Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: You're a Director, But You're a Casanova?

The venue fee is waived; Mr. Zhao is providing the villa free of charge.

The camera and lighting crews were also dismissed; the unlicensed workers extorted from Tianlong didn't even need to be officially registered.

There was no need to pay for the boxed meals; the shop owners in the commercial street generously donated.

Sigh, there's nothing I can do. That bastard Lu Chuan is too ruthless. He used his father's connections to shut down all the decent filming locations and cast and crew.

"Trying to cut off my army's supplies?" Niu Yuehua sneered. "I am invincible."

"Back when I was rushing to meet deadlines, I'd even catch stray dogs to guard the gate. Are you trying to blacklist me?"

He has already revised the localization outline for "The Man from Earth".

The Western concept of primitive humans living for 15,000 years and transforming into Jesus would definitely not resonate with Chinese audiences. So, Niu Yuehua changed the protagonist to Peng Zu, a figure with Chinese characteristics, who lived for nearly 5000 years and constantly changed his name to avoid war and the rulers' pursuit.

He discussed philosophy with Confucius, drank wine with Li Bai, fought against the Mongols in the Song Dynasty, and served as a county magistrate in the Ming Dynasty.

Finally, he lived a quiet life in the city and in modern times became a retired professor in the history department of a university who was about to leave his post.

The entire film is set in a single scene: several elderly professors and students chatting with the protagonist in a living room. While this saved money on the setting, it also created a problem.

Where can we find a few old professors who don't charge us and have a wealth of cultural knowledge?

Niu Yuehua pondered for a long time before looking out the window towards the direction of Beijing Film Academy.

20 minutes later, in the directing department office.

Tian Zhuangzhuang and Xie Xiaojing, who were not in class, were drinking tea together.

Niu Yuehua knocked on the door and came in. He wasn't wearing the fake Armani; instead, he had deliberately changed into a simple tracksuit, his face full of indignation and sorrow.

"Director Tian, ​​Professor Xie, we can't take this anymore. We might as well just disband our directing department." Niu Yuehua plopped down on the sofa, heartbroken.

Tian Zhuangzhuang laughed and said, "What trouble have you gotten yourself into out there this time? Stop wailing in front of me."

"How could I dare to cause trouble? I'm just feeling sorry for the two teachers."

Niu Yuehua slapped his thigh suddenly, "I accept that Lu Chuan is blocking my film crew from the outside."

"Who told me to be just a freshman in the directing department, with so little experience?"

"But what he shouldn't have done was point his finger at us directing students and call us uncultured."

Xie Xiaojing quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "So what did Lu Chuan say?"

He said our directing department is just at the level of a vocational school, all they know is to yell "cut," "cut," and "do it again," and they don't understand what literature or screenwriting aesthetics are at all.

"All the directors who come out of Beijing Film Academy are former cinematography or literature majors who switched careers." Niu Yuehua was spouting nonsense and stirring up trouble.

He also said that we country bumpkins in the directing department could never make a film with true cultural depth in our entire lives.

As someone who has been banned from speaking for 10 years, Tian Zhuangzhuang shouldn't have acted so impulsively.

However, Niu Yuehua secretly unleashed a spell that amplified desire, easily igniting his anger.

"Who does Lu Chuan think he is? That literature department dog made a movie called 'Looking for a Gun,' and now he's all high and mighty." Tian Zhuangzhuang threw down his teacup and cursed with a gloomy face.

"That's right, so I wrote a script overnight. There are no special effects at all; it relies solely on dialogue and historical knowledge."

"I want to completely outclass him in terms of the depth of the script and give our directing department a boost."

Niu Yuehua then took out Peng Zu's outline.

"But this play needs several senior scholars in the field of history to complement the male lead. I originally planned to find actors from outside the field, but Lu Chuan laughed at me and said that the Beijing Film Academy doesn't have anyone who can portray that kind of scholarly air."

Niu Yuehua stood up, bowed, and spoke with a solemn tone.

"Director Tian, ​​Professor Xie, for the sake of our directing department's honor, your student dares to ask you two to come out of retirement and play yourselves in this play. Let that grandson of Lu Chuan see what real academic aura is."

Xie Xiaojing snapped out of his daze, rolled his eyes at Niu Yuehua, then glanced at Tian Zhuangzhuang, whose face was equally ashen, and could only grit his teeth and nod, "Fine, we'll help with this. I want to see just how arrogant the Literature Group really is."

"Professors, you are so kind! The production team is short on funds, and I can't afford to pay my own salary, but we'll make sure you get plenty of good food and drink."

Fearing that the old man might change his mind, Niu Yuehua grabbed a form from the table and went out.

Without stopping, he turned into Professor Cui's office in the Performing Arts Department.

To deal with women, especially those who are performers, you need to change your tactics.

Niu Yuehua sighed as soon as he entered the room, and was about to start playing the victim when he saw that there were two female students in the office, and Teacher Cui was talking to them.

Upon seeing Niu Yuehua enter, Teacher Cui waved her hand and said, "You two go back first, I'll say hello for you."

"Okay, goodbye teacher." The two female students were about to leave when they looked up and glanced at Niu Yuehua.

Niu Yuehua felt that the two people looked familiar. One looked like Haiwa, and the other looked like Anzhula Beibei.

Oh, no, it should be her prototype, Yang Xue.

Niu Yuehua nodded to his senior and then closed the office door.

"Aunt Cui, I recently watched Lu Chuan's 'Looking for a Gun,' and I really feel sorry for all the hard work you've put in over the past half of your life."

"Huh? Yuehua, what do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, Lu Chuan is making such a big commercial film. The male lead, Jiang Wen, is from the Central Academy of Drama, and the female lead, Ning Jing, is from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It seems that the other main characters are also from the Central Academy of Drama."

"Tell me, this director, who graduated from the Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy, didn't give a single role with lines to any of us from the Acting Department. What's the point of that? Isn't this discrimination against students from our Acting Department? Does he think we Acting Students aren't qualified to act in his films?"

"Bullshit!" Teacher Cui cursed, "My students have won more awards than he knows."

"Isn't that right?" Niu Yuehua quickly seized the opportunity.

"That's why I'm determined not to use anyone from other schools for one of my productions. There's a female psychology professor in it who really tests your ability to deliver lines."

"I'm thinking, besides you, who else in our school can keep things in order? You need to set an example for the students."

Teacher Cui felt very pleased by the flattery and, being protective of his own, waved his hand dismissively.

"Give me the notebook, I'll take this job."

Having dealt with the supporting cast, Niu Yuehua strolled over to the old dormitory building for faculty and staff. He had already inquired beforehand and knew that the person he wanted to see was there.

He listened to the sound of Kong Yiji clinking coins on the table in the room, then pushed open the door and placed two bags of discounted oranges, their peels wrinkled, on the table.

No, this is a high-grade ugly orange, the peel is naturally wrinkled.

Zhang Songwen, sitting at the table, was startled. He quickly covered the coins with a book and asked hesitantly,

"Director Niu, what brings you here?"

"Teacher Zhang, I only realized today that there is a hidden gem like you in the Chinese film industry."

Zhang Songwen was stunned. This was the first time he had heard such a comment, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"I have a character that is unique in the history of Chinese cinema, a deity who has lived for thousands of years."

"You don't need to make any exaggerated expressions. You just need to sit on the sofa and tell the story of our country's history in a lecture-like tone."

Niu Yuehua took out the "Disclaimer of Liability for Teaching Practice" that he had taken from Tian Zhuangzhuang and placed it on the table.

"If you succeed, you'll be a classic in film history. But this is a pioneering experimental project at our school, and we don't have any money."

Niu Yuehua's tone became serious.

"But I'm willing to personally pay for your daily boxed lunch, and add a chicken leg to it."