American Fame and Fortune

Chapter 851 The best of times

 “What does college mean?”

 After receiving the latest news, Martin felt a little strange for a moment and asked the two women in the room: "Are you complaining that this year's Oscar competition is too dull?"

 Julie finished reading the newspaper and said: "It's obvious that the Oscars don't pay enough attention and the Academy is anxious."

Aniston took her clothes and put them on, and said: "We did not do enough public relations and the Academy was not satisfied; we did too much public relations and the Academy was not satisfied. It is too difficult."

Martin thought about it: "Nowadays, the influence of the Oscars is not as good as before. The Academy Executive Committee may have feedback from this year's data. The data should be very ugly... If you look at it this way, the public relations environment for the next few Oscars will be much looser. "

Julie knew as soon as she heard that Martin had an idea and asked: "What are you going to do?"

Martin said: "I have a bet about Oscar with that **** Leonardo. It is a very important bet. The loser will have to solve the problem of the century for a lifetime, so I can't lose."

Aniston was surprised: "Oscar for Best Actor?"

"Almost, Leo is the best actor, and I am the best director." Martin briefly explained the bet: "You should know that in the history of the Oscars, no one has ever won the best actor. He won the Best Director award again. It has been more than 80 years since he won the Best Actor Award. No one has won both the Best Actor Award and the Best Actor Award at the same time.”

This was the first time Julie heard Martin mention this matter, and she opened her mouth in surprise: "You want to be a director?"

　　Under WMA, there is absolutely no shortage of such customers and manpower.

 Aniston, who was in love with her, responded: "I know, I've been working out and I'm sure I'm going to be strong."

 Martin shrugged: “In fact, the script of the project has been completed, the heroine has been selected, and preparations will begin soon.”

Martin said: "I have already said hello to the WMA, and the filming and production team will be set up this month."

 Julie touched her face: "Actually, I also plan to be a director and give it a try."

Aniston is not a newbie in the industry. Of course, she is aware that off-site factors have an increasing impact on the Oscars. She said: "If the Academy really relaxes its public relations, it will be a really good opportunity."

Aniston ignored Jolie’s bad thing, continued the topic just now, and asked Martin: "Do you really want to win the Oscar for Best Director?"

 Even if you are willing to spend a lot of money, you can make a movie even without a complete creative concept.

 The three people got busy.

Aniston understands what Jolie means. Martin is WMA's number one client. He owns a film company with sufficient funds and the ability to produce independently. If he wants, he can form an experienced production team at any time.

Julie doesn’t see it that way: “Off-site factors have a great influence on winning an Oscar, and Martin is best at dealing with these off-site factors.”

Martin said: "The problem of the century was for Leonardo to calculate."

 She looked at Aniston: "Jenny, you are pushing hard from behind."

As long as Martin has a complete idea for the film and doesn't want to make a particularly complex and personal film, he just needs to give orders, and these people can shoot the shots he wants and edit and produce the film effects he wants.

She picked up the newspaper and shook it: "It is not difficult to analyze from the news above that the college's control over public relations will be looser in the next few years, which will also benefit Martin's performance."

 Martin couldn't help laughing: "You have so much confidence in me?"

Julie looked at the time and said, "I'm going to the Middle East in the afternoon, and I may have to stay for a long time. Hurry up and come back a few more times to make up for me in the coming period."

Julie said: "It's because you have confidence in the resources you have and your ability off-site. As for your directing level...hehehe, is it about the same as me?"

"It's a bit difficult." Aniston's thoughts are relatively conservative.

Martin rarely had any rebuttal.

Martin encouraged: "You can definitely try it, you have the capital."

Martin turned into a battering ram, started with a rumble, and quickly opened a city gate passage.

 …

 Century City, WMA headquarters.

 Steven Downton was sitting in his agent's office, thinking about something seriously.

Agent Coral said: "You have served as assistant director in "Scream", "The Hills Have Eyes", "Piranha" and "Into the Dark". You have rich experience in shooting horror thrillers. This " "Shark Beach" is a project of Davis Studio, with gold medal producer Louise Lyle as producer and superstar Martin Davis as production manager and director."

Steven Downton has been an assistant director in Hollywood for nearly ten years. He is not well-known among movie fans and is not very well-known in the Hollywood industry. However, among the many assistant director clients of WMA, he is the one who participated in the filming of horror thrillers. The one with the most experience in filmmaking.

As the senior partner of the company, it was not difficult for Thomas Lane to select candidates suitable for Martin's project among WMA's thousands of clients.

 Steven Downton has never directed a film independently, but all the directors who have worked with him have praised his ability as an assistant.

In addition to the assistant director, Thomas also contacted many people in key positions and their agents.

"Martin as the director?" Of course Steven Downton knows Martin. He still remembers working with Martin on "The Hills Have Eyes" ten years ago. At that time, he was a member of the assistant director team and Martin was the male director. The protagonist, the two have quite a lot of interactions.

There is no doubt that Martin is a good actor. He not only has strong market appeal, but also has high professional quality.

Coller thought it was normal and said: "If you act well, you will direct. There are many examples like this in Hollywood."

  Steven Downton was not too surprised and said: "My position? Salary?"

Coller said: "The first assistant director mainly assists Martin in scheduling the set, and his salary is US$350,000."

This figure cheered up Steven Downton. He had never received such a high salary in the past.

 Steven Downton can roughly guess that as an experienced assistant director, he may take on a heavy workload on the crew.

 But when the money is available, what’s wrong with such a job?

 Steven Downton said directly: "I will take this job. You go to negotiate a contract with Davis Studio."

The agent said: “Wise choice.”

 In the office hall on this floor, many brokers with insufficient status and level, just like Thomas back then, could only work in partitions.

Compared to ordinary agents, Thomas’s former assistant Natasha has an independent partition and is treated relatively better.

A director who has just turned thirty, with a full beard, looks like his age has increased by ten years out of thin air, sitting on a bench near the partition, waiting for Natasha's call. After Natasha finished chatting with Clara, she asked people to go back to prepare for the new role, and waved to the bench: "Robert, come here."

 Robert Eggers followed him into the independent partition, pulled out a four-legged stool and sat down, and asked, "Why did you come to see me?"

Natasha handed him a form: "Look at this job. If you are willing to do it, I will be responsible for talking to Davis Studio."

Robert Eggers read it carefully and saw that it was a job posting for an assistant director for a crew called Shark Beach at Davis Studio.

This was inconsistent with Eggers’s positioning of himself, and he immediately refused: “I want to be a director, not an assistant director.”

Natasha turned to look at Eggers and said: "So far, you have only directed two experimental short films written by yourself, served as costume designer in a thriller film, and served as production designer and deputy assistant in an animated film. director."

She emphasized her tone: "Robert, please tell me, what is your capital for a formal feature film? So I can convince investors and studios."

Eggers opened his briefcase: "I have created a horror thriller script. If I can direct it, I am confident that it can be made into a classic horror film."

Natasha said: "I submitted your script to the company's internal script library and sent it to all the production companies I could send it to. I haven't received a reply yet."

Her words were helpless and realistic: "Hollywood has never been short of scripts. There are so many film projects approved every year, with investments exceeding one million, and most of them are adaptations. Among the rest, 90% have projects first, and then Write scripts and original scripts according to project needs..."

Eggers looked gloomy. His script was original, but after thinking about it, he added: "No, my script is adapted from real events before the Salem witch hunt."

Natasha realized that this person had completely missed the point and said, "Robert, listen to me first, okay?"

Eggs stroked his beard to calm down: "Say."

Natasha took the job notice and photographed it in front of Eggers: "What I mean is that you first join this crew and serve as an ordinary assistant director. Since you have outstanding abilities, you can prove yourself on the crew."

She specifically pointed to the name above: ""Shark Beach" is Martin's project. I used to be the assistant to Martin's agent Thomas. I know Martin very well. He especially appreciates talented people. You work in front of Martin's eyes. The problems you face can be easily solved if you get Martin's appreciation."

  Eggers thought about it carefully.

 Clients have more choice than brokers, so Natasha did not push her. Regardless of Eggers thinking, she got busy with other things at hand.

After a while, Eggers said: "Okay, I'll go to this crew."

Natasha said: "I have asked. I will contact you for the interview next week. Then you can go directly to the Disney Studio."

  Eggers scratched his beard: “Do I still need an interview?”

"What do you think?" Natasha took out Eggers' resume from the drawer on one side, handed it to him and said, "You must first prove your ability in the interview."

Eggers packed up his resume and said, "I will do it."

Natasha chased people away: "That's it for today."

Eggers left alone and came to the lobby on the first floor of the company. He turned around and saw the portrait on the poster in the lobby.

 That’s the WMA’s signature—Martin Davis!

Eggers looked at the resume in his hand and knew that the focus of the next stage of work was to show his abilities in Martin's crew.

 Upstairs is the office area for senior partners.

In a spacious office with a separate reception room, Thomas is making a phone call.

 He contacted the agent of a director of photography.

The director of photography is Dan Rosteshin, the director of photography for the "John Wick" series.

At present, "John Wick 3" is in post-production, the photography team is on vacation, and Martin has already negotiated with Dan Rostershin.

 Other soundtracks, art direction, props groups, etc. also have suitable supervisors.

With gold medal producer Louise, capable and experienced assistants, and a long-term director of photography, the basic framework of the crew has been established.

  After several meetings and discussions, Martin and Louise began to interview the final candidates. Key departments such as the director team, camera crew, art team, and props team all signed contracts in mid-February.

The location team was also sent out by Martin to find suitable locations for filming.

 In the office, Louise came over to take a look. Martin was sitting at his desk concentrating on drawing storyboards.

He has done a lot of these in the crews of David Fincher and Christopher Nolan.

 But compared to the movies of these two people, the scenes in "Shark Beach" are too simple, and may not even have 10% of the scenes in "Interstellar".

Martin is very smart. He would be blinded by the preparation work alone, let alone making a movie that is too complicated.

More than half an hour later, Martin put down his carbon pen, raised his head and stretched his neck.

Louise picked up the storyboard and looked at it. Martin's painting skills were mediocre, but the simple lines of characters and scenes were enough for her to tell that this was a long-haired woman in a bikini, standing alone on a buoy in the sea. On the signal tower, a section of triangular shark fin was exposed on the sea.

  Martin said: “I’ve been working on the storyboard drawings recently, and I’m more than half done.”

 Louise continued to watch and said while watching: "Do you already have a complete picture concept for the movie?"

"Absolutely." Martin stood up and came to the window, looking into the distance: "Director Nolan, Chad, and David Fincher all told me that before a director prepares a film, he must have a clear vision of the finished film. He knows what shots he wants to shoot, and then unifies the work goals of the entire crew and mobilizes people to achieve the desired effect. "

Louise also knew that Martin was trying to be a director for the first time, and said directly: "You concentrate on filming, and leave all other chores on the crew to me."

Martin was not polite to her and said: "Things like insurance, salary, vehicles, accommodation and venues must be left to the production team. With you here, I feel that the success rate of the film has increased by 20%."

 Louis asked curiously: "What do you think the success rate is now?"

Martin said: "Half and half."

Louise nodded: "The project investment is limited, and there is overseas investment. It doesn't matter if it fails. We can afford it."

If this film fails, based on her understanding of Martin, Martin will give up on being a director.

 (End of this chapter)