Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 203 213 [Let Li An shoot horror movies, Golden Lion Films benchmarks Lionsgate]

"Not filming anymore?"

Li Yishu looked at Monica in surprise. She wanted to go into management.

Monica Bellucci looked at him and smiled: "Honey, if it is a movie directed by you, I will definitely star in it."

Being a model or an actress were just her early thoughts, and people's thinking will change over time.

In particular, Monica tried to be an actress for more than half a year before she met Li Yishu, but unfortunately, she only saw red sofas.

After getting involved in the management of an art film company, Monica Bellucci found that being a manager seemed to be a good idea?

Monica is a decisive person. Since she wanted to make progress in this area and not rely entirely on her relationship with Li Yishu, she specially enrolled in an adult college to study business administration.

"Then you'll have to wait. I haven't had any plans to make a movie in Hollywood in the past six months."

Li Yishu shook his head. He still has two film projects to shoot next year, and at the same time he has to prepare for the Three Kingdoms blockbuster. After all, the early planning still needs to be arranged by him.

"Then wait until you have an idea."

Monica turned the car with a smile and drove into Beverly Hills.

The two got out of the car and walked into the mansion. Just as Monica Bellucci was about to say she was going to pee, Lee Yi-su hugged her from behind.

"No, go take a shower first."

"No, I want your clothes."

Li Yishu has long been envious of Monica's look. The women's OL outfit brings him a different kind of visual stimulation.

The term "uniform temptation" is not without reason.

Different uniforms can indeed give people different visual sensations.

That afternoon.

Li An drove to the gate of Beverly Hills excitedly.

After the guard received the call, he let Li An's car pass.

As a famous luxury residential area in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills has quite adequate security. Without the owner's permission, you are generally not even qualified to enter.

As for the photos of Beverly Hills reported by the entertainment media, they are often taken by paparazzi who pretend to work in the villa as security guards, cleaners, property managers, etc., and then take the opportunity to take secret photos.

Soon, Li An drove to the door of Li Yishu's mansion according to the address. He looked at the closed door and took out his mobile phone to call Li Yishu.

After a few beeps, Li Yishu's voice came from the other end of the line: "Director Li An."

"Director Li, I'm here, at the door of your mansion."

"Okay, I'll open the door."

After hanging up the phone, Li An saw the big iron gate slowly open. It was an electronically controlled gate.

Seeing this, Li An hurried back to the car and drove into the mansion.

The moment he came in, he was shocked by the yard in front of him.

A lush green garden with a fountain in the middle and a three-story mansion at the back.

How much does this cost?

Li An, who had just become famous at that time, did not have as much personal wealth as he did later. The film "The Wedding Banquet" won the Berlin Golden Bear Award, which only brought him fame but not wealth.

Now that I see Lee Yi-su, who is 17 years younger than me, not only bought a house in Beverly Hills, but also such a huge mansion, it would be a lie to say I am not envious.

When he was Li Yishu's age, he was still studying for a master's degree. After that, he was unemployed at home for six years, and the family expenses during this period depended on his wife who was still in college.

All we can say is that Li An found a good wife, and he did not disappoint his wife, and the potential stock was finally successfully listed.

Thinking of this, Li An cheered himself up.

Lee Yi-su was able to own a luxury home like this one in just two years after winning the Golden Lion Award for her first film as a director in 1991. Lee An also bought his own luxury home in Beverly Hills within two years of winning the Golden Bear Award.

When he saw Li Yishu already standing at the door waiting for him, Li An didn't have time to lament the gap between them, and hurriedly drove the car to the parking area in front of the mansion.

Li Yishu smiled and walked forward: "Director Li An, I'm sorry to ask you to come all the way. I wanted to invite you to the company, but I've been on a plane all night and I'm still a little uncomfortable!"

Li An quickly said, "I understand. It's normal to be tired after flying from the mainland to the United States for more than ten hours. By the way, Director Li, this is the aromatherapy my wife prepared for you. She made it herself."

"Haha, your wife is so polite. Come on, let's go inside and talk."

Li Yishu took the gift box handed over by the other party with a smile, turned around and walked into the house with Li An. He didn't want to stand for a long time because his legs were a little weak.

A big foreign girl like Monica, wearing an OL uniform, is like a human juicer.

Li Yishu could only sigh that it was good to be young. At least after working hard for a whole morning, she still had the energy to receive Li An.

However, the Five Animal Exercises that Li Yishu learned from Yu Chenghui were not practiced in vain. Although he did not practice them deliberately, he could clearly feel the changes in his body after practicing the Five Animal Exercises twice a day.

After entering the house, Li Yishu also asked Li An to sit down. At this time, Monica changed into a set of home clothes and brought two cups of tea from the kitchen with a happy face.

When Li An saw the other person, he recognized her as the heroine of "The Sixth Sense" at a glance. He didn't expect that she was Li Yishu's girlfriend.

Li Yishu introduced Monica, emphasizing that she is now the deputy general manager of an art film company.

Li An understood immediately. It seemed that his next producer should be Miss Monica. He immediately flattered her: "Ms. Monica, I've seen your performance in The Sixth Sense. It was really good. It showed a mother's love for her son to the fullest."

"Thank you."

Monica Bellucci said with a smile: "I heard from my dear that you, Director Li An, won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival this year. Although I haven't seen the film you directed, I believe that your directing ability must be excellent."

"Ms. Bellucci, you are too kind. I am not as talented as Director Li in directing. I still have a lot to learn."

Li An had a smile on his face, and he was obviously very happy to be praised. Now, Li An’s greatest achievement might be the Golden Bear Award.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Monica said, "Honey, you guys chat first. I have to go upstairs and clean up."

"OK, go ahead."

Li Yishu nodded, and after watching Monica go upstairs, he looked at Li An and asked, "I heard that your script is out?"

"Yes, the script is out." Li An quickly took out a printed script from his briefcase and handed it over.

Taking it, Li Yishu glanced at the name on the cover, "Sense and Sensibility", flipped through it briefly, and put it aside.

This action made Li An's heart skip a beat.

You flipped through it so quickly and only glanced over it briefly. Could it be that you don't want to invest?
"I believe in your writing ability. I won't read the script. The company will have a special reviewer to review it later."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "How much budget do you think you will need?"

"Six...six million."

Li An originally wanted to ask for 1000 million, but was afraid that Li Yishu would not agree, so he gritted his teeth and said, "I think a budget of 800 million is about right. I have developed a detailed filming process. As long as there are no major problems, 800 million dollars should be more than enough."

"Is 800 million enough? This movie is going to be shot in the UK, and we have to make a lot of medieval costumes and props."

"Yes, it should be about the same."

"If 800 million is not enough, how about 1000 million?"

"what?!"

Li An was stunned. He didn't expect Li Yishu to give him 1000 million yuan for production costs. He immediately showed excitement on his face: "Director Li, don't worry, I will make this movie well and will never let you lose money." "Don't worry about whether it will lose money or not."

Li Yishu interrupted Li An and said with a smile: "You have been in the United States for more than ten years. You should know that it is very difficult for Asians to get the opportunity to direct in the United States. Because we are all Chinese, I support you to make this movie. But..."

He changed the subject and his expression became serious. “You haven’t proven your ability to generate box office revenue in the U.S. like I have, so you have to give me a guarantee. $1000 million is not a small sum. It’s considered a B-grade film in the U.S..”

Nowadays, low-cost films in the United States can be made with just a few hundred thousand or even millions of dollars.

1000 million US dollars cannot be considered a small production. After all, in Hong Kong, it is a big production worth nearly million Hong Kong dollars.

Li An has been in the United States for so many years that his thinking has gradually become westernized. He must know that hard work must be rewarded. He immediately nodded and said, "Director Li, you are right. I am very grateful for giving me this opportunity. As long as I can do it, I will agree to it."

"Haha, Director Li An, you don't have to act like you're ready to die. It's nothing. I just want to sign a director contract with you. You can take a look at it first."

Li Yishu took out the contract she had prepared in advance and handed it over.

Hearing this, Li An did not immediately agree to anything because he had suffered losses from an agency before. After receiving the contract, he read it very carefully.

This contract is quite simple, it is a contract for three movies. The director's salary is very good, a full $50. At the same time, the salary for the second movie is $100 million, and the third is $200 million. The director's salary increased exponentially, which made Li An very satisfied.

As for the breach of contract conditions, Li An did not read them because there was no need to read them. He would definitely complete them according to the contract. He had good director's pay and movies to direct. What else could he be dissatisfied with?
"Director Li, I agree to this contract!"

"Don't you want to consider it?"

Li An shook his head and said firmly, "Don't think about it. Director Li, you should be very clear about my current situation. Moreover, I am very satisfied with the increasing salary for the three films."

"Don't worry, if your ability in the future is higher than the salary listed above, I won't really only give you this little money."

Li Yishu smiled brightly. He was not the real Huang Shiren. If Li An really became successful in the future, he would definitely not be stingy with the pay. Otherwise, if the news spread back to China, people would think he was Zhou Paopi.

"Thank you, Director Li." Hearing this, Li An was completely relieved. Although he didn't know what his future would be like, as Li Yishu said, if he succeeded and only received a salary of 1 to 200 million US dollars, Li An would definitely be very uncomfortable.

"Okay, the most important thing is to make a good movie, but you don't have any experience directing English movies, right?"

“I took a lot of photos in college…”

"That doesn't count. College film homework can't be compared to theatrical movies."

Li Yishu waved her hand, then took out a previously prepared script from the drawer of the coffee table and threw it over: "Use this to practice first. The production cost is only 100 million US dollars."

The script was called "Final Destination" and was written in Chinese. Li An only flipped through a few pages and asked in surprise, "Director Li, is this a horror movie?"

Li Yishu smiled and said, "It is indeed a horror film. After I came to the United States, I found that the horror film market here is still very good. Excellent low-cost horror films can often achieve huge box office results."

It is not uncommon for low-cost horror films to achieve high box office in North America.

It’s just because Americans have always liked this kind of thriller and horror films, and there are countless cases of making a big profit with a small investment.

The most typical film that achieved great success with small investment is "Night of the Living Dead". The budget of this film was only $11.4, but it finally grossed $3000 million worldwide. It was also set in the 60s and pioneered the setting of zombies eating human brains and flesh.

There is also "Halloween" in 1978, which pioneered the slasher horror film. Its budget was $32.5, but its box office reached $7000 million.

There is also the enduring "Friday the 13th" series, which can truly be regarded as a classic among low-budget horror films.

Although the plot is always about a group of fearless young people running to Crystal Lake and then being ruthlessly slaughtered by Jason, the audience loves to watch the tension and excitement of being chased.

Hearing this, Li An nodded and said, "Director Li is right. In the United States, low-cost horror films can often achieve huge box office results. However, I have never made a horror film, so I don't know if it will work."

"If it was any other horror movie, I would come to you too."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "But this film must be directed by you. This script is based on the Chinese proverb that if the King of Hell tells you to die at three o'clock in the morning, he will never let you live until five o'clock. This is a horror film."

The original director of the movie "Final Destination", Li Yishu, seems to be a Chinese, so he was able to shoot that kind of Chinese sense of fatalism, and this movie really fits the saying "If the King of Hell tells you to die at three o'clock in the morning, he will never let you live until five o'clock."

Once the King of Hell (the God of Death) chooses you, you can't escape no matter how hard you try.

Hearing this, Li An lowered his head and read the script carefully.

Li Yishu picked up the teacup and drank it slowly. At the same time, she picked up the script of "Sense and Sensibility" and began to read it.

"What a script!"

It took Li a full twenty minutes to read this.

After watching it, he finally understood why Lee Yi-su asked him to direct the film, because only Chinese people can film this kind of fateful story where life and death are predetermined.

Li Yishu smiled and said, "Director Li An, a budget of 100 million should be enough, right?"

"It's enough. There aren't any big scenes in this movie. A lot of things just require indoor set design."

This movie is a low-budget horror film. The only special effect that requires special features may be the scene of the plane exploding at the beginning, but this special effect is not difficult. After all, it is a low-budget horror film and does not need to be made so finely.

After chatting for a while, Li An also stood up and said goodbye, taking away the script of "Final Destination". Li Yishu only gave him a week to prepare and a month to shoot, so he had to get it done as soon as possible.

After everyone left, Monica came down from upstairs again: "How was the chat, dear?"

"Very good, he is a very smart man."

Li Yishu put her arm around Monica who was sitting in his arms and said, "Wait until he finishes filming Final Destination, and then give him the script for Saw."

"So urgent?"

Monica Bellucci was a little surprised and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted him to film Sense and Sensibility?"

Li Yishu shook his head and said, "Li An's current fame is too low. I can't let my investment lose money. Let him shoot two low-cost horror films first. After he is familiar with the Hollywood crew model, I can let him shoot "Sense and Sensibility"."

Now, the only film worth mentioning about Li An is "The Wedding Banquet", which won the Golden Bear Award. His previous work "Pushing Hands" was only limited to the Formosa region.

Winning an award is certainly good, but in Hollywood, the value of this award is not that great.

After all, there are directors who win the three major European awards every year, but it is rare to see these award-winning directors make a name for themselves in Hollywood.

Li Yishu was willing to invest because he remembered that the movie shot by Li An had good box office and was quite successful, so he chose to invest, but he was more interested in Li An's personal directing ability.

To be able to make a name for himself in the United States and not return to China in disgrace like Wu Yusen, he must be quite capable.

"Final Destination" and "Saw" are both examples of low-cost horror film series that achieve great results with small investments. The first one is particularly important. Lee Yi-shu originally wanted to shoot it himself, but with Lee An as a tool, he didn't need to shoot such a low-quality film.

"That's true."

Monica Bellucci hesitated and said, "But in this case, both of our art film company's films will be low-budget horror films."

"It's just a low-budget horror movie."

Li Yishu looked at Monica with a smile and said, "You have been in the United States for so long, you should know that low-cost horror films have a very wide viewing market in the United States. Currently, there is no film company in the United States that focuses entirely on low-cost horror films. I think we can try to make efforts in this area."

“But I don’t think it’s necessary to use the name of an art film company.”

Monica Bellucci used to be a model and was very clear about how luxury brands maintain their brand value. She immediately said, "Dear, you told me that your name means art in English, the company is you, and you are the company. The brand value must be maintained."

Hearing this, Li Yishu nodded slightly and said, "You are right. An art film company is indeed not suitable. You can register a new company and specialize in operating low-cost films in the future. It is not limited to horror films. Low-cost comedies and literary films are all fine."

"Okay." Monica nodded: "What should the company be called?"

"Well... let's call it Golden Lion Film Company. It can also be regarded as a commemoration of my first trophy in life."

Li Yishu smiled. He remembered that there was a Lionsgate Film Company in the United States. Its main business in the early days was also low-cost horror films. It gradually grew and became a medium-sized film company second only to the six giants.

As long as Lion Films sticks to the rules, does not invest in big-budget films, only invests in low- to medium-cost films, and controls investment risks, its future achievements will most likely not be worse than Lionsgate.

(End of this chapter)