Chapter 117

Host Chen Bing walked onto the podium and tested the microphone.

"Please keep quiet, students, turn off your mobile phones, the opening ceremony will start immediately."

He is the director of the 2000 acting class of Beidian, with long hair of an Italian classical handsome man, and is also Zhang Huijun's designated host.

"Good! Dear leaders, professors, and dear students, good morning everyone!"

A burst of applause, everyone is estimating how long it will be before entering the meat of the play and seeing the young director Lu Kuan.

The opening ceremony is like a meeting; leaders and scholars sing one after another, those who understand, understand.

Soon Chen Bing gave them a surprise.

"According to Principal Zhang's arrangement, today our Beidian 2002 opening ceremony chooses a different form."

"The first item of the conference, please watch the award-winning work of our school's directing department 2002 freshman Lu Kuan, *Whiplash*!"

Before he could continue to introduce, a burst of applause like a roar broke out off-stage!

Great! The students all like this opening ceremony that is not very Chinese-style!

Beidian is an elite university to some extent, which can be seen from the single-digit enrollment quota of the directing department every year.

At the same time, the professional quality and business level of each seeker are relatively high, and there are very few people who mix days here.

The era of old seniors like Zhang Yimou is too far away from them, and how did this freshman in his freshman year achieve the peak as soon as he debuted?

Everyone is looking forward to entering the theme directly; after all, they are all here for Lu Kuan.

The film started quickly.

The reactions of students and guests on the scene are similar to those of the Venice audience.

They started to think that Feng Yuanzheng was a strict teacher, but didn't expect him to be a fascist-style paranoid.

But when he said the sentence "There is no evaluation more harmful than the word 'not bad'", everyone thought that although he was extreme, he was ultimately for the good of the students.

This impression was quickly broken by the plot of him trying to destroy Zhou Jielun; is this a pervert!

Until the two who fought together collaborated, successfully drawing a perfect period in the concert hall.

Everyone felt lost, besides shock, it was shock.

Laymen watch the excitement, insiders watch the doorway.

Obviously, in this auditorium today, 99% are insiders.

The students of the acting department saw what is called voice, stage, line, and expression, and what is called explosive power from Feng Yuanzheng.

The students of the photography department saw the scene scheduling from the medium close-up, over-the-shoulder lens, and the trajectory layout of the large rocker arm in the film.

The students of the lighting department saw the lighting language from those endless overexposure, blank space, and skull light.

In short, just watch! Learn one, don't make a sound!

Liu Yifei sat with her classmates today, enjoying the constant rainbow farts of the surrounding students during the film screening.

How can these people talk so well!

The words of Zhu Yawen and Luo Jin praising her are not repeated; they should really be recorded for Lu Kuan to listen to carefully.

And this cute Jiang Yiyan beside her, the two seem to have become best friends who talk about everything.

She even regretted taking so many plays; it would be nice to grow up happily in university like that dog man said, at least she could improve her acting skills like he said.

Fortunately, the young girl didn't make this public, otherwise the saliva of envy, jealousy, and hatred could drown her.

Not knowing the blessing in the blessing!

Especially Jiang Yiyan, she has made up her mind to know Director Lu Kuan through Liu Yifei.

She thinks she is not worse than anyone; Liu Yifei can, why can't she?

What she lacks is just an opportunity!

The applause lasted for several minutes before stopping; Chen Bing had to signal the students to be quiet again.

"The second item of the conference, please invite excellent student representative Lu Kuan to speak and communicate with the guests and students present today."

Lu Kuan sat on the far left of the second row, looking up at Chen Bing's introduction.

"Principal of Beijing Film Academy, Mr. Zhang Huijun!"

"Famous director, Mr. Zhang Yimou!"

"President of Hong Kong Edko Films, Mr. Jiang Zhiqiang!"

"Deputy Director of the Institute of Comparative Literature of Peking University, doctoral supervisor, Ms. Dai Jinghua!"

"Vice President of the Higher Education Film and Television Society, Mr. Huang Shixian!"

"Director of the Chairman's Office of China Film Group, Mr. Gao Chengsheng!"

"Poly Bona Co., Ltd., Mr. Yu Dong!"

"Our school alumnus, famous director, Mr. Lu Chuan!"

Yu Dong and Gao Chengsheng represented Bona and China Film respectively to watch the film, which was invited by Lu Kuan.

As for the rest, famous alumni, university professors, and industry managers are all gathered; this is to conduct a three-hall trial on Boss Lu!

How did a strange thing get mixed in?

Coming! Taro!

Is his face in Venice not swollen yet?

Lu Chuan also felt bitter in his heart; he originally promised Zhang Huijun to support the scene, but he didn't know there was such a thing as Lu Kuan.

Today's opening ceremony is better to say it is a commendation meeting held by Zhang Huijun for Lu Kuan!

Principal Zhang is laughing on the podium at this time; that's what he thinks.

Because Zhao Wei and Xu Jinglei became popular in the Beidian acting class, the number of art exam applicants this year directly exceeded 4,000.

This Lu Kuan showed extraordinary strength in the fourth test of the art exam, and won the Golden Lion crown in one fell swoop, becoming the second Beidian director to win this honor after Zhang Yimou.

Later generations are Jia Kezhang who won the runner-up in 2006's *Still Life*; it seems that this life is going to be the third place.

He wants to hold this unique opening ceremony today as a model for Beidian's excellence in learning, shaping a democratic and open academic exchange atmosphere.

This is also a political achievement!

Another one is to set an example for all Beidian freshmen.

For the next four years, your role model is here, just follow him and work hard!

Boss Lu walks onto the podium and bows to greet him.

"Dear teachers, dear students, I am very terrified to stand here and speak as a freshman representative."

He didn't use the formatted manuscript written by Sun Wenwen.

"Today, Principal Zhang specially held a very innovative opening ceremony, letting us all see the pragmatic, efficient, enthusiastic, and eager-to-learn spirit of Beidian people."

"So today I won't go into too much detail, and leave the remaining time for exchanges with scholars, professors, director seniors, and students present; please feel free to ask questions."

This move quickly won the cheers of the students.

"Good!"

"Well done, Director Lu!"

The students just want to know how he became a Golden Lion Award director and how he filmed the film.

The successology of this era is very marketable; even a *Harvard Girl Liu Yiting* can blow up a national chicken soup storm.

Looking back many years later, it was just a hypocritical marketing scam.

If Boss Lu is willing, he can also write a *Golden Lion Award Boy Lu Kuan*, at least it is not too much for everyone in the film and television circle to have a copy.

The students off-stage immediately shouted with eagerness to try: "Here! Here!"

The respected is the superior; the microphone should be given to the guest who asks the question first.

First is Huang Shixian; this one opens with a violent attack.

"Little Lu, congratulations on winning the award. But I won't be happy for you, because from this film, what I see is a full screen of commercial elements."

"After the carnival is a mess, it is inexplicable emptiness, it is fleeting, I still hope that young directors like you with talent will concentrate on exploring the audiovisual language of film and create some masterpieces with unique connotation."

Tian Zhuangzhuang's brows are twisted together, glancing at Zhang Huijun who is sitting a few seats away, the latter's expression is indifferent.

How far is this?

Today's exchange activity is for everyone to speak freely and show the style of China's top film university.

He also wants to see how much real ability this Lu Kuan has.

Is this film a flash in the pan, or the inevitability of thick accumulation and thin hair?

Boss Lu laughs and picks up the microphone; he has seen such old pedants many times in his previous life.

Huang Shixian once cultivated sixth-generation directors such as Jia Kezhang and Wang Xiaoshuai.

He, like all filmmakers of that era, felt that there was a natural sense of separation between art films and commercial films.

Later generations, he once delivered a speech titled "Reflecting on the Post-Blockbuster Phenomenon" at a national film forum.

Criticized works such as *Lust, Caution*, *Red Cliff*, and *The Warlords*.

"Professor Huang, I'm sorry, I hold a reserved attitude towards your point of view!"

The whole audience is in an uproar!

Huang Shixian sits on the right hand of Zhang Huijun; in other words, his industry status is not high.

And he didn't say anything excessive in his suggestions; why did Lu Kuan not even have a little bit of humble posture?

Can you be so crazy just because you won the Golden Lion Award?

Professor Huang's face is not very good; in fact, he really wants to criticize with spit flying.

But considering that this is still a freshman, and just honored, it is not very suitable to be educated with a head-on blow.

Why are you so uninteresting?

Liu Yifei off-stage is also very confused; she is considered the person who knows Lu Kuan relatively well now.

Although this person is very lustful, his temper is also bad!

But he is an extremely realistic person and will never do such meaningless arguments.

For example, he kicked Chen Guanxi in the crew to help her out, and also to take the initiative to buckle the shit basin of molestation on him.

He made trouble for Cheng Jingfei and her mother at the killing banquet, and even threatened to cut her scenes, and finally took 10 more points of shares.

He stimulated Lu Chuan with Jiang Wen's affairs in Venice, in order to...

Well, it should be just because Lu Chuan's mouth is cheap.

Lu Kuan's most decent response at this time should be to humbly accept the suggestion, and then do whatever he wants later.

Because the dispute between art films and commercial films cannot be considered an equal proposition in this era, commercial films are completely not opponents in academic debate.

It will not be until the *Hero* of this director present today comes out, letting the film market see the economic value of commercial films, that commercial film directors will emerge like bamboo shoots after the rain.

The debut works of young directors in this era are 99% art films, and even if they smash the pots and sell iron, they have to film them.

For example, Ning Hao, who has been abducted onto the pirate ship by Lu Kuan, his first art film *Incense* was filmed by himself with his family's fortune.

But after all, he is preparing to mix in the film industry, and his personal fortune is closely related to the industry trend.

The bigger the cake of the domestic film industry, the higher the economic value shown by commercial films, the more investors can be attracted.

More investment and a good creative environment can give birth to better works, and then attract audiences to enter the cinema; this is a virtuous cycle.

Why did Lu Kuan work hard to win awards abroad and export to domestic sales?

Just because he is at the awkward time node of 2002, the domestic film industry is still in the darkness before dawn.

Except for the top few directors, no one dares to say that their films can break even or even make a profit just by relying on the cinema line.

Therefore, when this Professor Huang, who held high the banner of art films, sneered at his *Whiplash*, Lu Kuan had to stand up and fight back.

He wants to become the leader of Chinese commercial films in this era; this is an honor and a title.

When directors and capital in later generations mention who was the first to open the precedent of commercial films, they will think of him!

To make an inappropriate analogy, in other academic fields, this is the founding ancestor of a school.

Such a fame and fortune-winning thing, Boss Lu naturally will not let go.

Before *Hero* is released today, he Lu Kuan wants to stand on the stage of Beidian, sing the praises of commercial films, and he wants to be recorded in history as an iconic figure leading the trend of the film era.

No matter if you are the fifth generation or the sixth generation, I Lu Kuan, am the new generation!

"The meaning of what Professor Huang just said, in the final analysis, is the distinction between art films and commercial films, and I also want to take this opportunity to talk about my own understanding."

"Lin Yutang once had a vivid description of the Chinese people: 'The Chinese even want to be a pig, as comfortable as a real pig; he doesn't envy the dog's (Westerner's) collar, doesn't envy the dog's efficiency and money worship; all his requirements are just to stay there quietly alone, and the dog shouldn't go to disturb him.'"

All the guests in the first row frowned in unison, not quite understanding this rough quote from Lu Kuan.

What pig, what dog.

"This 'pig' can just be used to describe some domestic directors in the past few years; what they are most short of breath is talking about commerce and box office, so they disdain commercial films and only stick to their own one-third of an acre of art."

The audience was in an uproar; Huang Shixian and Lu Chuan and others almost couldn't help but speak out to interrupt him.

Tian Zhuangzhuang shook his head at Lu Kuan imperceptibly, but it became a blind man throwing a wink.

The latter still expressed his thoughts on his own, regardless of how tomorrow's newspapers, blogs, and Tianya will demonize his words.

"Film is an art, and it is also a commodity; the two are not contradictory, but to find a balance in them."

"Counting forward two years, Director Feng's *Big Shot's Funeral* can defeat three Hollywood blockbusters released in the same period."

"This December, Director Zhang's *Hero* is about to be released; I can even boldly predict that this big-budget commercial film will inevitably achieve brilliant box office results!"

Lu Chuan slandered secretly in his heart, really called the child a Zhongshan wolf, and became rampant when he was proud!

Let's see how you die today! You dare to speak wildly and touch such a high-pressure topic.

Do you think you are more awesome than Xie Jin?

Boss Lu still has a righteous appearance.

"Maybe students and teachers will say I am too worldly, not like someone who engages in art; what I want to say is that people who only know how to bury their heads in art will sooner or later be killed by art!"

"What!"

"How can you say that!"

"What kind of words are these!"

(End of chapter)