Chapter 126 Purchase of Copyright Jerry brought Chen An to the banquet, which was arranged by Warner and many Oscar judges were is all routine operation. The Oscars, also known as the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, is a local award in the United States. There are thousands of judges, a huge number. Most of them are lifetime judges. The film nominations and election votes are all decided by these people. It was originally established with the help of MGM, known as the king of Hollywood. Interestingly, the establishment and development of the Cannes Film Festival was also the work of MGM. However, this once-glorious giant eventually collapsed in 2010, declared bankruptcy, and was eventually acquired by Amazon. Its lion Leo logo was once regarded as a symbol of American movies. The Oscars are different from the Cannes Film Festival. This is a local award belonging to the United States. The reason why it is so powerful is because Hollywood is under its umbrella. The three major film festivals are competing with Hollywood more than with the Oscars. Because there are so many judges at the Oscars, public relations becomes a must, because some of the judges may not have even seen your movie, even if you have been shortlisted.
The large number of people also means that it is easy to be influenced by public opinion and trends. The masterpiece "Citizen Kane" is an example. It missed the Oscar because the director was falsely accused and caught up in a public opinion storm. After the clarification, everything was too late. The well-known public relations giant Harvey Weinstein was promoting his own movie while throwing mud at "Saving Private Ryan". In the end, "Shakespeare in Love" won the Best Picture and Best Actress awards. Public relations is a must for every film nominated for an Oscar, and Chen An is no exception. "Chen, there are quite a few Oscar judges here. I believe you would like to meet them." Jerry enthusiastically introduced the judges to Chen An. I took him to meet a few people and chatted with them for a while. I found that one of them seemed to have never seen my movie. Chen An naturally recommended it to him, and then told Jerry about it, believing that he could definitely help the other party understand it. The party was so plain and simple that the public relations matters of the Oscars have almost become a recognized matter. Of course there was more than one banquet, but Chen An took advantage of the time to purchase the copyright of a novel, a collection of short stories called "Rope Burns" published by a seventy-year-old old man. I found Jerry with the script that had been adapted long ago. "Jerry, I have a script that I plan to invest in. Are you willing to try it?" Chen An asked directly. Jerry was a little confused, "Chen, are you saying you want to make a movie yourself?" After a brief brain short circuit, Jerry finally figured things out. Chen An plans to invest in and produce a movie himself, which is simply a crazy idea. "Yes, I plan to be the producer myself and invest in the production of this movie. I want to ask if you are willing to invest or if Warner is willing?" Chen An took out the script in his hand and handed it to the other party. The cost is planned to be kept at around 15 million, and I will serve as the producer, director and investor. The filming of the movie did not take long, only one month to complete, and it will be released this year. It is a movie that will compete for the Oscars, "Million Dollar Baby." Although Jerry was surprised by Chen An's decision, he still read the script seriously. He was a little worried about the partner he found, but about investing in film production himself. After reading Chen An's latest script, Jerry first sighed. The script was very good, but he was still unsure about investing in it. "Chen, let me ask the company first to see if they are willing to invest." Jerry decided to be on the safe side and see if the company was willing.
Chen An nodded, knowing that investing in a movie was a high-risk behavior, especially for someone in the industry who had experienced this before, so it was normal to worry. "The investment cost can be controlled at 50 million. I can invest million plus the producer and director will hold % of the script. However, Warner will be responsible for the distribution. Let's see if they agree. If not, I can only look for other companies." Chen An thought for a while and said, stating his requirements. In his previous life, this film was produced and distributed by Warner, so he thought they would like it, but he didn't know whether they would agree to his conditions. Jerry nodded, not asking for too much and even making some concessions. Chen An's salary now is definitely more than that. Chen An had no choice but to set aside money to shoot "Time and Space Clues" in China, or he would invest it himself and then ask Warner to distribute it. Jerry, who was hurriedly found by Chen An, left in a hurry again. Chen An was not idle either. He first found someone to help register a company and named it Lightspeed Pictures. At that time, the accounts will also be handled from here, and it will also become the production company of Chen An’s future films. After the company registration was completed, I received news from Jerry. Jerry, who came to pick up Chen An to continue attending the PR banquet, took Chen An into the car and said, "Hey Chen, I have good news for you. The company agreed to your request, but they want to add a producer." Chen An looked at the other person's smiling face and said with a smile: "Let me guess, is that producer you?" "As expected of Chen, you guessed it right away." "I can tell from your happy look that I have no problem cooperating with you." Jerry nodded happily while holding the steering wheel. "I feel really honored to hear you say that, Chen. When are you going to start filming?" "Let's prepare now. I have a target for the actors. It will start right after the Oscars. I also have filming plans in China." "No problem, just prepare it nearby. You are such a busy man." Chen An has heard this sentence from many people, and it gives him a headache. "Everyone says this. Actually, I also want to take a break, but plans can't keep up with changes." "Hahaha, Chen Mang has his advantages in being busy. At least he is not idle and has things he wants to do." "Stop talking, let's get started as soon as possible. I'm going to look for my protagonist after the party." "Then I will help you organize a crew as soon as possible, and I will definitely satisfy you." "No problem. I feel relieved with you around." Chen An was still relieved about Jerry's arrangements. With Jerry taking care of the crew, he could focus on looking for actors. Chen An already had an idea about the casting, which was to keep it basically the same, but the female lead had to be changed, as Naomi was not suitable. The heroine needs to be like in Run Lola Run, and not look too weak. The temperament and image need to be relatively strong. After attending the final public relations banquet, Chen An and Warner also signed the contract. The first person Chen An found after getting the script was the heroine, Charlize Theron, the beautiful female superhero in "Hancock". After handing the script to the other party, I invited him to come for an interview. Compared to the future superstar, she is not particularly famous now. She was discovered by a scout and was invited to enter the entertainment industry because she was too assertive in an accounting dispute in a bank. She made her successful debut in 95.
Although she is considered a somewhat famous beauty star now, she is still far from the Hollywood superstar she was in her previous life. Not long after the script was sent out, the other party came for an interview. (End of this chapter)