novellhall Chapter 309 One-time Movie Review Fast Pass
Chapter 309 One-time Movie Review Fast Pass
Chapter 308 One-Time Movie Approval Fast Track Card (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Director Yang, don't rush, tell me slowly, what happened?"
The smile on Chen Xun's face disappeared.
Could it be that something went wrong with the later stages of "Crosscurrent"?
It's definitely related to the movie.
He knows Yang Chao too well.
Throughout the filming of "Crosscurrent," this man from Northwest China faced numerous setbacks, including investors withdrawing their funding and being nearly driven to suicide by the production team. Yet, he never shed a single tear or uttered a single soft word.
The voice on the phone is trembling like this; it's truly on the verge of collapse.
"The film was rejected by the censors!"
Yang Chao's voice was choked with suppressed sobs.
"The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television gave their review opinion, saying that there were three scenes with explicit content in the film that crossed the line and had to be completely deleted. If they weren't deleted, they wouldn't get the film's production license, and they wouldn't even be eligible to participate in film festivals!"
One sentence made Chen Xun's heart sink.
He naturally knew which shots Yang Chao was referring to.
One scene shows Anlu in the cabin, taking off his clothes in front of Gaochun by the light of a kerosene lamp.
That wasn't simply for lust.
Anlu laid bare his soul, along with the Yangtze River, before Gaochun without reservation.
This is the ultimate resonance between two lonely souls.
There are also two other scenes showing nudity in Anlu, one by the river and the other in a temple.
This is a symbol of her being one with the Yangtze River, a divine expression of her being the embodiment of the Yangtze.
It's fair to say that removing these few scenes would have ruined half of Anlu's character.
The film's core theme of the coexistence of humans and the river will be missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
This is the culmination of Yang Chao's hard work over ten years.
From the completion of the first draft of the script in 2005 to the completion of filming in 2015.
Ten years!
For this film, he mortgaged his house, argued with his wife to the point of almost getting a divorce, traveled to dozens of docks along the Yangtze River, and endured countless nights when funding dried up and filming was impossible.
With Chen Xun's help, the filming and editing were finally completed smoothly.
It was about to be submitted to film festivals and released in theaters, but it got stuck at the most crucial review stage.
"I've been running around for days, using every connection I can, and my lips are practically chapped from talking so much."
Yang Chao's voice was weak: "The reviewers said that these scenes were too explicit and did not meet the standards for public screening. There was no room for discussion."
"Chen Xun, these scenes can't be cut! If you cut them, the whole film will be ruined, and ten years of my hard work will be destroyed!"
By the end, his voice was trembling with emotion, almost breaking down in tears.
No matter how tough or difficult the filming was, he was never afraid.
Because he knew that the soul of the film was there, and as long as it was made, it would have meaning.
But now someone wants to personally rip out the soul of this film, and he doesn't even have the strength to resist.
"Director Yang, calm down, don't panic."
Chen Xun took a deep breath, suppressing the gloom in his heart.
"Please send the complete review report and the marked problematic footage to my email address first."
"6
He wasn't familiar with the circles in the country, so he could only say he'd give it a try.
"I've already prepared everything for you!"
Yang Chao's tone was also tinged with helplessness: "I consulted friends at China Film Group and acquaintances at the State Administration of Radio and Television, and they all said that these few shots are fatal flaws and will definitely not pass the review if they are not deleted."
"If all else fails, I'll cut a censored version myself and submit it for review, but I just can't bring myself to do it —"
Art films in China already have limited room for survival, and if key scenes are cut indiscriminately to pass censorship, the film's reputation will collapse.
Forget about winning awards or getting a theatrical release; it doesn't even get a chance to be seen by the audience.
If you don't delete it, you won't even be able to get the dragon seal. Ten years of hard work will ultimately be locked in the hard drive, unable to see the light of day.
"Don't cut it haphazardly!"
Chen Xun interrupted Yang Chao: "These few shots are the foundation of the film. If you dig out the foundation, the film will die. Trust me, there is a solution to this. It's not just about deleting everything."
After hanging up Yang Chao's call, the last trace of a smile vanished from Chen Xun's face.
He opened his email, and the review comments and the finished clips sent by Yang Chao were already in his inbox.
He read through the review comments word by word, and then watched the marked shots repeatedly, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
As he had anticipated, the core point of contention in the review was the duration and presentation of nudity in the shots, rather than the expressive meaning of the shots themselves.
The original version of "Crosscurrent" was also cut by nearly ten minutes due to censorship issues before it barely received the film's official release permit.
Both its reputation and box office performance have been significantly affected.
Ultimately, he only made a name for himself within the art-house film circle, failing to reach a wider audience.
But this time, with him there, he couldn't let the film repeat the same mistakes.
This is not only the culmination of Yang Chao's ten years of hard work, but also the first film he made in China after traveling back in time.
It was also the cornerstone that allowed him to gain a foothold in the Chinese film industry.
Even if you go through the proper procedures, it will still take a long time to review this situation.
This will definitely delay the film festival's submission for review.
If you miss this opportunity, you'll have to wait until next year.
Even if you pull strings, the most likely outcome is only a few cuts, keeping some footage. Getting the censors to agree to keep all three core shots is practically a pipe dream.
The original version of "Crosscurrent" is a bloody example.
Even if it eventually obtains the film's production license, it is still heavily edited and fragmented, with even the core timeline narrative disrupted. Ultimately, it can only remain within the small circle of art films and fails to truly break out of its niche.
He absolutely cannot allow this S-rated work to end up like this.
Just then, Chen Xun suddenly thought of something.
He opened the panel and saw a card prop with a silvery-gray luster lying quietly at the bottom of the panel.
[Item Name: One-Time Movie Approval Fast Track Card]
[Source: Exclusive Ultimate Reward for S-Rank Rating in the La La Land Project]
[Item Effect: Applies to any film in which the host has been deeply involved (in any role such as lead actor/investor/producer/screenwriter), unlocking a one-time expedited approval process in any region worldwide. It completely avoids all compliance risks such as censorship issues, forced cuts, delayed releases, and rejections, preserving 100% of the film's complete creative expression, and issuing compliant release/exhibition permits for the corresponding region within 24 hours.]
[Remaining uses: 1/1]
Chen Xun's eyes lit up instantly.
When he first received this prop, he thought it would be used for the domestic censorship of "La La Land," since Hollywood musicals inevitably undergo cuts and adjustments before passing censorship in China.
He never expected that this ultimate prop, earned from a Hollywood project, would be used first in the domestic art film "Crosscurrent".
Earn money abroad, spend it domestically!
That makes sense.
He was curious about just how far this card, which claimed to offer fast approval without any review process, could actually go.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Xun clicked on the prop.
The selected work is "Crosscurrent".
[Is it confirmed that a one-time film review expedited pass will be used for "Crosscurrent"?]
【confirm】
[Item activated!]
[Scope of application: Review of films for theatrical release in mainland China + review of qualifications for participation in international film festivals]
The complete film of "Crosscurrent" has completed compliance review and is expected to receive its film license number and public screening permit within two hours, along with an official recommendation letter from an A-list international film festival. There have been no cuts or modifications required throughout the entire process.
Seeing the subtitles appear before him, Chen Xun felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.
He leaned back in his chair, watching the sunset gradually sinking outside the window, and couldn't help but smile.
I originally thought it would take a lot of effort and I should be prepared for a long battle, but I didn't expect that a single item card would solve all the problems.
On the other side...
In the post-production editing room of "Crosscurrent".
Yang Chao slumped in his chair, the ashtray in front of him overflowing with cigarette butts, the whole room filled with smoke.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the computer screen at the scene where Anlu was taking off his clothes in front of a kerosene lamp in the cabin, his fingers gripping the mouse tightly.
The production manager next to him sighed, handed over a cup of hot water, and said with a helpless tone, "Director Yang, how about we just cut one version first?"
"Shorten the footage and cut out the exposed parts. At least get the film license first, otherwise we won't even make it to the Berlin Film Festival."
"No cut!"
Yang Chao slammed his hand on the table.
"If these few shots are cut, Anlu won't be Anlu anymore, and 'Crosscurrent' won't be 'Crosscurrent' anymore!"
"I didn't spend ten years perfecting this film just to make a censored version!"
"But if we don't cut it, we won't even qualify for a theatrical release!"
The editor's eyes also welled up with tears: "We've stayed up so many nights, all so that more people could see this film, right?"
"If this continues, ten years of hard work will truly be wasted!"
Everyone in the room fell silent.
On one hand, there's the creative passion that has been upheld for ten years; on the other hand, there's the red line of censorship.
There are cliffs on both sides.
Taking a step forward would ruin the work, while taking a step back would destroy all the effort put into it; there is simply no way to have the best of both worlds.
Yang Chao picked up his phone, found Chen Xun's number, and hovered his finger over the dial button, but hesitated to press it.
He felt that Chen Xun wasn't very well-connected in the domestic social circle, and when he said he had a solution on the phone, it was probably just to comfort him.
They've already helped him so much, from investment to filming, helping him finish this film that almost died in the womb. How could he possibly bother them again?
Just when he was feeling disheartened and almost ready to give up, his phone suddenly started ringing incessantly.
The caller ID showed it was Teacher Li from the Film Bureau's review department.
Yang Chao's heart leaped into his throat. He frantically answered the phone, his voice trembling, "Hello, Teacher Li, this is Yang Chao—"
He was prepared to be ordered to cut again, and he even went over his words of pleas in his mind.
But what came from the other end of the phone was a polite and gentle tone that had never been heard before: "Director Yang, I'd like to inform you that we have completed the final review of 'Crosscurrent,' which you submitted for review."
"After review by the expert panel, the complete film meets the standards for public screening without any cuts or modifications. The film's official screening license number has been generated, and we will mail it to you within 24 hours."
Yang Chao froze instantly.
"Clatter!"
The cigarette in his hand fell onto his pants, burning him so badly he shuddered, but he didn't even notice.
He thought he was hallucinating, and repeatedly confirmed into the microphone, his voice cracking: "Teacher Li—what did you say? No cuts whatsoever? It's the original cut I sent over, not a single shot needs to be edited?"
"Yes, the original cut, passed completely."
Ms. Li said with a smile, "We understand that your film is going to be submitted to the main competition of the Berlin Film Festival. We will also issue you the official letter of recommendation for participation at the same time, and we can send it to your email before the end of the day today."