Generation Z Artists

Chapter 240 Launch Press Conference and Closure

When other people make movies, at most a few entertainment media outlets come to visit.

At the press conference for the launch of Fang Xinghe's film, nearly 100 media outlets attended—from Europe, America, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, and even some reporters from Hong Kong and Taiwan quietly huddled in the back.

The problems are naturally varied.

Wang Charlie is already very experienced in hosting these kinds of press conferences, and he arranged for his own media to be at the front.

The questions from Jilin TV and Jilin Daily were quite standard, giving Director Fang ample opportunity to introduce the project.

"Better Days is a pure love story with school bullying as its theme. The novel of the same name will be released on April 1st next year, and it will most likely be my last work on the theme of youth..."

Fang Xinghe deliberately obscured whether "the last one" referred to a movie or a novel, in order to generate public anticipation.

Anything becomes more valuable when it's given the title of "last". The domestic box office of "You Are My Destiny" is basically supported by young people, so the cunning boy has started to make arrangements in advance again.

After all the simple questions were answered, the eager media began to get to the point.

Sina News: "Director Fang, you are a new director yourself, yet you've used a large number of new actors. Aren't you afraid of messing things up? What makes you think that Ms. Liu Yifei and Ms. Yang Mi can deliver a performance that satisfies the public?"

The question was directed at the two of them, but the camera never left Fang Xinghe.

If a press conference doesn't have anything interesting to offer, then it's a waste of time.
Director Fang immediately made a boastful statement: "I don't have high requirements for the directing of 'Young You,' 90 points is enough. But I have extremely high requirements for the performances of 'Young You,' anything below 95 points is considered a failure on my part."

As for where this confidence comes from...

I believe the new actors I've chosen are the perfect fit for the roles in the script. They may not be fully mature yet, but they will definitely unleash unimaginable potential and captivate audiences and professional judges alike…

Liu Yifei: (⊙⊙)
Yang Mi: (⊙⊙)
The two girls were already nervous, and when Fang Xinghe said those words, they froze completely.

Aba aba, we...

Liu Yifei sat upright, her fists clenched tightly, while Yang Mi straightened her back and tried to force a calm smile.

But actually, my brain is about to explode from the pressure.

As newcomers to the entertainment industry, where had they ever seen someone as stressed as Fang Xinghe?
The media snapped away with their cameras, capturing the uneasy expressions of the two future superstars. In the middle was Fang Xinghe, who raised an eyebrow. She was later described by their fans as "a tyrant and his first victims."

These media outlets are wicked; they know that you can only hear two kinds of things from Fang Xinghe's mouth—either bragging or showing off. Although they have sales, their perspectives aren't necessarily fresh, and those two newbies are clearly easier to bully.

So, everyone started asking the two newcomers questions.

"Ms. Liu Yifei, as a complete newcomer who just returned to China, how did you manage to get this role? As Director Fang's first film, it has attracted worldwide attention, and so many outstanding students from professional acting schools and even established actors auditioned. Do you think you won it based on your abilities?"

Whose house is this? They're so good at digging holes.
Fang Xinghe turned his head and looked over. Oh, it was NetEase. That made sense.

He could have stopped her or helped answer her questions, but he didn't. Instead, he smiled and handed the microphone to Nenxian.

The little girl's knuckles turned white from gripping the microphone so tightly.

"Actually, I don't know why I was chosen, but Director Fang believed in me, and I felt I should believe in him too. Perhaps I'm really perfect for the role of Chen Nian?"

The NetEase reporter immediately followed up with, "So do you really think you can meet Director Fang's expectations?"

"I can do it!" the little girl nodded vigorously. "I won't let the director down!"

It's pretty conventional, but it's very ambitious.

Gentlemen, please remember her sunshine and gratitude at this moment...

On the other hand, Yang Mi was also asked the question.

"Ms. Yang Mi, according to the script synopsis, Wei Lai is a vicious female villain. We heard that you are the leader of your high school's starry sky group and often have conflicts with other fan groups. Is it this experience that gives you the confidence to play Wei Lai well?"

Yang Xiaomi was so angry that her cheeks turned square.

What words!

But at this moment, she didn't have the courage to confront the media; she simply became a girl with a fake smile.

"My confidence and strength come from Director Fang. I do exactly what he asks. As for the adjustments I make for the sake of the performance, those are things I must learn to be a good actor..."

In short, I'm Fang Ge's good boy. I'll do whatever Fang Ge tells me to do!

Seeing that the usual questions were no match for them, the media prepared to escalate the challenge.

As a result... foreign media didn't give them a chance at all.

Fang Xinghe's filming is a big deal; at least until the first film is officially released, global entertainment media will keep an eye on it.

Today, media outlets from all over the world have come to the scene with their own questions.

The Boston Justice newspaper started with a bombshell: "Star River, I think you've officially received the news that O'Neal refused to fight you in the Octagon, but you haven't responded."

Now, would you be willing to share your stance with us? The entire American society is paying close attention to this…

In fact, this matter has been going on for a long time, but Fang Xinghe has not given any interviews, keeping the world's entertainment enthusiasts hanging for nearly a month.

The reason? Don't ask, the answer is we're just waiting for this press conference.

Why not capitalize on the free publicity and become a paid shill?
Therefore, although this was not a film issue, Fang Xinghe still gave a complete and detailed response.

"My information is that the league officials do not allow this fight to take place, and Mr. Stern specifically called me to explain why they are stopping it."

According to certain rules, league players are prohibited from engaging in any sports that are harmful to their health during the offseason.

Shaquille O'Neal is the league's second-best player after I retired, according to official stance.

Furthermore, the insurance company also holds a negative view of this duel, believing it could cause enormous damage... but who would be harmed?

As is widely known, I have not purchased any commercial insurance in the United States…

"Hahahaha!"

The audience burst into laughter; any reporter who understood English was amused by Fang Ge's blatant mockery.

The Boston reporter laughed heartily; he even decided to put Fang Xinghe's speech at the top of the list—on the front page of the newspaper.

However, at this moment, Fang Ge's speech was less than halfway through.

"Although this is the official explanation and request made to me, we have all seen what happened before - when facing media interviews, Shaq has always been tough and clamored that he would teach me a lesson."

But in fact, we have never received any news from Shaq's management team about actively promoting the progress of the game.

I have urged the UFC to connect with Shaq many times, and their response has always been: Shaq is carefully considering it, and we believe there will be good news soon...

Shaq is giving it serious consideration... he's been thinking about it for a full six months!
What was the final result?
The league intervened and prevented the game from taking place.

Shaq immediately responded: "Oh, I'm very sorry, but as the league's star player, I have to consider more things and take on various responsibilities..."

Gentlemen, Shaq has gone to take responsibility, and that's why the game didn't happen as planned.

My attitude?

Praise the NBA, praise the Federal Insurance Company, praise Shaq the tough guy!
They successfully wasted my entire summer vacation, which I had planned to do for a global book tour to meet my fans up close.

But now, everything is gone. I'm going to start making movies. Wish me luck, and congratulate him too. Tough guy Shaq has dodged a bullet.

Finally, please also congratulate Kobe on my behalf—I heard that Shaq tried to lose weight this summer, although it was just for show. But at least he no longer has to drag along a lazy, fat guy. Congratulations!

"If the Lakers win the championship next year, remember to send me a championship ring. You should understand the role I played." "Hahahaha!"

The American media no longer laughed out loud, but instead chuckled slyly.

At this moment, they could already predict how Los Angeles would react when it saw this news.

In fact, there were Los Angeles media present, but they were restricted by the authorities... How about a major censorship?
The Washington media were the next to get a chance to ask a question.

Actually, this was a tacit understanding. Many American media outlets pushed the Boston media to the forefront, hoping that he would ask the question that would offend Shaq the most.

The Washington Post: "Star River, the new season is about to begin. Will you take the time to collect your ring and play in your first regular season game? The people of Washington miss you very much."

Early October...

Fang Xinghe thought for a moment and nodded: "I will go. I also miss the people of Washington. Their support for me gave me an extraordinary sense of triumph."

The media exclaimed in surprise.

Fang Xinghe never conforms to the norm. Others might say, "I felt the warmth of home," in this situation, but Fang Xinghe doesn't. He puts himself in the highest position in every word he says.

The American media loves him more than Madonna, Cruise, Jordan, Woods, or even the 80s.

The New York Times finally stopped focusing on basketball and started asking serious questions about movies.

With "Hero" set for a simultaneous global release, what about the new movie? Will it also be released worldwide?

"Yes."

Fang Xinghe nodded slightly.

"This is a story about bullying, love, and redemption."

It sounds cliché, but all the elements coexist in all countries, all societies, and all ways of life.

Therefore, this is an artistic love story that can be understood and empathized with by people of any culture, ethnicity, and region.

I will do my best to achieve a simultaneous global release, and present Fang Xinghe's first film, a work full of sincerity and dedication, to my fans.

As for the timing... let's set it for next summer, after I conquer Cannes.

"Wow!"

A commotion immediately erupted from the audience.

This was the first time Fang Xinghe publicly declared his ambitions for the top three European countries.

With his first film, an unfinished work that had not yet begun filming.

The Cannes jury members won't be offended by this arrogance, but film enthusiasts will.

It's easy to imagine that when the film is finally released, moviegoers from all over the world will scrutinize it with the most critical eyes, looking for its flaws.

A commotion broke out in the media section, with everyone raising their hands and wanting to ask the next question.

Ultimately, the opportunity was seized by Radio France Internationale.

"Director Fang!"

The reporter was so excited he kept licking his lips.

"If I understand correctly, you mean... not only will your very first film be aiming for the highest award in the pantheon of cinematic art, but you also have complete confidence in achieving that goal?"

This is big news; in the film industry, it's enough to make headlines worldwide.

In fact, many reporters had already prepared headlines: Star River makes another outrageous statement, aiming for Cannes and determined to win gold!

Or, to make it even more sensational—Fang Xinghe covets Cannes and declares he'll take it by force…

Yes, that's right, it's Hong Kong media again.

Returning to the question itself, the French journalist's summary is quite accurate; Fang Xinghe thinks so too, and he admits it as well.

"Yes, I will get a little golden statuette... Does the Cannes trophy have a golden statuette? Never mind, that's not important."

In short, the film world will rejoice at my arrival, just as it did with my conquest of the NBA. Cannes, Venice, Berlin, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars will all feel genuine joy and relief that I am willing to dedicate myself to the film industry…”

Fang Xinghe remained calm and composed despite being surrounded by dozens of guns and cannons.

His expression was neither serious nor playful; it was as if he were chatting with friends, sharing his confident views on something.

Because it is natural, it is peaceful.

The barrage of camera flashes didn't make him blink, nor did the gasps of surprise cause him to pause for a second.

After finishing his last sentence, he said, "Look forward to seeing my movie. It may not be the best, but it will definitely be good enough. It is the first collaboration between writer Fang Xinghe and director Fang Xinghe. It is my childhood, and it is also your childhood."

The press conference ended in a less-than-satisfactory atmosphere.

How could the media possibly have their fill?
They still have so many important questions to ask; they will never be satisfied.

But the big news has already spread all over the world.

The cancellation of the octagon fight left fans feeling very disappointed and even angry.

But they are unlikely to vent their anger on Fang Xinghe, after all, Fang has already taken the initiative enough.

Of course, they couldn't really vent their frustrations on Shaq either—O'Neal stepped forward for an interview, replying with great grievance: "Nobody agreed to let me play this game. I have a contract, and nobody cares that I fucking trained hard for this all summer!"

The reporters were speechless when they saw Shaq's noticeably thinner frame.

Okay, he does seem to have tried really hard...

Then the league that took the blame was criticized by the American media for a whole week, while Shaq escaped this ordeal.

But what's even more interesting is...

In this year's NBA opening game, the Wizards were paired with the Lakers.

The media has received confirmation from Fang Xinghe himself that he will return to Washington to participate in the game.

Half of America is starting to look forward to that day, that moment.

But before that day, Fang Xinghe's movies were the main focus.

The media were extremely enthusiastic about reporting on everything related to it, but the production crew completely closed off the area on the first day of filming.

Logically speaking, given the difficulty of filming this movie, the quick-draw expert could have completed all the shots within 15 days.

Fang Xinghe had been preparing for four whole months.

For the first month, we did nothing but one thing—training and isolation.

The literal meaning and the literal meaning of closure.

***********
My body is really not doing well. It's just a tiny ailment, and I haven't recovered in two days.

(End of this chapter)