I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Chapter 713 710. "Characters"

Seeing Xu Xin looking at him with a puzzled expression, Jiang Kui shrugged:

"After "The Hawthorn Tree" exploded at the box office, some people in this circle were as if they were on fire. Everyone felt that the golden age of literary and artistic films had arrived. One "Hawthorn Tree" could make hundreds of millions, and everyone My eyes are blurred. Tell me, does this count as your "credit"?"

Naturally, his words were not a question.

But joking.

But after Xu Xin heard this reason, he subconsciously thought that the screenwriter of "Bathing" was one of them, so he asked:

"Is he talking like a lion?"

"That's definitely not the case...you didn't understand what I meant. After your "Hawthorn Tree" came out, it was indeed like a shot of chicken blood to many directors and screenwriters of literary and artistic films.

But...in our circle, sometimes practitioners are the slowest to respond. The quickest responders are investors...

Do you know that after "The Hawthorn Tree" made more than 100 million at the box office in three days, just after Christmas, how many so-called investor "summits" were held that I know of and heard of? "

"Is the so-called investor summit...what I think it is?"

Although he didn't say clearly what he was thinking.

But Jiang Kui nodded directly:

"That's right. A group of people who have money in their pockets and want to make movies accept the worship of many directors, screenwriters, and agents from small companies..."

"..."

Xu Xin was speechless for a moment.

Jiang Kui laughed and blew out a puff of smoke:

"In the past month before last, major venues in Yanjing City were like crazy. Investors and businessmen were crowded, screenwriters and directors were queuing up, and the scripts were like flower girls. Take the newly printed scripts in the morning and bring them back at night All the time has been wasted."

"..."

Xu Xinxin said, Second Brother, you are really good at using metaphors.

But it’s so vivid.

but……

"Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any problems with screenwriter Diao's script, right? After all, he's not an unknown person."

"At that time... it was indeed true."

Although Jiang Kui admitted it, there was a sense of helplessness in his words:

"But...if you ask me, this is his life."

"What do you mean?"

"It's the end of the year."

He shrugged helplessly at Xu Xin.

Xu Xin suddenly realized...

"Oh~"

No.

After New Year's Day, although there is still one month to celebrate the New Year, it is indeed the "end of the year" in some people's minds.

At the end of the year, the company has a lot of things going on.

Not to mention anything else, even the three movies of Xiying Studio were planned years ago, but the announcement was only made in the spring of this year.

Seeing that he understood, Jiang Kui continued:

"At that time, there were several investors who were very interested. As far as I knew, there were a few good deals that were close to being negotiated. But I can't blame them for this. He wanted a production cost of 20 million, which is high, for sure. not tall.

At that time, everyone was dazzled by your achievements. Let alone 20 million, as long as the script is good, you can do it with 30 or 40 million. But unfortunately, he plans to direct this script himself... Speaking of which, he was also shortlisted for Cannes in 2007. Do you have any impression? "

Xu Xin was stunned.

Then he shook his head:

"I didn't even come by myself at that time. Yang Mi came for me. I have no impression of that Cannes."

"In 2007, his "Night Train" was also shortlisted for a certain category. But it was not released in China... In fact, if he had a released movie, and then look at the box office and investment ratio, it would be easy to say. But the question is whether he has enough screenwriting qualifications , the director's qualifications are really not good. Even if he wants to direct, investors don't trust him.

Originally, this was just a negotiation. At worst, we could reduce the budget a bit and use more favors, so we could get the director's position no matter what. But it happened to be the end of the year, so we made an appointment to start the new year. result……"

Speaking of this, Jiang Kui's expression suddenly became strange.

Looking at Xu Xin, he said:

"Now that I think about it, is it possible that he and you are not naturally compatible?"

"...?"

Xu Xin couldn’t laugh or cry:

"Second brother, you are putting the blame on me one after another. I can't bear it."

"I'm really not taking the blame. Let me ask you, you contributed to Liang Binning joining Xiying Film Studio, right?"

"……Um."

There is nothing to hide about this matter, basically everyone in the entertainment industry knows it.

But... what does this have to do with Liang Binning?

Soon, Jiang Kui answered his doubts:

"At the beginning of the new year, Liang Bingning's "Guanyin Mountain"... Originally, your "Hawthorn Tree" was first. Everyone estimated that "Guanyin Mountain" and "Gang's Piano" won one Best Actor and one Best Actress later, even if they are not as good as you , it must not be too bad, right? The result..."

"I don't agree with what you said."

Xu Xin rolled his eyes:

"The total cost of "Guanyin Mountain" was only about 3,000 yuan, and it ended up with a box office of more than 7,000 and almost 80 million yuan. Even if it is not a big hit, it at least made money."

Jiang Kui did not refute, but asked:

"Then how many films of "Guanyin Mountain" do you think can be released in a year? What about "Gang Piano"? How many films can be released in a year?"

"..."

This time, Xu Xin remained silent.

yes.

Not to mention "Hawthorn Tree", how many "Guanyin Mountain" can be produced in this circle in a year?

Then, after finally understanding why Jiang Kui took the initiative to "touch porcelain" on his side, Xu Xin asked speechlessly:

"So... pour this basin of cold water down?"

Jiang Kui responded:

"That's right, when a basin of cold water is poured down, the tree falls and the hozens scatter... Actually, you can't say that. Thanks to your three films, everyone has seen that the literary film market is indeed improving.

But the problem is...

Compared with normal genre films, this kind of development is still a bit too risky. Do you understand what this means? Unless this drama is either directed by a famous director or starred by a famous actor, everyone is still not optimistic about the market prospects at this stage.

There are too many uncontrollable risk factors.

Therefore, the current literary film market, apart from the two elements I just mentioned, is still spinning in the low-cost range. As for Lao Diao, it only costs 20 million, which is enough to make a genre film.

And, he is not a famous director... As for the actor, it would be okay if he could find someone with box office appeal in advance, but the problem is that he can't find him now. And I insist on directing it myself... Tell me, is this a good thing? "

"..."

Hearing this, Xu Xin suddenly felt a little sympathetic to this person.

really……

From what the second brother said, it sounds like...

He's a bit miserable.

Starting from "The Hawthorn Tree", the people around him seemed to have drawn a big pie for him.

Then what……

I teased him again and again...

So, is it really your own fault?

After thinking for a while, he asked:

"Brother, have you read this script?"

"No. However, Lao Diao has been preparing this script for many years, at least five or six years. In the first two years, he even took it to Rotterdam. People who read the script said it was good. But... there is no way. The name is right. For a director, 20 million is nothing. But for a less famous director, 20 million is enough to make a genre film. Who is willing to spend 20 million to make an art film for you? Do you think you are Wang Jiawei? Last year was good It was easy for you to lead me up for a good time. The result..."

"..."

I don't know why, but the "tragic situation" of this screenwriter Diao made Xu Xin very happy.

But it’s definitely not appropriate to have fun.

While the two of them were chatting, they finished smoking a cigarette.

After thinking about it, Xu Xin said:

"Second brother, how about... you ask him to send the script to the factory to try it out?"

"...?"

Jiang Kui was stunned.

Subconsciously he looked at Xu Xin's face.

A look of surprise.

"Master, do you know what you are talking about?"

Using a very weird title, he looked at Xu Xin and said:

"Although I hate the so-called factions and circles... but Lao Diao is a serious member of Beijing circles. Although his status in Beijing circles is not high, he..."

"Then does he have any other choice now?"

Xu Xin interrupted him with a rhetorical question.

Jiang Kui was stunned again.

"Second brother, I said that our goal is to produce many, many good movies. At this point, it is really unnecessary to divide the camps by circles. Besides, if he really thinks that the northwest circle is not good, then I will go to the Shanghai circle There is also a company, why not let Shanghai Circle come to invest in it. This person... I am also quite destined. Ha~"

Xu Xin chuckled.

"Are you right? What's more, I told you something from the bottom of my heart yesterday. It's true that we and the Beijing Circle are competing for interests, but there are still differences in nature. Don't you admit it yourself, right? wrong……

Besides, according to you, his "unlucky" situation is almost all influenced by me and Sister Bingbing. If he is really worried, then just think that I am returning the favor. He came over and spread the news himself. If Beijing thinks he is valuable, then someone must take over this matter. I'll just treat him as a favor. "

"..."

Xu Xin's words made Jiang Kui completely speechless.

He really didn't know what to say.

What the "child" in front of him said... made him feel as if he had lived his entire life like a dog.

If this were put in ancient times, he would be a giant of a generation?

Anyone who hears his name will give a thumbs up willingly and say "a real man"! ?

These words...

It’s so open!

"You...really think so? Are you not angry?"

"yes."

Xu Xin nodded:

"Literary films... we are not boasting. In terms of acceptability, even ten Beijing circles cannot match us. If he is really in trouble, you might as well persuade him to take a longer view. If we are all destined to cooperate, then let's cooperate. . The premise is that the script is good and the director's ideas are clear. But if there is no fate, and nothing else, for your sake, my second brother, I am willing to follow your lead and push his boat. "

"..."

Under Jiang Kui's shocked little eyes, Xu Xin once again finalized the matter:

"If you believe me, just tell him the truth. Of course, it doesn't mean that we will definitely invest. Bring the script and wait for me to review it when I return to China, take a look and talk about it. If you think there is no problem, you can give it to him That’s the answer. If the script doesn’t work, let’s talk about it another way. But if it works, I’m sure it can be invested in... Then we won’t care what he wants to do. Is this okay?”

"..."

Jiang Kui really didn't know what to say.

At this moment, there were only two words left in his mind:

"figure."

This person works...

What a fucking character!

…

Jiang Kui didn't hesitate too much.

He quickly sent a message to Diao Yinan.

It contains Xu Xin's phone number and the content of his personal promise.

It was posted in front of Xu Xin. After sending it, Xu Xin was asked to read the content so that any problems or ambiguities could be easily corrected.

It seemed that he was afraid that Diao Yinan would think that Xu Xin was playing a trick of "drawing money from the bottom of the cauldron".

But it's not necessary.

Xu Xin didn't care about this kind of thing at all.

In fact, the factory does not have a particularly clear line budget for all scripts.

Select a script, then estimate the investment costs and develop a reasonable budget in advance.

In this regard, the director does not have much say.

At first glance, this is similar to what is done in the Beijing circle, but the difference is that in the factory, the script speaks instead of letting the director speak.

They review the budget before the director submits it.

Therefore, Diao Yinan's script may be considered to cost 20 million in the Beijing circle, but there is no Li Yu, and there is no literary film by Liang Binning.

But here in the factory, there is no distinction between art and literature.

If there are no problems with the script and the director's ideas, then you can submit it.

Therefore, this little incident was quickly forgotten by him.

That night, he and Luo Shunjun met with many film producers.

But to be honest, not many people decided to introduce theater chains.

Although "33 Days" has good scores and reviews these days, these film producers with vicious eyes can see... It is not easy for dramas like "33 Days" to resonate with people in their own country.

Theater chains may not necessarily have any good profits.

But CDs are different.

Except for Chinese people themselves, this kind of film is not worth going to the cinema to watch. But with the excellent story quality, it's a good idea to buy the DVD and take it home.

Xu Xin actually understands this truth.

So I didn’t have too many hopes for the theaters at the beginning.

At the banquet that night, he and Luo Shunjun contacted many film producers who purchased the copyrights of audio and video products.

The standard of measurement is also very simple.

The one with the highest price gets it.

As for how much money will be earned in the end, it is still unknown.

The same goes for "Martial Arts".

Obviously, it makes sense for Cannes to schedule both films to be shown at midnight.

The upper limit is there.

Don't expect too much.

On the contrary, it was Tang Yan who followed the two of them and gained a lot of attention.

Smiling happily.

…

After the one-night banquet, Wang Sicong and Di Wei didn't come back all day on the 8th.

Xu Xin saw the two of them at noon on the 9th.

Seeing the two people walking side by side without holding hands... Xu Xin more or less guessed their current state.

It should be similar to the time when he and Yang Mi were in Hengdian.

Not yet lovers, but... definitely beyond the realm of friendship.

Then, an idea came to him.

I am not writing a book, but I want to persuade Lao Wang:

"When you confess your love and kiss, don't turn off the wrong light."

otherwise……

It would be fine if the two of them couldn't make it to the end. If it really comes to an end, this matter will be talked about forever.

Of course, this is a joke.

The actual situation was that he greeted the two of them normally and asked;

"You're back, how's it going?"

Wang Sicong smiled slightly, came to Xu Xin's table, and first pulled out a chair.

It was the one that Di Wei wanted to sit on.

When Di Wei was sitting down, he carefully pushed the chair forward.

Then he sat down.

Then he waved to the waiter next to him.

When the waiter came over, he took out a bottle of wine with an almost rotten label from his handbag and handed it to the other party.

He explained:

"Please be careful."

The waiter understands too.

When I saw the label on this bottle, I knew it was old wine, so I nodded knowingly.

After the waiter went to open the wine, he said:

“Try, ’61 Pinot Noir. The best vintage in the history of the 20th century!”

"...Isn't it 1982?"

Xu Xin said subconsciously.

Wang Sicong rolled his eyes directly:

"Come on, how about I get you a 1982 Lafite? In 1961, both Burgundy and Bordeaux production areas experienced a cold wave, and the grape fruit production dropped sharply. But it was also because of the reduction in the number of grapes that the original A vine used to supply ten bunches of grapes instead of supplying three or four bunches. The flavor and aroma of the grapes are the best in history. The 61-year-old wine is also the rarest on the market. Just one bottle..."

After he explained why the 61-year-old wine was so good, Xu Xin joked:

"You are willing to drink such a good wine for me?"

"Absolutely, in return for blocking Daqi's mouth..."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense~"

Di Wei pushed him silently.

In exchange, Wang Sicong and Xu Xin looked at each other and smiled.

Soon, three glasses, a bottle of wine, and the cork removed from the bottle were brought over by the waiter on a tray.

Wang Sicong stood up and poured wine.

And Xu Xin saw that the two of them were exactly the same... as if they had been "trained" in wine-tasting movements, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose a little higher.

Then...he started to "scrape" the wine with his tongue using the method taught by Jiang Kui.

Not to mention...

truth.

This wine is really good.

After one sip, his eyes completely lit up.

He picked it up and took a look at the vague label. In front of the two of them, he stuffed it with the new cork prepared by the waiter.

"I'll take it back and give it to Yang Mi to try."

After hearing this, Wang Sicong shrugged directly at Di Wei:

"Look, let me tell you, he is the most doggy person."

"hey-hey."

Looking at Di Wei's smile, Xu Xinxin said...

Brother Qi is also starting to become softer.

Then... a scene of Lao Wang pouting flashed through his mind.

Suddenly he shuddered hard.

"...What's wrong with you?"

"It's okay. It's okay, it's okay..."

Xu Xin quickly shook his head.

My heart says how far my thoughts are, so get out of here.

…

In the next few days, Xu Xin basically never saw these two people.

Although I know that these two people have not left Cannes...but their schedule...not to mention him, even Zhang Meiqi doesn't know.

But Su Meng performed really well this time.

All he had to do was get Daqi a fairy rope to tie him up.

And "33 Days" also sold for a good price.

One-time buyout ranges from 1.5 million to 3 million.

It added a lot of revenue.

Finally, on the night of the 12th.

The highlight of Cannes is finally here.

Before the award ceremony, Wang Sicong looked at Xu Xin's British suit that was being taken care of by Su Meng, and suddenly asked Di Wei:

"Brother Qi, do you think I'm suitable for Italy or England?"

Di Wei, who was wearing a Dior haute couture, glanced at Xu Xin and then at Wang Sicong.

"Actually, I don't even like it... I think it's too formal. I like something a little more foreign... Does Korean style count?"

"..."

Wang Sicong's mouth twitched...

Are you thinking that Korean-style small suits are also called suits?

Looking at his expression, Di Wei covered her face and smiled sweetly:

"I'm kidding you, the British style is indeed too formal, you are more suitable for Naples."

Upon hearing this, he suddenly said:

"Then... shall we go there? I just happened to go to Italy to order a few sets..."

"It's time to film, brother."

Si Wei didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But he did not refuse, but said:

"Besides, wearing a suit in the summer is a hell of a lot of trouble. Let's talk about it later when I have some free time."

At this time, Wang Sicong really couldn't hold himself any longer.

"hey-hey……"

He laughed, and so did Di Wei.

The trousers he was standing on straightened up. Xu Xin, who was waiting for Su Meng to help him straighten his trousers, turned around and took a look...

"Pooh."

He spat inwardly.

This sour smell.

"Okay, Brother Xu."

"Um."

Xu Xin nodded.

Looking at the red carpet of the Cinema Palace not far away, I made up my mind...

Isn't it just a show of affection?

Wait.

I'll hold my wife's head and chew it in front of you!

I'll kill you!

…

May 12th at 7pm.

The sun sets.

The Cannes red carpet has officially begun.

As a midnight screening unit, the red carpet of "33 Days" is quite high.

Basically, without waiting for a while, it was their turn to appear.

Xu Xin took the lead and walked forward.

Although there are many spotlights shining on this red carpet...but it is far from the scale of Venice.

He doesn't mind either.

Face everyone with a formulaic and professional smile on your face.

After the group photos were taken, everyone tacitly agreed to give Tang Yan and Di Wei the last opportunity to take photos alone.

After they finished filming, they walked into the movie palace together.

At 8 o'clock, the red carpet ends.

The award ceremony officially begins.

Then……

Nothing more.

It has nothing to do with the "33 Days" crew.

Seeing the sincere expressions of each of the winners, Xu Xin not only applauded, but also applauded.

At 9 o'clock, the award ceremony ended.

On the last night of Cannes, after getting rid of all the baggage, the casts of "Martial Arts" and "33 Days" were merged into one place.

Everyone gathered at La Taverne Lucullus.

Celebrating the last night in Cannes.

The smell of brandy, red wine and champagne is fragrant and fragrant.

Cigarettes, cigars, conversation and laughter abounded.

The proprietress of the tavern prefers the famous French singer Elaine, so she joined the group of friends from China when they had a great time together.

After putting on Elaine's disc, he smiled and invited his most familiar old friend Jiang Kui to dance.

The most important thing is...the boss, who has finished his work in the kitchen, is sitting next to Jiang Kui.

Facing his wife's invitation, the middle-aged Frenchman smiled and made the same invitation gesture.

Then go straight to Tang Wei, whose appearance is very popular with Western aesthetics.

Tang Wei readily accepted, and then the boss encouraged others to come along.

Wang Sicong turned his head and glanced at Di Wei...

Get up directly.

"Ma'am, can I ask you to dance?"

This time, Xu Xin really couldn't hold it back.

"Oh~~~~~~~~"

He began to heckle.

Di Wei, whose cheeks were flushed from drinking, put her hand on Wang Sicong's and joined the dance floor amid the cheers of Xu Xin and Tang Yan.

"Director Xu, are you going?"

Tang Yan was eager to try.

The result was Xu Xin's perfect defense.

"I won't go. I feel a little dizzy now."

Just being tipsy, he found a perfect excuse to send Tang Yan and Jin Chengwu away.

Then……

He lit a cigarette.

In Elaine's soft singing, I looked at Lao Wang and Seventh Brother on the dance floor.

There was a smile on his face like his old father.

He didn't know how the two of them were feeling about each other at the moment.

but……

The scene before him made him extremely fond of it.

Because... he finally felt an aura called "stability" from his friend.

No reason.

Mysterious yet mysterious.

Unfathomable.

However, it is visible to the naked eye.

Soon, the song ends.

The dance ends.

Others sitting there greeted the dancers with applause.

After dancing with the tavern owner, Tang Wei, uncharacteristically, suddenly came to Xu Xin with his own glass of wine:

"Director Xu, can I invite you to dance?"

The atmosphere is here.

It's not really rash.

But it's a pity.

The answer she faced was no different from Tang Yan.

But there are differences.

Because, she took this opportunity to sit next to Xu Xin.

Clink glasses and drink.

Small talk.

Then……

Not to mention the poor view of the picture.

But she still asked:

"Director Xu, can I ask you a question?"

"Well, you say."

"I... feel like I've hit a bottleneck. I don't know how to break through. I don't know... Do you have any good suggestions in this regard?"

she whispered.

But Xu Xin was not surprised at all.

But I didn't know how to answer her.

because……

Her bottleneck is different from others.

It's a bit difficult.

The plot in Cannes ends here, and Tang Wei's matter will not continue to unfold in Cannes. As for Seventh Brother and Lao Wang, whom everyone loves to watch...

All I can say is that there is still a long way to go.

The drama at Cannes has gone on long enough and it’s time to end.