Chapter 37 Learning from Stallone
"Boss, another call. You've received so many calls in the past two days."
"It's better to have more phone calls. Being in the entertainment industry and not having anyone to call is a terrible thing."
In the lounge of Turner Television's TNT headquarters in Burbank, Link took the phone from his assistant Liu Xiaoli and chatted with Robert Shea who called.
Robert Shea wanted to mend his relationship with him and have a chance to strengthen their collaboration.
New Line Cinema is a very powerful film company. After being acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures next year, its strength will be further enhanced, making it one of the few companies in the independent production field that can rival Miramax Films.
Having the opportunity to work with New Line on a movie is also a great choice.
As agent Sam Haskell said, Hollywood is a place of fame and fortune, but also an arena of competition. Before one has the strength to dominate the area, gang operations will yield greater rewards.
"Sit down, don't stand. Standing is tiring."
Link hung up the phone and handed the phone to Liu Xiaoli. Nowadays, mobile phones are relatively large. They are too heavy to put in the pocket and too tacky to wear around the waist. It is best to give it to the assistant for safekeeping.
"Boss, are you considered very popular now? Are you considered first-tier or top-tier in the American entertainment industry?"
Liu Xiaoli sat with her knees together on the fabric sofa opposite him.
The white work bag was placed flat on her smooth knees and her calves were crossed, giving her the grace of a dancer. Combined with her beautiful and gentle young woman's face, her appearance was top-notch even in Hollywood, where there are so many beautiful women.
"Call me Link, and I will answer your question."
"No. It's work time now, so it's more appropriate for me to call you boss. How about I call you Link after get off work?"
"Why make a simple relationship so complicated?"
"I'm your assistant. If I call you Link during work, others will think I lack professionalism if they hear me."
"You call me Boss in public, and call me Link when we're alone in private."
"Okay, Xiaolin."
Liu Xiaoli chuckled, amused by herself. She lowered her head and tucked the black hair hanging by her ears, blinked and smiled, "Will you be angry if I call you like this?"
"No, I just think what Confucius said makes sense."
"Which sentence?"
"Only villains and women are difficult to raise."
Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Xiaoli suppressed the smile on her lips and glared at him fiercely.
But she had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, which were watery and affectionate.
When she rolls her eyes, her look may seem angry or annoyed. Not only does this look fail to intimidate mature men, it can easily make them feel distracted and unable to help but offend her further.
"Mr. Link, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please follow me."
Staff at the TNT TV studio reminded.
"Let's go!"
Link buttoned up his suit, took Liu Xiaoli and followed the staff to the TNT TV station's No. 3 program recording hall to record an interview about him and the movie "Buried".
This interview was one of many TV interviews he participated in after the huge success of "Buried", so there was no big problem.
——
"Director Link, welcome to TNT. You are much more handsome in person than in the movies."
Host Billy Crystal came over and greeted them.
"Thank you! Although your compliment is not very creative, it is true."
"Haha, hearing you say that, I'm looking forward to the following interview. How about we start recording the show in three minutes?"
"I'm fine."
Link shakes hands with Billy Crystal.
Billy Crystal is 45 years old and is a famous American TV host, actor, screenwriter and producer.
He has hosted comedy shows such as "Soap" and "Saturday Night Live", and played important supporting roles in famous movies such as "When Harry Met Sally", "The Princess Bride" and "Midnight Escape".
He also served as the host of the Grammy Awards twice.
In the hosting industry, although she is not as famous as Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, Larry King and others, she is also a top-tier popular host.
The show he hosts, which is similar to "Talking Movies," also maintains a viewership of over 10 million in the United States.
“Dear audience, after this afternoon, it’s time for the weekly Billy’s Movie Show.
This week we specially invited Director Link, the director and protagonist of the movie "Buried", which has the most talked-about topic in the entertainment industry this month, the most amazing box office performance, and the highest box office revenue ratio in film history!! "
Bang bang bang!
After Billy Crystal's introduction, there was a round of applause from the audience.
Link walked from the backstage to the front stage, waving and greeting the audience.
There were about four to five hundred people in the audience, including many Asian faces. Liu Xiaoli, who was sitting near the aisle, waved her fist at him and whispered, "Come on!" She looked even more nervous than he was.
"Director Link, please take a seat!"
"Thanks!"
Link sat down on the couch.
"Director Link, the latest news I received is that Buried has been released in 21 countries and regions overseas for one week, and has grossed a total of 18.37 million US dollars.
Helped "Buried" break the $30 million mark at the global box office.
It also made the revenue ratio of "Buried" reach 1,500 times, making it the film with the highest revenue ratio in the history of world box office.
This is incredible, and probably nobody will ever be able to break it. Congratulations."
"Thank you! Thank you for your support."
Link turned sideways and thanked the audience who were applauding.
"Link, as a director who is only 20 years old, how do you feel about achieving such amazing success at this age? Can you share it with everyone here?"
Billy Crystal asked.
"Buried is an experimental independent film with a relatively niche subject matter and style. It has a certain threshold for viewing and is not suitable for audiences of all ages.
I did not expect that such a niche movie would not only sell well in North America after its release, but also receive support from audiences all over the world.
So when I heard that Buried was also a big hit overseas, I was quite surprised.”
"Director Link, you said that before Buried was released, you didn't expect it to be a big hit. When it was first released, how much did you expect the film to earn at the global box office?"
"Global? I didn't think the movie would be released overseas. I originally expected that if Buried made more than $100,000 in North America, it would prove that the movie was good and I had some potential in directing movies.
Later, the North American box office of "Buried" exceeded 1 million and 10 million, and the global box office exceeded 30 million US dollars. These data are unimaginable to me. I can only say that the power of movie fans is really great. "
Link said sincerely.
“The forecast was 100,000, but the global box office exceeded 30 million, which was indeed beyond expectations.
I heard that when Buried was first released, no film company was willing to distribute it, and it was you who sold the script and distributed it at your own expense.
When you self-distribute a film, do you ever worry that Buried might not perform well after its release and you’ll lose all the money you invested?
"No! Never."
"No? We know from the news that you are not well off financially. You earned the $20,000 for making the movie by working in hamburger and pizza restaurants and playing minor roles in the crew. The funds for the self-funded screening came from selling the script. This is a lot of money for you. Aren't you worried about losing it?"
“Yes, first of all you have to know that I am 20 years old and I have made $70,000 in a short period of time by doing odd jobs and selling scripts. Even if I lose it, I am confident that I can make more;
Secondly, Buried Alive is my debut film, and before I started to make this film, I was mentally prepared for losses. Worry is a negative emotion caused by excessive attention to one thing, and I don’t have much of it.”
Bang bang bang!
Billy Crystal led the applause, and there was applause from the audience.
"I heard that talented people are very willful and don't care about money. You must be that kind of person."
Billy Crystal laughed.
“I’m trying to be that kind of person.”
Link said modestly.
Bang bang bang!
Many audience members in the audience applauded.
Liu Xiaoli also clapped her hands, her eyes fixed on Link on the stage, feeling that he had changed so much.
When I met him six years ago, he was still a thin and introverted boy.
Blushes when speaking.
I like to secretly stare at her butt and breasts, which is both lustful and timid.
I haven't seen him for six years, and he has changed a lot.
He grew taller and more handsome, and became more mature and stable.
When talking to him, it's like talking to someone of the same age, sometimes a little naughty, but not annoying.
He also became successful and became a famous American director and a millionaire. It is remarkable that a Chinese could achieve such an achievement in a foreign country.
It shows that he is very talented and a very capable man.
He also became considerate and caring towards others. When you get along with him, you feel like he is a family member who you can rely on and trust.
Liu Xiaoli didn't know if he treated her like this only or all his friends, but it felt good.
Liu Xiaoli shook her head, shook off the messy thoughts in her mind, and refocused her attention on Link who was speaking on the stage.
——
". If you ask me why I was so persistent in getting Buried released, it was because I was not willing to give up easily. Many people have an idol when they grow up, and my idol is Mr. Sylvester Stallone.
What I admire about him is not his muscles and cool fighting scenes, but his persistence and his stubbornness in refusing to admit defeat.
I read an article of his in a magazine. After he finished writing the script for "Rocky", he kept looking for a film company to invest in the film.
He was rejected 1,489 times before he got the investment opportunity.
It is said that the producers had to sell their properties in order to raise funds for the filming.
Fortunately, their efforts were not in vain. After its release, "Rocky" earned 225 million US dollars at the global box office with a cost of 1.1 million.
That was $225 million at the box office in 1976, which is pretty amazing.
When I was looking for a film company to distribute Buried, I also set a goal for myself.
Unless "Buried" is rejected by all film companies, it cannot be given up easily.
After being rejected over thirty times, I heard that I could distribute my films at my own expense.
At the time, I was thinking, if distributing a movie is so easy, why not do it?
So I sold the script, scraped together the money to self-publish Buried, and I succeeded.”
Link spread his hands.
Bang bang bang!
There was warm applause from the audience.
"Sylvester Stallone is amazing, and so are you. Your success will inspire countless people to move forward, just like Sylvester Stallone did."
Billy Crystal put down his palm and said, "Link, let's talk about 'How did you become a director'.
We know from the news that before you became a director, you worked as a worker at the Better Booch juice factory in Los Angeles and worked as an extra on the crew for several months.
And you have no education or training as a director.
So what kind of opportunity or motivation allowed you to complete this transformation from a worker or extra to a director? Can you talk about it? "
Link took a sip of water, looked at the audience and said with a smile: "The answer to this question will be rather boring, so everyone be prepared."
Hahaha!
The audience cooperated and laughed.
Liu Xiaoli also raised the corners of her lips and listened to him quietly: "In the past year, I have worked as an extra in more than 30 film and television crews. In addition to making money, it is also a hobby.
When I watched movies in the past, I always thought that actors were amazing and could do anything.
After working as an extra on a film crew for a while, I discovered that the coolest person in a movie is the director.
The director is the boss of a crew. Through clever shooting techniques and camera language, he makes the actors who originally looked ordinary become very cool.
I thought since being a director is cooler, why not try to become one?
After having this idea, I bought a lot of books about directors in the bookstore, learned relevant knowledge, and watched many classic films.
At the same time, when I was an extra on the crew, I would try to get close to the director's area to learn how to shoot, how to control the set, and how to direct the actors during filming.
I have a good talent for directing actors during filming.
Many of the extras I act with like to listen to my directions during filming.
The actors who have been instructed by me often perform very well on stage and easily gain recognition from the director.
This also gave me great encouragement and courage.
After three or four months of studying, I felt like I was ready, so I did it, and I succeeded.”
"You can learn how to make a movie just by watching the crew for three or four months? Is making a movie that easy?"
Billy Crystal asked incredulously.
“For unfamiliar things, it will feel difficult before you try, and even more difficult after you try.
As long as you can persist and overcome the difficulties little by little, you will find that the difficulties will disappear little by little, making way for your success.
So whether being a director is difficult or not does not lie in the job itself, but in your attitude and courage.
And how much you are willing to sacrifice for this cause."
Link pointed at Billy Crystal.
"Too difficult. Link, even though it sounds simple, it's really hard to be a good director. I've tried.
I once dreamed of making cool-looking movies like "Pitch Black," "Alien," and "Days of Thunder."
But when I picked up a handheld camera, I couldn’t even film a family gathering, let alone direct one.”
Billy Crystal frowned and shook his head, with an expression that said, "Don't try to fool me," which caused laughter from the audience.
"It's easy to make a movie with a handheld camera. I'll make one for you next time."
"Are you serious?"
“You can keep looking forward to it.”
“Well, I’m looking forward to it, Link. From the time you wanted to be a director, to the time you became a director, to the time you became a famous director, the process in between was smoother than that of many directors.
Here comes the point, what factors do you think played a key role during this period, talent, hard work, or luck? "
Billy Crystal asked.
"All of them are indispensable. Relatively speaking, I have good talent and can learn everything very quickly, including acting, photography, screenwriting, directing, art design, etc. Now I can handle 90% of the positions in the crew."
"90% of the positions? So the rumor is that you are the only one in the entire crew of Buried. Is this true?"
"Of course not. I have a partner who helps manage props and logistics."
"So it's just two of us?"
"Yes."
Bang bang bang!
Applause broke out.
"It's incredible. Only someone like you can make a movie like Buried. If other directors were to make it, they would never be able to capture the feeling of loneliness and despair, as well as the sense of horror throughout, because they have too many people in the crew, which would easily destroy the atmosphere."
"I don't know, but during the filming, I spent most of the day lying in the coffin. After a long time, I really felt like I was suffocating to death."
Link said, pinching his neck.
Hahaha!
The audience laughed.
"Link, after you decided to become a director, why did you choose to shoot "Buried Alive"? Is it because this script is easier to shoot and requires less investment?"
"no.
After I was ready to try my hand at directing, I wrote five scripts, including Buried, and submitted them to major film companies.
If a script is picked up by a film company, I can take the opportunity to propose to be the director. Even if I am not allowed, I can still join the crew as a screenwriter, learn more knowledge, and earn some adaptation fees.
Unfortunately, after submitting several scripts, there was no feedback at all.
I had no choice but to save money to shoot the lowest-cost film, "Buried".
All of this was not planned in advance, but the most appropriate choice was made.”
“So you still have four scripts sitting in the warehouses of several major film studios?”
"Yes!"
“You wrote Buried, which was a box office hit, and another script sold for $50,000, so those four scripts must be pretty good.
Hey, major studio producers, have you heard the news? There are four great scripts sitting in your warehouses, and I suggest you check them out before you miss out on Buried. "
Billy Crystal yelled into the camera.
Hahaha!
The audience laughed.
(End of this chapter)
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