I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Due to the time difference between the couple, communication during this period was limited to mornings and evenings.

It's basically untouchable at other times.

When Xu Xin woke up, he only received a message from his wife:

"The audition is over."

When he called the video, Yang Mi hung up.

"I'm chatting with Gilmore and the others about the schedule. I'll go back on June 21st. I'll tell you the rest later."

"good."

After Xu Xin replied, he left the bedroom directly.

Without his wife, his life is actually quite monotonous.

If your child is at home, go home and spend time with your child. When the child goes to school, he is busy with his work.

People have a smooth road and being famous actually has one advantage, that is, they have less time to ask others to do things.

He doesn't need to socialize every day. He is the decision-maker for most things. As for the remaining few matters, let alone making decisions, he was not even qualified to refuse.

As soon as he left the bedroom, he saw Su Meng ironing a shirt for him in the living room.

There was also a pair of trousers on the clothes rack nearby.

He was stunned:

"Mengmeng, what are the activities?"

"Good morning, Brother Xu."

Su Meng first said hello, and then said:

"This is what I'm going to wear next week. I picked it specially for you, so I brought it over. I'll iron it later, but you still have to put it on, take a photo and send it to her for inspection."

"next week?"

Xu Xin was a little puzzled:

"What are you doing next week?"

"Sister Mo's wedding."

She is still in the United States and is single. How will she get married?

As soon as Xu Xin had this thought, he suddenly realized something and said in surprise:

"Zhang Mo?"

"Yes."

Su Meng nodded, then looked at him with a strange look:

"Brother, you won't forget, will you?"

"..."

For a moment, Xu Xin didn't know what to say.

He really forgot about it.

I remember that the last time we contacted each other, she was still...where she was, taking wedding photos.

Oh, yes... Zhang Weiping's tax evasion incident had just come out at that time.

It's been a month or two.

So he nodded:

"Is your sister ready for the gift?"

"No, sister said just bring the gift money. She and Sister Mo have already communicated. Sister Mo doesn't want to make such a big noise. She doesn't even accept big red envelopes. She has told many people in advance. Just one thousand~ Don’t want anything else.”

"Okay. Then you can get a consecutive number when the time comes. The number will be more auspicious."

"Sister has already changed~"

"……good."

Looking at the little assistant's "you don't need to tell me" look, Xu Xin nodded again.

I thought to myself that my daughter-in-law was born to be a hard worker.

I can think of such things... Do you need to worry about it?

Soon, Su Meng had ironed her shirt and trousers.

He took it and went inside to change it.

After coming out, Su Meng slapped him hard.

While filming, he nodded:

"Hmm, my sister's look... I can't tell you! It looks like your legs are extremely long!"

Xu Xinxin said that I am not short at all.

Just as he was talking, Yang Dalin came back after sending his children to school.

There was also a piece of paper in his hand.

When he saw his son-in-law, he handed over the paper in his hand:

"Here, the school's holiday notice. The holiday starts on the 24th and lasts until August 26th, two months."

"Okay. Yang Mi has also confirmed that she will return to China on June 21st."

"Come back quickly, or your house will explode if you don't come back."

The child's grandfather, who had been troubled by his children these days, sighed helplessly. He took a look at his son-in-law's clothes and thought that he was going to participate in another activity, so he asked:

"Will you come back for lunch? If you don't come back for lunch... I'm going fishing."

"I won't come back. I have classes in the afternoon."

"OK."

…

Xu Xin does not take Su Meng with him in class.

It doesn't make sense for a teacher to have an assistant.

On the way to school, Yang Mi sent a video.

After he was connected, he looked at her husband wearing a Bluetooth headset and holding the steering wheel, so he asked directly:

"Where to go?"

"School, class. Are you finished?"

"Well. The first stop is Yanjing, the second stop is the Magic City, the third stop is Hangzhou, the fourth stop is Chongqing, the fifth stop is Guangzhou, and the sixth stop is Shenyang. Six stops in seven days. I will stay in Yanjing for two days and accept more. Visits from several shows, and then set off to South Korea.”

"...Huh? Does that mean you can stay at home for a week at most?"

"It's two days. I'm so convinced!"

When this was mentioned, Yang Mi's emotions obviously began to boil again:

"I've really had enough of this Hollywood! Let me go home quickly, I'm bored to death!!!!"

He had actually heard his wife's argument many times, and it was not unusual... He didn't even bother to comfort her. Instead, he took a knife and started to stab her heart:

"How was your audition? If I choose you...hehe."

"Probably...can't choose."

Speaking of this, Yang Mi recalled the audition in the morning and shook her head slightly:

"There's Scarlett Johansson."

"Yo?"

Xu Xin glanced at the screen on the phone holder in surprise:

"The Black Widow one?"

"Yes. She is also here today. She is a well-established first-line female star in Hollywood. No matter how much Sister Mo recommends me, since she is here, considering the compatibility of the North American market, the famous Black Widow It must be more popular. So I don’t have a chance...don’t let me have a chance! Oh my God~"

As soon as he heard this news, Xu Xin knew that his wife had probably had insomnia in the past two days and started listening to Guo Degang's cross talk again.

truth.

I feel quite uncomfortable.

Alone outside, in a foreign country...

On sleepless nights, maybe only local music can soothe the soul, right?

So, he stopped irritating his wife... Just kidding, now he was piercing her heart.

Then when she comes back, she will prick herself.

He nodded and said:

"Then don't worry about it."

"Hmm... oh yes, Vanessa invited me to dinner tonight. I think Georgia may be there too. Can I ask you about the script?"

"No need, just let them choose... How are Kobe and Vanessa doing?"

"Hmm... how should I put it? It's a bit like a second spring, right? Maybe the couple has to be apart for a while before they can think of each other? Anyway, when I go for morning runs these days, I always see Kobe's car parked At their doorstep."

"...Not allowed in?"

"You don't know whether the car will give way or not. And the recent news in the United States has not received as much exposure as the two of them. Without the media to fan the flames, it is not impossible for the old relationship to rekindle. I'll ask tonight ?”

"Just ask, let's gossip."

"Hehe~"

The woman in the video is smiling like a flower:

"Okay, I'll have a good chat with you then~...Then you drive well and pay attention to safety. I'll take a shower and change clothes to get ready for the appointment."

"Okay~"

Toot.

The phone hangs up.

Volvo walked towards the school.

But not long after leaving, Yang Mi's video was suddenly sent over again.

"Hey, what's up?"

"...Brother, did you forget something?"

"What?"

"Volvo. The person over there called the company again."

"Well……"

Xu Xin was stunned for a moment before he remembered... Yes, there is still something like this that he has not done yet.

"What did they say?"

"They were very polite and asked, it's already June, has Director Xu finished his work... Did you tell them it was May?"

"……Ha ha ha ha."

Xu Xin couldn't help laughing.

"Yes, it's May, okay. You ask them to send over all the venue information and everything. I'll take a look at it then and tell you."

"good."

The phone hung up again.

Xu Xin drove the car all the way to school as he recalled his advertising plan that had been put on hold for a long time.

Parked the car and walked to the classroom with the lesson plan in hand.

When students along the road saw him, they would politely shout "Hello, Teacher Xu."

Xu Xin nodded in response, walking on the campus in the hot summer of early June, his steps were particularly relaxed.

He actually likes teaching.

Outside of the director's career, it provided him with a completely different experience.

It's really great.

Looking at the retreating figures of the two students, he suddenly thought of a question...

If one day I stop making movies...

Wouldn't it be nice to be a teacher?

Peaches and plums, the next from Seikei.

Just thinking about it...that's great.

…

June 10th, Dragon Boat Festival, Saturday.

Not to mention, the wedding day chosen by Zhang Mo and Meng Danqing was quite good.

The location was chosen in the courtyard of a hotel called Pangu Qixing.

Not many people came. Except for Xu Xin, most of the others were relatives and friends of the old man.

Chen Ting didn't come.

Xiao Hua is here.

This was also the first time Xu Xin met Sister Mo’s biological mother.

I don't feel much else.

But when Meng Danqing and Sister Mo served tea to them, something strange flashed in his eyes...

However... I still have to admit that these three children, one boy and one Ding, are really sensible.

The whole wedding was polite.

Even after seeing Xiao Hua, he would sweetly call "Auntie"...

Anyway, it's quite harmonious.

The whole wedding is a very small one, no smaller than that.

But the atmosphere was harmonious. Seeing the two newlyweds kissing and hugging each other amidst everyone's applause and blessings, Xu Xin also laughed unconsciously.

After the banquet started, he took his three children and sat at the table belonging to the children of the family. The people at the same table were also relatives of the old man.

Although it was the first time for everyone to meet him, they all knew him.

There is also kindness in the politeness.

And being low-key also has its advantages. As family and friends respect the rules set by the host, Zhang Mo's wedding did not cause any waves on the Internet.

Even if some netizens broke the news of her marriage in advance, that was all.

The wedding on Dragon Boat Festival finally came to a successful conclusion.

Xu Xin originally planned to leave after eating, but Zhang Yimou stopped him:

"Wait a moment, and we'll be together later."

Hearing this, Xu Xinxin said that your precious daughter is getting married... are you still thinking about work?

What a coincidence.

It really is.

Xu Xin personally drove him to the studio. When he got in the car, he said:

"The production cost of "Return", including Gong Li and the salary, is currently about 3,000, not counting other people's salaries."

"Isn't it considered a declaration?"

Although he wanted to complain in his heart that this cost was nothing, he still nodded:

"No problem. Who are you looking for for the male lead?"

"Auditions start in a few days. Are you coming with me?"

"I won't go with you."

Xu Xin quickly refused:

"I still have a lot of trouble here."

"Well, when the audition starts, just arrange for Liu Zhishi to come over."

"Um."

"... Let's talk about it first, Chen Daoxuan's salary is not low."

"..."

Xu Xin was stunned and turned to look at the old man in surprise, with a somewhat absurd expression on his face:

"How tall can he be?"

Zhang Yimou rolled his eyes:

"Who told you this? I mean, the production cost of this movie may go up. And, for this movie, I plan to do something different."

"For example?"

"I want to shoot in IMAX. Xiao Meng has already said hello and there are no technical problems. I fully support it."

This time, Xu Xin was really surprised:

"Use a large film? A large film? Then your scene selection is a technical job. The depth of field of a large film and a small film are essentially different."

"You have to try this new technology."

Zhang Yimou looked at the road ahead and his tone was very calm.

As casual as breathing.

"Nowadays, it is basically used abroad. It is definitely not possible for us to play there with a 35 or 60. The technology of IMAX is sufficient now. Although I always feel that it loses the texture of traditional movies, the more pictures it can capture, , the wider it is, the more comfortable it will be for the audience. Xiao Ding and I used that machine to shoot a few sample videos, and it felt really good. So I gave it a try this time."

"all?"

"Yeah, all of them."

"..."

In fact, it’s not like no one in China uses IMAX to shoot movies.

The movie "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" released in 2011 was shot by IMAX.

But the main reason why this technology has not been widely popularized in China is that it is expensive.

Not to mention anything else, first of all, the movies you shoot with IMAX must be matched with a corresponding IMAX theater to get the best viewing experience.

If placed in an ordinary theater, the picture will look stretched horizontally and vertically.

It’s not that the effect is much lost, but that the best viewing experience is not achieved.

Secondly, the special effects lens of this thing is more difficult to shoot than the ordinary lens because it covers a wider scene. Maybe there are 15 to 20 percent more special effects shots that need to be processed in one picture than ordinary ones.

This is also a costly endeavor.

Others include machine rental, etc., which cost at least 20% more than ordinary film shooting.

Therefore, "Avatar" has clearly shown the potential of IMAX images, but considering the current hardware conditions and cost-effectiveness of domestic theaters, it can only be said that it has just left the "non-mainstream" in the past two years.

For some shots, some directors will use IMAX and 70MM negatives to achieve better results.

But they were all shot in IMAX... This is why Xu Xin asked "all".

He doesn't care about money.

I was just surprised by the thirst for knowledge in the old man's heart.

Apart from anything else, even he has not been too involved in IMAX, but wants to wait until the supporting facilities are more mature to take pictures in this area.

He didn't choose to use any of the great scenes in "The Burst of Silence"...

But now the old man is thinking about shooting a whole movie in IMAX.

Tsk…

I still have a lot to learn.

but……

"Aren't you worried that the picture will look bad when it appears on an ordinary screen? After all, a larger resolution and brightness require a larger background, and a higher picture to capture the pattern and details of the grand scene requires a larger screen. Only when it is presented on the screen can the best effect be achieved. The current penetration rate of IMAX theaters in China is not enough."

"It's something you need to study deeply."

Zhang Yimou glanced at him and seemed a little dissatisfied:

"If you don't take a picture, no one will know what the effect will be. But if you never take a picture, you will never know? How come you don't even have this enterprising spirit?"

"..."

Xu Xinxin said what does this have to do with aggressiveness?

I'm just giving an opinion.

Because he believes that some things are not necessarily better if they are bigger.

It's like children want it all, but adults know they can't stand it.

If you put the right things in the right places, they will produce the most suitable effects.

Apart from anything else, if you put a window game with a resolution of 800*600 on the 2560, wouldn't it not fill the screen?

But he wouldn't say that either.

Because he felt that the exploratory spirit in the old man was something he really needed to learn.

He felt that he was right, and he didn't feel that the old man was wrong.

What's more, as a director, you always have to accept more new things, so as not to be eliminated.

So, he nodded:

"Then just shoot it. I'm going to the United States to shoot a movie in the second half of the year. I will also use IMAX to have a good experience."

"USA?"

"Um."

"What subject matter?"

"Paramount hasn't decided yet, but Keanu Reeves, the man from "The Matrix", and I have decided on a story about killers and gangsters."

After hearing this, Zhang Yimou thought for a while and said:

"Then you have to learn one thing."

"What?"

“Accept some irrationality.”

"...for example?"

Under Xu Xin's curious gaze, the old man explained in an experienced tone:

"There is actually no clear dividing line between commercial films and literary films. But sometimes, when you see the story logic of some scripts, you will actually feel...it's nonsense. In reality, it simply cannot stand scrutiny, but in movies, It's very reasonable. At this time, don't try to combine the two, and don't overly show your own style. You have to know how much water this bowl can hold. A bottle is just right, if you give it a bucket, it will definitely risk .Do what you are good at and avoid things that even you find far-fetched. And..."

Having said this, he paused and looked at Xu Xin with a serious look while he was waiting for the traffic light:

"You must learn to reconcile with yourself. Play out the story in the script and you will win."

Xu Xin understood now. The old man was probably afraid that he would be more serious.

Or use the angle of shooting other types of films to try to turn a commercial film into your own comfort zone...

Not really.

He has his own opinions.

Good stories also serve movies.

Respecting the main line of the story is the most basic.

Unless he is a screenwriter himself, he will rarely have his own way unless it is particularly unreasonable.

It's all about discussion and consideration.

But the concern from the old man still made him feel more at ease, and he nodded with a smile:

"Yeah, I got it."

As for the movie…

IMAX?

Not to mention, he was also quite curious.

How about... try it?