This celebrity is overly enthusiastic!

Chapter 78 Flag Bearer and Vanguard (Now Available! Please Subscribe!)
The reporter carefully organized his words, stammering as he began to speak:
"Director Chen, film is, after all, a popular art form. Your views are likely to bring you controversy."

"Heh, now you're starting to think about me?"

Chen Yuan took the microphone directly from the reporter, adjusted his position, and moved to a corner of the terminal to avoid affecting the passage of normal passengers.

He countered the reporter's question with, "Do you know how old I am?"

"21."

"Yes, I'm only twenty-one. I'm just a young man who was promoted to a high position by chance."

He's just a newcomer, and you media outlets are already dragging him into this mess, trying to pick a fight with established veterans. Who knows how harsh and severe the media scrutiny he'll face in the future will be?

So I'm coming clean, I'm not pretending anymore. I, Chen Yuan, am not qualified to talk about art at this stage. It's not too late to discuss this topic when I'm in my forties or fifties.

For a period of time afterward, my works will be purely commercial products; the artistic merit will be left for the audience to experience for themselves.

For a culture to be exported, the work itself must first be popular.

I have my own company to support, and my main concern is simply whether my work makes or loses money. It's that simple.

So please, dear media friends, don't compare my products with the works of other great directors in the future. I'm really not worthy!

The reporter was truly shocked by Chen Yuan's extreme remarks; the big news he had been longing for had finally come to fruition!
Although Chen Yuan kept saying he wasn't worthy, his eyes and expression clearly showed that he looked down on those so-called big directors who didn't make a lot of money but had empty titles.

This means he's completely distanced himself from all directors in China!

With excitement, the reporter continued, "Director Chen, isn't your viewpoint a bit too extreme?"

"Perhaps, but that's how the real world is. Take Shanghai Animation Film Studio, for example. Everyone has seen what happened before and after. If you make money, people will continue to invest. If you lose money, you'll be left with nothing. It's that simple."

"But there are also many directors in Hollywood who are still active even though they lose money!"

"That's because the United States has a developed videotape and DVD market. If a movie theater loses money at the box office, it can recoup its losses through long-term operation in the offline audio-visual market. However, the mainland and Hong Kong do not have such market conditions at present."

Back in 99, didn't Jackie Chan and his friends take to the streets to protest against piracy in movie theaters?

"Since you believe that the most important criterion for judging the quality of a work is whether it makes money, you must be very confident that your 'Legend of Seven Swords' will break even, right?"

Regardless of whether the reporter was being sarcastic, Chen Yuan chuckled and said:

"Whether I am confident or not is not important; what is important is the confidence of investors and the confidence of the audience."

Although Chen Yuan appeared very carefree, the reporter could clearly see a strong ambition and confidence in his eyes.

Film is still considered a 'popular art' these days, and Chen Yuan's praise of the scatological director Wang Jin is quite ironic.

The outrageous statement, "I won't discuss art with you; I think only movies that make money are good movies," was once made.
Although he has shed the armor of youthful recklessness, he has still attracted criticism from media outlets large and small.

Is Chen Yuan, who doesn't talk about art, clear-headed or enslaved by Westernization?

"Kung Fu Panda is just a Hollywood story disguised as Eastern culture."

"Pragmatism? A creative block! Chen Yuan is shirking his cultural responsibility!"

What Chen Yuan needs to do now is not film dramas, but go to university!

Chen Yuan's claim that he is "unworthy to talk about art" aptly reflects the anxiety of young directors experiencing a creative block.

"A cunning young man uses the 'businessman' persona to preemptively defend against project failure; his new drama may fall short of expectations!" Only a few directors, such as Feng Xiaogang, stood up to speak for Chen Yuan.

Although Chen Yuan praised Wang Jin, Wang Jin himself was envied by many in the Hong Kong entertainment circle and had a bad reputation.

The Hong Kong Film Awards' founding magazine, *Film Biweekly*, offered a frank critique of Chen Yuan:
'When the new generation of directors only cares about box office revenue, the screen will be filled with fast food, devoid of any true faith.'

Ignoring Shi Nansheng's advice and the uproar in public opinion, Chen Yuan jumped out and directly retorted:
"Right now, mainland Chinese films need a lot of cheap, fast food of all kinds to fill the cinemas that are about to close down and to support the production studios, screenwriters, actors, prop masters, cinematographers, lighting technicians and other people in the upstream and downstream industries who are begging for a living!"
"Only by revitalizing the film industry, lowering movie ticket prices, and attracting more audiences to theaters can Chinese cinema have a future. Let's not allow mainland films to follow in the footsteps of Hong Kong films!"

When Chen Kai's older brother came to Hengdian to visit the set, Chen Yuan naturally arranged a private banquet to entertain his older brother.

Inside the private room at the restaurant, there were only the Chen family of three.

Chen Kai took a small sip of Fenjiu liquor and said to Chen Yuan:

"Little Chen, you've been incredibly high-profile lately!"

"It's okay, I can still manage."

Chen Yuan raised his wine glass and clinked it with his brother Chen Kai and his sister Chen Hong, who were also at the table.

"It's not that what you said is wrong, but Xiao Chen, with this kind of attitude towards art, how can you expect the masters and experts in the circle to evaluate your work?"

Chen Yuan knew that his older brother was thinking of him, and that his attitude was indeed not conducive to integrating into the circle of people who helped each other in the brothel.

Glancing at the radiant Chen Hong, Chen Yuan suppressed a trace of guilt and picked up a peanut, chewing it slowly.

"Brother, I'm not crazy or stupid. I didn't say those outrageous things to get attention."

I think that now that China has joined the WTO, anyone with eyes to see can tell that the domestic film and television environment is about to undergo major changes, and market-oriented reforms will inevitably accelerate.

Chen Kaige's slightly tipsy eyes brightened instantly, and the composed expression he had shown while advising the younger generation vanished in an instant.

"Yes, reforms are definitely in the works. What's your take on this, Xiao Chen?"

"In 93, the mainland ended the unified purchase and distribution model for films, and film studios had to face the market directly. Although this restored some vitality to the market, it still could not hide the decline."

电影产量从1979年50部增至去年的100部，观影人次却从293亿暴跌至不足10亿，倒逼着院线不得不改革。

My conversation with Master Han last time also revealed the urgency the country felt in this regard.

Now that China has joined the WTO, its film market will be directly competing with Hollywood in the future.

Market-oriented reforms are imperative. Rather than letting others monopolize the limelight, we, Yuan Universe, should take the initiative and become the standard-bearer and vanguard of these reforms.

I was young and impetuous, and I didn't know my own limitations. Everyone could understand if I acted rashly.

What do you think, bro?

Chen Kai was completely stunned by Chen Yuan's clear analysis!
I thought he was getting rich and powerful and was now smug, but I never expected him to have such a plan!
Chen Kaige himself lost a lot of money when his previous movie, "The Emperor and the Assassin," was released.
He was a little upset about what he considered a failed movie.

According to Honghong, he was worried that his embarrassing incident a while ago would affect the normal filming of the movie, so he persuaded Honghong to make a sacrifice to protect their reputation as a couple.

Although he had to allow his wife to have her own career in order to appease her and prevent her from making a fuss, which made Chen Kai somewhat resentful, it had nothing to do with Xiao Chen; he had to cherish the relationship.

Now it seems that all that talk he was spouting before was just propaganda!
He wants to represent a segment of the domestic film industry and speak out for this group!

(End of this chapter)