As a leading figure among the sixth-generation directors, Ning Hao has read between 1,000 and 800 scripts, but only a few of them can really leave an impression on him.
After all, in the huge entertainment industry, there are countless people who harbor the idea of becoming famous overnight and reaching the pinnacle of life, and they are not just the group of extras wandering around in Hengdian.
Being an extra is undoubtedly the most basic and stupid way, and there is no one. After all, looking at the entire entertainment industry, there are only a handful of people who can stand out from this path.
Perhaps the most famous among them is Wang Baoqiang. He is a typical example of God's reward for his food. His talent in acting is indeed visible to the naked eye.
People with a little bit of ideas and abilities will naturally find other ways, and submitting scripts is one of them. Although the threshold is slightly higher, it is still a road with thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge.
The stories that really stand out are those that have real material.
But now this script suddenly hit Ning Hao's heart, and even gave him a strong impulse to direct.
Just like a good actor's desire to get a good role, a good director's desire for a good script will naturally not be inferior to the former.
The saying goes that a good horse is equipped with a good saddle, and a sword is given to a hero. This is generally the truth.
If he hadn't already been preparing to film the final chapter of the Crazy Trilogy, he would have really wanted to buy the script...
But obviously, even if he makes such an opening, he may not be able to buy it. After all, as a junior, he already has investors...
Of course, if I were to say this, between a famous director and a new director, I wonder what choice Zhou Dongsheng would make?
This idea stayed in Ning Hao's heart for a moment, and then he gave up the idea, although as a movie maker, he likes to test human nature in movies.
But in reality, it’s better to be less tempted by human nature.
Although there were thousands of thoughts in my heart, it finally turned into a sincere sigh on my lips. The script was indeed a good script, but the story was really not that easy to film.
Even if the movie can be made, whether it can go to theaters is another matter. After all, this subject matter is still a little bit sensitive.
When Ning Hao mentioned this, the two people present naturally knew it well. Wen Muye knew the scale of the story very well, but maybe newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.
Or maybe they haven’t been severely beaten by society, or maybe people who engage in art naturally hope to make something famous...
No matter what the reason is, Wen Muye has a strong impulse and idea to bring this story to the big screen. No matter how much effort he puts in, it is worth it.
As for Zhou Dongsheng's deep understanding, he is naturally not worried about the issue of passing the trial. In terms of confidence, he may be the only one present who has the most confidence that this story can not only be filmed and published, but also sell well.
It is also able to claim the title of the best-rated Chinese-language film in recent years. It is definitely a typical symbol of both critical acclaim and box office success.
Therefore, Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but said calmly: "It's difficult to shoot, so it's challenging, isn't it? If all the popular movies in the film market are as streamlined as those in the current film market, can the film industry still make progress?"
As the saying goes, it's just a first-time contact, but veteran filmmakers like Ning Hao's generation must have some indignant thoughts about the chaos in the industry.
We are all people who eat from the same pot. How can we not feel sick when we see others wasting food?
Therefore, Zhou Dongsheng also followed his suit and said this tentatively, not to mention that it really got into Ning Hao's heart. It can be said that the hero has the same opinion.
"I didn't expect Mr. Zhou to be involved in the film industry at such a young age, not to mention his successful career?" Ning Hao nodded and continued.
"I'm just expressing my true thoughts from the perspective of an audience. This is also a small original intention of my investment in movies. I hope to contribute to Chinese movies..."
"After all, if it's to make money, I think I have many better options than investing in movies."
At the end, Zhou Dongsheng calmly added a fleeting sentence, which is undoubtedly a bit arrogant to ordinary people, but when this sentence came out of Zhou Dongsheng's mouth, it was inexplicably somewhat convincing.
Especially for the two people who knew something about Zhou Dongsheng's rise and rise, they felt that they could not refute what they wanted to say.
When the two people's eyes met, they reached a consensus spontaneously, and an idea emerged spontaneously:
Damn it, he was tricked!
At this moment, Zhou Dongsheng can be said to be more and more like a "coal boss". Hey, he only makes a little money from movies, but they are not as valuable as my carload of coal. He should pay for his artistic education.
That's right, it's definitely not for female stars, it's just for artistic influence. I think there is no conflict between these two things, right?
But let’s not forget it. When Zhou Dongsheng said this, Ning Hao was inexplicably convinced by the reasons he gave. He felt more and more that someone like this was being taken advantage of... Ah, no, you are a fellow!
Naturally, there is no reason not to make friends with people like this, especially for the movie project that I want to start. If such a young upstart joins me, it will undoubtedly be a beneficial and harmless good thing.
Ning Hao looked at Zhou Dongsheng's appearance and felt more and more that this young man was handsome and pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at him. He couldn't help but feel good and said with a smile.
"Okay! Mr. Zhou said it well! If there are more investors like you in the film industry, then Chinese-language films will definitely have a promising future."
"Of course, the future of Chinese-language films will inevitably rely on fresh blood like Makino. Not to mention the interpretation style of this script, judging from your masterpiece "Requiem", it is indeed quite suitable for you..."
"This type of script requires not only the skill of the director, but also the selection of actors. I'm talking about actors, not stars..."
Ning Hao also deliberately emphasized it, and then asked: "Has the actor been decided? Does the literary director have any favorite candidates? I can help you find them..."
Ning Hao said cheerfully, obviously he had already decided to help. In his opinion, Wen Muye, an outstanding young man, most likely had this idea when he came to him.
After all, in the entertainment industry, in addition to paying attention to interests, it also pays attention to seniority and sophistication.
When Wen Muye heard this, he couldn't help but feel happy. Even though it was just a sentence, given Ning Hao's status in the circle, this sentence was much easier to use than his own.
The literary director smiled slightly, "I have been busy polishing the script these past few months, and I haven't even had time to find a suitable candidate..."
Zhou Dongsheng did not choose to spoil the story immediately, although he believed that there would be no better choice than the original team, after all, except for the starring role.
Several other supporting characters undoubtedly seized this golden opportunity and tried their best to prove themselves.
This state is undoubtedly precious. Often actors can only have such explosive energy when they are not yet famous. Once they become famous, they can easily relax.
For example, Huang Jiaozhu's Schrödinger-like acting skills can be said to be a model of becoming strong when strong and weak when weak. After finally acting in a good drama, you have to reward yourself with a movie like "The Overbearing President".
But looking at Ning Hao, Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but feel moved, and took the initiative to invite: "I wonder if Director Ning is interested in this project? Although I am full of enthusiasm for Chinese movies, I am a layman after all."
"Apart from being able to contribute some money, I don't have much else to contribute, and I won't do stupid things like a layman instructing an expert. I believe that you, as directors, should be the most annoyed by this kind of person."
"So I have an idea to invite Director Ning to be the producer of this film. I wonder what Director Ning wants?"
Since the development of the film industry, there has been a complete self-organized system, in which the producer may seem unknown, but in fact he is an indispensable and important role in the film production process.
In short, it is to assist the director in completing various shooting tasks, and its importance is even higher than that of the assistant director. After all, sometimes the so-called "assistant director" is just a gilded name.
However, the producer is usually an experienced senior, an exclusive assistant position to protect the younger generation, or a will representative of the investors and paper people...
Zhou Dongsheng's intention is obviously the former, but if he wants to invite the great god Ning Hao, it is logical that he must cut a knife on the cake and separate a piece of cake.
This kind of thing is the most common in movies. After all, the entire process of a movie from production to release requires many people to escort it.
In China, there is no such thing as an "independent film". Unless the market positioning is aimed at overseas markets from the beginning and it is aimed at winning awards, otherwise it has to follow this set of rules.
When Ning Hao heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little moved. Although he couldn't direct it himself, being able to participate in this project as a producer was also a good option.
Especially Zhou Dongsheng, an upright and very palatable investor, whose words "I don't want outsiders to guide insiders" really spoke to Ning Hao's heart.
The more I look at it, the more I look like the "coal boss" that every director dreams of. Maybe this is the fate of this outstanding junior student of mine.
Isn't it destiny to meet such a rare "coal boss"?
Although I really wanted to agree to Zhou Dongsheng's proposal, it seemed a bit inappropriate if I was too forthcoming. Isn't it just that I also have something to ask for? Isn't this just the thought of getting together?
Thinking of this, Ning Hao said: "It's not impossible, but I also want to ask Mr. Zhou for help. If Mr. Zhou can agree, then I have no objection to this matter."
"Oh? Director Ning said it doesn't matter." Zhou Dongsheng was a little surprised. He didn't expect that someone would ask for help from him, which was quite rare. Zhou Dongsheng listened attentively.
"I heard Mr. Zhou's heartfelt remarks about Chinese films earlier, and I was quite touched. It just so happened that I had always had an idea to create a film project to discover the future of young filmmakers."
"The idea of this plan has always been in my heart. I didn't expect it to coincide with Mr. Zhou. So I think it's time to wait. If I don't do it now, when will I wait?"
"It just so happens that I can take advantage of this opportunity to work together with Mr. Zhou, and we can also use Makino's project as the first shot of this movie plan."
"My original idea of building this platform was to implement it based on the creative model of bringing in the old and bringing in the new..."
Ning Hao talked eloquently and expressed all his thoughts. At this time, Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but suddenly realized, maybe this is the real story behind the movie?
It's just that I intervened and slightly changed the direction of the story, but if nothing else happens, it will still get back on track.
Could this be the inertia of history? Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but wonder.
But he was unambiguous and immediately exclaimed, "Okay! That's great. I didn't expect Director Ning to have such a heart. Naturally, I won't refuse such a good thing. For the future of Huaxia Film, I will do my part to contribute money and effort."
."
Zhou Dongsheng said righteously, and in an instant his whole body seemed to be radiating a radiance.
Apart from anything else, perhaps in terms of acting skills, Zhou Dongsheng also belongs to the type where God rewards him with food, otherwise it would be difficult to explain why his acting skills have improved so rapidly.
They are already able to show off in front of new and old directors.
"Okay! Then it's settled. Then I'll be responsible for the film's production. I'm not stingy about investment, so I'll contribute from my own pocket. Mr. Zhou, what do you think is appropriate?"
"Currently, I have tentatively decided to give 100 million to the literary director. If the follow-up is not enough, I will invest more. Since Director Ning wants to contribute, then I will settle for this share..."
Zhou Dongsheng said with a smile, everything has a first-come, first-served basis, no matter how it is allocated, the big head belongs to him anyway, and that is enough.
After all, Zhou Dongsheng is no longer a soft persimmon who can be manipulated. If he had no funds but no way out at the beginning...
It is really possible that the situation of "fetching water from a bamboo basket but in vain" might happen to him.
But now, if you want to play the trick with Zhou Dongsheng of building a plank road openly and secretly cheating Chencang, you probably have to think about whether you have the ability.
Ning Hao couldn't help but lamented Wen Muye's shitty luck again. Now he encountered such a big grudge who was willing to pay 100 million. What else is it if it wasn't shitty luck?
Even a little-known new director like Wen Muye dared to invest 100 million, so what is it if it's not a big grievance?
When I first filmed "Crazy Stone", I still relied on the support of Andy Lau's "Asian Rising Star Director" program, plus a little bit of patchwork, and the total cost was around 3 million.
It was only through careful budgeting that I made such a famous film. Of course, this was the same time. If I had to buy a house with the three million yuan at that time, it would not be a problem to increase it dozens of times now.
But obviously, now I have to join the ranks of the "big grudges".
"In this case, I will spend 10 million out of my own pocket. I am very optimistic about this script, so I have to work hard on the actors. I must have an actor who is both famous and capable.
OK……"
"The ideal cast for a movie usually involves the old and the new..."
Ning Hao said seriously.
"I have no objection. I welcome Director Ning's joining with both hands. I also believe in the opinions of professionals. However, when selecting actors, if I have the chance, I would also like to watch..."
"I have no other intention, I just want to join in the fun and get a sense of participation."
Zhou Dongsheng said cheerfully, "Quan is an insurance policy. As long as the team remains unchanged, the key chemical reactions will not change easily, right?"