Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 337: The Prototypes of Academic and Financial Tycoons

At the end of August, the crew gave the actors a few days off.

Liu Yifei is going to North America for a few days to roadshow "Foreign Language 2". Most importantly, director Lu Kuan has to return to Beijing for two days to attend the final interviews and opening ceremony of the Pan Asia Film Academy.

Only Zhao Fei was in the crew, leading the extras to shoot some war scenes, waiting for him to come back for review.

At the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Mr. Lu, then president of the festival jury, announced the establishment of the Pan-Asia Film Academy under the watchful eyes of the world’s media.

Information including school rules, training programs, school background, and tutor lineup became widely circulated.

Over the past year, young directors and film and television industry practitioners from not only Asia, but also New Zealand, the United States, Canada and other countries have sent in registration emails.

More than 200 applicants from around the world submitted their resumes and short films to the academy's official website. After layers of screening, the school discovered that the lack of successors to Asian film directors is indeed a serious problem.

If we only screen within Asia, we might not even be able to find five qualified young directors.

As a last resort, Lu Kuan, Zhang Huijun, Ikuo Hirayama, President of Tokyo University of the Arts, and Jung Yun-chan, President of Chung-Ang University in South Korea, communicated with others;

It was also after consultation with Toho Co., Ltd. and CJ Entertainment that the academy relaxed the restrictions.

It is no longer limited to Asia and there is no strict age requirement.

By expanding the selection criteria, Boss Lu discovered many "good seedlings" of later generations.

In the Beijing Film Academy office, the three principals who participated in the preparations and Lu Kuan were looking through the list of students for the first Pan-Asia Film Academy.

In the hands of the young director, the first page is Luo Hongzhen.

The 32-year-old South Korean director rose to fame last year with the black comedy "Perfect Red Snapper."

Later, in 2008, his first feature film "The Chaser" won Kim Yoon-seok the Blue Dragon Award for Best Actor and made newcomer Ha Jung-woo an instant star.

Even more famous are "The Yellow Sea", which is known as the pinnacle of Korean crime films, and the magical realism suspense film "The Wailing".

Looking back, South Korea actually only selected this one student.

"Principal Zheng, it seems there's a shortage of young directors in South Korea."

Before Zheng Yuncan could reply, the gray-haired Hirayama Ikuo spoke in a strange Japanese-English accent: "The current situation in China, Japan, and South Korea is similar. China needs young talents like Lu Sang to emerge, otherwise the whole of Asia would be a little embarrassed."

As of 2006, the film markets of East Asian countries are all experiencing the impact of Hollywood, but they are showing different industrial trends.

South Korea was the first to move closer to Hollywood and began exploring crime-themed genre films.

In the early 2000s, he made his mark internationally with works such as "Oldboy" and "Memories of Murder", but these successes were mainly attributed to middle-aged directors such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho.

Park and Bong are equivalent to the fifth generation directors represented by Zhang Yimou in mainland China. Their previous generation, Lin Quanze, is equivalent to the fourth generation such as Xie Fei and Wu Tianming in mainland China.

Although there are some experimental works by young Korean directors, overall there is a lack of successful commercial films and they are not very good.

Japanese films remain strong in the art film sector, with directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda and Shunji Iwai receiving international acclaim, but there are no rising stars in the commercial film sector.

The Japanese film market is dominated by animated films and Hollywood blockbusters, and live-action commercial films are almost ignored.

In comparison, China is actually slightly better.

In 2006, the year of the original world line, China was in the early stages of commercial transformation. "Hero" ushered in the era of blockbusters, but most of the new generation of directors were still in the exploratory stage.

Ning Hao made his mark with "Crazy Stone", but young directors as a whole lack international influence.

The generational gap and decline of young directors in the three East Asian countries have their own reasons as well as common causes.

For example, in terms of market orientation, the entire Asian film market is overly dependent on commercial blockbusters, making it difficult for young directors to obtain resources and support.

There is also a lag in education, the film education system is not yet perfect, and many young directors lack systematic training and international vision.

Coupled with the cultural gap, the younger generation of directors finds it difficult to find a balance between traditional culture and modern commerce, and their works often lack depth.

These factors are precisely the significance of the Pan-Asia Film Academy project proposed by Lu Kuan in this life.

This is also the deep-seated reason why he can unite the three schools academically and work with CJ and Toho in terms of capital.

Because it can bring benefits to everyone.

As for the three East Asian universities, none of the principals expect to cultivate a genius like Mr. Chulu, who is expected to be the next generation of Asian Kurosawa Akira.

But it’s not wishful thinking to cultivate some qualified directors of genre and commercial films, right?
The film academy is also a part of this industry chain, so there is no reason for them not to support it.

For Toho and CJ, having a big genre film director on board is the biggest profit guarantee in the extremely unstable industry of film investment.

Just like Bong Joon-ho, who CJ Entertainment later bet on.

Everyone continued to flip through the list in their hands, and there was only one Japanese director, Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

He is 28 years old and graduated with a degree in literature from the University of Tokyo. He was once a student of the famous director Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

The most outstanding advantage of this director is his strong screenwriting ability. Most of his films are written and directed by himself.

Later, he also participated in the scriptwriting of "The Wife of a Spy" by the famous director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, showing his familiarity with historical themes and the definition of film images. Later, he won the Oscar for Best International Film with "Drive My Car".

There are two Chinese students. Lu Yang, a directing graduate who just graduated from Beijing Film Academy this year, wrote and directed a 15-minute silent martial arts film and applied for the position. He also invited his senior classmate Xu Haofeng, who also graduated from Beijing Film Academy, to participate in the film.

Lu Yang is also the director of the later "Asian Knife" series of films.

Obviously, the reason why Boss Lu chose him was to let him pick up the business card of Chinese martial arts films which was gradually declining.

As he had said in his previous debate with the Seven Gentlemen at Beijing Film Academy - in the field of film, genre films are the best tool for cultural output.

Another person got in through a small backdoor: Guo Fan, deputy director of production of the "Sky of History" crew.

The reasons are self-evident and need no elaboration.

Among the direct directors in the industry, Ning Hao has been making great strides in comedy and series.
Xue Xiaolu created a series of youth love films with the delicate perspective of a female director;

Lu Yang and Guo Fan are two more genre film masters that he has trained for himself and the world, and they are also the talent pool for future cultural output.

At 8 a.m. on August 30, the first Pan-Asian Film Academy interviews for four Asian students and two European and American students began in the Beijing Film Academy's conference room.

The so-called interview is just a formality.

Because the early admissions and applications are in the form of resumes and short videos.

To prevent ghostwriting, six mentors, including Lu Kuan, Zhou Xingchi, Nolan, Park Chan-wook, Luc Besson, and Kore-eda Hirokazu, were selected;

An interview panel consisting of three university presidents, including Zhang Huijun, will examine the final shortlisted candidates.

In front of a professional director, a ghostwriter cannot hide his true identity.

Simply ask them about the narrative logic and deeper meaning of the camera language in the short films they submitted. Those who don’t understand will understand it after a try.

The first interviewee was Gareth Edwards, a 31-year-old documentary photographer from the BBC.

He later amazed the film industry with his extremely low-cost "Monsters". He is good at making immersive blockbusters that combine real scenes and special effects, including "Godzilla" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".

"Hello, directors!" Gareth's gentle temperament contrasts sharply with his rough bearded appearance.

Looking up, he was a little dazed by the famous mentors present.

Boss Lu saved time and asked directly: "Hello Gareth, please confirm that the short film "Conspiracy" you submitted was shot by you."

"Yes, Director Lu Kuan."

"Okay, tell me about the circular narrative in this short film, and the purpose of the cross-montage between the male and female protagonists in the twelfth minute."

"Yes, director."

Gareth, a documentary director by training, has a concise language style and a steady narrative pace, which not surprisingly makes him pass the test smoothly.

The second student was Neill Blomkamp, ​​who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture in 2009 for his pseudo-documentary film "District ", and established his international reputation with low-cost science fiction films.

Nolan was very interested in him: "Neil, are you working in visual effects in Vancouver now, making short films for Peter Jackson's team?"

"Yes."

"There are so many opportunities in Hollywood. Why did you think of coming to our Eastern Film Academy?"

Neil spread his hands and said, "The potential of the Asian film market has always been a consensus among the six major film companies. Warner Bros. is building cinemas in China, and News Corp.'s joint venture is investing in Chinese film companies."

"And of course my favorite director, Lou. His collaborations with Disney and Miramax."

"To be honest, I originally planned to find a job at his Butian Film Company if I wasn't accepted..."

Good-natured laughter rang out in the conference room.

Boss Lu nodded and said, "I'm a little regretful about hiring you now. The company has lost one of North America's top special effects talents."

Neil waved his hands hurriedly: "No, no, no! I can work for you for free, but please allow me to pursue my dream of making movies. I like your science fiction film "Alien Land", but I also want to make my own science fiction film."

It's not surprising that those who work on special effects for Peter Jackson like science fiction and fantasy themes.

This person can be trained in the future towards a pseudo-documentary science fiction style, accelerating his transformation from a special effects artist to a director.

After the interviews with the two European and American students were completed, the next four Asian students followed the procedure.

It’s called selection, but it’s also about dividing the cake.

Obviously, Ryusuke Hamaguchi is Toho's bet, while Li Meijing of CJ Entertainment is optimistic about Luo Hongzhen.

However, when the college student volunteers from Beijing Film Academy called out Guo Fan's name, some minor problems occurred at the scene.

No one is here!
Boss Lu frowned and waited for two minutes: "Let Luo Hongzhen come in first."

Where did this kid go?

In front of Jimen Bridge, Guo Fan, covered in dust and dirt, was running around, stretching his hands to push through the crowded crowd during the start of the school season.

He overslept!
Being on the crew of "The Sky of History" was the most difficult job he had done since graduation.

Exhausted physically and mentally.

From updating the announcement board as soon as I open my eyes at 7:30, to all the small and big matters before and after the shooting.

What physical effects lack holes for falling rocks? The fan is too loud, causing smoke to blow down the green screen, which is troublesome in post-production. We need a light source to solve the lighting problem when the soldiers are wearing helmets...

Everything opened his eyes, and he also hated his parents for not giving him supernatural powers.

As a later generation's sci-fi film master, he felt for the first time how difficult it was to make a movie, and he still had a lot to learn.

"Guo Fan! Here!"

Just as he was about to go to the administrative building, he was suddenly stopped by another director of the company.

Ning Hao and Xu Zheng stood at the bottom of the building and waved at him.

Guo Fan was extremely anxious, but he didn't want to be too harsh on his senior, so he forced a smile and walked over.

Be respectful.

"Director Ning, Director Xu, what are you two doing..."

Ning Hao smiled and said, "We have something to ask the boss. We're waiting for you to finish the interview. Why are you here just now?"

Guo Fan slapped his thigh and said, "Damn! I haven't had a good night's sleep in a month. I really let myself go yesterday and got stuck in traffic for 20 minutes at Jimen Bridge. I was so anxious."

"Boss, I'm really sorry. I'll apologize to you when I come out later!" Guo Fan clasped his hands together, and his respectful attitude made it impossible to find fault with him.

Baldy Xu seemed to be hesitant to speak, and after two seconds of hesitation, he gestured to him gloomily, "Hurry up, hurry up. Getting scolded for being late is a small matter, but if you're disqualified, you're doomed!"

"Yes, yes, see you two later!"

Watching the young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, striding forward in two steps at a time, Xu Zheng shook his head and sighed for a long time: "It's God's blessing, it's God's blessing."

He also signed up.

Moreover, he has the success of the hit low-budget movie "Supermarket" (Nightclub) and the experience he has accumulated in the industry for two years.

And what he believed to be his close relationship with his boss.

We are all family, and when we recruit talents without any restrictions, how can we not take advantage of it?

I didn't expect that I would actually fail.

Actually, this doesn’t matter. No one has ever dared to question Boss Lu’s authority.

If you don't think highly of me, it only means that I still have a long way to go, mistakes to correct, and hardships to endure.

Just keep working hard and you will reap the rewards.

Isn’t this how all the entertainers and directors in the entertainment industry came to be?
But since he learned from Ning Hao last night that Guo Fan, a young man he had never heard of, was also on the interview list, the bald man instantly became mentally unbalanced!
Why should he! ?

Xu Zheng is smooth and worldly-wise. Since he became connected with the world of literature because of "Stone", he has made many friends within the world of literature in the past two years.

After some inquiries, I found out that Guo Fan was not the child of a leader or a descendant of a famous family, but just an ordinary university graduate in Qiong Province.

Perhaps because his editing skills on a program on Travel Channel attracted attention, he was transferred to Jiang Wei's TV crew. After the filming of "The Sky of History" started, he was personally called up by the boss.

From this perspective, it wasn't an exaggeration for Guangtou Xu to say "It's God's blessing" with a gloomy face.

His good friend Ning Hao comforted him: "Don't think too much. Mr. Lu is back in Beijing these two days. He will definitely stay for a few days to deal with company matters. I'll take you to talk to him."

"Well, we do need to talk." Xu Zheng sighed, "Ever since Supermarket, I thought I had caught his eye, but this..."

The bald man's expression was gloomy and unclear. He suddenly looked around vigilantly and whispered something to his companion.

Ning Hao was shocked!
-
Inside the academic affairs meeting room, Boss Lu angrily slammed the table and said, "Guo Fan! How dare you be late for any occasion?!"

This is like executing Ma Su with tears. He can raise the sword high and put it down gently without saying a word to others.

Guo Fan was sweating profusely as he ran. His white cotton T-shirt had the words "The Sky of History" crew written on it. He bowed to all nine interviewers present.

"Teachers! I'm sorry!"

He raised his head with a scruffy beard and saw that there were Korean and Japanese friends present. He used the foreign languages ​​he had learned in the crew and gave a serious self-criticism in the joint languages ​​of "Private Marseille", "Mian Hamida" and "Sorry", which made everyone laugh.

"Did it notice you?" Boss Lu's face remained furious. "Director Luc Besson is here too, why aren't you speaking French?"

Guo Fan looked constipated and said embarrassedly, "Director Lu, this... the crew doesn't have a French translator, and I haven't learned it yet..."

"OK, OK, I can understand Chinese now." Luc Besondo is so smart that he can tell who this person is.

There was another burst of laughter in the meeting room. It was just a simple check as a formality. Everyone had a good impression of this tall and thin guy with a sense of humor.

The reason is simple: his personality is suitable for being a director.

In the eyes of the academic school, a director is a lofty artistic master, full of the sophistication and elegance of a literati.

However, only people like Lu Kuan, Zhou Xingchi, and Nolan who have worked in a market environment where "one must practice to know it" know that being a director is a relatively complex profession that requires very high comprehensive abilities.

In other words, a director is not only an artistic creator, but also a project manager, resource integrator and team leader.

In the film industry, which relies heavily on collaboration, a sociable personality is often more decisive than pure talent.

Guo Fan is such a talent.

Boss Lu eased the awkwardness of his lateness and got straight to the point: "Guo Fan, to be honest, the technique and camerawork of the short film you submitted are still quite immature."

"Yes, Director Lu, the short film is an adaptation of my own work, 'Flowers Bloom That Year,' and I recognize many of its shortcomings."

"I am truly flattered to be selected this time, but I will definitely seize this opportunity, so please rest assured, teachers!"

This is beautifully said and the meaning is clearly expressed.

Guo Fan knew very well the real reason why he was able to "take the back door", and he was just expressing his opinion in person.

Zhou Xingchi spoke in broken Mandarin, "Director Lu said that the reason he valued you and decided to promote you to the finals was because of some of the insights you provided on the application form."

He flipped through the information: "The last question on the application form is: Summarize your understanding of the role of film director in one sentence."

Zhou Xingchi read it again and said in admiration: "Everyone can take a look at it too. I personally think it is very interesting."

Everyone bowed their heads, and Guo Fan wrote after this question:
"The bottom line for attracting investment can be low, but the bottom line for making movies must be high." "Treat yourself as a project manager to run the crew, and treat yourself as a crazy poet to treat art."

Zhang Huijun praised: "It's a very pragmatic summary. He is a man who gets things done."

Nolan laughed and said: "In 1998, I met producer Emma Thomas through the short film "Following". She later became my wife and used her network to help me enter Hollywood."

"Guo, your story might be about me. I traded a man's lifelong freedom for the opportunity to make a film. That shouldn't be considered a low standard, right?"

Everyone laughed. Guo Fan put his hands together to indicate that he meant no offense. "Actually, this was also inspired by Director Lu. I'm a big fan of his."

The future sci-fi Daji is steadily being produced, and the flattery is overwhelming: "I know Director Lu's movies like the back of my hand, and I've read and watched every one of them over and over again, but what I love most is the behind-the-scenes footage!"

"In 'The Drummer', he mentored Jay Chou and Liu Yifei and turned the two newcomers into qualified role players. This was not easy."

"There's also the portrayal of human nature at the bottom of society in 'The Thief', and the interweaving of historical trends and the love stories of ordinary people in 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'."

Guo Fan said with a certain rhythm: "Of course, my favorites are the two films that used a lot of special effects, "Tangshan" and "The Foreign Land", especially "The Foreign Land", which was the trigger for me to decide to enter the film industry..."

"Stop, stop, stop..." Boss Lu finally couldn't stand this overwhelming flattery anymore: "What kind of fuse? Are you going to blow up Beijing Film Academy or something?"

"Hahahaha!"

Park Chan-wook, Luc Besson and others all laughed while listening to what he said. This young man is quite interesting.

Only Boss Lu knows that this is Cyber ​​Daji's innate skill.

Later in 2019, the movie "Little Broken Ball" was released and was a big hit. Mainland audiences also got to know this science fiction director, and some interesting behind-the-scenes stories were about to come to light.

For example, how eloquent and sincere Director Guo was able to complete the filming of the movie under extremely tight financial conditions.

Among them, XCMG sponsored equipment such as cranes and provided personnel support;
Aosha Company sponsored the exoskeleton robot;
When Liu Cixin visited the set, she saw that the crew was too poor, so she paid 200,000 yuan out of her own pocket to sponsor improved food.

There are also Gong Geer, Andy Lau, Ng Mang-tat...

Even a strong actor like Wolf Warrior Wu Jin was unknowingly deeply bound and starred in the film for free!
Director Guo is very good at using words to bewitch people, and anyone who is bewitched by him will hand over money and resources.

When they see him, even the dogs passing by have to give him a gift of 200 yuan!

This earned her the nicknames Science Fiction Daji and Cyber ​​Daji.

But to be fair, this is the normal development path for grassroots directors.

Just like Boss Lu in this life, his first movie was also "sponsored" by Mei Yanfang with 300 million yuan, and the funds were raised by multiplying the amount from the Korea-Japan World Cup.

And every film he made since "The Drummer" has been absolutely meticulous.

Whether it is the script, actors, costumes, props or special effects, there has never been any compromise or slacking off.

In this sense, Guo Fan's words are also a true portrayal of his self-proclaimed idol Lu Kuan.

Guo Fan's expression turned serious when his idol interrupted him. "Last week, the crew of 'History's Sky' opened up to the media for interviews. I led the team and organized them. To be honest, I was deeply touched."

"Leaving aside all other details, even a button on our crew's uniform, a brick, or a newspaper from that period are exactly the same as real historical scenes."

"Both the mainland and foreign media are genuinely convinced."

"I think this is the self-motivational cognition I wrote for myself - the bottom line of making movies must be high, otherwise the market and the audience will also teach you a lesson."

"From this perspective, this is also the original reason why I longed to enter the academy. I want to, as Director Lu mentioned before, truly devote myself to the wave of China's film industrialization, realize my personal ideals and values, and make some positive contributions to the industry. Thank you!"

Zhang Huijun was the first to applaud: "Well done, he's an ambitious person, worthy of being the talent that your Dean Lu has chosen."

"If you have the opportunity, you are welcome to come to Beijing Film Academy for further studies in the future."

Guo Fan bowed in thanks: "Thank you, Principal Zhang."

In fact, Guo Fan in later generations was a strong supporter and practitioner of film industrialization.

When he was filming Little Broken Ball later, he found more than 20 students from Beijing Film Academy to rotate in different departments and record the mistakes made in daily filming and management. This was to establish standards and serve as a warning.

Guo Fan's interview took the longest because everyone was curious about this student who was assumed to be specially recruited by Boss Lu.

What kind of qualifications are worthy of being valued by this talented director and big shot in the film industry?

Obviously, Guo Fan seems to be the same person as him.

Be flexible but have a bottom line, and be serious and unambiguous in your work.

Boss Lu gave a final summary and encouragement: "Guo Fan, you studied law, and after graduation you worked in program editing, operations, and media publicity for Travel Channel."

"Legal thinking makes you logically rigorous, and operations and publicity work are also indispensable skills and experience in the film industry."

"I hope you can catch up on your weak professional skills as soon as possible. That's all for today."

Only then did Cyber ​​Daji bow excitedly and leave.

A gentleman will die for his friend. Look at him, he seems to be walking with the wind.

On September 2006, 9, the first opening ceremony of the Pan Asia Film Academy was officially opened at the Beijing Film Academy.

This may be the most memorable start of the school year for students at Beijing Film Academy.

Many traffic police were stationed around Jimen Bridge early in the morning to direct traffic, and local vehicles had to give way to the reported vehicles participating in the event.

Some reporters who did not receive permission to interview the media resorted to all kinds of tricks, even offering to pay up to 1,000 yuan to buy meal cards and student ID cards of Beijing Film Academy students so that they could deceive the security guards and enter the school.

Reporters such as Ju Wenpei from China Film Report and Han Lu from Xinlang Entertainment, who had entered the university according to legal regulations, had been eagerly waiting on the campus of Beijing Film Academy.

I heard that there will be many Hollywood stars and directors attending today.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, the first black Audi drove to the red carpet that had been laid out in advance, and Zhang Yimou, Gong Li and Spielberg arrived together.

Gong Li plays Cheng Ruifang in "The Sky of History". The other two directors are creative staff of the Olympic team, so it is natural for them to come and show their support.

The freshmen of Beijing Film Academy in 2006 are the happiest people today. They can see so many famous celebrities at home right after they enrolled.

There are even many people who have become rich by selling meal cards and student ID cards to make a living, which is ridiculous.

Among them is Jing Tian.

Times have changed. She entered school a year earlier than later generations and became a freshman in the 2006 class of the Beijing Film Academy.

Naturally, she is not interested in these big stars. She mainly wants to report and see the style of the bottom lane teacher!
My cheap senior sister Liu Yifei is now on a roadshow in North America, and no one can hear her even if she shouts at the top of her lungs!
Da Tiantian wants to scream enough at once! It feels so good!

The red carpet and the auditorium were soon filled with guests——

There is no need to mention the industry’s own artists.

Powerful actors such as Li Xuejian, Feng Yuanzheng, Liang Jiahui, who have a good relationship with him, and actors and directors from the Eagle King series entered the scene.

Four major actresses, Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, Yan Zi and Xu Jinglei, all came. The last one also wanted to apologize, after all, she was also involved in forwarding the last "joint letter".

Even though it was deleted quickly, you can’t be sure that someone will take a screenshot!
Even Huayi’s Big King, Little King, and Little Cannon have arrived!
This is a rare visitor!
They are all here, including the two ice skaters and the young star Yang Mi, and Huayi's top star Huang Xiaoming will naturally not be absent.

The domestic entertainment industry's spectators all looked at the scene with awe. From this scene, it can be seen that the relationship between the two sides has indeed normalized on the surface.

However, considering that China Arts did not participate in the last joint letter incident and even contributed to the Lu Chuan incident, it is not surprising.

Among the directors are the sixth-generation directors Jia Kechang and Lou Ye, as well as Jiang Wen, who is currently filming "The Sun Also Rises" invested by Eagle King. Jiang Zhiqiang brought Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-hsien, an old friend from Taiwan.

Soon, more Hollywood stars and directors arrived.

Best Actor Tom Hanks and Best Actress Moore lead the group, followed closely by Gary Oldman and Scarlett Johansson;
"Film sociologist" Martin Scorsese, Quentin, Harvey and others will naturally not be absent.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Liu Yifei were on the roadshow for "Alien Land 2" in North America and couldn't make it.

Inside the auditorium, Zhang Huijun and Tian Zhuangzhuang laughed and said, "Some people can't even be invited to an A-level film festival! Lu Kuan is really influential."

"This kid is the best at winning people's hearts, no wonder."

Zhang Huijun laughed and said, "It's not surprising. Aren't you the first one he fooled? Qingying Studio gave him the service for free for half a year before paying him!"

Later, Wanda invested in a film capital project in Qingdao, inviting Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and others to attend, raising its profile and causing a sensation.

This time Lu Kuan did not go all out, but simply invited some prominent figures based on proximity and convenience.

After all, it's not a business activity, so there's no need to waste too much favors.

Today's opening ceremony only officially began when Han Shanping, Director Tong, and relevant leaders from the Ministry of Culture and Education arrived.

The Beijing Film Academy’s standard release was hosted by Tian Zhuangzhuang, the director of the directing department, who personally extended greetings to the guests from afar on behalf of the Beijing Film Academy.

This was followed by a short clip of the works of the six students shortlisted this year, which ultimately elevated the theme and heightened the atmosphere.

After the usual speeches by the leaders, the three presidents of the jointly-run China-Japan-Korea Film Academy gave speeches respectively, and Li Meijing spoke on behalf of the academy's investors.

Representatives from the film academic and capital circles of the three East Asian countries endorsed the book on the spot, painting a picture of the most advanced talent training route in today's era, which aroused cheers from the audience.

Until Tian Zhuangzhuang shouted: "Now, please welcome the President of Pan Asia Film Academy, Mr. Lu Kuan, to the stage to give a speech!"

The venue suddenly erupted in applause!

Whether it is domestic entertainment and film reporters, Beijing Film Academy students, industry stars, directors, Korean and Japanese academics, business people, or officials from the domestic film industry and cultural industry -

They all turned their eyes to the stage, looking at this young director who has been holding high the banner of commercial films and calling for the industrialization of the film industry since his debut.

Boss Lu on the stage was wearing a high-end suit suitable for formal occasions. He stood tall and straight, with a majestic and imposing appearance.

"Hello everyone, without further ado, today I would like to share with you the original intention of establishing this film school."

"I have previously expressed my views on commercial films and the industrialization of film on different occasions."

"For example, after The Drummer won the Venice Golden Lion in 02, I returned to Beijing Film Academy for exchanges, represented the government in dialogues with China's sixth-generation directors, and spoke as chairman of the jury at the 05 Cannes Film Festival, and so on."

“Why have I been working so hard to push this forward? Frankly, because I see the crisis.”

"Here today are our colleagues from the three East Asian countries. We coexist in the Confucian cultural circle that originated in China and share similar artistic imprints and aesthetic sensibilities."

"But let's take a look at the film market in our three countries."

"I won't go into the relevant data today, but it's a fact that almost all of them have suffered from the 'invasion' of the Western film industry in Hollywood."

"It's true that Hollywood is a competitor and a commercial enemy, but I think they are more of an anatomical specimen. The strength of Hollywood lies in their specialized division of labor."

"Today, behind closed doors, I'm exposing my own shortcomings. While Hollywood currently has 150 industrialized film jobs, this number is only 46 in China, according to official data from the Film Bureau."

"From the perspective of production system, Hollywood is producer-centered, while we are director-centered."

"From a single production process, such as color grading, Hollywood has the ASC-CDL color decision list, and our crew mostly relies on experience."

"There are also things like talent cultivation, risk management, completion guarantees, box office forecasts, etc..."

Boss Lu paused and said, "This basin of water may make everyone here feel chilled to the bone, but it is indeed necessary to pour water, and there is no construction without destruction."

This statement exposed his own shortcomings, but people in the industry present all agreed with it.

There are many irregularities in mainland film crews, and all lines in the industrial chain are deeply affected.

It is common for investors' funds to be misappropriated without reason under various pretexts, for the crew's production director to withhold commissions from extras and boxed lunches, and for the external relations director to embezzle money from film venue fees.

The students in the auditorium of the Beijing Film Academy were moved to tears when they heard this. One student from the directing department couldn't help but stand up and shout, "Director Lu, what should we do then?"

Boss Lu said with a smile: "The industrialization of film is a big concept. It requires the collaboration of many parties such as the government, film companies, directors, and financial institutions to achieve it."

"This process won't happen overnight, but it needs to be started as soon as possible."

"For example, our internal decision-making on production crews and film marketing has, to a considerable extent, adapted Hollywood's industrial system for Chinese use to support our commercial and artistic decisions."

"Of course, this student's question also points out our topic today——"

The young director pointed to the banner above his head and said: "The establishment of the Pan Asia Film Academy is to promote the industrialization of the film industry from the director level."

There was a lot of discussion in the audience, but soon it returned to silence.

When it comes to artistic attainments, there is no best in literature. Everyone has their own opinion and there is no unified standard.

But in terms of his understanding of the film industry and his overall vision, perhaps this richest man in mainland China is qualified to be a teacher to everyone from officials to the government.

"Yesterday in the conference room, President Zhang and I spoke with Mr. Ikuo Hirayama, President of Tokyo University of the Arts, and Mr. Chung Un-chan, President of Chung-Ang University. Sadly, we discovered that there is a shortage of talented directors."

"In Japan, the gap is due to a collective silence under the shadow of the masters. Directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano are too outstanding, and there is no successor. From 2003 to 2006, the top ten domestic box office directors in Japan were only one new director, Mr. Takashi Miike, who was 1 years old at the time. After that, there is no new director."

"In South Korea, the gap is due to the existence of the Chungmuro ​​lineage theory, which has hindered the development of the film industry's ecosystem and talent training. According to data from the Korean Film Council in 2006, less than 35% of films produced by directors under 5 years old were released in theaters."

"In China, the gap is due to the fact that the evaluation standards have long been controlled by a small number of film scholars. They have demonized normal film products - genre films and commercial films, and even our excellent directors who are capable of telling good stories are afraid of them!"

"Of course, since Zhang Yimou's 2002 film 'Hero,' I'm glad that more and more directors have realized this and refused to become victims of the commercial film boom."

After hearing this, the audience fell silent.

Every family has its own problems. Some things may not sound good, but experienced practitioners know the answer.

In Japan, masters such as 65-year-old Hayao Miyazaki and 59-year-old Takeshi Kitano have monopolized absolute industry resources. Major studios such as Shochiku and Toho have adopted a safe strategy and will not give young directors too many opportunities.

The Chungmuro ​​he mentioned is the center of the Korean film industry, home to many film companies, equipment stores, cinemas and theaters.

Without Chungmuro ​​ancestry, it is difficult to get opportunities in the Korean film industry, where seniority is strictly enforced.

As for the Southeast Asian countries that Mr. Lu has ignored, there is no need to mention them. There are almost no famous directors, and the local production system was destroyed by the aftermath of the 98 financial crisis.

In art, this is also a generation torn apart by colonial narratives.

Boss Lu said earnestly: "Therefore, the Pan Asia Film Academy was established with this original intention."

"Following a strict selection process, we only admitted six students in the first class."

"I hope you will work hard! Strive to make progress! Achieve results and set an example. I hope that next year the number can be 10 or 20!"

The young director made his final closing remarks: "Well, friends."

“Industrialization is not an option, but a life-or-death order.”

“The backbone of industrialization is standardization, and its soul is creativity.”

"I hope that each of our students can become a blaster of the old order and a surveyor of the new blueprint."

"at last!"

"I would like to express my outlook, expectation and blessing to the young students of Beijing Film Academy and all the practitioners in the domestic film industry!"

All the industry stars, directors, film companies and powerful figures in the audience, including Bingbing and Jing Tian, ​​could not help but sit up straight and listen attentively.

"I hope that through the efforts of our generation, Chinese culture will become popular around the world through the artistic medium of film, and our dragon emblem will become the universal currency of the film world!"

"One day in the future, in Imax theaters in Shanghai and Beijing, children will be able to cheer for our superheroes Wukong and Nezha!"

"On the world's largest video website, a drama tagged 'Chinese science fiction' and 'Chinese culture' has topped the charts!"

"At the Oscars, a designer wearing Hanfu received the Best Visual Effects trophy. Thanks to the Lin'an algorithm team for their contribution!"

"Friends! Colleagues! This is not a fantasy! This is the future our generation must weld with our own hands!"

"When future generations write the history of 21st-century cinema, may they record it this way: In 2006, a group of Chinese filmmakers put down their pens, their literary scorn for each other, grasped the wrench of film industry civilization, and forged..."

The air in the auditorium was choked for a moment. Boss Lu paused and looked at the audience with a smile on his face.

“The glory of Chinese cinema!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Director Cai of the General Administration, Director Tong of the Film Bureau, leaders of the Cultural and Art Department, Han Shanping and other official guests stood up first.

The whole audience was excited and applauded for a long time.

From the temple to the underworld, all the industry insiders standing at the top of the industry pyramid can't help but sigh in their hearts -

Carrying the banner of film industrialization, after today, perhaps a future financial and academic tycoon in the Chinese film industry will be born.

(End of this chapter)