Generation Z Artists

Chapter 147 Anecdotes about Art Exams

"Don't be nervous, the general knowledge questions won't stop you, just write normally..."

While telling Fang Xinghe not to be nervous, Feng Yuanzheng himself was extremely nervous.

Indeed, before entering the school gate, the opposite side of the road was completely blocked. There must have been hundreds of cameras and video cameras. The scene was somewhat intimidating.

Since returning to the lab, Fang Xinghe has not given any interviews; roughly three months have passed.

The media writes about him all the time, but he rarely appears in public, so they become increasingly eager to write about him.

What kind of truth is news without pictures?
Now things are much better. The three exams for the directing department are all at fixed times. As long as my uncle is in a good mood, he might be able to ask two questions.

2001 marked the first time in three years that the Beijing Film Academy's Directing Department had reopened its undergraduate program.

The last time was in 98, with 4 undergraduate students.

In 99, there was no directing major; only 22 vocational editing students enrolled.

In 2000, there was no undergraduate program, only 8 graduate students and 24 vocational students majoring in advertising.

In 2001, after three years of trial and exploration, the Beijing Film Academy finally resumed its recruitment of feature film directors.

When the enrollment announcement was first released, the college didn't have high expectations at all. It was just an attempt after reorganizing the teaching system. But after receiving the application forms, they were overjoyed.

Outsiders can hardly imagine the shock that Beijing Film Academy experienced, but the fact is that everyone from the dean to the students was in an uproar.

"Fang Xinghe wants to test our undergraduate program?!"

"seriously?"

"It's true that I've registered, but even if I pass the exam, I might not come."

Before the holiday, the news spread throughout the campus, and people everywhere were alarmed.

Although there have been rumors that Fang Xinghe wants to pursue a career in film and television, outsiders have no way of knowing whether it is true or not. Moreover, ever since he made a fortune overseas, no one dares to imagine that their small temple can invite such a big Buddha.

Although the Beijing Film Academy has never lacked stars, not all stars are the same. A student who becomes famous after graduation and a superstar who was already at the pinnacle of literary idols before entering the academy are two completely different people.

From a purely psychological standpoint, many professors wouldn't dare to act arrogantly in front of Fang Xinghe.

The directing students grinned from ear to ear, while the acting students grumbled, "He's so good-looking, why didn't he just sign up for a performance class on his way here?!"

At that time, the head of the performing arts department was Liu Shibing. He was like a spinning top, trying to find someone to persuade Fang Xinghe to "conveniently" apply for another performing arts major.

The literature department remained silent, thinking: if they don't want to come, they don't want to come. If they do come, who will teach whom?
Xie Xiaojing, the head of the directing department, walked with a swagger, his face beaming with joy for three months straight. When people asked him if he had eaten, he replied, "Huh? How did you know Fang Xinghe wanted to apply to our directing program?"

Wang Hongwei, the head instructor of the Directing Department, had mouth ulcers all over his body and was so inflamed that he couldn't poop for seven days. He had originally been confirmed to be Yang Lin's assistant as the associate instructor for the 01 Directing major, but as soon as the news of Fang Xinghe's enrollment came out, the shameless leaders held meetings every day, thinking about taking up the teaching position themselves.

Damn it, what's the point of robbing this? It's not like it'll cost an extra penny!

Even so, he still clung tightly to Xie Xiaojing's leg, crying out every now and then, "Director, I've shed blood for the department!"

This is just the beginning of the registration process; it's not even confirmed yet. You can imagine how chaotic things will get later.

……

February 13th was the day of the preliminary exam for the directing and editing major.

Escorted by his senior classmates, Fang Xinghe passed through the rather impolite crowd of local media and arrived at the Beijing Film Academy campus.

As soon as I entered the school gate, four or five female students rushed over.

"Excuse me, I'm a staff member working on this art exam. Do you need any help?"

The senior students had such direct and intense gazes, yet they acted all righteous and selfless, so cunning.

Feng Yuanzheng watched this scene with a smile, then suddenly turned and ran away: "You can wait in line, I'm going to catch up with my friends."

As soon as he left, the female students immediately revealed their true colors.

"Fang Xinghe, I'm Mantianxing! Could you please sign my autograph?"

Knowing the name of a newly created fan, it seems they are truly Fang fans. Fang Xinghe opened the panel and scanned it, confirming that it was a mid-level Blue Light fan, and greeted them generously.

Five female seniors, five fans, the worst of them are just superficial fans.

"We stayed at the school specifically to try and get the job of receiving test takers, all so we could see you in person."

The one who spoke was a pretty senior student, probably a performing arts student, enthusiastic and bold.

Fang Xinghe clasped his hands together and shook them gently. He stopped chatting with them and went straight to asking where to line up to enter the examination room.

Being surrounded by beautiful women in public is not a good thing.

However, even with such caution, he still attracted a great deal of envy, jealousy, and resentment from the test takers.

"Virtue!"

Every now and then, a couple of sour whispers would rise from the crowd, proving that there were still many boys who couldn't stand his success.

Such things are inevitable. As Fang's fans become increasingly extreme due to the massive smear campaign, the number of Fang's haters is actually skyrocketing.

No cultural benchmark can withstand individual consciousness. Under the news that Brother Shrimp was recognized by the State Taxation Administration as a model taxpayer with three consecutive A grades, there was still a lot of abuse. In the comment section where Fat Immortal was defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a good son and daughter of China, there were "Americans don't deserve it" everywhere. It's normal. Just take it easy.

However, once Fang Xinghe integrated into the team, the muttering and sneering disappeared—the haters weren't so crazy when they mocked the God of War Fang to his face.

Queuing, entering the examination room, and numerous minor incidents occurred.

For example, as soon as he walked into the classroom, all the proctors looked over, their gazes were incredibly focused.

However, no one greeted him, probably out of consideration for fairness in the examination room.

The preliminary test for the course is a written test. You will be given a test paper and asked to answer general knowledge questions.

The exam covered a wide range of topics, but for a normal high school student, the questions were too obscure, with subjects like art history and film history that were overwhelming.

However, Fang Xinghe took the time to read all the necessary textbooks, so there wasn't much of a problem.

After the exam, no one asked him to stay; he seemed like just an ordinary test taker.

Very good, things have calmed down. Fang Xinghe was very satisfied with this and happily went to visit his friends.

As a result, once the exam papers were collected and the teachers returned to their offices, their attitudes immediately changed.

"Where's Fang Xinghe's exam paper? Look at it, look at it!"

"Yes, I don't know if he'll pass, I'm so worried!"

"Pay attention to discipline!"

Chief Examiner Director Xie waved his hand solemnly, appearing completely selfless.

Then, his tone suddenly changed: "With Fang Xinghe's knowledge, getting 75 points is definitely not a problem, so what are you all panicking about?"

Some reacted quickly and suddenly realized what was going on.

"You're truly superior!"

Old Xie nodded reservedly, then scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and start grading the papers!"

In the end, Fang Xinghe scored 88.5 points on his general knowledge test. Their flirtatious glances were completely wasted on a blind man, which was quite ridiculous.

……

Fang Xinghe was completely unaware of this and happily went to Shi Tiesheng's house for a gathering.

A group of friends, including Zhao Chunhua, Wang Yali, Yi Ning, Yu Hua, Liu Zhenyun, Shi Tiesheng, and Ye Xin, were at home preparing hot pot with mutton to welcome Fang Xinghe.

This small group has been tested over time; they are all friendly enough to Xinghe and their personalities are compatible.

Most importantly, they don't treat Fang Xinghe like a child or put on airs of seniority. Instead, they have the magnanimity to accept that he is their equal, or even stronger.

In this way, the atmosphere became much better.

Yu Hua took the initiative to sit by Fang Xinghe, gesturing wildly and boasting: "Come on, come on, you scared me last time, so don't say a word today, or I won't listen to you. Let's meet over drinks!"

Fang Xinghe didn't say anything. He downed three ounces of baijiu in one gulp, then calmly watched him without batting an eye. The arrogant little dog's demeanor froze on his face, and his lips twitched...

"Hahahahaha!"

A group of mischievous friends almost burst out laughing, taking turns teasing Yu Hua.

He muttered an explanation: "I didn't dodge. This isn't the style of a scholar when drinking. I'm a top-tier scholar; I have to drink at the proper pace..."

Later, Shi Tiesheng wrote about this gathering in his last book, allowing the world to witness Fang Xinghe's wonderful childhood. Indeed, in most people's eyes, Fang Xinghe's childhood only lasted until September of this year; after starting university, he was completely regarded as an adult.

The film academy was the first to show him adult-level respect.

February 15th, the second round of the director's entrance exam.

Fang Xinghe scored 95.5 points, ranking first in the written test, and made it to the interview, attracting a group of reporters.

However, he still did not answer any questions and focused on the exam.

In the examination room, there were a total of 5 examiners, each reviewing the student's qualifications in various aspects.

The interviews for undergraduate and postgraduate programs are different, and the feature film directors to be trained this year are different from advertising directors and documentary directors.

The examiners asked the five candidates ahead of Fang Xinghe what books they had recently read, which led to various reading comprehension questions about themes and structures—all things Fang Xinghe excelled at.

When these candidates entered the room, the examiners stopped asking about literature and started talking about movies.

It mainly focuses on a wildly imaginative and unconventional approach.

Fang Xinghe was naturally unfazed; he was already aware of the ambiguity inherent in interviews.

In the directing major, there's no way to assess professional competence at the undergraduate level; it's basically all about chatting and judging a student's potential and qualities through casual conversation.

So when it was Fang Xinghe's turn, the examiner asked him another strange question.

"Candidate No. 37, with your current reputation, influence and wealth, you are actually more suited to be a producer or to be a boss and start a film and television company. Directing is actually a very tough job, and it is never as glamorous as outsiders imagine. Are you prepared for the hardships involved?"

Xie Xiaojing stared intently at Fang Xinghe, her heart pounding with nervousness.

He was afraid that Fang Xinghe was just dabbling in the field, coming over to chat with everyone out of boredom, and might not actually choose Beijing Film Academy after the college entrance exam.

So the main purpose of this question is to ascertain Fang Xinghe's determination and to test how interested he really is in directing.

Fang Xinghe understood more or less, so he told the truth in a proper and orderly manner.

"I know a bit about directing. Compared to writing, directing is a mentally demanding job that is several times more difficult, and it is also a very mentally exhausting job."

Since there is no time limit for writing, the hardest thing is writer's block. At this time, you can put the task aside, take a break, have some fun, or change your mood.

Directing is a time-limited job, with high costs every day, and it cannot be stopped easily.

At the same time, writing is a solitary endeavor, but the director must coordinate the entire crew and manage a team that may be rife with conflict, lack of competence, and individual motives.

Scorching summer heat and freezing winter winds, getting up early to coordinate and staying up late to summarize, you have to endure all kinds of hardships, and you also have to create under high pressure.

I was prepared for the hardships ahead. What drove me down this path was the stark difference between film and writing—I wanted to record my words on screen, so that anyone in the world could understand my thoughts, my reflections, my anger, my joys and sorrows… I wouldn't say I'm passionate about film, but I will pursue it without hesitation.”

it is good!
In the examination room, Xie Xiaojing couldn't openly cheer, but he had already cheered in his heart.

Whether you love movies or not is not a factor in the evaluation; your willingness to come to the Beijing Film Academy is the key.

Old Xie was overjoyed and subconsciously softened his stance: "Your understanding of directing is already quite profound and detailed enough. I believe that with your artistic talent, you are fully capable of being a good director..."

The remaining four candidates stared wide-eyed.

What happened?
We questioned him repeatedly, but Fang Xinghe got full marks with just a casual question?!
They were angry for a moment, but when they thought it was Fang Xinghe, they were still angry.

"Cough cough!"

Wang Hongwei cleared his throat, reminding the director not to be so dismissive, and then took the initiative to ask the question.

"Let's talk about your favorite movie."

Fang Xinghe frankly said, "I haven't had time to watch movies in the last two years. Two years ago, I mostly watched Hong Kong and Taiwan commercial films. My favorite is probably 'A Chinese Odyssey'."

A muttered voice suddenly came from the corner of the room: "Isn't it 'The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra'?"

"puff!"

Many people couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered their mouths.

Fang Xinghe, on the other hand, didn't seem to feel anything and nodded generously: "If we can include that kind of film, The Carnal Prayer Mat does indeed occupy a special place in my memory."

"Geese, geese, geese, geese..."

A muffled, suppressed laugh echoed from inside the room.

"Cough cough!"

Wang Hongwei coughed again, feeling extremely exhausted.

But what could he do?
In order to become his beloved student's instructor, he had to try his best to smooth things over!

"That doesn't count... What are your thoughts on the resurgence and subsequent decline in popularity of 'A Chinese Odyssey'?"

This was an easy question that could be answered in any way, but coincidentally, Fang Xinghe had actually thought about it in depth.

Before "A Chinese Odyssey," Stephen Chow was unstoppable. In 92, all five of the top-grossing films in Hong Kong were made by Stephen Chow, and the media dubbed that year "the year of Stephen Chow."

As a result, "A Chinese Odyssey" not only failed at the box office, but also attracted a lot of criticism. The director left in guilt, Xi'an Film Studio did not approve of the film's quality, the composer requested not to be credited before the release, and Lu Shuming, who plays Guan Gong, still refuses to admit that he played the Bull Demon King.

The artistic value of "A Chinese Odyssey" far surpasses that of Stephen Chow's 92 box office hits, which were all scatological and terrible. However, audiences couldn't accept overly chaotic and avant-garde art. In the end, time gave "A Chinese Odyssey" a fair evaluation.

But what is the essence of this 'fairness'?
Many people think this is a kind of compensatory psychology of realizing something too late, but I don't think so.

I believe the essence of this matter is that the audience who paid real money for tickets did not get satisfaction and happiness from "A Chinese Odyssey," but the audience who later watched the free movie and pirated DVDs got enough satisfaction and happiness from it.

While there are certainly historical factors at play, the root cause is a very typical misalignment of expectations—the audience is expecting this, but what you're serving up is that.

Similar situations are quite common in the film industry. For example, "The Shawshank Redemption" had a terrible box office performance but received rave reviews. Countless viewers felt sorry for it. But would re-releasing it improve its box office performance?

I don't think so.

Ticket buyers are a very sensitive group, and you need a strong enough reason to get them to go to the cinema.

DVD viewers are a low-sensitivity group; half a reason is enough to get them to rent DVDs.

Therefore, Jet Li's Hollywood kung fu films did not perform well at the box office, but their DVD sales were exceptionally high. There is a very subtle psychological red line involved in this.

Once we understand the reason for and manifestation of this red line, we can know which point commercial films should focus on and in what areas they should compromise.

When Stephen Chow first took the lead in creating a film, he didn't compromise at all, focusing on too many aspects. This resulted in the original 90-minute script being expanded into two parts, far exceeding the limits of what theater audiences could handle. Even if it had been filmed and released this year, it certainly wouldn't have been able to beat "Shaolin Soccer"...

The examiners were shocked and moved.

"Shaolin Soccer" has just finished filming and has not yet been released, but the news has already spread like wildfire.

However, even those within the industry dare not predict how this film, which he personally directed, will perform.

Fang Xinghe is the only known public figure to rank football box office performance before Da Hua.

These outrageous remarks are truly appalling.

However, Fang Xinghe's logic forced them to think deeply.

Whether it's right or wrong is hard to judge for now, but it's true that it's unique enough, profound enough, and thought-provoking enough.

"You already have your own ideas about the movie..."

Xie Xiaojing sighed, her resolve to coax Fang Xinghe into the directing department only strengthened.

This ability to see the essence of things is extremely important and crucial for a director's profession, far more important than color or composition.

Xie Xiaojing even glanced at Wang Hongwei and thought: This kid is so impetuous, can he teach Fang Xinghe well?

Or, you can lead the next class, and I'll take the trouble to come myself?
The hairs on the back of Wang Hongwei's neck stood on end, and he immediately sensed something—he had been subjected to far too many similar gazes lately, and any provocation would trigger a reaction.

He dared not ask Fang Xinghe any more questions, and even skipped the comments, waving his hand with feigned composure: "Alright, next candidate, number 38!"

Fang Xinghe inexplicably sat back down in his original seat, feeling that this teacher was very strange.

Why are you looking at me like that?
What are you afraid of?
That's weird, I didn't start criticizing either...

Whether this question can be resolved depends not on Fang Xinghe himself, but on how thick-skinned and black-hearted Director Xie really is.

Fang Ge is indeed your brother; he's already changing the landscape of the major even before enrolling.

This little pond of Beijing Film Academy will be overturned by him sooner or later...

(End of this chapter)