Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 182 Endless Reputation
"District 9" is a co-production. As one of the investors, Qingying Studio, even if the investment proportion is very small, it is not excessive to put some interns into the movie, right?

Cao Yang waved his hand and made a decision for the school. He asked ten interns to serve as assistants for the crew and go with them to experience the filming process in Hollywood.

Those students who had interned in Cao Yang's film crew, after they left, all called themselves Cao Yang's students. They would get together from time to time to help each other.

Maybe we can’t see anything now, but what about the future? Maybe there are countless possibilities, no one can predict.

Cheng Jianye is still the production director, acting on behalf of Cao Yang and has great power in the crew.

Cao Yang communicated with the staff in the United States through phone and the Internet to determine the selection of props and the production progress.

In this film, most of the real scenes could be shot in South Africa, but there were also many scenes that needed to be shot indoors.

Columbia didn't mind Cao Yang choosing Qingdao Film Studio to set up the interior sets. In their opinion, it was much cheaper in China than in Hollywood, and there was nothing wrong with choosing domestic sets for co-productions.

Qingying Studio has taken on a big job this time.

Cao Yang’s requirement for Qingying Studio is to ensure quality and quantity and to ensure completion on schedule.

Hou Keming was very happy with Cao Yang's choice. He initially thought that Cao Yang was going to go to a studio in Columbia for the shoot, but he didn't expect that Cao Yang actually chose his own studio.

Isn't this a bit of abusing one's power for personal gain?

Then I quickly shook off this idea. What was this about using public power for personal gain? Director Cao was just trying to save money for the crew and he was totally dedicated to the public.

Therefore, Hou Keming once again emphasized to Qingying Studio that, first, the project must be completed on time; second, it must be completed on time while ensuring quality and quantity; and third, it must be completed ahead of schedule while ensuring quality and quantity.

Privately, he once asked Cao Yang, "Director Cao, since this time it has been handed over to Qingying Studio, and Columbia is also a foreign guest, can we charge less?"

Cao Yang asked: "Is the budget for the film not enough? Is our Qingying Studio charging more than Columbia?"

"That's not the case. For the same studio set, our cost is only a quarter of that in Columbia, which is much cheaper than theirs..."

"A quarter?"

Cao Yang frowned.

"Or, how about charging less?" Hou Keming said quickly.

Cao Yang couldn't help but smile bitterly and corrected: "What do you mean by them? This is a co-production. It's us, not them."

Although Columbia paid the bulk of the budget, it was a co-production and Qingying Studio was still a "shareholder" even if it contributed a little money.

"Mr. Hou, if you keep doing this, you won't be able to spend all the budget."

Cao Yang suggested: "The accounts must be clear and can withstand scrutiny. You can hire more workers and use the best materials. After filming this time, you can make some minor changes next time for other crews to use."

After thinking for a while, Cao Yang continued, "As for the budget, it's fine to make it half or one-third of Colombia's. The key is that the accounts must be clear, and the people of Colombia must feel that this money is well spent."

Therefore, Hou Keming personally supervised the project, and not only was it completed ahead of schedule, but the materials for the scenery were all the best, and the scene setting also met the requirements completely, while only one-third of the budget given by Columbia was spent.

Labor costs in China are much cheaper than in the United States.

In fact, if the domestic film and television supporting industry had not just started and there was no experience in making props for shooting science fiction films, Cao Yang would have wanted to make props in China as well.

In this regard, Hollywood has a huge advantage. The mechas, sophisticated alien helmets, spaceships, sci-fi weapons, etc. required for the movies can be produced very conveniently and quickly there, and they have related supporting industries.

While waiting for the props to be made, Cao Yang summoned several main actors to the capital and began to explain the play to them.

Although this movie is an art film that follows a commercial routine, Cao Yang feels that if you want a high box office, the appeal of celebrities is one aspect.

The plot of the movie is one thing, and the performance of the actors is another, which can at least serve as the icing on the cake.

In addition, what does Cao Yang think is the biggest impression he leaves on people?
It means training actors.

He has decided that in the future, whether he is shooting commercial films or art films, he must not lose points in the areas where he is good at.

Just like Zhang Yimou, my plot can be very bad, but the pictures, which are what I am best at, must be distinctive, and this is the point where I absolutely cannot lose points.

Cao Yang feels that he has to be like this too. In future movies he makes, you can complain about the plot and the pictures, but when it comes to the training and acting skills of the actors, you have to give them a thumbs up.

He had the confidence to make this decision.

Cao Yang replaced the garbage system.

Host: Cao Yang

Current reputation: 2966785
Available reputation: 1666785
Play experience: +0
Filming: District 9

Actor 1: Depp

Actor 2: Wu Qihua
Actor 3: Duan Yihong
Supporting Actor: Ian McKellen
Supporting Actor 2: Samuel L. Jackson

……

In fact, he had watched it long before the Golden Globe Awards and Oscars were presented.

The movie hadn’t been released yet at that time, but it won three Golden Globe Awards, adding 15 in prestige.

Later, the Oscars won five awards and added another 50 prestige. The Oscars are the same as the three major European second-level awards, but do not have as much prestige as the three highest awards.

After the movie was taken off the screen, Cao Yang saw that there was a reward of 50 reputation for the box office of this movie. He didn't know how it was calculated, but the reward was pretty good anyway.

Now you have more than 160 million available reputation, which can be exchanged for 16 times of immersive experience. You can never use it up.

In addition, Cao Yang once again received a call from Fox Searchlight, and they still have not given up the adaptation rights of "Juno".

"Mean Milk" was a big hit in North America, which gave Fox Searchlight a lot of confidence. Maybe they were also waiting for the box office of this movie at that time to see the influence of Cao Yang.

Cao Yang will write the script for them and serve as producer and supervisor, and will be announced as the initiator of the project, with 20% of the global box office and subsequent profits.

The latter item is newly added. Claiming to be the project initiator can give people the feeling that this is Cao Yang's movie, and the audience will be more willing to buy it.

Cao Yang thought about it and asked, "Since I am the project initiator and I am also the producer and supervisor of the film, then the editing of the film..."

“You have the right to decide what the film will be.”

"That's no problem."

Having the right to decide on the finished film also means having the final editing rights for the film.

Well, it seems that when I was a director, I hated it most when others interfered with my movie, and I would even fall out with others for the editing rights.

Now that I’m a producer and supervisor, I ask for the director’s editing rights right away. It’s a bit…

People are all double-standard, no one is an exception.

(End of this chapter)