366. One Step Away from the Grand Slam
Bi Jia decides to stay in the mental hospital and study with Lu Ban.
He was like a real critically ill patient, getting up early every day to exercise, eat, listen to Lu Ban tell stories, and then being guided by Lu Ban to draw.
In the past, Bi Jia not only had to rack his brains to come up with ideas for his paintings, but also had to deal with troublesome interpersonal relationships, and sometimes faced doubts from his peers and misunderstandings from his audience.
Now, staying in a mental hospital, all of that is gone.
We were all patients, so we were open and honest with each other. We often sat together in the afternoons to chat and share our experiences.
Bi Jia used to think of herself as a cold person, and the news on the Internet made her indifferent.
But now, as Bi Jia listened to the aunt next to him sobbing as she recounted how she and her child had been stabbed more than 120 times and were sent to a mental hospital after crawling out of the funeral hall, Bi Jia was moved to tears.
Previously, Bi Jia felt that art was aloof, elegant, and trendy, and that ordinary people could not understand it.
Now, Bi Jia realizes that art can also be warm and accessible, and that he should immerse himself in the lives of ordinary people to gain more inspiration.
"So that's how Lu Ban gathers his material!"
Bi Jia suddenly realized.
These are not the strange delusions of mentally ill patients, nor hallucinations caused by schizophrenia, but rather the genuine feelings of these patients who have broken free from the constraints of society and are showing their most authentic selves.
In everyday social interactions, people wear masks of pretense. Even when they claim to be speaking frankly, they still leave room for ambiguity. For example, if someone asks you what type of girl you like, you might answer that she's well-behaved and cute, but you certainly wouldn't tell them that you like girls with traits like ****** that aren't even visible on the screen.
But mental hospitals are different.
Here, everyone is like a newborn baby; you can say whatever you want without anyone questioning you or looking at you strangely. Some older guys might even ask, "That's all?" after hearing your grievances.
This benefited Bi Jia greatly.
Of course, Bi Jia still keenly noticed a problem.
I'm starting to think these mentally ill people are normal.
These patients in the intensive care unit are, in theory, people who are no longer able to support themselves in a normal life in the real world and have serious mental problems. However, Bi Jia felt that she could communicate with these people very smoothly.
You won't suddenly think, "Oh, the other person seems to have some mental issues." You'll just feel like they're family, full of love and warmth.
When Bi Jia realized this, he felt that he might really be going crazy.
He came to the examination room, wanting the doctor to examine him.
However, after completing the psychological test, the doctor told him a surprising result.
"Bi Jia, you have been completely cured."
The doctor looked at the medical report and said incredulously.
"Ah?"
Bi Jia found it hard to believe.
"Wait, doctor, you must be joking. I think I'm very sick. I can communicate with those critically ill patients very smoothly. Is there something wrong with me?"
"But according to the test and X-ray results, you are indeed normal."
The doctor spoke earnestly.
"It's probably because you've lived here for so long that you've gotten used to it and don't want to leave. That's very common, Bi Jia. You're perfectly normal. You don't have any psychological problems or mental illnesses. You don't even have the depression you had before."
"???"
Bi Jia was speechless.
He even started to think it was some kind of prank, and that maybe a bunch of people would jump out from the back of the room and tell him he'd been tricked.
Holding the doctor's certificate, Bi Jia returned to her room.
In the sketchbook, there are drawings that Lu Ban has created based on the inspiration he has given himself these days.
Bi Jia carefully opened it.
Most of these paintings can make people feel dizzy, sad, and confused at first glance, but after looking at them for a while, they can bring a sense of peace to the soul.
While appreciating these paintings, Bi Jia's mind seemed to be directly destroyed by something, and then slowly rebuilt.
He was completely healed.
Bi Jia believes that if these paintings could be exhibited, they would surely liberate the weary souls of modern people and heal their wounded hearts.
Seeing Bi Jia discharged from the hospital, Lu Ban felt that he had rested enough.
He was discharged from the hospital.
Back home, Lu Ban turned on his computer.
On the hard drive, there lies a folder named "Spring No War".
Lu Ban clicked on it, and it was filled with videos.
The length and number of videos far exceed those of before.
He randomly clicked on one and saw a girl with smooth black hair and Amber eyes. She was sitting quietly on a cushion, the moonlight shining on her face.
She stood up, picked up her longbow and arrows, and began to shoot arrows under the moonlight.
Then, I saw Lu Ban standing to the side.
Lu Ban turned off the video, and the cold, indifferent text of the system, which he hadn't seen in a long time, appeared in his field of vision.
[Career Development Task]
Sometimes, what moves the heart is more impressive than visual spectacle. Explore your inner self, reveal your past, and create a character that the audience will remember forever. You already have it in your hands, don't you?
[Task Requirements: Release works within a cinematic universe and win three world-class awards]
[Works that have launched cinematic universes: 0/1]
[World-class awards received: 0/3]
"He's just one step away from a Grand Slam; can he succeed?"
"A world-class award."
Originally, Lu Ban felt that the previous income of 5 billion was already outrageous, and he had put in a lot of effort to achieve it. If this time he were to earn 10 billion, he would have no choice but to start manufacturing cars immediately.
However, the requirements for this mission are different.
World-class awards, that is, at least at the level of international film festivals, such as the Academy Award, Golden Bear, Golden Lion, Palme d'Or, are naturally out of the question. Lu Ban felt that at the very least, it had to be something like the Golden Octopus Award at the Miskatonic Film Festival to count.
"There's no way I can go to the student film festival anymore."
Lu Ban felt extremely regretful that those college students and new directors couldn't compete with him, which was definitely a loss for them.
Compared to box office revenue, award-winning films are actually on a different level than other elements such as box office success.
Simply put, it needs to be artistic.
Even the most commercial Academy Award have political elements in mind. While many blockbuster films win Oscars, they are not many. Most of the winning films reflect a social issue or historical event.
Other awards are more artistic. Even though Lu Ban's film has such a high global box office, in the eyes of those arrogant judges, it is full of the stench of money and not worth mentioning.
Furthermore, Lu Ban, a director of commercial films that have achieved great box office success, may still face resistance from those in the industry who feel that Lu Ban has made too much money and wants to embellish his reputation. After all, it is common for stage actors to look down on filmmakers, and for art-house filmmakers to look down on commercial filmmakers.
Such biases can also lead to subjective evaluations of films. After all, there's always something to nitpick. Even stepping out the door with your left foot first can get you fired, let alone film critics whose subjective feelings are so influential.
Lu Ban's desire to win an award seems simple, but in reality, it is fraught with difficulties.
"Anyway, let's work together."
After stretching his limbs, Lu Ban spoke to the air beside him.
*
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