novellhall Chapter 41: Screening
Chapter 41: Screening
Although Lionsgate's rejection was within Gu Qing's expectations, it was still a significant blow to him.
In Hollywood, it's not just about talent.
Does this mean I'm really going to end up living off Jing Tian?
Gu Qing frowned, also looking preoccupied.
"Ah Qing, are you still thinking about Lionsgate? Take it easy, just make more movies in China, gain some experience, and win some awards."
Chen Ze, smoking a cigarette, looked at the young man in front of him and offered words of comfort with a smile.
It's normal for Gu Qing to be rejected. If he actually agreed to their request, he would start to doubt the authenticity of Hollywood.
What film company would entrust a big project worth over ten million US dollars to a young director in his twenties, especially one who has no achievements to his name?
"Uncle Chen, don't worry, I'm not that dramatic."
Gu Qing let out a long sigh and said seriously.
At this moment, besides accompanying Jing Tian on her outing, he stayed here waiting for the special effects to be produced.
He originally wanted to go straight back to China, but his younger brother dragged him along and made him watch quite a few movies.
The idea is to learn from the barbarians' superior techniques to control them, but watching movies won't improve your filmmaking skills. There are some things you can't learn just by watching movies.
It was only later, in the information age, when everything was transparent, that he learned to be a director.
"Ring ring~"
Chen Ze wanted to say something more, but Gu Qing's phone rang.
He secretly clicked his tongue as he watched the other person make a gesture and leave.
Wow, I heard it's an Apple phone, costing $600, which is almost 5,000 RMB.
It would take him two months to save up that much money with his salary.
This young man just loves to spend money recklessly. He knows about this stuff, but he's only doing it for the novelty. Once he's back in China, it'll be no different from a brick.
On the other side, Gu Qing was also on the phone with Jing Tian.
"Brother Qing, I told Uncle Lu what you said last time, and I didn't expect it to actually work."
"Regarding joining the crew, Uncle Lu said he wants to try again."
On the other end of the phone, Jing Tian said with a hint of excitement.
Two days ago, she told Lu Zheng everything Gu Qing had told her. Although she didn't think much of joining the crew, she did think it was a good idea for the latter to take a group photo with the governor.
"Well, you can discuss these things yourselves."
"I estimate I'll be heading back to China in the next couple of days."
Gu Qing said with a hint of regret, "Although staying here is quite nice, it's not a long-term solution."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, which was clearly not good news.
"Sweetie?"
"Qing-ge, you don't think I'll be really sad, do you? Haha, you're so narcissistic."
Gu Qing was pondering how to start the conversation when Jing Tian suddenly burst into laughter.
She had deliberately remained silent for a while to gauge her standing in the other person's eyes, and it seemed to be going well.
Jing Tian was in a good mood, humming a little tune. Hearing Gu Qing's questioning voice, she laughed for no reason.
Gu Qing realized he had been tricked and was about to give them a lecture when the other party hung up the phone.
This girl is quite naive.
Gu Qing shook her head and chuckled, no longer concerned about the other person's affairs.
If I remember correctly, the other party was a spokesperson for a fruit brand, and then took a photo with the governor, which made the news.
This is indeed a very impressive move, especially considering that information is not readily available in some parts of China.
Although Lu Zheng is a marketing novice, he also lacks a keen eye for film and television appreciation.
He's a typical example of someone who's bad at games and loves to play; if he's not good enough, he might as well hire a professional agent.
However, he had no right to interfere with others, as they had known him for much longer.
Besides, everything is relative. He may not say he'll really mold Jing Tian into a certain way, but he'll definitely make her play the role most suitable for him, which is much better than Lu Zheng randomly taking on roles.
After spending a few more days in California, post-production on "Cruise" was finally completed.
Together with Chen Ze, they found a screening room and became the first audience members of this movie.
The two watched the two-hour movie carefully, and when they looked at each other, they could see the surprise in each other's eyes.
"Ah Qing, your movie is really good."
Chen Ze looked delighted and couldn't help but pat Gu Qing on the shoulder.
He had already seen the rough cut, but seeing the final post-production version surprised him even more.
This is just like the original image and the photoshopped image; the two are worlds apart.
With an investment of nine million, he was the producer, and the pressure was immense. Now that the film is finished and has exceeded his expectations, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Uncle Chen, let's hurry back to China and prepare for the movie's release."
Although Gu Qing was excited, she did not forget the most important thing.
"You're right, let's go, let's buy tickets and go home today."
Chen Ze wanted to say something more, but it was time to go back and report.
The two had been here for more than half a month, and it was time for them to go back.
Gu Qing originally planned to write several more scripts for registration, but then he thought that whether they could be filmed was another matter. Moreover, Hollywood is not short of scripts. If they like your script, they can just change the appearance and it will be a new movie.
Therefore, writing a script to secure copyright is not very useful.
In Hollywood, the chances of a phoenix rising from the ashes are not small; sometimes, scripts that no one cares about can become huge hits.
Of course, he also didn't forget to register a few doujinshi he was about to translate, so that he could avoid the risk of clashing with them.
A script is not the same as a segmented script; a novel of 20,000 to 30,000 words can be considered a long novel, which Gu Qing could write in a day or two.
After informing Jing Tian, Gu Qing and Chen Ze took a flight back to China that same day.
Just two weeks ago, he was telling Han Sanping that he might direct a movie in Hollywood, and now he feels a little embarrassed.
"Haha, young people are bound to have ambition, it's normal. But don't worry, once this movie is released, your reputation should rise."
Inside the office, Han Sanping looked at Gu Qing's embarrassed expression and couldn't help but find it amusing.
But young people, how can they grow up without hitting a few walls?
The four million investment in "Cruise of Destiny" was made because of the Golden Bear Award and Gu Qing's age.
Even Lu Chuan back then didn't have it this easy.
"Mr. Han, let's talk about the movie's release. I think September would be a good time."
Gu Qing composed herself and decisively skipped the topic.
Having spent so much time with Jing Tian, he's gotten a bit more smug; otherwise, he wouldn't even blush about something like this.
"September? That's a good month, but then you'll have to go up against Jiang Wen."
"Director Jiang? I'm a big fan of his movies."
Gu Qing was taken aback; he hadn't thought that much about it.
Domestically, with "Transformers" in July and "Harry Potter" in August, it's simply impossible to compete. In comparison, Jiang Wen is definitely easier to handle.
"The Sun Also Rises" is an art film, and Jiang Wen must have been trying to avoid Hollywood blockbusters. However, Gu Qing was not going to be shy; he also wanted to become famous.