Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 227, Part 225: Free Screening

In June 1999, the summer heat was just beginning to set in in Beijing. Inside the Jingxin Building, the air conditioning was ample, keeping out the outside heat.

Fan Xiaopang practically flew to the company.

After receiving Li Tingting's call, she forcibly suppressed her inner joy, quickly got ready, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Jingxin Building.

The elevator stopped on the ninth floor. As soon as the doors opened, she took a deep breath and tried to appear calm, but the radiant spirit in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"Sister Tingting!" Fan Xiaopang pushed open the door to the director's office in the artist management department, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Li Tingting was working on some documents when she heard the sound, looked up, and saw her like this. She couldn't help but smile and say, "You've come? Have a seat."

She pointed to the chair opposite her and took out a pre-prepared contract from the drawer: "This is the actor employment contract for 'Flying Colors'. The salary, schedule, rights and obligations are all in here. Take a look, and if there are no problems, sign it at the back."

Fan Xiaopang took the contract, her fingertips trembling slightly with excitement. She forced herself to calm down and read through it line by line.

When she saw the astronomical amount in the salary section, her heart skipped a beat.

This is not just money, but also an affirmation of her value and a symbol of her rising status in the company!
She quickly flipped to the last page, almost snatched the pen from Li Tingting, and neatly signed her name—Fan Xiaopang—in the signature section for Party B.

After she signed the document, Li Tingting pushed a thick folder in front of her: "This is the first draft of the script for 'Flying Colors,' a project personally overseen by President Wang. Take it back and study it carefully."

Mr. Wang specifically instructed you to tone down the江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air you had in "The Legendary Twins" and to seriously consider how to portray a realistic high school student. The opportunity is yours; whether you seize it is up to you.

Fan Xiaopang accepted the script with both hands, as if holding a rare treasure.

She subconsciously flipped open the cover, her gaze sweeping over the screenwriters' section. There, besides the names of the screenwriting team, was another name she was familiar with and respected—Wang Sheng.

Her heart began to pound violently again.

Any product produced by Wang Sheng is guaranteed to be of high quality.

This has almost become an unwritten consensus within the industry.

From "30 Days" to "The Pursuit of Happyness," and the numerous projects he has planned, everything he has handled has been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

With his name at the helm, the quality and prospects of "Flying Colors" are undoubtedly given an extra layer of solid assurance.

A surge of immense relief and determination welled up within me.

She closed the script, clutched it tightly to her chest, and looked at Li Tingting with an incredibly serious, even desperate, expression: "Sister Tingting, don't worry! I will cherish this opportunity and do my best to portray Wang Xiaojia well! I will definitely not let President Wang down, nor will I let the company down!"

Looking at the burning flame in her eyes, Li Tingting nodded with satisfaction: "It's good that you have the intention. Go back and thoroughly understand the script, do the character biographies and role analyses, and be ready to communicate with the director and President Wang at any time. Go ahead."

Fan Xiaopang nodded vigorously, clutching the script and contract like a little animal guarding its food, and carefully withdrew from Li Tingting's office.

Standing in the corridor, she calmed her excited emotions and her gaze involuntarily fell on the largest office at the end of the corridor.

After hesitating for a moment, she still stepped forward.

Standing outside the general manager's office, she took another deep breath, straightened her not-too-disheveled clothes, and then gently knocked on the door.

"Come in." Wang Sheng's familiar and steady voice came from inside.

Fan Xiaopang pushed open the door, poked his head in first, and plastered a cloyingly ingratiating smile on his face: "President Wang~"

Wang Sheng was sitting behind his large desk, his brows furrowed as he looked at a report in his hand—the budget for the "Flying Colors" project.

The production cost is clearly listed as: five million.

Hearing the call that had taken so many twists and turns, he didn't even look up, just gave a faint "hmm".

Fan Xiaopang tiptoed in, closed the door, walked to the desk, and softened his voice even more, with obvious obsequiousness: "President Wang, thank you! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I... I just signed the contract and got the script! I will definitely..."

"Stop flattering me." Wang Sheng finally looked up, interrupting her. His gaze was calm and expressionless, yet carried an inherent pressure: "Have you read the script?"

"I haven't... I haven't looked at it closely yet, I just got it..." Fan Xiaopang's imposing manner instantly diminished, and he answered in a low voice.

"Then let's go back and read the script."

Wang Sheng put down the budget sheet in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and tapped the table with his finger: "The character of Wang Xiaojia has a big contrast between her beginning and end. It can't be played well just by making faces. I need to see the character's growth, to see the resilience in her bones. Put away all your distractions and focus on the character. If you play it well, that's your skill; if you mess it up..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

Fan Xiaopang's heart tightened, and he quickly abandoned all his joking thoughts, straightened his back, and said seriously, "I understand, President Wang! I'll go back and read the script right away, and I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

"Go ahead." Wang Sheng waved his hand, picked up the budget sheet again, and his gaze returned to the numbers.

Fan Xiaopang dared not say anything more, bowed respectfully, and quietly left the office with her "treasured" script in her arms.

The moment the door closed, she leaned against the wall in the corridor and let out a long sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her back. Even a brief conversation with Wang Sheng had instilled an invisible pressure that kept her from letting her guard down in the slightest.

But at the same time, an even stronger fighting spirit ignited in her heart—she had to seize this opportunity and perform well!
……

Time quietly slipped into early June.

Preparations for "Flying Colors" are progressing smoothly and systematically within the company's efficient system.

The executive director led the team to begin location scouting, focusing on finding Beijing middle schools with the feel of the late 1990s, old residential buildings, and suitable tutoring center venues.

The art director and costume designer began preparing costume and prop plans based on the script requirements.

The casting director team is also working hard to find other supporting actors, especially young faces who can play classmates and teachers, striving for authenticity and naturalness.

Wang Zhiwen quickly responded through his agent, expressing strong interest in the role of Cheng Dongqing, and that his schedule was being coordinated.

Song Dandan gladly accepted the invitation to play the role of the mother.

The entire project was like a precision machine that had been fully fueled, moving quickly and steadily along its predetermined track under Wang Sheng's control.

……

Meanwhile, good news also came from another front.

On June 5th, the patriotic TV movie "Red Flag," directed by Wang Sheng and with Huo Jianqi as the executive director, was finally completed after a month of intense filming and less than a month of efficient post-production.

The final copy was carefully packaged and personally delivered by Wang Sheng to China Film Group, where it was handed over to Han Sanping.

In his office, Han Sanping stared at the words "Red Flag" on the packaging box, his expression serious yet tinged with anticipation. He knew the significance of this work's publication at this time.

"Uncle Han, the film is finished. Please take a look." Wang Sheng's tone was calm, but his eyes revealed confidence.

Han Sanping nodded without saying much, and immediately arranged a small-scale internal review of the film.

……

In the screening room, besides Han Sanping, there were several core members of the "Film Studio and Television Series Production Collaboration Guidance Group," as well as leaders from relevant departments of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The lights dimmed, and the screen lit up.

The film begins in Beiping on September 30, 1949, delicately portraying the calm and undercurrents before a major battle. Engineer Lin Heng's stubbornness and meticulousness towards technology stand in stark contrast to his maladaptation to the surrounding environment.

Searching for rare metals, overcoming technical difficulties in the flag-raising device's blocking mechanism, uniting and mobilizing all forces... one problem after another arose, time ticked by, and the tension escalated.

There were no grand war scenes, no rousing slogans, only a group of ordinary people at a critical juncture in history, devoting all their sincerity and perseverance to a seemingly simple task that concerned national dignity.

When Lin Heng and the craftsmen and soldiers who had gathered temporarily gathered around the finally successfully debugged electric flag-raising device in the darkness before dawn, showing tired but gratified smiles; when the five-star red flag slowly rose to the accompaniment of "The March of the Volunteers" at the founding ceremony, and Lin Heng was moved to tears in the crowd, the screening room was silent. Several older leaders even subconsciously straightened their backs, their eyes shining with emotion.

The film ends, and the lights come on.

After a brief silence, Han Sanping spoke first, his voice steady: "Distinguished leaders, this is one of the works that Shengying Media has prepared as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 'Red Flag.' We believe that at this point in time, looking back on history and remembering the nameless heroes who laid the foundation for our republic has special educational and practical significance."

A leader from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television adjusted his glasses, his tone approving: "Very well done! The angle is novel, the emotions are sincere, and the details are solid. There is no empty preaching, but through the stories of ordinary people, it shows the cohesion of our nation and our deep love for our motherland. This is what a mainstream film should look like!"

A deputy head of the film studio's collaborative guidance group then stated: "The film is of excellent quality, reaching a very high level in both its ideological and artistic aspects. I believe that such an outstanding work should be seen by more audiences!"

"Comrade Wang Sheng," another leader said, looking at Wang Sheng, "I heard that you have plans to distribute this film?"

Wang Sheng stepped forward and calmly replied, "Leader, after discussions between Shengying Media and China Film Group, we have a preliminary idea. The core value of the film 'Red Flag' lies in promoting patriotism and remembering historical moments. Therefore, we have decided to relinquish the commercial screening rights of this film and instead offer it for free."

"Free screening?" Several leaders exchanged glances, revealing their interest.

“Yes.” Han Sanping continued, explaining, “We suggest that the Film Studio’s Television Drama Production Collaboration Guidance Group and relevant departments of the State Administration of Radio and Television coordinate to broadcast ‘Red Flag’ as a special tribute film during prime time on major television stations across the country. At the same time, we should leverage the distribution network of China Film Group to coordinate with cooperating cinemas nationwide to conduct free screenings for a limited period.”

He further elaborated on its significance: "Doing so can, on the one hand, maximize the film's reach, allowing viewers, regardless of their location or economic situation, to watch this positive and inspiring work for free and receive a vivid patriotic education."

On the other hand, during this period of particular difficulty for the film market, this model of free public screenings can also help attract audiences back to cinemas and boost industry confidence. This is, in itself, an organic combination of 'market rescue' and 'talent cultivation.'

This proposal clearly impressed the leaders present.

After a brief discussion and deliberation, a consensus was quickly reached.

“Great! I think this plan is feasible!” The leader of the State Administration of Radio and Television made the final decision: “The film ‘Red Flag’ is excellent in both its ideological and artistic aspects, and free screening will better reflect its social value.”

I agree that the task force and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television should coordinate the broadcast, and all national television stations should arrange it uniformly! The China Film Group should take the lead in implementing the free theatrical screenings; it must be well-organized and ensure safety and order!

"Yes!" Han Sanping and Wang Sheng replied in unison.

The resolution was reached with extraordinary speed.

(End of this chapter)