Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 424 I am your support
Joker was greenlit last year, before Heath Ledger died.

Furthermore, the cast of this film has not been announced since it was first approved.

Therefore, it is widely believed in the industry that Cao Yang's self-directed film was made while waiting for Heath Ledger to finish filming "The Dark Knight".

Unfortunately, Heath Ledger died in January of this year.

At the time, many people didn't really care. They thought it was no big deal if an actor died; they could just replace him.

In addition, at that time, "Pirates of the Caribbean" was incredibly popular, becoming a huge hit in countries all over the world, which minimized the impact of "Joker's" death.

But things are different now.

As Warner Music began to exert its influence, news of Heath Ledger's unfortunate passing spread not only in North America but also around the world.

They're all in this line of work.

Warner Bros.' actions are so predictable that many executives at Hollywood film companies can guess what they're up to.

It's just artificially creating a "god".

Of course, calling it "creating a god" is an exaggeration, at least that's what the executives at these film companies think, but it's certain that Warner Bros. wants to "promote" Heath Ledger.

This has made many people realize a problem: if we promote a dead "Joker", wouldn't Warner Bros.' new movie "Joker" be in an awkward position?
Industry insiders can understand Warner's approach.

How much was invested in Batman: The Dark Knight?

How much did Joker cost to make?

Any qualified film company manager would naturally take advantage of Heath Ledger's death to reap the benefits of being a "dead man."

As the actor who plays the Joker, Jim Carrey faced considerable pressure after Warner Bros. stepped up its efforts.

It was so severe that he even started having insomnia.

That's why he was able to lose weight "quickly".

"Sir, I'd like to talk to you."

On the night before filming began, Jim Carrey met with Cao Yang, looking quite worried.

"Sit down, coffee or tea?"

Cao Yang gestured for Jim Carrey to sit down, and then asked.

He could tell that Jim Carrey wasn't in a good state, even worse than the previous two days, probably because the filming was approaching and the pressure had increased.

"A glass of water will do."

Not long after, Fat Bing brought over a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table in front of Jim Carrey.

"Thank you."

Jim Carrey merely glanced at Bingblin a couple more times, showing no particular surprise at her presence.

Fat Bing smiled and brought Cao Yang another cup of tea.

Cao Yang patted her hand.

"You guys talk first."

Fat Bing smiled, nodded to Jim Carrey, and left.

Cao Yang deliberately arranged for Fat Bing to serve tea to Jim Carrey in a manner similar to that of a hostess.

Of the six so-called "Four Great Actresses" in China, only Zhang Ziyi and Bingbing have not won Best Actress awards at the three major European film festivals, nor have they won an Oscar.

However, they both happen to be working in Hollywood, and by comparison, they are the only two actresses who are doing relatively well in Hollywood, or rather, the only actresses with relatively high profiles.

Only those who have worked in Hollywood know how difficult it is for Chinese people to get good resources, and this applies not only to Chinese people, but also to all Asians or people of the yellow race.

Since Zhang Ziyi landed the lead role in "Memoirs of a Geisha" in 04, the film flopped, and she has received almost no offers from Hollywood.

In order to secure resources, she found a white Jewish boyfriend named Ivy Nevo, hoping that he could leverage his status as a billionaire and film investor to obtain good opportunities.

However, things didn't go as planned, and she still couldn't get any resources.

Her boyfriend kept telling her, "No rush, wait a bit longer. There aren't any good resources right now, but when there are, you'll definitely get priority. I'll make you the darling of a top Hollywood actress..."

Zhang Ziyi still aspires to become a top Hollywood actress.

The kind of thing older white men in Europe and America like, Ivy Nevo, as a typical older white man, definitely likes too.

I tried it on her, over and over again.

She also needs to cooperate actively...

In comparison, Fat Ice is much better.

Although Bingbing doesn't get the leading roles with the most screen time, she still gets some supporting roles with considerable screen time, and she doesn't have to curry favor with directors and producers.

Of course, most of her roles were introduced by Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, who knew about her relationship with Cao Yang. Even if the producers didn't know that Cao Yang was supporting her, Depp and DiCaprio's influence was enough to keep her from being harassed.

Cao Yang doesn't know what awards "Joker" will win next year, but he's certain that it has the best chance of winning the Oscar for Best Actor.

Don't let Jim Carrey's current seemingly stagnant status fool you; if he wins the Oscar for Best Actor next year and "Joker" becomes a huge hit, he can once again stand at the pinnacle of Hollywood.

Cao Yang certainly doesn't need Jim Carrey to repay a "favor," but Bing needs resources.

Of course, if Cao Yang were to ask, Hollywood would be eager to offer him all the best resources, and he might even get a leading role in a movie.

But this comes at a price.

If accepted, resources must be exchanged.

How did Cao Yang exchange resources with these film studios?
Get them to invest, make films for them, or give them the rights to adapt novels.

That would put us in a very passive position.

On the contrary, it's more convenient for superstars like Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jim Carrey, who have considerable influence in Hollywood, to introduce resources to Fan Bingbing.

With Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio already on the team, and now with Jim Carrey making a comeback, Ice Bloom will have no shortage of resources in Hollywood, as long as her ambitions aren't off the charts.

"Jim, you don't look too good."

Cao Yang said.

"It's absolutely terrible."

Jim Carrey shrugged and said, "Sir, I think we're in similar situations, both facing tremendous pressure."

Cao Yang glanced at Jim Carrey.

Haha, you're the one facing the pressure. I don't feel much pressure about "Joker".

"Sir, I heard that 'The Dark Knight' has been completed, is that right? As the producer and screenwriter of this film, and one of the main figures with final cut rights, you must know the content of the film."

At this point, Jim Carrey, his face appearing longer and his eyes larger due to weight loss, looked at Cao Yang almost pleadingly and said, "Can you honestly tell me what Heath Ledger's Joker was like?"

Why do you care about this?

Cao Yang asked with some curiosity, "You are much more famous than him, and your acting skills are no worse than his. You should believe in yourself."

"But he's dead."

Jim Carrey said softly.

Cao Yang understood what Jim Carrey meant. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you want to hear the truth or words of comfort?"

No, I don't want to hear anything anymore!
Jim Carrey, his face drooping, sighed deeply, and used his hands to lift the corners of his mouth, creating a strange smile, before saying, "Sir, I want to hear words of comfort."

“I’m the director, and you’re Jim Carrey,” Cao Yang said.

“Yes, sir, there is no better comfort than this.”

Jim Carrey shrugged and said, "I know you're good at directing actors, and you're the director who understands actors best in the world. I'm willing to believe you... but I still want to hear the truth." Cao Yang thought for a moment and said, "Heath Ledger's Joker is full of evil and madness. He's simply evil from the moment he appears, without any change. The character he portrayed fits the comic book character design very well, but it lacks variation and tension."

But you are different. After so much time spent explaining the play, I think you should know a lot about Arthur in "Joker".

In this cold and cruel world, he was constantly struck by fate: poverty, unemployment, disease, his mother's abuse... His heart was gradually swallowed by darkness, and he was on the verge of collapse and madness.

What you need to do is to use subtle facial expressions, rich body language, and different contexts to show Arthur's pain, struggle, despair, and hatred for society.

This is a process, a process that demands high levels of acting skill, a process full of expressive tension and explosive power, a process that is constantly evolving...

Are you doubting your own acting skills, or are you doubting my ability to guide you in acting?

"Change...process...tension..."

Jim Carrey murmured softly for a while, and as he murmured, the expression on his face became more and more serious and resolute, and his eyes became brighter and brighter.

"I understand, I understand, sir. You are the greatest director I have ever seen, bar none!"

Jim Carrey exhaled, a smile appearing on his face, as if he had regained his energy and spirit at that moment.

He stood up, his gaunt face beaming with an increasingly wider smile. He placed his hands on his chest, gave Cao Yang a polite bow, and said:

"If I can never see you again, I wish you a good morning, a good afternoon, and a good night; but I long to see you again tomorrow, so good night, sir."

Cao Yang smiled.

The first part of Jim Carrey's quote is one of the most classic lines from "The Truman Show," which shows that he has regained his confidence.

It's good to be confident.

Well, if you're confident, adding an immersive experience will reduce the aftereffects, right?
Hopefully, there won't be too many. After all, strictly speaking, Arthur and the Joker are two sides of the same coin with dual personalities. I just hope Jim Carrey doesn't end up with a split personality.

Cao Yang couldn't help but think of Dong Xuan, who had directed "Black Swan".

That character also had a dual personality. Dong Xuan was really amazing during that time... No, even if someone has a tendency towards dual personality, they will recover with time and healing.

Just like Dong Xuan, she's no longer that shy, blushing little white flower during the day, but at night... um, um, it's good that she's recovered, it's good.

After Jim Carrey left, Ice Bloom came over; she had just escorted him to the garage.

"I noticed he seemed quite different when he left; he even joked with his assistant as he got into the car."

Fat Ice blinked, looking somewhat curious.

“He came to me seeking confidence, and I gave him confidence, so he definitely changed.”

Cao Yang said with a smile.

Fat Bing was somewhat confused, but deeply shocked.

She took out a business card and said, "He gave this to me, saying it was his private contact information."

"Keep it. This business card will be very useful to you after the Oscars next year."

Cao Yang said.

Actually, Jim Carrey's personal contact information is easy to find; Cao Yang has it.

However, Jim Carrey's initiative in giving Fan Bingbing his private contact information implies something else entirely.

Fat Bing's heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her arm around Cao Yang's and rubbed her breasts against him, asking, "Like Depp and Leo?"

Cao Yang smiled but didn't say anything.

Pang Bing was deeply moved. At this moment, she finally understood why Cao Yang had asked her to appear in front of Jim Carrey, and why he had asked her to see Jim Carrey off in the end.

"Cao Yang, I... wait a moment."

After saying that, Fat Bing hurriedly returned to her room.

She still remembered what Cao Yang had casually mentioned yesterday—what kind of clothes he liked her to wear, what kind of hairstyle he liked, and so on…

Tonight, Cao Yang felt immense satisfaction, both physically and mentally.

Afterwards, he glanced at the sleeping fat Bing next to him, thought for a moment, and then called out the system, deciding to add an immersive experience to Jim Carrey's character for tonight.

Because Jim Carrey needed to lose weight, the rehearsal for "Joker" took two and a half months. Given the inspiration he received tonight, there was no need to "push" him for another day.

Actors with considerable fame, like Jim Carrey, have a clear understanding of their own acting abilities.

For example, if Cao Yang gave him an immersive experience, he would never think that it was because his acting skills had exploded. Instead, he would naturally think that it was because Cao Yang explained the scene well that he could understand the "clown" more clearly and thus have good acting skills.

This is actually Cao Yang's "brand" effect.

Host: Cao Yang

Current Reputation: 10009668
Available Reputation: 5909758
Immersion experience: 0
Filming: Joker

Male lead: Jim Carrey

Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway

Supporting Actor: Ian McKellen
Supporting actress: Fat Bing
……

You can already redeem 59 immersive experiences.

Cao Yang no longer had any concerns about his need for an immersive experience, or rather, he simply didn't have enough of it.

In movies like "Joker," the main attraction is Arthur "Joker." As long as the other actors don't lose their immersion in the story, it doesn't really matter whether they get into character or not.

Of course, Cao Yang's requirements for other actors are definitely not just to avoid being out of place. If a film is to become a classic, even minor supporting roles must be flawless.

If other actors don't meet his requirements, he will definitely add immersion to the role without hesitation.

Cao Yang decided to add Jim Carrey first, and we'll see about the other actors later.

He first redeemed two immersive experiences.

In Cao Yang's opinion, Jim Carrey's acting skills are quite good. Two months of directing and his own condition should be enough.

He tried adding one to Jim Carrey's performance to determine his condition and acting skills.

"what?"

To Cao Yang's surprise, his attempt to immerse himself in the role was actually a success!

In other words, Jim Carrey's acting skills combined with his understanding of the "Joker" are enough to immerse him in the role and meet the system's requirements.

Cao Yang summarized that the system's requirements are quite simple. Well, as long as you can reach the level of the three major European film stars, you're pretty much there.

The "top three European actors and actresses" mentioned here doesn't refer to actors and actresses who are sometimes chosen due to various factors, but rather to those whose acting skills have truly reached that level.

Old Jin is good.

However, Cao Yang, who has a very "lavish" experience in immersing himself in a role, is certainly not satisfied with merely reaching the level of the three major European film emperors and empresses.

There's not much to say, just add the other one that was redeemed to Jim Carrey's account.

"Don't worry, Lao Jin. The aftereffects of getting into character, including a temporary split in personality, will be fine in three to five months."

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The financial crisis is erupting, and it all aligns with the plot of "Joker." For an Oscar for Best Actor, for a global blockbuster, I'm sure you wouldn't mind, right?

Whether Jim Carrey minds or not, nobody knows.

However, Jim Carrey, who had finally fallen asleep naturally tonight, suddenly frowned as he slept, and then his facial expressions kept changing.

One moment he looks grief-stricken, the next his lips curl into a smile, and then his whole face displays an inexplicable grin...

Even so, Jim Carrey still looked to be sleeping soundly, showing no signs of waking up.

Judging from the constantly changing expressions on Jim Carrey's face, he has most likely experienced a long and bizarre nightmare.
(End of this chapter)