It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 130 Olympic Opening Ceremony Job Competition? A Poem to Recite… (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Yesterday, the action film 'Taken,' produced by Ruishijie, directed by Lü Rui, and starring Jiang Wen, Liu Yifei, and Zhou Yun, officially wrapped up filming."

"The 58th Cannes Film Festival announced its main competition lineup today, with three Chinese-language films successfully selected: Johnnie To's 'Election,' Wang Xiaoshuai's 'Shanghai Dreams,' and Hou Xiaoxian's 'The Best of Times.'"

Jiang Wen officially announced his new film project – "The Sun Also Rises"!!!

...

After filming wrapped on "Taken", Lü Rui immediately took the completed film back to the Beijing Film Academy.

The school has acquired a new batch of post-production equipment, which is even more advanced than that of China Film Group.

Based on the principle of taking advantage of any opportunity, he naturally wouldn't miss it.

Films including "Click" and "Crazy Stone" are currently using equipment from the Beijing Film Academy for post-production.

The only difference is that Shen Ao doesn't have to pay for the equipment because he hasn't graduated yet, and he receives a subsidy as a directing student.

Lü Rui, on the other hand, is eligible for a subsidy because he is currently pursuing a master's degree, making his education free as well.

Ning Hao, however, was the only one who felt uncomfortable because he had already graduated and had to pay for wear and tear when borrowing equipment: "If only I had gone to graduate school, I could have saved so much money over the next three years!"

“Then go study, you can take the exam now,” Lü Rui replied while busy.

Ning Hao looks older than his age, but he is actually only 28 years old this year and is still a "newbie" in the directing industry.

The backbone of the Chinese film industry today is mostly between 40 and 60 years old.

This is the time when you are most capable, experienced, knowledgeable, and well-connected, making it the easiest time to gain momentum.

For example, Wang Xiaoshuai just turned 40 this year, which is the age when he can work hard.

However, he has a poor reputation in the industry and often says things that violate social ethics.

Especially as they get older, their remarks take on a condescending tone, as if they look down on everyone.

"Does Director Tian Zhuangzhuang still recruit graduate students?" Ning Haozhen was quite tempted.

But this question stumped Lü Rui, because he didn't know either.

Lu Yang, who was helping to organize materials for the Australian application, chimed in, "We're not recruiting right now, let's see next year."

"Forget it." Ning Hao pondered for a moment and gave up the idea. "Asking me to read books now would be like taking my life. I'd better not read them. That's it."

The conversation ended there, and everyone got back to their own tasks.

While editing the final video, Lü Rui also helped Jiang Wen edit a wedding documentary and sent it to her.

Zhou Yun was very grateful and said she would treat him to a meal.

But Jiang Wen was too busy and couldn't find the time.

After being blacklisted for five years, he returned to directing and was incredibly enthusiastic, throwing himself into the preparation of his new film.

Even many actors in the industry who came to visit him after hearing the news were all turned away by him.

Unable to bear the annoyance any longer, he simply announced the cast list ahead of time, nipping any hopes people had in the bud.

Emperor Entertainment, as the largest investor in the film, has reaped huge profits, bringing in a large number of its own artists.

The most famous of them all is Fang Taizi!

This has left many mainland actors, especially those from the Central Academy of Drama, feeling deeply disappointed but helpless.

The casting process often involves various forms of exchange of interests, which cannot be explained in just a few words.

In particular, many established directors have their own circles of influence, and it is difficult for outsiders to squeeze in without making some sacrifices.

However, Lü Rui is currently an exception.

Although Ruishijie is located within the Beijing elite circle, it is distinct from other elite circles.

Furthermore, since the company doesn't handle artist management, many people see this as a highly desirable opportunity!

Recently, some people have even started inquiring about his next movie project, just to prepare in advance.

When he heard this news from Zhao Peng, he was somewhat dumbfounded.

"Many people in the industry say our company is as productive as a sow, with projects whenever we want and money whenever we want..." Zhao Peng said, putting down his food.

These people are currently in a "semi-seclusion" state and rarely go out to eat, so the task of delivering meals naturally falls to him.

The editing room isn't a place anyone can just walk into; we always have to be careful.

"Revisit is indeed very productive, and its project success rate is extremely high." Ning Hao picked up a boxed lunch and ate while remarking.

Shen Ao nodded in agreement: "It's mainly because Brother Rui's scriptwriting skills are exceptionally high."

Stop flattering me and hurry up and eat.

Lu Rui was well aware of his situation. If it weren't for the system's assistance, how could he have this ability?
It's important to know that, typically, even an experienced director needs three to five years to bring a project from paper to the big screen.

Iranian director Majid Majidi once said that his debut film, "Children of Heaven," was conceived by his grandfather's generation and took three generations to secure funding and finally be filmed.

This film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999 and won numerous awards at international film festivals, becoming a classic example of Iranian cinema's international success.

Similar situations are not uncommon.

For example, the "story about music" that Jiang Wen mentioned earlier, he had conceived of it years ago, but the final film didn't appear until twenty years later.

It's nothing short of a miracle that Lü Rui has been able to grow his company to its current size in just a few years since he entered the industry!

This is why many people admire him.

It's worth mentioning that Jiang Wen didn't forget his "daughter" while filming his new drama.

He gave Liu Yifei a cameo role in the movie. Although her role was small, it brought more attention to the young girl.

The film resources are top-notch, and the TV series resources are plentiful...

Many people are curious about which family this girl belongs to.
……

In late April, news came back that filming for "I Am Legend" had wrapped up in Hollywood.

According to the procedure, after filming wraps up, the next step is editing.

Editing is the process of selecting, discarding, and assembling a large amount of footage from a film to create a coherent, smooth, meaningful, and emotionally impactful work.

This is an important part of film art creation and an indispensable process in film production.

In the past, film editing was part of the director's job. For example, in China, editing is now mostly done by the director with an editor or editing assistant.

But Hollywood is different.

As technology advances, films have evolved from silent films to sound films, and editing techniques have become increasingly complex.

With the constant updates in film techniques, directors' creative tasks have become increasingly heavy, making it impossible for them to have time to operate editing equipment and edit films themselves.

This gradually led to the emergence of editing professionals: editors and editing assistants!

In the last two or three decades, with Hollywood officially establishing a producer-centric system, directing and editing have developed into two completely different professions.

Furthermore, under the producer's control, the editor can cut the film to be completely different from what the director wanted to express!
However, because Ruixing Films is a startup independent production company, it does not have an editing department.

Previously, Lü Rui himself was in charge of editing "Lurking".

But it was a horror movie after all, so the plot was simpler.

But "I Am Legend" is different. For such a big-budget film, it's impossible to edit it without at least three months of editing time.

The rough cut stage requires sorting out the narrative logic, assembling shots, and adjusting the rhythm.

Next, we need to work with the special effects team to design sound effects and edit background music simultaneously.

Finally, revisions, color grading, and subtitle production are required after multiple test screenings.

This is not the kind of work that can be completed in a day or two, as described in some novels.

Logically, this part of the work should be followed up by Lü Rui himself, but he is busy with the post-production of "Taken" and simply cannot spare the time.

So he simply delegated the editing rights to James Wan, letting him take charge personally, while he remotely controlled the direction via email.

But to his utter surprise, when he told James Wan about his decision, he received a thank-you letter from him that was over a thousand words long!
“Lv, I pray to the merciful God, that you may live a peaceful life…”

Looking at the email, Lü Rui was both amused and exasperated, but he could understand why Wen Ziren was so agitated.

After all, in Hollywood, directors who have editing rights, especially final editing rights, are highly influential figures in the industry!

In particular, directors who have editing rights in productions worth hundreds of millions of dollars are extremely rare.

Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino... these are all known top directors with editing rights, capable of both box office success and numerous awards!

Now, Lü Rui has actually granted the editing rights for "I Am Legend" to James Wan, which is undoubtedly a great recognition.

Without exaggeration, if they could meet now, James Wan would absolutely be willing to call him "Godfather" and offer his most sincere loyalty!
As for Lionsgate?

Go somewhere cool and stay there.

From this moment forward, James Wan is the most loyal follower of Ruixing Film Company!
Zach Snyder has also been very motivated lately.

Lu Rui has completely handed over the "Phantom Records" project to him. Funding and manpower are all in place; he can just go for it. He's secretly hoping that he might have the chance to manage a project with an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, like James Wan.

On the other hand, Peter's negotiations regarding the copyright of "300" did not go very smoothly.

Warner Bros. seems to want to see how "I Am Legend" performs before deciding on further collaborations.

Lü Rui was not surprised by this.

To reiterate: in Hollywood, only "success" is a sustainable business model.

Once "I Am Legend" succeeds, the seemingly insurmountable hurdles will naturally be overcome.

……

On April 25, "The Prestige" officially ended its run in North America, with a total box office of $3635 million, equivalent to nearly 300 million RMB.

As Lu Rui's first foray into the North American market, this achievement is undoubtedly a resounding success!

Another sum of money has been successfully deposited into the account...

Meanwhile, Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" officially landed in the North American market after several rounds of preview screenings.

The film grossed $673 million in its opening weekend, but dropped to $51 on the fourth day. The estimated box office in North America is about $2000 million, and it has a 7.7 rating on IMDb.

Overall, "Kung Fu Hustle" lost to "The Prestige" again, and it seems to have struggled to adapt to the local audience.

This time, Stephen Chow was completely silent.

Hong Kong media wanted to interview him, but he hid in his company and refused to show up, only saying that he was preparing a new script and declined to be disturbed by outsiders.

"Brother Rui! I think this is worth celebrating."

When Zhao Peng saw the news online, he enthusiastically offered his suggestions when he came to deliver lunch.

We've defeated Stephen Chow! If we don't celebrate now, when will we?

Lu Rui glanced at him and said, "Tomorrow night at 7 pm, the banquet hall of the China World Hotel, remember to come."

"Huh? A celebration at the China World Trade Center? Such a big event?" Zhao Peng hadn't reacted yet.

Shen Ao laughed and reminded him, "Brother Peng, it's a celebration party, a big celebration party after 'The Prestige' is taken off the screens."

"Oh! I see. I knew it. Having to go to the China World Trade Center for a meal is too extravagant."

This celebration banquet was organized by China Film Group, or more precisely, spearheaded by Han Sanping.

He was accumulating capital for his rise to power, and the success of "The Prestige" was undoubtedly the best opportunity.

...

After finishing his meal, Lü Rui was about to continue working on post-production when his phone suddenly rang.

When he saw that the caller ID showed Tian Zhuangzhuang, he pressed the answer button: "Hello? Teacher Tian?"

Are you at school right now?

Tian Zhuangzhuang's voice sounded somewhat anxious.

"Here I am."

"Are you free? Come with me?"

"Okay, where to?"

"Come out first, then we'll talk."

After hanging up the phone, Lü Rui walked out of the editing room, full of doubts, and went to the directing department's teaching building.

A van was parked downstairs with its door open. From a distance, he could see Tian Zhuangzhuang, Jiang Wei, Zhang Jiandong, and several veteran directors currently working at the Beijing Film Academy sitting inside.

As he approached, he asked, "Director Tian? What are you doing here?"

Tian Zhuangzhuang waved to him: "There's no time to explain, get in the car first, and I'll talk to you in detail later."

"it is good."

Lu Rui got into the car and closed the door.

The van left Beijing Film Academy and headed towards the Sports Bureau.

More than ten minutes later, after listening to Tian Zhuangzhuang's explanation, Lü Rui said helplessly, "Director Tian, ​​how could I have time to compete for the position of chief director of the Olympics?"

He finally understood why Tian Zhuangzhuang had called him over.

So they were just trying to conscript him!
The directors at the Beijing Film Academy came up with a plan to win the position of chief director of the Olympics, but after several rounds of assessments, they felt that their chances of success were not very high.

So, Tian Zhuangzhuang thought of Lü Rui and wanted to bring him along to see if they could increase their chances of winning.

"You don't need to put in any real effort, just be listed as a co-author. Our plan is fixed, but the higher-ups think we're too old and might not have the energy to keep up. Go and help out, see if you can make a difference."

"alright."

We're already on the bus, we can't just jump off halfway through, can we?
We sped all the way to the Sports Bureau.

The van was stopped...

Because Lü Rui doesn't have a license!

Everyone else had a pass to enter and exit, but he was the only one who was brought here halfway and hadn't had time to get a pass yet.

Looking at the staff blocking the car, Lü Rui was momentarily dazed.

Others were showing their licenses and blocking the car from passing.

He's being stopped from entering because he doesn't have a permit.

It's quite dramatic.

However, this was no big deal; Tian Zhuangzhuang made a phone call, and he was released.

Upon entering the Organizing Committee, the group got out of the car and walked into the main conference room.

To be honest, this was the first time Lü Rui had attended a conference in China that brought together almost all of the country's top directors.

Zhang Yimou, who is busy promoting "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles", Feng Xiaogang, who is preparing for "The Banquet", Chen Kaige, who is doing post-production for "The Promise"... even Li An, who just finished filming "Brokeback Mountain", and Wu Yu, who has been making a lot of moves, have all come!

Everyone was in a hurry and hardly interacted. When their eyes met, they would simply nod to each other.

After all, today's guests are all competitors, so we need to build up our momentum first.

Lu Rui's appearance was particularly eye-catching!

There was nothing he could do; he was just too young. Walking next to Tian Zhuangzhuang, he stood out like a rising sun.

"You don't need to say anything after you go in, just sit next to me."

Tian Zhuangzhuang whispered a reminder, but felt inexplicably strange.

He's a well-known director in China, so how did he end up needing a young person to help him?

However, when he saw the envious looks from others, he subconsciously puffed out his chest.

My student!
I am proud!
"Today is the final submission deadline for the competitive selection process. After the previous rounds, I imagine everyone has refined their latest proposals and corrected any previous flaws, right? So, please proceed with your presentations..."

Inside the conference room, after the leader finished speaking, he handed the podium over to all the directors present who had participated in the competition.

Feng Xiaogang went on stage first and spoke about some rather mercenary things, revealing a clear utilitarianism in the theme of his proposal.

Li Anze invited Maya Lin, the niece of Lin Huiyin and a Chinese-American architect, to participate in the competition. In her presentation, she quoted Hu Shi and her design emphasized a classical Chinese style...

Tian Zhuangzhuang's team's proposal is similar to Li An's approach, also following a Chinese style, but the ideas are slightly outdated.

After listening to the proposals from several teams, Lü Rui felt that Zhang Yimou's proposal was the most suitable.

His plan is primarily pragmatic, considering not only how to perfectly present the work, but also preparing more than a dozen contingency plans, listing all possible unexpected events in detail, and also giving careful consideration to the integration of Chinese style and international elements in the opening ceremony, striving for absolute perfection.

The leaders nodded repeatedly, their faces showing satisfaction.

"What's there to compete for? Who's more suitable than Zhang Yimou?"

Lu Rui muttered to himself, "In this kind of situation, when it comes to making a big show, who can compete with Zhang Yimou?"

Needless to say, Wu Yu's film "Windtalkers" was terrible, let alone the opening ceremony of a national and ethnic event. He simply doesn't have the ability to do that.

"Suddenly news came from beyond the sword gate that Jibei had been recovered; upon hearing it, tears streamed down my face. But then I looked at my wife and children, and where was their sorrow now? I rolled up my books and poems, overjoyed..."

Suddenly, a clear voice reciting poetry came from the stage. Lü Rui looked up sharply, his eyes filled with astonishment.

So the rumors were true?!
After opening with a poem titled "Hearing of the Recovery of Henan and Hebei by the Imperial Army," Chen Kaige began to explain his plan.

Lu Rui didn't hear the specifics clearly.

All he knew was that after listening to Chen Kaige's proposal, he seemed to have fallen into some kind of mystical state, feeling as if he were floating on air...

(End of this chapter)