I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Chapter 838 834. Skin belly noodles

"Oh... so many?"

When the young man named Ma handed over the script, Xu Xin was completely shocked when he looked at this thick stack of stuff.

"We're all waiting for your decision, Director Xu."

The young man answered with a smile.

Xu Xin, who really couldn't remember his name, shook his head slightly, picked up a book and said:

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"Hey, that's right. ...You drink tea."

"Okay, thank you. Okay, go ahead and do your work. I'll take my time and look at it myself."

Upon hearing this, the young man politely withdrew.

Xu Xin casually picked up a script called "Dear Child" and started reading it.

At this stage, with the growing script library of the Art Creation Center and Xu Xin's deliberate decentralization of power, he has basically stopped reviewing some scripts from small investors.

All were handed over to the factory.

There is no way, since they started training with the Shanghai Circle and Yindu, the entire Northwest Circle has the feeling of three heroes fighting against Lu Bu. Many people who don't have access to resources in Beijing, or simply can't fit in, come here with the mentality of giving it a try.

Screenwriting is actually a very freelance profession.

Unless you are the kind of person who is deeply ingrained and has a script written no matter what, people will buy it.

Otherwise, most of the time, they are in a state of "seeking to form a team."

In terms of threshold requirements for the artistic creation center in the factory, screenwriters actually have the lowest threshold.

If an actor wants to get in, he must at least pass the exam to join the cast troupe.

Although a director is not required, he must at least have some decent directing experience.

Only screenwriters have no threshold.

You come with your script, and as long as it passes the review, you can join.

After joining, you are not required to be admitted to the screenwriting team, nor are you required to show loyalty.

Giving all creators the highest freedom.

Moreover, as long as the script passes the warehousing review, bonuses will be issued.

Although the bonus is not much, it is only a few thousand yuan. But you should know that this is just a review. Once a director takes a fancy and wants to invest, then we can formally discuss the salary issue.

How much do you want to sell it for, how do you want to cooperate, etc.

As a state-owned enterprise platform, the factory is guaranteed.

And this relatively free working environment also caused the number of scripts to expand to a terrifying level.

It was established only 10 years ago.

Less than two years have passed, and the inventory of Xiying Studio's script library has exceeded 800.

This is still subject to review.

For those that have not passed the review, there will be more suggestions for revisions and revisions.

Moreover, the biggest advantage of the Screenwriters Club is that it was a clause that was researched by everyone considering the situation back then.

That is "can be anonymous".

Everyone else is a screenwriter: Zhang San. But when he got to Xiying Studio, Zhang San could put on a vest and give him a nickname like "Liu Liu Mei" and pass the examination.

Screenwriters are not required to sign. If you feel that your identity is not convenient for real-name submission, then use the author's name.

This layer of skin gives many people who are "in Cao Ying" a layer of disguise.

Therefore, since the establishment of the Art Creation Center, there has been no shortage of scripts.

After taking over the script, Xu Xin took a look at the synopsis of the story, and then realized...it turned out to be an "anti-trafficking" theme.

Suddenly I felt a little fresh.

I turned to the beginning of the script again and discovered the name of the screenwriter.

Author: Zhang Yide

The corner of his mouth twitched...

I wonder what kind of god this eldest brother is?

So I turned on the computer and logged into the factory's internal query system.

He has high authority and can directly see the specific information of the script.

After entering "Dear Child", I checked it out directly.

Zhang Ji, writer name: Zhang Yide, works: "Partner", "Dear Child"

?

He was stunned.

What's going on?

When it came to "Partners", it was still a real-name system.

Why did he become Zhang Fei now?

With some doubts, he directly clicked on the screenwriter club in the Art Creation Center.

Good guy, it's okay if you don't look at it, but when you look at it, you realize something is wrong.

【The Peerless Sword Immortal】

【Sober up】

【Drunk】

[Old diving screenwriter]

[Vest meets vest again]...

One screenwriter after another has the author's name after his name.

Although some people still use their real names, looking at the weird author names of this group of people, Xu Xin subconsciously thought that he had entered a certain forum by mistake.

I wonder if this is the culture within the writers club?

These people don't have a QQ group or a WeChat group where they chat and gossip every day, right?

Unable to laugh or cry, he exited the system and lit a cigarette helplessly.

I think it's more normal for our director's club.

But immediately he stopped smoking...

The Directors Club...does it also have some kind of contact group?

They won't...not play with themselves, right?

Thinking that I had been coldly thrown out of the organization and couldn't watch the big guys in the group posting pictures and flattering me every day... I felt heartbroken.

…

The script of "Dear Child" is good.

No wonder it passed two rounds of review and was finally sent to me.

The factory actually likes this kind of movie script that has some social sentiments and shoulders some responsibilities.

Again.

They can make films that don't do well at the box office, but they have to.

Because this means that even the film and television industry always focuses on the people.

This is still quite important.

After writing the "passed" opinion and signing his name, he put it aside and started to pick up the second script to read.

One look lasted all afternoon.

Looking dizzy, Qi Lei, who was off work, called him to eat.

A bowl of water at noon is the answer.

You have to eat something good in the evening and drink two glasses of wine.

The bureau has been formed, and they are all people from within the factory. Xu Xin has only returned since he left last year, so he needs to keep in touch with each other.

It was clear that he was still urging Xu Xin to review the script at noon, but after work, Xu Xin's words "I'll finish reading it soon" were strangled to death in the wind.

Fine.

The boss at work supervises my work, and the boss after get off work takes me to fish.

This kind of fairy leader... Dear gentlemen, the future of our Xiying Film Studio is bright.

…

March 11.

It rained in Xi'an, which is really unusual in early spring.

Xu Xin was sitting in the waiting hall of the airport, looking at the rain falling outside the window, and sent a message to Guo Fan:

"The plane is delayed and can't take off. I'll try my best to get there today. I'll call you when I get there."

"Copy that, Director Xu."

After exiting the chat box with Guo Fan, he put on his headphones and looked at the dripping rain outside the window, thinking to himself... It shouldn't rain for a long time, right?

As a result, it rained until about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

Xu Xin, who had been waiting at the airport for nearly six hours, finally received the news.

The plane is ready to take off.

have to.

The day's plans were disrupted.

He originally wanted to go there in the morning to see how Guo Fan was doing with the filming, and to join the crew.

As a result, it was delayed for a whole day.

When the plane arrived in Nanjing, it was already early 4 pm.

When we arrived from the airport near NTU where the crew was filming, we encountered another collision between two cars, blocking half of the road and causing a long queue of cars.

When he finally arrived at the set, it was almost 6 o'clock.

When the crew driver who came to pick him up took him to Nanda, he found Guo Fan squatting at the gate of Nanda, waiting for him. And there was Wu Jing standing next to him... Although the other person was wearing a mask, Xu Xin still recognized him at a glance.

When he and Su Meng got off the car, the two of them came over to greet them.

"Director Xu, long time no see."

"Um……"

Xu Xin first responded, then looked down at the time on his watch, and sighed helplessly:

"You haven't...finished filming, have you?"

Guo Fan also had some embarrassment on his face:

"The filming was completed at around 4 o'clock. All the scenes at NTU are over. We will go to China Southern University to film tomorrow..."

"I'm really drunk..."

Xu Xin shook his head helplessly.

The crew has a shooting plan every day. They have to plan what shots they will shoot today and what shots they will shoot tomorrow. Of course, the director is not unable to procrastinate, but if all the shots have been shot and the plan has been fulfilled, it would be a bit inappropriate to not let people get off work.

After all, everyone in the crew has a copy of the shooting plan, so they know whether they have finished today's work or not.

Not to mention what Guo Fan said, today is the end of a section, and tomorrow we will go to a new filming location.

At times like this, we can't delay. Some staff members may finish filming today and have a quick meal, but then have to go to the next place overnight to set up the scenery and get props.

So, after he finished saying this, he waved his hand:

"Of course, I'm not blaming you. You don't know how unlucky I am. It rained in Xi'an and all flights were delayed. When I got here, I encountered a traffic jam ahead... Sigh. Come on, let's go have dinner? When did Brother Jing come?"

After drinking that day, Xu Xin changed their names to Wu Jing.

Wu Jing quickly said:

"Didn't I come to copy my homework? I just came yesterday."

Guo Fan then said:

"Director Xu, do you want to go in and take a look at the scenery I chose?"

"Okay. What are you holding in your hand?"

Seeing that he had a folder in his hand, Xu Xin asked.

"For the photos I took in the past two days, you didn't say when you would come over, so I took some shots, including the viewing angles, shooting angles, etc..."

look.

Or he can get the rights to film this film.

The biggest reason is that his handwritten plan is so beautifully written.

Of course, it may also have something to do with his work experience at Travel TV.

Even though he looks unshaven and wears black-rimmed glasses, he actually does a very meticulous job.

"Let's go."

Xu Xin took the information book, opened it and looked at the neatly arranged photos and said.

"Okay, please come this way."

…

Xu Xin has never visited Nanda.

Although he felt that today was quite unlucky, after entering the campus, Xu Xin's energy was lifted and he was barely in working condition.

"The architectural style of NTU's old campus is quite in line with the era of this story. When I was shooting here, my classmates also cooperated. I tried my best to restore the background of that era...including the appearance of this dormitory building... "

Guo Fan kept talking while taking Xu Xin through the school.

But Xu Xin rarely spoke.

Most of the time I listen.

It's recess time now, and Nanda is quite lively at night. But this is when the quality of the students can be shown.

Although Xu Xin and Wu Jing wore masks, many people recognized Guo Fan.

They obviously knew that Guo Fan was filming here, but they recognized him immediately. Even if they realized that the two people covering up so tightly might be movie stars, they just looked at them and did not come forward to disturb them.

In this way, under the leadership of Guo Fan, everyone walked from the dormitory building to the teaching building, including some scenery that Guo Fan felt he had specially arranged.

This tour lasted for more than an hour.

Xu Xin didn’t feel tired either.

And after listening to Guo Fan's thoughts for more than an hour, he also had a clue in his mind.

This is Guo Fan's debut film. Regardless of how the film will be produced, at least as a director, his goals are relatively clear.

Know what you want.

That'll do.

As a producer, what he did was not to overstep his authority and personally teach Guo Fan how to shoot, but to ensure that there were no mistakes in all aspects of the film, and leave the rest to the director.

He is not a producer, so he can refrain from dictating the film, so he should try to speak as little as possible.

Just like that, near 8 o'clock, everyone who walked around came to the school gate again, and Guo Fan said:

"Director Xu, you didn't let me tell them that you were coming, so I didn't notify the actors or them. But I booked a private room at the hotel..."

"..."

Xu Xin said nothing.

But his eyes fell on the opposite side of the road from the school.

The streets on the Gulou campus of NTU are relatively narrow, but equally, the smoke from fireworks is very strong.

He looked at the signboard of the "Pidu Noodles" store across the road and suddenly said:

"If it's just a few of us...can we try that restaurant?"

Following his words, Wu Jing and Guo Fan turned their heads at the same time and looked at the restaurant where some young people were entering and leaving. Guo Fan was stunned...

"Go there to eat?"

"I really can't stand it anymore."

Xu Xin shook his head:

"I was fooling around at the airport at noon. I didn't have much appetite after getting on the plane. Until now... just at his house. I haven't had a serious bowl of noodles for a long time."

Wu Jing looked him up and down and said with a smile:

"Indeed, Director Xu is much thinner than the last time we met."

"Let's go to his house to eat. Ask if there is a private room. I don't want anything. Just give me a bowl of noodles... let's go!"

Xu Xin, who grew hungrier and hungrier as he talked, took the lead directly to the restaurant.

Pidu noodles are said to be one of the must-eat noodles in Nanjing.

It's a pity that Xu Xin has never eaten it.

When the old man was training actors here in Nanjing, he was too busy to hit the back of his head, not to mention looking for Nanjing delicacies. He just drank a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup from a roadside stall...

I have only "heard about" this bowl of noodles.

Seeing Xu Xin speak, the three people including the driver followed.

Su Meng ran all the way to the hotel to ask for a private room. When a few people arrived, Su Meng had already come out:

"Brother Xu, there is a private room."

So, everyone entered the room and followed the waiter inside.

It was already past dinner time, and while a few people were waiting to enter, the waiter was still clearing the table.

Obviously, there were guests in this box just now.

They are all old men, and they are not picky about the sanitary conditions.

After sitting down, Guo Fan originally wanted to pass the menu to Xu Xin, but Xu Xin waved his hand directly:

"I want a bottle of Nanjing's local wine, and the noodles are served directly with the dishes. I don't have to choose what's delicious."

Seeing that Director Xu was really hungry, Guo Fan nodded and ordered a few Nanjing specialties, such as boiled dried shredded noodles, beef pot stickers, salted duck, etc., and a bottle of Yanghe.

Soon, the waiter came in with wine and cold dishes.

Wu Jing took the bottle directly, while Xu Xin looked at the glass in front of him and said:

"Three of us and one bottle probably won't be enough."

"Let's drink first."

Wu said with a surprised smile.

"That's okay. Come, come, you're all on your own, no need to be polite. Use your chopsticks, use your chopsticks."

He directly took a bite of the cold dish.

Soon, three glasses of wine were poured, the driver replaced the wine with drinks, and everyone bumped into each other.

With wine and food, the exhaustion of this day's journey has come to an end.

Xu Xin breathed a long sigh of relief and said:

"Brother Jing, your script is in my suitcase now."

"!"

Wu was startled:

"ah?"

Guo Fan asked curiously:

"So fast? Isn't it... only two days?"

As he spoke, he met Wu Jing's gaze and said:

"Normally there are three review and approval procedures, the preliminary review, the intermediate review, and the last step is with Director Xu. Brother Jing, your script looks good, and it passed the review very quickly."

This was a bit of a surprise to Wu Jing.

He took the initiative to pick up the cup:

"Director Xu, let me toast you."

Obviously, he also understands why his script, which would have been rejected 95% of the time by other companies, reached the final review stage only a few days after it was submitted.

If Director Xu hadn't pushed it through, the review would never have been so fast.

Guo Fan himself said that he had been reviewing his script proposal for a month or two.

After Xu Xin bumped into him, he said:

"I haven't read the story in detail, but I heard you talk about it last time we had a drink. You can ask Guo Fan to learn about the plan. This subject... to be honest, it's not something I'm good at. I can't give you much advice. . But the reason why I asked you to come to Guo Fan to learn from me is actually because this is your first time as a director, so many things are in common with each other. The process of making a plan, including submitting storyboards, making plans, etc., is actually As a new director, it is a process of gradually understanding the story..."

"Yeah."

Guo Fan nodded:

"It's true. There are many things that I couldn't figure out when I first got the script. But after a little bit of thinking and all the links are done, it actually means that I have an understanding of the story of the script. Having a plan is equivalent to I also have a plan in my mind, and it will be a matter of course when I go through some steps..."

Although he has been in the film and television industry for a long time, it was his first time as a director. Wu Jing nodded vigorously and wrote down all these things.

This is all the experience of "predecessors".

It will definitely come in handy in the future.

"Speaking of which... what is Director Xu busy with recently? "Heart of the Burning Sun"? When do you plan to film it?"

Guo Fan asked curiously while holding the wine glass.

Xu Xin shook his head:

"I will go to the United States in April to get the edited version of the film, and then bring it back home to start dubbing and scoring. If it is accepted... it may be an opening at the Silk Road Film Festival. As for the release, it will have to be next year. I plan to go to Berlin."

After hearing this explanation, Guo Fan continued to ask:

"Then... Teacher Yang's film is also finished?"

"Just this period of time. I will go to the United States with her in April, and she will also do post-production."

"...Director Xu, how is Hollywood...?"

Guo Fan suddenly said this.

Xu Xin glanced at him and smiled:

"What? Your first movie hasn't been made yet, and you're just thinking about going to Hollywood in the future?"

"That's not to say... I actually have no interest in Hollywood."

Guo Fan shook his head sincerely:

"I'm just...interested in science fiction movies. A big production worth 200 million US dollars...more than a billion dollars! I... really want to see what a crew worth more than a billion dollars looks like..."

"..."

His words made Xu Xin use his chopsticks to pick up vegetables.

Xu Xin, whose memories were instantly brought back, sighed:

"Want to hear the truth?"

"Sure."

"..."

Under the curious gazes of Wu Jing and Guo Fan, Xu Xin, who was still chewing peanuts, described his true inner feelings in a very down-to-earth way:

"When I accompanied Yang Mi there. In the first few days, I just had the same feeling. I couldn't understand it, but I was so shocked."

"..."

Wu Jing's eyes were full of surprise.

Guo Fan's performance was more direct:

"Is the gap really that big?"

"Say big, big."

Xu Xin nodded vigorously, proving the authenticity of his words.

Then the conversation changed:

"But then again, although the real gap is in all aspects, but...if you look at the country, you will find that we can actually catch up. I was really stimulated...No, In a few days, you may see the news.”

"What news?"

"I spent more than 100 million to acquire a very good special effects company."

"...?"

"???"

This sentence made both of them a little confused.

What did I mean when I didn't react at the first time?

But after reacting...

"Director Xu, do you want to..."

Looking at Guo Fan's eyes that were bigger than an ox, Xu Xin nodded:

"Yeah. A large amount of money is invested, let alone driving the industry... but at least it has to improve the level!"

"!"

In Wu Jing's shocked eyes, Guo Fan subconsciously asked:

"That costs a lot of money, right?"

Xu Xin shook his head:

"It has nothing to do with money, the important thing is that someone has to do it. The current scale of these special effects companies in China is... too small. It is difficult to take on a small job. But if we don't develop, it may be too late. So..."

He shrugged.

The words were not finished.

But both of them understood.

Got what he meant.

Instantly, a huge feeling of admiration rose up.

Apart from being admirable...

Guo Fan couldn't help but ask again:

"But if the scale is too large, can our domestic market be able to handle it?"

He was embarrassed to mention "losing money", but the meaning behind his words was already obvious.

And Xu Xin naturally thought of what he could think of.

So, he stretched out two fingers:

"This is a conservative estimate of annual losses."

"..."

"..."

Neither of them would be naive enough to think that this was two million or two hundred thousand.

And when the number rises to 8 figures...

"Hiss~~~"

Seeing Guo Fan's fussing and unexperienced expression, Xu Xin couldn't laugh or cry:

"Why are you so surprised? ... It seems like a lot, but in fact the net profit from just one movie is enough to last two or three years. It's only 20 million, not much."

"..."

"..."

For a moment, the two of them were speechless.

Okay... okay.

At this time, Xu Xin picked up the wine glass, shook the half-filled glass of wine, and seemed to be talking to the two of them, but also seemed to be talking to himself:

"Now that you've seen it, you have to do something. Otherwise... I'll feel really uncomfortable."