Huayu: The director just wants to save money

Chapter 886 This competition is quite fierce.
After hearing Zhou Mo's words of comfort, Da Tiantian felt much more at ease.

At least, I don't feel like I was completely unable to fight Lara anymore.

"Are there any other advantages? Please tell me about them."

“Hmm…persona design should also be a point,” Zhou Mo said, mentioning another situation.

"How to say?"

What was your role in Parasite?

"From lower-class families, they yearn for the upper class, desperately wanting to climb up, both selfish and rational."

"So what is Laura's role in 'The Story of Marriage'?"

"The lawyer in charge of the couple's divorce case."

"What about the character setting?"

"Being clear-headed and rational puts a lot of pressure on couples on the verge of divorce, and they often say some very insightful things that reflect the true nature of the relationship," Da Tiantian replied.

She frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled: "You think this character isn't good enough?"

"It's not that it's not good enough, but that there have been too many similar roles in Emily's films and television dramas over the years, to the point that viewers are experiencing visual fatigue."

"Your character is actually quite rare in Emily's world. A high-achieving student from East Asia, failing exams, from a poor family, successfully deceiving the employer's family, and even manipulating them in return, you naturally have an advantage over Laura, the elite lawyer..."

Da Tiantian noticed that Zhou Mo's voice became slightly louder when he mentioned the words "East Asia," "King of Exams," and "exam failure."

"Are these factors also considered a buff?"

"Yes."

Zhou Mo nodded, then asked another question: "If you win the prize through the buff, will you feel that you are unworthy of it?"

Da Tiantian shook her head decisively.

"No, not at all. After seeing how you've been trying to win awards for the past few years, I've come to understand that the creation of this 'buff monster' selection mechanism has nothing to do with me."

Besides, I wasn't the first work or team to start using the mutual buff system.

Nowadays, most works rely on "buffs" (improvements or advantages); without some kind of "buff," they're almost embarrassed to be nominated.

So if we win, it just proves we won this competition, and I certainly won't feel embarrassed.

"That's a good idea, stay calm!"

after one day.

Zhou Mo met Zhang Yimou and his entourage at the hotel.

Apart from Zhang Yimou, everyone else looked tense to varying degrees.

Seeing this, Zhou Mo made a joke.

"Everyone, relax. It's just the Oscars. If you're so nervous going on stage, people will think it's your first time here. Don't embarrass yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Mo realized something was wrong.

Besides Peng Yu, the newcomer, there are two other people in the team: Chen Daoming and Wang Zhifei, who also seem to have never participated in the Oscars.

As expected, as soon as Zhou Mo finished speaking, everyone in the room instinctively focused their attention on Chen Daoming and Wang Zhifei.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Chen Daoming glanced at Zhou Mo silently, somewhat helplessly.

Director Zhou's attack power is truly impossible to defend against.

"It is indeed my first time at the Oscars, so I'm a bit nervous, but I should be fine after a while."

Wang Zhifei was much more relaxed, admitting that he was so nervous he was sweating.

"I'm sorry to make you laugh, Director Zhou. I've hardly ever attended any international film festivals, let alone the Oscars. I'm just here to broaden my horizons."

Zhou Mo smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I just didn't think it through. Please forgive me. What I mean is, no matter how prestigious the Oscars are, they are still just a film festival, no different from the film festival that everyone knows in their hearts, so there's no need to have any special feelings about them."

Let's treat this year's Oscars like attending a high-class banquet. Relax, and just do what you normally do.

After Zhou Mo finished speaking, Lao Zhangzi nodded.

"That's right, it's not just a banquet, it can even be treated as a trip. Relax and have a good time."

The extremely calm and relaxed tone of Zhang Yimou's voice made Zhou Mo subconsciously look at him.

Speaking of which, why is he so calm today?

This is quite different from his previous situation.

Could it be that they received some inside information beforehand?
The moment the thought popped into Zhou Mo's mind, he quickly dismissed it.

We're all part of a team; given Zhang Yimou's personality, he wouldn't do something like this.

Why are you so calm? Did you take the wrong medicine?
A moment later, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Zhang Yimou stayed behind specifically to discuss with Zhou Mo the interviews they needed to give before the awards ceremony that evening.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Zhou Mo directly asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Director Zhang, you don't seem nervous at all."

"Does Director Zhou find this strange?"

“A little.” Zhou Mo nodded.

"Actually, it's nothing. I just suddenly realized a few days ago that 'Parasite' is the most successful film I've made in recent years. Plus, it's a good fit for you, Director Zhou, to work on together, which greatly increases the chances of it winning awards."

With so many factors combined, if I ultimately achieve a good result, then it means I'm lucky enough.

If I don't get a good result, it means I'm not destined for this award, and I can stop thinking about it altogether.

Whatever the outcome, I'll take it in stride.

Zhou Mo raised an eyebrow, quite surprised that Zhang Yimou had actually come to his senses.

However, this can also be considered a good thing.

……

The next day.

After adjusting their mood, Zhou Mo and his group headed to the Oscars ceremony.

Before entering the venue, Zhou Mo and Zhang Yimou were approached by several reporters and interviewed separately.

On Zhou Mo's side, the reporter he was interviewing was a familiar face from CCTV.

Before the cameras were turned on, the reporter was more relaxed and spoke more casually.

"Director Zhou, is there a chance to win an award today?"

"That depends on which award you're referring to."

"Best Picture, I really hope Parasite can win Best Picture. That way, Director Chow, you'll be a double Best Picture winner."

Zhou Mo took a deep breath.

"Actually, I would like to too, but it's not so easy to get double prizes."

In a single sentence, Zhou Mo's conjecture was already revealed.

The reporter understood, and a hint of regret crept into his expression.

However, he quickly realized what was happening.

No, what is he regretting?

Is winning the Oscar for Best Picture so easy?

Even if it doesn't win Best Picture, aren't there other awards?

He glanced at the photographer next to him, who then gestured for him to tidy up.

The reporter nodded, then turned to Zhou Mo and said, "Director Zhou, our interview is about to begin. Do you have any requests?"

Zhou Mo thought for a moment and reminded him, "Let's stick to the old habit and not set the bar too high. Just give normal expectations and a brief introduction to the movie."

He has never liked to make overly confident statements about things he's not sure about.

Otherwise, if you crash, your face will easily swell up.

Knowing Zhou Mo's style, the reporter quickly found the prepared article in his mind.

He turned and exchanged hand gestures with the photographer, waited a moment, and then raised the microphone to begin explaining the situation:
"Okay, I'm at the Oscars ceremony right now..."

A minute later, the microphone was handed to Zhou Mo.

"Director Zhou, what are your expectations for 'Parasite'?"

"Parasite is the culmination of the hard work of the entire crew. I am very satisfied with the quality of this film and hope to achieve something great today..."

Ten minutes later.

Zhou Mo bid farewell to the reporters and met Zhang Yimou, who was walking towards him.

"Well, my reporters asked me about my expectations for the movie."

"It's similar on my end. They asked me what awards I thought 'Parasite' could win... Director Chow, what did you say?"

"I said I was very satisfied with the content of 'Parasite' and hoped for a positive outcome."

"I'm pretty much the same. I've done my best, and I have no regrets no matter what."

After discussing the interview content, the two smiled simultaneously.

That's the kind of humble answer I'm looking for. How wonderful.

When you win an award, you happily share your joy with everyone.

It's a pity we didn't win an award, but I can accept that.

A moment later, the actors who were posing for photos on the red carpet also came over, their facial expressions all quite similar—

A slightly stiff smile.

In February, the temperature in Emilia is not high.

Among these people, the men were in better condition, as their clothes were thicker and provided good protection against the cold.

As for the three ladies, their dresses were hardly warm enough. After taking photos for a while, it was obvious that they were all uncomfortable from the wind.

Zhou Mo immediately went to Da Tian Tian's side and took out a small cup of hot tea from his pocket.

"You must be freezing. Warm your hands."

"It's alright, I'm used to the cold, and there's a lining in my clothes so I can stick on some heating pads." Da Tiantian patted her skirt, indicating that she had prepared in advance.

As she spoke, she took the small cup.

Feeling the heat emanating from the cup, his expression softened considerably.

As soon as the group entered the awards venue, they felt much warmer.

"Aside from everything else, Oscar's place always does a pretty good job of keeping warm; at least they know to turn on the air conditioning," Peng Yuchang suddenly said.

"It wasn't this good in the early years. Back then, the facilities weren't very advanced, and the insulation wasn't great," Zhang Yimou suddenly said.

Peng Yu was stunned the moment he started singing.

before?

What before?
He pondered the relationship between Director Zhang and Oscar for a while before he realized what was going on.

It seems that the films "Ju Dou" and "Raise the Red Lantern" were nominated for Oscars back then.

However, the filming of these two movies should have taken place in the early 90s.

He probably wasn't even born yet at that time.

At this moment, Gong Li said, "It's been quite a few years since I've been here as a film actress."

She was the female lead in the movie "Ju Dou" back then.

This film brought her immense fame in the international film industry.

In the blink of an eye, almost thirty years have passed.

When Zhang Yimou heard this, he nodded.

"Yes, it has been many years indeed."

As everyone walked to their seats, Zhou Mo ran into the Joker team. Director Todd Phillips and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix chatted with Zhou Mo for a while.

"Zhou, I'm so happy to be attending the Oscars with you."

"Me too. I've watched Joker many times, and the final result is even better than what you initially told me."

"This is all thanks to Joaquin Phoenix. His acting skills exceeded my expectations. We did many scenes in one take without any adjustments or changes."

Joaquin Phoenix is ​​one of the best actors I've ever seen, and the most suitable actor to play the Joker, bar none.

In the hallway, Todd spared no effort in praising Joaquin's abilities.

Joaquin Phoenix himself is rather introverted, so he was a little uncomfortable with the director's praise.

When Todd finally stopped, he said to Zhou Mo, "Zhou, I think the movie 'Parasite' is excellent. Whether it's the script or the actors, you are very capable. I hope to work with you on a movie in the future."

"You're too kind. I would be very happy to cooperate with you if the opportunity arises."

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Mo returned to his seat.

Chen Daoming had been watching Joaquin Phoenix the whole time. After Zhou Mo sat down, he asked, "Director Zhou, is that actor the one who plays the Joker?"

"Yes, Teacher Chen recognized you?"

"Hmm, she looks quite different from her character in the show."

Zhou Mo was curious about Chen Daoming's evaluation of Joaquin's acting skills, so he asked, "Teacher Chen, what do you think of Joaquin's acting skills?"

“That’s pretty good. I remember his role in Joker, he was supposed to have mental problems, and with his doubts about his origins, he eventually went almost insane?”

Chen Daoming first recalled the main plot, and then said, "His acting was like a spring, extremely suppressed, and then completely exploding at the end. I can't act like that."

“I can’t do that either,” Wang Zhifei followed up with his own thoughts: “There seem to be relatively few characters like the protagonist in ‘Joker’ in China.”

Zhou Mo nodded.

There are still some simple-minded characters in China, but there are very few extreme characters with mental problems.

Zhou Mo thought that after meeting with Todd and Joaquin, no one else would come looking for him today.

Unexpectedly, not long after I sat down, two more groups of people arrived.

The first wave was Quentin Tarantino.

He made a movie last year called "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.

Like Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

Quentin was delighted to see Zhou Mo, and his words reflected his past as a playboy:
"Zhou, this time we're competitors. How about it, are you feeling nervous?"

"Of course I'm nervous. After all, there are so many competitors this year, and they're all so strong. It's impossible not to be nervous," Zhou Mo said casually, while giving Robbie a hug.

"Long time no see, Zhou. I've missed you so much while you've been staying in China."

“I miss you too. You did a great job in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, much more mature than in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.”

This is Robbie's second collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio; their first collaboration was on "The Wolf of Wall Street."

It's worth mentioning that Martin Scorsese, the director of "The Wolf of Wall Street," also participated in this year's Oscars ceremony.

His film, "The Irishman," was also nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars.

The protagonist of "The Irishman" is Robert De Niro, an old acquaintance of Zhou Mo.

The two films mentioned above, along with "1917," are all strong contenders for this year's Oscar for Best Picture.

It's safe to say that this year's Oscar contenders are far more impressive than in previous years.

Correspondingly, the difficulty is also much greater.

However, this isn't all bad news for Parasite's award aspirations.

Unlike the European Golden Globe Awards, which are judged by a small team, the Oscars involve thousands of judges voting together.

With a large number of people, it is easier to be affected by the market.

Judging from the current situation, "Parasite" is the most talked-about film.

The other films also each have their own disadvantages.

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is still of high quality, but Quentin Tarantino had a great time during filming, which left the audience confused.

Martin Scorsese, the director of "The Irishman," has a nickname: a perennial Oscar nominee. He has been nominated for an Oscar many times but has never won. His most recent win was for a film by a director who is very well-known in China.

The Departed.

That's right, it's the adaptation of "Infernal Affairs".

The Irishman is of high quality, but the film has one problem: it was invested in by Netflix, which has been focusing on streaming services for years, conflicting with the Oscars' insistence on theatrical release.

In his later film, 1917, the director demonstrated a strong sense of cinematography, employing the legendary "one-shot" technique.

Yes, it's an abstract version of Zhang Yimou's "one-shot" technique.

The film's visual effects are indeed stunning, but correspondingly, its storytelling is somewhat lacking.

Just as Zhou Mo was pondering the situation of his competitors, De Niro's familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Hey, I finally found you, Zhou. You always wear all black, you're impossible to spot in a crowd."

Zhou Mo turned around and said with a hint of teasing, "Is it possible that your eyes are getting old and that's why you can't see me?"

De Niro disliked having his age mentioned the most, and frowned at Zhou Mo: "Hey, it's been a while, and you're getting more and more impolite."

Sweetie was very polite; she greeted me immediately upon seeing me and told me I was there. She added that even when you're with Sweetie, you're not affected by her.

Zhou Mo listened with a smile to De Niro's machine-gun-like words, and was in a very good mood.

He had indeed seen these old friends less often in recent years, so it was a great pleasure to finally meet them today.

A moment later, Zhou Mo returned to his seat.

Zhang Yimou asked, "Were you chatting with Quentin and the others just now?"

"Yes."

How do they feel about their competition this year?

“They all want to win awards, but none of them are particularly confident. Parasite put a lot of pressure on them. They said that Parasite is very popular in America and has a high chance of winning awards.”

Zhang Yimou raised an eyebrow: "Really? It's even more popular than in China?"

"Yes, many domestic viewers don't really feel the story of 'Parasite,' but many people in America can relate to it."

(End of this chapter)