Chapter 6: Start-Up Party

In 2000, Gao Yuanyuan was not very famous, after all, the film "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" that influenced her acting career had not even been filmed yet.

However, Zhou Xun was already famous at that time.

Although Zhou Xun was not from a professional school, she can be said to be the most famous movie actor in the three major professional colleges in China.

Because the most discussed mainland movie in the colleges this year is "Suzhou River"!

Although this movie has not been officially released, and it is highly likely that it will not be released in the mainland, students from Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and Shanghai Opera have already watched this movie through various means.

This is the best film at the Paris International Film Festival!

Zhou Xun won the best actress!

Although it is not one of the three major ones, in this era, every movie that can win an award at the European Film Festival will cause a sensation!

Well, this is thanks to the effect brought by the fifth-generation directors from the mainland who have dominated the European Film Festival.

Of course, not only in the professional circle, but also for the general public, Zhou Xun is a star.

In the historical TV series "The Story of the Palace of Ming Dynasty" aired in March, Zhou Xun played the role of "Princess Taiping", which successfully made her a household name.

Although this drama made more achievements for Chen Hong, who played the adult Princess Taiping, yes, the wise wife of the great director Chen Kaige.

However, Zhou Xun will have another "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind" to be aired next year, and then she will really soar to the sky.

On the way here, Wu Yuan heard Wang Xiaoshuai say that this most famous actress in the crew, just came to play a female supporting role with a small role, but got the second highest salary in the crew, 8,000 yuan!

Well, Wang Xiaoshuai thought it was expensive. She was not Wu Yuan, the male lead + crew double job. The role she played could be shot in three to five days at most, and she was paid so much money. She was the most expensive actress he had ever hired.

When Wu Yuan heard Wang Xiaoshuai's complaints, his heart was not moved at all, and he even wanted to laugh.

2000 was a very delicate year, at the turn of the new century, and also before the transformation of the film and television industry.

In recent years, actors generally only get three to five thousand yuan for a movie, and that's already a high salary.

In the nine years from 1994 to 2002, domestic movie box office was extremely cold, and the film industry was in a big winter. From directors to actors, most of them couldn't make any money, and even the overall environment was losing money.

However, just this year, a small thing happened in the film industry - China Film, Shanghai Film, and Changchun Film were all grouped this year, and were given the mission of full control of the three major links of production, distribution, and screening.

And next year, another thing that seemed insignificant at the time will happen. In order to speed up the progress of theater chain establishment and theater renovation, private capital will be allowed to be absorbed.

In 2003, a very important new rule that would even change the fate of Chinese films was finally implemented - private capital from non-film industries was allowed to invest in the film industry!

It was also from this year that the value of actors was about to take off, and the actors' salaries increased several times every year!

Two or three years after the new regulations were issued, Zhou Xun's pay for acting in a TV series would be 100,000 yuan per episode, ranking second among mainland actresses, and acting in a movie would cost 700,000 or 800,000 yuan!

At this time, Wang Xiaoshuai could invite Zhou Xun to act in a movie with 8,000 yuan, which was really a bargain.

At least 8,000 yuan now is really not worth 800,000 yuan in four or five years, and even if it is used to buy a house, it will not appreciate so quickly!

Wang Xiaoshuai didn't know, and even thought it was expensive, but Wu Yuan was really greedy for such a cheap Zhou Xun!

These days, actors don't have any pretentious tone. They can be called by a phone call, and they are willing to act if there is a play. They are especially easy to talk to!

If it weren't for the lack of money, Wu Yuan would have wanted to hold Zhou Xun's hand immediately and sign a contract with her for ten movies!

Unfortunately, a good cook can't cook without rice!

"Come on, let me introduce you. This is the male lead of our movie, Wu Yuan, who plays Xiao Jian.

Just when Wu Yuan was lost in thought, Wang Xiaoshuai grabbed his arm and pulled him from behind to the front, introducing him in a brisk tone: "This is my junior from the Film Academy. He will be a junior after the summer vacation."

"Don't look at how handsome he is. He is my direct junior from the directing department, not the acting department!"

Zhou Xun, who was also looking at Wu Yuan seriously, suddenly slapped his thigh in a daze: "Oh! I know you, the one from the directing department who sells pirated discs everywhere!"

"I heard Kun'er talk about you. You are a famous person in your school!"

Wu Yuan laughed awkwardly. Sure enough, Xun Ge'er was still Xun Ge'er. Although it was the first time they met, he didn't touch him carelessly, but his straightforward personality was still very direct.

"Yes, it's me, the one who sells pirated discs in Dongcheng. "Wu Yuan replied dryly. For the first time, he regretted selling pirated discs.

If five or ten years later, he becomes a big director in China, Zhou Xun will tell everyone about his dark history!

Although Zhou Xun is not a big mouth, she is a straightforward and quick-talking person. She knows that he sells pirated discs. Sooner or later, everyone in her circle of friends will know about it, and it will even become a joke to be talked about at every gathering of friends!

Zhou Xun chuckled and looked at Wu Yuan curiously. She really heard about Wu Yuan from Chen Kun.

The circle of the film academy is really small. When Wu Yuan entered the school, Chen Kun was just a junior.

Honestly, knowing Chen Kun's future development in his dream, how could Wu Yuan not be friends with this senior from the acting department?

With Wu Yuan's deliberate friendship, two years were enough for Wu Yuan and Chen Kun to become fairly good friends.

Zhou Xun has just finished filming "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind", in which she has the most opposite roles with Chen Kun. The two have become good friends because of this drama, and their friendship will last forever.

"Brother Kun, you really talk about everything, and I have to mention this embarrassing thing to you." Wu Yuan spread his hands and laughed at himself helplessly.

In this room, Wu Yuan and Zhou Xun struck up a conversation, but the other two actors next to them couldn't get in the conversation at all. They stood there hesitantly, not knowing what to say.

They are not like Wu Yuan and Zhou Xun. One has 20 years more experience than the others, and the other has a cheerful and generous personality.

However, Wu Yuan was not someone who ignored people. After briefly chatting with Zhou Xun in the name of his mutual friend Chen Kun, he took the initiative to turn around and shake hands with the other two actors.

"Hello, my name is Wu Yuan. I play the role of "Xiao Jian" in this drama. I am 18 years old. You can call me Xiao Wu or A Yuan."

Facing Wu Yuan's extended hand, Gao Yuanyuan and Cui Lin shook hands with him one after another, and also introduced themselves:

"Hello, my name is Gao Yuanyuan. I play the role of Xiaojian's girlfriend Xiaoxiao in the play."

"Hello, I'm Cui Lin, I play Xiaogui in the movie."

Neither of them are extroverts.

Gao Yuanyuan was relatively shy and quiet when we first met her. She did not come from a major, but studied economics. She was discovered by an advertising company while shopping and made her debut in commercials. She has acted in one movie and three TV series, but they were all supporting roles.

Cui Lin, on the other hand, was very nervous. He was a true newcomer and had never even been exposed to the job of an actor. He was attracted by Wang Xiaoshuai's assistant director at the Beijing Sports Institute and was roped in to act.

When Wang Xiaoshuai saw that he was very dark-skinned and that he came to the capital from a small city in Northeast China, he was a serious country boy and looked like a noble person in the script, so he made the decision.

It's also interesting to say that there are four main actors in "Seventeen Years Old Bicycle", but none of them has a serious acting background. Wu Yuan, who studied directing, is actually the closest professional.

But in terms of acting skills, it must be Zhou Xun.

After all, this is a God-forcing contestant who is full of talent and acting talent!

The four leading actors came together to introduce themselves to each other and talk about their specific situations. This was considered to be acquaintance with each other.

It's okay. Actors in this era are all simple, and there is no talk about being a fan or a celebrity. In addition, they are all young people, so it is easy to chat when they get together.

Wang Xiaoshuai saw that the atmosphere of his "four young generals"'s first meeting was very harmonious. He nodded with great satisfaction, picked up a glass of wine and saluted everyone in the box:

"Okay, today we gathered here and had this meal. The crew of the movie "Seventeen Years Old Bicycle" has been officially established!"

"We will officially start work tomorrow!"