Chapter 66

Chen Tiandu cleared his throat, "I feel a bit vain telling everyone this number; I must be childish."

The atmosphere below eased slightly, and some people laughed in a friendly manner.

However, Chen Tiandu did not pause for a moment. He suddenly raised his voice and continued, "This set of numbers precisely illustrates the enormous economic benefits of the film industry, and it shows that we cannot afford to abandon films, especially during the most difficult times."

"Our country has the largest population in the world, all of whom are potential audience members. The national economy is developing rapidly, and we believe that the future of domestic films will be bright. Of course, we can't compare with Hollywood right now. After all, they can even make movies about city sewers, while we still suffer from urban flooding."

"What I want to share with everyone is the successful model of Hollywood. First, there must be a rich variety of themes and free imagination!"

"The mainland has undoubtedly imposed a restriction on film themes for us filmmakers. A mature film market is one where various genres flourish. Take horror films, for example. The market for horror films is also very large, but they are often held back by elements like ghosts and blood and cannot be released. Filmmakers may complain, but this is the reality, and you have to adapt. Horror films generally have low costs, engaging stories, and great box office potential. If we reject horror films, we are essentially turning away a significant portion of the audience from the cinema."

At this point, some reporters aimed their cameras at a few people who looked like leaders from the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television.

Their faces were stern, and it was unclear whether they were really listening.

"Currently, domestic films are mostly war films and dramas. Watching too many of them can naturally become tiresome, and the loss of audience is inevitable. If I were an ordinary viewer, I would also hope to see a variety of films and look forward to the ever-changing Hollywood blockbusters. We have a long history, and there are countless historical themes from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Three Kingdoms that can be continuously filmed. We also have unique martial arts elements, and the choices are truly vast."

"In 1981, at the beginning of the reform and opening up, the famous director Yang Jie proposed to CCTV to film 'Journey to the West' from the Four Great Classical Novels. At the time, some people criticized CCTV for promoting superstition and misleading the people with ghosts and monsters. Despite the immense pressure, CCTV began preparing for 'Journey to the West' in 1982 and achieved success by 1986. Now, 'Journey to the West' is well-known in China, and it has made CCTV a fortune. It has also promoted China's profound art and culture to the world."

"CCTV dared to innovate and take an unconventional path. They did what others couldn't think of, and thus they succeeded. They became the first to try, and they also showed the entire country that crabs can be eaten, not only are they delicious but also highly nutritious. This is innovation!"

"A rich variety of themes can boost the imagination of the film industry. If the themes are novel and the production is sincere, success will naturally follow."

This speech was quite insightful, and even Zhang Yimou nodded in agreement.

"Secondly, the film industry is not just about making films."

"To be in the film industry, there are more paths than just being an actor."

"A complete film industry requires a continuously advancing film industry as its foundation. Take the popular cameras, for example. We often use German, American, and Japanese cameras because they perform well. Our country doesn't even have a single professional camera manufacturer."

"A complete film includes editing, cinematography, music, costumes, props, makeup, special effects, and many other aspects. If everyone focuses only on acting, it will ultimately lead to a dead end. Our films urgently need talent in other areas. If you can slightly lower your ideals and start in a related field, it's very easy to enter the industry, and you won't starve after graduation."

"Everyone knows that my success came from connecting with DreamWorks. But how did I connect with DreamWorks? Many people must be curious."

Sure enough, there was a chorus of nods below, even those who had been distracted earlier were now listening intently.

Chen Tiandu smiled, "It's not a big deal. It was all the result of a speculator's painstaking efforts. I wrote a script and submitted it everywhere. I used every means to find the contact information of various film companies and submitted my script to them. Of course, I didn't just write one script. I had submitted many before. When I was in China, I had a big heart, trying to raise funds and invite investors and coal bosses to dinner, but I suffered many setbacks and even ended up in the hospital with a perforated stomach from drinking too much."

Many reporters' eyes lit up, snapping several photos, "This is insider news, and he's saying it so straightforwardly." The reporters were excited, unsure whether to call this young man naive or honest.

"Then I thought of Hong Kong, where there are countless film companies. I submitted my script to Hong Kong, but I was too optimistic. My submissions were ignored, with no response. By chance, I learned that Director Spielberg wanted to make a World War II film. I researched extensively, catered to his interests, and finally wrote a decent English World War II script, which is 'Saving Private Ryan.'"

"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap~~" The students who had seen 'Saving Private Ryan' gave enthusiastic applause.

Chen Tiandu raised his hand to calm them down, "This success is almost impossible to replicate, but fortunately, I was lucky. This is also why I wrote 'Saving Private Ryan.' A simple fact is that I was about to graduate. I knew I had to do something because, after graduation, many students from the film academy end up unemployed, especially those from the directing department. I needed to eat, I needed to earn money, or I wouldn't even have enough to take a girl to the movies."

"So, my advice to my junior students is: enter the industry first, then talk about ideals."

Many people nodded in agreement. This advice was indeed practical, and it was better than being overly ambitious and achieving nothing.

Chen Tiandu raised his third finger, "Thirdly, the importance of thorough preparation and meticulous production."

"Chinese films are not lacking in award-winning works on the international stage. Directors like Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Jiang Wen are treasures of our Chinese film industry. However, masters are few, and even fewer filmmakers become masters. Those who cannot win awards lack fame, and their films do not receive attention. What should they do?"

"The answer is to produce films that the audience likes."

"Today, there are masters present, and my following words might offend some, but please forgive my youthful ignorance. Consider it a bit of cheekiness. I must say what I have to, as this is one of the most important moments of my life."

He looked apologetically at a corner of the hall, where a few leaders exchanged glances, and even the principal became uneasy, "What is he going to say? I hope he doesn't go too far."

Chen Tiandu appeared relaxed, "I want to say that the audience is the foundation. Many award-winning masterpieces seem to be too highbrow for the masses. No matter how good they are, if the people don't like them, it's useless. This is also an important factor in the weakening of domestic films. Winning awards is a great thing, bringing glory to the country. The state will report it, and the people will hear about Chinese films winning international awards multiple times, but they are unwilling to go to the cinema to watch them. Why? Is it because the people are tired of domestic films? I don't think so. If there were good domestic films, would people pay to go to the cinema to watch them?"

There were scattered responses from the students below, "Yes, of course we would go."

Chen Tiandu glanced at the loudest voices, which came from Zhang Ziyi and a few others. Some cameras maliciously focused on Zhang Yimou, making him somewhat awkward.

"Of course, we would go!" Chen Tiandu answered himself loudly, "But what kind of films will attract the audience?"

Many people were invigorated by this question and eagerly awaited his continuation.

Some people, however, were dismissive, thinking he was a young, inexperienced person spouting nonsense without any basis.

"Hmph, let's see what you have to say!"

However, Chen Tiandu's answer was once again unexpected.

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