Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 111 Graduate School Admission and Role Selection
February and March are the months for art college entrance exams and interviews. At this time, students from all over the country gather at the gate of Beijing Film Academy, all of whom are pursuing their artistic dreams and want to study at the academy.

But now the students are drawn to the two long, eye-catching red banners hanging at the school gate.

"Warmest congratulations to Wu Yuchen, an outstanding student of our school, for winning the Best Director Award at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival!"

"Warmest congratulations to Wu Yuchen, an outstanding student of our school, for winning the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival for his role in 'Run Lola Run'!"

Some candidates were clueless, having never heard of the three major European universities, and were too embarrassed to ask those around them, but just seeing the banner made them think it looked pretty impressive.

Some of them had already boldly asked the Beijing Film Academy students who were doing the guiding work:

"Hey senior, is the Berlin Film Festival and the Silver Bear Award really that impressive?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaoming immediately raised his chin, a wicked smile already hinting at something sinister spreading across his face:

"It's not just impressive, it's exceptionally impressive! The three major European film festivals are the highest halls of art films! To win Best Director here is proof that you are one of the best directors in the world!"

The surrounding students gaped, their eyes wide with shock. One student mustered the courage to ask, "Is he even more impressive than Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou?"

"They're both amazing. Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou have both won awards at the three major film festivals, and they're both from Beijing Film Academy. Now it's our Teacher Wu's turn to take over!"

"Teacher Wu? Senior, isn't this written by a current student?"

Huang Xiaoming said proudly, "That's right, but Teacher Wu is our class advisor. Only our class can call him Teacher Wu!"

Now that news of Wu Yuchen's award has spread, Huang Xiaoming, a classmate of Chen Kun, was extremely envious of Chen Kun's involvement in the filming of "My Brothers and Sisters." He also hopes that Teacher Wu will invite him!
Upon hearing this, the surrounding candidates all looked on with envy, while those with quick minds immediately imagined that if they could get into Beijing Film Academy, their tutors, even if not as good as Wu Yuchen, would still be very capable, right? This further fueled their desire to apply to Beijing Film Academy.

On the other side, in the girls' dormitory of the Central Academy of Drama, Zhang Ziyi, Qin Hailu, and other girls each held a newspaper.

"Glory to Berlin: China's First Director to Win Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival!" — China Youth Daily

"19-year-old director Wu Yuchen returns from Berlin with the Silver Bear for Best Director, setting a record at three major film festivals!" — Global Times

"Run Lola Run wins two Silver Bears, the youngest director to win Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival is born! China's sixth generation of directors is rising!" — China Film News

Four or five newspapers, and the headline of the entertainment section of each newspaper was about Wu Yuchen and "Run Lola Run".

The girls were now completely stunned. Zeng Li had previously known that Wu Yuchen was an exceptionally talented director who had won the Golden Bear for Short Film and awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

However, their impression of Wu Yuchen remains that of a very talented young director, but he cannot be compared with a truly great director.

Now, seeing the news in the newspapers that Wu Yuchen won Best Director and the Jury Prize for "Run Lola Run," their perception of Wu Yuchen has to be refreshed once again.

After all, this is the Berlin Film Festival!
Zhang Yimou also became a major director in China after winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival with "Red Sorghum".

So, is Wu Yuchen, who won Best Director and the Jury Prize, any worse than Zhang Yimou back then? At least they can be compared, since he's already a great director, isn't he?

Zhang Ziyi, who is usually quite boisterous, couldn't even muster the energy to joke around with Zeng Li at this moment. They were classmates, but Zeng Li had a boyfriend like that, how could anyone compare?!

However, the person with the most complicated feelings at this moment was Mei Ting. She had specifically auditioned for "Run Lola Run," but Wu Yuchen's final reply to her was that her appearance was passable, but her temperament was not quite right and she did not have Lola's indomitable spirit.

At the time, not getting the job was just a passing memory, but now, seeing the news of "Run Lola Run" winning a major award in Berlin, a strong sense of regret and remorse rises within Mei Ting. Was it because she hesitated at the time due to the school's restrictions on filming outside the school that she performed poorly during the audition?
Mei Ting felt increasingly constrained by the school's rule against filming. Recently, she received an invitation from director Ye Daying, with whom she had previously worked, to audition for the female lead in "Red Lovers," with Leslie Cheung as the male lead. Mei Ting, who had initially hesitated, suddenly became determined; she was going to do it even if it meant dropping out of school!
Qin Hailu, on the other hand, had only been in school a short time when she was put down by her classmates because of her appearance. Despite her initial resignation, she was quite philosophical about it, shouting:
"Pear, I'm not saying anything more! If your boyfriend ever gets a suitable minor role in a movie, I'll be happy to be an extra!"

Zeng Li is now immune to her roommates' jokes, and she can't help but smile as she looks at the interview with Wu Yuchen in her hand.

"Pear, when will this movie be released?" Hu Jing couldn't help but ask.

“I can’t watch it. Some of the plot points don’t align with mainstream values.” Zeng Li shook her head; she had already heard about this from Wu Yuchen.

"Oh? I want to see more!"

"It's okay, he'll come to our school to drop him off in a few days."

"Really? Then we'd better grab a good spot in advance!"

……

At this very moment, in the director's office of Beijing Film Academy, Hou Keming was in an excellent mood. Two days ago, the Central Academy of Drama had proactively called him, hoping Wu Yuchen would bring his film to their location for screening. The fact that their old rival was practically begging them to screen the film naturally made him extremely pleased!
He smiled and said to Wu Yuchen, "Xiao Wu, I have something to tell you. The school has decided to recommend you for postgraduate studies. Be prepared."

Wu Yuchen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Dean Hou, isn't that unnecessary? I feel like I don't even have enough time right now, and asking me to pursue a master's degree would really be..."

"Stop crying your eyes out. How many days have you actually attended school properly these days? Every time you need to film, you're given leave?" Hou Keming said irritably.

"I'm so sorry, I probably won't be able to make it for the exam again." Wu Yuchen felt that pursuing a master's degree was pointless and a waste of time.

"Alright, you have to do this graduate program. It won't interfere with your movie making. You can retake the exams later, but you can't be too careless with your thesis. A lot of people will definitely want to read it after it's written."

Wu Yuchen naturally understood this, which was why he didn't want to cause trouble. With his current fame, his future papers would undoubtedly be cited or plagiarized by many. He could only focus on writing his own work well; the example of Zhai Tianlin served as a stark warning.

Then Hou Keming added, "After your film was screened at the school yesterday, it had a great impact on our teaching group. After discussing it, we felt that the filming and editing techniques of your film 'Run Lola Run' are worth promoting, and we plan to include them in our teaching plans in the future."

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen realized he had no choice but to agree. He thought for a moment; the school had indeed given him a lot of freedom, and it shouldn't affect anything except his thesis and graduate studies. So he nodded in agreement.

He wasn't surprised that "Run Lola Run" was included in the teaching materials. After all, in his previous life, this movie was hailed as a must-learn subject in directing classes, and it still is 20 years later. It's truly a classic.

What Hou Keming didn't say was that they also planned to include this film in the entrance exams for Beijing Film Academy in the future. They would skip it next year and give the film a year or two to spread before officially starting the year after next.

Hou Keming casually asked, "Are you going to continue filming recently?"

It's no wonder he asked; this kid is just too prolific, producing one film after another like a sow giving birth.

Wu Yuchen shook his head and said with a smile, "I have an idea, but the script isn't finished yet. However, I estimate we'll need to go out and scout locations soon."

Hou Keming raised an eyebrow: "There really is? What type is it this time?"

"I'm planning to try a romance movie," Wu Yuchen said, referring to the one he was preparing for Jiang Qinqin.

"love?"

Hou Keming nodded, then asked, "There won't be anything too explicit, will there?"

"Don't worry, Professor Hou, the content definitely won't be too explicit this time. I even plan to release it in China next year!"

"Okay, as long as you know your limits. Are you aiming for the prize again this time?" Hou Keming asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "Mine is just an ordinary art-house romance film, and the three major film studios probably won't approve of it. It will mainly be released domestically."

Hou Keming was slightly disappointed to hear that Wu Yuchen wasn't aiming for an award this time, but thinking that he couldn't keep encouraging students to make banned films, and considering that Wu Yuchen was a very opinionated person, he figured that as long as the film stayed within acceptable limits, he wouldn't have to worry about anything. So he said:
"Okay, if you need to take leave, go find your teacher, Ms. Xie."

Wu Yuchen's choice to make a romance film is naturally purposeful. The release of *Titanic* next year will stimulate market demand for romance movies. However, the domestic film industry doesn't prioritize romance themes at all; there are very few domestically produced romance films, meaning audiences will have little to watch when the time comes.

People in the industry will realize this and start filming various romance films. In 99, a batch of romance films, represented by "Yellow River Love", emerged.

Wu Yuchen plans to film it this year and release it next year when the opportunity arises, hoping to capitalize on the romance trend sparked by "Titanic".

As Wu Yuchen has become a prominent figure on campus over the past year, and his reputation has steadily grown, he and Jiang Qinqin no longer frequent the school grounds. They are constantly the center of attention, and the excessive attention makes them uncomfortable.

Jiang Qinqin affectionately hugged Wu Yuchen's arm and said, "Sasha is so disappointed that she didn't get to be chosen as Lola and missed such a great opportunity..."

Wu Yuchen glanced at Jiang Qinqin and, seeing her envious look, thought that when she was talking about Chen Shasha, she was actually talking about herself.
Wu Yuchen flicked her nose with his finger and said with a smile, "Don't rush, the script I promised you last time is still being written." Hearing Wu Yuchen say this, Jiang Qinqin no longer hid her thoughts: "Then when will it be filmed?"

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "At least we should get Xia Tian, ​​right? Didn't I tell you the story before?"

Jiang Qinqin nodded, then asked, "Can this movie win any of the three major awards?"

"It's hard to say; winning an award also depends on fate," Wu Yuchen said tactfully.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin pouted and asked, "So, we can't get it?"

She looked clearly disappointed, feeling that it was definitely not as good as "Run Lola Run".

Upon seeing this, Wu Yuchen said:

"I don't know if it will win an award, but at least it will be shown in theaters and make you a big star. Don't be fooled by the fact that 'Run Lola Run' won an award, because the movie can't be released, and even if you played the lead role, you won't become famous."

Hearing Wu Yuchen's words made Jiang Qinqin feel a little better, and a smile returned to her face. Then she asked Wu Yuchen, "Hey, you and your cousin are quite close, aren't you?"

Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and said, "You mean Sister Ranran? We're about the same age, we've been playing together since we were little, and we're really close. What's up?"

"It's nothing, I just saw a group photo of you all in the newspaper and she was hugging you." After Jiang Qinqin finished speaking, she tightened her grip on Wu Yuchen's arm.

Wu Yuchen smiled but didn't reply, thinking to himself that women really are all so sensitive. He changed the subject and asked:

"Qinqin, my company is preparing to film a TV series called 'The Passionate Years.' Would you like to act in it?"

The novel "The Passionate Years" has been published, and Jiang Qinqin knew that it was written by Wu Yuchen and his father, so she naturally read it.

She asked, "Who am I playing? Shi Jing?"

Shi Jing is the daughter of the male and female leads in the drama, and in terms of billing, she is the second lead.

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Yes, Shi Jing actually has quite a lot of screen time, and she's very popular with the audience. She'll definitely become famous if she plays the role."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin asked, "How long will this take to film?"

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment: "We are actually auditioning now. I estimate that the whole preparation will take another half a month. I can't say for sure when the filming will take, maybe three or four months."

Jiang Qinqin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Wouldn't that conflict with making a movie?"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Then forget it. You should think about the movie carefully."

Seeing her like this, Wu Yuchen knew she probably didn't want to act anymore. He couldn't help but sigh to himself, "Has this little girl become too picky because I've spoiled her?"

If it were an ordinary actress, like her roommates, they would definitely have to seriously consider this kind of role.

But now it seems that Jiang Qinqin has completely devoted herself to movies and looks down on TV dramas.

However, Wu Yuchen didn't say anything. If she didn't want to, so be it, as long as she didn't act up and throw a tantrum.

This role is great; she's a brave and strong female soldier, and she's very popular with audiences after the show aired. Actually, Zeng Li would have been quite suitable, but due to the rule that freshmen at the Central Academy of Drama can't take on acting roles, we couldn't cast her.

Then why not just ask Li Xiaoran? The fact that her film *Run Lola Run* can't be released will definitely have an impact on her personally. Honestly, when it comes to promoting talent, most domestic films can't compare to television dramas.

Thinking of Li Xiaoran, Wu Yuchen smiled. She had gone home these past few days and had finally achieved something to prove herself, so she was definitely going to show off to her parents to save them from worrying about her in the future.

As Miracle Films' first TV series, Wu Yuchen put a lot of effort into "The Passionate Years".

"Brother Lei, who do you think is the most suitable for the male lead role of Shi Guangrong?"

At this moment, Wu Yuchen was sitting with Kang Honglei and producer Meng Fanyao discussing something.

"Judging from the audition results, Li Youbin is better, and he himself is also very dedicated to this role."

“I also think Li Youbin, he had that kind of recklessness and temper when he auditioned, and he can also portray a tough and unyielding side, and the pay is not high.”

Li Youbin isn't really that expensive now. He became a big star after starring in "Bright Sword" and "Crossing the Guandong", which solidified his status.

"Then let's go with Li Youbin. As for the female lead?" Wu Yuchen was quite confident in Li Youbin and decided on the spot.

"We originally wanted to cast Zhang Kaili as the female lead, but when we asked, we found out that her fee was a bit high."

When Wu Yuchen thought of Zhang Kaili, the first thing that popped into his mind was Zulijian (a brand of health supplements). The advertisement was so catchy that it was almost addictive, making people feel a bit disgusted.

He put that thing out of his head. In fact, Zhang Kaili did become famous very early. In 90, she became famous all over the country for her role as the female lead in the TV series "Aspiration", and won awards such as the Golden Eagle Award and the Spring Swallow Cup.

Last year, she also starred in the film "Military Wife," which won the "Five Ones" Award and the Huabiao Award for Best Feature Film. Therefore, Zhang Kaili's salary is quite high now.

It's no wonder they wanted to invite Zhang Kaili, after all, the female lead in "The Passionate Years" is a military wife.

However, judging from the context, it seems they couldn't invite her. In fact, Wu Yuchen felt that Zhang Kaili might not be very suitable for the role.

"We've had quite a few auditions since then, and now we each have one we like. We were just about to ask for your opinion," Kang Honglei said.
Wu Yuchen laughed upon hearing this: "What do you all think?"

"I'm interested in Chen Jin. She was born in 64. She comes from a military family and was assigned to the Air Force Drama Troupe after graduation, so she understands military wives very well, and her temperament is a good fit. She also has rich acting experience and her acting skills are not a problem."

Many people may not be familiar with this name, but Wu Yuchen knows that her acting skills are truly undeniable. She's often called the female version of Chen Daoming and is one of the very few actors in China to have won the Golden Rooster, Magnolia, Golden Eagle, and Huabiao Awards—a grand slam of prestigious awards. One of her most recognizable roles is Su's mother in "All Is Well."

Wu Yuchen nodded, then looked at producer Meng Fanyao and said with a smile:
“I’m interested in He Saifei. She was born in 62. Although she’s not from a military background, her acting skills are undeniable. Plus, she has a better image and is a better match for Li Youbin.”

He Saifei, who played Yang Jiuhong in "The Grand Mansion Gate," is a veteran actress with undeniable acting skills.

Wu Yuchen paced back and forth a few times, thinking about the female lead's character in "The Passionate Years," and then said:

"I have faith in both of their acting skills, so there's no need to consider that. But the female lead, Chu Qin, is a woman as beautiful as a lilac, which is why Shi Guangrong was willing to risk everything to win her hand in marriage. So, in terms of appearance, I think He Saifei is more suitable; she's prettier. What do you think?"

Meng Fanyao gave a thumbs-up and smiled in agreement: "That's absolutely right!"

Kang Honglei felt that Chen Jin had more of a military wife vibe, but Wu Yuchen was right, so he thought about it and agreed: "Then let's go with He Saifei."

"What about Shilin?" Wu Yuchen continued to ask.

Shi Lin is the son of the male and female leads. He is a rebellious and troublesome soldier's son from a young age. His previous life was played by Huang Haibo, which was also the role that made him stand out.

"We just finished auditioning for this role, and we both felt that Yin Xiaotian, a junior at the Central Academy of Drama, was the most suitable."

Upon hearing Yin Xiaotian's name, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think of those scoundrels from the "Tea Knife" gang. This kid had also made a bad choice in friends; his career was going well, but then his so-called good brother, "Tea Knife," led a large group of bystanders to attack him. Although he was eventually exonerated after releasing a video to clear his name, no one apologized to him, including the netizens who had criticized him back then, who refused to admit they were blind. This caused his career to stall for several years.

He thought about Yin Xiaotian's image and it seemed quite suitable, so he nodded in agreement.

The thought that this character was Huang Haibo in his previous life, and now it's Yin Xiaotian, and that both of them have been tricked, made Wu Yuchen feel a little strange.

I'm speechless. They even deleted my post about the "Backstabbing Cult." I'm truly impressed.

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(End of this chapter)