Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 125 Group Building
Mr. Han is not blind to the risks of science fiction blockbusters in the market, but he dares to do what others dare not do.

At that time, others didn’t dare to make blockbusters.

After he was sure that he would invest, he asked Li Qiutang, "Will Huayi and the others not invest?"

"They think making a science fiction blockbuster is too risky and not worth it." Li Qiutang added, "They think making a big earthquake is safer."

Director Han smiled and said, "They are right. It is indeed safer to do a big earthquake."

Mr. Han didn't even ask him how he was going to deal with the contract with Huayi, but he knew it wouldn't end well.

During the following meeting, the old and young discussed the preparations for "In Time".

Li Qiutang admitted that the conditions for making science fiction blockbusters in China are still immature. He said: "But we can't wait until all conditions are ripe to do this. Things won't wait until you have made all the preparations and conditions. If there is no wind, we will blow the wind ourselves to make it fly."

Should we say that Li Qiutang is young and ignorant, or that he is full of confidence?

But these words did make Mr. Han excited. When he was making the blockbuster, ten thousand people advised him that the conditions were not ripe, but in the end, it was done anyway.

Li Qiutang also had a clear understanding of reality and said to Mr. Han: "We can't make it like Transformers. I will find a way to achieve a sci-fi effect with a small amount of money."

Li Qiutang took this issue into consideration when writing the script. The film was to be shot as realistically as possible and to reduce the number of special effects shots as much as possible. But if special effects shots were to be shot, it would cost a lot of money to make them well.

"1 million should be enough. I plan to start filming this year."

"Is there enough time? It's too rushed." The preparation of a blockbuster film takes at least a year, and at most two to three years, so President Han can't help but worry.

"That's enough." Li Qiutang pointed to his head. "It's been 10 months, and it's all here."

Director Han liked Li Qiutang's confidence that no one else could do it better than him: "Do your best. I'll prepare the funds for you after I'm done with this busy period."

"Thank you, Mr. Han. By the way, can you please ask Mr. Jianxin to be my producer again? We worked very well together on "The Sound of Wind"."

"I'll tell him, it shouldn't be a problem."

Three days later, the 1000 million preparatory funds from China Film arrived, and they officially signed a cooperation agreement for "In Time" with Li Qiutang.

The two parties agreed that the total investment in "In Time" would be 1 million yuan, and Li Qiutang's director and screenwriter fees would be 5 million yuan. Li Qiutang was required to guarantee that the film would start shooting within 570 months from the date of signing the contract.

The day after the preparatory funds arrived, Li Qiutang flew to South Korea with the producer and teacher Huang Jianxin.

Li Qiutang was not exaggerating when he said that the entire film was in his mind; he really knew exactly what effect he wanted.

The domestic special effects team really couldn't afford the special effects task for this film. Those from Japan and the United States were too expensive, so Li Qiutang could only find very cost-effective Koreans to do it.

I stayed in South Korea for a week and signed contracts with three special effects companies: Digital Idea, Mofac&Alfred and DTI. These three are also Korean special effects companies that have cooperated frequently with domestic crews. The other companies even have full-time Chinese translators.

Li Qiutang was not stingy when it came to special effects, but required the teams from the three companies to start work within a month to carry out preliminary special effects preparations.

This requirement is normal, as many crews will do the special effects in advance.

After returning to China, Li Qiutang set up a team and officially began the preparatory work for "In Time".

Li Qiutang was very touched that many of his old colleagues who had worked with him before were still willing to join his team.

The director of photography invited Cao Dun again. Although "In Time" was in his mind, the shooting would start within 10 months and the time was really tight, so he chose to shoot with the photographer he had worked with before.

Li Qiutang knew what kind of film Cao Dun could produce, and Cao Dun also knew what Li Qiutang wanted.

Cao Dun has become famous in the industry in the past two years and is very busy. He originally had no time to take on In Time, but Li Qiutang said he was going to rent four ALEXA digital cameras, and In Time would be the first film in the Chinese film industry or even in the Asian film industry to be shot with this camera. Then Cao Dun pushed aside other work and came here happily.

"Where's the machine? Where's the machine?"

"Why are you in such a hurry? I can't carry the camera with me even if I have it. The camera has been ordered and will arrive in two weeks." Due to cost considerations, "In Time" will abandon the film camera and become Li Qiutang's first fully digitally shot film.

Four ALEXA digital cameras paired with two commonly used 4K digital cameras will be a powerful weapon for Li Qiutang in filming "In Time". The production team did the math and found that full digital shooting would save two to three million yuan compared to film cameras, and this was calculated even though the rental cost of ALEXA cameras remains high.

"Come, let me introduce someone to you." Li Qiutang introduced someone to Cao Dun, "Wang Boxue, my little brother from the Film Academy. He was the one who filmed The Night the Comet Came for me. I'll introduce him to you."

Li Qiutang was determined to train Wang Boxue. When filming "The Sound of Wind" last year, Li Qiutang brought him into the crew to do some camera and focus work.

Cao Dun actually didn't want to take an apprentice, but Li Qiutang gave him such a good machine to play with, so he couldn't refuse.

…………

Liu Yifei and her mother returned to China.

Liu Yifei thought about it for a few days and figured out one thing: she probably wasn't in love with Li Qiutang.

That feeling should be because I had become familiar with Li Qiutang during those few days in Australia. It was a liking between friends, not a love between a man and a woman.

It’s definitely not a love story between a man and a woman, how could I like Li Qiutang?

After thinking it through, Liu Yifei felt much more relaxed.

But thinking back to what she talked about with Li Qiutang on Penguin that day, Liu Yifei couldn't help but wonder, with so many excellent actors, why did he want me to audition?

She had no doubt that with Li Qiutang's current influence in the industry, his film would be short of actors for auditions.

But Li Qiutang insisted that she "come back to China and let's audition for a play."

Liu Yifei was thinking: "The crew must have invited many actors to audition. He and I are classmates, so he told me directly."

She was not so narcissistic as to think that Li Qiutang only invited her. There were not so many people in the entertainment industry who needed her.

But she couldn't help but secretly rejoice: "I'm friends with the director, can I do some behind-the-scenes manipulation or something, hehe."

When Liu Xiaoli heard her daughter tell her that Li Qiutang would ask her to return to China for an audition a few days after she left, she was of course very happy.

Xiao Li is a big director now, so it would be great to be able to act in his movie. My daughter hasn't been on the crew for more than a year, so she has to seize the opportunity.

When it comes to critical moments, old classmates still come in handy.

If I am really selected, I will buy a gift to thank Xiao Li.

When the mother and daughter returned to China, Li Qiutang was eating kimchi beef stew with the DTI minister in South Korea.

When Liu Yifei received the notice from Li Qiutang asking her to go for an audition, she had already returned to China for almost half a month.

The audition location was also strange, it was a high-end restaurant in Yanjing, and the time was 7pm.

Liu Yifei didn't think much about it, thinking that this might just be an informal meeting, and the two of them casually chatted about the script and the characters.

(End of this chapter)