Chapter 445 Early Admission
The mainland entertainment industry, especially the TV drama industry.

Almost every few years, remakes of Jin Yong and Gu Long's dramas are restarted.

In particular, every remake of Jin Yong's dramas always attracts the attention of the film and television industry and audiences.

Now, news broke out in the circle that Yu Zheng’s studio will start filming “Swordsman” in a week.

However, what attracted the most attention from celebrities in the circle was this Weibo post:
"Swordsman" is just the first one. We will continue to remake other Jin Yong dramas to recreate the classics."

It has to be said that even when the media was reporting extensively on the 3D version of "Titanic", this news still made headlines in many media.

This is also a major feature of domestic entertainment. Participating in the production of big IPs, no matter what, you have to become famous first.

.........

The movie "Breakup Guru" made Deng Chao fully realize how difficult it is to be a director.

Even though the investment has been confirmed, the script has been revised, and the female lead Su Chang has been cast, the crew has still not started filming.

Just like that, after auditioning for "The Wandering Earth" and being chosen to play a guest role, when it was Deng Chao's turn, the person in charge of this part of the crew called him. Deng Chao happily went straight to the China Film Digital Base, also wanting to learn.

Well, the most important thing is to see if there is a suitable opportunity to attract some big-name stars to join your own crew for a guest appearance.

Take a look at the set of "The Wandering Earth".

Wow, a large crew of nearly 700 to 800 people, actors wearing motion capture equipment, various props, various advanced cameras, and facial expression capture systems, all of which made Deng Chao feel like his eyes were opened.

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 Director Gu's special effects movie was shot in this way.

Gu Wei has no time to care about Deng Chao. He is in charge of the leading role, while other groups are responsible for shooting supporting roles and guest appearances. After the filming, Gu Wei will inspect it on the spot, and if it is not up to standard, it will be re-shot.

Otherwise, with such a large crew and so many roles to play, even if Gu Wei lived and ate on the crew every day, he still wouldn't have enough time.

Deng Chao didn’t have many scenes, only three or four shots, and he was in good shape today, so he finished it quickly.

Afterwards, he wandered around the set and chatted with the actors who were taking a break.

It was not until the evening when the crew finished work that Gu Wei had time to chat with him and ask him about the crew's preparations.

"Well, it's almost done. We'll be able to start filming in a month or so. This trip was really worth it. The atmosphere of a big crew and a big production is really different. As for domestic films, we still have to rely on you, Director Gu!"

This flattery 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 new directors is that they are not trusted. For example, when filming Wolf Warrior 1 started, Wu Jing thought that there should be no problems because of his connections in the industry over the years. However, he found out that it was not what he thought.

Many celebrities said their schedules were full. Some asked directly how much money they would be paid. Some called to say they didn't have time when filming was about to start. More than 20 people refused. Finally, Wu Jing gritted his teeth and said, screw it, I'll do it alone!

Deng Chao is facing the same situation now. He has invited many big stars recently, but was rejected one by one, including Fan Binbin, Li Binbin and others.

In another time and space, he had to persuade and persuade the big-name celebrity artist to make a guest appearance.

Even so, there were not many big-name artists as guest stars in "Breakup Guru". At that time, Wu Jing was not that famous, and Han Han could not be considered a member of the entertainment industry.

As for the others, there were only a few big and small cats.

But now Deng Chao thought, since his movie was partially invested in by Xingchen Film and Television Company, it would be easier to ask Director Gu to help invite two big-name actors to make guest appearances than to do it himself!

Or just ask Gu Wei to be the producer, which would make it much easier to hire people. Deng Chao originally invited Gu Wei to be the producer, but was rejected once.

But after the producer of the movie "Lost in Thailand" came out, Deng Chao saw hope again.

Our costs are similar. You, Xu Zheng, have only made one more movie than me, and you are considered a newcomer in the directing industry. If you can invite Director Gu, then I should have a chance too.

But after listening to Deng Chao, Gu Wei once again rejected Deng Chao's invitation.

"Xu Zheng's situation is different. He is a member of Xingchen Film and Television Company and has signed a contract."

Later, seeing that Deng Chao seemed a little confused, Gu Wei said a few more words.

The relationship between the producer and the director is quite special. Who a film is attributed to depends mainly on whose style it embodies.

For example, the director of A Chinese Ghost Story was Cheng Xiaodong and the producer was Xu Ke, but they were all considered to be Xu Ke's works. A Better Tomorrow was still produced by Xu Ke, but it was considered to be the work of Director Wu. And the later Dying to Survive was probably mistakenly thought by many people to be directed by Xu Zheng!
Gu Wei is currently busy filming "The Wandering Earth", so naturally he has no time to take care of the filming of "The Breakup Master". He doesn't have any requirements for this film, as long as it can be filmed as it is and reap some box office revenue, he will be satisfied.

"You are in charge of the specific filming. I won't ask any questions! You can also decide on the actors. It will be based on your creative intentions!"

"Okay, okay, director, don't worry. With your words, I feel more confident!" Deng Chao said happily, but he still felt a little regretful.

"Director, could you please say a few words for me so that I can invite some big-name stars to show up." Seeing that the producer plan had completely fallen through, Deng Chao continued, and after he finished speaking, he looked at Gu Wei eagerly, fearing that he would be rejected again.

"Haha, this is the idea you came here with." Gu Wei shook his head and smiled, saying casually.

"How could that be possible? I came here absolutely to play a guest role. Everything else was just a by-product." Deng Chao felt a little guilty when he said this.

"Haha, okay, when your crew starts filming, I'll go over to visit the set when I have time, and then I'll invite Xiao Ming, Zhou Xun and the others.

Let me make it clear first, I am just going to take a look, whether you can convince them or not is up to you. "

Deng Chao is a decent person, he has some talent and a decent character. Since he is here, Gu Wei will naturally invite him out for dinner.

When I was leaving, I was still thinking, wow, the crew has only been in operation for more than half a month, and several groups of people have arrived one after another. Next, we have to control the entry and exit of people.

This time they chose a mid-range restaurant with private rooms for dinner. While eating, Deng Chao talked about his ideas and thoughts on the film and which actors to invite. Gu Wei could only try his best to look very interested.

To be honest, for comedy movies like "Lost in Thailand" and "The Master of Breaking Up", it's okay for him to watch them and invest to make some money, but I won't be motivated to make them because there will be no sense of accomplishment.

Instead of wasting time on this, he might as well go to Hollywood to make some movies, and win awards with Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and others!
Before making special effects blockbusters like "The Day After Tomorrow", "Interstellar" and "2012", Gu Wei might have had some interest in these comedy-type movies.

But after working on special effects blockbusters, I feel that I can present an explosively cool visual effect on the screen, I can shoot stunning 3D shots, I can create the most classic science fiction blockbusters, and I can shoot a science fiction masterpiece that belongs to the Chinese people.

These mind-blowing scenes are all my achievements. Although it is a bit too early to say that "The Wandering Earth" will become a domestic science fiction masterpiece, if it is not done, these will not appear in the Chinese film market at all. As for those that will appear, let them follow their due trajectory!
When Gu Wei thought about this, he suddenly had a sense of enlightenment. Perhaps this is what they mean by the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

Indeed, my mission is to make a special effects blockbuster, otherwise I can't keep waiting.

Deng Chao was talking excitedly, and suddenly he felt that Gu Wei's mental state seemed to have changed, but he couldn't tell what was different. "Director Gu, you..."

"Oh, I'm listening." Gu Wei laughed and said, "Well, Chao, you have to believe in your ability. I also believe that you have this level."

Hearing this, Deng Chao was a little confused, and thought to himself: "What level am I at? I don't even know it myself."

"You are the director of this film. You can shoot it according to your ideas. You don't need to ask for my opinion." Gu Wei said seriously.

Deng Chao was stunned, blinked his eyes, and suddenly felt a little hurt. He thought to himself: "Director Gu looks down on my film. Of course, it only cost tens of millions. What can it produce? How much box office can it have? He is busy with a big production costing 100 million or 200 million US dollars. How can he have time to listen to your messy ideas? Oh, you are so tactless!"

But he still has some pride in his heart, secretly saying: "A low-budget movie can also sell well. Love Is Not Blind has a box office of more than 300 million yuan, and Lost on Journey has a box office of over 100 million yuan with a cost of 8 million yuan. How can I be worse than them?" The hard work is outside the play. Some successes seem to be just a moment. But before this moment, perhaps years of hardship have been endured. Sometimes there is pride, sometimes there is hesitation, and the various tastes in it are not something that others can understand.

The same goes for making a movie. It’s great when it hits theaters and sells well at the box office, but life on the set isn’t exactly easy.

The crew of "The Wandering Earth" is very large, as the actors come and go. At its peak, the number of crew members exceeded a thousand, and usually there are about seven or eight hundred.

So many people have to stay together for several months or even more than half a year, and everyone has their own responsibilities, just like a production line.

If everyone cooperates highly, the shooting effect will be good. Once one link is off, it is likely to become a vicious cycle.

Coupled with concerns about the performance of the film, as well as the pressure of box office and return on investment, there are almost no directors on the set who have a good temper and who don't curse.

Gu Wei was also under a bit of pressure at this time. He could have continued to stay in Hollywood and shoot some memorable blockbusters, but for the sake of his ideals, he had to suppress his temper and lead the domestic film industry forward step by step.

.........

In a villa by the West Lake in Hangzhou.

The Tai Chi horse in white training clothes is practicing Tai Chi in a very methodical manner.

A man in a black suit stood beside him and reported: "Gu Wei doesn't like to contact "outsiders". I contacted him and he said directly that he would not consider it. But the guy named Song Ge is a man of the show, so he didn't say anything final. But he only has a very small part of Xingchen Film and Television's shares, so in Xingchen Film and Television, Gu Wei basically has the final say."

Hearing this, Tai Chi Ma was not surprised. He put away his fist and stood still, saying, "Haha, he is indeed the top director in the mainland. He is quite interesting." He took the towel handed over by the assistant, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile, "Let's make an appointment. I will talk to him."

The assistant next to him looked at the schedule and said, "Your schedule is already full. You won't be able to find time for half a month."

Ma Yun laughed and said, "Then let's see which one is not important and replace it at the right time."

Hearing this, the assistant frowned and looked at him for a long time before saying, "Boss, he's just a director in the entertainment industry. There's no need to be so formal. Besides, the market value of the entire Xingchen Film and Television combined is not that much."

“Haha, you don’t understand this. For those of us working in the Internet industry, no matter how big we become in China, we can’t conquer the other side of the ocean. But it’s a different story for those working in the film industry. Cultural invasion is one of the best means.” Tai Chi Ma said with some emotion.

"Domestic films want to break into Hollywood and conquer other cities? Are there any domestic directors who can do it?" When the assistant heard this, he curled his lips secretly and didn't believe it at all.

"Other directors can't do it, and other mainland film and television companies don't have much hope either, but Gu Wei and his Xingchen Film and Television Company may be able to do it."

For Taiji Ma, he had been looking at the domestic entertainment industry for a long time, but he never made up his mind to take action.

Because the Chinese film market is full of bad movies, there are too few works that can be called conscientious. When you think about it, there are only a few worth watching in the whole year.

After all, the market is too small. The total box office of 10 to 20 billion yuan each year is just a drop in the bucket compared to the Internet.

Apart from the quality of the films and the market, there are even fewer directors worth looking forward to.

Take the previously hyped "five great directors" for example. "National Master" Zhang Yimou was bent on "winning an Oscar", and the films he made mainly considered the tastes of Western judges. When Chinese people watched them, they always felt that the films were weird and lacked some interest.

Director Chen Kai has been failing to deliver on his standard in recent years, and there is absolutely no hope for him in commercial films.

There is also Jiang Wen. Although he still holds the title of domestic film box office champion, he has too many personal opinions and the audience can rarely understand them.

As for Feng Xiaogang, his comedy films in the past were pretty good, but in recent years he has been obsessed with becoming a "master", and his films are becoming less and less down-to-earth.

Apart from that, Ning Hao and Lu Yang are pretty good. Although Wuershan has "Painted Skin 2", everyone still thinks he is lucky.

As for Lu Chuan and others, they all have crooked butts, so there is no need to mention them. As for the rest, Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Lou Ye and others, most of the films they make are art films, it would be strange if the Americans would approve of them.

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, after Hong Kong directors moved north, the charm of the Hong Kong film era was suddenly lost.

Especially director Xu Ke, his current filming level is sometimes high and sometimes low. In short, it is difficult to reach the previous heights.

Zhou Xingchi has always been of very high standard, but he is too slow in making films, and only releases one every few years. His last film was the relatively ordinary "CJ7", which has been so long that people almost forgot about him.

So as far as directors are concerned, Tai Chi Ma believes that only Gu Wei has the ability to lead domestic films out of the door.

In particular, the reports on the premiere of "Titanic" on the Internet in the past two days, with so many European and American superstars coming to China, are enough to prove Gu Wei's status and face in Hollywood.

.........

However, Gu Wei was quite surprised when he received the meeting invitation from Tai Chi Ma.

Because in June of 14 in another time and space, the Ali Group spent HK$6 billion to acquire China Culture Media, a Hong Kong-listed company, and renamed it Ali Pictures.

This kind of acquisition will naturally not be accomplished overnight, and it is possible to negotiate one and a half to two years in advance.

Now it is the first half of 12. Judging from the time, Ali Company may have already contacted China Culture. But I didn't expect that Lao Ma actually wanted to acquire Xingchen Film Company.

Gu Wei looked at the private invitation letter in his hand, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. He did have great ambitions, but wanting someone to acquire his own company was pure dreaming.

After leaning back in the chair for a while, Gu Wei left the office to talk to Song Ge.

As soon as he entered the door, he smiled and said, "Oh, Taiji Ma actually asked me to meet and talk. Could it be that he is determined to acquire the company?"

Song Ge walked to the sofa and said as he brewed some Kung Fu tea: "It's hard to say. After all, Director Gu, you are different from others. Your movies have been box office hits all over the world. It's foreseeable that bigwigs like BAT would want to join the market."

Hearing this, Gu Wei said arrogantly: "Being too awesome is also a sin." Then he asked Song Ge: "Do you want to meet him?"

Song Ge said, "You have to go. Most executives would just refuse, but this one has to give you some face."

"Okay, let's talk about it after the premiere." Gu Wei, who was sitting on the sofa, took a sip of milk and continued, "What do you think would happen if the Ali family really entered the film industry?"

Song Ge said without hesitation: "Not very good. Movies are ultimately a matter of cultural creation. If you let two directors shoot the same script and actors, they will have two works with completely different styles. It's not just about having money."

Director Gu nodded unconsciously after hearing this. As expected of Song Ge, he had a keen eye for movies and saw the essence of the matter immediately.

"That's true, then let's talk to him and then continue filming our movie." Gu Wei said with a smile.

Song Ge suddenly sighed, "I'm not worried that the company will be acquired, but I'm worried that Director Gu is making too much money.

When the global box office of "2012" exceeded billion US dollars, several groups of "kids" introduced by friends wanted to chip in some money to participate in your new film. "

To be honest, not to mention Song Ge, even Gu Wei has been greeted by many powerful "friendly people".

Some people's backgrounds are indeed shocking. Seeing that Gu Wei was not moved by any persuasion, they also made some harsh remarks.

The reason why Gu Wei is eager to shoot domestic special effects blockbusters and promote domestic culture is that he also wants to become a cultural signboard of the country through these movies.

In this way, even if some "powerful people" want to touch him, they have to carefully consider the consequences.

.........

(End of this chapter)