Entertainment: 1990

Chapter 415 New Film Director
When Chen Hong mentioned "The Age of Glory", Cheng Jie, the assistant director standing next to her, became eager to try it out.

Now Zhang Yan had an even bigger headache.

Although Chengjie joined Yuanmeng relatively late, he was the first to collaborate with Zhang Yan. Back when Guan Hu was filming "Hair Messed Up," Zhang Yan was the assistant director.

After the establishment of Dream Company, he directed the vast majority of advertisements and one-third of the music videos. Recently, he served as the assistant director of "A Messy Life," and his performance was quite remarkable.

This person has both merit and hard work, so it would be unreasonable not to give them a chance.

But Zhang Yan wanted to find him a small job, not to use "The Age of Glory" as practice.

From a purely commercial perspective, "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo" is undoubtedly the most important at present, but "The Age of Glory" is related to the collective debut of the younger generation who are realizing their dreams, and it also creates a new type of drama.

Therefore, in Zhang Yan's eyes, the importance of "The Age of Glory" even surpasses that of "Prime Minister Liu Luo Guo". If possible, he would still like to choose a more talented director to lead the project.

Chengjie isn't entirely bad, it just feels like it's missing something.

What you fear most is what happens.

Once the wrap party officially began, Cheng Jie took the opportunity of pouring drinks to move closer to Zhang Yan from behind.

"boss Zhang."

He said with a forced smile, "I've read the script for 'The Age of Glory,' and it's exceptionally well-written. It feels completely different from any other TV series I've seen before."

Zhang Yan felt somewhat helpless, but after all, they were old buddies, so he had to give him a chance to prove himself.

So, feigning interest, he asked, "Really? What aspects do you find different?"

Cheng Jie was clearly well-prepared. He leaned over and spoke eloquently in Zhang Yan's ear: "First of all, I think the most fitting thing about this film for our dream is that it is particularly suitable for using background music to enhance the atmosphere!"
Young actors' acting skills are usually a bit lacking, and young audiences are more receptive to new things, so using more background music to create atmosphere should have a good effect—after all, youth is like a song.

And the one thing we have in abundance to fulfill our dreams is music!
In addition, I took some time to simulate it, and this drama is more suitable for that kind of fresh and bright filter - Mr. Zhang, as you know, this is the most commonly used shot in shooting music videos, and I am most familiar with it.

Also, I noticed that there are quite a few scenes of running and chasing in this show. If the fixed camera position were changed to handheld tracking shots, I believe that the feeling of energy and impulsiveness would be brought out even more.

Regarding the pacing of the content, I think we could emphasize the first time, such as the first kiss, the first time...

He rattled off seven or eight points, and the more he talked, the more doubtful Zhang Yan became. It wasn't that Cheng Jie's points were bad, but rather that they were too good.

Not only did he grasp the essence of youth idol dramas, but he also turned his experience in shooting music videos into his own advantage.

This……

Is this still the Chengjie I know?
After Cheng Jie finished speaking, Zhang Yan looked him up and down carefully, then said to Zhang Guoli beside him, "Director Zhang, did you teach this?"

"No way, I'm not even at that level myself."

Zhang Guoli's gaze towards Chengjie was also scrutinizing. He was still a bit clueless about the so-called youth idol dramas, but that didn't affect his judgment of Chengjie's professional competence.

These statements were definitely not made by Chengjie!
Facing the scrutinizing gazes of the two men, Cheng Jie didn't hide anything and chuckled, "Actually, it was Zhang Yibai who helped me analyze it. I felt that what he said made sense, so I just used what I learned on the spot."

"Zhang Yibai?"

Zhang Yan rummaged through his memory before recalling who this was: "The newcomer that Tian Zhen introduced to replace you in shooting commercials and music videos?"

Zhang Yibai was only recruited at the end of May, through Tian Zhen's connections [PS: In the original timeline, Zhang Yibai started out by winning an award for directing a music video for Tian Zhen].

At the time, Zhang Yan was in Shandong providing guidance to foreign aid workers; it was Chen Hong and Wang Jinghua who made the decision.

Later, Zhang Yan met him once. He was a chubby boy with a round face, wearing wide-rimmed glasses, and had a somewhat shy smile. Because he was in a hurry at the time, Zhang Yan didn't chat with him in detail and almost missed out on a talented person.

[PS: Zhang Yibai, the godfather of mainland Chinese youth films, whose representative works include: *Eternal Love*, *Fleet of Time*, *The Sky of the Wind Dog*, and *I Belonged to You*.]

"This person..."

"Brother Zhang!"

Zhang Yan was about to ask Zhang Yibai about his situation in detail when Cheng Jie interrupted, "I want to give it a try. I'll have Zhang Yibai be my assistant director. If I don't pass, I'll step down and let him have the job!" This "Brother Zhang" brought back memories of filming "Hair Messed Up" back then.

Thinking about how hard Chengjie has worked over the past few years, Zhang Yan sighed, patted him on the shoulder and said, "If you can't do it, you can step down. You don't have to step down. If you really don't want to shoot commercials and music videos, you can try to become a producer in the future."

Chengjie was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Zhang! Thank you, General Manager Zhang!"

This means that no matter who ultimately directs the film, his title as director is already secured.

This may seem unfair to Zhang Yibai, but is there any absolute fairness in this world?

Moreover, once Zhang Yibai takes the lead in this project, Zhang Yan will certainly not treat him unfairly in the future.

…………

The next day.

When Zhang Yan went to inspect the commencement of the 'Guangzhou Street·Hong Kong Street' project, he also met with Zhang Yibai.

Perhaps because he was aiming at the right target, Zhang Yibai's performance this time was quite outstanding.

Besides technical aspects, he also talked extensively about his experience of being a "simp" during his university years, believing that the sensitive emotions cultivated by this unrequited love helped to portray characters who were somewhere between reality and dreams.

There was a certain logic to what he was saying, but Zhang Yan felt as if he was pointing fingers at someone.

As expected, Zhang Yan was forced to drink alcohol by Director Xie Jin again at noon.

The old man returned to Shanghai in early August, and with the official start of construction on 'Guangzhou Street and Hong Kong Street', he brought his team back to Tianjin.

That old man is a complete drunkard. I heard that nearly a quarter of the restaurant's revenue comes from him and his team.

According to the old man's revelation at the dinner table, a location has already been selected in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and they plan to build the film and television base in a small town called Hengdian in Zhejiang province.

Perhaps stimulated by the August 1st Film and Television Base, the investment is expected to be much higher than in the past, and the overall scale is slightly larger than the current August 1st Film and Television Base.

"However, I still think your side has more potential."

Director Xie Jin counted on his fingers and complained, "I've been to Hengdian. It rains for almost a third of the year, and it's sticky and humid for half the year. There's no heating in winter, so it's freezing cold when filming indoor scenes, and there's no snow scenery to begin with..."

As Zhang Yan listened, he quickly gestured for Chang Jihong to write it down.

When competing with Hengdian World Studios in the future, these comparative factors can be used, and subsequent improvements should also focus on these aspects, striving to leverage strengths and not avoid weaknesses.

Then, while toasting the old man, he inquired, "Director Xie, when will filming for this movie officially begin?"

He just noticed that the construction team had a limited number of people and didn't seem to be working overtime at all, which was in stark contrast to the film and television base that was rushing to finish its work.

"Not urgent."

Director Xie Jin sipped his wine and said calmly, "This film is actually a tribute film. It took two years to polish and one year to shoot, so it was just right to be released in 97."

As he spoke, he pointed in the direction where construction was underway: "I hope it is not a production made to coincide with the occasion, but a true 'gift' that carries the memory of the nation and can withstand the test of time."

His voice wasn't loud, but the resounding tone that came from his very bones commanded Zhang Yan's utmost respect.

These renowned directors from the old era may seem somewhat powerless in today's wave of commercial transformation, but their passion for film is something that the younger generation can only dream of.

Of course, it's also difficult for new generation directors to get these kinds of patriotic films that don't seek any reward and only care about political needs. If they want to be serious about it, it depends on whether the sponsors are willing.

In the era of commercialization, investors are mostly short-sighted and calculating, arbitrarily interfering with and stifling the creative talent of directors...

Huh? !

(End of this chapter)