Chapter 422: A Reward for Zeng Li

The pre-production work for a film is very important: breaking down the script, formulating the budget, and creating the shooting schedule.

Among these, the shooting schedule must be based on location scouting and the actors' availability; however, Wei Jin's films are always the top priority, so actors rarely put on airs in this regard.

In addition, there are also shot lists, storyboards, and so on.

Generally speaking, location scouting does not require the director to participate in person; one only needs to have the assistant director or other assistants film some visual materials based on the requirements, and the director can then select suitable locations from them.

In this regard, Chen Xi has been following Wei Jin for several years and is already well-versed and quite experienced, so he quickly selected a few places.

"Hmm? Why is Dongguan also on the list?"

Wei Jin found it a bit strange; this place probably rarely sees a film crew in years, right? "Boss, this place is still quite fitting for the script, and the government's preferential policies are also very generous."

Wei Jin nodded. For a locality, a big director coming to scout locations and film is definitely the best way to boost publicity, so the relevant local departments will naturally provide full support.

Generally speaking, the more underdeveloped the conditions, the greater the support will be; conversely, places like Shanghai, Beijing, and many film studios do not care as much because they receive a huge number of film crews.

However, when shooting a film, one cannot look solely at the preferential policies; one must choose suitable scenes, which can save quite a few troublesome matters during filming.

After some thought, Wei Jin made a decision.

"Let's go to Shanghai; it's more mature in every aspect."

"Alright, I'll go finalize it in a while."

After reporting on the project progress for a while longer, Chen Xi took his leave. Wei Jin then went to the script safe, pulled out a stack of scripts, and began to choose.

In no time at all, he selected a script and left the company.

He instructed Lao Zhu to drive all the way to the Beijing Film Academy, drove straight into the campus, and parked in the Director Department's parking space.

First, he went to see Teacher Jiang to pay his respects, then familiarly knocked on the door of the Department Head's office.

"Teacher, are you busy?"

Tian Zhuangzhuang looked up, smiled, and greeted him, "Wei Jin is here, sit."

Wei Jin nodded and sat down opposite his mentor.

"Teacher, regarding the matter we discussed before, I have selected a script here; please take a look and see if you like it."

While speaking, Wei Jin handed over the script he had carefully selected.

"Good."

Tian Zhuangzhuang did not stand on ceremony. After taking it and seeing the four large characters on the cover—*The Distinguished Citizen*—he raised an eyebrow, then settled his mind to read it carefully. For a time, only the sound of rustling paper remained in the office.

About ten minutes passed. Tian Zhuangzhuang closed the script, his aged face carrying a touch of indescribable emotion.

"Wei Jin, this script of yours is very high-level. On one hand, it satirizes the ignorance of the villagers, and on the other, it satirizes the arrogance of the intellectuals. This is precisely the predicament faced by everyone in this era who has fled their hometown. It's truly good, written truly well."

Watching his mentor seemingly immersed in memories, Wei Jin did not know what to say, so he could only listen quietly.

After a long while, Tian Zhuangzhuang seemed to come back to his senses. Looking at his prize student, a smile appeared on his face.

"Heh, when a person gets old, they just like to reminisce about the past. I've let you see a joke."

"Teacher, you are overthinking it. Every experience in life is a treasure. This student only feels that his life experience is too little and too shallow."

After Wei Jin was humble for a moment, he changed the subject, "I wonder if Teacher is satisfied with this script?"

"Satisfied, very satisfied. Leave the script with me; I want to ponder it carefully. When I am confident, I will come to start it."

"Alright, Teacher, there is no need to rush; take your time."

Since he was already there, Wei Jin was in no hurry to leave. After saying goodbye to his mentor, he went to chat with Teacher Cao for a while. The latter was currently still working on the shot list for *Amour*, appearing unhurried.

Regarding this, Wei Jin did not mind. The lead actor he favored, Huang Bai, would also be busy with film promotion during this period, and with almost no availability left this year, there was no rush at all.

Subsequently, Wei Jin went to the Beijing Film Academy's editing room to understand the progress of *Beijing Love in Seattle*.

Teacher Xue was indeed leading a group of students to do the post-production.

"Hello, Senior Brother Wei."

"Hello, Senior Brother Wei."

"Mm, hello everyone."

After Wei Jin responded with a smile, he turned to Teacher Xue.

"Teacher Xue, how is the progress currently?"

"It's still early; I estimate it can be finished in June."

Xue Xiaolu was a bit embarrassed; leading students to help out, this progress was truly a bit shameful.

Wei Jin nodded and glanced at the progress; it was not even one-third done. It was indeed being edited quite meticulously.

"Teacher Xue, just follow your own rhythm. I plan to release the film in November, so there is no problem with the timing."

"That's good."

Time entered late April.

News came from Lin Yufen's side that the filming of *Left Ear* was going very smoothly.

Currently, the crew was filming the main scenes on Dongshan Island in Fujian. It is estimated that they would transfer to Xiamen in a month to film the university scenes, and the film is expected to wrap up in early June.

Lu Yang's side was about the same. After getting familiar with the shooting environment for a few days, *Kung Fu Jungle* officially started filming.

At the same time, in the film market, that "Big Boat" from across the ocean had already crossed the 800 million box office mark, and its single-day box office still maintained a high level of 20 million.

Other imported films like *Battleship*, *Ghost Rider*, and *Miami Action* also began to be released, and the situation for a host of domestic films became increasingly difficult.

*Whiplash* had been released for three weeks and had grossed 237 million, but by now, its potential was almost exhausted, with a single-day box office of less than five million.

Films about to be released had already started their final frantic promotion, and *SPL: Sha Po Lang 2* was prominently among them.

Regarding this film, both the main creators and the production companies, Shanhe Media and Emperor Motion Pictures, held great expectations, so the promotion was overwhelming. Director Chen Musheng also took the main cast to start the promotional tour early, frequently appearing on major popular variety shows.

Several trailers for the film also stirred up great heat on the internet, especially the main villain Zhang Jing in a suit, and the fight scenes with Wu Jing and Tony Jaa, which were both violent and elegant, making netizens exclaim that it was satisfying.

The title of "Suit Thug" became popular on the internet for a time.

In addition, the co-produced blockbuster *Pacific Rim*, with an investment of 150 million USD, also started its pre-release warm-up, and a large number of posters had already appeared in the ground-level promotion spots of major cinema chains.

Above the vast ocean, amidst dark clouds and lightning, several mecha giants with a rich Huaxia style were either charging, standing tall, or leaping into the air; they were truly eye-catching and looked fierce just by watching.

At the bottom of the poster were the movie's title, the list of production companies, and the release date.

There was no need for the production companies to reach out; the media and the internet reported on it spontaneously.

The industry was reminded once again that in less than two months, this movie would be released! Unlike imported films, *Pacific Rim* was a co-production, and one where the Chinese side held over a 50% stake.

Coupled with the influence of the three major domestic production companies and the theater chains they could sway, industry insiders could figure out with their eyes closed just how high the screen allocation would be when this movie was released!

Fan Bingbing was very invested in this movie that was about to help her go international; even while on the set of *Shendu Longwang*, she posted several times on Weibo to help promote it, and she even posted some behind-the-scenes photos she had taken in Hong Kong and at the Warner Bros. Studio.

Looking at the neatly arranged "Looking forward to it" comments from fans and moviegoers under her Weibo posts, a flower-like smile bloomed on Fan Bingbing's beautiful face. Ning Hao's *The Great Robbery* held its premiere.

As the largest investor, Xiaoma attached great importance to this film, and invitations had been sent out across the industry early on.

As a veteran commercial director, Ning Hao's appeal within the circle was beyond doubt, so there were quite a lot of industry insiders and actors from the circle who came to show their support at today's premiere, which was incomparable to *Pifu* the day before yesterday.

The cast and crew stood on stage, and Ning Hao was dressed like a gang boss, giving off a somewhat uninhibited vibe.

"Domestic films today can only fight a guerrilla war when facing Hollywood blockbusters; there is no other way. But I want to say, as long as they don't crush me, *The Great Robbery* will charge forward head-on, even if it means biting off a piece of flesh before dying."

Afterwards, several actors also shouted bold declarations, which felt a bit like a desperate struggle.

Perhaps influenced by its founder Li Ming, Xiaoma was different from Guangxian; they didn't like to engage in so much flashiness. Once the interviews were over, they started playing the feature film directly.

Wei Jin had already watched this movie many times during the editing process, so today he was mainly chatting with Zhong Lifang.

Wei Jin had long coveted this woman.

Don't get the wrong idea; it was merely an appreciation of her capabilities.

However, Xiaoma's current development was quite good, as they were participating in many major projects in the circle, and their pace of acquiring Digital Domain to lay out the special effects industry was also moving forward firmly. Although Zhong Lifang heard the intent to recruit her in Wei Jin's words, she still politely expressed her refusal.

Wei Jin was not at all surprised by this; Li Ming had been a benefactor to Zhong Lifang, so poaching her naturally wouldn't be that simple, but he had enough patience. After the premiere ended, Wei Jin returned to the Yanjiao Villa.

As expected, Dudu was already asleep under the iron-fisted rule of Ceng Li.

In the pink children's room, quietly admiring the little girl's sleeping posture, a doting smile appeared on Wei Jin's face.

After washing up, Wei Jin went to the room, only to see Ceng Li still writing at her desk. He couldn't help but feel curious, and upon walking closer, he saw she was working on the character biography for *Hidden in the Dust*.

Zhang Yimou was very invested in this film and handled many things personally; just a few days ago, he had finalized the filming location in Gansu.

It was estimated that filming would start after May Day, which was about the same schedule as Wei Jin's.

Seeing that Li Jie was writing seriously, Wei Jin didn't disturb her and lay on the bed to scroll through his phone.

A piece of news from Hong Kong caught his attention; Chen Jiashang was truly bold.

Just today, this veteran director from the Hong Kong Circle had sharply rebuked his peers in the Hong Kong Circle in front of the Hong Kong media.

"Since the signing of CEPA, the co-production policy has extended the life of the Hong Kong film industry for nearly a decade. Yet, over these years, many people still fail to recognize the situation, eating from the bowl while cursing the mother who provided it.

Now, Mainland China lacks neither capital nor actors, and certainly not a market; even the production teams are becoming increasingly professional, yet some people still maintain a condescending attitude.

Does it really take Mainland China completely abandoning the Hong Kong market for them to wake up? In my view, these people just want to lead Hong Kong cinema into an abyss that everyone hates, and it will be over sooner or later!"

By now, the Hong Kong Circle was in an uproar, and internal strife had begun.

To be honest, Wei Jin admired this move by Chen Jiashang; the latter was genuinely considering the development of the Hong Kong Circle, but this speech, born of a frustration that they wouldn't improve, probably wouldn't have much effect.

After all, you can't wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Just as Wei Jin was sighing, Ceng Li handed over the notebook filled with her insights.

"Xiao Jin, help me take a look and see if my analysis is correct?"

Looking at Ceng Li's earnest eyes, Wei Jin knew that she always treated film with respect.

"Okay."

After taking the notebook, Wei Jin looked at the neat, graceful handwriting and became absorbed in it for a moment.

The female lead of *Hidden in the Dust*, Cao Guiying, was a middle-aged, bottom-tier rural woman who had been abandoned. She was also a cripple who walked with a limp, and she suffered from urinary incontinence regardless of the occasion or timing, never knowing when she might wet her pants.

She was abandoned by her brother and sister-in-law in a wooden shed exposed to the wind and rain, suffered from chronic Qi deficiency and cold, couldn't do any heavy physical labor, was unable to bear children, and was disheveled—no different from the "crazy woman" in the village.

Such a role was certainly a challenge for Ceng Li.

But fortunately, when Ceng Li filmed *Lurking*, she had experienced rural life, and when filming *Room*, she had experienced a similar sense of despair.

Therefore, in this character biography, Ceng Li's grasp of the role was very spot-on; she had provided a very fitting exposition of the female lead's behavior, actions, motivations, demeanor, and even her gaze.

After a long while, Wei Jin closed the notebook and reached out to pull the great beauty into his arms.

"Li Jie, you did a wonderful job."

"Really?" Ceng Li seemed to heave a sigh of relief.

Wei Jin took a deep sniff at Ceng Li's hair, then buried his head in the softness, answering in a muffled voice.

"Of course, Li Jie has worked so hard, so tonight, let your husband reward you properly."

Wei Jin's Kung Fu Hustle was not bad, and with his small movements on her body, the mature older sister soon couldn't hold back and emitted signals of pleasure.

Seeing the beauty unable to withstand the teasing, Wei Jin didn't dawdle any longer and quickly removed the restraints between the two, meeting with complete honesty.

In the beauty's expectant gaze, Wei Jin blew the horn of attack. (End of chapter)