Chapter 77 Open a copy

Chapter 77 Open a copy

Chapter 77 Open a copy
After coming out of the Performance and Director Building, Zhang Chen found an Internet cafe to check the list of nominees for the Hundred Flowers Awards.

Generally, the Hundred Flowers Awards announces the shortlist in late August and holds the awards ceremony in mid-September.

But Zhang Chen happened to be filming in Hainan some time ago and didn't pay any attention to these things.

He soon found out that "The Dark Invasion" was shortlisted for the Hundred Flowers Awards for Outstanding Feature Film.

Looking at the rest of the list, they are all well-known works and the actors have all been heard of.

Unlike the Golden Rooster Awards, which are all art films, many of which I haven’t even heard of.

While searching at the same time, Zhang Chen also discovered one thing: Zhang Yimou had become popular again.

This time it was not because of the movie, but because of Bridget Jones's eight minutes at the Athens Olympics.

The whole internet was cursing him, and no one supported Zhang Yimou.

No wonder Zhang Yimou said in an interview later that he regretted two things the most: one was that he should not have used Lin Miaoke to lip sync at the opening ceremony in 08.

Another thing is that during the eight-minute BJ performance at the Athens Olympics, the 14 girls shouldn't have dressed like that. It was too frivolous and could easily cause misunderstanding among foreigners.

The closing ceremony was held in the early morning of the 30th, which was last night. Zhang Chen stayed up late to watch it. He vaguely remembered that Guan Xiaotong was in the promotional video, and Tang Yan and Zhu Yawen’s wife Shen Jiani were in the cheongsam performance.

But he didn’t find any at first, so he went out of his way to look for the playback later.

Guan Xiaotong was found and she was very cute, but neither Tang Yan nor Shen Jiani recognized her. In the end, Tang Yan was recognized by her legs.

To be honest, I felt that BJ's eight minutes at the Olympics were just average, nothing special.

Erhu, Pipa, martial arts, drumming...

They are all traditional cultures, but they are just passing through the surface.

Maybe it was because the time was too short, only eight minutes in total, and the Athens Olympic Organizing Committee made things difficult for them.

Zhang Yimou's idea is probably to use the limited time to showcase the most superficial Chinese culture, with the sole purpose of making it understandable to foreigners.

The real big move was the opening ceremony of the 08 Olympic Games, which fully demonstrated our connotation and let foreigners feel the shock from the East.

From the perspective of future generations, these eight minutes did have many flaws, but they were not serious enough to warrant condemnation from the entire network.

The main reason was that everyone’s expectations were too high at that time and they were eager to get out.

In fact, is it possible for someone else to do better than Zhang Yimou? Not necessarily.

But at this stage, there are definitely more criticisms than praises. To say that the big director of the billion-dollar club has fallen from the altar is already a polite way of saying it.

Maliciously slandering Chinese culture...

This is the mainstream criticism.

Zhang Weiping stopped jumping at this time.

It is true that the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility, and it is lonely at the top.

These had nothing to do with Zhang Chen, so he began to arrange special effects production and post-production.

At this time, there were actually quite a few specialized post-production companies in Beijing, and the fees were not high.

But Zhang Chen finally handed it over to a company under China Film Group, which is also located in the Digital Film and Television Base in Huairou. Anyway, Zhang Chen will have to travel here frequently recently, so it is more convenient to arrange them together.

In this version of "The Shallows", Zhang Chen made some changes, added a lot of shots, and explained some details to make it more logical.

For example, why does the shark keep staring at the heroine?

Although the original version explained that the shark was attracted by the whale's carcass, it did not explain why the shark continued to attack the heroine.

Zhang Chen added some small details here.

For example, the hook in the shark's mouth was stabbed by her, which makes logical sense because the shark wants revenge.

The production of special effects shots is a patient and meticulous job.

Zhang Chen communicates frequently with the special effects production staff and visits the special effects production center almost every two days to ensure that the effects are what he wants.

And the special effects production center also worked overtime to ensure quality and quantity, just as Director Chen had promised.

After being in contact with programmers for a long time, I have some understanding of them.

Programmers really have to work overtime, and it is common to work more than ten hours a day. Since they often sit, their lower limbs are generally thicker, with big buttocks and thick legs. However, their hair is not as exaggerated as people say on the Internet, and they still have enough hair.

And some are quite humorous, like Pangbo...

In the blink of an eye, it was September, school started, and Zhang Chen was ready to leave.

He was about to leave for Los Angeles to attend the 30th Saturn Awards ceremony.

The full name of the Saturn Awards is the Saturn Awards for American Film and Television. It is an annual film and television award hosted by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Each year, different awards are given to the best science fiction, fantasy and horror films and TV series of that year.

This award was established in 1972 to reward and promote outstanding science fiction and horror films and television programs of the year, as well as outstanding works with breakthrough and innovative significance.

"The Darkness" was nominated for two Saturn Awards: Best Horror Film and Best Director.

This is rare in the country.

Due to the limitations of subject matter, domestic filmmakers generally focus on the three major European film festivals or the Oscars.

At least it has to be a Category A film festival.

Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Tokyo, Locarno, San Sebastian…

There are people from China who have participated in these film festivals and achieved success, but not in the Saturn Awards. The only Chinese-language film that has been shortlisted for the Saturn Awards that can be documented seems to be Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

To put it bluntly, it’s because of the subject matter.

China is inherently lacking in competitiveness in the fields of science fiction, horror, and fantasy films.

In terms of scale and influence, the Saturn Awards are certainly not as good as the three major European film festivals and the Oscars, but in certain fields, such as science fiction, horror, and fantasy films, the Saturn Awards are Oscars. Although it is only a Class B film festival.

Zhang Chen's schedule this time is very tight. In mid-September, the Saturn Awards will open, and in late September, he will also have to attend the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

On the 11th, Zhang Chen and Lao Li boarded a flight to Los Angeles. The Saturn Awards was held in Burbank, Los Angeles.

The two chatted a lot along the way.

The richest man Li’s film company is called Haixin Film and Television, and it has been in a mess recently.

"The Darkness" was a huge success, and Li, the richest man, accounted for 60% of the profits, which really made a lot of money.

In addition, Zhang Chen later highly praised the coal bosses in a question-and-answer class at the Beijing Film Academy, which was indirectly advertising for them, and many people came to them for investment.

Although Zhang Chen reminded them, Mr. Li still decided to enter.

But he was not completely stupid. At least he remembered what Zhang Chen said, and the subject matter he chose was either a horror film or a comedy.

In fact, there weren’t that many horror movies on the market. It was only after the success of “The Darkness” that a lot of horror movies followed suit.

The two films invested by Mr. Li are also followers of the trend, even the names are followers, "Dark Crisis" and "Darkness Is Coming".

Damn, if I just looked at the name, I would think this was the official sequel.

In addition to horror films, he also invested in two comedy films, and then Zhang Chen's predictions began to come true.

We ran out of money halfway through filming a movie.

One part uses various methods to steal their money.

The other two are still being filmed, but no one knows how they will turn out.

Old Li wanted to learn more from Zhang Chen, but Zhang Chen had nothing more to teach him.

I've reminded you all, but you still insist on entering. Then prepare to pay the tuition.

As an outsider, even if I tell you the tricks, you still cannot guard against the endless methods of cheating money. This is a necessary process.

When we landed in Los Angeles, there was someone outside to greet us. It was Zhang Chen’s cousin Zhang Hongwei, who was studying in the United States.

It is normal to study in the United States. Every family has two rich relatives.

The two hug.

"I never thought that you'd become a famous director after not seeing you for a few months, but when we met during the Chinese New Year, you were still just a student at the Beijing Film Academy."

Zhang Hongwei lamented the fickleness of fate. When the family gathered during the New Year, there was still no clue.

But then a hit movie was made, and not only him but the whole family felt a little unreal.

"You two, there are some common senses that I must tell you when you arrive in the United States, so as not to cause any trouble."

After the greetings, Zhang Hongwei started to talk about business. This was no small matter and if not handled properly it could cost lives.

When the two heard Zhang Hongwei's words, they immediately became serious, especially Lao Li, as it was his first time going abroad.

“First of all, you have to be careful about what you say here, especially when talking to black people and minorities.

Maybe you like to joke with each other and talk about anything when you are in China, but it’s not like that here.

For example, if you are in the country, saying "nigger" or something like that might just be a joke, but not here.

This is a serious insult and discrimination.

Not only nigger, but also nigger, nigga, negro, nigger and other words are not allowed to be said.

Don’t think it’s okay if you say it in your room or to your own people. Just don’t say it. Don’t say it in any place. The consequences will be serious.

Because when you say that, there’s a chance a black guy will pull out a gun and shoot you the next moment.”

Hearing what Zhang Hongwei said, Lao Li shuddered unconsciously.

"In addition, guns, gangs, and cults are all legal here, and the police are different from those in China. If you encounter a police officer, do whatever he tells you to do. Don't do anything he doesn't tell you to do, otherwise you may die at the hands of the police."

"Okay, that's about it. Oh, and try not to talk about topics like religion and race, and don't make any comments."

Seeing how scared Old Li was, Zhang Hongwei also shut up.

Zhang Chen comforted him, "It's not as exaggerated as he said, but it's definitely different. Cultural differences lead to different perceptions. Many things that we think are normal in China are outrageous here, especially the part about the JC he mentioned. You must pay attention to it. Otherwise, if the JC thinks you are a threat, they might just shoot you dead."

It was meant as a comfort, but after this, Mr. Li became even more worried.

After giving these instructions, Zhang Hongwei took everyone to the booked hotel.

After arriving at the hotel and settling Lao Li down, Zhang Chen returned to his room and started talking about his own affairs with his cousin.

"Has the headhunter found one for me?"

"I've found a few candidates. If you are free in the next two days, we can arrange a meeting."

"OK."

Before coming, he specifically asked his cousin to help him contact a headhunting company.

If you’re in the entertainment industry, of course you have to open dungeons.

American entertainment or Korean entertainment.

Zhang Chen's initial choice was American entertainment, after all, it is the world's largest market.

Now is still an era when flowers bloom inside the wall and are famous outside the wall. Zhang Chen is prepared to walk on two legs. If he can make achievements outside the wall, then his rise in the mainland will be even faster.

(End of this chapter)