Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

Lu Yang, still unwilling to give up, asked again to confirm, "Are you really planning to direct it yourself and not let me help you?"

"Yes, I'll do it myself. The director is just so-so; he only needs to call 'action' and 'cut.'"

Wang Xuan made a joke.

Lu Yang laughed and retorted, "It's not as simple as you say. At the very least, you need to know how to draw storyboards."

"Are storyboards important? At least Director Jiang Wen doesn't think so."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Jiang Wen's stick figure storyboarding is notorious in the industry; he lacks all the essential skills of a great director.

Other great directors, such as Tsui Hark, Zhang Yimou, and Chen Kaige, have storyboards that can be viewed as comic books.

After suppressing his laughter, Lu Yang asked curiously, "Tell me about your new script. What's the story about?"

"The story revolves around a 70-year-old protagonist who, through an absurd experience, regains her youthful beauty..."

Wang Xuan slurped up a skewer of mutton and slowly began to recount the plot of "Back to Youth".

As he listened, Lu Yang gave up his last hope. It wasn't a literary or artistic genre, nor was it the martial arts genre he liked.

The two chatted about the script for a while, then turned the topic to the recent photo scandal that was generating a lot of buzz.

As more and more actresses are revealed, Yinghuang can no longer keep it a secret. Reports have surfaced in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and even Hollywood.

Hong Kong films may not have gone global, but Hong Kong's sex scandals have.

Mainland artists who were developing their careers in Hong Kong Island were afraid of being associated with the mainland, so they all rushed back to the mainland.

After a satisfying meal, before parting ways, Wang Xuan asked Lu Yang for his bank card number.

The next day, Wang Xuan went to his small company to take a look, and said that there was not a single person in the company.

He plans to hire two accountants to help with tax filing and money transfers.

We need a female receptionist so that there's someone to greet guests.

Wang Xuan contacted a headhunting firm and told them his requirements.

In just one day, he found all the people who met his criteria.

Wang Xuan personally interviewed a woman in her thirties who seemed quite professional, and immediately offered her a job in finance.

The girl who interviewed the receptionist was a recent college graduate, and she was hired because she was good-looking.

After giving a few brief instructions, Wang Xuan left the temporarily quiet company.

As for other positions, such as agent, assistant, driver, etc.

He is still a student and doesn't need these people yet.

Wang Xuan, carrying the printed script, shamelessly went to find Tian Zhuangzhuang, bringing a box of spring tea he had brought from his hometown.

I haven't even properly thanked the professor for signing up for the [Live Burial] program yet.

In the directing department, Tian Zhuangzhuang, as a graduate advisor, has his own office.

Wang Xuan knocked on the door, and a gruff voice came from inside: "Come in."

He pushed open the door and casually closed it behind him: "Professor Tian, ​​I drank quite a bit of your tea last time I came here, so I'm replenishing your supply."

Tian Zhuangzhuang looked at the tea that Wang Xuan had placed on the table. The packaging bag looked cheap, but he believed that the tea inside was not.

"You little rascal, you never learn anything good. Why are you doing this to me? Take your things back."

He waved his hand, his deeply lined face looking very serious.

Apart from Director Chen, the other directors in this group of fifth-generation directors all have somewhat bitter faces, resembling the image of old farmers.

"Professor Tian, ​​you're overthinking it. This is spring tea grown in my hometown, Qingcheng Mountain. It's not worth much. Here, have a taste."

Wang Xuan joked, "You can't just drink this tea for free. I've written a script and would like you to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Tian Zhuangzhuang's cloudy eyes lit up, revealing a look of delighted anticipation:

"There's a new script again. Show it to me quickly."

Wang Xuan handed over the script for "Return to Youth," but Tian Zhuangzhuang didn't rush to read it. Instead, he asked Wang Xuan to sit down.

"There are quite a few well-known directors and screenwriters at Beijing Film Academy, but in terms of efficiency, you are the most efficient one I have ever seen."

He tapped the script lightly with his finger and chuckled, "If this script can win an award, the literature department should poach people from it."

These words made Wang Xuan feel embarrassed; he was just an ordinary "Nongfu Spring" brand.

"You flatter me. This time the plot leans towards comedy, which is a commercially viable genre."

"Oh, then I'll have to take a good look. There are very few people in China who can write commercial scripts."

After Tian Zhuangzhuang finished speaking, he ignored Wang Xuan and told him to make his own tea. He then began to peruse the script.

Wang Xuan didn't just sit there; he unpacked the tea cake he had brought and started brewing it.

With skillful tea-making, the aroma of tea quickly filled the air.

Tian Zhuangzhuang sniffed, his eyes never leaving the script in his hand. He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and Wang Xuan sensibly pushed a cup of tea over to him.

Just look at the old professor's facial expressions; he's frowning one moment and deep in thought the next, completely absorbed in the story.

It took Wang Xuan two days to translate the script into Chinese, but Tian Zhuangzhuang only needed about twenty minutes to read it.

"This contrasting setting is brilliant and refreshing. It's a very interesting theme. You young people really know how to think creatively."

Tian Zhuangzhuang rubbed his eyes, admitting he was getting old, and praised him generously:

"Such novel themes are rare in China, and if filmed well, they will be very eye-catching."

"You flatter me," Wang Xuan said modestly.

He took a sip of tea and asked, "Who is the director planning to cast this time?"

"I want to try directing this film myself, to see if I have the talent to be a director."

Wang Xuan spoke very sincerely.

"You directed it yourself?"

Tian Zhuangzhuang frowned slightly, his deep eyes scrutinizing Wang Xuan. He had just won the Best Actor award, and his career had taken such a big leap. Could he have gotten too cocky?

As a veteran director, he felt it necessary to remind everyone: "You need to think this through carefully. The investment in a film can be as high as tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. If you mess it up once, no one will invest in you again. The film industry is very realistic."

In the domestic entertainment industry, with state-owned enterprises like China Film Group, there's still some consideration for personal relationships, preventing one-off deals from being made.

Hollywood is the real world. Wu Yusen botched the multi-million dollar investment in "Windtalkers," was kicked out, and slunk back to China.

Wang Xuan spoke frankly: "I've thought it through. If no one else votes, I'll vote myself."

Seeing the determination in Wang Yingdi's eyes, Tian Zhuangzhuang didn't say anything more; he still strongly supported the young people.

"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Professor Tian. I really do need your help. The film is still short of an art director, what do you think...?"

Wang Xuan chuckled and readily accepted the offer.

"You little rascal, you really don't stand on ceremony at all."

Tian Zhuangzhuang pointed at him in the air and said with a smile, "Then I'll just lend my name to him."

···

After leaving Tian Zhuangzhuang's office, Wang Xuan had a clear idea of ​​what was going on.

The movie "Back to Youth" broke records for audience numbers when it was released in South Korea, and it received good reviews and box office success.

Wang Xuan translated it into Chinese and released it a few years earlier, fearing that the market wouldn't accept such a novel setting.

The recognition from Sozo Arita, a fifth-generation director, gave him great confidence.

China Film Group is located on Xinjiekou Street in Haidian District, inside the Xiaoxitian Archway.

It only takes 15 minutes by taxi from Nortel; the red brick building has a vintage feel.

This was Wang Xuan's first time visiting China Film Group, and he was asked to register his personal information.

Luckily, I called ahead beforehand, otherwise, based on his claim that he was a director and there to discuss a collaboration, I would have kicked him out as a fraud.