Images Started to Move Chapter 2

The Film Academy is not far from the Film Script Planning Center, and it only takes four stops on Bus No. 88.

Getting off the bus at Xiaoxitian, this is certainly not the Xiaoxitian Leiyin Temple in "Journey to the West".

It is said that there used to be a temple here, but now only a small Xitian archway remains.

Over time, the surrounding area was collectively called Xiao Xitian, and it is also one of the core areas of Beijing's film industry.

The Film Academy, Beijing Normal University which hosts the College Student Film Festival, Beijing Film Studio, China Film Research Center, China Film Group Corporation, etc. are all nearby.

After getting off the bus, just a few steps away you will find China Film Group, the largest state-owned enterprise in the film industry.

Ethan Tang would pass by here every day on his way to and from get off work. In this era when the film industry lacks private capital, almost every day someone would take a script to China Film to solicit investment.

The coal boss, who was later missed by many people, has not yet made a big move into the film and television industry.

It was not until 2002 that the state abolished the guidance price of power coal and made coal prices Mark Liet-oriented, and then coal mine owners were transformed into wealthy "coal bosses".

Coal bosses are easy to deceive. First, it is to flatter people, second, it is to wash away the label of "coal boss", and third, it is to make money.

They will not make decisions about the movies and will not interfere with the creation.

Compared with the capital in the Internet era that later overrides creators, directors and screenwriters simply love coal bosses.

However, since coal bosses did not enter the Mark Liet and private capital was lacking, mainland films still relied mainly on investment from a few major studios.

State-owned enterprises also have no money. Directors within the system lack funds, let alone others.

Therefore, Ethan Tang had basically never seen anyone walking out of China Film Academy with a smile on their face.

Today, by chance, I ran into a man who was a little hesitant and was about to walk into the gate of China Film Studio, with a briefcase tightly clutched in his hand.

It was still an acquaintance, Ethan Tang waved and greeted him.

"Brother Lu Chuan."

That person was Lu Chuan, who graduated with a master's degree in directing from the Film Academy in 1998. There were only so many students at the Film Academy, and he basically knew all of them.

In front of the gate of China Film Studio, Lu Chuan, who was full of excitement and a little nervous, was thinking about how to introduce the script he had painstakingly prepared. He was suddenly stopped and startled.

After staring at Ethan Tang for a while, he recognized this junior from the Department of Literature and a smile appeared on his face.

Lu Chuan looked at Ethan Tang with nothing in his hands and was a little surprised: "It's Ethan Tang, you're here at the China Film Academy too?"

Ethan Tang smiled and said, "I'm on my way to work. My workplace is in the movie script planning center in front."

"Oh, yes, you and ZW are from the same class, and you have also graduated."

Lu Chuan nodded, raised her right hand that was holding the briefcase, suppressed her inner anxiety, and tried to make herself look calmer.

"I have an appointment with Mr. Han to discuss my new movie."

An appointment was indeed made, but it was only after Lu Chuan had repeatedly hit a wall that his writer father Lu Tianming stepped in and gave him the opportunity to meet with Mr. Han from China Film.

Lu Chuan had no idea how confident she was of getting the investment.

However, in front of my junior fellow apprentice, I still have to pretend to be calm and composed.

Although she was pretending to be calm, Ethan Tang still saw anxiety and excitement on Lu Chuan's face.

He is almost thirty years old, but he just graduated not long ago, so he can't hide his true feelings on his face.

"Brother, are you planning to make a movie? What type of movie is it?" Ethan Tang asked curiously, although it was most likely "Looking for the Gun".

"It is probably about losing oneself, losing the meaning and value of being a human being, and finally paying the price of life, pursuing lost dreams and lives."

Talking about the script he had carefully written, Lu Chuan felt somewhat proud.

Thinking of Ethan Tang's unit, it was to cooperate with the production company to create and improve the movie script, so he casually said: "When the time comes, I will be preparing for this movie. You can come to my crew and do creation. You can't just work in isolation."

"Thank you, brother."

I thanked him and wished him success in getting investment. I left my phone number and we didn't talk much.

Seeing Lu Chuan walking into the gate of China Film Academy with his head held high, Ethan Tang shook his head secretly.

Why did you go to the set of "Looking for the Gun"?

Watch Lu Chuan and Jiang Wen fight?

Besides, judging from Lu Chuan's condition, it's not certain that she will be able to attract investment this time. The movie "Looking for the Gun" will not be released until 2002.

Even a director like Lu Chuan, who has a certain background, has to ask everyone for help and use all kinds of connections to make a movie, and there is still a guarantee that no one will invest.

It can be seen how difficult it is to make movies in this era.

The state-owned studios had no money, and the private companies didn’t have much either.

After its glory days in the 1980s, the mainland's film Mark Liet has now become sluggish, with no one knowing how many cinemas have closed down.

It is not an exaggeration to describe it as a desert.

However, it is still early and we are just getting started.

Only Ethan Tang knew that the film industry, which had just started, would soon enter the fast lane and develop its own unique "Chinese speed"

A little ahead of China Film Group is the China Film Art Research Center building, where Ethan Tang's workplace is affiliated.

Although the Film Script Planning Center is a directly affiliated institution of the Optoelectronics Department, its current director is also the deputy director of the Film Bureau.

However, there are only about ten people in the entire unit, and the office is located in the Film Art Research Center building.

The Film Art Research Center, like the Film Script Planning Center, is a public institution directly under the General Administration and has the same level.

However, their territory is much larger, with a 12-story building, which houses the Foreign Affairs Office, Collection and Compilation Department, Beijing Film Archive, Chang'an Film Archive, Graduate School, Film Research Office, Social Science Management Office, China Film Newspaper, Contemporary Film Magazine, Technology Department, Business Development Department, and Multimedia Museum.

For units of the same level, the office location must be affiliated with another unit.

This is enough to show what a poor job the Film Script Planning Center is.

After returning to the unit, Ethan Tang reported to his leader.

There are two departments under the Film Script Planning Center, the office and the planning room. Ethan Tang is in the planning room. The entire department, including the director and deputy director, has less than ten people.

"director."

"Xiao Tang is back so soon?"

Vanessa Su, director of the planning office, was not in a hurry to let Ethan Tang go to work. Instead, he recalled with some emotion his campus life at Beijing Normal University more than ten years ago.

Middle-aged women in their 40s, who are also literary and artistic workers and have an easy job, are most likely to feel sad about the past.

"After graduation, I don't know how long it will be before we can see each other again. You young people should get together."

Ethan Tang quickly said that work was the most important thing: "I still have some materials to write. In a few days, our center will have a meeting with Changchun Film Studio."

"By the way, you don't have to go this time. Just let Xiao Zhang write the rest of the materials."

ah.

Ethan Tang was a little confused. Could it be that he had been busy writing articles for the "Contemporary Film" magazine upstairs these days to earn some extra money, and had not been writing the materials carefully, and had been discovered?

Or was it that the day before yesterday I went to the film archive downstairs to look up information, but ended up running to the screening room of their multimedia library and watching movies for an entire afternoon, and got exposed?

That's not right. Slacking off at work is a very normal thing!

"Feng Xiaogang is preparing a new movie. You can go and learn from him."

Director Su’s words made Ethan Tang stop self-examination and was a little surprised.

"Director, it's not appropriate for me to go to Feng Xiaogang's new film."

Although there is controversy as to whether Zhang Yimou or Cheng Kaige is the best director in China in 2000, Feng Xiaogang is definitely the most popular director at present.

"Party A and Party B", "See You Tomorrow" and "Never Ending" pioneered the concept of Lunar New Year films and even the model of commercial films in mainland China. The total box office of the three Lunar New Year comedies exceeded 100 million yuan.

Last year, the total box office of the mainland film Mark Liet was just over 800 million yuan.

Although Feng Xiaogang will have many black spots in the future, it is no exaggeration to say that in this era, he is the number one commercial director in mainland China.

How could such an unknown and unqualified screenwriter like Ethan Tang be able to participate in the new movie of such a great director?

Director Su smiled and shook his head: "What's inappropriate? Our center's responsibility is to assist in planning the scripts of films that are released in China. Besides, this kind of film is most suitable for you young people."

Ethan Tang now almost understood. The planning office, including the two directors, had less than ten people in total, and most of them were literary and artistic workers.

Feng Xiaogang has been very popular with audiences in recent years, but in the mainstream film industry, most people look down on him.

Moreover, it is very likely that they will just be there for show and it is impossible for them to really help plan the script. Those with experience in the center may not be willing to go.

However, Ethan Tang, who traveled back in time, has a different view on movies than most people today.

Commercial films, or movies that most people like to watch, are bound to become mainstream.

Ethan Tang was eager for such a good thing, and agreed with a smile: "Thank you, Director. I will definitely not bring shame to our center."

"What's the shame? We're not going to war."

Director Su laughed and scolded: "They already have the script, you don't have to do anything, just go along and take a look and meet some people.

Mr. Han also attaches great importance to Feng Xiaogang's films and will visit them often. You should be smart. Maybe your script will have a chance."

Ethan Tang was stunned. He didn't expect the director to have this idea. He had indeed written a low-budget script a long time ago.

During the past six months of work, I have attended various meetings with my boss and several film studios, but all the major film studios are so poor that they can't make ends meet. Even if they think the script is good, they can't pay for it.

As for the Planning Center, it is also a poor institution. Not to mention that it is penniless, even if it had money, it would not be Ethan Tang's turn to write the script. The screenwriters in the planning room all have ten or eight scripts on hand.

In the entire Beijing film system, the only person who is capable and willing to invest in commercial films is Mr. Han from China Film. Compared with others, he is more enthusiastic about supporting commercial films.

This is not only an opportunity to learn from a great director, but also an opportunity to promote myself.

"Don't worry, Director. I will definitely live up to this opportunity."

After thinking about it, Ethan Tang volunteered to suggest: "Xiaoliang will be in the sixth grade next year, and he will have to take the junior high school entrance exam the next year. It's a critical time. How about I give him extra lessons during the summer vacation?"

Last month, Ethan Tang gave tutoring to Director Su's child for two weeks, half a day each on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, she had worked as a tool for more than a week in the crew of "Blue Love" directed by Director Su's husband, Huo Jianqi. To put it nicely, she was an assistant screenwriter. Huo Jianqi was quite satisfied with her role.

While gaining Director Su's favor, he also gained a little "enemy".

"That's not necessary. Xiaoliang is going to play with his grandparents during the summer vacation. We don't know when he will come back. This child can't wait to get away from us during the vacation."

Speaking of his son, Director Su also looked worried.

Suddenly, he changed the subject and started to care about Ethan Tang's personal problems.

"Xiao Tang, you don't have a girlfriend yet, right? Tell me what kind of girls you like. I'll introduce you to a few later."

"."

Ethan Tang felt his scalp tingling. It was just as the rumors said. Middle-aged women in government agencies were all keen on being matchmakers, even Director Su, who was full of artistic talent.

Fortunately, Director Su only said it out of habit and did not force an introduction to Ethan Tang, so he got away with it.

Director Su still felt a little regretful as he missed another opportunity to be a matchmaker.

She shook her head, picked up a document in front of her and handed it to Ethan Tang: "This is the script they haven't finalized yet. Take it back and study it. If you have any good ideas, you can mention them when the opportunity is right. Be bold."

"Thank you, Director. I understand."

Ethan Tang took the script and took a look at it. It was the movie "Big Shot". 20 years later, it became famous again because of a line by teacher Li Chengru.

According to Director Su, Ethan Tang should be allowed to express himself boldly when the opportunity is right.

Director Su nodded and said, "Seize the opportunity. You are the only one in the center who can write scripts for commercial films. In addition to mainstream and art films, we also need commercial films."

Ethan Tang is not the only one who writes commercial film scripts. Others in the center are lucky enough not to make sarcastic reMark Lis about commercial films, let alone write commercial scripts.

This is also normal. Today's filmmakers are all engaged in artistic work, which has little to do with business. Many people even look down on commercial films.

After taking the script out of the director's office and returning to his seat, Ethan Tang pulled out a folder from the desk and handed it to his colleague next to him.

"Shanshan, I'm going on a business trip to Changchun Film Studio in a couple of days. The director wants you to go with him. Here are the materials needed for the seminar. There are some more things you can fill in."

"okay."

Zhang Shanshan quickly took the document, adjusted her glasses, and opened it seriously.

Changchun Film Studio is a big studio, much better than those small studios that hold meetings for a long time but in the end can't even get the money to make a film.

But when she opened it and saw those few lines of words, Zhang Shanshan was stunned.

"You haven't started writing yet?"

"I haven't written this down yet."

While tidying up the table, Ethan Tang turned around and pointed at a few lines of words on the document.

"I have summarized several key points that may be mentioned in the seminar. These are the key points. You can just add more details. It's very simple."

"I have to go first, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Hey, Ethan Tang, where are you going again?"

"Check something in the archives downstairs."