Chapter 117: Oracle and AMD Shares, Preparation for The Shallows
[Chapter 117: Oracle and AMD Shares, Preparation for The Shallows]
After allocating $41 million for three films and donating $8.85 million to the Linton Charity Foundation, even after reserving funds for next month's post-production equipment purchases, the company still had over $90 million in the account. Having such a large sum sitting idle in the bank was certainly impractical.
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Just recently, investment assistant Winnie brought good news. A minor shareholder of Oracle, holding 2.5% of its shares, seemed to have lost patience with the company and was willing to sell all their shares, valued at $62.25 million based on current market capitalization.
Also, regarding AMD, a venture capital firm, which owned 18% of AMD, was willing to reduce holdings by 4.5%, valued at $58.5 million at current market value.
Both companies had been Linton's top priority investments, and acquiring all these shares would require $120.75 million.
Winnie had already purchased nearly $5 million worth of stocks from five different companies on the open market. Accounting for the new $8.85 million donation from Linton Films, the Linton Charity Foundation's account now only had $38.85 million in cash.
Winnie was troubled about making a choice and had recently come to Linton Estate to seek his advice. She was inclined to purchase all the shares and suggested pledging Microsoft stock to secure a bank loan.
Linton considered that the film company had a large amount of cash on hand, and upcoming revenues from soundtrack sales and video rentals could cover any financial shortfall for the investments in AMD and Oracle.
He instructed her to start substantive negotiations with the shareholders immediately to secure all the shares and assured her he would handle the funding.
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Linton gathered Robert, Mary, Winnie, Henry, and Goodman, and ensured that Linton Films kept enough liquid cash. Both parties signed contracts: Linton Films would lend $85 million to the Linton Charity Foundation at bank loan interest rates, with a one-year loan term.
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Winnie's execution was exceptional. She swiftly negotiated with both shareholders, finalizing purchases at average market prices over the last half-month.
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To celebrate, Linton threw a dinner for her at the estate and rewarded her with a $100,000 check onsite. However, during the drinks, Linton clearly sensed that Winnie had developed different feelings towards him.
Later in dinner, Winnie opened up about her childhood stories and the qualities she admired in a boyfriend. Listening, Linton felt she seemed to be describing him.
Winnie wore a purple long dress, lightly made-up, her delicate features glowing warmly in the soft lighting, making her look strikingly beautiful -- the perfect blend of intelligence, charm, and allure.
But Linton restrained himself from reciprocating her feelings.
Firstly, his personal path made it impossible to have just one girlfriend. Winnie was not an entertainment insider, yet her outstanding qualities seemed to suggest she would want exclusive devotion, which he could not offer.
Secondly, though Winnie was a top-tier beauty and talented, she lacked public recognition and popularity, so pursuing a romantic relationship with her would not benefit his abilities.
Thirdly, her excellent investment skills were valuable, and he didn't want to risk damaging their professional relationship, which could lead to her quitting.
Perhaps noticing Linton avoiding the topic and fearing rejection, Winnie never explicitly confessed her feelings and left with a hint of sorrow.
For safety, Linton did not let her drive home -- David drove her back instead.
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With funds secured for the three films, preparations accelerated.
The Speed studio rented office space near Universal Studios. Robert served as producer, Kenneth as executive producer, and Universal assigned Tim, an experienced associate producer.
Originally, Levitt wanted Tim to continue as associate producer for Step Up 2, but Tim had grown an admiration for Linton and insisted on joining Speed's crew, believing it was a better opportunity.
Along with Tim, Universal also assigned assistant director Carter and other crew members.
Linton instructed Robert to announce recruitment for two assistant directors promptly. The production team was to expedite scouting for on-location sites, equipment rentals, constructing sets at Universal Studios per the script, and arranging cost-effective car rentals.
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Besides Speed's crew, Linton was also screenwriter and co-producer for The Shallows and Step Up 2, responsible for overseeing overall quality.
Given The Shallows needed an April release, production timelines were tight. Linton met with Blake, Zack, and Universal's associate producer Stuta to finalize plans for exterior locations, filming tone, cast, soundtrack, special effects, and shooting schedule.
As directed by Linton, the initial scouting team went to Australia and chose the scenic Lord Howe Island, perfectly fitting the script's setting. The weather was ideal as Australia was entering early summer, ensuring favorable filming conditions.
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The Shallows told the story of 20-year-old Nancy, a surfer attacked by a shark at the beach who repeatedly escaped near-death and fought to survive alone.
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Linton introduced Cameron Diaz to Blake, Zack, and Stuta as the chosen lead actress. He had Cameron wear a swimsuit to showcase her stunning figure.
Upon seeing Cameron's gorgeous face, sexy silhouette, 3.6-foot-long legs, and 34D curves, the trio realized how captivating it would be to depict such a beautiful, sensual young woman repeatedly pursued by a shark. It was bound to attract an avid male audience to theaters.
They approved Cameron as Nancy but requested that she intensify surfing training to master all techniques before filming began.
Cameron confirmed she had already hired a surfing coach and was practicing diligently to meet the production's demands.
The crew promptly negotiated her salary with her agent and signed an acting contract, agreeing on a modest $200,000 fee.
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During discussions of the film's tone, Linton stressed it must highlight Nancy's beauty and sex appeal, the terror of the shark attacks, the thrilling tension of escape, and the suffocating suspense.
The story must also showcase Nancy's relentless spirit and triumphant use of wit to kill the shark and survive.
The film had to be an edge-of-seat thriller with no dull moments, rated PG-13, and limited to a runtime under 90 minutes.
Following these guidelines, Zack revised the script and shooting plan, scheduling the shoot to start on December 10 and last 55 days.
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Linton lacked time and energy for the soundtrack so partnered again with Universal Records. They would compile 10-12 songs fitting the film's narrative.
Linton reserved final approval rights over the songs and prioritized Shania's selection of performers.
The Shallows soundtrack would serve as a promotional tie-in, with Universal producing and distributing, and the film crew earning 20% of sales and copyrights.
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The shark effects would obviously utilize CGI. Linton contracted Industrial Light & Magic, who engaged early during prep for modeling to ensure quality and efficiency. The special effects cost was $1.5 million.
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Next, from Mira's contact list at WMA, Linton, along with Blake, Zack, and Stuta, selected key roles like cinematographer, art director, props master, makeup artist, and stylist.
Casting for other roles and further production preparations were delegated to Blake, Zack, and Stuta.
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Recently, Cameron, thrilled to be starring in a major leading role commercial film, practiced surfing during the day and unleashed her passion at Linton Estate in the evenings.
To fully please Linton, she brought various props -- collars, whips, ropes, a vacuum suit, flight attendant costume, nurse outfit, office attire, school uniforms, stockings, and new ideas -- allowing Linton to indulge his wild side and experience unparalleled service and excitement.
After a few days, Linton shared a generous amount of his energy with Cameron. Her skin became noticeably smoother, glowing with a soft radiance, and her face took on the flawless look of fine porcelain or polished marble.
However, concerned that nightly escapades might hinder her surfing training and script study, Linton temporarily paused their nighttime encounters.
He encouraged Cameron to dedicate herself fully to film preparations -- surfing practice by day, and night sessions with an acting coach for script analysis and performance guidance.
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