Reborn Bao Guowei, I really didn’t want to be a great writer!

Chapter 452 Visiting Hollywood? The Godfather movie is about to be completed!
The further south the cruise goes, the warmer the weather becomes.

Along the way, it passed through ports such as Genoa and Naples in Italy, then to Piraeus in Greece, and finally to the port of Alexandria in Egypt.

Just like when they came here, Bao Guowei and others wanted to visit these countries, but unfortunately the cruise ship only stayed at the coast for a short time, so they really didn't have much chance and mostly just had a quick look.

As the weather gets warmer, I naturally go out more often.

Passengers on the cruise ship took advantage of the sunny weather to go to the deck during the day and feel the long-lost warmth.

Many people faced east, missing their loved ones at home.

However, with Bao Guowei's current fame, it is not an easy thing to "show up in public".

For example, because of the popularity of his work "Rural Teacher", many international students in the UK also know the name Bao Guowei.

And thus I got to know Bao Guowei's deeds and appearance.

Even various newspaper news were circulated on the cruise ship, and there was news on the ship that Mr. Bao, who mysteriously disappeared in the UK a few days ago, was now on this cruise ship.

You know, the day after Bao Guowei left, news about him was already flying all over the UK.

Many British people even took to the streets to protest, accusing the authorities of deliberately letting Mr. Bao go in order to stabilize their rule.

"This is a dirty conspiracy of the interest groups. They drove away our savior!"

Similar slogans emerged one after another on the streets, but it was obvious that the British authorities had been prepared for this, and relevant repressive measures and public opinion offensives immediately appeared.

Major newspapers and media even began to publish remarks “slandering” Bao Guowei.

“Bao’s theories are useful, but he is not a good economist.”

"It is not a wise choice to hand over the country to an Oriental."

"Mr. Keynes is a much better economist, and as an Oriental, Bao's loyalty is only to his country and nation."

These remarks do not seem too sharp and are basically true.

Rational and biased remarks tend to influence people's cognition more easily.

It can be said that compared with previous public opinion crises, the British authorities seemed much calmer this time. After all, both the king and the prime minister had already anticipated the occurrence of the crisis.

But even so, Bao Guowei's influence in the UK and even Europe is indelible.

Many ordinary workers who have read Bao Guowei's works and learned economic principles from the stories in "Island Economics" are no longer as ignorant as before.

Bao Guowei's words and knowledge were like sparks, igniting the throbbing in their hearts.

It has been out of control ever since.

America.

California.

Hollywood.

In 1886, real estate developer Harvey Wilcox bought a piece of land here, and his wife named it "Hollywood", which means "forest of holly trees" in English.

Hollywood has a pleasant climate, and outdoor filming is possible most of the year. In particular, the abundant sunshine and diverse terrain make it an excellent place for filming.

Since the establishment of the first film studio, Nestor Films, in 1907, Hollywood has increasingly become an important base for American film production.

By 1930, Hollywood had truly become the global film industry center.

In a sense, the development of the United States was also due to geographical factors. After all, Europe and Asia were all engaged in internal intrigue, and each country was in danger. Only the United States was safe overseas and had no strong enemies around it. It was natural that various industries developed rapidly.

In addition, he made a fortune by sitting on the sidelines and watching the fight between two tigers, during the wars in Europe and Asia.

Even though it has been affected by the economic crisis, the United States is still much better off than many European countries.

At least the living standards of ordinary people are much better, because some people in the United States at this time are not considered human beings at all.

Therefore, even in the context of economic depression, film production in Hollywood did not stop.

On the contrary, it is precisely because of the Great Depression that people choose popcorn movies with lower ticket prices in order to escape reality and seek comfort.

Historically, during the period from 1929 to 1933, when the economic crisis was at its worst, the number of moviegoers in the United States did not decrease, but increased instead.

Moreover, the audience's preferences for film types have also changed. Heavy themes that reflect reality are no longer popular.

Themes that are quite popular are especially those about small people struggling in difficult situations and ultimately succeeding.

Therefore, "The Godfather", which Paramount collaborated with Chinese filmmakers nearly half a year ago, became the object of favor for many filmmakers.

"If a man is not careful, his life is over."

In the studio scene, the old godfather Vito Corleone hid in the darkness, and said this to his son Michael Corleone in a slightly magnetic voice.

At that time, the Corleone Family was in a turbulent and dangerous period, and the old Godfather Vito was well aware of the dangers of the power struggle.

Now, he begins to think about the future and inheritance of his family.

Prior to this, the Corleone Family had experienced a conflict with the drug dealer Sollozzo. The eldest son Sonny was impulsive by nature and was killed by the enemy in this struggle. The old Godfather was also seriously injured.

It was against this background that the old godfather had an in-depth conversation with his youngest son Mike.

The old godfather Vito shared his life experience with his youngest son.

However, in a studio full of white people, there were two different faces who expressed their opinions on the performances here.

"This is Vito's philosophy of life, and it will also become the representative discourse of this film. American men, and even men in the entire West, are suffering from the economic crisis. I believe this film will be a success."

Bu Wancang, one of the first directors of the Republic of China, could not suppress his excitement when watching the performance on the set, and analyzed with a beaming face.

But after being excited for a long time, he saw Li Mingwei beside him looking absent-minded, so he couldn't help but stretch out his hand and wave it in front of him.

"Mr. Li, what do you think? Is there any problem?"

In order to connect with Paramount Pictures in the United States, Li Mingwei and Bu Wancang made a special trip to Hollywood to discuss the filming of "The Godfather".

"No, no." Li Mingwei came back to his senses and said with a smile. "The filming in Parker is good, much better than the conditions in our country. If Mr. Bingwen hadn't insisted on building a filming base in China, I think it wouldn't be a problem to shoot everything in Hollywood."

Bu Wancang replied, "Mr. Bingwen also has a deep meaning. I think he wants to build a film base like Hollywood in China to pave the way for future generations."

Li Mingwei hadn't thought of this, but when Bu Wancang mentioned it, he nodded immediately.

"I hadn't thought of the reason behind this. Now that I've heard Brother Wan Cang talk about it, I feel that Mr. Bingwen is really far-sighted!"

Speaking of this, Li Mingwei couldn't help but sigh.

"It's just that I haven't heard from Mr. Bingwen for a long time. I heard that he went to Europe. I don't know if he will come to the United States."

Bu Wancang thought about it and said, "Probably not. I heard that Mr. Bingwen's schedule is very tight. He should be on his way back home now. The Lunar New Year is coming soon, and everyone wants to go home for a reunion."

Even though the government repeatedly ordered that the Lunar New Year should not be celebrated, and even enforced it by force, it still could not stop the people from adhering to traditional culture. Even intellectuals like Li Mingwei and Bu Wancang still felt a little homesick after the New Year.
At this time, Li Mingwei said with a smile: "Speaking of which, speaking of Paramount, I have another joke about Mr. Bingwen."

"Tell me about it." Bu Wancang narrowed his eyes. Bao Guowei was almost a topic that they could never get rid of.

"When he was in Shanghai, Mr. Bingwen particularly liked the suits of the brand Parker, a British brand originating from South London. When he was in Shanghai, he had a special liking for Parker suits. I thought he just liked famous brands.

But later I introduced him to more famous brands, such as Parkermont, Hengsheng, etc., which are all well-known custom-made suits, but Mr. Bingwen was still unwilling and specifically asked for this Parkermont suit.

Until he introduced this Paramount Pictures company to me, I thought that Paramount and Parker were the same thing.

I was wondering why Mr. Bingwen always had a problem with Pikemon, but later I realized that the English was different. "

"This..." Bu Wancang's mouth twitched, and he laughed out loud. "Mr. Bingwen is really interesting, and he is a very unique person."

Especially Pokemon and Paramount, perhaps only Chinese people would cause such a farce of misunderstanding.

While the two men were talking to each other, an American man with blue eyes and blond hair came over, spread his hands and said with a smile.

"Gentlemen, I heard the word Paramount from you. If you have any opinions about our filming site, please feel free to raise them."

"Thank you, Mr. Howard. We are both very satisfied with the filming of The Godfather for the time being." Li Mingwei nodded politely.

The gentleman in front of you is the contact person between the two at the Paramount studio, Mr. Howard Hawks.

He was also the chief director of the American filming of "The Godfather".

There are many fighting and weapon-based elements in "The Godfather", all of which needed to be filmed in the United States, and Howard Hawks was one of the best.

This gentleman is also a legendary figure in the history of American film industry.

At this point in the 1930s, Howard Hawks was not very famous. He had just started his directorial career four years ago, and his works were mainly comedies and crime films.

But later, Howard's films were a huge commercial success and won two Academy Awards.

It discovered a group of outstanding actors, such as John Wayne, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and so on.

Of course, Bao Guowei specifically chose this gentleman mainly because he was good at portraying the image of a heroic man. In many of his later films, the male characters often have the characteristics of perseverance, bravery, and wisdom. At the same time, he was also famous for shooting action films and crime films in later generations. It can be said that he was the perfect person to direct "The Godfather".

Howard was obviously very polite to Li Mingwei and Bu Wancang. It was not the first time they met, but he still took off his hat and saluted slightly.

"Mr. Bao is a great writer, and his works are almost known to every household in the United States. If he is willing to come to the United States, he will surely be greatly welcomed.

I was fortunate to be appreciated by Mr. Bao, which enabled me to direct this excellent work.

Gentlemen, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. "

Li Mingwei and Bu Wancang looked at each other, and they began to understand why the gentleman in front of them was so polite.

It turns out that he was chosen by Mr. Bingwen.
Why did Mr. Bingwen know this up-and-coming American director?

The two were puzzled, but they decided not to think about it because this was not the first time Bao Guowei brought them unreasonable surprises.

Moreover, Li Mingwei was filled with emotion. This was not his first time in the United States. Although Americans were not as arrogant as the British, they were not much less.

And just this time, when he came to the United States with the name Bao Guowei, he received unimaginable courtesy.

Perhaps this is Bao Guowei's real influence in the United States?
Howard continued, "Gentlemen, you may not know the significance of The Godfather in the United States. The novel has become a bestseller in the United States, with sales exceeding one million copies since its publication. A movie based on The Godfather is a sure bet and will be a hit!"

Li Mingwei knows this. With the popularity of "The Godfather" leading the way, even if the movie is bad, there will be book fans going to the cinema to buy it.

This is the charm of film adaptations of literary works.

Moreover, judging by the strength shown by the current movie, it will probably be a work that is consistent with the original and far exceeds the average level.

For Howard, it is almost an opportunity to reach the sky in one step!

Although he didn't know why Bao Guowei chose him, Howard was still grateful!

Li Mingwei smiled and said, "Mr. Howard, don't be too modest. Mr. Bingwen must have chosen you because of your directing ability. Your directing is excellent and we can hardly find any fault with it.

The only thing to note is that the Chinese and American filming need to communicate more, so as to avoid a sense of disconnection during post-production editing.”

Howard nodded and said, "Dear Li, don't worry about this. We have already opened up the communication channel. The telegram across the ocean has been connected. We can contact each other at any time. Film will also be sent to China regularly. I believe we can create this excellent movie together!"

"Thank you Paramount for your sincere cooperation!" Li Mingwei also nodded and said.

He had previously developed the film industry in Hong Kong and had experience in working with foreigners. Paramount, as an American company, could be said to have the best cooperative attitude that Leon Lai had ever seen.

He knew how difficult it was to get a transoceanic telegram going, but apparently, for the wealthy Paramount Company, this was an easily solvable problem.

"This time we came to Hollywood, we not only want to exchange the production process and style of The Godfather, but also want to determine when The Godfather will be completed and ready for release."

Determining the release time is also the real purpose of Li Mingwei and his companion's trip. This is difficult to make clear in the telegram, and requires communication of difficulties and progress among all parties.

Nearly half a year has passed since the decision to shoot "The Godfather".

Nowadays, the filming cycle of a movie is relatively short, and even big productions will not exceed a year.

The movie "The Godfather" doesn't have any big scenes, at most there are some gun battles, so the shooting period is naturally much shorter.

Li Mingwei is familiar with the filming process in Hollywood. For a movie like "The Godfather", generally half a year is enough.

"this problem."

Howard fell into deep thought.

Afterwards, he brought the two of them to the office and took out the plan for "The Godfather" movie.

He said while introducing.

"The early stage shooting has basically been completed. Now we have to make some supplements and refinements. As you know, Mr. Bao's original work is a very exquisite story. We need to do our best to restore the original work, but we can't let the camera language bring ambiguity. This is a very time-consuming task.

Did you bring your negatives? We need to analyze it together."

"I have it." Bu Wancang picked up his briefcase.

Apparently, the two of them made this trip to deliver a copy of the film.

When it comes to the original film, it is only natural for the two of them to come in person to prevent the news from leaking.

After a quick look, Howard put the film back carefully. Because it was labeled, he could roughly understand the specific shooting conditions of the shots.

Howard then said seriously, "Gentlemen, I think we need some time, not only to discuss the subsequent editing of the film, but also to further plan the subsequent shooting steps."

Bu Wancang and Li Mingwei looked at each other. It was obvious that the production method of Hollywood was much more standardized, unlike the small domestic film workshops.

After thinking about it, Li Mingwei nodded and said.

"No problem, we will stay and complete the follow-up work together!"

Li Mingwei had already decided that he must make this "The Godfather" a good one!
(End of this chapter)