Chapter 464 [Shushan Movie Universe]

[Shushan Movie Universe] Of course, this project could not be finalized at this celebration party. What Wang Hao said in this environment was just a pretext for fishing.

Soon, that evening, after the celebration party for Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy ended, within a few hours,
The news about the [Shushan Movie Universe] was first spread in a small circle.

Then the news naturally spread to a wider circle, and later almost half of the entertainment industry knew about it.

This is also normal. After all, this is what Wang Hao, the great director and the head of the Galaxy Group, said personally.

If someone else said they wanted to create a [Shu Mountain Movie Universe] and even brought in Tsui Hark, everyone would laugh at him for being fanciful and not knowing the lesson from the previous "Shu Mountain Legend".

But when Wang Hao said this, everyone would think that he was a bold and skilled person. As for whether the [Shushan Movie Universe] will work? Is it possible to succeed?
Is there any doubt? Of course, you should catch up quickly!
So the next morning, several heads of domestic film and television companies who had good relations with the Galaxy Group called Wang Hao.

First of all, on the side of Mo Ying, Wang Hao's [Galaxy Cinematic Universe] mainly cooperates with Hua Ying. Although he also takes certain care of Mo Ying, they have always been able to only get the benefits. How can Mo Ying be willing to accept this?

Now that Wang Hao is going to start a new project, they naturally came over and were very generous in their efforts.

Then came the film, television and entertainment departments of Wanda, Sony, Tencent, LeTV, Alibaba, Huayi, and Eagle King, all showing off their talents.

Regardless of whether it had any relationship with the Galaxy Group before, or what the relationship between the two parties was like, it would be a good idea to give it a try. Who knows, maybe you will hit the jackpot?

Besides, in a business society, everything can be negotiated. If it cannot be negotiated, it just means that the benefits are not distributed properly.

"Director Xu, look, everyone is still very enthusiastic about the Shushan project. You should be more confident now, right?"

In the spacious and bright chairman's office, sunlight shines in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and shines on the solid wood coffee table.

Wang Hao hung up the phone in front of Tsui Hark and made a joke with a smile.

Tsui Hark sat on the sofa opposite him, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand. He was a little nervous at first, and was also thinking about things about the "Shushan Movie Universe".

Although he drank a lot of wine last night, he still heard and remembered what Wang Hao said at the table. Even when he was drunk, he did not rest well. His dreams were all bizarre. In the morning, he was awakened by the recurrence of the failure of "The Legend of Zu".

However, even though he was not in good condition, after hearing Wang Hao's words, he immediately put down the teacup and nodded with a smile on his face.

"Boss Wang, your skill of 'fishing nest' is really perfect."

Tsui Hark praised enthusiastically:
“But it’s only when you spread the word that the investors will be so enthusiastic.

If I were to bring this up at the dinner table..."

Tsui Hark shook his head and smiled bitterly.

“The idea of the [Shushan Cinematic Universe] is indeed exciting, but the lessons of The Legend of Shushan are still fresh in our minds.

To be honest, Mr. Wang, when you asked me if I still have the same ambition as when I was young, I thought about it all night and woke up from a nightmare this morning.

If I make the same mistake again, not only will my career as a director be ruined, but it will also ruin your reputation, Mr. Wang."

When Wang Hao heard Xu Ke's words, his expression became serious, but he still made a joke first to ease the other party's nervousness.

"Director Xu, your project hasn't even started yet, but you're already giving me a heads-up."

Tsui Hark waved his hands quickly, a little panicked, but when he saw the smile on Wang Hao's face, he knew he was joking, and the anxiety in his heart was indeed reduced a little.

After Wang Hao finished joking, he finally began to discuss specific matters about the [Shushan Movie Universe] with him.

"Director Xu, it's right and normal for you to have concerns. I'm even happy because it proves that you have learned lessons from past failures and are thinking seriously about this project.

Although "The Legend of Zu" failed, I believe you must have reviewed it afterwards. What do you think is the main reason for the failure of this project? Will we encounter the same problem in the development of our "Zhushan Movie Universe" in the future? "

Wang Hao's question made Tsui Hark fall into deep thought. He stroked the warm teacup in his hand, his eyes became deep, as if he had returned to the scene when "The Legend of Zu" was filmed and released.

After a moment, he took a deep breath.

"Boss Wang, to be honest, the failure of "The Legend of Shushan" was due to many factors, but the main problem was me."

Tsui Hark spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of heaviness and a bit of self-blame.

"The first is that I paid too much attention to special effects at the time, but I also underestimated special effects."

Wang Hao signaled him to continue with his eyes.

“At that time, I had already produced and directed special effects movies such as A Chinese Ghost Story and Green Snake, and I also had experience with The New Shushan Swordsman. I’m not afraid of you laughing at me, Mr. Wang, but at that time I really thought I was the director who understood special effects best in Hong Kong.

Moreover, in the process of interacting with the Hollywood team, I also learned more about new technologies, and my mind was full of inspiration. I wanted to put everything I could think of into the movie to make up for my previous regrets.

But after working with Galaxy Group on Taking Tiger Mountain, I realized that my understanding of special effects was still superficial.”

When Tsui Hark said this, light seemed to come out of his eyes.

"To use an old Chinese saying, I was seeking the art but not the truth, and my study and mastery of special effects were only superficial.

Special effects are not just a pile of technologies, they are also a form of artistic expression rather than a simple pile of graphics.

The effort needs to be done even further in advance. Before the filming of the movie, the design and concept of the special effects must be determined, and the usage scenario, style and purpose of each special effect must be planned in advance to ensure that they can serve the story rather than exist for show.

Mr. Wang, I have benefited a lot from the rigor and meticulousness of the staff at your Starlight Fantasy Company in special effects design. The use of each special effect has been carefully designed and repeatedly scrutinized, which not only meets the needs of the story, but also enhances the overall visual effect.

Unlike my previous collaborations with foreigners in Hollywood, those guys were very secretive and wary of us. We could only tell them our needs and could not participate in the creation of the entire project with them. Moreover, the foreigners were not on the same page with us. They did not really understand our story and cultural background, and they just completed the task according to the contract requirements. "

Wang Hao smiled slightly when he heard this. Although he knew that Tsui Hark's words were more or less flattering, who doesn't like to hear good words?

Moreover, Tsui Hark's words really hit the spot for Wang Hao. Galaxy Group's own special effects company, Starlight Fantasy, was created by Wang Hao himself 10 years ago.

Over the years, Starlight Fantasy and its members have progressed and grown together with the Galaxy Group, and have gradually developed to the top scale in the country today, becoming the most important foundation and moat for the Galaxy Group to occupy the domestic entertainment market share.

It can be said that "they" are all Wang Hao's children. How could he not be happy when Tsui Hark, an outsider, highly recognized them?

"Secondly, the script issue is also crucial," Tsui Hark continued.

“Although the story of The Legend of Zu is grand, the characterization and emotional lines seem a bit thin and messy. Coupled with the dazzling special effects that distract the audience, it is difficult for the audience to resonate with the characters, resulting in a lack of immersion in the entire movie.

Cameron's "Avatar" is a positive example of this. The movie looks dazzling and good to watch, but in fact the core of the story is extremely simple, and the emotional clues are also very single, which is about resisting foreign invasion.

There is also "The Lord of the Rings", whose story is not complicated, just an adventure journey, but its emotional line and character creation are very solid. Although it is also a group drama with many roles, the audience can clearly feel the growth and inner changes of each character.

So the directors in Hollywood have some skills in grasping the rhythm of special effects movies and handling details.”

At this time, Wang Hao shook his head and interrupted him.

“You’re wrong. Hollywood directors are human too. They also make stupid mistakes sometimes, like when Waterworld lost a lot of money.

It’s just that their film industrialization system is more mature, and there are more people to supervise the production of a film, so they naturally summed up their own set of things in the commercial framework.

But it is not necessary to regard it as a golden rule. After all, our social environment and cultural heritage are different from theirs. We cannot just copy them. We have to have our own set of things.

Of course, your analysis of those issues in "The Legend of Zu" is still very reasonable.

The control of special effects technology is superficial and fails to be deeply integrated with the story.

The characters are not three-dimensional enough, there is too much emotion, and it is so disorganized that it is difficult to distinguish the main from the secondary.

In addition, the plot rhythm is not precisely controlled, some parts seem to be dragged out, some parts are too hasty, and the overall viewing experience is not smooth enough. These are the shortcomings of "The Legend of Shushan".

"Mr. Wang, you are right."

Tsui Hark smiled bitterly and continued:
“Another point is that our judgment of the market was biased at that time.

Although the theme of "The Legend of Zu" is a fairy tale, we did not fully capture the interest of the core audience in terms of publicity and positioning. In addition, the domestic film market was not yet fully mature at the time, and the audience's acceptance and aesthetic level were also different from what they are now. It was naturally difficult to recover the cost of such a large investment."

"But now is the time, isn't it?"

After reviewing the past and summarizing the reasons for the failure of Tsui Hark's previous film "The Legend of Zu", Wang Hao naturally started talking about the new project.

"And Director Xu, you already know where the problems are, so the next step is to solve these problems in a targeted manner."

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you, Mr. Wang," Tsui Hark said quickly. "Although I thought a lot about it last night, I'm still a little unsure about the entire Zu Mountain project. After all, it's too big."

"Don't worry, the Shushan Cinematic Universe project will definitely not be all on your shoulders."

Wang Hao smiled as he watched Xu Ke pour tea for him:
“Film is an art of collaboration, and the movie universe is even more so. Even a director cannot have multiple roles and do everything. A team is still needed.

Moreover, Galaxy Group has a mature film industrialization system. Although most of the company's energy is focused on my [Galaxy Cinematic Universe], with the current scale of each department, it is still no problem to allocate a team to manage this new project.

The preliminary planning team for this project is already in the preparation stage. I will introduce you to them in a few days. Maybe there will be people you know among them.”

Wang Hao's words seemed to help relieve Tsui Hark's pressure, but in fact they were warning him in advance. Although the [Shushan Movie Universe] started with his "Shushan Legend", the project still belongs to Galaxy Group. He has to put himself in the right position and not think that Galaxy Group cannot do without him as a director.

"That's what I want," the astute Tsui Hark quickly responded, "When we were filming Taking Tiger Mountain, I felt that the team under you, Mr. Wang, was very easy to use. With their help, my confidence has increased by at least 30%."

"Only 30%?" Wang Hao seemed a little dissatisfied.

Tsui Hark complimented, "If you, Mr. Wang, the 'Father of the Cinematic Universe', can help control the overall direction and determine the core tone of the [Shushan Cinematic Universe], then my confidence will be 30% higher."

"Next, are you going to say that you are only 30% confident?" Wang Hao nodded with a smile.

Tsui Hark was not polite either, "Of course, when it comes to the combination of chivalry, classical culture and special effects technology, no one in China can do better than me."

He was not wrong in this point, and Wang Hao also agreed with it.

Whether it is the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, "Green Snake", "Full House", "Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame" directed by Tsui Hark himself, or "A Chinese Ghost Story" and "Wicked City" produced by him, it can be seen that he is a director with extremely rich imagination, keen aesthetic sense, and is very good at creating a unique Chinese cultural atmosphere and artistic conception.

Judging from this characteristic alone, among the current directors in China, there is indeed no one more suitable than him to manage a project like the "Shushan Movie Universe", not even Wang Hao.

Wang Hao is very aware of his own level. Although his directing skills have made great progress after so many years of training, his strengths lie mainly in the overall control and long-term planning of large projects.

If we really talk about the artistic style of this particular type of film, and want to show the artistic conception of traditional Chinese culture through the pictures, he is not as good as Tsui Hark, or even Chen Kaige.

However, these two people also have their own shortcomings, that is, they are not good at telling stories. In fact, they are more suitable to be producers. Other directors are responsible for telling stories, and they as producers are responsible for the overall style of the film, which makes it easier to stand out.

Wang Hao and the mature screenwriter team of Galaxy Group can make up for this shortcoming of Tsui Hark.

(End of this chapter)

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