Chapter 253 Actor Changes Career
At the end of February, Xu Zheng, who was preparing for "Lost on Journey", suddenly came to visit the China Film Studio.

Xu Zheng changed her career to become a director. It was her first time as a young lady getting married, so she was not very confident.

When he arrived at the set of "2012", he was shocked by the crew of nearly to people, various props and advanced video equipment, which made him feel really eye-opening.

Because I had the impression that crews with this kind of production style seemed to be only found in Hollywood, I didn't expect that Gu Wei's movies were shot in this way.

Gu Wei had no time to pay attention to him. Xu Zheng was wandering around the set by himself, chatting with the actors who were taking a break. It was not until the crew finished work in the evening that Gu Wei had time to ask him why he was here.

"Director, I just came here to take a look, learn from others, and feel the atmosphere of a big production."

This statement didn't scare anyone. Gu Wei immediately realized what was going on and said with a smile, "Are you targeting the actors here?"

The biggest difficulty for a new director is that he is not trusted. When filming of Wolf Warrior 1 started in the original time and space, Wu Jing thought that there should be no problem as he had many years of connections in the circle. However, he found out that it was not what he thought.

Many celebrities said that their schedules were full. Some asked directly how much money they would be paid, while others called to say they didn’t have time when filming was about to start. After talking to more than 20 people, everyone refused. Finally, Wu Jing gritted his teeth and said, screw it, I’m going to do it alone.

Xu Zheng encountered the same situation. He invited many big stars during this period, but was rejected one by one. It is normal that many people do not trust directors who switched from actors.

"It seems you have forgotten the positioning of this movie."

After hearing what Xu Zheng said, Gu Wei spoke directly.

“It’s a low-budget movie, so it doesn’t necessarily require big names to be involved, as long as the actors are suitable.

Furthermore, with me as the nominal producer, you don’t have to worry too much about the publicity in the later stages.”

In fact, for Xu Zheng, it was not a particularly good thing for Gu Wei to be listed as the film producer.

In the film and television industry, the relationship between the producer and the director is quite special. Who the film belongs to mainly depends on which of the two has a bigger name.

For example, in "Painted Skin 1", Gu Wei served as the producer, so in the eyes of many people outside, this movie is just a movie under Gu Wei's name.

"I'm just worried that my skills are not good enough and the film will not do well at the box office and affect your reputation, Director Gu."

After listening to this, Xu Zheng spoke up and said that this was indeed what he was thinking. He had finally gotten on board the big ship of Xingchen Film and Television. If he lost the first battle, it would have a huge impact on him.

"In the film and television culture circle, there is a saying that 'one generation serves another generation'. Older directors and writers sometimes cannot quite grasp the preferences of young people.

Look at those famous directors who were once powerful in the entertainment industry. How many of them lost their reputation in their later years and failed in terms of box office reputation to the up-and-coming stars in the industry.

As for the box office, don’t think too much about it. The cost is there, and even if there is a loss, it won’t be much.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Wei said some encouraging words. After listening to Xu Zheng, his eyes gradually brightened.

He came here today, partly to visit the set, and partly because he really wanted to seek some encouragement from Gu Wei before filming started.

After being lectured by Gu Wei, Xu Zheng was obviously much more relaxed when he left.

To be honest, Gu Wei is not very interested in this kind of low-budget or urban romance-themed movies now. He can watch it and invest to make some money, but if he really has to shoot it himself, he will not be motivated because there will be no sense of accomplishment.

If it weren't for those Hollywood blockbusters, I might have been a little interested.

But after shooting a special effects blockbuster, you will feel a sense of accomplishment when seeing these shocking scenes.

When Gu Wei thought about this, he suddenly had a sense of enlightenment. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. My current mission is to make special effects blockbusters.

After seeing Xu Zheng off, Gu Wei continued to immerse himself in the filming of the drama...

...

The review of "Lost on Journey" went smoothly. Xu Zheng confirmed the casting in advance. Except for himself and Wang Baoqiang, the other people in the movie were basically unknown.

"The film Lost on Journey, produced by Xingchen Films, supervised by Director Gu, and directed by actor Xu Zheng, was officially launched today."

The media reporters were also unremarkable, with only a few words in the news.

This is only because the film’s producer is Gu Wei, otherwise he would have just sent a text message at most.

Although the domestic box office has not yet reached its peak at this stage, many people still have no interest in this movie which cost several million dollars.

But Xu Zheng was really enthusiastic about the work and even held a small opening ceremony. Song Ge went there on behalf of the company and answered several questions from reporters on the spot.

"Fuck, I seem to be getting more and more skilled at giving chicken soup."

Gu Wei, who took a break from his busy schedule, also read the report and said something to himself after reading it.

Come to think of it, none of the directors under his company have ever been fed chicken soup by him.

In early March, the filming of scenes in China came to an end, and Gu Wei, Liu Yifei, Cheng Long and other leading actors set off for Hollywood.

After arriving in Los Angeles, the crew did not waste any time and after a day's rest, they rushed to Yellowstone Park to start filming.

Every scene shot in Yellowstone Park needs to be carefully planned and produced to present a devastating natural disaster scene.

Gu Wei not only has to pay attention to the actors' performances, but also has to coordinate the team to ensure the shocking visual effects.

So that the subsequent 3D can bring the audience unparalleled visual sensory effects.

During the filming, Gu Wei did not let up at all, and Matt Damon and Nicole Kidman were both reprimanded by him several times.

There is no way around it, that’s how photography works. If you don’t put in your utmost effort, you won’t get satisfactory results.

If the director is not picky, then the effect of the movie can be imagined. This Sino-US co-production requires a thorough understanding of both sides to avoid some pitfalls.

The Hollywood market is like "good money drives out bad money", good movies take all the money, and make a lot of money.

At this time, the domestic market is also shifting in this direction.

Influenced by "Avatar", several state-owned enterprises, represented by China Film, took the lead in taking action.

The establishment of large-scale and high-budget film projects, the expansion of cinema chains and the upgrading of equipment are all being vigorously carried out.

During Gu Wei's filming, the global box office of "Avatar" officially exceeded 1.8 billion US dollars, surpassing "Titanic" to become the number one box office in film history.

This news was widely publicized by 20th Century Fox in order to continue to increase the popularity of the film and boost the subsequent box office.

However, even without promotion, the popularity of Cameron and "Avatar" remains high.

The top two films in film history are both Cameron's works. Fans are cheering, and many fanatical fans call Cameron a god.

"Ryder, the Yellowstone Park scenes will be finished by the end of the month, so we need to prepare for the Golden Gate Bridge in Los Angeles in advance."

Looking at the enthusiastic media reports, Gu Wei felt a little eager. After all, he also wanted the title of the No. 1 box office hit in film history. That would be recorded in the annals of film history, or in Chinese terms, leave a name in history.

"No problem. We have already notified them in advance. However, the filming can only be done in the early morning and cannot interfere with the normal operation of the city's traffic."

Hearing this, Reid said directly that he had experience in this area before and could handle it with ease now.

"Ah."

Gu Wei nodded. It was estimated that the cost of filming the bridge closure would be at least several million US dollars, and it couldn't be filmed during the day. It was quite painful just thinking about it.

...

Domestically, thanks to the incentives of industry policies, many film and television companies have been established and the number of film projects has increased significantly.

"Ocean Paradise" and "My Beautiful Boss", which were filmed last year, have been scheduled for release.

The most eye-catching one is "Aftershock" produced by Huayi Company and directed by Feng Xiaogang.

The movie is scheduled to be released on July 7 during the summer vacation, and the promotion has already begun.

I heard that Huayi Company plans to follow the model of "Founding of a Republic", but the specific matters still need to be decided by TS City.

With this kind of subject matter and the investors, it is estimated that the film will be released in cinemas in an organized manner.

Female stars in the entertainment industry all have a sense of urgency. They have to become famous quickly at the best age. After becoming famous, they have to work hard to film and maintain their popularity. This year you can still play opposite each other as a couple, but in two years you may have to play each other's mother or mother-in-law. This industry is so realistic and heartbreaking.

After Tong Liya joined the crew of "Capital Love Story", she always reminded herself to cherish this rare opportunity.

On weekdays in the crew, after filming a scene, I would keep holding the script and memorizing lines to figure out my role.

You know, she got the leading female role in this TV series, and there were many people gossiping about her in the crew.

They said behind her back that she was lucky, or that she had some improper relationship with Gu Wei.

Maybe, just as Huang Bo said, before becoming famous, the road is full of ups and downs, but after becoming famous, there are good people around you.

"Yaya, don't pay attention to them, they are just a bunch of envious and jealous people.

You have to perform well in this play. I heard, I heard, that Manager Wang Chen specifically asked the director for your role. "

Tong Liya’s assistant is about the same age as her, and they were good friends before.

At this time, she came to Tong Liya and spoke in a low voice, looking around at other people from time to time.

"Well, I will."

When Tong Liya heard the assistant mention Gu Wei, her eyes lit up. Having watched the constant reports online recently, she was also looking forward to starring in Gu Wei's movie one day.

"Yaya, get ready, we're about to start filming."

The assistant director's voice rang out, bringing her back to reality.

"Okay, director."

He quickly adjusted his mood and then stood up to make preparations.

...

On March 7, with the Oscar date approaching, Gu Wei gave the crew a day off.

On the day of the Oscars red carpet, Liu Yifei wore a custom-made LV dress with sparkling accessories on her neck and hands, making her look more elegant and charming.

As one of the major annual events in the world film industry, the night of the Oscar Awards ceremony attracts a lot of attention.

The star-studded event was held at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.

This year's Oscars are very popular. Cameron, the world's No. 12 and No. box office director, returns to the stage after years.

(End of this chapter)