I know you must be worried about censorship, but I actually have an idea: I want to try to make it a thriller rather than a horror movie, avoiding violent and gory scenes. However, I'm not sure if it will work, so I'd like you to help me oversee it.
Zhang Chen once again buttered him up, and Teacher Fu was quite pleased.
At this moment, another teacher beside them spoke up, saying, “Zhang Chen, how do you plan to film the movie?”
They were all industry insiders; they could tell if a script was good with just one glance.
Zhang Chen’s script was definitely of superior quality, and it would be a shame to film it haphazardly, so everyone wanted to hear Zhang Chen’s thoughts.
Zhang Chen was just wondering how to start, and it was truly a pillow offered when one was sleepy, so he began, “I plan to recruit all the cast and crew from our school, which can save a lot of money, but I’m not very familiar with people… ”
“That’s not a problem. The teachers from the acting department will definitely be willing to help, and I’ll put in a good word with the other departments then.”
Teacher Fu took on the responsibility, and the teachers from the acting department nodded in agreement.
When Beijing Film Academy students make a movie, the school naturally wants to show support. Moreover, this also provides them with internship opportunities, which is a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“For the location, I plan to use the sound stages at our Qingying Film Studio…”
“All shot on set?” another acting department teacher asked.
“Yes, if it were on location, the cost would be too high.”
Teacher Fu thought for a moment: “Okay, I’ll help you coordinate. The price should also be discounted, and I can also introduce you to the prop factory we often work with.”
Hearing this, Zhang Chen was overjoyed. Renting the sound stage was the most uncertain point, and now that Teacher Fu had agreed to help, there should be no problem.
Zhang Chen continued to make requests: “I want to borrow the school’s equipment…”
“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Teacher Fu immediately refused him this time. “The department’s equipment is too old; it’s barely adequate for teaching, but not suitable for actual movie production. Equipment cannot be taken lightly; I suggest you still rent from Qingying Film Studio, and I’ll help you negotiate.”
“Okay.”
Zhang Chen had originally just wanted to get a bargain, but since it wasn't possible, he let it go.
Moreover, Teacher Fu was right; when it came to equipment, you truly get what you pay for.
“If that’s the case, I think about 2 million yuan should be enough to make this movie.”
Zhang Chen gave the final budget, and the other teachers secretly estimated it in their minds, feeling it was roughly the same. They thought even more highly of Zhang Chen.
“Lao Fu, your student is excellent.”
The teachers from the acting department did not hesitate to praise him. A sophomore student whose cost estimation was already comparable to theirs, seasoned veterans, was quite capable.
Teacher Fu also nodded repeatedly, feeling a sense of triumph.
In his opinion, his student being able to keep the budget within 2 million was a very wise choice.
It was a recognized fact in the industry that movies under 2 million were the easiest to recoup costs.
Because a movie, as long as it wasn't too bad, could usually be sold to the Movie Channel for 700,000 to 800,000 yuan. Plus, box office revenue and DVD copyright income, breaking even was generally not a big problem.
For a student’s first movie, not losing money could actually be considered a success.
“Regarding censorship, I think your approach should be feasible. With the school’s help to put in a good word, there shouldn’t be any problems~”
movie censorship in China was an enigma; what could pass and what couldn't had no strict basis.
Beijing Film Academy was, after all, a prominent institution, and as long as no red lines were crossed, there was still room for maneuver.
Zhang Chen was overjoyed to hear that the school was willing to help.
The success of this film had been verified in later generations; he wasn't worried about its commercial performance at all. The only uncertain point was whether it could pass censorship. Now, with the school's endorsement, the censorship issue was also resolved, so how could he not be happy?
“What about funding? How big is the shortfall still?”
“Uh, the investment is currently only an intention…”
An intention meant no actual investment; these were industry codewords that everyone understood.
When Zhang Chen returned, he had an extra card with 100,000 yuan given by his parents.
His family was not wealthy; 100,000 was their limit.
But for a movie, it was a drop in the bucket.
The production cost of the descent should not reach 2 million, and this was only because of the extensive use of school resources; otherwise, the cost would probably double.
After a moment of thought, Teacher Fu shook his head helplessly: “The school probably can’t help you much with attracting investment; you’ll have to figure that out yourself.
China Film Group has annual funding for young directors, but it’s very difficult to apply for. I can help you make a call to facilitate a meeting, but the final outcome will depend on your luck.”
After thinking for a long time, Teacher Fu offered a solution that wasn't really a solution.
For most directors, securing investment was the most difficult part of the entire movie project.
If he could easily raise 2 million in investment, he would have run off to make his own movies long ago, instead of staying here as a teacher.
“Then thank you.”
Zhang Chen hadn't really held out much hope that the school could solve the investment issue; he had his own plans. However, China Film Group’s support fund was a potential avenue, so he could try it, just in case it worked out.
“It’s nothing. The school has always encouraged students with ideas.”
After leaving Teacher Fu’s office, Zhang Chen and Cao Bingkun walked along the roads of Beijing Film Academy.
The day after tomorrow was the official start of the semester, and students had already begun to return to campus today.
Beijing Film Academy was indeed a famous art institution; the campus was full of handsome men and beautiful women, and from time to time, they would encounter familiar faces—those were new film and television talents who had already made a name for themselves on screen.
Towards evening, Zhang Chen received a call from Teacher Fu. He had already spoken with Director Zhang, the head of the relevant department at China Film Group, and Zhang Chen could go directly tomorrow morning.
The next morning, Zhang Chen arrived as scheduled.
This time, he hadn’t planned to bring Cao Bingkun, intending to go alone, but Lao Cao insisted on coming along, so Zhang Chen had him wait downstairs.
After explaining his purpose to the front desk, the receptionist led him to a reception room, served tea, and then came a long wait.
About half an hour later, Zhang Chen had finished his water, and Director Zhang finally arrived late.
“Sorry, sorry, I was held up by something unexpected. Please bear with me~”
Director Zhang was a plump man in his forties, with a polite smile on his face. He apologized as soon as he entered, speaking very courteously.
Zhang Chen naturally said it was no problem.
“Professor Fu said he has a student who wrote a script and wants to apply for support funding. May I take a look first…”
“Of course.”
Zhang Chen handed over both the script and the storyboard to him. He took them and quickly flipped through them.
The reception room fell silent, with only the sound of pages turning.
Director Zhang read very quickly, finishing the script in a short amount of time. He then glanced at the storyboard a few more times, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but it was fleeting.
He didn't speak immediately, seemingly organizing his thoughts. After a while, he finally said, “You are Director Fu’s student, so we are on the same side. I’ll be frank.”