The Best Director

Chapter 141 The only one

Geoff, please don't do this. Reading Net) Hearing what Geoff said on the phone, Wang Yang frowned, and the beautiful scenery in the back garden was also unintentional. Appreciating, he sat down in the chair, and persuaded the mobile phone: Please, don't do this. You know that it is Africa, South Africa; it is not the Middle East... No, believe me, there is no war in South Africa now, right? Terrorists? I Haven't heard much about it, but we've hired a security team and they're definitely doing better than...

Geoff, the field manager over there, sighed and said: Jan, I'm sorry, I won't go anyway, my family is worried that I will leave home to work, my wife and children, for them, I Can't take any risks. He apologized again: Sorry

Well, I can understand, there is no other way. Wang Yang helplessly covered his forehead, nodded and said: OK, that's it, bye

More than two weeks have passed since the September 11 incident. The United States has already lifted the alarm for terrorist attacks. Airplanes have resumed flying. The fire at the ruins of the World Trade Center is still burning. It is also continuing, and the whole country seems to have returned to its original order.

On the 14th, Wang Yang was invited to participate in a confidential brainstorming meeting at USC’s Institute of Creative Technology, including Michael Bay and others who were either good at exploding crime movies, or known for their rich imagination The directors were all present and discussed with the Department of Homeland Security, counter-terrorism experts and others. He proposed a terrorist attack method of all-out anthrax powder attack. The terrorists drove a large truck full of anthrax powder through several different cities in a short period of time, spreading the anthrax powder in the air. In the process, the residents of the city were exposed to the virus.

Hearing his idea, people in the Department of Homeland Security all looked stern, and Michael Bay and others had other bold and crazy ideas, which made the organization officials sigh at the end of the meeting, Fortunately, these directors are not terrorists.

On September 21st, the America Salute to the Heroes disaster relief fundraising party was held, which was co-produced and broadcast by TV stations of all sizes in the United States, and also broadcast simultaneously in 156 countries around the world. Flame Film Company donated 20 million afterwards. On September 19, the U.S. military sent fighter jets to the military base in the Persian Gulf, and military strikes against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan will start at any time.

Although Wang Yang has read through the history of war and has an understanding of the military, he has never had a good impression of war. Whether it is the Taliban or the US military, there is no real winner in war. Life goes on, and movies go on, but neither life nor movies exist in a vacuum. 9/11 and the coming war can't escape the various impacts.

The biggest shadow left by the September 11 incident is airplanes, terrorists, and personal safety; the same is true in Hollywood, almost all first-line stars with a salary of more than tens of millions,

They all canceled their overseas filming plans, including superstars Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Kim Carrey, Will Smith... Countless stars, as well as big producers The filmmakers, directors, etc. all made it clear with one voice that they would no longer be trapeze people for the time being, and they only wanted to stay in China.

The fourth season of the CBS reality TV series Survivor with the highest ratings in the United States was originally planned to go to the Middle East for filming, but now it is naturally cancelled, because the entire crew, actors, and staff have given up their high salaries and do not want to go to the Middle East to die . But not only the Middle East, even Canada and Australia are now listed as unsafe locations, all film and television crews are suffering from security crises, and Africa in District 9? In second place on the least safe list is the Middle East.

Therefore, almost half of the crew of The Ninth District told Wang Yang that they had to either change the shooting location or quit.

The on-site shooting of African slums is very important for the film effect. The sense of reality cannot be compared with miniature models and partial scenery; and if it is necessary to build a panorama in Los Angeles, it is undoubtedly a fantasy. Such a huge The cost is also unbearable for the flame movie. Wang Yang will not change his plan to film in Africa, so they are the only ones to withdraw.

Fortunately, only some job positions, such as field supervisors, have been withdrawn, not members of the film crew. These jobs can still find replacements who are willing to go to South Africa with a lot of money. However, the important position of the film crew could not bear the loss, otherwise there would be a lot of trouble. After discovering this sign, Wang Yang contacted the important members one by one as soon as possible. In addition to making security promises, he also increased the salary.

Even so, there are still several members such as the sound engineer and the lighting engineer who are determined to leave; some people from the accompanying special effects team on the image engine side also want to quit... some work has to start again, and at the same time continue to appease the existing Members' emotions, lest they also suddenly leave regardless of the contract compensation.

It's really bad, and then it will be worse... Wang Yang sighed, and was about to get up and go back to the house when the phone rang again. He looked at it, and it was Robert Downey Jr., he answered with a frown, and said with a smile, Hey, Robert, don't tell me you're quitting or not. If that's the case, there's no need for terrorists, I'm I will go to your house and kill you.

Donnie over there chuckled, as if he was smacking his lips and said: No, I don't have that plan. Anyway, no one cares about my death. You are not afraid of Yang, what am I afraid of? Both of them laughed a few times, and Wang Yang just Seriously said: No one will die, the slums we went to are safe, and it's only been a month. Then what are you calling me? Downey replied: I just tell you, if the crew needs help, tell Me. Don’t forget I’m also a producer, and I know a lot of people.”

Of course. Wang Yang stood up and said as he walked, Just now, our field supervisor resigned, so I need a new field supervisor now. Any suggestions?

However, the impact of the September 11 incident on the film industry is far from limited to the problem of filming and framing. After the incident, in the first week from 14th to 20th, the box office in the United States was still very strong, which was an increase of the second week compared with the same period last year. As the possibility of the US military launching a war increased, there were rumors that terrorists would launch a second wave of attacks , the movie theater suddenly became deserted.

The total box office this week was only 56 million, a 15% drop from last week and 3 million lower than the same period last year. The newly released debut musical comedy Sparkling Stars starring music queen Mariah Carey also failed miserably. 1,200 theaters only received 2.9 million box office. The total box office of the top 12 is only 44.2 million, a new low since September 15, 2000.

The mood of the audience is unpredictable, but one thing is affirmed by the filmmakers. Horror and violent movies are not popular now. Some criticisms from the media, newspapers, and online movie fans have also proved this point. Horror and violent movies have become the target of public criticism overnight, and filmmakers responded one after another by directly withdrawing the film or postponing its release.

Including the action thriller Collateral Damage starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was originally scheduled to be released on October 5, the war film We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson... and the original Christmas film We Were Soldiers The violent crime film Gangs of New York starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the war film Windtalker by Nicolas Cage + John Woo, and even the blockbuster Spider-Man which is only exciting ...Almost all the movies that are related to violence and shock have been postponed until next year, and there is no fixed date yet.

The production progress of the film company has naturally been seriously disrupted. Last year, there were about 68 new films in the fourth quarter of Hollywood; The first part is detached from violence, Ninth District.

Those Hollywood producers only have money in their eyes, and they don't hesitate to invest a lot of money, time and manpower to shoot some thrilling horror and violent movies in order to attract young people and earn their money. In fact, this is very Irresponsible behavior. A few days ago, 76-year-old film master Robert Altman, who was nominated for 5 Oscars for Best Director and 4 times for Best Picture, made a statement to the media: Those terrorists are nothing but Just studying Hollywood movies, no one would have thought of committing such atrocities unless they had seen those movies.

This rebellious old man who has always said anything and is keen on criticism and ridicule mentioned Fan Yang by name: I noticed that there is a rising star Wang Yang among the directors. He will continue to produce his R-rated violent films. Now the only one Department. I don’t know what kind of mentality this kid is, but I know he knows how to make money from his peers. If his new movie is just thinking about making money, tell him for me that violent movies shouldn’t be made at this time, no one will watch them ; Now it's time to make the warm and sunny movies he is good at, which is guaranteed to make a lot of money.

Many movie fans on the Internet, also on the official website of Flame Movie, Wang Yang's personal website and blog, have expressed that they don't want to see him make scary, violent and disturbing new works, and hope that he can make a film like When Happiness Heart-warming movies like Knock on the Door and Juno are fine if they aren't as lively as High School Musical, but don't come to A Ghost Story, they won't go into the cinema.

Many entertainment media have also analyzed and commented on the film situation in the post-911 era. It is generally believed that it will take at least 1-2 years for the market to return to normal, and it will take longer if there is a war.

The report of Movie News wrote: At this time full of horror, most audiences are not willing to see violent movies, and film companies are also rushing to cancel the corresponding production plans. It is worth mentioning that the magical director Wang Yang is continuing to go against the market, and I believe the producers are happy to see his pathfinding, but what is this guy thinking? Will District 9 be his Waterloo?

Santa Monica, Flame Films conference room. With a snap, Wang Yang put down the blue folder in his hand, which clearly stated some known information about the 16 films currently planned by all Hollywood filmmakers, genres: comedy, romantic love, campus music, romantic comedy... …He glanced at Mark Slanter, distribution manager Simon Willis, production manager Sandy Pax and others on both sides of the conference table, and shrugged calmly.

Yan, we are the only one, the only movie with violence, and it is a big production with a cost of 100 million. Mark Slanter's voice was a little heavy, and his eyes behind the glasses frame were full of seriousness. Looking at the crowd, Wang Yang suddenly smiled and said, It's pretty cool, isn't it? Simon Willis and the others immediately laughed, and Mark Srant also smiled helplessly: Yes, we Always so different. But Jan, you know...

He was full of panic, pointing to himself and said, The mood of watching movies now is like my face. 911 has not passed the night, but maybe there will be another war tomorrow, and people will die again. He frowned. Spreading his hands, he didn't speak, but the meaning was obvious: The Ninth District is not suitable for filming at the moment, please postpone it.

Mark, everyone. Wang Yang looked at them one by one seriously, and said: The 9/11 incident is really regrettable, but it happened, we can't just avoid it, what we need is reflection. And The Ninth District The story is not only violent...”

Mark Slant shook his head and interrupted him: Reflection must be timed, and every demand must be timed. Obviously, this is not it, it is not a stage for violent suppression. Simon Willis nodded in agreement: The nerves of the audience are very sensitive and fragile now. Mark Slanter said: Although The Ninth District will be released at least in August next year, no one knows whether the audience will recover by then, even if the film Very, very well, we will all probably not recoup our costs...

Seeing everyone chattering and listening to them, Wang Yang couldn't help frowning slowly, market, market, cost, cost...why does he still care about these things? In the prison on Riker Island, he was already crazy. He suddenly shouted, interrupted everyone, and decided to say: Needless to say, I will continue to shoot guys, I can't postpone, everything is ready, everything

He took a deep breath, thinking about the preparations along the way, from May to now almost October, 5 months of hard work, setting up the crew, in Vancouver... He said in a deep voice: Nothing, no difficulty can stop this plan, to hell with it, I won't put it off

Mark Srant and others immediately looked at each other in blank dismay. Although they understood his mood, they all felt helpless.

Everyone. Wang Yang pursed his lips, glanced at them and said, I know this may damage the company's interests. But what if Ninth District really loses money? Will it lose a lot? The company won't It’s going to fall.” He frowned and stared at them, and said, “And who says it’s bound to lose money? Please, cheer up.” He clapped his hands loudly and encouraged, “We can do it well, we can

Seeing that he had really made up his mind, Mark Slanter, who knew his temper, smiled wryly, and stopped persuading him, saying: OK, OK, anyway, you are Miraculous Yang, and Miraculous Yang can always bring miracles If District 9 is successful again, it would be really cool. Everyone laughed when they heard the words, Wang Yang shrugged with a smile, and Mark said seriously: Then accept the fact that our publicity work must be done well. Better yet, make a change.

Simon Willis over there nodded and said his opinion: Well, blood and violence can no longer be mentioned, District 9 should be silent for a while now, so that everyone can forget its violent impression.

Transfer the attention of the media to the aliens. Wang Yang smiled and snapped his fingers, glad that they could support his decision. He also thought about the change in publicity, and said: I agree to fade out for a while, but not for too long, and then we will announce that it is a science fiction movie with aliens, and then launch some viral marketing website.

Hearing the viral marketing website, everyone was a little puzzled, Mark Srant frowned and asked, What do you mean?

Wang Yang pondered for a while, and then he conceived: That website is for viral marketing, allowing movie fans and audiences to interact... Let me share an idea, combine it with gger, the goal of that website is for everyone to update on their gger An article about District Nine, as long as it reaches 50,000 people, or 100,000 people, it will unlock a concept map of aliens, and then open the next viral marketing website.

Looking at the thoughtful crowd, he smiled and said: This is like a game, an activity, but it requires many, many people to play together. Everyone must participate and ask their friends to participate. Participate The more viewers and the longer the participation time, the higher their expectations for the film, as if they will go into the cinema with the production and growth of this film together.

Simon Willis, who is familiar with how the release promotion is going on, his eyes lit up, and he praised with some excitement: This way viral marketing is not just a fatigue bombing, a game... Wow, if this promotion plan is successful, the movie will be released by then. Finally, the box office in the first week will be very high... Mark Slanter immediately laughed, and said: As long as the movie is good and the reviews are not bad, it will attract more people to watch it and eliminate the audience as much as possible. resistance.

Wang Yang thumped the tabletop of the conference table vigorously, and said with a smile, I just want to talk about viral marketing. We must do a good job in viral marketing. Everyone smiled, and somewhat regained some confidence and fighting spirit. Mark— Slante suddenly joked: Yang, are you planning to advertise the viral marketing plan? Wang Yang raised his eyebrows and said, Maybe.

Everyone laughed a few times, and Simon Willis proposed again: I have an idea. The 9/11 incident, the war, these damn things are all ours. Mark Srant and others all hummed; Yang had already guessed what he was going to say, and asked, You mean the overseas market? Simon Willis nodded with a smile, and said, We should pay more attention to the overseas market this time. Mark Slanter suddenly He also nodded and said, That's right, I support it.

Hmm... Wang Yang frowned, as if he was thinking about something, and suddenly asked: If District 9 is released globally simultaneously, how many countries can we reach?

Simon Willis was taken aback. Now overseas, it is usually released every 1-2 weeks, or even a few months later; there are occasional synchronizations, but only in a few countries, obviously not global synchronization. concept. He thought for a while and replied: I think there is no problem in general, but the review and introduction systems in some regions are very different, and they may not be able to cooperate with each other.

Guys, simultaneous global release is a trend. Wang Yang took a sip of water from his glass and continued: You know that as a movie fan, you always hope to see movies as soon as possible, instead of waiting for other places I can’t see it until everyone else has seen it. It’s terrible, but if it’s released simultaneously, everyone’s enthusiasm for watching the movie will be very high.”

Everyone agreed, Wang Yang smiled, and said slowly and loudly: This time we will release it globally simultaneously, in the UK, Australia, Germany, Mexico, China... as many overseas viral marketing campaigns as there are. To do it simultaneously, the entire planet has to be involved, and we have to play big.”

Mark Slanter raised his hand as if surrendering, shook his head and said, Okay, okay, I wanted to persuade you to postpone or cancel District 9, but now I want to play it even bigger, OK He waved his hand back indifferently, and said, Let's give the world a surprise.

Haha Simon Willis and the others immediately laughed.

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