The Best Director

Chapter 179: Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

Flame Film ultimately decided to invest in “Saw” according to the plan discussed at the “Fu’s Restaurant Meeting,” with a production budget of 3 million, owning all its rights; “Father of Saw” James Wan and Leigh Whannell both took no salary, but would enjoy 10% of the North American box office profits and 7.5% of DVD sales respectively; as for overseas box office, video tape sales and rentals, DVD rentals, television broadcasts, etc., they were not part of this agreement.

Compared to the original budget of 1.5 million planned by Wan and Whannell, the 3 million was a full double, and with Whannell taking no fee to play the male lead, the total remuneration for the other cast and crew was kept within 1 million, allowing 2 million to be used for shooting expenses, including sets, props, and gore effects. Wan and Whannell happily joked, “We have so much money we don’t even know how to spend it all.”

They were very confident they could use this 3 million to create a classic, unique B-grade horror movie.

And Flame Film’s production department would choose the right producer to join them, with Wan saying that filming could be completed as soon as half a month, or at most one month, and it could even be released during the Halloween season in November of this year. But there was no need to rush, because for an independent film to stand out, apart from the film itself being good, promotion could not be taken lightly.

With the strong optimism and direct instruction from Wang Yang, Peter Wilkes, who was very appreciative of “Saw,” suddenly gave it several levels of increased attention; this could be made into a series of 6, 9, or even 12 horror movies! Who in Flame Group and the entire film industry didn’t know that anything Wang Yang set his sights on, even if it was a stone, actually contained a large gold nugget inside?

Flame Group’s plan was to start immediate “zero cost promotion,” which meant creating an official website on the internet and placing ads where horror movie fans congregated, with the promotion centered on “The greatly admired and highly anticipated horror film by the magical Wang Yang!”

What people should know is that Wang Yang holds an indelible place in the hearts of horror film fans, many of whom “must rewatch ‘Paranormal Activity’ at least once a year.” The camera techniques and horror details in this DV film had reached the pinnacle of achievement, with some even bestowing upon him the title of “Master of Horror.” How many horror fans were hoping to wake up the next day and suddenly see the news “Magical Yang returns to psychological horror!”

Now that “Master of Horror” had highly recommended the gory horror film “Saw,” even though it was a Flame Film product, the news intrigued horror movie fans, thinking unless Magical Wang had gone crazy or his judgment faltered, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to tarnish his reputation.

But just that bit of effect was far from enough; Flame Film planned to have “Saw” participate in influential film festivals like Sundance and the Screamfest next year, then release it in the April slot. It would still be distributed by FM Company, and if the movie really became a hit, it would be the perfect way to establish FM Company’s reputation for independent films, attracting more independent filmmakers and audiences.

Although “Saw” was favored by Wang Yang, aside from his fanbase, it didn’t catch the attention of the media or other film companies. It was just an independent film, and Sundance now has over a hundred films participating each year, not to mention countless rejected ones; but another important point was that James Wan was a 25-year-old Chinese director — could he be Magical Wang’s Australian relative?

Meanwhile, the other plan discussed at the “Fu’s Restaurant Meeting,” a street racing crime film, had been confirmed to be directed by Justin Lin, with a production budget estimated at 60 million; but no other details had been finalized, including the script which needed writers to craft, as well as a producer; as for the cast, even though Michelle Rodriguez was a good friend of Wang Yang, due to her relationship with the “Fast & Furious” series, she was naturally not in the running.

Finding lead actors and actresses was hard, but getting the right tough guys and spicy girls wasn’t difficult.

In the office of the chairman of Flame Film, Wang Yang looked at his phone’s contact list and dialed “Eliza Dushku,” trying to ensure promotional effect and film quality, he would take on the role of producer for the movie tentatively named “Furious.” He wouldn’t be too involved with supervising, but he would have a say in the script’s style, post-production editing, and finalizing the cast.

Hearing the puzzled “HELLO?” on the other end, he spun around in his swivel chair, looking at the pot of daffodils on his desk, and said, “Is this Miss Eliza Dushku? This is Wang Yang.”

In the streets of Los Angeles, Eliza Dushku, clutching her handbag, stopped dead in her tracks. Young-Wang? The magical Yang? She quickly uttered a cautious “Hey,” looking around at the trees and vehicles, a bit lost for words, her mind racing with thoughts, “Could this be some kind of prank? How did he get my number? Oh! The audition for ‘High School Musical,’ why would he contact me?”

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She would never forget that audition, not because the process was particularly interesting, but because the result was truly unforgettable. At first, she felt 90 percent confident about passing because Wang Yang seemed very pleased at the time, even saying, “Miss Dushku, you were great in ‘True Lies’!” His smile was charming, and perhaps it was the reputation of the “Wunderkind” that made her feel he had a maturity beyond his peers.

She had always favored mature and witty men, but if they were her age, she preferred them even more. She remembered telling Jessica Alba, “I really want to go on a date with him.” Then she lost the role to Jessica, probably because they had known each other from before; after that, she signed for ‘Idle Hands’ with much reluctance. She had no real desire to act in some horror-comedy, she wanted to do musicals, she wanted to do ‘High School Musical’.

But reality was like an unstoppable train; many decisions were made in the blink of an eye, either by oneself or by others, on whether to go left or right, on paths that were entirely different and irreversible.

‘Idle Hands’ was ultimately trounced by ‘High School Musical’ that year, and this year’s ‘The New Guy’ was also beaten badly by ‘Sweetheart’… Of course, all these things were in the past, but why was Marvelous Yang contacting her this time? Eliza thought of a possibility, and her heart, which had been calm, suddenly thumped wildly: “Could he be asking me to do a movie, ‘MIT-21-TEAM’?!”

“HELLO?” Seeing that she did not respond, Wang Yang blinked in confusion. It wouldn’t be odd if someone else didn’t recognize him, but Eliza Dushku not remembering him? He continued, “That’s Director Wang Yang, ‘District 9’, ‘Juno’… Miss Dushku, we’ve met before at the ‘High School Musical’ audition.”

Eliza couldn’t help but smile, how could she possibly not know who Wang Yang was? She stepped forward and continued walking, replying with a smile, “Mr. Wang, of course I know you, Marvelous Yang. I remember the ‘High School Musical’ audition too. What’s up?”

“Well, it’s about a movie,” Wang Yang said as he picked up a model sports car from the table and slowly ‘drove’ it through the air. “Flame Films is planning to produce a series of racing movies, with a budget of 60 million for the first installment. Justin Lin will direct—you probably don’t know him; I’m one of the producers, so I want to invite you to audition for a lead, are you interested?”

While the script for ‘Furious’ wasn’t finalized yet, and the screenwriters were nowhere to be seen, a purely commercial film’s script isn’t like ‘Schindler’s List’ or ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. Everything is “formatted,” usually divided into story and character development, where several screenwriters, along with the director and producers, sit together to discuss and craft everything from a business standpoint.

As for the characters, you can design them ahead of time and then find actors to fit; or you can determine the actors’ temperaments first and shape the characters around them. What kind of lead female does ‘Furious’ need? Sexy, spicy, to send adrenaline levels through the roof. Eliza Dushku is both sexy and spicy, her acting quite adequate, and her age fits with a low salary. If we’re going by the character design of ‘Fast & Furious’, she would take Jordana Brewster’s spot.

“Oh!” Eliza responded, feeling a bit disappointed—it wasn’t a Marvelous Yang-directed film! But then she got excited again; he was the producer, and this was the female lead in a 60-million-dollar budget film! The budget for ‘The New Guy’, where she had previously starred, was only 13 million, but after another box office disaster, she didn’t have any new film offers, and her agent suggested she might need to return to television for a while.

But now it seemed that Marvelous Yang had suddenly remembered her, the racing movie’s female lead; was her luck turning around? Eliza quickly said, “Oh, I’m very interested!” She watched a red sports car zoom by on the road and laughed, “I love cars!”

Wang Yang smiled happily, set the car model back down, and said, “Eliza, I’m just giving you a heads-up for now. We’ll talk about the audition once the script is ready, but I’m thinking it’s going to be you.” He hadn’t forgotten the audition four years ago, knew exactly what kind of presence and camera feel Eliza had, quite similar to Jessica, just lacking that sweet side, but absolutely suitable for ‘Furious’.

He continued, “The movie will probably start shooting at the beginning of next year. I’m telling you now to avoid schedule conflicts later. Once the script is ready, we’ll talk details with your agent.” On the other end, Eliza replied happily, “Sure, thank you so much for this opportunity!” Wang Yang said with a smile, “Okay, then bye!”

“Goodbye.” Eliza put her phone into her handbag, both excited and stunned, walking blankly for a while before slowly regaining her bearings. He said “I think it’s going to be you”? Incredible! Just incredible! This couldn’t be a dream, could it? She looked up at the dazzling sunshine in the sky and slapped her cheek, not a dream… A jubilant and thrilled smile slowly spread across her face.

Tap tap tap—the door to the office was knocked. Wang Yang, who had been looking at his computer screen, called out, “Come in.” Mark Strong, in a black suit with a checkered tie, entered, took a seat in front of the desk, and handed Wang Yang a document. He smiled and said, “My boss, just a few days ago we were talking about the lack of a series in our company, and now we suddenly have three planned series, plus ‘The Hangover’ makes four.”

Teen movies were synonymous with Disney, but also a formidable asset for Flame Films since their inception. ‘High School Musical’ had brought in more than just 800 million in global box office returns; it had also gathered a legion of Flame-loving fans. How could they possibly give up on this musical market niche? After ‘High School Musical’, ‘Sweetheart’ served as a spearhead, a pathfinder warming up the street dancing scene and setting, while ‘Step Up’ became the series piece.

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Annie Fletcher would continue the fusion of Sweetheart’s dance universe and real-world setting, investing $15 million and collaborating with new screenwriters and producers to create a new musical film, Step Up. The film’s timeline takes place after Sweetheart, carrying over the setting and history, crafting entirely new characters and stories, with the goal of becoming a long-term series released annually or biannually.

Representing the horror market, Saw plans to release a steady film each year; for the racing action market, Furious, and the R-rated comedy market, The Hangover, both release a film every two years, of course, assuming all four plans achieve their expected performance.

Why doesn’t Flame follow the superhero adaptation wave sparked by “X-Men” and “Spider-Man,” and produce a superhero series blockbuster?

Essentially, superheroes worthy of the big screen are concentrated in the hands of DC and Marvel comics; as early as 1969, DC Comics with superheroes like “Superman,” “Batman,” “Green Lantern,” “The Flash,” “Wonder Woman,” and the Justice League, was acquired by Time Warner. The Warner Bros. film company would not let others touch these heroes.

What about Marvel Comics, which owns “X-Men,” “Spider-Man,” “Fantastic Four,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Thor,” “Captain America,” and other Avengers heroes? Still controlled by Stan Lee as an independent company, they adopt a single adaptation cooperation method with movie companies. For example, “X-Men” is in cooperation with 20th Century Fox; “Spider-Man” is with Sony/Columbia; and the Hulk film directed by Ang Lee that’s still in production is with Universal Studios.

Is there still a chance for Flame to partner with Marvel and bring some heroes like “Fantastic Four” to the big screen? The answer is no. These heroes are not without corporate interest, but Stan Lee and Marvel Comics strategically activate these assets step by step. Whenever they say, “We are interested in adapting this one, who’s interested?” Paramount, Sony, Fox… they all come rushing in.

What makes Flame Films think it can compete with other major companies? Wang Yang? Hollywood is not short of talented directors, yet adapting a superhero blockbuster requires consideration of many more factors.

This is different from acquiring Blue Sky Studios. Whoever is being fought over is desired by everyone; would Marvel Comics risk letting an independent film company adapt one of their marquee stars or choose a mainstream, massive production company? Do other financially capable independent companies like New Line, Miramax Films, and Dimension Films not want to join forces with superheroes? The issue is they don’t get the chance.

Of course, there’s still a chance for second-tier superheroes, given Marvel Comics has over 5,000 heroes under their banner. Can Flame Films find a gem among them? 5,000 heroes sound daunting, but not every comic character, not every story is suitable for the big screen – some are too outdated and don’t meet contemporary aesthetic standards; some heroes have no popularity at all, not even recognized by die-hard comic fans – why bother adapting them?

Others have a storytelling style that doesn’t fit. It can be said that only a few from the Avengers are suitable for adaptation, and so we come back to competing with the big companies for those few heroes, with some fringe popularity heroes left as options. (In 2004, Lionsgate brought “Punisher” to the screen for a production cost of $33 million, with global box office earnings of only $54 million; the 2008 sequel with a $35 million production cost earned only $10 million at the global box office.)

To produce any superhero film well requires a massive budget; a production cost of $100 million is now laughable, while $150 to $200 million has become unsurprising.

The whole cycle from production to release usually takes two years, with a possible total cost of production + advertising + miscellaneous totaling to $200 million, but only bringing in $400 to $500 million in global box office revenue. Aside from sharing profits with theaters and paying taxes, Marvel Comics would also take a cut… Of course, film companies don’t make foolish deals, and although profits may be slim or they might even make a loss from the box office alone, other peripheral income can result in good returns.

What if it’s a complete flop? Well-funded major companies might have executives scolded or held accountable, and they would simply stop producing sequels; but a one hundred or two hundred million dollar loss would be devastating for an independent film company, and although Flame Films wouldn’t go bankrupt in such a scenario, there’s no doubt that either superhero blockbusters or fringe superhero movies are not suitable business investments at the moment.

The superhero cake isn’t as sweet as it looks. The desirable “X-Men,” “Spider-Man,” “Batman,” “Superman,” and others are already spoken for.

But should the right opportunity arise, Flame Films will still endeavor to compete with other major companies for adaptation rights and gradually develop some high-cost series films; but the current task is to quietly build its own strength. If It can successfully establish franchises like “Saw” and “The Hangover”, plus “Ice Age” in terms of CG animation, that is definitely more stable and enviable than making a high-cost, high-risk, yet profitable superhero movie.

“Mark, these four series are major plans for Flame Films over the next decade,” Wang Yang said thoughtfully, looking across at Mark Strong. “Saw and James will be successful very soon. You know horror films — that’s how they are. I think our company’s banner for horror films will be carried by James from now on. He can continue to produce Saw 2, Saw 3, or if he has any other horror film ideas, we are ready to invest. He definitely has the potential to become a master of horror.”

Remembering James Wan’s style, he couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “This guy’s head is full of scary stuff.” Mark Shrante just shrugged, and Wang Yang mused, “Justin’s car racing movies require a bit more patience, but maybe that won’t be necessary, maybe they’ll be a huge success right off the bat, who knows?” Mark spread his hands and said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.”

“Haha!” Wang Yang laughed and rolled his eyes; he was almost afraid to hear this phrase by now. After thinking for a bit, he laughed again and said, “Step Up didn’t need much time either; it’s all set up now, and Annie will handle it! Mark, as long as we get these four plans right, and continue with the policy of the film library, Flame is definitely going to be the number one independent film company.”

Mark Shrante had an ambiguous expression and wasn’t quite as optimistic or confident, laughing and saying, “Hey, that sounds great.” Wang Yang laughed, “Of course it’s great! But I think our series for the next decade will include more than just these, you know, life is like a box of chocolates.” Mark laughed and spread his hands, saying, “I suppose you’re right, who would have thought I’d be the CEO of the number one independent film company?” He was a bit doubtful, asking, “We’re going to make it, right?”

“Buddy, just watch.” Wang Yang snapped his fingers and tapped the folder with the project plans, laughing, “Let’s start with The Hangover.”

After a long talk, Mark Shrante left, and Wang Yang leisurely spun in his chair, looking at the movie names on the folder files: Saw, Step Up…

Suddenly raising his eyebrows, he remembered that the original director for upcoming Step Up 2, 3 was Jon Chu, the son of a chef, a Chinese-American director. It seemed that Jon Chu was still studying at USC; he thought if Annie didn’t direct in the future, they could simply have Jon Chu take over.

Thinking of USC, he suddenly remembered Nancy; it had been a while since they’d been in touch, except for the congratulations when District 9 was released. Wang Yang picked up the mobile phone from his office desk, inhaled deeply from the blooming daffodils, and dialed Nancy, laughing when the call connected, “Nancy, did I disturb you? I remember you’re not in class at this time, how have you been lately?”

In the campus of University of Southern California, Nancy, wearing a blue fisherman’s hat and holding a few books in her left hand, walked on a tree-lined path, her face full of vitality and youthfulness. She smiled into the phone and said, “Super good, I’m now eating three big hamburgers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Wang Yang burst out laughing, “Looks like you’ve become as fat as Harry and Kevin Smith now?”

“Yeah! I’m the next Kevin Smith… no, the next Super Yang,” Nancy laughed as well, she looked down at the books in her arms for a moment, laughing as she walked, “I’ve just realized how good you are, your notes are even clearer than the professors’. Director, I’ve become a star in the classroom, haha, they don’t know I’m possessed by you.”

Listening to Wang Yang’s laughter, Nancy thought of the past few days’ amusing stories and said mysteriously, “In the film analysis class the other day, you know what movie we watched? District 9! Director, your use of psychological suggestion in shots is absolutely brilliant, I couldn’t even notice them while watching, and only after the professor pointed them out did we all realize why it was so unsettling! Then someone asked if Wang Yang was a psychopath or something? What a terrifying person!”

She greeted a few classmates passing by with a smile and continued to laugh, “Then I said, no, I was an assistant director for Wang Yang in Juno, I know his temperament, very demanding! But not to the point of being a psychopath.”

“Ha!” Wang Yang stood up and went to the window, looking at the not-so-busy street outside, and laughed, “Nancy, honestly, I’ve had many assistant directors, but you were the most easeful one for me. So hurry up and finish your degree, come let me boss you around.” Nancy let out an exaggerated ‘wow’ and laughed happily, “What an honor! I’m so looking forward to it.”

“But you can’t be completely brainwashed by the academic approach though; I don’t need any blockheads.” Wang Yang said very solemnly, and on the other end, Nancy replied disdainfully, “Joke! I’m also a director from Sundance, right? OK, I’m just a passerby in Park City.”

Remembering how stubborn and disheveled she had been at that time, Wang Yang couldn’t help but smile, and intrigued, he asked, “Interested in taking part in an independent movie? Our company has a horror movie, Saw, that’s about to be filmed. They’re assembling the crew; you can go audition for a part-time job. Help out on Saturdays, Sundays, or when you don’t have classes, and you’re guaranteed to learn a lot.”

“Sure!” Nancy was naturally very interested. She walked towards the dormitory building, asking, “Can you tell me the contact details?”

(To be continued)