Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 202 The Impact of Transformers!

Tian Xiaole thought she could have some peace and quiet for a while, but when Han Sanping called, she knew something was definitely wrong.

"A party? And we have no choice but to attend?"

"The film festival gala celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, tell me, should I attend or not?"

"I understand, I'll definitely be there."

Tian Xiaole hung up the phone. She definitely had to go to this kind of party, otherwise it would be easy for them to find fault with her.

To put it mildly, it's an inappropriate attitude; to put it more seriously, it means you have a problem with your fellow countrymen.

On June 30, a celebration gala was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to mark the 6th anniversary of Hong Kong Island's return to China.

The guests attending that evening were representatives from the political, business, sports, and arts sectors.

7 month 1 number.

A gala celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China was held at the CPPCC Auditorium.

Meanwhile, "Ip Man 2" was also released simultaneously in both regions.

When Tian Xiaole arrived, she happened to run into Ning Hao, who was dressed in a black suit and, knowing the occasion was serious, hadn't even worn a big gold chain.

"Xiao Le, you chose a great release date, and the theme fits perfectly. You've gotten a free publicity boost."

Tian Xiaole and Ning Hao walked onto the red carpet.

"No one dared to deal with imported films, so I was the only one who stepped up, and I just happened to run into this situation."

With its predecessor in the works and its release at this opportune time, "Ip Man 2" is destined to be another blockbuster.

Ning Hao was extremely envious, thinking that if he led the project, he could also achieve good results.

As an idealistic director, he can break free from the influence of Tian Xiaole's script and truly take the lead in making a film.

Ning Hao stopped dwelling on the topic and began to observe the elaborate setup of the venue, which was quite grand.

"That's strange, such a big gala, why isn't there a red carpet host?"

The two signed their names and, guided by staff, walked into the venue.

"There are quite a few actors coming, so we need to save time. You can see the guests coming up right after us on the red carpet."

Tian Xiaole had noticed long ago that the guests walking the red carpet were spaced very close together.

Ning Hao glanced back and saw that Director Chen and his wife, along with the cast of "Mei Lanfang," had already walked onto the red carpet.

At other film festivals or galas, big-name guests usually take turns walking on the red carpet, but today is different; there are so many people that they all come at once.

Upon entering the venue, I found it filled with big names, renowned directors, and top-tier actors.

Tian Xiaole noticed an interesting phenomenon: there were a particularly large number of filmmakers from Hong Kong Island attending the event.

The directors include John Woo, Xu Ke, Chen Kexing, Derek Yee, Liu Weiqiang, Benny Chan, Raymond Wong...

The cast is even larger, including Tony Leung, Leung Ka-fai, Lai Ming, Aaron Kwok, Alan Tam, Mandy Mok, Shu Qi, Louis Koo, Simon Yam...

The mainland side is equally impressive, boasting Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, Jia Zhangke, Lao Tian, ​​Lu Chuan...

The cast includes Ge You, Zhang Guoli, Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Qin Hailu, and more.

It includes hundreds of directors and actors from the film industry in both regions.

Tian Xiaole did a simple comparison and found that, in terms of directors alone, mainland China is not weak.

As for commercial films, most directors in mainland China are still in the exploratory stage regarding the production process and understanding of commercial films.

This has resulted in a very low output of commercial films in mainland China, with only a few films being released each year.

Hong Kong Island has a mature film industry, with a streamlined process from project initiation to release.

The acting pool is relatively weak, mainly because there are not many mainland film projects and directors prefer to use Hong Kong actors, resulting in a serious imbalance in the number of mainland actors.

Tian Xiaole saw an elderly artist and quickly went up to greet him:

"Grandpa, are you still in good health?"

"You're Xiao Le? I can't believe you've grown up so much."

Ge Cunzhuang looked Tian Xiaole up and down, as if he had returned to the era of the collective, following behind his elder brother Tian Fang, and working together for Chinese films.

"You have a really good memory."

Tian Xiaole smiled and complimented him, then sat down in the empty seat next to him.

"How is my older sister's health?"

"I'm doing well, eating well and sleeping soundly."

Tian Xiaole knew the old man was asking about Yu Lan, and calling her "elder sister" according to seniority was not wrong:

"Good good..."

Ge Cunzhuang nodded kindly; there weren't many people of their generation still alive.

···
The two groups, who are usually clearly separated in various situations, are unusually harmonious today, exchanging ideas with each other.

On Tian Xiaole's side, many Hong Kong actors came up to greet him, and he responded with a smile.

Because Princess Six was live-streaming the whole thing, everyone was just going through the motions.

"Director Tian, ​​should we adjust the promotional materials for [Ip Man 2]...?"

"No need for that, just promote it like a kung fu movie."

Tian Xiaole knew what Boss Yang wanted to say; he just wanted to ride the wave of the movie's return to fame, but he had gone too far. The fact that the movie was being released today was the biggest source of buzz.

"Shouldn't you start preparing for the movie sequel too?"

"No rush, let's talk about it after the movie ends."

Boss Yang nodded. It was already a done deal, so there was no rush. He clinked glasses with Tian Xiaole and then went to Han Sanping's circle.

The party has begun.

The opening program featured iconic Hong Kong songs such as "Under the Lion Rock," "Pearl of the Orient," and "Moonlit Night in Hong Kong," showcasing the strong anticipation before the handover.

There was also a special segment where athletes from the mainland and Hong Kong recited "One Time, One Dream" together to warm up for the Beijing Olympics.

The event ran from morning until afternoon, and the evening session was still ongoing, with a dialogue between filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait scheduled for later that evening.

The older ones can't take it anymore.

Although Tian Xiaole was young, he couldn't hold on any longer. Fortunately, the director's conversation didn't involve him, so he left the room.

After leaving the venue, I glanced at the online news, which was mostly about the cultural performance, with only a few articles about Ip Man.

"Hundreds of filmmakers appeared at the gala celebrating the 10th anniversary of the handover, making it the largest gathering in recent years."

"Wu Yusen led the main cast of 'Red Cliff' onto the red carpet..."

"Chen Kaige led the main cast of 'Mei Lanfang' onto the red carpet..."

"【Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster】opens in theaters nationwide today..."

"..."

···
In the United States, Transformers was released earlier than in mainland China.

Paramount is taking this movie very seriously and wants to develop it into a "Transformers universe," a super IP like Marvel or DC.

The pre-release publicity was overwhelming, and it was hailed by Hollywood media as the strongest film of the summer.

It grossed a record $1.53 million in North America alone during its opening weekend.

With an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it was named the best commercial film of the year by the media.

Tang Yan and Huang Bo had just come out of the theater after watching the movie. Both of them were still stunned by the grand special effects and did not speak to each other for a long time.

A gust of evening breeze blew by, ruffling their dark hair, bringing them back to their senses.

Huang Bo swallowed hard, and said with some concern for Tian Xiaole:
"I hope Director Tian's mecha movie won't be crushed too badly."

These words displeased Tang Yan, who replied irritably:

"Brother Bo, can't you say something nice? I believe Brother Le's films are no worse than anyone else's."

Huang Bo chuckled, offering no rebuttal, and instead offered a consolation:
"Director Tian is a Palme d'Or winner, so his films are of the highest quality. My main concern is that the special effects in China are lagging behind."

Tang Yan nodded in agreement, clearly also worried about the special effects.

The movie "Transformers," which makes extensive use of CGI effects, was nothing short of mind-blowing for these people with traditional academic backgrounds.

Meanwhile, Wang Luodan and Zhao Liying also went to see "Transformers." The film was advertised as a mecha movie, and the two went with the intention of gathering intelligence. After leaving the theater, their behavior was even worse than Huang Bo and Tang Yan's.

They weren't particularly interested in the car transforming into a mecha, but the screen full of special effects deeply impressed them.

···
Domestically.

Tian Xiaole, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by a series of urgent phone rings.

I groggily opened my eyes and saw the caller ID; it was Han Sanping calling.

"What's wrong, Uncle Han? You've even started using the Deadly Chain Lock."

"How could you sleep? The outside world is in an uproar."

Han Sanping said sarcastically.

"what happened?"

Tian Xiaole asked curiously.

"Just look it up online."

Tian Xiaole glanced at the disconnected phone and muttered in dissatisfaction:

"Why do you have such a bad habit of only saying half of what you mean?"

Although he was complaining, he had already gotten up, put on a coat, and went to the study to turn on his computer.

Wow!!!

Tian Xiaole rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and her mind immediately cleared up.

Domestic media outlets reprinted the Hollywood report.

"The sci-fi mecha movie 'Transformers' grossed $1.53 million in its opening three days, setting a new record in North America!"

Of course, that's not the point.

The huge success of "Transformers" reminded domestic media of "Pacific Rim," directed by Tian Xiaole.

Will this movie, which also features mecha and special effects as its selling points, achieve the same success upon release?

This is a topic that everyone has suddenly started to care about, and it remains a hot topic.

Netizens are also arguing fiercely.

Some people blindly believed in Tian Xiaole, while most others were simply insecure and didn't think he was a good match.

Tian Xiaole laughed. This generation of netizens hadn't even watched either movie yet, but they had already formed clearly distinct camps.

The cell phone on the table rang; it was Han Sanping calling again.

"You saw the news online, right? If your movie were released in North America, would it have achieved the same box office results?"

Han Sanping touched his upper lip to his lower lip and opened his mouth with this sentence, leaving Tian Xiaole with no choice but to respond.

"Uncle Han, although I haven't seen the movie yet, our special effects technology is at least ten years behind Hollywood."

Tian Xiaole told the truth: this had been made very clear to him when the [Pacific Rim] project was initiated.

"Then, how about..."

Han Sanping hesitated for a moment, swallowed back what she wanted to say, and instead encouraged her:

"Let's proceed at your pace. The domestic film industry needs blockbusters to drive it, and special effects technology also needs blockbusters to drive it. If there are any areas that need coordination, just let us know."

"We still have enough funds right now. Once we run out, we can ask a few more investors for more, haha."

Tian Xiaole laughed and said, "What if Han Sanping told him to send the special effects for 'Pacific Rim' to Hollywood?"

This will only make Tian Xiaole look down on him.

Fortunately, I wasn't blinded by the high box office numbers. I know that whether this movie succeeds or not is not important; the main thing is to promote the development of special effects in China.

Immediately afterwards, calls came in from Wanda, Enlight Media, and Yinghuang, the investors in the Pacific Rim project.

He inquired about the film's post-production, subtly mentioning that the special effects would be produced in Hollywood, and that additional funding could be allocated if necessary.

They're not worried about the quality of the film itself, but they're afraid the special effects won't be up to par.

But seeing Tian Xiaole's resolute attitude, no one mentioned it again; no one wanted to be the one kicked out of Huayi.

Meanwhile, at Huayi, the Wang brothers were also reading news online.

"Big brother, if Tian Xiaole's film 'Pacific Rim' were to be similar to..."

"Impossible. You know what the level of special effects in China is like. How could it possibly reach the level of Transformers?"

Wang Zhongjun interrupted his younger brother, knowing what he wanted to say, and at the same time, he was comforting himself.

"I'm afraid that if they see the box office success of Transformers, they'll take the post-production special effects of Pacific Rim to Hollywood for production."

Wang Zhonglei felt somewhat guilty, after all, he hadn't considered this project when the shares were allocated and had refused to participate in the investment.

There have been many voices mocking Huayi, saying that they refused to participate in the investment of "Pacific Rim," that "Kung Fu King" was taking all the profits, and that they were kicked out of the inner circle by Tian Xiaole.

If this movie succeeds, it will be more painful than killing him.

"Yes, that's possible."

Wang Zhongjun nodded, agreeing with his younger brother's analysis.

No one expected mecha movies to be so popular. The so-called promotion of domestic special effects development is nothing but a fart in the face of huge profits.

It grossed $1.5 million in North America in just three days. How much will it make worldwide?

"Didn't Tian Xiaole say he wanted to use the 'Pacific Rim' project to promote the development of special effects in China? If we find out he's having the post-production done in Hollywood, we can create some public opinion and expose his falsehood..."

Upon hearing this terrible idea, Wang Zhongjun shook his head and said with considerable helplessness:
"We want to find a way to repair the relationship. There's no need to resort to such petty tricks. Since the movie has nothing to do with us, there's no need to pay attention to it."

···
When Tian Xiaole arrived at the company, he went to the post-production department as usual and found that all the employees were full of energy and enthusiasm.

"What happened to them?"

Tian Xiaole randomly grabbed someone and asked.

"Director Tian, ​​we've seen all the news reports online. I believe the special effects we've produced for Pacific Rim won't be bad either. Everyone's really putting in a lot of effort."

The employee who had been apprehended spoke, his face flushed. Those who heard this nodded emphatically in agreement.

Besides having this idea, they were also worried about moving post-production to Hollywood, since the production was so slow and they were burning through money every day.

Seeing everyone united as one, Tian Xiaole felt very gratified, but she wondered if they would still have the same enthusiasm after watching the video.

"When Transformers is released in China, I'll invite you to see the movie so you can see the difference between us and Hollywood and learn from each other."

Amidst a flurry of compliments, Tian Xiaole left the special effects department, intending to head to the editing room, when her phone rang in her pocket.

Back in his office, he answered the phone.

"It's late where you are, isn't it? Why did you think of calling me?"

"You don't contact me unless I give you my phone number."

Tang Yan's voice was clear and crisp, but her tone was full of resentment.

cough…

Tian Xiaole coughed lightly, calming her wavering compassion, and casually said:

"I'm so busy. I have to attend all sorts of premieres and parties, and I also need to oversee the post-production of the film."

Tang Yan sighed, knowing that Tian Xiaole was just making excuses.

Perhaps being in a foreign country made her a little sentimental, and every day when the film crew finished work, she looked forward to seeing a caring text message from Tian Xiaole.

But she always has to take the initiative to greet me before I get a reply, and sometimes it takes several days to receive it.

Knowing she wouldn't get a promise, Tang Yan changed the subject and started talking about the movie "Transformers".

Besides being shocked by the film, she also felt worried about Tian Xiaole.

If the two films are vastly different when Pacific Rim is released, then Tian Xiaole could very well become the next Chen Kaige.

【The Promise】is a stain on director Chen's life.

The Pacific Rim could also become a stain on Tian Xiaole's life.

Tian Xiaole comforted Tang Yan for a few words and told her to go to bed early, her tone at the end sounding somewhat coaxing.

Tang Yan obediently hung up the phone, and her dreams were sweet all night.

(End of this chapter)