Best Director in Literature Department of Huayu

Chapter 113 Going home never needs a visa

"Hello Director Lin! Welcome home!" The host handed the microphone to Lin Ruiyang.

"This is China Film Group's most important international promotional event this year. As the director, could you share with the audience your feelings about bringing a Hollywood all-star cast back to Beijing for the premiere?"

"I feel very honored, but this is not my personal achievement. I also want to thank China Film Group for its visionary overall coordination behind the scenes. I have always believed that China's modern film market and film fans are fully worthy of being compared with the world's top industrial works."

The host then turned to Meryl and Anne and posed a question that was both insightful and stylish in fluent English.

The translators on both sides worked together seamlessly, and the interaction on stage was not only orderly but also perfectly blended the prestige of a major country's film market with the top-notch aura of Hollywood.

A simple two-minute official interview became the top entertainment headline on major domestic media outlets through live broadcast.

With China Film Group's grand and sweeping style, tonight's visual extravaganza has officially begun.

All the luxury seats were already full, and Lin Ruiyang led the core members of the crew to the VIP seats in the first row.

Han Sanping was also in the first row. When he saw Lin Ruiyang walking over, he spoke first: "Our Hollywood hero is back!"

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"Mr. Han, you flatter me. I am no hero in your presence."

Han Sanping burst into hearty laughter, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and respect: "You little rascal, stop trying to sweet-talk me!"

"Chairman Han, if you keep going, the headlines will be out tomorrow."

"That's perfect," Han Sanping chuckled. "It'll save on advertising costs."

A burst of laughter immediately erupted around them.

Just then, the theater lights began to slowly dim.

The previously noisy screening room quickly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were simultaneously drawn to the screen.

The premiere has officially begun.

Suddenly, the familiar green dragon logo lit up the huge screen, followed by the iconic golden sculptures and interwoven searchlights of 20th Century Fox slowly rotating to the accompaniment of a high-pitched and stirring symphony.

The film opens without a grand narrative; instead, it features upbeat, modern urban pop music.

The camera rapidly shifts through the New York morning sunlight, showing one fashionable woman after another, wearing high heels, walking with delicate steps, and with flawless makeup, strolling through the streets of Manhattan.

This highly saturated, industrial-looking visual impact quickly captured everyone's attention.

Sitting in the first row, Han Sanping narrowed his eyes slightly. As the head of China Film Group, he was aware of the gap in visual effects between domestic urban films of the same type.

In the past, domestic directors often brought a lingering sense of earthiness and urban life to their urban films, but Lin Ruiyang, through color grading and composition, combined with luxury goods, effortlessly presented an industrial aesthetic.

This kid has truly grasped the underlying logic of Hollywood's fashion industry.

When Anne Hathaway, playing a young woman, nervously walks into the building that represents the highest power in the fashion world, carrying her resume, the atmosphere in the theater is completely stirred.

What truly made the entire audience hold their breath was Meryl Streep's entrance.

The door of the black luxury sedan opened, and a foot wearing a Prada high heel landed first.

The camera slowly and imposingly pans up at this fashion mogul from bottom to top. Without a single line of dialogue, just the look in her eyes as she removes her sunglasses and her sleek, short, silver hair conveys an almost suffocating sense of workplace pressure directly overshadowing every viewer on the big screen.

As the plot unfolds, the conflicts on screen begin to erupt.

Anne Hathaway plays Andy, who, after experiencing a series of setbacks and complete rejection in her early career, finally enters the top-tier storage room that drives countless women crazy with the help of fashion director Nigel.

The next two minutes became the most visually and rhythmically iconic highlight of the entire film.

As Madonna's Vogue music played, a textbook-perfect street fashion show unfolded on the screen.

Andy, dressed in a retro plaid coat, stepped lightly out of the subway onto the streets of New York. The camera followed a sudden, subtly and smoothly transitioning shot through a lamppost, and when she reappeared from behind it, she had changed clothes again...

Every step was precisely timed to the downbeat of the music.

The camera zooms out, zooms in, takes close-ups, and shows side profiles. Against the backdrop of Manhattan's modern skyscrapers, Andy seamlessly switches between seven or eight top-tier luxury outfits as she walks around.

This high-frequency matching editing, which utilizes the consistency of dynamic subjects and line of sight, is like a sophisticated visual magic trick. Even the professional post-production staff in the theater couldn't help but twitch their eyelids when they saw this part.

"The editing rhythm and the micromanagement of the on-site coordination are terrifying..." someone exclaimed to their colleague.

The second half of the film becomes increasingly fast-paced, seamlessly unfolding the extravagance of Paris Fashion Week, the coldness of workplace betrayal, and the ultimate epiphany at the pinnacle of fame and fortune.

When the final shot of the film freezes on a bustling New York street, Andy, stripped of his glitz and glamour, gazes across the road at Miranda in her limousine.

Miranda remained expressionless, but a subtle, admiring smile flickered across her lips as she rolled up the car window.

The big screen suddenly plunged into a gentle darkness, and the end credits slowly rolled to a soothing melody.

"Whoosh—!!"

A thunderous applause erupted, and the entire theater seemed to be propelled by some invisible force, with more and more people standing up to applaud.

The lead actors were clearly impressed by the almost fanatical Eastern enthusiasm on set, and smiled as they gracefully greeted those around them.

Not far away, Su Mang, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar China, clapped her hands and turned to look at her companion.

He only said three words: "It's going to explode."

The person next to him paused for a moment, then asked, "Domestic?"

"Global." Su Mang looked at the subtitles on the screen.

"This is the smartest fashion movie I've ever seen."

Just then, the host returned to the stage: "Thank you to the creative team behind 'The Devil Wears Prada' for bringing us such a wonderful film!"

As the applause subsided, the media began their Q&A session, and countless arms immediately shot up.

"I'm a reporter from the Beijing Entertainment News, and I'd like to ask Ms. Meryl a question." A female reporter who grabbed the microphone looked excited.

"You've worked with many world-class directors, including masters like Spielberg and Eastwood. If you were to include director Lin Ruiyang on this list, what would your evaluation be?"

When the question was raised, many reporters' eyes lit up.

After the translation was finished, Meryl smiled and said, "I don't like ranking directors. But if I had to give an evaluation, Lin is one of the youngest directors I've ever worked with, and also one of the most stubborn."

"He is very young, but he never doubts himself because of his youth, which is what I admire most about him."

Then another reporter grabbed the microphone: "Annie, what's it like coming to China for the first time?"

Anne blinked. "Hotter than New York, but the audience is even more enthusiastic."

Another reporter stood up: "Director Lin, many viewers say this is the best fashion film of the year."

Lin Ruiyang took the microphone: "Then I suggest they watch it several times."

The whole room burst into laughter, and the reporters were taken aback; the answer was certainly direct.

The head of the distribution department of China Film Group said in a low voice, "This kid is really not polite."

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"Don't be so polite," Han Sanping said cheerfully. "With a movie like this, can't we even tell the truth?"

Seeing the atmosphere was getting better and better, the host took the opportunity to ask the final question: "Director Lin, will you continue to make Hollywood movies?"

Lin Ruiyang calmly replied, "I think I might go to many places to make movies, but I'll never need a visa to go home."

The applause rang out again. Lin Ruiyang's extremely inspiring answer instantly won him a standing ovation, and Han Sanping in the audience nodded and smiled.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been completely ignited, the host turned around and turned his gaze to the several big-name domestic directors sitting in the front row of the audience.

The guests invited by China Film Group tonight are of very high caliber, and this kind of clash between peers has always been a favorite topic for the media.

"Tonight's premiere is a truly distinguished gathering. We would also like to invite Director Feng, one of the most successful commercial film directors in China, to share his thoughts after watching the film."

"To be honest, I felt quite uneasy after watching this film." Feng Xiaogang spoke in his authentic Beijing accent, with a hint of half-joking humor.

"Director Kobayashi's trip to Hollywood has almost cut off the future of modern and urban films in China. The costume changes, movement, and editing are all incredibly well-executed, showcasing a high level of industrial sophistication. He's truly a force to be reckoned with. However, commercial films ultimately need to prove themselves in our domestic market, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they perform at the box office."

These words, ostensibly praising but subtly barbed, were clearly an implication that Lin Ruiyang shouldn't assume he could secure his domestic dominance just because he had foreign investment and high technology. After speaking, he offered a few perfunctory pleasantries.

Immediately afterwards, the microphone was handed to a representative of the fifth generation of directors sitting on the other side.

"Xiaogang talks about the market, but I see an alternation in cinematic thinking." Chen Kaige neither blindly praises nor condescendingly rejects, but rather stands entirely from a professional perspective of audiovisual technology.

"Our generation of filmmakers is used to drawing imagery from the soil and the weight of history, pursuing grand narratives. But what Lin Ruiyang is showing tonight is a completely new narrative efficiency dominated by the modern industrial system."

That two-minute street scene of changing clothes cleanly and efficiently conveyed the female protagonist's month-long process of social integration and psychological transformation. This kind of audiovisual control is something that domestic directors currently undergoing a transformation should definitely take note of.

The premiere officially ended at 11:30 p.m., but the tsunami triggered by this film had only just begun.