novellhall Chapter 18: Film Analysis
Chapter 18: Film Analysis
The auditorium was bustling with noise. This year's art exam students were lucky; they arrived at the school just in time for a group screening.
The film being screened is the Golden Bear for Best Short Film, which was just awarded at this year's Berlin Film Festival. I heard that the original director will also be there to share his thoughts and feelings about the filming process.
The people present were all semi-insiders in the industry, so they were naturally very much looking forward to it, especially since this film was not yet available on the market.
"Hello, my name is Zheng Shuang. You must be taking the acting exam this time too, right? You look really beautiful."
As soon as Jing Tian sat down, a girl next to her asked in surprise and uncertainty.
"Hello there."
Jing Tian sat upright in the chair, her back straight, one hand supporting her chin, and spoke with great energy.
"My name is Zheng Shuang, what's your name?"
Zheng Shuang hesitated for a moment, then asked again.
"Jing Tian".
"..."
Zheng Shuang was a little annoyed; why was this person acting so unpredictably?
She thought she was the prettiest among the art students in this year's exams, but it turns out that any random person who came along was just as beautiful as her, and their aura was just extraordinary.
"My name is Kan Qingzi. You must also be here to see Director Gu Qing, right?"
"Yes, you too?"
Seeing the two chatting so enthusiastically, the girl sitting in front of Jing Tian turned around and joined in the conversation.
"A 23-year-old Golden Bear director, that's really impressive. I wonder what his temperament is like. People who achieve fame at such a young age are probably arrogant and haughty."
"Haha, I think it's alright. We get along quite well in private."
"Hey, have you met him in person? Can you tell me about him?"
Zheng Shuang, who was listening to the two talking as if no one else was around, became furious.
She was acting like a stranger not to be approached before, but now she's acting like a long-lost best friend. Who is she trying to embarrass?
Have you even met Director Gu? And you're already giving your opinion on him.
I wanted to say something sarcastic, but the short film had already started playing on stage.
"Zheng Shuang, right? Let's talk later, let's watch the movie first."
"..."
It's like you really want to chat with me! Zheng Shuang was a little annoyed and immediately turned her head away, not wanting to talk anymore.
The short film began to play, and the auditorium gradually fell silent.
At the beginning of the story, the protagonist, played by Fu Dalong, is going up the stairs and making a phone call in a bad mood when he bumps into someone coming towards him. He gets a blob of red paint on himself and gets so angry that he starts cursing.
Even after entering the restroom, he continued to make phone calls and treat the cleaning staff with the same uncontrolled temper, which shows that he is a bad person.
But the story truly begins when he enters the toilet stall and closes the door.
A sound of fighting came from outside the door. Through the crack in the door, the protagonist saw a wide-open eye!
……
In the twenty-minute short film, Fu Dalong's acting contributed five points, while the tightly woven and interconnected plot added another five points, which is what made it the best short film.
The Golden Lion Award is well-deserved!
When the protagonist takes off his black suit jacket at the end of the short film, walks out of the room, and then bumps into the protagonist in the black jacket, the auditorium is silent, and all the students are amazed by the stunning plot.
After a long while, applause erupted, loud enough to lift the roof off.
"Dear students, what are your thoughts after watching this short film?"
Gu Qing stepped onto the stage at the opportune moment, gestured with his hand, and asked the crowd a question.
Having walked through the Berlin awards ceremony and faced the scrutinizing gazes of hundreds of peers, these few hundred students naturally do not put any pressure on him.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he caught sight of an unexpected figure.
What are you doing here?
"Hehe, didn't expect that, did you? You didn't even say you'd be here!"
Although the two of them couldn't understand each other's thoughts, Gu Qing could still read Jing Tian's meaning from her eyes.
But now was not the time to speak, so he simply returned a smile to the other person.
"Jing Tian, was Senior Brother looking at me just now?"
Zheng Shuang tugged at Jing Tian's sleeve under the table and said excitedly.
"..."
Now it was Jing Tian's turn to be speechless. "Do you even know your senior brother? You're trying to get close to him."
"Director Gu, you have a background in cinematography, so why did you decide to make short films?"
"Shooting short films is naturally a way to practice for feature films. Why make feature films? It's all about our love for film."
Gu Qing pressed his palms down, and looking at the slightly excited expressions of the students below the stage, he couldn't help but smile.
"The future is not fixed. You applied to the acting department, but there's no rule that you have to become an actor. Director Wang Quan'an also graduated from the acting department."
"I'm a photography student, and nobody said I had to go and photograph guys, right?"
The students below the stage chattered excitedly, feeling as if a new door was being opened in response to Gu Qing's words.
"Director Gu, could you tell us about your thought process? Did you initially intend to make a film?"
Many students in the audience were curious and extremely interested in this.
The short film is a good one, but they can't really appreciate it. However, they listen to the gossip stories more attentively than anyone else.
Below, Jing Tian felt her heart race. Others might not know, but how could she not know? The script was drawn right under her nose, and she was quite startled at the time.
At that moment, she felt as if a storyteller was telling a tale under a bridge, but the protagonist in the story somehow shared her feelings.
"There's nothing wrong with talking about it. I was shooting still photos of guys, and by chance, Senior Brother Ning Hao invited me to dinner."
"It's Ning Hao, the director who made 'Crazy Stone.' Later, he invited me to direct a music video. He's the director."
"At that time, I looked at the script and realized that it was the prototype of a long script. Later, I wondered if I could compress the long script into a short film, just like shooting a music video. In the end, that was the short film 'Dilemma'."
Gu Qing sat on the stage, calmly recounting his journey.
Of course, the story has been embellished to some extent for the sake of entertainment.
"Director Gu, who is the owner of that music video? They actually managed to get both of you to appear. This is such a great deal!"
Students in the audience burst into laughter. Making a music video with a rising commercial film director and a short film Golden Bear winner—what a bargain!
Hearing this, Jing Tian became a little nervous, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and unconsciously rubbed her fingers together.
She still doesn't know what kind of person she is in the other person's eyes.
Will I be disgusted with myself? Will I say that my acting is terrible and my eyes are lifeless?
No, what is she worried about? Shouldn't they be friends?
Gu Qing glanced at Jing Tian as if they were telepathically connected, and their gazes met in the air. Jing Tian was instantly defeated.
"She is a rather cute but also very serious girl, and of course, a bit willful. Without her, I probably wouldn't have succeeded so easily."
Gu Qing smiled and said with a nostalgic expression.
At that time, he was feeling melancholy, and the young girl was beautiful and full of energy, which helped him recover a lot.
The students below the stage roared with excitement. This declaration, this expression—it's clear there's a story behind it all. They're definitely not sleepy now.
"Director Gu, please tell us your story."
"Who is that girl? Is she also from our college?"
"Director Gu, can I take a picture with you? Or at least get your autograph? Director Gu, Director Gu!"
Gu Qing waved his hand, indicating that he had finished his business and was about to leave.
Jing Tian exchanged contact information with Kan Qingzi in the crowd and then quietly left.