The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 26 When foreigners found out about this, they thought we couldn’t afford to film it!
……

After Zhao Shanshan left, Xin Yukun went out and found Lu Zhiyuan sketching on a small hillside with a drawing board.

This is Lu Zhiyuan’s habit.

Xin Yukun didn't know if other directors had any quirks, but Lu Zhiyuan always retained the habits of an art student.

Compared to cameras, he prefers to use paintbrushes to record his inspiration.

"Ayuan, why don't you become a painter? It would be great if you could become a painter."

Xin Yukun sighed.

If Lu Zhiyuan became a painter, he would feel that he had done a great deed, driving away a genius and a pervert for the director circle and the photographer circle.

They will definitely be grateful to themselves.

"Most painters only become famous after they die. Besides, the competition to be a painter is so fierce. You can't even imagine how talented those people can be."

"Being a director is different. The threshold is ridiculously low. As long as you can fool the investors, you're halfway to success."

“And in this regard, I think I’m quite talented.”

That makes sense!

After hearing what Lu Zhiyuan said, Xin Yukun suddenly felt that the profession of director was indeed very cost-effective.

The competition is not fierce either.

As long as you can fool the investors, it's fine.

He felt that he was also very talented in this regard.

After all, I have been by Lu Zhiyuan's side for so long and have learned a few tricks from him.

"By the way, Ayuan...just now, why didn't you mention it to President Zhao and ask her to increase the budget? Add an extra 100 million or something."

Xin Yukun calculated that the investment of 300 million was a bit tight.

The most important thing is that he was afraid that Lu Zhiyuan's old illness would relapse. He would wait for two hours to shoot a shot, just to find the feeling of flowing light that he liked.

"Brother Kun, do you know? According to historical data, in order to win an award at Cannes, the cost of the film should be less than $50."

"It's incredibly difficult to win an award at Cannes for a work worth over $50."

Lu Zhiyuan did not directly answer Xin Yukun's words, but instead slapped Xin Yukun in the face with cold data.

Leaving him speechless.

Works with a budget of more than $50 are easily considered by judges to be commercial films rather than auteur films.

Lu Zhiyuan didn’t know what the judges were thinking, but the data was there.

"you……"

Xin Yukun really wanted to ask, how did you know?
But he suddenly realized that the mind of a genius was not something that a mortal like him could understand.

It is better not to ask this question, so as not to humiliate yourself.

Xin Yukun changed the subject and whispered, "Just now, in the third clip, Zhao Shanshan, an outsider, didn't notice it, but I couldn't hide it. The photography technique you used is a bit like Wang Xiaoshuai's 'Winter and Spring Days.'"

“Although that work is shot in black and white and you used a digital SLR camera to shoot, the cold and rigid composition and the aesthetic of spatial confinement are almost identical to those in ‘Winter and Spring Days’.”

"what are you thinking?"

The reason why Xin Yukun thinks Lu Zhiyuan is a pervert is because this guy is completely a copy ninja.

Even if he cannot reproduce the photography techniques that domestic directors are good at in exact proportion, he can at least restore 70% to 80%.

In Xin Yukun's view, Lu Zhiyuan is a crazy scientist.

Doing various experiments.

However, his experimental materials are the photography techniques of various directors.

When shooting commercials and participating in photography competitions at school, Lu Zhiyuan consciously integrated these techniques.

However, it's still very raw.

When he filmed the MV for Jing Tian, ​​he already had a very obvious personal style.

And now, his style has changed 180 degrees.

In the short clip just now, he used a lot of empty shots, repeatedly showing the bare fields outside the village in winter and the burning haystacks.

This is a metaphor for the spiritual wasteland after the collapse of faith, which is depressing and makes people feel lost.

It echoes the theme of "Maze of the Heart".

Absolutely amazing.

It made Xin Yukun's scalp tingle.

At this moment, Xin Yukun knew that Lu Zhiyuan had started doing experiments again, but he was not sure what experiment he was doing, so he couldn't help but want to ask.

Even if you are being treated as a tool, you should have some right to know, right?

"There's no other reason. I simply feel that this style, as the tone of the film, is more likely to win awards. That's what Cannes loves."

After finishing speaking, Lu Zhiyuan thought for a moment and added, "I don't know much about our foreign competitors, but our main domestic competitor should be 'Spring Breeze Intoxicated Night' directed by Lou Ye."

"Director Lou Ye?"

Xin Yukun blinked, then suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh. "Wait a minute, Wang Xiaoshuai is directing 'Winter and Spring Days', and Lou Ye seems to be the male lead."

The former leading actor of art films has transformed himself into a director, making art films and also going to Cannes to compete.

So dramatic!

understood.

Everything made sense now. Xin Yukun, seemingly figuring something out, suddenly became excited. "So, you think Director Lou Ye can win the award? You want to steal his spot?"

Coming from the same sect, Lu Zhiyuan has stronger skills, the script of "Maze of the Heart" is more solid, and the story is more universal.

An unidentified body in a small mountain village, an accident or murder?

This story could happen anywhere in the world.

A solid script, coupled with Lu Zhiyuan's eccentric photography skills...

Sorry, Director Lou Ye.

When you encounter such an opponent, please allow me to observe three seconds of silence for you!
"No no no."

Lu Zhiyuan shook his head. "In fact, it's difficult for us to replace him. After all, Cannes has its own unspoken rules. Before filming began, our film didn't receive investment from the French Southern Fund, and it wasn't a Sino-French co-production. It was very difficult for us to win the major awards in the main competition units."

There are unspoken rules everywhere in the world, and the three major international film festivals are no exception.

"My requirements are very low, as long as I am shortlisted, that's enough."

Unless he wins the Palme d'Or, he won't be considered the first in Cannes, and for Lu Zhiyuan, there won't be any reward.

Therefore, he is not very interested in winning the award itself.

The main purpose is to obtain massive free publicity from domestic media, and then find an unpopular time slot to release the film and win the box office championship.

Monthly box office champion, of course the best.

If there is no such thing, he won’t pick the weekly box office champion or the single-day box office champion.

Just get first place.

In this day and age, as long as a movie wins awards abroad, domestic media will not criticize it casually. It will definitely receive rave reviews, which can trick many audiences into watching the movie.

Otherwise, for a subject like "Maze", the screening rate would be a problem.

"I don't believe you. You don't tell a single word of truth. Compared to you, I'm the honest one."

Xin Yukun didn't believe it. Lu Zhiyuan had such low requirements. It was obvious that he was speaking in a sarcastic way. He just wanted to accumulate good reputation and make a big splash.

After complaining about Lu Zhiyuan a few times, Xin Yukun turned around and left.

He imitated Lu Zhiyuan, standing at the entrance of the village with his hands in his pockets, looking silently into the distance, appearing all alone.

After a while, his plan succeeded.

Liu Shishi was holding a willow branch, swinging it casually, and strolling over here bored.

Her behavior is becoming more and more like that of a village girl.

Seeing Xin Yukun standing there stupidly, she came over and asked, "Brother Kun, what are you doing?"

Without turning around, Xin Yukun said in a commanding tone, "Geniuses generally like to be alone. It's not that they like being alone, but that there's no one like them around them."

Isn’t this sentence quite stylish?
Look, I’m going to fascinate you to death!

After listening to this, Liu Shishi was stunned for a moment, her eyes became brighter and brighter, and she murmured.

"No wonder Ayuan always gives me a lonely feeling. I thought he was annoying me and didn't want to talk to me. So this is the case."

"Thank you, Brother Kun!"

"When we become a couple, I'll give you a big red envelope."

After expressing her sincere gratitude, Liu Shishi turned around and ran, laughing as she ran, looking more and more like a local resident of this small mountain village.

……

Starry Star Company.

After Zhao Shanshan returned home, she sent a video to her company boss Lu Zheng and Jing Tian, ​​regardless of the fact that it was still the Spring Festival holiday.

It was the video footage that was taken from Lu Zhiyuan.

"Xiao Zhao, what is this place? The scenery is nice. Isn't Wanda doing cultural tourism recently? You can consider this place and build a resort or something. We can also invest a little bit."

"Sister Shanshan, what is this? It's so beautifully filmed. Is this material from Ayuan's movie? It's so beautiful! Please ask Ayuan if I can join the crew as the female lead now."

Looking at the messages sent back by the two, Zhao Shanshan smiled.

I knew it would be like this.

She then sent the real photos of the small mountain village that she had taken before leaving.

"Xiao Zhao, are you kidding me? This is a place? Are you performing magic tricks in front of me? I get it. You're trying to sell me a photographer. He's a talented guy. No matter the price, I want him!"

"Sister Shanshan, I understand what you mean. After Ayuan finishes filming this movie, I'll trick him into going to the Xi'an City Wall and have him shoot a tourism promotional video for our hometown."

Zhao Shanshan was very happy to see the messages these two people sent back. She felt that these two people, like herself, had good vision and admired Lu Zhiyuan very much.

However, this is not the topic she wants to express today.

"What I mean is that Ayuan's visual style is naturally suitable for making commercial blockbusters. His ability is in no way inferior to any major domestic director."

"Our company has always been generous to its own people. This time, we only gave him 300 million to make a movie, which is like giving money to a beggar. If foreigners knew about this, they would think we couldn't afford it."

"So, I have a new plan..."

After Zhao Shanshan said this, Lu Zheng and Jing Tian were both piqued.

"what's the plan?"

"Sister Shanshan, please speak quickly!"

We may not have talent or anything like that, but money is something outside of our body and we can have as much as we want.

Zhao Shanshan smiled mysteriously, revealing a hint of the generosity unique to wealthy women. "I've given this plan a code name: 'Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow'!"

(End of this chapter)