Chapter 81 Gold rush?

After a sweet and happy New Year holiday in New York, Wang Yang and Jessica returned to Los Angeles, and he also began to work on the post-production of "When Happiness Comes Knocking the Door".

The position of editor of the movie ended up falling on Margaret Goodstead. Wang Yang had an interview with her. She mastered what he wanted to express the theme of the script, the touching story, the rhythm and style of the movie, and did not lose her unique insights. In addition, the two had already cooperated once and were familiar with each other's temper and did not need to worry about problems when getting along with each other, so Wang Yang hired her.

How to cut this movie? After discussion, Margaret understood what Wang Yang meant, and she also agreed very much, that is, telling the story according to a timeline-like single-line structure. In addition to Chris Gardner chasing the hippie couple, recalling how she became the exclusive sale of the medical scanner in the San Francisco Bay Area. This time, the entire movie is based on the perspective of Chris Gardner and pushing the story according to the time.

If it is divided into sections with Chris Gardner's residence, it is to live in an apartment, live in a motel, homelessness, and then succeed, and the movie ends. The original "When Happiness Comes Knocks" has about 30 minutes in the homeless part. Compared with the real Chris Gardner's father and son who have wandered for a year, and his mind changes, the end of the movie is a bit hasty; Wang Yang doesn't know how the original editing material was filmed, but he combined Chris Gardner's real story and mental path and made some detailed modifications and additions. For example, when Chris bathed his son in a church room, Little Chris would say, "Dad, do you know? You are a good dad."

At that time, Chris was confused and wanted to give up, but when he heard his son's words, he cried with his back on his back. He wanted to cheer himself up, pursue happiness persistently, and let himself and Chris live a good life.

When shooting this set of shots, Will Smith's emotions completely exploded and there was no need to act. He reached the most ideal state of the experience school, that is, to become that character. When Terry Smith finished saying that, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he cried silently with his back on his body, and then he couldn't control himself and cried bitterly, swallowing his crying with all his might, and his shoulders kept twitching. The script was originally over here, but what surprised Wang Yang was that Terry actually patted Will on the shoulder at that time and said comfortingly: "Dad, don't cry, I know you have a hard time, but I will be sensible."

This set of shots is very touching, no worse than the part where Chris cried in the toilet with sadness and confusion. In the editing, Wang Yang arranged this part until Chris Jr. lost the Captain America doll. His comfort made the confused and annoyed Chris Gardner strengthened his mentality. The kind of mutual love and warmth between father and son will also reach the climax of the movie here.

At the same time, he added some plots and shots to the group of homeless people, mainly focusing on a major change in Chris Gardner's mind, about dignity and persistence in dreams. The reason why he was able to escape relief and become a formal stock broker was because he did not let go of his dignity. Although he was poor and destitute, he had to sleep in the toilet of the subway station and the bed in the rescue hall, he had never let go of his dignity. This is also the difference between him and a numb homeless person who lost himself and was numb.

"Mary Gutt, here is a montage of inner monologues."

In the editing room, Margaret wearing black-framed glasses sat in front of the editing computer, holding the mouse. At this time, on the computer screen, people were coming and going in front of a commercial building in Oakland, and Will Smith was smiling at the red Ferrari sports car. Wang Yang stood beside him with the script, glanced at the computer screen, and read the narrator in the script: "I still remember that moment, all of them looked super happy, why can't I be happy?"

"Okay, then you need a few smiling face shots." Margaret responded, then searched for the material pile of scenes, and lined up the smile shots of white-collar workers and passers-by who were entering and leaving the building.

There are many such sound montages in "When Happiness Comes Knocking the Door", all of which are purely subjective voices, namely Chris Gardner's narration or inner monologue, including "This part of my life is called taking a bus", "This part is called being stupid", etc. This expression method can not only quickly supplement the integrity of the story, such as Chris said, "I saw my father for the first time at the age of 28"; it can also set off the inner world and personality of the character, making his image more three-dimensional and full. For biographical movies, it is very important to express the protagonist's image clearly.

Looking at the screen playing, the white-collar workers and passers-by were walking around with a slow motion, Wang Yang frowned, and asked Margaret to broadcast it several times again and said, "Do you think it's a bit too slow?"

The so-called slow motion is to increase the shooting frequency of the camera to 24 frames per second when shooting, such as 48 frames per second, but the normal speed of the movie screening is 24 frames per second. If it is greater than this number, slow motion will occur; on the contrary, it is fast shots. The part in "The Matrix" where Keanu Reeves dodged bullets is the super slow motion "bullet time", reaching 12,000 frames per second; of course there are not so many sets of shots on the computer now, it is just 96 frames per second.

"Well, maybe. This requires combining the speech speed of the narrator and the soundtrack." Margaret pointed the mouse and adjusted the frame rate to 72 per second, and asked, "How is it now?" Wang Yang looked at it, thought about Will Smith's voice speed, and the atmosphere of this set of shots, and said, "The two smiling white-collar workers in the front reduced the number of frames, and Chris raised his head and smiled, and added a few frames back, and gave it a try."

Margaret nodded and adjusted the frame length of the camera. This adjustment of the frame length is not the place where she and Wang Yang argued. Seeing a passerby on the screen, she suddenly remembered something and said with a smile: "Young director, this girl seems to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes." Wang Yang shrugged with a smile. Jessica inside hurriedly walked by with a sweet smile. Will Smith next to him raised his head with a smile. Wang Yang said jokingly: "Believe me, it's not for her to add a few frames later." Margaret smiled while operating, "Of course, otherwise you can let her play a role? I think the age of that hippie girl is quite suitable."

Hippie girl? The quiet freckled girl appeared in front of Wang Yang's eyes. Anne played the role very well, especially when Will Smith entrusted her to turn around and left, she looked at the scanner on the ground with a greedy look, which made people know that she was going to steal the scanner at a glance. Thinking of him saying "very good" at that time, and Anne looked happy, he couldn't help but smile. Now the girl who plays hippie girl is the most suitable!

It was not until the evening that Wang Yang finished his day's work and drove home. At home, he was greeted by Jessica's smile and the prepared dinner. At the dining table, looking at her smile, listening to her nice voice, and tasting the fragrant food, Wang Yang felt that his fatigue was wiped out. Perhaps this was the warmth of home.

"Yang, when I was shopping with Aileen today, she told me a message." Jessica's voice was full of disbelief. She opened her eyes wide and said, "Guess what?" Wang Yang bit the pie in his hand, frowned and pretended to think, and immediately smiled, "Um... I can't guess, is it because she is pregnant? Oh my God, that guy Zachary is going to be a father!"

After countless efforts and countless rejections, Zachary used all his magic weapons. Under Wang Yang's "instructions", before the filming of "Singing and Dance 2" started, he miraculously touched Eileen Iris, and the two got together.

"No, she is not pregnant." Jessica smiled and rolled her eyes, and said mysteriously: "But..." She paused and said in surprise: "They are planning to get married recently!" Wang Yang suddenly widened his eyes, and a mouthful of pie almost spurted out. He tried his best to hold it back, swallowed it in discomfort, and said in a hurry: "No, what's the joke? Get married so soon? When?!" Jessica smiled and shook her head gently, saying: "There is no time set. They are just planning now. Maybe a few years later?"

What... Wang Yang closed his eyes, breathed a sigh of relief inexplicably, then laughed with a laugh, feeling funny: "Jesse, you scared me to death. I thought they were going to get married in a week or a month, please!" A few years later? What should I plan so early? And is it useful?

"But they already have a plan." Jessica said softly, looking at Wang Yang opposite, with a faint envy and desire in her eyes, her lips pouted slightly, as if she was saying, "But we have no plan!" Wang Yang couldn't help but frown. Marriage plan? It's too early to say this... He looked at Jessica, shrugged, and smiled according to her wishes: "Then should we also make a plan? Get married in five years?"

Seeing that he was not excited and knew that the plan he was talking about was just coaxing him, Jessica's interest in her heart immediately dissipated, with a look of depression on her face, and said in a stiff tone: "No, forget it, there is no plan!"

Wang Yang frowned and put down the pie in his hand, looking at her and said seriously: "Jesse, I just don't think it's important to have a plan. I am an action-oriented person. If we suddenly want to get married one day, we will run to the auditorium immediately. This doesn't require too many plans." He spread his hands and looked around, laughing warmly: "And we are very good now, home, two people's world, sweet... I think we are already married."

"Well... I'm sorry, I'm fine." Jessica smiled far-fetchedly and sighed secretly. It was just that everything was beautiful now. She didn't want to lose it, and she couldn't imagine what would happen if she lost it. She just likes to have plans, so that she will have a greater sense of security.

"Jessica..." Wang Yang obviously felt that she was still very unhappy, but she didn't know what to say, so she tried to ask, "It's better to make a plan?" Jessica shook her head and smiled, "No, I'm really okay." After that, she lowered her head and chewed the pie in her hand. Wang Yang smiled helplessly and continued to coax her, "I think we will definitely get married earlier than Zachary and Ailin. The planners will always change their plans, and there will be any reasons..."

Wang Yang coaxed her for a long time, but in the end she didn't agree completely. However, she finally left the matter over and laughter regained the dining table. After dinner, Jessica cleaned up the tableware and the kitchen. Wang Yang wanted to help, but received a long-lost call from Jon Filtimel.

"Hi, Jon? Is there anything wrong?" Wang Yang sat down at the rattan sofa in the living room, pushed away the pillow, leaned against the sofa, and smiled at his phone: "You haven't called me for a long time, there must be something wrong."

Jon Filtimel's voice came from there, and he laughed and said, "Yang, it's about the dividends of "Ghost Records 2". The funds will be transferred to your account in a few days. Are you going to come to Lions Gate to see the specific box office data?"

"Ghost Records 2" was released in North America for two months and finally received a box office of nearly 35 million yuan. If it is added to the overseas market that has not been released yet, and the future DVD revenue will be enough to recover the cost and make a small profit, but Wang Yang's 20% after-tax box office dividend is not much.

"Just send the data file to my email address." Wang Yang said indifferently. He is not afraid that the Lions Gate Company will conceal the box office. The Lions Gate has always had a good reputation. Besides, "Ghost Record 1" makes so much money, and Lion Gate has never owed a cent, let alone such a little dividend from "Ghost Record 2"? He explained: "I have been busy with the post-production editing of "When Happiness Comes Knocking" every day recently; and I can trust you."

"Wow, it seems like another big-selling movie! Yang, when will we be able to collaborate again?" Jon Philtimer once again mentioned the old words. After Flame Movie announced the plan for "When Happiness Comes Knocking the Door", he contacted Wang Yang to ask about the possibility of cooperation, but Wang Yang finally declined him. Immediately, he heard Wang Yang say, "Jon, there is no chance for the time being. Well, do you have the idea of ​​producing "Ghost Records 3"?"

Jon said helplessly and said self-deprecatingly: "You know, this sequel is not a success. We messed up, and the popularity accumulated in the previous work has been squandered, so..." He laughed and said: "But if you are willing to direct "Ghost Shadow 3", we are very happy to invest."

"Come on, my schedule for this year is over." Wang Yang smiled and comforted him, "Jon, I believe you will be able to find the new "Ghost Record" soon. This is the Lion Gate's strength, isn't it?" Jon over there laughed and said, "Yes" and said, "The Sundance Film Festival is in a few days. We are going to try our luck and see if there is "Ghost Record". Are you going?"

Sundance Film Festival? Wang Yang was slightly stunned and reacted. Look at the date. This year's Sundance Film Festival is indeed about to open! This is an important festival for independent films. It is held on January 18th every year in Park City, Utah for 11 days. At that time, countless independent filmmakers will take their own movies to participate, hoping to be appreciated by film companies; and countless film companies will also go to Park City to conduct a mentorship journey. During the days when "The Ghost Records" were seeking release, these film festivals were the last way in his heart.

"Well, of course, we will join in the fun." Wang Yang thought about the company's finances and could probably buy one or two independent movies. He smiled and said, "Maybe we can find some treasures."
Chapter completed!