Literary Master 1978

"We can choose two distinctive novels to adapt, such as the new writers you discovered when you were an editor.

And we can discover new directors in the mainland. Lao Chen's son has won many awards in the past two years.

And his photographer, is it Zhang Yimou?

He has won as many photography awards as Lao Chen's son. These are all potential candidates."

Listening to Lin Chaoyang's clear thinking, Tao Yushu nodded and said, "Then follow your idea."

After the couple discussed, the next morning, they took Hu Qiming to Golden Harvest to talk to Zou Wenhuai about the introduction of "The Truman Show" in the mainland.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, there are usually only two ways to introduce foreign films in China.

One is film exchange, which is a non-commercial distribution.

The other is buyout distribution, and the price used for buyout is usually 20,000 US dollars.

This method is the same as the way "The Truman Show" is distributed overseas now, but the films that can be bought for 20,000 US dollars are mostly old films.

Zou Wenhuai was very happy to learn that China Film wanted to introduce "The Truman Show". Although the domestic economy is backward now, it is a country with a population of one billion after all.

The box office scale of the film market is several times that of the Hong Kong market. If it can really be opened to Golden Harvest, he is confident that he can make a lot of money.

But after he and Hu Qiming learned about the situation, he couldn't help but be disappointed again. It turned out that they wanted to buy out the copyright.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. After talking with Hu Qiming, Zou Wenhuai fell into hesitation.

"Mr. Zou, there is a long way to go. It is always a good thing that "The Truman Show" can be introduced to the mainland.

Our mainland is now reforming and opening up, and the film industry will reform sooner or later. It is not a bad thing for film and television companies like Golden Harvest to cooperate with China Film to get a position as soon as possible."

Tao Yushu persuaded Zou Wenhuai. She knew very well what Zou Wenhuai was hesitant about. It was nothing more than worrying about the Freedom Association.

But now it is just selling movies. No matter how domineering the Freedom Association is, it can't block other people's money, right?

She deliberately mentioned the "reform" again. She knew that for a businessman like Zou Wenhuai, the position was not important, but the interests were.

There was a "hook" hooking him, and he would always think about playing both sides.

Tao Yushu's idea was not bad. After hesitating for a moment, Zou Wenhuai finally said: "Okay. Cooperating with China Film Corporation is also a new opportunity for us, Golden Harvest."

The introduction was discussed, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Lin Chaoyang was planning to leave with Hu Qiming, but was stopped by Zou Wenhuai.

"Mr. Lin, there should be a lot of film companies looking for you recently?"

"Yes, there are indeed a lot."

"Are there any that don't follow the rules?"

Lin Chaoyang immediately understood what Zou Wenhuai meant. The so-called "unruly" naturally refers to the H Society.

The situation of Hong Kong movies has been very good in recent years. Now some H societies have begun to enter the film industry.

However, this trend is not serious at present. Most of the bosses who open film companies have some relationship with the H Society, rather than the H Society directly starting a company.

Because the current film market in Hong Kong is still not hot enough and lacks hot money.

The real flood of H-society film companies in Hong Kong was after 1987, when martial law was lifted in Taiwan and a large amount of hot money poured into the Hong Kong film market.

Just gather two stars and find a director, and you can make a movie in half a month or a month, and make millions of Hong Kong dollars easily, which is no different from robbing money. How could those crazy H-society resist such temptation?

So after 1988, a number of film companies opened by H-society were born in the Hong Kong film market, including Junsheng, Jianghu Ren, Fuyi, Changhong, Longying... Among them, the most famous one is China Star.

"I haven't encountered it yet." The idea flashed through his mind, and Lin Chaoyang replied to Zou Wenhuai.

Zou Wenhuai nodded and said, "That's good. If you have any trouble, you can call me."

"Thank you, Zou Sheng!"

After leaving Golden Harvest, Lin Chaoyang was still thinking about what he had just talked about with Zou Wenhuai. Zou Wenhuai reminded him that the H-society thing was indeed a problem.

It's nothing in the next one or two years, but the environment of Hong Kong's film industry will take a sharp turn for the worse in two years. He doesn't want Tao Yushu to put himself in danger.

Tao Yushu saw him thinking after coming out of Golden Harvest, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Hu Qiming came to Hong Kong for the purpose of introducing "The Truman Show" to the mainland and trying to cooperate with Lin Chaoyang again on behalf of Yanying Studio.

Now the introduction of "The Truman Show" has been confirmed, but there is no charter for cooperation with Lin Chaoyang.

"Chaoyang, do you have any specific ideas about co-production?"

On the way back to the hotel, Hu Qiming asked Lin Chaoyang.

"I plan to bring in Yindu, and then..."

Lin Chaoyang's words were similar to Tao Yushu's, except that there was an extra "Yindu" in his idea.

The so-called "Yindu" refers to the new film company established in 1983 by the merger of the three Z-style film companies, Great Wall, Phoenix and Xinlian.

Since the 1960s and 1970s, after the continuous suppression by the British Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Z-style films in Hong Kong have long since withered. The three Z-style film companies that were once prosperous, Great Wall, Phoenix and New United, have also been unable to bear the decline and have been forced to join forces for warmth.

After Hong Kong was confirmed to return, the situation of Silver Capital Organization was much better than in previous years, and cooperating with them was also an extra layer of protection.

Hu Qiming did not have any objection to Lin Chaoyang's suggestion of "bringing in Yindu". On the contrary, he was very happy that Yindu was the bridgehead of the domestic propaganda position in Xiangjiang and was one of his own.

"It's better this way. But Lao Chen's son is currently filming "The Grand Parade". I'm afraid we have to wait for him to make a movie."

"This matter is not urgent. We will wait until Yushu and I return to Yanjing. We can go and talk to Yindu in the next two days."

"Okay. I'll communicate with them first, and we'll decide on the specific matters after you return to Yanjing."

After the two discussed it, Hu Qiming got off the car and returned to the hotel.

Tao Yushu asked Lin Chaoyang: "How many days will it take for us to return to Yanjing? What about "A Better Tomorrow"?"

"Let Yu Mo keep an eye on it. There are still too few people we can use. We need to recruit some people."

The "manpower" Lin Chaoyang refers to is naturally people who can be trusted by the couple and are capable, not the clerks and finance staff of the Prince Building Company.

"Indeed. I've also been thinking about this issue recently. You can't always let these mundane things waste your time and energy. It's been almost a year since you finished writing "The Truman Show", and you don't even have time to write a new novel."

Lin Chaoyang:?

Wife, you changed the topic too abruptly!

However, Tao Yushu's words are not unreasonable. Lin Chaoyang is indeed wasting a lot of energy on things other than writing.

"This time when you return to Yanjing, you should go into seclusion and think carefully about what you should write. A writer can only have the most creative energy in these few years."

Tao Yushu had already planned out Lin Chaoyang's living arrangements after returning to Beijing, and summed it up in one word: shut down in a small black room.

After returning home, Lin Chaoyang received a letter from China, written by Li Tuo.

The news that "The Truman Show" was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival has spread back to China for several days, and Li Tuo's letter mainly contained a wave of rainbow farts.

By the way, I would like to gloat that the critics and readers who criticized "The Truman Show" last year must be deeply regretful now.

Two days later, Lin Chaoyang was invited by Ming Pao Publishing House to attend a reader meeting organized by them in Central.

After the novel "The Truman Show" was published in Xiangjiang in September last year, it sold nearly 60,000 copies in half a year, which is a good performance.

But Xiangjiang is a small city with a limited population, and the audience for literary works is also limited.

In fact, the real explosive period for novel sales is the first three months after its release. In the following three months, sales have been declining.

In April, sales were only over 3,200 copies, a 40% decrease from March.

Following normal trends, sales of "The Truman Show" will likely continue to decline for a few months, before hitting rock bottom and maintaining sales.

But no one expected that "The Truman Show" would win three awards at the Cannes Film Festival, directly igniting the enthusiasm of the citizens of Hong Kong Island.

Not only has the movie become an annual hit, but the sales of the original novel "The Truman Show" have also skyrocketed.

Before the movie won the award, the daily cumulative sales of "The Truman Show" in bookstores across Hong Kong had dropped to less than a hundred copies. After the win, the sales directly exceeded 200 copies, then 500 copies, 1,000 copies...

In the last two days of the first week of the movie's release, the single-day sales of the novel "The Truman Show" have reached an exaggerated record of 3,000 copies per day. Such a result has not been achieved even when the novel was first released.

Faced with this situation, Ming Pao Publishing House was naturally overjoyed and hurriedly sent an invitation to Lin Chaoyang to increase the popularity of the novel.

On the morning of the meeting, hundreds of enthusiastic readers came to the scene.

Among these enthusiastic readers, college students and white-collar workers account for a large proportion. They have always been the most active and most consuming groups.

After meeting Lin Chaoyang, these people became extremely excited, just like fans feeling when they meet their idol.

Such an atmosphere shocked Liu Yichang and Shu Xiangcheng, who were invited as guests. Liu Yichang joked: "I don't think this is like a writer meeting readers, but more like a celebrity meeting fans." ”

Although Shu Xiangcheng's words were a joke, there is some truth to them, because quite a few of the readers who came to the meeting today were deeply moved after watching the movie.

I went to buy another novel and fell in love with the writer Lin Chaoyang.

Compared with literary works, movies and television have more convenient communication attributes. Once the adaptation is successful, the bonus to the original work will be extremely huge.

At this point, the adaptation of Jin Yong's works has been verified countless times.

During the conversation session of the meeting, Shu Xiangcheng sighed: "There has not been a writer as popular as Lin Chaoyang in Xiangjiang for many years!"

His "red" refers to the field of serious literature.

In the past thirty or forty years, popular literature in Hong Kong has been developing well. The main reason is that writers do not have the same lofty status as in the mainland, and their economic income depends entirely on the popularity of their works.

Therefore, "the book is Tao Liang Mou" has become a reality that writers have to face. Xu Su, Liu Yichang and other Nandu literati published a large number of serialized novels in newspapers and periodicals in their early years.

The creation of this kind of serial novel forced them to pay more attention to enhancing the storytelling of the article and how to please the readers.

As a result of the writers' downgrading, the overall writing style and style of Xiangjiang literature became more and more popular.

Today, even the works written by serious writers are considered "semi-serious, semi-popular" by real literary readers.

In such an overall literary atmosphere, Lin Chaoyang's rise in the Hong Kong literary world in just two or three years is a miracle, which is admirable.

What is even more amazing is that he is a writer from the mainland.

Although the two places belong to the same China, the subtle cultural differences brought about by different regions often affect readers' feelings about the works.

However, Lin Chaoyang's works are suitable for all ages and are loved by everyone, which is of course admirable.

"I have read all four of Lin Sheng's novels published in Hong Kong. The biggest impression I get is that his writing is unconventional.

I don't know if Xiangcheng has this feeling. The writing of our generation of writers has a tendency to rely too much on reality.

This tendency is very beneficial for young people, but it is also a limitation for many mature writers, making them no longer spiritual.

Reading Lin Sheng's novels, such as "Crossing Guandong", there is both a magical realist style and a heavy historical weight. The combination of the two creates a sense of magnificence and vicissitudes that is different from ordinary historical novels, which makes people unable to help but indulge.

Like "The Truman Show", the style is even more prominent. The unique imagination and profound satire of reality shown in the novel have reached the extreme of what serious writers can do in my opinion.

Some people compare this novel to China's "1984", and I agree with this statement..."

The reader meeting was carried out in the form of a guest dialogue. Liu Yichang and Shu Xiangcheng were the guests invited by Ming Pao Publishing House.

During the exchange, the two gave high praise to Lin Chaoyang's work, and even after removing the commercial elements of mutual praise, they were still a little embarrassed.

But the readers present were very happy to hear it, because such evaluation made them feel recognized.

When it came to the question and exchange session, these readers burst into amazing enthusiasm, and the most mentioned one was when the new work would be released.

Faced with the readers' enthusiastic "urging for updates", Lin Chaoyang was speechless and could only respond with "still thinking about it".

After the morning meeting, the readers were reluctant to leave and surrounded Lin Chaoyang to ask for autographs. They did not leave until more than half an hour later.

The day after the hot meeting ended, a related report appeared in Ming Pao, and the report also published a photo of readers swarming, which looked very bewitching.

It was indeed as Liu Yichang said, it felt like a celebrity holding a fan meeting.

The next day, Lin Chaoyang and Tao Yushu went to the set of "A Better Tomorrow" together to visit the set.

The total investment of "A Better Tomorrow" is HK$8 million, and Lam Pictures invested HK$1 million, but the profit share is 26%.

The film was originally shot in early May with an investment of HK$6 million. As a result, after the news of "The Truman Show" winning the award was passed back to Hong Kong, Xinyicheng decisively added HK$2 million, and did not seek to increase the profit share.

Instead, the film's promotion focus was quietly placed on "Lin Chaoyang", the winner of the Best Screenwriter Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

The leading actors in the movie are all very famous, but they are not well-known now. In comparison, Lin Chaoyang, a screenwriter with two Academy Awards and one Cannes Best Screenwriter Award, has more publicity points.

The crew's scenes today are in Repulse Bay. As soon as Lin Chaoyang and his wife appeared, they attracted the attention of everyone in the crew.

Now that "The Truman Show" is in theaters, anyone who has anything to do with the movie will get some benefits, not to mention Lin Chaoyang, the screenwriter who made this movie happen?

He is so popular!

John Woo stopped working and talked to Lin Chaoyang for a while. When Lin Chaoyang asked about the crew's current progress, John Woo's eyes were full of joy.

"We have almost finished filming half of the scenes. Thanks to Mr. Lin's recommendation, several actors fit the roles very well and there is no need to adjust to each other during filming.

Especially Ah Fa, he is simply born to be Mark.

While John Woo was talking, Lin Chaoyang looked at Chow Yun-fat who was standing not far away.

Sunglasses, windbreaker, big back hair, the sea breeze from Repulse Bay blew, his hair fluttered, and the sleeves of his windbreaker fluttered. He had an indescribable sense of chic and uninhibited, and he really had the style of "Mark".

Seeing that Lin Chaoyang was looking at Chow Yun-fat, John Woo thought that Lin Chaoyang was dissatisfied with Chow Yun-fat's lateness just now.

Today he and Ti Lung had a scene together. The original notice said it was 8 o'clock, but Chow Yun-fat didn't arrive until 8:30.

John Woo called out to Chow Yun-fat, called him over, and said, "Ah Fat, how many times have I told you? Why are you late again today?"

"Mr. Lin, Director Wu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Brother Lung just scolded me." Chow Yun-fat said apologetically.

In the Hong Kong film industry, it is normal to have multiple projects. In addition to "A Better Tomorrow", Chow Yun-fat is currently filming "The Wife Killer" directed by Kenny Bee. He stayed up all night last night and was late again this morning.

Just after he arrived, Ti Lung stopped him and talked to him for a while. Ti Lung was from Shaw Brothers and was old-fashioned, but his professional attitude was impeccable.

On the other hand, most of the new generation of movie stars like Chow Yun-fat are in the mentality of making money by filming.

Lin Chaoyang knew that John Woo's words were meant for him, so he waved his hand without caring.

After chatting for a while, after Chow Yun-fat left, Tao Yushu was still looking at his back, and then suddenly said to Lin Chaoyang: "Hey, you said that if this movie becomes popular, the black trench coat should be very popular, right?"

Lin Chaoyang joked: "If the movie becomes a hit, do you still care about the money you make from selling windbreakers?"

"Don't underestimate the clothing city. Du Feng wrote a letter a few days ago and said that the clothing city's current turnover is more than 50,000 yuan a day. In a year, it is 20 million yuan, and the profit is 5 to 6 million yuan."

As he talked, Tao Yushu himself felt that something was wrong.

The net income of "The Truman Show" is definitely going to exceed 100 million Hong Kong dollars, which is almost 40 million yuan. The money comes in much faster than the clothing city.

"Making movies is really profitable!" she said suddenly.

Lin Chaoyang laughed and said: "It's not making money from movies, but making money from successful movies."

"Then do you think "A Better Tomorrow" can be successful?" Tao Yushu asked.

"You have to ask Director Wu about this."

Lin Chaoyang posed the question to John Woo, who immediately said with certainty: "It will definitely be a hit!"

Several people laughed.

In the evening, when the crew finished work, Tao Yushu specially treated the crew to a meal and told John Woo that she would be returning to the mainland during this period. Tao Yumo would come to talk to the crew.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Lin, there will be no problem. Maybe by the time you come back from the mainland, the filming will have been completed." John Woo said.

"Thank you, Director Wu."

After eating, when they returned home, the couple saw someone else at home. Maggie Cheung and Tao Yumo were playing with their two children.

After "The Truman Show" won the award, a group of actors who participated in the film became popular in the Hong Kong film industry, and Maggie Cheung was no exception.

Although it is not as great as the blessings received by the male and female protagonists, the announcements are still received softly, and the remuneration is also rising.

Logically speaking, she should be so busy making money at this time that she doesn't even have time to sleep. I don't know why she still has time to come to Lin Chaoyang's house to play.

Only when Tao Yumo talked about it did Lin Chaoyang understand that it turned out that she disliked the recent scripts that Chen Ziqiang had given her, which were all commercial films, and didn't want to act in them. She had a fight with Chen Ziqiang before running to Lin Chaoyang's house.

Lin Chaoyang felt that he was responsible for this matter and went to Cannes to raise Maggie Cheung's horizons.

"Brother-in-law, you asked me to act well, of course I will choose a good drama to act in." Maggie Cheung said crying again after telling about the dispute with Chen Ziqiang.

"There are only bad movies, not bad actors. You are an actor, you can't decide how the movie will be. The only thing you can control is to perform every scene well.

What is a good show? Before a movie is released, can you guarantee that it will be good or bad? "

Lin Chaoyang's words left Maggie Cheung speechless, and Tao Yushu also advised:

"You are not yet ready to choose a role to act in, but the roles Chen Ziqiang has given you are actually very good.

"The Truman Show", "Police Story" and "Rose Story", each of them has good box office and reputation. "

Maggie Cheung cried and lay in Tao Yushu's arms, "But I also want to win awards and become a best actress. I don't want others to keep saying that I am a flower vase!"

Lin Chaoyang frowned and looked at her. Cry as long as you want. Why are you always rubbing yourself in my wife's arms?

Tao Yumo said venomously: "With your acting skills, you still want to be a movie queen? Stop talking nonsense!"

Maggie Cheung's guard was broken by the vicious comments from her harmful friends. She was a little coy just now, but now she was really crying.

Tao Yushu glared at his sister and said comfortingly: "It's a good thing that you have pursuits, but you have to eat food one bite at a time. How can you become fat after eating in one breath? It took Michael more than 20 years of acting in movies to win the Best Actor in Cannes."

Maggie Cheung raised her head with tears in her eyes and said sobbingly: "I don't... I don't need to be the Best Actress in Cannes, just the Best Actress in the Academy Awards!"

Tao Yumo couldn't help but "chi" when he heard this, and wanted to make a sarcastic comment. The toad yawned, and his tone was not small.

Lin Chaoyang and his wife looked at Maggie Cheung with both laughter and laughter. Do you really dare to think that no matter how good the best actress is in the Academy Award for Best Actress, you can't just use your mouth to do it!

However, the two of them will not laugh at Maggie Cheung. This is called artistic pursuit. Anyone who has a dream is great!

"Okay then. How about you regard winning the Academy Award for Best Actress as your goal now and try to achieve this goal in ten years?" Tao Yushu asked.

Maggie Cheung hesitated, "Ten years? I will be thirty-two by then."

Tao Yumo rolled his eyes, and Tao Yushu said like coaxing a child: "Winning the award is just a goal, it won't delay your work and life."

Maggie Cheung thought for a while and felt that it made sense, and then asked Tao Yushu eagerly: "Sister Yushu, from now on you will produce the film, and I will be your heroine, okay?"

Tao Yushu hesitated and said, "The role must be suitable."

"I recently found an acting teacher, and Brother Willie said that my acting skills have improved."

Maggie Cheung said she wanted to perform for Tao Yushu, but Tao Yushu quickly stopped her, "Okay, okay, I will definitely invite you if there is a suitable opportunity."

Maggie Cheung smiled like a flower when she heard this, and hugged Tao Yushu excitedly, "That's great!"

Every time she hugged Tao Yushu and rubbed it, Lin Chaoyang's eyebrows jumped, and there was always an uneasiness on top of his head.

After she left, Lin Chaoyang began to slander Tao Yushu, "Daughter-in-law, have you ever thought about it? In fact, it is very likely that Chen Ziqiang sent her here."

Tao Yushu glanced at him with an indifferent expression, "Yes, what does it matter? Maggie is quite famous now. Isn't it a good thing to rush to cooperate with us?"

"This..." Lin Chaoyang was speechless.

Of course, what he said just now is just a guess. Maggie Cheung's character is indeed charming and naive, and it is not impossible to say that her behavior just now showed her temperament.

But he still felt a little unhappy, always feeling like someone had stolen his home.

He decided to test Comrade Yushu's revolutionary will tonight, and he was determined not to let her be corrupted by being killed in the arms of the big orange cat.

Two days later, Lin Chaoyang and his wife took a flight back to Beijing with their children.

It was already getting hot in Yanjing in mid-June. Besides the heat, the biggest feeling after getting off the plane was that the air suddenly became drier.

Returning to Xiaoliubukou Alley and passing by the West Courtyard, Lin Chaoyang found a small sign hanging at the door with the words "Author's Home" written on it.

When they arrived at the entrance of the east courtyard, Mr. and Mrs. Lin Erchun were already waiting eagerly at the door, hugging Ya and Xiao and calling them "darlings."

"Mom, Dad, we've only been gone for two months, so it won't be bad." Lin Chaoyang said lightly.

Lin Erchun glanced at him and said angrily: "I'm sorry you can't see your children, and it doesn't hurt your back to stand and talk."

After saying that, he smiled kindly at his grandson in his arms.

"Dongdong, look what good things grandpa has bought for you?"

Lin Chaoyang found himself bored and asked Zhang Guiqin, "Mom, who made that sign at the entrance to the west courtyard?"

"Li Tuo. It's not like people always find the wrong place and come to our hospital. Li Tuo made a sign like that."

Lin Chaoyang nodded. He was right. He could tell at a glance that the brand was Li Tuo's style.

The children and grandchildren were back, and Zhang Guiqin prepared a sumptuous dinner. During dinner, Lin Erchun asked: "Chaoyang, the news said that you won an award at Cannes. Are you pretty awesome?"

"It's not bad. The film festival award is quite famous in Europe."

"It's a good thing to win the award, but it's a pity that it's not for our country."

"Dad, your awareness needs to be improved. Xiangjiang is also an inseparable part of our China."

"Fuck you! I didn't know Xiangjiang was coming back?" Lin Erchun cursed, and then said: "But after all, it was a bit wrong."

Tao Yushu said: "Dad, Chaoyang and I came back this time just to make a co-production with Yan Film Studio."

Lin Erchun asked with concern: "Can I win another award and bring glory to the country?"

"It's hard to say." Tao Yushu said somewhat unconfidently.

Lin Erchun looked regretful, "Isn't this the fat water flowing to outsiders?"

"Pattern! Pay attention to the pattern!" Lin Chaoyang reminded.

Lin Erchun raised the top of his chopsticks, and Lin Chaoyang became quiet.