When Liang Liang came to the film studio, in addition to highlighting the highlights and correcting the shortcomings of the film from his previous life, he also had another task: to compose music for the film.
This doesn't count as just copying; he can't remember the music from movies, it's mostly original.
Even if you remove the copying, he can still compose music. Even if he can't create classic pieces, he can still compose music for a movie.
Let's just say it's a mixed bag.
In his spare time, Liang Liang would often visit the set of "The Opium War" to chat with Xie Jin.
Although the two are more than fifty years apart in age, they can find common ground and give the impression of a friendship that transcends age.
Liang Liang mostly talked about movies, so the two of them naturally had something in common.
"Starting with 'True Lies,' Hollywood will enter the era of blockbusters, with a single film costing tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars to produce, and promoting Western individualism everywhere."
The individual heroes in Western movies are also very interesting. In Liang Liang's impression, apart from Thanos, the rest of these heroes are all representatives of capitalists.
Whether it's Batman or Spider-Man, they're both children from wealthy families. It's almost impossible to find a hero from the lowest rungs of society in Western movies.
"Xiao Liang! We can't control foreign films. I've noticed that although you're not very familiar with the film industry, you can still offer a lot of your own insights. That's a bit contradictory."
"Haha! Thank you, sir! I was just rambling on, so please don't take it too seriously. Just treat it as a story."
"You're not just talking nonsense; you have a very clear understanding of some issues. Let me ask you a question: can our domestic film market develop?"
"Absolutely! Next year...the year after, there should be a movie in China that grosses 200 million yuan."
Last year, "True Lies" became the first Chinese film to gross over 100 million yuan at the box office.
In 1998, Titanic grossed 360 million yuan at the Chinese box office.
In reality, this is just a movie that preys on people's lack of intelligence. If you analyze it carefully, you'll find it has absolutely no value.
Should we make a knock-off version of "Titanic" next year?
I'm not doing this for the money, but just to disgust this movie and the forces behind it that peddle Western values.
This is something we can consider. If it doesn't work out next year, we can make a movie and release it before the real Titanic is released.
China also has many foreign students; we just need to find a few.
As for that ship…
He wouldn't build a real ship; wouldn't a wooden model be better?
As for the scenes at sea, Pingshan Film City is only six or seven miles from the sea. You can hire a 44-horsepower fishing boat and take it for a spin at sea, and you'll have everything you need.
What more could you want from a terrible movie?
With him stirring things up like this, the movie might not sell as many tickets at the box office.
As for whether it would offend domestic interest groups, Liang Liang had also thought about this question, but in the 1990s, it wasn't really a problem.
During this period, some emerging vested interest groups were still in the infancy and nascent stage, and may not yet have realized this problem.
If another fifteen years pass, and these vested interest groups have already formed and gained power, then this issue will need to be taken seriously.
There's no need to consider this issue right now.
You're saying there will be a movie with 200 million yuan in box office revenue the year after next?
Liang Liang nodded.
If they really made a terrible Titanic movie to disrupt the market, would the film still have grossed 360 million?
If we were to actually film it, we would need to register another film company. Of course, we couldn't use the name of Haiyun Audio-Visual, because that would ruin our own reputation.
This company will henceforth be used exclusively to rip off foreign blockbusters, just to disgust them.
The US has its own knock-off film companies, so why can't China have them too!
"Director Xie! Would you be interested in making a movie called Titan Tank next year?"
"Titanic? I've only heard of the book Titanic. What do you mean by 'Titanic'?"
I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that if we go to court, foreigners won't have much recourse, since I didn't name it Titanic.
"Tell me about the concept behind your film."
"This movie isn't really that interesting. It's about a married young woman and a married man, both of whom are foreigners. They meet on a ship and start an affair. While they're having their tryst, the ship's helmsman sees them. He's so focused on their nonsense that he doesn't notice the iceberg in the sea and crashes the ship into it..."
Xie Jin felt a bit of a toothache, and it sounded like he was trying to pin a grievance on the foreigner.
The old man was right; he was just throwing mud at foreigners. Who else should he blame but them?
“We old men really don’t understand the ideas of you young people. I don’t think I can direct this film.”
Liang Liang knew he couldn't direct; he was just casually mentioning it.
"However, our company does have other films to shoot next year. If you are interested, I will give you the best compensation."
"Let me take a look at this. I need to check the script before I even start filming."
"Alright! It's settled then. Once the document is finished, I'll send it to you for your review. If it's acceptable, then you can accept it."
Despite the fact that Liang Liang's production team exudes a cheap, knock-off vibe, their filming progress is quite fast; after a month, they've already filmed more than half of the scenes.
Fast progress usually means poor quality.
Although Pingshan Film and Television City is not well-known outside, it is indeed known to most people in Yahe.
They also knew that two film crews were shooting movies here.
Therefore, many idle young people from within a radius of thirty to fifty miles came to watch the spectacle, and if they could become extras, it would be like celebrating the New Year.
Every day, hundreds of people gather here.
Almost all of these people knew Liang Liang. After all, they were from the surrounding villages. Liang Liang was a big star now. He might not know them, but they definitely knew him.
As soon as Liang Liang appeared, people started making a fuss.
"Look at you all, so idle! Can't you just stay home and sweep the yard or clean up the pig manure? What are you doing here trying to set things up?"
Liang Liang's words drew a burst of laughter.
"Liang Liang! How about we be extras?"
"Sure! But there are fewer film crews this year, so we don't need that many people. When there are more film crews in the future, you can all come and be extras. Maybe if you do well, you can even become a star."
In Hengdian, it's impossible for an extra to become a star.
However, this possibility exists in Pingshan.
It mainly depends on whether there are any channels for advancement available to you.
Other companies may not have this opportunity, but his Haiyun Film & Television will definitely have it.
He himself is a farmer, so of course he should give his fellow farmers a chance.
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