Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 473: Cloverfield Files - A Sino-US Co-production! Bingbing's Choice!

I was anxious, that's how it is.

What kind of surveillance is this? Never mind.

Since they had already kissed each other as they entered, what followed was a frenzied tearing apart.

It's only the beginning of summer, and the weather in the south makes it impossible to wear many layers.

This is definitely good news.

……

"I only wish that in the next life, my identity can be reversed with my sister's!"

On the television, Yuanyuan, who plays Liusheng Piaoxu, is watching an exciting scene.

Bingbing watched intently.

Ma Xun didn't disturb her; after all, it wouldn't hurt to let her appreciate the acting skills of the Cannes Best Actress.

Well, actually, Yuan Yuan's performance in the role of Liu Sheng Piaoxu was just average. Her acting skills aren't particularly good to begin with, but she was still able to portray the character well.

In addition, this is a martial arts drama, and she is not a main character, so the acting requirements are not that high.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see Yuanyuan's hard work.

Her portrayal of Liu Sheng Piaoxu, at least in terms of her eyes, was very effective and kept the audience engaged.

There are also some other details, such as the early version of Liu Sheng Piaoxu, where the hair was combed up and there were no bangs.

Later makeup artists incorporated the "air bangs" hairstyle.

This actually represents a 'transformation': when Liu Sheng Piaoxu didn't have bangs, she hadn't fallen in love with Duan Tianya, but with bangs, she had.

Whether it's true or not, this detail, though small, shows how much thought went into it.

I don't know if this was Wang Pangzi's idea, but at least the details are good.

Of course, whether this counts as part of Yuanyuan's acting skills is up to individual interpretation.

Seeing the change in Bingbing's expression, Ma Xun felt that it was about time.

Some things should be said.

“I understand your thoughts, I know your ambitions, and I know you are jealous of Yuanyuan.”

These three sentences left Bingbing completely dumbfounded.

"Brother Ma, since you already know so much about my thoughts, then please stop playing games with me, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xun couldn't help but tease her further, "You mean, you won't let me play anymore?"

Bingbing was startled again. "That's not what they meant."

It's that time of year again when we're all being all lovey-dovey.

Knowing that it was about time, Ma Xun said, "I've thought about your situation a long time ago, and this award for Yuanyuan is actually a kind of stimulus for you."

I need that drive in you, that feeling of being able to fight to the death and then rise again.

"Brother Ma~ It's not that complicated. Just do it to them and you'll get that feeling."

Wow!

Bingbing's words don't sound fake.

Even Ma Xun was amused.

But this time, Ma Xun really needs to provoke Bingbing a bit more.

"Now I'm giving you two options. One option is that you can continue to play the roles you like in my big projects later on."

The other option is that I will be launching a project next month. This project is a Sino-US co-production, but it is not a big project and there are even significant risks involved.

I already told you, this project is a science fiction film, and a very innovative one at that.

You should understand now, right?

Bingbing is a smart girl; she understood immediately, "The risk comes from innovation?"

Ma Xun laughed, "That's right. The main risk of this project is that this movie is very unique."

This is indeed a science fiction film, but it's not the traditional kind. Moreover, the film's format might make some viewers feel uncomfortable.

Okay, that's about it. Now you make your choice.

Ma Xun suddenly stopped speaking at this point.

Why not say it?

The reason is simple: he talked too much.

Don't forget, this is a multiple-choice question for Bingbing. If Ma Xun says too much, wouldn't that be the same as giving Bingbing an answer?
Yes, Bingbing isn't stupid.

But now that so much has been said, was Ma Xun doing it on purpose?
Bingbing finally smiled. Her big, watery eyes made her smile incredibly alluring.

"Brother Ma~ You were prepared all along, you definitely wanted me to choose the latter!"

See, as expected, although Bingbing is quite flirtatious, she's still fairly clear-headed.

They weren't completely stunned by Ma Xun's actions.

"I didn't say that, and don't be misled by me. Just follow your own heart."

Ma Xun is still putting on a brave face.

Bingbing smiled even more charmingly, "Brother Ma~ This is exactly what I wanted to choose! It's a Sino-US co-production, right? Even if it's not a blockbuster, it's still very appealing to me!"

Ma Xun could only smile and say, "Alright, since you've made your choice, I'll explain the whole project to you. Go and get my laptop."

Do I really need to look at a computer?

However, this was clearly something Ma Xun had prepared in advance.

Indeed, preparations had been made long ago, and this Sino-US co-production was not just empty talk.

When Ma Xun was setting up his business in the United States, he was already thinking about using a movie to further open up the American market.

"You need to understand one thing clearly, and that is, as I've already said, this is not a blockbuster," Ma Xun said as he turned on his computer.

Bingbing has no reason to change her mind now; she's absolutely determined. "Brother Ma, I believe in you."

Hey, people are saying that anyway.

Actually, Bingbing is quite intelligent; she noticed a detail.

That is, Ma Xun has been saying that this is a 'project', not a movie.

Suddenly, Bingbing couldn't help but let out a scream.

Although the sound wasn't loud, it still startled me.

It turned out that after Ma Xun turned on the computer, he opened a folder and then opened a picture.

"This, what is this?"

Bingbing's surprise and shock were all within Ma Xun's expectations.

"What if I told you that this monster is going to attack New York City and then take the head off the Statue of Liberty and kick it around like a ball? What would you think?"

Wow!

Bingbing's eyes widened instantly.

Her eyes were already big, but now they've gotten even bigger—it's incredible!

"That sounds amazing!"

Yes, Bingbing is also a professional, and she immediately thought the idea was brilliant.

If it could be filmed, it would definitely attract a lot of people.

So, what exactly is this project?
Ma Xun then began to recount the story earnestly, "This monster appeared suddenly. In this movie, I don't intend to tell how this monster appeared."

The key to the entire film lies in a currently popular format: the mockumentary.

In other words, I will start with the lives of ordinary people, and you, Bingbing, will play a female student studying in the United States. Of course, you will have Chinese classmates, American classmates, and a lover.

In the midst of your peaceful life, suddenly, giant monsters appear in New York City. They don't communicate at all; they just destroy and kill.

By the way, the whole process was done in a mockumentary style, you know that style, right?

Bingbing was completely engrossed in listening, "I know, I know."

He nodded repeatedly.

The mockumentary format is a relatively new concept in the current global film industry.

It's not exactly amazing, but it's perfect for low-budget films.

Many previous success stories are typical examples of achieving big results with small investments, such as "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity."

Anyway, it's quite popular in the US.

In China, it's still relatively rare. Some people have tried it, but not very successfully.

Or rather, there's no direct or explicit statement that I'm a mockumentary.

One of the most distinctive features of mockumentaries is their shaky camera work.

It was shaking quite violently.

This increases the sense of immediacy, just like in live news reporting, where this situation often occurs.

In contrast, only a few domestic films use this shaky camera technique; it's not used throughout the entire film.

Therefore, this is indeed an innovation.

But what exactly is this project that Ma Xun is talking about?

“I plan to call this project ‘The Cloverfield Archives’.”

"Cloverfield?"

Bingbing was completely engrossed in listening, and she unconsciously repeated the name.

That's right! That's the name of the original timeline.

Ma Xun is simply adopting a "take it or leave it" approach.

Cloverfield is an excellent science fiction film in the mockumentary style.

This movie is very famous, and it's a classic example of a small investment yielding a huge return.

"I will be making three movies. The first one is mainly about the fall of New York, which is about alien monsters suddenly appearing on Earth. I will explain the reason for their appearance in the last movie."

really!

Bingbing knew this was a big project. "Brother Ma, you're amazing!"

This is absolutely from the bottom of my heart.

Ma Xun was quite satisfied with Bingbing's reaction.

Honestly, if it were through normal means, Bingbing might not have agreed to make this film.

Because in this first installment, the main characters are more of an ensemble cast, meaning that even if she is the female lead, she may not have many scenes.

In the second movie, the female lead had a lot more screen time.

However, we can't film a sequel now. For the first one, Ma Xun wants to be more cautious.

Bingbing is very popular, and we need her just in time.

So, it's all a hoax, pure hoax!

Since Ma Xun has already transformed into a ruthless con artist, he might as well say a little more.

"First of all, this film must be a Sino-US co-production, because you know, if we blow up Beijing or Shanghai, it definitely won't pass censorship."

Bingbing chuckled at Ma Xun's words.

Indeed, our review process in this regard is quite frustrating.

"So, I had no choice but to bomb New York."

Bingbing couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Ma Xun continued, "It sounds interesting, but it's actually a last resort. However, this film has one advantage: although it seems like a pretty impressive sci-fi film, I've already discussed it with our special effects company and other parties."

If filming goes smoothly, this movie can be released at the end of this year. And if you want to join the crew, you can just go to the United States next month.

I'll arrange everything over there. Actually, filming isn't too difficult; it's mainly about being surrounded by a green screen, finding actors, and handling makeup and costumes.

what's the situation?
As Ma Xun was talking, he realized that Bingbing was already impatient.

They started slurping again.

I must say, Bingbing can be really sexy when she gets going!

Cloverfield is indeed a classic example of achieving great things with limited resources.

Upon closer inspection, it really doesn't cost much.

Because it's a mockumentary style, the modeling of those giant monsters, or special effects, was indeed very expensive.

But if we encounter a relatively expensive place, we can just shake the camera to shoot other things.

It's euphemistically called leaving a blank space, letting the audience imagine for themselves.

Of course, this movie originally had many bloody scenes.

Ma Xun estimates we'll need to produce two versions, one for mainland China and one for overseas.

That's all easy to handle.

The most cost-effective part was that Ma Xun simply told his special effects company about his ideas for these giant monsters, and they quickly produced a rough draft.

Ha! I have my own special effects company!
The advance planning is now proving very effective.

Not only does it save money, it's also fast.

That's great.

Moreover, the original Cloverfield series was divided into three parts.

The third installment is more sci-fi, but it's actually quite dull.

Zhang Ziyi also starred in this third installment, which explains the origins of those giant monsters.

It turned out to be a scientific experiment.

However, there is one very, very crucial thing in this Cloverfield file!

marketing!

In fact, if you study the commercial history of Hollywood movies carefully, you will find that they are really good at marketing.

The first film of this project was an extremely successful marketing case.

The person who did this is JJ Abrams.

He was originally in charge of the Transformers project, and then, in the post-credits scene of the 07 Transformers movie, he included a few photos.

The people in this photo have absolutely nothing to do with Transformers.

Some people will be curious and will look for it, and there really is a website address there.

Once you find this website, you'll discover something.

Anyway, Abrams has made things quite complicated.

One minute it's about the personal situations of the main actors, the next it's about someone sneaking into the company.

These are all examples of viral marketing.

He has already entrusted Cherie Chung to apply for some websites in the United States through Golden Harvest Company.

Furthermore, some elements of this film have also been patented.

However, he doesn't intend to make it too complicated.

He forbids anyone from getting involved with that kind of company, especially in our country.

In China, it's actually not that difficult.

You can attract a lot of attention by doing just one thing.

Not long after, a huge scandal broke out on the Chinese internet.

"Bingbing went abroad to study?"

"I saw her at the airport? She said she was going to New York."

"Is Bingbing going to study at an art school in New York?"

"Are you really going to interrupt your acting career and go study abroad?"

"Bingbing has higher aspirations!"

This is quite an interesting piece of gossip, although there's no official confirmation yet.

However, rumors still circulate.

Bingbing is going to study in the United States, which will probably mean a break from her acting career for a while!

(End of this chapter)