Chapter 10

On August 20, 1997, Wang Qinan boarded a train again and arrived in BJ.

Half a year ago, he came to take the entrance exam, competing with thousands of candidates for that sliver of hope.

This time, he had already received the acceptance letter, becoming a freshman at the Beijing Film Academy, with one foot already in the entertainment industry.

After getting off the train, Wang Qinan felt a surge of ambition.

There is a poem that goes: "A man sets his ambition to leave his hometown, determined to serve his country and never return. Why should he be buried in his native land when life is full of green mountains everywhere." This perfectly captured Wang Qinan's current state of mind.

He stayed at Xiao Xiang's house for a few days after arriving in BJ.

Wang Qinan did not come empty-handed; he had prepared a 200,000-word plot and additional settings for "Rozen Maiden" to give to Xiao Xiang as a gift.

This made Xiao Xiang extremely happy!

With this new plot, the "Rozen Maiden" manga could be drawn for at least 1,000 pages.

On September 2nd, Wang Qinan went to the Beijing Film Academy's freshman registration office to complete the enrollment procedures. Fortunately, the Beijing Film Academy adopted an elite system, with a very small number of students, so the registration process was quick, and he completed the procedures almost immediately upon arrival.

Many people spread rumors that the tuition fees for art schools like the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama were exorbitant, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. This was pure nonsense. In reality, the tuition fees at the Beijing Film Academy were similar to those of ordinary undergraduate programs and were not considered expensive.

What was truly expensive were the short-term training programs. These programs were often designed for industry professionals who had already entered the entertainment industry as actors, directors, or cinematographers but lacked systematic training. Most of these programs were funded by their companies. Additionally, international students paid much higher tuition and miscellaneous fees, as they often returned to their home countries' film and television industries after graduation, contributing little to the development of China's film and television industry.

To develop China's film and television cultural industry, the main effort must come from the Chinese themselves.

The annual tuition fee for the Literature Department was 8,000 yuan, cheaper than the 10,000 yuan for the Directing, Acting, and Cinematography departments, but more expensive than the 6,000 yuan for the Management Department.

Additionally, the annual accommodation fee for Beijing Film Academy students was 900 yuan, with four students per dorm room, equipped with air conditioning, a color TV, and internet access, making the environment quite comfortable. On average, the monthly rent was only 75 yuan.

In a city like Beijing, this rent was a very reasonable price.

After completing the registration procedures, Wang Qinan received the key to "Dormitory No. 2."

According to the introduction, Dormitory No. 1 was mostly for male students.

Floors 1 to 5 of Dormitory No. 2 were for male students, while floors 6 to 13 were for female students.

Many male students assigned to Dormitory No. 1 were unhappy.

Male students assigned to Dormitory No. 2, on the other hand, were overjoyed.

Thinking about the many future female stars who might be his upstairs or downstairs neighbors, Wang Qinan felt a ripple of excitement.

After completing the registration, Wang Qinan was a bit worried. He was directionally challenged, and although the Beijing Film Academy was not large, it covered an area of 105 acres. Without a mobile phone for navigation or a map to consult, he had a problem: where was his dorm room?!

"Excuse me, senior, where is Dormitory No. 2?" Wang Qinan grabbed a random "senior" in the bustling campus and asked.

The "senior" was embarrassed and blushed, saying, "It's opposite Dormitory No. 1."

"Where is Dormitory No. 1?!" Wang Qinan asked, puzzled.

"Alright, I'll take you there, but I'm not a senior. My name is Zhang Jingjing, and I'm also a freshman at the Beijing Film Academy this year," the "senior" explained, clearly concerned about her age. "I'm in the Acting Department. What about you?"

"My name is Wang Qinan, and I'm in the Literature Department. I'm also a freshman this year. When I become famous, I'll definitely give you a good script to repay your kindness for showing me the way," Wang Qinan said casually, making a grand promise.

"Ha ha, you really are something! You should call me a classmate since we're in the same year!" Zhang Jingjing said.

"Alright, alright, I understand. By the way, senior..." Wang Qinan said, still using the term out of habit.

"..." Zhang Jingjing was speechless.

"Um, let me give you some advice. Your name is too common, and many people use it, making it hard to become famous. There are many people named Zhang Jingjing, including writers, hosts, journalists, and doctors. It's hard for people to remember! For your career, it's best to think of a powerful stage name early on. Otherwise, it will be almost impossible to become a big star because the audience won't remember you..." Wang Qinan analyzed seriously.

In fact, this was not without basis. Before Wang Qinan's rebirth, he had hardly heard of Zhang Jingjing, even if she had acted in some productions, she probably hadn't become famous.

However, Wang Qinan knew of many artists who had changed their names because their real names were too common and hard to remember.

For example, Huang Yi from the 1997 Acting Department, a model student with solid acting skills, had performed in many productions and received praise from many directors, but she never became famous. The audience didn't remember her. She once joked that no one could recognize her as an actor who had appeared in many films and TV shows. It wasn't until she changed her name to "Hai Qing" that she began to rise to fame in 2009 and became a true star.

There were countless other examples of artists who became famous after changing their names. For instance, Xiao Shenyang, whose real name was Shen He, was a relatively unknown Er Ren Zhuan performer. Despite participating in many performances, who knew Shen He? After changing his stage name to "Xiao Shenyang" and being promoted on CCTV, he became an overnight sensation.

This clearly demonstrated the importance of a name!

A star should have distinct and unique characteristics, and their name should also be different to be easily remembered.

A plain name could result in an actor performing in many productions, some of which were very popular, but the actor themselves not becoming famous and having few fans.

"You...," Zhang Jingjing was speechless at his insistence on calling her a senior, which made her feel older.

Now, he was also telling her that her name was bad and that she wouldn't become famous, suggesting she change her stage name! This nonsense made Zhang Jingjing think he was quite silly, acting like an authority as a freshman.

Was this the so-called "poser"?

Finally, she led him to Dormitory No. 2.

Wang Qinan found his room number, 503, on the 5th floor, just one floor below the female dormitory.

When Wang Qinan found his dorm room, he discovered that his roommates were already there.

One of them was Hao Yi, an acquaintance!

Wang Qinan felt particularly close and said, "Brother Hao, we really have a connection, sharing the same dorm room!"

"Truly a connection!" Hao Yi came forward, putting his arm around Wang Qinan's shoulder to get closer.

The other two roommates covered their eyes and said, "Too scary, my roommates are so gay!"

After a brief chat, Wang Qinan realized that his other two roommates were also not ordinary. One was Du Jie, from the Cinematography Department, who was not famous at the time but later became the cinematographer for works such as "No Man's Land," "West Wind," "A Laughing World," "Crazy Racer," "Crazy Stone," "Tai Chi 1: The Beginning," "Tai Chi 2: The Rise of Heroes," and "The Breakup Guru."

The other roommate was Li Jie, from the Acting Department, who later gained attention for his role as Lin Pingzhi in "Swordsman II" and became a well-known actor, primarily in historical and martial arts roles.

Meeting several future "rising stars" in succession, although none of them were superstars or great directors, Wang Qinan felt a deep sense of awe. The Beijing Film Academy truly had a rich heritage, and even a random freshman could become a significant figure in the future.