Chapter 17: Fast Shooter

"China Film Group invests 5 million, wants 25%."

"Enlight 2 million, 15%."

The shares were quickly determined, and they would come back tomorrow to sign the contract.

Enlight had actors under its banner, and this Vice President also wanted to ask about Lin Nan's actor confirmation, but was brushed off by Lin Nan.

The next day, still in this place, each brought legal counsel to review the contract and confirm the investment ratio.

The news was completely spread: youth fantasy film, 20 million cost.

Lin Nan was pulled to school. The teachers of the four grades of the Chen Yanxi bombarded Lin Nan, all with one meaning: don't learn from those unreliable seniors who graduated and achieved success long ago; as soon as there is a script, they run to the neighboring school. This has become a joke.

Lin Nan could only respond with a chuckle. This was a fantasy film, used by Lin Nan to solidify his foundation. If he changed to a big production or an award-chasing one later, Lin Nan could only say sorry to the teachers; the quality next door was indeed better.

"Your scenes shouldn't be many, ask Director Zhao to help mention it, come back quickly, I've reserved the lead role for you."

"Ah, really? Hahaha, I'll go find him right away."

Lin Nan finally chose Yan Danchen as the actor for Meng Lijun, which also blocked the teachers' mouths.

Since he could find Yan Danchen, then Old Zhu, that Eight Prince, seemed to be able to be mentioned too.

"Director Zhao, please help, anyway their scenes aren't many, why don't you also mention Watching Shu Chang's scenes..."

"You're really a big shot, alright, alright, it's just a matter of these two days."

Lin Nan himself finished his tasks 20 days early in *Lotus Lantern*. Originally, the two directors were going to film until May, but with Lin Nan added, it was indeed much faster.

"It's me, come find me after wrapping up." Lin Nan greeted Watching Shu Chang.

Zhu Yawen, a matter of one sentence. The two were best friends; Lin Nan could take care of him once whenever he could.

Calling Miss Liu's best friend to film a movie, he had to tell Miss Liu, to save trouble again.

"Their crew finished nearly a month early, and it's still your best friend, fat water doesn't flow to outsiders' fields, sigh sigh, don't scold people."

Letting Old Zhu play Xiang Qianjin was also acceptable; currently, he could be considered quite fresh.

Watching Shu Chang came to play the lead singer before the band. Lin Nan gave the music director Tan Ziming to Shanghai Film Group, and the rest of the supporting roles were packed to Enlight, which was very willing.

April 1st, the crew officially started filming.

Yan Danchen with shoulder-length short hair was another kind of beauty. "You use the mentality of an old person to criticize young people, be more ruthless..."

This film was a typical low-cost one. The characteristics and features were still the setting, and this film could be infinitely remade; changing a region or a country could still be played. Lin Nan was very confident in the sale of the copyright. In the previous life, this film bought the copyright and was adapted and remade.

Lin Nan immersed himself in the crew, planning to finish it in a month, while the hype about *The Return of the Condor Heroes* outside had already reached the sky.

The first one rumored to play Yang Guo was Xie Tingfeng, quickly denied by Master Jin, then Chen Bolin, Nie Yuan, Huang Xiaoming, etc. The actors for Little Dragon Maiden were rumored even more: Zhou Xun, Jun Ji-hyun, Zhang Bozhi, Wang Fei, Jiang Qinqin...

It could be said that they were killing each other in the dark. During the crew's break, Lin Nan joked with everyone, saying that Producer Zhang played very fancy, whoever had the most fame, whoever was red, he would rub against them, and after he was done, he couldn't be investigated deeply.

"Put in some effort, finish filming quickly, so everyone can have a holiday." Lin Nan shouted.

What he got in return were everyone's eye-rolls. As actors, who would want a holiday? They wished they had work every day and could use the art of cloning.

Lin Nan's crew was very harmonious, urban background, convenient for location shooting. When reporters came to visit the crew, they were also received very kindly. Mainly because at the end of last year, the *House of Flying Daggers* crew had beaten visiting reporters not long after starting filming, which immediately poked a hornet's nest, and various media outlets came down to criticize.

Although during this period, *House of Flying Daggers* had already wrapped up, one could still see domestic tabloids pulling at this crew from time to time.

The company front desk called Lin Nan, saying they received an invitation, an invitation for Lin Nan to attend the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in the second half of the year.

Lin Nan thought for a moment; it seemed this was the last time the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers were together. After this year, they would split up. Hundred Flowers would be once every two years, and the next time would be the year after next. Golden Rooster would be once next year, and the next time would be the year after next.

Stimulated by Zhang Yimou's *Hero*, China Film Group was iron-headed and started aiming for big productions, hitting it off with Director Chen, who also thought highly of himself. I heard they were tossing about that film that needed ten years to understand.

Lin Nan let people in the company help reply. He would go to the film festival; the key was that Shanghai Film Group had ideas, wanting *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* and *Returning to Youth* to try their luck. China Film Group and Enlight also had this intention.

Lin Nan didn't care; just treat it as expanding his network.

Due to national conditions, the old men of the Golden Rooster definitely wouldn't look up to him. Hundred Flowers could try their luck. Little did they know that even Director Feng was pinched by the Golden Rooster.

"Comrades, speed up, I'll take you to the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in September." Lin Nan simply shouted in the crew.

"Really?"

"Lin Dao keeps his word."

Regardless of whether they win an award or not, attending a film festival is beneficial for actors or directors; this is a rare occasion to find connections and pull resources.

"Being chased by three men of different ages and types, what are your thoughts? Ms. Meng Lijun."

During the break, Lin Nan teased Yan Danchen.

"Hmm, enjoy, very interesting." Yan Danchen said without thinking.

"However, in real life, I don't like those younger than me." Saying that, she scanned the few people present who were younger than her and laughed out loud like a goose.

"But little boys like big sisters." Zhu Yawen added.

"Old Zhu, is this sentence of yours serious?"

"It's you who isn't serious!" Instead, Yan Danchen retorted to Lin Nan.

In the midst of the bickering, the crew had already passed nearly 20 days, and this play only had some finishing work left.

Taking the time, Lin Nan also paid attention to the films released in the first half of the year. In these years, there were few audiences and film critics whose aesthetics were consistent. Unfortunately, the latter held the right to speak, and many were still from the Writers' Association or related units.

Anyway, Lin Nan didn't have a deep impression of these films, or had no impression at all, but the film reviews were truly good. Of course, the better the film reviews, the worse the box office.

Most of the directors of these films were senior in seniority, and the money for filming was all asked from above, but very few could break even, and they were tireless.

At first, Lin Nan didn't know why, until one day he inadvertently heard someone mention it. These old men held the knives of film festivals. This time, he understood in seconds.

On the last day of April, the last scene of the crew: Meng Lijun donates blood and turns back into an old person...

"Lin Dao, you are a typical fast shooter. Heard *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* was also about a month." Yan Danchen said.

Everyone else in the crew nodded.

Lin Nan didn't want to refute; the facts were as such. This kind of film wouldn't go to the European Big Three. Commercial fantasy film, did Lin Nan want to film it as an award-chasing film?

Wrap-up banquet, Lin Nan specially booked a nice hotel in the capital. There was still a lot of funds left. Several investors didn't ask much. Halfway through filming, the producers of the three parties all left. Everyone understood the meaning.

The wrap-up banquet was very luxurious. The reporters who arrived didn't distinguish between you and me; sitting down meant they were their own people, just eating and drinking.

The next day, online and offline media published articles.

"Film *Returning to Youth* successfully wraps up, Lin Dao Nan thanks crew members."

"Powerful Lin Dao, new film *Returning to Youth* is about to meet the audience."

"20 million commercial fantasy film, *Returning to Youth* held a wrap-up banquet in Beijing recently; China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Enlight Media are all producers."

Looking at the overwhelming news, almost all were positive comments. Lin Nan felt those red envelopes were worth it.

Although the Film Academy didn't oppose freshman and sophomore students joining crews to film, there really weren't many people who could ask for so much leave to leave school.

In the Chen Yanxi, Liu Yifei was in a class of her own, and now it seemed there was one more Zhu Yawen.

Lin Nan was special; he was a person from the Directing Department, and he was filming a movie. The academy would only support it, and he also took care of so many alumni.

"Old Zhu, I have to rush back to school. Unlike your Chen Yanxi where passing is enough, I might not even pass if I score 60."

Zhu Yawen took it as Lin Nan being stinky, ignoring it, but he really had to rush back to school.

After the holiday last semester, he almost didn't return to school. In February, he entered the *Lotus Lantern* crew, and then came to the *Returning to Youth* crew.

Three months, this semester was already half over, and in a blink of an eye, sophomore year was about to end.

If you want to say who in the Chinese film directors can toss the most, it has to be Zhang Yimou. High output is unbelievable, *Hero*, *House of Flying Daggers* one after another. During this time, he was organizing the closing performance of the Olympic Games.

At the end of the year, he had to open another *Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles*. Lin Nan really admired others' energy.

May Day holiday, Lin Nan chose to drift for a few more days. Liu Yifei often urged him to visit the crew. I heard that after Watching Shu Chang wrapped up at Lin Nan's, she went to visit the crew.

"Sister, let me rest for a few days. The Directing Department is much harder to test than your Chen Yanxi. You don't want me to fail, how embarrassing."

The more famous you are, the more you can't afford to be embarrassed. If you run into an acquaintance during a make-up exam, well, they are all acquaintances, then you really want to die.

The teachers couldn't hold their faces either. Everyone would say, "Look, big director also fails. This isn't our fault, it's your teacher's problem."

The first day after the holiday, Lin Nan packed his luggage and left the hotel.

He wasn't there for the '03 art exam, and he wasn't there for the '04 art exam. Every year, not to mention national colleges, there weren't many who could mix out of the three major colleges.

A few days ago, Lin Nan contacted Tom, sent the latest script, and by the way, confirmed a new business: novel copyright acquisition, including older film and television copyright film and television adaptation rights, etc. The latter needed to send some best-selling novels every year, especially science fiction, fantasy, or award-winning literary works to Lin Nan. After Lin Nan screened them, he helped Lin Nan buy the copyright.

Director Zhang chose a batch of people, preparing to go to Athens, involving students from the Film Academy, Drama Academy, and Opera School. I heard that a junior from the '03 Chen Yanxi was selected, and many people were very envious.

Lin Nan entered the school and heard people talking about this, hoping they could be alternates.

"Lin Nan, back at school?"

Some teachers from other grades of the Chen Yanxi saw Lin Nan and teased.

"Back at school, teacher, you're busy." Saying that, he was about to run away.

"This kid. Little Zhou, I saw Lin Nan. That Zhu Yawen in your class should be back too."

Lin Nan heard this from afar and ran even faster. Zhu Yawen said he would play for two more days before returning to school. ===== CHAPTER 18 =====