Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 15 Doesn't Look Like a Novice

Thanks to thorough preparations beforehand, the "Little Miss Sunshine" crew got into the swing of things after just over a week of getting to know each other.

However, what surprised actors like Fan Wei and Song Dandan was the maturity displayed by Zhang Jun, who was directing a feature film for the first time.

Directing is a technical skill, and also a meticulous one.

Beyond the creative aspects, exceptional management skills are also required to ensure the smooth operation of the production crew. Maintaining smooth production is no easy feat; it takes at least a decade or more of experience.

Before directing for the first time, Zhang Yi had worked as a cinematographer for many years and had a thorough understanding of how film crews operate.

That's why he was able to ensure that he didn't make any mistakes when directing his first film, and then make the movie "Red Sorghum".

Chen Gezi's father, Chen Huai'ai, was a well-known director, which is why Chen Gezi, with her family background in directing, was able to make the film "Yellow Earth" in her directorial debut.

There are rumors that Chen Gezi was greatly influenced by his father, Chen Huai'ai, in his early years, but after his father's death, he gradually began to let himself go.

However, Director Chen's reputation is still good, and he remains a leading figure of the fifth generation of directors, on par with Zhang Yimou.

At that time, he should have been filming that movie, "The Promise," which, even forty years later, still few people could understand.

Leaving aside these two top directors in the Chinese film industry, other directors who have achieved some success have all honed their skills over many years.

But Zhang Jun is different. Before filming "Little Miss Sunshine", he only had one award-winning short film, "The Tuner".

No matter how brilliant this short film is, it's still just a short film, and it's different from a feature film. Making a good short film might show you have clever ideas, but making a good feature film proves your ability.

And Zhang Jun is that capable person.

Watching Zhang Jun skillfully adjust the camera lights and set up the scene, Fan Wei asked Ye Xiaoyi curiously, "Xiaoyi, I know you two went to the same school. Has Director Zhang ever worked on a film crew before?"

After recalling for a while, Ye Xiaoyi finally replied, "No! Teacher Fan Wei told me that 'The Tuner' was the first short film he directed."

"This young man is quite something!"

Fan Wei exclaimed, "Such a mature technique on the first try, and not flustered at all."

Song Dandan also said, "Yes, look at him, he doesn't seem nervous at all. At first I thought he would have to cooperate a little, but later I found that he didn't need to at all."

He lets you act comfortably without having to worry about anything else—that's real talent!

Li Baotian didn't say much, but his eyes revealed admiration: "This young man, regardless of whether this movie succeeds or not, has a limitless future."

What few people knew was that Zhang Jun's mature behavior was the result of his experiences in his previous life.

Although the era in his previous life had highly advanced productivity tools, many jobs still required human labor and could not be replaced by machines.

Having successfully directed several films, Zhang Jun had already honed his considerable abilities by that time.

Returning to this era he had never experienced, apart from the somewhat outdated production tools and the fact that the film crew was still operating in a small workshop mode, there wasn't much difference in other aspects.

Moreover, "Little Miss Sunshine" is not a film like "Hero," which involves large-scale scenes. The crew, including the actors, numbered only about sixty or seventy people, making management relatively easy.

However, during a break in filming, Zhang Jun said to Ye Xiaoyi, "This is the drawback of the Chinese film industry: letting directors get involved in management affairs, which is originally the producer's job."

Ye Xiaoyi, unashamed, asked, "Could you explain the reason?"

"I think this is due to the industry's general lack of emphasis on behind-the-scenes talent."

Zhang Jun said, "Although the success of a film mainly attracts attention to the director and actors, the people working behind the scenes are the foundation."

Chinese-language films lack an environment, or rather, no one has the patience to cultivate professional behind-the-scenes talent, including producers.

This forces directors to take on multiple roles, personally managing the production team, leaving them with less time for film creation.

Ye Xiaoyi suddenly realized: "No wonder you were so dissatisfied with Brother Tao, it turns out it was because he didn't help you."

"He's fine, he just hasn't kept up with my pace."

Zhang Jun pointed to his head and said, "His mind is still stuck in the old-fashioned movie mentality, but we are facing a new era."

There are new technologies, new changes, and new demands.

Those who cling to old ways will only be left behind by the times.

Zhang Jun paused for a moment, then said to Ye Xiaoyi, "If you want to work in the film industry, my suggestion is to study in the United States for a period of time after graduating from university."

It would be best to go to Los Angeles and observe firsthand how the Hollywood film system works; I believe that will be helpful to you.

"And what about you?" Ye Xiaoyi asked.

"I?"

Zhang Jun pointed to his nose and said matter-of-factly, "I'm already accomplished. I don't need to learn anymore. Going there would just be a waste of time."

He stood up and said one last thing: "By the way, don't go there and forget about coming back. If you find a Black boyfriend, I reckon Mr. Ye will be furious."

Ye Xiaoyi initially thought Zhang Junren was a good person and was carefully considering his suggestion.

Upon hearing this, her face flushed red with anger: "Go to hell! You're the one who'd date a Black man..."

If we're talking about who was the most surprising member of the cast besides Zhang Jun, it would probably be the eight-year-old girl, Qi Ruyi. Song Dandan originally recommended Yang Zi because Yang Zi had experience and acting skills.

But when she heard that Zhang Jun had chosen an eight-year-old girl, she privately complained to others, "This child is too young, can she act? It's going to waste her time."

To Song Dandan's surprise, Qi Ruyi performed exceptionally well and was remarkably composed for her young age.

One of the most difficult things about child actors is their unstable emotions. You never know when or what the smallest reason might cause them to quit and start crying.

The key issue is that the production crew has no way to deal with the child actors. They can't hit or scold them; they can only coax them and have their parents soothe their emotions.

But Qi Ruyi didn't need that at all; she was very emotionally stable and acted quite convincingly.

After a scene where the grandfather teaches his granddaughter to dance disco, Li Baotian was absolutely delighted with Qi Ruyi.

"This girl is an amazing actress. I don't think there are many actresses her age who have her talent."

Li Baotian asked Zhang Jun with admiration, "How did you notice her? This actress is a good choice."

Zhang Jun explained, "I had seen her performances in other film and television works, and her image matched the role, so I chose her."

"This actor was a perfect choice!" Li Baotian gave a thumbs up.

Traveling down Heilongjiang Province, "Little Miss Sunshine" is not only about the various things that happen to a family on the road, but also a showcase of the scenery along the way.

During a break between scenes, Zhang Jun said to the lead actors, "In the past, we rarely saw the scenery along the way shown in movies, but instead focused on the people."

This time I want to do something different, to let the audience notice the scenery along the way, even outside of the people.

"I see!"

Ye Xiaoyi is an expert in reading comprehension: "You are using the scenery along the way to symbolize each stage of life, hoping that people will not overlook these beautiful things because of the pressure of life."

"You have quite a lot on your mind."

Zhang Jun laughed and said, "I just wanted to demonstrate my camera language and let the audience see the beautiful landscapes through my lens."

Fan Wei said, "Although Director Zhang is simply showcasing his cinematic language, how the audience interprets it after the film's release is up to them."

"That's right!"

Zhang Jun agreed: "The moment a movie is released in theaters, it no longer belongs to us, but to the audience."

Just like Hamlet, how to understand it, and from what perspective, are all personal choices and opinions, which we cannot control.

But what we can choose is how to make a good film for the audience to judge.

Perhaps it was because the director and lead actors shared the same vision that the filming of "Little Miss Sunshine" went so smoothly.

Fan Wei and Song Dandan's comedic skills are beyond doubt. The two often improvise lyrics on the spot, creating unexpected comedic effects.

For example, when Xiao Guo, the granddaughter played by Qi Ruyi, decides to go to Beijing to participate in a children's talent competition, Fan Wei blurts out, "We need to plan this carefully!"

Before he could even finish his so-called plan, he was pushed into the car by his mother, played by Song Dandan, which created a comedic moment.

Song Dandan also designed her character in some ways. She uses Northeastern humor to tease her unrealistic husband and is the only normal person among the family's oddballs.

She would also carry yarn with her, knitting when she was upset, and then unraveling it. From time to time, she would use the knitting needles to prick her disheartened younger brother and silent son.

After Zhang Jun reviewed the artwork and found the effects to be good, all of these designs were retained.

In terms of performance, Zhang Jun actually gives actors a lot of room to perform, provided that they stay within a general framework and do not deviate from the core theme of the film.

Of course, this requires excellent actors like Fan Wei and Song Dandan.

If popular actors from over a decade later were allowed to improvise freely, it would be a disaster. The thought of having to relive the era of internet celebrities fills Zhang Jun with anguish.

When Zhang Jun was just starting out in his previous life, he experienced the tail end of the era of internet celebrities.

Frankly speaking, it's undoubtedly painful for an aspiring creator to encounter such an era. It's simple: to create, you first need money, but investors are willing to fund your projects only if you hire this or that high-profile influencer.

Without traffic, there is no guarantee, and therefore no investment.

So in order to get the opportunity, creators have to make compromises, and then the torment begins.

They have to teach popular actors how to act, but the popular actors can't learn, and most of them are unwilling to work hard, so they can only slack off. Then when the film is released, fans praise it, but ordinary viewers criticize it.

After finally getting rid of the torment, the investors still blame you for being useless, saying you couldn't even generate traffic, and they won't invest in you again.

However, everything is subject to comparison. Compared to the era of internet traffic, what is actually more terrifying is the era of second and third-generation celebrities making their way in the entertainment industry.

Regardless of what you say about popular actors, at least some of them are still handsome or beautiful. As for the second and third-generation stars, they're not good-looking, so let's not even talk about that; they should at least have some self-awareness.

The most terrifying thing is that these second and third-generation rich kids have to play handsome men and beautiful women, and then boast about their high-class aesthetics.

Do you think the audience doesn't know if she's beautiful or not? You can fool a million people, but can you fool ten million? Or a hundred million?

However, some celebrity offspring are indeed capable and hardworking, and Zhang Jun appreciates these kinds of people.