China Entertainment: Let you shoot for charity and make tens of billions?

The audience nodded in agreement after hearing Su Yi's words. Although they all felt that Su Yi was being too modest, his words were quite inspiring.

"I know that this temporary halt might draw criticism from many viewers, but that's okay, because filming will continue in a few months. I can't guarantee the exact time because I'll be filming a movie during this period, a Sino-foreign co-production! The goal is to top the global box office! But if something unexpected happens, even making the top 100 at the box office would be a stretch."

Su Yi smiled.

He came to the show with his own purpose: to promote his new movie. Although the script has not been confirmed yet, if filming is to begin, it will be done very quickly, as both sides have no shortage of funds or technical talent, and the actors can be chosen freely.

"Su Yi is making a new movie! Wow, this is huge news! I may not like documentaries, but I have to see Su Yi's movie, and it's even more effective to see it in a theater."

These few words have already revealed too much news, and many people are thinking that if Su Yi were to make a modern film like this, it would definitely be a box office hit worldwide.

And this is big news, considering that Su Yi hasn't made a movie in a long time.

This last film seems to be a desperate gamble.

Because most of the others are web series or documentaries.

"I'm not the director this time either, just one of our investors. I believe some netizens already know about Warner Bros.' Aquaman 2! The movie Aquaman is already in the works, but the script has undergone major changes, incorporating more Eastern elements, including some of our ancient legends and myths... Host, have I said too much? Does this sound like an advertisement?"

Su Yi glanced at the host, then smiled and said, "Actually, as long as we don't say anything excessive, all the promotion today is acceptable. There's nothing wrong with promoting my own movie; Su Yi came here for free anyway."

"No, I believe many viewers will be very interested, but we'll talk about it one thing at a time today. We finally managed to get Director Su Yi here. It seems we can't finish so soon."

The host blinked.

"No problem. The production team even told me today that they prepared a two-hour segment and even thoughtfully prepared diapers for me."

Upon hearing Su Yi's words, the viewers in front of the television burst into laughter. Su Yi rarely had a comedic side; most of the time, he spoke with righteous indignation about public welfare, giving people a very positive impression.

Today she was quite playful, without any airs, and spoke with great humor.

"Your longest movie is nearly four hours long, and I believe many viewers would be willing to bring diapers with them. Today, to satisfy the audience's preferences, you'll just have to make do."

Seeing Su Yi's humor and wit, the host gradually relaxed. Today, whether it was interviewing Su Yi or revealing the filming process of the documentary, it was all for the sake of the program's effect. Even a satellite TV station has to consider the program's effect, otherwise it will quickly lose viewers. Su Yi rarely gives interviews, and if they can't get high ratings on their channel, then they will have failed miserably.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Director Su Yi, I heard that you received a lot of support from various industries during the filming of this documentary, and even the military went so far as to include some weapons that are still classified in the documentary, although without much explanation. However, many military enthusiasts have noticed a large number of unknown models appearing in the documentary. Are these fighter jets our trump cards, or are they new models created to mislead the enemy?"

"Some weapons can only be shown with authorization, but the specific models cannot be revealed yet. However, our development speed is very fast, especially the strength of the navy and air force! When we were filming Deng Shichang, I was very moved because the eyes of those naval soldiers were filled with murderous intent and tears! It is hard to imagine that murderous intent and tears appeared in the same person at the same time! Moreover, the soldiers on the Shichang ship were also full of emotions. All of this was filmed in one take, without any secondary filming. I think that documentaries should record real emotions, not excessive processing."

Su Yi still felt a bit emotional when he brought this up.

He was genuinely moved at that moment.

Even now, he can't forget those looks. To be honest, the Beiyang Fleet was indeed a major sore point for China at the time, not just for the Qing Dynasty, but for the entire nation!

Even the current organizational structure follows the one established after theirs, not only to remind the navy of that humiliation but also to embody their glory. Although the Beiyang Fleet was completely annihilated under the command of its officers, their fighting spirit remained. If it were today, that fighting spirit would be absolutely invincible.

"Is this the scene that Director Su Yi mentioned? I asked someone backstage to check, and indeed, there is a fearsome power in his eyes, as well as emotions towards his compatriots."

The host projected the enlarged image onto the large screen behind them, and the audience was shocked when they saw the navy's eyes.

At the time, I was so focused on watching some of the plot points in the documentary that I didn't really pay attention to some of the subtle details. Now that I've zoomed in, I'm truly amazed.

There were so many details I hadn't seen!

"Because when shooting a documentary about people traveling from ancient times to the modern era, firstly, you have to think about your perspective as the ancient people. You have to understand them in all aspects so that you can capture more authentic emotions. So in my opinion, you have to refer to all the current materials, whether positive or negative, and combine them to create such a full-bodied character. Use your own ideas and real historical records to blend a flesh-and-blood person! And I would also like to thank the actors again. Most of the main actors are not very famous because I don't want them to have any idol baggage, which would give people a sense of being a pre-existing observer."

“There will inevitably be some artistic embellishment in this way, but I think it is enough to tell their stories and let them know what kind of people those legendary figures were and what kind of environment they were in when they did what they did.”

Su Yi previously stated that excessive artistic embellishment was undesirable, but some necessary exaggeration was still required. Su Yi then explained in detail the filming schedule and complex procedures. While the documentary appeared to have been completed in just over a month, the pre-production work was crucial. The filming followed historical records, incorporating the filmmaker's own ideas. All of these elements were then combined to create a national hero or a figure whose life was tragically lost.

These are all things that deserve our careful study and deep reflection!

Many viewers felt a chill run down their spines after hearing this.

They always thought that the director filmed according to the script, and that they just needed to follow the steps.

In such a short period of time, Su Yi had to create these characters, restore the history of that time, and even set up grand scenes, such as the famous scenes of the Sino-Japanese War. Although it was impossible to restore and film all of them, it was already very difficult to complete those scenes.

In reality, these tasks aren't accomplished by one person alone. Whether it's a film, television series, or a documentary, there are always assistant directors, executive directors, and costume and prop specialists. They meet daily, the director assigns tasks, and then they work together to complete them. Even so, it's still admirable.

The workload may seem to be summed up in a few words, but it is actually quite complex when filming.

This is extremely difficult, equivalent to having to imagine a person out of thin air, but you know all about that person's deeds, yet you have no idea about their personality or appearance, but you have to recreate everything in your hands.

Such tediousness is so irritating that just thinking about it can be quite frustrating.

"You're amazing, Director Su Yi! Now I finally understand why you're so successful. It's not just about the details, but also about your thinking. Most people would probably focus on the story in a documentary, but only by bringing the characters to life can you achieve such success."

The host looked at Su Yi with admiration, as did the audience members below.

"Actually, it's not that exaggerated. Everyone doesn't need to praise me too much. This is just a basic operation for a director. It's just that many of the documentaries I make are things I'm good at. I'm just telling everyone how difficult and time-consuming it is to make a documentary. I'm not showing off my personal abilities. So, making one or one episode a month is already a fast pace. It's also because the documents from above want to promote our Chinese nation and culture, so everything is on the green light."

Su Yi smiled. To be honest, he felt quite relaxed being able to talk about these topics with these viewers. After all, he had been on edge for a while, feeling like he was about to explode at any moment. Fortunately, the public opinion had been very calm during this period, and nothing had happened.

"Regardless, thank you to Director Su Yi for bringing us such a wonderful documentary. In fact, many netizens left comments saying that what really moved them was what happened to the soldiers after they returned to their hometowns after participating in the Battle of Shanghai! The Sichuan Army suffered a lot back then, and they walked all the way from their hometowns to Shanghai with only a straw sandal. Most of them died in that battle, and many of them didn't even have bullets. It's really touching and tragic!"

"Of course, there are also people who like the humiliation of diplomats, not because they like the things themselves, but because they want to see the thought-provoking questions raised in this documentary."

Upon hearing the host's words, Su Yi fell silent. During the filming, he had already thoroughly investigated everything about this humiliated diplomat.

"Actually, this person wasn't as incompetent as depicted in history. On the contrary, he was a man of both literary and military talent. Although the late Qing Dynasty was corrupt, to be honest, this diplomat was quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to go to the Western powers. The reason I didn't show it was because I saw him as a representative of the entire late Qing Dynasty. In fact, the late Qing Dynasty did have some desire to restore its former glory, but it was powerless to do so. Faced with the insults from the Western powers, they could only passively accept them. Even a diplomat could be beaten and insulted by a local law enforcement officer."

"His ability to jump into the river proves that he is definitely a person with no problems in terms of character, and is a very strong-willed person. Because if it were any other minister, he would definitely not commit suicide, at most he would just say it."

"But the reason I chose him is because I think he is a man of principle. If he didn't care about his country's image, he might have killed the law enforcement officer in his own way. In fact, some movies use this kind of rhetoric. If I were to adapt this documentary into a movie or TV series, I would have him take action and 'kill' all those Chinese people. That would be very satisfying, but it would disrespect history and show a lack of common sense."

The documentary shows how arrogant the Westerners were at the time, especially the people of the United States.

If you were to fight back, those few people might not be a match for you, but a group of people would relentlessly hunt you down and even exaggerate the diplomat's actions without restraint!
The Qing Dynasty's diplomatic authority was practically nonexistent; it was subservient to most Westerners. This wasn't entirely their fault, as the Qing Dynasty still needed their help. Losing a diplomat was easily remedied by sending another—a coveted job. Therefore, the person in question was willing to swallow his pride to avoid trouble for himself and his country. Simply put, if he had gone to the Qing court and directly resisted, eliminating the Western powers, he might have vented his anger, but what would have happened then? The Qing Dynasty would have had its doors forced open again, suffering heavy losses and hastening its demise!

It wasn't until Su Yi explained some of the plot details that some viewers finally understood.

After all, not everyone has the time to spend every day reading movie reviews and introductions.

After hearing Su Yi's detailed explanation, he suddenly understood.

"Anyway, every single one of them deserves our applause and cheers!"

"Even a humiliated diplomat is stronger than most people, especially in terms of his mental and physical abilities and his extremely high level of endurance. An ordinary person, when insulted like this, would first want to fight to the death, but would most likely be no match for them!"
"That's right, although this character is portrayed as tragic, it's not just his own story!"

·····
"Director Su Yi, could you please involve the audience in the casting process for the next part? Everyone has their favorite national heroes, and we all hope that 'Future Director' will continue to improve!"

"If there's enough time, I'll start filming as soon as possible!" (End of Chapter)