Chapter 82 I want to be a director

Park City, Utah, a small mountain town famous for its alpine skiing has become extremely lively in recent days. The annual Sundance Film Festival has attracted a large number of tourists. The town is now more eye-catching than Hollywood, and you can see directors, actors, production company staff, journalists, and movie fans along the street.

Many of them are already famous stars. Since Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Novel" made Bruce Willis and John Travota turn over, and also made Uma Thurman, participating in independent film performances has become a cool thing. Many stars have begun to devote themselves to it regardless of rewards, hoping to bet on a good film and call for a second spring, or want to successfully transform and break through.

Of course, there are more unknown newcomers on the street. They come to the exhibition with their works, looking forward to getting opportunities and appreciation.

Last night, the 16th Sundance Film Festival officially opened. This year, the organizer of the Sundance Institute also received countless movies requested to participate in the exhibition. They finally selected 100 feature films and 50 short films to participate in the exhibition. The directors of 50 short films are likely to win an investment and contract; and those 100 feature films are the focus of all film companies. If you consider it from the perspective of commercial box office alone, it is very likely that there is gold hidden in it, and the probability of scrap iron is higher, it depends on the vision and luck of choosing the film.

In order to attend the Sundance Film Festival, Wang Yang suspended the editing of "When Happiness Comes Knocking the Door". He was going to stay in Park City for a few days before returning to Los Angeles. First, he wanted to see if there were any excellent movies, second, he enjoyed the atmosphere here. Now the air here is filled with the smell of independent movies. What is independent movies? Quentin Tarantino once said: "Independent movies are that directors will take out all his money, even the money he doesn't have, his parents, stolen, or have debts for life, to make movies. Some of these movies are as good as they can, and some are as bad as they can. But this is their movie, independent movie."

Sometimes, it is because the director does not want to be influenced by investors and producers, just like one of the original intentions of Sundance founded "to fight against Hollywood"; sometimes it is for his own movie dream to enter Hollywood. But no matter what, excellent independent directors will often find a balance between business and self and become popular characters in Hollywood. Moreover, good independent films can often create commercial miracles, so Sundance also has a commercial side. Film companies waving checks to acquire movies, scripts, etc., while the available funds for Flame Film Company this year are 10 million.

"Boss, the latest news, several companies have already made a bid for the opening film "You Can Rely on Me" last night." Mark Slunt put down his phone, carried his briefcase, and walked out of the hotel with Wang Yang, while saying, "Paramount, Miramax, New Line... They are all very interested. Now the copyright price has risen to more than 3 million. Its investors are all very happy. The cost of this movie is only 1.2 million."

Wang Yang was wearing a gray coat, but walked out of the hotel and came outside. The wind near the evening still made him feel a little chill. He put his hands in his pockets and walked to the booked taxi, looked at Mark Slunt, and asked, "Do you think we should bid?" He didn't have the information about the movie, but in the relevant information of the 73rd Oscars (2001), he found that the movie "You Can Rely on Me" had two nominations, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

Mark Slunt replied: "This movie has certain potential. The heroine's performance is pretty good. And Martin Scorsese, the old guy who is a producer, is at least somewhat guaranteed." He opened the taxi door and said: "But I think the highest price of that movie is 5 million. We can just wait and see for the time being. After 5 million, let's go! Its story is too literary and the box office will not be much higher, but it may be nominated for some awards from the association."

"Mark, your analysis this time..." Wang Yang smiled and raised his thumb, bent over and sat in the taxi, and said, "It's not just an association nomination, but an Oscar nomination also has a great chance."

Mark Slunt on the other side also got into the car. He leaned against the back of the car, slammed the door, and looked at Wang Yang next to him and smiled: "Oscar nomination? The company is missing this. But my boss, there is a good news that I haven't told you yet." He coughed, and said mysteriously and happily: "The company's public relations department has found out the reliable news that "Youth of Songs and Dances" will be nominated for Oscar!"

What? Oscar nomination!? Wang Yang was slightly stunned: "Really?" He smiled and said, "Is it the best film or the best director?" Mark Slunt shrugged: "It's just the best original song, and maybe several songs will be nominated at the same time." The total number of candidates for this award is dozens. Wang Yang also shrugged and said, "It's better than not, isn't it?"

At this time, the taxi started, and the street scene outside the window was constantly regressing. The place they were going to was the Redstone Theater, the host of the film festival. Today, the organizer arranged for more than a dozen movies to premiere.

Just when Wang Yang was about to ask Mark Slunt "what movie is there today", the taxi driver in front, a middle-aged white uncle, looked at the rear mirror of the director and smiled, "Hey, Fantastic Yang, and Mark? Hello, I actually wrote a script." He put away the steering wheel with both hands, quickly took out a thick stack of printing paper from the top of the dashboard of the front of the car, and a bound script. He smiled and turned around and handed it to Wang Yang, and smiled, "Look at it, it's this! Can you see if it can be made into a movie?"

"Oh, let's see, you drive well!" Wang Yang took the script and pointed to the uncontrolled steering wheel. The white uncle turned around and put his hands back with a smile, looking at Wang Yang who was looking through the script in the rear mirror of the director, introducing the story of the script: "This is a horror script. The protagonist is a taxi driver. His car is a ghost. This story begins when he had a car accident..."

This script was written in a rigorous format. Wang Yang read a few pages of content and heard the white uncle telling the car accident and the passenger was killed by a ghost. He couldn't help but frown with a smile. He was sitting in the taxi now!

"By the way!" The driver seemed to remember something suddenly, and his hands left the steering wheel again, searching everywhere in the front of the car, saying, "I have also drawn a few pages of storyboards, where have I put them... Oh, come out..." Seeing that he didn't look at the road conditions ahead, Mark Slunt immediately shouted nervously: "My man, be careful, be careful!" Wang Yang couldn't help but shout, "Don't really have a car accident!" The driver looked up and glanced at the front, and continued to search, and smiled: "It's okay, I can open this section of the road with my eyes closed, don't worry! Haha, I found it!"

The driver pulled out a few pieces of wrinkled paper from the crack in the chair, took the steering wheel casually, turned around and handed it to Wang Yang, and said, "Look!" Wang Yang took it and reminded him again, "Be careful to drive!" Mark Slunt leaned over and looked at the storyboard scripts for a few times, and said to the driver, "Hey, man, it's a professional drawing!"

"Of course, this is Sundance." The driver smiled. He was selling his script along the way. Soon the taxi arrived outside the Redstone Theater. He personally sent Wang Yang and the others out of the car, and said with a smile: "You can take that script, my contact information is at the end. If you have any shooting plans, please contact me!"

Looking at the slowly leaving taxi, Mark Slunt breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's a miracle that there was no car accident!" Wang Yang nodded with deep consent and smiled slightly, maybe this is Sundance.

Although the film exhibition was held in the Redstone Theater, the same people came and went in the square outside, which was very lively. The two were about to walk into the theater, but Wang Yang suddenly saw a small white cloth screen in the distance, and a mobile film projector in front was working, and several people were talking about something around him. Because the distance was very far, he could only vaguely see the images on the screen, and said to himself in confusion: "What's wrong there?"

Then he figured it out. Maybe someone who was not included in the exhibition list still brought his own movie to "exhibition". He had considered doing this. If "Ghost Records" were not selected, he would rent a projector and put it outside the venue. Unexpectedly, someone would do this now. He was curious and gave Mark Slunt a "very interesting" look, then walked over and said enthusiastically: "I'll go over and take a look!"

"Oh, boss, your curiosity is so strong." Mark Slunt followed behind and muttered. He probably knew what was going on, but he didn't think that a work that failed to even participate in the exhibition would be excellent. The people at Sundance Institute are not fools. In fact, there are many of the 100 feature films every year that are basically accumulating numbers, let alone those who failed to enter the shortlist.

Wang Yang came to the front of the projector, listened to the sound of the film turning, stopped and watched the scene on the screen. He could see that he was a very amateur actor. He looked at the few people talking there, three men in briefcases, suits and ties, which seemed to be from the production company; there was also a young girl with black and brown hair, and what surprised him was that the young girl was the director here.

I saw the girl wearing a light brown coat and a fisherman's hat, tall and beautiful face, and her bronze skin color was obviously mixed-race. She straight eyebrows were straight and introduced to the men: "This story mainly tells a girl named Amy. She has loved acting since she was a child, but she has no talent and has not received a good education... You can take a look first, now the 15-minute short film is played."

"Girl, how old are you?" One of the blond and white men shrugged with interest on his face, "You know, it's rare for such a young female director!" The black-brown girl replied casually, "I'm 19 years old, but...hey!? Gentlemen, what does this have to do with the movie? Let's take a look at my movie first!" The white man shook his head and said, "Your movie is not very good, but you can actually be an actor. Are you interested?"

"No, it's Amy who likes acting, not me." The girl showed a funny smile and said softly and firmly: "I want to be a director." She suddenly frowned and said seriously: "Gentlemen, I'll pour the film back and let you start from scratch!" As she said that, she looked over the projector and found Wang Yang standing next to the projector. She shouted a little anxiously: "Brother, don't touch my projector!"

Wang Yang held his palm up and said, "I'm just watching a movie." The black-haired girl walked over in a few steps. Seeing his appearance clearly, she glared at her eyes, a hint of undetectable excitement flashed across her face, and blurted out: "It's you! Oh, hey, my name is Nancy..." She breathed out again, as if she said "damn", then stepped forward and stopped the projector, took out the film disc and said backwards, while quickly to Wang Yang, Mark Slunt and others: "This is a 15-minute short film, but not all the content..."

"Well..." Wang Yang listened silently. The three men in suits heard it for a while and turned around and left, heading to the theater gate. Nancy hurriedly chased after two steps and shouted loudly: "Gentlemen, wait a moment, you haven't seen it yet! Let's take a look!"

Mark Slunt pulled Wang Yang for a moment and said, "My boss, let's go." Wang Yang looked at Nancy's sweaty look, sighed in his heart, and frowned and said, "Let's watch it for a while first?" Mark Slunt rolled his eyes and said, "You have watched it for a while just now. Have you bought her movie?" Wang Yang was stunned, and opened his mouth to say something but couldn't say it. Mark lowered his voice and said, "Yang, look at this square, how many people are waiting for the opportunity? How many tribal selected works are there in Sundance this year? 1,000? 2,000? Do you want to buy them all? Please, my boss, you can't make this! Even if you buy all the releases, bad movies or bad movies."

"Mark, I know." Wang Yang pressed his forehead. Although he felt a little uncomfortable, it was indeed true. He could only be honest and nodded, "Okay, let's go."

At this time, Nancy on the other side finally put the film back into the projector, and smiled and said, "I'm going to start the screening, gentlemen!" She turned around and saw that Wang Yang and the others seemed to be leaving, and the smile on their faces suddenly condensed. Wang Yang smiled at her, pointed his thumb at the theater, stepped forward and patted her shoulder, and said, "Nancy, good luck!" After that, he and Mark Slunt walked towards the theater.
Chapter completed!