Chapter 44: The Iron Triangle: Zhang Jiuquan
Han Zhou just came over. When Chen Xiaoyong saw Han Zhou, he immediately said, "Brother Han, you are finally back!"
Zhang Jiuquan also looked at Han Zhou.
Han Zhou: "Er, who is this?"
Chen Xiaoyong immediately pulled Han Zhou into the house and closed and locked the door: "My old classmate at Yanying, Zhang Jiuquan."
"Jiuquan, this is Brother Han."
Zhang Jiuquan looked at Han Zhou with an embarrassed expression.
Chen Xiaoyong pushed Zhang Jiuquan to a desk and said, "Sit down first, Brother Han, have you eaten yet? Do you want some skewers?"
Han Zhou nodded: "Okay, let the cold cup be delivered."
Han Zhou also took a seat, and the three of them sat around an office desk. Chen Xiaoyong began to introduce Zhang Jiuquan enthusiastically.
Zhang Jiuquan, when he was studying at Yanying University, was two years older than Chen Xiaoyong and was a student in the directing department.
The award-winning short film "Wedding" was shot by Zhang Jiuquan, Chen Xiaoyong, and Tang Yihong.
Now, after so many years, Chen Xiaoyong has just graduated from the Central Academy of Drama's graduate program and directed the Central Academy of Drama's anniversary documentary.
Tang Yihong, winner of the Golden Flower Awards, is the only actor under the age of 30 who is considered to have acting skills.
Zhang Jiuqun is doing quite well now, having worked as an assistant director in three film crews.
However, after being in this industry for a long time, Han Zhou realized that although the difference between assistant director and director is only the word "deputy", there is actually a world of difference between them.
On the set, the assistant director is not responsible for any technical work during the filming of a movie or TV series.
The main duties of an assistant director are:
1. Act as a mediator between the director, producer and investor, commonly known as being caught in the middle.
2. Contact the group leader of the extras, appease the props team, stage management team, and actor team, commonly known as shouting through the microphone (loudspeaker).
3. He smiles at celebrity actors, opens his heart to ordinary actors, and helps young actors find their future. He is commonly known as a "turtle man."
When a big star acts like a big star, the assistant director has to smile at him immediately.
When a big star acts like a big star and the director is unhappy, the assistant director must be the first to agree with him.
Ordinary actors have demands, but the top management doesn’t care, and the assistant director would pull his hair out to find a solution.
If ordinary actors make trouble and the senior management comes to scold them, they have to go up and be scolded with their ears lifted.
There are also some rare but not uncommon situations, where a young actor wants to climb up the social ladder by using three advantages, and the investor looks for a mistress or a second wife. The assistant director has to play the role of forcing a good girl into prostitution or acting as a matchmaker, and he has to use soft tactics to persuade her. If the means are too extreme, you will be the first person those investors will sell out in the future.
Is this a job that an ordinary person can do?
Even a director like Zhang Jiuquan, who graduated from Yanying University and won the short film award at the College Student Film Festival, is having a very miserable time in this industry.
There are always those who are greedy and despicable in the world, and for Zhang Jiuquan, who has no background and no confidence, it is already a blessing from God for him to enter this industry and be able to do such a job.
How many people want to be a punching bag but are not qualified enough.
What about male investors looking for beautiful women and female investors looking for young men? They all have to keep their identities confidential. Why should we trust you?
Actresses date rich men, and actors date wealthy women. They are all trying their best to climb up the social ladder. Since they are trying to climb up the social ladder, they are worried about being exposed after they become famous, so they have to find people they trust.
Therefore, the assistant director is the person with the softest and the hardest mouth in the entire crew.
The assistant director has to handle almost all the interpersonal relationships in the crew, but he is not required to make any requests or opinions on the art of film and television dramas.
After working in this field for a long time, Zhang Jiuquan began to feel a little hopeless about this line of work.
The real formal crew looks down on Zhang Jiuquan. You are a newcomer who has graduated for a few years, it is not your turn.
What? A director who won the short film award at a film festival? You can go and see for yourself. Let’s not talk about anything else. Eight years ago, there was a director who won the animation short film award at all the domestic and international film festivals. He was called the future of animation films, but now he is still living off his parents at home.
It was a small crew, with too many shady dealings and dirtiness, and Zhang Jiuquan just couldn't stand it.
At this time, Zhang Jiuquan met Chen Xiaoyong.
When the two friends of many years met again, Chen Xiaoyong immediately realized that Zhang Jiuqun was the assistant director that Han Zhou needed.
So, Chen Xiaoyong told Zhang Jiuqian that he had joined a powerful new entertainment company that would go beyond China and into the world in the future.
We want to invite Zhang Jiuqun to be the deputy director of the company's first project.
When Zhang Jiuquan heard this, his soul was elevated.
Is there such a good thing?
Finally, it’s my turn, Zhang Jiuquan? ! !
Zhang Jiuqian immediately resigned from his previous crew and followed Chen Xiaoyong to New World Entertainment.
When Zhang Jiuquan saw the dilapidated office building, he comforted himself: "It's okay. With such a building, we have a lot of funds."
After knowing for sure that only the third floor belonged to New World Entertainment, Zhang Jiuquan comforted himself: "It's okay. Good steel is used on the blade, and not to be ostentatious in the office area. This shows the ambition of this company."
When I saw the office area on the third floor, there was no staff member, not even a receptionist.
Zhang Jiuquan comforted himself: "It's okay, this shows that the company boss is not particular about details... I can't make it up anymore!"
"Chen Xiaoyong, you beast, you actually tricked me into joining you in pyramid selling?!"
Chen Xiaoyong explained at the time that this was indeed an entertainment company. The boss was called Han Zhou. It was his first movie that he had written, directed and starred in. It would be distributed by Tianle and would be released nationwide during the New Year's Day schedule.
More than seventeen major cinema chains have given quota for filming!
This is very objective. Zhang Jiuquan feels that New World should be given a chance.
At this time, Zhang Jiuquan searched Han Zhou's name and found that it was rumored online that Han Zhou was a schizophrenic patient.
Zhang Jiuquan couldn't help it.
Run, you must run!
But Chen Xiaoyong talked about how awesome Han Zhou was and how awesome Han Zhou was at writing scripts.
Zhang Jiuquan didn't believe it.
Chen Xiaoyong narrated half of "This Man From Earth". Why only half? Because there is another half that Chen Xiaoyong has not seen.
The oral script of half of "This Man From Earth" gave Zhang Jiuquan a glimmer of hope.
Maybe this is an ambitious company?
Then, Zhang Jiuquan discovered that Chen Xiaoyong lived in the company's office area and asked him to live there as well.
Zhang Jiuquan confirmed it.
Pyramid scheme, this is a pyramid scheme.
It was all exaggerated, a group of people slept in this environment, took classes whenever they had time, and then talked about some very attractive but incomplete plans.
If this isn’t a pyramid scheme, what is this?
Zhang Jiuquan wanted to leave again.
At this time, Han Zhou came back.
Han Zhou sat at his desk, looked at Zhang Jiuquan carefully, took out his cigarette case, and pulled out a Yunnan Yunnan cigarette: "Have a cigarette."
The beard and the wind and sun make him look old, but he still looks honest and has a simple and honest temperament!
Zhang Jiuquan hesitated for a moment, lit the cigarette and put it in his mouth.
Han Zhou looked at the Tashan cigarette box in Zhang Jiuquan's hand and said, "If you follow me, you will say goodbye to Tashan in the future."
"No matter what, we brothers have to smoke Yuxi. The price can't be any lower."
The flesh on Zhang Jiuquan's face twitched.
Han Zhou asked again: "Besides "Wedding", which other crews have you worked on?"
Zhang Jiuquan: "Twin Stories in the World", "Happy Encounter 1987" and the TV series "Swordsman Wang Shan"
Han Zhou frowned: "Huh? "Human World" and "West Wind 1987"? You are the assistant director of these two movies??? "Swordsman Wang Shan"? How come I haven't heard of it?"
Zhang Jiuquan laughed awkwardly: "Twins in the world, twins of the same generation, a happy reunion, overjoyed, a happy reunion that bites everyone they meet."
"Swordsman King Shan has not been on satellite TV, has not been released on disc, and has not been broadcast on the website."
Han Zhou...
Are these two movies... a scam?
Take this TV series... Every year there are thousands or even tens of thousands of TV series across the country that have no chance to be broadcast. There are TV series with two or three thousand episodes that are not even qualified to be made into discs. Obviously, "Swordsman Wang Shan" is one of them.
While being speechless, he looked at Chen Xiaoyong and said, "The cultural level of our team cannot be too low. What's the meaning of twins? They are called twins, okay? I'll approve some money for you so you can buy some books."
"Look more, it's good."
Zhang Jiuquan: “…”
Chen Xiaoyong wrote down in his notebook: "Remember."
Han Zhou looked at Zhang Jiuquan: "Tell me the truth about your resume..."
"Two movies that are trying to copy other people's movies, and a TV series that can hardly be shown on TV, let alone satellite TV."
"This resume is considered relatively poor in our New World Entertainment."
"But I, Han Zhou, just like to do challenging things."
"In the future, you will definitely be famous in the circle. If I have a bite of meat, you will have a bone."
"For every mouthful of rice , there will be a mouthful of rice soup for you."
Han Zhou tapped the table with his fingers and said, "In the future, when the company becomes bigger, I can organize a show for you and let you be the director."
Zhang Jiuquan: It’s confirmed, this is definitely a pyramid scheme!
Zhang Jiuquan laughed awkwardly: "Director Han, just one word, if I don't want to stay, can you let me go?"
Han Zhou: “Okay.”
Zhang Jiuquan immediately stood up and bowed: "Chen Xiaoyong, see you in the rivers and lakes... Let's not meet again. Today, you and I have severed our relationship. I'm wearing a short down jacket. There's no robe to cut, so I'll shave my beard instead!"
Chen Xiaoyong was anxious: "How can he leave! Brother Han, please persuade him, why let him go? Didn't we say that our new movie will start shooting soon?!"
“It’s not easy to find an assistant director now!”
At this time, Zhang Jiuquan was shaving.
Han Zhou tapped the table with his fingers. "Haha, my new movie has Ye Manyi as the female lead, Liu Xi as the female lead, and Zhou Guoqing as the male lead. With this lineup, if you just shout with a loud speaker, you can attract a whole carload of assistant directors after going around the film and television city."
Zhang Jiuquan, who was shaving, was stunned: "Who is the leading actress? Ye Manyi?"
Who is Ye Manyi? She is half as famous as Liu Tianxian, and she has both acting skills and ideas.
Who is Liu Xi? She debuted as a child star, became a second-tier star as an adult, and is steadily moving towards the second-tier.
Who is Zhou Guoqing? He can probably be considered a half-fat version of Chen Baoguo.
Am I kidding you about this configuration?
Zhang Jiuquan silently put away the electric shaver that looked to be worth about thirty yuan and said, "Director Han, can you tell me about our plan?"
Han Zhou looked at Zhang Jiuquan in confusion: "Aren't you going to shave your beard and break up?"
Zhang Jiuquan, who only had a beard on half of his face, made people's scalps numb and goose bumps fell all over the floor. He pinched his orchid fingers and winked: "Beards and such will grow back in a few days."
Chen Xiaoyong patted Zhang Jiuquan on the shoulder and said, "Have you ever been an assistant director of a crew of this level? If Brother Han didn't consider me for his sake, would he give you this opportunity?"
"Yes, yes, thank you, my second brother!" Zhang Jiuquan: "My second brother is awesome!"
"That's right, my second brother is invincible... What nonsense are you talking about? Let's get down to business!" Han Zhou smiled: "Oh? It seems like you are willing to stay?"
"Hey Jiu, there aren't many people in our crew, so everyone has a heavy workload. Can you handle it?"
Han Zhou felt it was difficult to call Zhang Jiuquan's name, so he simply applied the formula "Chen Xiaoyong = two", 'Zhang Jiuquan = nine'.
"Why is it not three, why is it nine?"
"It's this nine, I'm not quite happy with it. Who knows where the three, four, five, six, seven and eight of our New World Entertainment are? There may not be enough seats here in the future."
Zhang Jiuquan flattered: "Of course, of course. With my level, in the future New World Entertainment, I will at most be a powerful figure ranked outside the top 800."
Han Zhou: "Answer the question, answer the question, don't talk nonsense."
Zhang Jiuquan patted his chest and said, "Young and capable!"
"More work , more experience."
“I couldn’t ask for more!”
"That is what I wish for, but I dare not ask you!"
I don't even dare to invite you, and with your full beard, you really think you are a Yan person...
Han Zhou: "Okay then, from now on, Chen Xiaoyong, you will be in charge of the money, and Zhang Jiuquan, you will be responsible for the specific arrangements and organization."
"I want a house in the suburbs with a nice view and a fireplace."
"Also, there is a replica of the Sanxingdui bronze mask, a Paleolithic stone knife from 11,000 years ago, a replica of Wu Daozi's Ladies Painting, and..."
Having said that, Han Zhou simply started writing a list of props.
"These."
Zhang Jiuquan patted his chest and said, "Brother Han, just tell me whether the props will be damaged during the filming. If not..."
"I can't say for sure about the Sanxingdui bronze mask, and I can't guarantee that the Wu Daozi painting will work, but for the other things, I can lend you the real thing!"
Han Zhou was also stunned.
Zhang Jiuquan is a capable person. It seems that he can borrow a genuine Wu Daozi painting of a lady? And can he get a 100% genuine prehistoric Paleolithic artifact?
As expected, assistant directors are all good at socializing.
"Don't! If you dare to borrow that thing, I won't dare to use it."
The price of a genuine work of Wu Daozi is definitely over 10 billion, it is a priceless treasure.
"Anyway, get moving."
"I will take the actors for a rehearsal tomorrow. You only have one day to get the location and props ready. Once you're done, we can start filming."
In fact, there are only two days, but Han Zhou said this deliberately to put pressure on Zhang Jiuquan.
Zhang Jiuquan boasted: "On a street in Hengdian, I can find out who the father is and get all these things done in half a day!"
Chen Xiaoyong said happily: "Listen up, Hengdian, your dad is here!"
Han Zhou sneered: "Grandpa is here again."
Chen Xiaoyong was stunned: "Hey? Brother Han, why do you give yourself points as an elder?"
"Who told you to call me big daddy? Aren't you just helping me to raise my status?"
"I was wrong, I was wrong. I am the second dad, the second dad."
