The King of Directors 2000

The cold wind blew, stripping off the last yellow leaves on the branches. These leaves hit the window glass and then fell to the ground, making no sound anymore.

In the bright room, there is a faint fragrance of tea.

The warm air flows in quietly.

Liu Shishi wore a backless blue dress and sat upright on the sofa, occasionally looking sideways at Li Shengyao on the other side.

Li Shengyao was replying to messages on his mobile phone.

Liu Shishi looked away, picked up the teacup, and took a sip of tea.

Tonight will be the Tencent Gala Night in Yanjing. Chinese entertainment stars, directors, and producers from across the Taiwan Strait and three places will give Tencent face.

Lee Sheung Yew will also participate.

He should have taken Chen Hao or Dong Xuan with him, but his women were obviously pregnant and it was not suitable to go out.

He took Liu Shishi with him.

There will be a red carpet moment later, Liu Shishi is wearing a long dress, and Li Shengyao is also wearing a suit and leather shoes.

They are resting now. Someone from the organizer will notify them later and let them take the organizer's car to the venue.

After sitting for almost twenty minutes, Liu Shishi felt a little bored.

She wanted to take out her mobile phone to play games, but Li Shengyao was sitting on the other side. She didn't dare to do this, fearing that Li Shengyao would think she was frivolous.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and then a staff member from the organizer came over in a hurry.

"Director Li, Teacher Liu, it's your turn in ten minutes. I'll come over and call you then."

The man took two steps back, then looked at Li Shengyao and said flatteringly: "Director Li, you are the grand finale guest of this grand ceremony."

The finale...

Hearing this, Li Shengyao put down his phone and looked over with a smile, "I heard that Director Zhang is also here. Isn't he the finale?"

Li Shengyao did not talk to Lao Mouzi on the phone. The reason why he knew that Lao Mouzi was coming was because he saw it through Zhang Mo's circle of friends.

The crew of "The Great Wall" will participate in this grand ceremony.

In addition to several foreign actors led by Matt Damon, this crew also came over, such as Lao Mouzi, Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu, Lu Han, Lin Gengxin, and Jingtian.

With so many celebrities, it can be said that the stars are shining brightly, and they are definitely a heavyweight guest group tonight.

Lee Sing-yew thought the finale would be the crew of "The Great Wall", but he didn't expect it to be him.

The staff member shook his head upon hearing this, with a smile in his eyes, "Director Li, the crew of "The Great Wall" enters the room penultimately, and you are the final guests."

Li Shengyao laughed when he heard this and said: "Shishi and I don't have enough seats, and Director Zhang is an old-timer. Is it appropriate for us to be the finale?"

"It's suitable. You are now the number one director in Asia. There is no one more suitable than you."

"Even if he is the number one director in Asia, he has to give way to his seniors. Why not let the crew of "The Great Wall" be the finale?"

"This... this is arranged by the higher-ups. How about I..."

Smart employees don’t leave difficult problems to their bosses.

He said this, but he actually still hopes that Lee Sheng Yew can make the finale as planned.

Li Shengyao smiled and said, "Let's decide this. Give me your phone and I'll tell your boss."

A minute later, Li Shengyao returned the phone to the staff, and then said to Liu Shishi: "Shishi, let's go, I will take you to meet Director Zhang and some seniors in the entertainment industry."

He quickly arrived outside the crew lounge of "The Great Wall" and knocked on the door. Someone opened the door and saw Li Shengyao, full of surprise, "Director Li..."

"I'm here to see Director Zhang."

Li Shengyao strode into the lounge and said, "Director Zhang, long time no see."

Lao Mouzi did not expect Li Shengyao to come over. He was stunned for a moment and immediately greeted him with a smile.

In fact, he had known for a long time that Li Shengyao was coming and would also attend the Tencent Ceremony.

But he was an old-timer, so there was no reason for him to visit.

He originally thought that Li Shengyao would not take the initiative to visit because of his extraordinary status, but he did not expect that Li Shengyao would be so generous.

The two then started chatting animatedly.

Actors such as Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu, Lu Han, Lin Gengxin, Chen Xuedong and other actors gathered around and looked at Li Shengyao eagerly.

"Director Li, you have a good chance of winning an Oscar this time."

"Director Li, I went to Hong Kong Island to watch "Joker". It was really good."

"Director Li, I heard that "Joker" is the most popular film in the beautiful country. If "Joker" doesn't win the award, it must be because foreigners are jealous of your talent."

Lao Mouzi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he saw that among the actors, only Li Shengyao was in the eyes of others and seemed to have forgotten about him as the director of the crew.

While communicating with the actors, Li Shengyao paid attention to Lao Mouzi's expression.

He doesn't care whether it's the finale or not, anyway, his award status and box office appeal are there.

There is no doubt that he is the most successful director of the new millennium.

There are two reasons why he came to visit Lao Mouzi. First, Lao Mouzi is indeed a senior, and it is natural for younger generations to visit their seniors.

The second is that he has no more movies to copy. After he retires, he can let Lao Mouzi help him make movies.

Lao Mouzi is a model worker, and he can still direct on the set even in his seventies.

Although the quality of the movies varies, the reputation is there and can be used.

Seeing the disappointment in Lao Mouzi's eyes, Li Shengyao immediately brought the topic to "The Great Wall" and then asked about the computer special effects of "The Great Wall".

When Lao Mouzi heard this, he immediately started talking.

The only good thing about "The Great Wall", a nondescript movie, is probably the special effects.

Lao Mouzi is embarrassed to talk about other things, but when it comes to special effects, we can still talk about it.

Li Shengyao asked some appropriate questions, looking like a student who had never seen the world, which gave Lao Mouzi enough face.

Lao Mouzi sighed in his heart while answering.

Although Li Shengyao is young, he is really sensible. No wonder he is doing well not only in China, but also in beautiful countries.

When he was young, he was relatively aloof and thought that literary and artistic films were the best and commercial films were bullshit. At that time, many investors came, but he didn't like to deal with them and left them all to Zhang Weiping.

After talking about the special effects of "The Great Wall", Lao Mouzi smiled and said: "We are in China and cannot affect the situation in Hollywood.

But everyone must remember that "Joker" is the best movie in 2015. We must stand on Director Li's side and build momentum for Director Li. "

The actors naturally agreed, nodding, patting their chests and saying nice things.

Li Shengyao then introduced Liu Shishi to others, and everyone praised her.

Liu Shishi was famous for her acting skills, and when she suddenly heard so many compliments, she couldn't help but blush.

Li Shengyao then left, and the staff reminded him that he was about to walk on the red carpet.

When Li Shengyao left, Lao Mouzi asked in surprise: "Didn't it mean that Director Li left last and we were second to last?"

Others were also very surprised.

"Director Li heard that the crew of "The Great Wall" was here, so he said that we should change it. They will be the second to last one, and the crew of "The Great Wall" will be the last one."

The person in the finale naturally gets the most attention.

Lee Sung-yew doesn't need the spotlight, but "The Great Wall" needs headlines.

When Lao Mouzi heard this, he was very grateful to Li Shengyao, "I owe him a favor."

On the other side, Li Shengyao and Liu Shishi got into a car together, arrived at the red carpet, and then got out of the car and walked on the red carpet.

Liu Shi's popularity as a poet is very high. At this time, he is second only to the Great Power, and he can be regarded as the second most popular poet after the 1985 generation.

Many fans shouted Liu Shishi's name.

However, the reporters and photographers almost all turned their attention to Lee Sheng Yew, and so did the on-site host. He respectfully invited Lee Sheng Yew to come forward, and then asked some questions about "Joker". As for Liu Shishi, they completely ignored it.

It was Li Shengyao who took the initiative to talk about Liu Shishi, and then gave Liu Shishi some scenes.

Entering the venue, Li Shengyao appeared in front of everyone, and many actors and stars stood up unconsciously.

Some directors and producers came forward to greet Lee Sheng Yew. When Lee Sheng Yew sat down, actors and stars began to come forward and brush their faces in front of Lee Sheng Yew. Regardless of whether they knew them or not, they all came forward with admiration to express their admiration for Lee Sheng Yew and their love for "Joker". Affection.

After Lao Mouzi sat down, the people who came over to check their faces were not finished yet.

Lao Mouzi caught his eye and couldn't help but sigh.

Even after he produced "Hero", he would not have the status that Lee Sheng-yew has now.

The influence of Oscar is terrifying. If Lee Sung-yew wins an Oscar, he will definitely be the most talented director in Asia.

Soon a reporter came over for an interview and asked Lao Mouzi what he thought of Lee Sheng-yao's Olympic bid. Lao Mouzi replied firmly: "I believe in his ability. He can definitely win the grand prize."

Li Shengyao sat aside and listened with a smile.

In his previous life, "Joker" didn't win Best Picture.

Of course, it's not that "Joker" is of poor quality. The main reason is that "Joker" met "Parasite". Both movies are of very high quality and are very capable.

In other years, "Joker" would definitely be the strongest contender.

Now that "Parasite" has been filmed for him in advance, he feels that there is no movie that can compete with "Joker".

But...

The influence of the Oscar is extraordinary. It is hard to say whether the United States will give it to him.

Ang Lee won the Oscar because he has developed in the beautiful country and integrated into the beautiful country.

As for Bong Joon-ho winning an Oscar, it’s because Peninsula is the dog of a beautiful country.

Li Shengyao now has many identities, including vice chairman of the Chinese Directors Association, executive director of the Artists Association, and deputy to the National People's Congress...

It can be said that he represents China.

It’s really hard to say whether the Beautiful Congress will give a grand prize.

As for asking him to pay US$10 million in public relations fees, he was unwilling.

It depends, he still has a plan.

……

At the end of the ceremony, Li Shengyao said goodbye to all the enthusiastic artists and directors, got in the car, and left.

The sky was dark, and the clouds that had been accumulating for an unknown period of time covered the moon and all the stars.

The street lights on both sides of the road were dim, but the buildings in the distance were brightly lit, but the distance was too far, and the light falling on the car was still sparse.

In December, the traffic jam in Yanjing eased slightly, but there were still many vehicles and the sound of cars honking from time to time.

The beeping is very annoying.

The car smells like apples.

Li Shengyao closed his eyes and planned to take a rest, but the cars kept honking outside and he couldn't calm down.

He quickly opened his eyes, then took out his mobile phone and made a call, "Have our people started working?"

"Don't worry, boss, we have already started working. They are all talented people who are proficient in English."

What Li Shengyao said is to lead the topic in the beautiful country's forum. He will use a large number of trolls to constantly tell how good "Joker" is. He will use this group of people to influence the public opinion of the beautiful country.

The beautiful country's Internet supervision has always been very strict.

If it were something else, it would definitely be impossible to control and comment on.

However, film and television discussions are not major issues affecting national security and should not be that sensitive.

Lee Sheung Yew hopes that the people of the beautiful country will stand with "Joker" and let the audience exert their influence.

He wants to make the people of the beautiful country have the idea that "Joker" is the best movie in 2015. "Joker" cannot win the award because the Oscar judges are racist and discriminate against Lee Sung-yew because he is Chinese.

"how is the situation?"

"It went very smoothly. We all answered the questions seriously, not just swiping the screen. Our replies attracted the support of many people."

Li Shengyao nodded, "Did everyone sign a confidentiality agreement?"

"Everything is signed, boss, don't worry."

"Okay, keep working hard and tell everyone, keep busy for another two months, and then I will give everyone bonuses."

He has already maintained a navy army, but now he has found some of them who are proficient in English and let them guide public opinion in the beautiful country forum.

……

In distant Los Angeles, it was still daytime.

The weather here is similar to that of Yanjing. The temperature here has already dropped, the weather has turned cold, the sky is always gloomy, and it can snow at any time.

DreamWorks' headquarters building, Spielberg's office, after the assistant knocked on the door, he hurriedly opened the door and entered.

"Boss, I need to ask for your advice regarding the public relations fees for "Bridge of Spies"."

"The public relations fee has been determined, hasn't it?"

Spielberg is checking the information. It is the end of the year. As a shareholder of DreamWorks, he naturally has a lot to do.

"Yes, the public relations fee provided by the company is US$550, but we feel it is not enough."

"Bridge of Spies" has been released, with a global box office of 1.6 billion. It is impossible to make back the money at the box office alone. It must be added with later income to ensure that it does not lose money.

For Spielberg, such a result is obviously a failure.

He was very disappointed, but the quality of "Bridge of Spies" was excellent and he hoped the film would win an award.

In order to get the movie credit, Spielberg mentioned this matter at the company's senior meeting. In the end, the senior executives decided to pay $5 million as the public relations fee for "Bridge of Spies".

In the past, the public relations expenses for the Oscars were between 5 million and 10 million.

There are too many shareholder factions in DreamWorks and it is difficult to coordinate. In addition, "Bridge of Spies" did not make any money. It is not easy for the company to pay 5 million.

Spielberg frowned upon hearing this, "Isn't five million enough?"

"not enough."

"Then ten million?"

"not enough."

"Fifteen million?"

"not enough."

Spielberg yelled, "Isn't this enough? Fuck, does it cost 20 million US dollars?"

"Yes, boss, this year's price is 20 million."

"How could this be?"

The assistant collected his thoughts for a moment and then said: "The most watched movies at the Oscars in 2016 are "Bridge of Spies," "The Revenant," and "Joker."

Among them, "Joker" is the most popular, and it is completely the spontaneous attention of movie fans.

And "Bridge of Spies" and "The Revenant" are actually more hype.

In order to win the Oscar, Leo paid 20 million US dollars in public relations fees. "

"Is he crazy because he's so tall?"

"No, that's because this year is more difficult. Now there are a large number of fans supporting "Joker" on the Internet. They think the best movie in 2015 is "Joker", and they also claim that people who support other movies are just fans. Money, or discrimination against Asians.

The remarks of these people were recognized by many people, and the Internet almost unanimously supported "Joker".

In order to cater to the audience, many Oscar judges said they were optimistic about "Joker".

In addition, Li has great influence in Asia. Many Asian judges regard Li as the pride of Asia, and they are willing to vote for "Joker".

Likewise, Li is very influential in Europe and many judges are willing to support him.

Therefore, public relations fees have increased a lot this year. The industry view is that "Joker" has too many advantages. To get tickets under such circumstances is to pull out teeth from the tiger's mouth, which is very difficult. "

Pulling out teeth from the tiger's mouth, is "Joker" so advantageous?
Spielberg couldn't help but ask: "Why is Lee so influential in Europe?"

"He has won all three major European awards, and Sight and Sound and Cahiers du Cinema often praise him. It has almost become politically correct for European filmmakers to support him."

"Fuck."

Spielberg picked up the coffee gloomily, looking irritable.

"Boss, should we increase the stakes?"

"Come on, I'll transfer the money. The public relations fees for "Bridge of Spies" are comparable to "The Revenant," and we can't lose."

Spielberg was also very distressed to have to spend 15 million.

But he just wants to compete and cannot lose to Lee Sing Yew.

(End of this chapter)