Chinese entertainment director starts with filmmaking

Chapter 34: Filming Wraps Up, Heading Abroad

Gu Qing's conversation with Huang Xiaoming was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

In the entertainment industry, resources are king. Whoever has resources and projects is the artist's king.

Why do those film and television company executives always talk about banning and suppressing their companies?

Besides contractual restrictions, resource constraints are the most important factor.

He never intended to be a director forever, making money for others.

This one project, worth nine million, cost him almost all of his wealth.

In addition, he also wanted to see if he could make his brother famous, and the film and television company had to get on the right track.

Although my brother's family is not short of money, how can a man remain subservient to others for long?

Once it's done, who gets the credit?

Right now, he's just a small-time director. To start a company, he needs to gain some traction first.

Although he wanted to get involved himself, he simply didn't have the energy to manage it, so he decided to find a trustworthy partner.

Although Huang Xiaoming can be a little absent-minded at times, his character is considered quite good within the industry, and he also has a decent business sense.

If it were 02, he might have had some ambition, but now it's 07, so he should probably find someone to go with him. Besides, he's not interested in this kind of business operation.

Filming continued, and the female lead, played by Fan Binbin, lost focus while driving, causing her to hit a seagull. Her autistic son saw blood on the windshield and cried uncontrollably.

This foreshadows the earlier scene where the child cries loudly, and it's not because the paint was spilled.

Instead, it was another mother who had been murdered, and the bloodstains left on the ground.

The child's crying irritated the female protagonist, and also explained why she later killed her former self.

Long-term single-parent family life, her son's autism, and the pressure of life all left her feeling suffocated, so she naturally vented her frustrations in front of her son.

But every parent regrets losing their temper with their children afterward, thinking they will never do it again, yet they still don't change anything.

The tragedy ultimately stemmed from the female protagonist's reckless driving.

After a series of long shots, the female lead, wearing a floral dress, lies on the ground in a pool of blood, bleeding profusely, just like her death on the ship.

As the camera zooms out, passersby rush forward to offer their help, while the female protagonist, wearing a vest and dress, looks on blankly at everything.

The time of death was 8:17, exactly the same time the ship came to a stop.

The film's color scheme also changes accordingly, shifting from warm to cool tones.

What's amusing is that the original film used a Black character to transition between scenes.

Then music started playing, and a taxi driver appeared, revealing that the child was dead.

The female protagonist looked at all this with a dazed expression of déjà vu, then got into a taxi and sped away.

The camera shifts, capturing the female lead's profile and the scenery along the way, creating a scene reminiscent of a revolving lantern.

But a voice kept running through her mind that she wanted to go to the beach before 8:30 and see her son one more time.

This is also why the female lead is in a daze at the beginning of the movie.

"Cut! I hereby declare that filming for 'Cruise of Destiny' has officially wrapped!"

Gu Qing, holding up a megaphone, spoke with a joyful expression.

After filming the last set of shots, Gu Qing officially ended his first feature film project.

The staff members exclaimed in surprise, breathed a sigh of relief, and still had a hint of reluctance on their faces.

The reason is simple: the high-paying, easy job, and the opportunity to slack off together are coming to an end.

"Long live the director! Filming is finally wrapped!"

Unlike the staff, Fan Binbin was not reluctant to leave; the job was finally over.

God knows how she got through that period of time. The script was good, the director was good, but it was too hard on the actors.

"Binbin, you absolutely have to come to the wrap party tonight!"

Gu Qing patted the dust off his clothes and said excitedly.

"Absolutely! I'm going to eat you out of house and home today!"

Fan Binbin gritted his teeth and said angrily.

She has 80% of the screen time in this drama, and Gu Qing shows her no mercy, relentlessly tormenting her. This is definitely the most exhausting drama she has ever taken on since her debut.

Ignoring Comrade Xiao Fan's dissatisfaction, Gu Qing went to the other side.

Ning Hao was chatting with Lu Zheng on the side, while Jing Tian stood next to him, seemingly well-behaved, but her small eyes were actually darting around.

Seeing Gu Qingchao approaching, she revealed a pair of tiger teeth and waved at him.

"President Lu, Brother Hao, Tian Tian, ​​everyone's been waiting for me here!"

Gu Qing looked at everyone and greeted them.

"Who's waiting for you? We're just chatting here."

Jing Tian crossed her arms and pouted as she spoke.

This girl is quite reserved in private, but she becomes rather arrogant when outsiders are around.

"Director Gu, congratulations on wrapping up filming. Thank you for taking care of Tian Tian during this time."

"Uncle Lu, I'm helping out on set, but Brother Qing hasn't paid me a salary."

Lu Zheng intended to exchange pleasantries, but was interrupted by Jing Tian standing to the side.

This left him somewhat helpless. He wasn't afraid of owing favors, but rather of not owing favors. This was because his niece was pampered at home and naturally didn't understand these principles.

"Mr. Lu, you don't need to be so polite. Tian Tian and I are good friends. She's smart and quick-witted, and everyone in the crew likes her."

"Moreover, her acting skills are evident to all, so she must have put in a lot of effort."

Facing Lu Zheng, Gu Qing didn't mention brotherhood again, as no one would believe it anyway. But seeing the situation, his mind started to wander.

"That's right, I got along really well with everyone on set!"

When this was mentioned, Jing Tian spoke with great enthusiasm.

This film crew is much better than the one she was on last time. She has peers to hang out with and can watch others act.

Gu Qing, Lu Zheng, and Ning Hao exchanged a glance and laughed. Given Jing Tian's personality, it was difficult for most people to harbor any ill intentions.

She's generous, beautiful, and has a sweet voice. Most importantly, she's innocent and guileless—she looks like a silly daughter of a wealthy landowner.

This is also why she was so popular on set.

Who could refuse to have a friend like that?

At the wrap party at the hotel that night, Gu Qing also gave a red envelope to all the main actors.

After all, this was a complete defeat, so they should send out red envelopes to ward off bad luck.

Although it is unknown who established this custom, it is never wrong to be overly polite.

"Director Gu is so generous! I've had a great time these past two weeks, eating, drinking, and having fun. And I even got a red envelope at the end! Remember to call me next time you have a suitable role!"

Huang Xiaoming raised his glass and laughed as he spoke.

"Xiaoming, you'd better remember to whiten your skin when you get back; you've gotten several shades darker lately."

"Haha, who can disagree? Everyone's gotten quite tanned, and I've gained several pounds too. I've never heard of anyone gaining weight while filming."

"Who said that? I've looked much more haggard lately. Director Gu, you're really heartless."

Huang Xiaoming's words got everyone talking, and they all spoke freely.

Apart from Fan Binbin, everyone else was in a good mood.

These days it's rare to find a director who is not only highly capable and of excellent character, but also young and has potential.

Putting everything else aside, the atmosphere on set was absolutely amazing.

"Thank you all for your kind words. We're all doing this to make a better movie. Please don't take any mistakes we made before to heart."

"Binbin, let me offer you a toast separately."

Gu Qing raised his glass, looked around, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Although the director has a high status, he is not a wealthy landlord. These people are not servants. It is common for them to speak harshly during filming.

Sure enough, as soon as Gu Qing finished speaking, the smiles on everyone's faces became much more genuine.

Even Fan Binbin, whose expression softened considerably, whether he was genuinely complaining or feigning emotion.

Regardless of whether the movie is good or bad, this attitude towards people is enough to earn their respect.