Chapter 23: A New Project

With the copyright for the two Silver Bears sold at a satisfactory price, Cao Yang felt that this first step had been taken quite well.

The only thing left to arrange was the domestic release, but there was no rush; he would weigh his options once back in the country.

Cao Yang had almost forgotten about his "trashy" system. He decided to check how much prestige those two Silver Bears had added.

Host: Cao Yang
Current Prestige: 350,627
Available Prestige: 350,627
Immersion Experience: +0
Films in Preparation: None

He was a bit disappointed. Cao Yang had expected to gain a few million in prestige, but it had only increased by 340,000. Why 340,000? How much does one Silver Bear grant—100,000 or 150,000?

How much would he get if he won the Golden Rooster in China, the Hong Kong Film Award, or the Golden Horse in Taiwan? Probably less than the Big Three European festivals, he guessed.

There was no manual, so it was hard to tell.

Whatever, any increase is good. 100,000 can be converted into one "Immersion Experience," so with his current total, he could afford three. The acting for his next lead role was now secured.

The Berlin trip had concluded successfully; time to return home.

Before his departure, Li Xiaoran’s manager, Ms. Zhang, specifically sought out Cao Yang. She suggested that since Xiaoran had won the Berlin Best Actress award—a point of national pride—they shouldn't return in silence. They needed to show off—no, rather, they needed to notify the media and provide them with some hot news.

She put it very humbly and tactfully.

Cao Yang understood. A formerly unknown minor actress had suddenly become the only mainland winner of a Berlin Best Actress award. They naturally needed to cooperate with the media, stir up hype, build her reputation, and elevate her status.

The media was more than happy to oblige. You want headlines, the print media wants sales, and websites want traffic—it was a win-win for everyone.

Ms. Zhang’s "notifying the media" meant tipping them off in advance so that they would be surrounded by cameras and reporters the moment they stepped off the plane. Otherwise, you’d be naive to think those reporters were just idling at the airport waiting for them.

Some celebrities love to act surprised when they step off a plane to find swarms of media, but honestly, that’s just wishful thinking.

Cao Yang hadn't planned on notifying the media, but since Ms. Zhang brought it up, he didn't mind. It would be good to generate some buzz as a warm-up for the film’s release.

The domestic market was currently at its worst—or, to put it more literarily, it was the darkest hour before the dawn.

Without a little pre-release hype to create some heat, it would be problematic if the film’s box office performance turned out poor.

Of course, the main reason was to see how much prestige would increase after the film was actually released—surely it shouldn't be limited to just winning awards.

Upon stepping off the plane, there were indeed many reporters waiting. Seeing Cao Yang and his team, they didn’t swarm them in a chaotic fashion but instead set up in an orderly formation, ready for interviews.

Cao Yang was taken aback for a moment before realizing why.

Most media outlets were still print-based at this time. These were professional journalists, many with established credentials, not unscrupulous paparazzi; they still maintained a certain level of decorum.

Beyond the print and web portal journalists, there was even a crew from Beijing Television. They had already set up their cameras—was this going on TV?

Were two Silver Bears really that prestigious?

"Hello, Director Cao. I am a reporter from Beijing Television. First of all, congratulations on winning the two Silver Bears. Could you share your thoughts on this?"

*Ugh*, such a dated interview line. Shouldn’t that have been asked right after winning the award?

Well, since the domestic media hadn't been on-site, this was effectively his first interview back home.

Beijing Television carried a lot of weight; the cameraman was filming, the microphone was thrust forward, and the other reporters had no objections.

"I’m very excited. This was a student project film. Because it was an assignment, funds and time were limited, so it wasn't polished as well as it could have been—the execution is still a bit rough. I never expected it to win anything. I’m grateful for the training provided by the Beijing Film Academy (BFA). Next time, I will certainly strive to make an even better film."

See? Who doesn't know how to manufacture a headline? Who doesn't know how to spout standard lines or butter up the higher-ups?

He had just turned in an assignment, filmed it casually, and walked away with two Silver Bears—aren't you all interested in seeing it now?

He also threw in a plug for the BFA. You have to ask the leaders there: aren't you touched?

"First, congratulations to Xiaoran for winning the Berlin Best Actress award. As a domestic..."

...

After about half an hour of interviews, the task was complete, and everyone went their separate ways at the airport.

Ms. Zhang was beaming. Her company had sent a car to pick her and Li Xiaoran up, likely to hold a press conference back at the office. Ms. Zhang enthusiastically offered to drop Cao Yang off, but he declined.

Li Xiaoran gave him a "call me" gesture before hopping into her company’s car.

The BFA also had a car waiting, sent under the name of the Youth Film Studio. Cao Yang had the driver take him to the apartment he had rented near the academy.

After resting for a day, he returned to school the next morning. He went to see the old mentor, Situ, but before they could exchange more than a few words, he was whisked away by Hou Keming, who had heard the news, to attend a meeting.

"Meeting" was just a term for the leaders to see Cao Yang and show that they valued him.

First, they took turns showering him with praise in various ways, then they discussed which film festivals to submit the movie to next. The school was very persistent and dedicated to this.

Conversely, they didn't seem very interested in the film’s commercial release. The leaders were all quite casual, giving the impression of, "Do whatever you want, don't bother us with such trivialities."

*Dear leaders, the school is entitled to 10% of the domestic box office! Why don't you care? This is an award-winning film from Berlin; it comes with built-in publicity. The box office can't be too low, and that’s real money.*

When the meeting ended and everyone was about to leave, Hou Keming asked offhandedly, "Cao Yang, do you have any ideas for your next film?"

There was nothing to hide. Cao Yang wasn't planning on cutting ties with the school to go solo. For art-house films, collaboration was mutually beneficial.

"I do have some ideas."

*Clatter.* The high-ranking official who had been leading the way to open the door immediately stopped, closed it again, and walked back.

The group sat down, staring at Cao Yang intensely, waiting for him to continue.

*See? When I talked about the film release, they were all indifferent. When I said I had an idea, they all perked up.*

"I had a preliminary idea during the New Year, but it wasn't quite mature. After carefully deliberating over this period, I have finally refined the concept. During my downtime at the Berlin Film Festival, I finished the first draft of the script."

Hou Keming looked astonished. "You’ve already finished the script?"

"A first draft, just a first draft."

The leaders exchanged glances. Finally, Xie Xiaojing, the head of the Directing Department, stepped forward and asked, "Cao Yang, how do you intend to shoot it? What kind of help can the school provide?"

As Xie Xiaojing spoke, all the leaders looked at Cao Yang.

With Cao Yang’s current fame, if he were to put the word out, securing investment, personnel, and equipment outside would be effortless.

The school was genuinely worried that Cao Yang would cut them out.

*Oh, so the school isn't planning on dropping me? I, Cao Yang, have always kept the school in mind. I even advertised for the school in Berlin, and even in my airport interviews, I made sure to mention the school by name.*

Cao Yang laughed jokingly.

The leaders all breathed a sigh of relief. Hou Keming waved his hand, his tone firm and decisive: "Collaboration is easy! Personnel, equipment, film stock, props... even funding is up for negotiation!"