Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 111 Arc Light Alliance and the New Movie
The first snow of the season fell softly in Yanjing, covering the blue bricks and gray tiles of the courtyard houses with a thin layer of silvery white.

The roof ornaments on the eaves crouched in the snow, and the withered branches of the pomegranate tree were covered with ice crystals, shimmering with tiny sparkles in the moonlight.

In the courtyard, Jiang Ye moved an old elm wood low table and placed it under the pomegranate tree, then lit a small red clay stove.

The charcoal crackled, white steam rose, and the water in the iron kettle bubbled and bubbled.

Wrapped in a white down jacket, the egret sat cross-legged on a futon, curiously poking at the oranges roasting by the stove: "Boss, what's this?"

"Cooking tea around the stove."

Jiang Ye used bamboo tongs to turn the charcoal fire, and the sparks that flew up illuminated the outline of his eyebrows and eyes. "The ancients called it 'red roasting in a shallow bowl, the new fire is alive.'"

Han Jianu held the celadon cup and chuckled, "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself."

Today she wore a dark green cashmere coat and a white jade hairpin in her hair, which complemented the snowy landscape in the courtyard.

Jiang Ye picked up the iron kettle to brew tea, and the mellow aroma of Pu'er tea mixed with the sweetness of roasted chestnuts spread in the cold air.

The egret suddenly let out an "Ah!"

The rice cake in her hand swelled up like a plump balloon. Jiang Ye quickly pierced it with a bamboo skewer, and long strands of golden cheese stretched out.

"Be careful, it's hot." He handed over a small, gilded dish. Bai Lu blew on her fingertips as she took it and grinned foolishly at Jiang Ye.

After attending the National Drama Awards with Jiang Ye, she immediately rushed to the courtyard house.

The staff dormitory made her extremely happy, and of course, Jiang Ye was happy too.

I asked her to clean up the house.

As expected, Bailu cleaned Jiang Ye's bedroom spotless, even washing his smelly socks...

Jiang Ye felt that his assistant was excellent and that it was a waste for him to go out to film.

However, she can only stay for one night; she has to return to Hengdian to continue filming tomorrow.

"dong dong dong"

The tranquility of the courtyard was broken by urgent knocking.

The egret put down its half-eaten roasted rice cake and trotted across the snow-covered courtyard, leaving a trail of shallow footprints on the bluestone slabs.

Pulling open the heavy, vermilion-lacquered door, a strange young man stood in the wind and snow.

He was wrapped in a thin black down jacket, his nose was red from the cold, and he was clutching a briefcase tightly in his hand.

Upon seeing Bai Lu open the door, he awkwardly pushed up his black-rimmed glasses: "Hello, I'm Wang Wei. Director Jiang invited me here."

Inside the courtyard, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

Jiang Ye looked up and saw the person who had arrived. He put down his tea tongs and stood up to greet him: "Director Wang, you've finally arrived."

He turned and introduced, "This is Han Jia, a senior from the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy. She just graduated."

Wang Wei nodded respectfully, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard.

Steam rose from the iron kettle simmering on the small red clay stove, and tea snacks and a script were scattered on the low table. This scene was different from what he had imagined.

But he really liked the atmosphere.

"Sit down." Jiang Ye handed over a cushion. "Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

Wang Wei took the teacup, the warmth spreading along his fingertips.

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "Director Jiang, is there something you need from me?"

The charcoal crackled as Jiang Ye and Han Jianu exchanged a glance.

“That’s right,” Jiang Ye added a piece of charcoal to the stove, “Senior Sister Han and I are planning to establish an Arc Light Alliance and would like to invite you to join.”

"Arc Light Alliance?"

"Yes, it's a non-profit creative community that aims to help young directors like you grow."

Han Jianu took over the topic, her voice gentle yet firm: "We plan to establish a cross-institutional and cross-professional creative platform, covering talents across the entire industry chain, including directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and art directors."

"Like... a directors' cooperative?" Wang Wei asked tentatively.

“More professional than the cooperative.” Jiang Ye opened his laptop and pulled up a PowerPoint presentation. “The alliance will have a systematic training mechanism.”

"For example, new directors can learn from the crew first before directing independently. We will provide guidance from genre film experts and share resources such as art direction and post-production."

He turned to a page with a chart showing the training path for newcomers: "For example, if you are good at suspense, you can first participate in the B team shooting of 'Psychological Crime' to become familiar with the industrial process, and then independently direct your own project."

Wang Wei's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again: "But... I've only made a few short films."

"That's why we need alliances."

Han Jianu smiled and handed him a document. "This is our supportive growth plan. Look here, for the first three projects of a new director, the alliance will assign a senior producer to provide full guidance."

Jiang Ye added, "To provide financial support to the alliance, we also established a film and television company called Hanjiang Culture!"

He pointed to the equity distribution clause in the document, "Alliance members can receive a share of the company's profits based on their project contributions."

The egret, listening from the side, was completely confused, so she quietly brought over a plate of freshly roasted chestnuts to eat. The sweet aroma was especially tempting in the cool air.

“Actually,” Jiang Ye suddenly changed the subject, “I’ve seen your short film ‘Cherry Blossoms for Love.’ The long take was very well thought out.”

Wang Wei looked up in surprise: "You...you've seen this?"

“Not only have I read it,” Han Jianu pulled out a rating sheet from the pile of documents, “the Alliance Creative Committee gave it 8.2 points, ranking it in the top three among newcomers.”

Jiang Ye leaned forward, his gaze intense: "Director Wang, this is exactly what we've been looking for. Not an established director, but fresh blood with a unique perspective. The alliance will provide industrialized production support, and you'll be responsible for breaking the mold."

He pointed to the alliance declaration on the last page of the document, where it was written in bold: "Friendship is not about keeping each other warm, but about achieving great industrial success together."

“We will be giving a presentation at the FIRST International Film Festival next week,” Han Jianu said. “We hope to see your application to join the alliance then.”

Wang Wei was somewhat dazed and excited when he left...

Jiang Ye has been working on this for almost a month.

"Arc Light Alliance" is the project he has been working on recently.

This alliance is not a company in the traditional sense, but a non-profit creative platform that spans institutions and professions, with members covering talents from the entire industry chain, including directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, art directors, and producers.

It's somewhat similar to Bad Monkey Pictures' "72 Transformations Movie Project".

Instead of a capital-driven hierarchical structure, it focuses on "creators banding together," bringing together "techies" and "detail-oriented" individuals scattered throughout the industry.

You excel at camera work in suspense dramas, I'm an expert in the historical research of costumes, props, and sets for period dramas, and he can write about niche themes in a way that resonates with a wide audience. We share resources, review scripts together, and share risks, piecing together our respective strengths into a complete creative chain, like building blocks.

Its benefits go far beyond resource integration; it's more like a hidden incubator for new talent within the industry.

What new directors lack most is not talent, but the opportunity to try and fail.

Recent graduates with scripts can't find investors, and those who want to shoot suspenseful short films can't even borrow lighting equipment—these are all problems that can be solved within the alliance.

Experienced actors provide on-set training, the equipment storage is open to the public for free, and there are even opportunities to direct low-budget anthology series.

As Han Jianu often says, "Back when we were filming our graduation project at Beijing Film Academy, many of my classmates ran around to three different film sets just to borrow a RED camera. Now, the alliance has directly negotiated with equipment companies, and newcomers can apply to use it at any time."

This confidence also comes from the support of Nortel.

Jiang Ye made three special trips to the school to finalize the collaboration with professors from the directing and literature departments. Students from the Beijing Film Academy can apply to join the alliance with priority based on their graduation projects or original screenplays, and outstanding individuals will be directly included in the new talent development program.

The teachers value the alliance for providing students with real-world, hands-on experience, while for newcomers, it's like obtaining a passport to cross industry barriers.

After all, in the film and television industry, too many talented young people are stuck in a vicious cycle of "no resources, no connections, no opportunities." The alliance is like a crack that has been opened outside the cycle, allowing light and opportunities to shine through.

For Jiang Ye himself, the benefits are even more tangible.

The more diverse the members in the alliance, the more it resembles a mobile talent pool for his film and television company.

He could spot any emerging screenwriter making a name for themselves in the suspense genre, or any photography assistant with an exceptionally keen understanding of light and shadow.

Once these young people have gained experience in the alliance's projects, the outstanding ones can be naturally absorbed into the company's core team. Compared to blindly recruiting, it is easier to know the talents who have grown up and make them easier to use.

More importantly, it's about having priority in selecting script resources.

The new script polished by the directors in the alliance naturally gives his and Han Jianu's company the first investment right.

Of course, this alliance wasn't Jiang Ye's idea; he had already snatched it up beforehand.

Wang Wei was one of the earliest members of this alliance.

He wasn't formally trained in acting; he started working in society after graduating from junior high school.

After leaving school, Wang Wei joined a local advertising company as an editor, mainly producing promotional videos and wedding videos.

This looks a bit like a cat's tree...

Around 2010, I joined Director Wu Bai's team, starting as an editor and gradually participating in filming projects.

He only began to emerge after founding Arc Light Alliance with director Wu Bai in early 2016.

In 2017, Wang Wei independently directed his first hard-boiled suspense drama, "Day and Night".

Then he directed "Hidden and Great", "Asking the Vastness", and "Life Is Like First Meeting"...

Of course, Jiang Ye would definitely like to bring such talent into the company, but to be honest, most of these capable directors want to go solo in the later stages.

With that kind of salary, it's hard to retain employees.

But Jiang Ye couldn't possibly give shares to every director.

Therefore, this loose yet close cooperation model of the alliance has become the best choice.

Without signing a binding contract, they can bind people together on the same boat through creative consensus.

Want to start your own studio? No problem, the alliance's resources are still open to you. We can lend a hand with equipment, connections, and script polishing.

Are you looking to make a new film but lacking investment?
Jiang Ye's company can participate in the investment first, without seeking complete control, but can ensure that the creative work is not interfered with by capital.

For directors, this means they retain the freedom to work independently without having to start from scratch and fight alone.

For Jiang Ye, there is no pressure to retain talent, but he can continue to bind high-quality creators and even lock in good projects in advance during collaborations.

Through the Arc Light Alliance, Jiang Ye and Han Jianu's consensus on cooperation has been further implemented.

Change to a deep business partnership!
The newly established "Hanjiang Culture" film and television company, which was spearheaded by Jiang Ye through resource integration, is precisely the physical entity that embodies this binding relationship.

As the core of Jiangye's film and television empire, Hanjiang Culture's equity structure gives Jiangye a dominant position with a 51% stake, allowing them to control the company's strategic direction and major decision-making power.

Han Jianu, leveraging her core value in industry resources and capital channels, holds 29% of the shares, becoming the second largest shareholder.

Jingtian entered the game with a 20% stake.

This company's main business is investing in movies!
Movies and web series are completely different concepts; it's very difficult to go it alone.

Take "Dying to Survive" for example. If you don't have powerful connections, you won't even pass the censorship!

There's also the issue of theater scheduling. Even if a film has excellent content, it may face the predicament of being "coldly received upon release" if it doesn't have enough distribution resources and relationships with theaters.

With prime-time screenings squeezed out by blockbuster films, the film's share of screenings is less than 5%, making it difficult for even the best word-of-mouth to translate into box office success.

So he brought these two girls over; one had Han Sanping standing behind her, and the other had Wanda Cinemas behind her.

The courtyard gate creaked shut, and Wang Wei's footsteps gradually faded into the distance at the end of the alley.

Just as Bailu was about to tidy up the tea set, she saw Jiangye suddenly stretch, his bones making a slight cracking sound.

"They're finally gone," Jiang Ye rubbed his temples. "I've been pretending for so long, my face is stiff from smiling."

Han Jianu chuckled and opened her notebook: "With acting skills like yours, it's a shame you're not an actress."

She tapped her fingertips lightly on the list of the first batch of members of the Arc Light Alliance, "But this Wang Wei does have potential, his camera language is very special."

"Hanjiang Culture has just been established, so we need to make a movie first to practice."

Jiang Ye suddenly changed the subject, pulling out a proposal with a gold-embossed cover from his briefcase, "Let's also set up our production team."

Han Jianu raised an eyebrow: "You already have a project?"

She took the proposal; the words "Us and Them" on the cover gleamed faintly under the light.

"A romance film?" Han Jianu was somewhat surprised. "I thought you would do a suspense film first."

Jiang Ye poured himself another cup of tea, which had become quite bitter: "I recently read Liu Ruoying's collection of essays, 'My Imperfections,' and the story 'Going Home for the New Year' is very suitable for adaptation."

"Liu Ruoying?" Bai Lu paused suddenly as she was tidying up the tea and snacks. "The Liu Ruoying who sang 'Later'?"

"Otherwise what?" Jiang Ye rolled his eyes at her, annoyed. "Liu Ruoying, who sells milk tea at a milk tea shop?"

The egret stuck out its tongue and muttered under its breath, "Isn't she a singer? She can write books too?"

Han Jianu flipped through the proposal thoughtfully: "Does Liu Ruoying know you're going to adapt her novel?"

"She not only knew about it, but also intended to direct it herself."

"Is she capable?" Han Jianu frowned. "There are quite a few cases of singers failing when they try to become directors."

Jiang Ye stroked the rim of his teacup: "So I want to send my senior brother Wen Muye over to co-direct. He just happens to need a feature film to practice with."

After a moment's thought, Han Jianu, who plays Wen Muye, said, "That would be suitable. His delicate narrative style can make up for Liu Ruoying's lack of technical control."

She suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, a group of senior script supervisors and directors of photography from China Film Group recently wanted to go solo. I can help you make connections."

Jiang Ye's eyes lit up: "The way Han Sanye's daughter speaks is truly remarkable."

"Come on," Han Jianu laughed, slapping away his clasped hand. "Have you chosen a male lead yet?"

“Keep them for the investors to fill in,” Jiang Ye shrugged. “As for the female lead, I have a suitable one, Chen Duling.”

"The little ear in 'The Left Ear'?"

Han Jianu recalled that pure and stubborn screen image, "Her temperament matched it. Was her agent easy to talk to?"

Jiang Ye lowered his head to arrange the tea set, his voice suddenly becoming muffled: "It should be... alright, right?"

Just as the egret was about to take away the cooled chestnuts, it suddenly froze on the spot upon hearing this.

The scene of Jiang Ye abandoning them to go out and fool around flashed through her mind on Christmas night!

Case solved!
The boss is very likely the one who went to see Chen Duling!
She is so witty!
(End of this chapter)