1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 531 I avoid his edge?
"Director Hu."

"Well, they're all here."

At the Beijing Film Studio, a meeting was quickly held, and the main creative team for the film version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was almost fully assembled.

The film was directed by Xie Tieli and Zhao Yuan, produced by Zhao Hangao and Lin Yonggang, and produced by Han Zetao, who was assigned to oversee the production.

Han Zetao was the deputy director of the Beijing Film Studio who advocated for the dismissal of Zhu Lin. He was originally in charge of creative work at the studio, but due to the overwhelming public opinion, Han Zetao took the blame and was demoted to the production manager of the film "Dream of the Red Chamber".

"What is the narrative of our first episode?" Hu Qiming asked.

The Beijing Film Studio's "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a movie, but because the plot is too long, the production team plans to make the whole movie into 6 parts and 12 episodes, with an estimated length of more than 700 minutes.

"The main event was the meeting between Bao and Dai."

Xie Tieli coughed twice and said, "We'll start with Jia Baoyu, beginning with the section about 'Jia Baoyu's dream journey to the Land of Illusion'."

Hu Qiming raised his hand, "Tell me in detail."

"it is good."

Xie Tieli organized his thoughts briefly, "It's roughly like this: Jia Baoyu fell asleep in Qin Keqing's room, and then, led by a monk and a Taoist priest, he entered the Land of Illusion. Guided by the Fairy Disenchantment, he saw several volumes of 'The Twelve Beauties of Jinling,' and saw the pictures and pronouncements on them."

Upon waking, he returned to the Rongguo Mansion and learned that his aunt's daughter, Lin Daiyu, had been taken to his grandmother's home, and the two met.

Hu Qiming frowned slightly after listening, "Why did you choose such a complicated plot to start with?

"That's right, Director Hu, I think the plot of the Land of Illusion is the essence of the entire book 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' A midday nap, a dream of lovemaking, seemingly just Baoyu's fantasies about Qin Keqing, actually connects all the characters in the novel. In short, it seems absurd on the surface but is actually mysterious."

Besides, when making a movie, we need to maintain a good pace. This plot, from the Land of Illusion to the moment of awakening, has interconnected clues, making it a very suitable opening for a film.

"it is good."

Hu Qiming nodded and looked at Xie Tieli, "Old Xie, you're an experienced director, you know what you're doing. Are there any difficulties with the filming?"

"If only we had some financial support."

After the main meeting, a smaller meeting was held, but the number of attendees was much smaller, with only a few key members remaining.

"Have you watched all the TV dramas?" Hu Qiming asked.

"I'm coming."

Everyone swallowed hard in unison.

Although Hu Qiming never explicitly stated it until the end, everyone could tell that the reason he had called everyone over today was definitely related to the broadcast of the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Hu Qiming said, "I didn't take TV dramas too seriously before. When the factory decided to film 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' some people advised me to avoid the limelight for the time being, saying that Wang Fulin was going to film it."

"At the time, I thought, should I avoid his sharp edge? What kind of people make TV dramas? A respectable production crew doesn't even have tens of thousands of yuan, yet they want to make a show. What kind of show can they possibly produce?"

"However, their version of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' has exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect it to receive such a good response since it aired."

"Dream of the Red Chamber is, after all, one of the Four Great Classical Novels."

Han Zetao chimed in, "Their success, in my opinion, precisely proves that our decision to adapt 'Dream of the Red Chamber' was correct and that it has a solid foundation among the masses."

Hu Qiming remained silent, then changed the subject, saying, "Everyone knows how much funding CCTV has. Compared to them, the investment of our Beijing Film Studio is not just a little bit, but several times less. So comparing ourselves to them is meaningless. We should take a longer-term view."

"do not worry."

"By the way, who plays Qin Keqing in our movie?"

"He Qing is a young actress from the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. She also appeared in the TV series 'Journey to the West' that aired last year."

"Oh? You acted in it."

"Manjushri."

"Yo."

Well, everyone knows He Qing, right? She's the ex-wife of Director Qi Tongwei.

She played Hua Youlin in "Green Green Grass by the River," and was among the first batch of "Yao Girls" in mainland China.

Later, she played Xiao Qiao in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and the famous courtesan Li Shishi in "Water Margin". In addition, she played Xie Tieli's "Dream of the Red Chamber" and Yang Jie's "Journey to the West", so she has played all four of the great classical novels.

"Is this actress suitable? It's such an important role, and there are so many actresses in the factory... sigh."

Hu Qiming looked worried and couldn't help but sigh as he spoke, "I watched Zhu Lin's performance in 'Dream of the Red Chamber' yesterday. She perfectly captured Qin Keqing's beauty, charm, and graceful demeanor. If only she were still here."

Upon hearing this, Han Zetao quickly shrank back and dared not utter a sound.

After all, the whole controversy surrounding Zhu Lin's dismissal started because of him.

In the end, Zhu Lin resigned in a fit of anger. Of course, he also suffered a great loss. He was stripped of his powerful position as deputy director of the production company and is now only left with the title of production manager of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

In contrast, what about Zhu Lin? Since leaving the Beijing Film Studio, she first portrayed the Queen of the Women's Kingdom in "Journey to the West," leaving audiences across the country with a lingering sense of regret. Then, she played Qin Keqing in "Dream of the Red Chamber," delivering a performance so exquisite and her image so classic that the film crew was utterly amazed, and she received widespread acclaim from audiences nationwide.

After all, the character of Qin Keqing is quite complex.

She was born graceful and delicate, and acted with gentleness and peace. She was also known as the most promiscuous woman in "Dream of the Red Chamber". In the novel, she was described as the most beautiful woman, showered with love and affection. Unfortunately, she was unlucky and died young. Her death was mysterious, which is the most mysterious part of the whole "Dream of the Red Chamber".

It is precisely because of the many mysteries surrounding this character that the interpretation of this role is the most difficult to grasp.

Yet Zhu Lin's performance was so precise.

These days, with the airing of "Dream of the Red Chamber," scholars of the novel have been constantly discussing and criticizing the TV series.

I've criticized Chen Xiaoxu's performance, finding her too harsh. I've also criticized Jia Baoyu's image, feeling he lacked spirit. Even Baochai wasn't spared, with some saying she was too sweet and too clever, lacking the worldly sophistication and "cold" side.
In addition, Grandmother Jia is too vulgar and lacks elegance, while Granny Liu is too "country bumpkin" and does not show any worldliness or maturity.

However, when it comes to evaluating Zhu Lin's portrayal of Qin Keqing, scholars of "Dream of the Red Chamber" unanimously praised her, believing that the actress's performance was appropriate and just right. Although her role was small, it was like a fleeting glimpse that left a lasting impression.

As a fellow film and television studio in the same industry, Beijing Film Studio, which was also filming "Dream of the Red Chamber," couldn't possibly ignore all the praise.

The actor who gave such a brilliant performance, adding such a bright touch to the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber," actually came from the Beijing Film Studio, an actor that the studio had jokingly said they didn't want anymore.

This success felt like a slap in the face to everyone at the Beijing Film Studio.

"Director Hu, don't worry, we will definitely train He Qing well when we get back," Han Zetao said.

He was thinking to himself that he had to put a lot of pressure on He Qing when he got back, and he couldn't let Zhu Lin surpass her like that.

At least not in terms of performance.

Hu Qiming warmed his hands on the radiator for a while, "To be honest, I really didn't expect this TV series 'Dream of the Red Chamber' to cause such a big stir."

I remember when we were filming "Xu Mao and His Daughters," we were competing with the August First Film Studio. In the end, our studio was the one that filmed faster and released earlier than the August First Film Studio. The August First Film Studio's "Xu Mao and His Daughters" didn't even make a splash.

You say the August First Film Studio's productions are bad? I've seen theirs, and in terms of quality, it's definitely no less than ours.

But why couldn't it make a splash?

It's too slow.

Everyone says Liu Bang was weak, but he entered Chang'an faster than Xiang Yu. No matter how elite Xiang Yu's army was, he was slower, so he could only hold the Feast at Hongmen.

Now that their TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" is so popular, we're in a very passive position.

You guys need to put in the effort! Our entire factory is betting everything on this "Dream of the Red Chamber" production. If we can't make a big splash this time, then you, you, you…

Hu Qiming pointed to several people in a row, and finally pointed to himself.

"including me."

“We are all sinners of the Beijing Film Studio.” That day, Jiang Xian drove his Volga to the airport to pick up Zhu Lin, who had just arrived from Europe.

"Every year!"

"mom!"

Having not seen the little emperor for so long, Zhu Lin missed him terribly. As soon as they met, she hugged Jiang Niannian tightly, unwilling to let go, and tears streamed down her beautiful face.

"I miss my mom so much."

After checking Jiang Niannian and finding no missing arms or legs, Zhu Lin wiped her eyes.

"You've been a fairly responsible father."

"What are you talking about?"

Jiang Xian smiled and said, "This is your daughter, and she's also my daughter. How could I let anything happen to her?"

"You men are all careless."

"I have no problem with you saying I'm rough, but I disagree with you saying I'm careless."

"What are you talking about!"

Zhu Lin blushed, "And in front of the child."

“She doesn’t understand anyway.” Jiang Xian chuckled.

Zhu Lin glanced at him, then took his arm with a hint of affection, resting her head lightly on Jiang Xian's shoulder.

“I’m such an irresponsible mother. After filming ‘The Last Emperor,’ I must take a break for a while and take good care of Niannian.”

"Anything is fine."

Jiang Xian smiled as he picked up his daughter with one arm and put his other arm around her waist, causing Zhu Lin to scream in surprise and attracting murderous glares from many men.

"I'll support whatever you want to do."

On the way home, before Jiang Xian could say anything, Xu Chenhui in the driver's seat started talking non-stop about "Dream of the Red Chamber".

"Sister-in-law, that's wonderful! The photos are fantastic!"

“My wife and I haven’t gone out to play cards these past few nights; we’ve just stayed home and watched.”

“Sister-in-law, you acted so well! All the neighbors praised you, saying you played the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom so well.”

"Many newspapers have written articles praising you. I've been looking at them these past few days, so I sent one to Brother Jiang. You can ask Brother Jiang to take it to you when you get back."

"Okay." Zhu Lin nodded with a smile.

Back home, Xu Chenhui helped carry the luggage upstairs and tidied it up before leaving.

After washing up, Zhu Lin walked over to Jiang Xian, who was sitting at the table writing, and gracefully extended her hand.

"give it to me."

"what?"

"What do you say?"

"Oh."

Jiang Xian slapped his forehead and took out all the newspapers and magazines that Xu Chenhui had given him.

Zhu Lin glanced at it and then tossed it onto the sofa without interest. "I was talking about 'The Playboy.' Didn't your article 'The Playboy' get any reviews? Hurry up and take it out so I can see it."

"We don't have those things at home."

"."

After a few seconds of eye contact with Zhu Lin, Xiao Jiang was the first to surrender, taking out the latest issue of "Literary Review" and several other publications.

"Professor Wang Meng wrote a comment for you?!"

Zhu Lin glanced at it and quickly noticed Wang Meng's comment. After reading it, her eyes were filled with surprise.

"Professor Wang Meng speaks very highly of you. I always felt that he particularly admires you and has a deep affection for you."

"Is there any?"

"Of course you do, you might not be able to tell."

"hehe."

Jiang Xian wasn't too surprised.

It's perfectly normal that his writing style suited Wang Meng's taste.

In later generations, it is widely known that Ms. Wang Meng admired a writer named Wang Shuo.

In addition, later generations often mentioned that Wang Meng particularly admired Guo Jingming.

It should be noted that Wang Meng did recommend Guo Xiaosi for membership in the China Writers Association.

So what are the membership criteria for the China Writers Association? It's probably enough to have published a novel in a top literary journal or have a few well-known works.

Although Guo Xiaosi is universally condemned, he certainly has the ability to get into the China Writers Association.

Whether it was plagiarism or not, he at least figured out some literary things first, and given the number of Guo Jingming's works published at the time, it's really not like he couldn't even get into the China Writers Association.

There are countless plagiarists in the world, but those who can plagiarize to his level are truly exceptional.

Later, Wang Meng and Guo Jingming appeared together on a Beijing TV program.

During the show, Wang Meng first praised Guo Jingming for being "smart, humble, and eloquent."

After finishing, he bluntly said that Guo Jingming "loves to pile up fancy words" and that "his writing is flashy but impractical." Finally, he pointed out Guo Jingming's fatal flaw: that he is too pretentious.

This assessment is actually quite objective.

Unfortunately, there are just too many people with a diode-like mentality on the internet.

I don't care about this or that, it's all black and white, I'll just rant and rave first.

"Tang Dacheng is still the same as before." Zhu Lin flipped through the pages and came across another literary review by Tang Dacheng.

Although there aren't many critical articles about "The Troubleshooters," Tang Dacheng, as before, expressed a very firm critical attitude towards Jiang Xian's novel.

In an article published in the Chinese Literature Weekly, he described "playboys" as "people who have slipped off the track of life," and hoped that Jiang Xian, "as a writer, would not stand on the same level as the characters he creates, and would not indulge in, appreciate, or be infatuated with that kind of lifestyle and attitude." Although editors were willing to publish Jiang Xian's works and readers were willing to read them, there was still a question of how to present them.

He believes that a "playboy" lifestyle of joking around is not worth showcasing or affirming.
"The master-slave mentality that emphasizes social hierarchy and obliterates independent personality, and the 'stubborn master' mentality that denies human morality and pursues extreme individualism, are merely two sides of the same coin. In today's China, both are transgressions against humanitarianism."

"That sounds really serious," Zhu Lin said, frowning.

"He has always been conservative."

"By the way, how's your 'Stories from the Editorial Department' project coming along?"

"They're casting actors."

Jiang Xian looked at her: "Why don't you go over and give it a try?"

(End of this chapter)