Chapter 698 The Moment of the Movie (7400 words updated)
Chen Siqi doesn't mean that she has to jump to a certain position.
However, now that "Jump Up" is a top magazine in China, its monthly sales have declined slightly after the annual review, but the January issue has remained stable at 350,000 copies.
For her, she always believed one thing: doing anything is like "rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind."
If you think that you've already achieved a great result by "jumping up" and then start "maintaining your position," then your position may only shrink.
“Building artist brands can, on the one hand, further enhance our ‘Jump Up’ brand’s visibility and influence in various vertical fields, and on the other hand, help us maintain good relationships with artists in various fields,” Chen Siqi said. “Curatorials and cross-disciplinary collaborations require a professional organization to help them manage these things, which is also a direction that we at ‘Jump Up’ can explore.”
“However, we don’t have anyone with that kind of expertise right now, so we need to integrate resources,” Lin Yu said.
“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded. “We’ll start by selecting internally to see if there are any suitable candidates we can train. If not, we’ll find a headhunting firm to help us look outside.”
As soon as the meeting ended, everyone scattered like fish and beasts.
Lin Yu and the others stayed behind.
She said, "Why didn't you go with Yan He this time, Xituer?"
"He's only going for two days this time, so I'm too lazy to go," Chen Siqi said. "There's so much going on here. How's the preparation for the second International Film Critics Festival going?"
"We've already contacted film critics. Because the first edition was well-received, our work this year will be much easier to move forward," Lin Yu said frankly. "Now that everyone knows what kind of film festival this is, there are fewer concerns. However, I'm struggling with the selection of films. Is it necessary to include 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'Tropical Rainy Season'?"
“Our film festival is in June, which is too close to Situ’s,” Chen Siqi said. “Regardless of whether these two films will win awards at Situ, they have just been screened there and have already experienced a significant round of publicity, exposure, and discussion. I personally suggest not including them in the film list.”
Lin Yu nodded, "Then we agree."
Chen Siqi said, "As for Huang Tianlin, the director of 'Tropical Rainy Season,' I remember that his directorial debut was well received and highly praised at the Toronto International Film Festival. Perhaps we can put this film on the film list for screening and invite Huang Tianlin over to do a dialogue with film critics."
Lin Yu said, "Okay, I'll go and talk to his film company."
"It's just a bit of a pity that Yan He only played a supporting role in 'Tropical Rainy Season' this time. Otherwise, he might have won the Best Actor award at the Cité International Film Festival," Xu Zijun said.
Bai Yu asked, "The Best Actor award at the Cité International Film Festival isn't just for leading actors, is it? I remember that international film festivals usually award Best Actor and Best Actress, not Best Actor and Best Actress. In the past, supporting actors have also won awards."
"That's what they say, but actually, there are very few exceptions. It really just means that the judges that year really liked the actor too much." Chen Siqi was saying when she suddenly paused, because she suddenly remembered that Liu Bige was on the jury for this year's Situer. "Really?"
The thought that popped into her head was somewhat unbelievable to her.
-
The screening of "Raise the Red Lantern" was a great success.
Just as Lu Yanhe had predicted, this film was extremely suitable for international film festivals. It received high praise from the media and film critics, and its score in the festival's daily publication jumped directly to first place.
Chen Bige's performance has also made her a strong contender for Best Actress at this year's Seatour Film Festival.
Although Li Yuefeng only made a cameo appearance, he benefited from the film crew's presence on the red carpet and in the interview area of the Situer Film Festival, marking his first appearance at a top international film festival with his work.
He was very happy.
To his dismay, apart from domestic media, no one discussed his appearance and performance in the film.
Lu Yanhe attended several official events with the production crew, completing his promotional work.
Li Yuefeng then said to him, "Yan He, if you need me to act in any movies next time, like a cameo role in 'Raise the Red Lantern,' I'd be willing to do it. Please contact me more often; I'd like to attend more international film festivals like this."
He put it so bluntly that he wanted to come to the film festival—
Among the A-list celebrities that Lu Yanhe knows, it seems that Li Yuefeng is the only one.
In some ways, Li Yuefeng and Jiang Yuqian are very similar.
The concept of "likeness" refers to their frankness in facing their ambitions, desires, and thirst for fame and fortune, without pretending to be noble or aloof.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said okay.
However, he also bluntly stated: "If you want to gain more attention at international film festivals, you should collaborate with the best art film directors in the country, star in their films, and bring your own films to the festival. The attention you receive will be completely different."
Li Yuefeng: "I wonder why my agency would allow me to lower my salary and spend several months acting in an art film. Only your films are okay, they won't say a word."
Lu Yanhe: "Of course, you have to fight for it yourself. Before, Yan Liang wanted to act in some of the dramas he wanted to act in, but his agent disagreed. They negotiated many times and finally compromised. Yan Liang cooperated with their work, and they also gave Yan Liang some opportunities to act in the dramas he wanted to act in."
Li Yuefeng: "That's because Yan Liang knows what kind of roles he wants to play. To be honest, my ability to read scripts is just so-so. What I think is a good script, others may not think is good. Or maybe if I come across a good script in the future, I'll ask you for your opinion?"
“Sure.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “I can recommend scripts to you, but I’m afraid to recommend scripts to others. One important reason is that people always think that the scripts I recommend will definitely be successful, which puts a lot of pressure on me. I can only judge from the script level whether it is a good script or a bad script, whether the role is suitable for the actor, and whether it is challenging. But as you know, whether a movie can be successful depends on the script, but even more important are the director and the crew.”
Li Yuefeng: "If it's a script you recommend, I'm willing to use my own resources to fill in any gaps in it. Really, I'm even willing to invest in it myself."
"Don't be impulsive. To be honest, nine out of ten art films lose money, including myself," Lu Yanhe said. "Personally, I've invested in quite a few low-budget films in China, and very few of them actually make a profit."
Li Yuefeng was extremely surprised.
"Really? Everyone says you have a very accurate eye for talent. Do you ever make a mistake?"
“Of course, I can’t predict the future,” Lu Yanhe said. “You have to think this through yourself. I know you may not really consider film art as art, but you can act, that’s undeniable. If you work under a good director, you will be a good actor. That’s why I’m telling you this. Even if you don’t have that much artistic ambition, you can help some directors who haven’t made it big yet. But the problem is, it’s definitely not something that can be achieved with just one or two films. You have to be prepared for long-term efforts without any reward.”
Li Yuefeng pondered for a moment and asked, "So, do you think I should still do it even if there's no reward for long-term effort?"
“Sure.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “You’re a good actor. You’re not just a popular celebrity. As people age, they gradually lose the initial popularity and attention that comes from their appearance. At that point, you need industry influence, acting skills, and recognition from society in a more conventional sense. If you can support many art-house film directors over the years, even if you don’t win any awards, the industry will view you differently. These are things you can hold onto. Not to mention, from a worldly perspective, you might win an award with a good film, further increasing your influence, or even becoming a bigger actor.”
“Okay.” Li Yuefeng nodded. “Since you put it that way, then I’ll do it.”
"ha?"
“I trust you completely,” Li Yuefeng said. “Only you would tell me the truth.”
"That can't be right."
“Honestly, I told the company I wanted to act in more serious and valuable films, but they felt I wasn’t cut out for it, that it wasn’t worth wasting my time, and that it would affect my popularity and commercial value. Sometimes I would talk to other directors and producers, and although they all verbally welcomed me to act in their films, I could actually sense that they saw me as just a big star who could attract investment and bring more attention to the project,” Li Yuefeng said. “You didn’t look down on my utilitarian motives, you affirmed my acting skills, and you were willing to help me. Only you.”
Lu Yanhe: "Then believe me, as you gradually open up your circle, you will meet more people who are willing to help you. It must have been because you were too closed off before, locking yourself in a circle and not interacting with others."
Li Yuefeng: "I admit that I am not good at dealing with people. Sometimes, I assume that all my colleagues are competitors and I don't want to be friends with them. It's too fake. I have always felt that there is no real friendship in the entertainment industry."
Lu Yanhe: "And me?"
"To be honest, if the gap between us weren't so big, I wouldn't think we could really be friends," Li Yuefeng said honestly.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I don't know why you have such thoughts. Maybe it has something to do with what you've experienced since you first entered this industry. But your thoughts will change, really."
Li Yuefeng shrugged.
"I hope so."
Lu Yanhe: "How about you help me act in a movie sometime, as the second male lead?"
"Who's the male lead?" Li Yuefeng asked. "I'm not going to be a stepping stone for a male lead who's worse than me."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
Li Yuefeng is Li Yuefeng; he never hides his thoughts—even thoughts he could express in a more tactful way, one that wouldn't damage his image. This is precisely why Lu Yanhe, despite their vastly different personalities and values, can still be his friend.
“Li Zhibai,” Lu Yanhe said.
Li Yuefeng pondered for a moment, hesitated for a second, and then said, "Okay."
"Don't worry, I won't let you suffer any losses," Lu Yanhe said. "This movie will definitely do well."
Li Yuefeng: "Really?"
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Moreover, you will definitely receive a lot of attention, and you won’t be a stepping stone.”
“Okay,” Li Yuefeng said. “Then give me the script later, and I’ll talk to the company and tell them not to make things difficult for me.”
“It’s fine, business is business. If they want to turn down the movie for reasons other than the second male lead, then this company has poor judgment,” Lu Yanhe said. “You can also consider changing companies. I don’t need your support in any way. Just follow the market rate.”
Li Yuefeng looked at Lu Yanhe with some surprise.
"You should know that even if I play the second male lead, the company will still charge me the same fee I would normally receive for a movie if I don't ask beforehand."
“Go ahead and do it.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “As long as they don’t ask for an exorbitant price, I don’t want any of the participants in any film and television project to suffer losses. Unless it’s not profitable from the start, I will clearly tell everyone that this is not a commercial project.”
Li Yuefeng stared at Lu Yanhe in awe.
"Do you have to go to such extremes?"
“You told me the truth, so I’ll tell you the truth too,” Lu Yanhe said.
Li Yuefeng: "You are truly admirable, I really respect you."
Lu Yanhe smiled brightly: "Winning people over with virtue?"
“If all you have is virtue, then I’m not entirely convinced,” Li Yuefeng said.
Lu Yanhe: "...Sigh, sometimes I wish you wouldn't be so direct with me."
-
That evening, Lu Yanhe met with Huang Tianlin and Huang Feng, who had just arrived in Xituer.
Huang Feng has already started school; he specifically asked for leave.
He's the main character in "Tropical Rainy Season," so it's impossible for him not to appear.
The reason they came so late was actually quite crucial: their company didn't have the budget to allow them to stay there for so long, and they even had to return home on the same day as Lu Yanhe.
After the screening event ends tomorrow, Huang Tianlin and Huang Feng will leave Xituer the day after tomorrow.
This is also where independent films face a predicament. Even if they are selected for the main competition at the Seatour Film Festival, they cannot easily enjoy the glory of the festival.
Lu Yanhe invited them to dinner together.
This is not Huang Tianlin's first time participating in a film festival, but the main competition section of the Citour Film Festival can be said to be the temple of every director who wants to make art films.
Huang Tianlin never expected that the film "Tropical Rainy Season" would achieve such success.
This is only his second film.
When Lu Yanhe met Huang Tianlin, he could clearly sense that Huang was both excited and nervous.
"The screening is tomorrow, director, aren't you excited?"
Huang Tianlin: "I've been having insomnia for several nights now."
“I’m a little nervous too. I never expected that ‘Tropical Rainy Season’ would come to Situ’s,” Lu Yanhe said. “You’re amazing. Your second work has been shortlisted for the main competition at Situ’s.”
Huang Tianlin: "Isn't this all thanks to you?"
"Really? How come I didn't know?" Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
Producer Yuan Haixiao said, "If you hadn't acted in it, Situ's selection team might not have noticed our film."
“So I have this function after all.” Lu Yanhe laughed. “I didn’t even plan to come to the Xituer this year, after all, I was just the screenwriter for ‘Raise the Red Lantern’, but then I was suddenly told that ‘Tropical Rainy Season’ was also shortlisted.”
"Then you have to come; we all need you to make things happen."
"No, believe me, after the screening of 'Tropical Rainy Season,' Director Huang will be known all over the world," Lu Yanhe said. "I am now looking forward to seeing the finished film of 'Tropical Rainy Season.' I have seen some clips before and I am already very excited."
Yuan Hai smiled mysteriously at Lu Yanhe and said, "You'll be pleasantly surprised."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe exclaimed in surprise, "A surprise?"
Yuan Hai said, "When Tianlin was editing the film, he praised your performance highly."
Lu Yanhe: "Really?"
He turned to look at Huang Tianlin.
The young director, who was initially very reluctant to participate, turned his head to the other side as if he hadn't heard anything.
Lu Yanhe asked, "What surprise is it?"
Yuan Hai: "You'll know when you see the movie tomorrow."
Seeing that Yuan Hai was unwilling to speak now, Lu Yanhe had no choice but to give up.
He turned to look at Huang Feng.
Did you enjoy making the movie "Home Alone"?
The child's eyes shone like luminous pearls.
"This is fun!" Huang Feng exclaimed excitedly. "I love it!"
Lu Yanhe guessed that Huang Feng must have been very happy during the filming of "Home Alone".
There are so many prank props inside; you wouldn't normally have the chance to try them all out yourself.
Huang Feng asked, "They said there will be a sequel to this movie, is that right?"
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Yes, we plan to film another one this summer, but then you won't have a summer vacation."
Huang Feng: "I don't need summer vacation, I want to film 'Home Alone'."
Initially, the plan was to film "Home Alone" at a rate of one film per year. However, later everyone considered that Huang Feng was still growing up, and if they really filmed one film per year, they might not be able to film two films before Huang Feng grew into a teenager.
While it's not impossible to film a teenager, it's ultimately not as interesting as filming when they were children.
Therefore, the final decision was to shoot two films a year.
Huang Tianlin certainly knew about the movie "Home Alone".
He asked, "How many movies are planned for this film?"
“I have a complete trilogy idea myself,” Lu Yanhe said. Actually, it was because he had only watched three of them. He thought for a moment and said, “If the market response to this film series continues to be very good, it may continue to be made. However, later on, we may ask other screenwriters to write the scripts.”
Huang Tianlin nodded.
"It is estimated that after the movie is released, Huang Feng will become the most popular child star in China."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
He thinks so too.
Huang Tianlin asked, "You won't let him suffer a loss, will you?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head. "I've seen every single one of his contracts, and his mother has seen them too. I can't say he's getting the best treatment, but he definitely won't be at a disadvantage."
Upon hearing this, Huang Tianlin seemed to believe it immediately and nodded.
"Seriously? You believed me just because I said it?" Lu Yanhe said. "Then ask me anything, I can just make up a story."
“You won’t,” Huang Tianlin said. “You don’t need to do that.”
Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "Isn't this what you call winning people over with virtue?"
One by one, people trust his character so much.
-
If Lu Yanhe was as steady as a rock and had no extra worries about the screening of "Raise the Red Lantern", then he couldn't help but feel nervous about the screening of "Tropical Rainy Season".
The former is a work that Lu Yanhe believes will "definitely succeed," while the latter is a genuine new work by a newcomer, and it remains to be seen what kind of evaluation and feedback it will receive.
The movie opens with a shot of Huang Feng's profile.
In the completely silent video, Lu Yanhe, shirtless, sat on the floor against the wall, holding a book in his hand and reading it.
The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the window.
It's the kind of dryness you only find in tropical regions.
Lu Yanhe was lean and dark-skinned, but still handsome, with a slightly lazy and unruly look in his eyes.
A kind of handsome and wildness with a touch of sharpness.
Huang Feng would ask him a question from time to time.
He basically answered with only one or two words, and seemed rather impatient.
This single shot became the opening sequence of the film.
Information about the director, producer, and others gradually emerged.
...
Lu Yanhe was surprised by his appearance on the screen.
He didn't really recognize himself.
This is a very different image from his usual self and from his roles in other movies.
In terms of appearance, he has completely transformed into a local teenager.
As the opening credits rolled, a girl's voice called out to him from outside.
He immediately threw the book on the ground and got up to put on his clothes.
"Where are you going?" Huang Feng asked innocently.
"Stay home by yourself," Lu Yanhe said before leaving.
Huang Feng looked disappointed and dejected as he went to the window and saw his brother and a girl leaving.
His eyes had a childlike and innocent look.
And so the movie began.
-
Sitting in the dark screening room, Lu Yanhe felt the story through the light and shadow.
Even though he knew the plot of the story perfectly well, he was still completely immersed in it.
Huang Tianlin's cinematic language has a distinctly Southeast Asian feel.
The perspective is narrow, the visuals are clean, and the background music is almost nonexistent, yet it has a summery wind chime feel, popping up from time to time to tease you, like the wind, like a dragonfly flying to the eaves.
Lu Yanhe had always felt that Huang Tianlin's shooting rhythm and visual style were very similar to Wong Kar-wai's, but at this moment, Lu Yanhe felt that, in fact, the overall temperament of his films was more like Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The only difference is that the camerawork is more like that of Wong Kar-wai.
The plot of the film is actually very simple, but through the perspective of a child like Huang Feng, many things change. Many things, such as an argument or a few simple words, become huge issues in Huang Feng's eyes.
The film captures Huang Feng's every subtle and sensitive reaction, thus amplifying the hardships his mother endured at home, his brother's longing for the outside world, and the unease that the family seemed on the verge of collapse beneath the surface of maintaining appearances.
An hour into the movie, Lu Yanhe made a very surprising discovery.
Why does he have so many shots?
Lu Yanhe knew very well that his two most important scenes—a scene where he argued with his mother and was slapped, and a scene where he left this home—had not yet appeared.
Many of the earlier short shots, which were only one or two seconds long, were included in the film by Huang Tianlin.
What were originally unremarkable shots suddenly took on different stories and meanings in every shot because Huang Tianlin always placed them in front of Huang Feng's reaction shots.
Huang Feng's camera work imbued Lu Yanhe's otherwise unremarkable shots with a great deal of meaning.
What impressed Lu Yanhe the most was the contradictory mentality of a young man towards his family, a mixture of rejection and attachment.
He must say that when he was acting, at least in many of the scenes, he wasn't portraying that state. However, after Huang Tianlin edited it like this, it suddenly took on a thematic meaning.
The subsequent argument with his mother, the silent exchange with his brother that night, and his final farewell to the family all by himself were suddenly elevated to a different level.
What Lu Yanhe least expected was that the movie would only have one scene left after he left home.
A calm afternoon with sunlight streaming into the room.
Huang Feng asked his brother where he had gone.
Mom said she went outside.
Huang Feng asked his brother when he would be back.
Mom said she'll come back when you're a little older.
Huang Feng stood in front of the window and looked at the spot from the beginning of the film. He saw the girl who had met his brother before looking into their house.
He greeted her with delight.
She seemed startled and turned to run away.
Huang Feng was somewhat puzzled.
Mom asked who you were greeting.
Huang Feng shook his head and didn't say anything.
He went back into his room.
Before he went in, the camera gave his mother a blurry shot.
Mom raised her hand and gently wiped the corner of her eye.
It looked like she was wiping away tears, but the message wasn't very clear.
Huang Feng did not see it.
He walked to the wall, where he and his brother had marked their heights with numbers.
He turned his back to the camera, made a note of the location with his hand, and then turned around to look at it.
This time, the hand landed a little higher than where it had been recorded before.
He laughed.
The movie ends abruptly here.
Finish.
A soft melody began to play.
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.
Huang Tianlin made significant cuts to the script, especially the latter half.
However, this makes the film simpler and the emotions it expresses more focused.
This is the story of a teenager's growth and confusion, and the changes in an ordinary family.
There is no didacticism or forced imposition of any contemporary or social significance.
However, after reading it, Lu Yanhe felt a slight sense of stagnation deep in his heart.
It was because he thought of his childhood and felt a sense of helplessness between people.
Leaving, staying, getting close, drifting apart, arguing, making up...
"Tropical Rainy Season" actually expresses the most subtle emotional changes between people.
What particularly moved Lu Yanhe was that Huang Tianlin did not use this film to try to talk about the pain and hatred of so-called original families, as too many films have addressed these issues.
He didn't criticize a teenager for running away from home in anger, nor did he criticize a mother for not knowing how to communicate with her child or for her irrational handling of the situation. Instead, he used a way of saying that "they are still family" in a way that clearly shows they have "separated and left home".
Even though the brother didn't return in the movie, just like Huang Feng held onto hope and believed that his brother would return soon, as viewers, we believed that the brother would come back.
Just like people grow up.
Applause erupted from all around like a tidal wave.
Lu Yanhe stood up, picked Huang Feng up, turned around, and faced everyone.
The applause from the audience behind them grew even louder.
Lu Yanhe turned to look at Huang Tianlin, the arrogant young director who had been so proud since their first meeting. Huang Tianlin's eyes were red, and he was secretly wiping them.
-
Hopefully there will be another update tonight!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
