Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 357 He is the person I admire most
After more than two months of negotiations, Cao Yang's team and Warner Bros. finally reached an agreement.

This negotiation was actually very difficult.

Warner Bros. owns the rights to The Batman film and has a large fan base. If the previous film hadn't performed poorly at the box office, and if Warner Bros. hadn't wanted to make The Batman "great" again, they would never have let outsiders interfere.

Cao Yang participated in "The Batman" as a project producer and screenwriter, and was also responsible for overseeing the production of the film.

Ultimately, Bellman could only negotiate 8.5% of the global box office revenue; they couldn't go any further, as this was Warner Bros.' bottom line.

Furthermore, the revenue sharing from subsequent merchandise is separate from the revenue sharing from the film's box office.

Batman is the most popular comic book in the United States, and the development of its derivative products has long been a mature system. It is impossible for Cao Yang to "take a bite" of this ready-made cake just because of a movie.

The revenue sharing from the Batman movie is limited to revenue sharing from DVD rentals, video-on-demand, and streaming.

Revenue from merchandise such as new comic book releases, toy development, and character licensing is not included in the revenue sharing; that's non-negotiable.

To this end, Warner was even willing to make concessions on revenue sharing for disc rentals and video-on-demand, increasing these revenue shares to 13%, which was the biggest concession they could make.

Cao Yang could accept this number.

After all, it's not easy for a movie whose main goal is box office success, whose copyright is not in their own hands, and which has such a high level of popularity, to be able to talk about this number is already quite an achievement.

Copyright is a difficult thing to define in terms of value; the same thing can have different values ​​in the hands of different people.

For example, if someone wants the adaptation rights to the novel published in "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey", without discussing Cao Yang's other fees, just for the film adaptation rights alone, when Berman negotiates with other parties, he defaults to a 5% share as the starting point.

During this time, Cao Yang also finished writing the script for "Batman".

The team that Bellman assembled for him included not only business and legal personnel responsible for negotiations, but also professional screenwriters.

Cao Yang wrote out the general framework of the script, and the screenwriters filled in the content within that fixed framework and requirements.

These screenwriters are completely different from our domestic screenwriters; they are professional assembly line "workers," completely following the Hollywood model.

Some people are responsible for the characters' personalities, some are responsible for the story, and some plan the details to "fill in the gaps" and create suspense. Finally, Cao Yang integrates them into a complete story.

Warner Bros. has the right to review Cao Yang's scripts, which is written into the contract. They are certainly afraid that Cao Yang will make unauthorized changes to Batman.

Overall, they were satisfied with Cao Yang's script.

Warner Bros.' main job is to review scripts for any "out-of-bounds" content.

A script and the finished film are sometimes two different things. Different directors using the same script will definitely produce different films, which is where the value of a director lies.

Of course, the footage shot by the director will be edited by different editors according to the producer's requirements, resulting in different final cuts. Sometimes, they can even edit two completely different "movies".

This is one of the reasons why directors are important in Hollywood, but project producers are even more important.

Now that the script was ready and Warner Bros. had approved the project, Cao Yang prepared to gather the existing crew members to discuss the film's preparations.

Currently, the confirmed staff for the production team includes director Nolan, a producer representing Warner Bros., as well as producers, coordinators, and external liaisons. Other personnel have not yet been confirmed.

Nolan felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation about collaborating with Cao Yang.

These days, before seeing Cao Yang's script, Nolan has a general idea of ​​how to film the second Batman movie.

He was a somewhat stubborn person. Although he had agreed to film according to the script, he felt that if there were any problems with Cao Yang's script, he would definitely have to argue with Cao Yang.

He even shared this idea with his wife, Emma Thomas.

Emma Thomas was well aware of the consequences of arguing with a big director and producer like Cao Yang.

If someone thinks your argument is unreasonable, or that your ideas don't align with theirs and they're worried that the film won't achieve the effect they want, they might actually take action and replace the director.

In Hollywood, it is common for producers to change directors or actors before filming begins.

Furthermore, during filming, there are many precedents of producers who, if they feel the director's work does not meet their requirements, can replace the director.

This happens even more often in films produced by Warner Bros.

However, she also understands her husband's personality.

Nolan is a very talented person with broad thinking and many ideas, but he is also very stubborn and insists on his own opinions.

But most of these people have one thing in common: they admire those who are more talented than themselves.

When encountering such people, they may even exhibit a kind of "blind obedience".

Is Cao Yang a talented person? For Emma Thomas, that's certainly beyond question.

Instead of trying to dissuade her husband, Emma Thomas said, "You've been so busy with your own films. Why don't we watch some of Cao Yang's films before meeting him, so we can get a more comprehensive understanding of him?"

Nolan did not reject his wife's suggestion. He had seen Cao Yang's "District 9". As for the hit "Inception", he was working on post-production for "The Prestige" when "Inception" was released, so he did not have time to watch it.

Nolan gathered all the films that Cao Yang had directed and produced, including several of Cao Yang's early award-winning Chinese films.

Furthermore, Nolan wasn't watching alone.

He was afraid that watching alone would lead to biased opinions and an inability to be objective, so he invited his wife and younger brother to watch with him.

It took the group of people five days to watch all the movies.

It's not that the movie takes that long to finish; rather, Nolan watched some of the movies several times, and after watching them, he would fall into deep thought and not watch any other movies that day.

Among the movies he watched more than twice were "3-Iron", "Black Swan", and "Inception".

Nolan even watched Inception four times, and couldn't help but applaud each time he finished watching it.

"Honey, do you have a general understanding of Director Cao Yang now?"

Emma Thomas asked her husband.

Nolan pondered for a long time, then shook his head with a wry smile, "No, Emma, ​​I understand Director Cao Yang even less now."

Seeing Emma Thomas's puzzled expression, Nolan explained, "Most established directors have their own style and will inadvertently bring that style into their new films."

Emma Thomas thought about it and agreed.

Many directors have their own shooting style, whether it's a particular prop, a specific camera angle, or a narrative style.

"So, what do you think is Cao Yang's style?"

Nolan asked his wife.

Emma Thomas thought about it for a longer time this time, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a common style among the films Cao Yang had made.

"Hey, I know the answer to that question."

Nolan's brother, Jonathan Nolan, said from the side.

His words drew the attention of both Nolan and Emma Thomas.

Nolan couldn't find Cao Yang's directing style, and Emma Thomas couldn't find anything in common either. Could it be that Jonathan Nolan has found it?
Jonathan Nolan is also a very talented person. Nolan's Hollywood breakthrough film, Memento, was adapted from one of Jonathan Nolan's short stories.

"I'm saying, aren't you all falling into the trap of tradition? It's common knowledge that some talented directors don't have a fixed style. Besides, Director Cao Yang also has a very strong personal style, doesn't he? It's just that you've all subconsciously overlooked it."

Nolan was taken aback by his brother's words, then nodded seriously. Some genius directors do not have a distinct directing style; that is to say, they can handle films of different styles.

This can be seen from the fact that Cao Yang is able to make both award-winning art films and commercially successful films with artistic qualities.

But what about what his younger brother said about Cao Yang having a strong personal style?

Nolan couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it.

"Haha, I knew you guys were falling into a traditional misconception. Think about it, what is Director Cao Yang most famous for since his debut?"

Jonathan Nolan asked with a smile.

Nolan's heart skipped a beat. Breaking free from conventional thinking, he knew what his brother meant. "The training of actors!"

Emma Thomas glanced at Nolan and said with a smile.

Nolan nodded in agreement and added, "That's right. In almost all the films he directs, the main actors deliver performances that are worthy of Best Actor and Best Actress awards. It's simply incredible!"

"Yes, that's Director Cao Yang's signature style!"

Jonathan Nolan slapped his thigh and laughed heartily, saying:

"Even his early films, like 'On the Beach at Night Alone,' were incredibly boring, yet they made us feel like we were witnessing something that really happened to a girl. Cao Yang's greatest style is that he can get the actors to perform beyond their usual level."

Nolan nodded in agreement, thinking of that eccentric Depp.

The fact that Cao Yang was able to get Johnny Depp nominated for Best Actor three times in three films and win the Oscar twice speaks volumes about his style and ability.

Moreover, director Cao Yang has also produced actresses who have won Best Actress awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival...

The more Nolan thought about it, the more incredible it seemed.

It's not too surprising if only one or two movies can train the lead actor to the level of an award-winning actor or actress.

But if every movie is like that, is that something a human being could do?
Nolan had heard that Cao Yang was good at directing actors, but rumors are never as impressive as seeing it for yourself.

After watching these movies, he saw it with his own eyes.

What if you're not satisfied with the script for "Batman" written by director Cao Yang?

Emma Thomas asked with a smile.

"how is this possible?"

Nolan rejected the idea without hesitation, saying, "I believe in director Cao Yang's abilities; he's a genius!"

At that moment, Nolan thought of Inception again. The movie was amazing, and it coincided with some of his ideas. It was a movie he wanted to make but didn't have a concrete idea for.

Nolan felt that director Cao Yang was far more capable than himself; his ability to direct actors was something he could never learn in his entire life.

How could such a talented director possibly write a script that doesn't meet his own expectations?

If the script is different from what you imagined, then there must be something wrong with your own ideas.

Furthermore, Nolan couldn't help but wonder if he could learn some skills in directing actors from director Cao Yang if he could build a good relationship with him.
Cao Yang convened a meeting with the existing members of the "Batman" crew to discuss the matter, which formally established the film's preparation.

He named the film "The Dark Knight," and no one objected, including Nolan. In fact, Nolan was the first to applaud, saying that the film's name was fantastic.

Nolan's enthusiasm surprised Cao Yang.

He sent the script to Nolan a couple of days ago, thinking that Nolan would raise some questions today. But to his surprise, Nolan not only didn't raise any questions, but also said that the script was very good and simply excellent when they first met.

It wasn't that Nolan was intentionally flattering Cao Yang; he genuinely felt that the script was very much in line with the general direction he had envisioned, continuing the style of the previous film, which greatly surprised and impressed Nolan.

Nolan increasingly felt that director Cao Yang was truly talented and a genius worthy of respect.

"Director Cao Yang is the person I admire most. I must get along well with him and become his good friend," Nolan secretly made up his mind.

Cao Yang certainly wouldn't have time to be on set for the preparation and filming of "The Dark Knight," so as usual, he sent an executive producer.

It's not that he wants to supervise anything; with Nolan as the director, Cao Yang is actually at ease.

However, as the producer in charge of the project, you can't just sit back and do nothing. The best way is definitely to be an executive producer, so that you can know about anything that happens as soon as possible.

Cheng Jianye is the best candidate. He was sent by Cao Yang to the "Juno" production team as executive producer, and then to "The Fault in Our Stars" as executive producer.

Having gained experience from these two films, their skills and expertise speak for themselves.

However, because the "Fault in Our Stars" campaign to fulfill the wishes of 100 critically ill children and teenagers has become increasingly popular, Cheng Jianye, as the film's executive producer and one of the campaign's leaders, simply cannot spare the time.

Therefore, Cao Yang thought of Ning Hao.

He had been working with Lao Tian on "Pieta" all along. Now the movie was completely finished. Lao Tian urged Cao Yang several times to go back and take a look, and if it wasn't good, to make some revisions.

Ning Hao is a very suitable candidate.

Although he had never worked as an executive producer in Hollywood, he had worked as an assistant director with Cao Yang in Hollywood a few times, so he was very familiar with the production process and many of the details of Hollywood films.

So, I called Ning Hao and Lao Tian to tell them about it.

Cao Yang felt that he should go back to China. Not only was Lao Tian urging him, but Hou Keming also wanted Cao Yang to go back.

However, Hou Keming was urging Cao Yang to go back and handle a few things, not the same thing Lao Tian was urging him to do.

Specifically, Lao Hou wanted Cao Yang to go back and preside over the selection of graduation projects at the Beijing Film Academy. He also wanted Cao Yang to give a speech to the graduates, preside over the graduate students' thesis defenses, and so on...

In addition, this year is an odd-numbered year, and the 26th Golden Rooster Awards will be held.

This was Lao Hou's main reason for wanting Cao Yang to go back.

The 11th Congress of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles was held last November.

Cao Yang was elected vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

He was elected as a director, so his work will definitely focus on film and television.

The Golden Rooster Awards are an award jointly organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Film Association. This year's Golden Rooster Awards marks his first since being elected Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, highlighting its importance.

It involves a great deal of things.

For example, determining the list of the Golden Rooster Awards selection committee, selecting the chairman and secretary-general, cooperating with the host city, and setting the tone for the selection of awards, etc.

Although these matters are not up to Cao Yang to decide alone, you must speak out, you must make your supporters aware of your existence, and you must also consider whether to "stir up" a fire at the Golden Rooster Awards.

Old Hou explained these matters to Cao Yang in a very tactful way over the phone, but his attitude was still quite firm: Cao Yang absolutely had to go back.

After hanging up the phone, Cao Yang thought for a long time before finally coming up with a somewhat inappropriate word: "standing stick".

Let's go back then.

However, we have to wait for Ning Hao to arrive before we can go back.

Ning Hao used to greatly admire Cheng Jianye.

Let alone Ning Hao, how many filmmakers in China don't envy Cheng Jianye?

That guy was sent by Cao Yang to the "Juno" crew as an executive producer for the first time, and he won the Oscar for Best Picture, making him famous in Hollywood overnight.

Although Cheng Jianye was only the executive producer, and everyone would only attribute the award to producer Cao Yang, his resume includes the title of executive producer of the Oscar-winning film "Juno".

This is a fact that is recognized not only in the country, but also in Hollywood.

This is evident from the fact that Cheng Jianye not only won an award from the Producers Guild of America, but was also invited by the Academy to be a final judge.

Now, Ning Hao has "Crazy Stone," a film that grossed over 100 million yuan, making him one of the few directors in China to achieve this feat. However, he is more than willing to be Cao Yang's executive producer for "The Batman."

Such opportunities to enhance one's resume are extremely rare and precious.

The Dark Knight is a film with a budget of $2 million.

The previous film grossed over 3 million yuan. With Cao Yang's name on the roster, Ning Hao estimates that the global box office will be at least 5 million US dollars.

"I'm going to be famous in Hollywood, and that old bastard Cheng Jianye will be envious of me next time."

When Ning Hao arrived in Los Angeles, Cao Yang took him to the film set and told him to call him if anything happened.

After that, I checked on the progress of the CG effects for "Pirates of the Caribbean 2", made the necessary arrangements, and then boarded a plane back to China.

(End of this chapter)