Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 911: Substitution
Given the immense popularity of the 82 film "Shaolin Temple," which has remained popular for decades, various media outlets and television programs have thoroughly explored the behind-the-scenes stories. It has also become an indispensable source of classic material for numerous online articles about period films. As a result, there are quite a few people who know the inside story, and almost everyone who has even a slight understanding of this film can recount some details.

It was simply that the first version of the footage was substandard and was discarded by Liao Yiyuan, and then Zhang Xinyan was given the task in a time of crisis, ultimately achieving great success.

So when Liao Yiyuan said that the filming had encountered setbacks and Xia Lao asked Chen Fan for his opinion, Director Chen did not even bother to ask.

Liao Yiyuan had to complete the task assigned by Liao Gong, so no matter how bad the first version was, he couldn't give up. In the end, he would most likely let Zhang Xinyan take over and let the story develop according to the original historical trajectory.

Why should he say anything more?

No matter how well this version of "Shaolin Temple" is made, it can never reach the heights of its predecessor.

With the masterpiece "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" as a precedent, audiences both in mainland China and overseas will not experience the same sense of awe and excitement as they did on their first viewing. If Leonardo DiCaprio wants to achieve the same level of success as in his previous life, he may have to work ten times harder.

On the contrary, Yang Chenfeng has skills that rival Leonardo DiCaprio's and looks that are just as good. He's also free from the constraints of his workplace. As long as he doesn't go through teenage rebellion and obediently follows Director Chen's arrangements, he might achieve even greater success in the future.

What should be done if someone rebels?
Director Chen said that it would be fine for his grandfather to discipline the children himself, since they had been fighting since they were young and he should be able to handle it. He wouldn't interfere.

Therefore, both emotionally and rationally, he didn't want to get involved in the affairs of "Shaolin Temple".

However, the reason he gave was strong enough that it left Elder Xia and the others speechless with bitter smiles.

It was only then that everyone remembered that Director Chen of the Film Association was also a member of the Beijing Taoist Association, the abbot of the thriving Chaoyang Temple, a friendly outsider on the United Front, and a rising star in Taoism...

Thinking of this identity, and then of his other identities—the doctor who invented the Yunhu First Aid Method, the writer, the filmmaker, the musician, the calligrapher and painter, etc.—the scene fell silent instantly.

After a long while, Old Xia waved his hand and said, "Alright, you two can discuss this yourselves. I won't interfere anymore. I'm leaving now."

He finished speaking and was about to leave when Chen Fan suddenly said, "Elder Xia, please wait a moment."

Old Xia turned to look at him, "Is there anything else?"

"It's not a big deal."

Chen Fan rubbed his hands together, looked at the veteran filmmakers around him, and said with a smile, "I just have an idea. Please take a look and see if it's suitable."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him with great interest.

The next second, the sound of crickets filled the venue.

A famous actor surnamed Chen nudged his boss, Director Wang, and whispered, "Old Wang, guess what Director Chen is up to?"

Wang Yang glanced at him, pursed his lips, and shook his head. "How am I supposed to guess? We can't exactly set up an actor training class for the Film Association, can we?"

Everyone in the literary and art system knows that writer Chen is famous for having many ideas. The Jiangnan Writers Association is thriving because of a few of his ideas, and writers all over the country are also benefiting from them.

It's not about generating foreign exchange, but rather about literature correspondence courses.

Now, all the provinces that have established provincial writers' associations have started "literary correspondence courses." There are so many young people with artistic tastes these days, and they don't hesitate to spend money on their hobbies and ideals. They usually wouldn't even buy an extra two-cent steamed bun, but they would readily pay ten yuan for the registration fee.

The result is that all the correspondence courses made a fortune, earning anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan a year, with minimal costs. And how much in benefits could they give to the provincial writers' association?!

The other arts and literature associations were green with envy.

But this thing can't be copied.

Literature can be taught through correspondence courses, but how about acting, singing, playing musical instruments, fine arts...?

These skills require experienced masters to guide apprentices step by step, correcting their mistakes little by little, in order for them to learn and improve. It's impossible to teach them remotely.

Although everyone wants to earn extra money and get some extra benefits, no one would do anything that cheats or harms others.

It's not that no one has thought of taking inspiration from Chen Fan's methods and starting some other side hustles, but their limited imaginations prevent them from coming up with anything.

Some associations have started art training classes, the kind with on-site teaching, but they can't compare to the literature correspondence courses that charge a lot of money.

So when Chen Fan spoke, everyone started to discuss and speculate about what he was going to do.
If it could add some side business to the Film Association, that would be the best.

Amidst the murmurs and inquiring glances of the crowd, Chen Fan rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "I just noticed that everyone is very enthusiastic about the film selection process during these past two days' meetings."

Moreover, there are several films that, as everyone can see, actually surpass those popular movies in artistic value and depth. It's just that because they were made in a somewhat profound way, audiences didn't like them as much, leading to their unfortunate omission from the list.

Upon hearing this, almost everyone nodded slightly without realizing it.

The Audience's Favorite Film award has dozens of nominees, but only three films ultimately win.

Do the directors and actors of the films that were not selected think their films were bad?
Definitely not.

They all have two shoulders and one head, and they put their heart and soul into making movies. Who would think that their own or their unit's work is bad?
But the audience just doesn't like it, what can you do?
Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, he immediately regarded him as a close friend and wished he could drag him out for a three-drink feast right there and then.

Since Chen Fan didn't specify which ones, everyone assumed he was referring to their own.

As for the directors of the films that received the most votes, they were also in the venue at the time, and surprisingly, they nodded in agreement with Chen Fan's words.

Regardless of what you're really thinking, you've already won the most votes and the award is practically yours—you're just short of pocketing it. At this point, can't you at least show some humility? Do you have to proclaim that you're the best and everyone else is trash?
Aren't you afraid of getting hammered to death?
But as long as we agree, the results are already out, what can we do?

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Fan smiled and said, "This is what I was thinking. The Writers' Association established a professional literary award a couple of years ago called the Lu Xun Literary Award..."

Just as I finished speaking, someone next to me had their eyes light up and shouted, "Should the Film Association also establish a professional film award?"

Chen Fan turned to look at him and found the face somewhat familiar. Oh, it was Chen Xiao Er's father.

He immediately nodded and laughed, "That's right. Now the Hundred Flowers Awards represent the audience's choice, and the 'Outstanding Film Award' represents the ministry's reward, but there's still a void in the area of ​​professional selection."

Mr. Xia, look, Taiwan has the Golden Horse Awards, which are now dominating the Chinese-language film scene overseas, making it seem like they are the true representatives of Chinese cinema.

If we could establish a professional film award, using a professional and objective approach to select outstanding Chinese-language films from both domestic and international audiences, it would not only expand international film exchange but also recognize excellent films from mainland China.

Seeing that Elder Xia's expression was getting more and more serious, Chen Fan chuckled and said, "Well, I'm just making a suggestion. Whether it can be done and how to do it depends on what the leaders decide."

After he finished speaking, Old Xia took a deep breath, turned to look at the other directors of the Film Association, and asked, "What do you think?" Wang Yang immediately raised his hand and said with a serious face, "I agree."

The others also raised their hands, echoing, "I agree too."

Old Xia nodded gently, turned to look at Chen Fan, and suddenly smiled, "Do you have any other suggestions? Say them all at once, and we'll discuss them together later."

Everyone stared at him with wide, sparkling eyes.

Compared to those money-grabbing correspondence courses, this kind of thing that can earn political achievements is undoubtedly a cut above!

Especially since Chen Fan just mentioned that the selection scope could be expanded to include overseas Chinese-language films, isn't that much better than the Hundred Flowers Awards, which only selects films from within China?!
Chen Fan made an "uh" sound, rubbed his hands together, and laughed, "That's all. You guys definitely know more about the award's rationale and judging process than I do. Right,..."

He turned to look at Liao Yiyuan, chuckled dryly, and said, "Brother Yuan, how about... you guys think of a way to communicate with your Hong Kong counterparts and create a professional film award in Hong Kong?"

The Golden Rooster Awards won't be announced until next year, and the Hong Kong Film Awards will be even later. The first one was in 82, created by two editors from a film magazine.

Regardless, Changfengxin and other companies have a greater influence in the Hong Kong film industry than those two editors, right? If Mr. Liao and his team can come up with a plan, can't they organize a film award?

Comrade Chen Fan didn't care what impact or significance these two awards would have if they came out ahead of schedule.

His goal was simple: to keep these filmmakers busy and prevent them from causing me trouble!

What suggestions would you give to "Shaolin Temple"?

As long as he dares to accept, others will rush to join him. He hasn't forgotten that his family still has many local specialties sent by the film studio, just waiting to climb the ladder.

As for why he was the only one targeted out of so many directors?
There's nothing we can do. All the other directors have established agencies, but he's the only one who's independent and has achieved remarkable results. Who else should we keep an eye on if not him?
A professional film award hosted domestically and encompassing all Chinese-language films; a professional film award from Hong Kong—both rare and valuable awards. Dropping these two bombshells, sure enough, no one bothered him anymore.

This scheme doesn't qualify as diverting disaster eastward; it's more like a substitution.
Seeing that Chen Fan wasn't taking the bait, Old Xia stopped paying attention to him and assigned tasks on the spot: "The results of the Hundred Flowers Awards are settled. The editorial department of Popular Cinema will be responsible for the subsequent procedures and award ceremony. The rest of you can form groups to discuss how to set up the selection process for this professional award."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Wang Yang and said, "Immediately convene a meeting of all council members to discuss the criteria for setting up this professional award, the possibility of including overseas Chinese-language films in the selection process, and the political significance it represents."

"Prepare a report as soon as possible, then you and I will go together to report to our superiors."

Once the others received their tasks, they immediately dispersed and took their own actions.

Finally, Xia Lao pulled Liao Yiyuan aside and said, "You and I are going to see Liao Gong now. Organizing a professional film award in Hong Kong is of great significance. However, we may not be able to get the lead. Otherwise, even if we do organize it, other companies will not participate due to coercion from the Taiwan authorities, so it will not be of much significance."

This needs to be reported to higher management so they can provide their feedback.

After saying that, the two of them immediately left hand in hand, their hurried steps seemingly having completely forgotten about someone.

The others also left in a hurry.

Soon, Chen Fan was the only one left in the conference room.

"As expected, they use people when they need them and then discard them when they're done."

Chen Fan stood up, stretched, and wiggled his hips. "Time to go home."

……

After leaving the Film Association, he drove his minivan straight to the Writers Association headquarters.

At this time, various literary and art associations had resumed their offices for two or three years, but the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and its affiliated literary and art associations were still residing in the compound of a certain magazine.

Yes, it's the one called "Red Flag".

The Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers Association set up a row of wooden planks as an "earthquake shelter" in the magazine's courtyard. No one expected that they would stay there for 20 years.

In fact, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles building was completed at the end of 1986 at No. 10, Nongzhanguan South Lane, on the East Third Ring Road.

The new office building has a floor area of ​​more than 16900 square meters. In addition to the 16-story main building, there is a theater-style auditorium and a five-story building that serves as a guesthouse and canteen.

Although the venue is large, it is still not enough for all departments of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles. After a meeting and discussion, it was finally decided that the Music Association, Fine Arts Association, Acrobats Association, Folk Literature Association, Quyi Association, Calligraphy Association, Television Association, and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House would move in first, while the Federation of Literary and Art Circles headquarters and the Writers Association would continue to work on Shatan North Street.

Until 2000, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles moved to No. 22 Anyuan Beili, Chaoyang District, while the Writers Association moved to No. 9 Dongtucheng Road, Chaoyang District, ending their days of living under someone else's roof.

This also ended the nearly half-century history of the two organizations sharing offices.

After verifying his documents, he drove the car into the yard and parked it in front of the "wooden house" of the Writers' Association headquarters. Looking at the wooden house in front of him, Mr. Chen couldn't help but shake his head.

At this moment, Old Mao walked over with his hands behind his back, leaned close to the car window, and asked in a low voice, "Why are you shaking your head?"

Chen Fan quickly got out of the car and smiled at Old Mao, "Where have you been all this time?"

Old Mao spread his hands and said, "What else could I be doing? Of course, I'm going to the toilet."

As he spoke, he put his hands on his lower back, gave Chen Fan a look, and walked towards the wooden house belonging to the Writers' Association headquarters. He said, "There's no other way. This place is in the middle of nowhere. We have to use other people's toilets. The one we just went to was temporarily locked, so we had to go to a faraway one. I almost choked on my pee."

Chen Fan followed closely beside him, clicking his tongue and saying, "This can't go on forever, can it? Haven't you thought of a solution?"

Old Mao glanced at him and said, "What do you mean there isn't? We've submitted reports to the higher-ups countless times, but we're short on funds and the land issue is difficult to resolve. Let's see what we can do next."

Thinking of the location of the Writers' Association in the future, Chen Fan couldn't help but say, "If you ask me, don't even think about building a big building in the city. Right now, all the units are short of housing, and any available space is already taken. Why not consider trying outside the city?"

The "city inside and outside" naturally refers to the "foreign capital." If we were to extend this to Tongzhou, Pinggu, Miyun, Huairou, and Yanqing, they might be willing, but Chen Fan wouldn't be.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Old Mao turned around and smiled, saying, "You think we're still picky and have to get the best? You're dreaming. We're lucky to have anything at all, why would we be picky?!"

Chen Fan stared wide-eyed. "You didn't choose? Then what's the trouble? Just pick a place in Chaoyang or Haidian, there are plenty of spacious locations."

Old Mao smiled and said, "Alright, as you said. The location is easy to solve, but what about the funding for the building? Right now, money is needed everywhere. Resuming production and resettling educated youth returning to the city—which place isn't more important than building a house for the Federation of Literary and Art Circles?"

After saying that, he let out a long sigh, "Let's just wait and see."

(End of this chapter)