Chapter 169： The key to success

"Director Rosenberg, can you tell me what you think of the golden plum?"

The media reporters were obviously here prepared. Duke was surrounded by the door of the Warner Studios. These guys shouted questions hoarsely.

"Independence Day won only one award for the best visual effects at the Oscars, but it won seven awards for the golden plum. What do you think?"

"Is this a blow to you?"

"Will it affect your career?"

A reporter with a cbs badge suddenly squeezed in front of Duke and asked loudly, "Director Rosenberg, a huge failure in "Independence Day"..."

"failure?"

The reporter was interrupted by Duke before he finished speaking. He stared at the reporter from Columbia TV. "Do you think "Independence Day" has failed? A commercial production with a global box office of US$95.78 million is Failed? Movies watched by more than 400 million people worldwide have failed?"

Looking coldly at these reporters who were afraid of the world, Duke, with the assistance of Warner's studio security personnel, got rid of their chase and entered the studio.

Some time ago, when the global box office of "Independence Day" exceeded US$900 million, these guys and their backs were ≥∵, and the subsequent media couldn’t wait to hold him to the sky and portray him to the greatest commercial director in Hollywood history. As soon as Jin Sumei came out, the same guys jumped to his opposite one by one, describing "Independence Day" as the turning point of his life's Waterloo and director career.

Even with Duke's steady state of mind, he has to admire the media's integrity, and to describe it as a broken place is simply to praise them.

Of course, the media of Warner, Fox, and Disney have been vocal in supporting him because they have common interests.

But Duke didn't care too much. After all, he is not a stunned young man who doesn’t understand anything. Media all over the world, from Europe to the Middle East to the Far East, are all serving interest groups. They can never stand in a fair and just position, even if they are relative. Justice.

Walk into the d-day studio. Duke went straight to the conference room. Actors such as Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, and crew leaders such as Robin Grande and Charles Rowan had arrived.

Warner's studio can gather so many reporters, not only because of him, but mainly because they came after Tom Hanks.

Subsequently, the heads of Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox's advertising department, as well as representatives of Walt Disney, also walked into the conference room.

The post-production of "Saving Private Ryan" has entered the final stage, and the next focus must be on publicity and distribution, and the discussion in the meeting is also in this aspect.

Just like before. Duke sits here most of the time listening, and occasionally makes a few comments. This is not his field of expertise. It is the most realistic business rule to leave professional matters to professionals to do.

As a North American publisher, representatives of Fox mentioned several times that the competitor that was released during the same period was "Brave Heart" which was packaged by Caa for Paramount Pictures.

Although Fox and Paramount Pictures have collaborated on James Cameron’s project, they will not be so stupid to extend this partnership to two competing films. The only relationship between "Brave Heart" and "Saving Private Ryan" is the competition.

Twentieth Century Fox also formulated a more targeted publicity plan, not just to promote "Saving Private Ryan". They will also take the initiative to crack down on "Brave Heart" from the media to the theaters to the promotion and so on. Out of common interests, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney will also participate.

Although I don't remember the box office of "Brave Heart", Duke is not too worried about the huge impact of this film.

In fact, the reason is very simple. Even if William Wallace’s "freedom" slogan is repeated again, it will not change the story of the film about Scotland, or it will touch the sensitive Scottish independence of some Anglo-Saxon descendants, and "Save Private Ryan" But movies that tell Americans’ own history are so in line with mainstream values.

Don't underestimate the difference between foreign stories and your own stories. This often becomes the key to the success or failure of the film.

North America is a strange land. Isolationism still prevails. The vast majority of the American public does not care much about things that have nothing to do with the United States.

There is also the US media market, which is definitely the largest insulator in the world. Even in the past two decades, US TV stations have not aired a foreign program during prime time, and American audiences watched far fewer foreign-themed movies than expected. Movies with foreign themes that are truly successful are often adaptations of classic literary works or from fairy tales and myths that prevail in the Western world.

As for William Wallace, the actual Scotsman, how many people in the American public know who he is?

It’s not much higher than the 1% chance that a subject can be drawn from France, Germany, or even the far East.

"Leo..." Charles Rowan's words interrupted Duke's thoughts. The production manager was telling Leonardo DiCaprio to cooperate with the publicity. Ya Schiff increases the number of trips, and we will contact the media to report on you."

Using actors’ emotional lives to make movies is the most common means of propaganda.

Unlike Duke just playing with Heidi Klum, Leonardo DiCaprio actually developed into a couple with Claudia Schiffer, a supermodel plus a handsome Hollywood guy. Can get a lot of attention.

Of course, with Xiao Li's nature, this relationship will not last long.

Perhaps when the film's popularity diminished, he encouraged Xiao Li to kick Claudia Schiffer? Then the two of them came to a vigorous tear-off battle. Should it increase the box office for the film?

Despite thinking of this bad idea, Duke will not do it himself, but prepares for Nancy to communicate with the crew later.

"Charles, I have a few suggestions."

After the production manager finished speaking, Duke, who had been silent, said, "Invite World War II veterans and historians who study World War II and the Normandy Landing to participate in the screening. If these people can affirm, "Saving Private Ryan" is in the war. The epic element will attract the audience more."

"Propaganda and hype their possible praise for the film to attract war film lovers?" The representative of Fox nodded quickly, "This is a good idea!"

Duke is only responsible for making suggestions. As for the actual operation, these professionals know more than him.

"Charlie." He is most concerned about the other side, "How many cinema chains can the film win?"

"The specific number depends on the results of the screening."

As one of the heads of Fox's publicity department, Charlie Adam did not conceal it, telling the truth, "Duke, you must be mentally prepared, "Saving Private Ryan" cannot be as high as "Independence Day". line!"

Duke nodded, motioning for him to understand.

This is normal. Compared with the sci-fi action type of "Independence Day", "Saving Private Ryan" has a natural disadvantage in terms of themes, and when the former was released last year, there was no strong competitor in the same period, so it could easily handle 2800. Home theater line, and the latter is facing the same big investment in "Brave Heart", no one can underestimate the power of Paramount Pictures, the two films open on the same weekend, the number of theater lines will be affected.

According to Duke's estimation, if the trial screening goes well and the audience and the theater representatives respond well, "Saving Private Ryan" may start painting with about 2500 theaters.

The theater and publicity will be the responsibility of the publisher. Duke's most important task is to complete the post-production of "Saving Private Ryan" with quality and quantity.

The addition of special effects, adjustment of the soundtrack, sound editing and reasonable color matching were all completed in the next few weeks. Duke called in the leading actors and re-dubbed certain scenes. By the end of April, the title was removed. At the end of the film, "Saving Private Ryan" has basically completed post-production.

At the same time, the publicity work is also being carried out in an orderly manner. Heavy news will be released every once in a while. Just this week, posters of major actors such as Tom Hanks were thrown out, and next week there will be tabloids and entertainment magazines going crazy. Laudia Schiffer and Leonardo DiCaprio's new romance.

When the time entered May, the crew released the first trailer cut by Duke himself, which successively landed on the big screens of the theaters and the prime time of abc, nbc and Fox television network.

Just like the Super Bowl midfield commercials, Duke still cuts out real to cruel war scenes. After years of accumulation, he knows very well what the summer audience wants to see, anti-war and humanistic care. It is not impossible to mention, but it must not be the focus of publicity. The current publicity is only to make potential audiences want to see it.

The publicity is not only about promoting "Saving Private Ryan", but also targeting "Brave Heart".

Many of the media under the co-producer suddenly became interested in Scottish history, and carried out the most basic popularization of Scottish history for the North American public. Among them, the key mention was William Wallace, a highly controversial figure. In the media propaganda of Warner, Fox and Disney, William Wallace is an absolutely disgraceful character, the most disgusted type in mainstream American culture-traitor and betrayer.

Paramount and Caa are not idle, and are also fighting back, attacking "Saving Private Ryan" as too bloody, calling on the Parent Teacher Federation to boycott this film and calling on teenagers across the United States not to watch such **** and cruel movies.

This is just a microcosm of Hollywood's fierce competition. The two sides are far more than just talking in the media. For example, they will find suitable candidates to participate in each other’s screenings to get first-hand information and develop more targeted publicity strategies. Wait. (To be continued...)

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