Chapter 55 Western Restaurant
Before coming to Taipei, Shu Ming provided Chen Chong with contact information on several famous Taiwanese filmmakers, such as Li Xing, the director of the China Film Academy, and Bai Jingrui, who has a deep connection.
However, after coming to Taipei, Chen Chong only contacted one person - Qiu Gangjian.
Qiu Gangjian is a screenwriter.
As a movie lover, Chen Chong often talked about the topic of "the most important script" in his previous life. But to be honest, when he really watched a movie, he rarely paid attention to who the screenwriter was...
There are no more than ten screenwriters from Hong Kong and Taiwan who can name them.
And Qiu Gangjian is one of the few people.
"Fire Youth", "Traveling to the Angry Sea", "Bold and Strong Women in the Tang Dynasty", "Women's Heart", "Underground Love", "Rouge Button", "Man in New York", "Ruan Lingyu"...
He is the screenwriter of these classic movies, and it is difficult to think about it or not.
Of course, these are all his future works. From Shu Ming's mouth, Chen Chong learned that Qiu Gangjian had been a screenwriter at Shaw Brothers Film Company for seven years, wrote more than a dozen movie scripts, wrote "Dead End" for Zhang Che, and "Ai Slave" for Chu Yuan. Last year, the "Killing" in Huashan was also temporarily invited to write him from Taiwan.
"Dead End" is the first movie in Hong Kong to incorporate punches and kicks into a modern fashion background. It set a precedent for a generation and also made the golden partners David Kang and Dillon famous.
"Aisu" is the first movie that Chu Yuan has made after joining Shaw Brothers. Although the box office is average, its extremely avant-garde content has attracted the attention of the international film industry and has received praise from both the UK and France. Some even call it "one of the top ten movies in the world of the year."
This is a top talent in the Chinese screenwriter industry.
However, it was not for the screenwriter to contact him - he had not yet considered what type of movie to choose for his debut work after becoming an independent director.
It was because Shu Ming introduced that after graduating from *** Art College, Qiu Gangjian first worked as an editor in Modern Literature, and then founded the quarterly magazine "Theater". After three years of persistence, he finally couldn't stand it and went to Hong Kong to be a screenwriter.
Tang Shuxuan's "Big Feature" kicked off the new wave of Hong Kong films, while Qiu Gangjian's "Theater" is the starting point of the new film movement in Taiwan.
After the experience of founding "The Age of Movie" and "The First Movie Review", I deeply felt that in an era of lack of information, if you want to quickly and effectively intervene in an industry, running a media is the fastest way, which can easily explore talents, gather connections, master industry trends, and spread influence.
Since Qiu Gangjian has run a magazine, I will do it again. I can just use Wei Jingmeng’s inscriptions and start a Taiwanese version of "Movie Age" to make this magazine a beacon and attract all the moths.
The meeting place was a Western restaurant arranged by Duan Zhongtan. The environment was elegant and there was a stage in the center of the restaurant. During dining, singers also sang live.
Chen Chong didn't beat around the bush. After the greetings, he explained his purpose straight to the point, and then asked, "What do you think Mr. Qiu?"
"Mr. Chen, you want to invest in the run of a movie magazine, I agree with it." Qiu Gangjian was middle-aged and spoke calmly and vigorously. "But I think it is better to run the Taiwanese version of "First Movie Review" than to run the Taiwanese version of "First Movie Review".
"Why?"
"Hong Kong is very free. In addition to Shaw Brothers Jiahe, there are dozens of independent producers of all sizes. They can shoot whatever they want, so there is news every week." Qiu Gangjian put down his knife and fork and said, "And in our Taiwan, Mr. Chen, I can write a press release for you now, and then post every issue of the magazine, and don't even need a reporter."
"Oh?" Chen Chong asked in surprise, "What kind of press release?"
"Talk and talk, fall in love; love love, love beauties; fight, beat bad guys; kill, kill, kill **; hate, hate, hate Japan; curse, scold, scold the Qing Dynasty." (Note 1)
Duan Zhongtan laughed aside, and Chen Chong smiled at it.
"This is the fact." Qiu Gangjian said without laughing: "Taiwan can only shoot these things, and the news editing and editing needs to be reviewed, which is very troublesome, so I suggest that Mr. Chen should invest in a review magazine like "First Movie Review"."
"Since all Taiwanese movie content has been fixed to death," Chen Chong said: "There is no market for film review magazines, right?"
"That may not be." Qiu Gangjian explained: "The subject matter is restricted, but the content still has room for discussion. For the same dish, the order of oil, salt, sauce and vinegar will be different, the heat will be different, and the taste will definitely be different."
"Mr. Qiu means to make a commentary magazine that focuses on exploring the art of film?"
"Yes." Qiu Gangjian said in a heartache: "The reviews in Taiwanese newspapers either praise or curse. They don't watch the movies themselves, but only look at the backstage. If Mr. Chen can invest in a neutral movie review magazine, it will be of great merit to the Taiwanese film industry."
"But are readers too niche for comment magazines like this?"
"There will be more diners when the chef is high." Qiu Gangjian didn't think it was wrong and said: "Good film review magazines have a supervisory and promoting effect on filmmakers. When the filmmakers improve, the quality of the film will improve. When the film quality is high, there will naturally be more people watching movies. When the movies are too high, there will be more people buying magazines at that time."
Chen Chong rubbed his chin and did not immediately connect.
Films are cultural industries that bring together a large number of intellectuals, and intellectuals all have a common problem - idealism.
Taiwan cannot be said to have attached great importance to the film industry, and various support policies are emerging one after another. However, the more support is, the more sluggish it is, like a daffodil in a greenhouse. Before Hollywood comes, it is beaten to the point of being beaten by Hong Kong movies. When the Hollywood tide comes, it is defeated.
The biggest reason for this is that when Taiwan supports the film industry, it blindly subsidizes production business, and focuses on subsidizing art films and neglects commercial films, as if it is embarrassing to make commercial films.
Art films can win awards and have a reputation, but they are high and low, so they will inevitably be niche. However, if a niche is weak, the ability to resist risks will be very weak, and there is no need for external pressure. As long as there is a slight internal disturbance, you can be shocked overnight.
Commercial films can attract audiences, increase box office, cultivate a stable film market, improve the film industry chain, and naturally have the ability to resist risks.
In addition, the survival logic of the two in the market is also different.
When the art film is made, the award is won, and all the honors are to the producer. The other units in the film industry chain can share the benefits of insufficient profits, and they also have to bear the risk of "high and low" and the survival chain is very fragile.
As long as commercial movies are filmed with enough entertainment, there will be more audiences. With more audiences, the box office will be higher. With more box office, there will be more investment. With more investment, the number of movies will increase. When the number of movies increases, the market capacity will expand, thus forming a virtuous cycle.
The world is bustling with people, all for profit, and all for profit. This is a famous saying. Only by sharing benefits equally can the greatest value be created.
The new wave of Hong Kong films lasted for two or three years, and was then incorporated by commercial film companies, thus creating at least ten years of the golden age of Hong Kong films.
Taiwan's new film movement lasted for two or three years, but several movies failed at box office and immediately stopped, which accelerated the decline of Taiwan's film industry.
This is the gap between the market dominated by art films and the market dominated by commercial films.
Qiu Gangjian's thinking has a strong idealistic color - as long as the film artistic value is high, the audience will buy it, but forget that people go to the cinema mainly for entertainment, not for education.
Chen Chong attaches great importance to art films, but he is not blind. What he needs most now is to master the dynamic information of the Taiwan film industry, rather than to engage in art criticism.
Moreover, "First Movie Review" is a flagship that integrates film review resources from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the three regions, and does not require any sub-issue.
"Let's do it." Chen Chong thought for a while and said in a compromise: "Hong Kong's "Movie Times" is a weekly magazine, and the Taiwan version is ready to be a monthly magazine. It is worthy of both information and comments. What do you think?"
"I think it's OK." Duan Zhongtan said, "It's good to do information and comments together. Everyone reads newspapers, but they all read the news and comments while scolding people."
"Mr. Chen is intent." Qiu Gangjian also nodded and agreed: "If this magazine can be run well, it will be a great thing in the Taiwanese film industry."
"Since that's the case, is Mr. Qiu interested in condescending to be the editor-in-chief of the Taiwan version of "Movie Age"?" Chen Chong immediately sent an invitation and said, "Salary and treatment are easy to say."
"Mr. Chen's purpose is here, Brother Shu Ming has already given me a whisper." Qiu Gangjian said humbly, "To be honest, I am very interested, but I have several scripts to write recently, and I am afraid I can't do it well."
"Brother Qiu, don't shirk it." Duan Zhongtan advised: "Mr. Chen has come from Hong Kong to find you with great sincerity. Could it be that he still has to visit him three times?"
"Mr. Qiu, as long as you are the editor-in-chief of the magazine." Chen Chong also looked eager to seek talents and promised: "If you want people to give them, you will be fine."
"Okay, then I won't be pretentious." Qiu Gangjian nodded and took over the editor-in-chief's errand, "If you don't do it well, Mr. Chen, don't be surprised."
"Where are there." Chen Chong was overjoyed and raised his glass to greet him: "Mr. Qiu, happy cooperation."
“Happy cooperation.”
After putting down the wine glass, Qiu Gangjian said: "Mr. Chen, the magazine is launched and needs personnel. I want to ask you to send someone from Hong Kong to help."
"Who do you want?" Chen Chong said, cutting the steak, "Shu Ming can't do it, he's going to Japan soon."
"Brother Shu Ming is the editor-in-chief of "First Movie Review", so I can't control it." Qiu Gangjian smiled, "I want Zhuo Botang."
Chen Chong was stunned and smiled bitterly: "Editor Qiu really gave me a problem. I just promoted him to deputy editor-in-chief of "First Movie Review" yesterday."
"Is that right?" Qiu Gangjian was also stunned and said, "Then let's change someone."
"Let's do it, I'll ask him to come and help first." Chen Chong thought for a while and said, "It just so happened that someone would need to urge the manuscript in Taiwan to receive the manuscript."
"It's the best." Qiu Gangjian said: "When Zhuo Botang was still studying at Taiwan Political University, he founded a movie magazine. With his help, he will get twice the result with half the effort, and the magazine will be on track soon."
Chen Chong was surprised. He only knew that Zhuo Botang was a master's degree in film at the University of Southern California. He didn't expect that he would have such an experience. If he had known this, why would he have traveled this time...
It seems that the magazine is really worth paying more attention to the crouching tiger and hidden dragon.
After the main talk, the three of them chatted indifferently and had a dinner party, which was considered a joy for the guests and hosts.
Before leaving, Chen Chong looked at the people singing with a guitar on the restaurant stage and said to Duan Zhongtan: "I think the company can sign these people."
Duan Zhongtan looked at it and said, "Acoustic Guitar Choir?" (Note 2)
"Yes." Chen Chong said very wisely: "I think these people will become great talents in the future."
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Note 1: Adapted from the comments summarized by the Golden Horse Award-winning movies in the 1960s and 1970s.
Chapter completed!