Chapter 61: Xu Haofeng's Directing Class

Chapter 61: Xu Haofeng’s Directing Class

Li Jingkun said, "Actually, my perspective on film has evolved in stages. For a time, I believed that telling a good story—one with a clear logic, a proper beginning, middle, and end, and a sense of entertainment—was enough to make a good movie."

Xu Haofeng said, "A very straightforward view: anything that can tell a good story well is a good film."

"Yes, because I felt that many bad movies, many unwatchable films, failed even to articulate a basic story properly, so how could they possibly be considered good movies? Therefore, back then, I firmly believed that the most fundamental and important thing in making a good film was to nail the story first, and only then talk about anything else."

Xu Haofeng nodded. "Go on."

"However, later on, certain films changed my perspective. A good movie doesn't necessarily have to tell a complete story, nor does it strictly need to feature a deeply fascinating or moving plot; it can employ entirely different expressive methods.

Take *Jurassic Park*, for instance. It was made in the 1990s. What kind of story does it tell? Honestly, it’s not overly complex or deeply touching: someone brings dinosaurs back to life, and then chaos ensues because the dinosaurs run amok.

After watching a movie like this, you tend to forget the specific details; it lacks substantial narrative depth, yet you still find it immensely entertaining.

That is because the special effects were groundbreaking, and those dinosaurs looked extraordinarily lifelike. When the film was released, it stunned everyone. Many people who watched it actually believed those dinosaurs were real.

Another similar example is *Transformers*, whose primary selling point is also special effects. It attracts audiences through hyper-realistic CGI and massive, grand-scale action sequences, so this category also qualifies as good cinema.

Expanding on that, good films actually take many different forms, which requires creators to identify and leverage the unique strengths of those specific methods to make a successful picture."

Xu Haofeng paused to think, then said, "So these fall under the category of commercial film perspectives?"

Li Jingkun replied, "Actually, I don't really divide films into commercial or art-house categories. Or perhaps, in my view, most audiences don't care whether a film is labeled commercial or art-house; what they care about is whether it is an enjoyable movie to watch—whether it offers entertainment value and provides a fun, satisfying experience.

If an art-house film is shot movingly, possesses strong visual appeal, avoids a sluggish narrative, and carries genuine philosophical and spiritual depth, we certainly wouldn't mind appreciating it."

Xu Haofeng nodded.

Li Jingkun continued, "However, many creators of art-house films misunderstand the traits of art-house cinema, mistakenly believing that art-house means boring, depressive, overly fixated on human darkness, uncomfortable, and painful, and so they force themselves heavily in that direction.

As a result, many domestic viewers nowadays lose interest the moment they see something marketed as an art-house film. And when the box office performs poorly, they blame the audience for being fickle and incapable of appreciating thought-provoking cinema. In reality, the high probability is simply that the movie was poorly made."

Xu Haofeng smiled, and some of the students chuckled as well. But Li Jingkun had spoken enough. Xu Haofeng had a fair grasp of his views on good cinema and began to deliver his concluding remarks.

***

"Well spoken. So your view is that a film can certainly carry profound ideas, but it must still be well-told and accessible to the majority of viewers. The means of expression can also vary widely. It could rely on an engaging story, special effects, wild imagination, or sharp dialogue, provided that it is executed well."

"Ultimately, it comes down to content," Li Jingkun said. "Engaging content, regardless of the medium."

Xu Haofeng nodded, gestured for him to take a seat, and finally added, "I watched the first episode of your short drama; it was quite well-shot. Do you have any extra copies? If so, bring me one."

"I do, but I don't have it on me right now."

So far, he had only made two copies—one given to Su Zhijun, and another intended for Fatty Luo. Still, if Xu Haofeng wanted one, he could easily make another.

"Bring me one tomorrow."

"Understood."

Today's class had certainly sparked a lot of discussion. When Li Jingkun had first stood up to speak with such eloquence, many people looked at him in a new light. To top it off, he had earned praise from Xu Haofeng and even had the instructor request a copy of his work.

Curiosity ran high among those eager to see what kind of film someone who talked a big game could actually produce.

As it turned out, a few other classmates in the cohort were also planning to attend the premiere. Fang Weida, having fallen out with them, naturally lacked the thick skin to show up. Yang Hailong, though deeply curious, managed to suppress the impulse to join them.

That evening, over a dozen people showed up. Naturally, there weren't enough chairs, so they picked up a few extra chairs while buying snacks.

Cai Wenwen arrived accompanied by three female friends, instantly enjoying the treatment of stars surrounded by the moon.

The other female cast members from the crew weren't students at the school and didn't need to be specially invited, so it was fortunate she brought her friends along; otherwise, being the only female present might have felt rather awkward.

"He looks quite handsome in person, too."

"Totally. More than good enough for our Wenwen."

"Cut it out! Did you girls come here just to roast me? Is all that food not enough to keep your mouths shut?"

With quite a few people packed into the room, it felt a bit cramped and noisy, but everyone adored the atmosphere—relaxed and cozy.

They were all young, brimming with infinite possibilities. Life was treating them well: studying at a prestigious university with promising futures ahead of them, making their cheerful chatter feel all the more wonderful.

***

"The story is decent, but since you're aiming for a runtime of around 12 minutes, shouldn't you cut down on the voiceover narration? You still need to rely on the actors' performances to drive the plot forward," Wang Yang was discussing another project with someone nearby.

"I'm worried the plot won't come across clearly enough. Besides, a few extra lines of narration shouldn't hurt, right?" This was said by another student from the directing department.

"It depends on how you use it. If you're trying to rely on narration to explain the plot away, that won't work."

A little while later, Li Jingkun, Guo Junli, and a few other male students brought up more supplies: two cases of beer, chicken feet, squid, and other snacks.

It had completely turned into a mini-party.

*Ah, how long has it been since the last time like this?* In high school, he used to host similar gatherings all the time, but they became rare after entering university.

"Keep it in check, everyone! Seeing the atmosphere is so great, we can pop open a bit of alcohol to celebrate and unwind, but don't overdo it," Li Jingkun reminded them.

"It's not that much. There are so many of us; two cases is nothing."

There was always someone eager to stir up excitement, especially with attractive women present, prompting the guys to show off their boldness.

Yet, this was entirely normal male psychology. Naturally, Li Jingkun didn't mind; instead, he urged everyone to pour their drinks and led a toast.

"Let me emphasize this: no pressuring people to drink. We're just having a little something to set the mood. If anyone doesn't want to drink or can't drink, don't force it—what about the ladies? Care to join for a glass?"

Cai Wenwen spoke up, "One glass is hardly enough. How about I drink two to match one of yours?"

"Ooh!" The crowd erupted in cheers. No one expected such a bold start, and it was initiated by a girl, no less.

It felt like sparks were flying. Was this an open invitation for the guys to misbehave?