This director needs to apologize

Chapter 389: It's time to improve the art of film
If Shen Ming says that there are no suitable male actors in their twenties right now, then it really is the case that there are no suitable ones.

Mr. Shen is not only the chairman of the Film Association, but also frequently serves as a judge at domestic film and television festivals. All domestic actors above the standard are in his mind. If he were to condescend to open a casting studio or something, he would definitely be the leader in this industry.

It's just that he values ​​his reputation and seldom expresses his opinions on this matter. Even for projects he participates in or leads, he rarely interferes in the selection of actors.

Now that he has taken the initiative to bring the topic to the drama, it can be considered an exception. From this, it can be seen that Shen Ming attaches great importance to the modified version of "Good Will Hunting".

Chen Yiming also heard Shen Ming's subtext, and he felt that Liu Dongjun was not suitable for this role.

Although Xiao Liu has not signed a contract with Platinum Film Studio, he has long been classified as part of Chen Yiming's sphere of influence by the outside world. With your age and achievements, you are unique among domestic actors of the same generation.

The fact that Shen Ming did not mention Liu Dongjun's name shows that he was not optimistic about this choice.

I can only say that Mr. Shen was foresighted. Chen Yiming actually thought about letting Liu Dongjun play the rebellious genius.

First, his age and temperament are suitable. Dongzi is a junior in college, and it is just right for him to play a gangster hanging out in the university town.

Second, his acting skills are qualified. In recent years, Liu Dongjun has been working with Bojue to make movies. He made his mark in 1951, laid a solid foundation in Love Letter, and was reborn in Days of Summer Solstice. He has made steady progress step by step. In addition to Bojue's projects, he has also participated in two experimental films and a unit drama. His acting skills have been widely recognized, and he is currently recognized as a young actor.

Of course, he is definitely not good enough to fight against Shen Ming, but then again, any male actor in his early twenties who comes against Uncle Ming will be crushed. At least Dongzi will not be beaten by a single person if he is on the opposite side.

Third, it is natural to be familiar with it or not. Chen Yiming is a lazy guy. When there are old people to choose from, he rarely seeks innovation like other directors. He thinks from the bottom of his heart that actors and roles are two different things, and the so-called acting path is also a false proposition. Good actors can play any role well, but those who are not good enough will still fail even if they play themselves.

His casting principles can be seen in "The 13th Floor". There are few directors in the circle who "respect" the wishes of actors like him, and only he is so willful as to let the three actors "claim" the roles themselves.

This project was tailor-made for Shen Ming, so naturally Shen Ming's opinion would take priority. Since Mr. Shen felt that there was no suitable actor among the debuted actors, Chen Yiming would naturally not insist on using Liu Dongjun.

Then just cast a wide net and hold an open audition. The Chinese film and television industry may lack funds, technology and creativity, but it has no shortage of actors. Every year, newcomers emerge one after another, and there is never a shortage of acting talent. If you are willing to put in the effort, you will always choose the right one.

Chen Yiming promised to arrange the casting when he returned, and to first screen the students in the three schools.

"But Uncle Ming, I won't ask you to let me off, but during the script arrangement and filming process, I have to give the newcomers some preferential treatment. I'm saying hello to you first, don't think I'm biased."

Shen Ming laughed. "It's hard enough for you to make up a story for an old man like me. Just follow your idea. I have no objection."

They are all smart people, and they know clearly who is taking advantage and who is suffering, so Chen Yiming stopped talking nonsense.

There’s a reason why the original version of “Good Will Hunting” only won the screenplay award, but the acting award went to the supporting role Robin.

This story structure of a chaotic middle-aged man saving a rebellious teenager is actually naturally favorable to the former. At first glance, it seems that the character arc is all about Dai Meng, who is the focus of the play, and the ups and downs all follow the rhythm of the genius' transformation, but in fact, during the viewing process, there is an empathy effect, and the highlight is absorbed by Robin, who plays the same role.

The duo of Dai Meng and Robin is an obvious match between the inside and the outside. The boy who is rescued is the main plot, whose changes are drastic, extroverted and concrete, while the savior, the psychology teacher, is the hidden plot, whose changes are restrained, internal and suggestive.

In terms of the requirements for acting skills alone, it is hard to say which one is higher, but when the two are put together, for movie fans who understand movies, as well as professional film critics and experts, the latter naturally has a big head start.

Robin's acting skills are beyond doubt, and he indeed used his limited role to convey to the audience the process of a middle-aged widower sinking into despair, helping others, helping himself, and finally regaining a new life.

But it must be said that without the contrast of the rebellious genius's series of drastic and extroverted transformations, Robin's hidden plot would hardly be brilliant.

The happier the audience is about Dai Meng's spiritual redemption, the more they identify with Robin's self-redemption. The helper's stance and the result of strong self-help will maximize the emotional projection of the audience who are also troubled by modern urban mental illness.

On the other hand, it is difficult for audiences in their twenties to empathize with the plight of the rebellious genius. This is an age when young people do not know the taste of sorrow, and yesterday's emotions are forgotten today. The threshold for empathy is much higher.

In other words, "Good Will Hunting" is actually a story with a fictional protagonist and real supporting characters. The protagonist Dai Meng is just a sedan bearer, while the one sitting in the sedan is the supporting character Robin.

Shen Ming knew all too well about these things. Even though he had not seen the original film of "Good Will Hunting" and the script given to him was still rough, with his ability, he could do a little character analysis and come to similar conclusions.

Because of this, he didn't care about Chen Yiming's decision to "favor" the newbie. As for the other actors in the script, Shen Ming didn't mention them at all, and it was obvious that he left it to Chen Yiming to decide.

It was the first time for Chen Yiming to work with Shen Ming, and he had a good feeling about it. Mr. Shen did not have the acting tyrant style as rumored.

The subsequent discussion of details went very smoothly. Shen Ming adhered to his duties as an actor and delegated all authority to Chen Yiming regarding the project schedule and nodes.

He plans to go back to university to experience life next. In his words, the unruly physical education teacher is really an unknown character for him, and it would be difficult to get a feel for it without immersing himself in it.

It just so happened that Chen Yiming had a lot of preparatory work to do, including auditioning for the male lead, filming locations in Shenzhen, connecting with relevant parties, etc. These were all detailed tasks that would take at least one or two months, so Shen Ming had ample time to prepare.

Brothers should settle accounts clearly. After three rounds of drinks, the issue of profit distribution is inevitable. Shen Ming will naturally be listed as the producer and the producer. This is actually Mr. Shen's main job now. Relatively speaking, acting is already a side job.

Each of them has a bunch of people to support, so no matter how harmoniously they chat at first, they still have to fight for what they should fight for.

After a cordial and friendly exchange of opinions, a 2:3 investment ratio was preliminarily agreed upon, with Shen Ming 2% ​​and Platinum Jue 3%.

The other 1% share is reserved for Warner China or Sister Shen Pengfei, with 2% to %. After all, this is a film that was aimed at winning awards at film festivals from the beginning of the project, so it is natural to introduce overseas channels.

Another 1% to 2% are official partners, such as relevant departments of Shenzhen City or schools such as Imperial University and Tsinghua University. This kind of operation of borrowing chickens and eggs and win-win cooperation has formed a mature routine for Platinum. Chen Yiming's "urban promotional film" has also established a good reputation in China. I believe that there will be no problem in reaching a cooperation.

The remaining share will be used to attract other industry partners. The first choice is naturally Mo Ying, but the arrogant Niu Da Ge can also be considered.

The overall project budget excluding publicity and promotion costs was no more than 6000 million. Chen Yiming offered Shen Ming a salary of 500 million, which was exactly the same as his own director's fee.

To be honest, considering Shen Ming's current market situation, 500 million is already a little high, but considering the unspoken rule that investors do not take box office dividends, Chen Yiming's offer is very generous.

In return, Mr. Shen reduced his salary by 50 yuan, taking the initiative to lower Chen Yiming by half a head, and said it very nicely, "It is convenient to control the actors' remuneration at 600 million yuan, and 10% of the quota ratio is healthier."

According to the rules of the industry, these things should not be discussed by Chen Yiming and Shen Ming. How can a director directly pay the leading actor? It's too vulgar!

However, there are no fixed rules. Chen Yiming's contact with Actor Shen was too highbrow, and there was a sense of friendship between gentlemen that was as light as water. After talking about Kong Fang's affairs today, they felt closer to each other and the distance between them was shortened a lot.

What's more, Chen Yiming and Shen Ming are the most familiar with each other on Platinum side, and their subordinates have no past interactions. It is obviously more efficient for the two of them to communicate directly about money matters.

In short, the meeting was fruitful and achieved remarkable results. Chen Yiming also decided on his fifth film, named "Y".

That’s right, the modified version of “Good Will Hunting” doesn’t even have a name yet. Kikujiro’s book is marked “X” and this one is “Y”.

Chen Yiming entrusted the important task of naming the film to Mr. Shen. The name of the film is actually not very important, as long as the meaning is conveyed.

It is now the end of December and 12 is just around the corner. If we want to participate in the Cannes Film Festival, we have to get the approval documents from the Film Bureau by mid-June at the latest. The time is just right, neither too long nor too tight.

Considering that this story has basically no special effects and is a pure feature film, it will take 2 months for preparation, 2 months for shooting, and 2 months for post-production. As long as there are no major changes, half a year will be enough time.

News spreads very quickly in the circle. Just after the New Year's Day holiday, the news broke that Chen Yiming's new film was auditioning for the male lead in three schools.

More information was quickly dug up, and the headline-grabbing news of joining hands with Actor Shen to target Cannes became a hot topic.

However, the industry has a different interpretation of this news. If the film is being prepared for release in the middle of the year, doesn't that mean that Chen Yiming will miss the Spring Festival period for two consecutive years?
This is the real major positive news. The big killer of the Spring Festival period is staying at home during the Spring Festival. For many peers, it is like removing a time bomb in advance.

That's right, a great artist like Director Chen should focus on improving the art of film, instead of messing around with the Spring Festival schedule.

(End of this chapter)