Chapter 227 Professionals on Villain Themes

Wu Yuchen looked at Cai Yinong who was flattering him and smiled, and then asked: "By the way, Mr. Cai, I asked you to contact the special effects company before to discuss the acquisition. How is the situation now?"

Cai Yinong heard this and immediately said:

"Director Wu, there are three main special effects companies on Hong Kong Island. One is Xiantao Digital, the other is Wan Kuan, and Xu Ke's New Visual Effects Studio. I have already been in contact with them. Wan Kuan has agreed. After acquiring it, Mr. Zhu from Xiantao is still hesitant, and Xu doesn’t want to sell his new visual effects studio.”

Wu Yuchen nodded when he heard this. In fact, the reason why he worked hard for "Shaolin Football" to be broadcast in mainland China was partly because they participated in the investment, and partly because he wanted to develop special effects for movies. s reason.

To this day, there has never been a movie produced with computer special effects released in mainland China. "The Storm," known as the originator of computer-generated special effects Chinese films, was not released in mainland China at all. Therefore, this time "Shaolin Soccer" uses a lot of special effects. Wu Yuchen still wants to have it released as much as possible so that the audience can watch Chinese-language films in theaters that also have special effects.

Film and television special effects are actually very broad. Those visual effects that can use special means to create illusions or hallucinations for films and television can be called special effects. Special effects were already used in the filming of "The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple" in China in the 1920s and 1930s. .

However, the special effects that everyone now generally refers to are computer-generated special effects, digital matte paintings, etc., which emerged from Hollywood and spread to the world through blockbusters.

Wu Yuchen actually wanted to develop special effects in mainland China, but he was helpless because his foundation was so weak that he could not even see it.

In 2000, Shanghai Film Studio took the lead in establishing a computer special effects production center within the studio system. That year, China's first true computer special effects film "Crash Landing" was shot.

In 2002, another 20 million was invested in the filming of "Polar Rescue", which promoted the large-scale use of digital special effects technology, claiming that 60% of the film was computer special effects and composite lenses. At that time, it was the film that used the most special effects lenses among domestic films. But anyone who has actually gone to see the movie knows that the computer special effects on this thing are unwatchable at all. Not to mention compared with Hollywood, the level compared with Hong Kong Island is still far behind.

Now even if Wu Yuchen wants to train, he doesn't even have a target to train him. Mainland China is completely blank in this area. Who in mainland China has the skills to do special effects with you? They have all gone to work on computers.

Therefore, he simply asked Little White Bear to make the acquisition on Hong Kong Island.

The three companies Cai Yinong mentioned just now are the companies with the best special effects technology and strength in Hong Kong Island.

The earliest one to be established is Xu Ke's New Visual Effects Studio. It is well known that Xu Ke has always been obsessed with special effects. This studio has been established since the 1980s to engage in special effects technology. His company has just completed the special effects production of "The Legend of Shushan", which will be released this summer. Old Monster Xu is still looking forward to the movie's box office, and now he doesn't want to sell the company at all.

As for the one with the best technology and strength, it should be Xiantao Digital. This company was also established in the 1980s and has already established some foundation for its development. This company has participated in the special effects production of many movies on Hong Kong Island. For example, "The Storm" uses advanced special effects technologies such as fully virtual characters, green background synthesis, and particle rendering, and has become the special effects benchmark for Hong Kong movies. And this time, "Shaolin Football" was basically completed by Xiantao Digital.

As for Wan Kuan, it was founded in the 1990s and has a relatively weak foundation, but its development momentum is also very fast. This time Xu Ke's "New Shushan Biography" was co-produced with Wan Kuan, and the special effects of Chen Kaizi's "The Promise" were also similar. Received by several companies.

Wu Yuchen thought for a while, and then said to Cai Yinong: "Since you are hesitating, it means you are tempted. Let's increase the price, and then tell Zhu Jiaxin that Wan Kuan will be merged into Xantao and develop into the largest special effects company in Asia."

Yes, Wu Yuchen just wants to buy two special effects companies and merge them. The current Chinese special effects market is actually not big and cannot support so many companies. In fact, most of the current income of these Chinese special effects companies comes from advertising. There is a huge gap with Hollywood. They have been doing low-end business and their technical level has not improved at all. So it is better to integrate them together and catch up!

Let it develop in Hong Kong Island for the time being, and set up a branch in Shenzhen in two years. After the rise of Shenzhen Huaqiangbei, the special effects company will be moved directly to Shenzhen. Anyway, Shenzhen is close to Hong Kong Island, and it only takes 40 to 50 minutes to drive, so the employees on Hong Kong Island don't have much opinion.

Wu Yuchen has no intention of making money from this special effects company. He mainly wants to catch up with Hollywood and improve the special effects level of Chinese-language films. Of course, he won’t keep idle people. In the next few years, Chinese-language films will usher in an era of large-scale martial arts film productions. All of these require special effects, and they will be handed over to them.

At the same time, when I go to Hollywood to shoot in the future, I can also bring the technical backbone to join the group to learn and personally observe the production process of Hollywood's top special effects. This is far better than working behind closed doors. And this is also a major benefit that attracts these special effects workers to follow him.

After watching Cai Yinong record what he told him, Wu Yuchen thought for a while and said: "Mr. Cai, please contact Wu Zongxian, the variety show king in Xiawanwan, and ask him how to sell Alpha Company and how to sell it." Buy it in a package.”

"Huh? Director Wu, what do you mean?" Cai Yinong wanted to ask Wu Yuchen about his intention to buy this company.

"I just listened to the new album by a singer named Jay Chou and found it quite interesting. I bought it and focused on cultivating it."

"Okay, I'll contact you later." Cai Yinong quickly wrote down the names of Wu Zongxian and Jay Chou.

Wu Yuchen thought for a while, with F4 and Xiao Zhou, basically the money they earned was more than enough to support a special effects company with hundreds of people.

After talking about these two relatively important acquisitions, Wu Yuchen and Cai Yinong chatted about some of the filming plans of Miracle Film and Television this year. In fact, they are mainly TV series. After all, domestic TV series are now far more profitable than movies.

Needless to say, Little White Bear is actually mainly producing idol dramas around F4.

As for Miracle Film and Television, as its reputation has grown in recent years, more and more projects have come to attract investment and projects that it is preparing to produce.

Jiang Xuerou's "A History of the Martial Arts" has been filmed, and she plans to continue filming Gu Long's drama, "Xiao Shiyilang" next. This girl loves martial arts and is an important member of the Chinese Martial Arts Association, so she has been committed to filming martial arts dramas.

Then there are three costume dramas, one of which is "Love Through Time and Space" that has been promised to Fan Bingbing as the heroine, and Jiang Xuerou will also be responsible for it when the time comes.

The second film is "Emperor of the Han Dynasty", a script written by the famous screenwriter Yang Xiaoxiong. Miracle Films directly bought it and prepared to start the project.

The third part is a project co-produced with Wanwan, "Wind and Cloud". The two parties agreed that Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun would each find a Wanwan actor and a mainland actor.

Wu Yuchen plans to let Huang Xiaoming choose one of these costume dramas to be the leading actor.

It’s not that Wu Yuchen is partial to Huang Xiaoming, it’s that Huang Xiaoming’s starring role is really easy to sell!

As an F4 debutant and the most popular Daoming Si, Huang Xiaoming is now quite popular even in Hong Kong Island and Wanwan.

If you find a mainland male star, for example, Lu Yi is now considered a popular niche, he may still be popular in the mainland, but who knows you outside the mainland?

And these martial arts dramas, regardless of Hong Kong Island, Bay Area, or even Singapore, are their sales targets, so naturally, Huang Xiaoming, who is very popular in mainland China and overseas, is the most suitable one!

As for which one he chooses, it's up to him. For Xiao Shiyilang and Bu Jingyun, they just want to be cool, so it's not too difficult. As for "Emperor of Han Dynasty", it follows the route of a serious drama.

There are only so many costume dramas for now, maybe there will be more ones coming to my door in the middle of the year, so I’ll watch them then.

Later, Wu Yuchen looked at several modern dramas the company planned to shoot this year.

When I first looked at this first film, "Black Hole", the director was Guan Hu, and the male lead was going to be directed by Director Chen.

Upon seeing this, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but ask Cai Yinong: "Has Guan Hu figured it out now? Is he actually willing to make a TV series?"

Cai Yinong smiled and said: "Director Wu, that's what happened..."

The year before last, Guan Hu filmed a movie called "Get in the Car, Let's Go!" "After filming, I looked for theaters, but no one was willing to distribute it. In the end, I had no choice but to sell it to a movie channel. The cost of 500,000 yuan has been recovered, and the capital will be guaranteed.

This made Guan Hu a little depressed. He wanted to continue making movies, so he took a script called "Xi Shi Eyes" to attract investment from Miracle Films.

"As for me, I didn't agree directly after meeting him. It looked like it would be difficult for him to make back his money on a literary film unless he won an award abroad. I told him that it was okay to cast him in this film, but he had to make a TV series for the company first. , and then give him the money to cast the movie.

Guan Hu thought about it and agreed, and then I recommended several scripts for him to choose from. He chose "Black Hole" himself and said that he would personally invite Mr. Chen Daoming. "

Wu Yuchen laughed when he heard this and said, "Mr. Cai, your move is quite good!"

The TV series "Black Hole" can be regarded as a classic anti-corruption drama. It became very popular once it was broadcast, because the scenes depicted in it were thought to be real people and real events. It was so real!

As for the scripts, those were collected by Miracle Film and Television in the past two years. Now that Miracle Film and Television is not short of money, they will take in some good scripts first.

Then Wu Yuchen looked back again, and then he couldn't help but said directly: ""Conquer"?"

"Yes, director Gao Qunshu approached me about this drama, and he said he only wanted 5 million. I thought it wasn't a large amount of money, and Director Gao was good at making this kind of drama, so I cast it for him."

Some people may not be familiar with this drama, but Liu Huaqiang should know about it!

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but ask: "Is the male protagonist confirmed?"

"I didn't ask, Director Wu, do you have any ideas?" Cai Yinong asked.

Wu Yuchen nodded, then picked up his cell phone and dialed, and the call was connected after just two beeps.

"Hello, Director Wu!" Sun Honglei's surprised voice came from the other side.

"Haha, Hong Lei, what have you been busy with lately?" Wu Yuchen asked with a smile.

"It's nothing, I'm just acting in a play. If you need me, Director Wu, I'll be on call at any time!"

Wu Yuchen asked again: "Hey, I heard that after you finished playing "Donkey Gets Water", someone called you a coward on the street? Is that true?"

In "Donkey Gets Water", Zhou Tienan, played by Sun Honglei, was frightened by a gun and knelt down to beg for mercy. He was so passionate in front of him, but he was so timid in the back. Many people were angry about it, and it was inevitable that some people would express their personal emotions and curse after watching the movie. his.

When Sun Honglei heard this, his heart moved and he immediately said:

"Hey, they are just kidding me! Besides, I am still happy when they scold me, which means that I have performed well. This is a compliment to me! If you have this opportunity again, Director Wu, you will definitely have to find me~"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "If this is really the case, then I feel a little sorry. Well, now I see a script that is not bad. The director is Gao Qunshu, and the male protagonist is very domineering. After you play it, no one will do it again. Calling you a coward!"

Sun Honglei originally thought it was Wu Yuchen's play, but when he heard it turned out to be someone else's, he felt a little disappointed. But he soon adjusted and said: "Thank you so much, Director Wu, for your concern. Director Wu, you are right, so I will definitely cherish this opportunity!"

"Okay, that's settled then."

"Okay, thank you Director Wu!"

Sun Honglei smiled after hanging up the phone. Although it was not Director Wu's play, Director Wu calling him showed that he was still in his heart. If he performed well this time, he would naturally give priority to him if there is a suitable opportunity in the future. Think of him.

Wu Yuchen smiled at Cai Yinong and said, "I think Liu Huaqiang's role as Sun Honglei is particularly suitable. You can tell Director Gao about it when the time comes."

Cai Yinong responded readily: "No problem, Director Wu, your vision must be the most accurate!"

Then Wu Yuchen looked back..."Can't Escape with Wings"?

Brother Hao's classic quote suddenly appeared in his mind: "I don't want to talk about bullshit love, I just want to make money!"

He couldn't help but raise his head and look at Cai Yinong, wondering Cai Yinong, have you changed your gender? How come you have been involved in so many criminal investigation dramas? Moreover, these three dramas all have male villains. Is this still Cai Yinong’s style?

Cai Yinong thought that Wu Yuchen had doubts about this drama, so he said: "Director Wu, this drama has not been decided yet, but Zhang Zihao, the great thief king, is very famous for his deeds, so I thought I could consider it."

Wu Yuchen smiled and waved his hands: "It doesn't matter, let's film it. This drama is quite interesting to me."

"Escape" can be considered a classic crime drama. It completely filmed Zhang Shihao's rise from a small role. It is not only true, but also looks like a cool novel.

"Black Hole", "Conquest" and "Escape", these dramas can be said to be the pinnacle of anti-corruption themes in this era, and they can only be filmed in the past two years, but they will not be able to be filmed in the next two years. made a bid.

Therefore, now that it is in the hands of Miracle Pictures, Wu Yuchen will naturally not stop it. It would be better to have these movies filmed as soon as possible so that the audience can have a quick look.

And to be honest, this type of subject matter has become very popular in recent years, and the audience also likes to watch it, which satisfies their curiosity. After all, whether they are corrupt officials or criminals, the audience also wants to know what they usually think and how they live. of.

After these three dramas are aired in succession, Miracle Films will not be labeled by the audience as a specialist in villain themes!

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head.

In addition, there is also a drama specially ordered by Wu Yuchen, which is "Tsing Yi". This play was directed by Kang Honglei and specially tailored for Zeng Li.

This was originally just a novella by Bi Feiyu. When it was made into a TV series, the content would naturally need to be expanded, so the screenwriter Chen Ping was found, and they sat down together to fill in and expand it into a TV series script. Zeng Li also prepared for this drama for a long time and started filming after the Spring Festival.

…

In the following time, Wu Yuchen also filmed a promotional video for the Olympic bid, and then went to accompany the girls. At the same time, he also talks to the American side on the phone every day to pay attention to things there.

"Glazer, have the roles in "A Beautiful Mind" been finalized?"

"Don't worry, I have already taken care of these small roles. I have applied for various filming locations and filming permits. I just wait for you to come back and start filming."

Wu Yuchen nodded, then asked with a smile: "By the way, how is the situation of our two male and female protagonists now?"

"Russell Crowe is clamoring to win the Best Actor, but he also has a strong rival, Tom Hanks of "Cast Away". Maybe he will make us pay 3 million less in salary~"

Tom Hanks, the big Tom, is really a master of winning prizes. No matter who encounters him, they will not feel that they have an advantage.

"Oh, I would rather pay an extra 3 million in salary. If Russell Crowe can win the Best Actor, it will definitely be a plus for our movie!"

"Then it depends on whether DreamWorks' public relations team is strong enough. As for your heroine, Jennifer is also running public relations with "Doupin Network". It seems that she also hopes to win the Best Supporting Actress This award.”

Wu Yuchen smiled, Jennifer Connelly is the heroine of "A Beautiful Mind". She was also the heroine in "Doupin Network", but because her role was not very large, she was competing for the Best Supporting Actress award when she applied.

This time, Fox was hired for public relations for "Online", and Wu Yuchen didn't care much about it. However, he knew that the key public relations award for "Online" this time was Best Director. Can Jennifer Connelly win Best Actress? As for the supporting role, it's hard for him to say.

Then he called Kevin Feige: "Kevin, how is Spider-Man?"

"Everything is good! Tobey Maguire has made remarkable progress in exercising in recent months. He is now training in Spider-Man's suit. The Green Goblin's suit is very troublesome to put on. The whole suit consists of 580 parts. , it takes at least half an hour to put on the costume, but Willem Dafoe is very dedicated and takes the trouble to put it on and do adaptive activities every day.”

Kevin Feige also told Wu Yuchen about "Spider-Man" in detail. Wu Yuchen listened patiently, made comments and gave his own suggestions, and Kevin Feige quickly wrote them down.

After Wu Yuchen hung up the phone, a delicate body came over and put his arm around him. Wu Yuchen could feel the softness falling into him through his clothes.

"Are you okay yet?" Li Xiaoran asked from the side.

"Okay, okay, don't worry, you won't be late!" With that said, he took the mask and handed it to Li Xiaoran.

Both of them wore masks, thick scarves, and hats, with their eyes and noses exposed.

"No one can bear to come now!"

Li Xiaoran chuckled, and then said, "I just feel a little bored."

"Can't we just remove it after the lights go out in the cinema~" Wu Yuchen hugged Li Xiaoran, and then the two of them walked outside together.

At the entrance of a cinema, there was a poster hanging on it. On it were two people, Andy Lau and Liang Chaowei, one with a dark background and the other with a bright background. On it were the three characters "Infernal Affairs" written on it.

And under "Infernal Affairs", there is another eye-catching line, which reads loudly: Wu Yuchen supervised the production. On the contrary, the names of director Liu Weiqiang and others are not very eye-catching.

At this time, someone passing by said: "Wu Yuchen's film has been moved to the Spring Festival this year, but this time there are big names like Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chaowei, so you have to take a good look!"

"I just don't know if Director Wu will be acclimated to his collaboration with these Hong Kong Island actors this time, and it seems that the filming is still about Hong Kong Island."

His friend immediately retorted: "Why are you not acclimatized? Wu Yuchen even conquered the United States. What is a Hong Kong Island? How can he be dissatisfied!"

"Listen to what I have to say. I'm not saying that Director Wu is not good. What I mean is that I don't know if Director Wu can produce that kind of Hong Kong movie."

"It doesn't matter if it tastes like a Hong Kong movie or not, as long as it looks good, that's enough?"

The few people walked into the cinema as they spoke.

Li Xiaoran poked Wu Yuchen with his elbow, looked at the "Productions supervised by Wu Yuchen" on the poster, and asked: "Hey, how many days have you been on the set?"

Wu Yuchen smiled generously and said, "I didn't even go for a day."

"Can that still be your work?!"

Wu Yuchen shrugged and said with an innocent expression: "It's not my fault, that's because they begged me to add my name!"

"Infernal Affairs" was filmed last year, and there was no problem with the review, so it was chosen to be released simultaneously during the Spring Festival in the three places across the Taiwan Strait.

And giving Wu Yuchen the name of producer, and it is so eye-catching, is really not his intention. Today, he no longer needs to do this to increase his fame and popularity.

The reason for this is naturally the result of unanimous discussion between the crew and the company. After all, Wu Yuchen's name is so easy to use. Put his name on it, and "Infernal Affairs" will become a luxurious lineup with big directors and big-name actors. A proper big production, the most handsome guy in the Spring Festival show, very easy to promote. You can see how good the effect is just by looking at the crowds pouring into the cinema.

Of course, the purpose is to make Liu Weiqiang and others a little aggrieved. After all, everyone feels that "Infernal Affairs" is the work of Wu Yuchen. This is the same as "A Chinese Ghost Story", which everyone thinks is Xu Ke's work, and directly ignores the director Cheng Xiaodong.