Global Film Emperor

Chapter 395 Audio Movies
There's a chair on your left, sit down.

She stood at the door with a sincere smile, yet she seemed quite uneasy. Originally, she just wanted to say hello and leave, or perhaps check if the shop had changed owners.

But now, Lu Ze pulled up a chair and placed it next to her. Knowing her personality, if she sat in someone's shop without buying anything, she'd inevitably feel like she was slowing down their business. But…

He touched his pocket; there was no need to look for Braille, since he only had a bunch of coins in his pocket, ranging from one dollar to one cent, some whole and some small, totaling six dollars and eighty cents.

"Boom."

The cup was placed in front of her, and she could tell it was full of liquid. Her heart was pounding. Although she didn't think Lu Ze was a heartless boss who forced people to spend money in the store, she just couldn't control her anxiety.

"Boss... I don't drink alcohol."

"I know, plain water is free."

"Thanks……"

When my heart was racing, I swallowed a little too hard, and my mouth was indeed a bit dry. I picked up the cup and took a sip. It was sweet, and instantly, my already flushed face became even redder. I quietly put down the cup, placed my hands on my lap, and sat like an elementary school child.

"What kind of event have you been holding lately? Or have more tables and chairs broken again?"

This was originally a joke, because she had entered the store three times. The first time was to top up her phone credit, the second time was to ask for donations for the school sports meet, and the third time was to thank Lu Ze for speaking up for her and to buy a case of beer from him. She had a reason for each visit, and she was the kind of person who wouldn't come to a store without a reason.

It was during that beer-buying trip that Lu Ze delivered the beer to her door. Seeing that the students' desks and chairs were indeed in terrible condition, he offered to help repair them. That's why Lu Ze teased her like that.

"No... The government funding came through, and the tables and chairs have already been replaced with new ones. I... I just saw that you've been closed for so long, and we're practically neighbors, so I came to check on you."

Jin Xiwang lived just behind the tavern complex, only a five or six-minute walk away. In addition, the two were acquaintances, and Lu Ze had helped her a lot. This reason was quite valid, at least for her. Lu Ze just smiled silently and made no other comment.

The shop hadn't been open for half a year, and it was indeed a bit dirty. The two chatted occasionally, exchanging a few words. Lu Ze started cleaning, while she sat quietly, slowly sipping her juice and listening to songs that reflected the times.

Lu Ze was busy with cleaning and didn't bother to change the record until the record player finished playing. Meanwhile, she had her own way of entertaining herself. She picked up her still-used old-fashioned mobile phone, put it to her ear, and listened to something in a low voice, while laughing along foolishly.

It took three basins of water to wipe the counter. When the towel was thrown into the basin again, the clear water became murky again, slowly spreading out and settling at the bottom. He wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh. Seeing her grinning like that, I couldn't help but be a little curious.

"What are you listening to? Why are you laughing like that?"

"A sound movie, boss, would you like to listen to it? It's one I recorded myself, so the sound quality might not be very clear."

Lu Ze had heard of this. It had appeared years ago and was initially created by a group of volunteers. It was a new film format created to enrich the inner world of visually impaired people. Simply put, it was like reading a movie script as an audiobook, so that visually impaired people could also watch movies.

With the support of major charitable associations and foundations, there are now groups of volunteers dedicated to making sound films in almost every province across the country, touring various communities and schools for people with disabilities. Some of the hosts from provincial and municipal radio and television stations have also joined in.

Although Lu Ze had never participated in such activities, he had always held great affection for the existence of sound films, and even mentioned them in the Film Association's quarterly report.

Teacher Chen Yongbin also discussed the feasibility of this issue with Lu Ze, hoping to launch a project next year to encourage film industry professionals to take on the role of narrators in sound films, improve the quality of sound films, create exclusive scripts for sound films, provide systematic training for volunteers, and increase entertainment options for visually impaired patients.

Currently, the establishment of this project is not difficult, but since it is a voluntary project, the enthusiasm within the industry may not be very high. The only difficulty lies in how to motivate industry professionals, which requires a balanced reward system to maintain everyone's activity level, and this is also one of the current directions of the e-sports association's efforts.

Lu Ze naturally wouldn't refuse her suggestion. He also wanted to see what the quality of the free audio films was like, which would also make it easier for him to write a report.

……

Niu Geng rubbed his eyes, and groggily poked his head out of the train window, asking in bewilderment, "Could there be a landslide ahead?" The passengers on the train began to discuss it, and it was at this moment that the train began to broadcast an announcement, informing passengers that there was a landslide one kilometer ahead.

"Hey! It really collapsed!" Niu Geng laughed with delight and shouted. "Shut your jinx!" Li Chenggong immediately became flustered, pushed Niu Geng aside, and stuck his head out of the window to check the situation at the collapsed area.

This movie is the 2010 film "Lost on Journey", the first film in the Lost on Journey series, and also the highest-rated film in the series. Although thirteen years have passed, when the name Niu Geng was mentioned, Lu Ze instantly recalled the character.

She listened intently, as if she hadn't heard the volunteers talk about it during the day and knew what was going to happen next. Instead, she laughed and slapped her thigh. For her, the audio film tour volunteer performances that only came once every few months were enough for her to record and listen to dozens of times, thus killing a lot of boring time.

Lu Ze's focus was different. He picked up his notebook and listened quietly, his face devoid of a smile, only seriousness and earnestness. These volunteers, who were novices in film and broadcasting, were indeed remarkable and admirable for their ability to vividly depict the imagined scenes of classic films for the blind through oral narration. However, their shortcomings were also quite obvious.

First of all, the volunteers make a lot of mistakes. After all, this is not their profession. They need to focus most of their energy on their daily lives. As long as they can explain the audio movies clearly, that's fine.

Secondly, having multiple people read the original script aloud is too rigid, monotonous, and lacks personal expression. It's somewhat mechanical, and to put it bluntly, it's like being called on by a teacher to read a text. Even these kind-hearted volunteers would get tired of reading a movie dozens of times.

Finally, Lu Ze's personal opinion is that the current selection of audio films is mostly positive and uplifting comedies, which is too monotonous. While this is understandable, Lu Ze personally feels that other types of films should be added to allow listeners to develop their own preferences and cultivate their own thinking. After all, these people have far fewer sources of intellectual enlightenment than those who can see them.

If you observe carefully, you'll find that blind people often have similar personalities, or rather, blind people in a region often have similar personalities.

Of course, these problems cannot be blamed on the volunteers, nor should they be. This is the responsibility of the China Film Association, and even Lu Ze. The blame should be placed on the heads of every member of the China Film Association.

As Chen Yongbin said, the current China Film Association is too focused on commerce, which is a dereliction of duty for the entire association. The China Film Association should be responsible for the audience of Chinese films. Wherever Chinese films exist, wherever Chinese films cover, the voice of everyone must be heard by the association! This is the key to Chen Yongbin's current efforts to promote the progress of sound films.

Although Lu Ze has not yet officially become his disciple, his mentor's wish is also his wish, and he must work hard for it. This is not only to help the Chinese film industry shine on the international stage as an individual, but also to truly start thinking about the best way forward for Chinese films today.

For a time, the only sounds in the bar, besides the ringing of her phone, were her occasional laughter. Lu Ze filled a page with notes until the movie reached its end.

She finished her juice, listened to the movie, and her old-fashioned mobile phone told her the time; it was already 8 p.m., and she should leave. Lu Ze didn't bother with any more pleasantries.

"Boss, I'm leaving now. I'm sorry to have troubled you again."

"polite."

She pushed the door open with difficulty and walked past Lu Ze. Just as Lu Ze was breathing, he didn't smell any fragrance, not a single scent, until his cane hit the ground and he suddenly remembered one last question.

"Would you like me to download some audio from other movies for you online?"

"No need, thank you boss. There aren't many available online, I've already listened to them all. Goodbye boss."

"Goodbye."

After she walked a certain distance away, Lu Ze closed the door, checked the time, and realized it was time for him to close up shop. The cripple stared at him from the bar counter until Lu Ze took out a catnip ball from the bar counter drawer, which calmed the catnip ball down, and it became engrossed in its own world.

He locked the door, turned off the lights, leaving only the desk lamp casting natural light, and wrote his last suggestion in his notebook.

"Online promotion should be strengthened, and movies shown by volunteers should be promptly collected and uploaded to online resources."

Finally, he meticulously reviewed and supplemented each item, listing them in a new, standardized manner on a new page. On this ordinary night, he was still working, accompanied by a cat that had overdone its pee on the table.

"Crippled man!!!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)