Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 74 Returning to Beijing Film Academy
With three top actors joining forces, plus Chen Shou, a top screenwriter, the film's popularity skyrocketed.

No one expected the film to have such a luxurious cast and crew. It has already entered the preparation stage and is expected to be filmed next year. However, Jiang Wen's filming schedule is still under discussion, as he is notoriously unreliable when it comes to making movies.

They film a lot of footage, which might eventually be edited down to three hours, then cut it all out, and then take out a portion of it to continue editing.

It's possible that a cameo appearance becomes a lead role, or a lead role becomes a cameo appearance.

Chen Shou handed him the script and made a deal with him: he couldn't touch the script, he could only film according to the script, or else the script would be taken back.

Jiang Wen wanted to revise the script several times, but later found that his revisions were not as good as Chen Shouzhe's version. In the end, he had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​making changes and honestly act as his director and lead actor.

For the first time in all his years as a director, he felt frustrated because he couldn't even revise a script.

Chen Shouzhe was not present at the film's project launch press conference, but he was going to be there when filming started, which was in Huairou.

Time flies. The post-production of "The Martian" was only halfway done when Bona Film Group called.

With the promotion of "Kung Fu Hustle" underway, Chen Shouzhe needs to accompany the team to several promotional events.

The first interview, "A Date with Lu Yu".

Chen Shouzhe had an impression of Lu Yu. He shouldn't judge her based on some isolated incidents. In fact, her interviews were very stylish and not too sharp. They were like casual conversations, with the audience enjoying the back-and-forth banter.

Chen Shouzhe appeared on a show a few years ago with her mentor and godfather, but she could only sit in the audience. That interview showed that her hosting skills were so-so, but her conversational skills were very strong.

There is no denying that her background is not simple.

Stephen Chow, Chen Shouzhe, Yang Mi, and other actors all gathered in the capital.

"Director Chen, may I visit your company sometime?"

After exchanging a few words with Stephen Chow, he suddenly made a request.

"Go to Little Dream?" Chen Shou asked.

"Yes."

Stephen Chow is clearly very interested in special effects companies, after all, Chen Shouzhe's special effects company is said to have invested a lot of money, and this has already spread throughout the industry.

It is said that Chen Shouzhe opened a vinegar brewery specifically so that he could have a meal of dumplings.

Many people mocked him, but many also admired him.

Within the industry, however, there was more ridicule than anything else. People felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill and shouldn't have done everything himself; he could have just delegated some things to outsiders.

His admirers are mostly directors, ambitious people, and many viewers who support him.

"Okay, I'll take you there after the promotional tour in the capital is over." Talking to the director is more interesting than talking to the actors.

Sitting with actors can easily turn into self-praise, and it's easy to get carried away.

Chatting with genuine people is always a learning and growth experience.

It's true that Stephen Chow loves money, but he still has basic professional ethics, and Chen Shouzhe is happy to communicate with him.

The interview took place in a studio with two sofas. One sofa was for Lu Yu to sit alone, and the other had several seats.

The interview went fairly smoothly. Of course, I had interviewed Stephen Chow once before, and that interview was very unpleasant. Stephen Chow said something like, "Is it funny?" which is still circulating online and being interpreted as Stephen Chow throwing a tantrum.

In reality, the two had a good conversation and there was no awkwardness between them.

This time, Lu Yu clearly learned from her previous experience and was no longer so gossipy. Instead, she asked about the movie's content. However, she didn't gossip about Stephen Chow, but became curious about Chen Shou.

"I heard that Yang Mi was recommended to join the crew by Director Chen Shou?" Lu Yu craned her neck and asked Yang Mi curiously.

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions turned strange. Did you ask about the industry's unspoken rules on purpose or by accident?
"Yes," Yang Mi said frankly.

"Oh, so what is your relationship with Director Chen Shouzhe?" Lu Yu continued to ask.

“My company owns shares in her studio, so strictly speaking, she is an employee of my company,” Chen Shouzhe explained.

"Oh, I see. This is the first time I've heard of this," Lu Yu said in surprise.

Not only was Lu Yu surprised, but Zhou Xingxing was also full of questions, as he was only finding out now.

"Director Chen Shouzhe, I'd like to ask you, why did you choose to collaborate with director Stephen Chow? You are also a renowned director, so why did you give your script to another director to direct?"

Chen Shouzhe had to applaud Lu Yu's direct question. While seemingly directed at Chen Shouzhe, the question was actually a subtle dig at Zhou Xingxing, implying that since Chen Shouzhe wasn't a great director, he should let Zhou Xingxing direct instead of him.

Chen Shouzhe organized his thoughts and said, "Because director Stephen Chow is very outstanding. You could say I grew up watching his movies. I wrote the script for 'Kung Fu Hustle' a long time ago, and it was created specifically for director Stephen Chow. In my heart, no director is more suitable to be a film director than Stephen Chow, and no one can replace Stephen Chow's position in my heart. He must be the director, and he must also be the lead actor."

His words drew applause from the audience, and Stephen Chow felt very pleased. Who wouldn't want to be praised, especially when the other person is a famous director who became a director because of his influence? It would be a wonderful story to tell.

After the interview, they had a meal together. Chen Shou drove back, and Yang Mi followed him to the villa.

When will you become a shareholder in my studio?

Inside the villa, Yang Mi walked to the refrigerator with practiced ease, opened it, and was speechless when he saw it was full of alcohol. He then pulled out a bottle of beverage from the pile of liquor.

“You’re not investing; you’re just registering under my name. It will make your work more convenient in the future,” Chen Shouzhe said.

"Then I must thank you. Your name is very useful. I reckon when the show airs, a bunch of people will congratulate me." Yang Mi sat down next to Chen Shou in a very generous manner.

"That's your business," Chen Shou said, holding his phone and chatting with someone.

"By the way, did you sell the rights to your novel 'Ghost Blows Out the Light'? Can I have them? I want to adapt it into a TV series," Yang Mi asked.

Chen Shouzhe turned to look at her, and she looked back at him defiantly, "You're overthinking it. It's impossible for me to give it to you, and you can't afford it anyway."

“You have so many scripts, but none of them are suitable for me? Right now, my studio is full of newcomers. I can't manage that many people for other TV series, and it would seriously affect my status. I've already lowered my requirements a lot in order to manage them,” Yang Mi said.

“As a boss, it’s normal to provide resources. You’re just too eager for quick results. You should understand the principle of forcing growth. Besides, apart from that little girl named Reba, the people you signed are just so-so,” Chen Shou said.

"Don't you have any suitable scripts? For TV dramas, it seems you haven't produced any TV drama scripts except for Journey to the West," Yang Mi said.

“If you don’t want to waste time making TV series, you can look at novels. See if there are any suitable ones. Take advantage of the current low prices and find some well-known novels. Those novels will only get more and more expensive in the future,” Chen Shou said.

"A novel? Okay, I'll do as you say." Yang Mi nodded.

She watched Chen Shou busy himself. She had just glanced at his chat, which was all in English. She understood a little bit of it; it seemed to be about some kind of space movie.

Yang Mi did not go back that night. The next morning, she and Chen Shou left together because they were going to the Beijing Film Academy for a promotional event.

The two are not lovers, nor are they living together; their relationship is simply one of mutual benefit.

The two arrived at the Beijing Film Academy one after the other, and no one said anything; everyone knew they were there to promote their work.

Chen Shouzhe graduated with a master's degree this year. Some unpleasant things happened during that time, but the arrival of two students from Beijing Film Academy and Stephen Chow was still very well received.

"I'd like to ask Director Stephen Chow, what made you choose Senior Yang Mi as the lead actress? Given your usual style, you should have preferred non-professional actors," a female acting student asked.

The teachers at Beijing Film Academy had considered inviting Stephen Chow to Beijing Film Academy to arrange an audition, and they even hoped that Chen Shou could help. Later, the female lead was decided to be Yang Mi, and the teachers felt it didn't matter, since Yang Mi was also a graduate of their acting department at Beijing Film Academy, and they were both students of Beijing Film Academy.

However, the acting students at Beijing Film Academy were dissatisfied, feeling that Yang Mi had stolen their opportunity.

It is well known that Stephen Chow's movies are very successful in promoting people, especially the leading ladies. Over the years, they have been the biggest beneficiaries. Apart from the "Zhang Yimou Girls," the "Stephen Chow Girls" are the most valuable.

Who wouldn't want to be the next "Star Girl"? But Yang Mi's interference robbed them of their chance.

Chen Shou shook his head at the student who asked the question. This girl had no future in the entertainment industry; nobody wanted to have anything to do with someone like that.

Everyone knows what he's thinking. He'll talk too much in the future and offend him.

Everyone knows that Yang Mi and Chen Shouzhe have some kind of relationship. To say this in front of so many people would be tantamount to implying that Yang Mi has a relationship with both of them.

It's obvious that they've offended Chen Shouzhe and Yang Mi, and Zhou Xingxing has also been offended.

"I never said that my movies have to feature amateurs. I don't know where this student heard that from. The casting process for movies takes into account many factors. If I think someone is suitable, then they are suitable; if I think someone is not suitable, then they are not suitable. It's that simple," Stephen Chow said bluntly.

The female student wanted to say something more, but found that her microphone was not working. When the next student asked a question, she could only sit down dejectedly.

"Each generation is worse than the last."

Other students asked common questions, but some asked Chen Shouzhe about his views on new directors, such as whether he would support new directors in the future.

"As for new directors, I am an exception. After all, it is too difficult to make a movie right after graduation. I will not mention the hardships of making my first movie. To put it bluntly, I begged for it. I am not complaining. Back then, I went to several companies, and they all told me to leave immediately."

To new directors, I can only say that if you're not fully prepared and don't have enough confidence in your script, you need to hone your skills. After all, filmmaking is a high-stakes gamble; if you lose, you lose everything. As for supporting new directors, the company does have plans. There are actually sequels to *Goodbye Mr. Loser* and *Painted Skin*, and they might be directed by different directors then.

(End of this chapter)