It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 125 What if I become mentally ill? How will I ever get married? (5000 words, please vote)

Lu Rui has no expectations for global distribution channels at the moment.

The Hollywood Big Six have never operated in isolation; each has a massive media platform behind it, which is the fundamental reason why they maintain their dominant position in the industry.

Trying to break through the six major blockades through traditional channels is as difficult as climbing to the sky!
However, traditional distribution channels cannot be abandoned, because without independent film distribution channels, like "Lurking," one can only stay at the downstream end of the industry chain and be exploited by the upstream.

Therefore, Lü Rui's current goal is to establish a North American distribution channel similar to Lionsgate.

This is the only way to make Ruixing Film Industry bigger and better, and it is also a necessary condition.

However, he doesn't plan to start his own business because it would be too difficult!

Distribution and production are completely different. The investment from "0" to "1" requires not only US dollars, but also many other hard conditions.

By 05, there were hundreds of publishing companies of all sizes in North America.

Lu Rui's goal is to select a suitable company from these hundreds of companies for acquisition and to use it for his own purposes, thereby expanding his distribution channels in North America.

As for overseas distribution, we can still cooperate with Sony, Columbia, and Warner, and if all else fails, there are companies like 20th Century Fox...

Peter Griffin handed over a document.

Lu Rui reached out and took it, curiously flipping through it.

"Lv, this is a film company called 'Blum House,' founded in 2000, and the owner is Jason Blum..."

Their main business now is buying inexpensive independent films from overseas and then distributing them in North America. Their distribution channels are fairly well-established, but performance is only average. However, their advantage lies in their ability to distribute videotapes and DVDs.

Lü Rui was very familiar with this type of business model.

Essentially, it means avoiding high-risk productions, finding cheap films overseas that American audiences might like, and then importing them for screening in North America.

Even if the screening results are not good, the loss will not be much, since the film itself is cheap and can be sold on videotape later.

Film distribution may sound complicated, but simply put, it's about setting up distribution channels.

Anyone who has worked in commercial distribution knows that building a complete distribution channel from scratch is by no means an easy task.

This is also why Lü Rui wanted to acquire a company and achieve the goal in one step, rather than starting his own business independently.

"Blum House?"

Lu Rui kept repeating the name, feeling that it sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

At this point, Peter added, "The company's owner, Jason Blum, used to work at Miramax and was considered Harvey's student. He himself said that Harvey taught him how to do distribution."

Harvey, Jason Brom, Brom House...

When these messages were put together, a flood of memories surged through Lü Rui's mind.

He remembered!
This company is none other than the House of Broome, which later specialized in low-budget horror and thriller films, producing and distributing movies such as "Paranormal Activity," "The Purge," "Whiplash," "Split," and "Get Out"!

When discussing successful examples of low-budget films achieving great success in North American cinema, this is an absolute must-mention!
"Are you sure this company is willing to sell?" Lu Rui looked at Peter with some suspicion.

Peter nodded: "As far as I know, they are indeed interested in selling."

He further explained, "I checked, and this company has never had more than $500 million in revenue in any year since it was founded in 2000. The shareholders have lost much of their expectations."

However, Jason Brilliant seems to want to transition beyond distribution and expand into film production, but others are skeptical.

"This is the turning point for the Brom House!" Lu Rui thought to himself.

In the previous life, starting next year, the House of Brom would gradually achieve success by producing and distributing "Paranormal Activity".

But in this life...

Lu Rui was secretly delighted, thinking he could buy at the bottom again: "Since this company meets the requirements, I will arrange for someone to contact its shareholders and management and try to acquire it in the short term."

Distribution channels are extremely important for film companies; the sooner they are secured, the better.

Opportunities like those for Blum House are fleeting; once it grows bigger and stronger, it will be difficult to acquire it again.

"Okay, I'll arrange for someone to continue contacting them."

Peter accepted the order and left.

Lu Rui wasn't idle either. He stayed up several nights in a row to write the script for "Spirit: Ghostly Records" and registered it under his own name.

The main strategy is to intercept a bid.
After that, he once again devoted his energy to filming "Taken".

Jing Tian, ​​the "contestant who brought her own funding to the production," has had her scenes come to an end.

At the airport, she and Liu Yifei excitedly took photos with their newly met international friends, unaware that they had been targeted by a group of kidnappers.

After checking into the hotel, Liu Yifei made a phone call to Jiang Wen in the next room, while she excitedly ran around in her own room.

But the next second, a group of thugs broke in and kidnapped her.

Ultimately, she was injected with an overdose of drugs and died tragically at the human traffickers' headquarters.

With her Hollywood scenes finished, her work came to a temporary halt.

As for the domestic portion, filming will have to wait until the entire crew returns to China.

"Director Lü, thank you so much for taking care of me during this time."

As soon as their scenes were finished, Jing Tian approached Lü Rui and sincerely thanked him.

Now, she's exactly like Liu Yifei when she first joined the cast of "The Story of a Noble Family"—she can't act, she can't move around, and she can only memorize lines by rote...

When I chatted with Liu Yifei before, she had heard how difficult it was for beginners like them to film on set.

From directors and lead actors to stagehands and extras, everyone views things through a biased lens.

Not only are they scolded by the director, but they also get complained about by the extras for being late to leave work.

After hearing about Liu Yifei's experience, Jing Tian even gritted her teeth and prepared herself to be scolded and ridiculed, since such a day was bound to come sooner or later anyway.

To her surprise, although Lü Rui was fierce and could scold people, he was never stingy with his guidance. He would point out where she had made a mistake and even teach her how to do it next step by step.

Anyone who has worked in the corporate world knows how lucky it is to encounter a "boss" like this.

The most frustrating thing is a boss like "Wong Kar-wai" who goes through a stream of consciousness. You have to figure it out on your own the whole time, which is a disaster!

Therefore, even though she had been scolded by Lü Rui hundreds of times and was afraid of him, Jing Tian was still very grateful.

At least now she knows how to move around and is clear about the various precautions for filming.

"Go back and find an acting coach to study properly. If you're still at this level when the crew moves back to China to film, you should change careers as soon as possible."

Strict teachers produce outstanding students!
Lu Rui wanted to put some pressure on her to see if she could improve further.
Otherwise, an actress like her, unless she encounters a role like the half-demon in "Si Teng" that fits her image, would simply be unable to take on challenging roles.

"Okay, I understand." Jing Tian nodded obediently.

She has decided to apply to the Beijing Film Academy, just like Liu Yifei, and become Lü Rui's junior.
After saying goodbye to the production team, she went to find her good friend Liu Yifei.

The two girls, who were about the same age, didn't have much of a competitive spirit at the moment; they were just thinking about getting together and playing after the filming was over.

Liu Yifei doesn't have many close friends.

At school, she had a good relationship with class monitor Wang Jia, while Zhou Yang, Jiang Yiyan, and others were just ordinary friends.

Within the entertainment circle, she and Shu Chang have a particularly good relationship. They have collaborated on several dramas and are good partners who can help each other.

As for Yang Mi, although she got along well with the other person in the "The Return of the Condor Heroes" crew, she always felt that the other person was too calculating and not a friend she could have a deep heart-to-heart talk with.

Then there's Jing Tian.

Because they both came from wealthy families, they found common ground in conversation and shared cheerful and innocent personalities, making them particularly compatible.

"Sisi, I have to go back to China now. See you there! I'll treat you to a hot spring when I get back."

Jing Tian clung to Liu Yifei's arm, somewhat reluctant to part.

She made a good friend as soon as she entered this circle, and she cherishes it very much.

"Okay," Liu Yifei agreed with a smile, adding, "Be careful on your way back, let's keep in touch on QQ."

Okay, let's connect via QQ.

The crew was still filming, so Jing Tian didn't want to disturb them too much. After a brief greeting and giving everyone a small gift, she left with her agent.

"This girl has a good personality and is quite generous," Jiang Wen commented, looking at the Compartes chocolate gift box in his hand.

A gift box costs $60, which is nearly 500 RMB.

Jing Tian sent over a hundred boxes at once, which cost 5 yuan just for this item. She was really generous!
"The chocolate tastes alright."

As Lü Rui chewed on the chocolate, he sighed inwardly, "The title of 'flower of wealth and luxury' is indeed well-deserved."

He hasn't even become famous yet, but his persona is already being subtly established.

It's no wonder that when netizens mention her in later generations, they always think of words like "wealthy" and "resource-backed".

However, even among those who rely on connections, there are those who are disliked and those who are liked.

Jing Tian belongs to the latter category; it's hard to dislike her. While fame may involve spending money, character is even more crucial.

With this chocolate gift box, it's obvious that when the media interviews the crew members in the future, even if they don't praise her to the skies, they certainly won't say anything bad about her.

Of course, it would be even more perfect if her acting skills matched her resources!
……

On March 27, the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards were held at the Hong Kong Stadium.

Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" won six awards, including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Editing, basically representing the highest level of Hong Kong film production in 2005.

However, he lost to Derek Yee in the Best Director award, which he valued most.

The Best Actor award went to Tony Leung for his role in "2046".

As for Zhao Peng, who went to join the fun, although he co-starred in "Hitch," which grossed 8500 million yuan at the box office, he ultimately gained nothing.

“Brother Rui.” Zhao Peng called, bringing with him a message: “Starting this year, the Hong Kong Film Awards will no longer award any major prizes to any directors from mainland China.”

"Why?" Lu Rui already had the answer in his heart, but he still asked.

"They seem to think that giving awards to mainland directors is pointless..."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui couldn't help but laugh.

His guess was right; those people in Hong Kong had learned their lesson.

Previously, he awarded the first-ever Hong Kong Film Award for Best Mainland Director to "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," hoping to use Lu Rui's connections to send Hong Kong actors north to the mainland.

Unexpectedly, Lü Rui did not do as they expected, and did not include them in the game "The Prestige".

This move clearly angered the people in Hong Kong, so they internally established a rule not to award major prizes to mainland directors.

Little did people know that since "Infernal Affairs," the prestige of the Hong Kong Film Awards has been declining.

Of the films that grossed over 100 million last year, only "Kung Fu Hustle" can be considered a Hong Kong film; the rest were all mainland Chinese films.

As for standard Hong Kong films in the Hong Kong market, only "New Police Story" has some popularity; the others haven't made much of a splash.

The foundation has collapsed, how can you still expect to build a building?

Go ahead and enjoy your own little world!

Putting aside the Hong Kong Film Awards, Lu Rui inquired about the filming progress of "Click".

Zhao Peng reported, "Filming should wrap up around the middle of next month. These past few days we've been shooting the scenes between Teacher Ge You and Liu Tao. Teacher Li Xuejian's scenes have finished filming, and Fu Biao's scenes are also nearing completion..."

“Okay.” Lu Rui nodded, then specifically instructed, “Tell Shen Ao that when filming the male and female leads’ bed scene, be careful to ask Liu Tao and her agent for their opinions, find out their limits of acceptance before proceeding, and don’t rush things.”

The reason for specifically instructing him on this point was mainly for the sake of Ge You's future acting career.

After all, when filming "bed scenes," the woman is often more likely to be at a disadvantage, and it's hard to guarantee that situations similar to Lin Xinru criticizing Zhou Jie won't occur.

That incident happened a long time ago, but the public outcry has not subsided; on the contrary, it has intensified.

Zhou Jie is really unlucky. He already had a lot of controversies, and now he's been exposed for sticking out his tongue and taking advantage of Lin Xinru during filming, plunging him into an abyss.

Although Liu Tao doesn't seem like the type to go on TV like Lin Xinru and criticize male actors' behavior, we still need to be cautious.

Of course, the situation between Jiao Enjun and "Aunt Ximen" in "Ximen Wuhen" is an exception, which is a unique case in the entire film and television industry.

Because of a breach of contract penalty of up to 1000 million yuan, he had to accompany an older woman to film kissing scenes and take baths together. Just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle, and it's no wonder that it almost drove Jiao Enjun to depression.

Later, he didn't even attend the wrap party and ran away overnight!
"Okay, Brother Rui, I understand what to do." Zhao Peng replied earnestly.

"Well, go get busy."

After giving Zhao Peng his instructions, Lü Rui hung up the phone and went to the hotel front desk.

The scene we're shooting today is Jiang Wen entering the "Mainland Hotel" to collect equipment and gather information.

Regarding the role of "front desk concierge," Lü Rui initially thought he would just find someone to play the part.

But after careful consideration, I felt that this was not quite right.

After all, he designed this scene and character to link multiple movies, and this character is very likely to appear repeatedly in subsequent movies and sequels.

But it's unrealistic to finalize the casting right now, given the high turnover rate of actors.

Even Jiang Wen is the same. After finishing this movie and saving enough money, he will go and make his own movie. It is unlikely that the two sides will have any opportunities to cooperate in the next few years.

So, after discussion, everyone decided to have Lü Rui make a cameo appearance.

Other actors may change, but surely the director won't "run away," right?

So, after some disguise, Lü Rui became a "concierge" at the mainland hotel.

As the saying goes, a good director may not necessarily be an excellent actor, but he must understand acting!

For example, Jiang Wen and Zhou Xingchi.

Zhang Yimou also played "Sun Wangquan" in the movie "Old Well", and won the Golden Rooster Award and the Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actor Award.

The villainous Crocodile Gang leader played by Feng Xiaogang, who perfectly embodied the character, and the theater owner played by Chen Kaige, are also very memorable.

From this perspective, it's not at all out of place for Lü Rui to make a cameo appearance in his own movie.

"Haha, you two act, I'll film it for you."

With his facial injuries healed, Gu Changwei was exceptionally lively. He handed the camera to his assistant and sat down in the director's chair with a smile.

With a "snap," the clapperboard slammed down, and filming officially began.

In the scene, Jiang Wen walks into the exquisitely decorated lobby of the "Continental Hotel" with his hands in his pockets.

As he walked to the front desk, he looked up at Lü Rui, who was dressed as a concierge.

At this moment, Lü Rui was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a standard professional smile on his face, giving him a rather calm and mysterious air.

According to the script, Jiang Wen only needed to say calmly, "An old friend asked me to come and collect equipment and information."

But after staring at Lü Rui for two seconds, he suddenly lowered his voice and added with a roguish air, "Damn it, this crappy place is still the same as ever, they haven't even changed the fragrance."

Lu Rui paused, his hand holding the pen pausing, and his eyes behind his glasses glanced at Gu Changwei in front of the monitor.

Seeing that he didn't call for a stop, she had no choice but to suppress her laughter and helplessness, and replied in a calm tone: "Sir, our fragrance is specially blended, and the feedback from our customers has been very positive."

"Good my ass." Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow and threw out an off-script remark, "They're all ruthless killers, what the hell are they pretending to be, acting all gentlemanly and British? Stop dawdling and get me the stuff right now."

Lu Rui almost lost his composure. His lips twitched, and he looked down at the documents, using a line from the script to cover it up: "Please wait a moment."

When she looked up again, she met Jiang Wen's eyes, which flashed with a mischievous glint.

It's obvious that this guy did it on purpose!

"Cut!" Gu Changwei called out with a laugh. "Old Jiang, why are you talking like you've got firecrackers in your mouth? There aren't any of those lines in the script."

Jiang Wen shrugged, speaking with conviction: "I think this character needs to be down-to-earth, otherwise he'll be like a taciturn person, which is boring."

He turned to look at Lü Rui, raised an eyebrow, and said, "How's the word I added? Doesn't it sound more authentic?"

Lu Rui took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, looking at him helplessly: "Director Jiang, this is an action movie, not a gangster movie. The density of your 'tmd' is almost as high as the bullets in a gunfight movie."

As soon as he finished speaking, a suppressed laugh came from the side.

Lu Rui turned his head and saw Liu Yifei standing next to the backdrop, covering her mouth with both hands, her shoulders shrugging, and her eyes curving into crescents. She was clearly quite amused by the scene just now.

When she saw Lü Rui looking over, she quickly waved her hand, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Sorry, I couldn't help it..."

Lu Rui glared at her irritably: "Hurry up and memorize your lines. We're filming your scene soon. Have you memorized all your lines?"

"Oh, that's Lu the Skinflint." Liu Yifei muttered, pouting, and quickly slipped away, afraid of being caught and having her lines checked.

Jiang Wen laughed heartily: "One more take, this time I'll tone it down."

"One 'tmd' is enough. Adding so many is useless. We need to maintain the character's style," Lü Rui emphasized.

"Okay, I understand."

When filming began for the second take, Jiang Wen indeed toned it down a bit, only muttering under his breath as he took the equipment box: "He's putting on quite a show, isn't he?"

Lu Rui suppressed the urge to complain and said in the most standard concierge tone, "The message is at the bottom of the box. Have a good trip."

"Cut! That's a wrap!" Gu Changwei clapped his hands with a smile. "Lu Rui, your cameo was pretty professional. How about you try directing and acting in your own film sometime? Maybe you can win a Best Actor award, haha."

"Come on, I have no interest in being an actor." Lü Rui refused without hesitation.

Having so many directing techniques implanted in my head by the system, it's already difficult to digest them.

If I were to become an actor again, playing all sorts of roles and experiencing different lives...

He was worried that he would develop a mental breakdown!

What if it develops into a mental illness?
How am I supposed to get married in the future?

(End of this chapter)