China Entertainment started in 2004

New Year's Day is also a holiday in the United States.

The box office of "La La Land" increased on this day, exceeding 2000 million US dollars.

When this box office data came out, Paramount's board of directors couldn't help but marvel, saying that Wang Shu is worthy of being Wang Shu, and his new brain is really useful.

That’s right, the film review on the Internet about why Wang Shu was able to make "La La Land" went viral, and Paramount’s board of directors specifically discussed this review.

The final conclusion is that perhaps Wang Shuxin’s brain is really useful, so he was able to shoot such an eye-catching musical.

Otherwise, why are there no eye-catching musicals in Hollywood every year?
Musicals are films with a strong formula, so don't Hollywood directors know how to make them?
Not!
Perhaps, it is really due to the rigid thinking!

If you can't find the problem, you can only blame it on this.

…………

After the release of "La La Land", Emily, a senior reporter from Time magazine, had the honor of having an exclusive interview with director Wang Shu.

The interview was arranged in a cafe full of artistic atmosphere in Los Angeles. The sunlight shone through the mottled leaves and onto the wooden tables and chairs.

Wang Shu arrived at the cafe early. He was dressed in a suit and looked respectable, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

Emily arrived on time. She noticed a hint of fatigue in Wang Shu's eyes and subconsciously thought that it was because Wang Shu was busy with work.

As we all know, Wang Shu is a quick shooter in filmmaking. He is either writing scripts or filming movies. Now he even composes the soundtracks for the interludes himself.

Such high-intensity work is bound to be exhausting.

Even though Wang Shu was young, he couldn't bear it.

In fact, she was overthinking.

Since "La La Land" was nominated for the Golden Globe Awards, Wang Shu has been socializing with Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway, Kristen Steward, Jessica Chastain, Alexandra Daddario, Gong Li and others every day and night.

Sometimes I entertained Emma Stone in the morning, Anne Hathaway in the afternoon, Alexandra Daddario in the evening, and Gong Li late at night.

Even though he was young and strong, he couldn't bear it for a long time.

Now, those eyes that were once full of vigor and vitality also showed signs of fatigue.

In fact, Wang Shu didn't want to accept the interview with Time magazine at first, because he was physically and mentally exhausted, and felt that accepting the interview with Time magazine was something better to do than staying at home.

In addition, the movie had just been released, and the interview with Time magazine was also beneficial to the promotion of the film.

Then...

In short, he accepted the interview with Time magazine not because of his physical condition, but because of the box office of the movie La La Land.

Emily smiled and extended her hand: "Hello, Shu, it's a great honor to have this opportunity to interview you. La La Land is really an amazing work."

Wang Shu smiled and extended his hand, responding politely: "Thank you, I am also very happy to share the story of this film with Time magazine."

After the two sat down, Emily opened her notebook and began to ask questions: "Shu, La La Land is an art film that made tens of millions of dollars on the first day and more than twenty million dollars on the second day. Why do you think this movie moved the audience so much?"

Wang Shu pondered for a moment and said, "I think it's probably because it tells a universal story about dreams and love. Everyone has their own dreams and has experienced the beauty and regrets of love. The audience can see their own shadows in the protagonist."

Emily nodded and then asked, "Do you think it's a luxury to stick to your dreams in life?"

Wang Shu smiled and said, "How should I put it? I think music itself is a balance between reality and dreams. When the movie starts and the music starts, you start to immerse yourself in it, and then you enter this magical world. Then when the music ends, you return to reality."

"It's kind of like a curved wave (with highs and lows), which is why I wanted to use music (to make the film), similar to the push and pull between reality and dreams, and also in...you know...like love can feel the dream itself, and how do you balance that with the demands of work, and the sacrifices that come from that. So the whole movie is about how to balance those things."

This answer is somewhat irrelevant to the question.

After all, he has been in the industry for so many years and is already a veteran.

Some questions can be answered seriously, while some require nonsense.

For example, this issue is extremely controversial.

Because people's joys and sorrows are different, some people think that sticking to dreams in life is a luxury, while others do not think so.

As a public figure, you need to know how to talk nonsense when asked controversial questions.

Emily didn't delve into it, but continued to ask, "How was the traffic jam scene at the beginning filmed? Were there any challenges?"

Wang Shu smiled and replied, "Yes, this is really the biggest challenge for the film. But we want to present a more realistic feeling. So we used a lot of special elements to present it, including a green screen recording studio. We wanted to use real highways and real vehicles when shooting. So we found an idle section of the elevated railway in central Los Angeles to shoot, and the city's highways are often closed on weekends. It took us two days to set up the vehicles on the highway, add hundreds of dancers, and then shoot. We knew it would be difficult, but we rehearsed many times to have a wonderful coordination."

Emily glanced at Wang Shu and asked, "What were your considerations when casting? Why did you choose Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone?"

Wang Shu replied calmly: "In fact, when I started to conceive this script, they were all the characters I dreamed of finding. Emma and I have worked together before on this movie. She is a very good actress and takes her work very seriously. I admire her attitude towards work. In addition, she is also suitable for the heroine of "La La Land", so I asked her to audition. Fortunately, whether it is Emma or Ryan, I told them the story and they were very interested. They like this movie very much, and they like the feeling of combining different elements together, and they also like these challenges. So I am very happy to invite the two to participate in this movie. They are both great!"

Although the real situation is not like this, Emma and Ryan are the protagonists of "La La Land", and it is a routine operation for Wang Shu, as the director, to praise the actors of the crew during interviews.

Not to mention him, even when Nolan was interviewed during his collaboration with Anne Hathaway and others, he praised the actors in the crew in various ways. Emily nodded and continued to ask: "The music and dance elements in the film are very wonderful, they are perfectly integrated with the plot. How did you conceive of this part in the early stage of creation?"

Wang Shu smiled and replied, "Music and dance have always been the core elements of my creation of this film. I hope to convey the emotions and inner world of the characters through music, and dance is an external expression of their emotions. From the beginning, I wanted to create a musical style that is both retro and modern, so that the audience will feel as if they are in a dreamy musical world."

"Speaking of retro, there are indeed many tributes to classic musicals in the movie. Can you talk about them in detail?" Emily asked.

Wang Shu replied softly: "Of course, classic musicals like Singin' in the Rain, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Willow and Flower are all my sources of inspiration. I hope to incorporate some of their essence into La La Land, such as the use of color, the language of the camera, the choreography, etc., while adding some modern elements to make it more in line with the aesthetics of contemporary audiences."

"The performances of the two leading actors of the film, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, are also very outstanding. How did you work with them to make them present such wonderful characters?" Emily continued to ask.

Wang Shu smiled and said, "I have already said that they are all excellent actors, with a unique charm and aura."

"Before filming, we rehearsed a lot together so that they could deeply understand the character's personality and emotions. During the filming process, I tried to give them enough space to play, and they naturally had a good chemical reaction and interpreted the characters vividly."

"The ending of the movie sparked a lot of discussion among the audience. Some people found it a bit regrettable, while others thought it was very realistic. Why did you choose such an ending?" Emily looked at Wang Shu, her eyes full of curiosity.

Wang Shu sighed softly: "I think this kind of ending is what real life is like. This movie is not about meeting true love and staying together for life, but about two people completely changing each other because of love. Regardless of whether they are together forever, they meet, fall in love, change each other, and then go their separate ways. But it is precisely because they once loved each other and then separated that they eventually became what they expected to be. This kind of regret and growth, I think, is a very important part of life."

…………

In the evening, Wang Shu had dinner with Gong Li.

In the original timeline, after the release of the movie "I Know Women's Heart" starring Gong Li and Liu Dehua in February this year, she kept a low profile and reduced her production until she collaborated with Zhang Yimou again on the art film "Coming Home" in 2.

Since she couldn't find any opportunities in Hollywood, she didn't stay there for long, but often lived in an apartment in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

To be precise, she lives with her boyfriend Hanken, a photographer who is 13 years younger than her.

While eating, Gong Li said, "Shu, I was planning to invite you to the premiere of I Know Women's Hearts, but now it seems that you don't have time."

Wang Shu smiled when he heard this and said, "If I go, I will steal the limelight from Director Chen Daming. It's better not to go."

"I Know Women's Heart" is adapted from the Hollywood comedy film "100% Man", produced by Bona International Film Group, Paramount Pictures, and China Film Group, and directed by Chen Daming.

Gong Li smiled when she heard this, knowing that this was true, and then asked with a burning gaze: "After filming La La Land, will you make art films next?"

Fan Binbin starred in "La La Land", and in her opinion, she also had the opportunity to star in an art film directed by Wang Shu in Hollywood.

In the original timeline, she no longer lives in Los Angeles permanently, but only comes here for a short stay when she has work to do.

Now, if Wang Shu hadn't been in Los Angeles and given her hope, she would have left this sad place long ago.

"I will shoot it later, but I'm not sure when." Wang Shu knew Gong Li's thoughts and told her the truth. "And...if La La Land can win an award this time, then I might shoot some art films that are mainly aimed at the three major European awards."

If "La La Land" helps him win the Oscar for Best Director this time, then he will have won the Oscar for Best Director three times in a row.

This is unique in the world, and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to break it in decades.

As for the three major European films, he didn't win any major awards except the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Especially the grand prize of the Cannes International Film Festival, which is the world's most artistic film award, he did not win any.

The Academy Awards is a native American award. As the world's largest country, the Academy Awards has the greatest global influence.

The Cannes International Film Festival is open to more than 200 countries around the world, and countries from the first, second, and third world can compete for awards.

Therefore, although its influence is not as great as that of the Academy Awards, its artistic quality is the highest in the world.

As an aspiring director, Wang Shu naturally wants to win a major award at the Cannes International Film Festival.

"Europe's top three?" Gong Li was a little surprised when she heard that. Wang Shuren was developing well in Hollywood. Instead of making films in Hollywood to compete for Oscars, he went to make films to compete for Cannes awards. This is putting the cart before the horse!
Wang Shu smiled and said, "If I can win an award this time, I will have won several Oscars. But the only one of the three major European awards is the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival, so..."

Before Wang Shu could finish his words, Gong Li directly complained: "Are you collecting cards here?!"

"Haha." Wang Shu laughed when he heard that, and said, "You can also call it a card collection."

"To be precise, there are no other major European awards except for the Best Director award at the Venice International Film Festival."

“So I want to give it a try and see if I can win a prize at one of the three major European competitions.”

Although art films made in Hollywood can compete for the three major European awards as well as the Academy Awards, the Academy Awards, like the Huabiao and Golden Rooster Awards in China, have local political correctness.

In other words, few films that win awards at the three major European festivals can win an Oscar.

Except the Venice International Film Festival, to be exact.

The Venice International Film Festival has gradually become a bootlicker of the Oscars. Some films that won awards at the Venice International Film Festival can also win awards at the Academy Awards.

For example, the movie "La La Land" first won a grand prize at the Venice International Film Festival in the original timeline, and then won the Best Director Award and Best Actress Award at the Academy Awards.

But now it is directed by Wang Shu, so he can't catch up. (End of this chapter)