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

Chapter 147 Do Ghosts Really Exist? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Orange Sky warmly welcomes Wang Jinghua's team to the company! We will jointly establish a talent agency with Ms. Wang, which will be controlled and managed independently by Ms. Wang... We will provide full support to strive to build the largest and most professional performing arts agency in China!"

Orange Sky has completely stopped pretending!
Even when photographed by the media meeting privately with Wang Jinghua, Wu Kebo has always maintained a low profile and refused to respond.

Now that the die is cast, he has become incredibly arrogant after receiving funding from the Japanese side.

Not only did they issue a notice, but they also extended invitations to many investors in the industry to attend the signing celebration banquet.

This move is undoubtedly a direct attack on Huayi!
However, Wu Kebo does have the right to be arrogant, because the Japanese company gives him enough money!

He was so wealthy that he could even spend a fortune to acquire a cinema chain with operations spanning Southeast Asian countries and successfully build a film production business.

Furthermore, the recruitment of Wang Jinghua enabled Orange Sky to leap from a third-tier company to a leading domestic enterprise, achieving a perfect win without lifting a finger.

If not now, when?

Lü Rui can actually understand Wu Kebo's feelings quite well.

After operating behind the scenes for so long, they launched a decisive attack on the largest private film and television brokerage company in China, and succeeded.

If it were him, he would probably also become arrogant and conceited.

Wang Jinghua's side was also quite cooperative, immediately releasing a new announcement, further stabbing her former employer in the back:

"Thank you very much for Orange Sky's trust. I believe that working with Chairman Wu will bring a brighter future to the new company... The new company is named Orange Sky 18, and the office is located in Sohu Modern City."

We welcome all our existing partners, film and television companies, sponsors, and brands to come and discuss cooperation, let's shed old shackles and look forward to a bright new future together..."

The announcements issued by both sides seem ordinary at first glance, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that they are both aimed at Huayi Brothers.

Wu Kebo was saying it outright: I'm poaching your people, I'm being arrogant, what can you do about it?

Wang Jinghua implied: Huayi is my old shackles, and Orange Talent is my new future!
Both insiders and outsiders are watching the show, wondering how Huayi will respond.

If they don't even dare to utter a fart, then the Wang brothers will really lose face this time!

On the plane, Lu Rui had just refreshed the webpage when Huayi's announcement popped up.

[Huayi Brothers' statement regarding industry trends]

"Recently, we have noticed the latest developments of our industry partners, and we would like to extend our usual congratulations to Ms. Wang Jinghua and her team on their career choice."

Huayi has been deeply involved in the talent agency business for many years and has always believed that 'professionalism' is never defined by slogans. What we care more about is whether our artists can continue to produce works like 'Cell Phone,' 'A World Without Thieves,' 'The Prestige,' and 'The Banquet' within a mature cooperation system, and whether they can always stand at the core of 'creation' in the process of film industrialization.

For Huayi Brothers, rather than defining ourselves by scale, we care more about whether each work can leave a mark and whether each artist can grow through the creative process.

After all, what the industry needs is content that can be built up over time, not fleeting hype!

This announcement was clearly aimed at Wu Kebo and Wang Jinghua, and was full of sarcasm:

"You can only be arrogant for a short time. We'll see how long you can keep up your smugness!"

At this point, the feud between the two sides has been completely established, and a life-or-death struggle is inevitable!

Faced with the "threat," Orange Sky was not intimidated.

That evening, the celebration banquet for the founding of Orange Sky 18 was held as scheduled.

Meanwhile, at Huayi, Wang Zhonglei was cursing and swearing: "Does that guy surnamed Wu really think he has the confidence to act so arrogantly just because he has Japanese capital backing him? Ha! He'll be sorry sooner or later!"

Although Wang Zhongjun remained silent, his expression was equally grim.

Huayi has been developing for many years, and the two brothers have always been arrogant. This is the first time they have suffered such a big setback.

Their foundation was undermined, and they were mocked in person. If they don't take revenge, the industry might really think they're easy to bully.

"The most urgent task is to stabilize the internal situation first. We will have plenty of time to settle accounts slowly." The older brother is more composed than the younger brother.

"How do I do it?" Wang Zhonglei was furious and completely lost his composure.

"First, urge Xiao Gang to start filming 'The Banquet' as soon as possible, then spread the word that Zhang Ziyi, Wu Yanzu, and Huang Xiaoming are all interested in joining Huayi..."

This move is mainly aimed at stabilizing the brokerage business segment.

With the slogan of "holding four of the four Dan and two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses respectively), the pressure will inevitably decrease quickly.

Wang Zhonglei nodded and made a move to leave: "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

"Don't rush," Wang Zhongjun called out to him. "Besides 'The Banquet,' promote Huayi Brothers' return on investment in 'Taken' as much as possible, and create the impression that the company's profits have skyrocketed."

In addition, we will vigorously expand our film production business, keeping all the company's existing artists busy, ensuring everyone has roles to play and good resources, so they won't overthink things and choose to leave..."

With these three measures, the impact of public opinion will be greatly reduced.

This crisis made Wang Zhongjun realize the importance of film production and the uncertainty of talent agency business.

Artist turnover is completely uncontrollable; any contract termination or departure would be a major blow to the company!
Fortunately, Huayi Brothers still has Feng Xiaogang and a bunch of film and television projects they've invested in; otherwise, they might have really failed this time!
Wang Zhonglei finally came to his senses and, after listening to his older brother's words, brought up his previous thoughts again: "I still think we should engage in in-depth cooperation with Ruishijie."

Lü Rui doesn't work as an artist manager; his main focus is on production. We can exchange shares with him, each holding a stake in the other's company, creating a strategic alliance to counterbalance Orange Sky.

"Find some time... to talk to him."

Wang Zhongjun had previously preferred to accept support from shareholders with large sums of money, using their funds to develop new businesses.

But after this crisis, he suddenly realized that doing so was still too risky.

However, if a partnership could be established with Ruishijie and Lü Rui's resources could be leveraged, he believed that far fewer people would choose to leave with Wang Jinghua.

One copy of "The Banquet" is simply not enough for all the people in the company to share.

Seeing that there's no profit to be made at Huayi, wouldn't everyone want to run away?
This is also the fundamental reason why Wang Jinghua left.

Apart from Ge You, all the main actors in "The Banquet" are outsiders; the family members seem like stepchildren.

If this continues, what will her artists eat and drink?
The contract has just expired. If I don't run now, am I just going to be stupid enough to get scammed?
……

When Lü Rui landed in Los Angeles, it was already evening.

On his way to the hotel, he opened his laptop to browse the news and discovered that Rongxinda's announcement had arrived late:

[Rongxinda's Explanation Regarding Changes in Artist Cooperation]

"Recently, many friends have asked about the progress of Zhou Xun's cooperation with the company. We would like to clarify here: Ms. Zhou Xun's contract with Rong Xinda expired naturally, and the two parties did not renew it after friendly communication."

We respect her career choice and sincerely wish her continued success in bringing us great works on new platforms. After all, she is an actress we have accompanied since her early days as a newcomer, and it is something to be happy to see her go further.

As for the outside world's talk of "poaching," there's no need to overanalyze it.

Rongxinda has a lot of good scripts that haven't been filmed yet, and there are also several very talented actors among the newcomers they've signed. We're busy setting up teams and polishing their performances.

Instead of chasing trends and discussing who went where, let's wait until our new drama wraps up filming next year. If anyone still remembers the significance of 'Rong Xinda' then, that's the key..."

The announcement seemed nonchalant, showing no concern for Zhou Xun's departure, but those in the industry saw through it all.

It's no wonder you feel heartbroken when someone steals the "cash cow" you've worked so hard to cultivate!
But what can Li Shaohong or Li Xiaowan do when facing the behemoth that is Huayi?
They had no money, no manpower, no resources, and no influence. They had no choice but to force a smile and swallow their bitterness.

Just like the battle between the two cola brands, Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Very Cola suffered an undeserved disaster.

Similarly, when Orange Sky and Huayi went head-to-head, Rongxinda also suffered a major setback!

It's not just them; other second- and third-tier brokerage firms are also on guard against Huayi Brothers poaching their "cash cows"!
After watching the whole saga, Lü Rui felt more and more that not getting involved with artist management was the right choice.

If I really want to find a few reliable actors, I can just form an alliance like I did with investing in Red Starwood.

Opening a talent agency? Forget about it.

Imagine if you were really in the talent agency business, and the company was preparing for its IPO roadshow, but the signed artist you've been cultivating for years was poached by a competitor. Where would you go to complain?
The listing process had to be halted on the spot!

……

After arriving at the hotel by car, Lü Rui stopped paying attention to domestic news, took a quick shower, and started adjusting to the time difference.

The next morning, he got up feeling refreshed and went straight to the company.

Peter Griffin, Zack Snyder, James Wan, Jason Blum and others had already arrived and were waiting for him.

Today's task is to finalize the follow-up arrangements for "Paranormal Activity".

However, before that, we still need to see how the final product turns out.

"Lv, prepare yourself mentally, don't be scared!"

Zack Snyder is very confident in his film, just like the box office hit "Dawn of the Dead," and he believes that "Paranormal Activity" can also continue that success.

Of course, the main reason is also because Lü Rui's script is truly outstanding!
"Haha, I'm actually looking forward to it scaring me," Lu Rui joked.

As a horror film, it's supposed to be scary.

If it doesn't scare people, what kind of horror movie is it?

There are not many characters in Paranormal Activity, and the main perspective revolves around a young couple.

The protagonist, Katie, is timid and has felt like she's being followed by "something" since she was a child. This feeling intensifies after she moves to a new apartment as an adult.

The male protagonist, Micah, is Katie's boyfriend. He is somewhat arrogant and initially dismisses his girlfriend's "hallucinations." He even buys a camera to record the paranormal phenomena in an attempt to control the situation...

Is the male lead a member of a minority group?

At the beginning of the film, Lü Rui suddenly noticed that the male lead, Micah, seemed to have a slightly darker complexion.
Because the film's budget was only a mere $200 million, he didn't pay much attention to it, leaving the entire process to Peter and Zack, and didn't even concern himself with casting.

It's worth noting that the original version of this movie only cost $1.5.

Strictly speaking, this is the first time Lü Rui has officially paid attention to this movie.

“Yes,” Peter explained from the side, “The male lead is African American and the female lead is Latina. We did our research beforehand, and the percentage of minority audiences in theaters has increased rapidly in recent years…”

Lu Rui nodded silently, without asking any further questions.

He doesn't care about ethnicity as long as it helps the movie's box office.

Moreover, he was well aware that minority actors could indeed boost box office revenue, just like Denzel Washington, the African American actor in "I Am Legend".

Actually, it's not that exaggerated right now.

The real explosion in popularity won't happen until Obama takes office in 09. At that point, the mere phrase "Black Lives Matter" will be worth at least tens of millions of dollars in box office revenue!
No matter the circumstances, the film and television industry, which is linked to "culture," is always affected by changes in the social situation.

The film uses a "mockumentary" format to advance the plot.

The protagonist, Micah, uses a camera to record his cohabitation with his girlfriend, Katie, day and night, in an attempt to verify Katie's claim that she is "haunted by ghosts."

At first, the camera only captured some minor anomalies: a door moving inexplicably in the middle of the night, objects falling suddenly from the floor, and Katie's unconscious screams in her sleep.

In Zack Snyder's lens, the mockumentary style creates a unique sense of realism.

The shaky camera work, rough lighting, and numerous "empty shots" such as bedrooms at night and still living rooms create a scene reminiscent of ordinary people's daily lives, easily giving viewers the illusion that "this might be real."

As time went on, the paranormal phenomena gradually escalated!

Katie would wake up in her sleep and stand in front of the air for hours.

In the dead of night, clear footsteps and whispers can be heard outside the room.

On one occasion, she was even dragged off the bed by an invisible force, and then screamed in terror as she crawled back onto the bed!

The protagonist, Micah, also went from initial curiosity to panic!

However, he rejected Katie's suggestion to consult a medium and insisted on solving the problem himself.

But this only intensified the "ghost's" aggressiveness!
There are no gory scenes or sudden frightening shots in the entire film; all the horror is hidden in the details.

For example, if the camera focuses on two people who are fast asleep for a long time, the audience will stare at the screen along with the characters, waiting for the "unknown anomaly" to appear.

Light slowly seeps through the crack in the door, the blankets sway gently, and shadows loom faintly in the darkness... This "fear of waiting" is even more chilling than direct fright!
"Who did the special effects? They look pretty good!"

Upon seeing about a third of the way through, Lü Rui asked with slight surprise.

Expanding from a cost of $1.5 to $200 million, the money was clearly spent wisely.

The most crucial element is the special effects shots.

In the original film, the ghost was only indirectly conveyed through "moving objects and footsteps," but now extremely short shots of physical fragments have been added to enhance the impact of its "real existence" with special effects.

In the bedroom surveillance footage at night, a semi-transparent human figure with no clear facial features and only blurry limb lines flashed in the shadow of the door frame.

The shadowy figure huddled in the dark attic, the flickering and unstable electrical current of the kitchen chandelier, the ripples in the sink, the red ghostly aura that permeates the midnight hours... all of these are rendered using special effects.

Zack Snyder replied, "It's the digital realm."

Lü Rui suddenly realized: "Oh! No wonder the camera work is so detailed!"

Unlike in China, Hollywood now has countless special effects companies.

Many medium and large film studios have their own independent visual effects companies or departments. Even Pixar, which makes animation, is taking on visual effects work for live-action films.

Digital Domain was founded by the famous director James Cameron and is well-known in the industry.

Unfortunately, this "truck driver" isn't a prolific director, so he faces considerable pressure in the digital realm.

At present, the average profit margin in the film special effects industry is only about 5%, and the competition is extremely fierce!
In the digital realm, if you want a continuous stream of business, you naturally have to control the quality.

Even though it's a low-budget horror film, they didn't cut corners.

Lu Rui's eyes darted around, temporarily suppressing the restlessness in his heart.

Now is not the best time; some industrial chains are not suitable for large-scale expansion.

We chatted and watched the film, and it soon came to an end.

Late at night, the camera captured Katie suddenly getting up and walking expressionlessly into the living room.

Micah then gave chase, but his screams could be heard off-camera!

A few seconds later, Katie returned to the bedroom covered in blood, stood facing the camera for a long time, and finally lunged at the camera, and the scene abruptly ended!

The ghost never appears, yet it is everywhere.

It is completely illogical; it not only doesn't lie dormant during the day, but also wreaks havoc at night.

Micah's camera and attempts to resist became "provocations," making it even more aggressive.

The setting of "invisible enemy" and "ineffective efforts", coupled with the resonance of "immersive fear", can hit the audience's deep fear of "loss of control" hard!

The addition of special effects further amplifies the sense of fear in this horror film with its "anti-cliché" style!
Lü Rui was particularly satisfied with the last shot.

The male protagonist rushed out of the bedroom, and suddenly black mist poured out of the doorway. Inside, the female protagonist's raised leg could be vaguely seen. Then the black mist quickly dissipated, leaving only an empty room!
This special effect of "partial obscuring and blurring limbs" not only amplifies the horror of the ending but also leaves room for the unseen parts, perfectly matching the pseudo-documentary tone. At the same time, it further enhances the horror details and confirms the core idea that "ghosts really exist."

"Clap clap clap!"

Lü Rui clapped his hands in great satisfaction.

After watching the entire film, his confidence in it grew stronger and stronger, and he even felt that it had the potential to surpass "Lurking"!

The lights in the screening room came on, and he turned to Jason Blum, asking, "What do you think? Is this movie suitable for a Halloween release?"

“Perfect for us!” Jason Brilliant, who was quite frightened by the movie, replied without hesitation.

Halloween, or more precisely Halloween Eve, which is October 31st, is a traditional holiday season for horror movies in North America.

Many horror films choose to be released in theaters on this day to rake in box office revenue.

For example, Lionsgate's "Saw" released last year is a typical example of a huge success during Halloween.

"Calm down, Jason, it's all fake in the movies." Lu Rui saw his fear and offered a few words of comfort.

After he calmed down, he added, "In that case, let's set it for Halloween. There are less than two months left, so the release work needs to begin."

I have only one request: make sure *Paranormal Activity* opens in at least 2000 theaters, the more screens and screenings the better.

“Okay, I will develop a detailed negotiation plan.” Jason Brom was quite confident.

It's worth noting that Ruixing Films' debut film, "Lurking," was a huge success in North America, which is key to increasing theaters' trust in movies.

Other assets include the currently produced film "I Am Legend," Lu Rui's name, and the North American box office performance of "The Prestige," all of which are bargaining chips in negotiations with theaters.

"As for videotapes and DVDs, I hope to contact the manufacturers to produce them when the film is released, and complete the distribution before the end of the year."

Although Lü Rui was not proficient in the specific details of the issuance, he was very clear about the general direction.

In his spare time, he thoroughly studied Hollywood distribution models, related systems, and case studies, so he naturally became very familiar with them.

“Okay.” Jason nodded in agreement, then seized the opportunity to interject, “What about the other copyrights?”

"We're not in a rush to get the new media rights. We can take our time to choose a buyer and wait for the film to gain positive word-of-mouth before trying to get a good price..."

That's the advantage of self-publishing; unlike "Lurking," it's not subject to Lionsgate's restrictions, and you can arrange things however you want.

Jason silently made a note of it, and his initial disdain for Lü Rui's age quickly dissipated as the conversation progressed.

He could tell that Lü Rui was very familiar with film distribution, and his own pride was no match for him.

"As for television broadcasting rights, I think they can be split into two parts: cable pay-TV and terrestrial public television. If the film is a box office hit, the television broadcasting rights can be charged per episode. If the box office is not ideal, then the rights can be sold out in one go."

Jason nodded to himself. As long as the film was successful, this would undoubtedly guarantee the maximum profit.

"You can handle the derivative products." Lu Rui didn't take on everything; he also wanted to take this opportunity to see Jason's capabilities.

Moreover, the market for horror movie merchandise is small, mostly quiet throughout the year, with Halloween being a fleeting phenomenon, so there's no need to invest too much effort in it.

“Okay.” Jason understood what he meant and gave his plan: “I will arrange for someone to design some props, make them in small batches first, and if the response is good, then we will distribute them on a large scale.”

"That's it."

After talking for more than half an hour and finalizing all the release details, we finally arrived at the most crucial step.

“Lv, do you have any suggestions for promotion?” Jason asked.

"Yes!" Lu Rui's lips curled into a strange smile, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present.

In fact, he had already figured out the publicity strategy when he was writing the script.

Meeting the curious gazes of the group, he slowly explained, "We can use the 'leaked video of a real ghost' as the core gimmick, blurring the boundaries between 'movie' and 'real event.' Through the rhythm of fragmented information dissemination → sparking public discussion → official 'passive response' → and binding it to the Halloween scene, we can make the audience believe that the film's content is based on real footage, guiding them to watch the movie on Halloween..."

Lü Rui spent more than half an hour just explaining this promotional plan.

He spoke at a measured pace, each word deliberate and impactful.

At first, the group only half understood what he was saying, but when he explained every detail of the promotional methods and gimmicks, they were all stunned.

Finally, after figuring out the whole plan, Jason Brom swallowed hard, his whole body becoming uncontrollably agitated:
"Lv! You're a marketing genius!"

James Wan and Zack Snyder exchanged a glance, as if they could already foresee the film's blockbuster success!

The two initially thought the film had a low budget and a novel style, but might not necessarily be able to achieve high box office returns.

But after Lü Rui's arrangement, the two seemed to already see the audience rushing into the cinema on Halloween night, clutching their ticket stubs, wondering as they watched, "Is this really real?"

Peter chuckled beside him, his eyes darting around: "I can use this story to scare my niece."

As soon as the meeting ended, Jason Brom, clutching the heavily annotated proposal, rushed to Brom House.

After he showed the entire film "The Ghost Story" to the company's sales staff and senior management, and then explained Lü Rui's plan in detail, the meeting room was silent for a full half minute, and everyone looked somewhat dazed.

Suddenly someone exclaimed, "This idea... is brilliant! By not saying it's a horror movie, but just saying it's 'real footage,' the suspense and horror are off the charts!"

Then someone else chimed in: "The person who proposed this plan is simply a born marketing genius!"

"The collaboration between Blum House and Ruixing Film Industry will definitely achieve a win-win situation!"

"This Halloween, 'Paranormal Activity' is sure to be a box office hit across America!"

Hearing everyone's words, Jason Brom excitedly slammed his fist on the table: "Let's go with this plan! This Halloween, the movie released by Brom House will definitely make audiences wonder if the devil has really come to earth!"

At this moment, he was actually very grateful to have been able to cooperate with Lü Rui.

My partner's promotional ideas are absolutely amazing!

Under his leadership, Brom House Publishing might actually become one of the top publishing companies in the United States, surpassing Lionsgate and DreamWorks!
(End of this chapter)