Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 473 Multi-line Operations
Adapted from Cao Yang's short story, with Cao Yang himself involved in production and screenwriting, Ning Hao directing, and Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures co-financed production, "The Hangover" has completed its final rough cut.

The release date for this movie was set before the Lunar New Year; it will be released on June 5th, at the very beginning of the summer movie season.

Cao Yang glanced at the rough cut completed by Ning Hao and the editor. Overall, the general outline of the story remained unchanged. There were definitely some minor changes, but they did not affect the plot or the specific jokes.

Since there aren't any major problems, let Ning Hao and the editor finish the final editing. Cao Yang can then take a final look at the final version to see if it meets expectations.

In fact, for Hollywood, especially for commercial films like The Hangover, a fixed pattern has long been established. Modular production is the core secret to its global hegemony, which is essentially turning creative risks into replicable industrial processes.

For example, the control framework modules for the out-of-control narrative were planned before editing:

The wedding countdown includes 12 hours, 10 hours, 6 hours, and "now" as time anchors. At each of these time anchors, what functional instructions should be executed, and what execution plan should be followed?

The traditional three-act drama is compressed into a one-way channel from disaster outcome to archaeological deciphering, thus avoiding linear narrative fatigue.

Furthermore, it also uses a chaos engine algorithm commonly used in Hollywood movies: creating an unconventional event every 90 seconds to enhance the audience's anticipation and desire for exploration.

As long as the director and editor follow these "modular" editing methods, the plot will generally stay under control.

Of course, the downside of this approach is that it greatly stifles the director's creativity and brilliant "flashes of inspiration".

It's worth noting that many classic films in history originated from sudden, impromptu ideas by directors.

As for its advantages, just look at Hollywood's industrialized commercial films; at the very least, it ensures the smooth flow of the story.

Cao Yang was actually somewhat hesitant about whether to bring this "modular" model back to China. He believed that with his current position, it would be easy for him to promote it if he wanted to.

However, considering the lack of creative output, severe homogenization, and almost no innovation in Hollywood's later productions... while it's not entirely due to "modularization," there are other factors as well.

However, modular industrial production lines also account for a large part of the reason.

This is also why Cao Yang hesitated.

"Junior Uncle, I have an idea."

Ning Hao had a playful, grinning expression, and seemed to be quite unserious.

Whenever he called him "Junior Uncle," Cao Yang knew that "trouble" was coming.

"No, you didn't."

Cao Yang said in a very serious tone.

"hey-hey……"

Ning Hao knew Cao Yang was joking, and he said with a big smile, "Junior Uncle, I want to... hehe, I want to re-edit a version after I finish editing."

After saying that, he quickly added, "Don't worry, Junior Uncle, I will never neglect my regular work. I'll just use my evenings after get off work..."

Cao Yang thought for a moment, and he could roughly guess what Ning Hao meant.

Ning Hao, ever since he tasted the benefits of multi-narrative structure with "Crazy Stone," has remained quite persistent in pursuing it.

"You want to re-edit a multi-narrative version of 'The Hangover'?"

"Hehe, I knew I couldn't hide it from Junior Uncle."

Ning Hao said with a grin, "I think that reconstructing 'The Hangover' into a multi-narrative structure might subvert the comedic rhythm of the original work. If handled properly, it could unleash even more absurd black humor."

Cao Yang pondered the plot of "The Hangover" for a moment and asked, "How many storylines do you want? Three storylines running concurrently?"

Ning Hao nodded quickly and said, "Junior Uncle is really amazing. I thought about it for a long time before I felt that it was most appropriate to advance the movie with three storylines at the same time. I didn't expect Junior Uncle to think of three storylines so soon."

After saying that, he gave Cao Yang a thumbs up.

"roll!"

Cao Yang waved his hand, "Don't try that on me. Are you trying to use the current timeline, which is 48 hours before the wedding, when Doug's wife can't find him and calls the police?"

The other storyline follows the main characters as they piece together fragments of memory.

The third storyline is Doug's nightmare, a chain of absurdities caused by information asymmetry.

The three storylines unfold simultaneously, ultimately converging at the wedding scene, creating a climax of utter devastation, right?

"Uh-huh."

Ning Hao nodded vigorously and said with a smile, "With a single narrative, both the audience and the protagonist are in a fog. If it's a multi-narrative structure, the audience can learn more about the absurd truth."

A single storyline relies on the eventual revelation of the mystery as the story unfolds, while multiple storylines can amplify the continuous clash of absurd logic. Imagine, three characters from different storylines simultaneously barging into a wedding:

Police chase after Doug, the tiger thief;
Gangsters carrying a piano;

The main characters are holding a tiger...

Wow, that scene was absolutely spectacular.

Cao Yang remained silent for a moment, waiting for Ning Hao to come back to his senses from his self-indulgence before asking, "Have you ever thought about why Guy Ritchie's multi-narrative and dark humor couldn't become popular and become mainstream in Hollywood?"

"Because he's British?"

Ning Hao thought for a moment and then tentatively asked.

"Are you pretending to be stupid?"

Cao Yang glared at Ning Hao, who was chuckling, and said, "The technical challenge of multi-narrative is that if you don't control it well or achieve a balance, the rhythm will get out of control."

Furthermore, there's the risk of emotional dilution; once the audience becomes immersed, because of the multiple parallel storylines, they may not be able to distinguish who the main character is.

Ning Hao nodded quickly and said, "I understand, I understand, I will definitely control it well. This time I will edit an extra version, mainly for experimental purposes."

"You still don't understand."

Cao Yang shook his head and said, "It's not all due to technical reasons. The most fundamental reason lies in the commercial film itself."

Why are Hollywood commercial films called popcorn movies? Because of their lighthearted and entertaining nature. These films usually have simple and easy-to-understand plots, strong sensory stimulation, formulaic structures, and instant gratification.

"No need to think" is the primary reason why Hollywood commercial films are so successful in North America, while intense sensory stimulation and various special effects are the reasons for their global success.

Cao Yang glanced at Ning Hao and asked, "Do you know why I spoke in separate parts?"

"what?"

Ning Hao didn't understand Cao Yang's meaning for a moment.

"Do you know why I say that 'no thinking required' is the main reason why Hollywood commercial films can be huge hits in North America, separate from the reasons for their global success?"

"why?"

Ning Hao was genuinely confused this time.

Strong sensory stimulation and various special effects are the reasons why Hollywood commercial films can be huge hits worldwide. Isn't that also the reason why they are huge hits in North America? Why are we talking about them separately?
"Have you ever thought that almost all Hollywood blockbuster movies have extremely simple plots? On the contrary, those with slightly more complex plots usually don't do very well at the box office."

“Inception, Junior Uncle, your Inception is a global bestseller.”

Ning Hao reminded him softly.

Cao Yang glared at Ning Hao fiercely. "I was talking about the majority. The plot of Inception is actually not complicated. I just played around with some tricks and used an atypical multi-line narrative in terms of space and time, advancing simultaneously."

But the biggest selling point of Inception is still its novel story as a gimmick, coupled with big stars and some novel large-scale scenes... The multi-line narrative in space and time is just to make people feel 'awesome', the selling point is still novelty...

Okay, let's not talk about that. Just remember one thing: in North America, happy education is the mainstream of society. Under happy education, people are used to simple things, and they can't quite understand anything that's a little more complicated.

Multi-narrative structures and dark humor only increase the difficulty of understanding a film, artificially creating viewing "barriers." Those who enjoy this type of film are a minority, not the mainstream.

Ning Hao thought for a long time before saying, "So, most people here are stupid!"

"Don't talk nonsense, don't spread rumors outside. It's not absolute, not that absolute... At least among the middle class and above, people who have received elite education are still quite intelligent..."

Cao Yang then looked up and glared at Ning Hao, waved his hand and said, "Go, go, cut out a version according to your idea, on the premise that it does not delay the normal work of this version. When it is cut out and produced, you can compare them."

"Okay, okay, Junior Uncle, you're the best." Ning Hao said again with a cheeky grin.

"roll."

"okay."

After Ning Hao left, Cao Yang shook his head.

If Ning Hao had followed his multi-narrative editing style, "The Hangover" might have received better reviews, but at the box office, it would most likely have lost out to the deliberately created humor and the simple narrative style with its dense array of unconventional events.

However, this might not be the case in the country.

If it were released domestically, its multi-narrative structure and dark humor might actually lead to both critical and commercial success.

Before Cao Yang returned to China, Bellman called again, saying that the boss of Amazing Entertainment was urging him to hurry up again.

In the afternoon, Disney CEO Robert Iger called Cao Yang personally, saying he wanted to talk to him.

"Robert, is there something important? I might be going back to my country tomorrow; there are some important things I need to take care of back home."

Cao Yang said.

After a moment of silence on the phone, Robert Iger said, "Cao, are you free right now? I've heard, just heard, that you seem to have some comic book movie adaptation rights. Is there any possibility of collaborating?"

Cao Yang understood what Robert Iger meant; he wanted to talk to him about Marvel Entertainment.

He considered it for a moment, unsure whether Robert Iger wanted to discuss cooperation or threaten him.

Logically speaking, with the small amount of Amazing shares he currently holds, he wouldn't even be able to obtain the status of a board observer or the qualification to attend meetings, so he couldn't possibly pose a threat to anyone.

“My dear director, where are you right now? I really want to talk to you. This would be good for both of us, really, I promise.”

Robert Iger continued.

"Okay Robert, I'm at home. If you have time, come over for dinner."

Cao Yang said.

"That's great! Just a moment, I'll be right there."

Robert Iger hung up the phone and instructed his secretary outside, "The 3:30 PM meeting is temporarily canceled. I have an important matter to attend to."

"Sir, I need to remind you that two board members will be attending the 3:30 meeting. There are still forty minutes until the meeting starts. If you cancel now, it may cause their dissatisfaction."

Robert Iger paused slightly as he adjusted his tie, but still said, "Please call them and apologize for me. I have more important things to do."

After exchanging pleasantries with Cao Yang, Robert Iger went straight to the point, saying:
“Cao, I know you bought shares in Amazing, I know you have the copyrights to several ‘heroes’, and I know you must have a movie project approved within two years… My main purpose in coming here is to cooperate with you, a sincere cooperation.”

Cao Yang was shocked. He hadn't expected Robert Iger to know even this. These things were confidential, and within the company, there were definitely no more than five people who knew them.

But Robert Iger found out.

Was his purpose in telling himself all this to lower his guard and cooperate "honestly"?

Cao Yang immediately realized that Disney was about to take action against Marvel.

According to his memory, Cao Yang recalled that Disney officially acquired Marvel Entertainment around the end of 09.

Thinking about it again, Disney's acquisition of Marvel was a deal involving more than $40 billion. An acquisition of this scale is definitely not something that can be negotiated in a short time.

It's perfectly normal to start having ideas or wanting to explore something amazing at this point.

However, Cao Yang was definitely pretending not to know about this, otherwise he would have been asking for trouble.

"Disney is interested in Marvel's 'heroes' too? They want to collaborate with me on making one? Robert, be honest, which one are you eyeing? Doctor Strange? Captain Marvel? Or Black Widow?"

Robert Iger smiled, held up a finger and shook it, and said, "No, no, not just one, but bigger, more, more comprehensive and deeper cooperation."

Then, Robert Iger tentatively asked, "Cao, are you interested in taking charge of Marvel? Think about it, Marvel has more than 5000 characters. If you control Marvel, you'll have a constant stream of material to shoot."

Cao Yang shook his head directly.

“No interest, Robert. You know I’m not short of money, and I hate trouble. I don’t want to take over a company; that would be a nightmare.”

Also, Robert, you may not know this, but I hold a position in China. Our policy does not allow people with official positions to run companies.

Therefore, these two points determined that I would never acquire a company. The reason I bought those shares in Marvel was simply to acquire the film adaptation rights to those characters as an "insider."

Stop testing me. I'm telling you right now, I will not acquire Marvel or run production and distribution companies.

Robert Iger's smile became more genuine.

"My dear director, when do you plan to adapt Marvel into a movie? Like your agreement with Marvel, two years?"

Cao Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he said with a smile, "No, Robert, ever since 'Joker' became a huge hit, I've suddenly become interested in comic book characters, which is why I tried to acquire a few, and I want to adapt one soon."

"Recently?"

"Correct."

Robert Iger could no longer laugh.

If Cao Yang were to collaborate with Marvel's boss, Isaac Perlmutter, on a comic book movie adaptation, Cao Yang's influence, along with the huge success of "Joker," would undoubtedly give Isaac Perlmutter immense confidence and boost market confidence.

It is foreseeable that as soon as the two parties announce their cooperation, Marvel's stock will definitely surge. Isaac Perlmutter will either not sell Marvel for the time being, or he will ask for an exorbitant price.

This will cause huge trouble for Disney's recent acquisition talks with Marvel.

"Cao, do you remember what I just said? Disney wants to have a bigger, more comprehensive, and deeper collaboration with you."

Robert Iger said.

"A three-way collaboration? Disney wants to get involved? They want to invest in the comic book adaptation film that I'm working on with Marvel?"

Cao Yang pretended to be stupid.

Robert Iger thought for a moment, then said seriously, "No, my dear director, Disney wants to work with you on much more than this. Let's work together to buy Marvel."

“No interest, Robert. I already said I’m not interested in surprises.”

Robert Iger laughed again, saying that it was best if you weren't interested.

"Cao, listen to me, we can cooperate and acquire Marvel together, and then you can sell Marvel's shares to Disney."

Alternatively, you can stand aside and simply cooperate with Disney at crucial moments. For example, we could announce soon that you have reached a series of film collaborations with Disney.

If Isaac Perlmutter contacts you, tell him that your schedule is full for the next two years and you can't prepare to film the Marvel comic book movie, so that Isaac Perlmutter will give up.

Of course, Disney won't let you do this for nothing. We're friends, the best partners. Disney is always generous to its friends, and I also value my friends very much.

I can promise you that, as long as Disney successfully acquires Marvel, I will give you the comic book adaptation rights to these few Marvel heroes that you purchased for free for ten years.

Of course, if you're going to adapt it, Disney has to be a partner.

Depend on!
This is what they call giving me the adaptation rights for free?
Isn't this just fooling idiots?
We have to partner with Disney... then what's the point of me having these ten years of free rights?

"Robert, you know that we Chinese have always been people who keep our promises and value our friends very much. Although Isaac Perlmutter and I are not as good friends as we are with you, we are still friends."

"I'm sorry, Robert, I would never betray a friend; it's against my moral principles."

Cao Yang refused.

Robert Iger hurriedly said:

“My dear director, I know you are a person of high moral character, which is why we became good friends. However, I still want to correct you on one point: you were just telling the truth. How can that be considered betraying a friend?”
"Cao, if you think ten years of free access isn't enough, we can talk."

(End of this chapter)