Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

Fang Yuan remembers that during the Spring Festival of 98, Feng Gong and Niu Qun's skit was about pulling a cart.

After thinking about it, I approached Mr. Zhang and made a suggestion.

Let's see how Mr. Zhang's relationship is with the CCTV Spring Festival Gala preparation team. If possible, add some plot details to Feng Gong and Niu Qun's skit.

Incorporate elements from the movie "Lost in Thailand" into the skit.

For example, "Today you're the boss, I'm the driver; tomorrow I'll be the boss, and you'll be the migrant worker!"

We urge audiences across the country to spend the Spring Festival in cinemas.

and many more!

In terms of publicity and distribution, various interviews before the Spring Festival and the Spring Festival film and television recommendation program highlighted "Lost in Thailand".

Leveraging the influence of CCTV's national-level platform, we aim to achieve nationwide publicity and exposure.

"Incredible!" Mr. Zhang exclaimed, slapping his thigh in amazement.

They left in a hurry.

Director Shen laughed and said, "How did you manage to build your brain like that!"

Fang Yuan didn't want to worry too much about the film crew's affairs.

That's a matter for the producers and directors.

Director Yang Yazhou is a rising star among directors of the 90s.

He excels at filming comedies that depict ordinary people and everyday life, and he is adept at uncovering the humor and warmth of ordinary people.

It perfectly matches the content positioning of "Lost in Thailand" – the Spring Festival travel rush and the mishaps of ordinary people on their journeys home.

They can accurately control the tone of a film that blends laughter and tears.

He has a deep working relationship with Feng Gong and is familiar with the performance rhythm and comedic style of Feng Gong and Niu Qun.

The team was able to quickly integrate and ensure that filming and post-production were completed efficiently within a short period of November to January 1997.

Suitable for the tight schedule of the Spring Festival film season.

After finishing what needs to be done.

While Mr. Zhu was still in Beijing, Fang Yuan approached him to discuss "Eighteen-Year-Old Sky".

Fang Yuan suggested that the project should be launched after the Lunar New Year, after the release of "Lost in Thailand" has ended.

First, we need to assess the market situation; second, we need to evaluate the return on investment.

If the box office is a huge hit, it will benefit later projects.

The preparation period was from April to June, and the filming period was during the summer vacation in July and August.

The Shanghai Film Studio can consider the director in advance and communicate with him about the script details beforehand.

In addition, Fang Yuan also shared his thoughts on the cast.

He wants to reserve four or five important roles for students from the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy.

After all, playing a high school student is quite suitable for him.

For the main character, the teacher, and a dozen or so supporting roles, the Shanghai Film Studio could consider students from the Shanghai Theatre Academy and actors from the film studio.

Of course, Fang Yuan said that the specific actors still need to be approved by the director after auditions.

Once the director is confirmed, we need to ask him to come to the Central Academy of Drama and meet with him.

After a moment's thought, General Manager Zhu readily agreed.

They went home happily.

After this trip, I won't have to worry about projects for the next two or three years.

The Central Academy of Drama has a fairly large curriculum.

Fang Yuan also wanted to study hard, but he had a lot of things to do and had been busy for more than ten days.

Suddenly I remembered someone.

I found the business card and made the call.

"Hello, Mr. Sun, this is Fang Yuan from the Central Academy of Drama."

"Fang Yuan, hello! Has your project been finalized?"

"Yes, Mr. Sun, I'm calling to ask you about something personal."

"Oh? What is it?"

Do you have a familiar agent around you?

I need someone to help me with some things; as you know, I'm still a student.

"Oh dear, reliable agents are hard to find. I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Okay, thank you!"

On the other end of the phone, Sun Jing hung up. "Agent?"

Wang Jinghua was the top agent in mainland China in her previous life.

I didn't expect Sun Jing to recommend her.

He's only around thirty years old now, and he's shrewd and capable.

He was a very famous person in his previous life!

The two met in Fang Yuan's office.

At this time, Wang Jinghua had just established her own agency.

BJ Black Sea Red Sun Culture and Art Co., Ltd.

The first truly professional artist management company in mainland China.

Fang Yuan was quite familiar with Wang Jinghua.

I also approve of his character.

"Sister Hua" was a big name in the entertainment industry in her previous life, and now she's just starting her own business.

They also have quite a few artists under their management.

The two had a very pleasant conversation.

Fang Yuan entrusted Wang Jinghua with the work of negotiating and operating his book publishing and film and television projects.

When Wang Jinghua learned about the progress of his five novels and the film and television plans for them, her eyes lit up.

For her, such scarce film and television resources are priceless.

Therefore, the two sides hit it off immediately and established a strategic partnership.

Wang Jinghua immediately got to work after signing the contract.

He took over all the work related to "Lost in Thailand" and "Eighteen-Year-Old Sky".

He will then be assigned a recruitment assistant, including tasks such as financial operations for the original creation studio.

A few days later, Xiaomei, the assistant, arrived.

Fang Yuan then focused his energy on attending classes.

The two directors still paid close attention to his studies.

Fang Yuan spends his weekends and free time in his studio.

Xiaomei would call him at other times.

In the early stages, Wang Jinghua handled most of the business matters.

In 1997, I was a freshman in the Department of Dramatic Literature, before the specialization between creative writing and historical theory.

The course focuses on solidifying literary foundations, establishing dramatic thinking, and training basic writing skills.

Professionally, writing courses are the main focus.

The first semester focuses on narrative essays, character sketches, and life observations, while the second semester gradually transitions to scene sketches and dramatic dialogues.

This is not difficult for Fang Yuan.

Theoretical courses include Chinese and foreign literature, classical poetry, introduction to art, and introduction to drama.

Fang Yuan has an exceptional memory and comprehension ability, so these courses are not too demanding.

The most crucial part is the acting and directing class.

To prevent playwrights from becoming detached from the stage, drama students are required to take a course on the fundamentals of acting and directing.

Participate in the rehearsal and performance of the skit yourself, and experience the stage rhythm and the characters' actions.

This is a mandatory course for the entire freshman year.

The general education courses included college English, political theory, and physical education, which were in line with the unified teaching arrangements of universities at that time.

The overall teaching atmosphere is rigorous and pragmatic.

This period emphasized extensive reading, handwritten assignments, and theatrical practice.

Moreover, there was absolutely no computer or network assistance.

Professional skills are accumulated entirely through paper texts, library materials, and watching live performances.

For Fang Yuan, writing a script is not a difficult task.

The stage directing training is also decent, but the key is to put theory into practice.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan had more contact with film and television directors.

Although stage directors and film directors are both called directors, their creative logic is completely different.

Stage directors face a fixed and unchanging theater space. The performance is continuous and irreversible. The entire play must be completed in one go, relying on actors' movements, lighting and set design, and mise-en-scène to complete the narrative.

The performance is required to be outgoing and exaggerated, able to penetrate the entire theater, and each performance is a unique experience that coexists with the audience in real time.

Film directors, on the other hand, wield the camera and editing, and can freely cut and recombine time and space.

Close-ups, panning, tilting, and tilting techniques amplify subtle emotions, resulting in performances that strive for delicate realism.

If a scene is not satisfactory, it can be reshot repeatedly, and the final product is a polished video that can be permanently preserved.

The stage production involved repeated refinement in the rehearsal room, with an atmosphere that leaned more towards pure artistic exploration;

Film and television, on the other hand, are industrialized processes with detailed division of labor and complex stages, making them closer to the market and mass communication.

The two represent almost entirely different artistic paths in terms of working methods, performance scale, and relationship with the audience.

Therefore, you need to concentrate during every acting class.

Fang Yuan is experiencing both pain and pleasure!