Started as an independent producer in 1988

Chapter 180 The literary film caught in the cracks

The night in Xiangjiang is particularly noisy. In the lively banquet hall of the Regent Hotel, members of the China Directors Association are celebrating the establishment of the association.

Chen Shiping was holding a glass of wine and chatting with several investors to attract some investment to the association.

"As long as it's a script written by director Chen, I'll invest no matter how much money it takes!"

"That's right, Director Chen is China's number one producer and screenwriter!"

"Director Chen, the association has just been established and needs a movie to prove itself. I am willing to invest five million!"

Did you see it? Chen Shiping didn’t have to take the initiative to attract investment, the investment would come to him on his own.

Being with Chen Shiping means entering the huge mainland market, which means that the film will definitely make money without losing money, and investors are not fools.

Investing in movies is not just about making money.

Chen Shiping said with a smile at this time: "Thank you for your strong support. The association is just starting up. There are many things to do. Don't worry about the movie. We can talk about reaching a strategic partnership first."

“What does strategic partner mean?”

"It means, how much money do you plan to invest in the association every year in the future? The quota is limited on a first-come, first-served basis!"

"."

This group of investors looked at Chen Shiping helplessly. This is the first time they have asked for money like you.

In particular, the investors in Wanwan are a little unaccustomed to it. In the past, Xiangjiang was begging them to invest.

Now it's better to come to Chen Shiping and do the opposite.

However, Chen Shiping's status and energy are indeed worthy of their initiative to send money. How can the filmmakers in Hong Kong compare with Chen Shiping.

With Chen Shiping's influence in the mainland film industry, even if he makes a bad movie, he can arrange for it to be released continuously and he will never lose money.

It’s just that it’s too ugly to look at like this, and it also looks down on Director Chen’s ability!
Tonight, Chen Shiping became the center of the dinner party, and everyone was surrounding him.

Xie Tieli is only a nominal president. How can he manage things at such an old age?

If Chen Shiping wasn't still young, there would be no need to look for boss Xie Tieli to support him.

By the time of the next election, Vice President Chen will become President Chen.

Several mainland directors not far away looked at Chen Shiping like this and felt quite dissatisfied, but the age of more than 20 years old made him become more powerful!
Teng Wenji smoked a cigarette and glanced at Chen Shiping, then turned to Huang Jianxin and said, "Would you like to go out for some fresh air? I know a good place."

"Where?"

"This is a place where you can learn foreign languages. I heard there are European women there."

"Then it's time to learn a foreign language!"

After the dinner, Chen Shiping returned to his room and rubbed his temples, which hurt.

dong dong!

There was a knock on the door of the room, and Wang Xiaoshuai's voice came from outside.

"Director, I've finished filming the movie!"

Chen Shiping opened the door and looked at several haggard but extremely excited young people outside. He couldn't help but ask, "Tell me what's going on."

Wang Xiaoshuai and Lou Ye squeezed in and said excitedly: "Director, the exchange meeting is not over yet, can this movie be included?"

"Have you finished the post-production process?" Chen Shiping asked in surprise.

A movie may be shot in a few days, but it can never be completed in a few days.

Editing, subtitles, color grading, and printing cannot be completed in a few days.

Wang Xiaoshuai immediately explained: "After the cutting was completed, there were no subtitles or color correction, so I just used the original tape to release it."

Chen Shiping: "." Isn't this a joke? You are just filming a DV.

"How about you show me the movie first."

"Going right now!"

With that said, Wang Xiaoshuai and the others took Chen Shiping to watch a movie.

After Chen Shiping watched the film, he confirmed that it was a DV work, but the rough picture and texture turned out to be surprisingly good.

The story is also relatively simple. It is about what happened to a mainlander who came to Xiangjiang to seek refuge with relatives. He was discriminated against but also received help. At the same time, it also revealed the inside story of Xiangjiang's prosperity.

The grandmother who picked up garbage, the young and Dangerous boy who dropped out of school, the little girl who became a phoenix, and a family of eight crowded into one room.
After reading it, Chen Shiping thought for a long time and said, "I can release it for you."

"Yeah! Great! Director, I love you!" Lou Ye shouted loudly.

Chen Shiping pushed him away and said, "Don't get close to me, I haven't finished speaking yet."

Wang Xiaoshuai and the others calmed down, looked at Chen Shiping and whispered, "You continue."

"The movie cost a total of 150,000 Hong Kong dollars, and you made me three times the profit through this movie."

After Chen Shiping finished speaking, he yawned and said, "You need to be responsible to investors. It's getting late, so I'm going back to sleep."

After saying that, Chen Shiping left, leaving only Wang Xiaoshuai and the others standing there, a little at a loss.

I didn’t say I wanted to make money at the beginning! Why do you need money after the photo shoot? Still triple the profit!
Three times is 450,000 Hong Kong dollars!

Lou Ye said without any surprise at this time: "Ever since we learned from him, he has said that directors should be responsible to investors. If he didn't say it last time, it doesn't mean he doesn't."

"It really feels like an independent filmmaker." Wang Xiaoshuai chuckled and said, "Brothers, let's think about how this movie can make money."

"Participating in film festivals is the best way to get bonuses. It is impossible for this film to go to theaters. Those who participate in film festivals can also participate in the film trading market, and they may be able to earn back by selling it."

"Do you know about film festivals?"

"I know the name of the festival."

"Look for Sister Mei Juan. She and Chen Shiping went to Venice to sell movies."

After a few people discussed it for a while, they felt very satisfied. Although this movie was rough, it was their first movie!
They will definitely become even better filmmakers in the future!

The second day was also the penultimate day of the exchange meeting. Films by Wang Xiaoshuai and others were broadcast in a screening room of the exchange meeting.

There wasn't even a poster for the movie, just a piece of white paper taped to the door with side AB written crookedly on it.

There is also a line of introduction below, the neglected and real Xiangjiang!

I don’t know who came up with this name. It has some meaning, but it’s too common.

The Six Generations were not prepared in advance and did not have any reputation. Almost no one walked into their theater to watch the movie.

However, one film critic thought the movie synopsis they wrote was quite interesting, so he went in to take a look.

Chen Shiping arranged it for them and left it alone. The quality of a movie will naturally be judged by the audience. He is also busy handling the finishing work of the exchange meeting and the affairs of the Directors Association.

The next day, a review about the Sixth Generation movie appeared in a magazine in Hong Kong.

"It has a unique perspective and seizes the marginalized issues of society to explore in depth. Directors in Hong Kong should learn from these young people on what Hong Kong is and what Hong Kong films should be made."

As soon as this report appeared, many people were curious. When they wanted to watch it the next day, they found that the movie was no longer available.

In a screening room at this time, many directors from Wanwan and Xiangjiang were watching the movie. Wang Xiaoshuai and others were sitting in the back and were very nervous.

The directors from Wanwan who came out of the New Wave thought the film was very good, but the directors from Quexiangjiang didn't like it very much.

They only like to take pictures of the good side of Hong Kong, such as revelry, pleasure and hatred, beauties in cars, gunfire and passion, etc.

Over the years, they have fixed the image of Hong Kong as a city. Anyone who likes Hong Kong movies will fall in love with Hong Kong.

The directors in Xiangjiang feel that they are great, just like Hollywood movies, bringing American culture to the world.

Freedom and democracy are also conveyed to the world through movies.

After the movie was over, a director from Xiangjiang couldn't help but said: "Can't we just shoot some bad things? Xiangjiang is still very beautiful."

"Yes, I do not recommend that the film continue to be shown."

The directors at Wanwan couldn't help but said: "The movie is very good, why can't it be shown? Haven't you made similar movies?"

"It's different! This is too straightforward." A director from Xiangjiang couldn't help but interrupt: "We will highlight the beautiful things such as family, family ties and friendship, instead of only focusing on these bad things."

Chen Shiping sat there and listened to their argument with no intention of interrupting.

The movie is well shot and has a very Six Generations style, but what director Xiangjiang said also makes some sense.

From a publicity point of view, such a movie is indeed bad for the city's image and will have a negative impact.

It's just that these problems really exist. No one pays attention to the lives of those marginalized people. So what's the problem with directors filming them?

If more people can see it and have some positive impact, these movies will be successful.

There are many issues involved here, just like many documentaries, which are very well shot, but rarely seen by the public.

Chen Shiping feels that he will also encounter these problems in the future, and what should he choose then.

Today he wanted to hear what different sparks the directors from Wanwan and Xiangjiang could create.

Maybe there will be a good answer for him.

“Art is art, and it’s real, there’s nothing shameful about it.”

"But this has a bad impact and is unfair. If there are too many movies like this, everyone will be involved."

"Just like the gangster movies in Hong Kong are deeply rooted in people's hearts? Everyone thinks that the streets in Hong Kong are full of young and Dangerous guys?"

"But Young and Dangerous is about loyalty! Brotherhood, this is how we deal with and weaken the negative!"

"This will only mislead the audience!"

"We also guide the young and Dangerous to be positive!"

"But the problem is that there are only a few movies like this. What impact can they have on society? There can't be only one person who tells the truth!"

"Wanwan dares to say that, look at how your movies have developed."

Sitting there, Chen Shiping suddenly realized one thing. The output of Six Generations' films was indeed not high, and it was nothing compared to the many positive and uplifting films.

Logically speaking, it shouldn't have any impact. Why are they so famous?

After thinking for a while, Chen Shiping realized that it was because they were always blocked!

The more they block them, the more famous they become. The more they block European and American film festivals, the more they like them.

In fact, even if they let it go, what kind of splash will they make? If they make one movie about the pain of marginalized people, then we can just make ten movies that are inspiring.

Most of the six generations of filmmakers are obscure and difficult to understand. A large part of the audience who watched it was out of curiosity and wanted to see what kind of shameful things were in a "banned film".

In fact, after watching it, you will find that there is nothing extraordinary in the movie, but it makes you sleepy.

Chen Shiping had the answer in his mind at this time. Creation is free. As long as the stance is not skewed, there is no need to interfere.

How to promote the image of the city and the country is a question that those in power should consider, not these artistic directors.

The director cannot be asked to think for the superiors about what should be done.

Chen Shiping took a deep breath and stood up. He looked at the arguing directors and said, "There's nothing to argue about. Let's continue the screening in the afternoon. If a movie can ruin the image of a city, it means that the city is already very good." Oops."

After saying that, Chen Shiping went out, leaving a group of directors looking at each other in confusion.

Wang Xiaoshuai and others looked at Chen Shiping's leaving figure and couldn't help but give a thumbs up. This is just right!
You can’t blame the director for everything that happens. Things that exist in society, why can’t they be filmed!

It’s true that you have the ability to solve these problems. What is your ability to solve the person who raised the problem?

The movie continued to be screened, and the screening situation was similar to what Chen Shiping had imagined. There were many people entering and many leaving.

If you interview someone who has finished watching, he will wipe the corner of his mouth and say: "I fell asleep and I don't know what I took."

There are very few people in the audience who are really touched after watching it. For ordinary viewers, this is a boring movie, and they will not feel how bad this city is after watching it.

The survival of the six generations should not be caught in the cracks. The more caught in the cracks, the more people are curious and lead to the truth.

Chen Shiping thought of the things he had done recently and understood a truth that he seemed to understand but didn't understand before. Some things can work wonders when put on the table.

Just like this time's restrictions on the differentiation of Hong Kong movies, if you hide behind the scenes and secretly make small moves, you won't be able to complete it in another ten years.

Only when the sun is full of fear will all the monsters and ghosts disappear.

The film culture exchange meeting ended in Chen Shiping's thoughts. The exchange meeting was very successful. The Directors Association was also successfully established, and several investors in Xiangjiang and Wanwan received investment for five films a year.

Chen Shiping now has investment in five movies, but there is no film yet, which makes the directors in the association ready to make a move.

Reach out for money!

Teng Wenji looked at Chen Shiping and said with a smile: "Vice president, give me one of the five spots. I happen to have a movie that is short of funds."

Chen Shiping said with a smile: "Submit an application first, and submit the script together."

Teng Wenji's expression changed and he said politely: "Director Chen, don't be like this. I will be transferred to Beijing Film Studio immediately. From now on we are all one family."

"Even if you are from Beijing Film Studio now, you still have to submit an application. It is almost useless to try to trick me."

After Chen Shiping said that, he stopped looking at Teng Wenji. He looked very vulgar with a beard and it was annoying to look at him even more.

When he comes back and is transferred to the factory, he must be hidden in the snow! Still want to make a movie to deceive a little girl? Go ahead and dream!
(End of this chapter)