I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

He felt that if his employees saw these images, he might be able to start posting job ads again tomorrow.

For everyone's safety, Lu Ban had no choice but to handle it himself.

Moreover, Lu Ban felt that any editing of such footage must be done with the consent of the person involved.

"Can we release them here?"

Lu Ban circled a corner of the screen with his mouse and asked the air around him.

"Oh, then I'll use the other side."

He then switched to another perspective segment.

"This one will work, I'll use this one then."

A week after the original video was uploaded, Lu Ban figured that everyone had already watched it, so he began the formal work arrangements.

"Everyone should have seen the original film by now, what are your thoughts?"

During the work meeting, Lu Ban inquired.

"...I think, boss, have you fallen in love lately?"

A girl raised her hand and asked.

"Otherwise, how could you make a film that's so saccharine and cheesy about romance? Boss, you've changed."

The others readily agreed.

"This original film is so sweet! Uh, if you remove the monster scenes, it's practically a perfect romance movie!"

"I think the ending was handled very well! The feeling of helplessness at the passing of time, of sharing hardships but having to be separated by distance and never seeing each other again, was very well done. That's the sweet taste of first love!"

"Director Lu, where did you find the actors? Putting everything else aside, especially the female lead, her transformation from fierce seriousness to naive gentleness, and finally resolute change, her acting skills are just too strong. It feels like even the twitching of her eyebrows is a performance."

"The cherry blossoms shouldn't be in bloom yet, right? Did you take this picture last spring, boss? But no, there aren't any cherry blossom trees this big in Japan. This must be special effects, right?"

"Although the female lead is very cute, I feel that the original film can only achieve a healing and heartwarming effect. It will be a bit difficult to impress the judges."

"Director Lu, I feel that the female lead's performance here is enough to win at least one Best Actress award. If this actress hasn't made any other films before, she's simply a genius!"

"The plot of the original film is a bit old-fashioned. It follows the classic path of the male and female leads who are strangers at first, develop feelings for each other during a trip, become entangled, and eventually go their separate ways. The visuals are superb, and the acting is also excellent. I can only hope that it meets the judges' tastes."

The employees were all talking at once.

"Beaver, tell me."

Lu Ban pointed to someone. In the company, everyone uses nicknames, which makes it sound more intimate.

Beaver is a team leader responsible for filtering and color grading the images.

“I think we can turn it into a classic road movie. This kind of story, which is accompanied by growth and healing, is very suitable for road movies. As the two protagonists travel and experience, their relationship slowly changes. Moreover, road movies are also favored by many art judges. Well-made road movies are more likely to win awards.”

"It's pretty good."

Her thoughts were similar to Lu Ban's.

Leaving aside the final ending, the preceding plot is indeed well-suited to be presented in the form of a journey.

By focusing on the change in the relationship between two people and extracting plot details and visuals, the storyline, though simple, is sure to capture the hearts of some judges due to the genuine emotions expressed.

Lu Ban learned that many art judges had strange and unusual tastes.

Some people focus solely on acting skills; if the acting is good, they'll give a good review even if the plot is a mess. Others are obsessed with costumes, props, and sets, having an almost obsessive pursuit of the film's scenes. Still others have a particular fondness for a certain genre, and will almost always give it a high score when they encounter that genre.

It's normal for artists to have some quirks.

For example, Lu Ban always ties his right shoelace first, which many people consider a quirk.

After distributing the storyboards and arranging the work, Lu Ban called Mei Juan, the contact person at Jiangcheng Cinema.

"Oh, it's Director Lu. What's up? You have another new movie coming out?"

Mei Juan is a middle-aged woman, capable and kind, and very shrewd. As soon as she answered the phone, she casually made a joke.

Lu Ban's film shooting and production speed is well-known in the industry. Many directors and film companies privately call Lu Ban the "King of Speed." But for Mei Juan, Lu Ban is simply a cash cow. In months when Lu Ban's films are released, there is no need to worry about performance.

"Yes, but it probably won't be released directly in China."

Lu Ban answered truthfully.

"Oh, it's not going directly from China... Huh???"

Mei Juan was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.

"Director Lu, did you mean there really is a new movie?"

"Yes, I'm planning to attend those film festivals. Sister Mei, could you please help me contact the relevant people and get the necessary paperwork done?"

Lu Ban's worst skill is socializing.

After all, dealing with those monsters and strange creatures means that you can easily grab a weapon and start fighting if things don't go your way.

When dealing with people, you can't resort to crowbars if you can't reach an agreement.

"A film festival? But the Yannan University Student Film Festival is in November!"

Mei Juan didn't quite understand why Lu Ban had suddenly become so concerned about these things.

"No, it's not that one. It's the international ones: Venice, Cannes, and Berlin—three film festivals."

Lu Ban corrected.

"...You're not kidding?"

Mei Juan asked in response.

"Your last movie just finished its run, and you're already releasing a new one, and you're even going to participate in those art film festivals?"

If the other person wasn't Lu Ban, Mei Juan would definitely think he'd lost his mind.

"Yes, because this is my first time participating in this, there are many things I don't understand, and I hope Sister Mei can help me a lot!"

Lu Ban said very sincerely.

News that Lu Ban would be attending these international film festivals quickly spread.

At this time, it was only three months before the Palme d'Or was awarded.

At first, people only felt that Lu Ban's movie production speed was faster than the turnover rate of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, but not long after, as information about Lu Ban's new movie gradually leaked out, people became extremely interested in this movie whose name they did not yet know.

Because Lu Ban is not making a horror movie or an epic film this time.

He wants to try the art-house film style!

Suddenly, writers from some movie rating websites who had previously been thoroughly humiliated by Lu Ban became active again, and like it was Chinese New Year, speculations and analyses about Lu Ban emerged one after another.

By the end of February, the film was progressing smoothly, and Lu Ban had also produced the first trailer.

At the same time, he saw an article appearing on many social media platforms.

Daring to Try or Overly Arrogant? Lu Ban's Transformation Path.

Chapter 371 Writer's Commentary on Lu Ban's Transformation

Lu Ban clicked on this report.

The article was written by a film critic who had previously criticized Lu Ban for being unambitious and only staying in his comfort zone making horror movies. Now, he has come forward, probably because he sees that Lu Ban has really transformed his career and wants to offer his opinions.

[...A director should have his own style. I admit that Lu Ban has a great advantage in making horror films and special effects blockbusters, but he is still a newcomer in the field of art films. Moreover, Lu Ban's previous film style is obviously not suitable for art films. His attempt this time will inevitably encounter setbacks...]

[...Simply put, I think Lu Ban's desire to make a new movie is based on his past achievements; he's become arrogant. In reality, are Lu Ban's movies truly that good? If high box office equals excellence, then does that mean superhero movies are necessarily better than classic films?]

[...The reason why Lu Ban's movies have achieved such high box office results is related to the revenge viewing of domestic audiences after a long period of exposure to European and American films. The quality of his movies does not match his current success; in other words, his talent does not match his achievements...]

[...I don't have a high opinion of Lu Ban's work, not because of personal likes or dislikes, but because venturing into an unfamiliar field is bound to lead to failure. Lu Ban is currently being highly praised by the domestic industry; if he were to fall from grace, people might blame the domestic film industry, which would be a serious blow to the nascent domestic film industry!]

After reading this report, I'm a bit stumped by Lu Ban.

This is the same person who previously said Lu Ban was stuck in his ways, immersed in his comfort zone, and unwilling to try new themes. Now, this same person is saying that Lu Ban's change of style and attempt of new themes is arrogant and conceited. You've said both good and bad things, so here's your three-dimensional defense.

This article has attracted a lot of attention and discussion regarding Lu Ban's new movie, with audiences and industry insiders mostly divided into three attitudes.

The first type of person is looking forward to Lu Ban's new work, believing that Lu Ban, who has made such excellent films since his debut, will surely create brilliance in a new field as well.

Another viewpoint is similar to that in this report, which is that Lu Ban is bound to fail. He's a horror film director, what does he know about art films?

The last type is the bystanders, who believe that they should wait until Lu Ban's movie is released before watching it. After all, he has not shown his abilities before, and taking sides in advance is likely to be proven wrong. This is what is commonly known as the fence-sitters.

The film's production was carried out simultaneously on both fronts.

The entire film is about 120 minutes long, with the first 100 minutes or so dedicated to growth, healing, and a heartwarming journey.

The ending takes a sharp turn, revealing the cruelty of the world.

At the end of March, just before the deadline for submitting entries for the exhibition, "All Quiet in Spring" finally completed its final production.

Bai Qiquan watched the film they had finished producing again.

Something feels off.

"This movie seems to be missing something, it just feels like it's missing a crucial element."

Bai Qiquan muttered to himself.

As a coming-of-age romance film, this movie is quite excellent. It vividly portrays the naivety, growth, excitement, and regrets of a young girl. The visuals are beautiful, the scenery is stunning, and the plot is well-paced.

But is this the kind of movie that Lu Ban would actually make?

In Bai Qiquan's words, this movie is too bland.

Although I know that art films are all about simplicity and authenticity, and that a good art film is one that can put people to sleep, this film is definitely Lu Ban's style.

Could it be that Director Lu has really suffered some kind of shock?

After completing the film's application for participation in film festivals, Lu Ban released its first trailer.

Bai Qiquan had no experience in producing trailers, so this was the first time he had seen one.

Upon opening, the first sound is of piano music—gentle, soothing, and deeply moving.

The screen lit up, and a cherry blossom color covered the field of vision.

Those were cherry blossoms falling from the sky, and the warm spring sunshine shone on the girl, making her more dazzling than the sun.

“From a young age, my family told me that you would go to the shrine shrouded in cherry blossoms and become a person above all others.”