I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

One and a half million US dollars, this price is indeed not low for an advertising director.

Or to put it another way, a director like Xu Xin only gets paid so much for one movie.

For this "John Wick", his salary was actually only US$700,000.

It's already very high.

And if he hadn't won the Golden Bear, he might not have gotten the 700,000 yuan.

After all, for Hollywood, a director who has never made a single movie...even if approved by the producer, will not offer a particularly high salary.

That's not realistic.

This is true for movies, let alone advertisements.

As we all know, commercial and MTV directors are at the bottom of the director circle.

Good directors make movies, and mediocre directors make TV series.

Only the most incompetent people shoot short films that can be completed in three to five minutes at most.

This is not only true in Hollywood, but also in China.

Commercial and MTV directors are only good at fooling those stupid young people, but any little star with some knowledge will not pay attention to such a director with no ability.

In China, the remuneration given to the director for a music video or advertisement is only around tens of thousands to one hundred thousand. If the investment is particularly large and the advertisement can hire A-list celebrities, the pay may be higher.

But it's only a small six-digit number, not higher.

This is especially true in Hollywood.

It's just that their wages are higher.

But the figure of 1.5 million is already extremely high.

If you simply go by the standard of an advertising director, you will definitely not be able to open it so high. In Xu Xin's opinion, there are two reasons why Bentley is willing to pay this price even with a bit of the arrogance of an empire on which the sun never sets.

At first glance, it seemed that... the Volvo advertisement was more popular than I thought.

Secondly, it seems that these people who grew up eating old London fried noodles are really not short of money?

But the second reason is somewhat untenable.

That is to say, it belongs to the level of elusiveness.

But no matter what, apart from Bentley's "I inspect the goods first and pay later" endorsement condition, Xu Xin at least was not disgusted by the conversational atmosphere of the meal or the price offered by Bentley.

But he didn't agree directly.

Just like what Lao Qian said, he was not in a hurry.

Just do some shopping around.

Even though he just bought a Bentley and it drives really well.

As for the so-called "consider asking yourself to become a spokesperson", it is not particularly attractive to Xu Xin. Because after the novelty of convenience passed, he thought about it and found that he had only used this kind of vehicle service a few times in the past two years.

better than nothing.

Even without this service, the ground handling team can do these things well.

On the contrary, it has no attraction to him anymore.

Therefore, "waiting until the movie is over before thinking about it" became his excuse.

A good atmosphere of conversation was maintained and lasted until the end.

But in fact, Xu Xin still underestimated the reaction of this group of advertisers.

Robert, that's like a start.

In the next few days, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda, Lexus, and even Skoda, another Volkswagen brand, all found him.

Some contacted Yang Mi through domestic manufacturers to find him, and some came directly to the set. Moreover, Xu Xin also discovered something. Those who can find him should all have good relationships with Paramount.

There are security guards on the set, and outsiders are generally not allowed in, but they can come and go at any time, which is quite outrageous.

And the prices they offered were basically around one million US dollars.

Only high, not low.

But for now, Bentley’s 150 is indeed the highest bidder.

However, except for Japanese cars, European and American cars rarely directly invite him to become their spokesperson.

It's all in the form of I contribute the money and you contribute the effort.

However, Xu Xin has no interest in Japanese cars.

Who doesn’t know that Japanese cars are notoriously brittle?

Therefore, Xu Xin did not agree to these advertisements.

They were all held back by using the movie as an excuse.

Time, just like this, came to October inadvertently.

On September 30th, "Pacific Rim" was officially released in China.

It was released for a total of 65 days, with a box office of 910 million.

Not only did it directly crush "Iron Man 3" under its feet, it also set a record by the way.

Compared with the North American box office, which ended with a box office of 120 million, "Pacific Rim" became the first movie to surpass the North American box office in the Chinese box office.

Hollywood movies defeated Hollywood in China.

The first one in history.

This landmark and glorious moment has been completely written into Yang Mi's resume and the long history of Tianchao's movies.

In a sense, it can be regarded as famous in history.

Yang Mi.

Yang Mi.

Yang Mi.

At some point, a nickname began to circulate in the circle.

"Five hundred million poplar honey."

This means that as long as Yang Mi joins a movie, it means that the minimum box office of your movie will be 500 million.

Such a nickname shows its appeal.

…

"What the hell? Five hundred million Yangmi?"

Xu Xin on the other side of the phone was a little puzzled:

"What does this nickname mean?"

"It means that as long as the movie finds me, it will guarantee a box office of 500 million yuan. So, 500 million Yangmi, hehehe..."

The young woman on the other side of the phone was smiling like a flower.

Apparently, she was quite pleased with the nickname.

The entertainment industry is a vanity fair that requires everyone to carry a label.

With the name of "500 million" here, others are box office poisons, box office black holes, etc., but as soon as I appear on the stage, I have the shining aura of 500 million snowflakes.

With so much public support, once this label is established, won’t it go sideways from now on?

Although she walks quite horizontally now... But if she is extremely horizontal, and a negative is a positive, wouldn't she be able to walk upright?

Therefore, when this nickname was applied to her head, she was really happy for a long time.

But Xu Xin was wondering:

"Your average box office combined shouldn't be less than 500 million, right?" (Note 1)

But Yang Mi rolled her eyes:

"You want to take care of it? I'm worth 500 million! Can't you?! What, do you know how happy you are? You sleep on the same bed with a female star worth 500 million every day. You kid, don't know how lucky you are!"

"...Sister, please figure out who is sleeping with me and who is talking about this, okay?"

"Hey, brother, your waist still hurts? You're not even thirty yet, and you're already so sluggish? You can't do it either."

If it were three years ago, Xu Xin would have been so nakedly ridiculed and would have retorted back and asked this bitch to wait. Wait until you get home and fight her for three hundred rounds! Let her see who has the final say in this family.

But now...

He pretended not to hear.

In fact, it's not his fault. You know, he is only in his twenties and not yet thirty.

At this moment, the body is just right and young.

But I can't stand it... This sister is learning martial arts.

People have skills.

Energetic, explosive, and masterful like a dragon.

Compared with this man from the martial arts world, I, an ordinary young man who is a high-quality idol of literary and artistic youth, master killer, suitable for both young and old, and is vegetarian and vegan, really can't stand it.

These girls have one trick... that's particularly good.

Most people really can't bear it.

Then here comes the problem. What should I do if I can’t bear it?

Just admit it.

There are many things that happen between old couples without shame. It is definitely not shameful for little Xu Xin to kowtow and admit his mistakes.

Therefore, Xu Xin, who gave in, chose not to continue to struggle with this issue.

To avoid having to take off your shoes and socks when you get home, you will be taken into the bedroom behind closed doors and subjected to inhumane insults.

After lighting a cigarette, he said:

"I think it will be over tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

"..."

Yang Mi didn't say anything, and her eyes across the phone screen were full of condescending contempt.

It means "If you continue to change the subject, I'll see how long you can persist."

Xu Xin took a puff of cigarette awkwardly.

"Ahem, these American cigarettes are really hard to smoke... Hey, where did you put the few Chinese cigarettes you prepared for me?"

Yang Mixin said don’t do this.

The cabinet in your cigar bar is so obvious that even a blind person can see it, but you can’t see it?

What excuse?

But she didn't delve any further.

How do you say that?

Maintaining a man's face is the reserve of the women of the Yang family in my poisonous island.

So here’s a reminder:

"In the display case of your cigar bar...how was your photo shoot today?"

The topic just now was brought to an end.

"The last scene tomorrow will be shot at night. We will shoot Wick going to a pet shelter and picking up a dog that is going to be euthanized. Then it will be completed."

Hearing this, Yang Mi was a little puzzled:

"Why aren't you filming tonight?"

"Because the people from Bentley officially sent an invitation letter, inviting me to attend one of their banquets. I can't shirk it, Robert sent it personally, otherwise today's overtime work would actually be completed. I have no choice but to wait until tomorrow. "

Xu Xin sighed helplessly.

And Yang Mi also began to feel the same.

Because she has been harassed by these car companies these days.

Let’s not talk about pushing cups and changing cups, but people and ghosts want to drag their husbands into the pirate ship.

There was even a brand called Zotye, which offered an endorsement fee of 15 million... Fortunately, it didn't scare Yang Mi to death.

It wasn't because of money, but because she really couldn't imagine what kind of virtue her husband would be scolded for sitting in a fake Porsche Cayenne and blasting away.

"It's really a chaotic dance of demons. You know Zhongtai, right?"

"I know, Land Rover Evoque."

"Yes, yes, they have copied another Porsche Cayenne and want to invite you to endorse it. I scolded the people in the company's business department. How could such a contract be delivered to me? I'm crazy!"

Yang Mi complained and stood up.

Xu Xin noticed that the screen on her side was shaking.

He originally thought that his wife was just going to drink water, but when he saw the bright sky through the screen, he asked in confusion:

"Why are you going?"

"Let's go to your room and watch a movie. I have nothing to do this afternoon. I just want to take a nap."

It's 10pm Los Angeles time.

That's 1 p.m. in Yanjing.

It's definitely time for a nap.

So let’s continue the topic we just talked about:

“Did you win the Zotye Land Rover Evoque lawsuit?”

"I don't know. But I see there are a lot of Land Rover Evoques with their logo on the street... By the way, what is the name of that model?"

"LANDWIND...Lu Feng?"

"Yes, yes, that's it. Do you know how much they offer you? Fifteen million! To endorse all models, what is it... I hope to join forces with you to go global. Maybe you have some serious illness!"

At this time, Xu Xin could no longer see Yang Mi on the screen, and even his voice was much lower. He was probably selecting a disc.

Xu Xin was not in a hurry and didn't even bother to respond to the offer.

It is incredible to him that a copycat car company like Zotye can survive.

If you encounter one on the road, stay away.

Soon, Yang Mi's figure reappeared on the phone.

Xu Xin asked:

"What are you looking at?"

""The Avengers"!"

"……ah?"

Seeing her husband's surprised look, the young woman shrugged:

"Loki has been poking at my XP lately."

Hearing this, Xu Xin was not jealous, but said honestly:

“I especially like Scarlett Johansson’s butt.”

"Bah! Scumbag! Shameless! Mentally cheating!"

Looking at his disobedient wife, Xu Xin rolled his eyes speechlessly:

"So what do you like about Loki?"

"His face, he can especially satisfy my fantasy of an evil overlord. It's like that evil smile that charms all living beings."

"Aren't you cheating on me too?"

"Well, that's right, then we're even."

Sister Yu dealt with it heartlessly. Looking at Loki who had passed through the Cosmic Cube and descended to Earth with the Psychic Staff in hand, she couldn't help but sigh:

"Hey, did you discover something?"

"What?"

"British people are really suitable for playing villains!"

Xu Xin, who also returned to the bedroom with a mobile phone, asked casually:

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because of the accent? British accents, especially men's, deep and rich voices are particularly suitable for villains. Or maybe... they pay more attention to details? Villains must be more refined than decent ones. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to show the evil in my heart..."

Yang Mi was chattering there.

"Delicate, elegant, magnetic...Tsk, tsk, Loki is so handsome."

"My name is Dou Sen."

"I don't like Dou Sen, I like Luo..."

Suddenly, Yang Mi's voice got stuck.

Xu Xin took a glance and found that the picture had been frozen.

He waited for a few seconds and the call was automatically hung up.

Guessing who must have called his wife, he walked directly into the bathroom.

When he came out again, he saw two video call reminders from Yang Mi.

He called back directly.

Ding ding dong dong.

Video connected.

"Hey, someone from the company contacted me just now. Someone from Jaguar Land Rover wants to make an appointment with me this afternoon."

Yang Mi's expression was a little helpless.

No need to ask, they are definitely not interested in her.

The purpose is directly at the man who is currently videotaping with him.

Everyone in the entertainment industry knows that if they want to find Director Xu, they must first find Yang Mi.

How do you say that?

If you want to visit the immortals, you should first look for Wuyang. If the lady doesn't come, the mountains won't bloom.

If Xu Xin can persuade Yang Mi, that's basically impossible.

But as long as Yang Mi can be persuaded, it will be a matter of course for Director Xu.

Domestic manufacturers are going crazy these days, as they all seem to have received the news that my husband's cooperation with Volvo will expire in October.

That's really a fly eyeing a rotten egg...eh?

Forget it, that’s it.

This metaphor is quite appropriate.

Following this mood, she simply said:

"Why don't you stop picking? Let's see who has the most money and just sign. Then everyone will stop."

"What you're saying is that I don't need money for my inspiration. Advertising is all about creativity. I'm not thinking about that now. What do you want me to sign with others? They don't just value me as a person, they also want to get my Is the advertising creative good?”

Xu Xin couldn't help but complain.

I said to myself that the bridesmaids are really not like good people.

Do you really think that our old Xu’s inspiration is like diabetes?

But Yang Mi didn't care.

In her opinion...the inspiration in her husband's mind is like a ditch.

Isn’t it enough to squeeze in?

So let me just say:

"It's just a matter of circumstance..."

As she spoke, she looked at the villain Loki inside the curtain and continued:

"Just make a spoof version of the Avengers. Instead of taking a spaceship, Loki comes to Earth in a Land Rover. Nick Fury is hit by an American Ford pickup truck. Two cars collide and one turns into a Decepticon. , one becomes Optimus Prime, dong dong dong dong… How enjoyable is it?”

"Shut up."

Xu Xin was speechless as he thought that the intermediaries regarded advertising planning as some kind of hodgepodge.

It's the same as her saying that these things don't need copyright.

Yang Mi was naturally joking.

However, when she saw Hawkeye on the curtain who rebelled after Loki held the Mind Stone against his chest, she smacked her lips:

"Tsk tsk, he is really a cute and charming villain. Hey, how about you cast him as the protagonist in your next commercial? I really think he is very suitable!"

"Who? Loki?"

Xu Xin asked casually, and without even needing his wife to answer, he knew that the other person was talking about Dou Sen.

And Silu also followed his wife's words and went astray.

Is the actor Dou Sen handsome?

Definitely handsome.

Similar to our old Xu.

But it lacks a bit of suaveness.

And his interpretation of the other party in "Avengers"...

What impressed me most was not that the Hulk caught him in his hand and swung it like a stick, but that the Hulk appeared at a dance party and seemed to be going to get some metal. He came down from upstairs wearing a three-piece windbreaker and hit him with a cane. The part where the flying security guard has a big tooth.

That scene left a deep impression on him.

It must be admitted that that set of clothes is very consistent with his aesthetics, and the way Dou Sen wears it is also the best dressing model in his mind.

When I think of Dou Sen, I think of this scene.

Following this scene, he drew a picture in his mind and stuffed the other person in a windbreaker into the car.

Then……

Um?

"Looking at" the scene in my mind of the big villain with a wild look on his face sitting in a car laughing evilly, stepping on the accelerator and letting out a "hahaha" sound.

He suddenly frowned.

"...What's wrong with you?"

Yang Mi, who didn't know why, continued to stare at the TV, but her husband didn't say anything after a while, so she couldn't help but ask.

Xu Xin also came back from his thoughts, looked at his wife who was lying on her side in the video, and asked:

"You just said you like to watch British people play villains?"

"That's right. You don't like it?"

"...Tell me the reason again."

"Reason?...Uh."

Yang Mi thought for a while and said:

"I think it's elegance. An elegant and charming villain. Think about it, the protagonist went through a lot of hard work and finally came to the villain. He was covered in blood and looked particularly embarrassed. As a result, the villain was in a suit and tie among a group of people. Under the protection of his wife, he looked at him with a glass of martini in his hand.

That kind of arrogance...the American accent really doesn't convey it. It has to be a slow, low-pitched British accent, and even some fancy words. Expressing your relaxation in a leisurely manner... This is a great contrast.

What's more, you know that the mandatory conditions for killing women are a sexy voice, a sexy body, and a sexy face... The British accent is so sexy, otherwise why should I learn it?

And a sexy figure...why are men the sexiest? That’s when you’re wearing formal attire. Either military uniform or suit...

Oh, you’re so handsome, don’t miss it! Let’s let Yangyang serve as a soldier in the future, how about that? There is a soldier brother coming out of our house hehehehehe..."

The bad news is that she began to fantasize about her son wearing a military uniform and charming a large number of fans, and then brought a daughter-in-law home for him and started to become obsessed with it.

good news……

Xu Xin ignored her at all.

Instead, he was completely immersed in his own world.

Until Yang Mi confirmed again:

"What do you think? Let your son become a soldier?"

Xu Xin just woke up from a dream, looked at his wife in the video, and said:

"What?"

"...What? Let me ask you, what about letting our son become a soldier?"

But her words still didn't get a response from Xu Xin.

Moreover, Xu Xin also asked a question:

"What do you think, if we really want to shoot a commercial, we can find some villains to shoot it? British villains."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just like what you said. Let's find some villains to shoot a commercial. A pun like Volvo. Don't you like Dou Sen? This time, I'll invite you!"

"..."

Yang Mi was speechless for a moment.

Subconsciously, I sat up straight and looked at the man in the video seriously...

"husband."

"ah?"

"Loki is just my wings..."

Xu Xin simply rolled his eyes.

Damn you, you big-headed ghost.

A bad woman who talks what she means.

Looking at his expression, Yang Mi said with a smile:

"So, you have an idea?"

"Well, I have a rough idea."

"Isn't that okay? ... Then which car company are you going to target next? I'll see how I can help you communicate then."

"Choose a British brand. Although I haven't thought through it yet, I already have the inspiration. This time the brand needs to be more localized in the UK. It is best to have a long history, elegant and wild temperament..."

As he spoke, Xu Xin lost his words again.

He showed a look of astonishment.

And Yang Mi, who has a tacit understanding, has already heard her husband’s judgment:

"Bentley?...But don't you say they are arrogant?"

"This is not what I said, it was Lao Qian who said it. As for them considering inviting me to be an endorsement... maybe they think I need this endorsement, but I don't want it at all. I'm too lazy to get it. These few times when I go out to public places, I have to cooperate with Volvo to reduce the number of times I ride in the organizer's car as much as possible, and I have to communicate with the organizer in advance about taking photos of the front and rear of the vehicle every time, which is too troublesome."

According to his contract with Volvo, he should try to choose Volvo when going out in public places. For red carpet events, the organizer usually provides vehicles in advance. But at this time, he also had to say hello and tell the official shooting staff not to put other brands' car logos and himself in the same photo.

He didn't care, but Volvo would come to them.

First, confirm whether you have notified the organizer. If you have not, that is his problem. But if it is notified, it is the organizer’s fault.

Will be held accountable.

Xu Xin didn't think it was a big deal at first, but after attending several ceremonies, he found that it was indeed quite troublesome.

It also eliminates the idea of ​​​​tying yourself into one brand.

After Yang Mi heard what her husband said, she understood the meaning and asked directly:

"Bentley in China didn't look for me."

"It's okay, let's put it off for a while. I'll also play with it and wait for the price, and we'll see when the time comes. It's true to get the creativity out first~"

"Um."

The two chatted for nearly an hour, and Xu Xin also felt sleepy.

After hanging up the phone, I fell asleep directly.

Before going to bed, the inspiration plan I got from my wife was still in my mind.

Not to mention...the more I think about it, the more it tastes.

it's actually very good.

…

A night of silence.

Today is the last scene of the crew.

At night, Brother Ji only needs to break into an animal shelter, treat the wounds, and take away a dog.

There’s no pressure, it doesn’t even require a brainwave.

Because the set has been built long ago.

In the morning, he simply stayed at home and recorded the next advertising plan on his computer.

Although I don’t know when I will use it, at least I have it in stock so I don’t have to worry.

In the afternoon, he began to make post-production plans for "John Wick."

First of all, we need to cut the green screen and complete all the special effects shots. Then comes the post-production of editing, scoring, and sound editing.

The good news is that the post-production staff will be busy in the coming days.

The bad news is that he still has to come to the United States from time to time.

Because Paramount’s post-production team is here.

But one thing is certain for Xu Xin.

That is the post-production special effects of this film, which will be done by chasing light.

But it was not a job directly assigned by Xu Xin, but a bridge he connected through Georgia.

Chasing Light is willing to undertake some of their lens rendering work at a cost that is far lower than the production cost of special effects technology in Hollywood.

And take direction from Hollywood.

To put it bluntly, it’s outsourcing.

And there is no profit yet.

According to Xu Xin and Xu Jian's estimation, if the special effects shots of this film can be passed in one go and satisfy the appetite of him as the director and the people at Paramount, then this business will be a small profit but quick turnover.

If the work is reworked more than twice, there is no loss or profit.

And if it happens more than 3 times, it will start to enter the loss stage.

But despite this, Xu Xin still obtained the contract at an extremely low price and with the mediation of Lao Qian.

There is no other reason. Chasing light requires accumulating experience in different types of films.

This is true for action dramas, and so is science fiction.

Therefore, after the filming of this film, although there were not many special effects shots, the environmental modification techniques were still very complicated because they were mostly murder scenes in the dark.

Light chasing requires the most basic but tedious work to accumulate technical experience.

Time soon came to night.

In the set room, after treating the wound, MR. Wick looked at the "confirmed euthanasia" label on the dog cage, opened the cage rather roughly, and took out the Staffordshire dog from inside.

Said that sentence:

"go home with me."

In the night, the two staggered out of the shelter, limping and drifting away.

"John Wick" is officially finished.

(Note 1: The box office record is actually recorded on the computer at home. I am in Singapore and there are so many chapters that I couldn’t find the total box office of these movies. So I knew I had to write “500 million” in the outline. , It’s so embarrassing. I’ll fly back to China tomorrow, so I’ll try not to interrupt updates.)