lovenovelstory Chapter 6: The Interview
Chapter 6: The Interview
On February 18th, at 7:30 in the morning, Liu Yu arrived at the entrance of the Beijing Film Academy's teaching building.
There were already four or five hundred people gathered at the entrance, including test takers and their parents.
Most of the candidates were teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in their finest clothes; they were there to audition for the performing arts department.
There were far fewer people taking the producer exam. Liu Yu glanced at them and saw that there were only about seventy or eighty people. They were all dressed simply and looked like ordinary liberal arts students.
The official term for studying film production is "Film and Television Management".
To put it simply, it's about cultivating people who can manage money, people, and projects in the future.
This major doesn't require you to be good-looking or have strong creative talent, but you need to be smart, have clear logic, be able to do calculations, and be good at speaking.
Liu Yu felt that this was tailor-made for him.
In his past life, when he was selling cars, how many accounts did he have to calculate every day? Imported car tariffs, value-added tax, consumption tax, freight, customs declaration fees, warehousing fees, showroom rent, sales commissions... he had to scrutinize every single item down to two decimal places.
People who can't keep track of accounts won't last more than three months in the car trading industry.
In the film and television industry, the consequences of not being able to keep track of the costs and benefits are even more serious; if you invest millions or tens of millions in a project and it flops at the box office, you won't even have a chance to cry.
At 8:30, the candidates were led into a large classroom and seated according to their examination numbers.
After trying out the curls, Liu Yu first flipped through them.
Page 1: General Knowledge of Literature and Art, 50 multiple-choice questions, 1 point per question.
Page 2: Film review analysis. A description of a film clip of about 800 words is given. You are required to analyze its market positioning and target audience from the perspective of production. (25 points)
Page 3: Basic Film Production Knowledge, five short answer questions, five points each.
Liu Yu took a deep breath and began answering the questions.
……
Three days later, on February 21, the second round of testing took place.
The interview was conducted in a small conference room on the second floor of the Beijing Film Academy's teaching building.
Liu Yu arrived half an hour early and sat on a chair in the lobby on the first floor to wait.
His exam number was fourth, with three people ahead of him. Each person's interview lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes.
The first person to go in was a girl wearing glasses. When she came out, she didn't look too good, and her eyes were a little red.
The second one was a tall, thin boy. He came out with a calm expression, and it was impossible to tell whether he was good or bad.
The third one was also a girl. She came out with a smile on her face, and it seemed like she had performed well.
"Number four, Liu Yu."
Liu Yu stood up, straightened his collar, and pushed the door open to go inside.
The meeting room was small, with three teachers sitting behind a long table.
Liu Yu had looked at their information when he did his homework, so he had a general idea of what they were like.
Sitting in the middle was a female teacher in her forties, with short hair, wearing frameless glasses, and exuding a capable air.
This is Professor Yu Li, the head of the Department of Management. She has a solid academic background and her research focuses on the film and television industry and production management.
To Yu Li’s left sat a male teacher in his late thirties, with neatly combed hair and wearing a dark blue jacket, who looked like a state-owned enterprise cadre.
This is Associate Professor Yu Jianhong, head of the film production teaching and research group, responsible for teaching in the areas of market and investment.
To Yu Li's right sat a younger male teacher, wearing a black hoodie, who didn't look like a teacher. This was Associate Professor Wu Bing, a director and screenwriter by training, responsible for teaching creative and project planning.
Liu Yu stopped in front of the three teachers and bowed.
"Hello teachers, I am candidate number four, Liu Yu, from Changsha, Hunan."
"Sit down," Yu Li said, gesturing to the chair in front of her, her tone neither warm nor cold.
Liu Yu sat down, straightened his back, placed his hands on his knees, and looked directly at the three teachers.
I served in the army for two years, and I didn't learn anything else, but my sitting posture was the most standard.
Yu Li flipped through the documents in her hand and looked up at him.
"Liu Yu, how old are you this year?"
"Twenty years old."
"I see on your file that you're... a veteran?"
"Yes, I served in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2001, and I was discharged a few months ago." Liu Yu paused, then added, "I received a third-class merit award in the army."
The expressions of the three teachers changed slightly.
It wasn't because the "third-class merit" was particularly impressive, but because they had interviewed hundreds of candidates and had never encountered a veteran.
"Why did you choose to study film and television management?" Yu Li asked the first question.
This is a question that all candidates will be asked, a standard opening.
Liu Yu did not rush to answer.
He thought for a moment, "Because I want to be someone who can spend money wisely."
Yu Li raised an eyebrow: "Be more specific."
"I've watched some domestically produced dramas that have a large budget, but the results are poor. It's not that the money wasn't spent, it's that it was spent in the wrong places. They hired exorbitantly priced actors, but the script was a mess; they built lavish sets, but the story was completely illogical."
Liu Yu spoke calmly and deliberately, "I learned a lesson in the army: resources are always limited; the key is how to allocate them. A company has over a hundred people, each with their own strengths. Only by putting the right soldiers in the right positions can the company be effective. It's the same with projects. Only by allocating budget, manpower, and time to the most critical areas can you create good works. That's why I want to learn filmmaking."
Yu Li nodded slightly, said nothing, and handed the question to Yu Jianhong beside her.
Yu Jianhong adjusted his glasses and asked a more specific question: "Suppose you are a producer on a project with a total investment of five million. You need to allocate the budget among the director, actors, and post-production teams. How would you allocate it?"
This question tests budget management and understanding of the cost structure of film and television production.
Liu Yu barely hesitated before saying, "It depends on the type of project. If it's an art film, I'll allocate more of the budget to the director and post-production, and use cost-effective established actors or newcomers, because the core competitiveness of art films lies in the director's personal style and the quality of the visuals. If it's a commercial film, I'll spend more money on the actors, because commercial films need stars to drive box office revenue and pre-release buzz, but post-production can't be skimped on either, as special effects and editing directly determine the viewing experience of a commercial film."
"With an investment of five million, what kind of film do you think can be made?" Yu Jianhong pressed.
"Low-budget genre films, or mid-budget art films. If the subject matter is well-chosen, five million can still generate a decent commercial return. For example, comedies, thrillers, and teen films. These genres don't require big scenes or big stars; the key is the script and execution."
Yu Jianhong's expression didn't change much, but he paused for half a second while turning the page.
The third question comes from Wu Bing.
Wu Bing leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and looked much more relaxed.
He asked a question that leaned towards filmmaking: "What movies have you seen that you think were exceptionally well-produced? Give some examples."
Countless choices flashed through Liu Yu's mind, and he almost said "Titanic"; the film caused a sensation when it was released in China in 1998. Its production cost was 200 million US dollars, which was the highest in film history at the time, but its box office return was also amazing.
But after thinking about it, he chose a more down-to-earth example.
"Party A and Party B"
Wu Bing smiled and asked, "Why?"
"Because it achieved the most efficient commercial return with the lowest cost. The investment in 'The Dream Factory' was said to be no more than four million. It had almost no big scenes and few locations, relying solely on a good idea: 'A Day Trip to a Dream.' This idea itself had strong comedic tension and resonated with the audience. The producers didn't spend money on showing off techniques, but rather on polishing the script and selecting actors. The combination of Ge You, Ying Da, Liu Bei, and Feng Xiaogang was a box office guarantee in 1997. The film eventually grossed more than 30 million at the box office, with a return on investment of nearly ten times."
Wu Bing and Yu Li exchanged a glance but didn't press the matter.
Yu Li resumed the conversation: "You said you're a veteran, that you served for two years. Do you think your military experience has been helpful in your work as a producer?"
"Yes," Liu Yu replied without hesitation. "Serving in the army taught me two things: First, obey orders and follow commands, but before an order is given, you must dare to offer your opinions. Second, when resources are limited, you must learn to make choices. These two things are useful for film producers."
Yu Li nodded, seemingly summarizing.
Yu Jianhong then asked a question about financing: "You said that producers are responsible for financing. If it were you, at what stage would you start looking for investment?"
"Before the project starts, you can't finish writing the script before looking for funding; that's too late. A producer's job begins in the project planning stage. You need a mature project plan, including a script outline, target audience, market expectations, cost budget, and payback period. Take these things to investors. By the time you finish writing the script and have the director, it's too late to look for funding."
Yu Jianhong finally nodded.
Wu Bing glanced at his watch; the interview had already lasted eighteen minutes, exceeding the standard time limit.
"One last question," Wu Bing said, "What do you plan to do if you're not accepted?"
This question is somewhat like a stress test, examining the candidate's mindset and alternative plans.
Liu Yu smiled and said, "Then I'll take the test again next year."
The three teachers were all taken aback.
"I have no other way out. Once I've decided to be a producer, I'll go all the way. If it doesn't work this year, I'll do it next year, and if it doesn't work next year, I'll do it the year after. Anyway, I served in the military. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of perseverance and patience."
The meeting room fell silent for a second.
Yu Li took off her glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "Okay, the interview is over. Go home and wait for our call."
Liu Yu stood up and bowed again: "Thank you, teachers."