell.

Tong Gang's secretary strode in carrying a stack of the latest industry news, media clippings, and a draft agenda for tomorrow's meeting.

He tapped his knuckles twice at the door.

The room was quiet; the only sound was the soft scratching of a pen on paper.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were partially ajar with blinds, and sunlight was cut into thin lines that slanted onto the desk.

Tong Gang was signing documents page by page, with official documents with red headers pressed under his cuffs. When his pen paused, a small wisp of white steam rose from the rim of his teacup.

The secretary placed the documents on the tray on the right and gave a brief report on the current situation, with the main focus being the high-profile industry conference tomorrow and related important matters.

Wu Chen's original 3D sci-fi masterpiece "Interstellar" will naturally be mentioned repeatedly.

Tong Gang grunted an "Mmm," didn't look up, and simply wrote a single word in the signature column with his pen.

The secretary paused for a moment, then asked the question that was on her mind: "Director Tong, should we change the topic of tomorrow's meeting?"

With a gentle turn of the pen, the sound of the cap being put back on was very soft: "The theme of the meeting remains unchanged. Overall, we will still focus on the industrialization of film."

Relying solely on one director to drive progress is far from enough; the entire industry needs to move forward together. However, the process can be modified.

The secretary was slightly taken aback. He felt that Tong Gang must have known about Wu Chen's project in advance. Since the leader had made the decision, he naturally wouldn't ask any more questions.

The news of Interstellar was so sensational that the fact that Avatar broke the 6000 million mark in a single day and set a box office record seemed less important.

In China, "Interstellar" still holds a prominent position on the front page of the entertainment news section.

The industry has recovered from its initial shock.

Various discussions and exclamations arose.

"How do you film this?" Ning Hao was particularly curious.

"Native 3D shooting requires a dual-camera synchronous stereo system, mounted on a stereo rig, to capture images from the left and right eyes respectively."

"Well, it's a bit complicated, and I can't explain it all in a short time. Come over and take a look when I turn on my computer, and you'll probably understand."

Wu Chen gave a brief explanation.

Domestic directors are still in the initial stage of understanding 3D, mainly because there is no large-scale 3D film production experience in China, and no mature team has mastered it.

The very requirement of being a technician is a limiting factor.

3D is not as simple as "adding another dimension"—the control of depth of field, the speed of camera movement, and the arrangement of foreground and background layers all need to be redesigned.
Jiang Wen became even more curious. After asking the question, he nodded repeatedly, and then a completely new question arose.

"Now that you mention it, 'Let the Bullets Fly' doesn't seem quite right for 3D. It's more suitable for wide shots and large-scale scenes. No wonder you used it to shoot a sci-fi blockbuster."

After learning about it, Jiang Wen compared it to his own movies, shook his head, but then immediately thought of Wu Chen's science fiction film. The profound sense of space seemed like a natural stage for 3D.

"I'd like to come and watch when you're filming."

"If you're going to steal my skills, so be it. I won't expose you. Why are you being so polite?" Wu Chen said with a laugh.

Jiang Wen was a proud man, and couldn't help but mutter to himself again. After hanging up the phone, he looked at the film crew who were resting and started yelling:
"Get ready, get ready, continue powering on."

Ge Yougang dusted off his coat as he sat down, and Liang Jiahui whispered to him, "What's going on? Director Jiang's expression didn't seem so good after he finished the phone call."

"These days, directors have four or five different faces a day, like a rising star in Sichuan opera."

Ge You stood there expressionless, shaking off the dust as he stood, which amused the two of them.

However, at this moment, the actors in the industry are the ones who are truly excited.

The casting for "The Martian" is still fresh in our minds, and now it's the same formula again, so isn't there another chance?

As long as the casting is done domestically, there will always be lucky ones.

There are opportunities until the dust settles.
Of course, this was what Zeng Jia said to Yang Mi. She has now switched to Mei Ya and is just waiting for Yang Mi's contract to expire so that she can smoothly transition to the new company.

"Such a great opportunity, should we ask Meiya to inquire about it for you first?"

"Forget it!" Yang Mi shook her head dejectedly upon hearing this. "There are still a bunch of actresses above me. I can't compare to them in terms of acting skills. As for actresses of the same age, who would be suitable for me?"
Let's discuss the contract terms with Mei Ah Entertainment properly. I need film roles, and they have to be leading roles!

Zeng Jia was speechless.

Yang Mi's words are absolutely correct. Moreover, there's Liu Yifei, a formidable figure, looming over all the actresses. Regardless of age, if someone is suitable, it's definitely not up to anyone else.
Of course, the big stars don't think that way.

They still have a chance to compete for roles that suit their age, because there are only a handful of people available.
Li Binbin is currently in this situation, and he and Li Xue are pondering it together.

"It's a pity. If Director Wu's film could wait until after 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' was released before announcing it, your chances would be much better," Li Xue sighed.

The news about Interstellar came at an inopportune time.

They had just taken over Zhang Ziyi's original film, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," through Deng Wendi's connections.

If we wait until the film is released, and its reputation and international recognition rise further, we'll have a stronger foundation to compete for "Interstellar" at that point.

"There are still opportunities. At least Zhang Ziyi doesn't have much of a chance this time, so there's one less competitor."

Li Binbin smiled very happily.

Zhang Ziyi is currently embroiled in the ink-splashing incident, and her image has been severely damaged. Although it is unknown when the other party will be able to eliminate the impact and return, it is certainly not now, otherwise why would Deng Wendi contact her?

Li Xue stood up: "Then I'll go find President Wang. He's in a meeting tomorrow, so it would be appropriate for him to put in a good word for him."

"By the way, Zhou Xun has confirmed she will not be renewing her contract."

"It's confirmed, there will be no more competition for the title of 'Number One Female Star' from now on."

"."

However, compared to the actors' individual thoughts, the art colleges in Beijing are somewhat distressed, especially the Central Academy of Drama.
The cold wind was still blowing, carrying the good news posted on the bulletin board: alumnus Jiang Wen had been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. It seemed the Beijing Film Academy had pulled off another big stunt.
(End of this chapter)