Chapter 1545
Going with the Bullets
I finally got home after finishing the promotional tour.
Princess kept pestering him to listen to gossip and insisted on staying at his house.
They couldn't get rid of her no matter what they tried, so Zhang Yuan had to call her father to finally take the girl back home.
As a result, they only got one day off.
"elder brother!"
"I am coming!"
He was reviewing documents with the fountain pen Montblanc had given him when he heard the sound, and his hand trembled, causing him to missign the signature.
Why are you here again?
He stood up to greet him.
"You don't welcome me?" Guan Xiaotong skipped over to his side and put her arm around his shoulder.
"I really can't talk to you about the entertainment industry anymore."
"mean."
"What entertainment industry stuff?" A gruff voice came through the courtyard at that moment.
Jiang Wen, wearing a beige baseball cap, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and carrying several bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), strode into his house.
Behind him followed a tall girl with smoky makeup, wearing a black leather jacket and black leather boots.
"Brother... oh dear, what's this?"
As they walked closer, Zhang Yuan recognized her; behind him was his daughter.
"A girl changes a lot as she grows up; she's even more beautiful than before."
"Uncle, how did you know I'm eighteen this year?" Jiang Yilang replied in slightly accented Chinese.
“Idioms…” Zhang Yuan scratched his head; mixed-race people do lack cultural knowledge.
But speaking of 18 this year, that reminds me...
It wasn't legal when I first saw it, but it's legal now.
The outfit looked a bit gothic... and then I noticed a necklace with skulls around her neck.
It seems like I'm in the latter half of puberty.
"Also, didn't I tell you not to call me 'uncle'?"
"Hey bro, wanna date?" the other person asked after changing their mind.
Zhang Yuan: ...
It seems that not much has changed.
Jiang Wen chuckled to herself, not taking it seriously at all, and even seemed to be gloating.
"Look how capable you are outside, but my daughter's words have left you speechless."
"This is what they call one thing subduing another."
Zhang Yuan sighed, these young women were more and more annoying than the last.
Jiang Wen came to see him today because she had something to discuss.
And it's a serious matter.
However, Jiang Yilang returned to China from France for a visit and brought the girl along.
At the same time, Jiang Wen also began to arrange work for the girl, preparing to take her to the film set to learn as she went.
Whether it will work out is another matter; there are still conditions, after all, what father doesn't love his daughter?
My first camera was a Hasselblad, and I've been taking pictures all over Beijing these past few days to practice.
"Brother, you and Xiaotong, come closer so I can take a picture."
"Hold him, come here..."
After all that fuss, let the two of them find a quiet place to have a private chat; the man needs to talk business.
Before the talks even started, Zhang Yuan put on his mask of pain again.
If Zhang Yimou's side is suffering 10 points, then Jiang Wen's side must be suffering at least 7 points.
He came today to discuss the new play.
Its internal code name was "Follow the Bullets".
The English name is also derived from this, called "Gone With The Bullets".
Unlike "Lost in Thailand" and "Lost on Journey," which both contain the character "囧" (jiong), Xu Zheng is ultimately a "businessman," while Jiang Wen is more like an artist.
This guy is a real riddle teller, always putting on an attitude of "those who know, know."
In fact, Zhang Yuan knew that this play was the famous "Gone with the Bullets".
Ouch...
All I can say is that it's somewhat better than "The Great Wall".
But it's also a huge loss.
Jiang Wen is somewhat similar to Zhang Yimou.
Zhang Yimou alternates between making an art film and a commercial film.
Jiang Wen also went back and forth; he made a film that compromised with commercial interests, a film that allowed him to do whatever he wanted.
In short, you can only choose one: stand still or make money.
It's difficult to make money while standing tall.
Although the film "Follow the Bullets" and "Let the Bullets Fly" seem to be only "one step apart" in terms of their names, the filming is vastly different!
Leaving aside the actors, costumes, props, and sets, let's talk about one thing.
The camera used to film "Gone with the Bullets" was an ARRI ALEXA XT, specifically the M 3D model.
That is, Arri's top-of-the-line 3D camera.
Most people probably have no idea what a machine is, let alone its price.
Just know two things: when this movie was being filmed, there were fewer than ten of these machines in the entire world, and this production crew used two of them.
After filming "Gone with the Bullets", the two cameras were immediately taken back to North America to be used for filming "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Guardians of the Galaxy".
In terms of single-camera equipment, it is absolutely on par with the world's best and is among the most advanced.
Jiang Wen opened a bottle of wine for him, and they drank one bottle each.
They talked while drinking.
In short, it can be summed up in one sentence.
"I'm going to make the most awesome movie in the world!"
It's not just the best, it's the most awesome.
"Good" is the external evaluation, "awesome" is his own evaluation.
Jiang Wen is a very independent person with her own backbone.
But the real problem lies in the budget.
This play will definitely result in a loss!
The box office wasn't actually that bad; it made several hundred million domestically.
The problem lies in the cost.
Because of the success of "Let the Bullets Fly", Jiang Wen and his team became a little arrogant.
Don't say that young people are arrogant.
Many people who have lived a life of meekness and subservience suddenly become wealthy in their middle and old age, leading to arrogance in many, sometimes even more so than young people, as they want to vent all the unhappiness of the past few decades.
With his film "Let the Bullets Fly," Jiang Wen went from being a "banned" director who lost money with every film he made to suddenly becoming the highest-earning director in China.
The drop is so great that it's comparable to bungee jumping.
Zhang Yuan cannot let him run wild; if he does whatever he wants, the budget will be terrifying.
All the clothes and bags in this movie are "authentic" and were all custom-made by LV and Armani.
This alone cost tens of millions.
There was also a complete set of scenes built separately, which cost tens of millions.
These two items combined are enough for someone else to make a blockbuster movie.
If it were someone like Wang Jing, he could have made several films.
Moreover, Jiang Wen's acting has a unique characteristic.
Zhang Yuan glanced at the Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) on the table.
Many art films are like strong liquor.
But Jiang Wen's movies are definitely not like Moutai or Wuliangye; they're like Erguotou!
Not only is it spicy and stimulating on the palate, but the aftertaste after drinking too much is also incredibly intoxicating.
Many of his things, if you look back on them ten or twenty years later, when society has changed or you've grown up, will immediately resonate with you.
Just like Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) is only spicy at night, but you only get a headache the next day.
The story of "One Step Away" is based on the execution of Yan Ruisheng, one of the "Four Great Mysteries of the Republic of China".
There are several versions of the four great unsolved cases of the Republic of China.
For example, the "political version" includes cases such as the assassination of Song Jiaoren, the theft of treasures from the Eastern Tombs, and the assassination attempt on Chiang Kai-shek at Mount Lu.
The "Four Great Cases" cited by Jiang Wen are commonly used in the arts and literature circles. They first circulated through newspapers, then through storytellers, and now in the film industry.
Besides the execution of Yan Ruisheng, there was also the case of Bai Zongwei falling from a building, the execution of Liu Hanchen, and the later film "The Case of Father Murder in Jiangyuan Lane" by Chen Kexin.
Zhang Yuan knew these stories inside and out.
Because Mr. Yuan had already explained the plot to him, and had detailed the "cliffhangers," that is, the main conflicts and the details of the plot twists. Cliffhangers and plot points are things that only a direct disciple would explain in detail.
The highest honor in the performing arts is to be able to "speak the word 'living,' which means passing on knowledge orally and through personal instruction."
Zhang Yuan doesn't quite agree with this method, as it's too easy to lose the program and jokes.
They're all kept inside, so if I suddenly die one day, these things will all go with me to my coffin.
It needs to be transcribed into text.
He plans to start doing this the day he decides to retire from the entertainment industry.
"How about this?" After drinking more than a bottle of Erguotou, Zhang Yuan chatted with him about the case of Yan Ruisheng's execution.
"I'll call you 'Big Brother,' so we can get to know each other."
“I will definitely support you, but you have to give me a budget.”
"According to you, this project won't be cheap."
"I need to think this through carefully. If I can't finish the food, I'll have to find a way to make money."
"After all, the company does more than just one project."
"Don't worry, it's absolutely awesome!" Jiang Wen said confidently.
Yes, you were awesome, you had a blast filming.
You don't care about the investors' lives or deaths.
He needs to act as a limit; if that doesn't work...
Zhang Yuan thought of the group of "buddies" he had met a few days ago when the Great Wall project was attracting investment.
Is it not a good idea to always rely on a group of sheep to fleece?
It's easy to get bald from all the plucking, just like Ge You.
Let me think about it... Zhang Yuan pondered this matter.
"Brother." After a short while, they had roughly finished talking about the matter.
The two girls ran back and dragged him away.
Jiang Yilang grabbed his arm and asked.
"What's the story behind Liu Tao and Hu Jun going into the tent?"
Zhang Yuan: ...
He turned and glanced at Guan Xiaotong, who was already gossiping as soon as she arrived.
Do you think I can still talk to you about public opinion?
"Also, Uncle, I was serious just now. Will you date me?" Miss Jiang asked earnestly.
"I want to try dating a Chinese person, and you're good-looking."
"Foreign devils are all like pigs, all they know is how to root around cabbages, they have no sincerity at all."
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "You two, father and daughter, stop torturing me. I can't take it anymore."
If it weren't for the ginger-like markings, it would be fine; it's actually quite pretty...
I'm not interested in you.
"I'm bored. I was thinking of finding someone to keep me company during my stay in China for the next few weeks."
Zhang Yuan fell into deep thought.
In the past, older girls wanted to play with me, but now teenage girls also want to play with me.
So the question remains: who is playing whom?
"Brother, brother," Guan Xiaotong pulled him aside and whispered in his ear.
"Do you know that Ichiro has already had several boyfriends?"
"It's nothing unusual, foreigners are open-minded." He didn't care, it was none of my business anyway.
“She also… has rivets.” Miss Guan gestured in front of her chest.
Then, blushing, she glanced down.
That's a bit too open.
If I have a daughter in the future, I can't be like Jiang Wen and neglect her.
"Don't do such a thing. You can't hurt yourself, not for anyone else," Zhang Yuan advised.
Girls from single-parent families, especially those who receive little care from both sets of parents, are particularly prone to having a carefree private life.
I can't report this to Jiang Wen either.
How to say?
"Brother, your daughter has decorations on her chest and there."
You'll probably have to ask me first how I knew that.
"Brother, is there anyone else around us like this?" Miss Guan asked curiously.
He thought about it for a while, but he really didn't have anyone around him.
Looks like I'm not twisted enough.
"Stop asking about these things and focus on your studies."
"Let me emphasize this to you again: even in a romantic relationship, you must maintain a healthy male-female relationship."
"Then what is unhealthy?"
Zhang Yuan turned and walked away.
Sometimes, it's better to guide than to block.
Not long after, Miss Guan came to the dining table with her face as red as if she had been slapped more than twenty times.
They didn't talk much during the meal.
I was worried that she was unwell, so I asked her what was wrong.
Since Zhang Yuan wouldn't tell her, she went to ask Miss Jiang.
I almost burned out the CPU of this curious teenage girl.
The two girls still wanted to stay overnight at his house and chat, just like before, so he let them be.
Zhang Yuan and Jiang Wen continued their casual conversation.
The other person recounted what they had overheard at the dinner table.
Hua Yi is very angry!
They lost face because the fact that "The Great Wall" didn't include them in its advertising campaign was quite embarrassing.
Especially since they were originally supposed to collaborate with Legendary, this project should have been ours!
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "This is a classic case of someone who doesn't appreciate their good fortune."
I'd like to give it to you...
And if I really call you, will you come?
On the other hand, besides being unhappy, there was also some apprehension.
Especially after seeing Wang Sicong speak up, the other party immediately became alert.
When did he start associating with Wanda people again?
How did the world change so quickly?
Foreigners collaborate with him, peers collaborate with him, and cinemas collaborate with him!
The number one succubus in the Chinese entertainment industry is...
Moreover, there are faint signs that it is becoming the center of the vortex.
This is what scares the other party the most.
If he really becomes the center and the industry leader, then Huayi's position as the industry leader will be in jeopardy!
With fiber optics already in the competition, they don't want a three-way split in the market.
Little did they know, their vision was too narrow.
Zhang Yuan's goal was to "unify the Chinese begonia leaves."
What do you mean by dividing the world into three parts?
I want books to be written in the same script and carts to be built on the same gauge.
"You seem to be doing quite well lately, riding high on your success," Jiang Wen said, shaking her legs.
"No, I just follow the routine and live my life the way it is."
I'm just a large transport vehicle moving at a constant speed; I'll ram anyone who blocks my way, that's all.
I thought it was a speed bump...
“Success makes you awesome.” Jiang Wen could hear the pride in his words.
There is a kind of pride called spontaneity.
Before I even exerted any force, the other person fell down.
"Your career success is one thing, but how are you going to solve your personal problems?"
Jiang Wen suddenly asked.
"I'm still young," he mumbled.
"Settle down first, then build a career."
"Look how good I am, I can manage both things without any problems, and I'm raising my daughter well too."
Zhang Yuan held back, not revealing how much fun his daughter had.
Children, especially girls, should not be raised abroad.
Let's not shatter the proud filter of our father.
"As for my side..." Zhang Yuan lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought.
It is indeed a difficult task.
It's even harder than building a career.
The next day, he went to the Central Academy of Drama. (End of Chapter)