Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 270 I won’t make a movie anymore
On the morning of March 3, Lu Kuan, Cao Jiuping, and Yao Jianguo and others from Tangshan had just finished inspecting the set.

"Have all the props Fan Jianchuan sent arrived? Are they enough?"

"We have everything, and there's even some left."

Cao Jiuping laughed and said, "We invited many elderly people to come and compare and identify the remains to see if they were similar to those back then. Many of them cried when they saw them."

Yao Jianguo said with emotion: "It's not that they cried, this street was just built and aged, and I couldn't help crying just by walking around it."

Seeing things reminds you of people and things, which is the simplest emotional impulse.

A Passat with license plate number JIB00001 stopped at the entrance of the studio, and Xiao Li got out to open the door for his leader.

Zhao Yong was in high spirits and greeted him from a distance: "Director Lu, it's been a while since you've been here?"

"Are you alright?"

"It's okay, it's okay. Thank you Secretary Zhao for sending comrades from Tangshan to Chengdu to express your condolences. I'm very touched!"

Boss Lu also shook his hand enthusiastically, and the two of them walked a little further ahead, while everyone else tactfully kept their distance.

"To be honest, Director Lu, I didn't sleep well last night because of the press conference today!"

"As soon as I close my eyes, I think of the expectant eyes of my fellow countrymen, and I think of the national audience wanting to see how strong and brave our people are!"

Zhao Yong sighed deeply: "Director Lu, I want to thank you."

"Although I'm an outsider, just from the early preparations, I can tell you're a serious and responsible director."

"Jianguo, Xiao Li and others thought many places were fine and very similar, but you still disagreed and insisted on continuous improvement. I really admire that!"

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Secretary Zhao, please stop flattering me. It's so windy today, I can't handle it!"

"Hahaha, I can handle it, I can handle it!"

"By the way, guide, take a look at this restored 70s-style building complex."

Zhao Yong looked around as if giving orders: "Everything has been completed according to your plan. Many tourists have already asked if it is a tourist attraction."

Lu Kuan nodded: "If this movie becomes a big hit, I think setting up a film and television base will be able to attract some business."

Facts have proven that all the flattery was just prelude. Secretary Zhao was still shrewd and calculating: "Director Lu, I'd like to ask if the industry has any plans to develop a film and television city and film and television base?"

Of the total investment of 2.8 million yuan in "Tangshan Earthquake", more than 5000 million yuan from Tangshan was offset by the set designs at the foot of the site and nearby.

For him, if he could persuade Wenjie to invest and recover funds, it would naturally be a significant political achievement.

The movie was made, it was a box office hit, it had a good reputation, and the money was recovered.

Can't I ride a rocket next year?

Boss Lu sneered in his heart, understanding his intention.

Wenjie is now a small closed-loop industrial chain. Compared with the six major Hollywood studios, there is one area that it has not yet entered: film and television studios and theme parks.

Needless to say, Disney's theme parks accounted for more than 50% of the company's total profits before the global mask epidemic.

Universal opened Universal Studios in Hollywood in 1964, and in 1990 Universal Studios Orlando became the second largest theme park after Disney.

There are also Warner's "Harry Potter" theme park, Sony's "Men in Black" and "Bad Boys" series of film and television studios, etc.

But for Boss Lu now, the time to enter this project is far from ripe.

Land is cheap now, but building buildings and purchasing equipment are expensive! The total investment in the first phase of the Shanghai Disney project was over 340 billion yuan.

The most important thing is that there is no systematic IP in the industry yet.

Xianxia? Currently, there are only "Xianjian" and "Zhu Xian";
Horror? The North American film industry has only just made "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious," and now Justin Lin is being pulled into "Alien 2."
There are also science fiction works that are easier to make into IPs, but currently there is only one such work, "Alien Land".

Without a strong IP reserve, there will be no fan base brought by these IPs, and theme parks and film and television cities will lack core appeal.

Of course, there is no need to explain so much to Secretary Zhao in front of me.

"Wenjie has plans in this regard, but the timing is not yet ripe, and..."

"Secretary Zhao, let me be frank. Tangshan is not a good choice for us."

"Oh? What's the reason?"

Boss Lu explained, "Look, the larger film and television bases in the country, with the exception of the digital base that China Film Group just opened in Huairou this year, are almost all located south of the Yangtze River."

"Wuxi's Three Kingdoms City and Water Margin City, Zhejiang Province's Hengdian and The Legend of the Condor Heroes City, Dali's Tianlong City."

Zhao Yong understood: "You are talking about the climate, right?"

"That's right. The weather in the north is too cold. The suitable time for filming each year is only about 7 months."

"Qiong Province and Guangdong and Guangxi are too hot. Only the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai regions have distinct four seasons, a developed economy and abundant talent, which are the best geographical locations."

Secretary Zhao knew that this person was a big shot in the industry, so he had to believe what he said.

But after filming the movie, we have to find a way to manage this land.

"Director Lu, can you give us some advice? How can we attract more crews and make this happen?"

"Simple, first tax rebate, second scarcity."

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Now if you go to Hollywood, you'll find out that certain crews are filming in Canada. My movie 'Alien Land' was filmed in Vancouver."

"There's a trend of hollowing out in the U.S. film industry right now because crews are being drawn to a few tax-free states and places like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand."

"Actually, you have a model to learn from in China, which is the Zhenbeibao Film and Television Base in Ningxia. Fan Bingbing's film 'Pingzong Xiaying' was filmed there."

"Why was he able to survive in the North?"

"First, the local government's tax rebate rate is high. Second, Western-style scenes with yellow sand everywhere can only be filmed there. It's scarce!"

"So you just copy what they say. Don't worry about the tax refund. Don't try to be too ambitious with your architectural style. Just make the style of the 70s and 80s popular. Then the film crews will come."

Secretary Zhao understood, but these things were not easy to implement.

The resistance to tax refunds alone is enormous.

Hebei Province has been siphoned off by Beijing and Tianjin and is not rich to begin with.

Tangshan is a province with a large tax burden, but it is not a separately planned city like Qingdao and Ningbo, so its taxation is still under the jurisdiction of the province.

Seeing that he couldn't gain any advantage from Boss Lu, and after receiving some constructive advice, Zhao Yong gave up.

After lunch, all the cast and crew members who were going to attend the opening ceremony arrived. Zhou Xun, along with Hu Jun, Wang Baoqiang, Song Jia and others, knocked on the door of Lu Kuan's room.

"Big Director, are you so hardworking?"

Boss Lu looked up and said, "Everyone is here. Please take a seat."

"Song Jia, you seem to have lost weight? And you've become darker, not bad."

This sentence was a bit nonsensical and sounded a bit abnormal, but it was the task that Boss Lu assigned to her after their last meal.

What could a rural girl in the 70s, who had just given birth, have to eat?
Being dark and thin is the normal image of an actor.

If Liu Yifei were asked to play the role, she would have to put on makeup properly, otherwise the audience would be distracted.

"How's everyone's Tangshan dialect practice going?"

Boss Lu smiled and said, "My suggestion is that from now on, you all speak in the Tangshan dialect."

"Yes!" Baoqiang was the first to get into the role.

"OK (first tone)!" This is Mr. Hu.

Zhou Xun was speechless: "That's great!"

"This sentence is good, it sounds like Teacher Zhao Lirong." Boss Lu praised.

"But you don't need to practice hard. You're a middle-class girl, and you mostly speak Mandarin in movies."

Zhou Xun smiled and said, "Learn it, it's fun."

Song Jia was still a little hesitant and cleared her throat. "Hey, Director, I'm Song Jia. Hey, I'm so happy to finally meet you today. I'm looking forward to working with you."

She was afraid that Lu Kuan would be unhappy, so she used all the interjections in one breath, which made everyone in the room laugh.

"It's okay, but it has a bit of a northern flavor. I need to practice more."

Song Jia laughed and said, "Director, why don't you write this character as someone with Northeastern ancestry? I really tried my best."

Boss Lu chatted with them about some trivial matters during the filming. Except for Zhou Xun, it was almost their first collaboration.

However, Wang Baoqiang is an artist in the industry, and I have heard of his style. Hu Jun's professional ability is strong and needless to say.

Maybe Song Jia will need some more time to adapt, and maybe even cry a few more times.

"Director, it's time to go." Zhao Fei knocked on the door and came in, smiling and nodding at several actors.

"Let's go!"

Boss Lu took a look at the few people and saw that no one was wearing bright clothes. He thought that they were all professional actors and they had taken care of these details.

Today's opening ceremony will include the laying of wreaths and a moment of silence. Clothing should be mainly black and plain.

At around 3:40 p.m., in front of the main earthquake memorial south of Xinhua Road in the city center, the sky also sensed the people's remembrance and grief, and appeared unusually gloomy.

At 4:42, the host of Tangshan TV station announced the official start of the opening ceremony.

Lu Kuan, Zhao Yong and Gao Chengsheng, representing the three film investors respectively, presented flower baskets to the earthquake relief monument.

The audience stood up and observed a three-minute silence for the 240,000 compatriots who died in the earthquake 29 years ago.

Then, Secretary Zhao and Mayor Chen thanked the crew of "The Great Earthquake" for their hard work on behalf of Tangshan.

I would like to thank my fellow countrymen for their heartfelt support. I believe that under the leadership of Director Lu Kuan, the filming will be a success.

Boss Lu’s speech was relatively brief. To him, this movie was of greater significance and he bore more pressure on his shoulders.

"Twenty-nine years ago, the soldiers who rushed to the front lines of earthquake relief made a pledge to the people of the country: never retreat, and shoulder the heavy burden of saving lives."

"Today, on behalf of the crew of 'Tangshan Earthquake', I also pledge to live up to our mission and make a great film."

"The moment of silence just now is our silent oath and pledge to our deceased compatriots and all the fellow villagers of Tangshan present here!"

Before the host from Tangshan could choke up and announce the show, the crowds of Tangshan people sitting in the audience stood up and applauded, and the older people had already started wiping away tears.

The number of online viewers before the Ask the World video just exceeded 200 million, which is not a lot compared to award ceremonies or other programs.

Among the barrage of comments that kept floating up, there was almost no mention of the word washing machine.

Usually, teasing Boss Lu is done for the entertainment of public figures.

However, in the face of major national events, everyone gave sincere recognition to the young director who bravely took on the heavy responsibility and initiated the project of donating the teaching building.

The establishment of this positive image and reputation is accumulated from these small things.

After the moment of silence, interviews and questions on the theme of the movie began. The main purpose was to highlight and point out the gimmicks of the movie to facilitate publicity and hype by the media and the crew.

A reporter from China Film Report asked: "Director Lu, what is the budget for the special effects of this film? What are the parts that audiences can look forward to?"

These are the media and reporters with whom you have a good relationship. They know the purpose of your press conference and specifically ask good and interesting questions.

Travel expenses arranged!
"The total investment is 2.8 million RMB, and the special effects budget is about 9000 million RMB, and this is because part of it is produced by Butian Films, a domestic company."

"The special effects costs of foreign departments are very high, and this figure has been compressed as much as possible."

Boss Lu paused and said, "As for what the audience can look forward to."

"Last year, many viewers must have watched 'The Day After Tomorrow' directed by Roland, and they could relate to the thrilling and realistic special effects in disaster films."

"The special effects scenes and realism of "Aftershock" are just as much more than those of "The Day After Tomorrow."

Some reporters still like to dig deeper: "Director Lu, please tell us the details."

Boss Lu glanced at the Beijing Daily and said, "If you can be a supporting actor, I'll add 200 yuan to your travel expenses."

“First of all, we used Red-one’s 4K camera, which was specifically designed for special effects filmmaking.”

“We also used this camera in ‘Alien Land’. It can greatly improve the convenience of special effects production while maintaining the same clarity as 35mm film.”

"At the same time, a good horse deserves a good saddle. I also encourage everyone in the audience, whether in person or watching on TV, to come to our IMAX giant screen at Golden Harvest when the film is released."

This word sounds so unfamiliar. Not only the audience at the scene, but even many movie fans who watched the live broadcast didn't know it.

Before the video, Gu Xiaobai popularized the science in the barrage:
"Imax is larger than the screen of ordinary cinemas, usually 22x16, and the resolution is much higher than ordinary film formats, making it very suitable for watching special effects films."

On the screen, opinion leader Boss Lu patiently explained, "Imax has a wider field of view, making it more realistic when showing blockbuster films, especially grand war scenes, magnificent natural scenery, or super-large disasters and science fiction scenes."

He interrupted with a commercial: "Now, almost all the Golden Harvest Cinemas in provincial capitals and sub-provincial cities across the country have at least one Imax screen. Everyone is welcome to experience it."

The first Imax screen in China was born in Shanghai's Peace Cinema in 2003. Until 2010, there were no more than Imax screens in the country.

In this life, Lu Kuan handed over the development of Wenjie Jiahe to Gao Jun and the company's senior management.

Apart from giving instructions on the locations of cinemas in the mainland, the Imax large screen is his only strategic decision, of course, it is only deployed in small quantities at present.

This is certainly due to the strategic vision of leading the domestic film industry:

The first thing is to cultivate the audience's movie-watching habits.

Starting with "Hero" in 2002, the domestic film market entered the era of blockbusters.

Not to mention the distant past, just take the 2006 Lunar New Year box office as an example, there will be a fierce competition between "The Promise" with 3 million yuan and "Aftershock" with 2.8 million yuan, and the next year there will be "The Banquet" with 1.5 million yuan.

By cultivating the audience's movie-watching habits in advance through the giant screen theaters of Golden Harvest, when the era of blockbusters comes, Golden Harvest will naturally be the audience's first choice.

Secondly, book friends who like to drink and buy wine know that no matter what brand of liquor, it basically covers the civilian price range of 300 yuan, the mid-range 400-800 yuan, and the high-end 1000- yuan per bottle.

Whether it is high-end or not determines the image and status of your brand.

Why is it that when we mention Moutai we think of it as hard currency, but when we mention Niulanshan we think of it as staple food liquor?
One reason.

In 2005, the company began to install Imax giant-screen theaters in provincial capitals in a small step in order to enhance the scarcity of Golden Harvest Cinemas and position them as high-end.

At the same time, among the Hollywood imported blockbusters, Golden Harvest will become their first choice for communication and cooperation, making it easier to negotiate prices.

A reporter from a local Tangshan media outlet asked, "Director Lu, what genre is this film positioned as? Is it a Hollywood disaster blockbuster, or a traditional earthquake relief film?"

"That's a good question. This is also the tone that screenwriter Liu and I set at the beginning of the creation."

"Simply put, our film uses Hollywood technology to tell Chinese stories."

Boss Lu switched hands on the microphone. "I can only say that if the entire film had to be constrained by one standard, it would be authenticity."

"Our script is based on interviews with no less than 200 survivors, collecting their stories from those days."

"Stories like swimming across the river to rescue people, digging people out of the rubble, and parents saving their children are all true stories. There's no exaggeration or minimization."

"What everyone saw was a real earthquake, real emotions, and real hope."

The unique launch conference ended quickly.

The crew had their first dinner together in the evening. Boss Lu led Zhao Fei and others to toast a few times, then went back to the hotel and fell asleep.

The next morning at 8 o'clock, all members of the crew gathered on time. No one was late, no matter how drunk they were the previous day.

Everyone on the set was doing their job and everything was in good order. Hu Jun and Song Jia, who were working together for the first time, were secretly amazed. It was like they had entered a military camp.

Especially Song Jia, this is her first movie, although she herself did not expect that the pie would turn around and hit her.

I must act well and try my best to strive for the opportunity to work with Director Lu again!
After the routine positioning, lighting, rehearsal, and fine-tuning, at nearly 9 o'clock, the first scene and the first take of "The Tangshan Earthquake" began shooting.

The narrative of disaster films is generally boring because everyone knows what you are going to say.

It is nothing more than the calm before the disaster, the special effects scenes during the disaster, and the touching and rebirth from the ashes after the disaster.

How can we take pictures with new ideas?
The Golden Bear Award-winning director is also considering this issue.

This is the opening and the audience’s first impression of the movie, so they must see something special.

The so-called winning opening is the magic weapon of countless film and television classics.

For example, in the eternal textbook "Citizen Kane", the film opens with a very impactful long shot.

The picture shows a mysterious manor shrouded in darkness. The camera slowly moves up, through the barbed wire fence, over the sign that reads "No Trespassing", and finally stops at a window with a faint light.

The long shot drags the audience's eyes into the room, where a man lies dying on his sickbed. He utters only the word "rose bud" before passing away.

The thick atmosphere of suspense makes the audience eager to know what the "rose bud" refers to and what kind of story this man has.

It also lays the groundwork for later looking back on the protagonist Kane's life through the perspectives of different people.

Therefore, the first option was for the boss to use a long lens to shoot a monologue for Zhou Xun.

In the script, Zhou Xun and his father Li Xuejian fell into hardship over the past ten years.

In order to protect his daughter who had studied abroad, Professor Li Xuejian of Yenching University married her to Hu Jun, a soldier of the 38th Army stationed in Baoding, who is now the battalion commander of a certain unit.

Generally speaking, the spouses of company-level cadres can accompany the troops with approval from the political work department of a unit at the division level or above. However, Zhou Xun and Hu Jun have always lived apart.

The different cultural backgrounds and the huge age gap of more than ten years made the couple not very harmonious.

Zhou Xun feels that she and her husband have nothing in common and they are rarely together.

Mr. Hu was not very satisfied with his wife either, thinking that she was still full of the arrogance and pampering of a bourgeois lady and had not been profoundly reformed.

The opening scene is Zhou Xun taking care of her sister-in-law who just gave birth, feeling very uncomfortable.

The camera is placed in the corridor outside the confinement room door, using a fixed position and panoramic view.

The woman played by Zhou Xun stands in front of the door, takes a deep breath, and raises her hand to knock.

This shot can explain the spatial environment in which the story takes place, allowing the audience to have a preliminary overall understanding of the confinement room scene they are about to enter.

At the same time, the character's actions show his reluctant mentality.

Boss Lu looked at the monitor and gave instructions for fine-tuning the scene. "Teacher Zhao, position the character slightly above the center of the scene. Make sure the door and surroundings are properly presented to pave the way for entering the room later."

"OK!"

The tracking shot is combined with the tracking shot, following the long shot into the room.

After Zhou Xun knocked on the door and heard a response from inside, the tracking shot started, and the camera followed her slowly into the room, maintaining a low shooting angle, about at her waist.

This is a narrative detail.

There is a huge gap between rural women in the 70s and obviously petty-bourgeois women like Zhou Xun, which can be seen from her graceful waistline.

The camera followed her movements from behind, filming the process of her walking in and observing the situation inside the house, showing her unfamiliarity with the matter of taking care of the confinement period and a little helplessness.

"Crack!"

Boss Lu thought for a moment and corrected his previous instructions: "After entering the room, use less panning, otherwise the character's psychology will be disrupted."

Zhao Fei nodded and immediately understood what he meant.

Too much panning, moving the bed and furniture into the camera, can increase the richness and sense of space of the scene, but it is not conducive to expressing Zhou Xun's depressed mood at the time.

Zhou Xun returned to his original position and everyone was in place, but Boss Lu suddenly stood up.

I don’t know why, but no matter how he took the photos today, it seemed like he couldn’t get into the mood.

Every frame, the preview in his mind, and the one in the camera are so strange and alienated, as if...

It was as if he was back in his previous life when he first touched a camera at the Beijing Film Academy.

He walked over and checked the lights.

The main light source for this scene was placed at the window of the room to simulate natural lighting.

Use a soft light box to let light shine in through the window curtains, giving the entire room a basic brightness.

"Old Wu, we'll make some minor adjustments later. Zhou Xun is short, so we need to avoid overly bright highlights or overly dark shadows. We need to ensure the character has the appropriate lighting effects in all positions and movements."

"Okay, director."

Old Wu is also an experienced lighting technician who has followed him for several crews, and this is the first time he has seen him look so unpredictable.

Is this because you drank too much yesterday?

The design of this one-shot segment is very ingenious.

The opening is a fixed panoramic shot;
Next, a tracking shot is combined with a tracking shot, and the long shot enters the room, which is where the clip just cuts off.

Then there is a medium surround shot showing the interaction between the characters, about 15-20 seconds, and Song Jia enters the country for the first time.

The last step is to switch to a close-up shot to capture the details of the character's expression. This requires the assistance of handheld photography and a fixed shot for a panoramic ending.

Zhou Xun didn't notice anything unusual, and his performance was still perfect the second time, but he was called "cut" again in the medium shot.

She looked back in confusion and saw that Boss Lu, who used to be so carefree on the set, had an even more confused expression on his face.

He walked over with a frown, simulated it several times, and looked at the position of the big rocker arm.

"The crane shot follows Zhou Xun's movements. When she turns to get the kettle on the table to pour water for her sister-in-law, the camera should slowly descend and pan, maintaining a medium shot."

"Then a close-up shot of her holding the kettle and pouring water, which she was not very skilled at, almost spilling, was taken to highlight her lack of professional skills."

"Understood?"

Photographer Xiao Chen was confused. That’s not what you just said!

"Uh... good director."

"Well, come again."

After flipping through a few more shots, the fifth one finally captured the details of Zhou Xun taking care of Song Jia during her confinement.

A Steadicam device was used here, and the long shot was completed through editing in the later stage.

In this complex indoor environment, the stabilization of the Steadicam allows the lens to smoothly follow the actors' movements and capture continuous and smooth action shots.

The atmosphere at the scene was strange and the air pressure was low.

Even after the long shot ended, no one dared to make a sound.

Lu Kuan sat in front of the prison, frowning and staring at the replay of the video. After a long time, he let out a long sigh.

"This one passed."

Zhou Xun breathed a sigh of relief. She had been very tired this morning.

Song Jia on the bed was even more tormented. She couldn't see what was wrong at all. Why was it clicking?
As a talented director with a wide reputation in the industry, he has won numerous honors in the four years since his debut.

Everyone present, including the most senior Zhao Fei, could hardly doubt his every instruction and command.

The only time that the overexposure and dead black were questioned in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was finally proved to be a flash of genius and the stepping stone for Lu Kuan to enter the hall of masters.

But today...

The scene was really weird.

The first morning, which was extremely arduous for all the cast and crew, finally passed.

"Sister, has the road guide always been like this?"

Song Jia had just arrived, so he became familiar with Zhou Xun and followed him closely whether he was resting or having meals.

"No."

Zhou Xun didn't understand what happened today. Although he didn't work with him directly much, judging from the reactions of Zhao Fei and several assistant directors.

This is not normal.

“He used to be very confident on set.”

Zhou Xun recalled the filming of Shoplifters: "Once I had arranged the lighting and camera setup, I rarely had to overturn my own opinions."

“If an actor does something slightly wrong, he can point it out immediately and even act it out for you.”

Xun Ge'er sighed: "I still believe in him. He should be able to adjust quickly."

In fact, she had a vague guess in her mind - could it be related to the car accident not long ago?
What Zhou Xun didn't know was that this situation had existed since the filming of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was completed.

That's why he went to Jiuzhaigou to collect folk songs, strolled around Berlin Cathedral, and mourned at his mother's grave in Niu Shou Mountain, trying to dispel the uneasiness and restlessness in his heart.

Unexpectedly, after several months, the feeling still persisted and even became worse after the car accident.

In the crew room, Lu Kuan and Zhao Fei sat opposite each other and had a drink. The small table was filled with cold dishes such as peanuts, Tangshan's specialties Wanlixiang roast chicken, and Hongyan pork elbow.

"What happened today? I stayed up too late discussing the Olympic opening ceremony yesterday. Didn't I get enough rest?"

Boss Lu shook his head and picked up the two-liang cup. The wine went into his heart, and the local specialty liquor was so spicy that he grimaced.

"Something went wrong. It went wrong a long time ago."

The young director sighed deeply: "It started from the moment I finished editing 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'. I have an indescribable feeling."

"It's like a painter can't tell the difference between pigments, or a writer can't recognize words. In short, it's very strange."

"Oh! Artists are always acting weird, don't take it to heart."

Zhao Fei drank a few glasses with him and tried to comfort the young director: "In 1993, Woody Allen made 'Manhattan Murder Motion,' which was his typical twisted humor."

"But when the film was released, he cried in the cinema and said that what he had filmed was a load of shit."

"He locked himself in a small house in Brooklyn for three months, and in 94 he made the transformative Bullets Over Broadway, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director."

"Every director I've ever met has lows, and that's normal."

Of course, Boss Lu knew the story he was telling, but his own situation was far more serious than that. He was truly confused and even a little panicked.

"Old Zhao, to tell you the truth, I seem to have lost my ability to judge."

Zhao Fei suddenly looked up at him, and a few drops of wine in his hand spilled out in surprise.

As an artist like painters and writers, in addition to creative ability, excellent directors usually have the ability to self-examine.

Just like Wang Jing once discussed "The Great Wall" directed by Zhang Yimou in "Round Table Talk".

The host Dou Wentao asked him: When you directors are making bad movies, do you know that they are making bad movies?
Wang Jing's answer to Dou Wentao was that Zhang Yimou definitely knew that he was making a bad movie halfway through filming.

Including the later "Three Guns", he had to help Zhang Weiping pay off his debts, but he had no choice but to force him to do it, and he himself suffered in the process.

But in order to be responsible to the investors and crew members, I had no choice but to continue filming.

Directors like Zhang Yimou are those who possess both creative ability and the ability to examine themselves.

Therefore, he is qualified to be the chief director of the Olympic Games because he has strong aesthetic design and appreciation abilities.

How about a scroll idea?
Is the on-site effect of using a can good?

Why did he insist on canceling the big shadow play in the end?

He has a strong judgment ability as an artist. Such a director can usually also be a producer. To put it bluntly, he can distinguish between good and bad work.

Another relatively negative example is naturally Chen Kaige.

He is a director who is immersed in creation. I only make things that I think are good. Those who don’t appreciate it just have no vision.

I won't make subjective judgments about the film's artistic or commercial feedback. I just focus on the creation and leave the rest to the market.

Of course, the audience will vote with their feet in the end, but he will not admit his failure.

Now that the road is wide, I suddenly fall into such confusion.

A simple long shot, not to mention in the previous movies, even in his previous life he would have been able to handle it with ease.

But after filming this morning, it really was so awkward, indescribably awkward.

In the eyes of Zhao Fei and others, the film seemed flawless, but every time he watched it on the monitor, he had a new idea.

I always unconsciously and naturally deny the above decisions, and it is difficult to decide which one is more suitable at the end of the filming.

A movie is the director's personal creation, and the actors, lighting, photography, and dubbing all serve him.

This kind of self-examination work cannot be replaced by others.

There was still work to do the next day, so the two drank a bottle of white wine and then took a rest.

After Zhao Fei left, Lu Kuan, who was sitting in a chair with his arms folded in thought, received a long-distance call.

"Martin?"

"Lu, I heard you're going to Cannes to be the jury chairman?"

The jury members of the Cannes Film Festival are usually announced 1-2 months before the festival begins, and Cannes officials will announce the results in early April.

Obviously Martin Scorsese has his own sources of information.

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Yes, do you have a movie you want to recommend to me?"

"In the Cornerstone Unit, there's a short film called 'Buy Now' that you can check out."

The Cornerstone Unit is a unique project of the Cannes Film Festival, and contestants must register based on the film school they are attending.

In addition to a prize of up to €15,000, they will be invited to Paris for a writing residency.

The film festival officials will provide them with a residence in the city center, 800 euros per month for living expenses, and provide students with the opportunity to enjoy art films in theaters.

At the same time, the winners of the Cornerstone Unit will naturally have the opportunity to have their first feature film entered the Cannes Film Festival, so many young directors are flocking to it.

For the film festival officials, it is mainly used to discover outstanding young directors from all over the world and to support Cannes' direct filmmakers.

Favors are a universal practice worldwide, so Boss Lu agreed immediately: "No problem."

"How's your new movie? I saw it on the news. It's a disaster movie."

"Yes, but it was a struggle to shoot, haha."

Lu Kuan shared his feelings with the film sociologist.

Martin Scorsese has been making movies since 1963. He has met countless directors and quickly understood his confusion.

"I met someone at the reception after the Oscars this year who was in exactly the same situation as you."

"Who?"

"Everyone calls von Trier, who made Dogville, the Crazy One."

"Dogville" is an art film starring Nicole Kidman, with simple stage-play settings and a profound and sharp analysis of human nature.

This caused the film to attract widespread attention and controversy after its release, making it a highly topical work in film history.

Martin Scorsese, who was far more knowledgeable than Zhao Fei, gave him an example to comfort him, saying, "Your situation has happened to many talented people who became famous at a young age. I've seen it too many times."

"Quentin Tarantino made Pulp Fiction when he was 30. It was only his second film, and he won the Palme d'Or."

"But he was silent for nearly eight years after that. It wasn't until the film 'Kill Bill' when you met in Peking that he rediscovered his filmmaking spirit."

"Terence was in his thirties when he made 'Days of Heaven', which won the Best Director Award at Cannes. He remained silent for twenty years before he made 'The Thin Red Line', which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director."

Martin admired the young director's outstanding talent: "Even Kurosawa Akira went through a slump of nearly seven years after filming 'Heaven and Hell'. This is normal."

"Lu, you're walking too fast and your mind is too confused."

"It's easy for directors to drive themselves crazy. You should examine your own mental state and correct your mistakes in time."

Lu Kuan listened to the comforting voice on the other end of the phone and remained silent for a long time. “If only a master like Kurosawa Akira were still alive, I could ask him what it felt like.”

"Haha, if Kurosawa isn't here, you can look for other masters, like Bergman."

"Bergman, isn't he a recluse?"

"I could ask for you, maybe?"

Bergman is a master in the eyes of masters.

From the 1960s and 1970s to the millennium, most of the world's top directors, including Woody Allen, Coppola, Takeshi Kitano, Chang Yimou, Ang Lee, and Martin, almost universally recognized him as the best director and master in the world.

It is often said that there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. In the art world where creative ideas clash with each other, it is not easy to gain such recognition.

Woody Allen called him a spiritual mentor and the Shakespeare of the film world.

On Bergman's 70th birthday, Woody Allen said he was the greatest artist in the world since the invention of film.

Among Chinese-language directors, Ang Lee is his biggest fan.

Ang Lee watched Bergman's The Virgin Spring when he was 18 years old. He described his feelings in an interview:

That was a day of enlightenment for me, a day I will never forget.

I watched it twice in a row and was completely unable to move, as if my virginity had been taken away.

In 2006, Ang Lee encountered the same situation as Lu Kuan is facing now when filming "Lust, Caution". He was so distressed that he went to Jiang Zhiqiang to quit the filming.

Later, with the introduction of a friend, he was able to make a pilgrimage to the Faroe Islands.

Yes, it is a pilgrimage, because there are so many people who want to visit Bergman, but few directors are allowed in.

Ang Lee confided his confusion and bewilderment to Bergman, and cried on his shoulder like a child, which was very touching.

The two chatted for a while before hanging up the phone. The young director sighed and remained silent for a long time.

Naturally, there is confusion in the field of art.

But what Martin Scorsese didn't know was that he still had the vague fear of a reborn person that emerged from the dream after the car accident.

(End of this chapter)