Huayu 05, our science fiction movie universe

Chapter 692 Change in the Present and the Next Decade

The offensive and defensive situations are easy!

In the lecture hall, Wang Hao's words were truly thought-provoking, stirring the blood and emotions of countless people present, both students and teachers.

Especially those young people.

Unlike twenty years ago, when Wang Hao and his classmates were studying at the Beijing Film Academy, the students there had an extreme yearning for Europe and America, seeing them as the beacon of civilization.

These young students today grew up in 2000, and their vision is of an increasingly better Chinese society. They no longer have that feeling, but they think that Wang Hao really spoke very well.

As for the older teachers, listening to Wang Hao's words, they were reminded of a line spoken by Emperor Wu of Han, played by Chen Baoguo, in the TV series "The Emperor Wu of Han":
"My purpose in this battle is to clearly tell the world and the Xiongnu that from now on, the roles of offense and defense have reversed. They can go there, and so can I!"

At that time, Chen Baoguo's performance was commanding and imposing, displaying extraordinary demeanor.

Wang Hao today also possesses quite a bit of the same demeanor.

Even in this atmosphere, one girl still raised her hand.

"Senior Brother Wang, I have a question."

"You said."

"I would like to ask, what does what you are saying have to do with us?"

"We're just actors. Even if the film equipment is top-notch and cheap, we won't be operating it after graduation."

The girl's question was quite bold, but Wang Hao didn't get angry. He simply said in an arrogant tone:

"That's a great question!"
What benefits can the rise of a major industrial power bring to ordinary people within the industry?
When you can produce more than 220 kinds of industrial products at the lowest cost in the world, and when you can enable an industrial cluster that makes screws and springs to serve the film industry, movies that Hollywood can't make or that aren't cost-effective can become our profitable projects!
In the past few years, after establishing a complete and mature film industrialization system, our [Galaxy Cinema] hosts at least 20 overseas film crews every year.

These include people from Japan and South Korea, as well as Hollywood.

At the same time, thanks to these 20-plus overseas film crews, we export nearly 200 performers and nearly 1000 behind-the-scenes workers every year. In the future, as the hollowing out of the Hollywood film industry system intensifies, this number will rise further.

So you're asking what this means for you young actors?
This means that in the past, only a very small number of top Chinese actors had the opportunity to break into Hollywood.

Now, you have this opportunity right at your doorstep. Just turn left after leaving the school gate, cross two blocks, and walk into the gate of [Galaxy Cinema].

So, as your senior, all I can tell you is to quickly improve your English and enhance your ability to speak English lines. This will greatly increase your competitiveness in the film and television industry.

Of course, Japanese and Korean are also acceptable; it's always good to have more skills.

Wow!
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the classroom. Then, another male student stood up and asked:

"Hello, senior. I am a student from the Directing Department, Class of 19. I also have a question for you."

As you just mentioned, my country's mature industrial system and film industrialization give it an advantage over Hollywood's film production system, leading to the attraction of overseas film projects due to its lower prices.

So, what benefits does this system offer for our own film production? Is it merely about cost savings? Will it significantly alter traditional film production methods?
For example, speeding up film production? Reducing or increasing the difficulty of film production? Disrupting traditional film production methods?

If so, do we need to consciously learn these things while we're in school? Or should we build a solid foundation in school, master the theoretical knowledge, and then quickly acquire it after entering the workforce?

"This student asked a very good question. It seems that they pay attention to industry trends and have thought about their future career development."

Wang Hao nodded in appreciation to the boy who had just asked the question, and then answered:
"Let's answer one by one. Let's start by talking about how China's industrialization system in the new era has affected film production in our industry."

Here's another calculation I have for you all to do:
It is known that a medium-budget film requiring a 200-meter track costs $4.4 (approximately 31 RMB) for the Hollywood track system, while we only need 7600 RMB.

Q: With the 30+ yuan saved, how many days of special effects filming could be done domestically?

Faced with Wang Hao's question, the students in the lecture hall all fell silent, clearly unaware of the cost of the special effects shots.

However, some students started taking out their phones to search online, but Wang Hao didn't wait for them and gave them the answer directly.

"It's 3 days!"
Note that this is based on a standard working time of 8 hours per day, so 3 days would be 24 hours of special effects footage.

Similarly, there's another issue.

You know James Cameron, right? His movie "Avatar" is probably known to everyone.

In 2019, the sequel to Avatar, Avatar 2, was filmed live in New Zealand.

At the time, the Avatar 2 crew paid $8 for a custom-made curved track, while my film, Game Age, had just begun filming.

In that movie, with the same $8 budget, we created a fully domestically produced dynamic telescopic track system.

Furthermore, with filming underway simultaneously, I'm shooting two parts of "Game Era" back-to-back. "Game Era 1" was released last October, and "Game Era 2" is scheduled for release this summer.

As for Avatar 2, James Cameron stated in 2010 that there would be a sequel to Avatar, and that there would be two parts, with the second and third parts being filmed simultaneously and released in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

2013年的时候出品方二十世纪福克斯表示《阿凡达》续集会有三部，均于2014年同步开拍，上映时间计划在2016年、2017年以及2018年末。

2015年的时候，卡梅隆表示电影《阿凡达2》上映时间从2016年12月推迟到次年12月，《阿凡达3》和《阿凡达4》顺延一年。

Then, in 2017, Avatar 2 officially began filming, and in 2019, the film completed live-action shooting in New Zealand.

Filming was suspended due to the flu pandemic, and Cameron only announced last September that live-action shooting had been completed.

Next came post-production, and after several adjustments, the film was finally scheduled for release next year, in December 2022.

This figure represents a struggle that was eight years behind their earliest plans.

If we start counting from when Cameron expressed his intention, it took them a full 12 years and $3.5 million to make *Avatar 2*. In China, the technology they used when they first started the project would have been outdated by the time the film was released. Some might say this is James's pursuit of perfection, but considering that the US hasn't been able to build a high-speed rail line in 13 years, I can only say—that's the difference!

"So what impact and changes has China's new era of complete industrial chain system brought to my country's film industry?"

It not only significantly reduces the cost of film production, speeds up the film production process, and lowers the difficulty of film and television production, but also helps creators expand the boundaries of exploring new themes, new content, and new stories.

Back when I first graduated, there wasn't a single digital camera in China. Everyone used film, which had to be used sparingly. Directing and cinematography students had very little time to practice and lacked production experience. Even shooting commercials was a great opportunity.

Nowadays, you can easily make a low-budget film, upload it to an internet platform, and recoup your costs.

Moreover, you don't have to limit yourself to realistic themes and simple sets. [Star River Cinema] has a 'Youth Studio' that is specially designed in cooperation with Beijing Film Academy and Shanghai Theatre Academy, which allows you to experience the charm of special effects background shooting at a very low cost.

Science fiction, action, fantasy, urban supernatural—you can try them all.

If I remember correctly, among the graduation projects submitted by our senior students in the directing department at Beijing Film Academy this year, there were three science fiction films, two fantasy films, and one xianxia (Chinese fantasy) short film, right?

Wang Hao asked his last question to the head of the directing department, who immediately nodded in agreement.

"Look, when China can stably supply more than 220 kinds of industrial manufactured goods at the lowest cost in the world, the film industry and you will naturally be able to enjoy such benefits."

With this kind of industrial innovation and improvement, even better creative ideas and themes can transform fairy tales into reality.

"So, how should you respond to such rapid changes?"

"First of all, I think the most important thing for you is to realize this, to realize that the entire industry is changing rapidly."

Campus life is wonderful, but also slow-paced. Although the new campus has established a strong connection with our Xinghe Group, the transmission of external changes to the school is still somewhat delayed.

As creators, being aware of external changes is essential to maintaining a keen sense of awareness.

This sense of smell goes beyond just paying attention to industry trends, cutting-edge technologies, and the latest ideas; it also includes market trends, policies and regulations, and public preferences.

Fortunately, the internet and information technology are so advanced these days that this should greatly reduce the difficulty for you in obtaining relevant information.

"As for whether students should focus on the basics or pursue new technologies and methods in school."

In my personal opinion, it still depends on each of your individual circumstances.

For example, freshmen and sophomores should definitely focus on building a solid foundation, while juniors and seniors can consider increasing the frequency of internships and getting more exposure to cutting-edge technologies and theories in the industry.

Of course, if you have a strong learning ability, it's perfectly acceptable to speed up the pace.

The only thing to note is that there are hardly any distinctions between art and commerce within the industry these days.

Within Galaxy Pictures alone, our requirements for a director far exceed those of so-called art directors or commercial directors.

Theoretical level, aesthetic level, practical level, cognitive level, and even knowledge of physics, chemistry, history and politics are all things we need to consider.

Currently, the assistant directors recruited by Galaxy Group must have a master's degree from a top university as a starting point, and preferably have an interdisciplinary academic background that combines arts and sciences.

For example, during your master's studies, you should at least choose majors such as film and television special effects technology, new media, and film and television animation, which are jointly offered by us and the university, rather than going down the path of pure film and television theory research.

For more specific details, you can also follow Galaxy Pictures' annual campus recruitment information.

"Alright, it's getting late," Wang Hao raised his hand to look at his watch. "One last question, who's going to answer? Okay, this student."

"Hello, Senior Wang. I am a sophomore majoring in New Media Arts. I would like to ask you what your views are on the future of the film and television industry?"

"That's a rather broad question. What exactly is it?" Wang Hao smiled.

"Well... I'm more interested in technology, cutting-edge technologies, such as the currently popular metaverse and virtual reality."

Wang Hao nodded, gesturing for the student to sit down, and then said:
"This student asked about the cutting-edge technologies in the industry. In fact, for our group company alone, what you are seeing now is only the beginning."

Based on China's existing industrial foundation, we are trying to inject cutting-edge technology into every aspect of film and television production.

This is the true source of confidence for Chinese films to lead the world.

At the new film set of [Galaxy Cinema], we are trying to implement a multi-angle, multi-camera, fully automated CNC stereoscopic photography system.

This system is an upgrade based on Qin Chuan Machine Tool's five-axis technology and DJI's drone technology. Twelve cameras can capture actors' movements and performances in real time from all angles using intelligent AI algorithms. Combined with a domestically produced control system, the response latency is as low as 0.01 seconds.

Action scenes that previously required six photographers to work in shifts can now be monitored by just one person, increasing shooting efficiency by more than three times.

Camera switching? Reverse shooting? Multiple takes? None of that matters. We'll just use a powerful brick to smash it all in one go!
There's also 3D printing, currently the most cutting-edge manufacturing technology. We've partnered with the 3D printing industry cluster in the Pearl River Delta to empower steps like prop creation and landscaping, achieving a closed loop of "design as production."

As Wang Hao spoke, he casually projected videos and photos from his phone onto the big screen.

"This is the Martian base complex I filmed in 'The Martian.' 40% of the physical props were made by industrial-grade 3D printers using domestically produced photosensitive resin materials. The cost is 50% lower than traditional manual modeling and mold production, while the printing accuracy can reach 0.1 millimeters. Even the weathering texture of the walls can be formed in one go."

In contrast to Hollywood's traditional craftsmanship that still relies on manual production, our set design cycle has been compressed from 3 months to 28 days. These time and cost savings ultimately translate into greater creative freedom.

Currently, the prop production factory at [Galaxy Cinema] has three such machines. Interested students can apply for a visit by submitting an application on the factory's app using their student status.

Of course, all of the above are based on current cutting-edge technologies for industry equipment updates and upgrades.

In fact, our Xinghe Group is not only investing in the present, but also making great strides in the next decade of the domestic film and television industry.

(End of this chapter)