The Best Director - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Chapter 29 The Way to the Future

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chicago, a beautiful city located in Illinois, can be said to be America’s third- largest city after New York and Los Angeles. It is the home of the Bulls and the headquarters of Harpo Productions, where “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is produced. Wang Yang and his companions came to Chicago having been invited by Harpo Productions to record an episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Leaving aside the fact that Wang Yang had always liked the show since he was young, from a practical perspective, appearing on Oprah at this moment was highly beneficial for him. Although the truth behind the “Expulsion Gate” incident had been revealed, the controversy was not something he could easily shake off. His public image was quite vague, and he could be portrayed by the media as a “bad boy” at any moment, especially since he had been involved in a violent incident.

Wang Yang didn’t really care, because he was a director, not a star; he made films, he controlled the camera, instead of facing it. He personally didn’t need publicity or media pursuit–if it happened, so be it. As long as everyone knew he wasn’t scum and didn’t boycott his movies, that was enough for him.

However, for Lion’s Gate, especially for Jon Feltheimer, who was looking to make a good impression and secure his promotion to CEO, missing this prime movie promotion opportunity was not an option. Although “Paranormal Activity” had already crazily raked in $118.5 million in box office revenue after four weeks, the momentum was slowing down very slowly, and there was still potential to be tapped. And what better way of free publicity than appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the talk show with the highest viewership?

After getting off the plane and settling into a downtown hotel arranged by Jon, Wang Yang and Zachary disbanded, free to explore wherever they wanted; it wasn’t summer camp, and the taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon, while it was only Monday noon. Jon Feltheimer went to Harpo Productions to discuss the details of the talk show, and Zachary went out to have fun.

Zachary had been extremely excited about this trip all along, grinning foolishly to himself, and several times he had excitedly pulled at Wang Yang, asking in disbelief, “Am I really going to be on Oprah?” Each time, Wang Yang would nod affirmatively, “Yes, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’” Then Zachary would twist his body with joy, breaking into a dance, “Oh, my God! My family, my friends will see me on TV, they’ll definitely go crazy!”

So, the task of picking up Rachel at O’Hare International Airport that evening fell to Wang Yang, though it was his first time in Chicago, and he had only arrived in the morning. Of course, he didn’t have to go, he could have just waited at the hotel, but he was a little eager to see Rachel again.

Sitting in the airport waiting area, Wang Yang observed the passers-by, idly guessing at their backgrounds and experiences, occasionally glancing up at the flight arrival information displayed on the electronic screens. After a while, he looked up at the screen again. Rachel’s flight, AC5149, had landed safely.

Wang Yang remembered the night a few months ago when Rachel was going back to Toronto, how she had turned around before entering the boarding gate and said, “I’m looking forward to seeing our movie in the cinema, and by then, we’ll meet again!” Now, four weeks after the movie’s release, that sentence had not yet come true; but fortunately, he would see Rachel again soon. He smiled at the thought.

After a while, many passengers began entering the waiting area from the arrival gate, dragging luggage big and small, but without looking travel-worn. The flight from Toronto to Chicago was less than an hour. Rachel had originally bought a ticket to arrive in Chicago on Sunday evening, which would have coincided with Wang Yang and the others’ arrival from Los Angeles. But since Wang Yang and his group had delayed their journey, she had no choice but to change to today’s flight.

Wang Yang stood up, looking towards the corridor for her. Suddenly, he spotted a dazzling figure. She was wearing a light purple coat, pulling a very small suitcase, her pale golden hair still soft and floating, and it was Rachel.

She saw Wang Yang from a distance, her face immediately lighting up with a smile, her dimples as sweet as ever. She quickened her pace towards him and then slowed down as she neared, looking at Wang Yang and biting her lip with a smile.

Hi!” Wang Yang waved and greeted her with a smile. He looked her up and down and said, “You look great.”

Really?” Rachel smiled faintly, not knowing why her heart was beating fast, she also gave Wang Yang a look-over, and whispered, “You look very good too.” She released her grip on the suitcase and took a step forward.

Seeing her approach, Wang Yang opened his arms, stepped forward, and gently embraced her, giving her a hug and saying with a smile, “Welcome to Chicago, Rachel.” Leaning on his shoulder, Rachel felt very comfortable and chuckled, “Thankyou, Chicagoan!”

The two shared a light embrace and then parted. Wang Yang took her small suitcase and said with a laugh, “Let me handle it, Toronto beauty.” Rachel shrugged and replied, “Of course.”

Then, the two of them chatted and laughed as they walked out of the airport, headed for their hotel. Even though it had been over four months since their last meeting, there was no sense of unfamiliarity between Wang Yang and Rachel. This wasn’t just because they often chatted on the phone; their easy rapport made them both feel very comfortable.

It was still a free day on Tuesday, and Wang Yang and Rachel planned to visit Navy Pier, but Zachary declined their invitation, showing no interest. He wanted to go to a “hip-hop sanctuary” in Chicago, a bar. They then invited Jon Feltheimer, who laughed and said, “I’ve still got work to do, many things are waiting for me. Hey, and why would I come along on your date?”

Knowing Jon was just joking around, Wang Yang and Rachel rolled their eyes playfully and laughed it off.

Chicago has many tourist attractions, and Navy Pier is one of them. It’s more than just a pier; there are parks, shops, museums, and other facilities for sightseeing and entertainment.

Wang Yang and Rachel visited the museum and the art center, where they saw many treasures, including some rare masterpieces. Standing beneath an original Picasso oil painting, Wang Yang told Rachel, “You know, my high school art teacher always said I had the potential to become a great painter

Rachel looked at him with wide-eyed surprise, saying, “Wow, a painter? Like Picasso?” Wang Yang seriously replied, “No, more like Van Gogh.”

Rachel chuckled, “Being like Van Gogh isn’t bad either.” Wang Yang spoke earnestly, “Yeah, my teacher thought so too. He said, ‘Yang, your painting is incredibly unbelievable, way ahead of this era, just like Van Gogh. At my level, I’m not capable of appreciating it.’” Suddenly changing his tone and mimicking his art teacher’s angry look, he glared and asked, “‘Seriously though, what the heck are you painting? Is that an apple? Why does it look like a butt?”‘

Oh! My gosh… hahaha!” Rachel burst into laughter, her face turning red as she hit Wang Yang lightly, scolding with a laugh, “My God! You’re so vulgar, you pest!” Wang Yang feigned innocence, “It’s not me, it was my teacher who said it. He made me develop ‘apple-phobia’; I get dizzy now whenever I see apples. I’m a victim too.” Rachel gave him a playful glance while laughing.

After enjoying most of the day, they now found themselves by the lakeside at Navy Pier, leaning on the railing, feeling the breeze from Lake Michigan, and looking out at the bright blue sky and lake. It was all so beautiful.

Wang Yang and Rachel exchanged glances and both smiled gently. Rachel tucked back the hair that the wind had blown about, squinted her eyes, and exclaimed, “This place is enchanting, I couldn’t have imagined a few months ago that I would be here now.” Wang Yang said beside her, “Me neither.” Then Rachel suddenly looked at him curiously and asked, “Yang, can you believe I’ve already starred in a blockbuster movie as the leading lady?”

Wang Yang nodded with a smile, “Hey, Rachel, that’s something Zachary would say; he always asks that too, but of course, about being the leading man

Oh! But Yang, you can’t blame us.” Rachel gazed at the drifting clouds in the blue sky and shook her head incredulously, “It’s just too crazy.” She smiled and then complained to Wang Yang, “You have no idea, I’ve been so annoyed recently. Walking down the street in my neighborhood, many people scream, ‘Oh my God, it’s Mel!’ ‘She’s really not dead

continued, “You know, school is about to start, and I can’t even begin to imagine. The other students will treat me like a freak.”

She laughed helplessly and

Oh, you can’t blame me for that,” Wang Yang said with a laugh, remembering the purpose of Rachel’s previous trip to Los Angeles. He had been too busy to ask about it before, but now that he thought of it, he asked, “By the way, Rachel, how did your term paper go? Was it okay?”

Rachel nodded and replied, “It was decent enough to pass. The teacher had really good comments about it. He said my ideas were quite original and that I had a deep understanding of film. Ha! He doesn’t know that many of the arguments in my paper were yours.” Wang Yang shrugged and responded, “But it was you who wrote the paper.” She pouted and spread her hands, saying, “But still, my classmates are so stubborn. I told them, and they said, ‘Oh, regardless, the golden age of musical films is over; it is what it is, barely alive anymore. Nowadays no one even watches ‘Footloose’ or ‘Flashdance’ anymore,’ ‘Rachel, don’t be naive’

She looked at Wang Yang with resignation and casually said, “Sometimes I wonder, if someone made a highly popular musical film, they would know who was right and who was wrong.” She shrugged again and added, “I would know, too.”

Maybe I should make one?” Wang Yang teased her with a smile. Rachel laughed and said, “Wow, that would be great! Then I could tell them, see, musical films are still good!”

Maybe I should make one? This spontaneous remark suddenly piqued Wang Yang’s interest. He gazed at the deep blue water of the lake, contemplating seriously. Lately, he had been thinking about what to do after ‘Paranormal Activity’ ended its run in theaters.

Go back to San Francisco to work as a chef? That was out of the question; return to the University of Southern California to continue his studies? He shook his head at that idea; not out of resentment for the university, but because he had already self-taught almost all the theoretical knowledge required for filmmaking and directing. Moreover, making films is more about practical experience and hands-on skills, which cannot be obtained in theoretical classrooms, and are incomparable to campus practical lessons.

This was why most film school graduates start as assistants, to get familiar with the actual process of making films. And then there are successful directors who did not study film, like James Cameron, who started with film-related jobs, learning the operations while waiting for opportunities. Thus, going back to USC would be less beneficial than diving directly into film production.

Wang Yang knew that there was only one path he was most willing to take, and that was making his next film. But what should he film? It was unthinkable to make another DV film. First, DV films and celluloid films are entirely different; celluloid films were his ultimate pursuit, where he wanted to grow; second, the market needed time to digest the craze of ‘Paranormal Activity’, and in the short term, it was impossible for another DV film to succeed on the big screen, no matter how good it was.

Look at the original ‘The Blair Witch’, which performed a miracle in 1999; it took another 10 years before ‘Paranormal Activity’ emerged in 2009, and ‘The Blair Witch 2’ was a clear failure. It’s not that there weren’t excellent DV films in between, but the market had already been oversaturated. The first time, people were intrigued; but the second time, they refused to play along. So Wang Yang decided against making another DV film; he set his sights on celluloid films.

What about making a big-budget commercial blockbuster on celluloid? That wouldn’t suit him either. First, blockbuster films require burning cash. The more willing you are to spend without worry, the better the film you can produce. If you have to pinch pennies because of budget constraints, it leads to films that leave audiences unsatisfied. Instead of wanting to rewatch it, they feel frustrated and as if they’ve wasted their time, and they wouldn’t hesitate to direct their criticism at the film.

He didn’t have the funds for it, but more importantly, he lacked the practical experience in shooting. He wasn’t foolish enough to think that just because he had taken some practical courses and made ‘Paranormal Activity’ with a DV, he could easily navigate the world of film and handle everything.

To make a proper film, you need to put a crew together before shooting begins, including hiring staff, auditioning actors, and securing locations.

While many of these tasks typically fall to producers, he wanted to experience being a producer and making a film, which included these tasks. Additionally, he didn’t want to be bossed around by any producer. When making films, he liked to do things his way and didn’t need to be controlled by others. That’s the spirit of independent films, and he loved that.

In terms of his primary work as a director, filmmaking meant dealing with various kinds of equipment, including cameras, lighting, sound, and so on. He would also need to command a crew of a hundred or more, ensuring the smooth operation of the team.

Whether it was a producer or a director’s job, his experience was close to zero once he left campus, virtually a complete outsider. He needed to step through that door, but if his first project inside was a big-budget blockbuster, he was likely to mess it up.

A commercial blockbuster wasn’t right for him at the moment. So how about a drama with no special effects, no complicated post-production? Hire some big- name stars to show off their acting skills? The problem was, what highly skilled actor would sign up for a drama directed by an 18-year-old?

Sure, he was successful now, basking in the spotlight, with many media outlets hailing him as a “supernova,” a “boundless potential”; but the truth was, even Lionsgate saw him as just a lucky kid. Jon Feltheimer had told him a few days earlier, “Yang, our company is interested in making a sequel to ‘Paranormal Activity.’ We might offer you a million dollars for the rights, just think it over, we haven’t started the project. Besides, you won’t be directing the sequel.”

Wang Yang knew there was another sentence Jon wanted to say, which was “I think you should go back to USC and continue your studies!”

It wasn’t surprising. Look at the young creators of ‘The Blair Witch Project.’ According to the information in his head, those three youngsters also shocked America back then, and because they were of the “mainstream race,” the media’s frenzy over them was even more intense than it was now. They gave interviews everywhere, and the two directors, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, only 30 and 35 years old, had made it to the cover of TIME Magazine, becoming America’s darlings overnight.

But what happened to them afterward? Did they have a boundless future? No, far from it, they ended up achieving nothing.

After the success of ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ they spent the first two years suing Artisan Company. ‘Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,’ released in 2000, had nothing to do with them; Artisan already owned the sequel rights from the get- go. After winning the lawsuit, the two directors wanted to make a comedy, but the financiers insisted they continue with horror. They refused and were unwilling to fund it themselves, resulting in the project’s eventual demise.

Years later, the two directors started making new films, but all of them flopped at the box office. Eventually, no one remembered these two young men who had been on the cover of TIME Magazine, no one remembered the media’s praise, and their names faded with time.

When you succeed, you emerge from the cocoon, showing your beauty to the world, everyone marvels at you, you think you possess the whole world; but if you can’t see the reality of your situation, you will get lost, you’ll fly too far and eventually not find your way home. Then, exhausted, you’ll collapse, be picked up and pressed into a book, becoming a specimen. Occasionally, someone may open the book and say, “Wow, that’s a beautiful butterfly, it must have been stunning when it flew!” Then the book closes, and you become nothing.

That’s the harsh reality, there are too many beautiful butterflies in the world, arriving in a hurry, and leaving just as quickly. He was just one of them flying a little higher now; without self-awareness, he wouldn’t end up much better than the directors of ‘The Blair Witch.’

He had to choose some low-cost, low-technical difficulty films, to familiarize himself with what movie-making was really about. So what kind of movie should he make? He had no specific ideas, but he was leaning toward something like a campus comedy.

Why not make a horror film? He lacked passion and impulse for horror movies, having always been scared to watch them. He even had nightmares every night while shooting ‘Paranormal Activity,’ waking up frightened in the middle of the night was an unpleasant experience; plus, he wanted to continue working with Rachel and Zachary, and he knew Jessica had always been looking forward to being cast in one of his movies.

He hoped to shoot films joyfully with these good friends, wanted them to become famous quickly, and enjoy their success. So he thought about making a film that was right for him to direct and for these friends to star in. Campus films seemed like the best choice, and how about a campus musical? It sounded good…

Rachel, seeing Wang Yang had been silent for a while, as if in deep thought, nudged his elbow resting on the railing and asked with furrowed brows, “Yang, what’s wrong?”

Wang Yang let out an “Oh” as he snapped back to reality, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He looked at her and smiled, “It’s nothing, I was just thinking about what kind of musical film I want to make?”

What?” Rachel paused, giving a little laugh as if she thought he was joking, but seeing his serious face, she lit up with excitement and exclaimed, “Oh, are you serious?”

Wang Yang nodded and said, “Of course, I’m serious. Why not?” He seemed to be asking himself as he repeated the question, “Why not?”

Rachel hesitated, “But, the current situation with musical films… I’m afraid it might be difficult to make.” She looked at Wang Yang seriously, advising him, “Yang, you know the next movie is very important for you, it will affect your future, so don’t make this decision lightly.”

I know, Rachel.” Wang Yang smiled, took a deep breath in the wind, and felt invigorated. Musical films, campus musicals, though dormant for a while, would soon awaken and burst into their own brilliant flames. Now was the right time for him to ignite that fire. He saw Rachel about to say something more, raised his fist emphatically, and said fiercely, “Hey, stop worrying so much! Like you said, a lot of the arguments in your paper were mine, so I have to vindicate us, make your classmates speechless, right?”

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh at his demeanor, chuckling a few times, she shrugged, “That was my paper I wrote.” Knowing that Wang Yang seemed determined, she asked with interest, “So, Yang, do you have any plans?”

Wang Yang shook his head, his face saying ‘I don’t know’, “No plans for now, but I’m serious. I’m going to shoot it. This will be my next movie.” Rachel nodded with a smile, “OK, I’m looking forward to it. When the time comes, if there’s a suitable role, I’ll audition for your movie.” Wang Yang responded with a smile, “You will.”

The two spent the day at the Navy Pier, and at Rachel’s insistence, they went to a cinema in the evening to watch “Paranormal Activity”. They didn’t return to the hotel until midnight, concluding their joyful day.

Since this episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” didn’t require Wang Yang and his friends to shoot any outdoor footage, they went straight to the recording site on Wednesday afternoon to tape the show.

In the backstage area of the recording site, Wang Yang, Rachel, Zachary, and Jon Feltheimer were all present. Wang Yang would be the first to go on stage; followed by Rachel and Zachary discussing the filmmaking part. Only when it came to Liongate’s distribution and the movie’s success would Jon Feltheimer join them.

Oh my God! Oh my God…” Zachary Levi was pacing nervously, constantly adjusting the black suit that adorned his body. His hair was slicked back with hair gel, shoes shined to glory – he looked as if he was about to step up as a groom at a wedding.

Wang Yang looked at him with mild annoyance as he sat restlessly, and laughed, “Hey, Zachary, relax! I’m the first one going up, if anyone should be nervous, it should be me.” He wasn’t dressed as formally, just wearing a grey­blue overcoat that exuded youthfulness and a pair of jeans. Although “The Oprah Winfrey Show” wasn’t a slapstick comedy talk show, he still felt there was no need to dress too solemnly.

Rachel gave Zachary an understanding glance and said, “Honestly, I’m a bit nervous too. This is my first time on a talk show, I’m really afraid I won’t be able to speak later.” She was wearing a purple coat over a white and blue checked shirt, with black slacks, an elegant outfit that didn’t have a trace of “Mel’s” terrifying air.

Jon, also dressed in a black suit, lounged in a chair, arms crossed, legs cocked, smiling relaxedly, “Why am I not feeling nervous?” The other three rolled their eyes and unanimously ignored the middle-aged man with a tacit understanding.

At this moment, outside on the set, a sofa was placed on stage, with Oprah Winfrey in a yellow sweater sitting on it; at least fifty audience members were seated below the stage. With a cue from the cameraman, filming for the program began, and Oprah Winfrey, looking in the direction of the camera, said with a smile, “This is Oprah, and today I want to talk to everyone about what goes on in a young person’s mind when they achieve great success, how they face it? What impact does it have on their life? How should young people handle success?”

look at our guest today.

After stating the theme for the day, she waved her hand, “Let’s take a

The Oprah Winfrey Show generally revolves around a topic, engaging with the audience in discussion, and today’s topic was “How young people should handle success,” discussed through an interview with Wang Yang.

On the big screen behind that showed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” logo, suddenly, images began to play, including scenes from San Francisco’s Chinatown and the sparkling night view of Los Angeles. The voice-over introduced and went on to say, “He created a miracle, he shot a film with a budget of 10,000 US Dollars that grossed over a hundred million at the box office, he’s 18 years old, he’s the youngest director, he’s the youngest director to achieve a hundred million box office.

Yes, he is Wang Yang!” Oprah called out, smiling, “Welcome him! Yang, come on out.”

Wang Yang walked out from backstage with a smile on his face, and a round of applause immediately erupted from the audience, mostly young people energetically clapping and chanting Wang Yang’s name. Wang Yang walked to the center of the stage, waving at the audience below, took a seat on the sofa and shook hands with Oprah, smiling, “Hello, Oprah.”

Hello, Yang,” Oprah laughed heartily and immediately said, “Yang, you are amazing, you made a movie with a budget of 10,000 US Dollars that has grossed over a hundred million at the box office, and the box office is still increasing Wang Yang listened to her with a smile on his face, and Oprah asked, “So, I heard you’ve loved movies since you were a child?” By asking this, she intended for Wang Yang to share about his childhood and growth.

Wang Yang nodded, saying, “Yes, I have loved movies since I was a child. When I was four years old, I went to the cinema for the first time. My mom took me, and we saw ‘Romancing the Stone,’ yes, a film by Robert Zemeckis (director of ‘Forrest Gump’). At that time, I didn’t understand what a movie was

reminisced about the scene, which was blurry, yet he distinctly remembered how he felt, continuing, “I was just staring at the screen, thinking, wow, the people are really big! Are they giants?” The audience immediately broke into gentle laughter, and Wang Yang, smiling, said, “That was how I fell in love with movies, and then every week, I would ask my mom to take me to the cinema, until I could go by myself.”

So, you grew up with movies,” Oprah said. She then asked, “When did the idea ‘I want to make movies’ come to you?”

Wang Yang furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, shaking his head, “I can’t remember when it was exactly, but what made me determined was watching ‘Cinema Paradiso.’ That movie is my favorite…”

After filming The Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday, Wang Yang and a few others returned to Los Angeles that evening, and Rachel also followed, not returning to Toronto, as they all needed to coordinate post-production promotional activities with Lionsgate. The episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that they filmed was broadcast accurately during the weekend daytime of that week, accessible to families across more than a hundred cities in America.

In the TV screen, Wang Yang, Rachel, and Zachary were all sitting on the sofa, with Oprah continuously asking them questions, eliciting them to share their experiences and mindsets, among other things. Oprah asked Wang Yang, “Yang, I’m very curious, before you made this film, what were you thinking? Did you ever think this movie would achieve such great success?”

Wang Yang leaned back on the sofa, smiling as he replied, “No, I didn’t dare to think that much, I didn’t think about ‘Will this movie be a success, will it fail?’, at that time, if you keep thinking about these things, you’ll lose your motivation.”

Watching Wang Yang’s confident and relaxed demeanor on the screen, Jessica, who was sitting on the fabric sofa hugging a pillow, had a sweet smile on her face and was utterly engrossed. She found that this episode of “Oprah” was exceptionally enjoyable and interesting.

Joshua, sitting next to her, extended his hand and quietly made a punching motion behind her head, but Jessica showed no reaction, still smiling and looking at the screen. Joshua glanced at his mother Kathy on the other side, pursed his lips, and made a “See that?” face. Kathy smiled and gave him a “Mind your own business” look.

At that moment, Oprah on the screen asked Rachel, “Rachel, I know you went to Los Angeles as a tourist, why did you suddenly decide to act in this movie?”

Although Rachel had been a little nervous backstage at the time, she now appeared completely at ease, revealing two dimples as she smiled and said, “I saw Yang’s recruitment poster that day, and I was really interested in DV films, so I went to the audition just to give it a try and luckily got through. At first, I just thought this movie was Yang’s graduation project, then he said, ‘This is a movie that can be shown on the big screen, and it will have a good box office

She glanced at Wang Yang, shrugged at Oprah with a smile, and laughed, “But honestly, I just thought, this guy is crazy.”

Hey!” Wang Yang feigned anger and smacked Rachel’s head, exclaiming in surprise, “You didn’t say that at the time, you said, ‘I admire your confidence’—so someone really thought I was crazy?” Rachel nodded with a laugh, “Yes, now you know.”

The whole audience was amused by their banter and burst into laughter

Watching Wang Yang and Rachel on the screen, laughing and pretending to fight, Jessica clutched the throw pillow tightly, her smile forced, her gaze a little vacant as she stared at the TV. If she had been cast as the female lead in “Paranormal Activity,” she would be the one joking with Yang on the screen. Yang said she wasn’t suited for horror movies, which basically meant her acting wasn’t good enough, right?

Wow, Yang and Rachel really match well,” Joshua deliberately said loudly, watching for Jessica’s reaction.

Yeah!” With an unnatural shift in her seating position and a disinterested tone, Jessica responded, but she bit her lip secretly and resolved that she would be in Yang’s next movie, even if just as an extra. She couldn’t let herself miss out again; she couldn’t…

Just then, Oprah on the screen was laughing and trying to mediate the “conflict” between Wang Yang and Rachel. She then asked Wang Yang, “What made you decide to make this film? I know you were down to about eleven thousand dollars or so, and you used ten thousand to make the movie. Didn’t you ever consider the possibility of failure?”

After being expelled from the University of Southern California, I was very dejected and didn’t know what to do with myself,” Wang Yang said calmly, and then with a look of astonishment, he continued, “And then, I actually ran into a very good elementary school friend I hadn’t seen for years. She knew since we were kids that I wanted to be a director. She asked me that day, ‘Is your dream still alive?’ ”

Oh, my God!” Wang Yang exclaimed, “Her words pierced my heart like a knife, and for a few seconds, I felt like I had stopped breathing. When my heartbeat came back, I asked myself the same question again: Is your dream still alive? What do you really want to do? I answered myself, I want to make movies. So, I made up my mind; I would rather sleep on the streets but make this film happen. Success or failure, it would still be a chance.” He looked at the camera and waved, “Hi, my friend, thankyou!”

With his words, the audience erupted in applause. Jessica, in front of the TV screen, instantly perked up, stood up straight on the couch, and said excitedly to Kathy and Joshua on either side, “Did you hear that? Yang was talking about me, haha!”

See that,” Joshua murmured quietly, shrugging his shoulders as he looked at his mother.

Watching Jessica’s sweet smiling face again intently fixed on the screen, Kathy smiled with a bit ot helplessness. Her daughter had truly grown up.

In a McDonald’s in Los Angeles, the restaurant’s television was also broadcasting The Oprah Winfrey Show. Since it was daytime and not mealtime, there weren’t many customers, so the staff had some free time to watch TV.

The cashier, Smith Sean, sat behind the counter, looking at the screen with a mix of envy and jealousy, “Wang Yang hit the jackpot, look at that beauty, Rachel McAdams? You can tell they’re together now; my God, what kind of luck did Wang Yang have? He’s just like us!” He sighed again, “Who would believe it if you told them, that guy actually worked here for nearly two months. I should’ve asked for his autograph back then; it could be worth money now.

))

The heavyset Harry George stared at the television, silently not speaking. His mind was resounding with Wang Yang’s voice, “How many film crews did you visit to try your luck?” “Buddy, let me tell you, 1 went to fifty-four film companies, and soon it’ll be fifty-five.” “My dream is not going to die

Watching Wang Yang smile on the screen, Harry slowly clenched his fists, and with an indifferent expression said, “Smith, Yang is different from us

Success isn’t guaranteed; it requires persistence, your effort, I don’t deny it also needs some luck, but if you give up too soon, luck won’t come your way When asked by Oprah about his thoughts on “howto achieve success,” Wang Yang shared his reflections, “During the time I sought distribution for my movie, I had moments of despair, frustration, and even thought about giving up, but then I recalled my original intention and kept going. When you feel like giving up, you might as well calm down and think about your original intention; if you truly love it, you will keep moving forward, the path is at your feet.”

So what do you think your path will look like in the future? You know, you’ re so young, and you’re about to come into a significant amount of money. The world has many temptations, can you stay true to your beginnings?” Oprah continued with Wang Yang’s point, asking questions that were the main focus of today’s talk show, how young people face success.

Wang Yang nodded, “Yes, I will keep moving forward. I will continue to make movies; it is my pursuit, my dream, what I’ve committed to for my lifetime.”

The audience on set erupted into applause, and the fists of Harry George in front of the screen tightened even more, “Buddy, I see through it all bound to fail, that’s just the kind of people we are, losers!” “Failure! Failure! Failure!” Harry looked around expressionlessly, why was he here? what was his original intention? A McDonald’s server? Why wouldn’t Wang Yang’s dream die, but his has to? Isn’t he truly passionate about photography, about movies?

You’re

Damn it!” Suddenly, Harry George yanked off his McDonald’s cap and threw it on the ground, stomping on it fiercely, his lips trembling as he cursed, “Damn it, damn it! Bastard, damn it.

Harry!? Have you lost your mind?!” Smith Sean looked on in shock, and the customers in the shop were also stunned, watching the seemingly crazed Harry George.

Harry gave Smith Sean a glare, grinding his teeth as he shouted, “I quit! How many burgers did we sell yesterday, how many chicken wings today, what do I care!?” He stepped on the hat on the ground again and stormed out ot the shop, saying, “I quit!”

But Smith Sean started to laugh out loud, shouting after Harry, “Fatty, you’ll come back.”

I won’t come back!” Harry George didn’t look back as he walked out the front door of the shop.