Chapter 5

These days, making a movie requires more than just money.

In 1997, the gates were opened, allowing individuals to participate in film production through sponsorship or investment, thus breaking the monopoly held by the 16 state-owned film studios.

Some things are well-intentioned in concept, but as long as no specific documents have been issued, the boundaries of implementation are difficult to control, leading to endless trouble during censorship.

Consequently, "selling the studio label" became the optimal solution.

So-called "selling the studio label" is similar to "selling book numbers" in the publishing industry; it means paying a film studio that possesses production qualifications in exchange for using their studio label to shoot a film.

It wasn't until 2002, marked by the issuance of the new "Regulations on the Administration of Films," that the production, distribution, and screening of domestic films began to fully open up to private capital.

The Beijing Film Academy has its own school-run enterprise, the Youth Film Studio. As a student in the Directing Department, it was natural to prioritize obtaining credentials from them.

Speaking of the Youth Film Studio, its original positioning was to coordinate with the teaching plans of various departments, completing students' film assignments and production internships within each teaching link; it is a place for all faculty members of the academy to engage in creative practice.

In these years, money is tight in every aspect, and the Youth Film Studio only has so much funding per year, focusing mainly on short films; being able to invest in three to five feature films is the absolute limit. How many professors, directors, and teachers with ideas at the school are waiting in line, watching eagerly?

If you were to ask the Youth Film Studio to invest in a film by an undergraduate student who hasn't graduated yet, especially one costing hundreds of thousands, even if you were the principal's illegitimate child, it would be impossible.

But conversely, if you don't ask the Youth Film Studio to put up real money, and only want the studio label, then it's a green light all the way, and everything is negotiable.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you must be a teacher or student of the school and be able to help them complete their teaching and practice plans.

After coordination, Cao Yang's film was classified under a "new model of exploring school-enterprise (individual) cooperative practice filmmaking," counting as part of the teaching plan; the enterprise (individual) provides the funds, while the school provides all photography equipment and personnel except for the film stock.

Regarding copyright, domestic copyright is shared, with a 10% share of domestic box office revenue, while foreign copyright belongs exclusively to the enterprise (individual).

Cao Yang was reasonably satisfied; who the hell needs domestic copyright for an art-house film? The box office revenue is peanuts, and he isn't making a sequel anyway.

The school, however, valued this highly. Holding the domestic copyright, even if shared, costs them nothing anyway. If it happens to achieve results, they can righteously tell the outside world (and superiors) that this is a practice film made by an undergraduate student under the school's guidance—a political achievement that no one can erase.

As long as the film is shot well, this model can certainly continue.

As long as the film is shot well, if there is a possibility of winning awards, especially at the three major European film festivals, the school will certainly be more proactive than Cao Yang in finding ways.

An undergraduate student winning an award versus a student who has already graduated winning an award—while both are honors for the school, they are essentially two different things.

Because the film's scale is not large and there are few scenes, Cao Yang only requested one assistant director, one producer, one stylist, one lighting technician, one sound recordist, and one script supervisor from the Youth Film Studio.

He didn't ask for a cinematographer; with Tian Zhuangzhuang there, he is guaranteed to be useful.

Cao Yang selected the people, set the schedule, brought the assistant director and producer along, and began to work.

The film's scenes include a segment where the female lead, unable to bear the pressure of public opinion, escapes abroad to clear her mind and meets a friend.

Cao Yang initially planned to shoot on location in Germany, but later thought about it—there are plenty of places in China with European and American architectural clusters, so why spend that wasted money?

After an on-site inspection by him and the producer, the Badaguan in Qingdao, Shandong Province, looked quite good.

Badaguan was built in the 1930s and is also known as the "Museum of International Architecture." Here, you don't need to go abroad to appreciate the architectural styles of more than twenty countries, including those in Europe and America. Whether it's the buildings or the park paths, everything here perfectly meets the requirements.

Qingdao is also a coastal city with plenty of beaches, allowing for nearby location shooting of beach-related scenes; it really is killing many birds with one stone.

Not having to go abroad, plus finding a very cheap female lead, saved over a hundred thousand in the shooting budget, which was something Cao Yang hadn't expected.

But this money cannot be kept in hand; it must be spent. If the budget isn't spent, it's actually a troublesome matter.

"Teacher Cheng, let's upgrade the crew's food and accommodation during the filming period by one level."

"For the seaside villa rented on Qingdao, it must have a beach where one can walk. The fewer people, the better, but pay attention to safety."

"Call Li Xiaoran and have her go over as soon as possible. Don't think about saving money; buy her a plane ticket, and all expenses will be charged to the crew's account."

"Rent her some videotapes like 'Waterloo Bridge,' 'Casablanca,' 'Ghost,' 'Gone with the Wind,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' 'Titanic,' 'The Bridges of Madison County,' and 'Roman Holiday.' Rent plenty, let her watch them every day, and when she's tired of watching, have her stroll on the beach to find the feeling."

"Don't just rent European and American ones; domestic films like 'Farewell My Concubine,' the Japanese 'Love Letter,' Hong Kong films like 'A Moment of Romance,' 'Comrades: Almost a Love Story,' 'Eighteen Springs,' 'City of Glass,' and the recently released 'In the Mood for Love'—any tragic romance film will do."

After thinking for a moment, he added: "Don't let her bring anyone; no agents or assistants. Just have her stay there twenty-four hours a day. Find someone to deliver her meals on time, try not to disturb her, talk less, and create an atmosphere of loneliness. For safety, rent a small house next door and hire two security guards with military backgrounds."

!

"Remind me in a month; I'll go check her state and coach her on the acting. Hmm, let's rent the house for three months first. I estimate she'll be in the right state in two months, leaving one month as a backup."

Producer Cheng Jianye gasped after hearing Cao Yang's instructions. Although he knew this was to let the female lead enter her state in advance, wasn't it a bit inhumane?

Watching those tragic, heart-wrenching romance films every day—he wasn't afraid of driving the girl into depression.

"Alright, I'll go arrange it right away."

"Also, have someone buy more sad love songs—the sadder, the better. Give her a Walkman, and when she's not watching movies, have her wear it and listen. And don't be afraid to brag; just tell her that if this film succeeds, she'll be a first-line star. Tell her to be proactive and not really treat it as a vacation."

Cheng Jianye couldn't help but glance at Cao Yang. This young man, who looked like a sunny, handsome boy next door, was truly a heartless bastard!

Sigh, better just listen and work hard; such a person must never be offended.

Before he could finish sighing, he heard Cao Yang mutter regretfully in a low voice.

"I feel like listening to songs and watching movies is still a bit too singular of a method. If I could really find a married old man to be affectionate with her and then abandon her, this film would be a success."

Cheng Jianye stumbled and almost tripped, squeezing out a wrinkled smile on his face as he fled in a panic.

Even if the rugged Brother Zhuangzhuang were here, hearing this, he would say: Cao Yang, I beg you, act like a human being!

Li Xiaoran's imagined sunshine, beaches, and large villas, and her desire to experience a luxurious life at public expense—the process within it would likely be quite twisty and bizarre.

Don't know if she will regret it.

(End of chapter)