Chapter 7

For a director, what is the most satisfying thing?

Assembling a crew from scratch, gathering heroes from all directions to form a team, and then using a camera to turn a series of images into a complete story—this feels like the act of a creator, doesn't it?

Money can make even the dead work.

Chen Tian's years of working on various film sets haven't been in vain; he has a few contacts in every industry. There are countless people in Beijing who want to make a living in the film industry. If he releases the news of forming a crew during the day, the phone will ring non-stop by night.

With a large sum of money in hand, they naturally have the luxury of being picky. After all, they are destined for hard work. They've experienced even worse and more bottomless situations when raising funds for movie production in the past, so now they are well-versed in the process. Many people are eager to earn some extra money. A phone call, a reasonable price, and skilled hands, and the deal is quickly sealed.

Lighting, cinematography, props, and makeup were quickly assembled.

Even a sparrow has all its organs.

Don't underestimate shooting commercials; it's a miniature film set. Chen Tian wanted to use this commercial as a touchstone to test his skills. Theory is shallow; practice is essential. Reading a thousand books is not as good as traveling a thousand miles. It's time to get serious.

"Chen Doudou, you still haven't found someone to play the old man playing the violin?" Kong Yiji shouted, calling him "Doudou" a few times and finding it quite smooth, so he continued to use it.

"Want to die?" Chen Tian gave him a threatening look, making Kong Yiji laugh.

He pondered the prototype of this character and suddenly saw Huang Bo's lecherous eyes darting around. An idea struck him, and he grabbed a gentleman's hat, placing it on Huang Bo's head. Huang Bo instinctively dodged.

"Don't dodge, I won't eat you."

Huang Bo smacked his lips. Could this mean he was going to be in the commercial? He had a smug look on his face. He was clear in his mind, "Is this surprise a bit too quick? I was still singing in a bar a few days ago."

He guessed right. Chen Tian had searched for his future information and watched a few trailers of his leading roles. He could play any role convincingly. Such an actor is hard to find in all of China. Especially with his naturally aged face, he could play an old man without any sense of incongruity. After looking him over, Chen Tian patted his shoulder with satisfaction and said, "Practice the violin, Pachelbel's Canon."

"I don't know how to play."

"Then learn. You're a singer, at least don't let people see through it at first glance."

"Then... then, does this mean I'm playing a street artist? Great director, can I ask how much my pay will be? I'm the future Best Actor, and this is my first pay, so it shouldn't be too meager. Otherwise, future fans will dig up old accounts and criticize Wushuang Film Company for being a skinflint."

Chen Tian waved his hand and smiled, "Talk to Old Kong, I don't handle that."

Kong Yiji immediately looked at Huang Bo with envy, "Want pay? Pay the rent first. Here, take 100 yuan for breakfast."

"Come on, Brother Kong, I've put in the effort, haven't I? I'm your top general, and I'll be leading the charge in the future. You can't treat your own brother like this."

"Let go, let go, you pervert, get any closer and I'll beat you up."

The two bickered endlessly, while Chen Tian wrote and drew, completely undisturbed.

He wasn't omnipotent.

No matter how much theoretical knowledge he had learned from books, Chen Tian was, strictly speaking, a first-time director. His first work, though a commercial, could also be seen as a short film. Only by truly taking the helm did he realize that many things cannot be learned just by reading. Without making mistakes and experiencing setbacks, one cannot truly convert them into personal experience.

He needed help, and Kong Yiji, who had grown up with him, was the best choice.

Huayi Brothers and Feng Xiaogang would later publish a book called "The Era of Big Films: Feng Xiaogang and Huayi Brothers," boasting about their most successful combination in the film industry, which has extended the development of Chinese cinema in recent years. Focusing on commercial films, box office, release schedules, big film production, and the "Feng Wang combination," they outline the new landscape of the Chinese film industry. Regardless of whether their fundamental connection is based on relationships or money, the fact that they are still collaborating and have achieved significant success is enviable.

Can Kong Yiji do it well?

In his view, the primary factor for a qualified producer is to be meticulous and frugal, but there are many areas that need improvement. In Hollywood, the most influential people in a film crew are often the producers. They are the ones who find the funding, the director, and the actors, making them the most important controllers of the film. When Kong Yiji can handle everything independently, without Chen Tian having to deal with budgeting, contacting actors, and booking meals, then he will truly be at ease.

Searching for and finding each character, selecting shooting locations, choosing and purchasing props, and budgeting for various possible expenses, they were busy but happy.

The three of them worked from morning till night, another busy day. The other actors, including lighting, cinematography, and props, were quickly assembled. Two cameras were rented, and a professor from the music college was found to serve as the music director.

Although they were very tired, a sense of accomplishment naturally arose.

"Turns out forming a crew is like this. Today was quite an eye-opener," Huang Bo felt his life was fulfilling, even though he hadn't earned a penny and had neglected his bar business.

Kong Yiji was frantically pressing the calculator, complaining, "We've already spent 50,000 yuan before shooting even starts. I'm going crazy. Chen, can you not be so fashionable with the costumes? Even a street violinist is dressed like a Brit. The student uniforms have to be custom-made, which is so out of place. Do you even know which high schools in our country have white shirts and pleated skirts? It's a waste of money, and wasting money is wasting life. You're committing murder, and we haven't even found the lead actress yet."

Chen Tian's phone rang, and he made a gesture to silence them, then went to the rooftop to take the call.

Huang Bo asked, "Where did Chen's phone come from? It looks pretty sci-fi."

Kong Yiji rolled his eyes, "It fell from the sky."

"Hello, senior, I'm the student recommended by Professor Chang. I heard you're looking for people to shoot a commercial, I..." The other end was noisy, but the girl's voice was clear, though a bit timid.

"Where are you?" Chen Tian interrupted her.

"Ah, I'm... I'm at the public phone booth on campus."

"Wait for me for ten minutes." Chen Tian hung up, put on his coat, and went out.

Hearing the abrupt hang-up, the girl was a bit dazed but still waited with hopeful eyes.

Ten thousand silver coins, who wouldn't want them? In this era, an unknown actress could earn only so much for a full series of a TV drama. Earning 10,000 yuan for a commercial would be unbelievable. Plus, the brand is not small, and some people would even do it for free just to be on camera.

In March, the night in Beijing was colder, and waiting outside was quite chilly. Standing for too long made her legs numb. She didn't have a watch, so she didn't know how long she had waited. Suddenly, she heard a voice calling her. She turned around in surprise and saw a man waving at her. Recognizing the director, she quickly ran over.

"Let's find a classroom to sit in, I hope the heating hasn't been turned off."

"Okay."

They pushed open the door of a dark classroom and turned on the light. A couple was kissing in the corner. Seeing the door open, they quickly separated and fumbled to fix their clothes. The girl's face turned red at the sight.

Chen Tian laughed, "Wow, you're doing a passionate scene, you have potential. If you go a bit further, you might become a top sexy star in the future."

"Who are you, what's it to you? You're no better, bringing a girl to a dark room. This place was ours first, go somewhere else if you want to do it."

Chen Tian laughed, "You're shameless. Just a reminder, this classroom has cameras. Be careful, or the security guard might catch you live."

"Ah—"

This sentence made both of them turn green, and they quickly left. The man, in a hurry, tripped and his pants fell down, causing a gasp from the girl.

Zhang Ziyi hadn't expected such a scene, feeling her face heat up, "This senior is too bad."

After the small incident, Chen Tian turned to carefully examine Zhang Ziyi. Her face was still flushed from the earlier scene. Her eyes were bright, and her lips were stubborn, a beautiful woman, "Untie your braid, let me see how long your hair is."

"Okay."

Being asked to untie her braid on first meeting made her a bit shy.

After all, this senior was only two years older than her, but he gave orders so smoothly. Zhang Ziyi suddenly realized she had seen him before, remembering his small braid at the back of his head. He was the senior from the film department who was drawing outside the security office a few days ago, the one who looked like Takeshi Kaneshiro. Today, she noticed he was even more handsome, probably a mixed-race person.

Chen Tian looked at her critically, "Do you mind if I touch it?"

;

Page Flip AD Start

Page Flip AD End