Rebirth 07: Start adding points from elementary school students

Chapter 523 Examiner Li Yan
"The Great Buddha", a one-hour low-budget film, was released in 2013. With its amazing narrative level, camera scheduling, core depth and lingering final scene, it won the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Film in the Main Competition Unit at the top foreign Red Island Film Festival.

Director Bi Tianming, a graduate student who just graduated from China Media University one year ago, became the youngest winner in history and also won many "Best Young Director" awards.

As the popularity of "The Great Buddha" continues to rise, audiences have come to appreciate the film's exquisiteness, helping it win the country's two top film awards, the Golden Bear Award and the Qing Ding Award for Best Picture.

Bi Tianming and the entire film production team became famous because of this - except for the actors, as most people analyzed, the actors' performances were the weakest link in the film. Although Director Bi had eliminated the negative impact of the acting through the extremely high level of camera scheduling and narrative rhythm, there was one evaluation that was highly recognized:

"The performances of the actors hold this film back from becoming a great film."

At the same time, it also gave rise to another highly recognized point of view:
"Bi Tianming is a god."

When the outside world learned that the screenwriter was actually Bi Tianming, they were even more fond of this top film genius.

Even the crazy fans who said "If God doesn't give birth to me, the Chinese film industry will be in darkness forever" have set up an organization.

However, this seemingly gentle Director Bi is actually a proud and arrogant person.

He rejected almost all media interviews, did not attend any commercial events, and even rejected the olive branches from big producers that most young directors dreamed of.

A young director with extraordinary talent and a bright future suddenly fell into dormancy, along with his team.

This matter is so inexplicable no matter how you look at it.

As a result, various rumors that "The Big Buddha" was not the work of Bi Tianming became popular, but they disappeared after two or three months.

If there really was someone else in charge, when would they come out if not now?
The core of "The Great Buddha" is very profound, revealing a deep understanding of Buddhism, religious beliefs, and even history and human sociology.

From the few interviews that Bi Tianming had when he just received the award, we can see that he does have enough substance and very unique views.

It can't be faked.

So everyone has to accept Director Bi’s extremely pretentious quote, “I just want to make a film worth making, and I don’t want any external forces to influence me.”

The staying power of "The Great Buddha" has become stronger as Director Bi has been dormant. For a one-hour movie, someone has released a six-hour interpretation video...

All kinds of interpretations are logically consistent, and different people can gain different insights from them. Those with strong professional knowledge can see new knowledge, and those who know nothing can see the truth of life. It is so-called starting from the shallow and ending in the deep, and going deep and then coming out from the shallow again, which is wonderful.

Just like the final scene of the film, the professional Buddha statue restorer hired by the village at great expense, when he used a hammer to knock off the cement on the Buddha's head, he broke the face of the Buddha's head, and then said to the dumbfounded villagers:

"People have thousands of faces, but Buddha has no face, so there is no fear."

I don't know how many times this statement has been quoted and edited in the various videos that Youkan has watched.

Bi Tianming was thus officially "deified", and even the film industry was a little in awe of him, but couldn't be pulled into the circle. Who knows when this genius will come up with another movie to try his hand at a dimensionality reduction attack?
So when all the big names in the film and television and entertainment circles were fully prepared to be examined by Li Yan, they were blinded by Bi Tianmingliang who was also waiting in the "examination waiting hall".

It was mid-March of 14. Li Yan had completed the preliminary script at the end of February, giving the invited team two weeks to prepare.

The script is not a complete version. It roughly tells a story about "how humans record information". The Jiaolong phone appears as a way to express information recording in the new era, and eventually becomes an exhibit in the history exhibition hall of the future era.

The core is to emphasize the passage of time, human progress and changes in cognition.

The story doesn't focus too much on narrative, but rather on perspective switching and an atmosphere.

Although the Jiaolong phone only has two lenses, it is considered the "eye of the formation". The core of the promotional video is undoubtedly demonstrated in the switching between the two identities of the Jiaolong phone as a "leader" in the present and a "commemorative" in the future.

Obviously, Li Yan doesn’t want everyone to know the other filling contents for the time being.

"Are you all waiting in the lobby?" Li Yan asked, looking at the schedule in her hand.

They were at the FutureTech conference center.

Sun Miao nodded, "Yes, Mr. Li, you can start when you are ready. Choose a director first."

It's interesting to say, he thought that the method of "selecting assistant directors" would offend some big directors who thought they were in a superior position, but it turned out that all the invited people came.

They were all very polite. When Li Yan chatted with them in the hall, they all had smiles on their faces and behaved respectfully. The whole hall was filled with a tense atmosphere.

In fact, it is easy to understand that the suppression power of capital on this circle is extremely terrifying, and in their eyes, Li Yan is the top capital.

This was an olive branch that Li Yan took the initiative to extend. If you accept it or miss it, your fate may be rewritten.

Many of the investors behind these people are thinking of establishing a connection with Li Yan. They have come here with a warrant.

One can imagine the pressure.

"The organization you organized is like an examination room, with a bunch of people waiting outside, and everyone is so nervous." Li Yan said with a smile.

Jiang Hongying thought that these words were directed at her, and she also became nervous.

Li Yan saw it all and sighed helplessly inwardly, fearing that she wouldn't be able to even make jokes in the future.

The assessment of the director is actually quite simple. The script is there, and Li Yan simply asks how he plans to shoot a certain scene and that's it.

It is a thorough examination of business capabilities.

It’s really not difficult. It doesn’t mean that a mature director will necessarily perform well on this issue.

Instead, Li Yan gave them two weeks, which was enough time for them and their team to figure out how to interpret every word of the script.

If they can't even express what they have thought of, then this team should be thrown into the trash.

At first, Sun Miao was confused about the difference between this and an open-book exam. Li Yan explained:
He just wants an "assistant", which actually tests the director's ability to understand Li Yan's creative intentions and optimize the airwaves.

It doesn't matter if you prepare in advance. If you can demonstrate the strength of the team, Li Yan can also be given priority.

After all, there is only one goal - to make a good film.

What is shocking is that the director, who has a mature enough team and enough filming experience, is not sure whether he is unable to answer simple questions or is used to a different way of expression, but what he said made even Sun Miao frown.

And everyone was so nervous that they couldn't speak clearly.

After crossing out another elder brother, Li Yan couldn't help but look at Sun Miao and then at Jiang Hongying and asked:
"Am I that scary?"

On the contrary, some young directors performed quite well. They were not stage-frightened and dared to express themselves. Although their scheduling abilities were still immature, Li Yan did not need their industrialized abilities that much.

The least nervous person here is Bi Tianming, and Sun Miao pays special attention to him.

Bi Tianming wears black-framed glasses, has an ordinary appearance and is very gentle, but he speaks with great aura.

Judging from his performance, he is indeed a man of deep thoughts, who can easily feel some grand emotions while remaining delicate. In a story about time, this is a rare quality.

He eventually became the selected assistant director. There was also a great director named Qin Hao who had 30 years of directing experience. He was not ranked in the top tier in China in terms of performance, but he had some experience in shooting promotional videos and special effects films. The reason for his selection was that his aura matched his and he was professional enough. Li Yan could trust him to be responsible for the professional work of filming the film.

Two assistant directors sat on the side and participated in the subsequent selection work.

Qin Hao actually has the arrogance that is unique to technical people, but his realistic judgment dominates.

The boss who supported him to make a special effects blockbuster wanted to invite Li Yan to dinner, using the investment of a special effects blockbuster as a bargaining chip to let him compete for the position of assistant director of future technology promotional videos.

But he suddenly realized that this way, wouldn’t he be closer to Li Yan?

If it's well-made, Li Yan's investment wouldn't just be one or two special effects blockbusters, right?

At least at the beginning, he really didn't care much about Li Yan's "professionalism", thinking that Li Yan was just playing around as a director and screenwriter. Although the script seemed to have some substance, who knew which expert had helped him?

But he didn't expect that the questions Li Yan gave to the technical team would be so professional and even provide guidance that hit the nail on the head.

This is not a bidding site for the client at all, it's just the final exam of the School of Communication!

Qin Hao felt that he should understand why the genius Bi Tianming respected Li Yan so much.

"It's the actors' turn. Director Qin, Director Bi, you guys should take a look too."

But they were not asked to give their opinions, because Li Yan did not let them participate in the selection, but just let them see "what kind of person I want" in advance. It was considered as pre-director training.

At this moment in the hall, a popular young actor who was surrounded by people was resting with his eyes closed. His face was indeed delicate, but his figure was a little too thin. He was very popular and his pay was very high.

The agent was patting his thigh and repeating, "Don't be nervous. You are the leader of the younger generation. You are a professional. Just make good use of your expertise. Do you understand?"

"clear."

"You must pay attention to this. If you get this order, you will have a smooth road ahead. Come on, Zhou Ning, you are the best!"

"What if I can't get it down?" Zhou Ning twisted his neck.

"There's no reason why we can't win," the agent looked very excited. "You can't be afraid before the battle. Your image is so good, it's a natural plus."

"Mr. Zhou Ning, please come this way." The staff came over to remind him.

"Come on! Zhou Ning! Don't be stressed!" the agent was still shouting from behind, and several veteran artists exchanged speechless glances.

Zhou Ning just turned around handsomely and said, "Don't worry, it's OK."

As a result, as soon as I walked into the conference room and saw Li Yan, who was more handsome and manly than me, my pressure suddenly surged.

Damn, is he this handsome in real life? My greatest asset has to hide in front of him, what should I do?
"Zhou Ning?"

"Correct."

Just a glance from Li Yan made Zhou Ning so nervous that his palms were sweating and his fingers were cold.

"The image is OK. Come on, give me a look that looks to the future."

Looking...towards the future?

Zhou Ning was stunned.

Li Yan frowned when he was stunned.

Zhou Ning panicked when he frowned.

The popular young actor seized the last few seconds to show his ability and tried his best to give Li Yan a...dry glare.

"Is the performance over?"

"The performance... the performance is over."

"Very hard." Li Yan said without further comment.

Then Zhou Ning was politely asked to leave.

The agent had just finished saying "Come on!", how come his little master was sent out already?

"Oh baby, what's going on?"

"...seems not very satisfied."

"Why, have you given the result?"

"Mr. Li frowned, but he said my image was okay."

"Well, let's go home then." The agent suddenly became much colder. Zhou Ning found it a bit strange, but he didn't think about it too much and left under the gaze of everyone.

Before leaving, they signed autographs for the staff on site, and the girls jumped for joy.

"Alas," Li Yan sighed in the conference room, "Although I don't really like the acting of those old actors, they're a bit greasy and don't quite match the temperament of the film I want. But this young generation is really not very capable, do we have to change the script?"

"In fact, it might be better to be unknown," Bi Tianming said, "Many of the younger generation became famous by relying on their looks to attract traffic. Mr. Li, your Youkan platform has made many people famous, so you should understand it better than me."

"I also think that many people are burdened with too much pressure and are under too much pressure, so they seem to be having trouble performing."

Li Yan shrugged. "Are you nervous in front of me now? Then how am I going to direct them later?"

As soon as he finished speaking, another young actor walked in.

The brisk steps were enough to brighten the eyes of everyone present.

The visitor is Su Yutang, a talented young female star who has emerged in the past two years. She was a child star, but was not very popular during her child star period. Instead, she became famous after she became an adult because of her "talking eyes" and outstanding acting skills.

The word most frequently used to describe her is "smart", but her appearance is quite distinctive. She is pretty, but not a great beauty in the universal sense. She is just able to deliver close-ups that are at the level of famous scenes at times.

She is twenty-one years old this year, but she doesn’t look like a little girl. Precocity and agility appear in the same person, giving her a very unique temperament.

"Su Yutang?"

"Yes!" The voice was so clear and loud that it startled Bi Tianming.

"Give me a look into the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yutang's eyes were already absorbed in the play and he met Li Yan's gaze directly.

A pair of big eyes are full of power, very bright and full of strong vitality.

Curiosity, expectation, desire and even obsession.

In just three seconds, she expressed emotions that perfectly matched Li Yan's needs.

With Li Yan's observation skills, her subtle changes in expression are clear, so he can judge that these emotions are not over-interpretation, but are indeed Su Yutang's "performance".

"Keep it." Li Yan ticked the list.

Su Yutang immediately smiled into crescents and bowed cheerfully to Li Yan, "Thank you, Mr. Li! Happy cooperation!"

The two assistant directors were very sensible and did not raise any opinions, but the unprofessional Sun Miao could not help but ask:

"Mr. Li, is this face not enough?"

It's no wonder he asked such a question. Sun Miao, who couldn't see any acting skills, only saw Li Yan decisively reject several beauties who were so beautiful that he couldn't bear to look directly at them, so he didn't quite understand.

"Who said it's not enough? It depends on how you take the photo." Li Yan took out her cell phone and pressed the shutter button at Su Yutang who was looking at Sun Miao. "How about this?"

Sun Miao was stunned. The look Su Yutang gave him in the camera was filled with resentment that overflowed the screen.

With just one casual shot, Li Yan avoided the shortcoming of Su Yutang's lack of three-dimensionality in her face, but completely magnified the advantages of her facial features. Sun Miao looked at the photo and then at the real Su Yutang, and was amazed at how "the photo looks much better."

The two directors were even more surprised. This is fucking talent. Just a casual shot can produce such an effect. Is Li Yan really a monster?

Su Yutang came over casually and insisted on taking a look.

She had never seen herself look so beautiful.

This one glance made her understand what it meant to have experienced the vicissitudes of life.

"You're a good actor." Bi Tianming praised Su Yutang from the bottom of his heart, "Can I ask what you were thinking when you made that look?"

"Li Yan." Su Yutang looked at Li Yan, his eyes exactly the same as when he was "looking towards the future" just now.

Curiosity, expectation, desire and even obsession.

However, she did not get Li Yan's WeChat account, not even her work account.

(End of this chapter)