Chinese entertainment director starts with filmmaking

Chapter 106: Watching a Movie, Annual Meeting

The Spring Festival film season at the end of the year is indeed full of excellent works, with Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, and Hong Kong stars all vying for the top spot.

Meanwhile, China Film Group's investment in "Red Cliff Part II" was also released during this period. Unfortunately, the previous film had already flopped, and this one naturally failed to salvage the box office decline, only reaching 2.6 million yuan, barely reaching the level of "If You Are the One".

But one is a blockbuster with an investment of $600 million, while the other probably won't even use $30 million. The difference is obvious.

Seeing such a grand spectacle, Gu Qing was itching to try it himself. Fortunately, "Source Code" was finally released after much anticipation.

On this day, Chen Ze also returned to China Film Group with the completed film.

Gu Qing, Wang Changtian, and other investors also received a call from Han Sanping and came to China Film Group together.

He naturally brought Jing Tian along; how could he not watch the movie with his closest person at such a grand occasion?

"You little rascal, you never forget your little wife."

Han Sanping stared at Gu Qing for a while, and couldn't help but laugh and scold.

Does being in a relationship really change a man that much?

He still remembered how carefree this kid used to be, always referring to Jing Tian as a friend or brother. Now, however, he acted as if he wanted to tell the whole world that she was his girlfriend.

"President Han, it was Brother Qing who insisted on dragging me here."

Jing Tian felt extremely embarrassed by her elders' teasing, but then a wave of sweetness washed over her, as if she had eaten honey.

"Mr. Han, have Mr. Wang and the others arrived? It's getting late, let's go check on them together."

Gu Qing squeezed Jing Tian's hand and spoke up to defuse the situation.

He definitely had to bring Jing Tian along for such a memorable moment.

The three of them headed to the screening room together. On the way, Han Sanping grabbed Gu Qing and asked her about many things related to the movie's release.

Gu Qing, of course, knew the priorities and answered each question in turn.

First of all, he had informed the officials about the premiere. The Olympics and Paralympics had just ended, and the Bird's Nest had not yet had a commercial premiere. They were still considering whether it could be used to screen movies.

However, around the middle of the year, he met a director of the Central Propaganda Department. After explaining the troublesome matter, the director decisively approved his use.

Firstly, this is the first domestic science fiction film to cost over 100 million yuan to produce, which is symbolic. Secondly, Gu Qing didn't use it for free; he paid for the entire theater.

Although it's a bit pricey, the results are absolutely amazing.

In addition, the promotion of "Source Code" has already begun, although it is a bit late, a month is enough.

Inside the screening room, a number of people gradually arrived, many of whom were from China Film Group, all there to see the film's effects.

Aside from a few stubborn old fogies, there are quite a few people who want to improve.

"Bro, how much do you think this movie will make at the box office?"

In the corner, Jing Tian held Gu Qing's arm and asked softly.

Although she had great confidence in her lover, this was no small matter, and she dared not speculate.

"Well, 350 million, I guess. The box office in mainland China is over 300 million, so we won't lose too much."

Gu Qing touched his chin and said uncertainly.

"Triangle" was a small step in opening the door to domestic science fiction films, and his "Prototype" is also highly anticipated. As long as the quality is good, there is no need to worry about the box office.

To be honest, although the competition during this year's Spring Festival film season was quite fierce, he didn't take it too seriously.

He had one film, "Red Cliff," but its reputation was already ruined. "Crazy Stone" was decent, but its cost and cast were major flaws, barely making over 100 million yuan. There was also Andy Lau's "Look for a Star," but of course, he didn't care about that at all.

In addition, the higher authorities also intend for his science fiction film to be used as a model, as cultural export is often highly valued.

With "Source Code" also having a simultaneous North American release, its box office performance is bound to be high.

The anti-piracy measures during the entire Spring Festival film season will be the most stringent ever.

He had all the advantages: perfect timing, favorable location, and popular support. A box office of 3.5 million yuan isn't an exaggeration.

"Brother, you're amazing."

Looking at her lover's confident face, Jing Tian felt a surge of joy in her heart.

The current domestic box office record is 3.2 million yuan, held by "Red Cliff Part I". Gu Qing's goal is not high; surpassing this film would be enough.

The rest depends on the global box office.

"You're happy now? This is my lowest box office estimate. In my opinion, 4 million is not impossible."

"Hehe, I believe you."

The two chatted as if no one else was around, and when they talked about filming six months ago, they laughed and joked again.

The two chatted regardless of the occasion, and most importantly, Gu Qing's boastful manner greatly displeased the senior members of China Film Group who were standing nearby.

Of course, it wasn't just because of that. The main reason was that these old guys couldn't stand seeing these two young people showing off their affection.

Ahead, Wang Changtian was asking Han Sanping the same question.

"Mr. Han, in your opinion, how much will this movie ultimately gross?"

Wang Changtian rubbed his hands together, and asked excitedly.

"3 million, 3 million is no problem at all."

Han Sanping pondered for a moment and then expressed his expectations.

He knew more and had confidence in Gu Qing. Although the production cost of 70 million was a lot, 300 million was not impossible.

"That's great, then I'll put in more effort in promotion."

Wang Changtian was delighted; wasn't the premium he was paying for the return on investment?

Once this film is successful, he'll find a few more scripts and try them out himself.

Han Sanping smiled but didn't say anything. Did he really think everyone was like Gu Qing? His first film had already grossed 70 million at the box office, not to mention the overseas box office.

However, the development of the film industry requires the efforts of all parties.

Soon, everyone in the room arrived, the lights dimmed, and "Source Code" officially began its screening.

Unlike the roughness of the first film, this one is noticeably full of details, including the dragon logo and the logo of Tianmeng Pictures.

In the scene, a tiny figure in a wedding dress walks lightly and dances to another tiny figure. Then, a ray of light flashes, revealing a pristine white castle, and finally, the screen lights up, displaying the words "Tianmeng".

"Brother, something's weird about you."

Jing Tian was puzzled, but she knew that famous film and television companies would have signature animations, but theirs was obviously a bit illogical.

"Didn't you see? Wedding dress, prince, princess, castle..."

Gu Qing held Jing Tian's hand, gazing tenderly into her eyes.

"Brother, you had this plan all along, didn't you? Hmph, you were so timid back then that you didn't dare tell me."

"I didn't know what you were thinking back then. If I had forced you to explain, we probably wouldn't even be able to be friends anymore."

"Hehe, but in the end you still succeeded."

Jing Tian raised her head slightly, quite proud. At first, it was because the other party ignored her that she became curious and inquisitive. Later, as they got closer, she became anxious and uncertain. Now, this was ostensibly a movie animation, but in reality, it was a marriage proposal. How could she not be moved?

Gu Qing smiled, and couldn't help but think of Huang Xiaoming. He had originally wanted to invite Huang Xiaoming to start a company together, but Huang Xiaoming wanted to wait and see, so he decided to wait and see.

When Jing Tian found out about this, he kicked the other person out of the game and the two of them became partners.

The opening animation was naturally Gu Qing's clever idea. In his opinion, no matter how flashy the animation was, nothing could please the other party as much as this.

At this moment, Jing Tian's eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at him.

The two didn't fool around here. Gu Qing pinched Jing Tian's chin and watched the movie in front of them attentively.

Although "Source Code" was filmed in mainland China, some aspects of it are actually quite good. Both the set design and props are excellent.

Otherwise, how could it have cost 70 million?

Just like the science fiction products in "The Wandering Earth 2", these things became outdated in just a few years.

Just like the Hive drone and the J-20 vertical takeoff and landing, there are traces to follow.

It's a pity that some props were taken by China Film Group for nothing, giving them a huge advantage.

Gu Qing didn't think about it any further and pulled Jing Tian to watch the movie attentively.

In layman's terms, "Source Code" is about a protagonist who uses a machine to travel to a parallel universe to solve a case.

They grow through repeated cycles of time and are ultimately reborn.

Although the storyline isn't strong, that's what you're looking for in a sci-fi movie—the story.

In the film, a long shot in which everyone is still brought to a new critical point, causing everyone's expressions to change drastically.

Duan Yihong and Li Binbin's performances were also excellent. Of course, Jing Tian was not bad either, since she only appeared in solo shots throughout the film, and even when she had scenes with other actors, she only contributed a back view.

"Wonderful! I never thought our country could make a movie like this."

"It's really good. Director Gu's scriptwriting and directing abilities are second to none among the younger generation."

"President Han's eye for talent remains sharp; this film has the potential to be a box office champion."

The audience praised the film without reservation, and it wasn't just flattery; the quality of the finished product far exceeded their expectations.

If 70 million can make a sci-fi movie like this, then how come those movies with investments of hundreds of millions are made into bad movies?

Gu Qing officially caught the eye of these old guys after a simple internal premiere. Regardless of whether it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it can make money for China Film Group, it's a good cat. Then they can submit plans to their superiors and free up some money for them to make movies.

Gu Qing was not arrogant. Compared to the previous film, this one was not much more difficult, and it was not a big deal for him.

After chatting with Han Sanping and others about the preparations for the movie's release, Gu Qing took Jing Tian back home. There would be another celebration later.

In mid-December, Ning Hao also returned to Beijing with "Crazy Stone".

Gu Qing personally went to pick him up at the airport, and Ning Hao kept talking the whole way.

"Brother Hao, this time the filming took a little longer than usual."

"Will this even make it into the Spring Festival film season?"

Perhaps it's the butterfly effect, but Ning Hao's film this time had a higher production cost, better results, and the shooting time didn't feel significantly longer.

"Let's release it after the Spring Festival. You bunch of weirdos are all trying to squeeze it into the Spring Festival season. I don't dare to clash with you guys."

Ning Hao was taken aback for a moment, then said jokingly.

"That's a good idea. There aren't many big movies after the Spring Festival, so it'll be a hit with everyone."

Gu Qing was not surprised by Ning Hao's decision. The film "Crazy Racer" is now stronger than the original and has a larger investment, so Ning Hao naturally has ambitions.

Originally, he didn't care about grades, so he was stuck when there were many big names in the field. Now that he can get better grades, he naturally wants to try harder.

Ning Hao smiled, feeling somewhat excited about Gu Qing's words. As a director, the most important thing is to have confidence in oneself.

Even established directors only maintain a semblance of respect on the surface; deep down, they still want to compete.

The film's editing was also done within Gu Qing's dream world, mainly because it didn't require spending much more money.

This is also Ning Hao's shooting habit: saving money.

It takes real skill to make a film like "Crazy Stone" with only three million.

Gu Qing also took advantage of the opportunity to see the movie in advance, and without a doubt, it was a milestone in comedy films.

The six subplots eventually converge at the same point, connecting all the foreshadowing elements. It truly is Ning Hao's masterpiece.

Gu Qing was already thinking about getting the other party to help him make a comedy film; if it turned out well, it would really save money.

Before we knew it, it was the end of the year, and the Film Bureau held another film and television industry conference.

Major directors, private film and television companies, cinema chains, associations, and others have all received invitations.

The meeting's content was nothing more than a summary of the work done over the past year.

What more can be said? It's thriving and full of vitality, with everything flourishing.

Gu Qing pulled Ning Hao to sit in the back rows, already prepared to doze off.

But I never expected that bastard Jiang Wen would drag me to the front rows.

"Are you crazy? Why did you drag me here?"

"Hehe, I can't be the only one suffering, can I?"

Ahead of him were several prominent directors of the fifth generation, including Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

Given his age, it wasn't really appropriate for him to sit here, but since it was anonymous, no one bothered him or made things difficult for him.

"Director Zhang, it's been a long time! Do you have any film or television projects planned recently?"

Gu Qing chatted with Jiang Wen for a few minutes, then suddenly saw Zhang Yimou arrive and asked him a question.

"Pretty much. Weiping has already collected the script for me. I took a look, and it's not bad. We're ready to start filming after the New Year."

Zhang Yimou was taken aback, and his eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Gu Qing.

"You're really talented at commercial films. Your new movie premieres next month, right? I'll definitely come to support you."

"Hehe, thanks a lot, Director Zhang."

Gu Qing smiled, feeling quite excited inside.

This is only his second work, so he's quite proud to have received such recognition.

Zhang Yimou is currently riding high, and even a terrible movie like "A Simple Noodle Story" still grossed 2.4 million yuan at the box office, which shows how outrageous it is.

The conference lasted for more than three hours, and Gu Qing listened with rapt attention.

If he hadn't been amused by Jiang Wen's storyboard, he would have suspected he was about to fall asleep.

"Jiang Wen, my sister could have drawn this script better than you."

"You don't know anything. This is stream-of-consciousness drawing. The finished product is already in my head."

"Hehe, then this anti-theft capability must be world-leading, because nobody will know what you're drawing!"