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

The female lead's requirements were simple.

Li Yuxiu, aged 25-30, with a beautiful face, an intellectual and poised demeanor, rich acting experience, and a portfolio of notable film and television works, is welcome to submit her audition resume.

When it comes to male actors, the competition is much fiercer.

The male lead, Su Liuchang, needs to be between 25 and 30 years old, possess solid acting skills, and portray the transformation of a timid and cowardly nobody into a righteous and courageous individual…

The second male lead, Wang Guanghai, is an antagonist, aged 30-35, a Japanese army translator, whose inner world is complex and multifaceted...

The third male lead, Jin Chengzong, is a positive character, between 30 and 40 years old. He is responsible, straightforward, and has a strong sense of national pride...

"..."

A 7-year-old actress is required to have good crying scenes.

·······
China has no shortage of good actors, but it lacks good young actors.

The male lead's age, combined with the acting skills required, makes him a rare find in China.

For those in the industry, there are too few female roles available, and to compete for this opportunity, one has to face competition from actresses across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

For male actors, the release of casting requirements means the start of auditions and competition.

A flood of audition resumes came in all at once. If the [Photo Studio] audition didn't work out, there was always the [Witch] audition to compete with.

While Tian Xiaole was being bombarded with questions, Wang Jinsong took on the role of a salesman.

This time it was reliable; they recommended a few good actors.

Zhu Yilong, Zhai Tianlin, Peng Guanying...

"For your sake, Lao Wang, I'll keep a close eye on this."

"These are all promising talents; they won't let you down."

Tian Xiaole hung up the phone and looked at Huang Bo, who was standing in front of her with a fawning smile on his face.

At this point, you can still see some traces of an ordinary person in him. But after a few more years, he won't fit the roles of ordinary people anymore.

"Director Tian, ​​didn't you say I look old? The role of Kim Seung-jong is very suitable for me."

Tian Xiaole carefully examined him and had to admit that his temperament and appearance were quite suitable.

However, the moment Huang Bo flashed a fawning smile, it caught Director Tian's eye.

"Would you be interested in taking on the role of Wang Guanghai?"

Huang Bo was taken aback. If he didn't play this villainous character, it would damage his image, after all, he is now a top-tier male actor.

Seeing his hesitation, Tian Xiaole said in a tempting tone:

“If you portray a character with such complex human nature well, it’s easy to win an award.”

Given the nature of major domestic awards, this type of patriotic theme has the highest probability of winning an award.

"Okay, I'll act."

Huang Bo nodded in agreement. Whether he wanted to or not, Tian Xiaole had already spoken, so he had no choice but to agree.

Whether you can get the role depends on your audition.

Even though the auditions have been made public, the procedures still need to be followed, otherwise people will say it was pre-arranged.

·······
Back home, Xiao Tianxin was walking the dogs; the two golden retrievers from Beverly Hills had been airlifted over.

"Baba, you're back."

As soon as Tian Xiaole stepped into the house, a fragrant breeze wafted towards him, followed by two chubby golden retrievers circling around his feet, their tails slapping his legs and causing him pain.

"Oh my, my little darling, what have your teachers been teaching you at school?"

"Hmm~"

Xiao Tianxin wrapped her arms around Tian Xiaole's neck, tilting her head as she pondered what she had learned that day.

"If you can't remember, then don't think about it. Being happy is the most important thing."

Tian Xiaole was reluctant to part with him, seeing the little guy's worried face.

"Brother Le, you can't teach children like this. They'll become lax in their attitude."

Tang Yan walked over with a bare face, looked at Xiao Tianxin who was already hiding in Tian Xiaole's arms, and glared at her:
"Baba's been working all day, why aren't you coming down?"

Tian Xiaole didn't have a chance to say she wasn't tired; how could she be tired while carrying her own daughter?

Xiao Tianxin has already slid off him; it seems even the little devil has someone to tame him.

As the only fourth-generation member of the Tian family, he was cherished and pampered by both his grandmother and father.

Tian Xiaole, the father, couldn't bear to hit or scold him, which fostered his somewhat fearless personality. However, he was afraid of Tang Yan, who would actually hit him.

"Let's take Xiao Jin and Xiao Mao to play."

Xiao Tianxin felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and happily ran off with her two dogs.

At this moment, Tian Xiaole, whose arms had just been empty, now had a warm, delicate body in them, and teased her playfully:
"How dare you compete with your own daughter for attention."

"So what? There's no rule against it."

Tang Yan wrapped her arms around Tian Xiaole's waist, rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered:
"Brother Le, the role of Lin Shuxiu is quite suitable for me."

"Really? No, I don't think so!"

"How could I not be? Am I not pretty enough? Or not sophisticated and poised enough?"

Tang Yan gently bit Tian Xiaole's ear and said in a threatening tone.

"I plan to give this female role to an actress from Taiwan or Hong Kong, since they haven't starred in this kind of patriotic film before."

Tian Xiaole lowered the requirements, saying that as long as the acting was good, post-production dubbing was also allowed.

"Oh, okay."

Tang Yan knew what was important and didn't argue unreasonably.

·······
Tian Xiaole took a moment to glance at the film market.

"Future X-Cops" has already failed to gross at the box office. It earned 4400 million yuan in mainland China, but its performance in Hong Kong was also unsatisfactory.

Wang Pangzi's reputation—well, he has no reputation at all.

The movie "Shoplifters" is doing well and is about to gross over 100 million, but it won't go very far.

After all, the domestic audience for this type of art film is limited.

"Go Lala Go!" turned out to be a dark horse, taking in 870 million yuan at the box office on its opening day and receiving good reviews.

Xu Jinglei's directorial career can be described as an instant success.

The annual Cannes Film Festival kicks off its global film selection process.

Despite having "betrayed" Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob, Tian Xiaole, as the Palme d'Or director, was still invited to participate in the competition with his film.

[Photo studio] It was definitely too late, and it's practically impossible to win an award in Europe for this kind of subject matter, so they rejected it.

I sent a thank-you email and promised to participate in the Cannes selection again if I have suitable works in the future.

·······
We received so many resumes from actors in just two days that they piled up like a mountain, so we quickly put the process on hold.

Top-tier actresses in the industry are all drawn to the role of Lin Shuxiu.

With limited fame and knowing their chances were slim, they turned to the "witch" side.

Zhou Xun, Liu Shishi, Fan Binbin, Li Binbin, Yan Dancheng, Zeng Li, Qin Lan, Li Xiaoran, Hao Lei, Ning Jing, Xu Qing, Yan Ni... Jia Jingwen, Bai Bing, Zhang Baizhi...

What the heck is Zhang Baizhi?

Zhao Yanzi went too far; she had no self-awareness whatsoever.

The competition for male actors is even fiercer, encompassing actors from three generations across both regions.

Huang Bo, Luo Jin, Huang Xiaoming, Tong Dawei, Deng Chao, Lu Yi, Wu Jing, Zhu Yilong... Nicholas Tse, Donnie Yen, Zhou Zhaolong, Liu Dehua...

Tian Xiaole handed over the task of screening resumes to Guo Fan, who then led a team to scout locations.

To be honest, Lu Chuan did something wrong.

The "Nanjing City" he built can be used when filming "The Photo Studio".

However, this only applies to some buildings; many buildings require renovation and a change in their exterior design.

After consulting with the local authorities, Tian Xiaole ordered drastic changes.

In order to authentically recreate Nanjing at that time, Tian Xiaole posted a Weibo post specifically to collect old photos from that era.

At the same time, it also called on non-governmental organizations or individuals to provide relevant photos or materials to the film crew as shooting materials.

Director Tian underestimated his influence. After the Weibo post was published, or rather, when the project to film "The Photo Studio" was initiated, people from the public prepared to donate relevant historical materials. The people of the island nation are not all hopelessly ignorant; the monk Daito Jin submitted more than 200 pieces of historical materials about "Nanjing" to the embassy in Japan.

The unit that exposed the heinous crimes committed was the 16th Division.

Hisanio Makino, a descendant of Japanese soldiers, perhaps unable to bear the pangs of conscience, voluntarily published his ancestor's military diary in the island nation's "Mainichi Shimbun," clearly recording the war crimes committed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised these individuals for their proactive disclosure and submission of historical materials, calling them people with a conscience.

As more and more historical materials are made public, "The Nanjing Photo Studio" is no longer a feature film, but a documentary.

The photos of Japanese atrocities donated by civilians were evidence that Luo Jin and Wu Xuan risked their lives to preserve.

After official verification, its authenticity was confirmed, and it was directly included in the Register of Documentary Heritage.

From then on, the preparation of the Nanjing Photo Studio received unprecedented attention.

Tian Xiaole suddenly felt the pressure; if the filming was too realistic, he had to consider whether the audience could handle it.

Reducing the amount of footage of Japanese military violence won't work either, because the public will be dissatisfied.

Finding the right balance is crucial.

Upon learning that Tian Xiaole had returned from scouting, Han Sanping rushed over, appearing to be in a good mood.

"Xiao Le, the higher-ups have taken notice of the play 'Nanjing Photo Studio,' and this is your chance to shine."

"Up there? How high up are you?!"

Tian Xiaole asked curiously.

"Just know that you value this play very much."

Han Sanping remained silent, then looked at Tian Xiaole and said with great emotion:
"Because of you, the public has provided a lot of information, which has been more influential than the official information in some respects."

"Haha, you can't say that. Maybe they took advantage of this opportunity to make it public."

Tian Xiaole said modestly with a smile.

"Alright, stop being so modest. I'm just here to tell you to make a good movie."

It's clear that the higher-ups really value this; even Han Sanping personally made this trip, something that would normally be done with just a phone call.

·······
The casting for "The Witch" has begun, with Guo Fan leading the auditions.

The cast includes the male lead, the third female lead, two middle-aged couples, and numerous minor supporting characters with lines.

Every day, a large number of actors and artists gather downstairs at Xiaole Film Studio, where RVs are parked.

Media and reporters were also staking out the area, chasing after each one to conduct an interview.

The actors who came out of the auditions all had smiles on their faces, with expressions of complete confidence, making it impossible to tell what the outcome would be.

This puts considerable psychological pressure on the actors waiting to audition.

Tian Xiaole strolled downstairs to the audition room. The actors waiting in the hallway were stunned for a moment, then smiled sweetly.

This was immediately followed by a constant stream of greetings.

"Director Tian."

"Director Tian, ​​hello, I am..."

Tian Xiaole nodded slightly; the small roles that had been released had attracted many young actors.

Zheng Shuang, Li Xin, Jiang Yiyan, Bai Baihe, Wan Qian, Song Jia, and others who have just begun to make a name for themselves in the industry.

The audition room door opened, and Liu Shishi walked out. She looked up and saw Tian Xiaole, and their eyes met.

"How did the audition go?" Tian Xiaole asked proactively.

"Director Guo told me to go back and wait for further notice."

Liu Shishi whispered, her eyes sparkling. Could it be that Tian Xiaole came to see her?
And in front of so many people, that's so incredibly kind of you.

Should we make it official right away?

Should I say yes or no?

Liu Shishi is a dreamer; in a short time, she had already thought of a name for her and Tian Xiaole's child.

The other actors waiting for their auditions were utterly devastated when they saw the two talking.

Liu Shishi's seductive appearance must have been her doing, she was the one who seduced Director Tian. She should have been more proactive just now.

"Then let's go back and wait for news."

After saying this, Tian Xiaole pushed open the door to the audition room and went in, amidst Liu Shishi's disappointed gaze.

Guo Fan sat in the middle, with the producer assisting him on the side. Jing Tian and Ma Sichun were also there, and the two were in charge of auditioning for scenes together.

"Brother Xiao Le (the boss)."

"Senior brother."

Upon seeing the newcomers, the group addressed them by different names.

Have you found a satisfactory candidate?

Tian Xiaole took the audition list handed to her by Guo Fan, which listed the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate.

"Dull, lifeless eyes, lacking spirit."

"Dull-eyed."

Good heavens, Liu Shishi and Yang Ying, these two promising talents, have actually met.

Judging from the results, Yang Ying was the better choice.

As for the male lead, Guo Fan already has someone he's satisfied with.

Jing Boran got the role.

Tian Xiaole thought of Shuangzi waiting outside and suggested that she play a crazy female assassin. He thought she could give a natural performance.

No, that idea is too dangerous.

[The Witch] is being developed into an IP series, so it can't be ruined by a certain actor.

"There are still many actors auditioning, let's take our time choosing."

"Yes, that's what I think too. This show doesn't have as much attention as 'The Photo Studio,' but I'm not willing to settle for less."

Tian Xiaole patted Guo Fan on the shoulder, acknowledging his work ethic and telling him to keep it up before leaving.

At the "Coloroom" studio, special effects for several movies are being worked on in full swing.

Pacific Rim 2 is a massive project, and production is progressing steadily.

The special effects scenes in "Brotherhood of Blades" are not many, so one small team is enough to handle them.

Tian Xiaole looked around but didn't see Lu Yang anywhere. She was about to ask about the movie's progress.

He walked toward the editing room.

Lao Tian's "The Undertaker" has finished filming and is currently undergoing post-production editing.

In the editing room, Lao Tian personally edited the footage, driving away the professional editors.

Lu Yang was helping out here.

"Senior brother."

"Ah."

Tian Xiaole nodded, looked at Lao Tian who was doing everything himself, and, remembering the Cannes invitation he had received, said:
"Are you planning to submit your film to the Cannes Film Festival?"

"There's no time to spare, let's prepare to go to Berlin."

Old Tian's choice made Tian Xiaole frown.

He won the Golden Bear last year, and given the nature of Europeans, it's impossible for them to award the grand prize to a Chinese film for two consecutive years.

"Please consider this carefully."

"Whether I win an award or not is secondary; what matters is that more people can learn about this profession."

Tian Xiaole gave Lao Tian a thumbs up, noting that as he gets older, he has become more relaxed about pursuing awards.

Where can one still see the youthful days when Western thought corrupted, eroded, and admired...?

Of course, in that era of extreme poverty and backwardness, only Jiang Wen was able to withstand the erosion of Western ideology.

Invited to the United States for exchanges, he wasn't dazzled, maintained his original aspirations, and ultimately earned respect—that's truly impressive.

People like others who kneel down as soon as they step outside will never earn respect, no matter where they are. (End of Chapter)