I really don't want to make bad movies!

Having skipped the morning class, it's really not a good idea to skip the afternoon one too.

After finishing his work, Xia Ming decided to go to class obediently in the afternoon.

It was almost noon, and he hadn't eaten yet; he was starving.

Just as I was thinking about what to have for lunch, I heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Holy crap! Ming-ge! You're famous!"

When his three roommates returned from get out of class, they immediately grabbed Xia Ming under the armpits and lifted him high in the air.

"Am I famous again?"

Xia Ming hasn't had time to check the group chat or the school forum these past few days, and he doesn't know how his reputation has changed.

Ah Bei laughed heartily: "Today is Lao Luo's class. He knows that your recent web series has become a hit, and he's planning to ask you to come up on stage and share some of your experience."

"Guess what? After taking attendance for ages, I found out you skipped class!"

"We kept calling you, trying to get you back to the classroom, but your phone was off."

"We can't find you anywhere. Now everyone at school is saying that you dropped out of school to become a big director after making a blockbuster."

"..." Xia Ming was speechless.

He is not only the director of "The Swindlers", but also the executive producer, producer, and publicity manager. He will be constantly monitoring the online operations, keeping him extremely busy.

"Let me explain to Lao Luo."

Xia Ming took out his phone and sent a long message to his counselor, Luo Hong.

"Stop explaining, just tell me what your relationship is with Jiang Wen?"

"And that abrupt ending in the second episode was disgusting! I really want to know if An Ning actually took her clothes off or not!"

"Everyone says it's a honey trap, she definitely didn't take her clothes off!"

"Ming-ge, did you really direct this movie? Who did all the shots, color grading, and the script? It's amazing!"

"Didn't you say it was a low-budget production? You couldn't have made this show without at least 40 or 50 million yuan, right? Where did you get the money?"

The three of them, being close by, asked about all the hot topics surrounding Xia Ming at school recently.

These questions would take forever to explain, and Xia Ming just wanted to eat, so he brought up Jiang Wen.

"I helped Director Jiang with his film before, and he supported me."

"Ming-ge is awesome! Before, when Chuan-ge said you were going to be the lead cinematographer on Director Jiang's film set, I fucking thought he was bluffing!"

"Ming-ge, how's Director Jiang's new movie?"

"A confidentiality agreement was signed."

Xia Ming squeezed through the gap between the three people, only to be pulled back in.

"Don't go, Ming-ge! I still don't quite understand the first two episodes. Can you explain them to me?"

"Yeah, your show is all the rage at school right now, lots of girls are talking about it, I want to join in too!"

Xia Ming could only resort to another savior: "Green Fruit Short-Sighted has a pretty good commentator, why don't you guys watch that?"

After saying that, Xia Ming quickly ran out of the dormitory.

The three of them were left looking at each other in bewilderment. What kind of platform is Green Fruit Short Vision?

They searched online and found out that this was iQiyi's short video platform.

Once you click in, you'll see the Sun and Moon Explanation at the top of the featured recommendations.

Wang Zhengchuan immediately raised his chin: "I'm a long-time fan of Riyue's commentary! This commentary is truly amazing!"

After watching the video, they instantly transformed into seasoned veterans of "Mao the Swindler," ready to offer their opinions on various forums.

The group possessed a huge information gap—the director had made the decision!

Even the director himself thinks that Sun and Moon's analysis is flawless. Do you think that the deconstruction done by other commentators is the truth?

The three were directing students who often analyzed films. With the help of Sun and Moon's commentary, they quickly carved out a niche for themselves in the discussions among netizens and became well-known "Mao scholars".

The likes and recognition they received on various platforms made them even more enthusiastic about promoting and discussing the plot of "The Swindler".

……

I ran out of the dormitory and finally no one was surrounding me anymore.

Many people know Xia Ming, but they don't know what he looks like.

Xia Ming breathed a sigh of relief; finally, he could eat.

"Director Xia~"

A soft, sweet voice suddenly rang in Xia Ming's ears.

Looking back, Yan Shu was following behind him.

The directing department dormitory was quite remote, so Xia Ming was sure she hadn't gone to the wrong place.

In December, Yan Shu wore only a beige strapless top with ties and a light brown off-the-shoulder long knitted cardigan.

She wore a light gold LV chain around her neck; the long design allowed the chain to dangle down to her cleavage.

She wore a similarly thin, fitted, bodycon knit fishtail midi skirt, low-heeled burgundy patent leather shoes, and carried a white mini LV handbag.

"Aren't you cold?" Xia Ming couldn't help but ask.

Yan Shu smiled slightly, picked up her loose cardigan to cover her exposed neck: "I'm fine, Director Xia, don't you know that girls are more resistant to the cold?"

With "The Swindlers" being so popular, a second season will inevitably be on the agenda sooner or later.

Before the script is finished, Yan Shu wants to increase her role in the second season.

Xia Ming was also the screenwriter of "The Swindlers," so she naturally approached him immediately.

"That's good."

Xia Ming turned and left.

Yan Shu doesn't even talk about anything when we meet, wasting my meal time.

Yan Shu stood there, stunned, watching Xia Ming walk away quickly.

Despite the five-degree heat, she covered herself in face cream and carefully selected an outfit designed to attract men, arriving at the boys' dormitory and drawing countless stares along the way.

But all we could get from Xia Ming were seven words?

Not a single word praised her beauty!

Yan Shu gritted her teeth, her lips trembling, whether from anger or cold, she took out her phone and started harassing Xia Ming in the group chat.

"Hey beautiful, aren't you cold?" A student nearby came up to chat him up.

Yan Shu's manicured fingers tapped rapidly, without even looking up, and she uttered only one word: "Get lost!"

……

Xia Ming walked briskly along the school path, while simultaneously researching his reputation within the school.

Whether it's campus groups or school forums and Weibo, everyone is discussing their own voice.

Some people discovered that the chief cinematographer of "The Swindlers" is Zhao Fei, a professor in the photography department, which explains why "The Swindlers" has such exquisite cinematography as a web series.

"How could a student possibly produce such a skillful long take?"

There are also rumors that Xia Ming is just a nominal director, and that Jiang Wen actually supervised the entire production, which can be seen from the lines that are quite in Jiang Wen's style.

"This isn't the first time Jiang Wen has done something like this. Wasn't it the same with Lu Chuan's 'Looking for a Gun'? He was just too embarrassed to film a web series, so he found a nominal director to fill in."

Some people defended Xia Ming, saying that those who hadn't seen Xia Ming in person shouldn't speak carelessly.

"It's all slander! Those who don't know Director Xia's abilities can watch Sun & Moon's commentary, 'Did You Really Understand the Hornet?', which thoroughly analyzes Director Xia's cinematic artistry."

The discussion was mostly about Xia Ming and "The Swindler".

"Although it's not a movie, the fact that Director Xia was able to produce such a mature commercial web series during his sophomore year is enough to demonstrate his potential."

"Don't get too excited after only two episodes. The plot might fall apart later on."

"What kind of pressure led to the creation of 'The Big Hornet'?"

The internet was in chaos, but the class group chat was filled with unanimous congratulations and expressions of envy.

Xia Ming would bow and greet every acquaintance he encountered on the street, adding a few words of "Congratulations!"

Among them was Zhou Yi, who brought his student Zhang Jun to Xia Ming to offer his congratulations and even asked Xia Ming to give Zhang Jun a chance to help him in the future.

Zhou Yi had previously recommended Xia Ming to Jiang Wen, which did Jiang Wen a great favor.

This also improved his relationship with Jiang Wen and Zhao Fei.

Zhou Yi felt grateful that he had made the right decision and resolved to cultivate a better relationship with Xia Ming in the future.

Zhang Jun became a staunch supporter of Xia Ming, relentlessly pressing for details about the sequel to "The Swindler."

Xia Ming's mentor, Luo Hong, also made a special trip to see him in person. Luo Hong first expressed his approval of "The Swindler," then cautioned Xia Ming, "You already owe a lot of credits. If you skip classes again, your studies will be in danger!"

"Your teacher will be happy if you produce good work, but we're making movies, and movies are different from web series..."

After much earnest instruction, Xia Ming was finally able to escape.

The 20-minute walk from the dormitory to the cafeteria took Xia Ming two hours.

After quickly finishing his meal, Xia Ming asked his roommate to bring him his textbooks and rushed to the classroom.

When he arrived at the classroom, everyone who knew him surrounded him instantly.

"Director Xia, will there be a romantic storyline for Mao Pian later on? I really ship Bao Ning with him!"

"Director Xia, in which episode does Chen Kun actually appear? Please give me a hint, I beg you."

"Director Xia, is it true that this drama only cost eight million yuan, as some online sources say? You're really good at saving money!"

"Director Xia, do you want to film a second season? I'd like to join the cast too!"

It wasn't until the lecturer entered the classroom and called out several times that the crowd reluctantly and gradually dispersed.

Who would have thought that the lecturer would call Xia Ming up on stage again.

"I also watched the web series directed by Xia Ming. I have to say, this student applied the principle of unpredictability of the camera very well."

"We're going to talk about Laurence Olivier's principle of unpredictability in this class. Xia Ming, could you explain your thought process to everyone, when to change the shot, and when the actors enter the frame?"

"Everyone, give us a round of applause!"

"Splash—"

Amidst expectant, envious, and admiring gazes, Xia Ming slowly stepped onto the stage and shared his experience with the camera.

"Shot size is the way the audience obtains information; the larger the shot size, the more information is conveyed."

"When we are creating storyboards, we should first have the actors perform the actions, and then switch the shot size according to the actions."

"For example, when actors are sitting and having a conversation, use a small shot. You need to switch the shot only after they get up and move around to create a sense of immersion..."

"Especially suitable for urban crime or suspense/thriller genres."

"..."

The lecturer stood to the side, listening intently without realizing it.

He only realized what was happening after Xia Ming finished speaking.

How come you explained it better than I did?!

"Ahem, clap clap!"

……

After finishing his afternoon classes, Xia Ming returned to his dormitory without lingering.

For the next few days, apart from attending classes, Xia Ming didn't even leave the house, as there were just too many people looking for him.

The online drama scene is buzzing with activity, thanks to the release of popular and high-quality productions like "Chinese Paladin 4" and "The Swindler" at the end of the year, keeping the topic of discussion high.

The film industry is equally excited, as a highly anticipated blockbuster is set to be released in two months.

Pacific Rim 2!

Xia Ming hadn't left the house these past few days because he was recalling the plot of "Atlantic Rim," writing the script, and also brainstorming marketing ideas.

Based on this level of popularity, the revenue sharing for "The Swindler" will be at least in the millions, so he won't have to worry about not having money to make "Atlantic Rim".

The question is, how do we generate buzz for Atlantic Rim?