Full-time actor

To be honest, Chen Yu had considered this issue before Liu Yifei proposed.

However, Liu Yifei was in the prime of her career at the time, and she was also quite young, having just turned 20, the legal age for marriage. Getting married might have been a bit too early for her.

That's why I haven't said anything.

Although Chen Yu was not afraid of the impact of marriage, he was worried that Liu Yifei's proud career would suffer a setback.

So much so that even though they had ideas in their minds, they never put them into action.

Since we've brought this topic here, there naturally needs to be an explanation.

Chen Yu tightened his grip slightly, pulling Liu Yifei between him and the fence.

Liu Yifei leaned against Chen Yu's chest, the sound of his heartbeat filling her ears.

This situation gave her a strange sense of peace.

only--

Chen Yu clearly had no intention of revealing the answer, and turned his head to look at the person in his arms.

When would you like it to be?

He threw the question back at Liu Yifei, who was somewhat dissatisfied and raised her small fist to hit him.

After all, it was she who raised the question, but unexpectedly, it turned out she was the one who had to answer it.

However, Liu Yifei had indeed already had this idea in mind.

She wasn't a coy person who liked to keep things mysterious; she always spoke frankly, which was one of the reasons Chen Yu liked her.

What man wouldn't like a woman who likes to be straightforward?
"I hope... it will be after I win an Oscar!"

Liu Yifei raised her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling with love: "Let's announce our wedding date again!"

Oh?
Chen Yu looked at the person in front of him. Liu Yifei's eyes were full of starlight, and she was visibly happy when talking about this issue.

"It doesn't matter who among us wins the Oscar."

Hearing the person next to him add another sentence, Chen Yu couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh ho, so confident you'll get it before me?"

In response to Chen Yu's question, Liu Yifei laughed heartily.

"Of course, don't forget, I'm the Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival."

"An Oscar is a piece of cake."

Liu Yifei, who was standing in front of him, had an arrogant look on her face, but after saying those words, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.

"I'm just kidding."

"Even after I said it, I felt it was a bit outrageous."

Chen Yu turned the person in front of him around. Perhaps because of his loud laughter just now, Liu Yifei's face was slightly flushed due to excessive excitement.

It's rosy red, like a ripe peach.

"That's not necessarily the case!"

"LeBron James hasn't won it in all these years, so I feel like my chances are slim too..."

"It's you..."

Chen Yu smiled slightly and said, "Some actresses win awards on their first nomination. Oscar public relations and luck are the most important factors, but of course, the film itself is also crucial!"

"You're trying to sweet-talk me again!"

Liu Yifei didn't believe it.

"Haha, of course, we'll meet at the top!"

"Then it's settled. Whoever wins the Oscar gets priority in marriage!"

"That……"

never mind!

Liu Yifei hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Why bring up such unpleasant things in such a pleasant atmosphere?

What Liu Yifei originally wanted to ask was, what if we never get it in this lifetime?

bah bah bah!
If I can't get it, Chen Yu definitely can!
What are you thinking, you idiot Liu Yifei?

under the moonlight.

The two figures nestled closely together, a sight as beautiful as a painting!

***
the next day.

Chen Yu was already dressed and ready early. He had already recharged his energy yesterday, and he was ready to give it his all in the days to come.

As for today, I need to go to the company to discuss the specifics.

Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli both stayed at their house yesterday, since Liu Xiaoli was too drunk to go home.

Chen Yu went to the next room.

With all the elders in the family present, Liu Yifei had to sleep separately from them.

A moment after knocking on the door, Liu Yifei appeared before me, her eyes still half-closed with sleep.

"Honey, why are you awake so early?"

The implication was that she was complaining that Chen Yu had disturbed her peaceful sleep.

"We need to go to the company today to handle the distribution rights and release date of 'Better Days'."

"This matter is of utmost urgency!"

After hearing Chen Yu's words, Liu Yifei regained her fighting spirit.

That's just how she is; when it comes to work-related matters, she never procrastinates.

The two went downstairs.

As for Liu Xiaoli, she was already sitting on the sofa, occasionally rubbing her aching temples.

She drank too much last night.

Most importantly, she was overjoyed that her daughter had received such a great honor.

I seem to have some memory gaps from yesterday.

The memories in my mind are fragmented, but I remember that she pulled Chen Yu aside and said a lot of intimate things.

To be precise, everything she said was from the heart.

However, when he is of sound mind, he would never say it.

Fueled by alcohol, she could be said to have accepted Chen Yu as her son-in-law.

"Mom, why didn't you sleep a little longer after drinking so much?"

Liu Yifei came to Liu Xiaoli's side and pressed her hand to her temple.

The pressure was neither too strong nor too weak, which made Liu Xiaoli feel much more comfortable.

The nanny has already prepared breakfast. Yesterday, everyone drank until midnight, so much so that everyone except Liu Xiaoli is probably still fast asleep.

Chen Yu and Liu Yifei, on the other hand, didn't drink much. As actors, they pay close attention to their diet.

Why can't you two sleep a little longer?

Liu Xiaoli said with her eyes closed, "I was so busy the past few days that I definitely didn't have time to rest."

"Why are you getting up so early when you finally have a holiday?"

Having heard Liu Xiaoli's drunken confession the day before, Liu Yifei now cherishes her mother's nagging even more.

"There are still some follow-up issues with 'Better Days' that haven't been resolved."

"and--"

"Your daughter is going to be playing the lead role again!"

Ok?
Liu Xiaoli looked up and saw Liu Yifei's arrogant expression, so she could only turn her doubts to Chen Yu beside her.

This is what Chen Yu and Liu Yifei discussed last night.

Although it was called a discussion, the two of them had actually been thinking about this matter for a long time.

The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The lead actress for this international film, which will feature stars from Asia, Europe, and Hollywood, has been confirmed as Liu Yifei.

As for the male lead, there's no doubt that Chen Yu will also be in the role.

But this time it's different from "Better Days". It's not a romance movie, but more about art and plot. It won't make the audience feel like it's another romantic couple. Chen Yu and Liu Yifei have been discussing it for a long time last night. The male and female leads have been decided. They are still missing a few main foreign roles.

Chen Yu is preparing to hire several Hollywood big names, but at this critical juncture, he hasn't figured out who would be the most suitable.

Perhaps we could use the original cast.

Chen Yu casually mentioned his plans, and after hearing the two men's plans, the latter had to look at Chen Yu with new respect once again.

Every film starring Chen Yu is a classic. While they may not be household names, they are all high-quality productions, and their box office performance has always been excellent.

Even before "Better Days" has been released, it has already begun to reach out to the international market.

This route was taken step by step with absolute certainty.

It must be said that Chen Yu, at such a young age, possesses courage and boldness that surpasses many others by a hundredfold.

This is also where his strength lies.

……

More than half an hour later, Chen Yu and his companion arrived at the company.

Yang Lu and Wang Shuo were waiting at the door early in the morning.

During this period, the two of them handled all the big and small matters in the company, and Chen Yu felt at ease leaving things to them.

Yang Lu now admires Chen Yu immensely. The success of "Better Days" is entirely due to Chen Yu's support.

As for the rest, there's no need to worry about box office revenue.

"Brother Yu is here."

Wang Shuo was the first to notice the appearance of Chen Yu and Liu Yifei.

As soon as the two stepped into the company, the confetti popped up instantly.

Several employees stood on either side, each holding a firework shell.

"Congratulations to Yu Ge and Xi Xi for winning Best Actress, Golden Lion and Best Screenplay together."

Wishing you both a long and happy marriage and many children.

boom! boom! boom!
This sudden scene made Chen Yu laugh.

Liu Yifei bit her lower lip, a slight blush rising on her face. No one had expected that they would have this kind of drama.

"Everyone has worked hard during this time."

"We'll have to work even harder from now on, all for the release of 'Better Days'!"

Chen Yu prepared red envelopes for the employees, after all, the success of "The Youth" today is due to the hard work and dedication of everyone present.

"Thank you, Brother Yu."

A moment later, everyone dispersed, and Yang Lu had already followed Chen Yu into the office.

Xu Jianhai, director of the planning department of China Film Group, had been waiting for a long time and only got up when he noticed Chen Yu coming in.

"Brother Yu, congratulations!"

"Such success for a debut film..."

This is absolutely not flattery or polite talk. Putting aside Chen Yu's current status, just look at the movie "Better Days," which was his first time directing and caused such a sensation.

Not just in the Chinese film and television industry, but in the entire world, this is truly unique.

This is cinematic genius.

That's why China Film Group attaches such importance to it.

If China Film Group hadn't brought up the issue of discussing the release date today, Chen Yu wouldn't have come to the company.

They were surprised that the person who came was Xu Jianhai, which showed their sincerity. After all, as one of the powerful figures in China Film Group, Xu Jianhai could have easily sent his subordinates.

"Director Xu, it's been a long time."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Chen Yu already had an idea in mind, but of course he still needed to consider everyone's opinions.

"I personally think the National Day holiday period is good."

"With the current popularity, everyone naturally has high expectations for 'Better Days'."

"Furthermore, the National Day holiday is a peak period for moviegoing."

Chen Yu frankly shared his thoughts.

Yang Lu nodded, completely agreeing with Chen Yu's decision.

"Will it be released overseas at the same time?"

Wang Shuo's question made Chen Yu shake his head; this was probably not a good time.

"I expect it to be released on the 5th, which is a Friday."

"Positive word-of-mouth from the premiere audience can quickly attract more people to buy tickets over the weekend."

“80% of overseas box office revenue comes from weekends.”

There are fewer viewers on weekdays, so if it were to be released, it certainly wouldn't be as good as the box office on weekends.

Chen Yu's words were reasonable and well-founded, but the specific release date still needs to be determined by China Film Group, and discussions also need to be held with several long-term cooperative distributors in North America and Japan.

This is just a preliminary idea; its implementation will depend on the issuing company.

"But National Day is just around the corner, I wonder if China Film Group will be able to make it in time?"

Chen Yu was using reverse psychology, and Xu Jianhai certainly understood that.

"I'll have someone arrange it right away!"

"Better Days" is currently a huge hit, and it will naturally attract a large audience when it is released.

China Film Group definitely wants to take advantage of this hot commodity.

"Then I'll have to trouble Director Xu..."

After hearing this, Chen Yu looked up and asked for the opinions of the people present.

There's no doubt that Yang Lu will be released in China; she faces no competition during her domestic release, and her overseas release will also be at a less popular time.

Whether a film performs well at the box office depends on word-of-mouth and Chen Yu's own appeal.

"I have no opinion."

Those present unanimously agreed to the decision, while Chen Yu had already stood up.

"Then it's settled."

"Better Days will have its global premiere in China on National Day, and other countries should follow suit as soon as possible, striving for a simultaneous global release!"

Concise and concise.

A major issue was resolved with just a few words.

Ring ring—The phone rang, breaking the silence, and everyone present turned to look.

It's Jiang Wen.

He's making a call at this time for one of two things.

Chen Yu answered the call, and a rough voice came from the other end of the line, but this time it carried a hint of inquiry.

"Director Chen, are you busy today?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Wen, who is usually very outgoing, has also learned to keep people in suspense.

"What are your instructions, Brother Jiang?"

Chen Yu was used to Jiang Wen's straightforwardness, so when he heard the other party's question, Jiang Wen naturally stopped being cryptic.

"Have you finalized your schedule yet?"

"Better Days" and "The Sun Also Rises" are completely different types of films.

However, if they clash, viewers will still have to choose one.

Recently, major media outlets have been speculating about the box office performance of "Better Days," but to be precise, their predictions for its box office are not very accurate.

The market for art-house films is still somewhat lacking.

The outcome will be decided on the first day.

If the reputation is bad on the first day, it will be abandoned by the market within three days.

"National Day film season".

Upon hearing Chen Yu's words, Jiang Wen naturally had a plan in mind.

"What about the sun? When are you planning to set it?"

Since the other party had already asked, Jiang Wen naturally had nothing to hide.

He had originally planned to do so.

"Since you've already taken the National Day holiday slot, I guess I'll have to go for the Lunar New Year slot."

It's a time for family fun, so watching movies naturally becomes a common entertainment choice.

It's the Lunar New Year season, so there's competition. Jiang Wen actually hoped to release it during the National Day holiday, but Chen Yu beat him to it.

In short, everything that needed to be done has been done; now we can just wait for the results.

"It's alright for the Lunar New Year film season!"

"Have you made any box office predictions?"

The problem has been resolved, and Jiang Wen laughed after hearing Chen Yu's question.

"Box office? The more the better, of course. Who would turn down money?"

"Besides, you're sure to make the right investment."

Chen Yu couldn't help but feel a little amused and exasperated, but he also understood Jiang Wen's temperament.

However, in his previous life, "The Sun Also Rises" was a box office flop, and it didn't even break even on the cost of filming.

In addition, films released around the same time, such as "Lust, Caution" and "The Warlords," both grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office.

At that time, Jiang Wen was probably just using arrogance to mask his disappointment.

However, the situation is different this time. With an award and starring in the film, even if the box office is bad, there is still a basic fan base.

However, it probably won't meet Jiang Wen's expectations.

Hopefully he can handle it.

What are your thoughts on the box office performance of "Better Days"?

After hearing Jiang Wen's words, Chen Yu did not respond immediately.

The subject matter of "Better Days" is quite sensitive. Although the awards it won were enough to arouse everyone's expectations, Chen Yu did not expect too high a box office.

Chinese people tend to avoid sensitive topics such as school violence and juvenile delinquency, so the fact that the film was even released is already a victory.

However, compared to the previous life, there is no need to worry too much about box office performance.

The only concern is that the film was released almost 10 years earlier than expected, which might lead to a gap between the box office revenue and the target audience.

As an art film, "Better Days" already had a weak box office performance.

News reports in the past few days have also included related information. The industry is not optimistic about the box office performance of this film, even though it stars and is directed by Chen Yu. In comparison, his previous commercial films have all grossed over 10 billion yuan in the mainland market alone.

The market valuation for "Youth" is around 1-2 million.

It's fair to say that the outlook is quite pessimistic.

This can actually be seen in Zhang Yimou; his commercial blockbusters easily gross 4-5 million yuan at the box office, while his art films only gross a little over 1 million yuan.

In their view, Chen Yu was actually quite similar.

"It doesn't matter. I made this movie mainly to win awards and hope that everyone can pay attention to the issue of school violence."

"The box office figure is not something I can decide..."

Jiang Wen clicked his tongue on the other end of the phone, but he knew that Chen Yu's words were truly heartfelt.

"Then I look forward to your masterpiece being released. I still have confidence in you."

"Farewell!"

Before Chen Yu could respond, the phone went dead.

He had clearly already gathered intelligence on the "enemy's situation." Shaking his head helplessly, Chen Yu sat back down in his previous seat.

"Was that Brother Wen calling?"

Chen Yu nodded in acknowledgment and then relayed the contents of the phone call to Liu Yifei in detail.

"Brother Yu, I believe in you. 'Better Days' will definitely be a box office hit!"

Wang Shuo was making a solemn vow there.

There's a strong element of flattery involved.

The release date for "The Youth" has been finalized, and the meeting mainly focused on the upcoming publicity and development.

Xu Jianhai left very soon.

Next, they had to consider something else.

When Yang Lu and Wang Shuo were informed about the casting for "The Grand Budapest Hotel," they naturally had no objections.

Chen Yu and Liu Yifei's acting skills are commendable, making them excellent choices for the male and female leads in "The Grand Budapest Hotel".

"I suggest that location scouting and casting be done separately."

"Brother Yang led a group of people to North America to contact the CAA and set up the film crew first!"

"Old Wang is taking a group of people to Europe to scout locations!"

"After finishing 'Black Coal, Thin Ice,' we can then begin filming 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.'"

"..."

As Chen Yu spoke, everyone had a clear division of labor. Apart from the publicity department, the focus of everything else was naturally on the next film.

If we do it this way, neither side will be delayed.

Now Chen Yu can focus on continuing to film "Black Coal, Thin Ice" with Liu Yifei.

As for assembling the production team this time, Chen Yu has no need to worry.

CAA provided him with a complete Hollywood crew, making filming a breeze.

only--

Chen Yu had his own ideas.

He plans to take a group of people with him to learn from Hollywood's advanced practices.

After all, at this stage, Hollywood's filming technology is still more advanced than that of mainland China.

Putting these issues aside, the special effects and CGI technology are more mature, and the realism far surpasses that of mainland Chinese films of the same period.

As for mainland China, it relies more on outsourcing and simple synthesis, so its special effects are not outstanding.

On this issue, Chen Yu had already made his own judgment long ago.

The recent intensive arrangements for setting up a special effects company have yielded excellent results.

"Did you invite Xu Jian today?"

Yang Lu quickly responded to Chen Yu's question.

“I have already informed him that he is on his way. He is currently setting up a special effects company, so he doesn’t have much free time.”

Chen Yu nodded.

Xu Jian, to be precise, is a key contributor to the future of Mojing Tianhe, China's leading special effects company.

These are the special effects for movies like "The Wandering Earth" and "The Battle at Lake Changjin". In the previous life, it was founded by Xu Jian, who can definitely be considered the leader of the entire Chinese film special effects industry.

Furthermore, technological innovations were implemented.

Especially in later generations, its industry status has been recognized as one of the top special effects companies in Asia.

It later broke the Hollywood technology monopoly.

This is why, even while filming a movie and attending an awards ceremony, he still made sure to look for this person.

This led Wang Shuo to get in touch with him.

No sooner had the people present finished speaking than there was a knock on the door.

As everyone looked over, Xu Jian had already walked into the office.

The man, in his thirties, looked quite spirited and energetic.

His strength should not be underestimated, given that he achieved such a position in his previous life.

In the early stages of establishing the special effects company, Wang Shuo was the one who kept in touch with Xu Jian.

As for this moment—

This was the first time Xu Jian had ever seen such a god-like man in this circle.

Chen Yu, who had already completely dominated the international film industry, showed no airs at all when he looked back at the past.

"Brother Yu, nice to meet you. Please take care of me."

Xu Jian greeted Chen Yu first, as most of the company's employees addressed Chen Yu that way, and Xu Jian naturally wanted to "do as the Romans do."

"Brother Xu, just call me Chen Yu."

"Wang Shuo should have already explained everything to you. Have you encountered any difficulties in establishing the special effects company recently?"

Faced with Chen Yu's question, Xu Jian shook his head.

There were absolutely no obstacles, and besides, Wang Shuo would follow up on all the issues.

Of course, Xu Jian knew that this matter was definitely at Chen Yu's behest, and his purpose in coming today was naturally to report on the progress of the special effects company's establishment.

He greeted everyone present, and they all returned to their seats.

Xu Jian has been working in the film and television industry for nearly ten years. In his early years, he participated in advertising special effects production and created 3D animations and visual packaging for some brands.

To be precise, they have a thorough understanding of shooting techniques and post-production.

In recent years, he has joined the film special effects team and previously participated in the physical effects and digital compositing work of Zhang Yimou's films.

He had always had the idea that, in his thirties, he would decide to create high-end special effects for Chinese-language films.

However, plans can't keep up with changes, and he also had to face countless problems.

His plan to establish a special effects company was naturally delayed again and again, but unexpectedly he was favored by Chen Yu, the founder of Yu Xin Company.

He was also fully responsible for establishing the special effects company.

This was an unexpected joy for him, and he naturally felt a great deal of emotion towards Chen Yu.

"The technical backbone of the special effects company has been assembled."

"Including computer graphics experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and special effects artists who have returned from overseas."

"These people will form the core of the team."

He gave a detailed account of his recent work, and everyone present agreed with his presentation.

This could be considered their first meeting.

As for Chen Yu, he would definitely keep it brief and assign the recent tasks one by one.

The location scouting and casting issues for "The Grand Budapest Hotel" have been resolved; the next step is to address the special effects.

"Brother Xu, our special effects company is currently being established."

"As for the fact that the technology is not yet perfect, we should focus on learning from Hollywood's experience in the early stages."

After hearing Chen Yu's words, the latter naturally nodded.

He certainly understands these issues.

If he were to try to understand it by himself, it would probably remain just empty words until his death.

Chen Yu trusted him, which is why he entrusted him with the entire task of establishing a special effects company.

In short, the goal must be to satisfy Chen Yu.

“I contacted Nolan, and you can lead our main team to the set of The Dark Knight for a preliminary visit.”

Oh?
After hearing Chen Yu's words, Xu Jian's heart was stirred.

He does not deny that foreign technology is indeed more advanced than that in China.

Take the essence and discard the dross.

We must learn from experience and integrate domestic and international technologies to achieve this better.

"You can rest assured and leave this matter to me."

Chen Yu nodded.

"During the period of its establishment, we were also able to take on some large-scale domestic production projects."

To be precise, it was a test of the team's capabilities and a validation of the market viability.

Xu Jian strongly agrees with this point.

The pre-production process for special effects is likely to be costly and limited, with countless problems to deal with.

Having passion is certainly necessary, but one shouldn't wander around aimlessly like a headless fly.

"We cannot only understand technology."

"Similarly, we need to understand what the director needs and what the audience wants to see."

Chen Yu's words were insightful and, to be precise, they were incisive and broke the status quo of Chinese-language films.

"We need to understand that special effects are not just about showing off skills; they are about building a worldview."

Of course, Chen Yu believed that as the founder of the previous generation of Mo Jing Tian He, Xu Jian was naturally very familiar with this matter... As for the rest, he could leave it to his subordinates to handle with the other party.

Special effects are of paramount importance in future films, complementing IMAX.

These special effects blockbusters are what will take the mainland box office to another level. Chen Yu's next two major plans are clearly to build a cinema chain and distribution center, plus a special effects team!
The reason why the sequel to "Invisible Spy" has been delayed is because of these issues.

He needs to resolve these issues before he can elevate this highly anticipated global series to a new level.

For now, consider it a chance to gain directing experience! (End of Chapter)