Chapter 731 Is this strangely vengeful person just holding a grudge? (6000 words)
As filming wrapped up more often, it became commonplace.
However, the completion of filming for "Dingfeng No. 1" still brought Lu Yanhe a different feeling.
It was only three days after he finished filming and returned home that he suddenly realized that he was still subconsciously stuck in "Dingfeng No. 1".
Is it because you're still not out of character?
It shouldn't be that bad.
After staying at home for two days, Lu Yanhe immediately packed his things and went to the editorial department of "Jump Up".
He felt he needed to be in crowded places.
One cannot wallow in this state alone.
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"Jump Up" is also extremely busy right now.
Because "Jump Up" is now preparing a supplement.
After publishing twelve issues annually, plus summer and winter specials, Jump Up is now preparing a quarterly supplement.
The reason for this is that, with the development over the past few years, the number of signed authors for "Jump Up" has increased, and many well-known authors have also taken the initiative to inquire about publishing their works.
In today's exclusive commercial arts magazine, there are more and more good articles, and the original publication is no longer able to handle so many submissions.
However, the four quarterly supplements have a clear bias.
The four quarterly supplements mainly publish novels suitable for adaptation into "jump theater" works.
Therefore, at this point in time, the editorial department of "Jump Up" not only needs to start this year's review activities, but also needs to prepare the winter special issue and the first supplement for next year in addition to the daily editing work.
The workload has surged.
After Lu Yanhe arrived, he originally wanted to rest, but Chen Siqi caught him and made him work part-time as a planner and interviewer for the winter special issue.
The interview theme of this winter special issue is for the authors to talk about the winter-related things they have read and watched that have left a deep impression on them.
Having no other choice, Lu Yanhe accepted the task. Of course, having something to do would also help him get out of the lingering effects of "Dingfeng No. 1" as quickly as possible.
Every interview brings some interesting perspectives. Especially when the interviewees are authors, whose reading and film viewing volumes are generally quite high, they often have their own unique aesthetic sense and insights.
Lu Yanhe has heard many interesting opinions in his conversations with different people.
It took Lu Yanhe about five days to interview a total of eight authors, compile the manuscripts, and hand them over to Xu Zijun.
Xu Zijun now has her own office.
Lu Yanhe always felt that she was the one who had changed the most among his high school classmates.
This change is not merely a change in appearance, but also an internal change.
It's not that Xu Zijun was an insecure person in high school, but rather that the way she presents herself now makes it impossible to tell that she was born into a family that required a lot of effort to escape.
Many people who grew up in difficult circumstances may be able to change their life situation and quality of life through their own efforts. However, they often appear "too strong" and are unable to be "soft" or "relaxed." This is because they need armor.
What surprised Lu Yanhe was Xu Zijun's overall demeanor. Over the years, she had become more and more gentle and firm, without being aggressive at all. Perhaps it was because of the so-called "original suffering" that left her with a reactive "extreme" personality.
Among those around him, only Xu Zijun has managed to rise from a truly impoverished background to where she is today through her own hard work, and still maintain this kind of life attitude and personality.
Xu Zijun smiled as she accepted the paper manuscript from Lu Yanhe, saying, "I'll look at the manuscript later tonight. I have a lot of work to do during the day, so I can't concentrate."
“Okay.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
He curiously toured Xu Zijun's office.
The office is about 15 square meters, which is not considered large for the current editor-in-chief of "Jump Up".
However, Xu Zijun kept the place very tidy, so it didn't feel crowded or cramped at all.
Lu Yanhe turned to ask, "Does Li Pengfei come often?"
Xu Zijun nodded: "It must be at least ten times a year."
She also gave a helpless smile.
“You said before that you could assemble a documentary filming team to film his wilderness adventures. After he went back, he thought about it for a long time and really decided to do it,” Xu Zijun said. “He may really be going to make this his life’s work.”
Lu Yanhe asked, "Do you mind? Do you support it?"
"I have no right to mind or not support it," Xu Zijun said gently.
Lu Yanhe subconsciously thought that Xu Zijun was saying that her family background and other aspects were not a good match for Li Pengfei, which was why she put herself in such a low position to say such things.
Then, the next second, Xu Zijun said, "He has never objected to whatever I want to do."
So that's how it is.
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
“When I was in high school, and even later in college, one thing I talked to him about a lot was what he wanted to do in the future,” Lu Yanhe said. “What he told me most was that he had no idea what he wanted to do. He felt that he had nothing he loved or anything he was particularly interested in. He always joked that he was just a born rich kid destined to live a life of leisure.”
Xu Zijun smiled.
"He's always like that, putting himself in a very low position."
"So, I'm quite happy to see that he's been doing this for so many years and still wants to continue. Although I'm worried about the dangers of wilderness exploration, I'm still very happy."
“Yes.” Xu Zijun nodded. “It is indeed rare to be able to find something you want to do, especially for him.”
Lu Yanhe and she smiled at each other.
"That--"
“I never thought about breaking up with him,” Xu Zijun suddenly said.
The words Lu Yanhe wanted to say were stuck in his throat.
Xu Zijun said, "The things I said to him were just meant to provoke him."
Lu Yanhe looked surprised.
“He’s different from you,” Xu Zijun said helplessly. “If I don’t provoke him, he might never think about these things. In his life, there are almost no things he needs to worry about, but I can’t help but care.”
Lu Yanhe nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Your stimulus was very timely."
"I thought you would stand up for your friend," Xu Zijun said with a smile.
"For him, or for you?" Lu Yanhe said, "Although I admit that I tend to favor relatives over the truth, when both sides are relatives, I usually choose to stay out of it and not get involved."
Xu Zijun was stunned for a long time, then smiled helplessly but gently.
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Lu Yanhe spent a week at "Jump Up".
He has finally emerged from the influence of "Dingfeng No. 1".
Subsequently, he had to throw himself back into his various jobs.
He first followed up on the latest developments of the film "Flypaper".
After signing Arne Bogut for $2 million, the fifth lead actor for "Flypaper" has been cast.
At this point, the actors' total compensation has reached $4.3 million.
Including Lu Yanhe's base salary of $500,000 as screenwriter, the personnel expenses have reached approximately $5 million.
Based on Linghe's budget control for "Flypaper," there is actually not much budget space left for the production team, represented by the director, and the remaining actors.
This also means that they don't actually have the budget to hire people with salaries exceeding one million dollars.
Unless Linghe is willing to adjust the budget.
However, Lu Yanhe dared not do that.
The original film "Flypaper" did not have a regular theatrical release in North America at the time, not even on a small scale. It was only screened at the Sundance Film Festival, where it earned a little over five thousand dollars.
After its overseas release, it grossed approximately four million US dollars worldwide.
To be precise, this wasn't actually a very successful film based on the original work. Its fame grew gradually over time, relying on word-of-mouth from moviegoers as a genre film, and then gaining recognition on various charts and rating websites.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe was certain that this was a good story, and if the movie could be made normally, it would definitely be a good movie. The only uncertainty was whether it would be able to win over audiences in the market.
Lu Yanhe didn't want to gamble; there was no need to.
His idea was still to use this film to prove his "success" and that Yan Liang could be a box office hit.
If a film's budget exceeds 20 million US dollars, even if it grosses over 20 million US dollars at the US box office, it is considered unsuccessful in the market's evaluation system.
However, if the film's cost is kept below ten million US dollars, and it grosses over fifteen million US dollars in the United States, coupled with a good overseas box office performance, it will be a boost for Yan Liang.
People are more interested in the return on investment than the absolute box office figures.
After all, even in this parallel universe, the critically panned "Captain America: Civil War" still grossed over $400 million worldwide, and "Snow White" surpassed $100 million globally in its first week, but no one would call them successful. Except for a few die-hard fans who don't care about the facts.
Lu Yanhe tried his best to keep the cost of "Flypaper" around ten million dollars, and at most no more than fifteen million dollars.
He wasn't sure what kind of box office performance "Flypaper" would achieve in North America. To be on the safe side, he decided to prepare for the worst.
Of course, he believed that the movie "Flypaper" would definitely be good.
This movie will definitely have a large-scale screening in North America. Moreover, with so many well-known actors involved, it's a completely different story from the original "Flypaper." When the movie was released, only the male lead was somewhat famous; the others were relatively unknown. This movie only gradually gained popularity later on.
Therefore, based on the film's subject matter, cast, and current North American film market performance, Lu Yanhe consulted some professional box office analysts and concluded that, under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be too difficult for the film to gross between 30 and 50 million US dollars.
This is also why Lu Yanhe insisted that the film's production budget should not exceed $15 million. Otherwise, even if "Flypaper" made a profit from box office revenue outside North America, it still wouldn't be good enough for the North American film market.
Then Lu Yanhe would have wasted his time making this movie.
As for the director of this film.
Filming this movie wasn't too difficult. As long as the director understood the genre and had a good sense of pacing, Lu Yanhe felt that, based on the storyboard he provided, it shouldn't be a bad film.
The director is Murken Sorge.
Lu Yanhe shared his ideas and style for the film with Moken Sorge.
A darkly humorous, not deliberately funny, but with characters engaging in some lighthearted banter, locked-room "double-crossing" crime story.
With the positioning already clear, Lu Yanhe felt that finding a director shouldn't be difficult.
Sure enough, Murken Sorge quickly found him three directors, sent him their resumes, and said they could communicate online via video at any time.
Lu Yanhe, however, felt that if he could meet the director in person, he should do so.
Whether two people have a compatible aura is not something that can be keenly felt during a video call.
So Lu Yanhe flew to the United States, met with Murken Sorge in New York, and then met with the three directors in turn.
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Each of the three directors has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Fortunately, for Lu Yanhe, making a choice was not difficult.
To assess a person's shortcomings, we must examine whether those shortcomings cross the line and whether they negatively impact the progress of the project.
To assess a person's strengths, we need to consider what those strengths can bring to the project and whether they align with the project's "selling points."
When Muken Sorge asked for his opinion, Lu Yanhe gave his choice without hesitation.
“I met Marshall Reynolds yesterday,” Lu Yanhe said. “He previously directed the low-budget film ‘Hide and Seek,’ which is basically the same style as ‘Flypaper.’ Although ‘Hide and Seek’ was not released in theaters, it received high praise on your Rotten Tomatoes website. If he were to direct ‘Flypaper,’ his experience as the director of ‘Hide and Seek’ could convert many viewers of ‘Hide and Seek’ to watch ‘Flypaper.’”
“Didn’t Carlo also direct a film similar in style to Flypaper, called ‘Shot on the Run’ on the first day?” Muken said. “Moreover, the reviews were good, and he has more experience directing. In addition to ‘Shot on the Run,’ he has also directed two other films, and his performance is quite stable.”
Lu Yanhe said, "But that's also why he's on my lower priority list. Carlo's salary is 500,000 higher than Marshall's, and he has already made several films. He has a fixed impression in the minds of many movie fans. This impression is that he is a very mediocre director who has not made any particularly outstanding performances. But Marshall has only made one film. Although he is not as experienced, 'Flypaper' is not a film that requires a lot of directorial experience. It is a closed-room structure, and the staging and such are not that big."
Muken Sorge nodded.
"Alright."
"What's your opinion?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"I don't really like Marshall," said Murken Sorge. "He's very talented, and I love 'Hide and Seek,' but he's a bit eccentric."
"You mean he always interrupts us to talk about his own understanding and thoughts on 'Flypaper'?" Lu Yanhe asked.
“Yes.” Muken Sorge nodded. “He seems like a very difficult person to communicate with.”
“As a director, especially regarding the difficulty in communicating on the content creation level, I don’t really think it’s a bad thing,” Lu Yanhe said. “Mu Ken, you know, as an actor, well, in many of your eyes, I am fully entitled to go against the director and the director should obey me. Why do I always listen to the director on set? Even if I don’t understand his instructions or his ideas.”
"You are a very professional actor," said Moken Sorge.
“It has nothing to do with my profession,” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “It’s because I always make sure I fully understand a director before choosing to work with him. Once I’ve understood him and made the decision, I know he won’t make anything too bad; he must have his strengths. Under this premise, if I go against him and try to influence his ideas with my own, the final product will often be less than perfect because there are too many opinions. One person’s ideas are always more coherent and unified than the combined ideas of two people.”
Muken Sorge seemed thoughtful.
“So, I acknowledge that film is the director’s art. Then I will definitely choose a director and unconditionally believe in him and help him complete his work and his art,” Lu Yanhe said. “He is difficult to communicate with and he pays special attention to himself. This actually shows that he has a very clear idea for the script of ‘Flypaper’ and has a creative desire, which is a particularly valuable thing.”
Muken Zorge looked at Lu Yanhe in disbelief.
"If I ever can't find investors for my movies in the future, I'll come to you. I wish that film companies like Parameter and D19 had the same idea as you."
"Haha, this is just my perspective as an actor. If I were an investor, my standards would change depending on my perspective. Everyone is afraid of losing money."
Moken Sorge said, "So, what are you planning to do with the movie 'Get Out'?"
"You're in charge," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "I told you, this is the script for you. I'm just a screenwriter."
Muken Sorge glanced at Lu Yanhe again, seemingly surprised.
Lu Yanhe was actually going to give him such a script?
Of course, it's not a free gift.
But Lu Yanhe really isn't involved in producing the film? He's not even trying to control its production?
Lu Yanhe smiled.
“How you shoot it is up to you, but you know the special nature of this film, so try not to choose well-known actors,” Lu Yanhe said.
The thematic nature of this film means that, to some extent, it is not a film that relies on stars to attract attention.
Conversely, the inherent attributes of the stars and actors (especially those from Europe and America, who are more or less associated with sensitive topics) can actually affect the positive impact of this film on social issues.
"Also, you have to reserve at least 50% of the budget for this movie, depending on how much it will ultimately need."
This movie, with a production cost of $4.5 million, earned a whopping $250 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of the year.
Of course, if Murken Sorge were to direct it now, and Lu Yanhe were to write the screenplay, their combined salaries would likely be more than $4.5 million.
Lu Yanhe only intended to give Muken Sorge full production rights, but did not intend to become a philanthropist.
To Murken Sorge, these words had a different meaning.
Not only did Lu Yanhe not try to seize power from him, but he also offered to support him with real money to make this movie?!
Muken Sorge grabbed Lu Yanhe right there on the street and gave him a tight hug.
I don't know who took the picture and posted it online.
Many people are wondering: Are they going to collaborate again?
There are also some groups: Why are they so ambiguous with each other? Have they come out of the closet?
Of course, these are just some lighthearted amusement over tea.
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Lu Yanhe does not intend to include Asian characters in Get Out.
Or perhaps it's because this movie is rather unique, as its theme doesn't involve Asian issues.
After securing the directorship for "Flypaper," Lu Yanhe met with executives from several film companies.
They were all old acquaintances of his.
As a result, everyone was very interested in the "Flypaper" project he was working on.
Everyone seems to have a very high opinion of this project.
With a good script and several well-known actors, this combination makes everyone optimistic about the film's prospects, so everyone wants to secure North American distribution, or even global distribution.
However, this time Lu Yanhe does not intend to give the distribution rights of "Flypaper" outside of North America to an American company.
Although Linghe does not have its own distribution channels around the world, it has familiar and cooperative film distributors.
Using "Flypaper" to further solidify cooperative relationships will also allow us to negotiate better release terms with each company individually.
In particular, "Flypaper" itself is a film with a relatively international cast.
Zeby Doyle of Parameter was somewhat shocked when he heard that Lu Yanhe only intended to release the North American distribution rights for "Flypaper".
Lu Yanhe said, "The cast of 'Flypaper' might be so-so in North America, with the only noteworthy one being Arne Bogut. However, in Asia, it boasts an all-star cast and is a highly anticipated film. You didn't believe in Yan Liang's box office appeal in 'Speed' before, but this time, I can't say for sure about the North American box office, but at least I can show you how much 'Flypaper' can sell in Asia."
Zeby Doyle: "..."
Lu Yanhe is also quite vengeful.
Is it because you hold a grudge?
Lu Yanhe smiled.
Let's wait and see.
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I recommend the classic entertainment novel, "I Became the Leading Lady of a Scandal Overnight."
(End of this chapter)
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