It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 91: They're so eager to improve, they're practically draining the mountain shadow's resources! (5000 words, please vote!)
"Chairman Lü, this is Director Kong Sheng, who has won the Five-One Project Award, the Feitian Award First Prize, and has been deeply involved in the field of television dramas for many years."

This is Li Xue, a photographer by training. Last year, her independently directed romance drama "Young CEO" received a good response.

Lastly, this is Sun Molong, the director of photography at Shandong Film Studio. I've collaborated with him many times, and his abilities are outstanding..."

In the office, Hou Hongliang introduced Lü Rui to several key personnel he had recruited from Shandong Film Studio.

Kong Sheng is a director, Li Xue is a cinematographer, and Sun Molong is the director of photography.

And then there's Hou Hongliang, the head housekeeper and future top producer...

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Lü Rui felt as if he were seeing the core team of Noon Sunshine assembled here.

The departure of these individuals, while not crippling the Mountain Shadow Sect, is enough to severely damage its vitality.

Especially Kong Sheng, who was at the peak of his career, his departure was a major loss for Shandong Film Studio!
However, the "Crossing the Guandong" project and the investment of more than 3000 million yuan were simply too tempting.

Furthermore, Hou Hongliang used his personal experience to "deceive" them and promised them great benefits. In the end, the three of them could not resist the temptation and chose to seek other masters.

The world is hilarious, all come for profit.

Everyone in the world is benefiting.

Since there are better development opportunities and greater benefits, why not pursue them?

After introducing Kong Sheng and the other two, Hou Hongliang then introduced Lü Rui to them: "This is Director Lü, you should all know him."

He is not only the owner of our Ruishijie, but also the only Chinese director to have won the grand slam of Best Director awards at the three major European film festivals, a director whose films gross over 100 million yuan, and a recipient of the Huabiao Award…

Compared to Kong Sheng and the other two, Lü Rui's title is obviously more eye-catching.

Although his achievements are mostly in the film industry, whether domestically or internationally, the weight of "film" has always been greater than that of "television," so the three of them have long admired him.

"Chairman Lü, please continue to guide me in the future." Kong Sheng, as the eldest among them, was the first to express his opinion.

Actually, he didn't initially intend to leave Shandong Film Studio.

However, he has been paying close attention to Hou Hongliang's career trajectory after he moved to Beijing.

In his first project, he took charge of the publicity and distribution of "The Pursuit of Happyness," successfully connecting with the China Film Group team and securing a 3000 million yuan investment.

Lu Rui's lavish spending and Hou Hongliang's achievements finally tempted Hou Hongliang, who was over forty but still had a strong will to strive.

So, ultimately lured by the promise of great profits, he resolutely left Shanying and came to the capital, hoping to carve out a "vast sky" of his own!
As for Li Xue and Sun Molong's choices, they were more direct.

They really want to improve!

Having worked at the film studio for so many years, I've only ever done odd jobs, barely making a ripple.

At the same time, they are bossed around by those old folks who do nothing but rely on their age and seniority, and they never get to enjoy the best resources...

In contrast, when they came to Ruishijie, they were immediately put to work on a large project with an investment of 3000 million yuan, and the partners were old acquaintances.

Only a fool would refuse!

"Director Kong, you're too kind. It's my good fortune to have you join Ruishijie."

Lu Rui spoke in a calm tone, as both parties were there to cooperate, so there was no need for formalities.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he immediately set the direction:

"The project 'Crossing the Guandong' is spearheaded by Hongliang, and you are all his trusted partners. I won't say anything more; you can decide the specific arrangements yourselves."

I will not interfere with the preparation, casting, or post-production; I will leave everything to you.

If you lack money, manpower, or resources, just ask, and I will do my best to support you.

Lu Rui believed in the coal mine owners' philosophy: leave professional matters to professionals.

Although movies and television have things in common, they are different in their approaches.

He is very skilled in film production, but not so much in television dramas.

Instead of interfering, it's better to manage the finances carefully and assign a trustworthy production manager to oversee the process.

As for the rest, let Hou Hongliang and the others handle it.

When it's time to delegate authority, you should delegate authority. Trying to do too much at once will only lead to chaos and mistakes.

Don't use people with suspicion, don't use people who are suspicious.

The core of Vision World has always been film, and he will keep a firm grip on this area. It would be more prudent to leave the television and animation businesses to more specialized people.

He believed that Hou Hongliang, along with Kong Sheng and the others, would definitely be able to make "Crossing the Guandong" a success.

"Director Lü, rest assured, we will do our utmost and will never let you down!"

Hou Hongliang could not hide his excitement!
This kind of unreserved trust was something he had never experienced before at Shandong Film Studio.

There can't be two suns in the sky; at this moment, he only had the sun in front of him in his heart!
Hearing Lü Rui's words, Kong Sheng and the others couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

No wonder Hou Hongliang spoke highly of Lü Rui.

At this moment, even they felt a surge of urgency, a willingness to die for someone who understands them, let alone Hou Hongliang, who had personally benefited from the experience.

loyalty!

That morning, the group signed a contract with Ruishijie according to the terms agreed upon beforehand.

The production team behind "Crossing the Guandong" has now been finalized:

Hou Hongliang served as producer, Kong Sheng as director, Li Xue as cinematographer, and Sun Molong as director of photography.

Lü Rui was nominally appointed as the producer.

At the same time, he will also dispatch Niu Lejin's team to be responsible for overall coordination and supervision.

At noon, Lü Rui, along with several others including Tian Xiaopeng, went to a hotel near the company.

Inside the private room, everyone got to know each other again.

“Xiaopeng, Ruiyue Animation is just starting out. If you don’t understand anything, just ask Hongliang. He’ll lend you a hand when I’m not around,” Lu Rui emphasized.

Tian Xiaopeng nodded steadily, raised his glass to Hou Hongliang, and said, "President Hou, please guide me in the future."

Now that they've joined a new company and are even sitting at the same table with the boss, everyone naturally wants to show off.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone relaxed a bit.

Kong Sheng offered, "I still have some old colleagues. If the company is short-staffed, I can bring them over to lend a hand."

Li Xue and Sun Molong chimed in, "We also have friends who can help with photography, lighting, and art direction."

They were referring to the old folks of Yuanshanying.

Lü Rui naturally wouldn't refuse and agreed with a smile.

The company is currently short-staffed. Although graduates from Beijing Film Academy have potential, they are ultimately not as easy to work with as these experienced people.

But if this is done, won't Shanying be completely drained of resources?
The thought flashed through his mind and quickly disappeared without a trace.

"The Yamakage family is so large and powerful, they probably don't need these few people... right?"

……

The matter of "Crossing the Guandong" has come to a temporary end. Hou Hongliang will be responsible for handling the subsequent procedures such as project approval and filming permit processing.

For Ruiyue Animation, the primary task is to complete the office renovation and purchase equipment.

As for the copyright of "Qin's Moon", Tian Xiaopeng is confident that he can handle it.

The original author suffered a stroke due to overwork and unfortunately passed away last December.

Currently, the copyright of the novel belongs to a company called "Tomorrow Studio". Tian Xiaopeng believes that as long as there is enough sincerity, and even a reasonable increase in price, it is not difficult to acquire the copyright.

On the other hand, with the strong support of Zhao Peng and other investors, the promotion and distribution of "Hitch" is progressing very smoothly.

The movie will be released as scheduled on October 1st.

Despite facing competition from films like "New Police Story" and "Kekexili," Lü Rui is quite confident in his film.

In addition, there are storyboards for "The Sun Also Rises," which he has already completed for Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen has already flown to Hong Kong to negotiate investment shares with Yinghuang.

Although this art film is of a special type, judging from its style, the investment required is probably no less than that of a commercial blockbuster!

With all his affairs settled, Lü Rui immediately set off for Los Angeles once again.

He still had three things to do during his trip to Los Angeles.

Firstly, handle the post-production and minor special effects for "The Prestige".

Secondly, to advance the auditions for the B-movie "Lurking" to ensure the smooth start of filming.

Thirdly: to find a film that can be localized for my next movie, and at the same time write a graduation script for Shen Ao.

By the time these three jobs were finished, it was almost the end of the year.

At that time, the battle for the Lunar New Year film season will officially begin!

……

It was already late at night when I landed in Los Angeles.

Peter was waiting outside the airport in his Cadillac Escalade. After picking him up, he immediately sped into the city.

Los Angeles at night is quite different from during the day, so it's best to stay out of the way and not wander around aimlessly.

“Lv, the hotel has been arranged for you, it’s near the company,” Peter said as he drove.

“Okay.” Lu Rui nodded, then asked with some curiosity, “Where in Los Angeles is a good house, one that’s relatively safe and reliable?”

I always stay in hotels when I come here, but it never feels quite convenient. After all, no matter how good the hotel is, it's never as comfortable as staying at home.

If the price and location are right, then buying a house is an option.

Without hesitation, Peter replied, "If we're talking about a good location and high security, it's definitely Beverly Hills, the affluent area. Almost all Hollywood stars live there."

How much is the house price?

"I'm not entirely sure about the exact figures, but the average price seems to be around $600 million."

$600?
Nearly 5000 million RMB?!
Lu Rui's eyebrows twitched. This was practically robbery!

The distribution rights fee for "The Pursuit of Happyness" was barely enough to buy a house.

No wonder it's a wealthy area, it's really rich!
After silently considering it in his mind, Lü Rui temporarily suppressed the idea of ​​buying a house and decided to save some money first.

Or... see if there's a chance to "snatch" a set from someone?
After arriving at the hotel safely, before parting ways, Lü Rui specifically reminded Peter: "Tell James Wan that the auditions for 'Lurking' will officially begin tomorrow, and we need to finalize the cast as soon as possible."

“Okay.” Peter nodded in agreement.

Preparing a B-grade horror film is not complicated.

While Lü Rui was busy in China, Peter and James Wan worked together to complete all the pre-production work.

Next, all that's needed is to find the right actors, and then filming can officially begin.

On the morning of September 8, Lu Ruixian took the master tapes of "The Prestige" to Warner Bros. and locked them in their post-production vault.

We can't leave it at the hotel; if it gets stolen, all our previous efforts will be wasted.

Theft is rampant in Los Angeles, comparable to that in Europe!
To be on the safe side, it's best to be cautious.

Afterwards, Lü Rui traveled by car from Warner to Ruixing Film Studio.

As soon as he went upstairs, before he even stepped into the company gate, he saw many actors lining up at the door waiting for auditions.

Looking around, the crowd included white people, black people, Chinese people, Mexican people, and some actors dressed in British style.

Although these people were competitors, they naturally formed small groups based on race and skin color, talking in hushed tones, with people occasionally casting curious glances into the company.

Lu Rui entered the company and met James Wan and Peter Griffin in a meeting room that had been temporarily converted into an audition room.

"Are all the people outside here auditioning? Why are there so many different races?"

Peter's lips twitched slightly, his expression somewhat helpless: "Lv, in Hollywood, every ethnicity, group, and skin color is equal, so a movie must cover all ethnicities."

Lü Rui understood.

Black Lives Matter and similar concepts are now spreading in Hollywood.

To be honest, he actually agrees with the word "indifference" from the bottom of his heart.

In his view, just as ignoring people with HIV/AIDS can greatly reduce the risk of infection, being vigilant about certain groups can also reduce many unknown risks.

"Ignoring" under normal circumstances is actually an instinctive defense mechanism.

The key reason why humans have become the dominant species on Earth and occupy the top of the food chain is definitely their intuitive defense mechanisms.

However, so-called love, tolerance, and diversity can sometimes become obstacles on the road to survival.

Just like the saying "Kill the Holy Mother first in the end times," although it sounds extreme, it makes a lot of sense!

Lu Rui didn't think of himself as a superman; he could die from a single bullet or stab wound.

Therefore, during the audition process for "Lurking", although he sat silently on the side and paid attention to James Wan's questions to the actors, he also took notes quietly.

He doesn't plan to include anyone in the cast who makes him feel uncomfortable or uneasy at first glance, no matter how good their acting skills are.

For film and television production teams, any unstable factor is like a time bomb buried nearby, which may explode at any time and bring unpredictable trouble.

Therefore, even if it means missing out on some promising actors, he absolutely cannot allow potential problems to enter the production team and affect the progress of the entire project.

After a day of auditions, in addition to finalizing the casting of several supporting roles, the selection of the lead role of "Josh" has entered the final stage of consideration.

Although James Wan is a director, he knows he has no say in casting decisions in Hollywood, a place that believes in a "producer-centric system."

Lu Rui will never relinquish power to someone simply because he is a Chinese-American director or because he is optimistic about Lu Rui's future potential.

That would be asking for trouble!

He was confident he could suppress the situation if it were domestically.

However, when traveling abroad, where people and places are unfamiliar, strict regulation is the safest approach.

Moreover, unless you reach the level of James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, all directors are subject to the control of producers.

Of course, bringing your own investment to join the production team is a different story.

In the evening, as soon as the audition ended, James Wan immediately looked at Lu Rui and asked, "Lv, do you have someone you like?"

"Let's go with Andy Serkis," Lu Rui decided immediately.

After a full day of auditions, he was the most outstanding among the several actors vying for the male lead.
As for the others, they were somewhat unsatisfactory.

“Okay.” James Wan checked off the names on the list and handed it to Peter Griffin, who was standing next to him.

In Hollywood, salary negotiations and contracts are never handled directly between producers and actors, but rather through the actors' agencies or agents.

Only after everything is agreed upon will the actors join the production team, and the entire process will be conducted in accordance with the contract.

Of course, there are some who act like divas, but they are relatively few.

After the male lead was confirmed, the audition for the female lead began the following morning.

One by one, stunning blonde actresses entered the audition room to be selected by James Wan and Lu Rui.

Hollywood has a peculiar trend where blonde actresses are stereotyped as "dull" or "naive" in the eyes of Americans.

The female lead in "Lurking" needs this quality.

On the surface, he appears calm and resilient, but deep down he is somewhat reckless; his blond hair perfectly reflects the character's inner self.

"Hello everyone, my name is Amy Adams, I'm 31 years old, and I've appeared in films such as *Dangerous Games 2*, *The Cruel Rules*, *The West Wing*, and *Catch Me If You Can*..."

Ok?
Lu Rui hadn't heard of the previous works until he heard the words "Cat and Mouse Game," at which point he subconsciously looked up.

As a B-grade horror film with a budget of only $200 million, "Insidious" simply couldn't afford to use big-name actors.

He was looking for an actor like Andy Serkis, with solid acting skills and a reasonable salary and fame.

Now that someone who has worked with Leonardo DiCaprio has suddenly appeared, his first reaction is – “I can’t afford to use him.”

However, after glancing up at the blonde, wavy-haired woman in front of him, Lü Rui did not recognize her.

Amy Adams seemed to realize something as well, adding, "I played Nurse Brenda Strong in 'Catch Me If You Can't Be This Cute'."

Oh, so he's just a supporting character.

Lu Rui immediately lost interest.

Looking at her resume, she hasn't written any new works since "Catch Me If You Can".

With his age exceeding thirty and his looks declining, he has no choice but to transition into a serious actor and star in low-budget films.

However, Lu Rui vaguely felt that her name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

James Wan had already begun the audition: "Faced with a series of paranormal phenomena occurring in your home, you feel extreme fear..."

“Okay.” Amy Adams hesitated for a few seconds, then crossed her arms and huddled on the ground, her azure eyes instantly filling with tears, a wave of helplessness washing over her…

She performed well, and compared to other actresses of the same period, she was a complete blowout!
If someone can at least build up their emotions to the point of crying, they are already a qualified actor.

Unlike a certain female model in Lu Rui's memory, who couldn't cry while filming and had to use eye drops, which was utterly shameful!
After the performance, Amy Adams bowed in thanks and turned to leave.

Lu Rui stretched and asked, "Are there any other people behind us?"

"She's gone. She's the last one."

"Then let's choose her."

Lu Rui spoke calmly, but a hint of surprise rose in his heart.

Because he finally remembered who this person was!

Amy Adams, who later played Superman's girlfriend, openly touched someone's chest muscles on a TV show and was nominated for multiple Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress...

Another actor who hasn't yet made a name for himself.

This is a real steal!

With the male and female leads already cast, the auditions for the remaining supporting roles can be left to James Wan.

He was also eager to coordinate with Warner Bros. to complete the post-production work for "The Prestige".

Once the auditions are over, we can check the list to make sure everything is okay.

“Lv.” Seeing him about to leave, Peter suddenly raised an eyebrow and smiled, “There are a few more actresses from Saint Valley coming to audition later, do you want to…”

"I'm not interested, you guys watch it."

Lu Rui waved his hand, his expression completely unmoved.

He's not like Feng Xiaogang, who likes to conduct nude auditions.

Although Hollywood believes in the red sofa, he has no interest in it. If he were to encounter an HIV-positive person, his life would be completely over.

However, although he had no interest, he couldn't stop someone from plotting to use their beauty to seduce him...

(End of this chapter)