The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 1: Creating a Trend

January 4, 2007, just after the New Year's Day holiday.

Through the gaps in the heavy, dark blue curtains, a hazy, almost icy light, characteristic of a typical winter morning in Beijing, seeped in.

The indoor heating was on full blast, and the dry, warm air enveloped everything, creating a stark contrast to the frigid outside.

Shen Shandeng just wanted to sleep a little longer. Looking at his exposed face, he wasn't exactly stunningly handsome, but he was still quite dignified and pleasing to the eye.

"Get up, you lazybones, you still have to go to China Film Group today."

Da Mimi woke up Shen Shandeng.

Shen Shandeng told her to stop making a fuss: "Tangtang, no, Tiantian, no, Yuanyuan, no, yes, Mimi, stop making a fuss."

"Do you want to die? How can you be like this? No matter how much you nag, I will never agree to you having a harem!"

Big Honey bounced up like a spring.

"Ow!"

Shen Shandeng was fully awake and got up to check on her. Da Mimi had already jumped out of bed.

This is the most generous of all the big stars of later generations.

Shen Shandeng is not dreaming; he is a reborn person, born in 1982.

In my past life, I was a civil engineer with a strong sense of purpose. I worked in Qingdao and caught up with several waves of industry expansion, making a name for myself as a winner in life.

In middle age, he experienced setbacks in his family life and got divorced, but his career took off. Seizing the opportunity, he and a friend opened a transshipment company to steal and sell cat-shaped cars and spare parts to the north.

I experienced simple, unpretentious happiness.

Just as he was experiencing a second spring in his life, his joy turned to sorrow. When he went to Russia for an inspection, he tried to learn Russian with some Russian girls, but he didn't have the talent and found it very difficult.

When I was reborn and returned to university, I was still studying at the Petroleum University (East China).

They were young and full of vigor.

In this life, Shen Shandeng wants to live a different kind of life.

In later generations, concert tickets sold out instantly, and museums, zoos, aquariums, and science and technology museums were impossible to enter without advance reservations.

Even the TM library is full, and train tickets are extremely hard to come by during Golden Week.

While people abroad were fighting tooth and nail, the entire nation in China was having a blast, and with the help of the highly developed internet, previously unremarkable and low-profile good things were being unearthed.

And movies, which are naturally suited for social interaction, are nowhere to be found.

The audience's feelings towards movies have evolved beyond disappointment, despair, and anger; they've simply stopped caring.

When people think of movies, they don't think of special effects or stories, but rather what kind of mission these people are on. Because of the stereotypes in the film industry, audiences also have stereotypes.

Unless there is a film that clearly tells the audience that, firstly, the film is competent, secondly, it aims to serve the audience rather than educate them, and thirdly, it is not influenced by Western narratives.

Only then can it break out of its niche.

Similar to "Ne Zha 2", it introduced green cards, soul-devouring pills, and dollar signs, looking back in the opposite direction.

"Ne Zha 2" is not particularly special. Back in 17, when "Wolf Warrior 2" was released, Yu Qian played a role that satirized a certain group.

To put it bluntly, it doesn't need to be outstanding; as long as it's "normal" and meets the normal level of economic and industrial development, that's enough.

But even so, it's impossible.

A huge barrier has been created between the film industry and the audience, a barrier that film professionals themselves have built.

Filmmakers have also tasted this bitter fruit.

In the past, a decent commercial film could gross over a billion dollars, but now it only grosses a few hundred million dollars because audiences are unwilling to learn about the films.

Only a film that breaks stereotypes can win back the audience.

When "Ne Zha 2" was a hit, nobody took it seriously, and some even felt it was taking up box office revenue. But when they came to their senses, they realized that audiences don't want to give a second glance to movies that don't break out of their niche.

It's not that the audience doesn't have a need; on the contrary, their cultural needs are extremely strong. They're just afraid of being scammed.

Therefore, Shen Shandeng made a decision against his parents and family: not to join the system.

After graduating from university in 05, I took the entrance exam for the graduate program in management at Beijing Film Academy.

In this industry, he doesn't need to be incredibly talented; he just needs to produce some decent work.

Shen Shandeng put on a pair of underwear and crawled out of bed.

He likes to sleep naked.

The air inside my nose smelled of dust and excessively dry air, a peculiar smell unique to the northern heating season.

Besides the bed, the bedroom also contained a wardrobe and a desk. There were no theoretical books on the desk, but the script for "Brotherhood of Blades II: The Return of the Sun" was scattered around, along with several printed articles.

Next to it stood an old-fashioned CRT monitor, its bulky case remaining silent as it was not opened.

After washing his face, Shen Shandeng was truly awake.

After Shen Shandeng finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, he saw Da Mimi come in with breakfast.

Da Mimi urged him to eat quickly: "I've bought the steamed buns and soy milk. Take me to school first; I need to rehearse for my annual performance class."

I was having breakfast when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Da Mimi asked curiously.

Shen Shandeng said, "It might be Xiao Zhou."

"I'm going to change my clothes." Da Mimi hurriedly went to the bedroom.

Upon opening the door, it was indeed Zhou Qifeng.

Zhou Qifeng is a first-year graduate student this year and is a junior student under the same advisor as Shen Shandeng.

I'm going to China Film Group to discuss some business today, so I asked him to run some errands for me.

Once inside, Zhou Qifeng felt much warmer and rubbed his hands together. "Senior brother, sister-in-law, I'm so excited. I can hardly believe I'm going to see Han Sanping with you."

Their research focuses on film industry management. Han Sanping will likely become the official head of China Film Group this year, and even now, he is responsible for overseeing business restructuring, asset integration, and reforms to the property rights system.

Those who understand will understand how much power is involved.

Zhou Qifeng sincerely admired his senior brother; he was truly amazing.

"Come and eat together." The word "sister-in-law" made Da Mimi feel comfortable, and she invited him to eat.

Zhou Qifeng said he had finished eating: "Senior brother, have you prepared all the ingredients?"

Shen Shandeng was not as optimistic as him: "It's still in the early stages, and the chances of getting approval for a project worth hundreds of millions are very low."

While drinking soy milk, Da Mimi choked: "What? Hundreds of millions? I... how come I didn't know that?"

"See, I didn't say you were right," Shen Shandeng teased.

Zhou Qifeng said confidently, "Senior brother, I think yours is much better than 'The Banquet' or 'The Promise'."

Ignoring the presence of outsiders, Da Mimi leaned closer and said, "Tell me quickly, can you give me the female lead role?"

"We'll talk about it after it's done."

Shen Shandeng was very cautious: "Don't tell anyone. There might be some hope, but if you say anything, it will be gone."

Having lived two lives, how could I not know the difficulties involved?

It was already extremely difficult for him to get the chance to meet Han Sanping, and it was also because one of his articles caught the other's eye.

Two weeks ago, when the Lunar New Year film season was in full swing, Shen Shandeng wrote a commentary article that caused quite a stir in academic circles and even outside of them.

The Crisis of Chinese Cinema Under the Wave of Globalization

The end of the year and the beginning of the new year should be a time to take stock of our achievements and look forward to the future.

However, looking back at the Chinese film market in 2006, especially the historical epic genre which was once considered the "pillar of the universe," a heavy chill permeated the air.

While Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" performed reasonably well at the domestic box office, Chen Kaige's "The Promise" and Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet" suffered both critical and commercial setbacks.

What's even more worrying is that these three major films, which brought together top domestic resources and represented different forces—China Film Group, Beijing Film Group, and Northwest Film Group—have all been met with a cold reception in overseas markets, especially in Europe and America, with revenue almost completely dried up.

This is not an isolated incident.

Rather, it is a dangerous critical signal.

This signifies the end of the "Eastern wonders + Western core" costume blockbuster model, which began with Paperclip's "A Den of Snakes and Rats" and reached its climax with Zhang Yimou's "Hero," and whose path to survival in the overseas market has come to an end.

Once a glamorous genre of "historical epics," these films have now become a Damocles' sword hanging over the heads of Chinese cinema.

China Film Group's blockbuster strategy is in grave danger.

Where did the crisis come from?

Ultimately, the reason lies in the fact that we are facing a highly sophisticated and aggressive opponent—Hollywood.

Their operating model, capital strength, and global distribution network are far beyond what our industry, which is still in its infancy, can compare to.

Many colleagues, including some policymakers, seem to have overestimated the “friendliness” of overseas markets towards Chinese films and underestimated the ruthlessness of market competition.

This is by no means an ideological attack, but a naked and purely commercial competition tactic!

Hollywood understands this well: they are happy to accept some "exotic" works in the early stages to cultivate a specific audience and establish a certain degree of market dependence, such as period epics.

Once the time is right, such as when Chinese films become overly reliant on this overseas "fertile ground" and invest heavily in the hope of generating returns, they can easily tighten their belts.

With the cooperation of the media and a little "guidance" from film critics, creating a public opinion atmosphere that "Chinese blockbusters are outdated and boring," and then some manipulation in the distribution process, it is enough to cut off the market and plunge Chinese production companies, which are highly dependent on overseas revenue, into a crisis of broken capital chains.

This is the "closing the door to beat the dog" tactic in the business arena.

Simple, efficient, and inexpensive.

How could Hollywood be willing to give up such a huge potential market with 1.3 billion people?

Their goal has always been to dominate, not to share.

Looking at ourselves, how naive our film industry and practitioners appear in the face of the wave of globalization!
Overly reliant on the "overseas blockbuster" model.

By betting everything on the uncertain box office performance in Europe and America, they ignored the most fundamental foundation: Chinese audiences and the Chinese domestic market.

The industry's thinking is naive. We lack a mature system and risk diversification mechanism to cope with international market competition.

If a blockbuster fails overseas, even a slight mishap at the domestic box office can be catastrophic.

Mr. Han Sanping's "blockbuster strategy" was well-intentioned, but its reliance on a single path made it extremely vulnerable to risks.

The practitioners are also naive.

Their expectations for overseas markets were too naive, and they lacked vigilance and countermeasures against Hollywood's competitive tactics.

When films like "The Promise," "The Banquet," and "Curse of the Golden Flower" failed to replicate their overseas success, we appeared at a loss, lacking the ability to make timely and effective adjustments.

The public opinion storm that director Chen Kaige encountered with "The Promise," the laughter caused by Ge You's line "Too cold" in director Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet," and the overseas failure of director Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" all exposed the serious disconnect between creative work and market expectations, especially overseas expectations.

The alarm bells have been rung!

The collective "shutdown" in 2006 was a heavy slap in the face from the market.

It tells us that over-reliance on overseas markets is tantamount to handing over our lifeline to others.

Hollywood's "closing the door to trap" strategy could be implemented at any time, and we must be clearly aware of this and be extremely vigilant.

But crisis, crisis, there is opportunity within crisis!
The blockbuster strategy is not without its reasons; in fact, it may even be the right approach.

Every industrial product category begins with imitation, or rather, copying. The rise of American and Japanese industries is a prime example of this.

Historical epics started by imitating the Hollywood film "The Snake and the Rat," and now it's time to move from imitation to surpassing it!

The strategy for blockbuster films should shift from "making films" to "making good films," thereby upgrading the film industry.

The essence of Chinese films lies in serving Chinese audiences.

Our 1.3 billion compatriots are our most solid and reliable foundation.

The primary goal of film creation should be to satisfy the aesthetic, emotional, and cultural needs of local audiences. Without the foundation of local audiences, any ambition to "go global" is nothing but a castle in the air.

The reason why "Hero" was able to embark on the path of marketization was primarily due to the support of domestic audiences!
There is an urgent need to improve the maturity of the industry and its ability to withstand risks.

Explore diversified film genres and support high-quality domestic films with low to medium budgets and realistic themes. Establish a healthier market structure and investment and financing system, avoiding putting all eggs in one basket—historical blockbusters—and certainly not relying solely on overseas markets.

The emergence of "Crazy Stone" was a pleasant surprise, proving that there is great potential in low- to medium-budget films.

This is inseparable from the support policies of China Film Group Corporation, and in this respect, Mr. Han Sanping also deserves credit.

The setbacks of the period epic formula may be the opportunity for Chinese films to return to their roots.

The director of Paperclip is about to return with "Paperclip," and the shift in subject matter itself foreshadows a certain change.

Instead of chasing the shattered dream of "overseas blockbusters," we should focus on cultivating the domestic market, telling stories that Chinese audiences love, and improving production quality and industry resilience.

Only in this way can we have a foothold when Hollywood launches a full-scale attack, and even find a truly sustainable path to internationalization for Chinese films in the future.

It's time for Chinese cinema to wake up!

Rooted in local communities, serving the audience, and striving for self-improvement are the only ways to withstand the turbulent waves of globalization.

After finishing breakfast, clear the table.

Da Mimi carried a small bag, while Zhou Qifeng carried a canvas bag with the Beijing Film Academy logo, which contained a laptop and several supplementary materials.

Shen Shandeng drove his champagne-colored sixth-generation Honda Accord and first dropped Da Mimi off at school.

Jinxiu Zhichun residential area is very close to the school. The place I live in is not rented, but bought by a family that moved abroad.

The other party has sold several properties and is not very optimistic about the prospects of this area.

Shen Shandeng wasn't the type to endure hardship without effort. After his rebirth, he started copying songs and, taking advantage of the popularity of ringtones, solved his material problems, eventually owning a car and a house in Beijing.

However, the household registration issue has not been resolved yet. He is willing to spend money, but Shen Shandeng feels that he will definitely be a public figure in the future, so he would rather wait.

Shen Shandeng parked the car somewhere and walked to the Beijing Film Studio with Zhou Qifeng.

As soon as I got off the bus, a chill instantly enveloped my entire body.

"It's cold."

The China Film Group building has been under construction since 05 but is still not completed. China Film Group is still operating its offices at the Beijing Film Studio, which is just a stone's throw from the Beijing Film Academy.

The two have a deep historical connection. The former Central Film Bureau Performing Arts Research Institute, the predecessor of Beijing Film Academy, and Beijing Film Studio were both important founders of the film industry in New China.

They are intricately connected in terms of discipline development, talent cultivation, and practical creation.

The Beijing Film Studio is also one of the most important internship bases for students of the Beijing Film Academy.

This is one of the reasons why Shen Shandeng was able to meet Han Sanping: besides the articles he wrote and his status as a student at the Beijing Film Academy, the main reason was that they lived close by.

Once the China Film Group building is completed, the difficulties will be much, much greater.

Distance and location can change a lot. At the Beijing Film Studio, it was like being in a large compound, but once you moved to the China Film Group Corporation building, the difference in positions became immediately apparent.

Upon entering the Beijing Film Studio, I found a gatehouse that, while not particularly grand, was highly recognizable as an industry landmark, bearing the sign "China Film Group Corporation."

The gate appeared somewhat solemn in the cold winter wind.

Security guards verified the information and allowed entry.

The road is lined with bare, gnarled sycamore trees, like silent guardians.

In the distance, you can see several square, old-fashioned office buildings with slightly mottled exteriors, as well as several huge, heavy-looking photography studios, whose studio numbers are faintly discernible against the white lettering on the gray walls.

Some vans and box trucks bearing the logos of equipment companies were parked on the side of the road.

Beijing Film Studio, Production Department.

Shen Shandeng waited until 10:30, two hours, before finally seeing Han Sanping, a thin, old man with an imposing presence.

"Factory Manager," Shen Shandeng called out as he jogged over.

Today, Han Sanping is not only the vice chairman and deputy general manager of China Film Group Corporation, but also the director of Beijing Film Studio, which is his base of operations and the core production unit of China Film Group Corporation.

A person's status is not only determined by their position, but also by the timing.

If it were 12 years later, after "Lost in Thailand," the chairman of China Film Group, in the same position, would have less power.

Because "Lost in Thailand" signifies that Chinese cinema has escaped a life-or-death crisis and is free from strong external pressure, this position cannot possibly have the power to integrate almost all the forces of Chinese cinema.

In early 07, when period epics were in dire straits, Hollywood was eyeing them covetously, and Chinese cinema was facing a life-or-death crisis, Han Sanping had the ability to mobilize all the relevant forces in the Chinese film market.

Han Sanping joked with a senior executive in the production department: "This kid is like a fortune teller. He first gave me a run of bad luck, and it seems like I can't do without listening to him."

Shen Shandeng immediately said, "Director, I support the blockbuster strategy, but period blockbusters have reached a critical point. Our three major directors have already lost. The Hong Kong directors are already defeated, and although John Woo is an international director, he is also a stray dog. He absolutely cannot withstand the imminent collapse of period blockbusters."

"If we, the new generation of filmmakers, don't shoulder the responsibility for the future of period epics, this film genre will be finished!"

Han Sanping's heart skipped a beat, but he said aloud, "Just like your mentor said, so arrogant. We are one family with Hong Kong Island."

Shen Shandeng made a gesture of accepting instruction.

Once seated in his office, Han Sanping didn't waste any time: "Alright, let's talk about 'Brotherhood of Blades'."

His reasons for wanting to meet Shen Shandeng were multifaceted. Firstly, Shen Shandeng was a student of the head of the Management Department at Beijing Film Academy, making him a junior colleague. Secondly, Shen Shandeng's industry article resonated with him.

Most importantly, Shen Shandeng was sensible and didn't try to get through the administrative team or the Beijing Film Studio, although those methods probably wouldn't have worked anyway.

Instead, it was a movie script about "upgrading the historical epic film industry." They brought in a project, and after the production department approved it, they found it to be quite interesting.

In this situation, Han Sanping would not mind offering his opinion.

He really needs young directors like Ning Hao to emerge now, who are capable and willing to make commercial films.

Shen Shandeng presented a PowerPoint presentation introducing the "Brotherhood of Blades" project. This "Brotherhood of Blades" is "Brotherhood of Blades: The Reopening of the Sun and Moon," which is completely different from the previous "Brotherhood of Blades."

The script is not set during the Chongzhen era, but rather focuses on the period of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

"Regular period dramas, whether directed by the three major directors or Hong Kong directors, only scratch the surface. The period costumes are just the surface; the essence is history."

"Currently, films that combine Eastern wonders with Western core themes have lost their most important treasure. Historical epics should be closely tied to history, especially ancient dynasties like Qin, Han, Tang, and Ming."

"Distinguished leaders, you should also know about Hollywood superheroes and successful film series. In my opinion, historical epics that focus on great dynasties are equivalent to sequels to successful movies."

"Because our audience is very familiar with these dynasties and the figures in them, but unfortunately, our production level is not high enough to recreate them. This is the significance of upgrading the historical epic film industry!"

"Using traditional Chinese costumes and embedding the spirit of China, it appears to be a big production, but in reality, it is low-risk. Combined with the director's blockbuster strategy, the risk is shared across the entire industry chain, from investment and production to distribution, which further reduces the production risk."

"It may seem like a big production with a large investment, but it is actually low-risk and high-return."

"The key lies in the soul of the period epic, that is, its core, which must also be ours."

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping and the production department leaders were all taken aback.

Those in the know can see the details; this understanding alone is quite interesting.

Shen Shandeng said, "In the story of 'Brotherhood of Blades,' I want to use the characters as a starting point, like a war correspondent, to show the era of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties."

"Chinese civilization has been in decline since the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty. This decline has lasted for six hundred years, ten cycles of the Chinese calendar, far exceeding the period from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, under the tax farming system, the elites collectively declined, and it was clear that they were on their deathbed, about to step into their coffins."

"And Zhu Yuanzhang was the strongest positive line that rebounded from the bottom, stopping the decline of the aging and decaying Chinese civilization and making the Ming Dynasty even more magnificent than the Han Dynasty, when Chinese civilization was in its adolescence!"

"Zhu Yuanzhang was the 'sky-high sun' that rose from the bottom of the valley, which made China go from an old man on the verge of death to a young man in his prime."

"I don't want criticism, I don't want division, I don't want vilification, I don't want slang, all I want is a new world where the sun and moon are turned anew!"

"Let's reopen the era of the Ming Dynasty, reopen the sky for historical epics, and create our own unique historical blockbuster!"

In my past life, period dramas were basically finished with the downfall of the three major directors.

Logically speaking, the hype has passed.

However, Shen Shandeng believes that the trend has not passed; it's just that the production quality and practitioners are unable to meet the audience's needs.

If there's no trend, he creates one.

No one will support my lofty ambitions; I will tread through the snow to reach the mountain peak myself!

When Shen Shandeng mentioned the theme of the film, the office fell into a deep silence.

Everyone was stunned!

Han Sanping's eyes lit up. The theme was grand and the idea was lofty. This was exactly the kind of blockbuster he had in mind!

(End of this chapter)