Made in Hollywood

From a considerable distance, Duke saw the lights in the sky, passing through a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, parked the black Bentley in the parking lot in front of the luxury club, Duke got off. The car walked towards the clubhouse, and when he appeared at the door of the clubhouse, someone immediately walked over and led him to the open-air garden where the party was held.

It was an anniversary party at the Directors Guild, and Duke was naturally invited as one of Hollywood's top commercial directors, and it was part of his director's agreement.

The party is held at the end of October, which is infinitely close to the awards season, and there are directors, well-known actors and senior producers in attendance. Some of them are the core members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, especially the current chairman of the academy, Levy Rothman, a veteran of the Directors Guild, turns the Directors Guild anniversary party into a PR party almost every year for actors, directors and production companies who want to make a difference during awards season.

And the Directors Guild arranged the party for this time period, and it seems that no one is willing to fight and one is willing to suffer.

"Look who this is."

Townsend Rothman, who had just walked outside the party and was waiting for him, said to Robert Iger, "Our two billion directors are here!"

"Two billion directors?" Duke looked at the two suspiciously.

"Have you calculated your cumulative box office?" Robert Iger roughly did the math for Duke, "The Speed ​​of Life and Death is more than $340 million, The Brave Island is close to $410 million, The Independent "Sunday" over $900 million, "Saving Private Ryan" over $600 million, and your box office cumulative has exceeded $2 billion!"

"It won't take long for you to surpass me!"

A voice came from the side, "Duke. Leah should be proud of you."

Duke hurriedly turned around and extended his hand, "You are too much, Mr. Spielberg."

Although the mother had conflicts with Anne Spielberg when she was young, she did not conflict with Steven Spielberg because of George Lucas. There is still some friendship between the mother and Spielberg.

"Just call me Steven." Spielberg didn't shake Duke's hand, but patted Duke's arm hard, "I know how hard you work, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to let you in" "Captain Hook" crew, I thought you had to hone for a few more years like our group, but I didn't expect to rise so fast. It's amazing."

Although Spielberg was extremely affectionate, Duke would be a fool if he took it all seriously. He said with a little humility, "Speaking of which, you can be regarded as my teacher. I have always been amazed at your shooting speed. But why? can't learn."

"You are all famous fast shooters in Hollywood, aren't you?" Tom Rothman said in a timely manner.

One movie a year is definitely the top directing speed in Hollywood, and there may be many directors who are faster than Spielberg. But there is no one who can complete the quality and quantity like him, and can achieve very good box office results.

"It's more appropriate to say that I am a Hollywood assembly line machine." Duke said quite self-deprecatingly. "A lot of the media sneered at me for not creating art, but producing movies in an assembly-line model."

"Don't care about those voices." Spielberg was also deeply touched by this, and he adjusted his glasses and said. "There are always people who will be jealous of people who are constantly successful, and even if you cater to them, they will still ridicule you!"

As he said that, he turned his eyes slightly, and quickly retracted it.

No one paid attention, but Duke caught it. He also looked over there. It was a group of people who had also ridiculed Spielberg's production model. The most striking of them was a fat dwarf with glasses. Just pay a little attention. People in the film industry basically know him, the famous Roger Albert.

Such a party with too much content related to the Academy Awards, how could there be less professional film critics.

Looking back, Duke didn't take another look. He knew that the other party didn't want to see him, so why should he ignore them.

"Duke, what are your plans after 'Chicago'?"

Just as Townsend Rothman and Robert Iger were entertaining others, Spielberg said in a low voice, "I heard that you have a sci-fi script on file, are you interested in working with DreamWorks? DreamWorks can invest Your films, while serving as the distributor for Duke Studios."

Spielberg, who put down the camera, is a standard businessman, "DreamWorks can squeeze the distribution fee to seven percent."

Compared to Warner Bros.' 10 percent, this is a very attractive offer, but Duke has no interest in Spielberg's proposal, and standing with DreamWorks means that it is faintly standing in the Big Six. The opposite of the company, the distribution and peripheral sales of movies in the future will be suppressed by the Big Six and even the group companies behind them, which will seriously reduce the possibility of gaining profits.

DreamWorks released his movie, and then the big six companies just watched the big sale and didn't do anything? This is Hollywood!

Even with the same theme and investment, a film released by DreamWorks must have hundreds of fewer theaters than the six major releases, and some of the means he used in conjunction with Warner and Fox in the past will inevitably fall on him and him. on the film.

He doesn't believe that Warners, Fox and Disney will make him an exception based on so-called past partnerships.

There are no exceptions to capital in the face of profit.

Using polite words like 'there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future', he politely rejected Spielberg. Duke, under the introduction of Townsend Rothman and Robert Iger, kept saying hello to the partygoers and meeting people such as Important figures like Spielberg would also stand and chat for a while.

Of course, they deliberately bypassed the group of professional film critics, there is no need to conflict with each other on this occasion, right?

Although he has little interest in Oscar public relations, Duke enjoys the share of the film and naturally has to fulfill some obligations stipulated in the director's contract. He is not the kind of rebellious youth who only knows how to act recklessly. He also understands the importance of the network. Think of it like making a movie.

Pull relationships, set up friendships, flatter each other a little, remind those who have the right to vote to watch their own movies, this is the limit of what Duke can do, and other work will be done by professional public relations personnel.

Fox is doing PR for its own films, and Paramount Pictures is no exception.

Walking around the small garden where the party is held, Duke inevitably encounters some people he doesn't quite deal with.

"Hi, Martin."

As if seeing an old friend, Duke smiled and walked towards Martin Bob and Mel Gibson, and extended his hand, "Long time no see."

"Yeah, long time no see, Duke."

Even if he wanted to tear each other apart in his heart, Martin Bob still showed the warmest smile on this occasion, "Congratulations, another big movie!"

"Unfortunately, high box office often loses the Oscars."

Mel Gibson, who is next to him, is not so well-mannered. His unruly face and facial features are almost crowded together, "You will lose the awards season!"

"Not necessarily." Duke put away his smile and shot back unceremoniously, "Think of last year's Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption. Mel, if I remember correctly, Brave "Heart" is also a commercial film, but its low box office can easily create the illusion of a literary film."

Mel Gibson stared at him, and it took a long time to say, "You can't get the best director!"

"It's true that you have an age advantage over me." Duke leaned forward a little and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "but don't forget, I'm Jewish! I don't have to give a lot, there are some things Naturally it belongs to me."

Taking a step back, Du Kejing waited for the response from the other side. Mel Gibson's face was ugly, but he didn't say anything, and he still refused to jump into the trap.

"let's go."

Mel? Gibson left here first.

Seeing that things didn't develop according to the script he set, Duke could only sigh in his heart, and then he realized that Mel Gibson didn't seem to drink, and lacked the stimulation of alcohol...

After spending more than an hour socializing, Duke was finally able to rest for a while. He took a glass of soda and walked to the outside of the party. He found a seat next to a palm tree, sat down and looked around quietly. , This kind of party is a rare social opportunity, most people gather together, and there are not many people in the resting place.

After taking a sip of soda, his eyes that had been patrolling the shuttle suddenly stopped. Duke looked at a table more than fifty feet away with interest. There sat people he was very interested in, and more importantly, The side faces of Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise facing this side are extremely ugly. From the expressions and body movements of the two, it is not difficult to conclude that they have serious disagreements or are arguing.

The two clearly remember what the occasion was, and the quarrel was kept to a very small extent. Duke couldn't hear what they said, but he could only see that both of them were a little excited. If it was another occasion, they were used to acting on the screen. The two superstars of Tough Guy Heroes might fight.

Crude savages vs medieval vampires? Should be a good live fight.

Of course, things won't develop as Duke bored imagined. I don't know what Mel Gibson said again. Tom Cruise's face was even more ugly, he dropped a few words coldly, and stood up and left the table. , walked diagonally.

Duke beckoned as Tom Cruise walked more than ten feet away, "Tom, this way!"

Cruise turned his head, saw Duke, hesitated for a moment, turned and walked towards this side.

"Sit down, Tom."

He gestured to the chair opposite, waited for Tom Cruise to sit down, Duke pointed to Mel Gibson's seat behind him, and asked curiously, "Did that savage do something vulgar again? "

He put himself on Tom Cruise's side, "I was just provoked by him." (To be continued ~^~)

PS:  Send the three shifts~~~ I want everything I can ask for~~~ The third shift tomorrow, the old time.