China Entertainment started in 2004

Chapter 569

At the banquet, Wang Shu, Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen, Sun Li, Ning Jing, Jiang Wenli, Chen Hao and others sat at the same table.

At this moment, he also discovered that the seating arrangements were particular.

The artists from Huayi sat together, led by Wang Zhongjun and Feng Xiaogang, the artists from Orange Sky sat together, the artists from Formosa sat at a table with the artists from Formosa, the artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan sat at a table with the artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan, the old seniors sat at a table with the old seniors, the participating crews sat at a table with the participating crews, and the people within the system sat at a table with the people within the system.

This is generally the case, with some exceptions.

After all, it is impossible for artists from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong to sit around just a few tables, so there will always be some extra people.

Wang Shu’s table is also very particular.

The organizer did not arrange for him to sit at the same table with Chen Kaige or Feng Xiaogang, but Zhang Yimou sat with them.

And the people sitting at the table were all familiar with him.

In such occasions, seniority is very important.

Wang Shu is a new generation director. According to his qualifications and seniority, it is difficult for him to sit together with the senior bosses.

But in terms of ability, he is also an Oscar-winning director.

So...it's difficult to arrange.

If I were to sit together with the bigwigs in the system, I would have to consider the emotions of my seniors in the circle as well as people like Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang.

After all, in terms of seniority and seniority, they are more qualified, but their seats are not with the bigwigs in the system.

If Wang Shu, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang and others were arranged to sit together, I'm afraid none of them would be comfortable.

Not to mention that Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang were sitting together with the crew of their participating films.

If Wang Shu were arranged to sit together with some actors, it would be a loss of face for the Oscar-winning director.

After much deliberation, the organizers thought that Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen and Wang Shu had a good relationship, so they arranged for Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen and Wang Shu to sit at the same table.

It is undeniable that actors who have a good relationship with Wang Shu, such as Zhou Xun and Li Binbin, were also there.

It’s just that they all sit together with the crew.

For example, in the crew of "Painted Skin", Zhao Yanzi, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Chen Jiashang and others sat at the same table.

According to this timeline, since Sun Li has developed well and did not take on the role of the third female lead in "Painted Skin", she is not included in this list.

For example, in "The Forbidden Kingdom", Jet Li, Li Binbin and others sat at the same table.

Logically speaking, there should be more men at Wang Shu's table, so it would be convenient for them to drink.

The organizers may have made such arrangements because they took into consideration that Wang Shu doesn't like drinking much.

Moreover, it was just right to arrange for a few people who were familiar with him and who were not in a "group" to sit at the same table.

All are happy.

Although Jiang Wen loves to drink, he can accept it.

Because this kind of banquet is all about the occasion.

The actors, directors and filmmakers who come here are all just pretending and they won't really eat and drink to their heart's content.

It was not until the end of the banquet, when the second round of drinking and chatting took place in private, that people started to drink and chat freely.

Zhang Yimou and Jiang Wen already knew each other, and with the addition of Wang Shu, no one would feel awkward.

As they ate and chatted, Jiang Wen couldn't help but ask, "How's your co-production going?"

"It's OK. Everything went well." Wang Shu saw everyone at the table looking at him and answered calmly.

"I heard that it was shot in a studio with a green screen?" Zhang Yimou asked.

"Yes." Wang Shu responded.

Both of them are directors, so the green screen shooting is naturally clear, but both Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou use real scenes to shoot movies.

Jiang Wen curiously asked, "What about the post-production special effects? Is it done in China or abroad?"

At this stage, domestic film special effects technology is far inferior to that of Hollywood. Making it in China is equivalent to a terrible movie.

If it is made abroad, it may also be a bad movie. The key lies in which special effects company you find.

"Overseas." Wang Shu saw that Zhang Yimou and Jiang Wen were both curious about this matter, and then he said, "We found Industrial Light and Magic. This company is very famous in Hollywood. They made the Star Wars series."

Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou looked at each other, both somewhat surprised.

If they had approached Industrial Light & Magic, the company that produced the "Star Wars" series, then "Pacific Rim" could really have been made into a blockbuster special effects movie with stunning visuals.

Wang Shu noticed the changes in the two people's expressions and knew that Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou might not know much about Industrial Light & Magic, but if Star Wars was mentioned, there was no way they didn't know about it.

After all, the "Star Wars" series is a world-famous science fiction blockbuster.

With this reputation, the two naturally knew that the special effects company he found was not bad.

"Pacific Rim" may be a Hollywood-style special effects blockbuster like "Avatar", Marvel superhero movies, and "2012".

Jiang Wen couldn't help but say, "It should cost a lot of money, right?"

Wang Shu smiled and said, "Warner and Fox have cooperated with Industrial Light & Magic before, and they seem to be interested in cooperating with me, so the price is lower than the normal price."

He didn't mention the specific price because the United States uses US dollars, and Industrial Light & Magic charges according to Hollywood prices. When converted into RMB, it definitely seems a bit expensive.

If we only talk about the normal price in Hollywood, it is normally low, not high.

After hearing this, Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou looked at each other again.

As the saying goes, comparison will only make you miserable. They are not Oscar-winning directors. If their films were to be sent to big Hollywood companies to do special effects, they would be ripped off by a huge price. The price is far beyond the budget and is basically impossible to implement.

Even a director like Jiang Wen, who doesn't treat investors' money as money, knows that if he wants to make a movie like this, he will most likely not be able to find investors.

Only Wang Shu has such strength.

Sun Li, Ning Jing, Chen Hao and others who were sitting nearby were also deeply shocked when they heard this.

Because, ever since the news came out that Wang Shu was going to plan to shoot the first monster blockbuster in China, there have been voices mocking that it would be a bad movie with poor special effects.

Everyone knows that the point of monster movies is the fancy special effects. Without them, it's just a bunch of shit under the guise of mutton.

Especially in recent years, special effects films such as "Avatar", "2012", and Marvel superhero movies have been released in China.

Compared with these movies, many people are not optimistic about "Pacific Rim".

Now, hearing Wang Shu say in person that the special effects of "Pacific Rim" would be produced by Industrial Light & Magic, the company that produced the "Star Wars" series, everyone at the table realized that this movie might very well be a special effects blockbuster that would mark a new era in China.

It is undeniable that domestic theaters have already released special effects blockbusters such as "Avatar", but those are Hollywood movies.

There has not yet been any genuine special effects blockbuster in the Chinese-language film industry.

The special effects in "The Forbidden Kingdom" are also average, so they don't count.

Now, Pacific Rim may be the first one. As directors, it is impossible not to envy Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou.

But I can only envy you in my heart.

The two of them did not envy Wang Shu for making commercial films, because both Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou looked down on commercial films in their hearts.

What they envy is that Wang Shu might be able to make the first epoch-making monster special effects blockbuster in the history of Chinese-language films.

It can be said that if Zhang Yimou did not have this pursuit, he would not have taken on the task of making such a bad movie as "The Great Wall".

Jiang Wenli couldn't help but interrupt and asked, "Director Wang, after this co-production is over, will you develop in China or go to Hollywood?"

Sun Li, Ning Jing, and even Chen Hao all stopped eating when they heard this.

For an actor, this is very important.

Because if Wang Shu was in China, they would have the opportunity to star in Wang Shu's movies and take their careers to the next level.

But if Wang Shu went to Hollywood, he would not have this opportunity.

Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou were also quite curious and looked at Wang Shu.

Wang Shu saw that everyone was looking at him, and then he said half-truthfully: "Paramount contacted me before. If all goes well, I might cooperate with Paramount."

When Jiang Wenli, Ning Jing and others heard this, they were shocked again and couldn't help but think that it was really amazing.

As actors who have been in the entertainment industry for many years, they all know that Paramount is one of the eight major film and television companies in Hollywood.

All the directors who have the chance to collaborate with him are well-known and famous directors.

Not to mention, it was Paramount who took the initiative to contact Wang Shu.

It also shows the quality of Oscar-winning directors.

Looking at the domestic situation, whether it is Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang and others, no one has heard that Paramount has contacted them actively.

Only Wang Shu has this kind of face.

"Maybe?" Ning Jing asked in confusion.

Seeing that everyone at the table was still curious, Wang Shu had to explain, "I made a request, saying that the script needs to be created according to my ideas, and Paramount said that they need to discuss it before giving us a reply."

Jiang Wen opened his mouth and said, "Large Hollywood film and television companies usually don't give directors the right to modify the script, right?"

Zhang Yimou also understood this. He and Jiang Wen both knew that even some world-famous directors did not have the right to modify the script when directing films for the eight major Hollywood film companies. The entire filming process could only follow the existing script.

Because the projects of the eight major Hollywood film companies belong to the standard assembly line model, every link must be operated in accordance with the rules of the assembly line, and free play is strictly prohibited.

Usually, the director has no creative space at all and is just a workstation in an assembly line mode.

Ning Jing, Jiang Wenli and others also knew this and were equally surprised.

Everyone present knows that ordinary directors have no choice when faced with the eight major Hollywood film studios.

Either agree to become a worker on the assembly line or refuse.

Only some top directors are qualified to negotiate such conditions.

Wang Shu actually proposed the condition that the script must be created according to his ideas?

Isn't this the director's right to modify the script?

It is undeniable that such things are common in China.

But in Hollywood, this is a big deal!
If you are not a top director, you have no qualifications to propose such conditions.

Now, not only did Wang Shu bring it up, but Paramount not only didn’t show any disapproval, but also expressed its consideration?

this.
For a moment, whether it was Jiang Wen or Ning Jing and others, they all looked at Wang Shu deeply.

In the past, people only thought that Wang Shu won an Oscar in Hollywood. Even though there were many voices questioning whether he deserved the award, people still thought that Wang Shu was doing well in Hollywood.

Now it seems that he is more than just good, he is definitely the new upstart in Hollywood!

Ning Jing and others are all veteran actors in the entertainment industry, and none of them are fools.

If Wang Shu is so influential in Hollywood, it means that Wang Shu is more capable of helping people step onto the international stage and enter Hollywood.

hiss~
Thinking of this, everyone's eyes fell on Wang Shu again.

What is domestic entertainment?
There is a ceiling for domestic entertainment, and above the ceiling is Hollywood.

As long as they can make it into Hollywood, these people in the domestic entertainment industry are not worth mentioning.

Of course, to get into Hollywood means to make a name for yourself in Hollywood.

Otherwise, there is no explanation.

Everyone at the table had different thoughts; they were eating, drinking and chatting.

At the same time, some media also reported and commented on the 13th Huabiao Awards Ceremony.

Some media commented: From the list of winners of this year's Huabiao Awards, we can see the gratifying phenomenon of recognition of commercial films with box office appeal, expressing the guiding significance of the macro-performance of film creation of "promoting the main theme and advocating diversity."

Chen Kaige, who won the Best Director Award together with Feng Xiaogang for his film "Mei Lanfang", also deserved the award.

However, a regrettable phenomenon can be seen from the award-winning films. Many of the nominated and award-winning mainstream films are still far from being known by the audience. Many audiences have not even heard of the titles of these films, let alone appreciated them.

This reflects at least two problems: one is insufficient publicity, and the other is lack of market appeal.

Many films miss out on being seen by the audience, and this is a phenomenon that deserves attention.

Another media outlet made this sharp comment: There were 20 nominations for the "Outstanding Feature Film" award at this year's Huabiao Awards, and 10 won the award. Putting aside the number, just look at how many of these winning films were shown in theaters and wowed the audience. There were probably only two blockbusters of the year, "Assembly" and "Mei Lanfang". The rest of the films were only released on a "small scale", and some have not yet been shown to the audience.

Many "excellent feature films" cannot escape the fate of being shelved.

The generous prize money is just a drop in the bucket compared to the shooting costs of several million yuan - since it is to recognize the best domestic film works in the previous year, it should still strive to meet the dual standards of artistic quality and market reputation. Otherwise, it will be difficult for Chinese films to break out of the vicious circle of "only for awards and not for audiences."

Although there were sharp comments from the media, they were relatively restrained and there was not much tension.

You know, at the beginning of the year, Chen Kaige returned empty-handed from the Berlin International Film Festival. The same movie "Mei Lanfang" was ridiculed by the media, and even Zhang Yimou was humiliated.

At this moment, Chen Kaige has become a well-deserved one.
He was also polite when talking about some movies that the audience had never even heard of being nominated.

This is the Huabiao Awards, which has too strong a political atmosphere and lacks the artistry that a film should have.

When an award is not judged based on artistic quality, the award will inevitably lose the authority of artistic quality.

Therefore, even though it is a government award, it has always been called a water award.

Therefore, the leader of the three major film awards in mainland China in evaluating film art is actually the Golden Rooster Award, which is comparable to the Golden Horse Awards.

However, the Golden Rooster Award is something that can’t even be won if given a chance.

(End of this chapter)