Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 455 The Oscar List
After "Joker" grossed over 6.85 million yuan at the Chinese box office, Warner Bros. and China Film Group held a grand press conference together.

It was called a press conference, but it was really just a celebration party.

This is a record-breaking box office, directly raising the domestic highest box office by nearly 2 million yuan, and it is also the first film to reach 1 million US dollars at the box office.

Originally, when "Joker" broke 6 million yuan at the box office, China Film Group wanted to hold a celebration event.

Currently, the domestic film market is structured as a pyramid.

However, this spire is a bit too "pointed".

Using 1 million yuan in box office revenue as a dividing line, don't think that 1 million yuan is too little. If you count carefully, how many Chinese directors have made 1 million yuan in box office revenue in mainland China?
Little Cannon, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Ning Hao, Stephen Chow, Chen Kexin, John Woo, Zhu Yanping.

If we take 3 million yuan in box office revenue as a dividing line, so far, apart from Cao Yang, only Xiao Gangpao and Wu Yusen have achieved this.

So when Cao Yang once again raised the ceiling of the film market, from 5.1 million to 6 million for "Inception", China Film Group couldn't sit still and wanted to hold a celebration party.

However, after it was confirmed that the release of "Joker" would be postponed, Warner Bros. persuaded China Film Group to stop, since based on the box office trend of "Joker", it was basically no problem to break 1 million US dollars in box office in mainland China.

For Warner Bros., if Joker grosses over $1 million in China, they can take advantage of the celebration banquet in China to promote the film extensively in the United States.

It's easy to imagine that the fact that China's first film to gross over $1 million would be a huge boon for Warner Bros., the production company. It would not only boost box office sales in other regions but also drive up Warner Bros.' stock price.

The latter, in particular, is significant. In the context of a global economic downturn and a booming US stock market, Warner's stock bucked the trend and grew. This is not just about stock price growth, but more importantly, it boosts market confidence in Warner.

If China Film Group holds a celebration party when "Joker" surpasses 6 million, how will Warner Bros. promote it in the US?

Is this to celebrate Joker reaching $0.87 million at the Chinese box office? Becoming the first film to reach $0.87 million?

Therefore, in order to persuade China Film Group to postpone the celebration party, Warner Bros. not only covered all the expenses of the celebration party, but also promised to invest at least 1000 million RMB in publicity expenses after the celebration party for the follow-up publicity of "Joker".

Despite the high box office of "Joker", Warner Bros. actually didn't get much money in return.

From the time "The Fugitive" entered China in 1994 to the signing of the Sino-US Film Memorandum of Understanding in 2012, Hollywood's revenue share remained at 13% for 18 years.

In other words, for every $100 in box office revenue, Hollywood only gets $13, and that's $13 before taxes.

But Warner Music was more than happy to cover the costs of the celebration party and the additional $1000 million for publicity.

Converted to US dollars, this is only a small amount of money. Warner's stock can fluctuate by tens or hundreds of times.

"Congratulations, Director Cao, $1 million! To be honest, before the movie was released, I thought 'Joker' would do well at the box office, but I never imagined it would be this high."

Xun Ge'er came over with a wine glass, smiling and offering compliments.

As an artist signed by Huayi Brothers with "heavy investment" after Wang Jinghua left, Xun Ge'er has had excellent resources in the past two years. Many domestic stars attended the celebration party held by China Film Group, especially female artists from Huayi Brothers.

"Thank you, I didn't expect that either."

Cao Yang clinked glasses with Xun Ge'er and said with a smile.

Xun Ge chatted with Cao Yang for a few more minutes and noticed that many people were eagerly watching them. He sighed inwardly and decided to deepen their "relationship" by giving up his spot.

"Director Cao, congratulations. I've watched this movie more than once in the theater, and each time I have new feelings. The box office of 1 million US dollars is both unexpected and reasonable."

After Xun Ge'er left, Shou Bing also came over with a wine glass, bent down slightly, lowered the rim of the glass, clinked it with Cao Yang's, and said with a smile.

"Thank you, thank you for your support."

Cao Yang nodded, took a symbolic sip of wine, and said with a smile.

Slim Bing chatted with Cao Yang for a while, until she felt many unfriendly gazes on her, and then she left helplessly.

Her gaze inadvertently fell on Pang Bing, who was sitting quietly in the corner, and her heart ached.

Once upon a time, she and Bingbing were developing in a similar way, with similar fame and status. Therefore, after the four leading actresses were established, she was still tied to Bingbing, both to elevate each other's status and to compete for the position of the four leading actresses.

To this day, Slim Bing has been successfully named one of the "Four Beauties" by the media, but...

Fan Bingbing, who was once at a similar level to Zhang Ziyi, is now working on the international stage, just like Zhang Ziyi, and even earns significantly more.

In terms of status, she might be comparable to the Four Great Actresses in China, but when it comes to salary, especially in Hollywood, she leaves everyone else behind.

The movie "Inception" greatly boosted Fan Bingbing's career.

In addition, the phenomenal success of "Joker" contributed to the film's success. Although Ice Fong's role in "Joker" was not very large, it still had an impact. After all, how could a super movie that was about to gross $15 billion worldwide not have an effect?

"Joker" solidified her position in Hollywood once again.

Nowadays, it's not just about her film salary; Fan Bingbing's international fame is also unparalleled, even surpassing Zhang Ziyi's.

Slim Bing sighed inwardly again, and the phrase came to mind once more: "Choice is more important than effort... Bullshit!"
It's as if no one would want to choose Cao Yang.

Slim Bing had hinted at it and even made it explicit years ago, and her requirements weren't high; she said she could come whenever he called... but Cao Yang didn't like her!
How do we solve this?
Therefore, the saying that choice is more important than effort has a premise: when others have not yet succeeded or when there is an opportunity to help them in need, choice can indeed be more important than effort.

But the reality is that being selected is more important than hard work.

At this moment, Slim Bing suddenly felt a little resentful towards Cao Yang. "You haven't even tried, how do you know my skills are inferior to Fatty Bing's? If you have other hobbies, I can even invite my sister..."

She glanced at Cao Yang again, and it seemed that the woman next to him was the one known as the Celestial Fairy.
Pooh!
They either want an older man to mate with a younger woman or they want to act as a pimp.

Slim Bing took a deep breath, tried to put on a genuine smile, and then, holding her wine glass, walked towards Fat Bing in the corner.

Not many people came to chat with Fat Bing. Apart from a few actresses, almost no one came over. Even those who passed by mostly just nodded, smiled, or said hello before leaving.

The reason is simple: greetings are fine, but a deeper conversation might cause Cao Yang to misunderstand.

They weren't certain that Fatty Bing had any connection with Cao Yang, but if there was any possibility, it was best to keep their distance.

If you're interested in collaborating with Fan Bingbing, you can contact her directly through her agent; this kind of situation is unnecessary.

"It's so much quieter here than here. Unlike me, who's supposed to be one of the Four Beauties, I still have to put on a smiling face and fawn over those important people."

Slim Bing sat down next to Fat Bing and couldn't help but make a self-deprecating joke.

Fat Bing smiled at Thin Bing's complaint and said, "That's because you still have ambition. If you were more laid-back, you wouldn't have to worry about what others think."

"Ha, that's easy for you to say. Why aren't you more Zen?"

Slim Ice picked up her glass, took a sip, and said mockingly, "Oh, right, you really don't need to. You just need to serve Cao... that's all."

Then, the thin Bing moved closer to the fat Bing, almost touching his face, and whispered, "So, how about it? Does that world-class director have the same directing ability as him in that area? Can he hit the nail on the head?"

At that moment, Fatty Bing suddenly pictured herself transforming from a mezzo-soprano to a soprano. She quickly suppressed her pounding heart, took a sip of her drink to mask her expression, put down her glass, and said:
"You'll know once you have the chance to try it."

Slim Bing looked at Fat Bing carefully, somewhat confused about Fat Bing's thoughts, and frowned slightly before asking, "You don't mind?"

Fat Ice laughed.

"See, I told you I've become a Buddhist, but you're still suspicious and don't believe me."

Ha, if it were a few years earlier, you might have had a chance. Back then, Cao Yang's knowledge was still a bit "shallow".

Now, with your lack of breasts and buttocks, and your face not being particularly beautiful, why would Cao Yang be interested in you? You don't even have a chance, so why should I care?

Not all the actresses who managed to get to the celebration party were qualified to chat with Cao Yang. Those who could approach him were either old acquaintances of Cao Yang or were of a high enough status to do so.

"You seem to be quite popular with actresses. The way they look at you is like how female demons see Tang Sanzang."

President Han sat down next to Cao Yang and joked with a smile.

“I shouldn’t have shown up in public like this. If I had known you were going to make this a huge celebration, I wouldn’t have come.”

Cao Yang said casually.

"Haha, how can you blame me? Warner Bros. contributed money and effort, and they still complained that the scale was too small."

"I said with a smile."

He paused for a moment, then asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Junior brother, um... how's the script coming along?"

Perhaps fearing that Cao Yang might misunderstand, she quickly explained, "I know you've been very busy lately. I'm not trying to rush you, I'm just reminding you in case you forget."

Cao Yang hadn't forgotten, but he'd been quite busy lately, so he hadn't finished revising it yet. He asked, "How's the preparation going, Senior Brother? When do you plan to start filming?"

After handing the film over to President Han and Lao Tian, ​​Cao Yang didn't keep a close eye on it. He just noted that the main storyline of the script was too artsy and needed to be revised.

Cao Yang has already shared the general ideas with President Han and Lao Tian; all that's left is to polish the script.

However, having a clear idea and a general framework does not affect the preparation for the film.

"Preparations are almost complete, and we're in talks with the actors. I discussed it with Lao Tian, ​​and we're planning to officially start filming in February."

It's a tribute film, so it definitely needs to be released before next year's National Day. The filming period is about three months, and post-production will take at least two months. That gives us time to polish it properly. What do you think?

"Mr. Han asked."

"can."

Cao Yang said, "I will try my best to revise the script for you before I go to Berlin."

President Han shook his head and said, "No rush, no rush. Your trip to Berlin is more important. Don't let this delay your important business."

Then, President Han glanced around and whispered to Cao Yang:
“There are also companies in Europe that China Film Group frequently collaborates with. I recently made a special trip to Europe to talk to them, and they, along with the relevant companies and individuals, agreed not to put pressure on Berlin on this matter.”

President Han sighed and said with some regret, "I feel a bit guilty towards you, senior. In China, I can still have some influence, but in Europe... there's really not much I can do."

"Senior brother, you've already done enough. To be honest, you all think of the three major European Grand Slams as too sacred."

For me, it's really not that important. Winning a Grand Slam won't elevate my status much, and not winning won't affect me in any way.

Cao Yang said.

He doesn't really care much about the three major European Grand Slam titles anymore.

Unfortunately, everyone around him seemed to value this honor too much. Not to mention in China, even in Hollywood, people seemed to be extremely anxious about achieving their own Grand Slam.

Of course, Cao Yang was well aware that the people in Hollywood were only showing goodwill because of their own interests and the desire to continue working with him.

But the people in China are different.

They did this not purely for their own benefit.

Given the opportunity, there seems to be a mentality that if Europeans and Americans can do it, so can we.

"Junior brother, you mustn't take this lightly. A triple crown of film awards! This is something that countless filmmakers dream of. If you get it, you'll not only be a legend in Chinese film history, but you'll also be a part of world film history."

"Mr. Han said very seriously."

Their generation almost idolized the three great European religions. Even though Cao Yang kept trying to demystify them, the already established lofty image was not so easy to shake off.

"Senior brother, do you think that even if I don't win the three major film awards, Chinese film history won't record my story? World film history won't include me?"

Cao Yang smiled and asked in return.

President Han was taken aback for a moment, then thought about it and realized that Cao Yang was right.

Cao Yang is now a figure worthy of being written into textbooks, both in terms of box office and awards. Winning the three Golden Horse Awards is the icing on the cake.

But we definitely can't say that. What if Cao Yang becomes lax?
"Cao Yang, you are still young, and this is the age to work hard. Therefore, you should strive for any honor with all your might, especially awards of the level of the three major European awards, which can only benefit you."

Also, Hou Yuan mentioned the three-in-one thing to you, right? This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; you must seize it.”

President Han said earnestly.

"Okay, okay, senior brother, I understand, I understand. Don't worry, I will work hard."

Cao Yang felt both helpless and touched.

"Like Father, Like Son" has been completed. As an art film, it is very "peaceful" and contains no prohibited scenes or shots.

Therefore, the review process was almost instantaneous.

Well, now when Cao Yang's films are submitted for review, Lao Hou no longer has to keep urging the Film Bureau to expedite the process, just like before.

After having a copy specially sent to Berlin, Cao Yang began polishing the script for the tribute film.

It took Cao Yang about ten days to sort out the script.

Cao Yang had just rested for two days when, on January 22nd, the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards were announced.

Joker garnered thirteen nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

However, besides Joker being a strong contender for the award, there are three other films that are also big favorites, each receiving multiple nominations.

Just like it was going head-to-head with "Joker," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" also garnered thirteen nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

The only difference is one nomination: one is for Best Supporting Actor, and the other is for Best Supporting Actress.

Another film, "Slumdog Millionaire," received nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing.

Cao Yang's collaboration with Nolan on "The Dark Knight" also garnered eight nominations, including Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

Unlike other films, "The Dark Knight" received nominations for Best Supporting Actor only for the late Heath Ledger; the rest of the nominations were technical awards.

The announcement of the Oscar nominations sparked considerable discussion.

Everyone originally thought that "Joker" would sweep this year's Oscars, but unexpectedly, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" also appeared, receiving thirteen nominations.

In addition, "Slumdog Millionaire" received a major award nomination, and "The Dark Knight" was essentially competing against "Joker." The uncertainty surrounding the Oscars has greatly increased the attention this year.

(End of this chapter)