Entertainment Era: My Good Sister Is All Over the World

Chapter 84: Music Master Hu Weili (Please Subscribe)

In 1980, there were only 7 statutory holidays.

That is, there is a 1-day holiday for New Year's Day, a 1-day holiday for Labor Day, a 3-day holiday for National Day, and a 2-day holiday for Spring Festival.

So, I went to work as usual the next day.

Huang Wenbin arrived at an office as usual and, as expected, saw Chen Huaikai already there, with Yu Yang and others by his side.

Today we'll be discussing film scores and sound effects.

As for sound effects, Beijing Film Studio has a ready-made team, so there's not much to worry about.

The problem lies in the soundtrack. Due to the special nature of "Let the Bullets Fly," many composers who had worked with Beijing Film Studio volunteered to compose the music.

However, Chen Huaikai was also well aware that these composers were not up to the task. It wasn't that they lacked ability, but rather that their thinking was outdated and their proposed solutions were completely incompatible with the film's atmosphere.

So, the main creators of the film crew got together to discuss who to hire for the music.

"I ran into Professor Gu Jianfen yesterday."

After listening for a while, Huang Wenbin realized that Director Chen and his team didn't really have any suitable candidates, so he said, "I asked her to help find a suitable composer. She agreed to help and said she'd have results within a day or two."

Chen Huaikai asked with some surprise, "When did you meet Gu Jianfen?"

"I ran into him by chance on my way back from Uncle Chen's house last night," Huang Wenbin briefly explained what happened, "and that's how we met."

Yu Yang felt a bit amazed, looking Huang Wenbin up and down, unsure how to describe it: "You've got a bit of—"

"A bit mystical?" Huang Wenbin tried to complete his sentence.

"Metaphysics?" Yu Yang murmured, "Something mysterious beyond mystery, something unknowable and ineffable?"

He quickly grasped the general meaning of the term "metaphysics" and said with a laugh, "Haha, this term is interesting, more or less. You always manage to come up with these novel words."

Huang Wenbin felt that the older generation had a strong ability to accept and understand.

Liang Xiaosheng knocked on the office door and called out, "Wenbin, the old man at the gate wants you to come over. Someone called."

Huang Wenbin immediately perked up: "Hey, maybe there's news about Professor Gu Jianbin."

"Then hurry up and go," Chen Huaikai urged.

Huang Wenbin walked out of the main building and came to the reception room.

The old man in the gatehouse, surnamed Yu, is over sixty years old and has a face full of wrinkles.

If it weren't for the age discrepancy, Huang Wenbin would almost suspect that he is Yu Qian's father, Grandpa Yu Yuju!

Huang Wenbin frequently came and went, occasionally bringing small gifts for Grandpa Yu, and they had long become familiar with each other.

"Wait a moment, she should call back soon." Old Yu was listening to a Peking Opera program on his small box when he saw Huang Wenbin coming over, and he said this casually.

Huang Wenbin smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Yu."

Old Man Yu glared at Huang Wenbin and said irritably, "Every time I hear you call him that, it sounds like you're calling him 'Egg Yu.' Don't call him that anymore."

"Alright," Huang Wenbin replied casually.

Old Yu didn't say much, he simply turned the radio volume down to the lowest setting and went to listen to it in a corner.

A moment later, the landline rang.

Huang Wenbin waited for it to ring three times before picking it up and asking, "Hello, is this Professor Gu Jianbin?"

"Yes, it's me." Gu Jianbin's bright voice rang out from inside: "I've inquired about the follow-up information you asked me about yesterday. Several teachers here are quite interested, but their schedules don't align."

"I see." Huang Wenbin couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Gu Jianfen's voice remained clear and bright as she continued, "However, I just remembered someone, not from our group, nor from the Central Conservatory of Music, but someone I'm actually closer to."

Huang Wenbin couldn't recall any connection with any musician, so he asked, "Which teacher are you referring to?"

"Professor Hu Weili," Gu Jianbin gave her answer, "He's currently a music teacher at your Yenching Film Academy. Haven't you heard of him?"

"Huh?" Huang Wenbin was taken aback; he really hadn't heard of it before.

Gu Jianbin said with a smile, "Old Hu is very capable, especially in the field of ancient musical instruments, where he has made considerable achievements. He is also interested in film scoring. I have spoken to him, and he is also interested. You can go find him."

"

"Okay, thank you, Teacher Gu," Huang Wenbin quickly said.

Gu Jianfen said with a smile, "I should thank you properly for getting a good song from you. Let's have a good chat sometime."

Huang Wenbin replied, "Okay, I'll be ready to answer Teacher Gu's call at any time."

After hanging up the phone, Huang Wenbin thanked Grandpa Yu and then ran back to his office in the main building.

"What did you learn?" Zhou Qiyue asked first.

Huang Wenbin replied, "Teacher Gu recommended someone, Mr. Hu Weili from my school."

"That's a good candidate." Chen Huaikai thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go and pay them a visit."

Zhou Qiyue said, "I'll go with Wenbin, there's no need for you to go to all this trouble."

"What are you talking about?" Chen Huaikai retorted with dissatisfaction, and said seriously, "We're the ones begging them to do the film score, so we have to show them basic respect."

That's perfectly reasonable.

However, there is indeed no need to mobilize all resources.

The final decision was that Chen Huaikai and Huang Wenbin would go, while Yu Yang and Zhou Qiyue would stay here and keep an eye on the sound effects work at the factory.

Since Gu Jianbin had already made arrangements for them, Chen Huaikai and Huang Wenbin went directly to the Yenching Film Academy.

Back at school, he ran into many classmates on the way, who all jokingly teased Huang Wenbin, saying that although he was in Yanjing, he was often nowhere to be seen.

That's normal, though. By sophomore year, students with the ability and resources are usually starting to look for a way out.

If you wait until graduation to start looking for a way out, you'll most likely be assigned to a remote area.

Huang Wenbin was very familiar with the school and brought Chen Huaikai to the art department.

I asked around among a few classmates and found out that Hu Weili teaches a course on "Composition and Compositional Techniques" here.

When Chen Huaikai and Huang Wenbin arrived, Hu Weili was still in class.

They waited outside the classroom door.

Fortunately, the class was nearing its end, and the two only waited for about ten minutes before the get out of class ended.

"Teacher Hu, please wait." Huang Wenbin called out immediately when he saw a middle-aged man with a thin figure and a somewhat large face.

When Hu Weili heard someone calling him, he immediately stopped, turned around slightly, and saw Chen Huaikai and Huang Wenbin.

"Hello, Teacher Hu, my name is Huang Wenbin, and I am a screenwriter at Beijing Film Studio."

Huang Wenbin stepped forward to greet him and introduced him, saying, "This is Director Chen Huaikai. We came here specifically to see you."

"Hello. Director Chen, hello, hello." Hu Weili smiled and took the initiative to shake hands with Director Chen Huaikai: "Teacher Gu called me last night and mentioned this matter. Come, come, this is not the place to talk, let's go to my office."

Chen Huaikai nodded and said, "When in Rome, do as the host says. Wherever you want to go, we'll go!"

Hu Weili was born in Hong Kong in 1937. His ancestral home is Wuxi, Jiangsu. He returned to the mainland with his parents when he was about 2 years old. To escape the war, he wandered from place to place until he settled in Shanghai after the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan.

In 1955, he was admitted to the Music Department of Yenching Normal University. During his junior year, he began composing and publishing musical works, some of which were even selected for music textbooks, and he even performed them in Haizi (a lake). After graduation, he taught at BJ Art Teachers College (China Conservatory of Music) and Beijing Film Academy.

However, during his time teaching at the school, he felt that his time for teaching and making music was compressed by various tasks, interpersonal disputes, and networking, making him very unfree.

It just so happens that his wife is a returned overseas Chinese, so the couple started applying for visas to Hong Kong last year. His wife arrived in Hong Kong first in 1983, and his visa was finally approved at the end of 1985. He then went to Hong Kong the following year to reunite with his wife. In 1986, through his cousin's recommendation, he joined TVB, thus beginning his new life as a composer.

However, the couple is still applying for visas.

The reason I agreed to compose the score for "Let the Bullets Fly" was because it was a film produced by the Beijing Film Studio, and the school would make things easy for me by waiving other tasks unrelated to teaching.

Hu Weili was fed up with this kind of thing that had nothing to do with teaching, but he was helpless.

"I already know your purpose."

Upon arriving at the office, he poured a glass of water for Chen Huaikai and Huang Wenji, and said earnestly, "I'll take on this task, but I need to look at the script first. If it's convenient, it would be even better if I could see the original film."

""

"No problem," Chen Huaikai said directly. "As for the script, I'll have Xiao Huang give you a copy later. It might be a little inconvenient to watch the entire original film, but I'll show you the parts that need the music."

"That's great!" Hu Weili exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands. "Let's not delay any longer, let's go see a movie now."

Huang Wenbin was slightly surprised to find that he was an impatient person.

The three of them rode their bikes back to the Beijing Film Studio, selected a few clips, and then showed them to Hu Weili.

"This...this is a movie that can be made in China?"

Even after watching just a few clips, Hu Weili was utterly shocked.

He has been teaching at Yenching Film Academy for over a decade and has seen countless films, both domestic and foreign, but overall, domestic films are somewhat lagging behind.

There's no way around it; the gap in all aspects can't be closed in a short time.

However, the movie in front of him completely changed his perception.

Whether in terms of technique, concept, pacing, or dialogue, this film is almost at the world's top level.

"We do have talented people after all!" Hu Weili said with a sigh, reflecting on his own situation. "We're still bound by the rigid system; otherwise, we could definitely make more excellent films."

Chen Huaikai was deeply moved by Hu Weili's words. Although the reform and opening up had been implemented, it was still a short period of time. Many stubborn forces still existed, and the dregs of officialdom still existed, seriously hindering the development of all walks of life.

The original soundtrack is "The Sun Also Rises" by Joe Hisaishi, which is indeed a classic and difficult to replicate, nor is it necessary to replicate.

Because it was made using Western musical instruments, while Hu Weili is a master of traditional Chinese music.

Huang Wenbin simply explained to Hu Weili the feeling he wanted: a feeling that was rough, passionate, tragic, and full of hope.

Of course, the very interesting "Souqiu Song" is also indispensable.

"I'm starting to feel it." Hu Weili's fingers trembled uncontrollably. "I have to go back now. Please wait a while; I'll contact you when I've finished writing it."

After saying that, he rushed out and disappeared in a flash.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he stole something and ran away.

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