475: Chapter 475 Another Bet?

...

"Director Lin, requesting approval."

"Coming."

Producer Zhang Man found Lin Chuyan; there was another expense that needed his review.

Hollywood salaries are truly different; Lin Chuyan felt a real pang of heartache looking at them.

The good news was that the filming process was more than halfway through, and all expenses were still under control.

Producer Zhang Man spoke up from the side, explaining them to him item by item.

"This should be the second to last time. Many expenses for supporting actors and extras, as well as some for costumes, makeup, and set design, have already entered the settlement process. Don't worry, the money for post-production and promotion has also been set aside."

Lin Chuyan nodded. "We need to set aside a bit more for both of those. There aren't many special effects, but I want the best. As for promotion, we'll definitely need to do it properly over here; it's much more expensive than back home."

"Understood."

"So, in total, 30 million USD should cover it?"

"Yes, not including your and Teacher Ruan's fees. In short, 300 million is enough."

"Very good." Lin Chuyan felt much better and relaxed, even finding time to discuss the production model with Producer Zhang Man. "Sister Man, do you think our 'Director + Professional Producer' model will be the future trend?"

Producer Zhang Man thought for a moment. "It's hard to say for Hollywood; it feels like their ship is too big to turn, so it's difficult to change. Back home, there is indeed this trend now. I think, regardless, it's definitely much better than the 'Director-Centered System'..."

Hollywood uses a Producer-Centered System. As the overall person in charge of the project, the producer has immense power, ranging from budget control, casting, and script revisions to post-production marketing... Unless it's a truly big director, ordinary directors are usually constrained by the producer.

This was also the main reason why Producer Zhang Man was able to assemble the whole team before Lin Chuyan even arrived in Los Angeles.

The advantage of this system is good risk control, and the disadvantage is that the authorial nature is significantly weakened.

But back home, the situation is quite different.

Some big directors hold the producer position themselves; they film however they want and spend money behind closed doors.

Some big directors have strong personal styles and numerous fans; capital invests specifically for them, so they are even more lawless on set. Things like improvisation, extending the filming cycle... these are all commonplace.

"The project failure rate back home is estimated to be around 30%, and the budget overrun rate is even higher—it was like 45% the year before last... Tell me, isn't that scary!"

"Hmm, our model is indeed worth promoting. It neither suppresses creativity nor fails to control costs..."

He couldn't control others, but he had to be responsible for his and Ruan Xingyu's money.

He was now someone with net worth and a film company; besides filming himself, he was also always looking for investment opportunities.

Regarding film investment, Wu Yue was currently helping him keep an eye on things, reviewing scripts and directors, and letting him have the final say if there was something suitable.

Now it seems that besides evaluating creative factors like the script, the composition of the main creative team must also be taken into consideration.

...

After signing the documents and sending Producer Zhang Man off, Ruan Xingyu came over with coffee.

"Here."

"Where did this coffee come from?"

"A very small shop on Bali. Their beans are very fragrant; sometimes I ask people to bring some back. But I don't really know much about it, I just think it tastes good, that's all."

"Let me try."

Alright, it was indeed very fragrant.

Although Lin Chuyan had money, he worked with his head down; if he wanted coffee, he'd order delivery. How would he know how to enjoy these things? Most of the time, it was Ruan Xingyu who took him along.

Then he discovered that his girlfriend, who had never been short of money since she was a child, lived in a world quite different from what he imagined wealthy people lived in.

She would browse the basement of some roadside building in Japan, where she could buy some hard-to-find old records.

She could even unearth unreleased rehearsal recordings leaked from a famous recording studio and be happy about it for days.

Her bags might not be expensive at all; she just bought them because she thought they looked good and were convenient. But she would put effort into decorating them, using leftover intrecciato weaving scraps from Bottega Veneta to modify them, or perhaps hanging a doll that was a limited edition only available in a certain country.

There were a few paintings casually placed on the floor in her home. Lin Chuyan was deeply impressed by one of them: a blue cat's face covered in feathers, weird yet good-looking. It was said to be a work exchanged during an artist residency program, and in reality, it wasn't expensive at all.

Some of the clothes she wore were worthless, but when asked, they turned out to be souvenirs from events that very few people were invited to. Hmm, not expensive, but the quality was quite good.

As for the bracelets and artworks she bought, if she hadn't bought them, Lin Chuyan probably would never have noticed in his entire life that there were so many strange yet exquisite and beautiful things in the world.

Even the few table lamps she put into their new home last month turned out to be designed by famous lighting designers. They were truly good-looking and truly unique; the designs were things he wouldn't normally encounter in his daily life anyway.

Lin Chuyan was very gratified by this: knowing how to make money is a skill, and knowing how to spend it is the same. Pure consumerism is boring; his girlfriend had found a hobby that belonged uniquely to her within consumerism, and that was very good.

Lin Chuyan really liked that Ruan Xingyu took him to see a more interesting world.

Once the coffee was finished, it was time to film the next take.

Lin Chuyan had gone over this scene with her in advance. In the plot, the young couple had to regretfully break up because of the conflict between their respective dreams and reality.

No earth-shattering drama, no crying and howling, no dramatic life-or-death scenes...

Only calmness, gentleness, and the love and sorrow flowing slowly within it.

They didn't even mention the word "break up." They didn't stop loving each other, but they just separated.

It sounds a bit contradictory, but that is love.

"Isn't it quite simple?"

"It should be fine... Didn't I perform the previous argument scene... okay?"

Lin Chuyan couldn't help but tease her. "Just 'okay'? Say what you want to say."

"I'm not like you! Liking to brag..."

"Hey, hey, Ruan Xingyu, what's the difference between what you just said and bragging?"

Ruan Xingyu leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. "At least I wouldn't dare say things like 'I can win an award'."

Lin Chuyan also learned to speak in a low voice like her. "People around us don't understand Mandarin, you can speak a little louder."

If it weren't for the people watching, Ruan Xingyu would have really wanted to elbow him.

"You just bully me."

"You're wronging me again. How could I bully you in broad daylight?"

"...There have been plenty of times you've bullied me in broad daylight."

"Ahem, ahem." Lin Chuyan's expression revealed a hint of mischief. "Hey, I'm serious, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? Bet on what?"

"Let's bet on whether 'la la land' can win an award, and whether it can help you win an award."

Another bet? And 'la la land' again?

No, why does this sound so familiar...

Ruan Xingyu looked at him suspiciously, sensing a trap. "What do you want to bet?"

Lin Chuyan leaned close to her ear and whispered.

Slap—

He was quickly slapped on the arm.

She still ended up hitting him.

"Shameless!"

Ruan Xingyu's face suddenly turned red.