I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Chapter 45 Watching Movies
The old man sitting next to Han Sanye is the director of the National Museum.

He hadn't expected Cheng Sheng to invite him as well; it was completely unexpected.

You should know that the director of the National Museum is no small figure. Even someone as powerful as Master Han would have to bow down and speak to him.

"There are some things you shouldn't say in public, so as not to offend people you shouldn't."

Zhang Guoshi turned his head and looked up at Cheng Sheng on the stage, his voice slowly reaching Zhang Weiping's ears.

"This brat? You think I can't afford to offend him?" Zhang Weiping said disdainfully.

Zhang Guoshi smiled slightly. He had already reminded Zhang Weiping, and whether his old friend listened or not was up to him.

Moreover, he actually harbored some resentment towards his old friend.

The two used to have a very good relationship. Zhang Weiping even publicly referred to Zhang Guoshi as his best friend on several occasions, and Zhang Guoshi tacitly agreed. The two were hailed by the outside world as the best partners.

The "Zhang Shuangzhang" duo was once a golden brand in Chinese cinema.

But as they worked together for a longer time, their differences gradually became apparent.

Their relationship gradually became distant.

The reason for this is that the two have fundamental differences in their views on film.

Zhang Guoshi has an artistic pursuit for film, while Zhang Weiping has always been a businessman.

He pursues profit and money.

At first, the conflict between the two was within a manageable range, but after the success of "Hero", their differences widened.

Although Zhang Weiping founded New Pictures Film Company, he is not a wealthy man. As a businessman who pursues profit, he was afraid of losing money when investing in films and hoped to make more money.

After the success of "Hero", Zhang Weiping saw an opportunity to make money, so he began to get involved in Zhang Guoshi's films, hoping to add more commercial elements to them.

This series of actions crossed Zhang Guoshi's bottom line. It should be noted that although he is a quiet person, he is an extremely opinionated person.

However, out of consideration for his old friend, he maintained a friendly relationship with Zhang Weiping on the surface. If his old friend interfered in the film again, he would no longer continue his collaboration with Zhang Weiping.

“Brother, this kid won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, he’s got some fame now. How about we get him to help us make a movie?” Little Wang turned to Big Wang, who was sitting next to him, and said.

Upon hearing this, Boss Wang replied without hesitation, "That's certainly feasible. Even if this kid doesn't come in person, just having his name attached will do. We can find two capable assistant directors to film it and a Hong Kong star to be the lead actor, and we can make the money. I just don't know if this kid knows what's good for him."

When someone becomes famous, it's perfectly normal to ask them to star in a movie. Even if they don't want to come, they can still be credited, and the movie can still generate buzz.

Many people in the industry do this, accurately revealing the widespread phenomenon of "pursuing profits and being opportunistic" in the entertainment industry.

“If Director Cheng directs a movie, I can act in it for free,” Li Shuangbing said with a smile.

"After the premiere, we'll test the waters," the eldest CEO said to the youngest.

"Okay, big brother."

If there's something that can make money, you should definitely do it.

Just then, it was Zheng Guolin's turn to speak on stage, which gave Young Master Wang a sudden idea. He whispered, "This is the Venice Film Festival Best Actor, bro, should we...?"

The eldest son immediately understood what his younger brother meant: he wanted to poach people!

He's a Venice Film Festival Best Actor winner, and Zheng Guolin is so young. If we could recruit him to Huayi, he could definitely become a pillar of Huayi.

"Which company does he belong to?" Boss Wang asked.

"It seems to be Era Star Source," said the young CEO after considering for a moment. Era Star Source—CEO Wang didn't seem to have heard of it before.

That means it's a small company.

The eldest son didn't immediately answer the young son. If he wanted to poach the person, he had to consider what kind of offer would entice the other party.

Huayi Brothers does have top male artists, but they are all older, like Chen Daoming. If they had a young top star like Zheng Guolin, then Huayi Brothers would have its own flagship artist.

Ning Hao was sitting in the fourth row, and Xing Aina, who was sitting next to her, whispered, "After the movie ends, are you really going to ask Cheng Sheng for alms?"

"What else can we do? Are we just going to leave 'Green Grass' unmade?"

Ning Hao and Xing Aina came to the movie premiere mainly to find Cheng Sheng to invest in the film. After all, Cheng Sheng made so much money in Venice, and if they invested a small amount to make the movie, "Green Grassland" wouldn't have to worry about funding.

At this point, the interactive segment on stage was over, time was up, and Cheng Sheng and the other main film creators stepped down from the stage to begin showing the film.

The movie opens with a scene of Yang Guang hosting a banquet for his officials in the palace, followed by his absurd behavior.

"Wow! Fu Dalong's acting is amazing!"

The movie is titled "The Great Tang Dynasty - Origins", so the end of the Sui Dynasty is an unavoidable topic. It makes sense that Yang Guang is the protagonist, since he appears much more often than Li Shimin.

If it were a normal movie, Yang Guang would be considered the villainous boss, but if it were a historical drama, Yang Guang could not be called a villain.

Since Cheng Sheng had a higher screen time than the lead actor Li Shimin, he adopted a dual-protagonist approach.

"That acting..."

As the plot unfolded, Zhang Guoshi stared intently at the actors on the big screen, deeply moved. These actors were simply too amazing!

From the very beginning of the movie, whether it was a supporting role, a lead role, or even a passerby, everyone's acting skills were comparable to Gong Li's.

In Zhang Yimou's opinion, Gong Li's acting skills are quite good; otherwise, she wouldn't have won the Venice Film Festival Best Actress award.

It's terrifying that a movie features Gong Li's acting skills in both lead and supporting roles.

Master Zhang couldn't understand how Cheng Sheng managed to find so many people with acting skills.

He also knew some of the actors.

Especially Fudalong.

He doesn't deny that Fu Dalong's acting skills are good, but not to this extent.

He also knew Zeng Li. He used to think that her acting skills were only suitable for television, but now it seems that she performs well on the big screen as well.

She brought Empress Xiao to life perfectly.

When Zheng Guolin, who played Li Shimin, appeared on stage, Zhang Guoshi's eyes widened. Was this really Li Shimin? Could it be that Cheng Sheng had brought the real Li Shimin here?

No director dislikes a good actor, especially a great director like Zhang Yimou.

Good actors are so rare.

He places great emphasis on actors' acting skills and inner qualities when casting roles, rather than simply relying on celebrities' popularity or good looks.

Zhang Guoshi believes that an actor's acting skills are the key factor in determining the success or failure of a work. Appearance can add points to a role, but solid acting skills are still the decisive factor.

This is why Zhang Yimou's chosen "Mou Girls" are all actresses with exceptional acting skills.

(End of this chapter)