Chapter 337: The Prototype of Academic Factions and Financial Factions

At the end of August, the production crew gave the actors a few days off.

Liu Yifei had to go to North America for a few days to promote *Alien Realm 2*, but most importantly, Director Lu Kuan had to return to Jingcheng for two days to attend the final interviews and the opening ceremony of the Pan-Asia Film Academy.

The crew only had Zhao Fei leading the extras to film some war scene segments, waiting for his return to review them.

At the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Boss Lu, then serving as the jury president, announced the establishment of the Pan-Asia Film Academy under the gaze of the global media.

Information including the school's operational rules, training programs, institutional background, and faculty lineup was suddenly the talk of the town.

Over the past year, not only from across Asia but also from countries like New Zealand, the United States, and Canada, young directors and film industry practitioners had submitted applications.

More than two hundred applicants from around the world submitted resumes and short films to the academy's official website; after layers of screening, the school realized that the phenomenon of a lack of successors for Asian film directors was indeed very serious.

If they had only screened within Asia, they might not have even found five qualified young director talents.

Having no other choice, after Lu Kuan, Zhang Huijun, and others like Tokyo University of the Arts President Ikuo Hirayama and Chung-Ang University President Chung Un-chan communicated;

And also under the consultation with Toho Co., Ltd. and CJ Entertainment, the academy relaxed its restrictions.

It was no longer limited to Asia, and there were no rigid requirements regarding age.

By expanding the selection criteria, Boss Lu then discovered quite a few "good seedlings" of later generations.

In the Beijing Film Academy office, the three school presidents involved in the preparations and Lu Kuan were looking through the list of the first batch of students for the Pan-Asia Film Academy.

Among the young directors, the first page featured Na Hong-jin.

This 32-year-old Korean director had made a name for himself last year with the black comedy *Perfect Red Snapper Dish*.

In the later years, his first feature film, *The Chaser*, earned Kim Yoon-seok the Best Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and made newcomer Ha Jung-woo an overnight sensation.

Even more famous were *The Yellow Sea*, touted as the pinnacle of Korean crime films, and the magical realist suspense film *The Wailing*.

Flipping further, it turned out that Korea had only selected this one student.

"President Chung, it seems that the pool of young director talent in Korea is also experiencing a bit of a gap, doesn't it?"

Before Chung Un-chan could answer, Ikuo Hirayama, with his graying hair, spoke in a strange, Japanese-accented English: "The situation in China, Japan, and Korea is similar now; if it weren't for young talents like Lu-san emerging in China, the whole of Asia would be a bit lackluster."

In the present of 2006, the film markets of East Asian countries were all enduring the impact of Hollywood, yet they displayed different industrial trends.

Korea was the first to lean toward Hollywood, beginning its exploration of genre films in the crime category.

In the early 2000s, they gained international recognition with works like *Oldboy* and *Memories of Murder*, but these successes were mainly attributed to middle-generation directors like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho.

Park and Bong, to put it in perspective, were equivalent to the Fifth Generation directors represented by Zhang Yimou in the mainland; the generation before them, Im Kwon-taek, was equivalent to the Fourth Generation in the mainland, like Xie Fei or Wu Tianming.

Although young Korean directors had some experimental works, they generally lacked successful commercial film cases and were unremarkable.

Japanese cinema remained strong in the art-house film sector, with directors like Hirokazu Kore-eda and Shunji Iwai receiving international acclaim, but no rising stars were visible in the commercial film sector.

The Japanese film market was occupied by animated films and Hollywood blockbusters, with live-action commercial films receiving almost no attention.

By comparison, China was actually slightly better off.

In the original timeline of 2006, the domestic market was in the early stages of commercial transformation, with *Hero* ushering in the era of blockbusters, but most of the new generation of directors were still in the exploratory stage.

Ning Hao made a name for himself with *Crazy Stone*, but on the whole, young directors lacked international influence.

The generational gap and decline of young directors in the three East Asian countries had their own individual reasons, as well as common causes.

For example, in terms of market orientation, the entire Asian film market was overly reliant on commercial blockbusters, making it difficult for young directors to obtain resources and support.

There was also lagging education; the film education system was not yet perfect, and many young directors lacked systematic training and an international perspective.

Added to this was a cultural disconnect; the younger generation of directors found it difficult to strike a balance between traditional culture and modern commerce, and their works often lacked depth.

These factors were precisely the significance of the Pan-Asia Film Academy project proposed by Lu Kuan in this lifetime.

It was also the deep-seated reason why he could unite the three schools academically and dance with CJ and Toho in terms of capital.

Because he could bring benefits to everyone.

For the three East Asian schools, the presidents did not dare to hope for a genius like Boss Lu, who was burdened with the high expectations of being the next Akira Kurosawa of Asia.

But cultivating some qualified genre and commercial film directors was not a pipe dream, right?

The film academy was also a link in this industrial chain, and they had no reason not to support it.

And for Toho and CJ, being able to hold a major genre director in their hands was the greatest guarantee of profit in the extremely unstable industry of film investment.

Just like Bong Joon-ho, whom CJ Entertainment bet on in the later years.

The group continued to flip through the list in their hands; there was only one Japanese director, Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

He was 28 years old, a graduate of the University of Tokyo with a degree in literature, and had studied under the renowned director Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

This director's most prominent advantage was his strong screenwriting ability; most of his films were written and directed by himself.

In the later years, he also participated in writing the screenplay for renowned director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's *Wife of a Spy*, demonstrating his familiarity with historical subjects and the definition of cinematic imagery, and later won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film with *Drive My Car*.

There were two Chinese students: Lu Yang, a directing graduate who had just graduated from the Beijing Film Academy this year, who applied with a fifteen-minute silent martial arts film he wrote and directed, and even invited his senior from the Beijing Film Academy, Xu Haofeng, to participate.

Lu Yang was also the director of the *Brotherhood of Blades* film series in the later years.

Clearly, the reason Boss Lu chose him was to have him pick up the mantle of the gradually declining Chinese martial arts film.

Just as he had stated during his debate with the Seven Gentlemen at the Beijing Film Academy—in the path of cinema, genre film is the best tool for cultural export.

The other one had taken a small shortcut: Guo Fan, the deputy production manager of the *Sky of History* crew.

The reason was self-evident and needed no further elaboration.

Among the core directors of Wenjie, Ning Hao was charging ahead on the path of comedy and series films;

Xue Xiaolu created one youth romance film after another with the delicate perspective of a female director;

Lu Yang and Guo Fan were the two other genre film heavyweights he was cultivating for himself and Wenjie, and they were also talent reserves based on future cultural exports.

At 10:00 AM on August 30th, in the Beijing Film Academy administrative conference room, the first Pan-Asia Film Academy interviews began for the four Asian students and two European/American students.

The so-called interview was just a formality.

Because the initial recruitment and application were in the form of resumes plus short films.

To prevent anyone from "hiring a ghostwriter," an interview panel was formed by six mentors—Lu Kuan, Zhou Xingchi, Nolan, Park Chan-wook, Luc Besson, and Hirokazu Kore-eda;

Along with three university presidents, including Zhang Huijun, to examine the final finalists.

In front of professional directors, those who hired ghostwriters could not hide their flaws.

It was very simple to ask about the narrative logic and the deep meaning of the lens language in the short films they submitted; those who didn't understand would be exposed immediately.

The first interviewee was Gareth Edwards, a documentary cinematographer from the BBC, aged 31.

In the later years, he stunned the film world with the extremely low-budget *Monsters*, and he was skilled at immersive blockbusters that combined live-action with special effects, with works such as *Godzilla* and *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*.

"Hello, directors!" Gareth's scholarly temperament formed a sharp contrast with his rugged, bearded face.

Looking up, the famous mentors sitting there made him feel slightly dazed.

Boss Lu saved time and asked directly: "Hello, Gareth, please confirm that the short film *Conspiracy* you submitted was filmed by yourself."

"Yes, Director Lu Kuan."

"Good, tell us about the thinking behind the circular narrative in the short film, and the intention of the cross-cutting montage of the male and female leads at the twelfth minute."

"Yes, Director."

Gareth, who came from a documentary background, had a concise language style and a steady narrative pace, and he passed smoothly as expected.

The second student was named Neill Blomkamp, who in the later years of 2009 was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture with the mockumentary-style *District 9*, establishing his international reputation with low-budget science fiction films.

Nolan was very interested in him: "Neill, you are currently working in visual effects in Vancouver, making short films for Peter Jackson's team?"

"Yes."

"There are many opportunities in Hollywood, so why did you think of coming to our film academy in the East?"

Neill spread his hands: "The potential of the Asian film market has always been the consensus of the Big Six; Warner is building cinemas in China, and News Corporation's joint venture has invested in Chinese film companies."

"Of course, there is also the director I like, Lu. His cooperation with Disney and Miramax."

"To be honest, I originally planned that if I wasn't admitted, I would go to his Butian Pictures to find a job..."

Good-natured laughter erupted in the conference room.

Boss Lu nodded in acknowledgment: "I'm a little regretful about admitting you now; the company has lost a top special effects talent in North America."

Neill waved his hands hurriedly: "No, no, no! I can work for you for free, but please allow me to pursue my film dream. I like your science fiction film *Alien Realm*, but I also want to film my own science fiction films."

It was not strange for someone doing special effects for Peter Jackson to like science fiction and fantasy subjects.

This person could be cultivated toward a mockumentary-style science fiction style in the future, accelerating his transition from a special effects artist to a director.

After the interviews for the two European/American students were finished, the following four Asian students proceeded according to plan.

Calling it a selection, wasn't it just dividing the cake?

It was obvious that Ryusuke Hamaguchi was Toho's bet, while Lee Mi-kyung of CJ Entertainment favored Na Hong-jin.

However, when the Beijing Film Academy student volunteer called Guo Fan's name, there was a small situation at the scene.

He wasn't there!

Boss Lu frowned and waited for two minutes: "Let Na Hong-jin come in first."

Where did this kid run off to?

In front of Jimen Bridge, Guo Fan was disheveled and rushing about like a madman, reaching out to chisel through the congested crowd of the school opening season.

He had overslept!

Working on the *Sky of History* crew was the most arduous job he had taken on since graduation.

He was physically and mentally exhausted.

From the moment he opened his eyes at 7:30 to update the notice board, to all the trivial and major matters before and after filming.

Like how there were no holes for falling rocks in the physical effects, the wind machine being too strong causing the smoke to blow down the green screen and causing trouble for post-production, the need for light stand-ins to solve the lighting problem when soldiers wore helmets...

Everything opened his eyes, but he also hated that his parents hadn't given him three heads and six arms.

The future "begging-style" science fiction heavyweight felt for the first time that making movies was not easy; he still had much to learn.

"Guo Fan! Over here!"

Just as he was about to enter the administrative building, he was suddenly called out by another director from the company.

Ning Hao and Xu Zheng stood at the bottom of the building, waving at him.

Guo Fan was burning with anxiety, but facing his seniors, he couldn't afford to put on airs, so he forced a smile and walked over.

His attitude was respectful.

"Director Ning, Director Xu, you two are..."

Ning Hao laughed: "We have something to discuss with the boss, so we were just waiting for you to finish your interview. Why are you only just arriving?"

Guo Fan slapped his thigh: "Ugh! I haven't had a good night's sleep in a month. I really let myself go yesterday, and then I got stuck at Jimen Bridge for twenty minutes. I was worried to death."

"Two big bosses, I am truly sorry. I'll make it up to you when I come out!" Guo Fan pressed his palms together, his respectful attitude leaving no room for complaint.

The bald Xu Zheng seemed to have something to say but hesitated; after two seconds of contemplation, he gestured to him with a gloomy expression: "Go, go quickly. Being scolded for being late is a small matter, but if they cancel your eligibility, you're finished!"

"Yes, yes, see you both later!"

Watching the twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old young man stride forward, taking two steps at a time, Xu Zheng shook his head and sighed after a long while: "A stroke of luck, a stroke of luck."

He had also applied.

And he had done so with the success of the hit low-budget film "Crazy Supermarket" (Night Club) as his background, and the experience he had accumulated working at Wenjie for two years.

As well as what he considered to be his close relationship with the boss.

They were all his own people; when it came to hiring talent without sticking to rigid patterns, could he not get a piece of the pie?

He hadn't expected to actually fail to make the cut.

Actually, this didn't matter; no one ever dared to question the authority of Boss Lu.

If you don't think highly of me, it only means I still have a path to walk, mistakes to correct, and hardships to endure.

I just need to keep my head down and work hard; there will always be a harvest.

Haven't all the artists and directors at Wenjie come up this way?

But ever since he learned from Ning Hao last night that Guo Fan, a young man he had never heard of, had also made the interview list, the bald man instantly lost his psychological balance!

What right did he have!?

Xu Zheng was smooth and worldly; since his connection with Wenjie began through "Stone," he had made many friends within Wenjie over the past two years.

Upon asking around, he learned that Guo Fan was not the child of some leader or a descendant of a famous family, but just an ordinary graduate of Qiongsheng University.

Perhaps because his editing skills on a certain program at "Travel Satellite TV" attracted attention, he was transferred to work in Jiang Wei's TV drama crew, and after "Sky of History" began filming, he was personally called upon by the boss.

From this perspective, it wasn't excessive for the bald Xu Zheng to look ashen and sourly remark "a stroke of luck."

His good friend Ning Hao comforted him: "Don't overthink it. Since Boss Lu is back in Jingcheng for these two days, he will definitely stay for a couple of days to handle company affairs. I'll take you to talk to him."

"Sigh, we do need to talk." Xu Zheng sighed repeatedly: "Since 'Crazy Supermarket,' I thought I had caught his eye, but this..."

The bald man's expression was dark and unreadable; he suddenly looked around vigilantly and whispered something to his companion.

Ning Hao was horrified!

——

Inside the academic conference room, Boss Lu slapped the table in anger: "Guo Fan! How dare you be late for any occasion!?"

This was like "weeping as he executed Ma Su"—he had to raise the sword high and bring it down gently so that no one else could say anything.

Guo Fan ran in, covered in sweat, wearing a white pure cotton T-shirt with the words "Sky of History" crew on it, and bowed deeply to the nine interviewers present.

"Teachers! I am sorry!"

He raised his head, stubble messy, and seeing that there were also Korean and Japanese friends present, he used the foreign languages he had learned in the crew to perform a proper self-criticism in a mix of "Sumimasen," "Mianhamida," and "sorry," which made everyone laugh.

"Trying to show off?" Boss Lu's expression remained "furious": "Director Luc Besson is also here; why aren't you speaking French?"

Guo Fan looked constipated and said embarrassedly: "Director Lu, this... the crew doesn't have a French translator, and I haven't learned it yet..."

"Okay, okay, I can understand Chinese now." Luc Besson was shrewd; how could he not see whose person this was?

There was another burst of laughter in the conference room. The simple check was just a formality, and everyone had a good impression of this witty and humorous tall, thin young man.

The reason was simple: his personality was suited for being a director.

In the eyes of the academic school, a director is a high-and-mighty master of art, full of the refinement and elegance of a scholar.

But only those like Lu Kuan, Zhou Xingchi, and Nolan, who had struggled in the market environment where "one must practice what one knows," understood that being a director is a relatively complex profession that demands high comprehensive abilities.

In other words, a director is not just an artistic creator, but also a project manager, a resource integrator, and a team leader.

In the film industry, which relies heavily on collaboration, a sociable personality is often more decisive than mere talent.

Guo Fan was exactly that kind of talent.

Boss Lu slightly eased the awkwardness of his lateness and cut straight to the point: "Guo Fan, to be honest, the short film you submitted is still quite immature in terms of technique and cinematography."

"Yes, Director Lu, the short film was adapted from my own 'The Year the Flowers Bloomed,' and I also recognize many shortcomings myself."

"Being shortlisted this time is truly flattering, but I will definitely seize this opportunity. Please rest assured, teachers!"

This was well said, and the intended meaning was expressed very clearly.

Guo Fan knew full well the real reason he was able to "go through the back door," and now he was just stating his position to their faces.

Zhou Xingchi spoke in his not-very-proficient Mandarin: "Director Lu says the reason he values you and decided to promote you to the shortlist is because of some insights in the application form questions."

He flipped through the materials: "The last question on the application form was: Summarize your understanding of the role of a film director in one sentence."

Zhou Xingchi read it again and clicked his tongue in admiration: "Everyone can take a look too; I personally find it very interesting."

Everyone looked down. Guo Fan had written after this question:

"The bottom line for raising investment can be low, but the bottom line for making a film must be high." "Treat yourself like a project manager to operate the crew, and then treat yourself like a mad poet to treat art."

Zhang Huijun praised: "A very pragmatic summary; he is a person who gets things done."

Nolan laughed: "In 1998, I met producer Emma Thomas through my short film 'Following.' Later, she became my wife and used her interpersonal network to help me enter Hollywood."

"Guo, your statement might be talking about me. I traded a man's lifelong freedom for the opportunity to make films; I suppose that counts as a low bottom line, right?"

Everyone laughed. Guo Fan pressed his palms together to show he meant no offense: "Actually, I was inspired by Director Lu. I am his loyal fan."

The future sci-fi Daji outputted steadily, his flattery as grand as a rainbow: "I know Director Lu's films by heart. I have studied and watched every one of them repeatedly, but what I love watching most are the behind-the-scenes clips!"

"In 'Drummer,' his earnest instructions to Zhou Jielun and Liu Yifei, single-handedly training two newcomers into qualified role-players—that is very difficult."

"And the portrayal of human nature among the social underclass in 'Thief,' and the interweaving of light and shadow of historical trends and the love of small characters in 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'."

Guo Fan spoke with a certain cadence: "Of course, what I love most are the two films that used a large amount of special effects, 'Tangshan' and 'Otherworld.' Especially 'Otherworld,' which was the fuse that decided my entry into the film industry..."

"Stop, stop, stop..." Boss Lu finally couldn't listen to this grand display of flattery anymore: "What fuse? Are you planning to blow up the Beijing Film Academy?"

"Hahahaha!"

Park Chan-wook, Luc Besson, and others all laughed; this young man was quite interesting.

Only Boss Lu knew this was the innate skill of a Cyber Daji.

In the later years of 2019, the "Little Broken Ball" burst onto the scene, winning both critical acclaim and box office success, and mainland audiences took the opportunity to get to know this sci-fi director, with some interesting behind-the-scenes stories coming to light.

For example, how eloquent and sincere this Director Guo was, which allowed him to complete the film's shooting under extremely tight financial conditions.

Among these, XCMG sponsored cranes and other equipment and personnel support;

Aoshan Company sponsored exoskeleton robots;

Liu Cixin, who visited the set, saw the crew was too poor and paid 200,000 out of his own pocket to improve the food.

And there were Gong Ge'er, Liu Dehua, Wu Mengda...

Even someone as strong as "Wolf Warrior" Wu Jin was unknowingly deeply bound, appearing for zero salary!

This Director Guo was extremely skilled at bewitching people with words; all who were charmed would offer money and resources with both hands.

Seeing him, even a passing dog would have to give a gift of 200 yuan!

Thus he earned the nicknames "Sci-fi Daji" and "Cyber Daji."

But in all fairness, this is the normal development path for a grassroots director.

Just like Boss Lu in this life, his first film was also the 3 million "sponsored" by Anita Mui, plus the multiplier of the Korea-Japan World Cup, which was just enough to gather the funds.

And every film of his since "Drummer" had been an absolute pursuit of excellence.

Whether it was the script, actors, costumes, makeup, props, or special effects, he had never cut corners or slacked off.

In this sense, Guo Fan's words were also a true reflection of his idol, Lu Kuan.

Interrupted by his idol, Guo Fan's expression became serious instead: "Last week, our 'Sky of History' crew opened up for media interviews. I led the organization, and to be honest, I was deeply moved."

"Not to mention all other aspects, just a single uniform button, a brick, or a period newspaper from our crew was indistinguishable from the real historical scene."

"Whether it was the mainland media or foreign media, they were all truly convinced."

"I think this is the self-motivating realization I wrote for myself—the bottom line for making films must be high, otherwise the market and the audience will teach you a lesson."

"From this aspect, this is also my original intention for wanting to enter the academy. I want to, as Director Lu mentioned before, truly throw myself into the wave of China's film industrialization, realize my personal ideal value, and also make some positive contributions to the industry. Thank you!"

Zhang Huijun took the lead in applauding: "Good, you have ambition. You are worthy of being the talent that Dean Lu has taken a fancy to."

"If there is an opportunity, you are also welcome to come to the Beijing Film Academy for further studies in the future."

Guo Fan bowed in thanks: "Thank you, President Zhang."

In fact, the Guo Fan of later years was a powerful supporter and practitioner of film industrialization.

When he was filming the "Little Broken Ball" in later years, he found more than twenty students from the Beijing Film Academy to rotate in different departments, recording the mistakes in daily shooting and management, in order to establish standards and take them as a warning.

Guo Fan's interview lasted the longest because everyone was curious about this student who was tacitly assumed to be specially recruited by Boss Lu.

What kind of qualifications were worthy of being so highly valued by this genius director and big operator of the film industry?

Clearly, Guo Fan seemed to be the same kind of person as him.

Flexible in life but with a bottom line, serious and unambiguous in work.

Boss Lu gave the final summary and encouragement: "Guo Fan, you have a background in law, and after graduation, you worked in program editing, operations, and media promotion at 'Travel Satellite TV'."

"Legal thinking gives you rigorous logic, and operations and promotion work are also indispensable abilities and experiences in the film industry."

"I hope you will catch up on your weak professional skills as soon as possible. Let's stop here for today."

Only then did the Cyber Daji bow with an excited expression and leave the stage.

A scholar dies for one who appreciates him; looking at him like that, he walks as if he has the wind at his back.

On September 1, 2006, the first opening ceremony of the Pan-Asia Film Academy was officially held at the Beijing Film Academy.

This was perhaps the most memorable start-of-term season for the students of the Beijing Film Academy.

Numerous traffic police officers had been stationed around Jimen Bridge early on to direct traffic, and local vehicles had to yield and make way for the registered event vehicles.

Some reporters who had not received interview permits tried all sorts of tricks, even offering up to a thousand yuan to buy meal cards or student IDs from Beijing Film Academy students to trick the security guards and enter the school.

Reporters who had entered through proper channels, such as Ju Wenpei from "China Film Report" and Han Lu from "Sina Entertainment," had long been waiting expectantly on the Beijing Film Academy campus.

It was said that many Hollywood stars and directors would be coming to show their support today.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, the first black Audi drove up to the red carpet that had been laid out in advance, and Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, and Spielberg arrived together.

Gong Li was the actress who played Cheng Ruifang in "Sky of History," and the other two directors were both creative members of the Olympic team, so coming to show their support was a matter of course.

The freshmen of the 2006 class at the Beijing Film Academy were the happiest people today; just after enrolling, they could see so many long-famed big names on their home turf.

There were even quite a few who had made a fortune by selling meal cards and student IDs to cover their living expenses, which was both laughable and astonishing.

Among them was Jing Tian.

Times had changed; she had enrolled a year earlier than in her past life, becoming a freshman in the 2006 acting class at the Beijing Film Academy.

Naturally, she was not interested in these big-name stars; her main goal was to register and take the opportunity to witness the demeanor of Master Lu!

Her cheap senior fellow apprentice Liu Yifei was currently far away in North America running roadshows, and no one would hear her even if she screamed her lungs out!

Da Tiantian wanted to shout enough for once! It felt incredibly satisfying!

The red carpet and the standard projection auditorium were soon crowded with guests—

There was no need to mention the artists from Wenjie itself.

Powerful actors with whom he had good relations, such as Li Xuejian, Feng Yuan, and Liang Jiahui, as well as actors and directors from the Emperor Group, entered the venue.

Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, Yanzi, and Xu Jinglei, the four great Dan actresses, all arrived; the last one also wanted to come to act submissively and apologize, after all, she had also participated in forwarding the "joint letter" last time.

Although she deleted it quickly, one couldn't prevent others from taking screenshots!

Even the big and small Wangs from Huayi and Feng Xiaogang had arrived!

These were rare guests!

Since they had all arrived, the two Bingbings and the young actress Yang Mi, as well as Huayi's top star Huang Xiaoming, naturally would not be absent.

The gossip-loving crowd in the domestic entertainment industry looked on sideways; from this scene, one could see that the relationship between the two sides had indeed normalized on the surface.

However, thinking about how Huayi had not participated at all in the major event of the joint letter last time, and had even contributed to the Lu Chuan affair, it was not surprising.

Among the directors were the Sixth Generation's Jia Kezhang and Lou Ye, as well as Jiang Wen, who was currently filming "The Sun Also Rises" invested in by the Emperor Group, Jiang Zhiqiang bringing Li An, and an old friend from Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-hsien.

Soon, more Hollywood stars and directors arrived at the venue.

Led by Best Actor Tom Hanks and Best Actress Moore, Gary Oldman and Scarlett Johansson followed closely behind;

"Film Sociologist" Martin Scorsese and Quentin, Harvey, and others naturally would not be absent.

Leonardo and Liu Yifei were running roadshows for "Alien 2" in North America and could not come.

Inside the standard projection auditorium, Zhang Huijun and Tian Zhuangzhuang laughed: "There are some people you can't even invite to A-list film festivals! Lu Kuan's face is big enough."

"This kid is best at winning people's hearts; it's not surprising."

Zhang Huijun laughed: "It's not surprising, aren't you the first one he fooled! The Youth Film Studio was used by him for free for half a year before he paid!"

In his past life, Wanda had once invested in a film capital project in Qingdao, inviting Leonardo, Nicole Kidman, and others to show their support, raising the prestige and causing a sensation.

This time, Lu Kuan did not go all out; he only invited some prominent figures based on the principle of proximity and convenience.

After all, it was not a commercial event, so there was no need to waste too many favors.

It was not until Han Sanping, Director Tong, and relevant leaders from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education arrived that today's opening ceremony officially began.

At the Beijing Film Academy standard projection hall, the director department head Tian Zhuangzhuang presided over it personally, representing the Beijing Film Academy in paying tribute to the guests who had come from afar.

Immediately following this, short clips of the works of the six students admitted this year were played, and finally, the theme was elevated to set the atmosphere of the scene.

After the routine speeches by the leaders, the principals of the three joint Chinese, Japanese, and Korean film academies delivered speeches respectively, and Li Meijing delivered a speech on behalf of the academy's investors.

Representatives from the film academic circles and capital circles of the three East Asian countries endorsed it on the spot, painting a picture of the most advanced talent cultivation route in the current era for everyone, which drew bursts of cheers from the audience.

It was not until Tian Zhuangzhuang said loudly: "Next, we invite the Dean of the Pan-Asia Film Academy, Mr. Lu Kuan, to take the stage and deliver a speech!"

The venue instantly erupted with thunderous applause!

Whether it was domestic entertainment and film reporters, Beijing Film Academy students, industry stars, directors, academic and business figures from Korea and Japan, or official figures from the domestic film industry and cultural industry—

All of them turned their eyes to the stage in unison, looking at this young director who had held high the banner of commercial films and called for the industrialization of film since the day he debuted.

On the stage, Boss Lu was dressed in a high-end custom suit suitable for a formal occasion, standing tall and upright, with a profound and imposing presence.

"Hello everyone, friends. Let's skip the tedious pleasantries; today I will talk to you about the original intention of founding this film academy."

"Previously, on different occasions, I have expounded my views on commercial films and film industrialization."

"For example, the exchange at the Beijing Film Academy after "The Drummer" won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2002, the dialogue with the domestic Sixth Generation directors on behalf of the authorities, the speech as the jury president at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, and so on."

"Why have I been committed to promoting all of this? Frankly speaking, it is because I have seen the crisis."

"Today, those present are all industry colleagues from our three East Asian countries. We coexist in the Confucian cultural circle that originated in China, and we have similar artistic imprints and aesthetic sensibilities."

"But let's look at how the film markets of our three countries are doing?"

"I will not repeat the relevant data today, but almost all of them have suffered from the 'aggression' of Hollywood's Western film industry; this is the truth."

"It is true that Hollywood is a competitor and a commercial enemy, but I think they are even more of an anatomical specimen. The strength of Hollywood lies in their professional division of labor."

"Today, behind closed doors, let's reveal our own shortcomings. Compared to the 150 film industrialization job categories currently in Hollywood, this number is 46 in China; this is the official data from the Film Bureau."

"From the perspective of the production system, Hollywood is a producer-centered system, while we are a director-centered system."

"From a single production process, such as color grading, Hollywood has the ASC-CDL color decision list, while our crews mostly rely on experience."

"There are also things like talent cultivation, risk management, completion guarantees, box office forecasting, and so on..."

Boss Lu paused: "Pouring this basin of water might make everyone present feel chilled to the bone, but it really must be poured, and one cannot establish without breaking."

This passage exposed his own shortcomings, but the industry insiders present all deeply agreed.

There were many irregular aspects in mainland film crews, and every line in the industrial chain was deeply harmed.

Investors' funds being misappropriated under false pretenses, the crew's production managers deducting commissions from extras and meal box commissions, and liaison managers lining their pockets from film location fees were all the norm.

The students in the Beijing Film Academy standard projection hall listened with heavy hearts, and a director department student could not help but stand up and shout: "Director Lu, what should we do then?"

Boss Lu laughed: "Film industrialization is a big concept that requires the coordination of authorities, film companies, directors, financial institutions, and other parties to achieve."

"This process cannot be achieved overnight, but it needs to be launched as soon as possible."

"For example, the internal decision-making of our Wenjie film crews and film marketing has already to a considerable extent carried out the Chinese-style transformation of Hollywood's industrialization system to assist our commercial and artistic decisions."

"Of course, this student's question also points out our theme today—"

The young director reached out and pointed to the banner above his head: "The establishment of the Pan-Asia Film Academy is an effort to promote film industrialization from the director's link."

There was a lot of discussion off the stage, which soon returned to calm.

When it comes to artistic attainments, there is no first place in literature, and different people have different views; there is no unified standard.

But when it comes to the understanding of the film industry and a global perspective, perhaps this richest man in the mainland is qualified to be a teacher for everyone from the authorities to the temple.

"Yesterday in the conference room, I communicated with Principal Zhang, Tokyo University of the Arts Principal Ikuo Hirayama, and Chung-Ang University Principal Chung Un-chan, and it was very sad to find that there is a gap in director talent."

"In Japan, the gap is due to the collective aphasia under the shadow of masters. Seniors like Director Hayao Miyazaki and Director Takeshi Kitano are too excellent, and there are no successors. In the top ten of Japan's local film box office from 2003-2006, new directors only accounted for 1 seat, which was Mr. Takashi Miike, who was 46 years old at the time, and further down, you can't see anyone."

"In Korea, the gap is due to the existence of the Chungmuro bloodline theory. The ecological construction and talent cultivation of the film industry cannot be fully developed. Data from the Korean Film Council in 2006 shows that films produced by directors under 35 years old entering theaters account for less than 5%."

"And in China, the gap is because the evaluation standards have long been held in the hands of a few film academic cliques, demonizing normal film commodities—genre films and commercial films—making our excellent directors who originally had the ability to tell good stories terrified!"

"Of course, since Director Zhang Yimou's "Hero" in 2002, I am very glad that more and more directors have realized this and refused to become drowning victims in the tide of commercial films."

Hearing this, the audience was already silent.

Every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite; some things are unpleasant to say, but senior practitioners know it in their hearts.

In the land of the devils, masters like 65-year-old Hayao Miyazaki and 59-year-old Takeshi Kitano monopolized absolute industry resources, and big companies like Shochiku and Toho implemented safe-bet strategies and would not give young directors too many opportunities.

And the Chungmuro he mentioned was the central area of the Korean film industry, gathering numerous film companies, equipment shops, cinemas, and theaters.

Without the bloodline of Chungmuro, it was difficult to get opportunities in the Korean film industry, where seniority was also very strict.

As for the Southeast Asian countries that Boss Lu ignored, there was no need to mention them; there were almost no famous directors, and their local production systems were destroyed by the aftermath of the 1998 financial crisis.

In art, they were also a generation torn by colonial narratives.

Boss Lu said earnestly: "Therefore, the Pan-Asia Film Academy was founded with such an original intention."

"According to strict selection procedures, we only recruited six students for the first session."

"I hope you work hard! Forge ahead! Make achievements, become role models, and I hope this number can be 10 or 20 next year!"

The young director gave his final concluding remarks: "Alright, friends."

"Industrialization is not a multiple-choice question, but a life-and-death order."

"The backbone of industrialization is standardization, and the soul is creativity."

"I hope that every one of our students can become a demolition expert of the old order and a surveyor of the new blueprint."

"Finally!"

"I want to put forward a prospect, an expectation, and a blessing to our young Beijing Film Academy students off the stage and to all film industry practitioners in the country!"

All the industry stars, directors, film companies, and power figures off the stage, including Bingbing and Jing Tian, could not help but sit up straight and listen attentively.

"I hope that with the efforts of our generation, Chinese culture will ride the artistic carrier of film to sweep the world, and let our Dragon Seal become the universal currency of the film world!"

"One day in the future, in IMAX cinemas in Shanghai and Beijing, children will be able to cheer for our superheroes Wukong and Nezha!"

"On the world's largest video website, a series labeled 'Chinese Sci-Fi' and 'Huaxia Culture' will have the highest number of views!"

"At the Oscar awards ceremony, a designer wearing Hanfu will hold up the Best Visual Effects trophy and thank the Lin'an algorithm team for their contribution!"

"Friends! Colleagues! This is not a fantasy! This is the future that our generation must weld with our own hands!"

"When future generations write the film history of the 21st century, may they record it like this: In 2006, a group of Chinese filmmakers put down the pens of scholars belittling each other, grasped the wrench of film industrial civilization, and forged..."

The air in the grand auditorium stifled for a moment; Proprietor Lu paused, looking at the audience below with a smile on his face.

"The glory of Chinese cinema!"

As soon as the words fell, Director Cai of the General Administration, Director Tong of the Film Bureau, leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Han Shanping, and other official guests were the first to stand up.

The entire audience was stirred, and applause surged like a tide, continuing without end.

From the halls of power to the common world, all the industry insiders standing at the pinnacle of the professional pyramid could not help but feel moved—

Carrying the banner of film industrialization, after today, perhaps a future tycoon and academic authority of the Chinese film industry is about to be born.

(End of this chapter)