Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 296 The Film Industry
Compared to the cast of the TV series "Chinese Paladin", Wu Yuchen is actually more concerned about its special effects.

In its previous life, "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" also used special effects. Although the level was not high, the combination of special effects and live-action shooting made it look better than many cheap special effects 10 years later.

However, this time, the funding for "Chinese Paladin" is definitely more abundant than in the previous life, and Wu Yuchen is more willing to spend money on it.

The several visual effects companies he had previously acquired in Hong Kong have been merged into one company called UFO Visual Effects. This is now the largest and most powerful visual effects company in China.

In the past two years, not only have the special effects of films and TV series produced by Miracle Films such as "Shuiyue Dongtian", "Fengyun" and "Xiao Shiyi Lang" been done by UFO, but with the explosion of various martial arts dramas, many companies in the industry have also approached UFO. After all, having special effects or not makes a difference in the eyes of the audience, it's so cool!
In the past, it was fine if no one had special effects, but when Miracle Films started using special effects in their productions, it naturally raised the bar for viewers, and other film and television companies had no choice but to follow suit and have some effects as well.

Needless to say, the films from Hong Kong Island are also worth mentioning. After all, the three companies that were founded before UFO were already quite famous in Hong Kong Island. This time, the special effects for "Kung Fu Hustle" were also entirely handled by UFO.

The entire Chinese-language film and television industry could certainly support a special effects company. However, Wu Yuchen didn't start this special effects company to make money; he wanted it to develop rapidly and improve its technical level to catch up with Hollywood.

Therefore, when he goes to Hollywood to shoot big-budget films, he always brings several employees from UFO Company to the set to learn from them. This is also why many technical experts within UFO Company are attracted to the project. Soon after, when the second and third installments of "Pirate King" were being filmed back-to-back, many people from UFO Company were vying to join Wu Yu-chen's team to learn from him.

Cai Yinong continued to report her work to Wu Yuchen. Besides "Chinese Paladin," Miracle Films has two more TV series slated for release in the second half of this year.

One of them is "Detective Dee". Wu Yuchen had worked with Liang Guanhua, who played "Fatty Dee", when filming "Brotherhood of Blades" two years ago. At that time, he took the project to heart and last year he asked Miracle Film Zone to contact Qian Yanqiu.

Qian Yanqiu was overjoyed to see Miracle Films approach him, and began writing the script for "Detective Dee".

To be fair, Qian Yanqiu is quite talented. Long before "Detective Dee," he wrote a sequel to "Journey to the West," a radical departure from the original story, the one with the tagline "I want to become an immortal, and be as happy as the heavens." And a couple of years ago, he and his classmate Zhang Zijian filmed "Flying Tiger Eagle Prequel," which gave birth to Yan Shuangying!
Such a talented person naturally deserves to be brought under Miracle Films' umbrella. That would mean the four-part "Detective Dee" series and the "Yan Shuangying" series would be complete! Take it slow; even if they only make one film a year, it could last for ten years!

The other one is "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner," also a period suspense and detective drama. In terms of success, "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" is in no way inferior to "Detective Dee," having previously held the top spot in viewership ratings for the first half of 05. However, it didn't maintain the same level of success as "Detective Dee," and its sequel faltered.

However, the first season of "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" is indeed a classic, especially the scene where He Bing's Song Ci and Guo Da's Diao Guangdou competed against each other, which was simply amazing and made people realize for the first time how superb Guo Da's acting skills were as a sketch actor.

Wu Yuchen paused to think for a moment before realizing that he had worked with Liang Guanhua, He Bing, and Guo Da before. It's undeniable that there are many good middle-aged actors in China, but what they lack are opportunities to showcase their talents, good scripts, and good projects.

At noon, Wu Yuchen knocked on the security door of a simple, unadorned house.

"Coming, coming~"

A moment later, Han Sanping opened the door from the inside and greeted Wu Yuchen, "Come in, come straight in, no need to change your shoes~"

Upon entering, Wu Yuchen saw a middle-aged woman and greeted her with a smile, "Hello, sister-in-law!"

Seeing that there were already quite a few dishes on the table, he smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law. My mouth is watering just looking at it!"

The middle-aged woman smiled at Wu Yuchen and said, "I didn't cook this today, Old Han cooked it himself!"

Wu Yuchen then remembered that Han Sanping was from Sichuan, unlike many northern men who couldn't cook.

Han Sanping smiled and said to Wu Yuchen, "It's been a while since I've made this, and my skills have gotten rusty. Don't blame me if it doesn't taste good!"

"Don't worry, Brother Han, I won't say a word if it's not good. I'll only ask you for help if it's delicious!"

The two chatted and laughed until they sat down to eat and talk.

"Brother Wu, you've really done something amazing this time! I see the whole country is talking about your movie right now. This kind of popularity even surpasses that of 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' back then. I just heard from the movie channel that their ratings this time have surpassed 'News Broadcast,' reaching 28.8%, almost matching the Spring Festival Gala!"

Upon hearing this data, Wu Yuchen was also taken aback. This was a genuine national viewership rating, meaning that more than a quarter of the people watching on television had seen it. If the movie channel were to rebroadcast it repeatedly, the number would definitely be even higher, most likely exceeding one-third.

Currently, China's television viewership is 9 million, and one-third of that is over 3 million. If we calculate based on the number of moviegoers, then to some extent, this does indeed set a record in China.

Wu Yuchen then humbly said, "Brother Han, I only benefited from the free streaming."

"Hey, the movie channel has shown tons of movies, but none of them have such high ratings or the influence you have, Brother Wu. You don't need to be modest!"

"Haha, Brother Han, please stop praising me, or I'm afraid I'll really get carried away!"

"You're now a national treasure-level director. Who else in Chinese-language cinema could compare to you!"

When Wu Yuchen heard Han Sanping praising him so enthusiastically today, he had a sudden thought. Without being polite, he asked directly, "Brother Han, don't try that on me. I've already eaten your food. If you have something to say, just say it."

Han Sanping chuckled upon hearing this: "It's nothing serious, I just wanted to learn a thing or two from you, Brother Wu."

"You want to learn from me?" Wu Yuchen asked, puzzled.

"Of course! Brother Wu, you're now a leading figure in Chinese-language cinema, and you also have extensive Hollywood experience. As the leader, you really need to offer some advice on the development of Chinese films." Hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately replied, "Brother Han, don't say that. I just make movies; when it comes to the development of Chinese-language cinema, it's still up to you to direct it!"

Han Sanping waved his hand:
"Alright, alright, we're already so close, why would I mind this?"

To be honest, Brother Wu, you've brought so much success to Chinese-language cinema over the past few years. Whether for Chinese cinema or for me personally, I have to say thank you!
There's a saying that goes, "Those in a position must fulfill their responsibilities." Since taking this position, I've been thinking about how to promote the rapid development of Chinese-language films and help them catch up with world-class standards and Hollywood as soon as possible.

Brother Wu, you are the person in China who knows Hollywood best, and your opinion is the most valuable!

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen put down his chopsticks. Catching up with Hollywood?

Wu Yuchen sighed, then said to Han Sanping, "Brother Han, since you asked me, I'll tell you something practical. The more you understand Hollywood, the more you can feel how big the gap is between the Chinese film industry and Hollywood's film industry system."

The gap in the film industry isn't just about special effects and visual effects; it's about the entire system surrounding the film industry. Broadly speaking, from financing and censorship to filming and distribution, they have a complete and mature process. Mainland China's system currently lags behind even Hong Kong, let alone Hollywood.

On a smaller scale, Hollywood has as many as 173 job categories, which can be further subdivided into more than 300. The prop master alone can be divided into 30 different types, and there are numerous guilds. In Hollywood, you can go to various guilds to find the crew members you want and then assemble the crew you desire.

For example, if Wu Yuchen wants to shoot a new movie, he doesn't even need to go himself. His agency will get all kinds of information from the union and find those staff members who have participated in films of the same type as his new movie. They can provide Wu Yuchen with several experienced candidates for each position so that he can choose.

And what about in China?
In today's Chinese film and television industry, many staff members rely on "connections" for their livelihood. For example, makeup artists and prop masters on film crews mostly get job opportunities through mutual recommendations. If a friend says there's a shortage of people, they go. They usually have to rely on their personal networks to get various information to find work, and if they don't get any news, they have to take a break.

The difference between the two is quite obvious. Hollywood is undoubtedly more mature and standardized, with many aspects already standardized. It is also more mature in the training of talents in various positions and the protection of their interests.

Speaking of standardization, let's take screenplays as an example. In the United States, standards are established from the student screenwriting stage: one page represents one minute of shooting time. During filming, everyone is clear on how to shoot and how much space per page should be. This way, when they graduate and make films, everyone can easily apply this knowledge within a unified system and atmosphere.

To be honest, there is a gap in all aspects, from funding to management, from talent development to technological updates.

As Han Sanping listened to Wu Yuchen's comprehensive explanation, his brows furrowed more and more. He then picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and sighed, "I knew there was a gap before, but that was all I knew. I didn't realize how big the gap was until you told me!"

There are many problems that Han Sanping simply can't solve. Take piracy, for example—can he really solve that?

And what about the training and rights protection of various professions, such as makeup, props, and lighting? Can he even manage that? Let alone these people, even the rights of screenwriters, such an important profession, are not guaranteed in China right now!
However, Wu Yuchen then comforted Han Sanping, saying:
"American cinema has a 110-year history, and their industrial system was built up over a long period of time. Although we are still lagging behind, we are developing rapidly. If we take steady steps, we can certainly catch up with Hollywood and reach the forefront of the world."

In reality, the industrialization of film production is all about money. Only economically prosperous regions can develop a film industry, accumulating experience through a large volume of film and television production and constantly evolving through trial and error. Poor and underdeveloped regions shouldn't think too much about it; they should just focus on making their own art films.

Han Sanping nodded silently, but then he looked at Wu Yuchen and said:

"Brother Wu, after listening to you say so much, I feel even more that time is of the essence! I have an idea, could you act as a go-between and help our talents go to Hollywood for training and learning?"

Wu Yuchen asked directly, "Brother Han, what kind of talent do you want to cultivate?"

Han Sanping wanted to suggest training in all aspects, but he felt it wasn't very realistic. After thinking for a moment, he said, "In China, we've always focused on the director, so let's train the directors first. Only when directors have a different mindset and vision can they lead the entire crew!"

Wu Yuchen nodded and said, "In that case, I can contact Hollywood studios and try my best to facilitate talent exchange programs between China and those studios."

Furthermore, when I personally travel to the United States to film movies in the future, I will provide two assistant positions each time, allowing young directors to learn alongside the crew! This will enable them to gain faster and more effective exposure to the entire Hollywood process.

Han Sanping was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Excellent! Brother Wu truly deserves to be called the backbone of Chinese cinema!"

……

After Wu Yuchen left Han Sanping's house, he was also thinking about the industrialization of film.

It's not that filmmaking has to follow the industrialized model; you can absolutely make good films using the independent film approach. It's just that having this system is a completely different matter for a country's film industry.

Now that Wu Yuchen has reached this position, he should indeed do what he can for Chinese cinema.

To say that Wu Yuchen single-handedly propelled the industrialization of Chinese cinema to significant heights is utter nonsense; it's simply not something an individual could accomplish.

What can Wu Yuchen do?
For example, to accelerate the development of special effects;

For example, we can establish Miracle Films as a benchmark in the Chinese film industry. By developing a sustainable development system within the company, its influence will gradually spread throughout the entire industry.

And, as promised to Han Sanping just now, to become a bridge for talent exchange.

He remembered Guo Fan, the director of "The Wandering Earth" in his previous life. In 2014, he was a member of this talent exchange program to the United States.

(End of this chapter)