Chapter 531: Filmmaking requires culture

Chapter 531: Filmmaking requires culture

Chapter 531: Filmmaking requires culture

The diplomatic department's statement on issues related to the movie "Ball Lightning" is like setting up a golden signboard for the film at the official level.

This move is not only of great significance, but also unexpectedly brought positive impacts to the film market, allowing "Ball Lightning" to achieve a slight recovery in box office performance over the two days of the weekend.

It's a pity that the box office fluctuations at this time can no longer attract too much attention from Wang Hao. After all, the current domestic single-film box office potential is only 40 billion. It is possible for "Ball Lightning" to break through 50 billion in the future, but it is not likely.

So the movie has come to an end at this point.

After successfully holding a celebration party for the box office exceeding 40 billion, Wang Hao confidently handed over the subsequent finishing work to Galaxy Pictures, while he himself devoted himself to more important matters.

For example...his next new film project.

"Ball Lightning" did achieve quite good results, but it is just one of the works in the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe" series.

The entire [Science Fiction Movie Universe] has only entered the second half of the second stage. There will be a long third stage, fourth stage, and possibly even a fifth stage with more in-depth developments.

For Wang Hao, who is over 30 years old, although he is still young, the tasks on his shoulders are still heavy and it is far from the time for him to relax and rest.

Fortunately, the film industrialization system carefully built by Galaxy Group is now fully mature. Wang Hao’s new film was officially approved as early as last year and has successfully entered the early preparation stage.

While he was busy with "Ball Lightning", he also kept a close eye on every development of the project.

The project is currently progressing well and is moving forward steadily.

In terms of script setting, the creative department carefully polished it, striving to make every plot and every line perfect, while also ensuring that it can be linked to other works in the previous movie universe.

In terms of prop making, team members carefully crafted the details of each prop based on the science fiction setting, so that it not only conforms to the technological sense in the movie but also has visual impact.

The special effects design brings together top talents to create stunning visual spectacles.

There is also the need to determine the style of the film, adjust staff schedules and do casting work. All of these are being carried out in an orderly manner as the team members are busy. Every link is laying a solid foundation for the success of the new film.

As for what Wang Hao’s new movie is?
An internationally renowned director like him has a high status in the country. For some small projects, even those involving the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe", there is no need for him to intervene, as there are new directors within the company to take charge.

This can also be regarded as a training mechanism within their company, giving newcomers more opportunities.

Just like Guo Fan, Lu Yang, Li Kui and others today, they have all been trained and grown under such a mechanism.

Therefore, the movies that Wang Hao needs to shoot personally must be big productions with big scenes, and involve key nodes of the core plot of the entire movie universe.

In this way, the name of the next work is not difficult to guess.

That’s right, the new movie that Wang Hao is about to start shooting and producing is what countless movie fans have been dreaming of. It is also the final production of the second phase of the entire [Galaxy Cinematic Universe] - "The Three-Body Problem"!
To be more precise, it should be "The Three-Body Problem 1".

In fact, before this movie, Liu Cixin's novel of the same name had already been published.

After all, the foundation of Wang Hao's [Science Fiction Movie Universe] is built on Liu Cixin's "The Wandering Earth" and "The Three-Body Problem".

So even though Wang Hao came up with the concept of "Science Fiction Movie Universe" first, and this concept partially overlaps with Liu Cixin's idea, he had no intention of infringing on Liu Cixin's honor.

Who can blame the "Three-Body" series of novels for its irreplaceable and unique significance in the history of Chinese science fiction?

Therefore, after sorting out the timeline and general plot of the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe], the Galaxy Group authorized Liu Cixin to organize the relevant content and publish the "Three-Body" series of novels. In a sense, this can also be regarded as an official fan work derived from the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe].

Of course, fans of the Galaxy Cinematic Universe don't have to worry about the publication of the novel containing spoilers that would diminish the appeal of the film.

After all, there are essential differences between movies and novels.

The future development of the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe" may be somewhat similar to the "Three-Body" series, but in many places, it still needs to be artistically processed in a film-specific form.

Moreover, Wang Hao himself is full of confidence. He firmly believes that the novel "The Three-Body Problem" can attract audiences, and the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe" can also firmly grasp the hearts of the audience with its own charm. The two will not conflict with each other, but may promote each other.

Besides, their movies never rely on hidden plots as selling points.

Yes, that's right, I'm targeting you, Marvel. You like to spread fake news all day long to play tricks on movie fans. Isn't that fun?
Look in my eyes, tell me, why? Why?

The works of [Galaxy Cinematic Universe] are completely different. They take the grand and majestic path, relying on top special effects technology, profound science fiction concepts, deep feelings for family and country, and grand narratives against the backdrop of disaster.

After ten years of hard work and development, Wang Hao now has the extraordinary qualities of an international director.

Spielberg, Cameron, Lucas, and Nolan, in Wang Hao's eyes, are nothing more than people bound by the unipolar hegemony of Hollywood and the United States.

When it comes to grand narrative, Wang Hao is no less capable than them.

Do you understand the value of “saturation rescue” and “community with a shared future for mankind”?

Look at the most famous "Titanic", a little love story.

Look at that "Star Wars", isn't it awkward that "I am your father"? This epic on a galactic scale has been turned into a cheesy family ethics drama.

And what about "Avatar", isn't it about alien invaders who come to their senses and help the natives defend their homeland? I wonder what the Indians think of it.

Indeed, Wang Hao does not deny the artistry of Hollywood in special effects technology and the expression of certain humanistic thoughts, and many works of those well-known directors are indeed worth learning from.

Like "Jaws", "Jurassic Park", the film industrialization behind "Titanic", the liquid robots in "Terminator" and the 3D special effects in "Avatar".

But these gorgeous appearances still cannot conceal the fact that the shallow cultural heritage of the United States has led to a low ceiling for creation.

The United States has only been established for a few years, how much profound historical and cultural heritage can it have?
After Wang Hao's current position and managing such a huge project as Galaxy Cinematic Universe, he deeply realized that what film and television works show is not just art and ideas, but also the deep-seated national culture. If a country has a short history and civilization and a shallow cultural heritage, then most of its literary and artistic works will tend to be flashy and lack a kind of heritage and vitality.

Just like James Cameron and other big Hollywood directors, when their creations reach a certain level, they encounter bottlenecks that are difficult to break through.

What should we do at this time? Either we hope for breakthroughs in our own culture and technology, or we draw nourishment and strength from past cultures.

But how much cultural nourishment can be mined in the United States? They want to explore European culture, draw strength from Rome, ancient Greece and the Renaissance, and have also filmed many European epics, but in the end, the essence of an immigrant country is a little bit lacking.

After all, poor soil can hardly produce brilliant flowers.

Therefore, once the big directors in Hollywood reach the ceiling of their creation, it will be difficult for them to produce amazing works, and they can only stay at home and focus on love.

This is somewhat similar to the Jin Dynasty in Chinese history which lost its "loyalty and trustworthiness" and could only "wait for the holy dynasty to rule the world with filial piety."

However, China is completely different.

5000 years of splendid civilization and long-standing historical culture are undoubtedly an inexhaustible treasure trove left by our ancestors to Wang Hao and others.

Only with such a profound cultural foundation can we carry the idea of ​​a "community with a shared future for mankind" with such a broad vision and grand pattern.

This idea did not come out of thin air. It has deep historical roots. It can be traced back to the unyielding "The mountains and rivers of the Ming Dynasty will last forever", the glory of "All nations came to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty", the grandeur of "The unification of Qin and Han Dynasties", and even to the prosperous era of the ancient Zhou emperors ruling the country with ease, and the beautiful story of the abdication of Yan and Huang.

Does America have such a profound cultural heritage? They can only comfort themselves by filming stories about Greece and Rome.

Therefore, Wang Hao does not need to worry about the adverse effects of the publication of the "Three-Body" series of novels ahead of time.

The Chinese culture and spirit contained in the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe] will naturally attract countless audiences to join in.

Moreover, the publication of the "Three-Body" series of novels has another significant benefit, which is that it has further promoted the spread of the fame and influence of the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe" around the world.

Like Wang Hao's previous life, the "Three-Body" series written by Liu Cixin also has three parts.

They are respectively composed of "The Three-Body Problem 1: Past Events on Earth", "The Three-Body Problem 2: The Dark Forest" and "The Three-Body Problem 3: Death's End".

The first of these, "The Three-Body Problem 1: Past Events on Earth", was published in June 2007, following Wang Hao's official announcement of the existence of the "Galaxy Cinematic Universe" at the Shanghai Film Festival.

The second volume was first published in March 2009, and the third volume was published in June 3.

At first, the novel "The Three-Body Problem 1" still needed to rely on the powerful influence of the Galaxy Cinematic Universe in the field of film and television culture to gain significant attention.

However, real gold cannot be hidden. With the publication of the subsequent "The Three-Body Problem 2: The Dark Forest" and "The Three-Body Problem 3: Death's End", the audience saw another "The Three-Body Problem" universe and also got to know Liu Cixin again.

As more and more people read the "Three-Body" series of novels, especially after readers have come to appreciate the "Dark Forest Theory", "Human Being Unthankful of Logic" and "Dimensionality Reduction Attack", the public's perception of the "Three-Body" series of novels has been completely separated from the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe], and they have realized that this is a top science fiction work that is not inferior to the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe] and has its own unique value.

Not only readers, but also many famous figures and creators have praised the "Three-Body" series of novels.

In August 2008, "The Three-Body Problem 8" won the Special Science Fiction Award at the 1th Chinese Science Fiction Literature Galaxy Award.

In July 2011, "The Three-Body Problem 7" won the Special Award at the 2nd China Science Fiction Galaxy Award.

In December 2012, "The Three-Body Problem 12" won the Gold Award for Best Novel at the 3rd Global Chinese Science Fiction Nebula Award.

In addition, there is the Gold Prize of the 1st West Lake Genre Literature Biennial Award and the Science Fiction Literature Award of the 9th National Excellent Children's Literature Award.

Just last year, "The Three-Body Problem" was nominated for the 2014 American Fantasy and Science Fiction Association Nebula Award in the Novel Category, the 2015 Prometheus Award for Best Novel (nominated), the Locus Award for Science Fiction (nominated), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominated).

In addition, it officially won the 73rd Hugo Award for Best Novel, an award known as the Nobel Prize in science fiction. This is also the first time that an Asian work has won the award.

When the news reached back home, it caused quite a stir.

Therefore, although Galaxy Group did not announce it, the early project preparation of "The Three-Body Problem 1" last year still attracted the attention of many people in the circle.

For example, the senior leader who came to watch "Ball Lightning" was actually influenced by the project "The Three-Body Problem 1" and made the trip on a whim.

Now that Wang Hao has finished his current tasks, most of his energy on film and television projects in the next year will be invested in "The Three-Body Problem 1".

Both he and the Galaxy Group attach great importance to this final work of the second phase of the Galaxy Cinematic Universe.

In their planning, this is like the importance of Marvel's "Avengers" to the entire [Marvel Cinematic Universe], and it concerns the future of the entire [Galaxy Cinematic Universe].

Not only does it bring together the protagonists from various movies to conclude the story line of the second phase, but it also has to shoulder the important task of introducing the third phase of the [Galaxy Cinematic Universe].

Just to achieve this goal, the screenwriters of the creative department of Galaxy Group, including well-known writers like Liu Cixin, have lost countless hair.

They proposed more than a dozen plans and wrote dozens of different scripts. With the guidance of the expert advisory group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the participation of Wang Hao, they conducted hundreds of discussions with various members of the crew, including art, special effects, photography, military, and actors, before finally finalizing a first draft.

And this is not the end. After the first draft is ready, it is handed over to the special effects department to design a dynamic version based on the script. Any problems discovered during this process will have to be discussed in a meeting.

Keep the appropriate ones, and modify or delete the inappropriate ones.

Even this is just the beginning.

Fortunately, the early preparation team of "The Three-Body Problem 1" finally welcomed their backbone to officially move in.

(End of this chapter)