novellhall Chapter 291 Industry Trend Forecasting
Chapter 291 Industry Trend Forecasting
Chapter 290 Industry Trend Prediction (Happy New Year, please vote!)
Upon seeing the rating of the "La La Land" project, a hint of joy flashed in Chen Xun's eyes.
When the project was first launched, its overall rating was only D—.
The other items were basically the lowest level in Chen Xun's previous projects.
And now, in just over four months, almost all the data have reached A+!
His performance level reached A+, which he honed through countless scenes.
Chen Xun almost etched Sebastian's obsession, tenderness, and regret into his very bones.
This earned the approval of the entire production team.
The director's increased satisfaction was the result of his repeated, precise suggestions for revising the script.
Piano and dance scenes were filmed in one take!
Director Cha Zhelei's trust in Chen Xun grew stronger.
Later on, when filming, we almost always discussed and agreed on the terms beforehand.
The audience's anticipation is largely due to Chen Xun's tendency to trend on social media.
With a constant stream of leaked photos and pictures of Chen Xun and Emma surfacing online, audience anticipation has skyrocketed.
The remaining 10% of the film consists of reshoots, premiere promotional material, and final editing. If the current quality is maintained throughout, the final overall rating is expected to break through to S level.
[S-Rank Rating Unlocks Rewards:]
[Progress of "Tens of Thousands of People Diving Out" +30%]
[Unlock special item: One-time fast pass card, your movie gets a one-time fast pass without review, avoiding delays or rejections caused by review delays]
[Hollywood mainstream director resource pool unlocked +1]
Looking at the rows of reward announcements, Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
SpeedPass!
Chen Xun's eyes lit up.
As he appears in more and more films, especially independent films, he will inevitably be subject to review by higher authorities due to some plot or visual issues.
His previous roles, including in films like "Green Lantern" and the "Fast & Furious" series, had to have some scenes cut due to censorship.
With this speed pass, this problem can be perfectly avoided.
Not to mention unlocking the pool of resources from mainstream Hollywood directors.
This means he will have access to more projects from top directors.
Even with his current status, he can only work within his familiar circle. In fact, many films outside the industry have not extended audition invitations to him because of his identity as a Chinese actor.
If he were a white actor, it would be perfectly normal in Hollywood.
Once a white actor suddenly becomes a sensation, he is immediately offered various big-budget production opportunities.
Chen Xun now mostly stars in film series or adaptations of comics that are not well-received.
Most of the roles he got were due to his own hard work.
While actors like Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence rose to fame around the same time as him, they are now overwhelmed with big-budget scripts and have a wide variety of roles to choose from.
He had previously thought that after finishing filming "La La Land," he would immediately fly back to China to join the crew of "Crosscurrent."
An A rating is acceptable.
Now it seems that the last 10% of the film, as well as the publicity for the premiere, cannot be taken lightly.
He absolutely must get an S-level rating!
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking in Los Angeles, Chen Xun sat at his desk in his apartment and made an overseas call.
The phone rang twice before being answered, and Yang Chao's voice came from the other end.
In the background, there was a faint sound of flowing water, indicating that they had arrived at the scouting site for Wusongkou.
"Chen Xun? Why are you calling at this hour? Didn't you say that 'La La Land' is almost finished filming and you're incredibly busy?"
"Director Yang, there's something I need to discuss with you."
Chen Xun tapped the filming schedule for "Crosscurrent" on the table with his fingertips, and said sincerely, "The remaining reshoots and post-production work for 'La La Land' is taking more work than expected. I'd like to postpone the start of filming by seven days."
Fearing that Yang Chao might misunderstand, he quickly added, "Don't worry, all the costs incurred due to the delay, including venue and personnel delays, will be included in my investment. The production team won't have to bear a single penny."
Yang Chao's hearty laughter immediately came from the other end of the phone, without the slightest hesitation: "I thought it was something serious, is this all? Delay it! Don't say seven days, delay it for half a month is no problem!"
Chen Xun was stunned for a moment.
I didn't expect him to agree so readily.
"You think everything's ready on my end?"
Yang Chao explained with a smile, "I'm currently running around the river with the production crew. It's been raining at Wusongkou these past few days, and the waves on the river are high, so the cargo ship originally scheduled for filming can't enter the port. We're coordinating with a backup ship."
"The filming permits for several docks along the river are taking two days longer than expected."
He paused, his tone full of sincerity: "I was originally thinking about how to bring up the postponement with you, worried that you might not be able to make the schedule, but you called first."
"Perfect, it fits both sides!"
"You can focus on finishing La La Land properly, we don't need to rush these few days."
"Good things come to those who wait. Once you're done with your work here, let's focus on making a good film about the Yangtze River."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.
He had prepared himself for Yang Chao's concerns and expected to have to explain things to him at length, but he did not expect that the two of them would have the same idea.
Yang Chao spent ten years working on this script and didn't care about waiting an extra seven days.
What he wanted was a work that could live up to the Yangtze River and be worthy of his ten years of dedication.
This meticulous attention to detail regarding the work perfectly mirrors Chen Xun's current state of mind.
If you're going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Chen Xun appeared on time at the reshoot set of "La La Land".
Chazelle was adjusting the camera tracks with his crew when he saw him come in and immediately came to greet him.
"I heard you postponed filming in China?"
Chen Xun was taken aback.
They soon learned that it was Robert who had given the message to Chazelle.
This was to show Chazelle the dedication Chen Xun had put into La La Land.
"We've discussed it with the director over there. The extended time is enough for us to thoroughly work out the remaining shots and finalize the rough cut."
Chen Xun handed the script to his assistant, which was covered with detailed notes on reshoots and adjustments: "Which scene should we shoot first today?"
"First, add close-up shots of your piano solo, and then add long shots of the Hollywood Hills pas de deux."
Chazelle patted him on the shoulder, his eyes full of approval: "To be honest, I didn't expect you to postpone your new film to finish this one."
"Many Hollywood actors never care about post-production or reshoots again once the wrap party is over."
"This is also my work!"
Chen Xun said seriously, "My work is not finished until Sebastian's story has completely ended."
Damien Chazelle's favorability +3, current favorability: 91
Because of Chen Xun's dedication, director Cha Zelei's favorability rating also exceeded 90 points.
Previously, Cha Zelei's requirements for reshoots were simply to fill in the continuity errors and complete the close-ups where the emotions were not quite right. However, Chen Xun treated every reshoot as an important scene and worked on it meticulously.
Chazelle felt that one take was perfect enough for the close-up shot of the piano solo, but Chen Xun took the initiative to ask for eight takes.
From the force of the fingertips on the piano keys to the emotional layers in the eyes when looking up, and even the amplitude of the shoulders rising and falling with the melody, everything has been meticulously crafted.
He didn't want a pianist, he wanted Sebastian who had jazz ingrained in his very being.
Even standing on the top stage, there was still regret for Mia hidden in his eyes.
The reshoots for their duet dance with Emma went on until the early hours of the morning.
The wind in Los Angeles was cool late at night, and the lights of the Hollywood Hills stretched out like a sea of stars behind me.
Emma, wearing Mia's yellow dress, missed a beat and stopped, panting and apologizing.
Chen Xun smiled and handed her a bottle of cola, going over the details of her movements with her: "You don't need to rush here. Sebastian just confessed to Mia, so he's being careful, not rushing forward."
Emma looked at the seriousness in his eyes, paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
After that out-of-control kiss that night, a layer of ambiguity appeared between the two.
The two became increasingly in sync.
A single glance tells you what rhythm the other wants, a single gesture tells you what emotions you want.
Even Chazelle couldn't help but remark to the producer, "When the two of them stand together, without saying a word, they are Sebastian and Mia."
This situation lasted for a week.
All reshoots for La La Land have been completed!
[Detection indicates all reshoots for "La La Land" are complete; project filming progress updated: 100%]
Project Name: La La Land
[Current filming progress: 100% (filming wrapped)]
[Performance Rating: S—]
Director's satisfaction rating: S
Teamwork: A+
[Audience Expectations: A]
Overall Rating: A+
[Stage Reward: The progress of "Ten Thousand People Drawing the Streets" +8%, Current Total Progress: 45%]
The project has entered the post-production editing stage. The quality of the final cut will determine the final overall rating. The "Industry Trend Forecast" feature provides guidance for the project's post-production.
[Loading data on Hollywood musical film market trends, awards season preferences, and audience taste changes from 2011 to 2017 ————]
[Data loading complete; post-production editing optimization report for "La La Land" has been generated]
Lines of clear analytical data unfolded before his eyes. Chen Xun stood in a corner of the set, closing his eyes and quickly processing the information.
In 2011, musicals were no longer the mainstream in Hollywood.
The last musical film to achieve both box office and awards season success was "Chicago" more than a decade ago.
Most directors, when editing musicals, either fall into the long narratives of old-fashioned musicals, or, in order to cater to a fast-paced market, cut the musical scenes into fragments, losing the core charm of long takes in musicals.
The core of the [Industry Trend Prediction] that predicted "La La Land" would sweep the Oscars lies in two points.
Firstly, it pays homage to and innovates upon classic musicals, showcasing the fluidity and romance of long-take musical sequences.
Secondly, the emotional tension created by the montage at the end pushed the regret of unrequited love to its extreme, precisely striking a chord with the audience and Oscar.
The judges' aesthetic preferences.
Chazelle's initial editing approach deviated precisely from these two points.
To speed up the narrative pace, he planned to cut one-third of the long take of the opening highway song and dance scene.
I also want to compress the montage at the end and add more scenes from the real-life events.
In an effort to cater to the market, they even considered breaking down several long takes of duet dances and splicing them together with fast-cut shots.
These changes will precisely erode the core essence of La La Land.
That evening.
Chen Xun, holding his compiled editing suggestions, sat down opposite Chazelle.
On the studio's large screen, a rough cut of Chazelle's first draft was playing, with the editor and core members of the production team sitting around it.
Looking at Chen Xun, who had suddenly intervened in the later stages, they all had a bit of surprise in their eyes.
After all, in Hollywood, the director is the absolute core of a film.
Especially for auteur directors like Chazelle, the biggest taboo is actors interfering with post-production editing.
"Chen, I know you have feelings for this film, but editing is my job."
Chazelle spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible resistance: "I know you're great at rewriting scripts and you understand acting, but editing and acting are two different things."
"I'm not here to steal your editing rights, Damien."
Chen Xun wasn't angry. He handed over the analysis report in his hand: "I'm just giving you a reference direction, a direction that is more in line with the market trends of the next five years, so that this film will be remembered by more people."
Pointing to the clips on the big screen, he offered his suggestions one by one, his logic clear and every sentence hitting the nail on the head: "The opening long shot of the highway absolutely cannot be cut. This isn't just unnecessary showing off; it sets the tone for the entire film."
"Romantic, passionate, and with a Los Angeles dream vibe, the show is designed to draw the audience into this world right from the start. If you cut a third of it, the tone falls apart."
"For long takes of the duet, don't break them up; cut quickly."
"The charm of musicals lies in the fact that the camera follows the actors' movements, allowing the audience to feel that real romance. Fast cuts will only take the audience out of the story and waste the footage we've shot through so many sleepless nights."
"The most important thing is the montage at the end; it absolutely cannot be compressed!"
"The core of this film is what would have happened if we had been braver back then."
"This montage is a dream for all the viewers. The longer the dream, the more powerful the final glance back to reality will be, and the more memorable it will be for a lifetime."
What Chen Xun is saying now is the direction that director Chazelle took for the final version of "La La Land" in the later stages of editing.
However, in his previous life, before finalizing the version, director Chazelle kept adjusting his editing approach, wasting a lot of time.
Chen Xun's appearance made good use of all the time that would otherwise have been wasted.
His suggested revisions were even more perfect than the final cut of La La Land in his previous life.
Chen Xun's outburst silenced the entire editing room staff, their eyes filled with awe.
They never expected that Chen Xun, an actor by profession, would be so proficient in editing!
Chen Xun paused, then added his suggestions for adjustments for the awards season: "Also, the fit between the background music and the visuals. We can embed variations of the main theme of 'City of Stars' in every shot of the two of them together, even as background music, so that the emotions can be maintained throughout."
"This is precisely the detail that Oscar voters value most."
Chazelle, who had initially been resistant, slowly changed his expression from a furrowed brow to a thoughtful one as he flipped through the analysis report in his hand.
He had to admit that every suggestion Chen Xun made accurately hit the spot of his initial hesitation in the edit.
He wasn't unaware of the allure of long takes; he was simply afraid the market wouldn't accept them, and that the narrative pace would be too slow, making it unsettling for the audience.
Chen Xun's suggestion not only gave him a reason to persist, but also provided a specific and feasible adjustment plan.
They even made clear predictions about the market and awards season.
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