independent filmmaker

A week later, Nannan and the others arrived one after another, and Xie Lansheng apologized and thanked again, and organized everyone to restart the filming. This time, everything went smoothly.It is even said that Xie Lansheng was happy again because the final effect was even better after reshooting more than 40 scenes.He has always believed that inspiration is like a vast ocean, inexhaustible, the more you think, the more you gain, and there is no such thing as "the first performance is the pinnacle".At the same time as filming, Xie Lansheng gave about 20 yuan to a Hong Kong film crew who came to the mainland, and asked them to remit the equivalent Australian dollars from Hong Kong to Australia.The government strictly controls foreign exchange, so he can only exchange in private, each takes what he needs. Xin Ye asked someone to inquire about the Hong Kong crew a few months ago. After all, the director of his last God of Gamblers movie is a Hong Kong native.

After filming, Xie Lansheng didn’t dare to send it because he was bitten by a snake for ten years and was afraid of well ropes. Light". ABCLAB received it as expected and also called to say that they have basically completed the first cut of the rest in the past four weeks.

Xie Lansheng waited for another week, Nathan announced that the cut was completed, and people from ABCLAB called Xie Lansheng again to discuss the light distribution.

The name of the photometrician is HunterHunt, which sounds strange at first, but he is a very famous photometrician in Australia. He has been working in this industry for 30 years and he comes from a family.The Australian company is very professional and doesn't know how to watch people order. They didn't assign Xie Lansheng to a novice editor and a novice just because he is an 18-rate director.

Normally, film printing needs to go through five steps: negative film development, negative film editing, light distribution, printing, and positive film development.The laboratory uses a negative film processor to display the negative image of the negative, then edits it, and then distributes the light, and then prints the positive image according to the printing requirements of the photometrician.

Therefore, light distribution is also a very important job in the later stage of the film. The English name of a light distribution engineer is "Timer".There are always some uncertain factors in the process of film shooting and film development, such as a little more or less exposure, or a little more or less potion, and these problems should be corrected and made up for as much as possible in the later stage.Even if the director is very lucky and there is no problem with shooting and developing, he cannot easily guarantee the uniform color of the entire film, because even if two films are from the same manufacturer and the same model, the difference in batch axis number and storage conditions will lead to the final picture rendering effect Different, there will be color cast.If the director has changed the film when he is filming a certain scene, the audience will find that although there is the same background and the same actors, the color of the film has changed "chua" instantly!For this reason, Timers will take the color film or gray film on the light distribution light box to make superimposition and adjustment shot by shot, record the light number and other data after achieving the goal, and then make each print Conditions and processing conditions, so that when the image is reversed with a printer, the later personnel can adjust the spectrum according to the command of the Timer to make the color of the film consistent.In addition, the director of a movie will definitely have creative intentions, and the lighting engineers will render the atmosphere according to the director's requirements.

Xie Lansheng's problem is still the same, no money.

"Hey, Hunter," Xie Lansheng called HunterHunt, feeling that his face was already invulnerable, "Well, you may have heard of it, we have no funds here...so, please use the negatives to directly match the light , Be careful with your actions, it's troublesome..."

"Negative film?! Duplicate film is usually used!" Over there, Hunter was also startled, "The negative film material is too important, and it is not convenient for colorists to cover and cover the color film. It will be damaged."

"So don't cover it up and down," Xie Lansheng begged, "make a plan based on experience, and then strive for a success." He has no funds to make reproductions, which are too expensive, tens of thousands of tens of thousands.It's impossible for him to control Xin Ye's demands. He hasn't made it yet, and he can't count on selling copyrights at film festivals.

Hunter Hunt: "..."

"We know what you mean. We will take full responsibility for any scratches on the film, but please be careful."

Hunter sighed softly: "Okay."

"Also," Xie Lansheng threw another blockbuster at Hunter, "Our budget here is only enough for one lighting match..."

By this time, Hunter had already lost his temper: "Director Xie, it usually takes at least three times to say it, but I have done it five or six times." The light distribution effect must be washed out to be seen, so a Films often go through several light grading passes.The grading engineer first did the matching, then showed the effect, and then discussed with the film's main creative team the direction of future revisions, and gradually obtained the ideal color matching through repeated adjustments.

"I really can only do it once." Xie Lansheng said, "A total of 8 Australian dollars, [-] RMB, for light distribution and washing, you don't know what [-] Australian dollars means to an ordinary Chinese. "

Hunter didn't speak.

"You, you project the negative screen, and match it according to experience, okay? Unify the color of the film, and then do the atmosphere rendering, so what it looks like is what it looks like. If you still have some time, I will talk about it The story and the style and color and brightness I wanted in the end."

Xie Lansheng thought it would be best to use only one light distribution.Of course, if he finds that the effect is really not good after receiving the copy, he can only raise money for a few years, and then invite HunterHunter to do light matching for this film again.If a secondary light distribution is required, he dare not use negatives anymore, and copying is another stroke.He had inquired that it would not wear out the film if he only did the light grading once.

Hunter sighed: "Director Xie, tell me, I will try my best."

"Thank you," Xie Lansheng said sincerely, "If I have funds in the future, I will definitely hand over all my films to ABCLAB for post-production."

Hunter was noncommittal, feeling that it was too far away, and said, "Okay, I'm ready, let's talk about colors now."

"Ok."

They talked for two hours, and Xie Lansheng told Hunter everything he could think of in detail, mainly following Xin Ye's manuscript.In the end Hunter repeated it again, agreeing with Xie Lansheng's request.

Xie Lansheng could only wait.

…………

Another three weeks later, Xie Lansheng received the distribution copy developed by ABCLAB. He took the copy and gave it to the printing workers of Beijing Film Studio. The printing workers helped Xie Lansheng develop it after get off work.Xie Lansheng also asked the other party not to mention himself to others, especially to Chi Zhonghe.

Then, he carried the copy of "Rooting" in his bag, returned to Nortel, and asked Wang Xian to play the movie on the projector and show it to him.

During the playback, Xie Lansheng's nerves were tense, and he was particularly worried that he would see a catastrophic picture in the next second, such as editing errors or jumping colors.He was so anxious he couldn't even sit still, watch, and walk up and down.

However, there was no problem.

Xie Lansheng was dumbfounded.

Great.

Nathan only cut it once, and Hunter only matched it once, but the effect tends to be perfect.

Of course, it would be more comfortable if Hunter could match the movie screen a few more times, but at this level, it is no longer demanding.Due to the use of the potion left over from Chizhonghe Chong's film, the overall tone is slightly darker, but it is more flavorful.

The picture and sound of the whole movie are also 100% consistent.

This is not easy to think, ABCLAB is really very reliable.The picture and sound in the movie are to be printed on the raw film.The screen negatives for the film supply and the sound negatives for the film supply must be printed synchronously by the printer, and then the screen negatives for the film and the sound negatives for the film are obtained, and after being developed, they are produced into a distribution copy with pictures and sound.Because the position of the sound head of the 35mm projector lags behind the position of the projection window by 20 frames, when the film is printed, all the sound negatives for the film need to be advanced by 20 frames to ensure the synchronization of sound and picture.During the projection, the picture will be projected on the screen through the machine, and the sound will be played by the sound return device of the projector.

Watching the film, Xie Lansheng's nose became sore.He thought of himself, of Xinye, of his daughter, of Qi Yong, Cen Chen, and of everyone's painstaking efforts and expectations for him.

Nathan and Hunter are his nobles.

When the final "Police Trial" was played on the screen, Xie Lansheng's head teacher, Wang Jinjin, was also silent, and said after a while: "Lansheng, maybe you are right, you are more suitable for independent production. I can’t, but after watching it... I was very moved.”

"Teacher..." Xie Lansheng wanted to cry, "Thank you."

He got an acknowledgment.

And it has been recognized by the most authoritative experts in this field.

Speaking of which, he didn't even know that he was called an "independent filmmaker". It was the term that Professor Wang Jinjin told him.Wang Xianjin said that in this century in the United States, the eight major companies have monopolized Hollywood and formed a strict routine, aiming at the audience market in order to maximize profits, so a group of filmmakers raised their own funds to make their own films, getting rid of the control of the "big eight" , making many films that are completely different from commercial films, he is called an "independent filmmaker", and Xie Lansheng's "independent filmmaker" in China has more meanings.

Xie Lansheng doesn't know much about how film history will write about him a hundred years later-the earliest independent filmmaker.

Is blood?Or reckless?Is it positive, or negative?

In fact, at the beginning, Xie Lansheng just wanted to shoot the content he liked. Just like writing novels, the studio had to rank seniority. So strict, he couldn't wait any longer.However, if you think about it carefully, if you don’t take indicators and jump out of the restrictions, someone will always do this, challenge the current standard, promote the reform of the status quo, and finally reach a balance.

Throughout the world, every country has experienced such a special period, that is, the confrontation and mutual compromise between the censorship system and practitioners.Every change in the system needs the right time, place and people. Xie Lansheng once read a book on film censorship using Hollywood as an example. Several loose states were released separately, so they demanded a complete reform of the censorship system, and film industry associations such as the "Hayes Office" began to undertake the work of "self-censorship" and "self-management", and also took on the responsibility of explaining and communicating with various governments. work, more and more have the right to speak.Later, in 1915, the Paramount case broke the monopoly, and the old Hollywood collapsed. The core of the new system was no longer production, but distribution. Playing, some making discs, the government has no need to strictly control the production entrance, so, finally, in 1948, the film classification officially replaced the film review system, and the implementation was supervised by the committee.Of course, the victory of "Miracle" in 1968 was also a milestone, although at that time the director's lawsuit was only to recover costs.

Xie Lansheng has always believed that the existing standards will be loosened, but he doesn't know when and why. Maybe it will not be just one change, but many changes.

In fact, to be fair, Xie Lansheng is not a rebel against the censorship system. On the contrary, he always feels that the external politics are very complicated, and the film bureau is understandable.All parties have their own positions. Some people think that "whether citizens need guidance" should only be divided by age, and that as long as they have political rights, they should be able to make their own choices and be responsible for themselves, rather than "some people are teachers all their lives, and some people are students all their lives." Some people think that "18 years old" is just a number, and citizens need guidance, even lifelong guidance. can give an answer.For these reasons, too, he doesn't loathe the film bureau, nor does he loathe the studios.He can even understand the old directors who "occupied the factory mark" and the old seniors who squeezed the younger generation-it's all for their own benefit.

What is certain, however, is that it is now a bit too draconian and hardly really touches on the problems that exist today.The creative space will be wider, but this requires someone to stand up, to challenge, to play games, to move forward bit by bit, to see the results, and to test the boundaries.In other words, some things have difficulties or can’t be solved at this stage, but creative freedom is “correct” and cannot be refuted, so someone needs to fight for it in order to achieve a balance. Although, it may take decades, or even Longer, until the world is turned upside down.

For literature and art, criticism is always the most powerful, and it is always greater than praise and praise.It allows human beings to change and move forward, not to be content with the status quo.One day, people will see this kind of film on the big screen, and they will definitely admire the directors in front of the spotlight, but Xie Lansheng really hopes that by then, people can watch him and see Sun Fengmao, look at the thin backs of the independent filmmakers of their generation who may have long gone.

…………

The night Xie Lansheng received the copy, he ran to the post office and sent it to the selection committee of the Turin Film Festival.He didn't know anyone going to Italy, and he couldn't get a visa for Italy.

In fact, the registration for the Turin Film Festival, which opened on November 11, was closed a month ago.Xie Lansheng also reported his name, but he didn't have time to mail the copy, and he planned to withdraw at one time, but the director of Qi Yong's last film happened to be a member of the film selection committee, and Xie Lansheng was given a grace to allow him to postpone the delivery.

What Qi Yong and the others mean is that the purpose of the Turin Film Festival is to support young people and encourage newcomers, so Xie Lansheng is more appropriate.It only accepts the first three feature films from a film director, and over the years, a number of well-known filmmakers have started here.If Lan Sheng misses Turin, the only newcomer-friendly film festivals he can attend are Rotterdam in the Netherlands and San Sebastian in Spain.Xie Lansheng also felt that the reason they gave was reasonable, so he asked someone to apply for an extension.

Because there was only one copy, Xie Lansheng tossed and turned nervously day and night, for fear that there would be another problem and he would have to develop it again.He was anxious until November 11th when he received a call from the official of the Turin Film Festival.

"Director Xie," a man on the phone said in broken English, "I'm Matteo DeSciglio, the chairman of the Turin International Film Festival."

"Hello, I'm Xie Lansheng." Xie Lan didn't dare to move, and listened intently.He had imagined the phone call and was still stiff.

"Good, Good." The other party continued, "Director Xie, we would like to invite your film "Rooting" to Turin to participate in the main competition. Would you like to?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Xie Lansheng said "yes" three times in a row.Although he secretly thought about this possibility when no one was around, he felt unbelievable when the shortlist became a reality.

He originally thought that he would have to participate in seven or eight film festivals to have a chance to face buyers.

"Okay." Matteo DeSciglio had probably seen too many fledgling young directors like Xie Lansheng, "Then we will send out a formal invitation letter, please bring it with you. Also, please talk to the phone caller before the shortlist is announced. The contents are kept confidential."

"Okay, I will keep it strictly confidential. Thank you for your hard work. Is it too late to apply for a visa with the invitation letter?"

"It should be possible to apply for an expedited application."

"Okay, okay." Xie Lansheng suddenly thought of another question, and hurriedly stopped the other party's hand who seemed to be about to hang up the phone, "Well, I'm sorry, it's really hard to say, but... I still want to ask, about the director's ticket, Will the organizing committee reimburse the accommodation?” If Turin doesn’t reimburse him, he will have to worry about money.

Matteo DeSciglio smiled, and seemed to think that the director's concern was quite interesting, "For the director, we reimburse the round-trip air ticket and three-day accommodation expenses, and other people need to pay for themselves."

"Understood..." Xie Lansheng thought, then he had to go by himself.He has no money to bring others, although he really wants his daughter to go abroad to see the world.That vivacious girl is sure to have a blast.

"Finally, there is one more important thing." Matteo DeSciglio said again, "All films participating in the main competition unit of the Turin Film Festival must have bilingual subtitles in English and Italian. "Rooting" already has English subtitles, but now it lacks Italian .Please subtitle the copy before the official screening."

"..." Hearing this rigid requirement, Xie Lansheng was dumbfounded, and he asked, "Is this absolutely inflexible?"

MatteoDeSciglio smiled: "This is a rule. It must be understood by the audience."

"……OK, thanks."

"Then we'll see you at the film festival."

"Well, see you at the film festival."

After putting down the phone, Xie Lansheng became anxious again.

How the hell does he have the money to add Italian?

I thought that 25 yuan would be enough, but unexpected expenses kept appearing in a steady stream.

Printing subtitles on film is complicated.The post-production personnel need to write the subtitles on the glass plate by hand, one screen at a time, and then print out a black-and-white reversal film. The printers flipped together, eventually resulting in subtitled copies of the film.I heard that some companies are now trying laser subtitles, that is, to print the required subtitles directly on the film, but it is still immature and very expensive.

The English subtitles of "Rooting" are basically translated by Xinye.As a top student at Harvard, his English is the most authentic, and ABCLAB is only responsible for handwriting and adding subtitles in the later stage, but even this is very expensive, tens of thousands.The subtitles and light distribution were carried out at the same time, which also took two weeks.

If I make another copy of the film in Italian...it will not only cost money for the copy, but also money for translation and subtitles, which may cost tens of thousands.

Be nice.

Xie Lansheng knew that Xin Ye did not speak Italian.Xin Ye can speak English, German, Spanish, but knows nothing about Italian.

Xie Lansheng didn't want to give up. Holding an orange microphone in his hand, he sat by the phone all night and asked all the twenty or so subtitle companies he knew.Here some are introduced by Wang Xianxian, some by ABCLAB, and some by Zhang Fugui, some in China, some in Australia, some in Italy, and some in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The cheapest of them is a small company located in the UK, and the price for a complete set is 6000 pounds, 45000 RMB.

Xie Lansheng said that this film has been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Turin Film Festival, and it is also a promotion for the other party.The sales representative of the subtitle company thought for a while, and finally quoted 4000 pounds, which is almost 36000 RMB.

But 36000 is still too much.Xie Lansheng saved [-] yuan by using the potion left by the crane in the pool to develop the film, and there are [-] yuan left.In other words, if he wants to add Italian, he still needs a full sixteen thousand.

Even if I can earn 2000 yuan a month, it will take 8 months.

Why do you need money for everything!

Or...don't go?A thought flashed through Xie Lansheng's mind: Waiting to participate in the British and American film festivals in the future?

But this time the opportunity is very good... After all, the Turin Film Festival is a film festival that supports young people. It is internationally renowned, and directors Qi Yong knows can directly send films to the committee.The more important thing is that "Rooting" has already been shortlisted for the main competition unit. You know, evaluating art is very subjective. It is normal for you to say good and bad. Being shortlisted in Turin this time does not mean too many problems. Maybe it will fail in the future .

It's all a gamble.Either go to the Turin Film Festival and bet on selling some rights, or not go to the Turin Film Festival and bet on being shortlisted in other competitions.

Which one to choose...

Xie Lansheng is inclined to go.Because, if he can't be shortlisted again, he will regret it for the rest of his life.

But time is so tight that he has no other choice, he can only borrow it from Xin Ye, and then do hard work to pay it back as soon as possible.Xie Lansheng realized that perhaps because of Xinye's presence, he never completely despaired.In fact, deep down, he knew that he would not be dead.If there is no Xinye, he can only kneel and beg his parents to take out all the savings, but he really doesn't want to do that.

But, of course, before planning, Xie Lansheng wanted to ask Xin Ye if he could borrow [-], which is a large number after all.

Xin Ye probably just woke up, the voice on the phone was lazy: "Yes."

"I don't know when I can pay back..."

Xinye smirked: "Then you can pay for it yourself."

"Why, how do you use yourself to pay for it? Do you want to be an ox or a horse?"

"No cows or horses."

Xie Lansheng asked: "Then what?"

Xinye paused obviously, and said, "What should I do...we'll talk about it when the time comes."

"Okay." Xie Lansheng didn't think he didn't make it to the sixteen thousand, at most it would be later, and he also saw that Xinye didn't care.

"Also," Xinye said before hanging up the phone, "give me the phone number of the British subtitle company. Maybe it can be cheaper, and you don't need 4000."

"I've asked," Xie Lansheng said seriously, "There's already a discount on this one, and it originally cost 5000 pounds."

"Say." Xin Ye got impatient.

Xie Lansheng thought that Xinye was studying economics at Harvard after all, and maybe the subtitle company could be cheaper, so he said, "Okay, listen up, the UK area code is 44, followed by—"

Xinye nodded: "Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Xie Lansheng didn't expect the subtitle company to offer any more discounts, but he didn't expect that the Sales Representative would call after only ten minutes!He also said that he could get half of the original price!

The Sales said: "In this way, you don't choose the company in the United States, we can give you 2500 pounds, but you have to help promote it at the Turin Film Festival. I heard that you want to spend all your budget on buying advertising space, then When the time comes, please write down our company name.”

Xie Lansheng was overjoyed in his heart, and hurriedly agreed to the other party, and set a time for the filming, thinking that Xinye really deserves to be a graduate of the Harvard School of Economics, awesome!

Now we are only short of 2500, and we should be able to pay it back soon!

What Xie Lansheng didn't know was that the subtitle company didn't give "Rooting" a discount at all, and the other party called suddenly just because Xin Ye had just given them a full £1500.

The so-called "discount" is a lie.It would seem more suspicious to call directly without borrowing money, but Xinye thinks this is fine.

…………

Then, Xie Lansheng went to the VIP building of the "Beijing Hotel" and asked Xin Ye to borrow the two thousand five.

The Beijing Hotel VIP Building is a five-star joint venture between China and Hong Kong, which is very grand.Xie Lansheng walked through the lobby wearing ripped shoe soles and came to the small bar on the side.

In the bar, Xin Ye was drinking alone by the window, and there were several snacks on his table, most of which were dried fruits.

Xie Lansheng went to sit opposite and said, "Xinye." He found that Xinye had also ordered a glass of red wine for himself.

Xinye asked, "Are you here?"

"Ah."

"2500?"

"It's a loan of 2500." Xie Lansheng seriously corrected, "I will pay it back immediately after the shooting."

"Okay," Xinye smiled, "Borrow 2500."

Xinye raised his hand, pushed a card on the table on the left with his slender fingers, and said, "This is my visa in the United States, and I can pay in international currencies."

"Thank you..." The fingertips of the two of them pressed the two ends of the card respectively. After a few seconds, Xinye let go. Xie Lansheng took the card and looked at it carefully.

He hadn't seen this thing called a "bank card" with his own eyes yet.The Bank of China only issued the Great Wall Card the year before last, and later the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China issued the Peony Card, but Xie Lansheng did not apply for it, and was still using a bank passbook.

Xinye continued: "The subtitle company will definitely ask the cardholder's name, card number, and expiration date. Just answer...the card I'm using belongs to Xinye, with a surname of Xin and a first name of Ye."

"Huh?" Xie Lansheng's ears moved, "Isn't it Yves?"

"No, the name was changed when the nationality was determined."

"oh oh……"

"Also," Xinye pushed another card, "This one contains RMB, which can be used to pay for round-trip air tickets."

"Oh, yes." Xie Lansheng almost forgot that he still needed money to buy a plane ticket.The Organizing Committee of the Turin Film Festival only pays for the reimbursement and does not buy the tickets.

Xin Ye asked: "Or do you want a cash check?"

Xie Lansheng hurriedly said: "No need!" The cash check is too high-end, only seen in Hong Kong movies, it will be hot.

After Xie Lansheng took out his card, Xinye pointed to the wine glass opposite: "Let's go after drinking, it seems a bit out of place to come to this place without smacking your mouth."

"Okay." Xie Lansheng also happened to be greedy for wine, and said "thank you", imitating the appearance in Hong Kong movies, stuck the slender cup foot between the middle finger and ring finger, slid it up, and lifted the cup body with the palm of his hand: " so?"

"No, let it go."

"..."

Xin Ye stretched out his hand, directly took Xie Lansheng's index finger and middle finger, put it lightly in the middle of the cup foot, and pressed his thumb on the other side, let Xie Lansheng pinch the cup foot with three fingers, and said: "Take this cup normally, don't touch it. to the body of the glass, otherwise the body temperature of the person will affect the taste of the wine."

"Uh-huh."

"It's okay to shake it."

"Yeah." He took a sip carefully, and then took another sip. He felt that the taste was really mellow, and he drank all the dried fruit and red wine before he knew it.

Xinye has been taking his time, leaning on the back of the chair, very relaxed, smiling lightly, looking at Xie Lansheng.

At the end, Xie Lansheng suddenly thought of a very important question, and quickly asked again: "By the way, Xinye, do I need a password to withdraw cash with a bank card? A passbook needs a password, and a bank card should also need a password, right?"

"Of course. I only have one card in China, how could I not have a password."

"One, one? The only one? There is no other card? Then I will return it immediately after taking it out." Hearing that Xinye only had one card, Xie Lansheng was dumbfounded, "So, what is the password?"

Xinye didn't answer right away.He drank the last sip and set the glass down on the table.He crossed his long legs, put one hand on the armrest of the sofa, and pinched the foot of the glass with the other. He lowered his eyes for a while, then raised his eyelids, looked at Xie Lansheng across from him, smiled lazily, and said, "Your Birthday."

Your birthday is the most important day for you, and it is also for me.

The author has something to say:

I asked a friend who was an editor in "Watching Movies" to ask a director who has been to a film festival... He said that only the director himself will be reimbursed... There should be no bugs, but maybe it has been changed now...