Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 355 Exchange
"The Fault in Our Stars" doesn't have many large scenes or require CG effects, so post-production was very quick, and a rough cut was already done.

It's worth mentioning that because "The Fault in Our Stars" is a co-production, with investments from both China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio, several domestic staff members were brought in to join the production team.

For example, there's Yang Qian, an editor from Qingdao Film Studio. He's worked with Cao Yang on several films before, and Cao Yang finds him easy to use.

Yang Qian's most notable characteristic is that he edits entirely according to Cao Yang's intentions, unlike other editors who can argue with the director for a long time about what they consider good or inappropriate shots.

Having long been accustomed to Cao Yang's "concise" cinematography style, Yang Qian was initially somewhat unaccustomed to the fact that Cao Yang was not the director of "The Wrong Star".

The main problem is that the workload has increased significantly.

If Cao Yang were the director, he would likely only have two or three alternative shots for each shot, and there wouldn't be many redundant alternative shots.

However, the director of "The Fault in Our Stars" would shoot a lot of alternative shots for each scene, and have the actors reshoot in different ways, which undoubtedly increased the editor's workload a lot.

However, Yang Qian knew that this was the norm.

Such a minimalist approach to filming as Cao Yang's is an exception.

After the rough cut of "The Fault in Our Stars" came out, Cao Yang watched it several times with Yang Qian. Then he told Yang Qian his thoughts and requirements and asked him to just cut it accordingly.

Colombia has already begun to take action.

They contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the organization that initiated World Make-A-Wish Day, and joined forces with them to find some seriously ill children and teenagers, communicate with their guardians, and facilitate the next steps.

Of course, the selection of critically ill children and adolescents is not random. Cao Yang knew without a doubt that most of the people they found in North America were white, and there were certain additional conditions attached.

Cao Yang wasn't involved in this. Even though he was the one who came up with the marketing idea, Columbia hired a professional team to handle it, and they were definitely more professional than him.

Moreover, getting involved in this kind of thing on the American side would be troublesome for Cao Yang.

However, it would be worthwhile for the domestic population to follow suit.

It's not for marketing the movie; I'm just taking this opportunity to do what I can.

Cao Yang mentioned this to President Han and Director Hou, asking them to organize a Wishing Day event in the name of China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio.

There's no need for hype or fanfare; just do it quietly.

They were also instructed that this wishing day is not really for wishing to see celebrities or anything like that, and that no one should take the opportunity to create hype. It is only for the follow-up treatment of those seriously ill children and teenagers.

Cao Yang also told them not to mention his name, because with Cao Yang's current status, he didn't need to hype up so-called "good deeds" to enhance his image.

Hou Yuan asked Cao Yang if he should register a foundation for him, such as the "Cao Yang Charity Foundation," as it would have many benefits.

Uninformed people, upon hearing such a "high-class" name, might assume that this is true charity, aimed at helping those in genuine need at the bottom of society.

Actually, hehe...

Of course, it cannot be denied that a small number of charitable funds are indeed used for good deeds.

However, most of these organizations were not founded with the intention of doing good deeds.

This thing has so many uses.

Well, let's talk about the purpose of some so-called charitable foundations established in the United States.

First, it can reduce or exempt taxes.

When an individual or business donates to a charitable foundation, the donation amount can be deducted from taxable income.

By donating assets to charitable foundations, donors can reduce the size of their estate, thereby reducing potential estate taxes.

Some charitable foundations are established as part of estate planning, allowing donors to transfer assets during their lifetime or after their death while retaining some degree of control over those assets.

Most importantly, the investment income of charitable foundations is usually tax-free, meaning that investments made in the name of the foundation do not require taxation.

This is also why many large American companies have various funds as shareholders.

Furthermore, one aspect of this type of charitable foundation that makes it "controllable" is that it allows donors to specify how the funds are used, and can even establish "donor advisory funds" to allow donors to continue to guide the use of the funds during their lifetime or after their death.

Of course, there are limitations as well.

Investing through a fund means that the returns are tax-free, but at least 5% of the assets must be allocated to charitable causes each year, and the remaining assets can be further invested and increased in value.

This appears to be to safeguard the "charitable" nature of the charitable foundation.

But to think that way would be to overestimate their abilities.

This 5% calculation includes direct expenditures, administrative fees, and grants used for charitable projects.

See this "Administrative Fees" section? Does it look familiar?

Secondly, wealth transfer is one of the most important purposes of establishing a charitable foundation.

In the United States, many wealthy individuals pass on their wealth through foundations, which not only protects their assets from high estate taxes but also allows their children to participate in the foundation's management.

Finally, social influence is also an important reason why the wealthy establish charitable foundations.

By providing targeted funding to education, healthcare, or scientific research, wealthy individuals can indirectly participate in shaping public issues and enhance their social influence.

Furthermore, occasionally using the fund to do some so-called "charitable deeds" and create some hype can also enhance one's personal reputation.

In fact, in the United States—and I mean the United States—some charitable foundations have another function: they can receive “anonymous” donations. Once these “anonymous” donations are deposited into the foundation’s account, they become “legal” money.

Of course, this matter cannot be taken too far; if it gets noticed, it will be a big problem.

Cao Yang rejected the suggestion to set up a fund in the country, and Hou Yuan laughed it off without saying anything.

Setting up a fund is considered "fashionable" in China now, and some famous celebrities have already started doing it. Hou Yuan was actually not very willing for Cao Yang to do this.

As someone from an academic background and also considered part of the system, getting involved in these things will inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later.

Since Cao Yang refused, Hou Yuan was relieved. He had been prepared to analyze the pros and cons for Cao Yang.

On the other hand, post-production work for "Pirates of the Caribbean" is progressing smoothly, with the CG effects taking the most time.

This movie features a lot of CG special effects, which can't be rushed and is one of its main highlights.

Berman and his team contacted Warner Bros. again. Negotiations for "Batman" were much more difficult than those for "Joker".

Even though Warner Bros. really wanted Cao Yang's "name," it involved an investment of nearly $200 million, and it was a movie whose box office was the primary goal. They would argue for days over even a fraction of a percentage point.

On the contrary, it was Cao Yang who suggested that "Joker" be made into a co-production. Berman simply said that as long as it was made into a co-production, it could be released directly in China without taking up the "imported film" quota.

Warner simply asked which companies wanted to invest.

Upon hearing that China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio, where Cao Yang worked, were involved, he agreed without hesitation.

Warner Bros.' idea was simple: for an art film aimed at winning awards, having another investor to share the investment would be ideal.

Let alone China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio, Warner Bros. would welcome any company to share the investment in this kind of film, which is not aimed at box office success.

Of course, this is all predicated on the movie not becoming a box office hit.

If the film becomes a box office hit, Warner Bros. has plenty of ways to make it "lose money," and even Wall Street won't be able to find any legal loopholes.

Yes, legally.

As for some seemingly unreasonable points, such as a certain domestic movie where a tattered straw hat is reimbursed at $6000.

This seems obviously unreasonable. It's just a prop. How can a straw hat that sells for 30 RMB at a roadside stall have a different effect in a movie than a straw hat that costs 6000 USD?

Would the audience even notice the value of the straw hat on the actor's head?

Of course not, who would bother observing this thing for no reason?

However, since they have purchase records and receipts, it is legally valid, and investors can only watch helplessly.

However, with China Film Group's involvement, even if "Joker" achieves high box office returns, Warner Bros. won't manipulate the film—not because they're afraid, but because it's not worth it. Unless Warner Bros. decides to abandon the Chinese market altogether, or unless any Warner Bros.-affiliated company decides not to enter the Chinese market at all.

Cao Yang told Behrman that since Batman was difficult to negotiate, there was no need to rush; they could take their time.

Warner Bros. should be the ones in a hurry. They've already internally approved the budget for making "The Batman," and Nolan has agreed to direct it. They should be the ones in a hurry.

According to Cao Yang's plan, "The Batman" will definitely be released before "Joker," which can be considered as a warm-up for the market in advance. When they are released together, "Joker" will save a lot of money on promotion.

Cao Yang roughly calculated that it would take about 8 to 10 months from preparation to completion of "The Batman". In addition to the publicity work before the release and the selection of a suitable release date, it would take about a year to be released.

In other words, even if everything goes smoothly, the second Batman movie won't be released until around February next year.

It's also possible that Warner Bros. will wait until the summer season to release it, since the summer season is more conducive to reaping box office profits and is the highest-grossing period in North America.

Because Joker doesn't have many large-scale scenes or require many special effects, six months was enough time from preparation to completion.

Furthermore, this film will only be most effective against the backdrop of the global financial crisis next year.

The subprime mortgage crisis, which started in the United States, began to take shape this year, but it will not be until September 2008 that it will start to get out of control and reach its climax globally.

Therefore, Joker will definitely not be released until after September 2008, and may even have to wait until it participates in the 2009 Oscars before being released on a large scale.

This is the only way to maximize profits.

As for whether Warner Bros. would agree to such a long delay in the release, if we told them now that it would have to wait until 09, they might have some reservations.

But if we wait for the financial crisis to hit, and combined with the plot of "Joker," even if Cao Yang wants to release the film sooner, Warner Bros. will probably resist his pressure and delay the release date.

In terms of their keen insight into the film market, there's no need to doubt the vision of the Hollywood Big Seven. If they didn't have that kind of insight, they wouldn't have reached the level of the Hollywood Big Seven.

Therefore, there is no need to rush the filming of "Joker". It is not too late to start filming at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

April 29th has arrived in the blink of an eye. This day is World Wishes Day, which aims to help critically ill children realize their wishes and convey hope and strength.

Instead of releasing "The Fault in Our Stars" on that day, they held a large-scale event called "Passing on Hope and Power, I Will Fulfill Your Wishes".

The subtitle reads: "This is just a little joke of fate, a mistake in destiny. What you need to do is face life with a strong smile and overcome fate."

For this event, Colombia invited numerous media outlets and also broadcast it online.

During the event, the Columbia United Make-a-Wish Foundation selected 100 critically ill children and adolescents from North America, had them write down their wishes, and sealed them in a jar.

Columbia Pictures, under the name "The Fault in Our Stars," decided to fulfill the wishes of these 100 people.

Every day, select a critically ill patient and have them break a jar, symbolizing breaking free from the disease's attack and helping them fulfill their wish.

Furthermore, cameras will follow the entire process of fulfilling the wish, and the footage will be posted on the official website of "The Fault in Our Stars" for people to watch.

Colombia has announced that the day when the last of these 100 patients' wishes are fulfilled will be the release date of "The Fault in Our Stars".

Of course, anything can happen in the United States.

Therefore, the so-called spirit of contract came into being.

To prevent these 100 patients from having any "unrealistic" wishes, many terms had already been signed with their guardians before April 29th when these 100 patients were selected.

Are there any who are unwilling to sign or who make exorbitant demands?

Of course there are.

That's why it's called selection.

Undoubtedly, the guardians of these 100 patients were all people who had signed agreements and Colombia's liability waivers.

Before the patients write down their "wishes," they have already been "assigned" to prevent any uncontrollable situations from arising. Otherwise, they would face endless legal troubles.

What surprised Cao Yang the most was that Columbia also registered a series of copyrights for this event, including variety shows and movies.

Because the marketing plan for this event was originally proposed by Cao Yang, and Columbia also signed an agreement with Cao Yang to jointly enjoy the copyright of this series of products.

Cao Yang could easily guess that if this so-called "wish fulfillment" event became popular, Columbia University would actually turn it into a variety show—simply selecting 100 patients each year and helping them fulfill their wishes.

It could even be made into a "heart-wrenching" movie.

Will this be criticized?

it's actually really easy.

All you need to do is give it a "high-class" label, such as publicizing that the original purpose of this variety show was to raise funds for the follow-up treatment of these children who are still protected by God...

See, now we have a reputation that will be praised.

There aren't that many acts of charity; it's all just business.

In order to create a sensational effect in the early stages, the wishes of the first few patients were obviously deliberately arranged, and they were all very interesting wishes.

For example, one young patient's wish was to have dinner with the former president of the United States.

This might be difficult to achieve in other countries, but it's a very simple thing in the United States.

Retired US presidents all have a price tag.

Moreover, this kind of thing is also a form of publicity for the former president. In addition, given the close relationship between Hollywood and the Democratic Party, Columbia had already contacted the former president about this matter before the event even started.

Of course, among these wishes, one must be to "move America".

Yes, Columbia has already commissioned someone to write the script; we just need to act according to the script.

No one expected that after fulfilling the wishes of just a dozen or so patients, the videos uploaded to the official website of "The Fault in Our Stars" would receive more and more views, showing a strong trend of becoming a hit.

Colombia convened an emergency meeting and quickly approved ten million US dollars to promote the event, determined to make it a hit.

Cao Yang never expected that this activity, which helps critically ill patients fulfill their wishes, would actually become so popular.

He even watched the first episode of the video, and all he could say was that the photographer was very skilled and the editing was excellent—the wish couldn't be fulfilled all at once, there were bound to be twists and turns, just like a TV drama.

Cao Yang was a little confused. Why did so many Americans like to watch this kind of show, which was obviously edited and resembled a "reality show" and deviated from the original intention of the publicity?

Just as the event was in full swing, Cao Yang received two unexpected phone calls.

One of the calls was from Chen Kai, who said he was preparing a biographical film and there was a character added later named Meng Xiaodong, who was one of the female leads. She could be in her twenties or thirties, and he asked Cao Yang if he had any recommendations.

Cao Yang didn't quite understand what Lao Chen meant at first.

As one of the most influential directors in China, how could Chen not have a shortage of leading actresses?
To be honest, Cao Yang is suitable for all his female friends in this age group.

But before understanding what Lao Chen meant, Cao Yang didn't want to agree immediately. He just said he would check the schedule and then give him an answer.

The second call was from Mr. Han, the general manager of China Film Group, and he was still talking about this matter.

China Film Group invested in Lao Chen's new film.

It turns out that the reason Lao Chen wanted Cao Yang to recommend him for the role was that he hoped Cao Yang could help the film when it was vying for an Oscar or a Golden Globe.

After the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Lao Chen had witnessed Cao Yang's influence firsthand. However, as Cao Yang's senior, and given his personality, Lao Chen certainly couldn't say it openly.

That's why this "roundabout" approach was adopted.

Old Chen is such a manipulative person. Why don't you just explain the situation directly? Why make Old Han call again to explain?

"Meng Xiaodong?"

Cao Yang knew what Lao Chen wanted to film.

(End of this chapter)