Seeing that the atmosphere was about to become dull, several others immediately changed the topic.
"I heard that Director Moran is here to find suitable locations for movie scenes. I wonder what kind of places you're looking for? Maybe we can make some recommendations."
Zhang Yimou's words caught Laila's attention. Indeed, many of those present were accomplished directors who frequently worked on films. They probably knew some good locations.
"I'm planning to shoot a Western fantasy story," she briefly explained the plot of the novel. "I've already finalized most of the locations, but now I need a place where elves live. The East has many beautiful landscapes, and I hope to find a satisfactory location here. Also, if there's a better place, I don't mind changing the ones I've already chosen."
"I'll take care of this." Yao Yingxia promptly took on the task without hesitation. To feature more locations in the film, she was willing to search tirelessly for the most suitable places.
"Thank you then," Laila didn't refuse her kindness and thanked her with a smile.
The next day was the time for Laila's speech at the top university.
Originally, there was no need to schedule the itinerary so tightly, but to have more time for location scouting, she arranged her time to resolve everything within a few days.
This was the first time in her two lifetimes that she faced so many people for a speech. Honestly, a few years ago, she might have been too nervous to speak. However, the current Laila was no longer the "coward" she used to be. On the Oscar stage, visible to many, she could speak so many moving words spontaneously. Not to mention addressing this group of enthusiastic young people.
As a director, and a quite successful one at that, lacking the skill to captivate an audience wouldn't be acceptable, would it?
This time, she prepared a theme: "Dreams."
It might be an overused topic, but she felt she was the most qualified person to talk about it. How many people could say they had been striving for a dream for two lifetimes?
"From the time I can remember, my world was confined to a hospital room." In the crowded auditorium, Laila began her speech. Of course, she would slightly "artisticize" it, not mixing the details of the two lifetimes.
"I can't recall when, but a family friend, my brother, introduced something called 'movies' into my life. Through them, I discovered a magical world. There, you could tell a touching story or witness incredible scenes, like a monster or a talking fish."
"Ah, so movies are such magical things. I decided then that I would use movies to create my own world. Once I understood how movies were made, I had my own pursuit."
"Many people have asked me why I chose 'The Blair Witch' as my first movie. In fact, there's a simple reason—given my circumstances at the time, it was the only movie I could make."
Laila glanced around, seeing curious faces, and her lips couldn't help but curve into a smile. "Maybe you don't know, but when I inherited my father's company, Phoenix Film, that company was on the verge of bankruptcy. How bad was it? When my assistant, Miss Claire, reviewed the company's situation, she suggested I sell the company."
This was a surprising revelation to many. In the media's eyes, Laila inherited her father's film production company and it was still running. Although it produced B movies, it was still a film company. To many, if you could make movies, how could it be considered a bad situation? Who could have guessed it was on the brink of bankruptcy?
Laila continued, "Maybe someone would ask why I didn't use more money to make movies. Isn't my family wealthy? It's simple. Once you've done it once, the second time isn't far away. After I made a movie with my family's money, I would naturally think that I could still use my family's money to make movies. This way, the emphasis on movies would decrease, and I wouldn't concentrate all my energy on my work."
Her words resonated with many people. She spoke sincerely, and people were creatures that, once they found a way out, wouldn't cherish what was in front of them.
What they didn't know was that what Laila said wasn't entirely true; her reasons were also a significant factor. Yet, even if they racked their brains, how many people could guess that she was a reincarnated individual?
In her speech, Laila talked about many things—her life, her dreams, her outlook on the future, and her expectations for cultural exchanges between the two countries.
During the Q&A session, she had the opportunity to experience the sharp questions of the top university students.
"Director Moran, I'd like to ask, how long do you think it will take for the East to catch up with Hollywood in terms of film production quality?"
It was a tricky question. No one, unless they were divine, could provide an exact date. Additionally, if the time frame was stated as too long, it would cause dissatisfaction among the students. If it was stated as too short, it might be seen as flattery and ingratiating.
Fortunately, Laila had dealt with many more challenging reporters in Hollywood. Dealing with these young people who hadn't entered the harsh realities of society was still relatively easy.
"I can't give an objective answer. The future is not something that can be decided by mere words. If my words are of any use, I would hope that tomorrow the two countries can cooperate on an equal footing. But that's obviously not possible. So what we need to do is not to evaluate the future but to create it. Perhaps because of your efforts, this time could be significantly shortened."
Her words received enthusiastic applause. Not subservient or flattering to the East just because she was in the East—this was the kind of person that young people admired.
The next question didn't revolve around Laila's movies but inquired about her family's media business.
"As the largest media company in the United States, owning many media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, websites, TV networks, and more, how do you think the internet will impact traditional media in the next step?"