Not only were Ning Hao and Xing Ai'na curious, but even Pu Songri and Mu Deyuan were a bit curious, after all, Wu Chen was a freshman, and when he enrolled, Ning Hao had already graduated.
"Haven't you seen Senior Brother Ning Hao's 'incense'?"
Ning Hao, Xing Ai'na, and Mu Deyuan were fine, but even Pu Songri looked puzzled, and Wu Chen immediately said, speechless.
"I've seen it!" Pu Songri scratched his head.
"You've seen it and you still don't know Senior Sister Xing? Leaving everything else aside, Senior Sister Xing's name is written on the movie poster cover, and there are also co-director, art director, cinematographer... these are all important movie information, don't you even look at them?
We are not ordinary viewers; we should at least glance at the information we need to remember."
Wu Chen wasn't making excuses; this was a skill he had mastered in his previous life that helped him succeed, and it was actually a necessary skill for industry professionals.
Because this information could play a crucial role at critical moments.
It's just that many people subconsciously ignore it, usually only remembering the director and a few main actors, but these behind-the-scenes personnel are also very important; you never know when you might meet them or work together.
For example, at this moment, Xing Ai'na felt respected, because very few people truly remember the behind-the-scenes personnel other than the director.
"Uh!" Pu Songri didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Seeing this, Wu Chen added, "Of course, I also heard some stories about Senior Brother Ning Hao and Senior Sister Xing at school, so I remembered them."
"Amazing!" Ning Hao exclaimed. These were all details that he only realized were crucial after becoming a director.
"Junior Brother, how should I address you?" Xing Ai'na specifically asked.
"Wu Chen. Wu is the character for 'mouth' and 'sky', and Chen is the character with the 'roof' radical, plus the 'stars' radical..."
"Chen, a very noble character. In ancient times, this character had a strong sense of nobility, like 'Chen Palace,' which referred to the emperor's palace or residence." Xing Ai'na smiled.
"He is Pu Songri, a genuine Northeasterner from Heilongjiang, and I'm from Guangfu..." Wu Chen quickly introduced himself and Pu Songri.
"Your Senior Sister Xing Ai'na is from our Literature Department. Perhaps you two will even collaborate on screenplays in the future." Mu Deyuan motioned for them to sit down.
Ning Hao sat to the right of Mu Deyuan, and Xing Ai'na was next.
When Ning Hao, with his keen eyes, sat down, he saw the script Mu Deyuan had placed on the chair. The title 'the dark side' was written on it, and he immediately became interested.
"Oh, Teacher, are you planning to shoot a new movie? Looking at the title, it seems a bit similar to your previous style, like a horror or thriller movie title..."
"Teacher, may I take a look?"
"I can't make that decision; it's not my script, it's your Junior Brother's." Mu Deyuan said with a smile, looking at Wu Chen.
"Oh!" Ning Hao was even more surprised this time, and hesitated, "Is Junior Brother from a family in the industry?"
"No, my family makes leather shoes!" Wu Chen smiled, "Senior Brother, please take a look. If there's anything incorrect, please correct me."
Wu Chen wasn't afraid that Ning Hao would read it and then try to produce it himself, as Ning Hao's character wouldn't allow him to do such a thing, and Mu Deyuan was also present.
Ning Hao didn't know how to evaluate this junior brother for a moment. With a hint of doubt, he took the script from Mu Deyuan's hand.
"I've read the beginning carefully, and it's well-written. I haven't seriously read the rest yet!"
Mu Deyuan probably guessed what Ning Hao was thinking and, while eating mutton hotpot, didn't forget to add a sentence.
This piqued Ning Hao's interest even more, and Xing Ai'na also pulled her chair closer.
The two of them seemed to be frozen, and after a few minutes, their fingers moved, turning a page.
"Wonderful!"
Ning Hao suddenly blurted out a word, and after turning a few more pages, he exclaimed again, "This script is really well-written."
"Junior Brother, are you really not from our Literature Department?"
Xing Ai'na couldn't help but look up at Wu Chen and asked.
"Teacher Mu is right here, so how could it be false?" Wu Chen couldn't help but respond with a smile.
"It's commendable. This movie is so suitable for new directors to shoot. Three main characters, the characters won't be too complex, concentrated in one villa, controllable costs, plus with a core of escape room design and psychological games, it deeply explores the selfishness and betrayal of human nature, and the depth is sufficient..."
Ning Hao quickly finished reading and closed the script, exclaiming.
Compared to Mu Deyuan's careful and thorough review, Ning Hao clearly read much faster.
"Teacher, if this movie isn't given some support to be filmed, it would be too much of a pity." Ning Hao immediately said, then looked at Wu Chen, "Junior Brother, if the school can't manage it, come find me. I'll introduce you to some people..."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Wu Chen immediately responded, feeling immensely emotional.
This was the benefit of coming from a proper academic department.
Although Ning Hao didn't have much money in his pockets at this time, he had accumulated some connections. With connections, there would always be an opportunity to raise funds.
Seeing this, Mu Deyuan felt a surge of comfort in his heart. What he wanted was this kind of collaborative effort between senior and junior brothers, and he immediately said, "Don't worry, I'm not old yet."
"That's not right, Teacher. In our industry, the older you are, the more valuable you become. In fact, if you were one generation older, perhaps with just a word, Junior Brother's project would have already succeeded."
Ning Hao knew that Mu Deyuan had a plan in mind, so he didn't continue the previous topic and joked.
"Let's not talk about him. Let's talk about you. After 'incense,' what are you planning to shoot?" Mu Deyuan changed the subject and looked at Ning Hao.
Ning Hao was a promising talent in recent years and the disciple of an old friend, so he naturally paid close attention.
"You've graduated, so many things will depend on yourselves from now on."
"I haven't decided yet. For a large investment, I'm not quite there yet. I'll see if I can make another small-budget film." Ning Hao said self-deprecatingly.
He knew that after graduation, many things would depend on himself, unlike a few years ago when he could rely on his teachers at school.
His 'incense' came about because after the script was finished, it circulated among his classmates and was seen by his mentor, who then actively sought him out.
However, due to its genre, the 'incense' script was more like an underground film, making it impossible to use the school's funding; therefore, his mentor took him to a place called "Heaven on Earth" in the Third Ring Road of Beijing at that time to find investors. He received 40,000 yuan in cash as a deposit on the spot, and they even promised an investment of 1.5 million yuan.
But things didn't go as planned. Just as they were about to start filming, the state issued a policy prohibiting individuals from shooting underground films and imposing a 50-fold fine on investors. This policy directly led to the original investors withdrawing their investment.
Finally, with no other options, he self-funded and took on the roles of cinematographer, screenwriter, and director to complete the film.
"It's not easy for anyone. No one expected that you would just happen to run into that policy..."
Mu Deyuan said with emotion. He was naturally aware of Ning Hao's situation, and it was indeed a difficult journey. Otherwise, if Ning Hao's 'incense' had been filmed according to the original script, it might have even had a chance at the three major international film festivals.