American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 136 Setting Sail Towards Tomorrow

When Chris Columbus's New Year's gift turned out to be a way to make up for the shortcomings of Beaver Pictures, Her Majesty Isabella, the true Queen of America, reluctantly forgave her subject's previous act of keeping things a secret.

'I will spare your life.'

'Kneel down and leave.'

hee hee~
Now that the technical personnel and specialized equipment Miss Beaver urgently needed were readily available, the actual work could officially begin. Following Spielberg's departure, Isabella also had the general manager of Beaver Pictures contact various parties.

Okay, actually it's her mother.

Dear Mom, Vivian.

Vivian first called Susie, inviting her to serve as the vice president of Beaver Pictures.

The unexpected invitation caught Susie Figgis off guard.

After she understood the whole story, the most outstanding casting director in the Commonwealth, who had personally discovered Isabella, was immediately filled with emotion, "Wow~ Vivian~ You two have already developed to this point?"

“It’s all luck,” Vivian said with a smile.

"Oh, you guys are so lucky," Susie sighed.

Let me think about it.

Three days later, she arrived in Leavesden.

Susie's appearance signifies that she accepted Isabella's invitation and officially joined Beaver Pictures.

He is in charge of both the film and television departments.

Her salary consisted of a fixed base salary plus commission.

The former is £50 a year, and the latter is 0.5% of the total revenue of the two departments.

In other words, assuming that Beaver's film and television division earns a total of 100 million this year, then Susie's commission would be 500,000.

Don't think it's too little.

Susie's commission base includes Isabella's project.

For example, if Beaver Pictures is going to co-develop "Prada" with Warner Bros., then after deducting Isabella's salary and production commission, the project revenue that goes to the company will become part of Susie's commission base.

When Isabella is unlikely to take on any external projects in the future, Susie's annual salary will definitely start at a million.

Furthermore, Susie received a commission based on revenue, not a share of the profits.

Isabella felt she had given enough, and Susie had no objections regarding the income.

With the contract signed, this energetic older woman officially began her work.

In just three days, she had a clear understanding of the company's situation.

Since they brought a team to work, the department setup and recruitment were all handled by their assistant.

In terms of specific business operations—

She doesn't plan to manage the details of the Resident Evil project because Michael Barnason is in charge.
Furthermore, the distribution of this project was signed with Warner Bros.;
Faced with such a lineup, she felt that all she needed to do was audit the report at the end. If she rashly intervened in specific matters, she would likely be seen by others as 'distrust' and 'seizing power'.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.

Isabella felt that they might be able to cooperate normally.

but……

They are all independent individuals, and they also need to protect their own interests.

Regarding the projects "Home of Music" and "Hannah Montana," Susie has two ideas:

For the former, she wanted to use a mentorship model to produce it.

That is, to invite a veteran from the TV drama industry to play the role of a 'washed-up diva' in the drama;
Then find a newcomer who has already debuted in the television industry to play the role of the 'rising star' in the drama.

The reason for this trading strategy is simple.

When an actor has acted in many dramas but hasn't become a big star, and then moves on to become a movie actor, that actor actually has no future. Choosing this kind of person for a project allows them to sign veteran actors at a very low cost.

Newcomers to the television industry who have already debuted represent those eager to rise to fame. Casting such people as "rising stars" is tantamount to letting them play themselves, and putting these ambitious individuals in front of those who are stagnant...

The veteran actors they invited were able to play themselves.

This approach not only reduces the difficulty of producing the drama—

As the saying goes, the best performance in the world is a natural performance; no amount of "acting" can compare to "being real."

It can also create buzz off-screen.

For example, there's a big announcement! A certain newcomer and a certain actor are really at odds! A certain newcomer really wants to challenge the established status of a certain actor! Everything in "Music Country" is actually true!
Ok.

"Home of Music" is, after all, a melodramatic soap opera.

Therefore, can the conflicts in the drama go beyond the screen?
Oh~
The audience will be very excited!
"Aunt Susie, I think your idea is excellent."

Isabella's eyes lit up, and she nodded in satisfaction.

Beaver Films is headquartered in London.

So, after completing the specific project plan, Susie went directly to Leavesden to report to the boss.

Of course, this is also a formal way to demonstrate one's abilities to the boss.

"Oh, Isa, I'm glad you like it."

Susie smiled and accepted the young girl's praise, then pointed to the report in her hand and said, "So I'll proceed with the project along these lines? As for the director, I'm thinking of... my brother? And then have him find someone to write the script?"

“No problem, we’re all on the same side, no problem.” Isabella gave an OK sign.

She is very generous to her own people who are capable enough.

That's right, having sufficient ability is a prerequisite for being generous.

Her money didn't grow on trees, did it?

The latter, namely the project "Hannah Montana," was Susie's idea to cast Margot Robbie in the role.

She thought the idea of ​​"Hannah Montana" was fantastic, and if done well, it might even produce an A-list student.

Therefore, it's better to benefit yourself than to benefit others.

But Isabella rejected the proposal.

She arranged for Robbie to act in "Transformers".

Compared to Transformers, Hannah Montana is nothing.

In that case...

"Then we'll have to hold open auditions in the United States."

Susie said, "This project can only use amateurs, and we must obtain the agent's contract."

Isabella thought the idea was fine.

but……

"Before the open auditions, you should contact Amblin and Lucasfilm first."

"If Steven or George have any recommendations, and they're suitable, then it's okay?"

The little beaver blinked.

“Spielberg?” Susie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah~"

“Okay, I understand what you mean.”

Yes ~
Isabella's meaning is very clear.

If there's a promising project, naturally you'll want to give it to your own people.

Don't talk about fairness or unfairness.

When someone feels that something is unfair, what that person hates is most likely the injustice they are talking about that hasn't actually happened to them.

After discussing the two projects, Isabella gained a clear understanding of Susie's abilities.

At this moment, she could confidently hand over the film and television department of Beaver Pictures to her.

Just as Susie was about to leave, Isabella remembered something else...

"Oh, by the way, Susie, we might also be developing Prada this year."

"On the surface, Warner is in charge of this project, but as you know, I'm actually in charge of it."

"So… do you have any ideas?"

"Uh, about personnel?" Susie looked at Isabella.

"Yeah~" The little girl nodded, pointing to the document in her hand, "Your idea is great~"

"Oh—I've seen the Prada project—if I were in charge of it—I can only say—"

Susie paused for a moment and then said, "I will ask Maggie Smith to play Miranda in the movie."

"Why?"

Vivian, who was listening nearby, was very curious. "Isn't Maggie a bit inappropriate? Isabella and Maggie have worked together too much."

"If the two of them stand together... the audience might lose immersion in the story?"

In practice, most of the time, film producers will not allow two independent actors to frequently collaborate in non-series projects, because this practice can easily distract the audience while watching the movie.

Susie certainly knew about this.

But she had her own ideas—

"Oh~ Vivian~ Judging from the current situation, no matter what movie Isa makes, she can't escape the identity of Hermione Granger, because... I personally think that the character of Hermione Granger can compete for the best film in history."

"The character's image is so good, it's impeccable."

"Since Isa may never be able to get rid of Hermione in this lifetime, then a generous hug is the best choice."

"Or rather, this kind of hug can reduce the number of times the audience is pulled out of the movie."

"For example, when Maggie went to play Miranda, she asked Isa to find the Harry Potter manuscript?"

"When writing this part, Miranda's line to Andy could be: 'Honey, did anyone say you looked like Isabella Heywood when you were in school? When you and Hermione Granger are almost like sisters, I'm sure you can get your hands on the HP manuscript, right? You just need to give J.K. Rowling a call.'"

“When this kind of dialogue comes out, the audience will only find it funny because they know that Isa is now playing Andy, not Hermione Granger. This awareness will make the audience actively distinguish between Isa and Hermione. This distinction made by the audience is much better than us bluntly saying that Isa has transformed.”

"especially……"

At this point, Susie drew out her words and looked at the little girl.

“Isa, it’s actually not easy for you to make a career change.”

"Then, uh... if I were to give advice from a friend's perspective, I think you don't need to change your career path."

"This suggestion has nothing to do with your wealth, it's purely because... Harrison Ford would only proudly say that he is Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger would only say that his most successful role is Skynet, and Sylvester Stallone, when mentioning his screen achievements, would only say that Rocky and Rambo brought emotion to the world..."

"You know, only what is remembered by the world is a classic; what can be replaced by a thousand faces is never truly popular."

“Oh, Susie, we think the same way.” Isabella nodded with a smile.

She thought Susie's words made a lot of sense.

It's already quite an achievement for a person to have one classic work in their lifetime, so... a transformation?
The most foolish thing a person can do is mistake their luck for their ability.

However, whether or not Maggie Smith will be invited to join "Prada" is a decision that Chris Columbus will have to make.

Because he's the director of "Prada".

Moreover, he is physically strong and can carry a large, black pot on his back.

Hehe ~
Susie's departure prompted her mother, Vivian, to make a second phone call.

That's for Disney.

After learning that Isabella was ready, Robert Iger sent Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois over, and the two subsequently became vice presidents of Beaver Pictures, in charge of the animation department.

Then, their salaries are also composed of a fixed salary plus commission.

The former, also, is £50 per person per year.

The latter is divided into departmental commissions and project commissions.

Regarding departmental commissions, the two individuals share 0.5% of the department's revenue, while each individual receives 0.25%.

In terms of project commissions, each person can take 2% of the box office revenue from the projects they personally manage.

for example:

If the two people collaborated on "The Untitled Beaver Animation," then 4% of the project's box office revenue would be their share, 2% each. However, if only one person participated and directed the film, then the participant would only receive 2%, and the other person would not receive any share.

Of course, this is just the most basic project profit-sharing clause.

Once a project reaches a certain box office revenue, their share of the profits will increase further. This isn't Isabella being recklessly generous; rather, the success or failure of an animated film depends entirely on the director in charge.

The director's income is the biggest expense of the entire project.

If you mistreat someone, all they'll have to give you is a pile of shit.

Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois were very satisfied when discussing salary.

And when the topic of power comes up...

They were even more satisfied.

Because Isabella directly handed over personnel authority to the animation department to them. They could hire whoever they wanted, and they could just call Industrial Light & Magic if they needed any equipment. They were even allowed to buy their own venues, with the company only paying for them.

Furthermore, after finishing "Untitled Beaver Animation", regardless of whether the project is good or bad, Isabella will let them make a show they want to make, and they can do whatever they want. Of course, the best would be "How to Train Your Dragon".

The new boss's generosity thrilled them, and they got busy after signing the contract.

As they prepared to move—they were Americans, but Isabella wasn't going to open a company in the US—Vivian also signed a six-year cooperation agreement with Disney, the 'human trafficker' who brought them there.

Beaver Pictures plans to produce at least two animated films in the next six years.

Disney then handled the film's global distribution.

This global distribution refers not only to theatrical releases, but also to videotapes and cable television networks.

The release period for a single volume is 20 years.

That's right.

Distribution isn't a one-off deal; it's not just about the movie's theatrical release. It's a long-term partnership.

This year, I hosted the premiere of your movie. Ten years later, when the market feels your movie is ready for a re-release, okay, as long as my distribution rights haven't expired, I'll be the one to host the re-release.

The costs associated with the issuance are governed by a very complex tiered contract.

Because the revenue sharing of cinema chains is not fixed.

The first-week profit sharing of major IP film producers can sometimes be as high as 90%.

For example, Star Wars grossed $100 million in its opening weekend in North America.

Lucasfilm wants $9000 million.

Don't ask why.

Q: So my movie is called Star Wars.

In the second week, a top performer can negotiate an 80% success rate; in the third week, a top performer can negotiate a 70% success rate; and in the fourth week, a top performer can negotiate a 60% success rate.

For a truly great IP, the production company's share will only drop below 40% after four weeks.

HP enjoys this kind of treatment.

This is also the real reason why Barry Mayer likes Isabella. When someone can make a movie gross 300 million in a month, the total share that the production company can get is definitely higher than 240 million. That's real money.

and so……

Hollywood lacks viewership?
Stop talking nonsense.

Hollywood's favorite thing is to generate enough traffic to get moviegoers to go to the theater within the first few weeks of a film's release.

If the distributor still charges a fixed percentage when the distribution of each film is different, it can only prove that the production company that signed the contract was cheated, and that production company is a huge victim.

In the contract between Beaver and Disney, if Disney can get 90% of the box office in North America in the first week, then Disney will receive 25% of the box office in the first week, which is normally about 17%.

Other proportions and international markets are subject to separate agreements.

Let's get rich together!

As for the development of IP derivatives?
There is currently only one letter of intent.

Disney has the right of first refusal.

The signing of the contract means that the company has acquired "How to Train Your Dragon".

Isabella didn't ask about the copyright price of the book because Robert Iger bought it for her in his personal capacity.

When this guy thought "How to Train Your Dragon" would be a success, and in order not to leave any evidence of copyright transactions on Disney's public accounts, Isabella, who received the copyright, was naturally secretly delighted.

She doesn't have the habit of taking advantage of others and then acting innocent, or rubbing salt into their wounds.
After the Disney staff left Leavesden, Isabella's life finally returned to normal.

Although she doesn't need to participate in business negotiations or sign company contracts, and all she needs to do is meet and chat with visiting allies, to be honest, when things that could affect your future start popping up in your life one by one, these 'unexpected' events will definitely impact your work.

This has nothing to do with whether you are focused or serious.

It's simply because the things that keep popping up are important.

and so……

Previously, when Isabella was busy with other things, her condition during the filming of "Goblet of Fire" was actually rather average.

Since Harry Potter doesn't really rely on acting skills, and Columbus was trained by Spielberg, their shooting principle for commercial films is "good enough is good enough," so no one cared about Isabella's 'daydreaming'.

And after she finished her chores...

2005 1 Month 27 Day.

Surrey.

Beside Lake Virginia.

Miss Beaver, dressed in her Gryffindor uniform, stared intently into the eyes of Harry, who was wearing glasses and looking anxious.

"Hermione, you have to believe me, I didn't sign up!"

"Because I'm not seventeen! I'm not old enough to participate!"

“Oh, Harry, calm down! Of course I know you didn’t sign up.”

Miss Beaver pressed her hands down, signaling Harry not to rush.

At the same time, her slender eyebrows arched and lifted, revealing complete trust on her face.

“I was there when Dumbledore called out your name, and I saw the shock on your face, so I believe you weren’t lying to us. So, the question now is, who put your name in?”

The moderate pace and calm tone were like an invisible hand gently pressing down Harry's excitement.

As Harry pursed his lips, Miss Beaver frowned and said, "Harry, I think Moody is right. No student could have done all that. No student could have deceived the Goblet of Fire, deceived Dumbledore. So, I think we need to start from the beginning, from when your scar was throbbing. What do you think?"

Harry nodded in agreement with Miss Beaver's suggestion.

This also made Columbus, who was off-camera, happily shout, "Oh~Cut~Good~"

"Isha~ You did a great job today~ I'll treat you to an extra chicken leg tonight~"

"Oh—what do you mean—are you saying I didn't perform well before?"

Isabella beamed when she heard 'Cut Good'.

But when she heard "you can have extra chicken legs tonight," her face immediately fell.

That angry look made Dan Niu smile.

"Isa, your performance the other day was indeed mediocre."

He told the truth.

Isabella immediately put on a hood and adopted the demeanor of a boss.

"Marg! Marg! Where are you?"

"There's a bad guy here! He's slandering me for being a bad actor! Drag him away and execute him!"

The little beaver's call prompted Robbie to rush forward, pinning Eggsy down and trying to find a place to chop him up.

The two of them, with their comical banter, made everyone on set shake their heads with amusement.

Meanwhile, Carrot, who was secretly eating prop bread, added fuel to the fire, saying, "Oh Mag, it's not cost-effective for you to chop him up. Isn't there a lake right in front of you? It would be the easiest thing to do to sink him!"

Upon hearing this, Little Robbie pretended to push Egg Girl into the water.

This situation caused Egg Girl to break free immediately, jumping up and down in a panic, "Rupert, are you crazy?!"

"It's January! Do you know what January is?"

"It's so cold outside! If I fall into the water and catch a cold, will you take responsibility?"

His angry curses made everyone burst into laughter.

Isabella, with her hands in her pockets, gestured with her chin toward Columbus and said, "Then sink him."

"Anyway, we have a script, an assistant director, and a professional cinematographer."

"It's not a big problem to have the director stay in the hospital for two weeks."

Re-aiming his cannon, Columbus turned into Mr. Bean, his eyes widening, "Isa, you're kidding me!"

Columbus's frightened appearance made the entire crew burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha-"

Now that Isabella has found her form, filming for "The Goblet of Fire" is back on track...

Well, the filming of "The Goblet of Fire" has actually been going very smoothly. Filming of "Part 1" will wrap up in mid-March, and then filming of "Part 2" will begin immediately. At the latest, "Part 2" will be completed by mid-November.

Of course, their filming did not strictly adhere to the plot of "(Part 1)" and "(Part 2)".

For example, right now, Isabella and Danielle are filming the opening scene of "(Part 2)".

Because the lake behind them is to be specially arranged when filming "Part 2", the opening conversation of "Part 2" will not be filmed now, and the rest can only be filmed after the lake scenery is dismantled.

Too troublesome.

A pleasant environment always makes time fly by.

Time passed by in the midst of laughter and conversation.

Although this year's awards season had little to do with Isabella, it was a major event in the industry, and everyone was paying attention to it. As a result, Isabella heard quite a bit about it from her personal megaphone.

For example, at this year's Golden Globe Awards ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which has no credibility whatsoever, awarded Best Motion Picture – Drama to "The Aviator" and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy to "Sideways".
Leonardo DiCaprio won the Best Actor in a Drama film award.

Jamie Foxx won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
When this fact came to light, countless media outlets said that Leonardo DiCaprio would be a runner-up again this year.

Yes, everyone knows that Leonardo DiCaprio is aiming for the Best Actor award.

But when he encountered a Black person this year...

Wow~ Jamie Foxx definitely won Best Actor this year~

London time.

2005 2 Month 28 Day.

Robbie Jr. brought Isabella a report on last night's Oscars ceremony.

Looking at the dark figure in the newspaper, Isabella chuckled and hummed twice, offering no comment.

This is not only because she knows that in her past life, Leonardo DiCaprio worked hard for many years before winning an Oscar.

It was also because she knew that this year's Oscar for Best Actor could only be for a Black man.

No reason.

If I absolutely have to give a reason, then I can only say...

Last year, Fox's actions sparked public outrage.

As America's largest window for external propaganda, Hollywood must prove to the world that it is free, democratic, equal, and fraternal.

therefore……

To put it simply, magic is not a good thing; it's a double-edged sword that can hurt the enemy a thousand times while also hurting yourself eight hundred times.

You want to kill someone with a knife?
Okay, you should castrate yourself first.

You are unequal, you don't love others, and you still want to accuse others of racial discrimination?
Then aren't you dreaming?

So……

This year's Oscar for Best Supporting Actor also went to a Black actor, Morgan Freeman, for his film "Million Dollar Baby".

Sophie Okunido won Best Supporting Actress for her entry in Hotel Rwanda.

In the acting category, the only white person was Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank, whose entry was "Million Dollar Baby".

Because of the Oscars... Isabella has already collected all four Dragon Balls, so if she wants, she can immediately wish for an Oscar. Therefore, the results of the awards ceremony are just a bit of fun for her.

But, to everyone's surprise, just a moment ago she was laughing at the Oscars, and the next moment she was speechless, because on March 4, 2005, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" was officially released.

Then, in its opening weekend, the film's box office in North America barely surpassed $2000 million.

(End of this chapter)