Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 12 No one can stop my progress!



Chapter 12 No one can stop my progress!

"What's the main reason?" Han Sanping asked Zhang Guomin.

"On the one hand, although the film has good reviews, its internal rating is not high," Zhang Guomin explained. "After all, it's an old film from 1957, in black and white, and domestic audiences might not appreciate it. On the other hand, the copyright holders have high requirements, demanding revenue sharing and script review, which are quite stringent conditions."

"Then let's re-establish contact." Han Sanping waved his hand. "We can make some concessions. The film's adaptations in Japan and Russia have received good reviews, indicating market potential."

"Okay, Chairman Han, I'll have someone contact them again." Zhang Guomin was somewhat surprised, but he didn't ask any further questions.

"Go ahead and negotiate a deal as soon as possible, just make sure the price isn't too outrageous."

After sending Zhang Guomin away, Han Sanping found some materials related to "Twelve Angry Men" and started looking them up.

No one can stop me, Lao Han, from making progress!

-----------------

Sunday, July 16, 2011.

Time flew by, and it was time for Lin Yu and Han Sanping to meet.

These days, Nazha wants to be by Lin Yu's side 24/7, and Lin Yu has truly experienced the horror of being "love-struck".

Although I had told Nazha well in advance that I had important things to do today and couldn't go shopping with her, Nazha's phone still rang on time at nine o'clock.

"Brother Yu~," came Nazha's deliberately high-pitched voice from the other end of the phone, full of a coquettish tone. "Can't I really go with you today?"

Lin Yu rubbed his temples. "It really won't work. Today's occasion is special."

"What kind of occasion is this?" Nazha persisted. "I'll just wait here, not say a word, and just watch you, okay?"

"no."

"Shall I wait for you downstairs?"

"That won't work either."

"Then I..."

"Nazha," Lin Yu interrupted her, his tone gentle but firm, "Listen to me, I'll come find you after I'm done, and I'll take you out for something delicious."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Nazha's pitiful voice came through: "Okay... then you have to come back soon."

"it is good."

"We really need to hurry."

"Um."

"No later than five o'clock."

"OK."

"Those four points?"

Lin Yu took a deep breath: "Nazha, I'm hanging up now."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Nazha quickly said, "Then send me a message when you arrive, and another when you come back, and another if you have time in between..."

Lin Yu decisively hung up the phone; if he waited any longer, he didn't know where Nazha would go with the conversation.

He took a printed portion of the script and a notebook with some outlines and went out.

The distance between Beijing Film Academy and China Film Academy is not far; I hailed a car and arrived in just a few minutes.

As soon as the car stopped in front of the China Film Building, Lin Yu saw through the car window that Han Sanping was already waiting downstairs.

This was somewhat unexpected.

He thought the other party would at most send a secretary down to greet him, but he didn't expect Chairman Han to come downstairs in person.

It seems we underestimated Chairman Han's desire to improve.

Lin Yu quickly opened the car door, got out, and jogged over.

They're being so humble; they're not asking you to take advantage of them. You need to show them the proper courtesy.

Han Sanping spotted Lin Yu from afar.

Just like in the photos on the roster, he was young, handsome, tall, and had a special kind of heroic air about him.

What pleased Han Sanping even more was the boy's reaction after getting off the bus; he had run all the way over and seemed easy to get along with.

"Hello, Chairman Han!" Lin Yu ran up to him, extended his hand, and bowed slightly. "I'm Lin Yu. I'm so sorry to have made you come down and wait for me."

"Hello, hello." Han Sanping shook Lin Yu's hand, his face beaming with smiles, as if he were greeting a close relative. "It's nothing. It's the weekend, everyone downstairs is off, and I had nothing better to do than to greet you personally."

Lin Yu shook hands briefly, then quickly released them: "Chairman Han's words make me feel even worse. I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest."

"You're too kind." Han Sanping waved his hand, his smile widening. "It's all family business, there's no need to worry about resting."

He paused, then his tone became even more friendly: "Calling me Chairman Han is too formal. From now on, just call me Uncle Han. If you need anything, just come to me. Don't be shy."

Well, you're really being impolite. What kind of people are my uncles and elders? You're just forcing your way in.

But she still smiled and said, "Uncle Han, don't find me annoying in the future."

"How could that be?" Han Sanping patted Lin Yu on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go upstairs and talk."

At this time, the headquarters of China Film Group was still at its old site, with sycamore and poplar trees planted in the courtyard, and fallen leaves covering the ground in autumn.

Although some employees have moved to the new office area in Xizhimen, Han Sanping has chosen to stay here.

There are advantages to staying in the same old place.

The old Soviet-style building has red brick walls, large windows, and no elevator.

Lin Yu followed Han Sanping up three floors before they reached his office.

The office wasn't large, but it was very tidy. The bookshelves were filled with various film-related books and trophies, and several movie posters and photos of people with famous directors and actors hung on the walls.

"Come, sit down." Han Sanping led Lin Yu to the sofa, then personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. "I didn't prepare any fancy tea, just something to quench your thirst."

Lin Yu accepted the teacup with both hands: "Thank you, Uncle Han."

Han Sanping sat down opposite him, smiling, and said, "I heard you wanted to make movies? If you wanted to be a director, why did you go to the acting department?"

Lin Yu picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Back then, I was young and wanted to be a star. But my grandfather beat me up, so I decided to become a director instead."

Lin Yu casually made up an excuse to brush it off.

"Being a director is great," he paused, then tentatively asked, "How about switching to the directing department? I can help you talk to them; it's not difficult."

If I really wanted to transfer, would I need to come to you?

"No need, no need, I'm fine as I am. I can learn a lot in the acting department, which will also help me when I become a director in the future." Lin Yu is very satisfied with her current fulfilling life.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Han Sanping finally got to the point.

"I've already had someone contact the copyright holders about adapting the script for '12 Angry Men,'" Han Sanping said. "Why are you interested in such an old film?"

"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Han." Lin Yu put down his teacup. "I was thinking that the scene was small and easier to handle. As a novice, I still need to learn more."

"You're a good student," Han Sanping nodded approvingly. "But your optics theory isn't enough; you still need to practice."

He thought for a moment and said, "Director Feng Xiaogang's '1942' is about to start filming. Before the copyright is finalized, why don't I take a position as an assistant director? I'll definitely learn more from Director Feng than I would in school."

Well, they're treating me like a lazy bum trying to get seniority.

"I plan to focus on my studies during my freshman year," Lin Yu politely declined. "I'll need Uncle Han's introduction if there's an opportunity in the future."

As he spoke, he took out a notebook from his bag and handed it to him: "Uncle Han, this is the plot outline and character settings I wrote myself. Please take a look and review them."

Han Sanping took the notebook and first praised, "Your handwriting is beautiful."

Then he looked down and began to read it carefully.

The office fell silent, save for the sound of pages turning.

Han Sanping looked at it more and more intently, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

After reading the last page, he looked up and his gaze towards Lin Yu changed.

This kid isn't just dabbling; he genuinely wants to make a movie.

"This script is solid," Han Sanping said without looking up, continuing to read. "It's quite good. As for the background design, are you planning to use only young actors?"

"Yes, mainly because we weren't thinking about attracting investment; we wanted to save money wherever possible."

"Don't worry about the investment. China Film Group has always had a special investment program to support young directors," Han Sanping said, looking up at Lin Yu after reading the script. "I happen to have many actors with good acting skills who are willing to support young directors, and the pay isn't high."

Lin Yu smiled and declined, "I still want to take this first step myself and see how well I can manage the crew and control the situation."

"You've got ambition. Don't worry, I'll definitely get the copyright issue sorted out for you." Han Sanping didn't try to persuade him any further.

Young people need to experience setbacks and learn from their mistakes.

"Judging from Uncle Han's tone, is there still a problem with the copyright issue?" Lin Yu keenly grasped the meaning behind Han Sanping's words.

"It's nothing serious." Han Sanping put down his notebook. "The copyright holder thinks this script has been adapted quite successfully in various countries, so they're being rather strict about script approval and pricing. But don't worry, Uncle Han can definitely take care of it for you."

"I see," Lin Yu nodded, pondered for a moment, "I have an idea, which may be a bit unethical, and I don't know if I should say it."


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