Chapter 135

On November 5, 2002, Wenjie Culture Media announced the casting results for two of its works on the blog network.

"Shoplifters" had an investment of 10 million yuan, jointly funded by Wenjie, China Film Group, and Wenjie (Xiangjiang).

Among them, China Film Group contributed 3 million, with the rest funded by Wenjie Culture and Wenjie (Xiangjiang).

The latter was a wholly-owned company Boss Lu established in Xiangjiang, providing convenience for future investments and film shoots in the Xiangjiang region.

Take this "Shoplifters," for example. When the Japanese version was released in later generations, it was boycotted by the Japanese public, who claimed the film uglified and tarnished the national reputation.

This is the same logic as domestic citizens criticizing films by directors like Zhang Yimou and Jia Kezhang who exhibit abroad for uglifying the national image.

Therefore, with investment from a Xiangjiang company, it transformed into a co-production, which could also clear obstacles for the film's censorship and exhibition.

In the announced information for major roles, Zhou Xun would play the middle-aged woman, Fan Bingbing would play the daughter, and the other actors had already been announced previously.

Additionally, the Xianxia film co-produced by Wenjie and the Xiang station also announced its first batch of major cast members.

Liu Yifei — Zhao Linger;

An Yixuan — Lin Yueru;

Jia Jingwen — Anu;

Hu Ge — Li Xiaoyao;

Hu Ge was a sophomore at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and had already been signed by Wenjie Culture.

The company's male artists couldn't all have images like Wang Baoqiang or Huang Bo, could they?

At this moment, the two people from the "Crazy Stone" crew in Shancheng both sneezed...

Under Boss Lu's strong pressure, Liu Yifei's scenes for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" were brought forward by Zhang Jizhong.

The original version finished filming in January 2003. In this life, to coordinate with the filming schedule of "Chinese Paladin," it was expected that Liu Yifei's scenes would wrap up before the end of the year, allowing her to join the crew.

Of course, over the phone, Zhang Jizhong couldn't help but start nagging Boss Lu to make some guest appearances in his roles again.

Lu Kuan also found it funny. Originally, the development path he planned was to accumulate national recognition and popularity on the small screen, but he hadn't expected his first film to become a massive hit.

It was impossible for him, a now-famous director, to return to TV drama production.

Boss Lu's next development plan was to follow two lines: film and commerce, gradually building a closed-loop internet ecosystem that complemented his film career!

An Yixuan's casting was the result of a deal between Boss Lu and Wu Anguo regarding poaching key technical personnel from Xiji Animation.

As for Wu Dun, who was behind Jia Jingwen, he reached a consensus with Lu Kuan that the filming and location scouting for "Shoplifters" would take place in Taiwan.

Wu would be responsible for communicating with the Taiwan cultural authorities to provide tax rebates for the film.

And from the perspective of actual filming needs, the original film was shot in Japan; the scenery in some parts of Taiwan fit the original film due to historical reasons, killing two birds with one stone.

Boss Lu had calculated his relationships to the extreme; no one should even think about taking advantage of him!

Once the actor list was announced, naturally, some were happy and some were sad.

Gao Yuanyuan had been flirting with Boss Lu whenever she was free lately. This time, she naturally took the opportunity to act coquettishly over the phone, only stopping after getting Lu Kuan's promise that "I'll definitely consider you next time!"

Wang Zhonglei and Wang Xiaoshuai from Huayi also specifically called to thank Lu Kuan for hiring the company's Fan Bingbing, while expressing regret for not being able to invest in the new film this time.

What Lu Kuan didn't expect was that one actress who "failed to make the cut" came directly to his door.

"Boss, Ms. Yu is here."

"Oh, please let her in."

Boss Lu had been a bit curious when he received her call in the morning. She had always been quite indifferent in the industry, so why was she so persistent this time?

Was she unwilling to accept her failure?

"Hello, Director Lu, excuse the intrusion."

Yu Feihong took off her camel-colored coat, revealing a plain-colored tube top dress underneath. She wore no makeup, and her long, straight black hair was casually draped over her shoulders.

A thirty-year-old mature woman with such a distinct temperament really made one's eyes light up.

"Teacher Yu, please sit!"

Lu Kuan calling her Teacher Yu wasn't just being polite; she had indeed been a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy.

It is worth mentioning that Jia Jingwen, who had been on her knees under this very table a few days ago with her lips fluttering, had once been her student.

Yu Feihong sat down gracefully: "Please don't call me that, Director Lu. I should be the one calling you Teacher Lu."

Boss Lu very gentlemanly pushed open the window of the high-rise office to let out the smoke.

When dealing with flashy, cheap women, one should be straightforward and bold; when dealing with an intellectual woman like this, one had to change their demeanor.

"It's not too smoky, right? Sister Feihong?"

Yu Feihong was stunned, feeling that this young director was kind and approachable, with no airs at all.

"It's fine, it's fine. Director Lu, I'm sorry to bother you this time, but I have a request."

Seeing Lu Kuan signal for her to continue, Yu Feihong pulled a paper manuscript from her bag.

The cover read: "Love Has a Next Life."

"Director Lu, to be honest, my audition this time was secondary; this is the main thing."

The mature woman pointed to the script on the table: "This is a script adapted from a short story I just bought online. I really want to create it myself and have it seen by audiences on the big screen."

"But the script is still in the preparation stage, and the funding, personnel, and actors are all still up in the air..."

"I..."

"I wanted to see if I could intern with you for a while, stay in the crew until the wrap, and learn the film production process properly?"

While saying words of begging, Yu Feihong felt quite bitter inside.

Back in the day, she started as an actress in a Hollywood film like "The Joy Luck Club," had a superior family background, and after graduating from the Beijing Film Academy, she stayed on to teach.

Now, having to humble herself and beg for a spot from a young director more than ten years her junior, she couldn't help but feel ashamed.

Boss Lu understood her meaning as soon as he saw the script. This wasn't a secret in later generations; this film used this very gimmick for hype.

Intellectual female director, ten years in the making, a Mandarin version of "Ghost."

Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds: "Sister Feihong, that's possible."

"But let's get this straight: my temper in the crew might not be very good. If you want to learn the whole shooting process, you'll have to get your hands dirty in every link."

"It won't just be tiring; you might get scolded if you don't do well. This..."

Yu Feihong's cheeks flushed with excitement: "Director! It's fine! Scold me if you need to. No matter how difficult it is, I can bear it!"

Boss Lu: Can you also bear eighteen centimeters?

"Hmm, alright then. Go back and prepare. Once the filming schedule is out, I'll notify you in advance. You can be my assistant director."

"Okay!"

At 6:00 PM, a Halal hot pot restaurant near the Beijing Film Academy.

Lu Kuan hurried into the private room with A-Fei. The evening rush hour on the roads of Beiping was just beginning, and he was ten minutes late for the appointment.

Today, he had invited Jiang Zhiqiang, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and another photographer who wasn't yet well-known: Cao Yu.

Book friends who have watched films might be familiar with him; he also has a relatively niche identity: the second husband of the "Evil Flower."

Besides having a small gathering with Old Tian and Old Jiang, the main purpose of this meal was to find a Director of Photography (DP) for his new film.

A DP is a Director of Photography; they are not only responsible for the film's photographic styling but are also in charge of photographic artistic creation and technical processing.

The DP's work covers camera and lens selection, lighting arrangement, camera movement techniques, etc. In this process, they work with the director to decide all decisions related to photography, making the position very important.

When filming "Whiplash," Lu Kuan relied on Ning Hao, but future film production costs would become higher and higher, and the process would become more complex; it would be impossible for him to worry too much about trivial matters regarding photography himself.

As soon as he entered the room, the three of them were already drinking tea and eating melon seeds.

Tian Zhuangzhuang raised his eyelids and teased: "Now that you're a big director, you've got big airs, arriving last to dinner."

Lu Kuan put his hands together in an apologetic gesture and obsequiously picked up the kettle to refill Tian Zhuangzhuang's cup.

The successful overseas release and profitable income of "Whiplash" were certainly the result of Lu Kuan's own calculated efforts, but without Tian Zhuangzhuang personally acting as producer, contacting the Youth Film Studio, and using his connections to file with the SARFT, there might have been twists and turns along the way.

After flattering Old Tian a little, Lu Kuan greeted Jiang Zhiqiang and the young photographer with a smile.

"Hello, Teacher Cao!"

Lu Kuan was now famous, and the young photographer didn't dare to be arrogant, standing up with a smile and extending both hands: "Hello, Director Lu, I've long admired you!"

This man, named Cao Yu, could be considered a top-tier photographer who carried the banner in China after the generation of Zhao Fei, Zhao Xiaoding, and Gu Changwei.

In 1997, he won the Cannes Film Festival Youth Film Fund Award for his graduation work "The Parking," and last year, he was nominated for a photography award at the New York Advertising Festival.

With Lu Kuan's current industry status, he was still far from having the strength to recruit those top-tier photographers, so having such a rising star as a helper wasn't bad at all.

The waiter brought over warmed Shaoxing yellow wine. In the winter, the few of them raised their glasses to drink together, all feeling a warmth rising through their limbs, feeling quite comfortable throughout.

After some drinking and small talk at the table, Lu Kuan knew he could start getting to the point.

"Teacher Cao, I invited Teacher Tian and Jiang Dong to accompany us today because I have a private business invitation."

Cao Yu felt troubled, his expression a bit awkward.

"Director Lu, Jiang Dong and Teacher Tian have told me about your intentions, but I really have other filming plans recently, and in terms of time, it might..."

Whether in the system or in other industries in society, generally speaking, status and authority go upward with age.

Even if people keep saying "ambition doesn't depend on youth" or "don't bully the young for being poor," no one is willing to work for a young director younger than themselves.

Lu Kuan wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or making an excuse, so he pondered without speaking.

The room suddenly went quiet. Jiang Zhiqiang glanced at Lu Kuan, preparing to raise his glass to build rapport with Cao Yu, but didn't expect the young director to confidently and sharply say:

"Teacher Cao, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Please take a look at a few scripts first and give some pointers on the lighting and photography ideas."

As he spoke, he pulled a few scripts from his bag; they were "Inception" and scripts adapted from novels Lu Kuan had bought from several science fiction writers.

During this time, Bingbing had many announcements, and on days without anyone to "fire the cannon," Boss Lu would polish his drafts in his own courtyard.

Tian Zhuangzhuang and Jiang Zhiqiang looked at each other, not knowing what Lu Kuan meant. Was he trying to use scripts to move a professional photographer?

Lu Kuan poured himself a drink; the yellow wine felt a bit spicy on his tongue.

Watching Cao Yu's gradually furrowing brows and the uncontrollable shock in his eyes, he swallowed a mouthful of wine with satisfaction, feeling very comforted.

"Director Lu, have you studied photography?"

Cao Yu put away his formulaic social etiquette and truly began to examine this famous young director from a professional perspective.

"I know a little. Did you see something, Teacher Cao?"

Cao Yu looked in shock at a lighting and photography technique in the "Inception" script:

Directly using a double-exposure method on the negative, recording a scene while the windows were sealed, then removing, rewinding, and replacing the negative to record it again in the same way.

The other parts of the room in the second take were gray and dark, while the window exposure showcased the character's psychological flashback—basically performing two exposures on one negative frame!

Too bold, too novel!

"Sigh."

Cao Yu put down the script with some frustration.

"Director Lu, forgive my bluntness, but with your level, you don't need to find other photographers at all."

Lu Kuan smiled without responding. Tian Zhuangzhuang and Jiang Zhiqiang looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

Lu Kuan waved his hand: "Not at all, not at all. A director's energy is limited; photography still needs to be left to professionals."

A photographer can be said to be the most important position in a film besides the director.

They not only need to possess good photographic technology and aesthetic levels, but they must also understand elements that the director coordinates, such as lighting, color grading, and dubbing/music.

In a film crew, the relationship between the director and the photographer is very subtle.

Book friends might often hear a term called "exclusive photographer," such as Christopher Doyle being Wong Kar-wai's exclusive, Zhao Xiaoding being Zhang Yimou's exclusive, and Zhao Fei becoming Jiang Wen's exclusive in later generations.

"Exclusive" means that this photographer and director have a close collaboration, understand each other, and are familiar with each other's film styles, composition, and aesthetic attainments, capable of confrontation and fusion.

In other words, the director and the photographer can be considered "rivals in love" regarding the film.

The director certainly has the most say, but top-tier photographers also have their own understanding and views, and can often argue with the director and eventually win.

Only films polished through such exchanges can achieve the best results.

Cao Yu opened and closed the script in his hand, and after a while, he opened it again as if reluctant to let go, his heart engaged in a battle between heaven and man.

"Teacher Cao, our age gap isn't that big. I hope we can work together in the future to explore and innovate more photographic techniques!"

The photographer's psychological defenses were completely broken by this sentence.

His goal was to become a top-tier photographer like Gordon Willis and create works that would go down in history like "Annie Hall," "Manhattan," and "The Godfather."

Achieving this goal required not only that he continuously improve his own photographic attainments but also that he have a top-tier director who understood the craft to cooperate with him.

After seeing these works with such skillful and bold lighting and photography techniques in "Inception," it seemed easier to achieve this by following this young director who humbly claimed to know "a little" about photography.

"Director Lu, please give me your guidance in the future!"

Everyone raised their glasses with a smile. The most important link in Lu Kuan's crew was finally filled, and the filming of "Shoplifters" would be put on the agenda.

(End of chapter)