Chapter 258: Film Screening
[Chapter 258: Film Screening]
Link hung up the phone and continued working on the shooting plan, completely focused.
One of the perks of having more women around was that he seemed to be more resistant. Even a woman like Nicole Kidman could barely create a stir in his life.
After two weeks of hard work, Link finished revising the sequel script, completed the shooting plan, sketched out the main props for the leading actors, and prepared an initial budget for the film, which came to approximately $100 million. Once he had everything assembled, he submitted the materials to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. would evaluate how much it would cost to make the film based on the new script and shooting plan and determine if there were areas to cut costs. After the budget was finalized, they would transfer the shooting funds to the project account, marking the official launch of the film project.
If it were Guess Pictures, the production department would have approved his submission quickly, funding would have arrived without delay, and preparations could have started within a week. But with Warner Bros., it was a different story. As a major studio, they had a complex internal structure with clearly defined roles across departments. A film needed to pass through a comprehensive process before getting greenlit. If any department failed to approve the project, it could face cancellation.
However, Link was not concerned about the project being rejected. After signing the contract, Warner Bros. had already transferred a basic fee of $10 million to his account. Even if the project didn't go through, it wouldn't affect his earnings.
...
After wrapping up these tasks, Link stepped into the film editing studio to begin work on The Shawshank Redemption. The film had already been roughly edited during shooting, so only fine-tuning remained, which did not require much effort. He spent two weeks finalizing The Shawshank Redemption and then submitted it to the production department for post-production.
...
Once he finished with The Shawshank Redemption, he learned that the movie Paranormal Activity 2 had wrapped up, so he took on the role of editor again and spent five days editing all the footage, handing it over to the production department for post-work.
...
As he exited the studio, he was greeted by a delivery from Golden Harvest Films containing a tape of Rumble in the Bronx. After watching it, he identified some issues and took on the editing role again, trimming the film from 130 minutes to 124 minutes, tightening the plot and enhancing the fight scenes.
Link worked tirelessly in the editing studio; such relentless effort might have exhausted other editors, but not him. He had great stamina. After partying hard during his vacation, he was just as lively at work. Even when working nonstop for twenty-four hours, he never felt tired -- he was destined to be a hard worker.
...
After editing several films, Link calculated that it had been over a month since he submitted the sequel materials for Batman. Warner Bros. should have completed their review by now, so he called Richard Fox to check on the progress.
Richard informed him they were still working on the project budget and would need an additional two to three weeks.
"Come on! Why don't you just wire me $100 million? I'll give you a Batman sequel, just like Columbia Pictures and Guess Pictures did," Link said over the phone.
"Ha! Link, you know that's impossible. If you'd said that during the initial negotiations, we might have considered it. Now that the contract's signed, it's too late to change the arrangement," Richard replied.
"Well, you better hurry it up. My time is valuable." Link contemplated whether to change the lead actor to begin filming The Sixth Sense earlier.
"I understand, and I'll push them to expedite the review. By the way, who are you thinking of casting as Batman?"
"What about Tom Cruise?"
"No way! He's too short. We need a tall and sturdy Batman, not a short guy. Plus, his asking price is too high; we can't afford to invest too much in actor salaries."
"Fine, I'll think of someone else. I have actors in mind for most of the other roles; you just need to provide the funds. Don't worry about Batman," Link assured him.
"Alright, I trust your judgment on casting."
...
After hanging up, Link pulled a stack of male celebrity profiles off the shelf to see who might be suitable for Batman. He also considered who could play the male lead in The Sixth Sense besides Bruce Willis. He had indeed been right to mention that his time was precious and not to be wasted on aimless waiting.
Knock, knock, knock!
There was a sudden knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Knock, knock, knock!
The person outside continued to knock.
"Stop joking around, Sophia! Just come in!"
"How did you know it was me?"
Sophia walked in with a grin, arms crossed. She had long, flowing golden hair and was wearing a bohemian-style spaghetti strap dress, one she had picked up from Paris Fashion Week, paired with platform shoes -- it made her look vibrant and youthful.
Although Sophia wasn't as stunning as Monica, she knew how to dress well, and her overall charisma -- along with her fair skin -- more than compensated for what she lacked in appearance.
She was accompanied by the tall and athletic Milla Jovovich, who was also wearing a spaghetti strap dress. Milla's height and fit physique made her look like a supermodel.
"Except for you, no one would dare knock like that on my door." Link stood up to greet the two.
"Lily wouldn't dare?"
"She's not as bored as you." Link shook his head. "What brings you both here? If it's a date, the evening would have been more suitable."
"Who said anything about a date? We just wrapped up production on This Man Is from Earth. Want to take a look?"
"Sure!"
...
Link, Sophia, and Milla made their way to the film screening room to watch the freshly completed This Man Is from Earth.
Link had served as the screenwriter, with Francis Ford Coppola as the producer. With Sophia's directorial skills, the film looked quite impressive. The plot was tight, the characters distinct, and the artistic style featured hallmarks of a female director's touch. The actors' performances surpassed those of the original version, giving off a stage play vibe.
The overall quality was good. The only issue was that the scene transitions were minimal, and the storyline felt somewhat tame. The dialogue and film's themes were deep; those with a lower cultural level might struggle to grasp the 'aha moments' conveyed in the dialogue, making it seem tedious.
An audience with certain educational backgrounds might not fully understand it even after viewing it once. These factors indicated that the film was somewhat niche and not ideally suited for wide theatrical release.
During distribution, it might be best to screen it in only a few art-house cinemas to gauge its box office performance. If it flopped, they could switch to video release.
...
As he finished watching the film, he received system feedback: participation was at 8%, with box office subsidies of only 1.02 times. The director experience bonus was merely 1%, and the stamina bonus was also 1%. The lack of a significant stamina boost only left him feeling slightly warm.
...
"Link, what did you think?"
Sophia asked eagerly, her face brimming with anticipation.
"It was great! From the staging and dialogue design to the props and scenes, it was clear you put a lot of effort into it. This film might just become a classic science fiction piece, and your directorial level has significantly improved since The Blair Witch Project. You are now a mature director," Link praised.
"Thank you! You also played a part in this. I wouldn't have made it as a director or created this film without you, dear. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. No need for thanks between us."
"No way! I must thank you."
Sophia pressed her hand against his chest and leaned down, tieing up her long hair.
Milla Jovovich glanced at them and also tucked her hair back as she crouched down beside them.
*****
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