China Entertainment 1997

Cao Xuan worked half-time at home for nearly two months, and finally returned in March to attend the launch ceremony of "Hunting".

The shooting location of "Hunting" was in the Northeast, and a town with a 1990s style was specifically chosen. Since the end of last year, Lao Mouzi has come here several times to personally direct the setting. It was not until after the Spring Festival that he was barely satisfied.

The power-on ceremony was held outdoors. It was still a bit cold in the Northeast in March. Cao Xuan was wearing a down jacket, rubbed his hands, and looked at the little girl Ai Ai next to him.

"Is it cold?"

"not cold."

The little girl shook her head. She still had a little baby fat on her face, and her eyebrows were crooked when she smiled. She looked very cute and lovable. She was none other than Zhang Zifeng, the representative of 00 Flower.

Zhang Zifeng, who was born in August 2001, is now 11 years old. Although he is not old, he is already an experienced actor who has been in the industry for several years. He started filming commercials at the age of 5 and officially appeared in TV series at the age of 7.

Later, he accumulated a certain amount of fame with "Tangshan Earthquake", became a child star, and won the Baihua Best Newcomer Award.

In this filming of "Hunting", apart from the male protagonist Cao Xuan, the most important character is a little girl about 10 years old who is in elementary school named Wu Zhenzhen.

In order to find a suitable actor for this girl, the crew searched all over the world and interviewed at least hundreds of little girls. Finally, at Cao Xuan's suggestion, Zhang Zifeng was chosen.

In fact, Lao Mouzi's original expectation was that he wanted to be younger, probably around 8 years old.

However, Cao Xuan felt that an 8-year-old child was too young. Even a vague favorable impression of such a child would be far-fetched when he matured prematurely. It would be better to change it to about 10 years old, which would be more realistic.

Of course, the more important reason is that there are really no suitable actors.

There may be some children who are good at acting. Many children have artistic talents since childhood, especially children from first- and second-tier cities. Some parents will deliberately cultivate their interest in this area and then conduct some systematic learning so that their children can perform well even when facing strangers. It is also a generous performance.

Many child stars are like this. They have some desire to perform since they were young, and their parents support them. Through various channels, they are exposed to some advertisements and variety shows to brush their faces, waiting for the call of the crew.

It is difficult for most film and television crews to have the energy and funds to find needles in a haystack, so apart from using famous child stars, they basically work in advertisements and variety shows.

Since they can see the performance of some children, under normal circumstances, parents will not object to their children performing.

Of course, with the development of the Internet, some "little Internet celebrities" have become child stars, but the main channels still come from advertising, models, variety shows and other channels.

After all, most Internet celebrities may be filmed at home, which is completely different from performing in public.

And there are even fewer children who can cooperate with the camera and script in filming, otherwise in many cases those child stars would not be used repeatedly.

It is because those child actors are accustomed to the filming life of the crew, will not strike easily, know how to cooperate, and their acting talents and spirituality are stronger than some children, the crew will definitely give them priority.

Of course, it is not ruled out that sometimes we may encounter undiscovered gems in the rough, or tailor-made actors who are particularly suitable for the role, but the chance is too small.

"Hunting" is a literary film, and the performance requirements for children are not comparable to those of TV series or children's dramas, not to mention that the scenes are extremely important.

So after interviewing many amateur children, Lao Mouzi and Cao Xuan decided to focus on interviewing child actors.

To put it bluntly, Cao Xuan + Lao Mouzi, even if it is a literary film, is definitely the ceiling of Chinese films.

Cao Xuan did not participate in many interviews, but he saw many familiar figures in the profile photos.

In addition to Zhang Zifeng, there are also Guan Xiaotong, Song Zuer, Zhao Jinmai, Jiang Yiyi, Zhang Xueying, Li Landi...

Almost all the famous child stars in later generations who fit the approximate age have signed up, but unfortunately there are no Wen Qi and Ren Min, whom Cao Xuan admires the most.

As far as Cao Xuan is concerned, among the girls born in the 2000s, his favorites in terms of acting skills are Ren and Wen, followed by the popular Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Zifeng.

But it is a pity that Ren Min is not a child star. She later made her debut in 2014 when she acted in Lu Han's "Medal" MV. She was admitted to the Chinese Theater Academy two years later. After systematic study, she officially joined the acting industry. lock up.

Moreover, this girl was born in 1999, so she is a bit old and does not fit the role.

Although Wen Qi is a child star, he is still relatively young. He only debuted a year later, so it would be difficult for him to play such a big role.

Similarly, other child stars who were not selected also have their own shortcomings. Guan Xiaotong, Zhang Xueying, and Song Zuer are all older, and are all 13 to 14 years old this year. Li Landi's appearance does not fit the mentality of an old man, and Zhao Jinmai is older. Small, too childish.

Lao Mouzi wanted a character who had the childishness of a child but also revealed a sense of precocity.

He was dissatisfied because he was older, and he looked completely like a child, and he didn't approve of it either.

So there were only two people on the final list, Zhang Zifeng and Jiang Yiyi.

In the end, Zhang Zifeng won because, on the one hand, this little girl acted a lot, and her professional skills were considered top-notch among this group of colleagues.

Also, because she has a baby face that looks harmless to humans and animals, and has a relatively friendly temperament, Lao Mouzi and Cao Xuan felt that the contrast was stronger, so they finally decided on her.

Looking at Zhang Zifeng wearing a plush hat, Cao Xuan was quite emotional.

He is really old enough to be Zhang Zifeng's father. There is only a six-year age difference between this girl and his daughter. If you include a certain child in Korea, the difference is only two or three years.

It’s not like Boss Cao has never played a father before, but in most cases before he played the role of an old man. Today he intuitively feels that he is no longer the young man he was back then.

Maybe in a few years, those who play his children will have to be in high school, and the conservative age for the characters will have to be thirty years old or above, otherwise they will have to forcefully play young.

Boss Cao was a little embarrassed, but he accepted it well. If it were the second palace of the East and West, he might not be so calm.

Although both of them are mothers, if they play mothers of teenage children in movies and TV shows, the psychological impact will be extraordinary.

He had talked with Zeng Li before. In a few years, if she wanted to go out to act, she would have to be the mother-in-law of the leading actor, but she was almost kicked out of bed.

Isn't it? So it's no wonder that some female celebrities have been "pretending to be girls". For them, age is indeed a sensitive topic, and it also means that they have fewer opportunities and their commercial attributes have declined.

Therefore, anyone who still has capital will not easily play the role of a parent-child mother. If you ridicule, ridicule, money is good anyway...

………

The weather was relatively cold, and the crew didn't waste any time. Lao Mouzi and Cao Xuan took turns to go up and say a few words, and everyone cut the ribbon and offered incense, and that was the end of filming.

However, after the opening ceremony, there was a small press conference.

After all, the outside world is still paying close attention to this movie. It is impossible to just take some photos and be done. The necessary interviews cannot be omitted.

Of course, it is said to be a small press conference, but if you think about it, Lao Mouzi and Cao Xuan put it together, it is not small.

In fact, more than 30 media came to this press conference, including some from overseas. There were fifty or sixty reporters and photographers scattered here and there. In addition, the main creators and staff on the team had to devote all their time to The small auditorium of the school where the press conference was held was packed.

Cao Xuan and Lao Mouzi are in the middle, and the rest are the main creators. Except for Zhang Zifeng, they are all powerful actors.

Yuan Quan, Xin Baiqing, Yu Nan, Tan Zhuo, Wang Jingchun, Du Yulu, Yang Xinming, Liu Jia, etc.

In addition to Yuan Quan, who is more famous, there is also Du Yulu, who has acted in "Yongzheng Dynasty" and "Miracle Doctor Xilaile", who is more familiar. Others may have some achievements, but their overall reputation is not great.

The reason why we found such a lineup is also very simple. "Hunting" is a literary film and will not pursue box office. The investment is only 35 to 50 million, so it will not pursue whether the lineup is luxurious or not.

So except for Cao Xuan, everyone else is based on cost-effectiveness, and they are all good actors who can live with less money.

This is true even for Yuan Quan. She has mainly been involved in dramas in the past few years. She is well-known, but her salary is not high, and she can easily get 1 million.

Others only have a few million or so, leaving most of their funds on production.

Cao Xuan, whose Hollywood salary has reached 20 million US dollars, will receive "zero salary" for his role in "Hunting", but he will receive 50% of the profit dividend.

Lao Mouzi also chose to share the dividends, and received a symbolic director's fee of 2 million.

Although this is a literary film, with Cao Xuan at the helm, Fanxing still feels that the hope of making a return is very high.

Of course, if the prize hunt goes well, it is likely that the box office will be increased, and overseas copyrights will be sold at a higher price.

Cao Xuan's salary is so large that no matter which way he chooses, he will inevitably "lose money", but he doesn't care. However, Lao Mouzi's director's fee is not outrageous. If he is lucky, he might be able to make a small profit.

Compared with Cao Xuan's past crews, "Hunting" has a dim star, but its overall acting ability is definitely at the forefront.

Therefore, when faced with reporters' questions, Cao Xuan spoke highly of the main creator.

"Almost all the leading actors in the movie were selected by Director Zhang and me. Some of them have worked with me, some have not, but I have seen their works and they are all very good actors.

In my mind, fame is never the criterion for measuring an actor. I believe that all the actors in our group will work together with Director Zhang to complete an excellent film. "

Lao Mouzi was also full of praise, even more disgusting than Cao Xuan.

When "The Thirteen Hairpins" was released last year, he publicly praised Ni Ni for her bright future and believed that she had the potential to go global. It's hard to tell whether he was sincere or because Ni Ni was an artist under his banner.

In fact, these directors are like this. When they praise people, they often use shocking words, and their words often have a strong sense of exaggeration.

If you study carefully, you will find that many recognized vases and flows are quite complimentary in the mouths of many great directors, so in many cases just listen to them, they are just scene talk.

Cao Xuan, on the other hand, although he has many praises and praises from his friends and colleagues, his words are more rigorous. Except for some top actors of the older generation, he rarely makes any particularly outrageous comments.

Including Hu Ge, Damimi, and Liu Tianxian, some of the top stars in his mouth also have slightly ordinary positive comments such as being good, making progress, and working hard.

Since his debut, it seems that only a few newcomers and juniors such as Xiao Zhou and Justin Bieber have received much praise from him.

As a result, the outside world thinks that Cao Xuan has strict requirements and is "stingy" in his praise and appreciation for his younger generations. It is difficult for ordinary people to impress him.

But similarly, the less Cao Xuan praises, the more valuable his praise is. Newcomers who can get his high praise are even talked about by fans and regarded as important resumes.

This is no exaggeration. Just because Cao Xuan praised Da Mi Mi for her good performance in "33 Days of Love", Liu Tianxian was ridiculed by bees for several months.

Everyone carried the sedan chair, and other creators also expressed their excitement about being able to collaborate with Cao Xuan and Lao Mouzi this time.

This is not necessarily a scene talk. For most actors, it is a rare opportunity to work with these two.

Even Yuan Quan is like this. Even though she and Cao Xuan are so familiar, they have rarely filmed together, let alone Lao Mouzi's movies.

Thanks to teacher Chang Li, who instilled in them the style of a great director every day, these students in Class 96 of Chinese Opera had extraordinary feelings and perseverance in starring in Lao Mouzi's works.

When Liu Huohua performed in "A City Full of Golden Armor", he and his classmates lamented that from now on, their dream of going to college was fulfilled.

It is no exaggeration to say that among these major domestic directors, it is probably Lao Mouzi who can persuade Dongxi Ergong to join the film based on his own reputation alone.

In the early years, Director Chen might have been able to do it, but over the years, the two of them had heard Cao Xuan complain a lot, and they gradually lost interest in it. The only feelings and ties left in the university were all with Lao Mouzi... …

What the creators said was true, but the media didn't care too much. 30% of their attention was on Lao Mouzi and 70% on Cao Xuan.

"I would like to ask you two why you would collaborate on such a film, because before this, Mr. Cao seemed to be more inclined to act in commercial films."

Cao Xuan and Lao Mouzi Qian gave in, and he came out to answer the question.

"I remember I said more than once that I have never been against artistic films, but few people approached me to film them, maybe because they thought I was expensive (laughs)."

After livening up the atmosphere, Cao Xuan answered seriously: "I have been starring in commercial movies these years, mainly for the development of the company. On the other hand, I really don't have a suitable script.

"Hunting" is an original script I received from abroad, and then adapted it into Chinese with a domestic setting. I haven't filmed it yet because I couldn't find my favorite director.

Later, Director Zhang came to Fanxing and took a fancy to this book. We hit it off immediately and concluded this cooperation..."

The reporter went through the records. Cao Xuan suddenly participated in an artistic film, which puzzled many people.

The outside world originally thought that it was Lao Mouzi who impressed Cao Xuan, but they did not expect that it was Cao Xuan who took the notebook to find Lao Mouzi.

Therefore, these words also reassured several Cao Xuan fans present. Lao Mouzi's script has always been a weak point. If he was the one who took the lead, the quality of the plot of this movie is really hard to say.

But it would be different if Cao Xuan took the lead. Fanxing's reputation for script quality over the years is still guaranteed.

Especially the book that Cao Xuan values ​​​​not only has no mistakes, but also almost no overturns, and the worst is better than good.

Reporters gathered around and asked many questions about the new movie. Cao Xuan and Lao Mouzi picked a few that they could answer and avoided the others.

After all, it's not a commercial film, so you don't have to worry about too many publicity stunts. You can talk about it if you can, and you don't have to force it if you can't.

The reporters didn't pay much attention to the movie, and it didn't take long for them to ask about gossip. For example, Liu Zi was arrested for committing a crime not long ago, and they wanted to know Cao Xuan's opinion.

"Reform well and come out and start a new life."

Cao Xuan gave a 10-word evaluation, and the reporter couldn't help but continue to ask: "The outside world generally believes that this kind of drug-related artist should be banned, and some people think that a prodigal will never return his money. What is your attitude?"

"..."

Cao Xuan pondered for a moment and then answered firmly: "I have always opposed one-size-fits-all, but as a public figure, we can tolerate some things and correct them if we know they are wrong, but some mistakes are unforgivable. This is not harsh, but a matter of the bottom line of principle.

I don’t know what the relevant departments think, but what I can be sure of is that we at Fanxing will never cooperate with any artist involved in drugs.

If any Fanxing artist is involved in drugs, they will be banned indefinitely..."

There was thunderous applause from the audience, but Cao Xuan was not too happy. He knew that his words would offend many people, but he did not regret it.

Cao Xuan's moral level is not that high. There are so many dirty things in the entertainment industry, and he is non-committal.

Even in his opinion, as long as there are no violations of the law and no forced behavior, there is no need to make too much fuss about issues between men and women.

The entertainment industry is dirty, but other circles are not necessarily clean.

Apart from other things, the financial circle, fitness circle, photography circle and other circles are even more corrupt than the entertainment industry. However, the entertainment industry is a vanity fair, and many problems are magnified.

Of course, the entertainment industry is not unfair either. If you make money because of Vanity Fair, you also have to pay a price for it. You must keep yourself clean and make no mistakes.

So Cao Xuan believes in karma. You can do it, but if you fail later, you deserve it.

People are not saints, and Cao Xuan himself is not a good person. He turns a blind eye to some things, but there are only two things that he cannot tolerate.

The position regarding drugs and the country is incorrect.

As long as he is involved in these two things, there is no need to have a good impression in Cao Xuan's heart, especially the latter thing, which is basically equivalent to death.

As for other crimes, he will be arrested if necessary and punished if necessary. It has nothing to do with him.

In the afternoon, Cao Xuan saw his "banning declaration" appearing on the Weibo headlines. Netizens were naturally excited and even encouraged relevant departments to take direct action.

Cao Xuan also learned about some people's dissatisfaction through channels, but he didn't care.

He was not afraid of being scolded in front of a ragtag group of people by pointing his nose at them, and even muttered a few words behind their backs.

It's just a pity that some of them are people he is quite optimistic about. He has tried to persuade them before, but it was still of no use, and it also caused trouble for his old father and friends to travel back and forth.

When Cao Xuan said those words, the only way he might feel a trace of guilt was for those seniors who had helped him, but even if he didn't say it, relevant regulations would be issued sooner or later.

The general situation is like this, if you do it yourself, you will not survive!