Imperial Elite

Chapter 103 The King’s Man
As far as Joe knows, he knows nothing about how to make a movie.

Fortunately, by Joe's standards, most people in this era know nothing about how to make movies.

So, with the idea that he had nothing better to do, Joe decided to personally prepare for and film the movie.

However, although Joe initially wanted Catherine to star in the movie, even though Catherine is now pregnant, there should still be enough time.

However, as the script progressed, Joe found that if the female characters in the movie didn't show off some skin, he wouldn't feel at ease, but if the people around him were to show off some skin, Joe would feel even more at ease.

Although there are Korean conglomerates in another world, you can only watch, but we can play with them by pressing the remote control. However, Joe is obviously not as perverted as the Koreans, and in some ways, Joe is a petty person.

So after much painful reflection, Joe decided that he should find professional actors for the movie.

However, Joe's idea was met with strong opposition from almost everyone around him, including Diane, Catherine, and Elena.

These women all said, "Are you trying to make a movie? We don't want to say what you really want to do directly, but let's talk about that Northern Guard from NATO. How many of them haven't gotten into your bed yet?"

What? Now you want a change of pace?
The protest was so intense that Christina, the captain of the Northern Guard who thought she had kept it well in the dark, blushed and joined in the protest.

When questioned by those around him, Joe could swear to the light that he wanted to make the film himself because, although he knew nothing about film, his filming techniques were ahead of their time.

But the protests were ineffective. The women gave Joe two choices: either give up directing the film, or the actresses could only be chosen from among the women around them. They were determined not to give Joe, this guy who couldn't control his spending, another chance to expand the room.

Faced with the women's double-dealing, Joe thought for a while and then chose to compromise. However, as a protest against the women's behavior, Joe decided to select candidates from those in the Northern Guard who were still hesitating.

Then the script itself needs to be adjusted in some aspects. After all, the social atmosphere at that time was still relatively conservative. Let alone playing on the edge of the law in movies, even going to the beach at that time required wearing a very fully covered swimsuit.

Therefore, you shouldn't push the limits of the review process too much; just stop when you've reached the limit.

The structure of this kind of movie is usually simple, so Joe and Catherine quickly finished the script. It's nothing more than the fact that the Kingsman intelligence agency in Bonitania discovers the Teutonic plot and then sends the elite Kingsman agent, Mr. 880, to stop it.

Next, Mr. 880, the Unyielding One, carrying his liaison, was airdropped into the Low Countries in a very cool way to begin a secret operation. During the operation, he met the local resistance guerrillas and the downed American pilot.

Then, create some scenes to showcase Colonel Teutonic's cruelty, how amazing his daughter is, and most importantly, how powerful the Indomitable SUV is.

It's powerful enough to carry a bunch of strange and wonderful things and even drag them away.

Then there are several exciting fight scenes, and between the fights and the journey, there are moments to show off the female characters' figures, culminating in a final, explosive battle.

Of course, even in this great battle, we must be able to demonstrate the indomitable spirit.

Then the protagonist thwarted Colonel Teutonic's plot and drove away with Colonel Teutonic's daughter, a very standard action movie trope.

Catherine and the others had no objections to the script; in fact, they all found it very interesting, since no one had ever seen such a simple, direct, and captivating script before.

The only problem is that women have a lot of opinions about clothing and styling.

Although Joe had already toned it down considerably, the women still felt that the women's clothing designs he created, inspired by the costumes of the girls in the early "Wolfenstein," were a bit too provocative. Even though they dressed even more provocatively in private, it was still too lewd for them. What kind of good person would dare to show off the garter belts of their stockings?
The female guards from the Northern Guard, especially those selected to play the roles, were particularly resistant to the design of these light and form-fitting evening gowns.

So Joe had to back down and start using a different design approach.

As we all know, humans are visual creatures. The so-called visual system means that if a large area of ​​skin is exposed, vision will be focused on a few key protected areas, and if a large area is covered, vision will be focused on a small part of the exposed skin.

At the same time, no one can resist a good-looking uniform, no one!
So the rest is very simple: the male lead has to wear a damn sharp suit like Bond, go for the "suit-wearing thug" look, and the Citizen pilot has to wear his flight jacket like a Western cowboy, exuding a wild vibe.

For female characters, find uniforms to modify. What is the most famous thing about Gaul?
Of course, she'd be a maid! Just put on a maid outfit, a low-cut neckline, a high skirt, and black stockings, and then the setting would allow her to pull out various weapons from under her skirt at any time.

As for the guerrilla captain's and colonel's daughters, just find two sets of military uniforms to modify!
A fitted military uniform, paired with high boots and a slightly low neckline, this blonde wavy outfit would definitely look great!
The women felt that something was off about this outfit, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it, so they just let it go.

Of course, since actresses can only use people close to them, Joe thought, why don't I just use Wagner's people for male roles too?

On the one hand, although Wagner's men certainly hadn't studied acting techniques, they were very clear about Joe's relationship with his guards and wouldn't cause any trouble.

On the other hand, the current movie actors, even those who play villains, really lack that kind of charisma; they look a bit too handsome.

But Wagner's men were different. These veterans who had survived the war, just the air about them, like auxiliary police officers being promoted to police chiefs, was enough to get them sentenced to twenty years.

Just by standing in front of the camera, you don't even need to say a word; you can tell what it is at a glance.

As for the more important car chases and explosions in this kind of movie, those are not a problem at all. Is there anyone better at the Indomitable Off-Road than Wagner?
Is there anyone more knowledgeable about demolition than the sappers who dug tunnels and planted explosives on the front lines?
If Wagner hadn't existed during the war, Joe would have considered simply turning the film into a Wagner propaganda film.

However, as this was his first film, Joe felt it was best to play it safe and not include Wagner in it. If it didn't turn out well, it wouldn't have a big impact.

After making the decision, Joe began issuing notices to Wagner's combat troops, announcing that they were now going to make a movie and that anyone interested in acting in it could now sign up with their superiors.

Although many of those who join Wagner today have been completely transformed into military personnel due to the war, many of these veterans are still very interested in acting in movies.

After all, in this day and age, even taking a photo requires tidying up one's clothes a bit, so being able to make a movie is definitely something to brag about.

Among them, Joe's former driver Cecil was the most active.

Ultimately, considering that Cecil, being of noble birth, did indeed possess the air of an old London Union Jack, and that just by standing there, one could tell he was a Britannian without him even saying a word, it was clear he was one.

So Joe decided to cast Cecil as the lead actor, and then found another officer from Buntania, Wagner, to play the Citizen pilot.

Unfortunately, although Wagnerian officials didn't have any particular opinion on nationality, the Gauls spoke with an accent in their Bonitania, and the Italians... their gestures alone were enough to betray them.

While it's normal for Citizens, as a country of immigrants, to have immigrants of French or Italian descent, shouldn't we consider the mainstream audience...?

Then, Joe encountered an unexpected problem.

Nobody wanted to play the role of the Teutonic Colonel.

Veterans who were able to join Wagner had all lost something on the battlefield.

So it's fine for them to act in movies for fun, but it's absolutely unacceptable to have them wear Teutonic uniforms and play Teutonic officers.

It wasn't a big deal that no one in Wagner's company was willing to play the role. They could just find a professional actor. As long as the money was right, there was nothing they couldn't solve.
Then Joe realized that some things really can't be solved with money alone.

Although after the open recruitment of actors, quite a few actors, even established ones, auditioned.

However, none of them met Joe's requirements. After all, these actors were far inferior to the Wagner members in terms of temperament. If you said they were standing together, no one would believe you were portraying the treacherous Teutonic Colonel.

Just when Joe's audition was at a standstill, a selfless and kind person saved Joe.

During the disarmament movement led by Henry Bell, chairman of the Allied Military Control Council, the Teutons, who at their peak numbered four million and still numbered over a million at the end of the war, were reduced to only four hundred senior officers, from colonels to generals, who originally numbered nearly a thousand. Among them, only four generals were allowed to remain.

The number of mid-level officers was reduced from nearly 40,000 to 3,500, and the number of junior officers and non-commissioned officers was also strictly limited, to be reduced from nearly 100,000 to 20,000.

In this massive downsizing that amounts to amputations below the eyebrows, many veteran officers who had spent their entire lives training only to learn how to live in the military had no idea how they should survive.

Although most of the Teutonic officer corps members were from noble and small landowning families, many of them lost their ancestral property due to the shrinking of colonies and territories.

Furthermore, not everyone is willing to make a living in militia-like organizations such as the Free Legion or the Teutonic Iron Army.

So amidst this wave of unemployment, a lieutenant named Schmidt decided to go to Citizens across the sea to make a living. Then, while Lieutenant Schmidt was transferring by boat on Emerald Island, he happened to see a poster advertising for male actors.

With nothing better to do and the fact that Joe was going to make a movie, and since I was leaving anyway, I figured I might as well go see what the most dangerous man in the Old World looked like before I went. So Schmidt went to the production team to prepare for the audition.

Then, the casting director in charge of the initial selection immediately lit up when he saw this lieutenant who had rolled around in the mud pits of Verdun.

Look at the demeanor of this auxiliary police officer being promoted to full-fledged officer, look at the scars on his face, and look again... oh, his eyes are real, he's alright! You're absolutely perfect! Come with me to see the director!

Then, after Joe saw Lieutenant Schmidt, Joe thought that although Lieutenant Schmidt did not have the aura of a high-ranking officer, he was already like this, so what more could he ask for? He decided on Lieutenant Schmidt!
Lieutenant Schmidt, who had just learned that he had been selected, was completely bewildered. "I was just here to join in the fun, why did it have to be me?"
After looking at the script again, I realized I was going to play a villain, a Teutonic colonel at that! Wasn't that betraying the army and abandoning my country and family? No way, absolutely not, I can't do this role…

Before Lieutenant Schmidt could finish reciting, Joe interrupted him, asking what if the pay was £500 a week?

Upon hearing the weekly wage of five hundred pounds, Lieutenant Schmidt's eyes widened. After all, before the war, a lieutenant's weekly wage was only 40 to 60 marks, and now the most dangerous man in the Old World was offering him 500 pounds a week...

"It's impossible for me not to act in this play. I'll act exactly as you say. But I haven't studied acting, so please bear with me. When can I sign the contract and start working? Also, I was originally going to Citibank; I've already bought the ferry ticket..."

After fixing the last few minor issues, Joe spent the rest of January tinkering with things like attaching wheels to camera mounts, building cranes and tracks that allow cameras to be pushed around, and brackets to hold cameras in vehicles.

Fortunately, as an engineer, these small things were not a big problem for Joe. Even guys like James, who had factory work experience, volunteered to help out.

Joe was deeply moved that James was willing to help; his good-for-nothing brother had finally become sensible.

Then Joe arranged for the best tutors for his brother and the adopted orphans, as well as military instructors from Wagner, to begin the strictest education and management.

James was moved to tears by Joe's preparations.

After all, which student's morning starts with a five-kilometer cross-country run?

After making arrangements for James and the others, Joe, as a shareholder of Rolls-Royce and the creator of Rolls-Royce's biggest postwar growth point, naturally received strong support from Rolls-Royce this time.

Isn't it just about modifying an existing car into a new one?

Old Joe, just tell me when you need them and how many you want!
Of course, Rolls-Royce, which has become the undisputed leader in the ultra-luxury car market due to the huge sales of its winning cars, also cares a lot about its brand image.

After learning that Joe wanted to sell high-volume models, Rolls-Royce, while maintaining Joe's car, did not hesitate to register a new brand, Unyielding, to differentiate it from its own Rolls-Royce ultra-luxury cars.

January passed by in a flurry of activity, and before February arrived, filming for the movie, titled "Kingsman," began in the Governor's House studios.

Although Joe brought in many experienced filmmakers, all the equipment was so new that their experience was of little use.

In many cases, these filmmakers who are used to shooting in fixed shots are not as useful as those completely inexperienced newcomers.

After wasting a lot of film and having to rework it several times, Joe got so angry that he went to his private room and yelled "I'm so angry right now!" several times.

After signing confidentiality agreements with the experienced filmmakers, Joe simply brought in people directly from Wagner to make the film.

Although a confidentiality agreement was signed, the news of Joe recruiting actors had already attracted the attention of many reporters, so after these film workers left the crew...

Reporters flocked to these film workers to inquire about information. Although there were confidentiality agreements in place, the film workers still shrugged off what they could say in exchange for the generous tips.

So, in no time, the news that Joe was indeed making a movie, and apparently a war movie at that, spread like wildfire.

This sparked a heated debate. Some felt Joe had become arrogant, thinking he could do anything, and that the movie was doomed to flop. Others thought the former were utterly foolish; was Joe really after the movie? He was definitely after the actresses! Look at Joe's bodyguards; he'd stopped pretending a long time ago.

Of course, some people think it's not good to make a judgment so early. After all, if Joe really wanted to have something happen with the actress, he wouldn't need to make a movie himself; he could just invest in a movie, which would be much simpler and more convenient.

If it's still a war movie, Joe definitely wants to make something.

As these three voices began to debate in the newspapers, Joe was once again thrust into the spotlight, with his bodyguard and private life also being discussed.

This led to a period of time when the area around the Governor's House on Emerald Isle was swarmed with reporters, who held up their cameras and waited day and night, hoping to capture something.

However, this time, Joe, who usually chats and laughs with the media, was unusually silent and didn't say a word. He just focused on filming on set.

This time, with the set filled with a former Italian Black Feather Sharpshooter serving as the cinematographer, a former Brittany Guards flintlock flamethrower operator and lighting technician, and a former Gallic Jaeger sappers and demolition experts serving as special effects artists, the environment on set became almost like a command post for a battle.

It's full of Brittany-esque pronouncements like "Cinematographer, move the camera two meters further east," "After the lighting technician sets up the lights, I want all the cameras to push forward. I don't care how you shake them, the camera must follow the main character!" and "I don't want technical difficulty! I just want explosion shots!"

Although the language was somewhat explosive and the atmosphere was tense, the filming quickly got on track thanks to the Wagner veterans' exceptional execution, which made almost everyone in the crew very happy.

Apart from Lieutenant Schmidt, with Wagner taking over the set, almost everyone here had some minor conflicts with the Teutons, which put a lot of pressure on Lieutenant Schmidt.

Especially at times when Lieutenant Schmidt's performance was subpar and required retakes, Lieutenant Schmidt felt that the entire set was filled with a murderous aura.

This made Lieutenant Schmidt even afraid to use the toilet on set, fearing that someone might put his burlap sack inside.

Under such immense pressure, Schmidt discovered that he was only safe during filming and quickly began using filming as a way to release his stress.

That somewhat hysterical performance created the image of Colonel Teutonic, who was manic and slightly hysterical, like a mad dog, which pleased Joe very much.

With Schmidt's acting skills shining through, the filming went very smoothly.

Aside from Joe taking time out of his schedule to get engaged on Valentine's Day, which resulted in the engagement photos making the front page of the newspaper the next day, and having to take an extra day off due to some extraordinary events, filming went very smoothly.

Filming was completed in just three months. Of course, since the Wagner crew members involved in the filming had no talent for acting, all the action scenes, explosions, and car chases were real and genuine.

So during filming, Joe lost three cameras, six Indomitable SUVs, and several actors needed to be hospitalized.

Cecil even filmed the movie with his body in a cast because during one shoot, an old soldier who was acting opposite Cecil lost control and broke Cecil's ribs with a punch.

Of course, the most unfortunate person was Schmidt. In this kind of real fighting and real feeling filming, Schmidt became the person with the most injuries in the crew. After finishing his scenes, he even packed his bags and ran away to the United States before the movie was wrapped up.

Then he spent some time editing the film. Since movies are still in the silent era, there is no need for dubbing and sound effects production, which saved Joe a lot of effort.

After finishing the movie, Joe watched it once. Since there was no dubbing or background music, and Joe had already been bombarded with special effects, he felt that the movie was just so-so. Apart from the handsome men and beautiful women and the good action scenes, it had nothing special and was a simple popcorn movie.

Joe thought the movie was just so-so, but after watching it, everyone around him looked at Joe as if he were a monster. This guy was so good at fighting, he could invent things, and now he could even make movies. Was there anything in this world that Old Joe couldn't do?

Actually, there is one issue: having a child is something Joe can't handle on her own.

Previously, no matter what Qiao did or what fancy tricks she used, nothing happened, which made Qiao wonder if there was something wrong with her.

However, at the end of 1919, Catherine first announced that she was pregnant, and then Elena also said that she might need to take a break for a while.

Even on their engagement day, Diane and Kate gave Joe a little surprise. In short, if nothing unexpected happened, Joe would become a father in 1920.

Joe's family life was originally quite simple; he simply worked during the day and slept at night. Apart from not knowing where he slept at night, everything else was excellent.

But as circumstances changed, Joe realized that he was still young and it was the perfect time to focus on his career.

So, with the film's editing completed, the movie, titled "Kingsman," officially entered the promotion and distribution phase.

Joe is a man who naturally attracts attention, and he also has the BBC as a powerful weapon.

Although radios are still expensive, no one can refuse radio as a more timely and effective way to get information than newspapers.

Just like Rolls-Royce right now, besides making final adjustments to the Indomitable pickup truck version, which is arguably the most expensive movie merchandise in history and is intended for the United States, they are also researching how to fit the latest technological achievement, such as a radio, into their next generation of ultra-luxury cars.

Joe then held a press conference for his new movie, stating that he used the world's most advanced technology and filming techniques during its production, which would completely change the film industry. He also mentioned that the movie would be divided into two parts: before and after "Kingsman."

After he stated that he wanted to not only show the film in Britannia, but also distribute it overseas, film studios immediately flocked to him.

They waved their checks and tried to secure the distribution rights without even having seen the finished film.

After all, Joe's identity is the best publicity. Regardless of how well the movie is made, just based on what Joe said, the movie will definitely not lose money.

Everyone knows that the arts and culture world is now rife with criticism of Joe. Film professionals on both sides of the ocean, regardless of their country of origin, have been enraged by Joe and are launching a barrage of verbal attacks against his arrogance. They say that while Joe may be a good soldier, he is far too arrogant when it comes to culture.

Especially the movie poster Joe unveiled at the press conference—that chest, those thighs, so decadent! Utterly decadent! He thinks he can change the film industry with this?
Those overseas distributors felt that just by making money from those film industry professionals who wanted to watch the movie and then criticize Joe McCoy, and those who were just following the trend and wanted to see who Joe McCoy had actually made movies about, they could make a fortune.

The uproar was so great that His Majesty George was alarmed and called Joe to ask what he had filmed.

In response to His Majesty's curiosity, Joe explained that he was planning a simultaneous global release, so he couldn't reveal the specifics of the film, but he would send a copy to His Majesty on the day of the release.

Such a huge level of discussion was like a hurricane sweeping across both sides of the strait. Even some Teutonic distributors used their connections to reach out to Joe, expressing their desire to import the film.

Considering that the main market is Citibank, Joe chose to release the film on Memorial Day, May 31.

To further generate buzz for the film before its release, along with the film reels, several Indomitable SUVs and replicas of the costumes worn by the female characters in the movie were also sent to the other side of the ocean.

Joe hoped that three days before the film's release, Citibank's hairstylist could organize people to dress up in costumes, drive around the streets handing out flyers, and generate a huge buzz.

Even Hollywood, known for its unsavory practices, felt they had learned a new skill in this kind of grueling work.

The American officers Joe knew naturally noticed this, especially after seeing those propaganda girls in military uniforms that were hard to define as either proper or improper on the street. They all thought that Joe was truly something else, always coming up with something they'd never seen before.

We bought the movie ticket; we have to see what Old Joe has gotten up to this time.

However, Joe's old friends obviously did not expect that because the movie was so popular, when the movie was released at the end of May, they would have trouble buying tickets.

To their surprise, a long queue had formed in front of the movie theater. The last time they had seen such a queue was when the troops boarded a ship to return home.

When they finally arrived at the ticket window after waiting in a long line, they found that not only were today's tickets sold out, but even tomorrow's tickets were unavailable. Want to see "Kingsman: The Secret Service"? Buy your tickets now and you can see it next week. Don't think it's too slow and hesitate any longer, because the window next to them will have already sold out all the tickets for next week.

Is this movie really that popular?
But how could a living person die of thirst? These old friends of Joe immediately came up with a solution: if the city cinemas don't have tickets, then I can go to the village cinema, right?

As it turned out, the village cinema wasn't as crowded after they drove there. This time, they didn't have to wait a week; they only needed to wait three days to watch the movie their old friend made.

This made these old friends even more curious about what Joe had actually filmed.

In fact, it's not just Joe's old friends who are feeling confused right now, but also those filmmakers who previously criticized Joe, as well as those working in the film industry.

As an industry insider, I noticed before the movie's release that it was generating a lot of buzz and that premiere tickets might be hard to get. So, I managed to get tickets through various means in advance, planning to watch it as soon as possible and then give Old Joe a good dressing down.

Some lazy people plan to wait until the initial bandwagon effect dissipates before joining the fray.

Then, when the first group of people entered the theater with critical thoughts, they were dumbfounded from the very first scene.

No... we all thought you were just saying it for fun, Joe, why are you taking it seriously?
What kind of technique is this? How did you move the camera like that?! Can a movie really be filmed like this?! Are you kidding me?!

As Agent 880 drove along the highway toward dusk, the credits began to roll on the screen, and thunderous applause erupted in the movie theater.

These filmmakers, who were ready to criticize Joe, rubbed their eyes, as if they had just watched not a movie, but a divine revelation from God in the film industry. Their minds were filled with only one thought: What did I just watch? Was this really a movie? I haven't even learned it yet!

Before the filmmakers could react, people holding movie tickets and popcorn, eager to watch the movie, waved their tickets to make the filmmakers, who were still in shock, leave their seats.

Because Joe's film was so impactful, those filmmakers who had previously vehemently criticized him remained silent on the film's opening day.

Only those industry professionals who hadn't spoken up before, such as film critics, exclaimed in the newspapers, "Holy crap! There really are geniuses in the world!" and "Go see 'Kingsman'! You'll regret it if you don't!"

Reporters immediately sensed a major news story in this situation.

Weren't the arts and entertainment circles previously vehemently criticizing Joe, this guy who crossed over into other fields? Why are they suddenly silent now, and film critics are starting to praise him? Even though they can't get movie tickets, that doesn't stop reporters from chasing after those who used to criticize Joe the most, asking for their opinions on Joe's films after watching them.

A few days later, the filmmakers who had recovered began to give vague and hesitant answers to the persistent questioning from reporters who loved to stir up trouble, such as "a very novel filming technique" or "the filming technology is indeed brand new."

Of course, there are also some stubborn guys who, when pushed to the limit, say things like, "This is disrespectful to those who died in battle," "It's an entertainment of war," and "The costumes in this movie are morally reprehensible!"

While these filmmakers were still spouting nonsense, some studios that had found that "Kingsman" had almost completely squeezed out screenings of other films released at the same time had already remembered the Paris Rose that had made the newspapers back then.

The studio executives immediately shouted, "Go and fetch Paris Rose! We want to make a movie!"

Meanwhile, Joe was in Buckingham Palace in London listening to the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service complaining to him, "When making this movie, why did you create a non-existent Kingsman instead of just using the Foreign Intelligence Service?"

"Do you know how much help you could provide to our work if the protagonist of your movie were an agent of a foreign intelligence agency? We've had a very pleasant working relationship before, you can't treat an old friend like this."

In response to Sir Cumming's complaints, Joe could only say, "I didn't know this movie would be so popular, and who knew that audiences these days would accept such an unconventional protagonist."

"For my next movie, I will definitely make an agent from an overseas intelligence agency the lead."

Hearing Joe say that, Sir Cumming's expression finally brightened, and he patted Joe on the shoulder, saying, "If that's how you put it, then everything is easy to talk about. If there are any problems with the script, feel free to come to me anytime. I have plenty of good stories to tell."

Just as Joe was nodding vigorously, saying, "Of course, of course, if I encounter any problems with the script, I will definitely come to you, sir," a palace attendant came over and said, "Sir Joe, Sir Camin, His Majesty wishes to see you."

------

Joe Harrison, a military leader, politician, inventor, and businessman, may be the most womanizing man in the world, but as he himself said, the film industry has been permanently changed since he developed the moving camera technique.

Even today, most of the props used on set can be traced back to the tools Joe made when he was filming "Kingsman".

Joe greatly propelled the development of the film industry, even making the Brittany films some of the best films in the world. However, as Joe stopped making films and devoted his energy to other things, the Brittany films stagnated and never changed again.

—From *A History of Art in Bonitania*

(End of this chapter)