Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

On September 28th, "The Hunt" finally finished its run.

Actually, this movie should have been taken off the screens a long time ago, but it broke 2000 million at the box office thanks to the Venice Golden Lion Award.

Han Sanping wanted to try again, so he applied for a key extension, which was granted for another 20 days.

The box office performance during the extended period was not very good, ultimately stopping at 2400 million. Lao Han was still somewhat dissatisfied with this result, but it had exceeded Zhuang Huai'an's expectations.

Even if a movie is good, it's still just an art film, and the money that was supposed to be made has already gone into the pocket. Any box office revenue is just icing on the cake.

After "The Hunt" was taken off the screens, Lao Han pulled off a series of stunts, releasing "Seaside Town" right away.

He originally wanted to put on a super luxurious premiere to highlight the film that won the Golden Lion, but Zhuang Huai'an disagreed. It wasn't that he didn't want to be in the limelight, but that "Gone Girl" was already being filmed.

In order to meet the Berlin Film Festival next year, he asked all the crew members not to take leave before joining the production team. Everyone knew that this film was going to be filmed in Berlin, so naturally no one had any objections.

To his surprise, this somewhat unconventional behavior only made the film more popular. "Seaside Town" grossed 320 million yuan on its opening day and continued to rise rapidly thereafter.

Because of the key extension application for "The Hunt", Lao Han dared not apply again this time and always favored Zhuang Huai'an. He was also worried that such underhanded operations would become a handle for others to attack him.

"Seaside Town" grossed 32 million yuan in 3200 days.

This is the appeal of a great director and awards. Before a hero is born, people go to the cinema mainly because of the director's reputation and the plot.

This is the best era for directors.

That's why Zhuang Huai'an was so eager to solidify his position first.

December 3th,

Filming for "Gone Girl" has wrapped up successfully after 45 days.

"Senior, why is the end of filming for a movie called 'shooting wrapped'?"

Looking at the text message the girl had sent him on his phone, Zhuang Huai'an typed a reply:

"Before the invention of papermaking, the ancients used bamboo slips to write books. Fresh bamboo slips contain sap, are easily infested by insects, and are difficult to write on. Therefore, the bamboo slips had to be baked with fire. The moisture inside the bamboo after baking is like sweat, so it is called 'sweat green'. After the outer green bamboo skin is removed, only the white bamboo core remains before you can write. This last process is called 'killing green'."

The message was sent and the other party replied almost instantly.

"Ding-dong, I've gained another piece of useful knowledge! Let me go and show off a bit in front of you."

Zhuang Huai'an couldn't help but smile and put his phone away.

He and the girl used to exchange text messages every now and then, but since she visited the set last time, the frequency of their text messages has suddenly increased a lot.

Liu Yifei is like a walking encyclopedia of questions; her little head is always full of all sorts of strange ideas.

After the wrap party, the crew members boarded the bus arranged by Yang Chen and returned to Beijing, while Zhuang Huai'an strolled over to the neighboring house.

The crew of "The Disguiser" also filmed at Chedun Film and Television City.

Besides the fact that the drama is set in Shanghai during the Republican era, Sun Hao also had a little something to hide. After all, it's a TV series with an investment of 2000 million yuan. Although he's not a novice, having Zhuang Huai'an watching over him gives him more confidence.

Wang Zhiyong was so busy that he had to run between two places. He was not only the assistant director of "Gone Girl" but also the co-director of "The Disguiser".

The crew members were all his own employees, so Zhuang Huai'an walked into the film set without any hindrance. He looked inside and laughed.

Zhou Yiwei was kneeling on the ground, pouting, while Liu Mintao, who played the eldest sister, was yelling at Lin Jiachuan.

"You dress like a spoiled brat all the time. What have all the good kids learned from you? Dressing like a rich kid."

After berating Mingcheng, Liu Mintao launched into a tirade against Minglou. He controlled his emotions perfectly; his sheer intensity was enough to make even a passing dog swore at him.

Seeing that they were filming in an orderly manner, Zhuang Huai'an did not go in to disturb them and quietly left.

The filming schedule for a production crew is all planned in advance. When everyone sees him arrive, they will definitely pause to greet him, and Sun Hao will also pull him aside to look at the footage.

Going back and forth like this wastes time.

...

After returning to the capital, Zhuang Huai'an rested at home for two days before going out. It wasn't that he didn't want salted fish, but that Zuo Shandiao had gone to the company and blocked the entrance.

In the office, Zhuang Huai'an was fiddling with the Kung Fu tea set.

"Mr. Han, what's the matter that's so urgent that you had to come in person?"

"About the Golden Horse Awards."

"The Golden Horse Awards?"

Seeing Zhuang Huai'an's blank expression, Han Sanping sighed, "I think you're completely oblivious to what's going on around you. China Film Group has submitted 'The Hunt' and 'Seaside Town' for you, and now they've officially sent you an invitation to attend the awards ceremony."

Zhuang Huai'an nodded. The Golden Horse Awards are still in good standing and it's no exaggeration to say that they are the most prestigious awards for Chinese-language films. It's worth a visit.

Is this the thing, that you're hitting yourself?

"Okay, when does it start over there?"

"November 16th, in Kaohsiung."

"Then I'll inform the actors."

"No need," Han Sanping shook his head helplessly. "By the time you go to inform them, it will be too late. I've already taken care of this. Wang Zhiwen and Wang Jingsong are both confirmed to attend. No one else has been nominated, so there's no need for them to make the trip."

"Hehe, as expected of you, President Han,"

Zhuang Huai'an, without a hint of shame, grinned and handed him a cigarette, which he then lit.

Old Han took a puff and said, "You can start preparing your acceptance speech now. I reckon you'll win Best Actor and Best Picture, but I don't know which film."

Chuang Huai-an, however, did not think so. It's not like the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards have been looking down on mainland China for a long time, and upsets are a regular occurrence.

The media there might even use his Golden Lion Director title to promote other directors.

Tsk, something that can't be served in public.

Han Sanping left shortly after finishing his business; he was very busy every day.

Yang Chen came upstairs and told him that the company had hired two very experienced editors, asking if he wanted to go and see their skills.

Zhuang Huai'an waved his hand and refused. He planned to edit all the films he shot himself, simply because he didn't trust the editors.

He plans to finish editing "Gone Girl" after he returns from the Golden Horse Awards, and there's still enough time.

Zhuang Huai'an is currently in a state similar to a student who has just started summer vacation and doesn't want to move until the last night.

"Okay, you really need to be responsible for the editing yourself to ensure its quality."

Yang Chen tossed him a cigarette and continued, "The money for MK2 has been transferred, in full. It seems they really want to befriend you."

In a normal copyright acquisition process, even if it's a buyout, it's impossible to pay the full amount upfront.

MK2's move shows that they value Zhuang Huai'an highly.

"Leo called me, you just need to process the transaction."

"Okay," Yang Chen nodded to indicate that he understood, and asked, "It's a bit of a waste to leave such a large sum of money in the account. I think we should invest it appropriately?"

Zhuang Huai'an took a drag of his cigarette and said with interest, "Then tell me your opinion."

"I think it's a good idea," Yang Chen said thoughtfully. "As long as we identify a good project, we can expect some returns. Secondly, we're going to pursue a complete production and distribution business in the future. Investing in other companies now to test the waters can also help us quickly build a network of contacts."

"Investment is fine, but we can't rush into it."

Zhuang Huai'an pondered for a moment, then stubbed out his cigarette. "Here's what we'll do: you spread the word about this income, and interested people will naturally come knocking. You'll be in charge of negotiating the share, but I must approve the script."

"it is good."