Chapter 1117 1217. God of Wealth
When Nie Wei returned to Kyoto, the first thing he did was to go to the Directors Guild to accept the position of vice president.
The rumors on the Internet were not groundless. In fact, if Nie Wei was not too young now and looked too young among the seniors in their forties and fifties, these people would have wanted to push Nie Wei to the position in the next election of president.
But even if these people wanted to, Nie Wei was not willing.
Being a vice president is fine, but if you become the president, you must represent all the directors in China and speak for the interests of all the directors in China.
This position is like the ancient martial arts leader. In name, the leader of the directors in the circle can enjoy a glorious position, but naturally he must also bear the pressure brought by the position, such as speaking for the interests of Chinese directors, organizing various guild activities, etc. It is a busy position that is easy to offend people.
Nie Wei felt that his reputation was already high enough, and he really didn't need a president position to embellish it. The key point was that he really didn't have time to take care of the affairs of the guild. If he really took the position of president, he would probably be the one who took the blame. After all, it's better to take shelter under a big tree. With Nie Wei as a towering tree, it's reasonable for everyone to lean on him.
Fortunately, the seniors in the Directors Guild were also face-loving people. No one wanted to be managed by a young man who was just over 30 years old, even if it was just in name, even if the achievements of this young man were unprecedented and dazzling, but the face that should not be let go was still not let go.
Even this vice president Nie Wei was just a figurehead, and he was not responsible for any affairs in the guild at all.
In fact, Nie Wei was one of the directors of the Chinese Directors Guild before, and this time he just changed his title to make it sound better.
After accepting the appointment of the Directors Guild, Nie Wei hurried back to Beijing Electric to give a speech to the students of the directing department.
Although the speech was nominally for students from the directing department, more students from the acting department came. After all, the directing department of Beijing Film Academy has a small number of students each year, but the acting department is different. It is the largest department in the academy, with five or six times the number of students in the directing department.
When Nie Wei went on stage, he saw many teachers in the audience, and he was immediately happy.
"Standing here, I realized that when I was in class before, I was distracted and made small movements. I felt very hidden, but the teachers on the stage actually saw it clearly. So, Teacher Wang, please put away your mobile phone and listen carefully." Nie Wei was the first to call out his teacher Wang Jinsong.
Wang Jinsong, who was replying to his daughter's text message in the audience, was suddenly called by Nie Wei and was startled. When he came to his senses, his old face blushed, pointed at Nie Wei on the stage, and glared at him threateningly.
"This feels really good. Maybe Old Wang didn't expect that one day his students would give him a lecture on the stage." Nie Wei was not afraid at all, and even laughed and teased Wang Jinsong.
The students who had just been trying hard to hold back their laughter could no longer hold back and all laughed out loud.
Amid the students' laughter, Lao Wang pretended to go on stage, and Nie Wei waved his hand to apologize and calmed down Wang Jinsong who was impulsive due to anger.
After making a joke, Nie Wei quickly returned to the topic.
"Many people ask me how to be a good director. Every time I ask them a question, that is, what is the director in their understanding?" Nie Wei glanced at the audience and asked with a smile: "Which student can give me an answer?"
Following Nie Wei's question, many students immediately raised their hands and answered enthusiastically. Nie Wei looked and picked a girl who looked more pleasing to the eye.
"The director is the leader of the crew, the king!" The girl answered loudly.
"Are you from the directing department?" Nie Wei asked with a smile.
"Yes." The girl nodded and answered proudly.
"Well, it seems that there will be a queen in the director circle in the future. Great answer. This student can sit down." Nie Wei looked at the audience again and continued to ask: "Does anyone have a different answer?"
Many people raised their hands again, and Nie Wei chose a male student this time.
"I think a director should be a good communicator. As a director, he should be good at listening to the feelings of the actors and the crew members, and then connect the ideas of these people together and twist them into one force to create a good work."
"That makes sense. Please sit down, does anyone have a different understanding?"
"I..."
After Nie Wei asked five or six students, he felt that it was enough and stopped asking.
"Actually, what everyone said is right. Whether it is being the king of the crew, being the bridge connecting the crew, or other ways to lead the crew to success, these answers are correct, because this is your choice of directing style."
"What is a director? There are many answers to this question, and there is no right or wrong, because this is the path you choose to take. How to go depends on you, but what I want to say is that although there is no accurate answer to this question, there is an answer that is destined to be wrong."
After Nie Wei finished speaking, he used the computer to type four words on the LED screen.
"Go with the flow?" Many students whispered this familiar idiom.
"I believe everyone is familiar with this idiom. Go with the flow, follow the waves, and drift with the water. It means that there is no firm position, lack of judgment of right and wrong, and only know how to follow the big flow."
"And these four words are exactly the big taboos of directors." When Nie Wei said this, his expression was very serious.
Going with the flow, that is, following the crowd within the circle, is also the most poisonous thing in the Chinese film and television circle in Nie Wei's eyes. The film market in Hong Kong was so prosperous at the beginning, known as the Oriental Hollywood, but it was dragged down by too many film production companies and directors following the flow.
Today, Hong Kong's movies can only rely on the mainland market to survive, and Hong Kong stars are no longer as glorious as they used to be. Except for a few veteran artists, Nie Wei doesn't know any of the new generation of stars.
Hong Kong dramas, which were once popular in the mainland, have now become a joke, and have also caused the polarity of Hong Kong dramas in the mainland. That is, some old Hong Kong dramas are regarded as classics by some mainland audiences, but new Hong Kong dramas have become synonymous with shoddy production.
The main reason for the decline of Hong Kong's film and television market is going with the flow.
Too many follow-up works have led to a lack of creativity in the entire market environment. Whichever theme is popular, everyone follows it, and what they follow is very unoriginal.
You are popular for making comedies, so I will also make comedies. Your name is "The King of Comedy", and mine is "The Emperor of Comedy". There are countless similar things in the most glorious era of Hong Kong films.
Everyone only focuses on the immediate interests, but forgets the future development of the market.
And those directors who were originally very talented can only become tools for them to make money because they succumb to the production companies. They gradually lose their spirit and become craftsmanlike. It is difficult to make any good works.
"The director is the leader and organizer of the crew. You just need to convey your ideas to everyone in the crew, and then let them execute and turn your ideas into reality. This is your job. If you go with the flow, the first thing it will take away is your most precious ideas."
"A director without his own ideas will become a puppet. Let me ask, can such a director make a good work?"
The atmosphere on the scene was very quiet, and no one laughed anymore. The students in the directing department had a solemn and thoughtful expression on their faces. Even the students in other departments couldn't laugh at this moment, especially those in the acting department. As actors, they actually face similar problems.
Nie Wei's speech lasted for an hour. When it was almost over, Nie Wei announced something on the stage.
"Starting from the second half of this year, I will build five cinemas in Kyoto and Mingzhu. These five cinemas will not be used to show any commercial films."
The students in the audience were stunned. First, they didn't understand why Nie Wei told them about the cinema. Was he showing off his wealth? But there was really no need. Everyone knew that Nie Wei was rich. There might be no one richer than him in China.
Second, the cinema didn't show commercial films. Could it be an art cinema?
This is possible. In fact, Fanxing Cinema now also has art cinemas. There are not many, just ten, distributed in ten first- and second-tier cities such as Kyoto, Mingzhu, and Yangcheng.
This is also the largest art cinema in the country. After all, there are too few art films that can be shown on the screen. It is definitely a loss to only show art films. Only Nie Wei can bear this loss. However, he has also won a good reputation among the group of art directors. After all, even art directors hope to see their own movies released in the cinema.
"I want to turn these five cinemas into student cinemas. Speaking of this, I have to mention another plan of mine."
"I plan to set up a fund to specifically support outstanding students who want to make movies but cannot do so due to financial problems. There will be some quotas every year. Students selected by the school can apply for a certain amount of funds, and can even rent equipment from the school at a very low price. When the time comes, the filmed films will be shown in these five cinemas."
Nie Wei hasn't finished speaking yet, and the directing department below the stage is already in chaos.
Because this news is simply too surprising, they all feel that they can't believe it is true for a while.
At that moment, a student couldn't wait and didn't care about the rules. He stood up and asked Nie Wei on the stage loudly: "Director Nie, are you serious? Can we really apply for filming funds from the fund you want to set up?"
"This requires the recommendation and review of the school, but as long as the school recommends it, we will approve it."
"Then how much can we apply for?" Another student from the directing department stood up and asked.
"It is tentatively set at 200,000 to 500,000, which will be decided by the school teachers based on the script outline you submitted. However, every expense you make during the filming must be recorded and submitted to the school for review. You cannot use the money for other personal expenses."
"No, definitely not!" Knowing that they could apply for 200,000 to 500,000, all the students in the directing department stared at Nie Wei with shining eyes, as if they were looking at a living God of Wealth.
At this moment, in their eyes, Nie Wei is really their God of Wealth.
After answering a few more questions from the students and satisfying their curiosity about the new fund, Nie Wei began to say what he had not finished.
"So, all the students in the directing department present, work hard, let the teachers of the school see your excellent performance, and also strive for the first sum of money that can be used according to your own wishes. Even if it is not much, I believe this will also be a very precious wealth in your directing career."
As soon as Nie Wei finished speaking, thunderous applause rang out at the scene.
After taking a group photo with hundreds of students, Nie Wei left the venue surrounded by a group of teachers.
Students from other departments quickly dispersed. After all, Nie Wei had already left, so what was the point of them staying here? However, all the students from the directing department stayed. They were all chattering about what Nie Wei had just said, and they all looked excited.
"Five hundred thousand, as long as we save a little, we can make a two-hour regular movie."
"Wake up, Nie Wei said it's 200,000 to 500,000, you may not be able to apply for 500,000, no, you may not be able to apply for it."
"Bah, you can't apply for it, but even if it's 200,000, it's not a small amount, more than enough for a short movie, the key is that there is no limit to the subject matter, which is great, you can shoot whatever you want."
"Brother Nie Wei is so nice, he is completely thinking about us, no wonder he wants to say these things today, just to tell us that we must know how to stick to our inner thoughts and give us the opportunity to practice."
"If I win an Oscar in the future, the first person I want to thank when I go on stage is Brother Nie."
"Hahahaha, you are dreaming."
On the other side, Wang Jinsong of Beijing Electric still came forward to send Nie Wei to the parking lot, and at the same time talked about the fund mentioned just now.
In fact, Nie Wei had discussed this matter with Beijing Electric half a year ago, but because of the problem of waiting for the construction of the cinema, it had not been made public until the construction of the cinema was basically completed not long ago. In addition, this speech was a good opportunity. Nie Wei discussed it with the school and simply announced the result at the end of the speech.
"Teacher, you can recommend it boldly, don't think about saving money for me."
"I won't save money for you." Wang Jinsong smiled, but then seriously assured: "Don't worry, Nie Wei, we will definitely keep a good check on the school. We won't help you save money, but we won't let you waste a penny."
"Teacher, I believe you." Nie Wei, who had already walked to his car, turned around and shook hands with Wang Jinsong, saying: "Teacher, you go back, I will bring good wine next time."
"Then I'll wait for your good wine." Wang Jinsong watched Nie Wei get in the car and quickly drove out of his sight.
For his student, Wang Jinsong was really proud from the bottom of his heart.
The news that Nie Wei was going to set up this fund somehow leaked out, and soon other schools with film and television directing majors also knew about it, and everyone suddenly couldn't sit still.
Thanks to Qiang Love Rong for the generous reward of 1,000, and thanks to Fantasy Paradise and 0773 for their generous rewards.