Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 677 Wu Chen took away a batch, a slap in the face?

The Golden Rooster Awards organizing committee's "innovative" move is certainly quite clever.

Before we could even deal with the old problems of "double-yolk eggs" and "triple-yolk eggs," new problems have already arisen.

Everyone, both inside and outside the industry, was stunned when they saw the announcement.

"Holy crap! The Golden Rooster Awards can be done like this? What kind of amazing move is this?"

"Holy crap! There's such a threshold? Are there any film festivals in the world that do this? Is this something the Golden Rooster Awards have created?"

"Wow, so to compete for awards like Best Actor and Best Actress, a film needs to have an investment of over 800 million RMB? What about films with an investment of less than 800 million?"

Oh, I see. There's a "Small and Medium Budget Film Award Section," which can only select one best film, but there are no individual awards. In other words, if your investment is 800 million less, the Golden Rooster Awards won't include you!

"Awesome! Awesome! The Golden Rooster Awards have truly shown their snobbish and materialistic nature to the fullest extent!"

"."

The industry was indeed stunned by the sudden announcement from the Golden Rooster Awards.

Although the domestic film market has developed rapidly in recent years, with more and more big-budget productions.

But everyone knows that a large portion of the films on the market have budgets of less than ten million.

Even some renowned directors who have won international awards have many low- to medium-budget works.

For example, Jia Zhangke, Gu Changwei, and Wang Xiaoshuai.

Now, the Golden Rooster Awards have simply reclassified all these films into the "low-to-medium budget films" category.

As for the most important awards such as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director, sorry, don't count on them. These have nothing to do with "low budget"!
In the Film Association's office, after seeing the announcement, Kang Jianming wearily patted his head, his face filled with helplessness.

He had, of course, known about this all along.

However, he never expected that Rao Shuguang and his group would release this news so soon after they had just hinted that Wu Chen would participate.

He could almost immediately imagine how resistant Wu Chen would be after seeing the announcement.

Sure enough, it's always one's own people who stab you in the back.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Kang Jianming sighed, but then a strange smile appeared on his lips. "Anyway, I've done what I was supposed to do."

Just like Kang Jianming, Wu Chen was speechless when he saw the news.

He felt that Kang Jianming's hurried manner yesterday was a bit strange.

Damn, so they dug a hole here, waiting for him to fall in!
This method of determining eligibility based on investment cost is unique in the world and can be described as a "special innovation".

"Isn't the Golden Rooster Awards going a bit too far?"

Liu Yifei sat to the side, scrolling through Weibo, reading the angry insults from netizens, and couldn't help but look at Wu Chen.

"It's not just excessive, it's outrageous."

Wu Chen's tone carried a hint of sneer.

"Moreover, the most important issue here is not even the division of the awards, but the definition of costs."

The exact cost of a film's budget is known only to the producers, executive producers, and accountants. This is a trade secret; how could it possibly be disclosed to the Golden Rooster Awards so easily?

"Huh? So you mean..." Liu Yifei wasn't stupid, and immediately realized what was going on.

“That’s right,” Wu Chen pointed out incisively. “They can only rely on ‘estimation.’ So, will they estimate you to be worth more than 800 million, or less than 800 million?”

There's a lot of room for maneuver here.

"Are you still going to the Golden Rooster Awards?"

"I'm not going!" Wu Chen's answer was firm and resolute.

He felt that he shouldn't have been soft-hearted yesterday and said he would "think about it".

He knew it; those people at the Golden Rooster Awards were just like dogs that can't change their nature.

"Didn't you also say that there were leaders from the Federation of Literary and Art Circles?"

"Who knows if what he said yesterday was true or false?" Wu Chen said nonchalantly. "Even if it was true, so what? I'm not familiar with them. If any leader has any ideas, someone from the General Administration will naturally contact me."

Wu Chen made up his mind.

Just then, a media outlet I knew called to ask for his opinion on the matter.

"Director Wu, hello. We saw yesterday that the Golden Rooster Awards organizers hinted that you will be participating in this year's Golden Rooster Awards with '1939'. What are your thoughts on the newly established 'Small and Medium Budget Award' at this year's Golden Rooster Awards?"

“No need to hear about it.” Wu Chen’s answer was simple and direct. “I have no plans to participate in this year’s Golden Rooster Awards.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporter on the other end of the phone seemed to be stunned for a long time.

Immediately, Wu Chen could clearly hear that the other person's breathing had become rapid.

Good heavens! This is huge news!
Yesterday, the Golden Rooster Awards just released a hint that Wu Chen would participate.

Today, Wu Chen himself publicly denied it.

Isn't this tantamount to slapping the Golden Rooster Awards hard across the face in front of the entire nation?

"What's my opinion on this newly established 'Small and Medium Cost Award'?"

Wu Chen continued, his tone carrying an undisguised sarcasm.
"I can only say that it's fortunate that the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival didn't do this back then. Otherwise, I might not be where I am today."

"Back then, my first film, 'The Dark Side,' only cost 40 RMB."

Following the logic of the Golden Rooster Awards, "The Dark Side" might not even qualify as a "small to medium budget." So, should the Golden Rooster Awards create a separate "Mini-Poor Guy Award" for films like ours? Wu Chen's words were extremely direct and incisive.

Anyway, he's not afraid of offending anyone.

It's not like he needs the Golden Rooster Award, so who cares?

"Director Wu! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The reporter on the other end of the phone had a trembling voice filled with gratitude.

He had only been in the industry for a short time, and he knew what this news meant to him.

This is absolutely an explosive exclusive!

"It's alright," Wu Chen said calmly. "Just don't take things out of context."

"Don't worry, Director Wu! Absolutely not!"

Just half an hour later, the news that Wu Chen publicly refused to participate in the Golden Rooster Awards spread like wildfire across the entire internet.

[Exclusive: Wu Chen has clearly stated that he will not participate in this year's Golden Rooster Awards!]

[Wu Chen criticizes the new Golden Rooster Awards rules: Are we going to create a "poor man's award"?]

[A major slap in the face! The Golden Rooster Awards hinted at it yesterday, only to have it denied by Wu Chen himself today!]

【.】

The entire industry was shocked.

It has been a very, very long time since anyone has dared to so openly and so blatantly slap the Golden Rooster Awards in the face.

"Tsk tsk tsk, it has to be Wu Chen! This is going to be a good show."

"Sigh, I can't learn that, I just can't. If anyone else did that, nine times out of ten they'd be blacklisted. As for Wu Chen, I guess he'll be just like Zhang Yi back then, no big deal!"

"Well done! I've had my hated those bastards at the Golden Rooster Awards for a long time!"

People in the industry have mixed feelings: some are envious, some are supportive, and of course, many are secretly waiting to see the joke go wrong.

Netizens overwhelmingly expressed their support for Wu Chen.

"It was the right decision not to go! Damn it, what kind of disgusting way to have fun is this!"

"Support Director Wu! We don't need his one worthless award!"

Jiang Wen was at home cursing and swearing.

To be honest, which director didn't start with low-budget films? Which director starts by making big-budget productions?

"They've forgotten their roots! These people have absolutely forgotten their roots!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She glanced at her phone again and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

It seems Director Wu isn't going to the Golden Rooster Awards anymore.

"Not going?"

Jiang Wen immediately turned around and moved closer.

“I’m definitely not going,” Zhou Yun said, handing him the news.

Jiang Wen's eyes lit up immediately after reading it.

Without saying a word, he picked up his phone and called Wu Chen.

"You're really not going?"

"Go where? Do you want to go?" Wu Chen asked with a laugh on the other end of the phone.

"Damn it! If you're not going, why should I go?! I'm not going either!" Jiang Wen immediately made up his mind. "Your decision is exactly what I'm looking for!"

"Haha, don't tell anyone that I'm the one who bewitched you."

"Hehe, that's hard to say. You're in front, and I'm behind. Who knows what those old guys will think?"

Jiang Wen was laughing non-stop on the phone. After hanging up with Wu Chen, he immediately called his producer, Ma Ke.

"Ma Ke, let's not go to Jinji."

"Brother, are you serious? It's already been submitted. If we withdraw it now, we'll offend people," Ma Ke quickly advised.

"So what if I offend someone! Damn it, if I go, who knows how many people will gossip about me behind my back! It's just a broken golden rooster! I don't care!"

Jiang Wen said nonchalantly, "Hurry up, stop dawdling, it'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Okay, okay.
Seeing that Jiang Wen had made up her mind, Ma Ke stopped trying to persuade her.

Just half an hour later, another major piece of news broke in the industry.

Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly" has officially announced its withdrawal from this year's Golden Rooster Awards.

And this is just the beginning.

As the morning passed, several more directors publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the new rules of the Golden Rooster Awards. Those who were still hesitant about submitting their application materials simply stopped submitting them altogether.

Some who had already submitted their applications began to silently try to withdraw them.

Even Gu Changwei, who has always been considered a director "within the system," subtly expressed his dissatisfaction through his wife Jiang Wenli's Weibo account and announced that "Love for Life" would likely not participate in this year's Golden Rooster Awards.
(End of this chapter)