Strictly speaking, the creative system and the production system of most film crews balance each other out.
The creative system, led by the director, ensures the integrity and quality of the work.
Meanwhile, the production system ensures the smooth operation of the crew while turning it into a qualified "product."
To put it bluntly, one side burns money for creativity, and the other side tries to save as much as possible for profit. They are inherently in opposition.
Therefore, it's not unusual for the production system to limit a director's creativity, and it's understandable if the production side stops the director from making changes to the script.
However, what struck Chu An as unusual was that it wasn't the production director who was limiting Lu Mingze's creativity—it should have been the responsibility of the executive producer.
To be precise, the production director is supposed to consider things from the director's perspective. They are supposed to be the director's person, negotiating with the producer to get money for the director.
Thanks to Tong Meng's outstanding performance, the shooting schedule in the morning was unaffected, and lunch was served on time.
Also, it was only the second day of filming, and all the scenes were from Liu Xia's family, with no other actors yet to enter the set.
So, Tong Meng had nowhere else to go, and after picking up her boxed lunch, she naturally sat down with Chu An.
Sister Lan also came over with her lunchbox. She had something to say to Chu An. "The director of the agricultural machinery factory just called. He said someone will bring over the keys in the afternoon."
Chu An replied, "Thank you, Sister Lan!"
Sister Lan said, "No need to thank me."
Inside her lunchbox were dried fish and freshly pickled balloon flowers.
All of these were thanks to Chu An.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chu An casually mentioned the scene they shot in the morning, "It's a pity about that scene. Why did Old Jia stop us from filming it?"
Sister Lan didn't speak, but Tong Meng, without hesitation, said, "Tian Du is always overbearing. You'll understand once you get into the entertainment industry."
Chu An had acting talent, and Tong Meng figured that he was probably destined for this profession.
Chu An thought to himself, sure enough, the production director was sent by Tian Du!
This meant that Director Lu had basically lost control of the production.
Now, it's important to understand the complete structure of a film crew.
As mentioned earlier, a crew consists of two systems.
On the production side, the highest position is the producer, followed by the executive producer, production director, line producer, on-set producer, casting director, and coordinator. In simple terms, these are the people who handle the money and the logistics.
The producer is responsible for the overall project budget, financial arrangements, and so on. It's the highest-ranking position.
However, producers generally don't attend the set. Once shooting begins, they are mostly absent. (This is to avoid conflicts with the director.)
The executive producer is responsible for the financial management and personnel management during the filming process, including controlling any overspending by the director.
Next comes the production director, who oversees the line producers, on-set producers, casting directors, and coordinators.
The line producer handles the logistics—meals, hotel arrangements, transportation.
The on-set producer manages props and consumable expenses related to the shooting.
If Chu An's small shop were to open, he'd need to build good relationships with the line and on-set producers, as they would be the key decision-makers.
The casting director manages the recruitment and payment of supporting actors, guest stars, and extras, which is where Sister Lan fits in.
However, Sister Lan was a bit different. The assistant director, who had long worked with Director Lu, couldn't stand his bad temper and left the team. Sister Lan had taken on the role of assistant director in addition to being the casting director.
In fact, Sister Lan also functioned as the casting director. She was part of the creative system—she was on Director Lu's side.
The coordinator is like the set's general manager, dealing with all the small details.
All these positions are tied to "money," and thus belong to the production system.
On the other hand, the roles of director, actors, costume and makeup, lighting, camera, and art department all belong to the creative system, and they are the ones spending money. Director Lu Mingze holds absolute authority in the creative system. He is "Tian."
So why is it said that Director Lu has lost control of the crew?
Because there's a very subtle position in the production system—the production director.
The people responsible for specific tasks, like the line producer, on-set producer, casting director, and coordinator, all report to the production director.
At the same time, the production director can communicate directly with the executive producer or even the producer.
To put it plainly, the production director acts as a bridge between the two systems. Although they belong to the production system, they are inseparably linked to the creative team and can even directly influence the smooth functioning of the creative team.
So, as a rule, to ensure cooperation between the two systems rather than conflict, the production director is usually appointed by the director.
The director can focus on the creative work without worrying about financial issues, and the production side doesn't have to deal directly with the director. The production director handles all the coordination.
However, if the production director is someone from the production side, then the director is completely disconnected from the financial authority.
In this case, aside from the camera coverage, the director has no control over anyone. How can the film be made?
Chu An was very curious. How could Director Lu allow such a situation to happen in his crew?
"Actually, Director Lu is also going through a tough time. Please understand him a bit more!" Sister Lan quickly provided an answer.
The crew's mealtime was always a time for gossip, and no one could avoid it.
"This film, Tian Du didn't want Director Lu to make it. And in order for this film to start production, Director Lu made a huge sacrifice."
Upon hearing this, Chu An was even more confused.
If it were a good script, that would be understandable. But this script, even if Director Lu Mingze couldn't tell it was a bad film because of the limitations of the era, shouldn't he have sensed something was off? Why insist on making it?
So Chu An asked, "Is there some kind of hidden reason behind Director Lu's decision?"
Sister Lan smiled, "It's not really a hidden reason."
She glanced at Director Lu, who was resting with his eyes closed, and lowered her voice, "Our Director Lu, though a bit hot-tempered, is actually a bit childish."
The story behind this was actually quite simple, even a little amusing.
Director Lu Mingze's most famous works were Qing dynasty palace dramas. Last year, another big hit brought him to the top, but there were also some doubts among the audience.
People started saying that Director Lu only knew how to make Qing dynasty dramas and that he was a relic of the Manchu era.
At first, it was just a few isolated voices, but somehow, it began to grow and even became a hot news topic. Many entertainment media outlets started covering it, questioning Director Lu's creative abilities.
Tong Meng chimed in, "There was a period last year when it got really big. I remember paparazzi even went to his kids' school, asking if they were Manchu descendants."
Sister Lan replied, "It wasn't just that. During that time, there was a lot of criticism. There were reporters camped out outside Director Lu's building for two months, and he couldn't even go home."
Tong Meng was appalled, "That's awful!"
Chu An wasn't surprised. In another world, this kind of madness was common.
"So what happened next?"
Sister Lan continued, "To be honest, if it were a different director, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal. People would have just said what they said, and once the hype died down, it would have been forgotten."
"But... but people don't like having their weaknesses exposed. You could say that Director Lu's other issues could have passed, but the doubts about his creative abilities…"
"Well, that's true. Director Lu really is lacking in that area!"
He wasn't a director focused on creativity but was skilled at building atmosphere and creating dramatic tension.
Some directors don't even need a script or a writer—just a story outline and actors, and they can shoot it.
But Director Lu Mingze couldn't do that. His weakest point was his creative ability. However, he had one major strength—restoration.
Give him a specific scenario, and he could film it exactly as you imagined. And if you wanted a particular effect, he would deliver it perfectly.
In the end, Director Lu was frustrated.
He had already made a name for himself as one of the top directors in China. How could he tolerate being questioned about his creative ability?
"So, that's why…"
Sister Lan, as an insider who had worked with Director Lu for many years, explained, "That's how we ended up with this campus drama. Director Lu, aside from wanting to prove a point, also wanted to step out of his comfort zone and try a new genre."
"Tian Du, as the long-time production partner of Director Lu, didn't agree. But Director Lu insisted on making the film, even putting in some of his own money. Tian Du only agreed to start production after that."
"But..." she gestured toward Old Jia, who had just walked past the door, "The production director