Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 80 How about a gamble?
Xie Xiaojing's invitation surprised both of them.

Mu Deyuan didn't hang up the phone, but repeated what he had said, waiting for Wu Chen's response.

"What Dean Xie meant was that if you're tired from the journey and want to rest, it's okay if you don't come. He just came up with the idea on a whim. If you want to come, you can come and chat with each other."

Wu Chen lowered his head and took a sip of tea, a smile flashing in his eyes.

Director Feng, Director Feng, you came here on your own. He won’t be responsible if you make any mistakes.

After a few seconds, Wu Chen smiled softly:

"Director Feng?
OK, I'll go take a look."

Mu Deyuan said a few words to the other end of the phone, hung up, stood up and patted his trouser legs: "Let's go, I want to hear what you guys are talking about."

The two men picked up the teacups and drank them all in one gulp. The bottom of the cups hit the table with a crisp sound, and then they pushed the door open and walked out.

The auditorium of Beijing Film Academy was crowded with people, the lights were blazing, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sweat.

Xie Xiaojing signaled her assistant to bring a chair and placed it next to Feng Xiaogang on the stage. Seeing this scene, the students in the audience began to murmur:
"Who else is coming?"

"Could it be Senior Brother Zhang Yi? That shouldn't be the case. He's still filming in Lijiang."

"Director Tian Zhuangzhuang? Isn't he busy with 'Wu Qingyuan'?"

"Could it be Wu Chen?"

"."

Wang Zhongjun sat on the side, tapping the armrest with his fingertips, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Huayi cannot rely solely on Feng Xiaogang. He knows very well that if Wu Chen can be won over, it will definitely be a happy event for Huayi.

The other party is young and his golden creative period is long enough.

On the stage, Feng Xiaogang was speaking enthusiastically, holding the microphone, his voice as loud as a bell:
"When making movies, you have to have a conscience. I spent tens of millions on 'A World Without Thieves', and the box office exceeded 100 million. The audience liked it, so it was worth it!"

But when he caught sight of the chair, his eye twitched slightly.

At this moment, the back door of the auditorium opened and Wu Chen walked in wearing a black sweater. He was low-key but his aura could not be concealed.

Many people in the venue turned their heads to look, and when Feng Xiaogang put down the microphone, they immediately cheered, and the applause and screams came like a tide.

Pu Songri, Xiang Zhuo and the other two squeezed in the back row, their eyes widening. "Didn't Brother Chen say he wasn't coming? Why is he heading for the stage right after he arrives?"

Feng Xiaogang paused on the stage, and when he saw Wu Chen coming on stage, he forced a smile:

"Director Wu, you're really popular. Look how enthusiastic the cheers are."

Wu Chen sat down and continued with a faint smile, "Director Feng, I'm a junior student, come and learn from you."

The audience burst into laughter and the atmosphere suddenly became heated.

"It's not about learning, but communicating with each other, and the one who is more experienced is the teacher. I haven't filmed in Hollywood yet," Feng Xiaogang brought up the topic.

Wu Chen's eyes flashed when he heard this, and he chuckled softly, "Actually, Hollywood and mainland China aren't that different. The processes are different, but the movies ultimately end up in the same place.

There's no need to exaggerate them; they just have one mouth and two nostrils."

As Wu Chen finished speaking, the audience burst into laughter.

Wang Zhongjun whispered to Xie Xiaojing, "Director Wu is quite humorous."

Xie Xiaojing nodded with satisfaction.

Wu Chen is indeed the new generation face of Beijing Film Academy directors in recent years, and he is still not inferior to Feng Xiaogang, who is currently in the limelight.

Feng Xiaogang felt jealous when he saw Wu Chenyun brush it off lightly.

Hell, he hasn't even been to Hollywood yet.

Then he cleared his throat and got straight to the point: "Director Wu, did you really finish shooting your new film in fifteen days?"

There was complete silence on and off the stage regarding this question, as everyone waited for Wu Chen to confirm it in person. After all, reports were not as authentic as what he himself said.

Wu Chen took the microphone, his eyes calm, and whispered:
“Director Feng is the director and should know that different scenes have different times.

Buried is a one-man show, so 15 days was actually enough. If Director Feng had shot it, I think it wouldn’t have taken a few days.”

Feng Xiaogang was stunned when he heard this, narrowed his eyes slightly, and did not respond.

Wu Chen didn't stop talking, and changed the subject: "How about this, Director Feng, how about we make a bet to warm up the atmosphere for everyone?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the students in the audience, eager to watch the fun, shouted in unison: "Let's start gambling! Let's start gambling!"

A hint of curiosity flashed in the eyes of Xie Xiaojing, Mu Deyuan and some teachers from Beijing Film Academy.

"Oh?" Feng Xiaogang was stunned. He hadn't expected Wu Chen to play this trick. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said under everyone's gaze, "What do you want to bet on, Director Wu?"

"We don't gamble with money, it's harmful to the body, we gamble with people." Wu Chen smiled, "People online are saying that the quality of 'Buried Alive' that I shot over the past 15 days is not good.

Let me put it this way, I bet that Buried Alive will make it to Berlin, and I bet it will be shortlisted for the main competition unit.

Before he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the venue.

"Junior Brother Wu Chen, are you so confident?"

"Wow, is there gambling at the Berlin Film Festival?"

"Brother Wu Chen, we support you."

There was a lot of discussion in the audience, and of course there were also some junior students from the 04 Acting Department who were waving and cheering with clear voices.

Wu Chen continued, "If I win, and one day my movie needs a cameo, Director Feng can't refuse. Of course, the same goes for vice versa."

Wu Chen's voice was not loud, but clear enough.

The students in the audience were having a hard time suppressing their laughter, but because Feng Xiaogang was there, they had to forcefully suppress the curve of their lips. Feng Xiaogang was stunned by Wu Chen's trick, and when he came to his senses, he couldn't help but curse in his heart:
This kid's heart is absolutely black, it couldn't be any blacker.

The guest appearance joke is well-known in the industry.

At first, Zhou Xingchi asked him to guest star in "Kung Fu", and he went. But when he asked Zhou Xingchi to guest star in "A World Without Thieves", Zhou Xingchi refused, saying that he would do it next time.
Feng Xiaogang, who had experienced the media baptism and turmoil, did not change his expression at all. "Okay, Director Wu, this bet is interesting. Let's make a bet. Let's all witness it."

The auditorium exploded with thunderous applause.

Chen Yi, the dean of the Academy, couldn't help but whisper to Mu Deyuan, "Director Mu, Wu Chen is indeed interesting. How confident is he?"

Many teachers heard it and couldn't help but prick up their ears to listen to some explosive news.

Mu Deyuan narrowed his eyes and shook his head: "How can you be sure of something like this? It's just a small bet, just for fun."

Haha, we don’t believe you.

The teachers secretly complained in their hearts, but they couldn't help but envy them.

Damn, it’s so cool to have a good student. At least when I brag about him, no one dares to say a word.

"Back to the topic, Director Wu, let's talk about movies." Feng Xiaogang decisively changed the subject after Wu Chen silently counterattacked him.
"Originally, Director Wang and I came here to promote A World Without Thieves. So, Director Wu, what do you think of my film?
Talk about it from a professional perspective and analyze it."

He didn't believe that Wu Chen had really watched "A World Without Thieves" seriously. If he remembered correctly, Wu Chen was first busy with "The Dark Side" during that time and then went to Hollywood to shoot "Buried".

Finally, it was time for serious academic exchanges, and the venue suddenly became much quieter.

Wu Chen was not at all flustered. He picked up the phone and whispered:

"I watched A World Without Thieves. Director Feng put a lot of effort into it. For example, in the train scene, the camerawork was tight, and when Liu Dehua and Ge You were facing off, the camera pushes and pulls were just right, creating a lot of emotional tension."

Feng Xiaogang listened with a blank expression and said nothing, but he muttered in his heart:
Well, that's superficial, it seems you haven't seen it.

Who wouldn’t say these few words?

Wu Chen didn't stop:

"But what moved me most was the scene in the first twelve minutes. Amidst layers of dark clouds, a soft beam of light descended, landing in the heart of a snowy city, surrounded by mountains. It was holy and warm.

The Buddhist atmosphere laid out in the beginning is strong, and this beam of light, coupled with the solemn music that gradually gets stronger, pushes the picture to a climax.

The light falls in the center of the composition, highlighting the inner transformation of the heroine Wang Li who is tired of the life of a thief, and paving the way for her subsequent worship and giving up naturally and profoundly.

The director's skill is evident from this."

"???"

A thin layer of sweat broke out on the back of Feng Xiaogang's neck, but he tried to remain calm on the surface. The twitching corners of his mouth revealed the astonishment in his heart.

No?

Did you really go to see it?
Look, even if you have so much time, you can study it so carefully.
Wu Chen did not stop. He talked about a few more shots, which left the audience stunned.

"Junior Brother Wu Chen is so strong! I didn't see these things when I first saw them, but he has already analyzed them."

"That's amazing! Now that you mention it, it seems to be true. Director Feng is really talented. He actually buried so many metaphors in it."

"."

After Wu Chen finished speaking, there was a lot of noise and applause.

Wu Chen bowed and smiled at Feng Xiaogang: "Director Feng, am I right? If I am wrong, please correct me."

Feng Xiaogang didn't say anything stubborn and nodded: "Director Wu has an amazing eye."

"Director Feng, I reviewed your film. Honestly, it's really well made. I didn't find any problems with it, but my film certainly has a lot of problems. I'm not very knowledgeable, so I hope Director Feng can give me some pointers."

"?"

Feng Xiaogang's face froze.

Damn, this is a boomerang!

Has he seen it?

Never seen it!
Now we can only follow the film critics' lead.

He certainly couldn't say in front of so many students that he was too busy to watch it, because that would make them laugh to death.
Wu Chen had already watched his "A World Without Thieves", and it was he who took the initiative to ask Wu Chen to comment on it. Now it's the other way around, and he can't back down.

Feng Xiaogang paused and then continued speaking:
"The Dark Side" has a fast pace and gets to the point within the first 15 minutes. The cinematography uses cold light, creating a strong sense of oppression. The ending is a twist that leaves the audience stunned for a long time before they recover.

Director Wu's conception is truly ingenious, with layers of traps that make the audience lose themselves in them."

This statement may be able to fool laymen, but in the eyes of teachers at the Beijing Film Academy, it is full of loopholes and generalities, and even students from the photography department can tell that it is perfunctory.

Xie Xiaojing nodded with a smile, but her eyes met Mu Deyuan and the others, and there was a hint of mockery in each other's eyes.

In the end, Wu Chen gave Feng Xiaogang a break and didn't delve too deeply into the matter of "The Dark Side", otherwise Feng Xiaogang would have been in a very difficult situation.

After the exchange meeting, Wang Zhongjun specifically asked Wu Chen for a number before leaving with Feng Xiaogang and others.

"I bet Feng Xiaogang has never seen Brother Chen's "The Dark Side". I almost died of laughter just now." After Feng Xiaogang and others left the stage, Xiang Zhuo slapped his thigh and laughed wildly.

Park Song-il nodded with a smile: "One hundred percent. I knew it the first time I heard him say it. It's just that everyone gave him face and didn't expose him to his face, otherwise he would have been embarrassed to death."

Wu Chen greeted Xie Xiaojing: "Director Xie, I'm leaving first."

"Go back and rest, you've worked hard." Xie Xiaojing nodded with satisfaction.

In the car, Wang Zhongjun held it in for a long time, but finally couldn't help it:
"Xiaogang, have you read The Dark Side?"

"."

Feng Xiaogang remained silent.
(End of this chapter)