Chinese entertainment director starts with filmmaking

Chapter 72: Pandas, Daydreams

Gu Qing was just joking; he didn't have any ulterior motives for taking Jing Tian out to play alone.

It's normal for a young girl to be playful, and given that she had been upset by the crew, she needed to vent her frustrations.

The main problem is that he caught a cold, so he felt powerless to do anything he wanted.

He wasn't particularly unhappy about going out with Zhao Lili, who was ostensibly his personal assistant but was actually his informant.

This was also a way of indirectly greeting Lu Zheng, letting him know that she was with him and there was nothing to worry about.

The three of them had lunch together first, and then went shopping at the mall.

Last time, Jing Tian gave him a watch, and today he bought her a Tiffany jewelry necklace.

Although the price made him feel a little pained, seeing the little stars in Jing Tian's eyes, he felt it was worth it.

"Brother, you're so good to me."

Jing Tian picked up the necklace and put it around her neck, looking at Gu Qing with deep affection.

"I came back in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts, so this is a way of making up for it."

Gu Qing stepped forward and helped Jing Tian put on the makeup, while also admiring the reflection of her in the mirror.

"Then every time you go out, I hope to receive a gift."

"Okay, I'll definitely send it to you then, but I'm afraid you'll get annoyed first."

"How could that be? I'll use a whole room just for your gift."

Jing Tian looked at Gu Qing and said with a serious expression.

They had known each other for over a year, and she had always carefully kept the small gifts that Gu Qing had casually given her, even though they weren't worth much money.

Gu Qing was stunned for a moment, then patted the other person's head.

He might actually take this girl seriously.

Zhao Lili looked at the two of them, oblivious to everyone else, and felt speechless. She felt like a giant light bulb who had been suddenly forced to eat a mouthful of dog food, making her feel choked up.

She shouldn't be sitting on the chair; she should be under it.

"Sister Zhao, you should choose one too, as a way of thanking you for taking care of Jing Tian these past few days."

"Taking care of Tian Tian is my job, no need to thank me."

"I apologize for being presumptuous, but please consider it a gift between friends."

Gu Qing didn't mean anything by it. He knew Zhao Lili; she had always been by Jing Tian's side, even longer than she had known him.

"Sister Zhao, please accept this. It's a token of Brother Qing's appreciation."

Jing Tian spoke up at the right moment, knowing that Gu Qing had made a lot of money outside, and this amount of money was nothing to him.

The important thing is that Zhao Lili is her person, so wouldn't she have a legitimate reason to give Gu Qing gifts next time?

"Alright then, thank you, Director Gu."

Zhao Lili first glanced at Jing Tian, ​​then thanked Gu Qing, and then happily selected a bracelet.

What woman doesn't love jewelry? But she's Mr. Lu's woman, and small favors can't erode her steely will. I'll have to do it a few more times!

Afterwards, Jing Tian also selected several other pieces of affordable luxury jewelry. The necklace she wore before was too flashy, so she didn't dare to wear it out normally.

After a shopping spree, Gu Qing discovered that she had already spent 200,000 yuan when she went to pay the bill, with the majority of the money going to the gemstone necklace.

Gu Qing didn't feel bad. Opportunities to flaunt his wealth in front of the rich young woman were rare, and each one was one less chance he could get.

After shopping, Gu Qing took Jing Tian to see a movie.

With limited entertainment options available these days, and Jing Tian having caught a cold and lacking energy, watching movies became the best way to pass the time.

I bought a ticket for "Kung Fu Panda," a movie that was just released in April. It's produced by DreamWorks, founded by Steven Spielberg, who once built the brand to rival Disney.

Unfortunately, the founders' differing philosophies eventually led to the company being acquired by Disney after several changes of ownership.

Kung Fu Panda is a classic IP, but unfortunately, while the themes and content are related to the East, the creative team is from the West.

Gu Qing watched "Kung Fu Panda" in North America last month with Han Sanping. To be honest, she had a lot on her mind and even started thinking about making an animated film.

However, he knew it was too early; the domestic animation industry wasn't yet mature enough to support an animation company.

We bought three movie tickets at the ticket window: two for a row and one for a single ticket. The three of us then went into the theater together to watch the movie.

Gu Qing gave Zhao Lili a reassuring look, then led Jing Tian to their seats.

Zhao Lili rolled her eyes at the other person, then helplessly took her popcorn and went to the other side.

She could see everything from both sides inside the theater, so being a little further away wasn't a problem.

Gu Qing ate snacks and drank cola leisurely.

Jing Tian next to her was also drinking cola through a straw, but she wasn't holding anything in her hands.

He specifically heated up the cola with shredded ginger; that's how they treat minor colds back in his hometown.

"How is it? Tastes good, right?"

"It's alright, it's a bit spicy, but it doesn't taste carbonated anymore, so I'm not used to drinking it."

Jing Tian sipped her cola, leaned back in her chair, and looked around with her eyes darting about, hoping to run into someone she knew.

"This is a secret recipe; I don't usually teach it to others."

Gu Qing said cheerfully, then reached out to feel Jing Tian's forehead. It was getting better, and she would be almost fine after eating and taking a nap.

The two exchanged a few more quiet words, and only after the theater lights went out did they begin to watch the movie seriously.

Gu Qing was about to watch the panda video again when he suddenly felt a weight on his arm.

Unexpectedly, Jing Tian grabbed Gu Qing's right arm and leaned on his shoulder.

Gu Qing smiled, then opened her palm and intertwined her fingers with the other person's.

Jing Tian seemed oblivious, still staring at the movie screen and laughing.

If Gu Qing hadn't felt the sweat on her palms, she probably would have been fooled too.

Women are truly born with a knack for playing dumb.

The movie "Kung Fu Panda" is based on Po, the son of Lun Lun, a giant panda living in the United States.

Filming took place from September 05 to the end of 07, a period of two and a half years.

The film features spectacular scenery and a visual style similar to the blank spaces in traditional Chinese paintings.

The visuals referenced the Lijiang Valley and Guilin in Guangxi, and the art director began working on the film's visual design as early as 2003.

The film features over fifty visual effects, such as the crane in the Five Heroes, which has over six thousand feathers.

The petals from Master Oogway's ascension, the fragments from the rocket chair explosion, the dust, and so on are all miracles in animation history.

This has taught the domestic animation industry a valuable lesson.

Not to mention that this is a 2.5D animation. Most domestic animations are still in 2D, and even if there is 3D, it is crudely made and not worthy of being considered high-class.

As the saying goes, experts see the details, while laymen just enjoy the spectacle. Gu Qing was admiring the animation's technical skill, while the audience in the theater were having a good time watching the panda's story.

The script for Kung Fu Panda is very Hollywood-style and made for market-driven animated films.

It's highly entertaining for children, but only slightly enjoyable for adult audiences, similar to Jackie Chan's kung fu comedy films.

Because of its strong audience base in the mainland market, the film's plot even incorporates domestic cultural elements.

Animated films are seen by domestic audiences as being for children, and even adults still consider them inferior to last year's "Transformers".

Even though "Kung Fu Panda" performed well in terms of plot and visual effects, its box office performance did not meet expectations, but it still reached 1.7 million yuan, far exceeding that of mainland films.

In July of this year, the animated film "Storm Riders: Clash of the Storm Riders," adapted from the comic book "Storm Riders," was also released.

The production team tailored every detail of the action performance of each character, from fist techniques to leg techniques, from swordsmanship to knife skills, and combined it with exaggerated rendering and performance, which has reached a new milestone in the field of domestic animated films.

Unfortunately, it was born at the wrong time, coinciding with the release of "Red Cliff". Its screenings were squeezed out, and there was no market for animated films in mainland China. This film, with an investment of 50 million yuan, only earned 30 million yuan at the box office, and it was a complete flop.

It will take a long time for Chinese animation to move from being "for young children" to being "for all ages".

The success of "Kung Fu Panda" was due not only to its excellent production, but also, most importantly, to the influx of talent from outside the industry.

It's true that monks outside the temple chant sutras more easily.

After the movie ended, Jing Tian kept chattering away, still immersed in the movie's plot.

Po's adorable panda appearance is deeply imprinted in the minds of the audience.

"Alright, let's go eat. Is this movie really as good as you say?"

As Gu Qing drove, he listened to Jing Tian's rambling and couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Of course it looks good! Don't you think Abao is cute? What do you think, Sister Zhao?"

"It's visually appealing, but it feels a bit strange that this subject matter has been filmed by foreigners."

When asked the question, Zhao Lili was also taken aback for a moment.

"I didn't realize you had this kind of awareness, Sister Zhao."

"If you don't cherish something, your enemy will take it and use it."

Gu Qing shook her head, saying with regret.

China has a 5,000-year-old tradition, and any part of it is a valuable treasure. However, the current trend in China is to only recognize foreign things.

The two animated films achieved vastly different results.

"Brother Qing, so you mean you'll be going to work on animated films in the future?"

Jing Tian smiled and asked with a grin.

"Go ahead and film it! Why don't you film it? Do you believe that animated films will dominate the future?"

"I don't really believe it. I don't think there are any animated films in China that have grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office."

Jing Tian answered without much hesitation.

Nowadays, let alone animated films, even animation is not recognized; it's only made for children.

For example, the currently very popular Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

Children's minds are not mature enough, and they have no resistance to these kinds of cartoons. They often become immersed in them and watch them for a whole day, which is not liked by parents.

Modern animated films surpass the online games of the past.

"I'll just point out one thing: animated characters are independent individuals based on the story. They are the characters themselves and there is never any possibility of them being embroiled in scandals."

"On this point, do you think other movies can achieve this?"

Gu Qing smiled and explained.

Filming movies with real people not only raises issues of actor salaries, but also carries risks such as actors dying or buildings collapsing.

However, animated characters don't have the risk of collapse; the only concern is production costs.

The reason why Marvel movies later failed to meet expectations, besides the plot, was also due to the high production costs. If an actor takes away tens of millions of dollars, how can the movie be made?

"what?"

Jing Tian had never thought about this issue from this perspective before, but after Gu Qing mentioned it, she realized that it really was the case.

As expected of her older brother, he easily thought of things she hadn't considered.

Zhao Lili, sitting behind, was even more dumbfounded. If animated films become mainstream, then what's the point of having celebrities?

"Director Gu, what do you think the box office for animated films will be in the future?"

"Our current domestic box office champion is 'Titanic,' with 360 million yuan. Director Zhang's 'Curse of the Golden Flower' is also close to breaking 300 million yuan. Breaking 1 billion yuan in the next five years shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Zhao Lili was somewhat skeptical, but Gu Qing was a director whose first film had grossed over 500 million worldwide, so his words were certainly not unfounded.

"Brother, you're amazing."

Jing Tian naturally believed in her older brother. He already had 500 million, and in another five years, it was not impossible for him to have 1 billion.

Gu Qing wasn't surprised by their reactions; she was just happy today and talked a bit more.

If he were to predict that in the future, domestic animated films would gross over 10 billion yuan, that would be truly terrifying.

However, that was truly a stroke of good fortune, and such opportunities will never come again.

Gu Qing took the two of them out for hot pot, and they chatted for a while during the meal.

He had many scripts and stories in his mind, which he could casually piece together to pique Jing Tian's interest.

As for his next project, "An Epic of a Woman," he felt it was even less interesting.

"Brother, how about I just go directly to Brother Hao's place? By the way, what's that supposed to be a surprise?"

"I'll tell you about the surprise later. Right now, your most important thing is to finish filming what you didn't finish today and continue filming tomorrow."

"An actor still needs to let his work speak for itself. What Zhao Yanzi said makes sense. You need to prepare early."

Gu Qing shook her head and didn't mention the other movie.

He took the time to ask Zhao Lili about what happened today, and found that he couldn't really say anything, since it was true.

"Brother, I wasn't in good shape during the day today and didn't perform to my usual standard. Just wait and see when I'm better."

Jing Tian frowned and said seriously.

"Okay, I believe you, but next time something happens, you should explain it clearly in time. If all else fails, let Sister Zhao speak for you. She's your assistant, it's her job."

Gu Qing wasn't worried about anything else, but he was afraid that Jing Tian's mood would be affected.

It's perfectly normal for actors to be scolded by directors on set; some have even cried from the scolding.

Zhao Lili nodded in agreement. It was a pity that Gu Qing had arrived before she had a chance to show her fighting prowess that morning.

After dinner, it was already night. Gu Qing escorted the two back to the hotel, where Jing Tian had already fallen asleep by the window.

"You lead the way, I'll carry her up. Sweetie's a little tired today."

Gu Qing spoke softly to Zhao Lili, without waking Jing Tian.

Zhao Lili remained noncommittal, glanced at Jing Tian who was fast asleep in the car, and then led the way.

Gu Qing picked up Jing Tian. She was rather light. Although she wasn't exactly a stick figure, she needed to gain weight, otherwise it would be a bit uncomfortable to hold her.