Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 96 Many Friends in the Industry

Zhang Jun drove Yang Mi back to school in his flashy Porsche 911. Before she went inside, he specifically told her, "Study hard, you need to hone your professional skills."

Yang Mi glanced at Zhang Jun coquettishly and said, "Okay!"

Watching the woman stride into the campus with those legs he couldn't bear to look at, Zhang Jun strode away amidst the students' envious and amazed gazes.

Inside the Beijing Film Academy campus, Yang Mi had just returned to school when news of her being picked up by a Porsche 911 spread throughout the acting department.

A classmate who knew her well asked, "MiMi, who's that handsome guy in the Porsche? Are you two dating?"

Zhang Jun did not ask Yang Mi to hide her identity, but Yang Mi still kept it a secret.

"I can't tell you, I can only say he's a celebrity!"

The classmate was speechless: "Given our relationship, why are you hiding it from me? We're not like those big bosses in their forties or fifties who can't bring themselves to talk about it."

I think he's young and quite handsome.

"How did you know?" Yang Mi asked in surprise.

"Someone's taking pictures!"

A classmate said, "A Porsche 911! Another handsome guy. There are even photos of him on the campus forum now."

It has to be said that Zhang Jun's disguise was quite good; no one recognized him. Of course, it could also be related to his reluctance to appear in public and create hype.

Although he is one of the directors who has appeared in the media the most, he still can't compare to a star.

With his large sunglasses obscuring his face and the Porsche 911 distracting from his presence, most people wouldn't recognize him unless they were familiar with him or had a keen eye.

Yang Mi didn't care: "Let them guess. It's between us, and it's none of their business."

That's true. If Zhang Jun were a wealthy man in his forties or fifties, Yang Mi might face some criticism.

But Zhang Jun is very young and stylish. Yang Mi said the two are dating, and no one else can say anything about it.

Time quickly came to another Beijing College Student Film Festival. It was at this festival that Zhang Jun won an award, which convinced Ye Xiaoyi, and then Ye Bingcheng, to invest in his film.

Zhang Jun's films "About Time" and "Sherlock on the Plains" were both submitted for selection at this year's College Student Film Festival.

It's worth mentioning that the college student short film competition, which had been held twice, was discontinued. This was because after Zhang Jun became famous, students became so enthusiastic that the expenses kept increasing.

It is said that last year a film club at a certain university spent 120,000 yuan to make a short film, which attracted the attention of relevant departments, and then the project was stopped this year.

Zhang Jun's assessment of this was: "If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job."

Gao Yuanyuan was filming, and Uncle Benshan was also absent. So Zhang Jun, Chen Kun, and Fan Wei, who starred in two films, attended the awards ceremony together.

Chen Kun is quite something now. Since the huge success of "About Time", he has firmly held the position of the top leading man in mainland China.

Currently, he has a steady stream of film and television offers, and his endorsement fees have increased significantly. He has also taken on several top-tier endorsements and fashion magazine gigs.

Therefore, Chen Kun was extremely grateful upon seeing Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun said, "This is all thanks to your own hard work. Just keep acting well and bring us better works in the future, and that will be your reward."

Chen Kun patted his chest and assured Zhang Jun that he would not let him down. But whether he could actually do so was another matter entirely.

Although the Beijing College Student Film Festival doesn't receive as much attention as other awards, it still has a certain influence among young people.

Zhang Jun is very popular among college students, so when he appeared, he received even louder cheers and applause than many celebrities.

The host also introduced Zhang Jun, saying, "Zhang Jun is a director who emerged from our college student film festival."

His short film "The Tuner" not only won an award at our student film festival, but also won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Actually, seeing Zhang Jun's success in the film market, where he associates with big directors and big stars, many students are envious.

Not to mention art students, even science and engineering students are envious. Some even want to try to replicate Zhang Jun's success, believing they are no less capable than him.

Unfortunately, they were destined not to have that opportunity, since Zhang Jun's experience was not something that could be replicated.

At this year's College Student Film Festival, Zhang Jun won the Best Director Award for "About Time," his first Best Director award.

So, in his speech, he said, "Although I don't know if I will be able to win the Best Director award again in the future, I can say for sure that this award will be the one that is most meaningful."

Uncle Benshan won the Best Actor award for his role in "Sherlock on the Plains," and Fan Wei accepted the award on his behalf. Chen Kun also won the Most Popular Actor among College Students award for his role in "About Time."

Gao Yuanyuan was not present at the event, but she shared the Most Popular Actress award with Zhou Xun, which was accepted on her behalf by Zhang Jun.

As she stepped off the stage, Zhou Xun said to Zhang Jun, "Director Zhang, if you have any good shows to perform, you have to give me a chance!"

"No problem, no problem. As long as the role meets the requirements, I welcome any actor," Zhang Jun said.

Zhou Xun is hailed as an elf, and in terms of acting talent, she is far superior to Fan Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan, and even more so to Yang Mi.

But Fan Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan were able to make a name for themselves in commercial films, while Zhou Xun could only stick to art films.

No ambitious actress wants to spend her whole life only acting in art films and then lingering in the second or third tier of the industry.

Some people may be doing it for art, but most celebrities are actually just after fame and money.

Otherwise, what's the point of working so hard and striving so much?

With the Best Feature Film award given to "The Dog," this year's College Student Film Festival has come to a close.

However, the media still had some reservations about this year's College Student Film Festival, believing that the awards were not selected based on the opinions of the college students.

According to the college students' opinion, Zhang Jun's film should have been a huge success, but in reality, many of the award-winning films were ones that the college students had never even heard of.

The organizing committee of the College Student Film Festival has largely ignored these allegations.

After all, many film awards do this, and if everyone does it, then there's no problem.

Following the College Student Film Festival, the promotion and distribution of "Reign of Assassins" accelerated.

Zhang Jun edited several trailers and began showing GG on television, in cinemas, and on large screens in shopping malls.

Guanzhi Pictures also partnered with Tudou.com to release the trailer on the site, using online video to promote the film.

In addition, the film also released a large number of behind-the-scenes clips and stills, as well as some videos of interviews with reporters.

In these behind-the-scenes clips, Zhang Jun, Qian Jiale, Huang Jianeng, and others all appear, explaining the film's production concept.

International star Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau, among other leading actors, also chimed in to discuss the film's action scenes and script.

For example, Andy Lau said, "As soon as I saw the script, I decided to join the cast. I've acted in many martial arts films before, but 'Reign of Assassins' gave me a different feeling."

Fan Bingbing talked about her feelings about working with Zhang Jun: "This time the director asked me to play a cold and beautiful female assassin, and I was very excited to agree."

I had a lot of action scenes in this film, which was tiring to film, but very rewarding.

Huang Xiaoming also talked about his feelings about acting in this movie: "I have known the director for a long time, and we have wanted to work together for a long time."

This is my first time acting in a period action film. Although I don't have much experience, I put in a lot of effort.

Most importantly, the director gave us a lot of guidance, helping us to better portray our characters.

These interview clips, along with segments from the actual filming and videos of the actors training, continuously capture the audience's attention.

However, the most eye-catching scene in the behind-the-scenes footage and stills is Zhang Jun standing next to the camera, wearing a trench coat and giving instructions.

He already has a great image, and his outfits seem to be constantly managed by a stylist, making him look even more like a star than many celebrities.

Zhang Jun's appearance has sparked a wave of discussion online, particularly in discussions about the film and Zhang Jun himself.

"Is Director Zhang dressed like a male model? He looks so handsome!"

"Are you really not considering debuting? I feel like he'd be perfect for an idol drama male lead!"

"What a joke! He's a director, what's the point of him becoming a celebrity? Zhang Jun, please continue to bring us better works!"

"I hereby declare that I am now a die-hard fan of Director Zhang Jun."

"Upstairs, I'm already one."

"Ah! Honey, I love you so much—"

Okay, Zhang Jun already had a fan base because of his handsome looks and tall stature. But because he doesn't manage his fanbase or engage in hype, most of these fans are just casual observers.

With the hype and leaks surrounding the movie, casual fans are showing signs of turning into die-hard fans, and most of them are girls.

Some boys admire Zhang Jun, not because he is good-looking, but because they think he is capable, talented, and cool.

The publicity department quickly noticed this and, after discussing it with Zhang Jun, released a still of Zhang Jun making a cameo appearance as a peddler in "Reign of Assassins".

Although Zhang Jun is dressed in coarse linen clothes and his appearance is not good in the stills, it is enough to attract fans.

In addition, the film leveraged its network, getting the celebrities' friends to help promote it.

Actors who have worked with Zhang Jun, including Chen Kun, Gao Yuanyuan, Uncle Benshan, Fan Wei, Song Dandan, and Hu Jing, have all stepped forward to help promote the project.

Before Weibo was launched, actors had to rely on the media to help with publicity.

However, these people were able to actively help Zhang Jun promote his work because they all wanted to build a good relationship with him.

Given Zhang Jun's current momentum, even the most clueless person can see that he is at least the next Feng Xiaogang and will reign supreme in the commercial film industry.

If we don't give a good word to such a promising director now, when will we?

Gao Yuanyuan was slightly different. After all, she had been with Zhang Jun a few times and was his bedmate, so she considered herself one of Zhang Jun's own people.

She did it willingly.

What surprised Zhang Jun the most was that even the ethereal beauty Liu Yifei came out to show her support. He had thought that the ethereal beauty was otherworldly!

However, since "Chinese Paladin" became a hit across the country, and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is currently airing, Liu Yifei's popularity is indeed very high, and she has accumulated a high level of national recognition.

However, television dramas have limitations, and both she and her family hope that Liu Yifei will develop her career in the film industry.

Previously, Zhang Jun thought that opportunities were readily available to Liu Yifei, and she wouldn't need to work hard, at least not as hard as Yang Mi.

But now it seems that even with powerful people supporting her, Liu Yifei can't remain a pure and innocent white lotus; she still has to step in and work hard to build her network of connections.

This time, helping to promote Zhang Jun's new movie proves this point.

In return, Zhang Jun immediately invited Liu Yifei to attend the premiere, and the "Fairy Sister" gladly accepted.

As the release date draws ever closer, the film that performed well in the first half of the year was "Fearless," starring Jet Li, which grossed over 100 million yuan.

The rest are just a few Hollywood movies and a few art films, not worth mentioning.

The main events are all scheduled for the second half of the year, with the first to be released being "Reign of Assassins" directed by Zhang Jun.

On June 20th, the premiere of "Reign of Assassins" was held at the Chengxin Cinema CBD branch in Beijing. This is the first cinema opened by Chengxin Cinema Chain in Beijing, located in the central business district.

Holding the movie premiere here is also a way of saying "GG" to the integrity of cinema chains.

On the day of the premiere, the weather was perfect. The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sky, which was usually plagued by sandstorms from the northwest, showed a rare glimpse of azure blue.

What's even more remarkable is that the weather, which should be in the sweltering heat of summer, is exceptionally light and cool today.

At 4 p.m., the pedestrian street of Chengxin Cinema CBD store was already covered with a red carpet, and many excited moviegoers and onlookers crowded both sides of the red carpet.

The guests arrived one after another, walked the red carpet with ease, interacted with the audience, left their names, and then went to rest.

Yang Mi was also there today, appearing on the red carpet in a red dress. However, although she's already somewhat famous, the audience today wasn't there to see her.

She didn't care. She was there to show her support, after all, her relationship with Zhang Jun was quite special.

Following her was Liu Yifei's appearance, which caused a sensation on the red carpet. The "Fairy Sister" is currently very popular; many people know and like her.

Liu Yifei waved generously and interacted with the audience, then walked to the autograph wall at the end of the red carpet to sign her name and let reporters take photos.

Then she gave an interview to the red carpet host: "Welcome, welcome, but not really."

"How does it feel to be here at the premiere of 'Reign of Assassins'?"

Liu Yifei replied, "I'm still very happy. I really like Zhang Jun's movie, 'Little Miss Sunshine'."

I've watched both "About Time" and "About Time" several times.

It was a coincidence; Director Zhang Jun invited me to the premiere, and I happened to be free, so I came.

Some viewers who like Liu Yifei have already started imagining what it would be like if Zhang Jun and Liu Yifei collaborated.

Following Liu Yifei, the pair of Chen Kun and Gao Yuanyuan also made an appearance.

Previously, Chen Kun and Gao Yuanyuan were voted the best on-screen couple by the media. Their appearance together also brought back memories for the audience of "About Time".

Uncle Benshan and Fan Wei made a rare appearance together at the film's premiere.

The TV series "Sherlock on the Plains," co-starring Uncle Benshan, Fan Wei, and Zhang Jun, was well-received by many viewers and helped Uncle Benshan expand his influence among young people.

After the guests left, it was the main cast's turn to appear.

Zhang Jun and Fan Bingbing went on the red carpet first. He left Fan Bingbing to pose on the red carpet while he went to the sides of the red carpet to interact with the audience.

The audience was very excited, and all sorts of questions came at them. Some even tried to touch Zhang Jun's chest, which was a bit too enthusiastic.

After walking the red carpet, Zhang Jun thanked the audience and announced, "To all the friends who came today, the Coke is on me."

A male voice shouted, "Director Zhang is so generous!"

This immediately sparked a burst of laughter.

Soon, staff brought over boxes of drinks and distributed them to the audience and onlookers.

Although the bottle of beverage is not expensive, the audience appreciated the sentiment.

After entering the rest area, Zhang Jun thanked each of the guests who came to support him.

When it came to Liu Yifei, Zhang Jun said, "My sister really likes 'Chinese Paladin.' I asked her if she likes Li Xiaoyao."

She told me that she liked Zhao Ling'er.

Liu Yifei covered her mouth and laughed, "I'm honored that my role has been recognized."

Zhang Jun said, "I quite like it too."

When they arrived at Yang Mi's side, Zhang Jun inquired about her studies: "How have you been lately? Have you been attending classes diligently?"

""

Yang Mi was speechless: "I feel like you're a parent, always concerned about my studies."

Zhang Jun joked, "This is revenge on me for my student days."

After most of the guests had arrived, everyone officially entered Hall One. In addition to the guests, some media reporters and lucky audience members were also fortunate enough to participate in the second part of the premiere.

Liu Yifei had watched the trailers before coming and had a general idea of ​​what kind of film it was. She sat in the fifth row, next to Yang Mi.

She looked at the big screen with curiosity, somewhat looking forward to what she would see next.

To be honest, she rarely goes to the movies as an audience member because her mother is worried about her safety, and besides, she is famous now.

Liu Yifei's mother was supposed to accompany her to the premiere today, but she caught a cold and got sick, so Liu Yifei came by herself.

This temporary period without her mother's supervision made Liu Yifei feel very comfortable, revealing a different side of her than her usual dignified demeanor.

For example, right now, she's holding a Coke and popcorn she got from the lounge, enjoying them while the movie isn't starting.

The sweet taste of popcorn went down her tongue, reminding her of the taste of the bucket of popcorn her mother used to buy for her when she was a child.

As for the issue of calories, it has been completely ignored by the "Fairy Sister".

Hearing the creaking sound beside her, Yang Mi looked over curiously and saw Liu Yifei happily eating popcorn.

Liu Yifei noticed Yang Mi's gaze and handed her some popcorn: "Want some?"

She also knows how to share. After all, popcorn is a forbidden food for her mother, so she has to find someone to take the blame for this rare opportunity to sneak a bite.

Yang Mi shook her head decisively: "No, I won't eat it, it's high in calories."

Liu Yifei didn't seem to mind and continued eating her popcorn.

After finishing his business with Cheng Yang, the general manager of China Film Distribution Company, in the lounge, Zhang Jun walked into Hall 1 and saw Liu Yifei eating popcorn.

"You certainly know how to enjoy yourself!" Zhang Jun laughed.

"It's a rare treat, why don't you have some?" Liu Yifei handed over the popcorn.

Zhang Jun grabbed a handful, tossed one into her mouth, and looked at Yang Mi: "Aren't you going to eat?"

Yang Mi firmly refused, because she was afraid of gaining weight.

After finishing the popcorn shared by Liu Yifei, Zhang Jun sat down, and the premiere officially began.