042 Ten-Minute Anti-War Micro-Film

[Biting the hand that feeds: Qian Lang shows complete indifference to his alma mater after rising to fame!]
[A prime example of a modern ingrate—Qian Lang and his complicated history with the Beijing Film Academy!]
[Affection ultimately betrayed: Why acclaimed director Qian Lang is of no use to Beijing Film Academy!]
...
Several trending topics suddenly exploded across Weibo.
Leaving ordinary netizens completely bewildered as to what drama was unfolding this time.
Hadn't there been zero rumors of any bad blood between Director Qian and the Beijing Film Academy?
Naturally, this was just Sun Jianguo letting his internet trolls run wild.
The last time Qian Lang was subjected to malicious smears, a group of film studio bosses from Hong Kong, and even rumors of the major award festival's chairman himself, had personally stepped forward to back him up.
Sun Jianguo hadn't dared to pursue that particular angle any further.
However, hadn't the Beijing Film Academy stayed silent and refrained from taking a side back then?
This implied their relationship with Qian Lang was lukewarm at best, or perhaps that some rift had already formed between them.
Shoot an arrow in the dark and see if you hit anything.
Besides, Cheng Jie had only paid fifty thousand, so what kind of quality did he really expect?
If it could kick up even a tiny splash of controversy online, that was already a massive success!

"These online trolls are constantly stirring up trouble!"
Principal Chen was furious.
Last time, the trolls falsely accused Qian Lang of turning his back on mainland entertainment to pander to Hong Kong, and now they were attempting to drive a wedge between him and his alma mater.
Their intentions were utterly malicious and deserved condemnation!
"I refuse to let them get away with this!"
Principal Chen pulled out his smartphone and uploaded a photograph.
Then, he attached a short caption to it.
He was openly clarifying on Weibo the visit he had paid to Qian Lang alongside Jiang Wenxuan a few days prior.
As a result.
The netizens grew ecstatic once again.
"Everyone look, the Beijing Film Academy is stepping up to protect its own!"
"You bet! The rumors have completely collapsed on their own!"
"Oh my god, these haters are so stupid. Aren't they just walking right into a trap?"
"Haha, I almost suspect this is a self-deprecating marketing stunt! By the way, isn't Director Qian's new movie about to be released?"
"You really know your stuff, bro. Tencent Entertainment is already helping promote it everywhere!"
"Oh? Then I'd better go check it out. See you all later!"
...
Xia state netizens certainly had a strong sense of humor.
After browsing Weibo for a while, Li Feng routinely opened the Tencent Entertainment video platform.
As an old rival.
His understanding of Tencent Entertainment was second only to his knowledge of his own platform, Redtoad Video.
Naturally, he had been paying close attention to this micro-film contest.
After all, to know your enemy and know yourself is to secure victory in every battle!
Although Redtoad Video currently held a crushing lead in traffic and various other metrics, he never underestimated any competitor lightly.
Tencent Entertainment was far from lacking in strength; it had simply started slightly later in the short-video race track.
This was the only reason Redtoad Video managed to stay a step ahead.

To be completely honest, Li Feng still held a measure of respect for his competitor, Yan Zhang.
When the market was still entirely uncertain, Yan Zhang had dared to stand up and blow the horn, proving that his vision was hundreds of times sharper than that of ordinary people!
The stronger the opponent, the more excited Li Feng became.
Opening the Tencent Entertainment website right now gave him a subtle thrill, akin to voyeurism.
Many people believed that anyone capable of directing a major feature film could naturally produce a brilliant micro-film.
However, this was actually a cognitive misconception.
A micro-film, when stripped down to its core, was very similar to a short video.
Despite the mere character difference compared to a feature film that routinely lasted two hours, the core emphases of their video expressions were fundamentally different.
The pace of society was accelerating day by day.
Netizens no longer had the luxury of time to slowly appreciate cinematic works.
Exploding into action right from the opening to hook the audience was the key priority.
When it came to storytelling, acclaimed directors possessed distinct advantages, but their cinematic filming techniques were a fatal shackle in the realm of short videos!
Take the traditional three-act structure of a feature film as an example: it typically requires a dozen minutes or so to establish the protagonist's state of being before the story gradually transitions to the main plot.
Yet ten-odd minutes was already the entire running time of a short video.
Yan Zhang was oblivious to this fact.
Naturally, he would walk further and further down the wrong path.
In truth, the fact that those famous directors had not been invited to participate in this micro-film competition was actually a blessing in disguise.
When the fundamental premise was wrong, no matter how well the rest was shot, it would all be in vain, and ultimately, netizens and audiences simply wouldn't buy into it!
Therefore, looking at the flip side, rookie directors unbound by professional conventions were far more likely to produce viral hits with their short films.
It was precisely based on this precise insight that Redtoad Video had managed to survive quite comfortably despite a slump in traffic.
Feature films and micro-films might differ by only a single word, but their intrinsic value and focal points could be described as worlds apart.
In earlier years, it wasn't as if acclaimed directors had never directed micro-films, but in reality, very few of them had truly stood out.
Conversely, rookie directors or minor indie directors were much more likely to craft exceptional masterpieces with their short shorts.
It wasn't a gap in raw capability, but rather a matter of specialization.
Thus, Yan Zhang hosting this micro-film contest was essentially lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet.
Li Feng felt a twinge of emotion.
Such a respectable opponent was about to bow out.
He couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of mutual appreciation.

"Click, click!"
He gently clicked his mouse to open the page.
After a few seconds of loading, a massive poster suddenly popped up, occupying nearly half of the screen.
[The Latest Masterpiece by Acclaimed Director Qian Lang: "Little Big Soldier"!]
[Anti-war micro-film "Go Home and Plant Some Rapeseed", a ten-minute journey of reflection on the value of life!]
The poster featured Jackie Chan gazing with deep emotion at a boundless sea of blooming rapeseed flowers across the landscape.
The poster itself revealed nothing concrete.
Li Feng was merely surprised as to why Qian Lang's name would appear here.
Moreover, judging by this setup, Tencent Entertainment must have established some deep business connection with him.
Otherwise, how could this be granted top-tier promotional placement?
As the head of a competing video platform, he naturally understood the significance of such promotional weight; unless they placed exceptional importance and high hopes on it, such high-level recommendation was rarely given.
"I never expected Yan Zhang to actually reel in Qian Lang!"
A slight sense of unease stirred within Li Feng.
He was naturally familiar with Qian Lang's resume.
He was once a utter failure who flopped through three consecutive movies, only to stage a legendary comeback with "Crazy Stone" and leap overnight into the ranks of tier-one directors boasting billion-box-office hits.
One had to realize that figures like him were national treasures!
In fact, he had long intended to establish a connection with Qian Lang, but he had been hamstrung by the fact that his own Redtoad Video platform struggled to forge business ties with directors of major feature films, preventing him from taking immediate action.
He had originally planned to pioneer a project—a project whose scope would overlap and align with Qian Lang's expertise.
Regrettably, before he could even flesh out the project concept, Tencent Entertainment had abruptly muscled in. Unexplainably, Li Feng felt the resentment of someone whose cherished goddess had been snatched away.
Heroes cherish heroes?
Ha, he felt like marching over and slapping Yan Zhang twice right now!
What an utterly unscrupulous bastard!
Recently, when internet trolls targeted Qian Lang, he had also taken a stand in support.
Yet it hadn't kicked up much of a wave; after all, too many people were trying to latch onto Qian Lang's coattails.
The way those figures in Hong Kong collectively pledged loyalty had actually given him a spark of inspiration, and he had seriously considered coordinating a joint platform endorsement from multiple video streaming sites.
Wouldn't that have carried infinitely more momentum?
Yet Tencent Entertainment had greedy designs on monopolizing the prize!
Simply intolerable!

Following the poster link, he entered the video playback page.
The setting sun resembled blood, casting its light over ten thousand miles of yellow sand.
A completely lifeless ancient battlefield was strewn with ancient soldiers pierced by arrows.
Li Feng's expression turned stern.
He finally understood the significance of the word "anti-war" on the poster!
As the camera panned forward, he beheld a foot soldier whose skill at playing dead had been maxed out, struggling with the helplessness of a little guy trying to survive on the journey home, yet stubbornly clinging to a yearning for a better life.
"Oh, a broad road! Leads straight to my home!
My home is located! Right below the Liangshan Mountains!
The soil at the mountain's foot is so fertile! Five mu of land!
Five mu of fertile fields! What should we plant there?
Who will remember what I look like? Who will remember the wounds I've suffered? Whose desire is this? Whose battlefield is this?
Why do we all turn our backs on kindness? When will we ever be able to return to our hometown?"
Jackie Chan's simple yet deeply emotional lyrics.
Moved viewers to tears involuntarily; how deeply those caught in the chaos of war yearned for a peaceful place to call home!
Li Feng's expression grew increasingly grave.
This was the ultimate distinction between an acclaimed director and an ordinary one.
In the story, Jackie Chan portrayed the struggles of an insignificant nobody in a way that evoked laughter, yet beneath that laughter, who could fail to empathize with the desperate urge to survive?
"Did I bring shame to my hometown?"
The deserter, who had always hidden in the background playing dead, ultimately died right at the threshold of his doorstep while trying to drive away the foreign invaders who were ravaging his homeland.
Before he knew it, Li Feng's face was covered in tears.