Best Director in Literature Department of Huayu

Chapter 108 Waiting for the Right Opportunity (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Four days after the Oscars, Lin Ruiyang sat at the editing table, having worked for five hours straight.

After filming wrapped, most of the crew members went home to rest.

Matthew began to regain his weight, and the first thing Jared did after flying back to Los Angeles was to buy new boots. He solemnly announced on the phone that he would never touch any high heels again for a while.

Previously, Graham had met with him to discuss the future of the film, using the latest memo from Searchlight executives.

"Lin, regarding the film's festival selection plans after completion, Searchlight Films hopes we can aim for Cannes in May or Venice in August. After all, the three major European film festivals have a stronger artistic aura, making them the best places for independent films with fringe themes to gain recognition."

Lin Ruiyang only asked one question at the time: "Has the registration deadline for Cannes closed?"

Graham paused for two seconds: "Strictly speaking, no."

"That means it's too late."

'

"...Yes." The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

The production of "Dallas Buyers Club" was already incredibly fast, going from initial planning to filming in a mere 25 days – a truly insane feat. Now, let alone final editing, even the rough cut isn't out yet.

Rushing to Cannes in May? Unless you lock the entire post-production team in a basement and never let them sleep.

As for Venice, Lin Ruiyang shook his head directly.

Having just created a sensation at Venice, if another film with themes of homosexuality, AIDS, and marginalized groups is submitted to Venice for two consecutive years, even the jury, no matter how much they like it, will naturally experience aesthetic fatigue.

Some awards aren't given because the film is bad, but because the timing is wrong.

Graham clearly understood this as well: "So you mean?"

Toronto.

Lin Ruiyang dragged the timeline and cut half a second off a shot.

"The film will premiere in Toronto in September, and then kick off the awards season right away."

Graham's eyes lit up slightly. Although the Toronto International Film Festival did not have the artistic authority of the three major film festivals, it was still a good choice as the opening event of the awards season.

"Since we're not going to Cannes or Venice, focusing on Toronto gives us plenty of time. Registration closes in July, so we have four months for post-production."

"Four months is enough to polish the final cut to an industrial feel." Lin Ruiyang rewound the timeline and cleanly cut out an unnecessary transition shot.

He didn't intend to play around with artistic sublimation in the editing room; instead, he quickly outlined a narrative thread without any dull moments.

In late March, post-production work on The Dallas Buyers Club began to settle into a steady pace.

At the same time, Hollywood is also entering a new period of activity.

Paramount has announced that Mission: Impossible III has officially entered the promotional phase.

As one of Hollywood's most sought-after superstars, Tom Cruise should have been the focus of all media attention.

As a result, this future Tom Cruise turned himself into a cash cow for paparazzi. Because of his relationship, or more accurately, his relationship, which was so high-profile it was almost outrageous.

In a coffee shop in Los Angeles, Lin Ruiyang had just finished talking with his distribution consultant when he saw a familiar scene playing on the television news.

The host was beaming with excitement, while the screen displayed the classic moment when Tom Cruise excitedly jumped on the sofa during the Oprah Winfrey Show.

"My God," a producer next to him said, covering his forehead.

Why is he jumping again?

The other person shrugged: "Because he's in love."

17

"But he's been doing this for almost a year now."

"That means he really loves her."

Lin Ruiyang couldn't help but chuckle; people later might find it hard to understand. From 2005 to 2006, Tom Cruise practically dominated the entertainment headlines every day.

It wasn't about promoting the movie; it was about proving to the world how much he loved Katie Holmes.

This kind of operation would be perfectly normal for popular celebrities in later generations, but it seems particularly magical when applied to superstars of this era.

Raymond Smith, the independent public relations professional sitting opposite Lin Ruiyang, looked away and pushed over an internal reference sheet for North American theater managers.

Raymond was the former head of distribution at Warner Bros. and was also the awards season assistant that Graham specifically found for Lin Ruiyang.

He explained to Lin Ruiyang the consequences of the lead actor's actions: "Mission: Impossible III has already dropped two percentage points in the expected screenings by theater managers across the United States. Every time Tom Cruise jumps on the sofa on TV, female viewers' aversion to him increases."

Hollywood's past reliance on superstar appeal to directly drive $200 million in box office revenue is now backfiring on Ramon's own baffling behavior. He now wishes he could shove all the gossip reporters into the Mariana Trench.

In early April, "V for Vendetta" was officially released.

Thanks to Warner's global distribution network, the first week's performance was quite good.

However, the biggest point of discussion about the film is not its box office performance, but the man wearing a strange smiling mask.

Within just a few days, countless forums began discussing the same question: "What should we do if the government becomes a dictator?"

This discussion is particularly heated in the United States, given that the Iraq War is still ongoing and social sentiment is already sensitive.

After seeing the news, Lin Ruiyang seemed thoughtful. Perhaps a previous idea could be put forward, but he had to wait for the right opportunity.

This thought lingered in his mind for a few seconds before Lin Ruiyang temporarily suppressed it; the most important thing right now was still...

Dallas Buyers Club.

As for other plans, it's not too late to wait.

In mid-April, Yang Mi was suffering from the pervasive damp and cold fog of Chongqing when the thriller/suspense film "The Door," directed by Li Shaohong, officially began filming in Chongqing.

As director Li Shaohong's long-awaited transformation work, the atmosphere of the entire crew was as oppressive as an unstoppable downpour from the very first day.

The opening ceremony had just been held in front of a dark, old tenement building by the river when the crew immediately began intensive, closed-door filming.

In a corner of the film set, Yang Mi was wearing a thin white dress, shivering inside an oversized down jacket.

"Yang Mi, touch up Wen Xin's makeup again! Director Shao Hong wants you to go over there for positioning!" The assistant director shouted through a megaphone, his voice so loud that the motion-activated lights in the apartment building turned on.

"They're here!"

Yang Mi immediately took off her down jacket and handed it to her assistant, then walked into the camera's field of vision, shivering.

The play "The Door" was a tough nut to crack for her, as her co-star was Chen Kun, who was in his prime, and Li Shaohong's requirements for the actresses' lines and performances were almost obsessive.

To portray the terrifying feeling of the female lead, Wen Xin, who walks between reality and illusion, Yang Mi was required to lose a lot of weight before filming began.

Standing in the set transformed into an old residential building, his face was pale from the cold wind, which ironically suited the character's sickly state.