Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 2 Entertainers must first learn to eat.

This really stumped Chen Shouzhe. When is he going to make a movie?

Is making a movie an easy thing?

The knowledge he learned in the directing department of Beijing Film Academy came to mind, and he realized that he had never thought of it before. Instead, he wanted to pursue a career as a comedian.

"So unambitious, all you want to do is stand-up comedy? What's the point of getting into Beijing Film Academy?"

Chen Shou thought to himself, then said with a self-deprecating smile.

"I want to make it, but making a movie isn't that simple."

He calculated the entire process of a film's preparation and approval, having lived two lives.

Big-screen movies are not that simple, unlike web series that can be filmed in ten days and don't require much acting skill, unless Chen Shou is determined to "pursue his dream in the entertainment industry".

The process of making a movie for the big screen follows a strict procedure, from the initial script review, project approval, casting, filming, post-production, to release.

The film industry seems very lucrative, with box office revenue easily reaching hundreds of millions or even billions, making money appear effortless.

Some producers have gone bankrupt because of a single film, and countless directors have poured their heart and soul into a film that only grosses a few hundred dollars at the box office.

It can be said that making movies on the big screen is a high-stakes gamble, with risks no less than those in the stock market.

Chen Shouzhe is indeed a directing major. He knows how to make movies, write scripts, and draw storyboards, but he's not so sure when to make a movie.

Almost no director can succeed in their twenties; it's only in their thirties that film directors begin to make their mark, and there's a high chance that if one film is a failure, there will be no chance for a second one.

Unless your family owns a mine in the Northwest and you're the kind who spends your own money to play around.

Otherwise, the investment community wouldn't give you money to squander and play around with. Once is enough, and there will never be a second collaboration. Investors' money doesn't grow on trees.

The director's first film is very important; it either makes money or brings fame, and those who achieve both are extremely rare.

There are only a handful of directors in the industry who are truly renowned. A good film doesn't necessarily mean high box office returns, and high box office returns don't guarantee a good film. Chen Shou was disgusted when he watched "Switch" in his previous life, but thanks to excellent marketing, he managed to turn being infamous into a money-making success.

You have to admire marketing tactics. Sometimes the publicity is more important than the movie itself. Even if it's just a lump of 's', if it's praised to the skies, people will be curious and want to see what shape it is, what color it is, and how much it looks like an 's'.

"Are you planning to make a movie?"

At that moment, a peach reached out from the side and asked.

"Godfather!"

"Master!"

Chen Shouzhe and Meng Hetang were startled. There was nothing they could do; the peaches were a bit short, and he had to bend down to see one.

This peach was none other than his godfather, Guo Degang, the head of the Deyun Society.

"We're waiting for you to graduate this year, right? Want to make a movie?"

"Yes, I want to," Chen Shou nodded.

“That’s great, but it’s not so easy for someone your age to make movies. If you have any ideas, you can come over sometime. I’ve written a lot of scripts for others over the years, and although I’m not formally trained, I can still give you some advice.”

"Thank you, godfather. I'll go in a few days," Chen Shou said excitedly.

"Why wait a few days? You can go home tomorrow." His master, Yu Qian, wearing a long gown, walked out with a smile and gave his apprentice a push.

"I...I haven't prepared a script yet," Chen Shou said, trembling.

"No script yet? Okay, I'll write it and upload it to the publisher another day. Your godmother has been talking about you too!!" Old Guo was quite satisfied with his godson. If he could train a director, he would be much more valuable than training a crosstalk actor.

Having gone through this ordeal, he realized the importance of allies. Being strong on his own wasn't enough; he also needed a lot of friends, preferably close allies.

"You'd better prepare well," Yu Qian said to him as he passed by.

Chen Shou nodded hurriedly; having lived two lives, he was still filled with excitement.

why?
Big screen movies.

This was something he never dared to imagine in his past life. Countless scripts he submitted were like throwing them into the ocean, and he was even called dog shit to his face several times.

He was planning to give up crosstalk, and a friend introduced him to the job of screenwriter for web dramas. What can a web drama screenwriter do? Just read a lot of light novels.

Then, to refine the plot a bit, I have to complain about those online novel authors; they can't seem to write anything decent.

The elderly couple took to the stage to perform, and even backstage, they could hear thunderous applause and cheers from outside.

The recent turmoil was like a raging flood, almost bringing down Deyun Society. Now, performances have finally resumed. Chen Shou, standing next to Meng Hetang, was in tears. This scene was too difficult.

Many of my fellow disciples and senior disciples cried during the opening aria.

The crisis was too big, so big that the Deyun Society almost went out of business.

Chen Shouzhe wasn't thinking that much; his mind was completely focused on the script and what kind of script he needed to come up with.

He had already figured it out yesterday: there were Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties in this world, but there was no Qing dynasty.

The reason lies with the Zhu family.

After Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the country, his crown prince Zhu Biao did not die!
Emperor Taizong Zhu Biao continued the Ming Dynasty, and the emperors after him were also quite capable. At least they didn't have the same war god as the fourth emperor. Although there were many conflicts and disputes, the emperors were still from the Zhu family. The Ming Dynasty lasted for more than 500 years.

Ultimately, due to the incompetence of his descendants, the Ming Dynasty faced numerous external enemies and warlordism by the late Ming period, leading to its eventual demise. This resulted in many literary works created after Zhu Yuanzhang's reign being altered.

Chen Shou is not familiar with the Four Great Classical Novels, not to mention the movies and TV series. All those dramas featuring queues have disappeared, since queues are no longer in use.

In modern times, things are somewhat similar. With the progress of industrialization and the rapid development of technology, there has been almost no change from the invention of the camera to the invention of the movie. However, movies and TV series are different both at home and abroad.

In a completely unfamiliar cultural environment, Chen Shouzhe had already accepted his identity as a time traveler since yesterday, so he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to share what he had learned and seen.

A multitude of scripts flashed through his mind: some were written by the national strategist, some were based on the Wolf Warrior series, some were from Europe and America, some from Japan and South Korea, and he even thought of a great poet.

Chen Shouzhe recalled a saying in the directing world: "Your first film should either be a box office hit or win an award."

Do I want to win an award or make a box office success?
Are you suggesting he make a film about the Titanic? That would be insane; that shipwreck doesn't even exist in this world.

The first movie he was looking for was a problem, not because he couldn't remember any, but because there were too many and he didn't know which one to choose.

A happy dilemma!

As the saying goes, three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang. Chen Shou looked at his fellow apprentices beside him. Most of them were Master Guo's disciples, and they addressed each other as fellow apprentices, since they were all from the same lineage.

"Xianghui," Chen Shou called out to Meng Hetang.

"Senior brother, please don't call me by my original name. I have a courtesy name now, a stage name. Please don't take it away from me," Meng Hetang said anxiously. Taking away his courtesy name was not a big deal.

"I forgot, I forgot. Xiao Meng, give this to your senior brother for reference. Bingzi, Lao Si, you guys come over here too."

Chen Shou called over a fat man with a face as big as a sesame seed cake not far away, and a bespectacled man next to him.

"What's wrong, senior brother?" Both of them were around twenty years old, and they came over when they heard Chen Shou calling them.

"Here's the thing, I have two scripts. My godfather asked me to come to his house in a few days so he can show me the scripts. Which one do you think I should choose?" Chen Shou said.

"How would I know? We haven't seen any of your scripts, so what would we show you? Sigh~" said the sesame seed cake with a face full of sesame seeds.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'll tell you about two scripts. One script has high literary and artistic value and may win an award. You all shut up first. I know what you're going to say. Wait until I finish speaking..." Chen Shouzhe knew they were about to speak after hearing this, so he immediately told them to shut up.

The three rolled their eyes. What did they mean by winning an award? Their master had written scripts and made countless bad movies over the years, yet he had never won an award. Only Chen Shou kept talking about winning awards, acting like a great poet.

"The second script is a comedy. The budget won't be high, but the box office should be good."

"How much is a good box office performance?" Shaobing asked with a smile.

"Starting at several hundred million," Chen Shou said, smacking his lips.

The three rolled their eyes again. Goodness, they always talk about winning awards, and now they're even more impressive, with box office numbers in the hundreds of millions.

“Listen to me, brother, if it really makes hundreds of millions at the box office, then we’ll definitely choose this script,” Meng Hetang said.

"Senior brother, senior brother, don't you remember what Master often said?" The little four-eyed man spoke very quickly, "An artist must first learn to eat. Only when you're full can you think about artistic issues. If you can really make money, you should prioritize making money. Think about it, if you make money, you won't have investors for any movies you want to make, right? I think Mengmeng is right, choose what makes money."

"Winning an award means you gain fame and money, and everyone benefits. Why don't you understand, brother? You always say I'm stupid, but you've become stupid from studying too much. Those award winners, no matter how good their movies are, if they don't make money, they still have to beg investors for investment. If you can make money, investors will come to you. If it were me, I would definitely choose the one that makes money."

(End of this chapter)