Reshaping the landscape of the Chinese entertainment industry

He did not answer Liu Guonan's question directly, but looked out the car window instead.

He recalled the original version of "Grain and Mullet".

Grain is food, the foundation of survival; mullet is a fish from the sea, the taste of home.

Putting the two images together tells the story of a North African immigrant who has spent half his life wandering and wants to make a living by running a small restaurant.

The name contains elements of food, land, sea, and hometown.

What about his movies?

Laid-off workers, dockworkers, noodle shop owners, adopted daughters, children, demolition and relocation, starting a business, life and death...

"The Wharf and the Noodles?" Liu Guonan casually said.

"Too blunt."

"Hot Soup?"

"Too artsy, and I don't even know what it's talking about."

He closed his eyes and let his thoughts sink in.

He recalled some of the most moving scenes from the script...

Old Zhou got up at three in the morning to knead dough, with the lights of the dock twinkling outside the window.

Chen Xiaoyu secretly wiped away her tears in the kitchen, then walked out with a bowl of noodles and a smile.

Old Zhou chased after the tricycle that the naughty child had ridden away, running across the dock, until he collapsed.

And that last scene...

The original French film's ending is still quite powerful.

After the chaos and despair of opening night, the elderly Bege runs after the boy who stole his motorcycle.

The running shot interweaves with the scene of the adopted daughter performing a vibrant belly dance to buy time and appease customers, creating a strong montage effect.

This scene is both a poetic expression of an individual's indomitable will and a symbol of the relentless, almost futile yet incredibly moving struggle of people from the lower classes in their predicaments.

The perspective of finally plunging into the sea is like a heavy sigh, a testament to all dreams and lives stranded by the times.

If He wants to film it, he certainly can't film it exactly like this. At the very least, Chen Xiaoyu's performance can't be belly dancing.

Therefore, He also changed it to Chen Xiaoyu, in order to buy time and calm the anxious crowd, standing on the stage of the new restaurant, with the lights shining on her, she sang that song.

"In 1984, before the crops were fully harvested, my daughter was sleeping so peacefully in my arms..."

"Father's Prose Poems"

He suddenly opened his eyes.

"Prose poems on the docks," he said.

Liu Guonan was stunned for a moment: "What?"

"Prose Poems on the Docks," He repeated, "the name of the movie."

Liu Guonan chewed on the text a few times, then slowly nodded: "That's interesting. The dock is the location, and the prose poem is the atmosphere. Besides, your ending theme song is called 'Father's Prose Poem,' which echoes it perfectly."

"But it's not enough." He shook his head, still dissatisfied with the name. "This name is too soft, it lacks... a sense of destiny."

The original film's title has two images, one from the land and the other from the sea.

One represents survival, the other represents homeland.

Simple, yet powerful.

"The docks and hot soup?" He also rejected the idea himself. "That won't work either, it's too straightforward."

"What about 'Hot Soup Pier'?"

"Like a restaurant name."

The two chatted casually as the car entered the city.

He Ye's phone vibrated; it was a message from Mu Deyuan: "Have you arrived yet? If you have, come straight to the school. I'm in the office."

He smiled wryly and replied, "Teacher, I'll go home and put my luggage away first."

"Forget about luggage! Just come on in!"

He was speechless and said to the driver, "Sir, change course and go to Beijing Film Academy."

Liu Guonan laughed gleefully from the side, "Teacher Mu must miss you terribly."

"He wanted to check my work," He sighed. "Before leaving, he assigned me a bunch of film analysis tasks, but I was busy eating sand on set and didn't watch a single one."

"Then you're in trouble."

"you do not say."

……

The car stopped in front of the Beijing Film Academy.

He Ye dragged his suitcase into the campus. The Beijing Film Academy was much quieter than usual in winter. The yellowing ginkgo leaves on both sides of the main road had almost completely fallen off. Although some sunlight peeked through, it was still chilly.

He looked around. Although he had officially enrolled, he hadn't actually attended a single day of class.

However, he was still familiar with all the classrooms and offices in the school.

Mu Deyuan's office was on the third floor. When He Ye knocked on the door and went in, the old man was sitting behind his desk smoking, with a pile of documents spread out in front of him.

"Teacher, I'm back."

Mu Deyuan raised his head, looked him up and down, and then clicked his tongue.

"You've gotten tanned and thinner. I heard you've been doing well in your studies these past few months?"

"Hey, I spent a few months in Dunhuang, eating sand every day." He leaned his suitcase against the wall and plopped down on the sofa. "Teacher, you have no idea, when it's windy there, you don't even dare to open your mouth to speak, because if you do, you'll just get a mouthful of sand."

"Stop complaining to me," Mu Deyuan stubbed out his cigarette. "I sent you there to study, not to go on vacation."

"I've learned it!" He Ye quickly took out his notebook from his bag and handed it over with both hands. "Look, I've filled it with notes."

Mu Deyuan took the notebook and flipped through it.

The records are densely packed, and although the handwriting is messy, the overall structure is still quite neat. Some parts even have simple storyboard diagrams.

Seeing this, Mu Deyuan's expression gradually softened.

"Hmm," he closed his notebook, "Looks pretty good, it wasn't a wasted trip."

"Of course," He chuckled, "I'm your last disciple, I can't let you down, can I?"

"A closed-door disciple?" Mu Deyuan raised an eyebrow. "Who told you you were a closed-door disciple? I was planning to take on a few more."

"Besides, you haven't done a good job as my last disciple either." As he spoke, Mu Deyuan pointed to the door, "You didn't close this door either."

He Ye: "..."

Fine.

Old Mu has spent a lot of time with him over the years and heard many of his occasional jokes, so he has come to understand them quite well.

These days, people can even make fun of themselves in reverse.

"Let's get down to business," Mu Deyuan said, taking a document out of his drawer. "I've read your script, and there are no problems. I think it's ready to be filmed."

He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up: "Really?!"

"Would I lie to you?" Mu Deyuan pushed the documents over. "Your father personally asked President Han about China Film Group, and he said there were no problems. As for the rest, I'm afraid you'll have to handle that yourself."

He doesn't care about personally going to negotiate or anything like that.

He had been to the China Film Building more than once, and he even called Han Sanping "uncle" in private, so He didn't think he was that scary.

He estimated that even if he went, it would probably be to discuss the investment issue for his first film.

All of this is negotiable. Even if China Film Group doesn't invest, their family still has the money to make movies.

Mu Deyuan was also aware of his family situation, so he did not elaborate on it.

After all, in this day and age, people who can get involved in filmmaking, especially those who study directing and cinematography, generally come from relatively well-off families.

At worst, one could study literature, editing, or acting.

Of course, even if someone who studied acting is bad, that's only in comparison.

For the vast majority of ordinary Chinese people, art is generally not an option for them.

Even if it's aimed at ordinary people, it's only if your child is exceptionally well-off.

They're the kind of people who are blessed with natural talent.

……

After discussing the project and the script, Mu Deyuan changed the subject: "There's another thing. I've read your script several times, but I feel like it's missing something."

He raised an eyebrow. Could it be that Old Mu had the same idea as him?

He quickly pressed, "What's missing?"

Mu Deyuan did not answer directly, but took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to him.

There were only a few sentences on the paper, a line from He Ye's script.

At the very end of the scene, Chen Xiaoyu stands on the stage and, in an attempt to buy time, says to the audience, "The next song is dedicated to my dad."

"Just this one sentence," Mu Deyuan pointed to the line of text, "You laid so much groundwork beforehand—Chen Xiaoyu's background, her relationship with Lao Zhou, her longing for her father… but in the end, it's just one sentence: 'For my dad'?"

He immediately realized that Mu Deyuan had the same idea as him.

Chen Xiaoyu's storyline is indeed a bit thin in the script.

She was Lao Zhou's adopted daughter. Her father died in the sea while saving Lao Zhou, and her mother remarried. She was then adopted by Lao Zhou.

She has a fiery and capable personality, and is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She is Lao Zhou's most capable assistant on his entrepreneurial journey.

However, in the original script, her storyline mainly revolves around helping Lao Zhou, with little focus on her own emotions, her past, and her growth.

"I've read the lyrics to your ending theme song and Chen Xiaoyu's performance of 'Father's Prose Poem,'" Mu Deyuan continued. "They're very well written."

"But have you ever thought that this song shouldn't just be an 'Easter egg' at the end of the film? It should be the core of Chen Xiaoyu's storyline."

He Ye's eyes slowly brightened.

"Teacher, you mean we should link Chen Xiaoyu's story with this song, so that when the audience hears the song in the movie, it's not 'Oh, the end credits song,' but 'So that's how it is.'"

Mu Deyuan was somewhat surprised: "You thought of that? Looks like I didn't need to remind you."

"Oh, teacher, I only thought of it on the way back. I definitely need your reminder." He laughed and then shared his thoughts on Chen Xiaoyu's storyline.

Chen Xiaoyu's story shouldn't just be about an adopted daughter repaying a debt of gratitude.

She should have her own storyline, a storyline about "father".

Her biological father died saving Lao Zhou, and she lost her biological father and was adopted by Lao Zhou.

Over the past ten years, although she still calls him Uncle Zhou, she has long regarded him as her father.

But she's a stubborn person; she's never been one to say anything conciliatory since she was a child.

She kept all her worries to herself, using her fierceness and competence to mask her vulnerability.

In the end, when Lao Zhou collapsed, she stood on the stage, the lights shining on her, looking at the people in the audience who had helped them, and thought of Lao Zhou.

Finally, he sang "Father's Prose Poem".

This is not a song.

This is a letter she wrote to her two fathers.

Mu Deyuan was finally satisfied after hearing the revised script.

"Alright, get the complete script out as soon as possible. Since you want to film it, then do it quickly. Old Zhang is right, don't let this momentum dissipate!"

"No problem, teacher. It's just making a movie, right? I'm your student, you don't need to trust me, do you?!"

"roll!"

------

P.S.: Some readers have commented that the protagonist's name is not conducive to listening to the audiobook and seems a bit out of place. Actually, I have a real-life counterpart with this name (that's what it sounds like), and the Wudang King in Under One Person also has this name.

However, since readers have mentioned it, I will revise it around chapters 19-20. Actually, it's not really about changing the name, but rather giving the protagonist a stage name. This is a plot point that came to mind after readers reminded me of it yesterday.