During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 790 Boss Wei Only Likes Big Things and Refuses to Show It!

"Chen Xi, how's the contact with Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation going?"

In the chairman's office of Shanhe Media, Wei Jin personally brewed a cup of tea for Chen Xi, then sat down and asked with a smile.

Since filming wrapped on "Bouquet", Chen Xi has been busy with the pre-production work for "The Wandering Earth".

However, this project is not your average science fiction project; it's very hardcore science fiction, and the involvement of Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is essential.

Not only can it save time and effort, but it can also provide many optimization solutions, playing a crucial role in projects, even adding wings to a tiger.

"I sent over the project materials at the beginning of the month, and I've also discussed your ideas with Engineer Wang's team."

At this point, Chen Xi seemed to recall something funny, and a smile appeared on her pretty face. "Boss, you have no idea, when they saw that it was your project, they were so excited."

Several research teams were vying for the project, and the fuss even reached Director Chen. It was only thanks to Engineer Wang's seniority and our personal recommendation that he managed to secure it, haha.

Chen Xi's words amused Wei Jin. He could imagine how disappointed those research teams that missed out on the projects must have been.

It's no wonder. Although it's a state-owned enterprise, it has a lot of research personnel, and not every team can get research funding.

There are very few people in the industry like Wei Jin who are willing to spend hundreds of millions of yuan to make science fiction movies.

For those research teams, wouldn't they be an excellent partner?
Moreover, not only do they bring in substantial returns each time, but they also participate in supporting the development of domestic science fiction films.

Who would want to miss out on such a great opportunity that brings both fame and fortune?

Unfortunately, Mr. Wei is a sentimental person. He has been dealing with Engineer Wang's team ever since "The Martian," and he is used to it and very satisfied with it.

Putting everything else aside, the "Nuwa" interstellar spaceship designed by Passengers was truly amazing to him!
"Okay, did Engineer Wang provide a specific timeline?"

"Yes, according to Wang's team's estimates, they should be able to come up with the budget and plan for the science fiction aspect within three weeks."

"So, we can get the project approved by the end of the month?"

"Correct."

Chen Xi nodded and then added, "In addition, I have already inspected the Oriental Movie Metropolis as you instructed, and it is very good."

The largest studio is a full 10,000 square meters, enough to build our main sets. As for the rest, suitable locations can be found throughout the park.

Chen Xi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then added, "However, according to the estimates of the special effects team, it will take at least four months to complete the construction of the 100,000-square-meter set."

Hearing this number, Wei Jin was not surprised.

This is not comparable to the original "The Martian," which only had a base of a few thousand square meters. Four months is already considered very efficient.

Wei Jin remembered that in his previous life, when Guo Fan filmed this movie, it seemed that the set construction alone took about a year, mainly because of a lack of money!
Of course, this so-called 100,000-square-meter set is not entirely a real scene, but only a rough architectural design.

But when combined with post-production CG effects, it can be completely indistinguishable from reality.

"So, based on that calculation, it should be around after National Day that it can be turned on?"

"Yes, this time is quite suitable, at least it's not too hot, and the actors don't have to suffer."

Chen Xi's words reminded Wei Jin of the time when they were filming "The Martian," when the actors suffered under the scorching sun and sandstorms.
"Okay, then please keep an eye on the project and find an opportunity to submit the script for review."

"Understood, boss."

Perhaps it was because the script was taken too seriously, or perhaps it was the first time working with the actors, or perhaps it was the first time trying the suspense comedy genre.

The filming of "Detective Chinatown" was slower than Yan Fei and Peng Damo had anticipated, with the wrap-up date delayed by nearly ten days.

This drama has attracted much attention from the industry and the media since its inception, after all, it is written by Wei Jin, directed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo, and has a fairly strong cast.

Sure enough, the film crew had barely landed in Beijing when they were immediately surrounded by reporters who had rushed over to hear the news.

"Director Yan, Director Peng, when is this film expected to be released to audiences?"

Although they are both directors with box office earnings exceeding one billion, Yan Fei and Peng Damo are not reckless people. They smiled and gave an official answer.

"Filming has just finished and post-production has not yet begun, so the specific release date cannot be determined. The company will announce any further information as soon as it becomes available."

Reporters are all shrewd people. Seeing that the director didn't want to say much, they decisively pointed the microphone at Wang Baoqiang, since he was the biggest star.

"Baoqiang, how was your first time working with the two directors?"

"Very good. Director Yan and Director Peng are both very capable directors. They gave me a lot of support and guidance, which helped me achieve a breakthrough and subvert my previous roles."

Wang Baoqiang's emotional intelligence is beyond doubt; his words were impeccable. However, the media, not content with this, continued to press for answers:

"So, Baoqiang, how do you think this movie compares to 'Lost in Thailand'? Can it surpass it at the box office?"

"Although both films are comedies, they focus on completely different themes. If I had to choose, I think this film is more challenging and has a more exciting plot, and I believe it will achieve better results."

"Excuse me, Liu Haoran?"

"Excuse me, Zifeng?"

Next, many actors from the crew gave interviews to the media, and the group didn't leave the airport until about half an hour later.

However, the media in the mobile internet era are incredibly efficient; related reports were published in less than half an hour.

"The suspense comedy film 'Detective Chinatown,' exclusively produced by Shanhe Media, directed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo, and starring Wang Baoqiang, Ni Ni, Liu Haoran, Zhang Zifeng, Xiao Yang, and others, has wrapped up filming, and the crew returned to Beijing today."

Lead actor Wang Baoqiang stated frankly that the film is excellent and its box office performance is expected to surpass that of "Lost in Thailand".

When filming wraps up, a wrap party is naturally an essential part of the event.

Including Ni Ni, who finished filming ahead of schedule, all the mainland actors and behind-the-scenes staff of the crew were present, filling an entire five-room bun.

When filming started, Wei Jin was unable to attend the wrap party because he was filming another project. Now that it's the wrap party, he has to come and join in.

Wei Jin was familiar with most of the actors in this play, so the atmosphere at the banquet was quite good, and everyone frequently raised their glasses.

Bao Qiang and Xiao Yang were both very open-minded, because they had been chosen by Wei Jin, and they downed three cups of wine in a row.

He also stated that he would never refuse a role in the future, even if it meant paying a penalty for breach of contract.

As a newcomer, Liu Haoran, though still quite inexperienced, knew who deserved the most credit for his role in the show.

When toasting with Wei Jin, the young man was unusually respectful, even somewhat cautious.

And the way he addressed him was quite unique; he called him Teacher Wei. Hmm, if there weren't so many people around, he probably would have called him Master-in-law!
Zhang's mother, along with Zhang Zifeng, also came over to toast Wei Jin, thanking him for his care.

Yan Fei and Peng Damo even specifically praised, "President Wei, Zifeng's acting is truly excellent. The last shot, the [Kubrick gaze], was done in one take, it gave us goosebumps!"

"Yes, Zifeng's acting skills are really great. Keep up the good work."

As Wei Jin spoke, he patted the little girl's head, making 14-year-old Zhang Zifeng's face turn bright red.

On the other hand, Zhang's mother seized the opportunity and tentatively asked, seemingly jokingly, "Does Mr. Wei think Zifeng has a chance to sign with Starry Sky Culture?"

“Ms. Zhang, I remember Zifeng’s contract is with Huayi, right? Wasn’t it them who came here to sign the contract before?” Wei Jin asked Yan Fei the second half of the question, and the latter immediately nodded, “Yes, it’s Huayi.”

"Mr. Wei, you may not know this, but our contract with Huayi expires this month, and we've already agreed not to renew it."

When the topic came up, Ms. Zhang felt a little regretful. She had been tricked into signing a contract by Huayi Brothers because of the huge success of "The Great Earthquake".

However, in recent years, Huayi has not provided any resources to its daughter, wasting her time.

If it weren't for the good relationship with Shanhe Media and her daughter's solid acting skills, which allowed her to land roles in "The Big Shot" and "Detective Chinatown," she might have faded into obscurity.

"Is that so?"

Wei Jin tapped his fingers on the table, seemingly lost in thought. Zhang's mother and Zhang Zifeng dared not breathe, but their eyes were full of expectation.

Liu Haoran, who was standing next to him, was the same.

Unfortunately, after a moment, Wei Jin smiled and shook his head, "Ms. Zhang, let's forget about signing the contract. I won't forget Zifeng if there's a suitable opportunity in the future."

The light in Zhang Zifeng's big eyes dimmed instantly, while her mother forced a smile and said, "That's such a pity, but thank you still, Mr. Wei. Best regards."

"Ah."

"Boss, why don't you sign Zifeng?"

Inside the golden house, Ni Ni enjoyed Wei Jin's tenderness, a hint of curiosity appearing on her rosy face.

She got along well with Zhang Zifeng on set, and honestly, she still hopes that the young girl can join Starry Sky Culture.

At least, it's easier and safer to succeed in the entertainment industry.

"Training child stars is too difficult; companies can hardly provide them with enough resources. Besides, they're too young; if they sign with a company, who knows what kind of gossip or rumors will arise?"

Wei Jin's words are true. When Nazar signed the contract at the age of 16, there was a lot of noise from the outside world, such as "child bride" and "sexual assault on minors".

If he were to actually sign Zhang Zifeng, who is under 14 years old, who knows how the outside world would slander him, Boss Wei.

Moreover, child stars don't earn much, so there's absolutely no need to go to great lengths to recruit them; maintaining a good working relationship is sufficient.

However, these reasons clearly failed to convince Ni Ni. With a mocking smile on her face, she said, "In the end, it's just that you're not interested in young girls, isn't it?"

"That's right, I still prefer older sisters, like you."

As he spoke, Wei Jin lowered his head.

"Hmm~"

As Wei Jin's large hand continued to roam, Ni Ni couldn't hold back for long. She pushed him away and smiled charmingly.

Wei Jin was absolutely certain that Ni Ni was truly poisonous.

Sure enough, after a night of passion, he hadn't even settled into his office when he encountered a troublesome situation.

"You mean 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain'?"

"Yes, Chen Hong organized a screening for theatrical releases to discuss screening rates with us, but..."

As Wei Jin listened to Zhao Feng's account over the phone, his brows furrowed involuntarily.

Wei Jin wasn't surprised that Chen Hong organized a screening for theatrical releases.

The incident involving Wang Xiaoshuai's film "The Intruder" has already served as a wake-up call for many directors in the industry.

The film market is booming, with countless movies released every month. Theaters have become increasingly powerful, and big directors can no longer simply take a large number of screenings for granted.

Especially during the fiercely competitive summer movie season, it's only natural that Chen Shiren would want to make a comeback with "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" and negotiate screening schedules with theaters!
Wei Jin never expected that, after such a big fuss last year, the poet Chen would still dare to openly defy the rules.

In the movie "Monk Comes Down the Mountain", there was an uncut scene that lasted 20 minutes!

More importantly, it actually got approved.

Wei Jin could imagine that when the movie was released, Lao Tong's face would be slapped so hard he'd be bruised!
"Mr. Wei, what do you think of this matter?"

Zhao Feng appeared extremely troubled. If it were an ordinary director, he would have simply refused to release the film, since he had already publicly stated his position.

But given that it involved a well-known director in the industry, his elder brother's connections, and the fact that the film had already passed censorship, he really didn't dare to make decisions on his own.

Wei Jin certainly understood Zhao Feng's concerns, but a man's word is his bond, and he couldn't go back on his word, so he spoke frankly.

"Old Zhao, just follow the announcement we issued and refuse to screen 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain'!"

"Yes, Mr. Wei!"

Just half an hour later, Shi Nansheng also called, still about the same thing, and Wei Jin gave the same instructions.

As expected, Chen Hong visited the company in the afternoon.

Out of consideration for their past relationship at the Tokyo Film Festival, Wei Jin, despite feeling uncomfortable, still warmly received her.

Perhaps due to overwork, or perhaps due to lack of nourishment, Wei Jin always felt that Chen Hong had aged very quickly in the past few years.

Once the most beautiful woman in mainland China, her charm has faded.

Although Chen Hong was anxious, he still wore a smile and tried to appeal to Wei Jin's emotions.

They first talked about their chance encounter in Berlin, then mentioned their connection to the Tokyo International Film Festival, and finally subtly expressed the difficulties faced by the film production industry today.

The implication is that the production cost of "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" exceeded 2 million yuan, and the entire filming period lasted more than half a year. It was the result of the hard work of hundreds of people in the crew.

No one should be treated unfairly because of any one person.

"Therefore, we would be very grateful if Mr. Wei could be lenient and pretend we know nothing about this. Mr. Chen and I would definitely give our full support to next year's Golden Film Award."

Wei Jin listened patiently to Chen Hong's long speech and numerous promises, then shook his head regretfully.

"Producer Chen, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but this Weibo post is still online. I really can't go back on my word. I'm sorry."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hong became anxious, "President Wei, are you really not going to show any mercy at all? Wanda has already..."

"Producer Chen, I can't control what others do. At most, I'll remain silent on this matter. As for the rest, there's nothing I can do."

After speaking, Wei Jin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his intention to see the guest out was quite clear.

Seeing this, Chen Hong didn't say anything more, got up, and took his leave.

Watching Chen Hong's departing figure, Wei Jin shook his head, thinking that the poet Chen was still too confident.

Is it really impossible to delete a 20-minute scene? Even if the scene is really important and difficult to cut, can't you just replace the head?
The lead actor for "Monster Hunt" could be replaced, but not for "Monk Comes Down the Mountain"?

To put it bluntly, it's because he's been praised and lauded all these years that the poet Chen has lost all sense of awe!
Consider this an experience as a lesson learned.
(End of this chapter)