Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 468: Nomination Announcement

The morning mist in San Francisco had not yet completely dissipated, enveloping the city's undulating streets like a light veil.

It was just past 5:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 11, 2003.

For most San Francisco residents, it was just the start of an ordinary workday, but for the crew of "The Pursuit of Happyness" stationed there, and especially for Wang Sheng, who was far from home, this morning was destined to be different.

Wang Sheng had already woken up in the hotel suite where the film crew was staying.

Years of high-intensity work have shaped his precise work and rest schedule; he doesn't need an alarm clock, his biological clock makes him open his eyes at the scheduled time.

He didn't turn on the main light; only a desk lamp on his desk emitted a dim, yellowish glow, illuminating the unfolded script and storyboard sketches.

Outside the window, the city is slowly awakening, and the outline of the Golden Gate Bridge is faintly visible in the mist in the distance.

He habitually opened his laptop, connected to the hotel's not-so-fast network, and began browsing domestic and international news briefings.

As he quickly flipped through the online headlines of The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, a sudden pop-up news item and several portal websites' headlines instantly changing color shattered the morning's tranquility.

The complete list of nominees for the 75th Academy Awards has been announced!

The bold, black font, exuding an unquestionable authority, occupies the main position on the screen.

Wang Sheng paused slightly as he scrolled the mouse wheel, his gaze fixed on the title line.

Although he had already anticipated the nomination of "Night at the Museum" and New Line Cinema had done a lot of public relations work beforehand, when the list, which represents one of the highest honors in the global film industry, was officially announced, a subtle emotion mixed with scrutiny and anticipation still quietly spread in his heart.

He opened the detailed list and calmly scanned it downwards.

The first thing that catches the eye is the Best Picture nominations.

As expected by industry insiders, the musical adaptation of "Chicago" led the pack with a dazzling performance, garnering 13 nominations and enjoying unparalleled success.

Following closely behind is Martin Scorsese's gangster epic "Gangs of New York," which received 10 nominations.

Other films, such as The Pianist, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Hours, are also on the list, making the competition extremely fierce.

Wang Sheng quickly scanned the screen but didn't see the name "Night at the Museum".

This is expected.

The Academy Award for Best Picture has always had a very high threshold for purely commercial genre films, especially fantasy comedies.

The global box office miracle of "The Museum" is more a testament to its market success. In the competition for the "artistic crown" that the academics value most, it ultimately failed to break through that invisible barrier (not enough money to swallow its pride).

His gaze continued downwards.

Best Director nominees: Rob Marshall (Chicago), Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York), Roman Polanski (The Pianist), Pedro Almodóvar (Talk to Her), Stephen Daldry (The Hours).

The list is star-studded, featuring world-renowned auteur masters.

There is no Wang Sheng, nor Zhang Yimou.

For a Chinese director directing a Hollywood A-list production for the first time, with a genre leaning towards commercial entertainment, the chances of making it to the final nominations were already extremely slim.

Next up is the Best Original Screenplay award. The list includes films such as *My Greek Wedding*, *Gangs of New York*, and *Talk to Her*.

Wang Sheng's name was still not on the list. The script for "The Museum" won with its high-concept fantasy setting and smooth family-friendly narrative, but failed to impress the screenwriting judges who preferred profound themes or unique authorial voices in terms of originality and authorship.

The fact that he didn't win these core awards didn't cause much of a stir in Wang Sheng's mind.

He has a keen insight into the trade-offs between commerce and art, and the differences between the global market and academic reputation. His real focus is on the technical awards that demonstrate the hard power of the film industry and are where "Night at the Museum" excels.

His gaze sharpened, focusing on the latter half of the list.

Best Production Design (then called "Best Production Design - Set Design"): *Chicago*, *Gangs of New York*, *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*, *Road to Perdition*... and... *Night at the Museum*!
I saw it.

Wang Sheng's gaze narrowed slightly.

Best visual effects: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Spider-Man… and… Night at the Museum!
Next up, Best Sound Effects, Best Sound Editing... "Night at the Museum" is prominently listed!

Ultimately, in the Best Makeup category, "Night at the Museum" successfully made it into the nomination list with its vivid and humorous portrayal of numerous historical figures, dinosaur skeletons, and the Hun king.

Total: Four technical award nominations – Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Makeup.

This result is in complete agreement with Wang Sheng and New Line Cinema's previous estimates, and even slightly better than the most conservative expectation (originally, it was expected that there might only be two or three items).

In the highly competitive Oscars, a fantasy comedy primarily led by Chinese artists receiving four technical nominations is already a huge affirmation.

This is not just a victory for the "Night at the Museum" project alone, but also an international certification of the level of industrialization of Chinese films, proving that Chinese teams have the ability to compete with the world's top levels in areas such as visual spectacle, sound design, and set construction.

……

Time comes the next day.

Reports from major media outlets around the world have flooded in.

The Hollywood Reporter prominently featured the nominations on its front page and specifically mentioned *Night at the Museum* in its analysis: "While the Chinese fantasy epic *Night at the Museum*, directed by Wang Sheng, fell short in the major awards, its outstanding production quality earned it four technical nominations, making it an undeniable 'Eastern force' at this year's Oscars. The film has already grossed over $400 million worldwide, creating an interesting contrast between its commercial success and artistic acclaim."

Variety magazine's report focused more on the industry impact: "The four nominations for Night at the Museum signify the rise of Chinese filmmakers' voice within the Hollywood industry system. Director Wang Sheng, with his precise control over genre films and his commercial acumen, is rapidly becoming an important bridge connecting the Eastern and Western film markets."

The domestic media response was even more enthusiastic.

Sohu, Sina and other portal websites immediately put the news of "Night at the Museum" receiving four Oscar nominations on their front page, and used exciting headlines such as "Historic Breakthrough", "Pride of Chinese Cinema" and "Wang Sheng Leads Chinese Films to Conquer Hollywood".

On the Maoyan movie platform, a discussion thread about the Oscar nominations grew to thousands of posts within minutes.

Moviegoers and netizens were thrilled, and their national pride soared to unprecedented heights.

"Awesome!!! Four Oscars! Who says we can't make blockbuster films of international caliber?"

"Director Wang Sheng is awesome! Shengying Media is awesome! This is truly letting strength speak for itself!"

"Although we didn't win Best Picture or Best Director, the technical awards are still Oscars! They're incredibly prestigious!"

"Looking forward to the awards ceremony! If I can win one, that would be perfect!"

"This shows that our film industry has improved! Go Wang Sheng! Go Chinese cinema!"

While traditional print media won't be available until the next morning, their electronic versions (PC versions) have already been updated, with lengthy analyses and commentaries emerging, interpreting the significance of this nomination for the Chinese film industry from various angles.

(End of this chapter)