Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 328 Da Mimi's Ambition
An expert will know if there is one as soon as he takes action.

With Boss Lu's targeted opinions from the perspective of commercial films and audiences, Zhang Yimou's professional team of screenwriters responded quickly and began to refine the script day and night.

In addition to Zhang Yimou, the crew of "Curse of the Golden Flower" seems to have a second backbone.

Knowing that Boss Lu had a good relationship with Zhang Yimou, screenwriters from the crew, such as Liu Heng, Wu Nan and Bian Zhihong, would bring food and wine to visit at night, under the pretext of improving the meals for their leader, and to ask for advice on script writing.

Also serving as another backbone, the work of the Olympic creative team led by the young director has gradually become smoother.

The authority of this relatively young director has been fully established during the two months of contact.

No one will be embarrassed anymore.

Judging by actions rather than intentions, no matter what some troublemakers think, we must always cooperate diligently in the work.

In addition to brainstorming, Boss Lu regularly coordinates the inquiries between China and the United States online, and then arranges and distributes them in different lines.

For example, Xi’an Cinema Line has already started a deal with the star-studded Lu Zheng;

Dongzi organized industry experts to travel almost all over the country, starting with the deployment of logistics and warehousing in first- and second-tier cities;
The North American question-and-answer industry arranged for Huang Anna to gradually begin making tentative offers to Marvel with the assistance of Harvey, Iger and others.

Given the latter's current sluggish state, it is certain that the price will be severely lowered to get it at the most cost-effective price.

All that remains is to closely monitor the battle between Blockbuster and Netflix and look for opportunities to enter the market.

As for the development of Twitter, he only gave the direction, and left the rest to Liu Yifei, Chen Shijun and others, otherwise he would be too busy to handle it.

As April approached, Hong Kong and Taiwan stars such as Chow Yun-fat and Jay Chou all joined the crew.

The filming of the revised script progressed smoothly, and Jiang Zhiqiang, Zhang Yimou and others were in a good mood.

All I can say is that some people who really get things done, whether for the Olympic creative team or the "Curse of the Golden Flower" crew, have demonstrated strong personal charm and leadership.

Such people will always push the people and things around them in a good direction.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the creative team members who had just finished discussing the implementation of several projects went out of the studio to "get some fresh air", ready to watch Zhang Yimou filming and change their minds. This is also a daily routine.

Jie Lun, who had no show today, suddenly appeared from nowhere and asked, "Ah Kuan, are you free?"

Boss Lu smiled and said, "You finally have a conscience. You know it was me who asked Director Zhang to give your Yuan Jie more scenes, right?"

"Just give me a few million, don't be so polite."

Jie Lun's face turned black: "Damn it! I want you to help me read a script."

"What book?"

The little king was a little shy, as if he was showing off his skills in front of Guan Gong. "This is a script I wrote myself. Please help me take a look at it."

Boss Lu smiled. Seeing that he had helped Zhang Yimou solve a problem, he wanted to get some professional advice on revisions.

The young director opened the script and it was the movie "Secret".

With an investment of around 1400 million RMB, the film grossed 3675 million RMB at the mainland box office and around 8000 million RMB worldwide.

"How is it?" Jay Chou couldn't help but keep asking when he saw his friend flipping through the book with an expressionless face.

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Want to sell the book?"

"Not for sale! I want to take the picture myself."

"Do you know how to be a director?"

The little superstar hit him with a hammer: "Damn it! You look down on me? Don't you have me? Can you find me an assistant director to help me?"

Lu Kuan didn't tease him much: "The script is creative, but it also has flaws."

"How to say?"

The young director pondered for a few seconds, but did not teach Ning Hao some Hollywood-style script content like he did.

"From a commercial film perspective, the emotional threads need to be optimized first. The daily scenes of Ye Xianglun and Lu Xiaoyu need to be strengthened. This will make their love more lifelike and the audience can empathize more."

"At the same time, in the plot where Lu Xiaoyu encounters misunderstandings due to time travel, we supplement her inner struggles with a more comprehensive description of her motivations and enhance the emotional tension."

Jay Chou's eyes lit up as he took notes, "Anything else?"

"The rest is just to refine the suspense element, after all, it is the core clue of the whole film."

"We could have laid out more foreshadowing in the early stages, for example, adding some subtle environmental cues to the scene where Lu Xiaoyu first appears."

"Or, as Ye Xianglun discovers Lu Xiaoyu's secret, we could add some misleading clues to the story, increasing the story's twists and turns and the audience's curiosity, so that the audience has a sudden realization after watching the film and keeps savoring it."

Lu Kuan closed the script and handed it back to him: "Why did you suddenly want to be a director?"

"I'm not the director, I wrote, directed and acted in it myself!" Jay Chou was a bit more cocky in front of his friends: "I have to thank you for casting me in Whiplash."

"I've been observing while shooting music videos over the past few years. Although it's not as complex as a movie, I've finally accumulated some experience in camera language and narrative."

"Just want to... give it a try?"

Boss Lu said with a smile: "It's normal for singers to develop in multiple fields. In fact, it's quite good for you to play some roles that are highly compatible with you, but if you want to make a movie, it's still this one..."

He frowned and pondered for a few seconds: "If we want to make this movie properly, the investment will not be less than 1200 million."

"Well, I've thought about it. I'm thinking of finding someone to invest." This is Jay Chou's normal idea. He would never use his own money to practice.

In the past two years, major music platforms have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and singers' copyright income has dropped sharply, which is visibly evident.

Apart from top singers like Jay Chou who can enjoy additional channels such as endorsements, commercial performances, and concerts, small and medium-sized singers and those who perform for love have basically changed their careers, while those who starve to death have starved to death.

"Okay, don't bother, just leave it to Wenjie."

Boss Lu certainly did not leave empty-handed. This "Secret" was mediocre in all aspects, except that Jay Chou's traffic effect was too strong, making it a blue chip stock.

Last year's "Chopin in November" sold about 300 million copies and was still the best-selling album in Asia. The so-called "going on stage to receive the award as soon as the nocturne sounded" happened at the 2006 Chinese Music Chart Awards Ceremony.

If "The Secret" is placed in the hands of the highly professional Wenjie Holdings in this life, the profits will only be maximized.

"If you insist on being a director, I can assign you an assistant director, or you can go and learn from Xue Xiaolu after the filming of Curse of the Golden Flower is finished."

"She's planning to start filming 'Those Years,' which has a similar subject matter to your script. The formula for commercial films is the same."

Jay Chou nodded thoughtfully: "Okay, I'll go to your place for further study."

Boss Lu nodded and said, "You can use your own salary and script as a stake in the film. It will be considered a joint production between JVR and Wenjie. You don't have to worry about any subsequent matters related to the film."

In addition to box office revenue, "Secret" also generated considerable revenue from derivative products such as the sale of audio-visual products.

Coupled with Jay Chou's popularity in Southeast Asia and the entire Asia, and with the Japanese and Korean sides of Golden Harvest and Pan Asia Film and Television Academy both able to assist in distribution, the revenue should be quite considerable.

Looking at Gong Li in the studio, with her aura of a queen who could only be her own, Jay Chou whispered, "Hey, how about you tell me about the play later?"

"What if Director Zhang can't teach you?"

"No, Director Zhang is great, but communication between us isn't smooth. Plus, my co-star Gong Li's acting is just...

Boss Lu glared and said, "She is the first generation of Mou Girl, and you are the first generation of Lu Male Wolf. How are you worse than her?"

"Jaylen, you can't embarrass me!"

Jay Chou touched his nose a little embarrassedly.

However, the young star is no longer the youthful man he was in 2002. He immediately fought back: "Mou girl, of course you want Lu girl to fight? You should let Yi Fei play!"

"Is it because you can't call it?"

Lin Ying, Shen Wei and others who came over to watch the fun all laughed, and the set was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Jay Chou saw that Boss Lu was smiling and pretending not to answer. He was about to make some more jokes when the stagehand's loud speaker blared, "Next is the audience with the prince at the Chrysanthemum Terrace. Everyone, please prepare."

"I'm going. If you have time later, please help me take a look. I'll ask you for your advice after the show."

"Okay, let's go."

In the main hall, four HMI lamps were suspended on a steel cable net. The tungsten filament tubes emitted a honey-colored halo through the soft light cloth, dyeing the entire steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony amber. Zhang Yimou's unique color ability was fully demonstrated, and everyone in the Olympic team was amazed.

It’s just a pity that the acting skills of the princes in this drama are far less sharp than the shadows of the glazed tiles on the eaves, and they start to have frequent NGs.

Qin Junjie and Liu Ye’s roles are not difficult and the performance is acceptable.

Mainly because Jay Chou, who revised the character image according to Boss Lu’s suggestion, has not been able to grasp it well.

He is suitable for the role of Fujiwara Takumi or the youthful, romantic, mysterious and literary role in "Secret".

Just like when Xiao Liu debuted as Wang Yuyan, Xiaolongnu, and Zhao Linger, there will never be any big mistakes if he plays himself.

From "The Drummer" to last year's "Initial D", this young superstar's main job is still a singer. It would be a compliment to say that his acting skills have not improved.

The creative team has returned to the studio to continue working, but from time to time they can hear Zhang Yimou's intercom voice: "Cut! One more.", "Jay Chou, eyes! Details!"

Boss Lu was organizing a discussion when suddenly the crew's deputy director Cheng Xiaodong came in with an embarrassed look on his face, lifting the curtain.

"Lu...Director Lu, Director Zhang asked me to invite you over."

"what happened?"

Cheng Xiaodong smiled apologetically, "After the character of Jie Lun has been enhanced, he may have some minor deviations in his understanding. Director Zhang would like you to go and explain the play."

Before Boss Lu could say anything, Ma Wen, the most lively one, started to tease him: "Director Lu, I seriously suspect that Director Zhang asked us to work on the crew just to use you as a free intellectual worker."

"Hahaha!"

Cai Guoqiang, Shen Wei and others also smiled bitterly and shook their heads. They had just finished discussing the first stanza of the art performance - ancient China's "Splendid Civilization".

I was worrying about what topic to use for the next stanza, "Glorious Era", which reflects the modern style of China.

Now you want to take away everyone's backbone, how can this be possible?
Painter Chen Danqing was the most rebellious: "This won't work! Both of the chief directors are off filming. How can we move forward with our work?"

Musician Chen Qigang was also a little dissatisfied: "Exactly, Director Lu just brought us to the key point, and you..."

Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya looked at each other and sighed in their hearts.

Before we knew it, the influence and leadership of this young director was evident in the scene before us.

Not to mention others, even these two troublemakers themselves now have to admit that some teams cannot function without their soul figure.

At least among this creative team of more than 20 people, only Zhang Yimou and Lu Kuan can frequently come up with creative ideas, judge the quality of programs reasonably and based on evidence, and evaluate the actual effects and feasibility.

The latter, due to the forward-looking perspective of later generations, always has a broader and more divergent vision.

These are the result of years of artistic accumulation and talent.

Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds, and then calmed down Chen Danqing and the others who were getting agitated: "I'll go take a look first, everyone, please be patient."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Only Marvin stood up with a smile. "Let's go join in the fun. We have nothing to do anyway."

"Maybe Director Lu can help solve the problem, and then we can bring Director Zhang back with us!"

Everyone smiled and once again transformed into a crowd of people taking photos and watching, and swarmed out.

In the studio, Jay Chou was wearing armor and listening to Zhang Yimou's instructions with a slightly dull look in his eyes.

"Jaylen, this still doesn't feel right. The complexity and modernity of this character have improved. You need to connect..."

"Director, Director Lu is here."

Lao Mouzi turned around, and a look of joy suddenly appeared on his face, which looked like a terracotta warrior: "Oh! Hurry up!"

He pulled Boss Lu aside and started chatting: "This scene is about three princes meeting the old emperor. All three of them have ulterior motives, and their expressions are different due to their different mentalities."

"You're the one who changed the script. Jie Lun and you're old partners. Please bear with me!"

Lao Mouzi was so desperate that he didn't treat Boss Lu as an outsider. After he finished speaking, he sat in front of the monitor and drank water from a large teapot.

It seems that I spent a lot of time talking about the play just now.

Boss Lu laughed in silence. You, the old man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, have become a deadbeat!
Jaylen smiled awkwardly and was about to say something, but the young director waved his hand and asked the cameraman to play the waste film for him a few times.

The young actor Qin Junjie, Golden Horse Award winner Liu Ye, and Zhou Runfa, who later disguised himself as a philanthropist, were all staring at him intently.

The latter waved to his assistant, indicating that he should go to the RV to prepare some fruits for him. This was the big-star treatment he had asked for from the "Curse of the Golden Flower" production team when signing the contract.

He was curious about this famous young director, but he was not very optimistic about him. He estimated that this delay would take quite some time.

I asked you to give Jay Chou more scenes, but he can’t perform well after that?

Waste of effort!

Boss Lu stroked his chin and looked at the waste film without saying a word. It was not because this scene was difficult to tell, but because he was considering how to tell it with the best cost-effectiveness.

In other words, he was thinking about how to quickly liberate Jay Chou, Zhang Yimou, and himself, so that everyone could do what they wanted to do.

An experienced director will naturally have very different ways of directing different actors.

In short, veterans provide the artistic conception, while novices provide the path.

When discussing a play with actors like Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Li Xuejian, the director should not only not talk too much, but should also leave them as much space as possible.

This can provide more possibilities for the role and leave room for excellent actors to create.

For example, in The Grandmaster, Wong Kar-wai said to Liang Chaowei: "Gong Er is like the shadow in your heart. This glance should have the weight of a farewell."

Liang Chaowei conveyed more complex emotions by simply adjusting the strength of his fingers touching the door frame.

When dealing with mature actors, such as Xiao Liu, who barely meets this standard now, we must give her clear dramatic conflicts and provide logical fulcrums.

For example, in "Better Days", Zeng Guoxiang instructed the little yellow duck: "After being bullied, the tears must not flow down, but must be held back in the eyes - this is Chen Nian's last stubbornness."

This sentence can also be said to be externalizing psychological state through physiological reactions, but not all actors can understand it, right?

When it comes to the extras who aren't professional actors, explaining the scene is even easier. Usually, the assistant director takes the lead: "Don't even think about acting. Just repeat how you argued with someone in the restaurant yesterday!"

What about entry-level actors like Jay Chou who started out as a singer and has almost no professional experience?
Not only do you have to explain the logic and path, but you also have to tell him directly how to act.

For new actors like this, what they need is the straightforwardness and specificity of "clenching your fist three times and then releasing it."

"Jie Lun, Yuan Jie is not just a loyal and filial prince. He is a victim of the alienation of imperial power. In this scene, you must at least show three layers of personality."

The surrounding actors and crew members were all stunned. What you said is different from what Director Zhang just said.

The first half of the sentence is the same, but the second half is missing.

"The first layer is the military commander's majesty in the sound of armor clashing, the second is the filial demeanor with lowered eyes and brows, and the third, a rebellious instinct that refuses to be manipulated, was altered after the script was written."

Boss Lu gave him two minutes to chew and understand, and then fed him the food directly to his mouth.

"The first two are easy to say. They are the foundation of your character, and the audience can appreciate your image through your costumes and makeup. But the last point requires the actor's ingenuity and creative details."

"I'll give you a few details, and you can use them as a reference."

The young director took the sword from Jay Chou and instantly switched to the state of Berlin Film Emperor.

"The white knuckles when gripping the hilt—is that a detail? Imagine the sting of your golden armor against your knees every time you kneel, a reminder that this military exploit is your only bargaining chip."

"And when the emperor hinted at removing your military power and praised your sword tassel, you adjusted it as if you were stroking your lover's hair, but your fingers were slightly stiff, a sign of the murderous intent deep within you."

"Also, when you're asked to stand up, try to lower your right shoulder blade two centimeters before standing up. This subtle muscle control creates a visual aftertaste of hesitation, allowing the audience to grasp the hint of the rift between father and son."

None of the three detailed suggestions are very difficult.

Except for the last one, perhaps it will take years of format training like Concubine Liu Yi to become more proficient in it.

But these few words of advice, like a revelation, exploded in Jaylen's ears, not only allowing him to quickly grasp the key points, but also making Zhou Runfa, who was standing beside him, shocked and confused.

Such acting guidance is tantamount to cramming the actors with quick lessons.

Even if you don't understand, you can imitate the movements I just mentioned a few times and you will be able to do it. If you are not proficient in acting and directing, you can't come up with designs of this level.

The layered guidance system not only respects the rules of performance, but also reflects the director's precise control over the creative materials.

A good director should be able to act as a translator for the actors, transforming abstract intentions into performance nutrients that they can swallow.

The artists of the Olympic Creative Team were also amazed. They believed that a great reputation was worthy of its name. The more they interacted with this young director, the more they discovered his overflowing talent.

The happiest person must be Zhang Yimou. He asked Jay Chou to rehearse a few times on his own first, and then told the photographer about the close-up motion capture techniques mentioned above, and then started shooting.

One click, two keep, three pass.

The whole audience applauded, encouraging Jay Chou and the young director who solved the problem so calmly.

Beside the studio, Yang Mi looked at the company's big star who came to visit with a look of curiosity.

It only took her half an hour from the time she called to arrive!
It is obvious that he has other intentions and is using himself as a cover-up!
Bingbing chatted casually with Yang Mi in the bunker. Her target was naturally the young director whom she hadn't seen for several months.

She couldn't wait to come here as the filming of "The Disciples", a collaboration between Wenjie and Yinghuang, had just finished.

But things are different now.

From the mental slavery and torture after the birthday incident to watching his frequent interactions with Liu Yifei in recent months, the feelings in Bingbing's heart cannot be described by simple bitterness.

Downstairs of the Fox Center in Manhattan, he said in front of the whole world, "I'm pursuing her", which made her jealous and crazy!

Bingbing's knuckles unconsciously rubbed the tea stains on the rim of the thermos, his tongue tip pressed against the cracks of the throat lozenge in his mouth, and his thoughts drifted away.

Just now, watching Boss Lu explaining the play to Jay Chou, the famous actress couldn't help but recall the filming of "Shoplifters" three years ago, which is still vivid in her mind.

The man poked at the image of a roaring tyrant in the storyboard manuscript with a pencil, and the splashed coffee left brown stains on the A4 paper.

He always manages to carve harshness that goes straight to the heart into art; even the parabola of the script looks like a carefully designed camera trajectory.

"Sister Bingbing?"

"Ok?"

The famous actress came back to her senses and looked at Yang Mi calmly: "Director Zhang's crew, why is Director Lu also here directing?"

Yang Mi explained with a smile: "He helped Jay Chou change some of the scenes for his character, and the character's action chain became a bit more complicated, so he was invited to help."

"Oh."

Bingbing saw him leading a group of people towards the shed next to the crew. He coughed and was about to go over to say hello when he was suddenly stopped by Yang Mi.

"Sister Bingbing, you can't go there."

"What do you mean?"

"Director Lu and his team are discussing the Olympic plan. Didn't you see how tightly they're surrounded by security? Besides Director Zhang, only Cheng Xiaodong was allowed to get through."

Bingbing said "oh" expressionlessly, then looked at Yang Mi with a smile as beautiful as a flower: "Mi Mi, where will the crew stay tonight? I'm not leaving today, I'm going directly to Lin'an to participate in the event tomorrow."

Yang Mi naturally knew everything: "Sister Bingbing, we live in the VIP building."

The astute Da Mimi immediately tried to test him: "But the VIP building is almost full. How about you take the trouble to stay in a room with me?"

"The company helped me open a suite, it's quite big."

"Oh, don't bother you. I'll stay in the city if the hotel is full."

Da Mimi secretly complained in her heart that it had to be such a big star who dared to fight and kill.

I've been silently preparing myself for more than ten days, and I still haven't dared to knock on the guide's door.

They just rushed over without any hesitation.

really not?
At least Bingbing himself doesn't think so.

Even if it was under the pretext of visiting the company's young actress Yang Mi and getting acquainted with the famous director Zhang Yimou.

But if he hadn't nodded, would I dare to come?

Thinking back on the crazy ambition he had unleashed at the birthday party when he gambled everything, it initially resulted in a lose-lose situation for him and Concubine Liu Yi.

He was forced to offer himself as a handle that could push him into the abyss at any time.

Concubine Liu Yi also left because of an emotional rift that was almost irreparable.

But now?

She actually carried out the man's plan perfectly and officially established her position in Huayi.

Apart from the core director Feng Xiaogang, among the artists, I am the one who has my own fashion resources and maximum commercial value. I have obtained the largest shares and am still planning.

Look at yourself today, stunning at international film festivals, radiant in front of the podium.

She is a standout among the female artists of Huayi Company and a modern queen in the domestic entertainment and fashion world.

It seemed that her purpose of raiding Su Province at night in 2002 and sacrificing everything to him in the hotel had almost been achieved.

All that remained was that night in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the Ideal International Building, when Boss Lu described to her an infinitely imaginative future.

A future where she can transform from an actress into capital, allowing her to complete a class leap and ride on the heads of all those who have bullied her.

But when I look back, it’s just like the words he gave himself in “The Queen of Guillotines”.

I also paid a lot of price.

How could a rising star be willing to commit suicide in this way?
To her, that man is the guarantee of everything. She dare not let go, let alone want to let go.

However, after going through those inhuman mental tortures, Bingbing's mentality is now even more humble, and he only dares to test it cautiously...

Lu Kuan was unaware that she had arrived, and continued to moderate the discussion with Zhang Yimou, who had finished filming the climax scene.

The discussions during this period have actually been under the control of the young director, because he is most familiar with the feasibility and actual effects of some programs.

It’s just that sometimes it’s not easy to spoil the plot in advance.

For example, the performance of the program in which the performers sing while beating drums has now been widely opposed by the team.

Professor Xu Jiahua of Shanghai Theatre Academy said that the ninth line of the Li line of the Book of Changes records: At dusk, if one does not beat drums and sing, it will lead to the sighing of an elderly person, which is a bad omen.

This passage reflects the folk custom at that time, that is, people would play drums and sing songs to comfort the elderly who were about to die, and wish the deceased a safe and peaceful journey.

If it is a murder weapon, how could it be used at the opening ceremony?
Then it was proposed to use the zhu, a square percussion instrument played with a wooden stick, which was used in court music.

"柷" is a symbol of elegance, representing the beginning. It is more suitable than "缶" in both connotation and extension.

No matter how broad the road is, it cannot stop the surging public sentiment. We can only let them debate for now. In short, the final conclusion will have to be repeatedly established and overturned.

He knew that people would not cherish things that were too easy to obtain. Only by throwing out ideas when people were in dire straits could he make a final decision and speed up the discussion of the creative team.

Boss Lu coordinated the discussion: "Since Professor Xu has already asked ancient music experts to conduct research, let's focus on the next issue. I think it's a very important one."

"If the opening ceremony proposal consists of two verses, everyone has obviously noticed that our first half, depicting the ancient 'Splendid Civilization', is excellent. What about the second half?"

The outline of the plan submitted to the leadership for the opening ceremony has been finalized, or in other words, it will undoubtedly explain the cultural context from the perspectives of ancient China and modern China.

But what is somewhat embarrassing is that there are so many core cultural elements in ancient China that it even makes it difficult to choose.

But the modern part is somewhat lackluster, lacking such top achievements of human civilization as bronze ware, the Four Great Inventions, Chinese characters, and Chinese paintings.

Zhang Yimou nodded in agreement: "It's the same for movies, articles, and evening parties. The first 10% and the last 10% are the most important."

"If we can't perform the modern China section in the second half to the same standard as in the first half, it will undoubtedly give people the impression that the film is top-heavy. That would be a failure of our directorial team and the entire creative team."

Everyone in the conference room fell silent, and no one really had any good solution.

Historical reasons have led to the decline of modern Chinese culture. It is only in the past three decades that we have stepped onto the world stage and stood tall among the nations of the world.

Lu Kuan lowered his head and pondered without saying anything, letting everyone's thoughts ferment.

For him, the Wenjie team chose independent innovation in the opening ceremony presentation and did not plagiarize the programs of later generations of the Beijing Olympics.

The reason why Boss Lu participated in this bidding with integrity was not because he was aloof.

Instead, he truly regarded the Olympics as an opportunity to break through the bottleneck of his directorial career and seek a higher level of success under the terrifying pressure of thinking.

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in later generations can still be said to be astonishing and unprecedented in terms of the technological level at that time.

Perhaps removing the “one of” from “one of the best opening ceremonies in history” would not, from an objective point of view, cause much objection.

A total of 11 billion people around the world watched the live broadcast, and NBC in the United States had a viewership rating of 21.5%, setting a record for the opening ceremony of a non-national Olympic Games.

The BBC said that this was the most spectacular performance in human history;
The French newspaper L'Equipe believes that Beijing has redefined the possibilities of the opening ceremony;
IOC President Jacques Rogge praised it as unparalleled and unique.

But is it really flawless?

The issue raised by the young director today that has left everyone silent is precisely the biggest flaw!

Throughout the first half, the extremely rich and brilliant cultural elements of our ancestors gave artists space for free creation.

2008 warriors struck drums like thunder, and the bronze sound waves penetrated time and space;
The movable type array rises and falls like waves, and the evolution of the character "和" (harmony) revive the soul of Chinese characters in mechanical rhythm;

A giant LED scroll unfolds a landscape in ink painting, while dancers paint with brushes, activating the codes of 5,000 years of civilization between reality and illusion.

The Tai Chi circle moves like the orbits of stars in the universe, combining hardness and softness to interpret Eastern philosophy.

This extreme dialogue between classic and modern, using ultimate technology and ingenuity, allowed the world to understand the magnificent genes and poetic soul of Chinese civilization in 50 minutes.

But what about the second half?
The show "Starlight" features 2008 actors wearing silver costumes inlaid with LED lights, forming a "cosmic galaxy" formation, simulating the flow of stars and the rotation of the Milky Way through changes in light.

The imagery is too abstract and lacks specific cultural anchors.

The program "Nature" features 2008 green-clad dancers forming a "Bird's Nest" shape, simulating natural images such as flying birds, forests, and rivers through body movements.

The environmental protection theme is expressed rather directly, lacking the narrative level of "using technology to convey the truth" like the first half of "The Scroll".

The "Dream" program, which includes Lang Lang playing piano music and the background of projections of smiling faces drawn by 1000 children, is warm but lacks impact.

It's too top-heavy and the pacing is quite slow.

For Lu Kuan, who has great artistic intentions and ambitions, of course his joining also hopes that his participation can make this life's Bei Ao better.

His most important job is to use his forward-looking vision and the combination of technology and art similar to that in science fiction films to make the second half of the opening ceremony fuller and more lingering, bringing the overall effect to a higher level.

At the conference table in the studio, Boss Lu rejected the initial ideas of the three programs mentioned above one after another. He didn't want the artists present to go into a dead end.

Zhang Jigang couldn't help but speak out: "Director Lu, how about you tell me what you think?"

He was not nitpicking, but the team had been really racking their brains over this issue for the past few days, and now was the time to demonstrate the abilities of the director and chief planner.

You can either give everyone an anchor point for divergent thinking, or directly give your general ideas, and artists from different fields will supplement and improve them. Finally, technical talents such as Lin Ying will evaluate the feasibility of the ideas.

"I do have an idea right now, let's listen to it first."

Everyone sat upright.

"This show is called 'A Thousand Lights'. Through a retractable stage and a miniature model theater, hundreds of 1:100 scale city cubes rise in the center of the venue. Different scenes are displayed through micro-projections in each cube."

"For example, elderly people in Beijing courtyards listen to the live broadcast of the Olympics on the radio, young people in Shanghai's alleys watch Liu Xiang's competitions in internet cafes, and factory workers in Shenzhen use Nokia phones to film fireworks..."

"At the end, all the 'city blocks' rose up, revealing a giant wall of smiling faces made up of extras underneath. This was based on the smiling faces photographed at the opening ceremony, but was instead filmed in real time and projected onto the floor screen by the audience."

While the others were still pondering, Zhang Yimou's eyes lit up the more he listened: "This is a super-large-scale multi-voice and split-screen montage!"

Chen Weiya slammed the table and said, "The giant wall of smiling faces echoes the smiling face images we agreed on for the opening ceremony. Director Lu, this is the looping of the upper and lower stanzas of a Song Dynasty poem. In your movie, it's called..."

"It's called a circular narrative." Zhang Jigang seemed excited. "I agree with this plan. One of the slogans of our Olympics this time is 'People's Olympics.' Thousands of Lights focuses on people's lives, which fits this concept."

Ma Wen is an artist from New York with a very international perspective: "In fact, modern Western society still has a prejudice against the mainland, with its centralized power and individual confrontation. The micro-narrative of this show is very good and easy to resonate with."

The artists became more and more excited as they spoke. Fireworks master Cai Guoqiang was the first to applaud, and Boss Lu waved his hand to signal everyone to stop the flattery.

"Let's talk about the technical issues."

"I have been arranging the technical team of Butian Films to search and record international cutting-edge art technologies. Earlier this year, Nihon Sega launched a holographic projection theater."

"For the 'city cube' I just mentioned, let's first see if holographic projection can be realized. If the current world-leading technology doesn't work, we can consider combining Barco's water curtain technology with LED liquid crystals."

Boss Lu turned to Lin Ying and Lu Jiankang and said, "Could you please contact the relevant companies as soon as possible and fax them the technical specifications?"

"If the venue needs to build hardware facilities at that time, we will have to notify the Bird's Nest construction company as soon as possible."

Lin Ying and the other person nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yimou concluded with a smile: "I have just been imagining the actual scene of this show in my mind."

"It avoids grand industrial narratives and focuses on the changes in the lives of ordinary Chinese people in the 2000s, from hutong courtyards to high-rise communities, from bicycle traffic to the widespread use of mobile phones, showing the 'people-oriented' style of the era."

"Director Lu, can you come up with an introduction for this program? When we report on it, the leaders should be able to understand its essence at a glance."

Boss Lu pondered for two seconds. "How about this micro-epic about universal prosperity and the digital age?"

The country's major policies are presented through technical means, while also taking into account the emotional resonance of people around the world.

There was applause again, and the motion was passed unanimously.

There are only 3-4 programs in the modern part of the second half. Now that we have the first one, I believe that with this idea of ​​combining technology with modernity, the artists' thinking will diverge quickly.

In fact, Boss Lu has two contingency plans in mind, but they may involve spoilers for time travelers, so we have to wait until the time is approaching and cannot mention them now.

He only takes a step-by-step approach and slowly guides everyone onto the right path.

The creative team's discussion here was in full swing, while on the other side, as the sky gradually darkened, Yang Mi, who had already finished filming and work, was struggling with her conscience.

Her sister Bingbing stayed in another high-end hotel in Hengdian, and her purpose was self-evident.

Da Mimi felt a little unwilling. She had hesitated for so long and had not had the courage to truly devote herself, but her senior sister from the same school had taken the lead.

The clever girl couldn't help but wonder if Fan Bingbing's fashion resources, which any Chinese actress would envy, were grafted from this young director?
She naturally didn't know that Bingbing had paid the price of having his soul imprisoned and bribed, and she took it for granted that with her tender and sexy body and extraordinary courage, she should be able to climb this ladder to heaven.

Before leaving the crew, Yang Mi glanced at the Olympic Creative Team's residence, which was still brightly lit, and returned to the hotel in a somewhat dazed state.

In the bathroom, Da Mimi, who had just finished taking a shower, wiped the water stains off her body with a heavy heart. When she touched her smooth skin and heavy breasts, she thought of the ambiguous and charming moments in the linen room last year and couldn't help touching herself.

Water vapor twisted into transparent vines on the mirror surface. She stretched out her index finger, drew an arc of light in the mist, and looked at herself in the mirror.

The corners of her eyes, reddened by the heat, were now tinged with the color of a crabapple blossom. Her long, damp hair curled around her shoulders, and drops of water from the ends of her hair were slowly sliding down the hollow of her collarbone.

How is this person in the mirror worse than Concubine Liu Yi?

She was just relying on the fact that she knew Lu Kuan earlier!

Why do I put myself in the most passive role of sexual exchange right from the start?
That’s the richest man! That’s a genius director!
Why can't I get him fairly and stand together openly?
She saw Bingbing's cautiousness and fear on the set today. The smart-minded Da Mimi was somewhat resistant to such a humble attitude deep down in her heart.

She figured she should at least give it a try.

A man wouldn't get furious or even kill himself just because a girl throws herself at him, right?

At most, it is just ruthless manipulation and rejection.

But as soon as this thought came to her mind, a pretty face appeared in her mind without surprise.

How can we get over the huge mountain of Concubine Liu Yi?

Da Mimi suddenly had a very dangerous idea, but she seemed to have some psychological sense of security that she was in the dark.

She walked out of the bathroom naked, tiptoeing and trembling a little.

Then she took out another phone from her bag, the number of which no one knew, and from the phone she usually used, she found the number marked as "best friend Liu Yifei" and started typing a text message...

(End of this chapter)