The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 169 Saying Thank You (34)

From a cinematic perspective, the original film version tends to reduce nationalistic sentiment.

After the changes, viewers will feel upset and angry, but they won't feel so sullen.

Lu Chuan may have to suffer a little.

Viewers will definitely criticize him.

It's one thing to show humanity to the Japanese soldiers, but in the end, they all survived.

For Gouzi, Lu Chuan's licking wasn't enough; he also had to scold him.

They curse both Japanese and foreign dogs.

Directors influenced by this script should not film this subject matter, regardless of the perspective.

As for foreign dogs, they are even more filial.

They must be criticized for not using their own difficulties to create a foreign savior.

Why aren't there any Germans? Why aren't there any Americans? Narrow-minded!
Of course, the most crucial point is that within the industry, artistic directors will not touch this subject matter, as they will not help to create a historical consensus for your country and its people. Furthermore, revealing their own ancestors is a taboo subject.

This isn't just being blocked from both sides; it's being attacked from multiple directions.

This is the consequence of "having no stance"—nobody likes it.

All of this was Lu Chuan's own choice.

If Lu Chuan had any principles, she wouldn't be completely without any.

Since there is none, then the mind is worthy of suffering.

However, Shen Shandeng didn't really screw over Lu Chuan. In a few years, this drama will truly become Lu Chuan's classic representative work.

Objectively, it helps to build consensus and does indeed have an artistic aspect.

It's just an artistic narrative that doesn't conform to external influences.

If Lu Chuan were to die from excessive pressure, that would be a greater contribution than his life.

May 8th, Changchun.

The crew of "Nanjing" announced the early completion of filming amidst a high-spirited atmosphere.

The wrap party was held in the largest banquet hall of the film crew's hotel, and the scene was lively.

The long table was littered with cups and plates, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.

Many people had tears in their eyes. The torment and depression of the past six months, along with the efficiency and hope in the final stage, were mixed together, making the emotions of parting particularly intense.

Lu Chuan held a wine glass, her steps were a little unsteady, and her face was flushed with alcohol and excitement.

He walked to the main table and raised his glass high in front of Shen Shandeng, who was talking quietly with Tan Hong.

"Director Shen!"

Lu Chuan's voice was quite loud, attracting the attention of people at several nearby tables.

"I, Lu Chuan, thank you! Really, thank you! Without you, this film wouldn't have been completed so smoothly! I salute you!"

Lu Chuan's words were sincere and full of genuine emotion.

At that moment, he truly felt that the movie was finished, and it seemed to be even better than he had imagined, which was more important than anything else.

Shen Shandeng calmly stood up and picked up his teacup.

After his success, Shen Shandeng never drank alcohol in public.

Boys must know how to protect themselves.

Shen Shandeng bumped into Lu Chuan and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Director Lu, you're too kind. We're all working on a good film. You're the most important one; you're the director."

Despite her condescending attitude, Lu Chuan was filled with gratitude.

This action was like flipping a switch; soon, people kept coming over to toast Shen Shandeng and express their gratitude.

Photographer Cao Yu, executive directors Zhao Yisui, Fan Wei, Liu Ye, and even some Japanese staff members came over to bow respectfully.

Shen Shandeng handled the situation with ease.

Looking at Shen Shandeng, who was surrounded by admirers, Lu Chuan downed another glass of wine, a subtle bitterness welling up inside her. This bitterness was suppressed by the anticipation of the imminent birth of a masterpiece.

He was so drunk that he almost had to be helped back to his room.

Qin Lan looked in Shen Shandeng's direction, hesitated for a long time, and finally mustered up the courage to go over and say a few more words of thanks.

But when she arrived at Shen Shandeng's room, she found that no one was there.

"Where's Director Shen?" she asked, pulling aside a staff member.

"Director Shen? He just spoke a few words with President Tan and then left, saying he's heading back to Beijing tonight because there's a ton of post-production work waiting for him," the staff member replied.

Qin Lan felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, and an indescribable sense of loss spread through her.

Working with Shen Shandeng for less than a month was more enjoyable than being with Lu Chuan for a year.

noon the next day.

Lu Chuan woke up with a splitting headache and felt her mouth was dry.

He rubbed his temples and struggled to sit up.

Memories of last night are flooding my mind in fragments.

Filming wrapped up, it was a success!
After taking a shower, Lu Chuan called Zhao Yihui to ask about the post-production materials.

Zhao Yihui said that Director Shen and Producer Tan took them away yesterday.

Ok?
Lu Chuan jolted awake and instantly became clear-headed.

Wait! My master tape?! Post-production?!
Lu Chuan scrambled out of the room and headed straight for the makeshift editing room.

The door was open, and the inside was completely empty. All the critical equipment and storage hard drives had vanished!

"Where are the files?! Where's the master tape?!"

Lu Chuan grabbed a passing staff member and shouted at him in a hoarse voice.

The staff member was startled and said timidly, "Director Lu, yesterday, Director Shen's team came and packed up all the shooting footage and master tapes and took them away. They said they were going to rush back to Beijing to do post-production."

Lu Chuan felt a chill run from the top of her head straight to the soles of her feet, freezing her blood.

Any gratitude I had for Shen Shandeng vanished completely.

With trembling hands, he took out his phone and called Tan Hong first.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Lu Chuan practically roared, "President Tan! Shen Shandeng took the master tape! What does this mean?! I must take the lead in post-production editing!"

"I'm the director!"

Tan Hong on the other end of the phone patiently said, "Isn't the point of wrapping up filming to have it go smoothly? What's wrong with using the footage for post-production?"

Lu Chuan trembled with anger and said, "But this is my movie!"

"Who said it's not yours?" Tan Hong asked doubtfully. "You can participate too."

"This is my movie!" Lu Chuan felt like an outsider.

Tan Hong didn't want to get involved and said, finding it troublesome, "Oh, brother, these things are matters for you artists, I don't understand."

"You can talk to Director Shen; he's a very easy person to talk to. Okay, okay, I have other things to do."

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Lu Chuan froze on the spot, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

He frantically dialed Shen Shandeng's cell phone, over and over again.

Shandeng Culture.

Seeing that Shen Shandeng had finished his meeting, the assistant quickly followed and whispered, "Director Shen, Director Lu Chuan has called you 37 times without a reply."

Shen Shandeng did not stop walking, his face expressionless, and he only gave a faint "hmm".

Back in his office, he calmly dialed back.

The call was answered almost instantly, and Lu Chuan's suppressed roar came from the other end.

"Shen Shandeng! What do you mean?! Where's the master tape?! What right do you have to take the master tape?! I'm the director!"

Shen Shandeng held the phone a little further away from his ear, and after the roaring on the other end subsided, he said for Lu Chuan's sake, "Director Lu, you're in a hurry again."

"Don't get agitated, calm down and listen to me."

"You really put a lot of effort into the play 'Nanjing,' especially in the exploration of human nature from the Japanese perspective, which is very insightful."

"However, correspondingly, the portrayal of our perspective is weak, and the emotions and narrative are clearly not up to par. For example, the ambiguous romantic scenes you insisted on adding between Lu Jianxiong and Jiang Shuyun are not only abrupt but also jarring in such a cold and heavy context."

"What does this show? It shows that your overall grasp of this subject matter is still far from sufficient."

"Then your team can't take the master tape without permission. You should at least discuss it with me!" Lu Chuan's voice trembled with anger, almost crying.

It's even more painful than my girlfriend running into Shen Shandeng's room!

Some things can be shared, but others, like art, cannot!
"What do you mean by 'my team'?" Shen Shandeng was displeased and corrected, "It's 'our' team. The post-production of 'Nanjing' was done by China Film Group, and the participants, along with the original post-production staff from the film crew, worked together to complete it."

Lu Chuan was completely stunned on the other end of the phone.

A profound sense of desolation overwhelmed him in an instant.

He then realized with a start that not only was the master tape gone, but his old team, which he had built up from scratch, had also been silently lured away by Shen Shandeng.

"Director Lu," Shen Shandeng invited, "if you'd like, you can also join the later stages of the project."

"I promise to give you plenty of room to maneuver, just like on a film set. You just need to focus on your artistic creation, and I'll take care of the overall direction."

"We are all directors, and we all know very well that editing is no less important than filming; it is a second creative process."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it!"

Lu Chuan held her phone, her face flushed.

What can he do?
Revolt?

Tan Hong would not support him, and Han Sanping clearly acquiesced to Shen Shandeng's actions; even his team sided with the other side.

Lu Chuan realized that plagiarism had no future and brought no prestige.

Shen Shandeng casually beckoned, and they all ran away.

He, the director in name only, became a lonely figure, a ridiculous and excluded outsider.

Lu Chuan seems to have returned to the time of "Looking for a Gun".

Fortunately, he had experience with this.

Lu Chuan said, "Okay."

Shen Shandeng reminded him, "By the way, Director Lu, have you forgotten something?"

Lu Chuan asked blankly, "What?"

“I’ve done you such a great favor, helping ‘Nanjing’ to wrap up filming smoothly, and even making it your masterpiece,” Shen Shandeng said calmly. “Shouldn’t you offer some basic thanks?”

There was a long, deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

"Thank you, thank you."

(End of this chapter)