"We're back! Hey, I just met Teacher Hao downstairs. Teacher Hao also said why you have been so busy recently and haven't gotten together for a long time..."
"Hey, I'm talking to you, did you hear me?"
"..."
"Hello!"
"Ah? Oh, what did you say?" He Xin only reacted at this moment.
"What are you thinking about?"
Cheng Hao changed his shoes and walked over to see him holding the script of "The Piano of Steel" in his hand. He couldn't help but said: "Are you reading this crappy script?"
"Yeah, I think it's pretty good. Hey, do you know this director Liu Meng?"
"We know him. He was two grades above me when he was in school. He majored in stage art."
"He asked you to play Shuxian?"
"Of course, it can't be Xiaoju!"
Cheng Hao looked pleased, and then said with disdain: "But this role is not very effective, and the plot is flat and has no special features."
"I think it's very good. All the characters in it are flesh and blood, very real! I suggest you take a closer look." He Xindao.
"Really? Oh, I almost forgot, this is the same situation in your hometown, right?"
"Uh, yes. I think people like Chen Guilin, Shuxian, Xiaoju, Wang Kangmei, and Wang Gong are very similar to my parents and those uncles and aunts who were laid off back then. I just read the script and remembered those things back then.
, each scene is particularly clear..."
As he said that, he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Think about what I was like back then. If I hadn't accidentally met Director Xiaoshuai and embarked on the path of filming, I still don't know what I would have been like now? If I had stayed in
If he doesn’t come out from his hometown, he might be another Chen Guilin.”
"You want to play Chen Guilin?"
"..."
He Xin was speechless for a moment. Over the years, he had long accepted the identity of this body, and the memory of the original owner had long been integrated. Many times, the memory of his previous life was only used as a tool for advantage, and he recognized himself as He Xin.
He is not the He Xiaozu from his previous life.
It is precisely because of this that people like Chen Guilin and Shuxian in his scripts have a special sense of identity.
"I don't know, maybe, but I don't have a schedule this year." He Xin shook his head hesitantly.
"No, since you're interested, why don't we cooperate?" Cheng Hao said with bright eyes.
Congratulating the news, he smiled and said, "Didn't we just work together? Besides, we have to continue working together on "The Wind". Don't you feel tired of it?"
"What's the point? You had too few scenes in "A Thousand Arrows Pierce the Heart"; we were enemies in "The Wind", both with different styles. Chen Guilin and Shuxian are the real couple!"
"It sounds like it's true. This is director Liu Meng's script. Can you just say what you say?" He Xin said with a smile.
"Then let's talk. With a movie star like you joining us, I'm afraid it's too late for him to be happy!"
He Xin was really moved by what his girlfriend said. He nodded subconsciously and said, "We can talk about it."
…
Workplace, cafe.
These days, domestic cafes generally have one feature, that is, they sell both coffee and tea drinks; they offer both Western food and Chinese business packages, which are particularly in line with the consumption characteristics of Chinese people. The environment is elegant, and is very suitable for couples to have a tryst or
Business negotiations or something.
A round-faced man wearing glasses and with a somewhat worrying hairline sat by the window. The cup of coffee placed in front of him had long run out of steam. His expression was uneasy and mixed with anxiety. He glanced out the window from time to time, as if he was trying to escape.
I found my target among the weaving crowd, but unfortunately I took it back in disappointment every time.
On the other hand, the man sitting next to him, who looked a bit mature but was inexplicably funny, was sipping tea leisurely. He saw his friend's uneasy look a little funny, and finally couldn't help but said: "This
The appointed time hasn't arrived yet, why are you in a hurry?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help complaining: "Actually, we shouldn't have come so early today. We are like following poles, and we can easily be looked down upon. According to me, we should be a little more patient and let them wait for us, so that we can
Take the initiative..."
But before he could finish his frivolous and instructive words, he heard his friend shout excitedly: "Here he comes!"
Then I saw my friend standing up impatiently and looking at the door with a happy face.
He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head, and had no choice but to stand up.
Despite the reluctant look on his face, when he saw a man and a woman pushing open the revolving door and walking in, his face was instantly filled with smiles. Before his friend could do it, he raised his hand and said, "Xiao Cheng, this is
side."
While saying hello, he even walked out of his seat and even trotted forward to greet me after just a few steps.
"Ah, senior brother, you're here too!" Cheng Hao greeted him with a smile.
"I found you, of course I have to come!"
The man shook hands with her with a smile, then extended his hand to He Xin warmly and politely and said: "Hello, Teacher He!"
He Xin looked at this familiar face and couldn't pronounce the other person's name for a while.
The girlfriend introduced with a smile at the side: "This is Senior Brother Tian Yutian whom I often mention to you."
"Oh, hello, Brother Tian!" He Xin shook hands with him politely and greeted him.
Only then did he remember that the guy in front of him had collaborated with Tang Wei in a TV movie called "Swallows". It was said that he was so deeply involved in the movie that he even pursued Tang Wei crazily.
Thinking of Tang Wei, he can't help but feel a little emotional. Due to well-known reasons, Tang Wei is now studying abroad in England and has temporarily faded out of the entertainment industry.
Fortunately, compared to the original time and space, Tang Wei, who was far away in a foreign country, even had to go to the streets to perform in order to survive. Today, she was already famous before she took on the filming of "Lust, Caution", and she took on many TV series and commercials. At least
Don't worry about survival.
"I don't dare to do it, I don't dare to do it, Mr. He, I am a fan of yours and I particularly like your dramas... Oh, let me introduce you to him. This is director Zhang Meng, who was also in our drama. He was a top student in the stage design department at that time, especially
Talented!"
Tian Yu looked familiar, and while flattering him, he quickly introduced his friends to him.
"Hello, Director Zhang! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long."
"No, no, it's because we're early. Teacher He, Teacher Cheng, please sit down quickly!"
In contrast, Zhang Meng seemed much more sincere. He asked everyone to sit down and then took the initiative: "Teacher He, I am very honored to be valued by you!"
"Director Zhang, please don't be polite."
He Xin waved his hand, called the waiter, ordered a cup of caputino for his girlfriend, and ordered a pot of tea for himself.
It's quite a coincidence. Zhang Meng's debut film was shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Award for the Asian Newcomer Award at the Shanghai Film Festival.
, investors naturally have no interest in investing in his next work.
However, he still relied on the good reputation of "Blessed with Big Ears" to get a company that was willing to invest. Just when he was enthusiastically starting to recruit actors, the company suddenly withdrew its investment, and everything came to nothing.
Just when he was feeling worried, news suddenly came from Cheng Hao's agent, saying that both Cheng Hao and her agent were very interested in the book "The Piano of Steel" and hoped to have a chat in person.
This made Zhang Meng suddenly feel like he was falling asleep on a pillow. Everyone knew that the boss of Xinhao Media, who won three gold medals, was not only famous for his good vision, but also was very good at discovering new directors. Needless to say, Ning Hao,
Diao Yinan's situation at the time was very similar to his current situation. His debut films all won word-of-mouth but failed to sell, resulting in no films to film. Then a "Tale of Two Donkeys" made the so-called leader of the sixth generation of directors return.
There is another name named Diao Yinan.
Of course, when replying, he also made it clear the situation he was currently facing, which was a lack of investment. Because Cheng Hao was originally contacted by his good friend Tian Yu, so he was anxious and looking forward to this meeting.
Tian Yu also pulled him along.
Since they had already communicated on the phone in advance, He Xin got straight to the point: "What is the approximate budget for this film?"
Zhang Meng was still thinking about how to speak, but he didn't expect He Xin to be so direct. He was stunned, then hurriedly stretched out five fingers and said: "Our original budget was around five million. Now if we count two
Teacher’s salary…”
He Xin waved his hand and said: "Our remuneration does not need to be calculated for the time being."
Zhang Meng breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this and said hurriedly: "That five million is enough."
This number is almost the same for low-budget literary films. He Xin knew it well and asked: "What about the production team? I heard from Teacher Fan Wei that many of the production team of "Blessed with Big Ears" are Koreans."
"Yes, I have cooperated with South Korea's Self-linked Film Studio. "Blessed with Big Ears" was jointly produced by Liaoning Film Studio, Changying Film Studio and Self-Linked Film Studio."
He Xin's eyes lit up and he quickly asked: "So they also have investment and can show it in South Korea?"
For this kind of movie, for which he has no impression and no confidence, the more investors, the better. Even if it is Huayi Brothers' investment, he will welcome it with both hands. Besides, it can also be sold to South Korea, so
Even better.
Zhang Meng shook his head and said: "There is no investment, and it will not be released in Korea. It is just cooperation in filming, mainly because they have more experience there."
"Tsk!"
He Xin smacked his lips and felt slightly disappointed. He had seen "Blessed with Big Ears". As a realistic movie, the photography and editing were average, but the story was more touching.
He mused: "In this way, since they have no investment and cannot be released in Korea, we don't need to cooperate with them this time. If you are short of people, I can help you recommend it."
"this……"
Because Zhang Meng had a good cooperation with the Korean team for the first time, he originally planned to continue the cooperation, but he also knew that Xinhao Media had rich experience in production, so he finally nodded and said: "Okay!"
"Oh, and finally, the most important thing is that both Cheng Hao and I have full schedules this year. Can we wait until next year to start filming?"
"Okay, but it's best to start filming after the Spring Festival. I want to add more elements from the Northeast."
He Xin smiled, knowing that adding more Northeastern elements meant highlighting the word "cold" and said: "No problem."
Then he asked again: "Oh, by the way, I would like to ask again, apart from me and Cheng Hao, are there any other actors available?"
"Xiaoju doesn't have a suitable candidate yet, and the others have basically been decided."
As he said that, he glanced at his good gay friend next to him and emphasized: "Teacher He, don't worry, I can guarantee that these actors are all good. I chose Tian Yu for Wang Kangmei."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Yu hurriedly got up from his seat, bowed his waist, and said with a smile on his face: "Teacher He, Xiao Cheng, please take good care of me in the future."
If Ning Hao's movies have the iconic character name "Geng Hao", then Zhang Meng's movies also have a character name that is very contemporary - "Wang Kangmei".
The character played by Fan Wei in "Blessed with Big Ears" is named Wang Kangmei, and in "The Piano of Steel" Wang Kangmei is one of Chen Guilin's best buddies.
Since Wang Kangmei's candidate is Brother Tian, He Xin naturally doesn't have much to say. The day before yesterday, Zhang Yi came to the door. He originally came to talk about the new drama "Before Dawn" directed by Liu Jiang, but this guy accidentally turned over
After reading the script of "The Piano of Steel" and learning that he was going to play Chen Guilin, I was particularly interested in the role of Wang Kangmei in it.
Now it seems I can only say sorry to that guy.
After the chat was almost over, and the general situation was known, He Xin looked at each other with his girlfriend, then picked up the tea cup and said with a smile: "Then I wish us all a happy cooperation!"
…
He Xin read the script "The Piano of Steel" three times over and over again. If he could find some flaws in all the scripts he had read before, this script could really be said to be impeccable. He was stunned.
Can't find a single problem.
And the more he watched it, the more deeply he felt. The plot in it seemed to be unreasonable and absurd, but it told a very truth: in the face of cruel dreams, no reality is worth mentioning.
The towering chimneys and mottled brick walls show a group of ordinary workers who have been ridiculed by the times. What they built is not only a piano, but also their own dream of rebirth. But this dream has been knocked down by the ruthless reality.
smash.
The life described in the script is actually not a big deal. Maybe in today's life, people have long been accustomed to this commonplace cruelty. In that era, workers only earned a few hundred yuan a year's service.
After years of service, he was bought out and retired with only tens of thousands of dollars.
They originally had decent jobs and a happy life, but the cruel life directly threw them into the cold society. They were also diligent and kind, but such a sudden change left these people, old and young, at a loss.
.
But in the 1990s, people were still very simple in their hearts. Most people believed that they could rely on their own hard-working hands to overcome all the problems they encountered in life. Although they experienced a wave of layoffs,
Everyone is full of passion for life.
As long as you are not afraid of hardship and tiredness, everyone can live a good life. The people at that time were so pure that it made people feel distressed. It was this group of people who faced difficulties that ordinary people could not face. They had no money and no diploma.
, there is no way out. They have experienced pain that ordinary people cannot experience.
In the play, Chen Guilin loves his children so much that he even sees the shadow of his parents. This is why he has a strong resonance with the plot of this book.
Before, he was still laughing at Jiang Wenli's literary pretentiousness in "We'll Meet in the Sky", but at this moment he really understood her. She wanted to make a very personal movie to commemorate her grandfather, as long as her abilities allowed. So.
At this time, he did not hesitate to invest in this movie and wanted to play Chen Guilin in it. In a sense, he was not missing his parents who had passed away long ago.