The Best Director

Chapter 179 Life is like a box of chocolates

Flame Movie finally invested in Chain Saw according to the plan negotiated at the Fuji Restaurant Meeting. The production cost was 10,000 yuan and it owned all its copyrights; However, they enjoy 0% of North American box office revenue and 7.5% of dVd sales; as for overseas box office, video tape sales and rental, dVd rental, TV broadcasting, etc., they are not listed here.

Wan is twice as high as Wen Ziren's original budget, and Ray Warner will play the leading actor with zero pay, and the total remuneration of other cast members will be controlled within Wan, and Wan will use it for filming Funding, including scenes, props, bloody effects and other places. Wen Ziren and Ray Warner happily said with a smile: There is so much money that I don't know how to spend it.

They are all confident that they can use the three million to create a classic and unique B-grade horror film.

The Flame Film Production Department will select suitable producers to join forces with them. Wen Ziren said that the shooting can be completed in half a month at the earliest, or a month at the most, and it will even be released during Halloween this year. But there is no need to be so anxious, because if an independent film wants to stand out, in addition to the film itself being good enough, the promotional work cannot be underestimated.

Receiving Wang Yang's strong optimism and direct instructions, Peter Wilkes, who had always admired Chain Saw, suddenly raised the level of emphasis on several levels. Who in the Flame Group and the entire film industry doesn't know that even if it is a stone, there is a big gold hidden in it.

The Huoyan Group’s plan is to immediately launch no capital promotion, that is, to build an official website on the Internet and place advertisements in places where horror movie fans gather.

You must know that Miracle Yang has an indelible place in the hearts of horror movie fans. Many people must watch Ghost Story again every year. Dacheng, some people even dubbed him the Horror Master. How many horror movie fans look forward to day and night, hoping to wake up the next day, and suddenly see the newspaper saying Amazing Young Returns to Psychological Horror Film\

,"Now Master of Horror strongly recommends the bloody horror film Chain Saw. Although this is Flame Movie's own product, horror movie fans who read this news can't help but be very interested. He's not stupid enough to ruin his reputation.

But just having such a small effect is not enough. Flame Films will arrange for Chain Saw to participate in next year's Saint-Denis Film Festival, Scream Film Festival and other important film festivals, and then launch it in April. It will still be done with Fm Company. If the movie is really popular and popular, it will just use this to start Fm Company's name as an independent film, attract more independent filmmakers, and attract more audiences.

Although Chain Saw is favored by Wang Yang,

But apart from fans who believed in him, he didn't attract any attention from the media or other film companies. It’s just an independent film. The Sundance Film Festival now has more than 100 films participating in the exhibition every year, and countless unsuccessful films; but more importantly, Wen Ziren is a 5-year-old Chinese director. Australian relatives?

As for another plan of Fuji Restaurant Conference, the drag racing crime movie has been confirmed to be directed by Lin Yibin, and the production cost budget is 10,000 yuan; but other things have not been finalized. The script and story need to find a screenwriter to create, as well as a producer. etc.; As for the candidates for the starring lineup, although Michelle Rodriguez and Wang Yang are good friends, she is naturally out of the scope because of the relationship between the Speed ​​and Leakage series.

It's hard to find an actor and queen, but it's not difficult to find a suitable hot girl.

In the office of the chairman of Flame Films, Wang Yang looked at the Eliza Dushku in the phone address book and dialed the past night. For the sake of publicity and film quality, he will be in this movie tentatively named Rage. He will not oversee too many producers, but he will take care of the style and tone of the script and story, the later editing, and the finalization of the starring candidates.

Hearing the puzzled ?, he leaned on the swivel chair and turned around, looked at a pot of daffodils on the desk, and said, Is that Miss Elisa Dushku? I'm Wang Yang.

On the streets of Los Angeles, Eliza Dushku, holding a handbag, stopped in a daze, yung-ng? Fantastic Young? She hurriedly let out a hey, looking at the surrounding trees and vehicles, she didn't know what to say, and she was thinking wildly: Could it be some kind of prank? How could he have my number? Oh, the audition for High School Musical, he Why did you contact me?

She will never forget that audition, not because the audition process was particularly interesting, but because the result is really unforgettable. At first, she felt that she passed 90% of the time, because Wang Yang seemed very satisfied at the time, and said, Miss Dushku, you did a great job in True Lies. His smile was very charming, Maybe it was because of his reputation as the Wonder Boy, anyway, she felt that he had a maturity comparable to his peers at that time.

She likes a man who is mature and funny, but if the man is her age, she likes it better. She remembers saying to Jessica Alba, I really want to date him. Then she lost to Jessica, probably due to the relationship they have known for a long time; then signed Idle Hands in a depressed mood. She is not willing to act in any horror comedy at all. .

But the reality is like a train that cannot stop. Many things are decided by oneself in a second, or decided by others, and then go to the left or go to the right. Two completely different roads, a road that cannot be turned back. Hands of Idle was beaten badly by High School Musical in the end, and this year's The Newcomer was also beaten badly by Sweetheart...

Of course, all these things are in the past, but what is the purpose of Miracle Yang this time? Eliza thought of a possibility, and her steady heart jumped suddenly: Could it be that he wants me to make a movie? T--Team?

? Seeing her delay in speaking, Wang Yang blinked suspiciously. It's normal that others don't know him, but doesn't Eliza Dushku remember? He added: It's the director Wang Yang, District 9, Juno...Miss Dushku, we met before in the High School Musical audition.

Eliza couldn't help laughing, she might not know who Eliza Dushku was, but how could she not know who Wang Yang was? She walked on and said with a smile: Mr. Wang, I know you, Miracle Yang, of course. I also remember the audition for High School Musical. What's the matter?

Well, it's about the movie. Wang Yang picked up a sports car model on the table and slowly drove it in the air, saying: Flame Movie is going to make a series of drag racing movies. The first investment is 10,000 yuan. Justin- Director Lin, you probably don’t know about him; I’m one of the producers, so I’d like to invite you to audition for a female lead, are you interested?”

Although the script of Fury has not been finalized, and the screenwriter has not been seen, the script of purely commercial films is not Schindler's List or Shawshank Redemption. Everything has a format, generally divided into The story and the characters are two parts of the work. Several screenwriters, directors, and producers gathered together to discuss and consider and create from a commercial point of view.

As for the character part, you can design it first and then find a suitable actor; you can also determine the temperament of the preliminary actor before shaping this role. What kind of heroine does Rage need? Sexy, spicy, and adrenaline pumping. Eliza Dushku is sexy and hot, her acting skills are decent, and her age is suitable for low pay. If you refer to the character setting of Speed ​​and Leakage Points, she is the position of Jordana Brewster.

Oh Eliza responded, feeling a little disappointed in her heart, it wasn't a movie directed by Fantastic Young, but she felt very excited immediately, he is the producer, and this is the heroine of a movie with a cost of 60 million and she acted in it before The cost of the heroine's The Newcomer is only 10,000, but with another box office fiasco, she has no new film appointments now, and her agent said that she might need to return to the screen show first.

But Miracle Yang suddenly remembered that she is the number one, the heroine of drag racing movies, her luck is coming? Eliza quickly said: Oh, I'm very interested. She looked at a red sports car whizzing by on the road, and said with a smile: I like cars.

Wang Yang smiled happily, put down the sports car model, and said: Eliza, I just want to tell you now, the specific audition will be discussed after the script comes out, but I think it will be you. He did not forget In the audition four years ago, I knew Eliza's temperament and sense of camera. In fact, she was somewhat similar to Jessica, except that the sweet side was missing, but it was definitely suitable for Rage.

He continued: This movie will probably start shooting at the beginning of next year. Now I can avoid any problems with the schedule. When the script is ready, we will discuss it with your agent in detail. Eliza smiled happily : Okay, thank you very much for this opportunity Wang Yang smiled and said: Well, then bye

Goodbye. Eliza put the phone in her handbag with excitement and dullness, and walked for a while with a blank head before slowly regaining consciousness. He said, I think it's you? Unbelievable, unbelievable, this can't be a dream, can it? She looked up at the dazzling sunlight in the sky, patted her cheek, and immediately showed a happy and excited smile.

Da da da - the door of the office was knocked, Wang Yang, who was looking at the computer screen, said come in, Mark Slant, who was in a black suit and plaid tie, opened the door and walked in, he sat down on the chair in front of the desk, Handing a copy to Wang Yang, he said with a smile, My boss, a few days ago we said that the company had a vacancy for series works. I didn't expect that there would be three series plans now, and four more for The Hangover.

Teen movies are synonymous with Disney, and they are also a powerful tool for flame movies since its inception. The High School Musical series has not only brought more than 800 million global box office, but also a large number of fans who love flames. How could it be possible to give up this song and dance market? Woolen cloth? After High School Musical, Sweetheart is like a leading pioneer, warming up the hip-hop and setting, and Dancing Out of My Life (step-up) is the work that has become a series.

Anne-Fletcher will continue the setting of Sweetheart where the dance city and the real world are integrated, and will invest 10,000 yuan to create a new song and dance movie Dancing Out of My Life with the new screenwriter and producer. The world time of the movie is arranged after Sweetheart, following the setting and history, and writing brand new characters and stories. The goal is to become a long-term series every year or every two years.

Chain Saw, which represents the horror film market, is planned to be a stable one every year; Rage in the drag racing action market, and The Hangover in the R-rated comedy market are both released every two years. Of course, the premise is that these four plans can Achieve expected results.

Why didn't Flame follow the trend of adapting superheroes caused by X-Men and Spider-Man and produce superhero series blockbusters?

Basically, the superheroes worthy of being put on the big screen are gathered in the hands of two comic companies, Marvel and Marvel; and as early as 969, they had Man, Batman, Green Lantern, Flashman, The Wonder Woman and Justice League-level comics were bought by Time Warner, and Warner Bros. wouldn't let anyone else touch those heroes.

What about Marvel, with its Avengers heroes like X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and more? It is still an independent company controlled by Stan Lee. It adopts a single copyright cooperation adaptation method. For example, X-Men is in cooperation with Century Fox; Spider-Man is in cooperation with Sony/Columbia; it is still in production The Hulk is Universal Pictures.

It seems that there are heroes such as Fantastic Four and Iron Man that let the flame movie go to the big screen with Marvel? The answer is no, these heroes are not coveted by big companies, the problem is that Stan Lee and Marvel have to strategically activate these treasures step by step, whenever they say We are interested in adapting this one, who will come? Paramount, Sony , Fox...all rushed up.

Why does Flame Movie compete with other big companies now? Fantastic Young? There is not only one director who can make movies in Hollywood, but there are more factors to consider when adapting a superhero blockbuster.

This is different from the acquisition of Blue Sky Studios. Now everyone is fighting for what everyone wants. Will Marvel Comics take the risk of letting an independent film adapt its own star, or is it a giant mainstream film studio? Don't independent companies with financial strength, such as New Line, Miramax, and Dimensions, want to fight against superheroes? The problem is that there is no chance.

Of course, the super heroes of the second-tier team still have a chance. After all, Marvel Comics has many heroes. Can the flame movie come out of finding a treasure? This hero sounds scary, but not every comic character and every story is suitable for the big screen. Some of them are too old to meet the aesthetics of the times; adaptation?

There are also some stories that do not conform to the style. It can be said that only a few people in the Avengers are suitable for adaptation, so they are back to the situation of competing with big companies, and only some marginally popular heroes are available. (In 2004, Lionsgate put The Punisher on the screen with a production cost of 10,000 yuan, and the global box office was only 10,000 yuan; in 2008, The Punisher with a production cost of 10,000 yuan had a global box office of 10,000 yuan.)

It takes a lot of money to shoot any superhero well. The production cost of 100 million is already the amount that is ridiculed by people. It is not surprising that 500 million and 100 million have become.

The entire cycle from production to release usually takes at least two years. In the end, the total cost of production + publicity + miscellaneous items may be 100 million, but only 400-500 million global box office has been received. In addition to distribution to theaters and the government, Marvel comics also Get a share... Of course, the film company does not do stupid business. Although it is very likely that the pure box office will make very little money, or it will not be able to repay the original cost, but with other peripheral income, there will be a good profit.

What if it screwed up? A large company with sufficient funds may be scolded and held accountable by its executives, and it will be over without continuing to make sequels; but a loss of 100 million or 200 million is very fatal for an independent film company, and of course it will not lead to flame movies. Bankruptcy, but superhero blockbusters and fringe hero blockbusters are not suitable business investments.

The big cake of super heroes is not as beautiful as it looks, but the wonderful X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, Human and other guys have long belonged to them.

However, as long as there is a suitable opportunity, Flame Films will still try its best to compete with other big companies for the adaptation rights, and gradually develop some high-cost series of films; but the current task is to silently demonstrate its strength. , The Hangover and other four trump cards, plus Ice Age in cg animation, it is definitely more stable and suitable than producing a high-cost and high-risk superhero film that is blockbuster and profitable.

Mark, these four series are important plans for Flame Films for the next ten years. Wang Yang looked at Mark Slanter with a pensive look on his face, and said, Chain Saw and James will be successful soon. , you know horror movies are like this. I think James will carry the banner of horror movies in our company in the future. If he wants to continue to make Chain Saw, Chain Saw, or any other horror movie ideas, we all agree Promise to invest, he definitely has the ability to become a horror master.

Thinking of Wen Ziren's style, he couldn't help smiling, and said, This guy's mind is full of scary things. Mark Slanter shrugged, and Wang Yang thought about it again: Justin's drag racing movie needs More patience, but maybe it won't work, maybe the first one will be a big success, who knows? Mark spread his hands and said, Life is like a box of chocolates.

Haha Wang Yang rolled his eyes with a smile, he was a little afraid to hear this sentence now. After thinking about it, Wang Yang smiled again: Dancing Out of My Life doesn't need any accumulation, or it has already been accumulated, and Anne will handle Mark. As long as we build these four plans, we can continue to work on the film and television library. The policy will definitely be that of an independent film company.

Mark Slante had a noncommittal expression, not so optimistic and confident, and said with a smile: Hey, this sounds good. Wang Yang said with a smile: Of course, but I think our series in the next ten years They won't be the only ones, you know life is like a box of chocolates. Mark nodded with a smile on his face, and said, I think it's correct, who would have thought I was from an independent film company? He frowned and asked : We will succeed?

Man, let's watch. Wang Yang snapped his fingers, tapped the folder with the plan, and said with a smile, Let's start with The Hangover.

After the two talked for a long time, Mark Srant left. Wang Yang slowly turned the chair, looking at the titles of the movies on the folders, Saw, Dancing Out of My Life... He suddenly raised his brows, remembering that the directors of Dancing Out of My Life in the future are the sons of chefs, Chinese-American directors Jon Zhu and Zhu Haowei. It seems that Zhu Haowei is still studying now, and he thought that if Annie stopped directing in the future, he could also ask Zhu Haowei to take over.

Thinking about it, Nancy suddenly came back to mind, and they didn't have much contact for a while, except for the congratulations when District 9 was released. Wang Yang picked up the mobile phone on the desk, sniffed the pot of daffodils in full bloom, called Nancy, and smiled when he got through, Nancy, didn't I bother you? I remember that there is no class at this time Right? How are you doing now?

On the campus of USC, Nancy, wearing a blue fisherman hat and holding a few books in her left hand, was walking on the forest road. Now I eat three big hamburgers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wang Yang suddenly smiled and said, It seems that you are as fat as Harry and Kay Smith now?

Yeah, I'm the next Kay-Smith... No, I'll be the next Miraculous Young. Nancy also laughed, and she looked down at her chest: I only know how powerful you are now, those notes of yours The explanation is more thorough than the teacher's explanation. Director, I am now a class star, haha, they don't know that I am possessed by you.

Listening to the laughter over there, Nancy thought about the interesting things of the past few days, and said with a smile: In the movie appreciation class two days ago, do you know which movie we watched? Those of you from The Ninth District The psychological suggestion lens was used to the fullest. I didn’t notice it when I watched it. The teacher analyzed it for us and then we said “Oh, no wonder it’s so uncomfortable to watch and some people say that Wang Yang is a psychopath? It’s really a scary one.” people

She greeted a few classmates passing by with a smile, and continued to laugh: Then I said, no, I was Wang Yang's assistant director in Juno, I know his temper, he is very aggressive. But not to the point of psychopathy.”

Ha... Wang Yang stood up and went to the window to look at the street view outside, and said with a smile: Man, to be honest, among the many assistant directors I have worked with, you are the most comfortable. So you Hurry up and finish your degree, and come to me as an assistant director. Nancy exaggeratedly wowed, and indeed smiled happily: It's a great honor, this is so exciting.

But you can't be completely brainwashed by the academics. I don't want those stupid geese. Wang Yang pretended to be serious and said something, and Nancy over there smiled disdainfully: I'm a joke anyway. A director from the Sundance Film Festival, right? Ok, I’m just a passerby in Park City.”

Thinking of her stubborn and embarrassed look at that time, Wang Yang couldn't help smiling, and then thought of something, and asked with great interest: Do you want to participate in the shooting of an independent film? Our company has a horror film Chain Saw coming soon. It’s filming, they’re building a crew, you can interview part-time handymen, help out on Saturdays and Sundays, and when there’s no class, you’re guaranteed to learn a lot.”

Okay. Nancy responded with great interest, walked towards the dormitory building, and said, Tell me the contact information?