Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 198 Taking advantage of the situation
Harvey, Tom Cruise and others who knew Lu Kuan's strength could not help but be stunned.

Tom Cruise's expression was particularly strange.

He is the producer, and just by investing his social connections and industry contacts, he can get a 13% share of the profits.

The pre-sale film, which had just been shown for about ten minutes, had shocked these buyers who had seen countless films. He should be happy without a doubt, right?
Harvey glanced at Tom Cruise and was about to say something but stopped himself.

He looked at Liu Yifei beside him, quietly moved his chair, and got closer to Tom Cruise.

Harvey looked at the wide road on the stage and knew that he would have to return to his seat after the movie, so he had to deal with Tom Cruise who seemed to be struggling first.

"Tom, you won't change your mind, will you?"

Tom Cruise glanced at Liu Yifei warily, and seeing that she seemed somewhat indifferent, he heard Harvey's explanation.

"Don't look at her. The movie is so loud, she can't hear it."

"I have to tell you Tom, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you can't be soft! This is business!"

Tom Cruise sighed.

"The film is fantastic, I just think it's unwise for us to be at odds with such a talented director."

After all, he is an actor first, and then a businessman or producer.

The level of Hollywood special effects commercial film production Lu Kuan displayed in just fifteen minutes was enough to astound him, but compared to the considerable financial reward...

Harvey's eyes were fierce: "The better he is, the more we must get the rights to this movie!"

"Now that the film's potential for quality has been proven, is there any reason for us to let go of this piece of fat meat right here on our lips?"

Tom Cruise's expression was in a state of intense struggle; he was caught in a dilemma.

The plan and trap that Harvey had discussed with him would allow the two of them to obtain the copyright of "Alien Land" at the lowest cost and take over the film.

But compared to offending a director like Lu Kuan, who will undoubtedly make a name for himself in his future career, which is more important?

To be fair, Lu Kuan's plot design, shots and scenes in the science fiction film "Alien Land" even have the potential to catch up with James Cameron.

This is also the psychological recognition of almost all Hollywood film company buyers present today.

What is imagination?
It is the natural dividing line between genius directors and mediocre directors. It seems to be a talent, an ability that is difficult to effectively improve through acquired training.

For a director, a profession that plays with the art of light and shadow, imagination is not about writing a fantastic screenplay, but the ability to construct words on the screen through film techniques!

For example, when passing through the star gate in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the audience sees bizarre colors, abstract geometric shapes, and fast-flowing light and shadow;

In Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings, the audience saw a fantasy elf territory with exquisite buildings, flowing clear streams and shimmering magical elements;
There’s also the spinning city in “Inception,” the bioluminescent forest in “Avatar,” and the cyberpunk city in “Blade Runner.”

There are so many different things.

Specifically speaking of domestic filmmakers, there is a masterpiece of imaginative design that is talked about by teachers from the directing department of Beijing Film Academy:

Jiang Wen's "The Devils."

There is a beheading scene in the movie. The mediocre director's design is to give close-ups of the knife, the person, and the neck, followed by a scream and blood spurting out.

Jiang Wen gave an alternative and perfect answer.

After Ma San in the film was beheaded by Hanaya Kozaburo, he designed a subjective perspective of the head.

The audience follows his perspective as it rolls on the ground, and the entire lens turns bright red, making the audience feel both absurd and immersed in the scene!
The lights in the screening room were slowly turned on, and even the reserved Hollywood film buyers were no longer reluctant to give applause to this up-and-coming Chinese director!
Tom Cruise was awakened from his thoughts by the enthusiastic applause. Looking at Lu Kuan who was smiling and greeting the audience on the stage, he sighed imperceptibly.

"Xavi, I hope your decision is the right one this time."

The Jewish An Lushan suddenly smiled and gave his temporary collaborator an affirmative look.

He has already begun to look forward to the huge rewards that this ingenious "Foreign Land" will bring him!

Unfortunately, the two men who were about to celebrate did not notice that there was a harmless-looking little yellow bird hiding beside them.

Boss Lu didn't pay attention to the eye contact between the two. He had to first determine whether the tone of this fifteen-minute film could attract Hollywood buyers and gain mainstream recognition.

This is related to his subsequent shooting direction and lens design.

Indeed, many of the special effects ideas and detailed designs in the movie are inspired by the strengths of later generations.

But times have changed. Is this kind of "innovation" considered brilliant in the eyes of these professional buyers?
Only after the fifteen-minute film was over did he confirm this with excitement!
no problem!
Before Lu Kuan returned to his seat, he was surrounded by a crowd of people. Almost all buyers expressed their willingness to cooperate, including independent film companies like Lionsgate, with whom he had already cooperated.

Buyers from major companies exchanged greetings and then said goodbye. They had to go back to the company to apply for adjustments to the distribution points. The actual negotiations would be completed in the next week.

Only Harvey was still a little persistent, and was brought back to stay by Tom Cruise.

"Lu, it's still early. If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you to the club to have some fun."

Boss Lu had an idea. The last time he and Quentin went to a strip club in Santa Monica, the one in Los Angeles was obviously the top one in the industry!
It’s a pity that I brought a burden with me today…

"No, it's late today, and I have to get my female companion home safely."

Harvey exchanged glances calmly with Tom Cruise who was standing next to Lu Kuan.

"How about this, Lu? I'll take up twenty minutes of your time. I promise you'll thoroughly enjoy these twenty minutes after you hear my terms!"

Tom Cruise chimed in: "Lu, let's talk about it then?"

Boss Lu decided to make the best of it. "Okay, but my female companion is still young. I don't think there's any risk of your business secrets being disclosed. Can I take her with me?"

"Of course, such a beautiful girl is a blessing to our eyes."

Harvey winked at Lu Kuan and Tom Cruise, then laughed and put his arm around his shoulders and went to the study on the second floor.

It is not known whether he felt guilty or wanted to avoid suspicion, but Tom Cruise did not accompany them. Instead, he went downstairs on the pretext of entertaining guests.

Liu Yifei can once again observe Boss Lu’s “high-end business war” up close.

It's slightly worse than swinging a sledgehammer or snatching the official seal, it's just some petty fraud.

Lu Kuan spoke first: "Harvey, this is not just my own movie. If you want to discuss cooperation, it's best to talk to Tom Cruise."

Jewish An Lushan had his own excuses to deal with it.

"I have reviewed the detailed materials produced by his studio, including film sales assessment reports and box office and profit forecasts."

This report is a paradigm text for Hollywood pre-sales, and will provide scientific predictions for the price range for each region in the global distribution.

This will help reduce differences and reach consensus on numbers during negotiations between the two sides.

"Compared to him, I think your vision and judgment are more accurate."

"Xavi, please don't flatter me. The last time I predicted I'd win the Palme d'Or, didn't I fail miserably?"

This was said to be at Cannes in May this year, when Lu Kuan vowed to guarantee that "Thief" would at least win the Palme d'Or and one of the Best Director awards in order to raise the price with Harvey.

"No, no, no, even we Jews can't guarantee that every business will be profitable. That's not your fault."

Harvey kept throwing out nice words as if they were free. Not only was the road wide, but even Liu Yifei, who had gradually evolved into a little fried dough stick, felt something was wrong.

She quietly kicked Lu Kuan under the table, feeling anxious and not having time to relay to him the conversation she had overheard.

Boss Lu pretended not to know: "To be honest, Xavi, I'm not very confident in you. This is your home ground."

"Do you remember Hayao Miyazaki's Katana?"

Harvey's face changed slightly. This was a public case involving him and he was well-known in the industry.

In 1997, Miyazaki and Disney reached a distribution agreement for "Princess Mononoke", and Miramax, a Disney subsidiary headed by Harvey, was responsible for dubbing and distribution.

Given Harvey's notoriety as a "scissorhand" in the industry, that is, he likes to forcibly trim the films released by the company according to his own preferences, even at the cost of destroying the emotional core of the director's film.

Miyazaki Hayao specially sent him a samurai sword with the words "No Editing" written on it.

Harvey repeatedly complained: "Lu, you really misunderstood me. I told you in Venice and Cannes that I have always been frank and tolerant towards geniuses."

"I heard you're familiar with Quentin, I think you can get assurances about me from him!"

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Unfortunately, I don't consider myself a genius. I think it would be difficult for me to get any special privileges from you." "No, no, no, Lu, you can't be as humble as a traditional Chinese. This is just a little lie you told me. I won't take it to heart."

Liu Yifei felt a little disgusted when she heard this. How could there be someone who could lick so much?

Lu Kuan stopped trying to play along and said, "To be honest, for a $1 million blockbuster like this, the number of screens you have at Miramax alone won't be enough to distribute it."

"I just had a brief chat with the heads of Paramount and Columbia. They can both guarantee me a minimum of 3000 screens for film distribution, and the Big Six will also be in a favorable position in negotiations with theater chains."

"No offense, Harvey, but you're definitely not as good as them."

Harvey had made full preparations to deceive Lu Kuan, and his excuses came to him at random.

"Lu, you're a smart man. The Big Six are indeed good partners, but that's only for a filmmaker of Tom Cruise's stature."

"I don't mean to offend you, Lu. You won't gain any advantage in the negotiations with the Big Six. They won't make any concessions on the number of points issued."

"Also, based on the filming progress I learned from your completion bond company, 'Alien Land' should be released during next summer's holiday season. Do you know how many self-produced blockbusters they have in the same period?"

There is no doubt about the business ability of Jewish An Lushan, and he can count on his fingers to tell Lu Kuan all his secrets.

"Columbia has Spider-Man 2 and Hellboy, Warner has Harry Potter 3 and Troy, and New Line has Blade 3..."

“If you give them ‘Outlander’, do you think they will take this co-production seriously?”

Boss Lu showed a hint of astonishment and dejection at just the right moment.

This is a helpless shock to the six terrifying powers.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Harvey took out a contract from his bag and marked the key issuance conditions in the most prominent position.

"25%?"

"are you serious?"

This figure refers to the proportion of Miramax's agency share, which is 25% of the North American distribution revenue as distribution fees.

This common cost ratio was previously mentioned when discussing "Paranormal Activity" with Lionsgate.

The ratio given by the six major film companies is generally 35% to 50%, with a maximum of 50%, which is a very strict number.

For relatively independent and niche film companies such as Lionsgate and Miramax, reducing the proportion of distribution costs in competition with the Big Six is ​​a common bargaining operation.

But such a large concession is still somewhat shocking.

If it were an arrogant or not very self-aware director, he might be complacent and think that his talent won the favor of capital.

But Boss Lu had long been wary of him, and even suspected from clues that he and Tom Cruise were joining forces.

But he still pretended to be flattered.

"Xavi, maybe I was wrong to question your thoughts just now. You really treated me with sincerity!"

Concubine Liu Yi was still inexperienced and couldn't tell whether what he said was true or false. She was worried that Lu Kuan was being deceived, so she kicked him with her high heels.

Boss Lu remained motionless. "Harvey, tell me about your distribution strategy."

Harvey was secretly delighted that the fish had taken the bait.

"Based on my experience, as long as they avoid Troy, Harry Potter 3 and Spider-Man 2, the level of performance shown by the pre-sale films just now will allow other competitors to compete head-on."

"I think it would be more appropriate to set the release date in mid-to-late June. By this time, Harry has been in theaters for nearly 6 days, and the box office has entered a stable period. The film's loyal fans have basically seen the film, and it will not have a siphoning effect on other films."

"And Spider-Man 2 is at least two weeks away, so we can definitely use this time difference to do something."

"In terms of publicity strategy, I suggest adopting a long-term, high-frequency, multi-dimensional publicity and hype strategy similar to The Matrix, starting with the big screen in Times Square..."

Boss Lu listened to him speak calmly. It is undeniable that some of his views are indeed very predictive and practical.

People have many sides. The Jewish An Lushan was indeed a bit of a beast, but his professional ability and vision for film selection were beyond reproach.

It’s a pity that now is not the time to sit down and talk with him. Lu Kuan is just a little wary of him and Tom Cruise at this moment.

As for what means they will use and what goals they want to achieve, there is no way of knowing unless we lure them out of their hole.

The more skilled and the more courageous he is, the little god with cheating skills simply takes advantage of the situation.

"Harvey, I'm impressed by your professional ability. I have to admit that I'm convinced by you."

"Let's put it this way. I will take your proposal very seriously. If Tom Cruise has no objection, it can basically be finalized."

When Concubine Liu Yi heard this, she became very anxious and suddenly stepped on his leather shoes with her high heels.

"hiss!!!"

Lu Kuan still couldn't help making a sound. Meeting Harvey's puzzled and cautious gaze, he could only make up a story.

"My female companion thinks I've been talking to you for too long. It's ruining a wonderful evening. Please forgive me."

Harvey laughed heartily, quite delighted to have him as a fellow.

Concubine Liu Yi's face flushed a little. She snorted, picked up her coat and went out.

Boss Lu no longer hesitated, gave Harvey an apologetic look and chased after him.

Ah Fei drove the two of them to the hotel at the gate of the manor.

"Are you stupid? I almost kicked your shoes to pieces just now, don't you understand?"

Boss Lu looked at the real fool speechlessly, thinking that he still needed to practice.

"From what you said, the conversations they had while watching the film contained a lot of information?"

"I couldn't hear it clearly, but I used the character observation method you taught me in acting training to analyze it."

"how to say?"

"Harvey kept trying to persuade Tom Cruise, who had a conflicted expression on his face. Finally, when he saw you were about to leave, he reluctantly nodded."

"From the perspective of character and action chain, this is Harvey trying to convince Tom Cruise about something, and the topic is about you and 'Alien Land'."

"Tom Cruise should be happy that the pre-sale results have been recognized by buyers. Now..."

Lu Kuan was impressed by her, as she was able to apply what she learned very quickly.

Through the information she provided, the most he could confirm was that the two had indeed joined forces to plot against him, but how would they do it?

"Hey! Why are you ignoring me?"

Lu Kuan looked at her pouting in dissatisfaction and felt an urge to reach out and scratch it.

"I wonder how they're going to trick me."

Concubine Liu Yi smiled and said, "I see you are thinking about how you are going to trick them?"

Boss Lu laughed: "The one who knows me best is Xiao Liu!"

"But these two are far from being comparable to Liu Zeyu and his ilk. Furthermore, this is their home turf. Even a single word or punctuation mark in the contract could be a trap or loophole!"

"Can one word trick people?"

Lu Kuan nodded silently and explained to her the "unequal agreement" between Tom Cruise and Paramount.

Concubine Liu Yi was secretly amazed when she heard this, and thought that the game at these levels was really exciting.

Only by being with Lu Kuan could she get a glimpse of the secrets of these industries at such a young age.

"So you were planning to agree to his terms first, then look for a loophole to exploit?"

Lu Kuan patted her on the back of the head and said, "Just focus on your role and don't ask about the affairs of the underworld!"

Xiao Liu has already turned evil once, he can’t go any further astray!

(End of this chapter)