I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Chapter 716 713. The depth of the sea is an abyss

intermediary……

Xu Xin is really unfamiliar with this word.

In my impression... I haven't had much dealings with agents since I started making movies.

But looking at Diao Yinan's taken-for-granted look, after his forehead was filled with questions, he couldn't help but ask:

"Director Diao, do you have any special needs for the... train station or train you requested?"

"No, it's just an old Type 23 train that matches that era."

As he said that, he seemed to think that Xu Xin and Qi Lei had misunderstood something, so he took the initiative to explain:

"That's it, Director Xu, I plan to place the shooting location this time in Northeast China. I will try my best to restore the style of that era in everything that appears in the shot. The trains we need to use are not the ones we found in Hengdian. That kind of steam locomotive is not a modern train either.

But... they have been used since the 1960s and 1970s, and they are shabby trains. This kind is still relatively difficult to find. It can only be found in some small mines and small stations. When renting someone else's car, you have to pay for it, but most people won't use it, so you must have some connections..."

"..."

"..."

Xu Xin and Qi Lei looked at each other.

His eyes looked a little ridiculous.

However, Qi Lei did not continue talking to him, but continued to look down.

Soon I saw something wrong.

"This... Director Diao, what's the transport belt usage fee...? Two hundred thousand per morning... and there is a parenthesis at the end (tentatively drafted)?"

"Oh, you said this."

Diao Yinan nodded:

"This is the usage fee for the coal trestle."

"...?"

Xu Xin was confused again.

Coal transport trestle?

usage fee?

If you take these words apart, he knows them all.

But why is the combination so strange?

He couldn't help but ask:

"What's going on with this usage fee?"

"That's right, Director Xu, in this script, the body was dismembered and found on the coal trestle of the train station. Then the police came to collect evidence..."

"Ok, I know."

Xu Xin tapped the script in his hand with his pen.

This is the beginning of the story. After discovering the dismembered body, the rest of the plot begins.

But……

"What is this usage fee? Is it also an intermediary?"

"right."

Diao Yinan nodded:

"Think about it, we have to film a movie and they have to transport coal. This trestle is for transporting coal..."

Xu Xinxin said you were not talking nonsense?

Every mine in my house has several trestles. Do you need me to tell you?

"Coal has to be transported up through the trestle, but if we go to film...their trestle has to stop. Every second it stops costs money. When the coal is taken out, it is pulled out by train skins. One belt is discontinued, resulting in If the transportation capacity is not satisfied, a lot of money will be lost... This person even interceded for me, and the other party reluctantly agreed to suspend the conveyor belt at that time, and we finished filming and left..."

"..."

Now, Xu Xin finally understood.

The tricky guide in front of me...

Regardless of the director's skills or the script, let's just talk about the composition of the crew...

He seems to be a big shopkeeper who just throws away his hands?

He... simply doesn't understand anything.

Just look at Qi Lei's ridiculous virtue and you will know how outrageous this offer is.

After thinking for a while, Xu Xin said:

"Director Diao, is the quotation you are showing Brother Qi now your entire budget plan?"

"right."

"detailed?"

"detailed."

"Then... how about... you send us a copy of this budget plan? We can help you make a new budget?"

This is actually quite abrupt to say.

Xu Xin also knew that what he said would sound harsh to Diao Yinan, so he explained with a smile:

"Of course, Director Diao, it's not that we question this quotation. It's just... there are some things in it that we can all shoot in a more economical way. For example, take the section of the trestle bridge. My family is engaged in mining. We can think of ways to do this by then. And, although I don’t know what the trains and the like you are talking about are, I have quite a few friends in the Northeast, and it’s not difficult to find someone to help me. So... we How about I make a new quotation and bring it over to you for a look?"

He spoke tactfully.

But I didn’t expect Diao Yinan to be much easier to talk to than expected:

"Okay, if I can save some money, I can add it to the actor's salary. I can at least find some better actors, no problem."

He happily agreed, then reached out and asked Qi Lei for the notebook, and then sent it directly to the mailbox Qi Lei gave him.

At this time, Xu Xin asked:

"Director Diao... I would like to take the liberty to ask, regarding this so-called... agency, prop company. Did you find it yourself? Or..."

"Introduced by a friend."

Diao Yinan said:

"This script involves a lot of things, whether it's decoration, period props, or things about the venue. Because I have to prepare the script, I am the only one who prepares the entire crew. So... …”

"Don't you have your own crew?"

"Yes, but the investment for this script has not yet been secured. Although I have made an agreement with a few friends...but I can't let everyone wait for me if there is something unreasonable."

When Diao Yinan spoke, Xu Xin's eyes fell on his laptop again.

Dell's.

The model number is unclear, but you can see a lot of dust accumulation on the laptop speakers.

The entire notebook smells old.

Not to mention, when he connected to the Internet just now, his computer was stuck in a mess.

After taking everything into consideration, Xu Xin suddenly asked again:

"Director Diao, Yang Mi actually still has an impression of you."

"……ah?"

Diao Yinan was stunned.

Perhaps the topic changed a little too quickly, and obviously he didn't react.

After thinking for a while, I realized why Xu Xin said this.

He asked tentatively:

"Was...when we were in Cannes?"

"Yes, she had a chance encounter with you at Cannes in 2007."

Xu Xin smiled and nodded, and naturally changed the topic:

"Your work at that time was "Night Train"."

"Yes, yes, it was my first time to go to Cannes, and I was shortlisted for a certain category..."

Hearing this, Xu Xin followed his topic and said with a smile:

"The movie "Night Train" also received very good reviews. When did you release it after returning to China? I was busy with the Olympics at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to this aspect."

Suddenly, an unnatural dilemma appeared on Diao Yinan's face.

In fact, it’s quite outrageous.

Xu Xin looked at this person's age, and he seemed to be around 40 years old.

But at this moment, he still shows this expression while chatting...

This means that either this person doesn't usually interact with others and doesn't seem to have that strong social skills. Or maybe he was exposed to something embarrassing and difficult to talk about.

But Diao Yinan still answered his question:

"I released it on May 25."

"Oh? How was the box office?"

"..."

Looking at Xu Xin's curious look...

Diao Yinan pursed his lips, as if this question was difficult to answer.

Finally, he said in a loud voice:

"not so good……"

"Well……"

Xu Xin was a little stunned.

He actually wanted to know how much the box office was.

Because... this person gave him a strange feeling.

Using "simple" to describe a middle-aged man around 40 years old is a ridiculous thing in itself. However, from the unreliable budget to the embarrassment radiating from head to toe, clothing, food and clothing... Xu Xinzhen felt a little unsure of his background.

He knew that the other party was a screenwriter.

He is also the main creator of "Carry Love to the End".

He is also one of the co-writers of "The Shower"...

Logically speaking, his status in the Beijing circle should not be low.

In the era when coal bosses entered the market and the Beijing circle began to expand wildly, the earliest group of people, whether they were directors or screenwriters, all established their own positions in this change, and then relied on their status, qualifications, and connections We spent a lot of money on all kinds of resources.

The man in front of him was obviously the person who had been called the number one back then.

But the problem is...

Xu Xin looked at the pure black T-shirt without any label, jeans... and the old pair of sneakers.

Old laptop.

And... that is obviously the new Kaifeng Zhonghua...

No matter how you look at it, he doesn't look like a rich man.

This is also the strange thing about him.

How did an old man from the Beijing area achieve such a virtuous life?

Now he really wants to call Jiang Kui to find out.

But it's obviously impossible.

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, he stopped asking further questions.

Directly bringing the topic to the script:

"Director Diao, let me tell you how I feel about this script."

Diao Yinan subconsciously sat up straight.

"The story of the script is good, but that does not mean that it is without flaws. Frankly speaking, I saw a very twisted temperament in this story... Of course, my summary may not be accurate, but I still want to talk to you. Explore my ideas.”

"Hmm, Director Xu, please tell me."

"This story gives me the feeling that you wanted to shoot it for a special literary and artistic purpose. But... you were afraid of telling a bad story... It should even be said that after you finished it, you should have discovered that its literary and artistic temperament is greater than its story nature. So I made some changes to highlight the story, especially the emotional line between the male protagonist and the female protagonist."

"!"

A hint of surprise flashed through Diao Yinan's eyes under his black-rimmed glasses.

I think this person has such a keen mind...

But I felt relieved the next second.

He could see that it was the right thing to do.

If you can't see it, something is wrong.

So he nodded:

"Yes... I did intend to make the relationship between Zhang Zili and Wu Zhizhen... more platonic. But I was also afraid that the audience would find it abrupt and incomprehensible, so I added a few meaty scenes..."

"But to be honest, it's quite redundant."

Xu Xin shook his head:

"For example, at the beginning of the chapter, Zhang Zili and his wife divorced, and the two had sex once before the divorce. In the end, Zhang Zili didn't want his ex-wife to leave...

In fact, when you arrange this plot, we will leave aside how to use the camera to reveal Zhang Zili's own situation in the later stage, and just talk about the function.

It just tells the audience that Zhang Zili's life is not good. He has trivial things in life after work, so he behaved violently in the arrest of the corpse case, and it is precisely because of him Due to his carelessness, something went wrong, resulting in the death of two companions.

After being punished in the end, his destiny completely changed, right? "

"……Yes."

"Then what do you want to express in this passionate scene? Zhang Zili's helplessness? Or do you want to express that he is an ordinary person obsessed with desire? Or do you want to show off his manliness for the last time to make his ex-wife look back?

...Of course, this passionate scene allows people to interpret these points, and plays a role in interweaving the subsequent storyline.

But...don't forget, if it is shot according to your plan, it may not matter if it is shown in foreign film festivals, but if it is released in China, the passionate scenes in this story will definitely be cut out.

What’s the point of filming the content that was cut out?

Relying purely on lust to express a person's "integrity"... I think it falls into the inferior category here. "

Xu Xin shook his head as he spoke.

At the same time, I was still muttering in my heart...

Why do these sixth generation people like to express something through passionate drama so much?

Is it really because they grew up in that era of initial enlightenment that this kind of drama has a different meaning in their hearts?

It's not necessary.

There are tons of pornographic film resources online. Now, who would go to see your movies just for a few passionate scenes?

"There are some details in this script that need to be changed. Even if it is your own movie, as an investor, I still think it needs to be changed. Zhang Zili's expression should not be so superficial. He can be a vulgar person, but his vulgarity... needs more It’s about shaping a kind of...a kind of..."

Speaking of this, he looked thoughtful.

But he quickly gave his own opinion:

"Dissatisfaction with desire! Zhang Zili's performance should be more like a dissatisfaction with desire. And this dissatisfaction with desire should be expressed very directly, but also very obscurely.

The straightforward expression is like an uncle who exudes vulgarity and greasiness. It gives the audience the feeling that he will take off his pants anytime and anywhere after seeing a woman.

But in fact, physical desire is more like venting than pleasure. What he really needs to satisfy is his own spirit. He wants to give himself a mental explanation...

Before the corpse of the new mutilation case was discovered, he was like a self-destructive walking zombie. After discovering the case of mutilated corpses, he should be seeking redemption for his mistakes that led to the death of two companions and the change in his police career.

At this time, his dissatisfied desires will gradually collapse in front of the audience...or let the audience see what he really wants to express!

In the end, his feelings for Wu Zhizhen, and after confirming that the other party was also the murderer, he chose to bring the other party to justice even though he was no longer a policeman, which will create a sense of contradiction in the audience.

Is it more important to let out the desires that have been stored up for many years, or is it more important to empathize with Wu Zhizhen who can inspire the audience's sympathy? Isn’t this kind of human struggle the shining point in the script? "

"..."

"..."

While Diao Yinan was stunned and speechless, Xu Xin's words seemed to be endowed with some kind of magic:

"Humanity, lust, instinct, justice, repentance, redemption...and that insignificant despicability...

All of this is like Pandora's Box, which will entangle and wrap everyone the moment they decide to open it!

Compared with this kind of mental stimulation, choose to use lust to express the feelings between men and women? Director Diao, don't you think... it's a bit too superficial? Obviously, we have better ones. "

If we say that Diao Yinan is the creator of the script.

Before meeting the prince of the Northwest Circle in front of him today, his definition of his script called "Fireworks in the Day" was a deep pool.

Just like an abyss, if you stare for a long time, you will unconsciously walk into it step by step...

So now...

When he heard this young director who had only been exposed to his script for less than two hours, through his point of view, description, and every character given from his perspective...or the soul of the entire story …

He was left with just one feeling.

ocean.

The sea is shallow and blue.

The depth of the sea is an abyss.

At this moment, when he faced Xu Xin, he seemed to be facing the dark abyss.

Just listening to the howl of the breeze on the sea... you can smell the ominous atmosphere in the air.

Unfathomable.

Like an abyss with no bottom.

How deep it is, there is no way of knowing.

He didn't even have the slightest desire to go down and find out.

What kind of person is this.

Just reading it once has already elevated my script to a more complex, profound, and even more... terrifying depth.

Even just listening to it, he could already feel vaguely... If the script could really be modified to the satisfaction of the other party, then this drama would definitely give everyone a bottomless "fear".

even……

When facing the doubts of countless investors, he can use the absolute confidence that "no one knows this story better than me" to give a heavy blow to counter their doubts!

But only when facing this young man...

In a daze, he had a feeling.

This script...

If he comes to shoot...

I'm afraid it will be better.

Even if this thought is only for a moment,

But it was like a Nocturne taking root on the ground. In an instant, the roots sprouted...

Can't stop anymore.