Reshaping the landscape of the Chinese entertainment industry

Yu Feihong still didn't respond to that question, but instead asked, "You really studied directing? Did you learn it from Teacher Mu?"

"Yes, I studied with Teacher Mu for three years, and not long ago I also studied with Director Zhang Yimou for a few months."

"Director Zhang Yimou?!" Yu Feihong raised his voice slightly.

There weren't many people on the third floor at that time, otherwise, just that sentence would probably have caused quite a stir.

After all, Zhang Yimou is now the undisputed number one figure in the Chinese film industry. Although Chen Daren has half a Palme d'Or, his total honors are still slightly less than Zhang Yimou's.

For actors in the Chinese entertainment industry, receiving guidance from a director like this would be a meteoric rise to stardom.

This is perfectly exemplified by both Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi.

Zhang Ziyi was chosen by him to star in the movie, and last year she made a name for herself in Hollywood with Li An's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Everyone knows that this director, who can turn lead into gold, is now leading a team to make "Hero".

He also said he had studied under Zhang Yimou, if he wasn't exaggerating...

Considering the relationship between Zhang Yimou and Mu Deyuan, Yu Feihong felt that it was unlikely that He Ye was exaggerating.

Then it can only be "Hero"...

"Did you study on the set of 'Hero'?"

"Yeah, senior actually guessed it right away!"

Although Yu Feihong found it hard to believe, she also had some questions in mind, so she opened the book in her hand, pointed to a page, and asked, "Then tell me, how do you think the correct interpretation of this passage about mise-en-scène is?"

He also leaned over to take a look.

That's a classic discussion about "axis" and "triangle positioning," which is included in film school textbooks.

"It's written correctly, but not entirely." After some thought, He also gave his own answer.

"Oh?"

"The axis theory is the foundation of cinematic language, but it is not an ironclad rule. Godard broke the axis and made 'Breathless.' Wong Kar-wai doesn't follow the axis and can still make 'In the Mood for Love.'"

He also knew that this explanation was a bit too unfriendly to a beginner.

He thought for a moment before continuing, "Rules are for beginners. Once you actually start filming, you'll find that the most important thing isn't following the rules, but knowing when to break them."

Blindly believing everything in books is worse than having no books at all!

That's the gist of it, but how much you can understand depends entirely on your own comprehension.

Although Yu Feihong is a beginner, he has worked with many film crews and even made Hollywood movies, so he naturally has his own understanding of filming.

But after hearing what He Ye said, she remained silent for a few seconds before closing the book.

"How old are you?"

"Almost eighteen."

"Eighteen years old?" Yu Feihong looked him up and down. "You didn't seem like an eighteen-year-old when you said those things."

"Maybe I started learning too early. I was fifteen when I started learning directing and filming from Teacher Mu." He also showed what he thought was a proper and refreshing smile. "Teacher Mu said that directors and cinematographers have to be ten years more mature than their peers."

Yu Feihong's expression shifted: "You became Mu Deyuan's student at fifteen? Doesn't that mean you've already studied for three years?"

"Um."

"No wonder." She nodded. "Mu Deyuan's students are indeed different."

"Does the senior student know my teacher?"

"The pillar of the Beijing Film Academy's photography department, everyone in the industry knows that."

He chuckled but didn't reply.

Yu Feihong glanced down at his watch, then stood up. "Alright, I won't disturb your reading any longer. I'm leaving."

"Wait a minute, senior." He called out to her.

Yu Feihong turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You still haven't answered me, are you preparing to switch careers and make movies?" He also asked.

Yu Feihong frowned slightly: "Is it that obvious?"

"Because those books you were just looking at weren't just about directing fundamentals, but also about producing, editing, and sound recording," He Ye said, pointing to the stack of books she had placed on the table.

"Someone who just wants to understand the director wouldn't watch this much."

"Your observation skills are indeed quite good." Yu Feihong sat down again. "I am indeed preparing a project, and I have some ideas that I want to direct myself."

He blinked, feigning surprise, and asked, "Senior, could you tell me what kind of project it is?"

"I'd like to adapt a novel into a movie." Now that things were out in the open, Yu Feihong had no reason to hide anything. "He Ye, have you read the book 'Ginkgo, Ginkgo'?"

It really is this movie!

《爱有来生》

The only truly ghost-themed movie that could be shown in the Chinese entertainment industry—its reputation was so immense that it was impossible for He not to know about it.

He had also heard that the novel of the same name was acquired by Yu Feihong this year, but it took ten years and a great deal of effort to make it into a film.

It ultimately cost 40 million to invest and only grossed 7 million at the box office.

They lost everything.

"I haven't seen it," He shook his head, "but I've heard of it."

"Oh? Who told you that?"

"I heard people talking about it on set before, and my mom also told me about it." He Ye casually made up a reason, "She said it's a very touching love story, the kind where a human and a ghost are in love."

Yu Feihong's eyes lit up: "Do you think there's a market for this kind of subject matter?"

Instead of directly answering the question of whether there was a market for it, He asked in return, "Senior, why did you want to film this story?"

Yu Feihong didn't hide anything about this: "Because I was moved. The first time I read this story, I cried all night."

"and then?"

"Then I thought, why can't such a great story be made into a movie?"

Ok!

This is the persistence of an artistic young woman.

I'd be willing to pay a fortune for a deeply moving memory from my youth.

What is the underlying logic of this feeling? It is actually difficult for He Ye to understand, but when he saw Yu Feihong enthusiastically explaining the story in the novel to him...

An idea suddenly popped into his head.

In 2009, Yu Feihong was able to get ghosts to appear on the big screen and be released in theaters. This kind of power is at least extremely strong in terms of film censorship.

Since I'll be making movies anyway, some of the censorship standards for those movies are hard to control.

If Yu Feihong had help, wouldn't things be much easier for me?

Thinking about all this, He suddenly realized that building a good relationship with Sister Yu in front of him was a sure-fire way to make money.

As she finished telling the story of the novel, He Ye looked at her, his mind racing, and suddenly asked, "Senior, were you moved by the story itself, or by the 'waiting' element in it?"

Yu Feihong, who was still talking and hadn't finished, paused for a moment.

She hadn't expected He Ye to ask that question.

"A man became a ghost and waited for his lover under a ginkgo tree for fifty years. His lover was reincarnated and no longer recognized him. He watched her get married, have children, and grow old, but he never showed himself to her."

He extracted the core of the story she had just told and then summarized it: "In the end, he felt relieved and drifted away."

"The female protagonist eventually stood under the ginkgo tree, watching the falling leaves, seemingly remembering something, yet also seemingly remembering nothing at all."

"What do you think is the most touching part of this story?" He Ye asked.

Yu Feihong thought for a moment and said, "You're absolutely right; it's about waiting. That kind of unwavering determination to wait even when you know there's no outcome..."

Yu Feihong seemed to be inspired by He Ye's question, and countless ideas instantly flooded his mind.

But He knew this feeling all too well, and he directly interrupted Yu Feihong's chanting: "But waiting is not a story. Waiting is a state of being."

"What a story needs is change, conflict, and choices."

"Change? Conflict? Choice?" Yu Feihong looked at him, his expression somewhat blank. He hadn't quite grasped the meaning after being interrupted from chanting.

But she quickly realized that the person in front of her was indeed quite capable.

The fact that he could directly and completely tell her innermost story made him far better than anyone else she had ever met.

Therefore, Yu Feihong looked at He Ye with a more serious expression: "He Ye, may I ask you something? How do you think this story should be revised?"

------