FYN Chapter 28: National Mission
Chapter 28: National Mission
On the last day of August, Jiang Yu was in the conference room of Light Chaser Pictures' BJ headquarters, having an intense and detailed script discussion with Lu Yang and the core production team of the "Witch" project.
The conference table was covered with storyboard sketches, scene concept art, and dense annotations.
Lu Yang's proposed adjustments to several plot points in response to the censorship opinions on co-productions are currently under intense discussion.
Just as the atmosphere was tense, there was a gentle knock on the conference room door.
Yang Siwei strode in, leaned close to Jiang Yu's ear, and whispered, "Mr. Jiang, we have some guests outside. They are leaders from the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Operations Center of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, led by Deputy Director Zhang Qiang. They wish to see you immediately."
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing through his mind.
The Organizing Committee? Looking for me?
Several possibilities flashed through his mind, but he wasn't quite sure about any of them.
He quickly signaled to Lu Yang and the others to pause the meeting, straightened his suit, stood up and said to Yang Siwei, "Please invite the guests to my office, I'll be there right away."
In the short corridor leading to the office, Jiang Yu's mind raced.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics was a top priority for the entire nation, with the opening and closing ceremonies being the most important, bringing together the nation's and even the world's top creative and technical talents.
The fact that the Organizing Committee proactively approached them, and that it was directly the leaders of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Operations Center, is quite unusual in terms of both the level of their involvement and their intentions.
Pushing open the office door, I found three guests already seated inside.
The man in the lead was a middle-aged man around fifty years old, who was none other than Deputy Director Zhang Qiang, whom Yang Siwei had mentioned.
The two people beside him were a bespectacled, refined-looking man who appeared to be a technical expert, and a younger man carrying a briefcase who was clearly an accompanying staff member.
"Director Zhang, leaders, welcome, welcome! I am Jiang Yu. I apologize for keeping you all waiting." Jiang Yu stepped forward quickly, extending his hand with enthusiasm but without losing his solemnity.
"Mr. Jiang, I've long admired your name. I apologize for the intrusion and disturbance."
Zhang Qiang stood up and shook hands firmly, a businesslike smile on his face, but with a cautious look in his eyes. "This is our chief technical consultant, Engineer Li, and this is Xiao Wang."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and taking their seats, Yang Siwei personally served tea and then quietly retreated to the side to take notes.
Zhang Qiang didn't mince words and got straight to the point: "Mr. Jiang, we're here on behalf of the opening and closing ceremony's chief director, Director Zhang Yimou, and the operations center to visit you and your company. We understand that Mr. Jiang's Light and Shadow Digital Company, founded in the United States, is technologically very advanced in the field of film special effects, especially in the construction of large-scale digital scenes and real-time interactive visuals. Recently, they've also given some impressive technical demonstrations in the film industry."
He paused, observing Jiang Yu's reaction, and continued, "The opening and closing ceremonies of next year's Olympic Games are a glorious mission entrusted to us by the nation, and also a window to showcase China's image and cultural charm to the world. In addition to traditional artistic performances and light and fireworks displays, the directing team and operations center have been thinking about how to integrate the most cutting-edge digital imaging technology, multimedia projection, and 3D visual effects into the ceremony performance on a large scale and at a high standard, creating an audiovisual experience that surpasses the past and shocks the world."
"We contacted and evaluated many relevant technical teams and companies both domestically and internationally," said Li, the technical consultant, his tone more technically oriented. "Some are good at traditional stage projection, while others specialize in a particular software. Teams like Light & Shadow Digital, which have experience from underlying algorithms to the entire process of managing large-scale projects, and have proven themselves in projects of the caliber of Avatar, are very rare. More importantly, Mr. Jiang is Chinese, and the company has a clear plan to return to China for development. This makes us feel that we have a unique advantage in terms of cultural understanding and sense of responsibility."
Zhang Qiang summarized, "Therefore, we are here today to formally invite Guangying Digital Company to participate in the creative and technical implementation of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games as a core technology support and partner. We hope to conduct in-depth discussions and feasibility studies on how digital imaging technology can be applied to such a large-scale, live-broadcast national event. What are your thoughts, Mr. Jiang?"
The office was quiet. Yang Siwei's grip on the pen tightened slightly. Even though she was used to seeing storms, her heart was still churning with emotion.
The Olympics! The opening and closing ceremonies! What a prestigious stage this is!
Once involved and successful, Light & Shadow Digital, and indeed the entire Light Chaser Group, will no longer be just a commercial company.
It is a top-tier technological force recognized and endorsed at the national level, and its brand value and industry status will experience an immeasurable leap.
Jiang Yu's heart was also in turmoil, but he remained calm on the surface.
He quickly weighed the pros and cons; the opportunities were undoubtedly enormous, but the challenges were also unprecedented.
This isn't filming a movie, where you can have retakes or make changes in post-production.
This is a global live broadcast, and there is no room for error. Its political and cultural significance far outweighs its commercial value.
Technical difficulty, system stability, collaboration with a large traditional team, confidentiality requirements, time pressure... each of these presents extremely high barriers to entry.
But this is exactly what he has been waiting for since his rebirth: an opportunity to use the most cutting-edge technology to interpret the image of China in the new era on the biggest stage!
"Director Zhang, Engineer Li," Jiang Yu smiled, his gaze open and firm, "Thank you to the Organizing Committee and Director Zhang Yimou for their trust. It is an honor for every Chinese person to contribute to the Beijing Olympics, and even more so, it is a supreme honor and an inescapable responsibility for us at Guangying Digital!"
He first stated his position, then shifted his tone, demonstrating professionalism and pragmatism: "Such an important task must be treated with the utmost rigor and professionalism. I suggest that we immediately establish a dedicated liaison team. We request the Organizing Committee to provide preliminary creative directions, venue parameters, technical requirements, and timelines. Our Light & Shadow Digital will mobilize the world's best technical resources, including our core R&D team in Los Angeles, and coordinate with our partner network in Hollywood, to provide a detailed 'White Paper on the Feasibility and Technical Path of Applying Digital Visual Technology to Mega-Celebrations' in the shortest possible time, including creative concept suggestions, technical implementation paths, risk assessments and contingency plans, preliminary budgets, and timelines."
Zhang Qiang and Engineer Li exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes.
Jiang Yu's reaction was more mature, professional, and powerful than they had expected.
Instead of blind excitement or empty slogans, they went straight to the core issues and spoke with professional solutions.
"Great!" Zhang Qiang slapped the sofa armrest, a more genuine smile spreading across his face. "President Jiang is indeed a man of great things, with clear thinking and boundless courage. We've brought some of the materials; more detailed requirements will follow. We hope to see your proposal as soon as possible; time is of the essence."
"Understood. We will make this our highest priority at the moment," Jiang Yu solemnly promised.
After seeing off the IOC delegation, Jiang Yu returned to his office, closed the door, and said to Yang Siwei, who followed him in, in a low voice: "Immediately notify Los Angeles to have Wu Na and Zhou Mu put aside all non-urgent work and form a special team codenamed 'Olympus,' granting them the highest authority. Require them to provide me with a core member list and a list of technical resources within 72 hours. As for Beijing, you personally lead the formation of a liaison team; I will be directly responsible. Also, notify David to keep an eye out for and screen Hollywood technical experts or consultants experienced in large-scale live events, real-time rendering, and large-scale projection mapping; short-term hiring is acceptable if necessary."
"Yes!" Yang Siwei's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of excitement and immense pressure.
"Also," Jiang Yu walked to the window, gazing at the azure sky of Beijing, "the resource priority for the '2012' project has been temporarily lowered. Lu Yang's project can't be stopped. Tell him this is a test of his resilience. The Olympic Organizing Committee's projects are top secret and strictly confidential to the outside world."
(Hoping those with monthly passes can give me some support!)