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

Chapter 86 Public Relations Pave the Way, Interests Build Bridges, and the Dollar Speaks! (5000 words, requesting monthly votes!)
"The realistic drama 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' directed by Lü Rui, officially concluded its run today, with a final box office of 8166 million yuan."

Exclusive news: "The Pursuit of Happyness" is independently produced by Ruishijie, and its estimated net revenue is expected to exceed 100 million!

"The publication of Lü Rui's undergraduate thesis, 'Genre Mutual Learning and Ecological Reconstruction: On the Future Path of Collaborative Development between Art Films and Commercial Films,' on CNKI has sparked heated discussions in academic circles..."

Wang Zhiwen has officially announced his new film, in which he will star alongside Chen Hao, known as "the heartthrob," in Huang Jian's new comedy, "Please Praise Me."

...

Although the box office of 8166 million yuan did not match the glorious achievements of Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers", it still carved out a path for domestic films in 04!
Many major works, including "2046", "The Twins Effect II", and "Close Your Eyes When It Gets Dark", were completely crushed.

Before the release of films like "A World Without Thieves," "Kung Fu Hustle," and "The Prestige," "The Pursuit of Happyness" firmly held the second spot on the domestic box office chart!
Of course, if Hollywood imports are included in the competition, the ranking would drop to fourth.

"The Lord of the Rings: The King of Kings" and "The Day After Tomorrow" grossed 1.2 million and 8250 million respectively, making a fortune in mainland China.

In particular, the science fiction disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow" brought a strong visual impact to Chinese moviegoers after its release!

Global warming, global catastrophes, powerful cyclones, massive floods, ice ages...

For the current domestic film market, "The Day After Tomorrow" is definitely an "epic" sci-fi masterpiece!
At the same time, this is also the creative benchmark in Lü Rui's mind.

Although current technology and resources are insufficient to support him in creating similar works.

But he firmly believes that one day he will be able to create an even more groundbreaking cinematic miracle!

Driven by the box office success of "The Pursuit of Happyness," Wang Zhiwen's salary has risen accordingly.

Before joining the cast of "Please Praise Me," he made a special call to express his gratitude, his tone earnest: "Director Lü, if you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best..."

A high-quality film can transform an actor's career, especially a Cannes award-winning film.

If the production team hadn't been pressing him so hard, he definitely would have personally gone to thank them.

It was Lü Rui's trust and support that allowed him to seize this opportunity for career advancement!

"Don't worry, I won't stand on ceremony with you," Lu Rui replied with a smile.

Wang Zhiwen's mastery of dialogue and acting skills are undeniable, and future collaborations are highly likely.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lü Rui hung up the phone.

However, before he could attend to other matters, calls came in one after another from Dong Ping, Wang Changtian, Ren Zhonglun, and others.

Several people regretted not being able to participate in the investment of "The Pursuit of Happyness".

No one expected that Lü Rui's casual mention of his graduation project would both win Best Director at Cannes and gross over 8000 million yuan at the box office...

That's a net profit of nearly nine figures!
Who wouldn't be tempted?

"Director Lü, if you need anything next time, just let me know! I'll go through fire and water for you..."

"Haha, okay, I definitely will."

After dealing with the group, Lü Rui turned his attention back to the computer screen.

It's quite interesting, actually.

When "The Pursuit of Happyness" was showing in theaters a while ago, a group of old scholars, critics and film critics praised Lü Rui highly.

But after CNKI published his paper, these people suddenly changed their tune and launched a barrage of attacks:

"Art and commerce have absolutely no synergy!"

"High-grossing art films are simply wishful thinking..."

"What are the teachers and professors at Beijing Film Academy doing? How can this kind of paper get an A+? (Deleted)"

Despite their vehement criticism, it did not stop many people in the field from beginning to study the paper.

When Han Sanping called to inquire when Lü Rui would depart for Hollywood, he praised Lü Rui's thesis highly.
"I've read your paper on the film market several times; it's brilliantly written!"
To be honest, I've always firmly believed that the future film market will usher in a golden age for commercial films, as for art films…

In the end, he left his words unfinished, pausing with a profound meaning.

Lu Rui remained noncommittal. After chatting with him for a few minutes, he went back to his work before heading to Hollywood.

Urging theaters to pay their bills is of paramount importance, and improving the company's organizational structure is equally urgent.

Hou Hongliang currently holds three important positions: company vice president, chief steward, and head of film and television production department.

Although he was young and ambitious, he was also overwhelmed by the numerous tasks and kept working non-stop.

Therefore, we still need to assign several department heads to the branch offices.

For example, the project development department, marketing department, public relations department, scriptwriting department, animation department, human resources department, post-production department, administration department, investment department... each link is related to long-term development.

Of course, Rome wasn't built in a day, and these plans can be implemented step by step.

Lü Rui mainly focuses on strategic planning and overall coordination, while Hou Hongliang can take his time to implement the plans.

"Film, television, and animation—are they operating on three parallel tracks?" Hou Hongliang jotted down notes quickly, his pen scratching across the paper.

“That’s right.” Lu Rui’s gaze was firm. “If we’re going to do it, we have to do it comprehensively. The three major mainstreams are all indispensable.”

These three factors account for the majority of the film and television market, including box office revenue, viewership ratings, and streaming numbers, and they cover all age groups, making them the core choice for mass entertainment consumption.

The film and television industry is on the eve of a boom. Seizing the opportunity now means grasping the key to traffic for the next decade!

Before making the decision, Lü Rui had already done his homework.

At this time, Chinese animation was in a period of "transformation and growing pains." Under the strong impact of European and American animation, local companies were trying to learn from each other's strengths and make up for their weaknesses, exploring ways to break through.

Guangdong Original Animation Culture is promoting "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," while Hongmeng Cartoon Group has announced plans to produce "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit Seven Heroes"...

The market is rife with undercurrents, making it the perfect time to enter the fray.

With a large amount of liquid funds still in the Ruishijie account, making money from money is the key. How much can you earn by just sitting in the bank and earning interest?

Although Hou Hongliang understood Lü Rui's strategic intentions, he still looked troubled: "I'm not very familiar with the animation business..."

“You don’t need to do everything yourself.” Lu Rui waved his hand, his tone filled with a confident smile. “You just need to manage the overall situation and keep an eye on the ‘Crossing the Guandong’ project. As for the animation section, I will find a professional to take the helm.”

Hou Hongliang came to Ruishijie through Zhang Huijun's introduction.

This time, Lü Rui also plans to use the same method to find a suitable person in charge of the animation business.

Instead of continuing to contact Zhang Huijun, he asked Han Sanping to help him find a suitable candidate during a previous phone call.

Han Sanping readily agreed, saying he would go to CCTV's children's channel to find him a promising talent.

In his preconceived notion, domestic animation was just something to amuse children. Since Lü Rui was interested, he would just take some time to inquire about it on the children's channel.

Finding a suitable candidate shouldn't be difficult.

Little did people know that Lü Rui's real target was not children's cartoons, but the Chinese animation market, which would overturn public perception!
……

After finishing his company business, Lü Rui immediately led the "The Prestige" team to Hollywood.

Inside the cabin, Zhao Peng pressed himself against the porthole, looking down at the vast Pacific Ocean, his voice filled with excitement: "Brother Rui, this is the first time I've ever been to Hollywood!"

This trip requires a few capable assistants, so Lü Rui brought him along.

The movie "Hitch" is scheduled to be released in October, but the promotion and distribution won't start until early September, so he just happens to be free right now.

"After going there too many times, it loses its novelty. Hollywood is really just like that. It's just that its technology is more advanced and its film and television production process is more standardized than that of China."

Unlike the director-centric system in China, the producer-centric system is more common abroad.

Only top directors like Steven Spielberg or James Cameron can have a say in a project.

In contrast, other directors who are not yet famous are merely tools for execution.

After filming and receiving their paychecks, they have no further financial ties with the project.

As for the core right of "editing," that's a right reserved for producers!

After listening to Lü Rui's story, Zhao Peng was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses.

It's important to understand that the domestic entertainment industry at present is still permeated with a strong "江湖气" (jianghu qi, a kind of江湖 culture or a kind of江湖江湖气, a kind of江湖 culture or a江湖江湖气, a kind of ...

Especially in the Hong Kong entertainment circle, the title "Big Brother" is ubiquitous.

Even Rui Vision is no exception. Although Lü Rui is young, he already has a "big brother" aura, which is why Zhao Peng and Shen Ao are used to calling him "Brother Rui".

Including Niu Le, and the group of brothers who had been following him around since the filming of "Mystic River", they all called him "Brother Rui".

It wasn't until the new company was established and Hou Hongliang joined that everyone started calling him "General Manager Lü".

However, many of Lü Rui's old team members were still not quite used to it.

Zhao Peng found it difficult to accept the rigid class system in Hollywood at first.

"With such a cold and indifferent atmosphere, how can there be any human interaction?"

"Hollywood is mostly ruthless and doesn't care about personal relationships."

"Then what do you recognize?"

"Public relations pave the way, interests build bridges, and the dollar speaks!"

After a long flight of more than ten hours, the plane landed smoothly at Burbank Airport.

After completing the landing procedures with Hu Jun, Niu Le, and a group of key staff, Lü Rui quickly walked out of the gate. However, the moment they stepped out of the gate, almost simultaneously, everyone frowned.

"The air doesn't smell as sweet as I've heard."

Why does it smell burnt?

"Good heavens, someone's smoking on the street in broad daylight?"

"There are zombies!"

"Is that a homeless person?"

Just as everyone was exclaiming in surprise, Lü Rui saw the people Warner Bros. had arranged to pick them up.

The sign was very eye-catching, with the four Chinese characters "The Prestige" written on it.

The man holding the sign was a middle-aged white man with a sparse, oily head. Although he also had a beer belly, he was much thinner than Peter Griffin.

When he saw him, Lü Rui was somewhat disappointed.

After all, in his imagination, this name should be associated with the image of a "detective guy".

The gap between reality and expectations left him somewhat disappointed.

Although the two had spoken on the phone many times before, this was their first time meeting in person.

Lu Rui was somewhat disappointed to see him, but Lauren Megan was very excited and enthusiastic.

After handing the sign to his assistant, he strode up to her: "LV! I've finally met you in person!"

"Lauren, I'm so lucky to run into you as soon as I got off the plane."

Lü Rui smiled and hugged him.

After exchanging pleasantries, he introduced Zhao Peng, Hu Jun, and others one by one.

Hu Jun's English is excellent, and there are no communication barriers at all.

Afterwards, the group boarded a bus arranged by Warner Bros. and headed straight to the hotel where the film crew was staying.

On the way, Lü Rui learned about the filming locations and cast arrangements for "The Prestige" in Hollywood.

Lauren explained in great detail: "The actors' schedules have all been coordinated, and they can join the crew at any time."

The filming location is in the parking lot of Mount Wilson Observatory. The Tesla lab, pub, and hotel have all been set up, absolutely meeting the filming requirements..."

Filming in Hollywood typically involves signing various agreements and completing procedures with local unions, and being supervised by their personnel.

The procedures in this regard are extremely complicated!
Fortunately, Warner Bros. provided assistance, so Lu Rui only needed to focus on making the movie.

The bus arrived at the hotel quickly.

After settling Lu Rui and his group in and finalizing the filming schedule, Lauren Megan and her team left the hotel.

Everything runs like precise gears, exuding the professional detachment unique to Hollywood.

Zhao Peng scratched his head, his tone full of surprise: "You didn't even connect with Feng Yan? You left after making the arrangements?"

"Don't worry about that." Lu Rui patted him on the shoulder. "Go and coordinate with Niu Le to arrange meals with the hotel so that everyone can have a bite to eat first and then adjust to the time difference. We have limited time and can't afford to waste too much time."

The film must be completed before September.

"Ok."

Zhao Peng accepted the order and left.

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms to adjust to the time difference.

Lu Rui called Zhao Peng and Niu Le aside again and solemnly instructed them: "Remember, anyone who wants to go out must report it."

Although Los Angeles is a major city, it's not as safe as China. There are gangsters here, and armed police patrolling. If you don't want your magazine emptied, you'd better behave yourself..."

Zhao Peng and Niu Le nodded very seriously and said, "Brother Rui, don't worry, we'll keep a close eye on things."

After watching everyone go upstairs, Lü Rui turned and walked towards the hotel lobby.

He had already adjusted to the time difference on the plane so that he would have enough time to do other things after landing.

Stepping out of the hotel, he immediately spotted Peter Griffin's rusty old Ford.

“Lv…”

Before Peter could even speak, Lü Rui interrupted him as soon as they got in the car, saying, "I'll transfer some money to you tomorrow. Go buy a car first; we need to maintain the company's image."

Peter glanced at the 40 kilometers on the odometer and grinned, "Great! Registering it under the company name will even help with tax deductions, what a bargain!"

With the engine roaring, half an hour later, the car stopped in front of an office building in the northeast corner of Los Angeles.

Located just half an hour from Hollywood, this place is home to numerous independent production companies, and the streets are bustling with industry professionals.

After getting off the bus and entering the office building, Lu Rui arrived at the 6th floor and saw the entire Ruixing Film Industry.

The office area here is similar to that of Ruishijie in China, about 300 square meters, and is fully equipped with office equipment.

Peter enthusiastically explained, "This used to be a defunct independent production company. We can open it up with a new sign and a little cleaning."

The entire building is basically occupied by independent production companies, and the surrounding area is frequented by film industry professionals. The facilities are excellent, making recruitment and resource connections convenient.

Lu Rui nodded and looked around.

The clustering of film and television companies has its advantages, as it facilitates future development.

Of course, not all Hollywood companies cluster around Hollywood.

Although Hollywood was once the birthplace of several major film studios, these studios have long since transcended the geographical limitations of "Hollywood".

Currently, among the major studios, only Paramount remains committed to Hollywood.

Disney and Warner moved to Burbank, Sony and Columbia settled in Culver City, 20th Century Fox took root in Beverly Hills, and Universal went to Universal Studios in California.

The film giants that once flocked to Hollywood have now expanded into new "territories" in the Los Angeles area.

Some companies went to Santa Monica.

It's worth mentioning that the "San Fernando Valley," famous for its uncensored videos from Europe and America, is only about 30 kilometers away from Hollywood.

After touring the office area, Lü Rui entered a private office.

A thin layer of dust settled on the brand-new office chair. Peter quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe it clean and then smiled as he invited Peter to sit down.

"The first step is to build a team," Lu Rui gave his first order.

Peter immediately took out his notebook to write it down.

"Then we need to launch our first film project as soon as possible, which can be low-budget, to get a feel for the production process and networking rules here."

Upon hearing this, Peter paused, his hand holding the pen still. "Choose one from the scripts you've registered?"

"No."

Lu Rui shook his head in rejection.

Whether it's "I Am Legend" or "The Pursuit of Happyness," these projects require investments of at least tens of millions of dollars, making them unsuitable for "exploring new avenues."

He's planning to work on a lower-budget project, like... a B-movie!

Memories flooded his mind as Lü Rui pondered which B-movie to use to explore the path of independent production.

We need to find projects with low costs and short production cycles, no need for big-name actors, simple post-production processes, and most importantly, we need to ensure stable profitability...

It would be hard to come up with a solution in a short time, but Lü Rui wasn't in a hurry.

He'll probably stay here for more than ten days this time, which gives him plenty of time to deal with these things.

Are there any suitable novel copyrights available recently?

After discussing the company's future development, Lü Rui changed the subject and started thinking about the novel's copyright.

Hollywood has very few original screenplays; most are adapted from bestselling novels.

Such works have a readership base, and as long as they are not poorly made or completely deviate from the main storyline, they can usually achieve good results.

“I’ve compiled a list of best-selling books.” Peter took a document out of his bag and handed it over.

Lu Rui reached out and took it; the first thing he saw was "The Da Vinci Code".

However, he then saw the word "sold" at the back.

Sony Columbia acted incredibly quickly!

Further down the list are titles such as "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "Angels and Demons".

Without exception, all of these novels were marked as sold.

After looking through it once, Lü Rui did not see his desired target.

He closed the file, stood up, and instructed, "First, do as I said before, clean up this place, get it up and running, and I'll handle the project..."

(End of this chapter)