r18novel Chapter 91 Becoming a Novelist
Chapter 91 Becoming a Novelist
Chapter 90 Becoming a Novelist
After New Year's Day, Ning Hao's "Crazy Stone" came to an end in theaters, ultimately grossing 3840 million yuan.
This result is far superior to that of his previous life, probably because of Zhang Jun, which is why he achieved such a good result.
The major investors are very satisfied with the box office results. The film can generate profit through box office revenue, and they can also make a profit by selling the copyright later.
For Ning Hao, this film established his commercial path and propelled him to become a rising star director.
However, after finishing "Crazy Stone", Ning Hao doesn't have any new ideas for the time being and plans to take a break.
He admired Zhang Jun's boundless energy; he kept making movies one after another without ever taking a break, which was truly admirable.
Zhang Jun explained it this way: "I have many ideas, so I want to realize them quickly. If it weren't for the fact that the conditions don't allow it, I could shoot a movie in a month."
Ning Hao was very interested: "So what's your favorite idea?"
Zhang Jun thought for a moment and replied, "I used to want to explore the universe, but later I found that the universe is not so easy to explore. So I want to make a science fiction movie to describe the universe in my mind."
"Well!"
Ning Hao paused: "Science fiction movies aren't so easy to make in our environment; we can't even get funding."
"That's true!" Zhang Jun agreed.
Actually, it's not that there aren't any sci-fi films in Chinese cinema; Andy Lau has made a few. But they're mostly terrible movies, the kind you can't even watch.
Ning Hao thought about the many science fiction novels he had read in the magazine "Science Fiction World" and made a suggestion.
"Actually, I think you could write your idea into a novel and publish it in a magazine first, and see how the readers react. Then, when the time is right, you could turn it into a movie."
Zhang Jun's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Let's do it!"
Ning Hao then saw Zhang Jun open a document editor on his computer and type in a title: "What should you do if you're abandoned on Mars?"
"???"
Ning Hao looked on with a puzzled expression. Could these ideas and inspirations really just appear out of nowhere? That's terrifying.
Then Ning Hao saw that Zhang Jun, who had typed the title, was in a daze and hadn't made a move for a long time, which put him at ease.
I knew it! Humans couldn't possibly be that twisted.
In fact, Zhang Jun was searching through his mind, thinking about how to make reasonable local adaptations so that readers wouldn't feel disconnected from the story.
It is important to convince readers that this is a Chinese story that could potentially come true in China's future.
Then Zhang Jun typed in several other questions in the document editor, including "How to escape back to Earth after the spaceship is hit?" and "If there is no food on Earth and a wormhole suddenly appears, should we go there?"
As for whether copying these works would have any impact on the original authors, Zhang Jun was not worried at all.
If you're worried about that, why did you bring him here in the first place? He's here to do this job; after all, he doesn't know anything else.
At this point, Zhang Jun's existing knowledge of astronomy came in handy. This knowledge wouldn't make Zhang Jun an astronomer, but it was more than enough to make him a popular science blogger about astronomy.
Using it for writing novels is a good use of resources, and it avoids the media constantly saying that he wasted his four years of university and learned a bunch of things unrelated to his major.
Furthermore, his status as a graduate of Tsinghua University has given him a significant advantage. He is now a renowned director and an alumnus of Tsinghua University.
Although he is far from being a big shot in politics and business, he is still a celebrity and so young.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Jun made several phone calls to consult professors at Tsinghua University while writing his book, "What Should a Person Do If He Is Abandoned on Mars?"
While ensuring artistic integrity, the novel should conform to modern scientific understanding as much as possible, making the entire novel appear professional and reasonable.
Professor Chen from the Department of Astronomy was very interested in Zhang Jun's story. He not only served as the scientific advisor for the novel, but also introduced Professor Hao from the Department of Astronomy at Nanjing University to Zhang Jun.
With two Yangtze River Scholars serving as advisors, this novel about surviving on Mars has a basic scientific basis.
Later, even Academician Zhao became interested after seeing his student Professor Chen reading Zhang Jun's first draft.
After reviewing the first draft of Zhang Jun's novel, Academician Zhao wrote more than a dozen revision suggestions to make the entire novel more in line with real scientific logic.
Academician Zhao asked Zhang Jun with a gentle smile, "How did you come up with this story?"
Zhang Jun replied, "I'm a daydreamer, and I often have some inexplicable ideas. I want to turn these ideas into stories and share them with everyone."
Academician Zhao said to Professor Chen, "It would be a pity if this child didn't pursue further studies."
Zhang Jun quickly said, "I'm good at storytelling, but not so good at academic research. I hope that through my story, the public can pay more attention to the starry sky and participate more actively in space exploration."
Academician Zhao strongly agreed with this idea.
"Yes, space exploration is not just a matter for us researchers, but a major event for the entire nation."
Taking the opportunity, Zhang Jun made a request: "Academician Zhao, if my novel is published, could you write a preface for it?"
'
After a moment's thought, Academician Zhao agreed.
"Sure, but you have to guarantee the scientific accuracy of this novel. You can compromise for the sake of artistic creation, but not too much."
"Definitely, definitely," Zhang Jun assured him.
After finishing the novel, Zhang Jun also changed its name to "The Martian".
He then sent the first part of the novel to Science Fiction World magazine, along with recommendation letters from Academician Zhao and Professor Chen.
Science Fiction World magazine, located in Sichuan Province, is the world's largest-circulation science fiction magazine.
Although some people have always said that China has no soil for science fiction, it is truly surprising that Science Fiction World has become one of the world's top science fiction magazines.
Of course, some people say it's because China has a large population.
Zhang Jun, however, felt that wasn't the case. There were many Chinese people, but not many money. To spend the money meant for lunch on a magazine was a rather extravagant expense.
Therefore, the fact that Science Fiction World has the world's highest magazine sales proves that China has a certain foundation for science fiction and is not a place lacking in imagination.
However, regardless of the circumstances, science fiction remains a niche field with relatively low public attention in China.
At the headquarters of Science Fiction World magazine, the editorial department is struggling to come up with content for the January issue. Many submissions have been received, but most are utter nonsense.
Forget about scientific principles; even a well-told story could be used as an excuse for soft science fiction. But the problem is, these authors haven't even told a basic story well.
Most of the stories have been finalized, but the January issue still lacks a major piece. Just like CCTV's opening drama of the year, the magazine also needs a major opening piece.
Qin Li, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, asked her editors, "When will Liu Cixin's new work be published?"
"Liu has replied. He's still working on it, so it won't be ready for our January issue."
"Then ask Wang Jinkang what he thinks of his novel, 'Bubble'?"
The editor replied: "Bubble is still a first draft, and Wang Jinkang has decided not to publish it for the time being."
Qin Li was worried: "What should we do? Are we going to have to leave our featured piece unpublished in the January issue?"
Just then, editor Jia Si raised his hand: "Editor-in-chief, I've received a strange submission."
"What work?"
Jia Si handed the manuscript to Qin Li and said, "This manuscript has a joint recommendation from academicians and Yangtze River Scholars. I don't know if it's true or not."
The editorial department was in an uproar.
A novel recommended by academicians and Yangtze River Scholars? Is it about a young master from a wealthy family? Or a princess? Or perhaps the academician's own child?
It's no wonder that people have such biased thoughts; the titles of academician and Yangtze River Scholar are indeed a bit intimidating.
Even for the science fiction writers most valued by the magazine, getting a recommendation from an academician would be difficult.
One editor wondered, "Could it be an act? Are they using the title of academician to deceive us?"
"Impossible. This kind of thing is easy to find out. Once it's exposed, not only will you offend an academician, but your future will be ruined. Nobody would be that stupid," someone retorted.
One editor asked, "Which well-known science fiction author wrote this?"
"Won't!"
Qin Li said, "If it were those few, our magazine would know, and we wouldn't do this."
She unwrapped the manuscript, and the four large characters "The Martian" came into view, with the author's name, Zhang Jun, below them.
"Zhang Jun? That's the same name as that really popular director. Let me check—"
Qin Li immediately opened the book and began reading, and once she started, she couldn't put it down. She found it very enjoyable and captivating, completely engrossed in the reading.
After reading the first part of the manuscript, Qin Li was still eager for more. She asked, "Is there more?"
Jia Si shook her head: "That's all, I only sent this part."
Qin Li clapped her hands: "It's decided, we'll use this novel as the highlight of our January issue."
Everyone should come and see this; it's fantastic!
Hearing the editor-in-chief say this, all the editors put down their work and went to read the manuscript of "The Martian".
Like Qin Li, after reading the first part, all the editors felt a sense of unfinished business and couldn't wait to see the rest of the novel.
Qin Li instructed, "Contact this author and tell him that his work will be published in the January issue."
Also, if he has time, please invite him to our magazine office for a detailed discussion.
The editors quickly got to work, and Jia Si, who had received Zhang Jun's manuscript, immediately made a phone call to Zhang Jun's assistant, Gao Yan.
"Hello! Who is this?"
Hearing the pleasant female voice on the phone, Jia Si was taken aback. The name on the phone was male, so how come a woman was answering the phone?
However, he still said, "Hello, your work 'The Martian' has been selected by our magazine and will be published in the January issue."
I'd like to talk to you about the payment for the article —
"Wait a moment, I'll transfer you."
Gao Yan quickly transferred the call, and then a male voice came from the other end: "Hello, this is Zhang Jun."
The voice sounded quite young, but at least it was a man, which matched the impression given by the name. However, a novelist with a secretary—that's rather unusual!
It seems they have some family connections, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get an academician to be their recommender.
Jia Si quickly adjusted his mindset. He had read the novel, and if someone wrote such a good novel, it wasn't a big deal to have some connections.
As for the possibility of ghostwriting, Jia Si believes it is unlikely.
If a ghostwriter can really write such a great novel, why doesn't he just submit his own work to Science Fiction World? Why does he have to be a ghostwriter?
Jia Si quickly told Zhang Jun about the serialization and publication, saying, "After the serialization, the novel will be officially published as a complete book."
Do you have any further objections regarding the royalties?
The royalties paid by Science Fiction World were quite good. For reference, Liu Cixin's royalties for his 2000 work, The Wandering Earth, were 120 yuan per thousand words.
The fee paid to Zhang Jun by Science Fiction World was 200 yuan per thousand words, which was a very high price.
On the one hand, the magazine's editorial department unanimously believed that this novel had the potential to become a huge hit. On the other hand, recommendations from academicians and Yangtze River Scholars also played a role.
Zhang Jun didn't make money from novels, nor did he aspire to be a great writer. He only wrote novels to reserve his place in the literary world.
To avoid the awkward situation where the timing of our filming is not right, but the other side has already filmed it.
Publishing his work in Science Fiction World, a globally influential magazine, will solidify Zhang Jun's identity as a creator in the public consciousness.
Even if someone has the same idea as him in the future, they will give up after seeing the Science Fiction World magazine and the published novel, because his idea has already been turned into a novel.
Therefore, Zhang Jun readily agreed: "No problem, let's do it this way!"
Jia Si then asked, "Also, I'd like to ask if you have time to come to our magazine's headquarters? We can discuss some related details in detail."
Zhang Jun thought for a moment and said, "I might not have time. I'm busy filming recently. If possible, you can come to Hengdian to talk to me."
"Oh well!"
After discussing some distribution-related matters with Zhang Jun, Jia Si hung up the phone and then recalled what Zhang Jun had said.
"Filming? What does that mean? Is he an actor?"
It must be said that this mysterious writer is indeed shrouded in mystery. However, Jia Si has no interest in exploring this for the time being; his immediate priority is to complete the publication of the January issue.
Zhang Jun didn't take the "Science Fiction World" matter to heart, because he had already achieved his main goal, and whether the novel was popular or not was irrelevant.
After New Year's Day, Guanzhi Pictures held a press conference to promote "Reign of Assassins".
This is the first time Zhang Jun's film has been shown to the media and the public before filming began, partly due to the strong cast.
With international stars Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau, they naturally had to make an appearance; otherwise, it wouldn't be befit the status of this film.
The film boasts a strong cast and a substantial investment. Boss Wang's newly established Daqiang Film Investment and Production Co., Ltd. invested 30 million yuan.
China Film Group invested 10 million yuan, Guanzhi Pictures invested 10 million yuan, and Zhang Jun's personal director studio invested 5 million yuan.
Andy Lau's Teamwork Motion Pictures invested ten million, with Andy Lau himself acting in the film for free. The remaining five million was from Zhang Ziyi cutting her salary in half, which was then factored into the investment.
With a total investment of 70 million, it would definitely be considered a big production in this day and age. This is also Zhang Jun's first attempt at a big production since returning to this era, and it is also a test for him.
With such a large production, Zhang Jun was worried that if he messed it up, he might lose money. Since someone was willing to pay for it, he had no reason to refuse.
This is also why Zhang Jun agreed to let Andy Lau join as an investor, and it also allows them to pursue the route of Hong Kong-Taiwan co-productions and obtain many policy benefits.
Moreover, with Hong Kong Island Film Company involved, they might be able to win a few awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, although Zhang Jun thinks it's not very useful.
At the press conference, Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau chatted about their reasons for joining the film.
Zhang Ziyi said, "I met Director Zhang at the Cannes Film Festival. He told me about this film then, and I was very interested in it."
Later, when I went to the United States, I always kept thinking about how Director Zhang's film was going.
Later, he handed me the script, and after reading it, I immediately agreed to take the role.
In reality, Zhang Ziyi was focused on making her way into Hollywood at the time and had no interest in this film at all.
But the road to the Oscars wasn't so smooth. After being heavily criticized by North American film critics, Zhang Ziyi gave up her dreams and returned to China to focus her attention.
However, the script was still one of the factors that attracted her, after all, the story of "Reign of Assassins" was indeed much better than Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet".
Andy Lau also said it was because of the script: "Jun Zai brought the script to Hong Kong Island to visit me. I was moved by his sincerity, and after reading the script, I decided to take the role."
He even gave a little bit of flattery.
"Young people these days are amazing. They can write stories and direct films. It's an honor to work with a director like that."
The main reason why Andy Lau was able to participate was because Zhang Jun persuaded the investors to agree to his investment.
Andy Lau has no shortage of scripts; if Zhang Jun wants to impress him, he'll have to offer a fee of 20 million.
Zhang Jun is very famous in mainland China now, which gives him a halo effect for mainland stars, but it doesn't have the same effect on Hong Kong and Taiwan stars.
People might lower their fees for films by Feng Xiaogang or Zhang Yimou, but they won't lower their fees for a newcomer like Zhang Jun.
When it comes to filming, if there are no personal relationships involved, and it's not about winning awards but about making money, there's nothing shameful about it.
Without this salary, what makes it possible to persuade someone to take the role?
Don't forget, a script is just a script. Even the best script is useless if it's not directed well. Zhang Jun knows his own abilities, but his age is always a problem in the eyes of outsiders.
What if such a young director fails with his fourth film, even if he has achieved success with three consecutive films?
Not to mention, Zhang Jun is filming a period drama this time, which is completely different from the themes of his previous three films.
Whether Zhang Jun can continue his magic with a different subject matter is a question worth discussing.
This is something that not only Hong Kong and Taiwan stars and actors have doubts about, but even mainland stars, actors, and directors are questioning.
After learning that Andy Lau was involved in Zhang Jun's film and was also an investor, Hong Kong's Ming Pao directly mocked Andy Lau, saying he had lost his mind.
"Andy Lau has a terrible eye for film investment. This investment in 'Reign of Assassins' is destined to be another failure."
I heard he acted in it for free; now he's going to lose everything.
Judging from the media's reaction, it is not Zhang Jun who bears the greater risk, but rather Andy Lau.
As for why they didn't hire actors from mainland China who were paid less, the answer is even simpler.
Why did Zhang Yimou cast a bunch of Hong Kong actors in his films "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers"? It's because mainland actors couldn't handle the weight of the roles.
The newly filmed movie "Curse of the Golden Flower" has cast Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, and Jay Chou, the Taiwanese pop star.
Even when Feng Xiaogang made a slightly larger-budget film, "A World Without Thieves," he invited Andy Lau and Angela Leong, and even Ge You, who has a national reputation, had to play a supporting role.
When Feng Xiaogang was making "The Banquet," he couldn't get Zhang Ziyi or Gong Li to act in it, so he went straight to Zhang Manyu. The mainland actresses, both big and small, were not even on his shortlist.
this is the truth.
The large investment in a film dictates that you must hire big-name stars to participate; otherwise, why would Zhang Jun keep waiting for Zhang Ziyi to change her mind?
Of course, this situation won't last long.
As Hong Kong films continue to decline, more Hong Kong filmmakers are moving north, driving down the average price.
Coupled with the failure of several films that lavishly invited Hong Kong movie stars to participate, Hong Kong stars gradually lost their aura.
Later, the rise of a group of mainland filmmakers, such as Ning Hao, Xu Zheng, and Huang Bo, completely broke the monopoly of Hong Kong stars.
Returning to the movie "Reign of Assassins," the investment of 70 million was not small. Whether it was Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, or Fu Dalong, none of them could shoulder this burden.
What Zhang Jun could do was to cast them in important supporting roles in the films and cultivate their cinematic sense.
A cinematic feel is very important. A large part of Zhang Ziyi's fame comes from her cinematic presence on the big screen; it feels very sophisticated.
It's a very subtle feeling. Many actors who perform well on the small screen feel cheap when they go on the big screen; that's because they lack cinematic quality.
Otherwise, in terms of beauty and figure, there are many people who are prettier than Zhang Ziyi, so why is she the one who is famous?
Aside from luck and opportunity, a large part of the reason is that she is suited for the big screen.
However, a cinematic feel can be cultivated; after appearing in several films, it will come naturally.
Using the fame of Hong Kong and Taiwan stars to promote mainland stars and actors is something that mainland directors are doing.
After the press conference, Zhang Jun and his crew rushed to Hengdian to begin the long filming period for "Reign of Assassins".
During the initial preparations, Zhang Jun discussed action choreography with Chin Ka-lok, the film's action director. Zhang Jun requested that the film abandon its exaggerated, flying style and instead focus on realism.
Chin Ka-lok's action choreography team, based on the requirements, referenced the action and swordplay routines of multiple schools and tailored relevant action routines for each character.
Although stunt doubles are used for intense action scenes during filming, Zhang Jun still requires the actors to master the action routines for their respective parts.
The actors underwent some training before and after the press conference, and the results were quite good.
Another point worth mentioning is that the film crew chose Xitang Ancient Town as the location for filming the town where the female lead lives in the movie, and also built a part of the set in Xiangshan.
Another important scene, Yunhe Temple, was filmed at Wufeng Temple, an ancient temple from the Tang Dynasty.
When Zhang Jun came to scout locations, he saw two ancient trees in front of the temple gate and immediately decided to take pictures there.
Zhang Jun's requirement was to make the audience believe, as much as possible, that the places in the film actually existed.
So the places he looked for were all real places, and many stories happened in these real places.