American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 60 I Won't Buy a Prize

Although Warner Bros. promoted "The Voice" as an Oscar contender, anyone who has seen the commercials and bought products based on them knows that the advertising and the actual product often don't match.

So, before The Voice was officially released, Warner Bros. didn't actually know if the movie would be an Oscar contender.

After The Voice was officially released, Warner Bros. felt that the film could compete for the Oscars.

Uh……

Warner Bros. doesn't have cerebellar infighting; their logic is sound.

The reason why it feels awkward is because their way of thinking is what people nowadays consider heretical.

In Hollywood today, there is a clear distinction between commercial films and Oscar contenders. The most typical characteristic is that the former are screened widely, while the latter are screened only on a small, niche scale.

As for why this distinction is made?

Very simple -

That is because Hollywood produces too many movies every year, and no judge can watch them all. So, any movie that wants to win an award has to tell the judges in advance that they are aiming for awards and ask them to take a look at their work.

Furthermore, given the sheer volume of information generated daily in the world, even if you publish an announcement saying you're aiming for the Olympics, the judges might not see it. So, after years of refinement, a tacit industry implication has emerged: 'abandon the audience'.

When a film chooses to be shown on a large scale upon its release, the production company will definitely pursue box office success. In this case, the production company will certainly prioritize commercial appeal during production, so the film's thematic message will generally not be very high.

But when a film dares to abandon the mass market, regardless of whether the film is good or bad, at least the production company and director have personality. Such people can pursue art, so when reviewing the film, you can save a lot of time by focusing on them.

Well, to be honest, this line of thinking is actually quite absurd.

But when everyone is doing it, you're considered odd if you don't follow the crowd.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, once The Voice chose to have a wide release, it was no longer eligible for the Oscars.

But there are always exceptions, aren't there?

For example, when your movie is so popular that everyone knows it, you no longer need to follow the unspoken rules for winning an Oscar.

For example, Jaws—

When Spielberg subverted the horror genre by making a large-scale, big-budget B-movie, it rightfully earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture as an R-rated film.

And Star Wars—

If Lucas can't even compete for Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director after creating groundbreaking special effects, then the Oscars might as well be shut down. What are they if they can't even get nominated for Oscars for works that revolutionize the industry?
While The Voice may not reach the heights of the two films mentioned above, with countless Potter Heads contributing to the name Isabella, the Oscars' embrace of The Voice should yield high viewership.

Ok.

The Oscars are a commercial award, after all; they need to make a living too, and viewership affects broadcast revenue.

However, even if Warner Bros. thinks "The Voice" has the potential to win an Oscar, and even if Warner Bros. thinks the Oscars will accept "The Voice," the final decision on whether to compete for an Oscar still rests with Isabella.

Because qualifying for the Olympics costs money.

This……

"So Warner accepted my offer and is willing to cover all the costs of competing for the Oscars?"

Isabella turned her head and looked at her mother.

Vivian didn't speak, she just shook her head.

"Oh, if they still want us to pay, then there's no point in discussing this."

Isabella yawned; she'd gotten up too early today and was a little sleepy.

"I will not use my own money to try to win an Oscar; I won't spend a single penny."

In Hollywood, competing for an Oscar is a business.

The process of winning the Oscars is not exactly the same as, but it is also almost identical to, the campaign process of a great leader.

During the election campaign, all parties spend money to garner votes. In the Oscar race, there are also specialized lobbying agencies in North America that connect with the more than 6,000 "voters" of the Oscars, persuading them to vote for their financial backers.

Moreover, the lobbying fees for each award are even clearly marked, with the lobbying start fee for Best Picture being $1.5 million, and the lobbying start fee for Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress being $1 million.

Then, the original screenplay or adapted screenplay in the five major awards is guaranteed a minimum of 800,000 yuan.

Other awards are fewer, with technical awards being the lowest, because technology cannot defy the laws of physics; a two-ton object can't win against an eight-ton object. But if you choose to compete for the prize, you have to pay 200,000 the moment you make the decision.

That's right, it's submitted first.

Because there is no upper limit to the public relations costs for all awards.

If you really want to touch that little golden statuette, you need to prepare at least ten million for the other five awards, except for Best Screenplay.

Of course, celebrities couldn't afford to pay for everything, so there are two standards for funding within the industry:

1. In projects with clear Oscar aspirations, those that are selected for small-scale screenings from the beginning, the actors and directors receive very little income. All the profits and the hype surrounding the film after a successful award win are taken by the production company, distributor, or copyright holder. Therefore, they cover all the expenses.

2. In projects that are decided on an ad hoc basis, such as "The Voice of China", since the production company does not receive all the profits and capital is not a charity, the cost of the Oscar bid is shared equally by the bidder and the production company.

To put it simply, it means the beneficiary pays the bill.

So, right now, if Isabella wants to compete for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, even if she doesn't win the Oscars and only gets a nomination, she still has to pay Warner Bros. (150+100+80)/2=165 million US dollars. Moreover, it's not a possibility, but a certainty, that she will have to accept endless payments later on, otherwise all her initial investment will be wasted.

When this happened, Isabella immediately told Warner to get out.

Not to mention that she knew she wouldn't win the award!

Even if she knew she could win the award, she wouldn't spend the money if there was no limit to the cost!

Because she only entered the industry to make money!

She didn't want to be that old artist!

Spend tens of millions to buy an Oscar statuette and just keep it at home?

She's sick!

Isabella's attitude had already been very clear when Nathan Bailey had discussed this matter with her earlier—

'Warner wants to win an Oscar? Okay, no problem.'

'But if you want me to spend money? Forget about it, because I don't need that kind of empty fame.'

'Even the most amazing Oscar is still a mass-produced item, released every year, but Hermione Granger…'

It is eternal.

So Nathan Bailey stopped talking to her about these things over the past few days.

This situation led Isabella to believe that Warner had given up on his Oscar bid, but now...

Is Nathan Bailey going to write an Oscar-winning plan?
And Warner is still unwilling to cover all the costs of bidding for the Oscars?
This……

"Mom, are they out of their minds?"

Catherine asked what was on her mind.

Isabella nodded repeatedly.

Vivian laughed and said, "Oh, mainly Jude and Chris wanted to get some male supporting roles, so..."

Nathan still wanted to try.

When Jude Law and Christian Bale took on "The Voice" again, they didn't have many thoughts about it.

In their eyes, this was just a gathering organized by their own people, a casual game to play around with.

To put it bluntly, at the time, they were probably more focused on helping the ambitious Patrick and, incidentally, solidifying their relationship with Spielberg. As for anything else?

If they thought from the beginning that something written by a 12-year-old girl could sell well and be nominated for the Olympics, then they are probably sick.

But now that a miracle has occurred, then...

They don't have Hermione Granger.

So they really need the Oscars.

When they wanted to compete for the Oscars, Warner Music hoped everyone would join them in doing so.

Because Oscars are like small commodities, buying them together is more economical.

Many of the 6000 Oscar judges have overlapping roles.

Clint Eastwood, for example, is a director, an actor, and a composer, so he can vote for directors, actors, and actresses, as well as for awards such as Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

Lobbying these judges is truly getting multiple things done for the price of one.

But if you're only aiming for one prize...

Foolish people with lots of money, come and fleece them.

But even if Oscar statuettes are something that can be bought in bulk, Isabella at the moment is too lazy to bother with Warner.

As I said before, she is not yet an adult and has no chance of winning an Oscar.

So, if she goes for the Oscars, wouldn't that be equivalent to helping Warner Bros. reduce their Oscar bid costs?
Using other people's money to do your own thing —

This is something I can do.

Using your own money to clean up other people's messes?
I really am kind and selfless!

I don't even have a net worth of 100 million, so why would I share the burden of a giant with a market value of hundreds of billions?
Then I must be the best person in the world!

Tsk~
Isabella doesn't want to go to Arkham Asylum.

Chris Columbus and Anthony Hopkins also ignored Warner.

The reason Columbus ignored it wasn't that he didn't want to compete for an Oscar; he did want the golden statuette. But when he had the entire profit share from "The Voice" in one hand and the box office numbers from "HP" in the other, spending money to compete for an Oscar at that point would be tantamount to being ripped off by Warner Bros. Warner Bros. would just hand over money as soon as they opened a deal. They would definitely try their best to get their money back from you!

The reason the latter ignored it was that the old jersey had an Oscar, and continuing to compete for one would be a waste of money.

That being the case...

Glancing sideways at my mother—

"Mom."

"Ok?"

"If I give you two million to buy you handbags, will you hug me to sleep every night?"

“Oh~~”

Vivian laughed and shook her head, saying, "No, because I sleep with my bag in my arms."

"..."

Isabella pulled up her little mouth and rolled her eyes.

"hahahaha~"

Vivian burst into laughter.

The conversation between the two amused Catherine, who laughed and said, "Mom, are Jude and Chris really going to both be vying for Best Supporting Actor? How can they compete for the same award?"

"Oh, you mean this? Warner said Jude just wanted a nomination, while Chris is the real contender for the award."

"Because Jude has another film, Cold Mountain, this year? He's aiming for Best Actor next year."

"I just wanted to get a nomination this year to make myself known to the judges and let them get to know me better."

"Chris's reason for going for the supporting role is even simpler. Warner Bros. is preparing to make 'The Batman,' right? He's going to compete for Bruce Wayne. He heard that the directors Warner Bros. is interested in like actors with good acting skills, so... umm."

Vivian shrugged.

You see, everyone in the world is driven by profit. Even if Jude Law and Christian Bale wanted to win an Oscar, they weren't aiming for the golden statuette, but rather for bigger goals and higher earnings.

As for these things...

Isabella had already heard about the DC situation.

She declined to comment because the absurdity was too great.

And Jude Law's Cold Mountain?
She remembered the movie, but she couldn't recall whether Jude Law would win Best Actor.

But this is not important.

The entertainment industry is small, so small that everyone knows each other; it's also big, so big that there's always work to be done. With the global entertainment industry generating a ton of fresh entertainment every day, Isabella doesn't have time to keep an eye on everyone else. "Oh~ you're back?"

During their conversation, the group returned to Leavesden.

At this moment, Isabella is truly treating this place as a hotel-style residence.

It's so comfortable to live without having to worry about anything, just ask if you need anything.

As she stepped out of the car, a cheerful welcome rang out from afar.

I looked up and saw—

"Oh~ Margot~ What are you doing here? Why weren't you inside?"

Vivian smiled and said, "Did Warner tell you that we're coming back?"

"No."

Little Robbie shook his head. "Of course not, Aunt Vivian."

She has grown her hair long; in five months, her once ear-length blonde hair has reached her shoulders.

With a casual shake, it soars freely.

“I watched the live stream in my room the whole time. After the live stream ended, I was calculating the time. It takes less than two hours to get from central London to Leaversden, and three hours at the slowest. So I checked every half hour, using two hours as the dividing line.”

"Then……"

Little Robbie smiled and tilted his head, saying, "I just happened to see it."

"Oh, why did you make things so complicated? Couldn't you have just given us a call?"

Catherine was amused.

"Sister Keisha~ I was just worried you guys were too busy~"

Robbie replied in a very serious tone, but his voice was incredibly sweet.

"Alright, alright, let's go upstairs. It's really cold in London today. I need to go inside and warm up."

Isabella gestured with her chin, indicating that the three of them should go back inside to talk.

However, before she could finish speaking, little Robbie, who had turned around, said, "Sister Isa, I called the restaurant five minutes ago and asked them to send over afternoon tea. Then they said Angie White had arrived, so I asked them to bring it over as well."

"Oh~ really? Thank you so much, Margot~"

Isabella smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Anji White is a tea from mainland China, and no other teas are popular in Britain, so she hasn't had it for a long time.

Since she hadn't specifically requested it before, Warner hadn't made a special purchase, but now...

Who knows what's going on?

Her happiness made Robbie sway slightly. "Hehe~~ You're welcome~~"

Just as Isabella said when filming for "The Voice" wrapped up, as a movie that is bound to have a premiere, Margot Robbie, who plays the final boss, will definitely receive an invitation to the premiere.

Sure enough, on December 20th, Warner brought her over from Australia.

With the arrival of the 23rd, she walked the red carpet with the main cast and crew.

According to industry practice, she can stay in the UK for a maximum of seven days.

It's not that Warner couldn't afford her stay expenses, but rather that there weren't many interviews related to it.

Robbie does need to cooperate with the film crew to promote the movie, but with Isabella Leong, a star attraction, Hopkins, an industry veteran, Jude Law and Christian Bale, and Keira Knightley, whom Disney is promoting, the opportunities for her to appear on screen, and the time she needs to be on screen, are limited.

So, after walking the red carpet and completing the few interviews arranged by Warner, she was able to go home.

But there are always exceptions, aren't there?
On her second day in England, the little girl met Isabella and the others. Since she was alone and her grandmother was not with her, Vivian asked her curiously where her guardian was.

Then everyone learned that the little girl had come alone this time.

This is not only because filming and giving interviews are two different concepts under British and Australian law, where a minor's guardian must be present when working, but not when attending large events, so Robbie's guardian does not have to accompany him.

Furthermore, it's currently summer in Australia, the perfect time to plant hay. Robbie's family owns a ranch and cattle, and they plant hay every year, so her family doesn't actually have time to accompany her to the event.

Well, only now could everyone confirm that what she said about wanting to be independent as early as possible was true.

Most circus schools in Australia are boarding schools.

By enrolling in such a school, she can make friends on her own.

No need for my family to worry.

After chatting for a while, they learned that Robbie had officially dropped out of school after returning home.

The circus is an extremely dangerous sport. If you don't practice for a week, you have to slowly recover before you can go back to the ring. So, when Robbie was going to be away from school for at least three months, she had already said goodbye to the circus industry.

And she gave up her job at the circus to go to school, just as she said.

To put it simply, by the time she finished filming "The Voice of China" and returned to Australia, it was already mid-September.

Over there, in normal schools, half of the second semester has already been completed.

An unusual school—oops…I mean, an arts school—there aren't many in Queensland, where she lives; most are in Melbourne, and the straight-line distance between the two is 1400 kilometers, therefore…

Even if her family fully supports her attending arts school, they would still have to move so she could attend.

If she is the youngest in the family and her older siblings are all independent, then there is some truth to this.

However, she is the third child in her family, with a younger brother, and her mother is already forty-five years old.

Moving is very difficult in this kind of environment.

So, after filming for "The Voice of China" wrapped up, she started helping her family with farming and herding cattle.

This time, after returning to England, she didn't want to go back.

Because it's very difficult to find opportunities in Australia.

However, she didn't say this explicitly.

She simply tried to find her highlight moments on screen before and after the premiere, and during the screening.

They longed to become famous overnight and seize opportunities.

Even though she acted well and her scenes were well-received, The Voice is, after all, Isabella's movie. When Isabella has HP's buff, no one can defeat her in her field.

So, despite the movie's release and box office success, Robbie didn't land the new job he envisioned.

And just as she was regretfully accepting the truth...

"Marg?"

"I'm here with Aunt Vivian."

"Do you have time? I think I left my coat in the van..."

"Okay~ I'll go take a look right now~"

Vivian's words made Robbie turn around and leave.

Well, Mom is kind-hearted and let Robbie stay a little longer, citing boredom as an excuse.

Let's see if anyone contacts her after this.

If so, that would be the best.

If not, then we'll talk about it later.

Well, keeping her in the UK isn't difficult. Not to mention that Australians can stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa using their passports, Warner already sponsored her a two-year work visa.

The sight of him quickly leaving made Isabella, who had just entered the house, smile.

"Mom."

She swayed and bumped into her mother.

"uh-huh?"

Vivian uses her nasal cavity to speak.

"Have you rediscovered that feeling you used to have?"

Isabella asked with a mischievous grin.

"What does it feel like?"

Vivian's mind didn't quite process it at first.

"The feeling of a noblewoman."

Isabella blinked. "You don't have to do any chores on weekdays, and someone runs errands for you all the time. Oh, that's really something!"

"Mrs. Heywood, are you happy?"

"Humph~"

Vivian smiled and pursed her lips, understanding her younger daughter's meaning.

She seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Isabella's description; she was no Mrs. Sherlock, but Portia.

But the next second, he couldn't keep up the act anymore.

She stretched out her arms and hugged her two daughters. "Of course I'm happy~ because I have two wonderful babies~"

As she spoke, she kissed each of her two daughters on the cheek.

Vivian meant no harm; she was just asking Robbie to do chores so that she wouldn't be too reserved.

After all, this guy's maturity and restraint are something everyone can see.

But at the same time, the way this guy bosses people around is too much like a rich lady from a wealthy landlord's family.

So……

hee hee~
After laughing twice, Isabella, still having work to do, asked her older sister to accompany her back to her room.

Following the order of the calls and special notes in her mother's and sister's notebooks, Isabella returned the calls to each party—

"Hi~ Aunt Annie~"

"Yeah~ I'll call you as soon as I'm done with my work~"

"Of course~ You hold a very high place in my heart~ You're fourth on the list~"

"Huh? You're asking who's in front? My dad, my mom, my sister."

"hahahaha~"

While Isabella was doing her final work, reconnecting with those who had shown her kindness...

California.

Los Angeles.

Miramax headquarters.

Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein sat facing each other.

"Have you found out the details?" Bob looked at his older brother.

“Hmm.” Harvey nodded.

Although the office was well-lit, the smoky smoke from the cigar in his hand still made the large space pitch black, with only the red sofa beneath him, which had been imbued with the magic of countless female celebrities, gleaming.

"Our friends at Warner Music have already sent me a message, saying that The Voice of China has a high probability of competing for the Oscars this year."

"so……"

"We have gained another opponent."

(End of this chapter)