Chinese entertainment for engineering students

"Okay, the storyline of the script is almost like this. Don't expect that the story will not be changed at all. It's impossible. There might be something wrong during the filming. Drink." Jiang Wen said with a serious look on his face as if he had been there before. , raised his glass and clinked it with Wang Xu.

"Well, you're right. I have no experience the first time, so I always want to do it properly." Wang Xu nodded and raised his head after eating another cup of pottage.

I've been drinking all afternoon, and it's time for dinner to be served, but I still felt a little happy when I saw those few who couldn't hold their glasses.

"But do you really want to make this a joke?" Jiang Wen was still a little unsure of Wang Xu's determination.

"Well, yes, Hollywood will come in next year. Domestic movies are too literary and boring. I want to learn to make something like Hollywood. You know, I am an engineering major. In the first two years in China, I studied science fiction and Popular science is lumped together, and I always feel that it shouldn’t be like this.”

"I've seen some of your compositions that are really awesome, but you have to put Xiangjiang in the background. There are too many gun battles in it. I'm afraid it won't pass the trial even if you put the demons in according to your idea."

"Not even virtual ones?" Wang Xu was also a little bit conceited. This was a blind spot in his knowledge. Even Jiang Wencai here was probably the one who had actually gone through this process.

"I'm afraid it won't work. Although I'm not sure, but there is a high probability that it won't work." Jiang Wen sighed and reached out to touch Wang Xu again.

"It would be wrong to change it to the flavor of Xiangjiang. If you film it in Xiangjiang, it will most likely turn into a gangster and police movie. They don't have the space for science fiction."

“Then you may have to completely blur the time and place, don’t lock the time, just say it’s the future.

Don't be specific about the location. The city name should be vague. You can put it on the moon, but don't be specific about the city name.

I see that you have so many gunfight scenes, which is basically impossible in China. "

"Then let's be vague. It's virtual anyway, so let's just say it was simulated by artificial intelligence."

"It's not impossible. You can submit it and give it a try. What about the real world?"

"The world is destroyed, what can we do? It's just a survival base, let's blur it.

Xi'an is just a thought. These people all fight in small teams outside. Each has a small base and a less complicated organizational form.

The main base is the last to take a long shot, Cui Ying flies over in the spaceship and that's it.

I'm not considering a sequel. If there is a need for a sequel, let me know. I just want to try it. "Wang Xu was also aggrieved. He did it on a whim and didn't really think much about it at first.

Once we had the script, we started planning and found out that it was really troublesome.

"It's okay to give it a try. Anyway, you don't need this little money. The investment in this film is indispensable, but it shouldn't go bankrupt for you." Jiang Wen didn't know how much money Wang Xu had, but he saw that the buildings next to him were all capped. , you know this guy can't be poor.

"I estimate it's almost 100 million. Everything else is easy to get, but this helicopter is a bit difficult to get. We in China don't have it."

"Didn't you say that helicopters don't cost much? Why don't you just buy one? I think the one in your script is just for the police, so it doesn't need to be very good." Jiang Wen began to be generous to others again, and he took the photo In the movie, he was really a wealthy man. People who didn't know it thought he was worth hundreds of millions.

"That's true." Wang Xu nodded, bought a helicopter, and donated it to the government after filming the movie. A helicopter only costs about $100,000, which is nothing compared to this movie.

"How do you plan to shoot those urban scenes? I see that the city in your pictures is full of high-rise buildings. Where do you plan to shoot?" Jiang Wen has been a director. Of course, he knows a lot of things. Even if you only look at one shot, the atmosphere of the entire film Just rely on a few panoramic shots.

"In that case, I plan to use models and CG. The static part of the city will be the main part, and computer animation will be used." Wang Xu is not in a hurry for this part. He has sufficient technical reserves, both in terms of supercomputing hardware and software. That’s it.

"Hey, is it the Terminator kind?" Jiang Wen became interested as soon as he heard this.

"It's better than that. This time it's mainly about training people, not just one or two. It's estimated that it will take dozens or hundreds of people to train. I'll probably be able to do more complicated things in the future." Wang Xu was full of confidence. This thing is troublesome to talk about, but it is This can be solved by piling up people and equipment.

A single supercomputer only costs tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, but a stack of hundreds would only cost tens of thousands. Even if the number of employees is 2,000 per month, if 100 people work for a year, it will only cost 3 million. The price is not as high as that of a star.

As for the effect, there is actually nothing wrong with the software technology. With Wang Xu watching and so many future films in his mind, the effect is not much different.

"As long as you know the answer, leave me a role later." Jiang Wen chuckled. He also wanted to get involved. Wang Xu had a hunch since he was so enthusiastic about helping Wang Xu with ideas.

"Captain, here you go, you have to be domineering to play that person. I don't know who to look for except you." Wang Xu raised his glass. He had thought so for a long time. They are both old foxes. They both know what the other is thinking, and they both say Jiang Wen is not good. It's a good match, so Wang Xu is easy to deal with.

"Leave one for me." Liu Xiaoqing suddenly appeared. Although she no longer held the cup, she had been paying attention to the conversation between several people.

However, Wang Fei was already drunk and was taken to the back room to sleep by Wang Xu.

The person sleeping on the sofa was Wang Shuo. This guy drank too much at the beginning and actually fell down early. This was not usually the case.

"There are few women in this play. Who do you want to play? Don't tell me about Cui Ying. Is that my Wang Fei's?" Wang Xu really didn't expect Liu Xiaoqing to take the initiative. She has been busy with business and hasn't acted in a play for a long time. .

"It's just a small role. I won't steal your Wang Fei's property. Just show your face. I always feel that your drama is not easy." Liu Xiaoqing looked at Wang Xu jokingly. This kid's drama is tailor-made for his couple. It was created so that the male and female protagonists didn’t consider anyone else at all.

"Then you can only be cannon fodder, the kind of guest star." Wang Xu shrugged. There are only a few characters in this film. There are still a few small roles in the team, but they are all the kind that will die quickly.

"Cannon fodder is cannon fodder." Liu Xiaoqing agreed readily.

"If you have a role for me, just give me a cannon fodder." Jiang Wu also cheered up. He had not graduated yet. He was a bit green and had no famous works, so naturally he did not dare to play a major role.

"Okay, I'll count you in later. I guess it will take a while to plan, and it will take a few months to prepare." Wang Xu nodded, but Wang Xu knew that his acting skills were not bad since he was in school. The characters I will play in the future will all be above the standard.

"Who are you going to find for the rest?" Jiang Wen has already begun to take on the role. With him on the crew, he is one of the assistant directors, and no one can say anything.

Wang Xu wrote, directed, acted, and cast in this film, which is considered a bit of a joke, but it is the only film in the country that has such a big production and an investment of hundreds of millions.

"I haven't decided yet. I talked to Zhang Guorong a few days ago and he is interested. He has a close relationship with me and is willing to play a supporting role to support me. I think the role of a tank should suit him well.

He is calm and wise, but he has a violent name. He is the type who cheats people to death without paying for their lives. I think he is suitable. "Wang Xu thought about it and missed some information.

"Hey, he's really good. I didn't expect you to have such a deep friendship with him. I like his play, and "Farewell My Concubine" really came alive." Jiang Wen nodded deeply several times. Although he looked arrogant, he was very impressed. He really admires people who are really capable.

"He will come over for vacation in a few days and we made an appointment to have a drink together." Wang Xu saw that Jiang Wen was interested and planned to introduce them to him.

Zhang Guorong came here because of the "Farewell My Concubine" incident. The tabloids in Xiangjiang began to write nonsense again. His agent had experience this time and directly suggested that he come to the imperial capital to recuperate and receive psychological treatment.

Of course Wang Xu agreed. He didn't mention treatment, just recuperation. Zhang Guorong talked about Uncle Li's various delicacies.

During the phone call, they naturally mentioned that Wang Xu wanted to make a movie in which he and Wang Fei were the protagonists, and Zhang Guorong directly said that he could help.

Zhang Guorong has always been a person who repays kindness. Although Wang Xu could not say that he was a life-saving grace, it was definitely a friendship that saved him from danger. He and Wang Fei have been friends for many years. It is right for him to lend a hand when a friend is filming. meaning.

He didn't even ask what kind of film he wanted to make, he just offered to help. Wang Xu naturally took note of this friendship.

"That's a good relationship. I haven't really dealt with him before. It would be best to make some friends." Jiang Wen was indeed interested and nodded excitedly.

"It's a small matter, no problem, I'll save the game when he comes.

Talking about casting, a few villains may not be easy to find.

After all, this film is still an action scene. Wang Fei and I have both practiced it, so there is no problem with the fighting scene. The villain is mainly in the fighting scene, so we have to find a few shooting stars. "Wang Xu just quoted. He has a lot of villains in his mind. The price has not increased significantly in recent years, so the price should not be a problem.

"Are you planning to invest in this film yourself?" Jiang Wen suddenly changed the subject.

"That's not necessarily true. You have to bring in a film studio to buy the factory logo." Wang Xu was a little confused, why did Jiang Wen bring the topic here.

"I suggest you get a company from Xiangjiang to work together. If possible, it's better to get a company from Hollywood to join in. This film will have to be sold out to get some profit, otherwise, you will just waste it." Jiang Wen was not worried about Wang Xu's financial resources, but worried that the losses would be too great and Wang Xu would stop playing in the future.

He also asked about Wang Xu everywhere and knew what this boy did and what he did, but he didn't have much talent. Looking at the detailed script prepared by Wang Xu, the detailed background pictures, and the split shots of some important scenes, he couldn't help but wonder. Quite professional and very engaging.

Jiang Wen is determined to let Wang Xu stay in this field for a long time. Don't think about it, do it for a while, and then run away and disappear.

"It's not impossible, but I don't have any friendship with them. Wang Fei is also a singer, and Xiangjiang's connections are mainly in the music industry.

Moreover, those people take a fancy to our small family? "Wang Xu has never thought of recruiting people from Xiangjiang to join the team, but these people are too arrogant now and really look down on the projects in the mainland.

"There are people in Xiangjiang, and not all of them are as arrogant as idiots." Jiang Wen was quite objective.

"I originally wanted to hire a martial arts instructor from Xiangjiang, but I was worried that people would look down on us and make trouble." Wang Xu added.

"The relationship is all about virginity, and you're still afraid of this." Jiang Wen looked disdainful. He didn't believe that Wang Xu would be afraid of this.

"The crew is so big that there are probably hundreds of people. If you include those who do computer animation, there will be hundreds of people. If you can't manage them, it will be a bit troublesome." Wang Xu actually still doesn't want to help Xiangjiang cultivate talents. For a film like this, Not to mention the mainland, no one has filmed it in Xiangjiang.

It’s all about training, why not train your own people first.

Xiangjiang has indeed had its glory days, and even now it is still the most glorious period for Xiangjiang movies. However, Xiangjiang has not formed a complete film industry system, let alone its own heritage.

Wang Xu is still a fan of many Xiangjiang movies, and of course many Xiangjiang movie stars. Many people in later generations have summarized the decline of Xiangjiang Film and Television. In the final analysis, it was because the place was too small.

Small market, small income, small investment. If you want to make big money, you rely on the external market. When the external market changes, it will inevitably decline.

The most interesting thing about Xiangjiang is that even though they are guarding the huge mainland market, they still inevitably decline in the end.

It is not entirely true to say that people in Xiangjiang are not working hard. Starting from this year, the policy began to allow co-production films to be released. Xiangjiang has also made some attempts and made some co-production films.

But the current mainland box office market fees are basically losing money, and these co-production films are almost losing money and making money.

However, the market in Southeast Asia and even Taiwan is still dominated by Xiangjiang films. Therefore, those attempts can only be considered as superficial attempts. Once they see that they can't make money, they lose interest in cultivating the market.

According to Wang Xu's point of view, time is destiny. Really, no one should blame anyone. When you are glorious, you will be brilliant. When you are declining, there is no need to mourn.

You see, the big guys in Hong Kong later co-produced films, used domestic actresses as stars to support themselves, and international directors returned. Anyway, they have tried all kinds of methods, but they have not been able to save Hong Kong. Movie.

The bottom line is that you have not figured out your positioning. As a work in the cultural field, you are not aligned with the main audience. You are not close to the mainland. How can you make money?

Selling milk tea requires a down-to-earth attitude. It’s boring to blame others for not buying into your movie when it’s all over the place.

Wang Xu really had no intention of seeking cooperation with Xiangjiang at the beginning, but after listening to Jiang Wenyi, it seemed to make sense. The country there is now ahead of the mainland in terms of funds and channels, so there are still many benefits to co-production.

In addition, Xiangjiang is indeed very strong in terms of special effects, action, etc. Although Wang Xu can reenact some classic action scenes based on memory, he still needs a martial arts director to specifically guide the actors to complete those actions.

As for the director, Wang Xu plans to direct it himself. It is estimated that no director from Xiangjiang will come to join in the fun. However, a team of directors can be formed in China. After all, this is a science fiction film with a large investment. It would be good to find a few more young directors, even as interns. .

"Let me think about this again. I really haven't thought about cooperating with others, because I don't intend to make money. I just spend money to do a project. According to you, if I do this, I have to reconsider the operation. There's a way." Wang Xu didn't hide it, and directly told Jiang Wen what he thought.

"Well, then you should think about it again. My suggestion is to bring them together. It will be convenient for you to go out to judge awards. Although it is difficult for science fiction films to get through the three major European films, it is also difficult to win the Golden Globe or Oscar.

But film festivals like Sundance, Montreal, and Austin can still run. "Jiang Wen still has some research on these things. In the 1990s, if the new generation of directors wanted to take the lead, they basically took the path of film festivals.

At this time, domestic film shooting funds are very limited, and obtaining overseas funds, making films, and participating in film festivals is a good way to get ahead.

Although Wang Xu doesn't have to worry about funds, there's nothing wrong with being able to earn bonuses.

"What you said makes sense. I used to think a little too simply. And speaking of it, it's really not a good idea to make sure you won't make money before filming. It's a bit self-destructive. This is not a positive energy."

Wang Xu also felt that there was something wrong with his initial thinking. On the one hand, he felt that current movies lacked commercial thinking, and on the other hand, he simply considered not making money. This was the wrong starting point and premise.

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(See you tomorrow)