New Generation

"No problem."

Shen Shanden agreed at once.

Since it wasn't a matter of principle, they still had to show some respect for the old comrades.

There was a purpose behind bringing in funding from Huayi and Enlight Media.

Enlight Media could further refine The Grand Director's distribution structure.

China Film Group's distribution strength lay in integrating theater chains—the big picture.

Enlight Media, meanwhile, had a distribution matrix. At the point-to-point theater level, it could complement China Film Group.

Combined with the internet marketing of Shen Shanden's personal company, The Grand Director's publicity and distribution setup alone was among the very best in the industry at present.

Huayi's industry resources, however, surpassed Enlight Media's.

At this point in time, Huayi was the standard-bearer among private film companies.

Especially after Wang Jinghua left for Chengtian, which had Japanese capital behind it, Huayi's break with Chengtian had, to some extent, seen it shoulder the banner of the private sector in the film industry.

Having been reborn, Shen Shanden knew full well that Huayi would become Huayu's first listed stock in another two or three years. Its share price would then soar, and Huayi's Big and Small Wang would vault into the ranks of entertainment industry capital tycoons.

But Huayi's listing was still highly uncertain at the moment. There was no precedent for film and television companies going public, and the Growth Enterprise Market was nowhere in sight.

Shen Shanden wanted to forge a good relationship with Huayi first, then see whether he could buy some original shares.

Besides, even though Wang Jinghua had taken a batch of people with her when she left, Huayi's foundation in star resources remained intact.

Its marketing ability was no slouch either. Huayi had learned quite a few marketing methods from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Since Han Sanping did not want him getting too close to Huayi, Shen Shanden had to consider the next-best option.

"Bona and Enlight Media?" Shen Shanden asked.

As for other investors, those outside the industry were not worth considering at all.

The Grand Director was a hot project now. Capital from outside the industry could only provide money, without any boost in industry resources. Simply investing cash held no appeal whatsoever.

Within the industry, Bona overlapped with China Film Group in terms of resources. Xingmei was also an option, but Xingmei's situation was complicated—more complicated than Huayi's. Since they were not short on funds, there was no need to wade into muddy waters.

"We'll do it your way." Han Sanping said nothing more this time.

In truth, Han Sanping respected the director's authority over a production crew.

It was just that after inspecting The Warlords crew and learning about the Red Cliff project, his heart had gone cold.

The situations with both projects had basically turned out exactly as Shen Shanden had said.

By contrast, Shen Shanden's project was in full swing, displaying a maturity far beyond his years.

With such a simple comparison, Shen Shanden's standing in Han Sanping's heart rose dramatically.

Han Sanping had also realized that after The Promise, Chen Kaige's reputation had been utterly ruined. He would not touch costume blockbusters again anytime soon.

This meant that among the people under him, it could not quite be said that the number of usable talents had greatly dwindled—but there were virtually none left to use.

This was also why, even after spotting the problems with Red Cliff and The Warlords, Han Sanping could only hold them down and refuse to release them, helpless as he was.

Because he had no cards in hand.

If the mainland had several directors capable of making costume blockbusters, willing and able to make commercial films, he would not be in such a passive position.

Accordingly, Shen Shanden's role and value became all the more prominent.

Even without considering far-off goals such as upgrading costume blockbusters and the future of the Blockbuster Strategy, if The Grand Director succeeded, he would immediately have more confidence when facing Hong Kong Island directors.

Han Sanping even sounded a little humble. "Xiao Shen, it's not that I'm meddling too much. I'm doing this for your own good. Huayi's atmosphere doesn't suit you. At your age, you can't outplay them."

Back then, when he had wanted to make commercial films, he had brushed aside all objections and let Feng Xiaogang direct. After the film succeeded, he had ignored the criticism and rewarded him handsomely.

But when Feng Xiaogang connected with Huayi through Not Finished Yet, the advantages of a private company revealed themselves. Sugar-coated shells were something state-owned companies could not offer.

Han Sanping worried that Shen Shanden would fail to hold his ground, that money and women would corrupt him, or that he might even become tainted by something worse.

Feng Xiaogang had suffered before and clawed his way up. Against Huayi, they were evenly matched—like meeting a worthy opponent on the chessboard.

Shen Shanden was somewhat helpless. "I believe in Win-Win, but I'll keep the factory director's advice firmly in mind as well."

He had confidence in himself. He was willing to accept the test and let his weak points meet the challenge!

What a pity.

Shen Shanden did not dwell on it. Instead, he introduced Han Sanping to the progress of The Grand Director project.

During the initial preparation phase, The Grand Director's core work consisted of desk work, assembling the team, design and planning, refining the budget, scouting locations, technical testing, and so on.

After moving into Beijing Film Studio, they rented a large office there, over two hundred square meters in size, divided into several major sections according to work requirements.

"We've now established a framework for cross-department collaboration. Every week, we conduct simulated reports and make dynamic adjustments."

"Based on actual progress, we forecast key project milestones—casting, the start of filming, and wrap dates—and intervene promptly whenever there are deviations."

Han Sanping nodded to himself. "Tell me about the specific work."

Shen Shanden replied, "At present, we're holding pre-production meetings. The director, first assistant director, Production Director, director of photography, and production designer jointly confirm the plan."

"The script has basically been finalized. We've selected the period from the end of Emperor Wuzong's reign to Jiajing's sharpest reforms, cutting the later southern tour fire and palace coup, so the emotional momentum of the plot keeps rising from beginning to end."

"Wu Jing will be responsible for script breakdowns, the direct execution of the shooting plan, and daily management."

"He will lead the script breakdown, using Movie Magic Scheduling to refine it in detail; organize the scene list, interior and exterior scenes, day and night shoots, and character appearance sheets precise enough to show the actors needed for every scene; establish lists of required props, costumes, special effects, and specialized equipment; and formulate the shooting schedule."

"Then we'll consolidate locations to avoid repeatedly moving in and out of the same place, and prioritize scenes based on weather and seasonal sensitivity."

"We'll determine complexity weights for each sequence, leaving more time for Grand Scenes and action scenes."

"We've tentatively scheduled it for late October and early November. Time is a little tight, so we plan to shoot the Grand Scenes and action scenes first while post-production proceeds simultaneously."

"Of course, Wu Jing's main task right now is to finalize the roles and begin casting, so we can lock down the schedules of the main actors."

Shen Shanden laid it all out like a man reciting his treasures, thoroughly familiar with every detail of the project.

"Production Director Zhang Nengshou will handle overall resource coordination and budget control."

"Producer Zhang is highly professional and extremely capable at coordination. He can estimate the budget for many scenes at a glance, and he has played a major role in determining whether the shooting plan is economically sound."

Zhang Nengshou, who had accompanied them, subtly puffed out his chest and began speaking about the progress of his own work.

Shen Shanden was a brother worth having!

Only after Zhang Nengshou had finished showing off did Shen Shanden continue. "As the director, my job is to finalize the storyboard design, specify the number and complexity of shots for every scene, and plan the shooting days."

"Then there are special shots and shots requiring extended filming time—we need to leave enough time for those. Some equipment also has to be booked in advance."

"What we hope to do now is standardize the workflow, establish daily reports, and let everyone in the crew see the work we complete each day."

"My requirement for the The Grand Director project is to demonstrate industrialized project management, a world-class creative team, and world-class creative will."

Han Sanping listened with rapt attention.

In Shen Shanden, he sensed the rising sun—the power of confidence.

He had originally only intended to come and offer a reminder, but now he was a little reluctant to leave.

Goods had to be compared before one knew which should be thrown away.

Shen Shanden's ability, his awareness, his way of thinking—

He was exactly the kind of young director Han Sanping needed, a New Generation director.

The so-called New Generation had been nurtured amid the tide of film marketization, symbolizing the New forces of the film industry.

Liao Yun, the accompanying secretary, sucked in several sharp breaths.

He was stunned!

Silently, he moved Shen Shanden's importance higher in his mind.

At this rate, if he ever came into conflict with Shen Shanden, it was hard to say whom the leader would favor.

When Han Sanping arrived at the Costume, Makeup, and Props preparation area, he was involuntarily drawn to the concept art and all manner of design drafts.

His gaze lingered on the costume, makeup, and props concept art for eunuchs and Imperial Guards. Unable to look away, he asked in astonishment, "What is this?"