director of the millennium

Chapter 59 Cannes or Berlin
The crew of "The Undertaker" announced their disbandment in Anshan. Naturally, Wu Yuan brought a large amount of filmed footage and returned to the China Film Group in Beijing for post-production editing and soundtrack work.

Teacher Xu Jingqing is still very powerful. In three months of hard work, he created seven or eight soundtracks based on the script. They are all pure music, mainly based on traditional Chinese musical instruments, with piano and some strings.

Next, Wu Yuan will discuss the integration of the soundtrack with Mr. Xu Jingqing while editing.

The other actors in the crew, except for Zhang Guorong, also went back to do their own things.

Zhang Guorong did not return to Hong Kong Island, but followed Wu Yuan back to the capital.

His work on "The Embalmer" has been temporarily completed, and his "Stealing Heart" project will also enter the formal preparation stage.

Because this movie will be shot in mainland China, and the main actors are mainly mainland actors, the investment in the entire film is not large. It can be done for 500 million, and with this money, China Film and its family can cover it all.

Director Han still hopes that Zhang Guorong can successfully transform into a director, and it is best to transform into a "mainland director", which is very important.

The script of "Stealing Heart" is actually very literary and artistic, with a strong literary atmosphere. It mainly tells a love story in a mainland city in the 20s.

The heroine is a lady of great family. A young pianist moved upstairs to her house. He can play the piano manually, and his speech and behavior attract her everywhere.

She tried to get close to him and even had sex with him, but then he disappeared again.

In desperation, the heroine was decided by her mother and married her cousin who was good to her.

But then the man came back again, in fact, he lied to her from the beginning to the end, the man couldn't even play the piano, he was just playing records.But she still loves him
A hopeless love, a woman married to her cousin was passionately in love with a pianist, and was entangled in passion for eight years. At the same time, she also experienced the changes of the great era, and was swaying under the fate of the times.

When Wu Yuan saw the script for the first time, he felt a strong atmosphere of "The King of Sunglasses".

Obviously, Zhang Guorong's directorial style and creative ideas are deeply influenced by Sunglasses King.

Wu Yuan didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, but after watching the public welfare short film directed by Zhang Guorong, he felt that Zhang Guorong should be able to make this movie well.

As for whether the movie will be a hit or not and whether it will win awards, that is not his decision.

In fact, it is quite advantageous to make this kind of movie during this period.

"Balzac and the Little Tailor" of the same period is also a romance film, an entanglement of two men and a woman, and also a love story in a special era.

This movie can even be nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film!
Not to mention that it can have the depth of "Balzac and the Little Tailor".

As long as Zhang Guorong can shoot "Stealing Heart" according to the script, as the first work of a transitional director, he is definitely qualified.

While Wu Yuan was busy with the post-editing of "The Undertaker", Zhang Guorong, with the help of China Film's staff, went to the capital, Shanghai, Ludao, Jiaozhou and other places to survey the scene.

The cast and crew of the crew are also in the process of intensive recruitment and selection.

All of this was carried out under high secrecy. Except for the staff of China Film Group, only Tang Hede followed.

One month later, on January 2002, 1, Wu Yuan completed the post-editing of "The Embalmer".

The crew of Zhang Guorong's "Stealing Hearts" is basically in place, but the actors and filming locations have not yet been decided.

After visiting the first-tier cities across the country, Zhang Guorong returned to the capital again and met with Wu Yuan, who was watching the finished film at China Film Group Corporation, and asked him for his opinion.

"I want to choose Ning Jing as the heroine. I think she looks good and is good at acting!"

"As for the male lead, I hope Chen Daoming will play the role. The Gu Weijun he played in "My 1919" is very temperamental and can play a piano artist."

"I want to cast Hu Jun to play a successful businessman. I watched "Lan Yu" in Hong Kong Island. Hu Jun played the role very well. He is a good actor!"

"The heroine's strict mother, I think it's very suitable for Fat Sister to play the role!"

Zhang Guorong sat across from Wu Yuan, dancing and talking, with joy and excitement on his face, the feeling that his dream was finally coming true really intoxicated him.

Wu Yuan looked at him with a smile, didn't say anything disappointing, and echoed, "I think it's pretty good, but can you invite Tranquility and Chen Daoming?"

"Director Han said that he could help me make connections. You mainland actors are all selling Director Han's face." Zhang Guorong said happily.

"That's no problem." Wu Yuan picked up the teacup and took a sip, looking at Zhang Guorong with an inexplicable expression.

"Zhang Sheng, I heard some news recently."

"Next year, that is, in 2003, restrictions in the mainland should be relaxed, and private capital from non-film industries can invest in the film industry."

"In other words, private companies in the mainland can also produce films."

"This news was revealed to me by Director Han in the past few days. He said that in the past year or two, the top management has been considering opening up the film industry to private capital and gradually liberalizing it."

"In 2000, China Film, Shanghai Film, and Changying were established, and in 2001, private capital was opened to enter the theater market."

"The production field will also be liberalized next."

Wu Yuan crossed his hands on his knees and looked at Zhang Guorong with bright and clear eyes: "I plan to set up a film production company in the mainland."

"Zhang Sheng, are you interested in joining?"

"The film market on Hong Kong Island is shrinking every year, and the class has long been solidified. How long has it been since there have been new excellent production companies and outstanding new directors?"

"The film industry on Hong Kong Island seems to be full of flowers, but in fact it is a pool of stagnant water, and it will only go downhill in the future."

"The future of Chinese-language films is in the mainland, not in Hong Kong Island, let alone in Taiwan. There is no doubt about it."

"If you want to get ahead in the director industry, you should come to the mainland."

"The future of Chinese-language films is in the Mainland."

"Maybe in the past 30 years, the foundation of Chinese-language films was on Hong Kong Island, but in the next 30, 50, or even 100 years, the foundation of Chinese-language films will only be in the Mainland."

"Hong Kong and Taiwan, which is a small country with few people, no longer have the soil to develop the film industry."

From Wu Yuan's opening, Zhang Guorong fell into silence.

As a Hong Kong resident, when he heard Wu Yuan's negative opinion of the Hong Kong film market, he would certainly have some bad emotions in his heart.

But I have to admit that what Wu Yuan said is indeed correct.

If the mainland's film market is completely liberalized, with the mainland's huge population, even if only 3000 to [-] million people out of a billion people are willing to go to cinemas to watch movies, then it will be easy for the market to surpass Hong Kong Island.

Not to mention that as the reform becomes smoother and smoother, the mainland's economy is getting better and better.

Five or ten years from now, how many people in the mainland will be willing to go to the cinema to watch movies?
Zhang Guorong didn't dare to think about this question.

In fact, even if Wu Yuan does not challenge this issue, in another three to five years, the film capital of Hong Kong Island will realize that the future of Chinese-language films will be in the mainland, and then move northward on a large scale.

Now Wu Yuan has spoken out in advance, which means giving Zhang Guorong more time to think about it. Anyway, the opening up of the production industry will be next year.

Wu Yuan personally is very optimistic about Zhang Guorong's transformation into a director. He has the talent to be a director. It cannot be said that he is extremely talented, but he can definitely be a qualified director.

But Wu Yuan couldn't rely on himself to film movies all his life, he always wanted to train some new directors to help him.

On the one hand, it is to expand one's film territory and influence in the industry, and on the other hand, it is to make money for oneself.

The two cups of tea were slowly steaming on the table, and the two people sitting facing each other didn't talk anymore, Zhang Guorong was deep in thought, and Wu Yuan was waiting for him to think.

Until, a staff member of China Film Group opened the door and walked in.

"Director Wu, Director Han invites you to his office."

"Okay, I'll be right here."

Responding to the staff member with a smile, Wu Yuan stood up and went to Director Han's office. Before leaving, he turned his head to look at Zhang Guorong: "Sheng Zhang, don't feel pressured, I just chat with you casually."

"If you have plans to develop in the mainland in the future, it will not be too late for us to discuss it in detail."

After speaking, he left the lounge and left the space to Zhang Guorong.

Director Han's office is on the same floor. After sorting out his thoughts, Wu Yuan came to Director Han's office.

When Wu Yuan opened the door, he heard his voice before he saw him.

"Director Wu, I've watched the finished film of "The Undertaker", and it's very well done. It's the first time someone in China has made such a film that explores the outlook on life and death in China."

"What film festival are you going to take this film to?"

"Cannes or Berlin?"

(End of this chapter)