Chapter 3: For the next twenty years, no one will come.
University life was very busy, and Li Chen's mother had already flown to Hainan.
He basically treated the school as his home.
He attended every professional and basic course.
In particular, he put all his effort into the basic courses like Film Art Fundamentals, Photography, Film Special Effects, and Film Cinematography.
He wasn't idle in his spare time either; besides writing scripts, he also bought several books on vocal music fundamentals.
It wasn't about being greedy; it was just a hobby.
Since the day he met Zhao Pan'er at the start of the semester, three months had passed, and he hadn't seen her again.
Almost everyone at school knew that the girl had joined the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils crew.
Her resources were truly heaven-defying.
She was even playing the classic character, Fairy Sister.
However, it must be said that, apart from her acting, Zhao Pan'er's Fairy Sister was unprecedented.
For the next twenty years, no one will come.
In the Director Department, one of Li Chen's classmates, He Yanjiang, had already joined the hanwu the great crew in October.
He was credited as a literary coordinator, participating in script adaptation.
He also invited everyone in the QQ group to come observe and learn on set when filming started in March next year.
Everyone politely replied with thanks.
Li Chen didn't know what others thought, but he planned to go and learn after the New Year.
Huang Bo was another typical example; although he joined the dubbing class, he never gave up his dream of becoming an actor.
As long as there was an opportunity, even for an extra role without lines, he would gladly take it.
He also kept in touch with Li Chen from time to time, but without being annoying.
No wonder he would succeed later.
Entering December, posters for "Hero" were everywhere.
Whether it was the big names like Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, and Tony Leung on the posters, or Zhang Yimou behind them.
All of them enticed moviegoers into the cinemas.
Li Chen also watched it once with Huang Bo.
Zhang Yimou, like Jet Li in "Hero," was deadly with his first move.
Even from Li Chen's perspective in later generations.
Zhang Yimou's "Hero" deserved the title of a blockbuster.
The grand production scenes were magnificent, the visuals beautiful, and deeply moving.
Huang Bo beside him was completely engrossed, Li Chen guessed.
At this moment, Huang Bo must have imagined himself as Nameless in "Hero."
Afterward, Huang Bo seriously retorted, "You're wrong. Broken Sword is my dream."
Damn, I was careless, this is Huang Bo!
Jet Li was at most an action star.
But Broken Sword was a Best Actor, and he also had a Best Actress, Flying Snow, by his side.
The domestic box office for "Hero" finally settled at 250 million, with an overseas box office of 170 million US dollars.
This was the first major production in Chinese cinema since joining the WTO.
Zhang Yimou gained both fame and fortune, becoming a legend in one battle.
Moreover, the butterfly effect it brought was a surge of ambition.
The Promise and the banquet followed one after another.
Unfortunately, there was only one Zhang Yimou.
The first semester passed quickly, and Li Chen flew to Hainan with his parents for the Chinese New Year during the winter break.
During this period, he ignored his parents' nagging and forcibly bought several large items for them.
A vertical air conditioner, an LCD TV, a massage chair, plus a live-in nanny.
Li Chen's father complained about him wasting money, but he didn't talk back.
Anyway, when Li Chen's father retired, everything would be shipped back, that should be fine, right?
It was Li Chen's mother who was powerful, retorting, "You ungrateful old man!"
Li Chen's father was completely silenced!
After the Spring Festival, Li Chen didn't stay long and returned to Beijing alone.
While there was still some time before school started, Li Chen began to conceptualize his first low-budget film.
As the saying goes, if you don't know how to drive, you'll learn after one try.
He sifted through several low-budget scripts he had already written.
Finally, he chose one: lost on journey.
The reason was simple: before the Spring Festival, blind shaft was shortlisted for the 53rd Berlin Film Festival.
Wang Baoqiang burst onto the scene!
The storyboards were drawn after the script was completed.
It would start after he returned from the hanwu the great crew.
This kind of low-budget film was just for practice and certainly wouldn't lose money.
After the Spring Festival holiday, Li Chen registered and established Rong Chen Film and Television Co., Ltd..
Since he was going to make a movie, he should first set up the company structure.
Though the sparrow is small, it must have all its internal organs.
Especially the finance department, which was essential.
Then he submitted the script for lost on journey for review.
Immediately after, Li Chen contacted Xu Zheng, who was currently in a period of confused transition.
Although he entered the public eye because of a drama about Zhu Bajie and was a genuine Baiyulan Award Best Actor.
However, since the millennium, he hadn't had a single big-screen work.
Actors who want to upgrade still need to go to the big screen.
Otherwise, even if Xu Zheng made so many TV dramas, he would still remain lukewarm.
Upon receiving Li Chen's invitation, Xu Zheng was more than happy.
Wang Baoqiang even exclaimed that his luck had turned; blind shaft had just won an award, and now he had another acting offer.
At this time, soldiers sortie had not yet been filmed, and Wang Baoqiang had run countless errands for a long time before making a name for himself with blind shaft.
As for the remaining female roles.
Li Chen planned to scout at two universities, and if that didn't work, he would look outside the school.
Including photography, assistant director, and art direction, all would be found from the school.
Calculated this way, with him taking on the roles of director, screenwriter, and producer, it wouldn't be included in the cost.
China Film Group Corporation was found for distribution, and the budget was controlled at around four million.
After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, school started.
Li Chen visited the hanwu the great crew, where the filming methods for TV dramas and movies were ultimately different.
TV dramas were filmed very quickly, and scene assembly could be completed on site.
Unlike movies, which required developing and editing.
Returning to school in mid-March, when Li Chen approached Teacher Li of the Director Department with the script.
The latter was somewhat taken aback for a moment.
"Are you serious?"
"Teacher, I've already prepared the budget, contacted the main actors, and even registered a company."
Li Chen knew the latter's concerns; a first-year student from the Director Department actually set up a project and started working on it.
Many students from the school's Director Department who had graduated years ago hadn't even made a short film yet.
This young man in front of him had already set up a low-budget film project.
Several other teachers in the office interjected with smiles.
"Haha, Teacher Li, is this the student with the highest cultural course score in your department?"
"Uh, yes, this kid's cultural course score was more than fifty points above the first-tier university admission line. Last semester, his scores in all professional and basic courses were among the best."
"Haha, very good, very good!"
Li Chen felt a little embarrassed; out of a dozen people in the Director Department, half were foreigners.
Compared to him, the remaining few were like the distance between a top student and a slacker.
In terms of effort, he was even more unique.
Li Chen, who never missed a class, had almost become a beautiful sight in the Director Department.
Teacher Li, still worried, said, "Li Chen, you must think it through carefully."
"Although I don't know your family's financial situation, I still need to make it clear to you."
"Making movies is very risky, and you could lose everything."
Li Chen smiled and said, "Teacher, I'm your student, don't I know all this?"
"If you're worried, help me find two experienced senior students to be assistant directors."
"From the moment I decided to film, I was prepared to lose money."
"Besides, let alone a student like me, even famous big directors can't say that every movie they make is profitable."
Teacher Li smiled bitterly and said, "Alright. I can help you contact China Film Group Corporation for equipment."
"Besides the main actors, find other roles at the school. This will not only take care of our students but also save you a lot of costs."
Li Chen smiled and said, "No problem, that's what I intended to do anyway."