It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 41: Filming Begins... They've never taken "Cellphone" seriously?!

With investment secured and the main cast finalized, there's still a lot of work to be done.

Lu Rui took some time to go back to the Beijing Film Academy and handed the drafted list of supporting actors to Zhao Peng, asking him to coordinate with the acting department.

The project "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has already spread far and wide, and at least within the Beijing Film Academy, everyone knows about it!
"Brother Rui, can Shen Ao and I come along this time?"

When Zhao Peng heard that the filming locations included overseas locations, he immediately became interested.

Not only did he want to go himself, but he also wanted to bring his younger brother to Australia with him.

Lu Rui patted him on the shoulder and nodded in agreement: "No problem, but you need to hurry up and finalize the cast list. I plan to start filming in early March."

"Don't worry, Brother Rui! Leave this to me, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Zhao Peng replied confidently.

Having honed his skills through the projects "Mystic River" and "Gone Girl," Zhao Peng has unknowingly transformed himself into an outstanding casting director.

Lu Rui's previous efforts in cultivating him have not been in vain.

Of course, the key is that this kid is quick-witted and reliable.

After leaving the dormitory, amidst the envious, jealous, or admiring gazes of his classmates, Lü Rui headed towards the office building.

He found Xie Xiaojing's office, knocked on the door and went in. Seeing the other person's blank expression, he directly made a request: "Teacher Xie, I'm short of a photographer for my new project. Could you help me find one?"

When filming "Gone Girl", he lent his services to the cinematographer of "Don't Talk to Strangers".

When filming "Mystic River", Jiang Wen helped to invite Zhao Fei, who had served as the cinematographer in "Raise the Red Lantern".

But with "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" about to start filming, a cinematographer has yet to be found.

Zhao Fei was dragged away by Feng Xiaogang to film "Cellphone," and Lü Rui couldn't find a suitable replacement, so he had to come to the school for help.

It is well known that apart from the acting department, all other departments at Beijing Film Academy are extremely prestigious!
Especially in the photography department, Zhang Yimou, Gu Changwei, Mu Deyuan... aren't they all top-tier talents?
"Haha, you've come to the right person."

Xie Xiaojing was taken aback at first, then picked up her phone and started calling for help.

It wasn't just photography; the core team members, including lighting, script supervisor, art direction, costumes, and sound effects, were all assembled in just half a morning.

For the Beijing Film Academy, assembling a film crew is a piece of cake.

Lü Rui's move was just like an old lady getting into bed—he really got it right!

Just in time for lunch, the person recommended by the photography department rushed over.

"Director Lü, hello, I'm Ning Hao..."

Inside the cafeteria, Lü Rui met Ning Hao, who was about to graduate.

Born in 1977, he is only 26 years old, but he has a very mature face.

It's no exaggeration to say that if you told him he was thirty years old, Lü Rui would believe it!
"Hello senior, I've seen your film 'Thursday Wednesday,' the visuals are excellent."

Upon hearing Lü Rui call him "senior," Ning Hao hurriedly waved his hand, "No! Just call me Ning Hao or Monkey, that's what my friends call me."

Ning Hao really couldn't accept the title of "senior."

After all, the director in front of him was a double winner of the Berlin Silver Bear and the Venice Silver Lion, and he was very insecure deep down.

"Alright, then I'll call you Monkey."

Lu Rui didn't pay much attention to how people addressed him. After Ning Hao got the food, the two found a corner to eat and chat.

When Ning Hao heard that Lü Rui wanted him to be the cinematographer for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," he agreed without hesitation.

He then mentioned his recent situation: "On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, my independently filmed movie 'Incense' successfully wrapped up filming. However, I don't have the money for post-production now. This kind of film needs to be exported to sell its rights in order to break even, so..."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui immediately understood that this person was probably very strapped for cash, which was why he had to work.

This is also the predicament faced by many photography and directing students today; very few can actually secure investment to make a film.

"Don't worry, the photography fee will definitely be paid in full, calculated according to market rates."

Although Lü Rui was unsure of Ning Hao's current photography skills, the head of the photography department had assured him that he was absolutely reliable!
"Alright! Thank you in advance, Director Lü. Let me know before you leave."

After finishing his meal, Ning Hao left his phone number, packed another meal to go, and hurriedly ran out of the cafeteria.

His girlfriend, Xing Aina, was still waiting for him to bring her food in the editing room.

Watching him leave quickly, Lü Rui shook his head inwardly.

In my memory, this guy stumbled quite a bit, and it wasn't until he got into commercial comedy films that he really made a successful comeback.

Over the next two days, Lü Rui met with the people recommended by the Beijing Film Academy and discussed all the details of the cooperation.

Almost no one declined.

After all, in the current climate, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," with an investment of 5000 million, is undoubtedly a top-tier commercial film, and the opportunity to participate in such a large project is extremely rare!

Meanwhile, thanks to the matchmaking efforts of China Film Group, Lü Rui successfully reached a cooperation agreement with Reader magazine.

In subsequent filming, Reader magazine will appear as an important background element.

As the most popular comprehensive digest magazine in China, Reader has been ranked first in monthly circulation of magazines nationwide for three consecutive years and has a wide influence at home and abroad, making it undoubtedly the best partner.

In addition, Lü Rui has also finalized advertising placement agreements with several brands, including China Mobile (communication equipment), Jiayuan.com (dating website), Boiling Point (skateboard brand), Nikon (camera brand), and Pathfinder (outdoor sports brand).

These sponsorship fees combined brought "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" nearly 2000 million in sponsorship money!

This not only significantly alleviated the pressure of recouping the film's costs, but also greatly boosted Lü Rui's confidence. Meanwhile, system rewards and new tasks arrived as expected.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully advanced the financing, product placement, and casting for the "Daydreamer" project.]

[Level B Talent: "Ben Stiller's Narrative Structure Design and Production Management Techniques," has been successfully awarded.]

[New Task: Please hold a press conference to launch the film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"!]

……

March arrived as scheduled, and the launch event for the filming of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" was officially held at the headquarters of Reader magazine!
The scene was incredibly impressive!

As Lü Rui stood on the stage, he looked around and saw that almost all the well-known entertainment media reporters in China had gathered there.

This was a scene he had Wang Changtian deliberately create.

Assuming quality is guaranteed, what commercial films are really competing on is gimmicks and buzz?
The higher the level of attention, the higher the audience's expectations will be, and the box office performance after the release will definitely be good!

"Director Lü, with a 5000 million investment to your name, are you confident you can recoup your costs?"

The Sohu reporter went straight to the point, raising the most pressing question of the entire event.

Lu Rui laughed heartily and said firmly, "Yes!"

A reporter from Sina immediately followed up with the question: "Director Lü, does this mean that you have accepted Director Feng Xiaogang's challenge to a box office battle?"

"Sorry, I never took 'Cell Phone' seriously. My goal is to be like 'Hero,' breaking the 100 million yuan box office mark!"

boom! ! !
The moment the words were spoken, a thunderous uproar erupted at the scene!
Han Sanping, Wang Changtian, Yu Dong, and Dong Ping, who were watching the ceremony from the side, exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise.

They had never heard Lü Rui mention anything like "box office exceeding 100 million" before.

Yu Dong lowered his voice and murmured, "Breaking 100 million? How easy is that?"

"There may still be a chance for things to turn around."

Han Sanping stroked his chin, and Lu Rui's powerful words from before were now surging in his mind, inexplicably giving him a sense of certainty.

Wang Changtian grinned, his mind racing with anticipation as he calculated his share of the profits.

Only Dong Ping fell into deep thought. After all, coordinating filming locations and transporting equipment overseas required advance planning, and the task assigned to them by Lü Rui was no easy task.

Just as the group was lost in their own thoughts, a NetEase reporter suddenly asked loudly, "Director Lü, where does your confidence come from?"

"Good question!"

Lü Rui laughed and turned to wave to the backstage area.

The next second, the main creative team members went on stage.

When Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui walked side by side, their fingers intertwined, a flurry of flashes went off, and the sound of camera shutters swept across the entire venue like a torrential downpour!
Amidst the frantic flashing of camera lights, many reporters stood frozen in place, their hands holding microphones forgotten to move.

Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui stood side by side, chatting and laughing. This scene, which could be described as a "century-level reunion," made everyone present gasp in disbelief!

What method did Lü Rui use to get both of them to come to the front of the stage at the same time?
Meanwhile, in the shadows on the other side of the stands, Zhou Yang, Jiang Yiyan, Zhu Yawen, Luo Jin, and a few others, who were squeezed behind Zhao Peng and Shen Ao, all had their eyes fixed on the stage.

However, their focus was not on Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui together, but rather on a beautiful figure who captivated them completely.

"How come she's in the production team too?"

Jiang Yiyan dug her nails into her palms, her eyelashes trembled violently, and her jealousy was almost overflowing.

Everyone in the class envied their classmate.

She played Jiang Wen's daughter in "Mystic River", and then went on to film "The Story of a Noble Family" and "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils". Now she has appeared in the cast of "Daydreamer".

Most importantly, Mei Yanfang even held her hand and introduced her to the reporters as her daughter in the play!

Jiang Wen laughed heartily beside him, saying that this was his daughter from his previous drama.

The two film industry giants, singing in unison, instantly drew the attention of countless cameras to that slender figure.

"Maybe it's because she's pretty and has a good sense of the camera."

Zhou Yang's casual words pierced Jiang Yiyan's heart like a poisoned arrow!
She stared intently at Liu Yifei on the stage... The young girl's eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, bright and radiant, her smile seemed to be bathed in moonlight, every line exuded natural beauty, and her every move was outstanding.

At school, Liu Yifei was the school beauty, while she was just an ordinary green leaf used to set off the flower.

Now that she's in the film crew, everyone else is a bright and dazzling leading lady, acting alongside Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, while she's just a passerby who was sent to the school to play minor roles.

Jealousy grew wildly in Jiang Yiyan's chest like vines, suffocating her!
Half an hour later, the press conference came to a close.

The reporters, carrying generous red envelopes, gradually dispersed, while the main production team rushed to the film set, where Ning Hao had already set up the camera and was adjusting the camera positions.

At the same time, Lü Rui's consciousness sank into the system space.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully held the opening ceremony for the movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".]

[Level A Talent Reward: "Ben Stiller's Visual Aesthetics and Natural Lighting Techniques" has been successfully awarded.]

He subtly touched the light and shadow effects flowing in the void, carefully pondering the subtleties of the camera's language.

Meanwhile, after receiving the news from the press conference for the start of filming of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," Feng Xiaogang's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot again!
"What? He... he actually said he's never taken 'Cellphone' seriously?"

Chapter 39 has been slightly revised, and Chapter 40 has been significantly revised. Many people's understanding differs from mine, which may be due to my assumptions. Those who are interested can go back and take a look; those who aren't interested can skip it, as it won't affect the overall plot progression.

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(End of this chapter)