From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Anson could have continued his aggressive questioning. Anson could have seized the opportunity to dominate, continuing to instill his own opinions and crush the two screenwriters' defenses in one fell swoop.

However, he didn't.

Not only didn't he, but Anson also deliberately pressed the pause button, leaving room for the two screenwriters to breathe and react, allowing them to gather their thoughts.

He even politely thanked the waiter, accepted his soda water, and when the waiter cautiously asked, "Are you Anson?" Anson, after receiving an affirmative answer, even signed the waiter's apron.

Quiet, friendly, that joyful and light atmosphere surged in the air.

Because fundamentally, Anson's goal was not to destroy the two screenwriters, firmly seize the initiative, and take over the entire project to truly become the producer with the power of life and death; but to seek a proper way of cooperation with the two screenwriters and directors, and work together to complete the filming of a work.

Anson was not prepared to completely take over the crew; he didn't think it was necessary.

Strategy and means, the final destination is not power, but the work itself.

Thus, under Anson's control, the conversation was paused.

However, Mackie and Eric remained silent.

It wasn't until now that Mackie realized that they were not only wrong, but terribly wrong.

They regarded Anson as a sugar daddy, a vase eager to become a producer but without artistic thinking, a puppet that could be easily manipulated, a stepping stone for them to complete their dream project, a lucky person who achieved success based on his looks but whose head was full of straw, an object, a check, a label, anyway not an actor, not even a person with a complete personality and self-soul.

But now it seemed that they, who had such thoughts, were the clowns.

Over the years, they had prided themselves on the perfection of their script, not allowing anyone to point fingers, let alone modify it; even the slightest doubt would detonate a landmine, which also led to many difficulties in their cooperation negotiations.

They complained, they protested, they blamed their lack of opportunity on others. They believed that others could not understand their creativity and hard work. They believed that they were the next James Cameron or Ridley Scott, only without anyone appreciating them.

But now, Anson was willing to openly conduct self-examination—

Was he suitable for the role?

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. The root of everything was that their script creation focused on the concept of the "butterfly effect", but committed the same fatal misplacement as many science fiction movies, focusing on the setting but ignoring the people in the setting. The flesh and blood and souls of those characters were the key to connecting science fiction movies with reality.

They thought the script was perfect, they believed that no one was more suitable to be the director than them, but what if they were wrong?

Then.

Anson looked at the two screenwriters again, and after confirming that they had not expressed their views, he continued.

"Actually, there is an explanation."

"Obsession."

"Perhaps, at the beginning, Evan was just thinking that if he could change the past, he could rewrite his past history with Keller; slowly, slowly, this evolved into an obsession, stuck in a dead end, as if this was the only path and way for him to achieve happiness."

"When such an obsession cannot be realized, the futility of failure and the despair of utter hopelessness make him feel small and helpless in the face of the giant of fate."

Anson cautiously threw out his thoughts.

Anson knew Mackie and Eric's persistence. If someone else stood in their position, they would probably find it difficult to accept others pointing fingers at their seven years of hard work.

But the point was that Anson believed that, as an actor, his chemical reaction with the character was also an important part of the film, and could not be ignored.

Therefore, Anson did not act too hastily, but cut in step by step, quietly reversing the situation before the two screenwriters noticed the abnormality.

Sure enough, Mackie was drawn into Anson's rhythm.

Mackie grabbed a life-saving straw from Anson's words, straightened his back instantly, and nodded without hesitation, "Yes, that's it."

At least, this could prove that they had not failed to consider this point.

Unexpectedly, Anson paused, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, "But if it is an obsession, the script needs to bury a seed, so that this origin, this motive, can take root and sprout along with the development of the story, otherwise the so-called obsession is just wishful thinking, a castle in the air."

Eric showed a thoughtful expression, "What do you mean?"

Anson did not rush to cut into the answer, "You are the screenwriters, the answer should be in your hearts, you know this script better than I do."

Imperceptibly, Anson pushed the initiative back.

Eric thought for a moment, "Do you mean that in the opening part of the story, we should show Evan's longing for Keller?"

"For example, he still thinks of Keller when he is dating his girlfriend; for example, his computer still has the love letters he wrote to Keller back then?"

"For example, he still keeps Keller's memorabilia; or he finds Keller's phone number, tries to call several times but still gives up?"

As expected of a screenwriter, working in this project for seven years, inspiration is readily available, one setting after another is blurted out, completely effortless.

Unexpectedly, Anson waved his hand, "No, no, no, this seems too straightforward and superficial, it will only make Evan look like a jerk."

"Such a setting is more like first love is a white moonlight, obviously he is in a relationship but he always misses the past, the crux of the whole story completely hits on love, which seems very stupid and very superficial."

"The real brilliance should be that the past regrets and deficiencies form a series of influences in life like dominoes, so that he loses the ability to embrace happiness."

"When he tries to trace the past and review himself along the psychological cracks, he realizes that those deficiencies are deeply imprinted in his bones, because of the family, because of love, because of childhood experiences, some deficiencies have been formed."

"For example, losing the ability to love, losing the ability to believe in happiness."

In this way, it is no longer limited to the crude setting of "first love white moonlight", but raises the entire story, not only love, but a lack of happiness.

The most important thing is to perfectly fit the script created by Eric and Mackie—

From the beginning, Evan was looking for, looking for his missing puzzle through a psychologist.

Sure enough, as soon as Anson said it, the switches in the two screenwriters' minds immediately turned on, and their brains finally started working again, and this way of opening up was acceptable.