Chapter 4 No connections? NO!
Chapter 4 No connections? NO!
As the name suggests, a TV movie is a movie that uses television as a communication medium, employs the language and narrative style of movies, but is not promoted to theaters.
By analogy, TV movies can also be said to be online movies, or the predecessor of streaming movies. The only difference is that one is put on TV, and the other is put on computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
However, because such films are usually shot using digital technology, the production scale is small, the cost is low, and the shooting period is relatively short, so the viewing effect and texture are far behind traditional films, and are not valued by ordinary filmmakers.
To be honest, in the eyes of some people, TV movies cannot be considered movies at all. At most, they are on the same level as TV dramas.
But these problems are not problems for Wang Hao's new movie.
His film itself has a single scene, and the biggest expense in production is the lead actor's salary.
In the eyes of those distributors, this kind of small production is no different from a fly or a mosquito. Even if it manages to get on the big screen, given the current environment of the Chinese film and television industry, the results may not be very good, and the risks are even greater.
However, TV movies are different. They rely on the dissemination channels of movie channels and TV stations. They are aimed at TV viewers across the country and have a wide audience.
And the key is that the purchasing fee of the movie channel is fixed and does not depend on the movie box office. For Wang Hao's low-budget movie, it becomes a good bottom-line option.
As for the purchase price?
It is important to know that during its heyday, the ratings of CCTV Movie Channel far exceeded those of other TV stations, even ranking first in the country.
The ratings of films broadcast on the movie channel are second only to the Spring Festival Gala, the News Broadcast, the World Cup and the Olympic Games, and the annual advertising fees alone are more than 10 billion.
Of course, these incomes must be turned over to the public.
But the higher the benefits it creates, the more funds the state will allocate to the film channel for daily operations and the creation of television films.
At this point, the movie channel can be said to have no shortage of money.
Therefore, after determining the content of the movie to be filmed, with the help of his previous life's memory, Wang Hao immediately thought of his uncle Lu Guotao.
"What made you want to make a TV movie?"
Lu Guotao blew away the foam in the cup, took a sip of tea, and glanced at him.
"I remember you once said that the movies produced by my department were shoddy and you looked down on them from the bottom of your heart. You even refused to go to their crew for internship when I arranged for you to do so. All you said was that you wanted to make a blockbuster movie.
What, you changed your personality, do you regret it?"
Wang Hao didn't take his uncle's teasing to heart.
"Uncle, I was young and frivolous in the past. I didn't know how high the sky was and how deep the earth was. I didn't understand the difficulties of the world.
As I was about to graduate and was preparing to make a movie myself, I realized that this industry is not easy to work in and that talent alone cannot succeed.
To be honest, I want to make a movie that can be shown on the big screen, but who would trust a novice director in his early twenties with such millions of dollars of investment?
Wang Hao's psychological analysis was so well-reasoned and convincing that even the experienced Lu Guotao couldn't help but put down his teacup and look at him with admiration.
"You have some self-awareness in what you said. It seems that you have really grown up and matured.
As the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; a river is formed by the accumulation of small streams.
You are still young, so you need to take one step at a time and eat one bite at a time.
Anyway, with your background in Beijing Film Academy and your relationship with the old man, as long as you don't make any big mistakes and your level is above the baseline, you will definitely have a bright future. " "Yes, yes, so I came to you to help me take this crucial first step. "
Wang Hao smiled faintly:
“I thought, since I can’t make blockbuster movies and no one is willing to invest in me, I might as well make a few TV movies to build up some fame.
In this way, if we want to make movies for theaters in the future, we will at least have a few good works to show to investors, and they will feel more confident.
To be honest, my conditions are pretty good. Some of my seniors who were a few years older than me are still shooting commercials, photo shoots, and music videos.”
Lu Guotao nodded, becoming more and more satisfied with his nephew's maturity and steadiness.
You know, Wang Hao used to be like most students in the directing department of Beijing Film Academy. He always had high standards and thought that he was a director and an artist. He wanted to make works that would go down in history. Shoddy things like TV movies were not even worth their attention.
They even dislike some commercial films, and they always mention the three major awards and call them art.
But now he can calm down, lower his requirements on his own initiative, and be down-to-earth. The key is that he still knows to come to me to build relationships instead of pretending to be noble and burying his head in the work. Just this point makes him feel a lot more at ease.
After all, he is his nephew and the only child in the family. If he is a playboy who is hopeless and can't be helped, then he won't say anything.
Now that the kid has come to his senses, as his uncle, he must help him in any way he can.
"Yes, you have learned to be smarter and not be so ambitious. Although this TV movie is crudely made, it is still a movie after all, and it can also help you hone your skills."
If the old Wang Hao had heard this, he would have sneered.
Film is the art of light and shadow, relying on inspiration from God. If you just rely on honing your skills, you can at most be a film craftsman, but you cannot become a film master.
However, Wang Hao doesn’t think so now.
In his previous life, he had been struggling in the lower class of society for more than ten years. His favorite entertainment activity was watching movies, and he was fed countless beautifully packaged shit by those directors.
From an audience's perspective, what they actually need is very simple, just an interesting and complete story.
It would be even more wonderful if this story could be accompanied by some dazzling visual effects, twists and turns of love, hilarious humor, and passionate and sincere emotions.
It is precisely because of this mentality that he now maturely agrees with Lu Guotao's views.
“Yes, in the final analysis, film is also a craft, and there is a saying in the acting industry.
'If you don't practice for one day, you know it; if you don't practice for two days, your peers know it; if you don't practice for three days, the audience knows it.'
The same goes for this director. He hasn't made any films for a long time and has only been studying theories, which is just empty talk.
Moreover, filming a movie is also a process of collaborative creation by a team, which requires management and coordination.
In the early stage, you can practice with simple films, find a team to gradually get familiar with the process, and then you can shoot other films more easily. "
The uncle and nephew rarely reached a consensus, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became much lighter.
"Uncle, you've read the script, and we've discussed the concept. Can we get this project off the ground? Please give me a definite answer!"
Wang Hao sat up straight and asked the most important question.
(End of this chapter)