Global Film Emperor

Chapter 385 He joined the eSports Association

"Teacher Chen, you..."

My hand trembled, and some of the diluted nutrient solution spilled out. Fortunately, this white jasmine was not too delicate, and the amount of nutrient solution spilled out was not much, otherwise it might have been burned to death.

However, just to be on the safe side, Lu Ze still turned over the soil, digging away some of the already damp soil before getting up to put down the kettle. When he looked at Chen Yongbin, his expression became much more serious.

Chen Yongbin ultimately values ​​talent, which is why he selflessly helped Lu Ze at a crucial juncture in his life, not wanting this top talent in the entertainment industry to die prematurely due to setbacks.

No industry is without risk, but the entertainment industry is definitely in the high-risk category. After all, they not only have to entertain others, but also themselves. They are constantly dancing on the edge of a knife, with wounds all over their feet and blood staining the blades, but they still have to endure the pain and continue dancing.

For a big shot like Chen Yongbin, who has already reached the top of the industry, it wouldn't be difficult for him to lend a helping hand to Lu Ze and help him switch from a sharp blade to a balance beam.

He has many students, and many disciples he treats like his own sons. There are many geniuses in the world, not just Lu Ze. So there are many young people who are highly valued and loved by him, and eventually become his disciples and members of his faction. Under his protection, they gradually grow their own wings and, when they grow up, spread their wings and become the backbone of the industry.

But they all have one problem: they've gone astray.

What initially attracted Chen Yongbin to these young people was their talent for acting. However, as they became his apprentices, their goals gradually shifted from being good actors to being good leaders, hoping to advance their careers. As a result, they gradually gave up acting.

Among his students, the one who has been out of the acting circle the longest has not acted for almost twenty years. Now only Song Guiyuan is still sporadically taking on TV dramas to earn money to support his family. He doesn't even want to touch movies. It's only because his senior classmates are protecting him that the eight major entertainment companies tremble when they see him. Otherwise, an actor who just drifts through life like this would probably see his career decline further and further.

But this was not Chen Yongbin's original intention. His initial goal was to cultivate more top actors in China, but these kids had lost that passion, and he could only sigh inwardly, helpless and without any way to change it.

These are indeed his apprentices, but he never interferes with how they choose their own lives in the future. He doesn't have that strong desire to control; he just hopes they will walk the right path. After all, they haven't left the industry and are still shining brightly for it in places unseen by others.

He was a "benevolent father," and his apprentices were also filial. Even though Chen Yongbin could no longer take care of them, they still remembered him fondly. This shows that Chen Yongbin was very good at judging people, and his apprentices all had good character.

However, he still had a knot in his heart. Although all the apprentices he had taken in his life were top-notch talents with exceptional acting skills, they had not made any significant achievements in the acting industry. This was completely contrary to his original intention. He always believed that if the entertainment industry wanted to develop well, the basic profession of acting was the key. Otherwise, no matter how good your theory was or how perfect your system was, without good actors, even if you were given a hundred years, you would not be able to develop.

Although the apprentices knew that their master had things he couldn't let go of, asking them to return to acting was a difficult decision. Putting aside whether they were willing to give up the positions they had worked so hard to achieve over the years, their acting skills were questionable. After all these years, it was uncertain whether they could pick them up again. No one dared to gamble everything. Chen Yongbin understood this, so his last apprentice was Song Guiyuan. For more than ten years, he hadn't taken on any more apprentices.

Chen Yongbin once felt that he had let go of the past and that it didn't matter whether he had cultivated a good actor or not. After all, times were changing and the industry was progressing. Compared to the dark period of the entertainment industry from 2010 to 2020, there were still new generation actors who deserved recognition after 2020.

Until a man named Lu Ze appeared...

Before him, no one had ever progressed so quickly. In the early stages, each of his works showed an astonishing rate of improvement, and after reaching the peak of his acting skills, he maintained such a stable performance, with his acting skills never declining.

What's even more terrifying is that, except for the year when he has no roles to play, he makes one or two movies every year, and the quality is incredibly high. For a top actor, this is definitely considered prolific. Of course, this excludes film series, since they only study one character, which is essentially no different from making a TV series.

At first, he, like others who were concerned about Lu Ze, had doubts about Lu Ze's existence. Was he even human? Indeed, Chen Yongbin thought so too.

After the two met and had some conversation, even though Chen Yongbin was more than forty years older than Lu Ze, he still had to express his admiration for Lu Ze.

There are many talented people and many hardworking people, but few people are talented, hardworking, and hardworking in the right direction. At that time, Chen Yongbin did not have any clear ideas about Lu Ze and was still in a wait-and-see attitude. Just like when he was observing his other apprentices, he wanted to see what kind of character Lu Ze had and would only lend a helping hand when he needed it.

He just kept watching... and watching... and then he realized something was wrong. He seemed to be watching a grassroots actor prove himself with his talent and embark on the path to becoming a master of acting.

Finally, he had observed the situation carefully. Although it was a bit late, it wasn't to the point of completely ruining the play. He wanted to take Lu Ze as his student. It had nothing to do with whether he was worthy or not. Although he couldn't teach Lu Ze how to act, nor was he qualified to teach a master actor how to act, he could send a message to everyone: Lu Ze was his apprentice, so he was part of his faction. Anyone who disagreed with Lu Ze would be dealt with to the death by his group.

As for bringing Lu Ze into the Film Association, even if Lu Ze didn't agree, he would still help. When actors reach the top, they will naturally come into contact with this level. He was just bringing Lu Ze in ahead of time.

As for whether he would be adept at politics, Chen Yongbin thought not. After all, Lu Ze was different from his other apprentices. He had become the face of Chinese cinema and was already associated with the title of actor. In China, when talking about actors, no one could avoid the name Lu Ze.

The advantage of this is that as long as he is famous enough, he can have a smooth career without making many achievements. As long as he brings honor to the Chinese film industry, he will naturally rise to prominence. In other words, he is different from Chen Yongbin's other disciples; he is suited to dual cultivation.

Seeing Lu Ze's serious expression, Chen Yongbin's attitude also became serious, and with a hint of expectation, he asked, "What do you think?"

Lu Ze thought for a while. If he became Chen Yongbin's student, the benefits were obvious. He also knew that Chen Yongbin was a neutral figure in the Chinese film industry. He was an upright person, and his apprentices had not disgraced him. They did not get involved in the conflicts between commercial companies and state film studios, and were only dedicated to the development of the Chinese film industry. This was in line with his original intention of joining the China Film Association.

He came here to do something for Chinese cinema, so Chen Yongbin and his group were the most suitable people for him. Moreover, Lu Ze remembered the care that Teacher Chen had given him over the years. Now that he wanted to take him as a student, Lu Ze couldn't think of any reason to refuse.

"If you don't mind, teacher, I hope to learn from you." This was another turning point for Lu Ze, undoubtedly symbolizing his transition from a member of the Southern entertainment industry to a member of the Northern entertainment industry, or perhaps a more accurate description would be a fusion.

Lu Ze's readily agreed finally put Chen Yongbin at ease. Actually, he was a little uneasy. After all, asking Lu Ze about such an important decision rashly would have been embarrassing if Lu Ze had refused, not to mention the awkwardness of their future meetings. Fortunately, everything went smoothly as they had expected, and they all shared the same goal...

This is all for the sake of the advancement of Chinese cinema.

……

Although the apprenticeship ceremony for actors is not as elaborate as the ancient Chinese tradition, and there is no need for drinking chicken blood wine or kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, it is still a joyous occasion. Naturally, friends, relatives, and colleagues in the industry are invited to witness it together, so an apprenticeship banquet is indispensable.

Just like weddings and funerals, an auspicious date must be set. In order not to affect Lu Ze's work, the banquet is tentatively scheduled to take place after the filming of "Rebirth" is completed. What Lu Ze needs to do now is to accompany Chen Yongbin to visit the elders in the entertainment industry and academia, distribute wedding invitations, and at the same time, garner votes for Lu Ze to enter the meeting of the Film Association.

Chen Yongbin mobilized all his connections, and a group of people worked hard to promote Lu Ze, hoping to give Lu Ze a good start and look forward to Lu Ze's magnificent transformation from a commercial actor to an industry leader. At the same time, not only the China Film Association and the academic community learned about the news, but also major brokerage companies and some well-connected industry insiders.

Everyone involuntarily turned their attention to "Qian Shijia" and couldn't help but feel a little pity for him. Back then, one blow didn't kill the tiger, but now the tiger has taken a powerful pill and come back with a shot of adrenaline. The enmity between them was so great that even the most good-tempered person would have to come back and settle the score.

Putting everything else aside, just considering Chen Yongbin's connections, he could simply tell his apprentice at Guangdian that there's a problem with the new movie. He doesn't know exactly what the problem is, but there is a problem, and it has to be re-edited. If the problem isn't resolved, they won't be able to get a release number. If even one movie gets stuck, someone's already thinning hair will probably go completely bald. So... what should that person think now?

Who knows.

……

On May 29th, the China Film Association held its monthly regular meeting.

"Currently, we need to implement three policies. First, starting today, we will strengthen the verification of film investment funds and require that the producer and the source of funds be consistent. Local film associations need to manage the investors and send special personnel to check the theater schedules. Once it is found that the number of attendees does not match the box office revenue, and it involves illegal activities such as money laundering and fund transfer, we will immediately report to the film association and notify the tax bureau to investigate. Once confirmed, we will severely punish them."

Secondly, the "National Unified Examination Plan for Trainees, New Actors (Less than Three Years in the Industry), and Transitioning Actors" has been officially announced to all entertainment companies. Starting May 1st next year, all trainees, new actors, and transitioning actors who participate in public works such as online dramas, online movies, TV series, and movies, and who play long-term roles with more than 7% of the total screen time, must go to the local film association for an actor assessment exam. The unified exam questions will be provided by the China Film Association. The questions should be tailored to the abilities of new actors, and the difficulty should not be too low or too high. Only after obtaining an actor certificate can they participate in roles. Those with less than 7% of the screen time do not need to take the exam. After joining the production team, the actor certificate must be submitted to the local association within seven working days of the start of filming. If it is submitted after seven working days, the production team will be ordered to make rectifications.

"Third, the China Film Association's website officially launched on October 1st. Industry professionals, including directors, actors, cinematographers, editors, and other practitioners who subjectively influence a film's production, must register their identity verification. This requires filling in personal information such as a blue-background headshot, ID number, date of birth, height and weight, contact information (including email), and work experience. Verification is conducted using the system's big data. If false information is created, the website account will be permanently banned and the individual will be blacklisted by local associations. If the individual joins a film crew, the local association will notify the crew member who submitted the application; whether to continue hiring is the crew's decision. Furthermore, film crews can use the website to screen and recruit personnel, sending electronic audition letters. The fee is 300 yuan per year for server maintenance and upgrades. These are the three things I hope everyone will implement."

After reading the contents of today's meeting, Chen Yongbin put the document aside, looked at the cadres of the Electrical Association who were writing furiously, and waited until everyone had put down their pens before clapping his hands and saying.

"Next up is the selection of new members for the Electric Association. Each person has one vote, and the selection will be conducted anonymously. Department leaders have the right to veto a candidate, but they must state the reason for their decision. Any questions? Okay, Xiao Gao, let the first candidate in."

The room was quiet. Everyone picked up the envelopes under their paper cups, opened them, and found that ordinary cadres received a white card, while department leaders received blue ones.

No one spoke until Xiao Gao pushed the door open, and a long, muscular leg came into view first. A black shirt encased a robust body, and leather shoes clattered on the floor tiles. Lu Ze stood at the door, bowed slightly to everyone present, and then, at Chen Yongbin's signal, stepped onto the podium, took out his prepared manuscript, and laid it flat on the table.

Lu Ze had visited most of the people present before, so he wasn't nervous at all. He had written the script himself, and he knew exactly how to say it and how to express it. He only took out the script in case he forgot his lines, but the chances were extremely slim, so there was no need to look at it at all.

"Distinguished leaders and colleagues in the film and television industry, hello. I am Lu Ze. Today I am here to run for the position of Theoretical Research Department. First of all, let me talk about my advantages. I have ten years of experience in the film industry and have won two Golden Rooster Awards for Best Actor, one Golden Horse Award for Best Actor, one Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor, one Silver Bear Award for Best Actor, and a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor nomination as an actor."

"I have a very good understanding of industry rules both at home and abroad, and I am well aware of the operations of organizations such as talent agencies, actors' unions, cinema chains, and film crews. Since my current work focus is on Europe, I can learn about policy changes in the overseas entertainment industry and adjustments to various benefits and functions in a timely manner. I also have a good understanding of the current state of the domestic film industry, which allows me to combine overseas development strategies with feedback to the domestic market to improve industry standards and promote industry development. In addition, I have written a Chinese version of the European actors' union's new actor protection system. Please take a look. That's all I have to say."

A document was placed in front of them. It was indeed a paper written by Lu Ze with care. It was not outrageous. It only covered the groups of people who had just debuted, whose film salaries were not high, and who were struggling to make a living and cover their work expenses. This was indeed a group that the domestic film industry had not taken care of. As for the actor promotion regulations that Lu Ze wanted to write, now was not the time to bring them out.

The document did have merits; after all, it was a paper that Lu Ze had thought about for a long time before finalizing. Everyone present nodded slightly as they read it. There weren't many words on it, and even the slowest reader should have finished reading it in five minutes. At this point, Chen Yongbin first invited Lu Ze to sit down and then informed everyone to start voting.

Envelopes were dropped into the ballot box one by one. After everyone had returned to their seats, Xiao Gao opened the ballot box, recorded everyone's decisions, and finally announced them on the screen on the podium.

Thirty-seven votes in favor, five votes against, and three abstentions were received. All ministerial votes passed, just as Lu Ze and Chen Yongbin had predicted.

Lu Ze joined the China Electric Power Association.

"..."

The move is finally over. I'm so tired. I'll resume updates tomorrow.

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(End of this chapter)