Chapter 503: Once every three years
【Card, just 4Q4】
It's noon.
Xu Kun originally wanted to ask Li Yu out alone and invite her in person to serve as the vice president of the Youth Directors Association. Unexpectedly, Li Yu proposed to treat everyone and invite all the leading actors of "Lost in Beijing" to have a good gathering.
"Lost in Beijing" was the original name of "Apple". The name was changed so that it could pass the review and be released in China. However, it failed to do so, so the name was changed back to the original one.
This film was nominated for the Berlin Golden Bear Award at the beginning of the year, and won the New Wave Award at the Busan Film Festival in South Korea in October, which is considered a great achievement for Li Yu.
Although it has not been released in mainland China due to some excessive editing, the overseas copyright has sold well, not only recovering the filming costs but also making a slight profit overall.
After Xu Kun won the Venice Film Festival Best Actor Award and "Operation Kunpeng" was released, this movie, which featured Xu Kun's most explicit performance, also ushered in a second spring.
Relying on the sale of second-round copyrights, the film cannot be said to have made a huge profit, but it also made several investors behind the scenes very happy.
So Li Yu proposed to get everyone together at this time, with the idea of holding a celebration banquet.
Since she said so, Xu Kun naturally would not refuse.
After agreeing on a meeting place, when Xu Kun was leaving Ning Jing's house, he received another call from Cai Yinong. On the phone, the woman's attitude was very humble, a bit like a maid meeting her master.
It's no wonder she is like this. Tangren has been trying to break into the film industry for a long time, but has never succeeded until it caught a ride on Xu Kun's bandwagon. It first invested in "So Young" and then took a stake in "Operation Kunpeng", and only then did it gain a firm foothold.
Now Cai Yinong doesn’t just look up to Director Xu, she also respects him highly. All her previous reluctance has turned into willingness.
This time she called Xu Kun mainly to ask if she could hype up the scandal between Yang Mi and director Xu before the broadcast of "Chinese Paladin III".
Xu Kun doesn't care about this. His romantic affairs are widely circulated in the circle anyway. Even if Tangren doesn't hype it up, there will be people talking about it in the media and on the Internet every day.
but……
"Is Yang Yan sure he wants to sign you Tang people?"
"Of course, I get along really well with Momo now!"
"Okay, if you want to stir-fry it, then stir-fry it, just be careful about the scale."
Xu Kun actually vaguely sensed that Yang Mi had other ideas, but they were all close friends, and Yang Mi was closer to him than Cai Yinong, so he naturally would not take the initiative to expose Yang Mi's little thoughts.
Because it was still early, Xu Kun did not go directly to the agreed location, but went to Beijing Film Academy first.
Previously, the Film Bureau took the lead and planned to cooperate with the Qingdao Association and Qingying Studio in order to revitalize the assets of the Beijing Film Studio, which is very famous but has been somewhat lifeless in recent years.
Now that the Youth Directors Association has a preliminary structure and charter, it is natural to talk to the Beijing Film Academy about jointly managing the Youth Film Studio.
President Zhang of Beijing Film Academy personally came out to receive Xu Kun. Regarding the issue of co-managing Qingying Studio, President Zhang admitted that there is now quite a bit of controversy within the school.
Of course, the instructions from superiors must be implemented, but it takes some time to adjust.
Xu Kun expressed his understanding of this, and mentioned the variety show about short film selection that he, Jia Zhangke, Liu Haibo and Ning Hao discussed yesterday, and expressed the hope of receiving active cooperation from the Film Academy.
Principal Zhang agreed to the offer immediately. With filming costs rising, there are not many opportunities for students in the directing department to showcase their talents. Even many students' graduation short films were made using makeshift non-professional equipment.
“What I mean is that not only students from the directing department can participate in this activity, but also other students in front of and behind the scenes can participate.
In the second round of selection, contestants can choose to bring their own team or use the team provided by the program team. I would like to select these people from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama.
When the time comes, the program team will try their best to present the behind-the-scenes production in an entertaining and educational way to ensure that everyone's sweat and shining points will not be buried and wasted.
The other thing is the supporting cast. It has been initially confirmed that it will be a one-to-four model, that is, a well-known actor in the industry will be paired with four assistant actors who have graduated from professional schools or have not yet graduated..."
After listening to Xu Kun's description, Principal Zhang really became interested. To be honest, with so many competitions and appraisals, it is unknown how many times students from Beijing Film Academy have to participate in them every year, so he did not take it too seriously at the beginning.
But according to Xu Kun, this is not only an open talent selection, but also a platform for participants to showcase themselves.
By then, not only the directing department, but any behind-the-scenes members and front-stage actors with good performance will have a certain exposure, and may be able to take this opportunity to step onto a bigger stage.
Thinking about the fact that Xu Kun is not only a film director, but has also produced popular variety shows such as "Seeing Words as Faces" and "Youth Singer", Principal Zhang felt that this matter had potential.
He immediately said, "Director Xu, from now on we will jointly manage Qingying Studio, and we will be like one family. I don't think there is any need to trouble outsiders. Our Film Academy will take care of all the behind-the-scenes teams, assistant actors, and so on!"
Although he spoke with great ambition, Xu Kun certainly could not abandon the Central Academy of Drama, otherwise the team would be made up of people from the Beijing Film Academy, and there would be no room for maneuver if any problems arose in the future.
So he laughed and said, "The Film Academy has always been the cradle of young directors. Our two families will definitely get closer in the future. Don't worry, our students will definitely get more training opportunities if they join the program team."
He did not directly respond to Principal Zhang's proposal. As for the "more opportunities for training", whether it means more opportunities than students at the Central Academy of Drama or more opportunities than when they were in school, that all depends on his thoughts.
Although Principal Zhang's idea of monopolizing resources was not realized, with the gimmick of the short film director selection variety show, Principal Zhang's attitude became much more sincere.
He also implicitly revealed to Xu Kun some concerns that the Film Academy and Qingying Studio had about the co-management of the two companies.
In addition to common issues such as rights and interests, the leaders and some teachers of Qingying Studio were also worried that the intervention of the great director Xu Kun would change the consistent artistic style of Qingying Studio.
Although "Operation Kunpeng" was a huge success, most academic teachers in the ivory tower tend to prefer art films.
It is actually very simple to resolve their concerns. As long as Xu Kun announces that Jia Zhangke will be responsible for co-managing Qingying Studio, the road ahead will probably be smooth.
But Xu Kun was ordered to establish the Youth Directors Association not to support the sixth generation of directors.
So he didn't mention it at all, but instead made a firm statement: "Traditions should be maintained, but we should also follow the trend of the times and make some innovations. I found that most of the feature films and short films shot by Qingying Studio in recent years are youth feature films.
Of course I am not saying that youth feature films are bad, but as energetic young people, shouldn’t we have a broader mindset?
In addition to the things around us and in front of us, can we also look at the world and imagine the stars and the sea? I know that due to insufficient funds, there are many restrictions on everyone's creation, but on the other hand, can these restrictions also be considered an advantage? "
Principal Zhang was somewhat confused by what Xu Kun said: "Advantages? Director Xu, can you elaborate on it?"
“Since the short films shot by our students are usually just practice works and will only be screened internally, and basically have no commercial value, why not be bold and make some mashups with the help of existing stock footage?
For example, you can combine a story you have filmed with the background of a Hollywood science fiction blockbuster to depict a cruel or warm corner of the post-world war period.
This not only trains students' editing and directing skills, but also helps them broaden their horizons, so that they will not be completely clueless when they are in charge of industrial films in the future."
"This……"
Upon hearing this, President Zhang smiled bitterly and shook his head. He could not say that Xu Kun's suggestion was wrong, but the Film Academy, as an official institution, certainly could not openly encourage students to use other people's work and splice it into their own short films.
I'm afraid that a semi-official organization like the Youth Directors Association is not suitable for doing such things publicly. "I didn't say I wanted to promote it publicly."
Xu Kun said innocently: "I just said that students can take the initiative to expand their horizons. The functions of various software are much more powerful than before. In the future, the threshold for editing videos like this will definitely become lower and lower.
Compared with the increasingly high cost of shooting, I think it would be a good approach to train myself with this kind of inserted mixing.
No matter what, it is better than being confined to youth films. After all, spring is all about the colors of the seasons.”
Principal Zhang nodded slowly. If it was a "spontaneous" behavior of the students, then it was acceptable. Moreover, this method did solve the dilemma faced by the Film Academy.
Faced with the increasingly high costs of filming, schools cannot afford the sponsorship and ordinary students cannot afford to shoot. In the end, the top students selected are basically second-generation students with backgrounds and connections.
Although no one could find fault with the entire process, Principal Zhang always felt that if this continued in the long run, it would not be a good thing for the school or society.
Although Xu Kun's proposal cannot fundamentally change the situation, it can at least play a certain role in alleviating it.
When the two said goodbye in front of the office building, Principal Zhang said sincerely: "Director Xu, I believe that under your leadership, the Youth Directors Association will definitely be able to successfully carve out a niche."
"Then I'll lend you some good advice."
Xu Kun shook hands with President Zhang, and then, under the gaze of countless people, he slowly drove out of the Beijing Film Academy campus - when they heard that Director Xu was coming, it was hard to say about other departments, but the Performance Department basically came out in full force.
Principal Zhang looked at the students who were standing on tiptoe and eagerly watching Xu Kun go away, and waved his hand and said, "Everyone has left, go away, go away."
The students dispersed in twos and threes, but several department heads and senior professors gathered around and asked questions, all of them wanting to know what the two had just discussed.
Principal Zhang was silent for a while before he said, "Director Xu didn't say much about Qingying Studio. Rather than co-managing Qingying Studio, he cares more about whether he can cultivate more talents."
At this point, he couldn't help but sigh again: "Although Director Xu is young, he has a broad mind. No wonder the higher-ups chose him to form the Youth Directors Association."
Hearing this, a professor with a Mediterranean hairstyle disagreed: "He was chosen because he made mainstream films. The higher-ups treat him as one of their own, so of course they have to..."
He was halfway through his speech when someone next to him poked him in the waist, and he stopped talking.
Principal Zhang glanced at Professor Mediterranean and said nothing more. Instead, he turned around and walked into the office building.
What Xu Kun said today may not be considered very brilliant, but at least it proves that he is really thinking about how to guide the younger generation to become successful.
Instead of being like some people who keep making weird remarks all day long as if they are talented but not appreciated and are being ostracized by the whole world, but when they are really asked to take on the responsibility, they start to back out.
Compared to the teachers who have different thoughts, the students in the acting class are more unified in their emotions.
Excited, thrilled, curious, eager to try...
After leaving the office building, everyone quickly gathered in groups of three or five to discuss Xu Kun's purpose of coming to the Film Academy.
"Do you think Director Xu is going to shoot a new movie?!"
"It's possible. Operation Kunpeng is selling so well, he must keep working hard!"
"Senior Jiang Yiyan graduated from our Beijing Film Academy, so it's normal for Director Xu to come to Beijing Film Academy for casting!"
"There should be a female character this time, right? Otherwise, the newspapers will accuse him of being misogynistic again."
In the midst of all the discussion, Jing Tian, who had just shown off his signature, undoubtedly became the center of public opinion:
"Jing Tian, didn't you talk to Director Xu? Didn't he reveal what movie he was going to shoot next?"
"This one……"
Seeing that Jing Tian was hesitant to speak, it was obvious that she had some valuable information hidden in her mind. Zheng Shuang, who was in the same class, immediately stepped forward to protect her. She looked around and said, "Okay, okay, Jing Tian just asked for an autograph. She didn't join the Teddy Sisters Group. How could she know so much?"
Then he took the initiative to change the subject: "It's a pity that Senior Sister Yang Mi is not in school recently, otherwise I would know everything if I asked her."
Everyone thought about it and agreed. Xu Kun had held a book signing event before, and many people got his autographs, but it didn't mean they had any in-depth contact with Xu Kun, so their attention gradually shifted away from Jing Tian.
At this time, Zheng Shuang quietly pulled Jing Tian aside and repeatedly asked Director Xu about his next move.
Because of the luxury car incident that happened before, all the classmates in the class knew that Jing Tian had a background, so Zheng Shuang would never dare to treat Jing Tian like this under normal circumstances - but now that the matter involves Director Xu's latest developments, Zheng Shuang is somewhat concerned.
"What would happen if you asked?"
Before Jing Tian could say anything, a frivolous and teasing voice came from behind him.
Zheng Shuang looked back and found that it was Zhang Ruoyun from the vocational high school class. He knew that she had acted in a TV movie directed by Xu Kun and her father was also a well-known TV director.
So even though he felt a little unhappy, Zheng Shuang still smiled and said, "Not really, even if this good thing doesn't happen to me, can't I fantasize about it?"
"Then you can stop fantasizing."
Zhang Ruoyun said with some complacency: "As far as I know, Director Xu has been busy with the affairs of the 'Young Directors Association' recently, and it seems that he has no plans to shoot a new film for the time being..."
"None~"
At this time, Jing Tian raised a hand and interrupted Zhang Ruoyun: "In fact, Director Xu has just taken on the role of chief director of The Founding of a Republic."
"real or fake?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two people emerged from the bushes nearby. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be Zhai Tianlin and Zhu Yilong from the previous session - it was obvious that Zheng Shuang was not the only one who had noticed that Jing Tian had some valuable skills.
While Zhai Tianlin was asking whether it was true or not, his eyes were fixed on Jing Tian.
Although he had heard that this schoolmate had an extraordinary background, the fact that she was able to get the news earlier than Zhang Ruoyun, the second-generation director, meant that it was not just about having an extraordinary background.
This message is probably more important to these students than Xu Kun's directing of "The Founding of a Republic".
The only problem is...
Was Jing Tian born rich, or did he just blossom into richness later in life?
at the same time.
Zheng Shuang had a different idea.
The 02 class had Jiang Yiyan, the 05 class had Yang Mi, and now Jing Tian has accurately revealed the latest developments of Director Xu. Does this mean that the once-in-three-years Beijing Film Academy selection has begun? !
No way
I must seize this opportunity at all costs. After all, as long as I can enter the 'Teddy Sisters Group', I will at least start as a second-tier player in the future!
(End of this chapter)
