Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 17 Sharpening scissors, knives, and exchanging them for money

In its previous life, did the Nanjing Photo Studio have a smooth journey?

smoothly.

There was a target standing outside, but the Nanjing Photo Studio was well hidden.

Hidden away in the calm and stillness.

The last wave appeared.

At the touch of a hair.

One shot into the soul.

Then it exploded.

There's not much that can be done about explosion-proofing.

No matter how much money the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spends, it's all going down the drain.

A continuous decline.

This led to the creation of classic films selected by Benzi.

Even after the overwhelming publicity for "Dongji Island", it was completely crushed on the very first day by "Nanjing Photo Studio" with its chrysanthemum-shaped electric drill.

It was blown through in just one day.

You don't know until you compare, and once you do, you'll be shocked.

It's truly unprecedented for a movie to prompt an official statement from the Japanese government warning about anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

In contrast, his subsequent work, "Dongji Island," did not receive the approval of the Japanese.

This shows that those who spend money know all too well who's biased and who's biased.

Actually, many things are the same.

ZTE, Huawei, and DJI have all received White House approval. No analysis or understanding is needed; these companies' products are absolutely problem-free because they have truly put the White House in a bind.

"Ne Zha 2" was so bad that the US and Europe were hesitant to screen the film extensively.

This is what true selection and rigorous selection should be.

Don't say foreigners don't like watching movies; who doesn't like good movies?
In my past life, even in 2030, my nephews would still get agitated and develop PTSD whenever Wolf Warrior was mentioned.

Because I was really in a hurry.

What do foreigners value? Individual heroism, not collective narratives.

Since The Shawshank Redemption, this attitude has lived on in people's memories, subtly but profoundly.

It has to be said that some things really do have a subtle, gradual effect.

In Cao Zhong's memory, the teacher always played "The Shawshank Redemption," both in its past and present forms.

nice!

Cao Zhong admitted that the movie was a good movie with an exciting plot, but ultimately, it was still a personal narrative.

Of course, China can make this kind of film, but what is the core of Chinese spirit? It is collective narrative.

It's resonance.

Just like in "Nanjing Photo Studio," can one person resolve war and suffering?
No way.

With so many people dead, everyone's only goal was to send out the photos and leave behind evidence.

There's also "The Wandering Earth" and "The Three-Body Problem".

The romance in science fiction stories is about the world fleeing with Earth, and about four Wallfacers leading the world in dealing with alien suffering.

This is science fiction.

Collective narratives abound in Chinese history.

Behind every grand historical story lies the rule of no single individual.

The global ambition and technological spectacle brought about by the Oscar success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" have inspired many great Chinese directors to attempt to graft Eastern aesthetics onto Hollywood narratives and open up the international market through grand visual spectacles.

The result was a hollow, fragmented, illogical, and disconnected narrative with vague and disjointed motivations.

I'm so eager to immerse myself in other people's narrative structure, I'm begging for a reward from you gentlemen.

Even if various films do not carry a political stance, it must be said that many of the fifth generation of directors are failures. They cannot even understand self-consistent logic and can only express scenes and atmosphere.

In Cao Zhong's view, the blockbuster strategy supported Chinese films for a few years in terms of making money in the market, but it was a complete failure in terms of its core spirit.

All that remains is the spectacle.

The sheer variety is overwhelming, and it's all about generating massive traffic.

Nothing could penetrate the folds of the cerebral cortex.

These people, no matter what they do, take being accepted by the "civilized world" as their ultimate goal.

This is a lack of self-awareness.

It's a pity. But Cao Zhong also faces difficulties, because what he wants to say is the truth.

Before the release of "Nanjing Photo Studio", Cao Zhong was well aware that there would be many obstacles.

So, we need money.

Cao Zhong knew that the film would likely face a lot of pressure before its release.

Therefore, we must think of unconventional methods to win widespread public support in the future.

However, all of this is based on the premise that,
Having some money makes it easier to promote the product and reduce stress.

Cao Zhong knew best that this film would definitely be reported for its war narrative.

It's not popular enough yet.

Once the roles are finalized and the project is approved, you never know when you might be cornered at the door and receive countless media interviews.

Cao Zhong even believes he will be called a war profiteer and the culprit who tries to incite nationalist sentiments.

That day may not be too far away.

Cao Zhong is not actually afraid of this; his own attitude has always been hawkish.

What does it mean to endlessly repeat the cycle of revenge?
That is to kill all the enemies and eliminate them completely, so that only a few vengeful souls will remain in the world, and the story of hatred will naturally come to an end.

What you think in your heart doesn't matter, but you can't say it out loud anyway.

To avoid this situation, Cao Zhong had to strike first.

Therefore, he needs to make money.

……

Inside the dormitory.

Cao Zhong thought for a while and concluded that he could only rely on three groups of people for publicity and distribution.

Group 1, China Film Group.

The second group consists of relevant channels in Nanjing and Jiangsu.

But neither of them is actually very good.

Cao Zhong was well aware of China Film Group's current level. In terms of publicity and distribution, China Film Group was somewhat capable, but not quite.

Big-name directors are alright, at least they generate a lot of buzz.

If it were Cao Zhong, the investment he wanted wouldn't be enough for publicity and promotion.

It shouldn't be difficult to connect with official channels in Nanjing or Jiangsu Province, and mobilizing people within the province or city shouldn't be difficult either.

The difficulty lies in broadening the scope.

It's not that Cao Zhong doesn't believe in the internet, but the internet in 2007 is completely different from the internet in 2025. There are no short videos, no streaming media, only the crazy dominance of traditional media.

Which of these media outlets received money?
Those who are pessimistic because they didn't receive any money.

Cao Zhong couldn't be sure.

Then, we can only use the third option.

Cao Zhong squinted.

The internet today is enough to give him absolute influence even before filming begins.

But the rhetoric seems to be getting a bit extreme...

Before this, Cao Zhong needed to sharpen the scissors and the kitchen knife.

Make your eyes look brighter.

And most importantly, before he goes to extremes, he needs to make some money.

Last time I talked to Wang Hongwei, we discussed Ning Hao.

Cao Zhong suddenly remembered Jing Tian, ​​the director of Ning Hao's music video.

A new female student who will be taking the entrance exam for Beijing Film Academy in January.

Cao Zhong, of course, had his eye on the young rich woman.

Logically, Jing Tian should have already signed with Starlight Brilliant Entertainment and invested heavily in promoting her.

Other people's money is hard to get, but a rich woman's money is really easy to swindle.

She is indeed wealthy.

And the only way Cao Zhong could swindle money from the young rich woman was through his talent.

Cao Zhong was going to offer her a script that she couldn't refuse.

Cao Zhong simply won't film it.

Out of a sense of responsibility to ensure the script wouldn't be ruined, he also wanted to try his best to choose a good director for her.

(End of this chapter)