Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 613 I have never seen God, but
February 27, 2011, Beverly Hills.

The afternoon sun streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm and languid dappled light on the floor.

But the atmosphere inside the villa was the complete opposite of this leisurely atmosphere.
Chanel's top styling team, sent from Paris, has been busy with Liu Yifei all afternoon.

"All right."

As the chief stylist made one last adjustment to the pleats of the skirt, she stepped back with satisfaction and let out a sigh of admiration.

Liu Yifei got up from the bar stool and slowly walked towards the full-length mirror in the dressing room.

She wore a Chanel Spring Haute Couture gown in an extremely pale silver-white fabric. The gossamer-thin fabric was embroidered with countless tiny sequins and threads, creating an intricate and three-dimensional feather-like texture.
As she moved, the entire dress seemed to flow, like the cascading moonlight.

Around her neck was a Cartier "Galaxy" collection of high jewelry, set with hundreds of diamonds of varying sizes, encircling her slender swan neck.

The makeup was delicate and natural, with only a slight enhancement to the eye contour.
This added an even more captivating charm to her already bright and sparkling phoenix eyes.

Wu Chen was leaning against the door when he saw Liu Yifei turn around, and a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.
It must be said that the Chanel team's efforts over the course of half a day were well worth it.
"Does it look good?"

Liu Yifei circled around in front of Wu Chen, and only stopped contentedly after seeing Wu Chen nod with an appreciative look in his eyes.

"Hehe, see you on the red carpet!"

She smiled and waved to Wu Chen, indicating that she had to leave first.

According to the schedule, she will travel to the red carpet tonight with the cast and crew of "Inception" in a limousine arranged by Warner Bros.

Fortunately, the red carpet events for the two production crews were scheduled close together, and the villas were not far apart, so there would be no impact.

Outside the door, a black, extended Lincoln was already waiting.

"Go ahead, I'll go with Songri and the others."

Wu Chen nodded.

He's very busy today, representing two film crews.

He needed to go there first with the "1939" team, and then meet up with the "Black Swan" crew in the rendezvous area on the red carpet.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, a magnificent sunset had already appeared on the distant horizon, but outside the Kodak Theater, the scene was even more lively and bustling than the midday sun.

Hollywood Boulevard was already closed off, and the thousands of meters of red carpet were packed with media and enthusiastic movie fans from all over the world.

Huge Oscar statuettes stand on both sides.

Back home, it was still six in the morning, and the sky was still dark.
However, the number of viewers in Sina Entertainment's Oscar live stream has begun to slowly climb.

In the bullet comment section, many early-rising movie fans and night owls have already begun to emerge.

"Liu Yifei has appeared! Wait, she seems to be with the Inception crew, Nolan and Leonardo DiCaprio are there! Why isn't she with Wu Chen?"

"Are you crazy? If she leaves with Wu Chen, how awkward will it be for the Inception crew? She's a member of the crew, this is the most professional and correct way for her to leave."

"Is that Chanel haute couture dress? Absolutely stunning. Wu Chen, that bastard, is really living the high life."

"."

On the red carpet, Liu Yifei was posing for photos with the media alongside Nolan, Marion Cotillard, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others.

Nolan glanced habitually at the surging traffic behind him and couldn't help but smile: "It seems like Wu is right behind us. He's a very busy man today, walking the red carpet for two film crews."

"I wonder who will win the award today."

Leonardo looked back curiously upon hearing this.

This year's Oscar race is truly a love-hate affair.

Because the final outcome was completely unpredictable.
Liu Yifei simply smiled and didn't say anything more.

While the group was giving a brief interview, a louder cheer and the sound of camera shutters suddenly erupted from the other end of the red carpet.

Wu Chen and the team from "1939" entered the room.

Following closely behind was the crew of "Black Swan".

The latest developments of "Black Swan," one of the "Three Kings" of this year's competition, are the absolute focus of all media outlets, especially its key figure, Wu Chen.

"Brother Chen, let's go in first."

Park Song-il, accompanied by several photographers from "1939," spoke to Wu Chen with a serious expression.

"Don't be nervous, calm down." Wu Chen knew his brother was a little nervous, so he smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "It's just an award. It doesn't matter if you don't win it. Just think of it as a vacation."

"Yes!" Park Song-il nodded heavily.

"Director, it's our turn."

Beside her, Keira Knightley, the lead actress in "Black Swan," smiled and offered a reminder.

Tonight, she changed into a pure white Dior strapless gown, looking pure and elegant, like a real white swan, with a determined glint in her eyes.

Staff members stepped forward to signal, and Wu Chen then led everyone onto the red carpet.

Behind him were the main cast, including Keira Knightley, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel.

Not far away on the second floor of the audience section, Natalie Portman was sitting with her team. She looked at the film crew surrounded by flashing lights on the red carpet with a particularly complicated expression.

If she had gotten this role back then, she would be the one standing next to Wu Chen right now, enjoying all the cheers and attention.

The reporters on the red carpet naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.

"Wu! People are saying that you and the other two films have the best chance. What do you think of this?"

"Kayla! Your performance in Black Swan was flawless. Are you confident tonight?"

This is a very pointed question. Although "Black Swan" is hailed as one of the "Three Kings," it received five nominations for Best Director and ten nominations for Best Picture.

Keira Knightley, who was standing nearby, was worried for Wu Chen.

"I think such remarks are inaccurate and unfair. Films that have been painstakingly made deserve respect."

The fact that the trophy will ultimately go to someone is full of endless possibilities, and that's the charm of film.

Wu Chen's response was perfect.

Keira Knightley then responded, "Of course I'm confident."

"Okay, congratulations."

After finishing the interviews, Wu Chen and the others entered the inner hall of the Kodak Theater.

The noise seemed to be shut out.

The organizers arranged the locations very cleverly.

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei were seated together, and next to them were Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio.

A little further on is the core area of ​​the "Black Swan" film crew.

This arrangement not only takes into account Wu Chen and Liu Yifei's relationship as a couple, but also allows them to easily interact with their respective film crews.

Many of the visitors were acquaintances.

Cate Blanchett, Jesse Eisenberg, and Scarlett Johansson all greeted them with smiles.

Of course, Christian Bale, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, was also there.

As soon as he saw Wu Chen, after greeting him, he couldn't help but start complaining.

"Oh, Wu, what's the deal with that producer named Zhang Weiping?" Bell lowered his voice, but his speechless tone couldn't hide his exasperation. "How can he boss director Zhang around?"

They actually forced Zhang to add several inexplicable sex scenes outside the script! I completely cannot understand it!

Bale came from the set of "The Flowers of War" yesterday, clearly dissatisfied with the producer's behavior.

"Wasn't the script already finalized?"
Besides, that's a Zhang Yimou movie, so why would anyone be allowed to add scenes like that? I see absolutely no positive contribution those scenes made to the plot or character development!

Nolan, who was standing nearby, also heard this and looked at Wu Chen with a shocked expression.

If a producer like that were on his production team, he would have fired him long ago.

Wu Chen was at a loss for words to explain to these two top Hollywood stars the complex and distorted working relationship between Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou that had been bound together for over a decade.

Fortunately, this "two Zhangs" duo is about to fall apart.

At this moment, the quick-witted Liu Yifei spoke up. She smiled and changed the subject, casually giving Zhang Weiping a rather unique role as a producer, thus defusing the awkwardness of direct judgment.

However, Bale's rant continued until his wife, Sibby Blacchik, couldn't help but call out to him from the side, which stopped him.

Because the nominees for the technical awards were all sitting in the back row, Wu Chen found a moment to go over and give Park Song-il and the others another reminder:

As time went on, the number of people in domestic live streaming rooms increased.

In the lecture hall of the Beijing Film Academy, a live broadcast was being shown via projector, especially in the cinematography department, where all the teachers and students were glued to the screen.

"It's started, it's started!"

With hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco taking the stage, the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony officially began.

Welcome to the Oscars!

Tonight, we will witness how *The King's Speech* heals a nation, how *The Social Network* connects or disconnects us all, and how *The Black Swan* drives us all insane!

The two hosts' opening banter drew laughter from the audience.

In Sina's live broadcast room, Bi Chenggong, Liu Fan, and Gu Yu, frequent commentators at the Oscars every year, have already begun introducing the first award.

"Oh no, the first award, Best Art Direction, Wu Chen is going to beat himself!" Bi Chenggong said excitedly. "Both films, Black Swan and 1939, have been nominated!"

“Choosing two out of five, that’s a pretty good chance. We should at least get off to a good start, right?” Gu Yu chimed in.

"Actually, there's another one," Liu Fan added, "Nolan's Inception was also nominated for this award. Wu Chen, Liu Yifei, and Nolan sitting together—that's a classic scene, haha!"

The room erupted in laughter. The comments section was also abuzz with discussion among netizens.

"Here it comes! The first prize is so exciting!"

"I'm betting on Inception, that layered, folded city is amazing!"

"I bet on 'Black Swan,' and the media says it's pretty awesome."

"The scenes in '1939' are also very atmospheric."

"."

Meanwhile, award presenter Tom Hanks was already gracefully standing on the stage.

On the big screen, exciting clips from five films flashed by in turn: 1939, Inception, Black Swan, The King's Speech, and True Grit.

"Wu, do you think it belongs to you or to us?" Nolan turned his head and asked curiously.

He didn't have high hopes for Inception winning Best Picture, so he valued these technical awards more.

"Aren't you afraid of giving it to someone else?" Wu Chen asked with a smile.

“We’re really unlucky.” Nolan shrugged without any attempt to hide it. “To fail with a three-in-five chance is just unbelievable.”

Just as the two were discussing, Tom Hanks opened the envelope and revealed the answer.

"The Black Swan."

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen was momentarily stunned, then a surprised smile appeared on his face.

He never expected that they would actually have such a great start!

He immediately stood up, turned around, and applauded the art direction team of "Black Swan" in the back row to congratulate them.

Domestic media outlets issued breaking news reports almost simultaneously.

"83rd Academy Awards News Flash: 'Black Swan' Takes the Lead! Wins Best Production Design! A Great Start!"

However, this joy did not last long.

In the next few technical awards, "Black Swan" and "1939" each lost out.

Best costume design, best sound editing, best visual effects, best sound effects.
Among them, "Inception" won three technical awards.

"Congratulations," Wu Chen sincerely congratulated Nolan.

"This trip was worthwhile."

Nolan said it, but Wu Chen could hear the regret in his tone.

For a top director like Nolan, these are just consolation prizes; what he truly desires are always the biggest awards.

Finally, amidst the anticipation of the entire audience, the moment arrived for the awarding of the most important technical award, Best Cinematography.

The award presenter was Kirk Douglas.

On the big screen, the five nominated films reappeared, exactly the same as the list of nominees for Best Production Design.

"These five films again! To be honest, now that we've had a great start, I'm actually a little nervous," Liu Fan said in the Sina live broadcast room.

"This thing isn't unresettable; the probability is still two-fifths, and with Nolan's factor, it's three-fifths," Bi Chenggong analyzed.

"Several films are very distinctive, but if I had to pick the most unique one, I would say it's '1939.' That pseudo-one-shot design places extremely high demands on the cinematographer."

I'm a judge; I can't give any other film a thumbs up.

Gu Yu was very determined.

The atmosphere in the live stream was very cheerful; having many nominations has its advantages. The comments from netizens below were also full of fun.

"Here it comes! Another civil war!"

"Please, give me '1939' or 'Black Swan'! Or even 'Inception' if you absolutely have to."

"."

Meanwhile, in the lecture hall of the Cinematography Department at the Beijing Film Academy, the atmosphere had become extremely tense.

Everyone held their breath.

At the scene, Park Song-il, sitting in the back row, unconsciously rubbed his hands repeatedly on his trousers, his palms already sweaty.

He kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei both looked back in unison, their eyes filled with encouragement.

Park Song-il saw it, nodded heavily, forced himself to calm down, and fixed his gaze on the award presenter on the stage.

Kirk Douglas opened the envelope and smiled as he read out the name that would decide his fate.

"Best Cinematography Award: 1939"

The moment the words were spoken, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall!
In the area where "1939" was located, Park Song-il and two other photographers instantly jumped up from their seats and hugged each other tightly!
Wu Chen and Liu Yifei immediately stood up and clapped enthusiastically.

Wu Chen smiled and waved in Park Song-il's direction, signaling him to hurry up and go on stage.

Park Song-il's face flushed with excitement. He looked at Wu Chen, his eyes seemingly asking, "Aren't you coming along?"

Wu Chen simply smiled, shook his head firmly, and made another "please" gesture.

Park Song-il instantly understood what Wu Chen meant.

This time, he didn't hesitate. Accompanied by two other photographers, he stepped confidently onto the podium under the watchful eyes of the entire audience.

Domestically, new news flashes are flying out like snowflakes.

"83rd Academy Awards News Flash: Chinese filmmakers win another Oscar! '1939' wins Best Cinematography!"

After a brief silence, the cinematography classroom at the Beijing Film Academy erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers!

The enormous sound emanating from this building could be heard throughout the entire campus.

Everyone knows that the photography department has added another award to its list.

"Since Wu Chen joined the photography department, things just haven't stopped going!"

"Who says it's not?"

In the offices of other departments, teachers applauded and discussed the matter with great interest.

Of course, the happiest people at this moment were the photography department students.

"Hahaha! Old Mu! I knew it! In terms of cinematography, none of these films can compare to '1939'! It should be ours!"

Xu Bin, Li Wei, and others excitedly slapped the table, discussing amongst themselves with great enthusiasm.

Mu Deyuan could no longer suppress the smile on his lips, but he still waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, everyone be quiet and listen to what Song Ri has to say."

Everyone immediately quieted down and focused their attention on the screen.

Park Song-il accepted the golden statuette, raised the trophy again, and looked across the entire hall towards Wu Chen.
Then, in clear, firm, and even slightly trembling Chinese, he said:

I have never seen God.

"But God is certainly not as good as my brother."

(End of this chapter)