Chinese entertainment for engineering students

"You are so ambitious. You want to make a movie. Have you abandoned the great science and technology?" Zeng Yandong took a big gulp of beer and took a bite of roast duck into his mouth, smoothing his chest. But he still didn't forget to laugh at Wang Xu.

"What kind of movie are you making? Can you watch that movie now?" Zhou Feng asked. His family's business has been booming recently. Because of his meritorious recommendation, he was given bonuses. Today is his treat.

"Why can't you watch it? There are still some good movies." Hu Ershui likes to watch movies the most. He has also made some money recently. He is a famous mercenary leader and is very prosperous in the mercenary world. Although it is incomparable to doing business with Zhou Feng's family, it is still far from the financial constraints when he first entered college.

"What about?" Zhou Feng actually doesn't like watching movies, he just likes to fight hard.

"Farewell My Concubine, don't you think so? Wang Xu, didn't you go to the premiere a few days ago?" Hu Ershui has always been envious of Wang Xu's connections in the entertainment industry.

"Yeah, it's indeed a good movie." Wang Xu really can't say that this movie is not good without conscience. Regardless of what happens to Chen Kaige later, his movie is indeed the kind of classic that is deliberately recorded in history.

Many of the characters in it have almost perfect portrayals, and it can be said to be textbook-level in terms of Fong Hua Dao, photography and art, director editing, casting and final presentation.

Of course, this film can be said to have a luxurious cast and a gathering of big names. Needless to say, there are three leading actors. Among them, Zhang Guorong can be said to have contributed a performance at the pinnacle of his life.

Even every minor character in the film is a familiar actor, such as Lu Qi, who plays the role of the master. Now is the time when he is famous all over the world. Although everyone may not know his name, his face is definitely known to everyone.

He once played the president in "Story of the Editorial Office". This TV series was a hit in the past two years, and this old man was often embarrassed in front of people all over the country.

These are still the main characters, let’s just talk about Xiaodouzi’s mother who only appeared in a few scenes. The scene of taking Xiaodouzi to apprentice, that charming kneeling, Yan Shi’s flirtatious glance, and the breathtaking words “You can do whatever you want”, it would be embarrassing to watch it even 30 years later. Called a classic.

"You and Zhang Guorong are so good, why didn't you get involved at that time?"

"I was busy with a project at that time, and Zhang Guorong recommended me, but I was too tall, a bit taller than Zhang Fengyi, so I couldn't really play a role." Wang Xu was also a little sad. This drama is indeed a classic, and it's a pity to miss it. .

However, he didn't miss it completely. Several of Zhang Guorong's scenes were dubbed by him and were considered guest appearances.

Zhang Guorong also came back to the small courtyard to ask for advice on his figure. The old man in the Peking Opera Theater was old. I heard that he knew Wang Xu, so he sent him to Wang Xu.

Although Wang Xu didn't really become a disciple, he would visit Mr. Mei every Chinese New Year, and he would inevitably sing a few lines in front of Mr. Mei. Mr. Mei knew that his current skills were still there, and every time he felt more and more regretful about how Wang Xu had grown. so tall.

But I still know his situation quite well, and know that his skills are no worse than many actors on stage. Since Zhang Guorong and Wang Xu know each other, it will definitely be more convenient for Wang Xu to give him guidance.

After all, there are not many Qiandan left since Mr. Mei Er. Nowadays, most of the female roles are played by Kundan. Although they sound good and look good, they are different after all. It is actually more suitable to have Wang Xu's guidance.

Therefore, Wang Xu became Zhang Guorong's Peking Opera instructor, and also dubbed Zhang Guorong's narration and singing under the name X.

Therefore, he was originally a member of the cast of "Farewell My Concubine" and did not need an invitation to attend the premiere. What's more, this so-called premiere was actually just the first screening and just went to watch a movie.

The premiere of this film was held in Cannes, and was organized in Hong Kong, but not in mainland China. In this era, the promotion model of holding premieres has not yet emerged in mainland China.

"Have you been to their set?" Uncle Qiang stopped his chopsticks and asked a gossip.

"Of course I've been there, many times." Wang Xu replied casually, carefully tasting the duck soup in front of him. It was milky white and rich, with two pieces of green cucumber floating on it.

"What's interesting?"

"What interesting things can happen? Didn't I take you to see the set? They are all the same. There are very few messy things in the set, only in the hotel." Wang Xu actually took a few brothers to see the set. Outsiders are not familiar with these things. It's always full of yearning, but once you look at it, you'll realize that's all.

"But is Gong Li always so beautiful?" Hu Ershui is a fan of Gong Li and has talked about Ju Douli's appearance more than once. I have to say that Director Zhang's use of colors, that bright yellow, at least makes Gong Li's style more attractive. Five percent.

"Well, it's really beautiful." People who like Gong Li usually like her sister's style, but it's a pity that she and Director Zhang are entangled. It's really easy for actors to be seduced by directors. In all aspects, this is a type of professional suppression.

"Details." Several brothers had gossipy expressions on their faces. Although they have met many singers, singers generally don't pay much attention to appearance, but actors are different. They rely on their faces.

"I wasn't blowing with you, at that time I..." Wang Xu filled a glass of beer and started blowing as usual. He got along very easily with several roommates. He really felt like a young man, not so academic.

That is to say, when drinking with these brothers, Wang Xu's desire to brag is the strongest. This is a man. Having a wife does not mean that he really does not need friends.

Anyway, it was already over, and Wang Xu no longer mentioned his plan to make a movie. He had not mentioned this to anyone else, and even Wang Fei was not very clear about it.

When it comes to drinking, bragging is not bragging. Filmmaking is just a matter of that kind of thing. Professionals look sane, but laymen look extremely boring.

In fact, this is true for any industry. When you are an outsider in an industry, you have completely different experiences than when you are an expert.

Wang Xu actually has skills in this area and is very strong, but he has never shown it, and he has never even filmed a MV.

The profession of director is a profession that requires strong practical ability. Just having skills is really not of much use. Just because you know 1,000 ways of expressing your shots does not mean that you can really make a good film.

But Wang Xu really had such an idea, which came to him while watching "Farewell My Concubine".

The past two years have been the most glorious period for the fifth generation of Chinese directors, and can be regarded as the end of an era.

Last year, Zhang Yimou's "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit" won the Golden Lion in Venice, and Gong Li won the Best Actress.

This year, Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" won the Palme d'Or. If it weren't for the chaos in the jury, the best actor should also be Zhang Guorong.

Next year, Zhang Yimou's "Alive" will win another Cannes Best Actor, and "Alive" will also win the Grand Jury Prize, which can be considered a big gain.

By this time, the fifth generation of directors can be said to be in full swing in the Chinese film and television industry. The three major European companies have a lot of appreciation for Chinese films. In addition to the fact that these films are indeed excellent and stunning, the characteristics of the era itself are also indispensable.

The European literary and art circles are in a very special era for China. On the one hand, they actively accept Chinese artists from all walks of life, but on the other hand, they have their own prejudices and arrogance.

It is often said in later generations to shoot backward and outdated films for people to watch. This is what we are talking about in this era. In fact, the perspective of the fifth generation directors is not so biased, and several award-winning films are all remarkable.

It is common for movies to show the dark side, and it is also the preference of most judges to like these dark side things. It is rare for a sunny film to actually win an award.

Dark things can easily cause conflicts, and the conflicts in dramas with such themes are naturally particularly strong. After being packaged by Huaxia's subtle appearance, the strong conflicts from the inside out have a special charm.

Before the 1980s, China was isolated from the rest of the world. The period from the late 1980s to the early 1990s was the time when Chinese art first collided with the world, and therefore it also attracted more European attention. Several films were of good quality, so they naturally won awards.

It can be said that level and era together constitute the birth of this award-winning climax. This is an accidental phenomenon and is not very replicable.

The sixth generation of directors who followed were somewhat imitating others. It’s not that they didn’t achieve anything, but that their achievements were much more deliberate.

This can actually be seen from the subsequent development. The film achievements of the sixth generation directors are really not as great as those of the fifth generation. Whether it's awards or box office performance, the fifth generation is really more powerful.

Moreover, it is said that the fifth generation directors are still older, but they can quickly step out after winning the award and start chasing the market. Success or failure can be said to be a matter of level, at least they know how to chase.

On the contrary, even if the younger ones won awards, it was difficult for them to break out of the movie mode and fell into self-expression. They did not win the final award and the box office was a flop.

Of course, they are also related to the times. With the five generations of directors ahead of them, they have to copy the successful routes of their predecessors if they want to get ahead.

By the time their works were released, Europe was no longer so new to China. Once the novelty wore off, they naturally examined the films in more detail.

Many of the so-called thinking, boldness, breakthroughs and other things you deliberately created are just leftovers in the eyes of the three major European companies. It is the end of the world just to give you a nomination to save face. It is almost impossible to win a prize.

Starting from next year, it is a definite policy for China to introduce overseas films for split-account sales, and now it is even time to determine the specific films.

This is a milestone event in the development of the Chinese film industry. From then on, Chinese audiences will directly see original overseas films in cinemas, putting Chinese and overseas films on the same platform for the first time.

Of course, the results of competing on the same stage are quite tragic. Films that are aiming to win awards will have no audience at all.

What film schools teach is art film. They treat movies completely as art. Isn't it normal to be high-minded and low-key?

But the movie saying it is art really flatters her, just like 99% of paintings cannot be called art, and the same goes for 99% of movies.

Art should be some kind of essence extracted from daily life, rather than just entering a certain industry to engage in art. Then art is too cheap.

China offers elite education for all. When painting, you have to go to artists, and when you study, you have to go to scientists. But in fact, for the vast majority of people, it is just a means of making a living.

There are too many people studying science and engineering, and the demands on their brains are too high. You will know whether you can become a scientist when you are in school. It is right to put down your body and work early.

But it's hard to say for those who study art. Those who study painting still have some skills that can be compared. Those who study singing still have singing skills that are easy to compete with. These indicators are relatively hard. If you are not good at it, you can see it at a glance when studying, so don't waste much effort.

But this movie is a little different. This thing is somewhat similar to photography. His finished products are the product of industrialization. If you take a picture of it, he will take a picture of it. If other conditions are the same, the result will be the same.

Therefore, in order to be different, we can only create differences in external conditions. Therefore, making movies becomes a matter of playing with light, composition, cutting, lens, and rhythm.

These things have to appear more artistic, which is deeply influenced by the trend of European movies. After all, they once went so far as to use geometric shapes to express the situation in movies.

But this pure pursuit of art forgets that the birth of film is actually a technology. The purpose of producing cameras is to record the world, and then making films is really just to entertain the public.

His storytelling and entertainment are the most fundamental. Painting can be purely for the pursuit of beauty without anything else, or it can be abandoned for the pursuit of expression. It is perfectly okay for him to only prepare it for a few people, because this thing is originally There is not much public.

But the movie is really not good. He makes it for the public to see. In the final analysis, it is a business, not a pure art.

What you study is art and what you do is business. It’s no wonder that Chinese film practitioners, from directors to lighting and photography, are as entangled as Freud.

Therefore, when you are on the same stage as Hollywood industrialized movies, it is completely normal to be beaten up by others.

And what does Wang Xu do? He plays in technology and industry.

When he was watching "Farewell My Concubine", he suddenly had the feeling that this film was already the pinnacle of Chinese film art, but he really couldn't sell it out.

His scenes and camera language are all used by others. They have been playing in Europe for decades, and we have also learned them for decades.

But Hollywood is different. They have been changing. Since the 1980s, they have been seeking innovation.

Special effects, CG, high-definition, three-dimensional, large-screen, and rounds of innovations have made the performance of movies richer and richer. This is the logic of purely industrial development, not a simple logic of artistic development.

This year, a world-shaking science fiction movie "Jurassic Park" made its debut, using brand-new industrial thinking and mature film language to bring a feast to movie audiences around the world.

At the same time, it also taught a good lesson to practitioners around the world who cling to art films. It can be said that it slapped people around the world who were addicted to art films, except for those who pretended to be asleep.

This movie will not officially land in China until next year. How can I put it, it will shock Chinese filmmakers as much as the Gulf War in 1990 shocked the Chinese military.

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(See you tomorrow)