Chapter 134 Director Kaige, Let Me Help You Wade Through the Water First!

As the premiere date approaches, more and more celebrities and dignitaries in the film industry gather in Beijing.

Now, the premiere is not as complicated as it was more than a decade later. In fact, it is just to invite a group of friends in the circle and a group of reporters to watch a movie together.

Wu Yuan does not need to worry about the reporters. All the provincial newspapers in the country have sent people, and Wu Yuan does not need to notify or invite them.

As for friends, he did invite a lot of them.

Those who are more free or in Beijing have made preparations in advance.

Some who are not free can only come on February 28th.

But even if there are not many people who come in advance, it has already caused a big earthquake in the professional makeup industry in Beijing.

Nowadays, many makeup artists do makeup for several or even more than a dozen stars by themselves. Not every star will hire a full-time makeup artist.

The main reason is that the industry is in its early stages of development, and there are not enough people for various supporting positions.

Now, a lot of male and female stars have gathered in Beijing, and they all have to make appointments for makeup services on February 28th, which has made the celebrity makeup artists in Beijing very anxious.

They simply cannot accept so many orders!

Even if they start scheduling from 3 a.m., a makeup artist can only take makeup work for three or five celebrities at most.

And there are only a dozen makeup artists in Beijing who are professional makeup artists for celebrities.

Many actors who can't contact professional makeup artists can only borrow regular makeup artists from studios such as Beijing Film Academy, or theaters and other troupes.

Even worse, they can only do their own makeup or an assistant, and then find a hairstylist from a beauty salon to do their hair.

Wu Yuan never thought that holding a premiere by himself would actually trigger a change in the makeup and styling industry in Beijing.

(No celebrities were invited to attend the premiere of "Hero" before)

With the premiere of "My Name" this time, the makeup industry in Beijing has been awakened and entered a period of rapid expansion, with new people entering the industry every day.

Is this considered to have influenced and changed the ecology of an industry?

Wu Yuan didn't know, and he didn't care.

Because his crew had a professional makeup team, and the person in charge had studied in Hollywood.

Hu Ge, Liu Yifei, and Yuan Hong, who had taken a day off from the "Chinese Paladin" crew, were now doing makeup under the professional makeup team of the crew.

In addition to them, Zhu Yawen, Luo Jin and others who had just started school were also sitting in the dressing room waiting for the makeup artist to "visit".

In comparison, Wu Yuan, who stood aside with his arms folded, was relatively free.

He hated the feeling of applying all kinds of powder on his face, and he was not an actor on stage.

Before in Hollywood, there was no way, and before "Pirates of the Caribbean" was released, he couldn't be crazy.

It's different now, and he's in China again. If he doesn't want to put on makeup, no one can force him.

Besides, even if he doesn't put on makeup, his face that looks better than Zunlong is still very handsome.

Didn't you see that Liu Yifei, who was being fiddled with by the makeup artist, was also peeking at Wu Yuan through the mirror from time to time?

The two people's eyes would meet in the mirror from time to time.

Yeah, Wu Yuan was also looking at her.

The little girl hadn't seen for a Spring Festival, and she felt that she had grown up a lot.

Wu Yuan was a little dazed.

Liu Xiaoli, who was standing next to her, was so sad when she saw the two people "exchanging glances".

But Wu Yuan was so high in status and there were so many people present, so she couldn't say anything.

Just when she was struggling, Wu Yuan took the initiative to chat with her.

"Aunt Liu, does Xixi have any film contracts next?"

Coming back to her senses, Liu Xiaoli shook her head and nodded: "Producer Zhang Jizhong is preparing for "The Return of the Condor Heroes". He is willing to invite Xixi to play Xiaolongnu."

"But he seems to be doing some hype. The specific casting will have to wait until June. By then, Xixi will also participate in the casting. It is not certain whether it can be finalized."

Wu Yuan nodded. "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is indeed a very important TV series that has a great influence on Liu Yifei.

The Little Dragon Girl she played is also the white moonlight in the hearts of one or even two generations.

"Besides this TV series, do you have any other film offers?" Wu Yuan asked again.

This time Liu Xiaoli shook her head firmly: "No, Xixi is too young, and many roles are not suitable for her."

There are not many TV series produced in China now.

Although she is now well-known for her role as Wang Yuyan, her acting range is not wide. This "Fairy Sister" image has made her famous while also limiting her.

At least no one wants her to shoot modern films. For costume films, this type of "Fairy Sister" type of role is rare.

As for movies?

Except for the two Taiwan movies introduced by Jimmy Lin, no one wants her to act.

"After My Name is released, the situation will be much better." Wu Yuan didn't think it was a big deal. Instead, he earnestly advised: "Sissi is still young now, so she should focus on her studies."

"Even if there are many film contracts in the future, you should still choose carefully and don't take any roles casually. There is no rush to work hard on your career after graduation."

"With My Name and The Return of the Condor Heroes, Sissi's popularity will not decline in the next two years."

Although Liu Yifei has been trained by Wu Yuan for more than half a year, her acting skills have improved a lot, but it is just the average and passing level of movie actors.

She can play roles that suit her image and age, but she can't play some very complex and difficult roles.

Being young is sometimes an advantage, and sometimes it is a disadvantage.

"Yes, I know." Liu Xiaoli said softly. She actually understands this truth. Frequently taking on a bunch of movies is not as beneficial as making one or two high-quality movies seriously.

Throughout Liu Yifei's acting career, she is not the so-called "hard-working" actor. She basically maintains a workload of one to two films a year.

It will not be like the big power, who desperately takes on dramas when they become popular. It is a routine operation to work on several dramas at the same time.

Of course, Liu Yifei's relatively salty attitude is also one of the reasons.

"That's good." Wu Yuan nodded. Just as he was about to give a few more instructions, a staff member knocked on the door of the dressing room.

"Director Wu, the directors you invited have arrived. Look."

"I got it." Wu Yuan nodded to Liu Xiaoli, turned around and followed the staff out of the dressing room.

The top four domestic directors are very proud of Wu Yuan, and they all came to support "My Name" this time.

Following the staff to the backstage reception room, Wu Yuan heard Director Feng's signature Beijing movie before entering.

"Hey, do you think Director Wu's film is a commercial film?"

"When I look at the trailer and poster, they seem to be a bit artistic. There's also the shot of the meteorite at the end. Could it have killed the heroine?"

Not to mention, as a director, Director Feng has a very good vision.

After watching the trailer, many movie fans in the outside world couldn't figure out what the meteorite shot at the end meant, but Director Feng had a rough guess.

"It's hard to say." Zhang Yimou pursed his lips, "It should be a commercial film. With such special effects and such large-scale publicity, it cannot be an artistic film."

Opening the door, Wu Yuan walked in: "Director Yimou was right, this is a commercial romance film."

"So I hope the directors will be merciful when they watch the premiere."

"The main story of my movie is very simple, it's just to sell the box office."

"Hey." A smile immediately appeared on Director Feng's face: "What kind of director am I in front of you?"

"Commercial films are good, and now the authorities are encouraging everyone to make more commercial films. The priority is to develop the economy!"

"Moreover, movie fans also like to watch commercial films, and no one will watch literary and artistic films."

Okay, these words were offending. Director Chen Kaige's face immediately darkened.

Among the five directors present, except for Jiang Wen, who is banned from directing, he is the only one who has not made a blockbuster commercial film.

Jiang Wen still had a delicate heart, and slapped Feng Xiaogang on the shoulder with a big hand: "Well, whether it is a commercial film or a literary film, as long as it is shot well, it is a good movie."

He, Lao Jiang, doesn’t have any high-grossing movies.

"You can see for yourselves the specific situation when it premieres later." Wu Yuan chuckled. This Feng Dapao really couldn't change his habit of speaking without restraint.

"Eh?" Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed and he looked behind the four directors.

A very fashionable and beautiful actress, with a very good figure and temperament, is standing aside pretty.

Wu Yuan's eyes fell on her face, and a bunch of key words immediately came to mind.

"The red carpet queen, Fan Xiaopang, Fan Ye, 800 million sister..."

Director Feng, who noticed his gaze, smiled and took the initiative to introduce: "Director Wu, this is the heroine of my "Mobile Phone", Fan Binbin."

"Last time, you didn't have time to come to the premiere of "Cell Phone", so I brought her to say goodbye to the pier."

"Her acting skills are good."

Fan Binbin immediately stepped forward and greeted him with a smile on his face: "Director Wu, I am Fan Binbin and I am a contracted actor of Huayi."

"There's no one in China who doesn't recognize the golden lock." Wu Yuan also smiled and hugged her politely.

But in his heart, he sneered again and again.

Say goodbye to the dock, the acting is good, it's all bullshit.

Director Feng brought Fan Binbin here, probably because of the instruction of the King of Huayi.

Didn’t you hear that Fan Binbin specifically mentioned that he was a contracted actor with Huayi?

Regardless of how well Huayi is doing in the domestic entertainment industry, Wu Yuan has no good impression of this company.

The main reason is that the big and small kings at the helm are so dirty that it would not be wrong to say that they are the Harvey Weinsteins of domestic entertainment.

Director Feng brought Fan Binbin to see him. It was simply because the king wanted to flatter Fan Binbin and was here to test him.

Wu Yuan did not give Director Feng a chance to continue the conversation. After hugging Fan Binbin, he immediately turned around and started talking to Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

Seeing his attitude, Director Feng immediately understood and shook his head vaguely at the disappointed Fan Binbin.

On this side, Wu Yuan chatted with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige about the mainland film market in the past two years.

All three of them are very optimistic about the mainland film market and feel that the cold winter has passed and a golden age of films will follow.

But when it comes to the box office market, which is growing year by year, Chen Kaige becomes worried again.

"Director Wu, you made a fantasy blockbuster in Hollywood. Do you think fantasy movies have taken off in China?"

"Huh?" Wu Yuan frowned.

Sure enough, Director Kego still wanted to make "The Promise". Director Kego didn't listen to a word of what he said at the premiere of "Hero".

Although he knew that for a great director like Chen Kaige, it would be difficult for his own decisions to be swayed by outside opinions, Wu Yuan still felt speechless.

Yes, good words are hard to persuade a ghost who wants to die.

This time Wu Yuan stopped trying to persuade him and said with a smile on his face: "I think someone is behind it."

"Look, Hollywood has The Mummy series, Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings series, and Pirates of the Caribbean, all of which are excellent fantasy and magic movies that are sold all over the world."

"We Chinese should also have our own fantasy and magic movies."

"My company plans to make a fantasy and magic movie next year, which is adapted from Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio."

"Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio?" Chen Kaige thought for a moment: "Is it like A Chinese Ghost Story?"

"No." Wu Yuan explained: "A Chinese Ghost Story is more like a fairy tale movie, and the protagonist in it is a Taoist."

"I want to make a story about a fox spirit and a painted skin, which is more like the style of Hollywood fantasy movies, where ordinary people encounter a fantasy and magical world."

In Hollywood fantasy movies, the male protagonist usually has no supernatural powers, but will encounter many supernatural events.

For example, in The Mummy, archaeologists and tomb robbers opened the pharaoh's tomb and resurrected the ancient Egyptian priests.

The same is true in Pirates of the Caribbean. The protagonists are chased by a group of pirates who have turned into undead creatures, and eventually they eliminate the pirates as ordinary people.

Wu Yuan's positioning of Painted Skin: Why is it fantasy and not Xianxia?

It is because the protagonists of this series are all ordinary people. They encounter legendary monsters and have various stories with these monsters.

Wang Sheng is just a general. He does not know any Taoist magic, and the same is true for Pang Yong.

The fox spirit Xiao Wei in the story is not a fairy who can cultivate and grow. She actually does not have any particularly powerful magic, but is good at charming people.

She eats the heart just to maintain the youth of human skin, or from another perspective, to keep her face young.

If Pang Yong in the story knows Taoism, and Xiao Wei is also a big demon with sharp magic, who can kill all mortals casually, then this story is not fantasy, but Xianxia or mythology movies.

For example, in Zhu Xian and Shushan, everyone can practice Taoism and immortal magic, and they often fight with various spells, fly into the sky and hide in the ground. This is definitely different from the style of Painted Skin, and it is not the same type.

Wu Yuan, who has the memory of later generations, has a clearer and more accurate classification of film types than any current director. He also hopes that he can bring more new types and new themes of movies to Chinese movie fans.

Wu Yuan said that he also wants to make fantasy movies, which can be said to have given Chen Kaige great confidence.

"Since you want to make fantasy movies, it seems that fantasy movies still have a market in China." Chen Kaige nodded and said.

In his eyes, the movie "The Promise" is his turnaround battle! It is absolutely not allowed to fail.

But except for him, Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, and Jiang Wen have little confidence in this theme, and their faces show worry.

Wu Yuan, on the other hand, chuckled and said, "This is the first time that someone in China has made such a movie. The risk is still very high. It may not be accepted by domestic moviegoers, and it may even lose everything."

"I don't know for sure."

"Director Kaige, if you are worried, why don't I show you a sample first?"

"Our company's fantasy movie will start shooting at the beginning of next year and should be released before the end of the year."

"You can wait for a year and shoot your movie the year after next."

"I'll help you test the waters and test the market situation. If my movie doesn't do well at the box office, you can still turn around in time!"

Chen Kaige's eyes lit up. This kind of first-to-eat situation is a high-risk and high-return situation. It is possible to lose everything or make a fortune.

To be honest, Director Kaige didn't dare to gamble.

He is not barefoot. He is one of the top two directors in China. It is not an extreme case. There is really no need to take such a big risk to be the first to eat crabs. If you are not careful, your reputation may be ruined.

Now Wu Yuan said he could go first, which made Chen Kaige immediately excited and wanted to wait and see.

But he still hesitated: "Isn't this a bad idea?"

"It's okay!" Wu Yuan grinned, his tone still enthusiastic: "I am a junior and young, even if I fail, it doesn't matter, there are opportunities for trial and error."

"Director Kaige, you are different, it's better to be safe."

Hey, "The Promise" is really not worthy of the title of the first fantasy blockbuster in China, let "Painted Skin" take this title!