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

The next day.

Tian Xiaole woke up naturally, knowing he would receive many New Year's greetings via text message, so he turned off his phone.

"what time is it?"

He touched the pillow, but no one was there.

I turned on my phone, and countless text messages flooded in.

Most of the messages were New Year's greetings, but more than ten were about "Painted Skin 2".

"It grossed 2840 million on its opening day..."

Shaking his head, which he had just woken up, Tian Xiaole finally realized the meaning of the string of numbers.

This achievement surpasses that of "The Founding of a Republic," indicating that a target of 4 million is within reach.

Two supreme beings in one family!!!

The headlines on major portal websites are mostly about the Spring Festival Gala, with the opening day data of "Painted Skin 2" standing out prominently among them.

"The film maintains a high standard as always. Tian Zhuangzhuang lives up to his reputation as a sixth-generation director. The color composition, character story, and overall feel are very comfortable to watch."

"Fan Binbin is playing herself; her portrayal of the fox demon Xiao Wei is so captivating that a single glance from her can unleash a thousand layers of allure..."

"The melody of 'Painting Heart' started playing again, giving me goosebumps all over my body."

"........."

The film's lead actors posted one Weibo post after another, sparing no effort to promote the film.

Fan Binbin went even further, making a bold statement to netizens: if the movie's box office reaches 4 million, he will cosplay the fox spirit from the movie.

This made netizens restless, and they all screamed with excitement, the tempting scene still vivid in their minds.

Huang Xiaoming was not to be outdone; he showed off his abs when the box office exceeded 3 million, but few people paid attention.

Industry insiders who saw the news were filled with lamentations.

Just when we could finally catch our breath after Avatar was gone, Painted Skin 2 came to dominate the market.

The film "Confucius," which was expected to break 100 million yuan, saw its daily box office revenue halved and its screenings less than 10%.

Other films that are already being promoted and awaiting release, such as the Valentine's Day must-see romantic blockbuster "Hot Summer Days," the kung fu epics "True Legend," "Little Big Soldier," and "14 Blades," are all in high spirits and have put a lot of effort into their promotion.

The next day, the box office reached 3070 million.

On the third day, the box office reached 3130 million.

In the first three days, the company almost raised over 100 million yuan, and the investors were all smiles, praising Lao Tian as a generous and open-minded person.

Theaters are grinning from ear to ear; they love these blockbusters and are making a fortune selling popcorn.

Old Tian is in a good mood; things have come to a good end, and he can now fully immerse himself in the filming of "The Undertaker".

With the opening ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival fast approaching, Tang Yan was all ready and waiting to depart.

Tian Xiaole sat on the sofa and made phone calls to several of the lead actors.

"Xiao Le, what brings you to call me?"

The filming of "The Orphan of Zhao" had just started, and Chen Hong, as the producer, had to be on set. When she received a call from Tian Xiaole, she subconsciously glanced into the distance.

She looked at Director Chen, who was instructing the actors, and felt a little guilty.

"Sister Hong, you haven't forgotten that our film was shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival, have you?"

"Oh, right, it's almost opening time."

Chen Hong hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Uncle Chen's new movie has just started filming, and I can't leave right away. I'll take Arthur there after the closing ceremony."

“Okay, then we’ll wait for you and Arthur in Berlin.”

Tian Xiaole didn't insist. He hung up the phone and looked at Tang Yan, who was staring at him.
"Has Sister Li informed them yet?"

"Yes, she met up with us in Berlin."

"Zhao Jinmai, you should inform them too. I'll call Uncle Ge."

"Ok."

·······
Meanwhile, on the set of "The Orphan of Zhao," Ge You went to Director Chen to ask for leave.

"Old Ge, my movie just started filming, the actors have only just begun to get along, and you..."

"Old Chen, the Berlin Film Festival is about to open, and as the male lead of 'Shoplifters,' I have to attend."

Upon hearing this, Director Chen choked, recalling the scene of Mei Lanfang's disastrous defeat in Berlin, and became impatient.

The thought that Tian Xiaole had taken Arthur to Europe twice already made him, as the father, feel extremely ashamed.

He was determined to make a good film about "The Orphan of Zhao," taking into account the weight of history while exploring human nature.

This is the kind of vibe that film festivals like.

Tian Xiaole originally wanted Chen Zhixi to leave for Berlin ahead of time to prepare for selling the overseas rights to "Painted Skin 2".

Jiang Zhiqiang of Edko Films, one of the film's investors, has a very strong distribution network overseas.

Films like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" were all orchestrated by him.

Zhang Zhiqiang volunteered, and Tian Xiaole entrusted him with handling the overseas copyrights of "Painted Skin 2".

After Lu Yang returned from the Busan International Film Festival, Tian Xiaole promised to invest in him if he found a good script.

This gave him a huge boost, and he stayed in the screenwriting department.

After three months of hard work, a martial arts script was finally completed.

Lu Yang wanted to show it to Tian Xiaole immediately, otherwise the latter would not return from Berlin for more than ten days.

He was itching to try it and couldn't wait that long.

“I’ve read the script. It takes into account the themes of the imperial court, national sentiment, martial arts, and romance. I hope you can make a martial arts film that is different from those made in Hong Kong.”

Hearing this, Lu Yang nodded heavily. This was his first commercial film. Guo Fan had already succeeded, and he couldn't afford to fail.

"Don't worry, senior brother, I will put in 100% effort to make this movie a success."

Tian Xiaole was very satisfied with Lu Yang's statement. One must have a firm belief to make a good movie, and he was not stingy.

"I'll give you a budget of 30 million. Try your best to make the props and costumes as realistic as possible."

"Don't worry, senior brother, I will do my best to prepare and won't let you down."

Lu Yang was very excited and patted his chest to assure everyone that as a novice director of commercial films, he never dared to dream of a budget of 30 million.

If Ning Hao had met such a wise leader back then, he probably would have won awards left and right.

"Do you have any preferred actors?" Tian Xiaole asked.

"I'd like to use the main actors from [The Blind Cinema], as they are all familiar with each other and easy to work with. I can let Luo Jin try out for the male lead, and there are several suitable actresses in the company."

Upon hearing Lu Yang's arrangements, Tian Xiaole realized a serious problem: Luo Jin had become a jack-of-all-trades, and the company was eager to cast him as the male lead in several of its productions.

The company only has two male actors, which is a bit few. If there are any promising talents, we can sign two more.

"The role of Zhou Miaotong is for Yang Mi, who just joined the team. You can decide on the rest."

Tian Xiaole gave Lu Yang a great deal of autonomy, allowing him to freely demonstrate his abilities and see what he was capable of.

In the film market, "Painted Skin 2" remained stable as always, with daily box office revenue of just over 20 million.

It grossed 1.72 million yuan in its first week of release.

The subsequent releases of films such as "True Legend," "Hot Summer Days," and "Lucky Stars Go Places" completely crushed Hong Kong's "fraud" films.

They don't even bother to put in any effort when trying to scam money; they're just remakes and reskinned movies, treating the audience like fools.

·······
With a reluctant look in Tian Xin's eyes, Tian Xiaole and Tang Yan got into two cars and drove towards the Capital Airport.

Ge You and Zhao Jinmai, having received the notification, had already arrived ahead of time.

Ge You's status in Chinese film history is beyond doubt, and people often come up to him in the VIP room to take photos with him.

Zhao Jinmai's mother still couldn't believe it at this point. Regardless of whether "Shoplifters" won any awards, her daughter had this film to rely on, which would give her a representative work in the entertainment industry.

"Grandpa Ge, why haven't Uncle Xiao Le and the others arrived yet?" "They should be here soon, just wait a little longer."

Ge You affectionately patted Zhao Jinmai's head. Who wouldn't like a sweet-talking child?

········
Tian Xiaole was accompanied by his assistant and bodyguards, with Tang Yan and her assistant pushing a pile of boxes behind them. The group was quickly spotted by the reporters who were lying in wait.

"Director Tian, ​​I wish you all the best in Berlin."

A reporter offered his blessings, saying that they had previously intercepted Ge You and knew he was heading to the Berlin Film Festival.

"Thank you," Tian Xiaole waved.

"Director Tian, ​​the young actor in the film, Director Chen's youngest son, why isn't he with you?"

"Producer Chen is busy with Director Chen's new film and will be joining us later."

"Director Tian, ​​Ge You has arrived ahead of schedule."

"Director Tian, ​​did you come with Tang Yan?"

"Good luck, Tang Yan. I wish you great success."

"Thank you, I'll try my best."

Amidst the barrage of questions, Tang Yan pinpointed the ones she could answer, revealing a sweet smile with two shallow dimples on her face.

Led by airport staff, Tian Xiaole arrived at the VIP lounge, where Ge You and Zhao Jinmai met up.

By this time, news of Tian Xiaole and his group's departure for Berlin had already appeared on major websites.

"Palm of Glory director Tian Xiaole is bringing his new film, 'Shoplifters,' to the Berlin International Film Festival."

"Tang Yan was dressed in simple casual clothes, with a sweet smile, and was in a great mood."

"........."

As the news trended on social media, filmmakers, actors, and artists familiar with each other in the film and television industry sent their blessings on Weibo immediately.

Industry insiders believe that Tian Xiaole has never failed to win an award before, and with the prestige of being a Palme d'Or director, he is sure to achieve something this time, although the size of the award is hard to say.

Directors like Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye, and Wang Xiaoshuai, who are obsessed with the three major European awards, are among the most closely watched.

Tian Xiaole has already conquered the most difficult Cannes Film Festival. If he also wins the Golden Bear at Berlin, he will very likely become the first Chinese director to achieve a Grand Slam.

They subconsciously assumed that the Golden Lion of Venice had already been reserved.

········
After a 10-hour flight and a layover in Frankfurt, we arrived in Berlin after 3 p.m.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Berlin International Film Festival, and the atmosphere is much more vibrant than when Tian Xiaole last visited, with film symbols visible everywhere.

At this time, Berlin was already very crowded.

Filmmakers, movie fans, and tourists from all over the world are participating in this film extravaganza.

The film festival officials were already waiting outside the airport.

Tian Xiaole has won the Silver Bear in Berlin and is also a Palme d'Or winner who "defected" from Cannes, so naturally he deserves a lot of respect.

The group boarded a car and headed to the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the official accommodation designated by the hotel. The hotel is located at 2 Marlene Dietrich Place, just a 2-minute walk from the Palais des Festivals.

Tang Yan looked out the car window at the street scene, where movie flags were everywhere, fluttering in the wind by the roadside.

"Brother Le, I saw our movie."

The poster for "Shoplifters" is very eye-catching because it has a lot of introductions. Tian Xiaole alone has a lot of titles, and with Gong Li and Ge You, it takes up half the space.

Soon, the group arrived at the hotel, and photos of them were taken by local media as they disembarked from the plane.

A short while later, Jiang Zhiqiang came to visit and talked about the screening of "Painted Skin 2".

This Chinese fantasy film has a relatively large market in Asia, but with Tian Xiaole credited as the screenwriter, it has also attracted interest in North America and Europe.

"Director Tian, ​​your name is still the most useful. When it's listed as a screenwriter, film companies are offering high prices."

Jiang Zhiqiang complimented without taking credit, saying that the film had received a good response under his management.

"If you think the price is right, then go for it. I only care about the outcome."

When Tian Xiaole handed over "Painted Skin 2" to Zhang Zhiqiang, it was also a test for him.

Guo Fan and Lu Yang, who are signed under Xiaole Pictures, will all have to sell the copyrights for the movies they make in the future.

Revenue sharing from the theatrical release is too slow, and box office returns are not guaranteed.

If Jiang Zhiqiang performs well, he can be entrusted with handling the sale of overseas copyrights.

These words left Jiang Zhiqiang feeling uncertain.

What price would be appropriate?

It must be at least higher than the first book, otherwise there's no need to hire him. As for how much higher, that's hard to say.

Tian Xiaole dismissed the people, called over the employees he had brought, and led them to the Shoplifters booth. Before leaving, he sent out a text message.

Tang Yan, who was in quarantine, happened to come out and saw the group of people preparing to leave:

"Brother Le, where are you guys going? I want to go too."

"Then let's go together."

Tian Xiaole waved.

The hotel lobby was bustling with activity, filled with film crews who had been nominated for the awards. Many well-known directors and actors could be seen coming and going.

The film exhibition area was bustling with activity.

Looking around, you see promotional posters and movie slogans in various languages.

Although Tian Xiaole and his group arrived relatively late, the Shoplifters booth was placed in a prominent position by the official organizers.

As a film nominated for the main competition, and directed by a previous Silver Bear winner and a Cannes Palme d'Or winner, its treatment is self-evident.

Tian Xiaole stepped forward and exchanged a few words with the officials, then turned to the employees he had brought and said:
"You should familiarize yourselves with the process as soon as possible. After that, you will be in charge of the film's promotion and premiere."

"Got it, boss."

The movie brochures and posters were all brought from China, and they are in Chinese, German, and English.

We need to generate buzz and let more people know about it for us to have a chance at winning the grand prize.

"Director Tian, ​​did you just arrive today?"

Tian Xiaole was about to go find someone and also check out the strength of this year's opponents. Hearing someone call him, he turned around and saw a pair of small eyes looking at him with a smile.

"Yes, you just arrived today. Why are you all alone?"

"Director Zhang arrived yesterday. Yan Ni and Xiao Shenyang are going to participate in the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, so they probably won't arrive until the closing ceremony."

Sun Honglei explained.

Tian Xiaole nodded, offered a few words of blessing, and sent him away. He didn't think "Three Guns" had a good chance of winning the award.

"Director Tian, ​​Miss Tang."

Yu Nan received a text message from Tian Xiaole and saw that Sun Honglei had left, so she came over to say hello.

"Miss Yu."

Tian Xiaole wasn't familiar with her; he had contacted her through Gao Qunshu. He reached out and shook her hand.

Yu Nan is one of the judges this year. She met with Yu Nan because she wanted to know the other judges' opinions on "Shoplifters".

According to the film festival's rules, after the opening ceremony, the judges cannot have any contact with the outside world. These two days are free because the selection process has not yet begun.

"The jury chairman, Werner Herzog, has no explicit political stance, never deliberately panders to mainstream political correctness, and has never made statements for special groups. He likes to explore human nature through stories..."

Tian Xiaole thought it was a tough nut to crack, but his eyes lit up when he heard the last sentence.

Is there any film at this year's Berlin Film Festival that explores human nature more than "Shoplifters"?
The answer is yes, a Turkish film was nominated, [The Bee]!
The director cast a 6-year-old boy as the lead actor. The boy is introverted, has a speech impediment, suffers from bullying at school, and his father has tragically died, leaving his mother to support the family alone.

This formula is practically a template for winning awards.

Next, Yu Nan spoke about the perspectives of other directors, noting that "Shoplifters" received a lot of positive reviews.

The only concern is that Tian Xiaole has already won the Palme d'Or, and given the nature of Westerners, they might actually try to sabotage him. (End of Chapter)