Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 152: Trick the Little Flathead

There is a small Western Paradise between the Jishuitan and the Iron Lion Tomb in old Beijing.

There is a Chinese Film Archive here, which is jokingly called a holy place for Peking movie fans.

Xiaoxitian is also the location of China Film Group.

On March 2003, 3, several industry giants with distribution businesses, including China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Polybona Film Group, gathered here to attend a screening of "Shoplifters" and "Crazy Stone".

Logically speaking, as the producers of the two films, such a film screening should be held in a neutral venue, such as Jie Company or Beijing Film Academy.

But Xiaopingtou relied on China Film Corporation's 30% investment share in "Shoplifters" and insisted on watching the movie here.

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing, the distribution department manager sent by Shanghai Film Group, were helpless and could only follow the emperor's instructions.

In the screening room, the dragon logo flashed by, and "Shoplifters" began.

Feng Yuanzheng and his son Zhang Yishan were stealing in a supermarket. On the way home, they met the crying Xiaotong and took her home.

A bland and boring beginning.

Han Shanping frowned. This was not the pace he had expected.

Although "Whiplash" is also a musical and literary film, it has many plot points from beginning to end and can catch the audience's attention.

This is also what Lukuan claimed to be the most interesting part in the roadshow.

But this "Shoplifters" looks a bit like plain water, full of trivial family scenes.

However, Tian Zhuangzhuang doesn't think so. From the blank space and exposure techniques used in the first ten minutes of the film, it can be seen that this is a unique arrangement by the director.

At the beginning, there is an overexposure of the sun for about 2 seconds, which not only flashes into the eyes of the audience in front of the screen, but also conveys a message to the viewers:

This is a burned family, these are the poor people who were abandoned during the economic downturn in several Gulf provinces.

Whether Lu Kuan is going to film a sad story or a heartwarming one, we can only keep watching.

In addition to Han Shanping, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Yu Dong, Zhu Zhaoxing and others, also present today were Gao Chengsheng and Xie Xiaojin, director of the directing department of Beijing Film Academy.

On one side is the administrative faction, and on the other side is the academic faction.

The administrative faction focuses on the box office potential, and they are accustomed to structuring and evaluating from the perspective of ordinary audiences.

The academic school will analyze and evaluate this Beijing Film Academy student's exploration of film techniques and audio-visual language in detail.

Lu Kuan and Ning Hao were sitting in the back row. They had already studied in advance and were whispering to Boss Lu with some confusion.

"Director Lu, why don't you organize a screening after returning from Cannes?"

What Ning Hao meant was that with Lu Kuan's directing skills and operational capabilities, he could definitely try to win an award in Cannes first.

After returning home with the prize, you can negotiate with the publisher about the profit sharing and get more control over it, which can maximize your profits.

"The situation is currently at a boiling point and unclear, so let's make a decision sooner rather than later to avoid any more complications."

This is one reason, but not the main reason.

Ning Hao had thought of getting the award first and then asking for a reduction in the distribution ratio, and Lu Kuan had certainly considered it a long time ago.

As the saying goes, "Before thinking about victory, think about defeat first." Boss Lu is not very confident about the prospects of "Shoplifters" winning awards in Cannes this time.

In Venice, we have the right time, place and people.

The film's tone was exactly what the Venice Film Festival chairman wanted, and the jury was headed by fellow Chinese Gong Li.

It also happened that the Hollywood-style film fit the "Accept Diversity" slogan of that Venice International Film Festival.

But the situation in Cannes in May was much more confusing.

Even though "Shoplifters" won the Palme d'Or in 2018, times have changed and it's hard to say how it will perform this year.

Therefore, Lu Kuan was very cunning and called a meeting in advance to watch the film and discuss the distribution, in order to avoid a Waterloo in Cannes.

Ning Hao didn't take it seriously, or perhaps it was because he had not experienced a large-scale mask incident in later generations. No one expected that this infectious disease would develop to such a serious level.

"The release of 'Stone' has also been confirmed today, but I suggest postponing the release until after July."

When the Boiling Point epidemic broke out in 2003, all cinemas in Beijing were closed from the end of April and were not reopened until June 4.

But even after the lockdown is lifted, tickets will still be sold in alternate rows and seats, with only half of the seats open.

Affected by the boiling point, all films have postponed their releases.

This resulted in a fierce competition in the second half of 2003, with Hong Kong's "Infernal Affairs 3" and "Back to the Future" and Hollywood's "Terminator " and "The Matrix " competing against each other in a fierce and brutal manner.

For general producers, they have made huge investments in the early stages, and some even took out loans to make films. After the film is finished, they naturally want to release it as soon as possible to recoup the costs.

But for Lu Kuan and Wenjie, the total investment in "Thief" and "Stone" is only about 1300 million, and the company has no financing costs.

If the release effect can be predicted and guaranteed, Boss Lu doesn't mind delaying it to the fourth quarter.

Even "Thief" was released during the Spring Festival.

The audience in the front row began to whisper. Boss Lu looked up and saw that the plot point had arrived.

The family's veil of warmth was lifted, allowing the audience to see the cruel truth.

It turns out that this family is based on the contractual spirit of "mutual benefit".

The couple adopted the abandoned baby as compensation for not having children, and they supported the grandmother because they coveted her pension.

The girl played by Fan Bingbing's attachment to her family, especially her grandmother, stems from her resentment towards her biological father, and her grandmother gathers everyone together because she is worried that she will die alone in misery.

Everyone has a precise calculation of their own contributions and only seeks rewards.

Han Shanping and other audience members were shocked to realize that they had unknowingly stepped onto Lu Kuan's path. The silent warmth of the first thirty minutes was suddenly shattered, and the main part of the play was about to begin.

Another anti-chicken soup narrative reversal.

The film enters the 70th minute, with Zhou Xun and Feng Yuanzheng being arrested and confessing their crimes at the police station, the real climax of the film arrives.

The opening is the warmth of family and love, the middle part is the revelation of selfishness, and here, Lu Kuan once again uses extremely strong narrative techniques to start making people cry.

The whole film is over.

Tian Zhuangzhuang smiled, shook his head and clapped his hands. Shaking his head was another expression of his amazement at Lu Kuan's progress in directing ability, while clapping was a sign of his heartfelt recognition.

He even felt that film school could no longer teach him anything.

Whether it is "Whiplash" or "Shoplifters", Lu Kuan copied the script, but his changes to the narrative rhythm and innovations in lighting and photography are his own intellectual achievements.

This is also to gain more box office revenue in the current declining domestic film environment and give them more commercial value.

There is no director who doesn't want to explore audio-visual language and expression techniques, but Boss Lu knows better than anyone that he has to survive first.

This was the blood and tears lesson he learned in his previous life.

The lights in the theater came on, and Han Shanping shook Lu Kuan's hand firmly. "Director Xiaolu, your work is excellent. I'm very glad that China Film Group invested in it."

Gao Chengsheng, standing by, adjusted his glasses and said nothing, simply thinking about how to get a piece of the publishing pie. He glanced at Yu Dong, his expression gloomy and unclear, and he clearly realized the fierce competition.

Xie Xiaojin said with a smile, "The road ahead is wide open. I think this film has a good chance of winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes!"

Of course, he and Tian Zhuangzhuang had nothing to do with the distribution discussion, but that didn't stop him from endorsing "Shoplifters" and speaking well of it, giving Lu Kuan some initiative.

The only Palme d'Or won by a Chinese director so far is "Farewell My Concubine" by Chen Kaige, who also graduated from the Beijing Film Academy.

Xie Xiaojin, the director of the directing department, was praising his student at this time, and of course he also hoped that another director from the Beijing Film Academy would win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May, bringing glory to the school and the directing department.

This is also due to his "good management method"!

"Then I'd like to thank Director Xie for his kind words. If you really win the award, we will ask the community to pay for the school banner!"

"Hey, this kid!"

Everyone laughed.

Tian Zhuangzhuang, Lu Kuan's true mentor, did not say anything. He knew that with Lu Kuan's talent, it would be difficult for others to take advantage of him.

When China Film offered the highest distribution fee without leaving any room for negotiation, this guy turned around and went to Bernardo, and finally won a great victory.

Industry status and reputation are earned through hard work, not begging.

Not to mention the distant future, this time when we talk about issuance, it has become a seller's market.

Maybe it is a bit too much to control the three major distribution companies such as China Film, but it is inevitable to wait for the right price and strive for the greatest benefits for oneself.

Han Shanping still had the demeanor of a boss: "Xiaolu, come to my office. I recently made some good tea."

Lu Kuan smiled, greeted everyone, and followed Gao Chengsheng to the office.

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing of Shanghai Film Group looked at each other in surprise. The Third Master was going to take the initiative!

Damn, so domineering!

Han Shanping asked Gao Chengsheng to make tea, but did not start talking about the release directly.

"Xiaolu, last time you told me about science fiction films and the special effects industry, I was really touched."

"Last week, at a meeting at the bureau, I made a proposal report on the current development of China Film's digital industry."

Boss Lu was stunned. What kind of trick is this?
"Leader, instructions."

"First, I asked the bureau to strengthen the technical upgrade of Hualong Digital and accelerate the construction of a film and television platform based on a high-tech background."

"Secondly, I request that the construction of digital cinema projects under China Film Group's cinema chains be accelerated, with the initial plan to add 100 new digital cinemas this year!"

"Great, leader! You have a far-sighted vision! You have a commanding perspective!"

Han Shanping waved his hand: "Haha, don't be so quick to flatter me, I want to hear your opinion."

Boss Lu's flattery was just flattery, but he did not expect China Film to take such action, with such huge investment and high efficiency.

Of course, the investment in building a digital cinema was not made because of Lu Kuan's advice as Han Shanping said. It was itself a long-term plan of the China Film Group under the leadership of the Film Bureau.

It was not until 2004, when China Film Group Corporation was included in the national cultural industry reform pilot unit, that the implementation of this work began.

To some extent, it can also be said that Lu Kuan used his personal influence on Han Shanping to influence the progress of this industry.

The butterfly's wings flapped again.

Boss Lu pondered, "Mr. Han, in 2002, China Film Group invested in and produced over 30 films, accounting for half of the domestic film market, but the annual output value was less than 1.5 million."

"Everyone has seen the performance of 'Hero' at the end of the year. It can be said that this year marks the beginning of a surge in the popularity of commercial blockbusters."

"But the superstructure reacts on the economic base. With the emergence of science fiction, history, and martial arts blockbusters, audiences are demanding more screenings."

“It’s clear that investing in digital cinemas now, including high-quality cinemas like Edko Films’ New Dong’an Cinema, will be the future development trend!”

One of the most direct benefits of digital cinema is that it saves the cost of making a copy of about 10,000 yuan. In the past, movies with low costs and low box office could not be copied many times.

When the domestic box office revenue reaches billions, the money spent on copies of any movie will be tens of millions, which is not cost-effective.

Han Shanping nodded with satisfaction. Great minds think alike!

He gave Gao Chengsheng a wink, and the latter also understood the elegant meaning of the music.

"Director Lu, China Film Group will unconditionally support your next science fiction film, from talent provision to investment and policy relaxation."

"Watch this movie 'Shoplifters'..."

See the picture poorly.

The map of Yan State was very long. It took Han Shanping 5 minutes to unfold the map, but Gao Chengsheng only needed 1 second to pull out the dagger.

Of course, Boss Lu is not someone who would just give in.

"Mr. Han, Director Gao, I haven't seen 'Stone' yet. I wonder if China Film Group plans to release both films together?"

Han Shanping was stunned. He hadn't even considered "Crazy Stone". He just wanted to quickly grab the slippery road and not repeat the same mistake as last time.

Gao Chengsheng was also caught off guard: "Director Lu, I wonder what your company has to say?"

"Oh, that's right. To be honest, Crazy Stone was shot by Xiao Ning from our company. As a new director, he wasn't very confident at all.

"I'm not afraid of showing my weakness. Wenjie wants to release the two films together. This way, we can give the distributor more points and not let our peers suffer losses."

Gao Chengsheng frowned.

"What kind of film is 'Stone'?"

"It's humorous and funny, with a lot of dialects in it. The budget is about 400 million yuan, and all the actors are new, including a few that our company just signed."

What a mean person!
In order to prevent Han Shanping from being interested in "Stone", he picked out unfavorable factors, but they were all the truth!

Han Shanping had no way to settle the score.

Han Shanping made a prompt decision: "Xiaolu, although China Film Group is the industry leader, it also needs to be careful about its appearance. I think we should leave 'Stone' to Yu Dong and the others."

What a messed up movie! Are they trying to trick us, China Film Group, into bundling it together for distribution?
Ugly rejection!

Lu Kuan's face fell. "Well, okay, but Mr. Han, if that's the case, the distribution costs of Shoplifters..."

"You don't need to lower the price. Let's put it this way. We've never bargained with anyone before."

"This is our first cooperation, so we'll base it on 12 points. If the funds can't be transferred, we can advance them."

Han Shanping was not deliberately letting the money go, but China Film Group was also the producer of "The Thief", and they got much more money than if they were just distributing the film.

This is already a very favorable price. Last time, I took advantage of both ends and tricked Yu Dong into offering a 10% rate.

What's more, at this point in time, China Film Group is both an athlete and a referee. Han Shanping controls the distribution quotas and schedules of foreign blockbusters, and all theaters and film companies have to give him face.

Boss Lu agreed "reluctantly" and left.

(End of this chapter)