director of the millennium

Chapter 149 Listening to Director Wu, Athens is Dark for 8 Minutes

The filming of "Love" went very smoothly.

In early August, Liu Yifei and Gong Li joined the group to film their scenes.

In less than five days, Liu Yifei finished filming first
She didn't expect the filming to be so easy.

She thought it would be very difficult to act in a literary film, after all, they were all award-winning movies.

But unexpectedly, after joining the group, she just played the role of the little granddaughter in her true nature, and filmed a few dialogue scenes with Teacher Wu Yanshu, and performed a few crying scenes by her bedside, and it was over.
No way, she and Teacher Wu Yanshu are really familiar with each other. She played her grandma in "Your Name", and she didn't even need to cultivate a relationship, she could shoot directly when she came up.

"Is it wrapped now?" Liu Yifei, who was lying on Wu Yanshu's bedside wiping away tears, was shocked when she heard Wu Yuan's voice "Congratulations on wrapping up" in her ears.

"Yes." Wu Yuan smiled very happily: "Qian Qian, you are already very comfortable playing the role of the granddaughter for Teacher Wu Yanshu."

Wu Yanshu, who was lying on the bed, also straightened up, pampering Liu Yifei's face: "You acted very well."

She likes the little girl Liu Yifei very much.

Simple, pure, dedicated and serious to work, and sincere and kind to others, completely different from many long-established actresses in the circle.

As a relatively old-fashioned performer, Teacher Wu Yanshu is very dissatisfied with the current chaos in the industry and the behavior of some actors.

But she is very satisfied with Liu Yifei, this little girl is too cute.

"Grandma, then I'll go first, come on!" Liu Yifei shook her small fist, cheered up teacher Wu Yanshu, and followed Wu Yuan out of the set with her hands behind her back.

Her mother was waiting at the door of the room.

"Thank you." Wu Yuan was polite again, and was about to watch the mother and daughter leave.

There has always been no formalism on his set. The actors only have to say congratulations and send a bouquet of flowers when they finish filming, and they have to continue filming other people's scenes.

Liu Yifei also knew this habit of his, but this time she did not leave directly, but stopped beside Wu Yuan.

"Brother." After hesitating for a moment, Liu Yifei lowered her head and whispered, "Well, my birthday is coming soon."

"Brother, do you have time to come to my birthday party?"

Perhaps because she was afraid that Wu Yuan might misunderstand, she quickly explained: "I invited not only you, but also many friends and classmates I met on the set."

Lowering his head and looking at Liu Yifei's side face which was still a little fat and pouty, Wu Yuan wanted to agree in his heart, but still refused:
"I won't go. Those friends and classmates of yours won't get used to seeing me, so I won't disturb the situation for you."

He is an international director, and if he goes to a gathering of newcomers and actors aged [-] or [-], it's like putting a shark in a small pond, scaring the small fish and shrimps in the small pond to death.

Wu Yuan still has a clear understanding of his status, unlike Xiao Ma, who has become the richest man and still thinks that his family is an "ordinary family".

For him, staying away from Liu Yifei's circle of friends is a good thing for both himself and Liu Yifei's friends.

But this little girl Liu Yifei can think so much, she muttered disappointedly: "Brother won't spoil the situation."

At this time, it was Liu Xiaoli's turn to come to the rescue.

She patted her daughter's shoulder, "Okay, Director Wu is still busy making movies, so don't bother him anymore."

"Mom still has some things to talk to Director Wu, you go outside and wait."

"What are you keeping from me?" Liu Yifei pouted dissatisfiedly.

However, under the gaze of Liu Xiaoli's calm eyes, she was quickly defeated and dragged her feet out weakly.

After watching her daughter go away, Liu Xiaoli looked away and looked at Wu Yuan.

She did have something to discuss with Wu Yuan.

"Director Wu, there is one thing I want to ask you."

Liu Xiaoli kept her posture low, "You are Sissi's noble person, without you asking her to play "Your Name", there would be no Sissy now."

"So I want to hear your opinion on Sissy's choice of acting path."

"What's the matter?" Wu Yuan asked suspiciously, he didn't remember any major setbacks in Liu Yifei's acting career?
The matter of being banned by Huayi has to wait until "The King of Kung Fu", but it's hard to say whether there will be "The King of Kung Fu" in this life.

Anyway, Cheng Long probably doesn't have time to film "King of Kung Fu" anymore. He wants to make the "Kings Agent" series.

"That's right." Liu Xiaoli organized her words and said thoughtfully: "Sissi is now the second highest-grossing actress in the country. This is a good thing."

"But, as a rookie actor, she has reached this height all of a sudden, and she is a bit priceless."

"In terms of movies, there is really no suitable movie script. The big productions of big directors can't be acted, and the movies of small productions can't match Sissy's current social status."

"So I discussed it with her godfather, and I want to enter the singer market after Sissy finishes filming "The Legend of Condor Heroes."

"Sissi's godfather knows people from Sony Records, and they want to sign Sissi as a singer under Sony Records, and simultaneously produce albums in China and Japan."

"I think Sissi is also very popular in Japan because of "Your Name". If there is no new movie released in Japan for a long time, these fans will soon forget Sissy."

"Then it's better to make a record first and work in Japan as a singer."

"Director Wu, what do you think?"

Hey, Wu Yuan remembered, Liu Yifei really went to sign with Sony as a singer for a while.

This decision is not to blame Liu Xiaoli.

In the current mainland entertainment industry, film and television songs are not yet clearly differentiated, and there is no saying that singers are inferior to actors.

On the contrary, because singers' records sell well, they now make more money as singers than as actors.

Especially singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan can earn 9 figures a year. This figure is something that mainland actors can't even imagine.

Influenced by the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment circles, the current domestic entertainment also advocates stars in film, television and music.

Therefore, the current mainland actors are basically acting while singing, which is completely reversed from the later singing and excellent actors.

Both Zhou Xun and Chen Kun have released albums, and Wang Jingwen is also trying to act in a movie. She may not be in Sunglasses King's "2046".

Judging from the current era, it is not wrong for Liu Xiaoli to want Liu Yifei to take the route of film, television, singing and singing.

And later on, her album did very well. The Chinese version sold 10,000+ copies, and the Japanese album also sold 10,000+ copies.

You know, she was not well-known in Japan in the first place. She debuted as a pure rookie singer and sold 10,000+ records, which shows that she is indeed very suitable for the Japanese entertainment market!

Looking at it from the perspective of later generations, of course I think Liu Yifei's behavior is meaningless and a wrong move.

But specific things should be considered in light of specific circumstances.

The current Liu Yifei is no longer the same as before.

She is in Japan now, let alone a national goddess, but the title of "National First Love" cannot be escaped.

This is not Wu Yuan's nonsense, it was blocked by the Japanese media.

The character "Luo Sanye" is really so popular. With the box office of "Your Name" exceeding 150 billion yen in Japan, she has become the most perfect "first love" in the eyes of young Japanese men!
At this time, it is indeed a good decision to ask Liu Yifei to release a Japanese album without receiving a good movie script.

Not only can she consolidate her Japanese fan base, but she may even reach new heights!

"Sissy will graduate next year, right?" Wu Yuan rubbed his chin and pondered, "After graduation, she will have more time. It's okay to cross borders and release a few albums."

"Anyway, there really aren't any movies suitable for her now, she's still too young."

"After graduation next year, Sissy will only be 18 years old, right?"

When mentioning age, Wu Yuan suddenly felt a little confused.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Yifei was about to become an adult.

When she was 14 and a half years old, she met on the set of "The Golden Family". In Wu Yuan's mind, it seemed like it happened yesterday.

"Time flies so fast." Wu Yuan sighed.

Liu Xiaoli also felt the same way, "Yeah, Sissi grew up in a blink of an eye."

After finishing speaking, she suddenly looked at Wu Yuan warily, then quickly withdrew her gaze, changed the subject and said, "Well, Director Wu, you mean, can you give it a try?"

"Sure." Wu Yuan had no objection.

Anyway, in the next year or two, he doesn't seem to be able to use Liu Yifei, the first-generation Yuan girl. Whether it is "Painted Skin", "Pirates of the Caribbean" or the follow-up "Rush Hour 3", there is no suitable role for her.

Instead of letting Liu Yifei pick up some bad movies, it's better to go to the music scene to have fun.

To put it bluntly, even if the album she releases doesn't do very well and doesn't make any splashes, it won't affect her reputation.

After all, she has a lot of stock. A "Sword" will be broadcast at the end of the year, and there will be a "Legend of the Condor Heroes" later.

The dividends from these two TV series alone are enough to maintain her popularity for ten years.

It's not a good thing to have a few bad movies that have eroded your reputation.

what?
Why do you think Wu Yuan was so sure that Liu Yifei would only get bad movies even if she took on roles?

From 2004 to 2006, were there any movies with female protagonists that had good reputations and box office success?

Not to mention big heroine movies, there are not even fringe heroine movies!

Is it possible to squeeze her breasts to play "Golden Armor"?
She doesn't even have this body condition!

It's better to go to the Japanese music scene to attract a wave of otaku fans.

I remember that Liu Yifei was really handsome at that time, she could dance and sing, she was cuter than many Korean actresses, she attracted a wave of Japanese fans, and she even formed a Japanese fan club.

After that, Wu Yuan can still use Liu Yifei to go to the Japanese market to earn box office.

In this way, Liu Yifei's development plan for the next two years was decided by Wu Yuan and Liu Xiaoli.

Liu Xiaoli, who received recognition from Wu Yuan, immediately confidently began planning Liu Yifei's career as a singer.

And Wu Yuan also returned to the filming work of the crew.

August 8th, Qixi Festival.

Wu Yuan spared half a day to attend the premiere of "If Love" in Beijing, which can be regarded as fulfilling his promise to Zhang Guorong.

But for this movie, Wu Yuan doesn't have high expectations in terms of box office, as long as it doesn't lose money.

What he wants is an Academy Award!
But "If Love" gave him a surprise.

Relying on Zhou Xun and Chen Kun, the most famous movie partner in the mainland, they won a box office of 1400 million in three days, and broke 3000 million in a week!
Coupled with the 800 million Hong Kong dollar box office on Hong Kong Island, this movie not only returned its capital, but probably made a small profit, and broke into the top ten box office charts in the Mainland this year!
It can only be said that Zhang Guorong's reputation is indeed greater than that of Chen Kexin, and it is easier to sell tickets.

On August 8, after 26 days of filming, "Love" was successfully completed in Beijing.

From the beginning to the end, this movie was only filmed in a staff building dormitory and the surrounding area. It was shot by Wu Yuan, and it is second only to "The Night the Comet Came" as a relaxed movie.

And it's also very economical. Except for Gong Li who got 50 yuan for the whole movie, the remuneration of all the rest of the actors, including the extras, is only 50 yuan.

Coupled with the crew's daily expenses, wages, rented venues, film, etc., the entire movie was shot for less than 800 million.

This is because prices in Beijing have risen rapidly in the past few years, otherwise it would not be possible to spend so much money.

Under the current general environment, the funding for the production of literary and artistic films is decreasing, and capital is more willing to invest money in commercial films, and is less willing to spend money on literary and artistic film directors.

There is no way, it is becoming more and more difficult to make money in literary and artistic films, and the purchase price given by European film companies is still the same, but the domestic prices and the prices of actors in the market have risen again and again.

Making art films is no longer a matter of making a lot of money by winning awards.

Even Wu Yuan, who invested money for himself, saved as much as he could when filming "Love".

Even if he was confident about the film and thought it could win an award at Cannes, he wouldn't dare to spend it lavishly.

On the night of August 8, after the entire crew happily had a finals banquet, the crew of "Love" was disbanded on the spot.

Wu Yuan ran between his home and the company, doing the post-editing work of "Love".

The release results of "If Love" are still gratifying, with a cumulative box office of 4200 million, and the final box office is likely to reach around 5000 million.

However, no one has
Concerned about the movie "If Love".

All Chinese people are paying attention to one thing now.

Closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics.

At the closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, there will be "8 Minutes in the Capital" created by director Zhang Yimou.

This is the repertoire of the Olympic Games.

At the closing ceremony of each year, there is a custom that 8 minutes will be left for the next Olympic city to show the culture of the city and the country's understanding of the Olympic Games.

Since China's successful bid to host the Olympic Games in 2001, the Olympic Games has become a national event of national concern!
The capital has also been preparing to host the Olympic Games. The entire capital has become a large construction site, with various sports halls, Olympic villages, and supporting facilities under construction.

It can be said that everyone regards the Olympic Games as the most important thing.

But, sometimes the higher the expectations, the greater the backlash after disappointment.

At two o'clock in the morning on August 2004, 8, Wu Yuan also stayed up all night, turning on the TV to watch the live broadcast of the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.

Finally, under much anticipation, Beijing 8 minutes began.

Short skirt cheongsam, erhu, pipa, Tai Chi, Peking Opera performance, red lanterns, these are the 8 minutes of the capital presented by director Zhang Yimou to the global audience.

After watching the 8-minute performance, Wu Yuan mourned for Director Zhang Yimou in his heart.

It's really hard for him.

It is really not easy to be able to make such a performance when the Athens side refuses to cooperate, disagrees with this plan, and cannot implement that plan.

However, the domestic audience who watched the closing ceremony in front of the TV did not know the inside story.

"Too vulgar!"

"The form is old-fashioned!"

"nondescript!"

"It's so ugly!"

"The content of the performance is old-fashioned, the form of the performance is outdated, rote, a hodgepodge, and it does not show Chinese culture..."

Countless bad comments immediately appeared on the Internet, all scolding director Zhang Yimou for embarrassing China in front of the world audience, scolding him for failing the expectations of 12 billion Chinese people, and calling him a sinner of the nation and the country!

The widely rumored news that Zhang Yimou will take over as the chief director of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was also strongly resisted by the masses.

Originally, Wu Yuan thought that all of this had nothing to do with him, he was just a fun guy watching the fun on the shore.

Unexpectedly, on the third day after the closing of the Athens Olympics, Wu Yuan received a call from Director Han.

"Director Wu, come to China Film Headquarters."

"There is a leader from the Ministry of Culture who wants to see you."

　Guess what the Olympics have to do with Wu Yuan.

　　It is definitely not to replace Zhang Yimou. As for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, no one can replace Zhang Yimou, not even the reborn.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)