China News Service, March 30 (Reporter Ren Siyu) "Pa", screenwriter Zhang Yi unconsciously closed his right index finger and thumb, and the world suddenly became quiet. The endless revision suggestions, the producer's sharp comments... the turmoil in front of him has nothing to do with him at the moment.

　　In order to prepare the script outline for the new film, he and his partner Sun Tan have revised it nearly ninety-nine and eighty-one times. The two people who originally expected to be famous in film history, except for the highlight moment when the script was signed, were often accompanied by confusion and gloom.

　　As if trying to sign "OK", the two fingers that were opened could not be opened when closed. At the same time, there was an extra piece of paper in the other hand - the medical record of a diagnosis of anxiety disorder.

　　This is the story that happened in the movie "Galaxy Writer", and behind it, screenwriters Li Kuo, Shan Dandan, and Gao Qun put in their real experiences over the years. Being in the "service industry", they want to listen to their own voices this time and use comedy to write the galactic universe that belongs to the screenwriters.

  Source: Stills from the movie "Galaxy Writer"

"Changllywood"

　　In Changying, the "center of the universe" of Beijing's film and television industry, countless ideas and stories fly overhead every day.

　　Many screenwriters are stationed here and maintain a three-point and one-line daily routine: walk out of the "dormitory" of Beipiao House, go to the fixed "unit" cafe to sit for a day, go to the noodle shop "canteen" for a meal, and then return to the "work station" ”, while typing on the keyboard, waiting for the story he left in the air to land and start shooting.

　　A long time ago, director and screenwriter Shan Dandan began to pay attention to this group of young people living in Changying, and came up with the idea of ​​writing the stories of their friends into the novel.

　　The movie "Galaxy Writer" begins with an original script that has just been written: Zhang Yi and Sun Tan huddled under the dim light and excitedly imagined the future of the script: "All-star cast, film history classic, box office of 5 billion! "With the affirmation of friends around them, the two people, who were full of confidence, began to think of ways to put the story on the big screen.

　　But ideals are always full. As Party B, they can only modify it again and again in the face of new demands constantly put forward by the management. For example, "Is it more reasonable to change the second male lead into a dog?"

  Source: Trailer of the movie "Galaxy Writer"

　　As screenwriters of "Galaxy Writers", Li Kuo, Shan Dandan, and Gao Qun have rehearsed plays, acted as actors, written online movies, and collaborated in different film and television projects. Many of the stories in the movie are From their real lives with their friends.

　　A few years ago, Li Kuo and Shan Dandan got an opportunity to make a theatrical movie, and then changed the draft several times at the request of Party A. As for the reason for the revision, maybe the producer accidentally listened to a radio broadcast or heard a story during a chat. "Sometimes it's not a question of right or wrong, but a matter of preference. His preferences are always changing, and he always has inspiration, so you will keep changing according to his requirements, and you will never be able to finish the manuscript."

　　In the impression of my friend Gao Qun, each version of their outline at that time had different highlights, but often with a seemingly random revision, the main story line and character line would have to be overturned and started all over again. After ten months of this, Li Kuo and Shan Dandan decided to quit.

　　In 2020, Li Kuo and Shan Dandan participated in the FIRST Film Festival Venture Capital with their original script "Mars Driver", and roped in their friend Gao Qun to polish and revise it together. In the past few years, they have created, demolished and rebuilt over and over again, but due to various reasons, the project had to be temporarily suspended.

　　Or, just write about your own life? They had been drifting in Beijing for many years and thought of the "Changllywood" novel. Based on the tacit understanding of the three people's cooperation and years of experience accumulation, they decided on the main characters and story line of the script within a few days.

　　"One script, two screenwriters, three revisions of the draft, the changing of seasons, mixed emotions." This time, Li Kuo and Shan Dandan decided to film it themselves, and "Galaxy Writers" has become the only one that has only one film since they started working in the industry. First draft of the script.

reassurance

　　"Take more projects and get more deposits." Through the movie, the screenwriters talked about the helpless and common phenomenon in the film and television industry.

　　At the moment when the script is signed, everyone always has happy thoughts, as if filming will start tomorrow. However, in the initial incubation stage of film and television projects, the failure rate of screenwriters is very high. Before the formal formation of a team, they have to keep writing outlines and getting deposits, which has become the main source of income for many screenwriters.

  Source: "Galaxy Writer" trailer

　　At the moment when the "Mars Driver" project was announced to be discontinued, Li Kuo hesitated as to why not go back and find a job that would satisfy his family. After wandering in a city for ten years without a single signed work being broadcast, should I continue to persevere?

　　"The emergence of "Galaxy Writer" gave us a reassurance and made us more determined."

　　During the creation of "Galaxy Writer", Li Kuo and Shan Dandan took the time to get a certificate. The same watch in "Interstellar" in the movie was a gift from Shan Dandan to Li Kuo. He always wanted to wait until he actually became a director before wearing it, but when the movie finally started shooting, the watch was quickly taken away by the art director - as an important movie prop, it needs to be kept in a unified manner.

　　This movie about Chang Ying was shot with Chang Ying as the center and a radius of 3-5 kilometers nearby. It was filmed wherever it was free and cheap. In the credits at the end of the film, there were filmmakers familiar to the audience, as well as The hotpot restaurant owner enthusiastically provided the venue and a large table of shabu-shabu.

　　The "Three Dogs" combination Song Muzi, He Wenjun, and Li Fei, who once performed in the comedy stage "spill dog blood", became the three protagonists of the film. But in fact, they were selected by the director team through multiple rounds of auditions and repeated selections. It was not until the final selection that everyone realized that the "three dogs" had actually gathered together.

　　"We are a very formal crew, and we must choose the one we think is most suitable for the role." Shan Dandan said with a smile, "As a director, we can allow the actors to show a side that the audience has never thought of in our works. This feeling It’s pretty cool.”

　　In the movie, Li Kuo and Shan Dandan, who are both directors and screenwriters, added many fantastic moments:

　　After being reminded by a friend, Zhang Yi and Sun Tan ran to the entrance of the copyright center and stayed overnight, fearing that someone would register the copyright in advance for the script that had been changed beyond recognition. When they walked out, the screen suddenly cut to a black screen for a few seconds, with the names of the six major copyright centers in the country printed on it.

　　This was Shan Dandan's sudden inspiration in the editing room. She wanted to use a spoof to popularize science, "If you want to be a creator, it would be better if you can both write and protect yourself."

bloodstone

　　In the summer of 2023, "Galaxy Writer" debuted at the FIRST Film Festival for the first time. When they heard that the screening was in a concert hall with 500 people, the first thought of the creators was: Why are there so many seats!

　　As a new team, they specially customized a batch of T-shirts with contact information printed on them. They carried roll-up banners and shouted to passers-by to scan the QR code. In the end, the theater was packed with seats, and the entire crew stood up and sat in the aisle with the audience. Finished reading it.

　　Later on the red carpet of the Golden Rooster Awards, director Li Kuo, Shan Dandan and starring Song Muzi appeared with a thick stack of scripts - they were all works they had written but not released over the years. In the star-studded backstage waiting area, the three people's "beautiful position" attracted a lot of attention.

  "Galaxy Writer" appeared on the closing red carpet of the Golden Rooster Awards.

　　In the movie, everyone debated whether to give the script to Jiang Wen or Yan Fei and Peng Damo, but they all received a real response: all three directors have read it, and director Stephen Chow has also read it, and said that he hopes to cooperate with the directors.

　　After watching the movie, Shen Teng knew that the main creators had worked in Happy Twist, and even made a friendly guest appearance in the Easter egg at the end of the film. Because there was a shooting mission the next day, everyone immediately formed a team to rent a shed nearby and placed three takeaway orders at the same time, hoping to borrow the riders’ work clothes. One rider heard that they were filming a movie and specially delivered them. Shan went home again and picked up the clothes and sent them over.

　　After the filming was completed successfully, Shen Teng smiled and told them that the bouquet of flowers in front of him was his entire salary.

　　From the FIRST Film Festival to the Golden Rooster Film Festival, and then to the film premiere held in Changying, Li Kuo, Shan Dandan, and Gao Qun gained strength along the way, and the feeling was "dream."

  Stephen Chow poses with "Galaxy Writers" screenwriters Li Kuo, Shan Dandan and Gao Qun.

　　In the movie "Galaxy Writer", the screenwriter Sun Tan originally studied geological exploration. When he was prospecting, he found a stone that was suspected of being soapstone. He secretly wrote down the coordinates and planned to remove it when he could no longer work. find out.

　　Later, Zhang Yi, who was about to give up Beidiao, suddenly opened his two fingers that had been closed after listening to the new script conceived by Sun Tan.

　　Outside of movies, switching from engineering to "soapstone" is a true story that happened to screenwriter Gao Qun. He once told a friend, "If I don't look for the soapstone and open the coordinates, it will prove that I am still alive." OK."

　　Regarding Zhang Yi’s initiative to open his fingers, his understanding is, “We still hope that throughout the process, the protagonist will be healed by himself, rather than being opened by external means. The one who can help him and let him come out is him. Own."

　　"Galaxy Writer" went from character lines to emotional lines to growth lines. The three screenwriters discussed it for a long time, and finally typed a sentence gently on the screen: "The character does not grow, but it is also a kind of growth." Growth has many forms. , when you don’t want to change, then insist on being yourself.

　　On and off screen, the screenwriters are still working hard towards their dreams. What is certain is that they don't want to find the "soapstone" yet. (over)