Chapter 612
This isn't just ordinary talent, it's creative genius.
Zhang Jun understood that Jiang Yang must have his own reasons.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have come here at all.
Although the Beijing Film Academy is a top art school, its overall reputation has always been inferior to that of Tsinghua and Peking Universities.
Jiang Yang's arrival might make up for this shortcoming.
He not only uses his multiple top-scorer status to enhance his overall reputation, but also uses his talent and potential as an artist to secure future industry resources.
Low risk, high return.
As long as Jiangyang's reasonable needs are met, Jiangyang can be retained.
Nortel's brand image may be enhanced in the future.
At the same time, he also understood that the competition was not only with Beijing Film Academy, but also with Beijing Dance Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, all of which would offer Jiang Yang favorable terms.
So we must strive to take Jiangyang down now!
Jiang Yang didn't take Zhang Jun's words to heart.
Anyone can draw a pie in the sky.
When he signed Yang Chaoyue, he said he would mold her into the coolest girl group member in Asia and that he would tutor her to get into Tsinghua and Peking Universities.
As a result, he still sings "Calories" off-key, and he didn't even get into a vocational college after the college entrance exam.
He took a script out of his bag.
The cover has two words: "New Life".
He has enough money to produce a low-budget drama, but anyone who's worked in this industry knows that money alone isn't enough.
Jiang Yang looked up at Zhang Jun: "Principal, please take a look at this first."
"You wrote the script?" Zhang Jun took it.
Jiang Yang nodded.
Zhang Jun understood Jiang Yang's meaning, but he was afraid that Jiang Yang wouldn't make any demands.
Since there are requirements, then it's easier to discuss.
After flipping through a few pages, Zhang Jun gave a polite compliment: "It's written quite well, a suspense drama?"
"Yes."
"Um……"
Zhang Jun initially read it casually.
I think suspense dramas are nothing more than solving cases and reversing plots.
Many undergraduate students' notebooks follow this formula, but when they first start creating them, they all think their notebooks are amazing.
In reality, it's not that complicated.
But after turning a few pages, Zhang Jun sat up straight, somewhat engrossed.
Jiang Yang's script uses a Rashomon-like narrative of identities during a memorial service as its surface story, but its core points directly to the complexity of human nature.
The protagonist is neither a detective nor a victim, as is the case in traditional suspense dramas.
Rather, he is a complex individual who survives by disguising his identity.
Taking exams for others, socializing on behalf of others, playing the role of someone else's ideal partner—every act of identity disguise is a compromise and transaction of human nature.
The plot unfolds through a secret room at the memorial service.
Each guest carries a secret related to the protagonist.
Some people are profiting from the protagonist's disguise.
Some people were hurt by the protagonist's disguise.
Some people form a symbiotic relationship with the protagonist, pretending to be one of each other.
"Jiang Yang, have you ever written a screenplay before?" Zhang Jun asked.
"the first time."
"first?!"
Upon hearing this...
Huang Lei sensed something was wrong and reached for Zhang Jun's notebook to take a look: "Is it really that good? Let me see."
"Teacher Huang, I have another one." Jiang Yang took out another notebook.
"Don't call me Teacher Huang, call me Uncle."
Huang Lei laughed.
After making a few jokes, he carefully examined Jiang Yang's script, and the smile on his face faded.
The further you turn the pages, the more amazed you become by Jiang Yang's control over the narrative rhythm.
Suspense dramas are most tested by structural logic, and the ingenuity of this script's structure has reached the level of a mature screenwriter in the industry.
"Jiang Yang, have you specifically studied how to write a screenplay?"
"I haven't learned it myself, but I taught Chaoyue to learn it, and Chaoyue knows a little bit."
"You must have studied it!"
Huang Lei stopped joking.
Take a quick look first.
Scripts with multiple perspectives are rare, mainly because I haven't found any logical flaws yet.
Each character's narrative is tinged with subjective concealment and bias.
The seemingly contradictory details form a closed loop in the final episode.
Some characters say the protagonist is a liar, while others say he's a good person.
In reality, the two of them saw different aspects of the protagonist's disguise.
This design, where everyone only tells part of the truth, adds suspense and subtly reflects the complexities of human nature.
Huang Lei understood perfectly.
Even third-year students majoring in directing at Beijing Film Academy often encounter logical inconsistencies in multi-perspective narratives, but in Jiang Yang's script, every foreshadowing has a corresponding element, and every plot twist is foreshadowed.
Huang Lei checked the details page by page but couldn't find a single loophole.
"Jiang Yang, is this the only thing you want to discuss?" Zhang Jun asked.
"Yes, Principal."
Are you in a hurry?
"No rush."
"Okay, then have a seat, have some tea, and we can chat slowly."
Zhang Jun himself has participated in film and television projects, and he can immediately recognize the professionalism of the script's details.
First, let's look at the logic.
The details of the protagonist's disguise in the script are extremely convincing.
When imitating others, they will study the other person's catchphrases, body language habits, and social circle in advance.
They might even specifically study the other party's professional knowledge.
The guests identified the clues to the deception not from a god-like perspective, but by exploiting real flaws such as the protagonist's lack of knowledge of certain industry jargon and misremembering details of their shared experiences.
It perfectly aligns with the logic of identity disguise in reality.
Then there's the character portrayal.
Each character is a vibrant individual with complex motivations.
The girl who was deceived in her feelings by the protagonist, knowing that the other party was pretending, was still willing to believe him.
Because the character played by the protagonist is the ideal partner she longs for.
This delicate psychological portrayal offers a great deal of room for performance.
Halfway through the series, Zhang Jun realized that this drama was practically tailor-made for Beijing Electric Power Company.
It's a perfect match.
The scene perfectly matches Nortel's resources.
The core scene of the script, the memorial service at the old villa, can be directly converted from an old teaching building in the style of the Republic of China era on the Beijing Film Academy campus, without the need for additional venue construction.
Scenes that guests recall – the campus, cafes, studios – can all be filmed on or around the Beijing Film Academy campus.
The scenes in the script where the protagonist learns disguise can be directly taken from the Beijing Film Academy's acting classrooms and recording studios without requiring additional budget.
Role adaptation and collaboration across multiple departments.
The script features a variety of guests and main characters, encompassing diverse professions and personalities.
It perfectly meets the teaching needs of multiple departments at Beijing Film Academy.
Multi-perspective narratives and plot twists allow directing students to participate in script adaptation and storyboard design practices.
Suspense dramas have extremely high requirements for sound effects. Details such as footsteps in the old villa, creaking doors and windows, and breathing sounds of characters in the script can help sound recording students practice creating ambient sound effects.
The setting of the old villa and the costumes of the characters, as well as the outfits worn by the main characters for different identities, allow art students to showcase their professional skills.
It has high value for brand promotion. If this drama is successful, it will not only become a model for combining the teaching practice of Beijing Film Academy with the market.
It might even gain attention in the market by leveraging its suspenseful subject matter and profound themes.
Compared to campus dramas, suspense dramas have a wider audience and stronger reach.
The problem is, Jiang Yang is only eighteen years old this year.
He was just a recent high school graduate.
The script's narrative structure, professional details, and thematic depth are so high that even outstanding graduates from the Beijing Film Academy's directing department might not reach this level.
This is no ordinary talent.
To be precise, he is a creative genius who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Beijing Film Academy must retain Jiang Yang.
It's for the sake of this drama, and also for the future reputation of Beijing Film Academy's arts education.
When it came to business, Jiang Yang got straight to the point: "Principal, you know I'm just a poor student, I have no money. I only have a script for this play, nothing else."
"I understand, give me a few minutes."
Zhang Jun continued reading the notebook.
He knew Jiang Yang was making a request of him, wanting to know the sincerity of Beijing Film Academy.
Just as Huang Lei said.
That kid is incredibly clever.
No money?
The salaries for the cast and crew of "Fighter of the Destiny," the acting coaching fees, the appearance fees for "Mars," and the money that the artists under his management received were enough to make this drama.
Because this drama is plot-driven and demands a high level of acting skill, it's perfectly acceptable to use newcomers.
Jiang Yang can train actors' acting skills on his own.
Jiang Yang, the main character, can be played by himself.
To put it bluntly, they just want to get something for free.
"Teacher Huang, is Jiang Yang's script really that amazing?"
Zhao Lushi realized what was going on and quietly asked Huang Lei, "Can I take a look?"
"No." Huang Lei refused without even thinking.
"Let me see it, Uncle Huang."
"Okay, you can look, just look, don't take pictures. But whatever you do, don't let this notebook get out of here. I'm not kidding."
Huang Lei said solemnly.
Because I also know a bit about Jiangyang.
It's easy to see that Jiang Yang will definitely prioritize casting his company's artists in this script, and Zhao Lushi will see it sooner or later.
However, after several interactions with Zhao Lushi, I have come to know her somewhat.
That's reckless enough.
Straightforward and loves to share.
Although they have no ill intentions, they are prone to making unintentional mistakes.
"Does it still need to be kept secret?"
"nonsense!"
"Don't worry, I won't reveal it. I'm not Bai Lu," Zhao Lushi assured her.
Who is Bailu?
Huang Lei didn't recognize the name. He handed the notebook to Zhao Lushi and said earnestly:
"Let me tell you, Ruth, there's always a shortage of high-quality original suspense scripts in the industry. Many film and television companies and director teams are keeping their scripts under wraps. If they are leaked, they will be used by people with ulterior motives to borrow, rewrite, or even directly plagiarize them."
"Is it that serious?"
"What do you think? I'm not lecturing you right now, you understand?"
Huang Lei emphasized: "The core of a suspense drama is plot twists and logic. If the core plot or foreshadowing is revealed in advance, the value of the entire drama is lost."
"No wonder I never heard Chao Yue tell me about the content of the film and television series that Jiang Yang is going to produce. Jiang Yang must not have even told Chao Yue."
Zhao Lushi understood the value of the notebook in her hand.
After just flipping through two pages, I felt that the content was obscure and difficult to understand.
He muttered in a low voice, "This is what the script looks like? Holy crap, what's wrong with it? It's all a mess, how am I supposed to understand it?"
This is the first time I've read a script.
I'm used to watching movies and TV shows that tell stories in chronological order from beginning to end, and the novels I've read are also in this format.
However, the script written by Jiang Yang did not follow the chronological order of the story at all.
The opening doesn't explain who the main character is or what happened.
We'll jump straight into the memorial service.
There are no flowery descriptions; the guests each give their own accounts, their testimonies contradict each other, and there is no clear guiding thread.
There are also a lot of professional formats and terminology.
One moment it will be: [Scene 1: Old villa living room - night].
Just a few lines later, it reads: [Close-up: A black and white photograph of the protagonist, half bright and half dark].
The following is: [Voiceover: Guest A (OS): The first time I saw him, I felt something was off about him].
I struggled to read a single page.
To Zhao Lushi, these format divisions, shot labels, and sound effect descriptions were just a jumble of text, and she couldn't understand the underlying visual logic at all.
She messaged Yang Chaoyue: "Chaoyue, can you understand the script?"
Yang Chaoyue replied: ["I can understand it. I usually focus on the core elements, starting with the core conflict, plot, and theme."]
She had never heard of terms like "core elements" or "core conflicts."
She stared at the screen for a while, then didn't send anything.
I don't want to ask.
I can't bring myself to say it.
From childhood to adulthood, whenever she encountered something she couldn't do, she always shouldered it alone.
When I was little, I fell off my bicycle and my knee bled. I would rather cry secretly than tell my grandparents.
If I'm bullied at school, I'll find a way to deal with it myself and won't tell my parents.
Once she entered the industry, she learned that Jiang Yang had taken her to variety shows. Not understanding the process of variety shows, she quickly stayed up all night watching similar programs to slowly figure it out.
I'm afraid that if I ask for advice, I'll expose my ignorance.
Ultimately, it's because they're too concerned about saving face.
She then texted Tian Xiwei: "Xiwei, can you understand the script?"
[“What’s so hard to understand? Just figure out the relationships between the characters. Only a fool wouldn’t understand this. What’s wrong, Ruth?”] Tian Xiwei replied.
Zhao Lushi typed four words: [“Fuck you!”]
She shoved her phone into her pocket.
My chest feels tight.
Huang Lei leaned closer: "By the way, Ruth, can you even understand it? It's been so long and you're still only looking at the first page. Jiang Yang even took you on a variety show. You can't even understand the script, can you?"
Zhao Lushi retorted, "I can understand it! To see the core elements, first look at the core conflict, the plot, and the theme."
He paused for a moment.
She added, "We also need to clarify the relationships between the characters."
"Yes, that's right, sure." Huang Lei nodded with a smile.
Zhao Lushi added, "Only a fool wouldn't understand this line of work."
Huang Lei was delighted to hear this and laughed a few times.
While chatting with Zhao Lushi about other things, I took the opportunity to retrieve the notebook.
It's obvious that Zhao Lushi is faking it; she actually knows nothing and is still a complete novice in the industry.
This girl is extremely proud and has a thin skin. You can't expose her, otherwise you might just start swearing at her in the principal's office.
The most important thing is to hold this notebook in your hand.
There's a role he's very interested in. If Jiang Yang and the Beijing Film Academy reach an agreement, he'll see if he can get the part. Given his relationship with Jiang Yang, he doesn't care about the pay; he'll try to win an award.
Anyway, these low-budget dramas are quick to film and don't take up too much of his time.
Zhao Lushi then texted Liu Haochun: [“Haochun, can you understand the script?”]
The message has been sent.
There was no immediate reply from Liu Haochun.
But I knew in my heart that Hao Chun had acted in movies and TV series, so he would definitely understand it.
Everyone is ahead of them.
I feel the pressure.
Ruth replied to Liu Haochun: [“I can understand it. If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you everything I know. I also know a little dance, and now I have some understanding of acting. Jiang Yang taught me all of that. I’m not very smart, so I can only learn little by little. We’re from the same company, so I won’t charge you. If I don’t teach you well, don’t scold me too harshly.”]
Zhao Lushi stared in astonishment.
Typed a single word: ["Okay."]
He added, "[I would never insult you, no matter who else I'm insulting.]"
Then she posted another message: ["Really, I'm very proud, so I keep my word."] (End of Chapter)