Chapter 72

On Christmas Day, Ye Wei took an early flight from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles.

The triumphant hero! Ye Haogen, Gu Qiao, and DuoDuo all came to pick him up at the airport. Then, the whole family went to Disneyland again, enjoying a happy and unforgettable Christmas.

Ye Wei also told his parents about his plan to re-edit "The Wedding Date." Now, they no longer opposed it, knowing that their son truly had the ability. After all, "The Wedding Date" was already a mess, and they didn't know how to handle it, so they decided to let their son take the lead, but it must not affect his studies!

The next day, Ye Wei got to work immediately. First, he needed to see what materials were available and how he could achieve his editing goals: parody, low-quality, and funny.

He didn't want to create any profound meaning; the stupider, the better, but not really stupid, more like the feel of "Scary Movie," where the stupidity makes people laugh out loud.

However, the story material was limited, and achieving his goal would be very challenging, even though he wasn't aiming for a super classic. A B+ would be great.

After a quick review of the materials, he quickly had a few ideas. First, the film's length would no longer be the standard 90 minutes. It simply wasn't suitable for that length. For a more compact and powerful effect, 70 minutes would be acceptable. He would also deliberately use some NG footage and highlight some continuity errors.

Second, he would introduce a new and crucial character, a narrator called the "Wedding God," voiced by himself, who would never show his face but would accompany the entire film.

The "Wedding God" would comment on the characters' actions and the story, like a commentary track. For example, when the female lead, Kana, was really annoying, the "Wedding God" would jump in and say, "Damn it, this bitch better not get married; I'm sick of her!"

He would also impose some punishments and offer some help, serving as a narrative thread. This character would become a major selling point, responsible for triggering the script's comedic moments, giving the low-quality visuals a new parodic atmosphere. This way, some boring scenes would become interesting, and the audience would look forward to the "Wedding God's" reactions, laughing out loud.

So, this wasn't just re-editing; it was also a re-creation of the script and visuals, all thanks to the narrator.

This was the only way to remake the film without spending money or time on reshoots, which was difficult but manageable because he was full of humor, even his big toe could crack a joke: "Hi, I'm the Japanese little-thing."

Professional editing and dubbing would cost money, but with the help of Darum and others, he could save some, at least for this holiday! Since "The Wedding Date" was a commercial film, they could take advantage of the holiday. If the school caught them during regular times, they would be in trouble.

Ye Wei knew this and wouldn't put them in harm's way. He would work hard during the winter break and finish it soon.

Thus, he entered a new lifestyle, working day and night at USC...

Days passed, and soon, January 1st arrived, marking the start of 2004!

The last two months of 2003 were eventful and brought many changes. Reflecting on them, Ye Wei felt quite emotional. In 2004, he would continue to work hard!

"Happy New Year!" On this day, blessings from all directions poured in. Most of his friends were still on vacation around the world. Lily watched the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square, New York, and sent him some great photos.

For the New Year's holiday, Ye Wei only took one day off to spend with his family, especially the moody DuoDuo! She was planning to give Lily a hard time, wondering why she was always on dates.

"You can think of it as a honeymoon. One day, you'll be like this with a guy... Oh, if that guy dares to bully you, I'll kill him!"

...

On the other side, after the Christmas holiday, Willis discussed Ye Wei's new situation with his CAA agent, Richard Lowy, and company partner, Arno Rifkin. He was somewhat moved.

When Lowy first heard about it, he almost shouted at his old friend and screen superstar, "Are you crazy?!" But he didn't dare to do so, only asking in shock, "Bruce, what's going on? Why do you have this idea? What's so special about this Ye Wei?"

"A promising young Asian man," Willis commented.

After Lowy watched "Dance of the Angels," he fell silent; Arno Rifkin, who also watched it, was silent too.

"Where did this strange genius come from..." "I can't believe it."

The short film was indeed excellent, but the situation was too bizarre, making their professional experience useless, and they couldn't make a confident judgment immediately.

Before they could reach a decision, Lowy received a call from Focus Features a few days later. After a discussion, he relayed the company's intentions to Willis.

Focus was eager to co-produce "Little Miss Sunshine" with Chayen Enterprises. The project, once a hot potato, had now become a golden opportunity with a superstar involved.

If Willis agreed to star, the top brass would increase the budget. With more money, they could assemble an excellent cast. Even if the script was bad, they could still make a good film as long as it wasn't a pile of garbage, and they could make money.

So, if Willis starred, the salary and profit-sharing were negotiable, and Focus was confident they could bring the film to the Oscars!

"Bruce, they plan to bring in top indie producers and directors. If you star, this can be written into the contract! This would give the film a competitive edge in the awards season...

I don't deny that Ye Wei has some talent, possibly the best in his age group. But no matter how talented he is, it's his first time directing a feature film. It might be good, but it won't reach Oscar level!

But Stephen Daldry can, Sam Mendes can, Steven Soderbergh can! Focus has the ability to bring in one of them or another big director!

The script for 'Little Miss Sunshine' has the potential to win awards. This is your chance to get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor! Even win...? Bruce, our closest chance was 'The Sixth Sense,' but the Academy just didn't think you had enough experience. Now the opportunity is here again, are you going to let it slip away?

Don't forget my CAA resources. If a big director is involved, I can immediately assemble a fantastic cast. If Ye Wei directs... it's a matter of luck."

Lowy's point was clear: the biggest obstacle wasn't anyone else but Ye Wei, who was a damn stumbling block! As long as he refused to hand over the script, those beautiful plans would remain just plans...

Arno Rifkin's view was:

"VieDuo Films and DreamChase Alliance are just amateur film companies. We can't expect much production capability from them, but... in terms of distribution, they are zero, and we are zero, while Focus Features is not zero. They also have excellent PR and lobbying skills for the awards season.

You should know that the same 'Little Miss Sunshine,' the same 120 minutes, if distributed by Focus Features, could get multiple Oscar nominations. If we distribute it, it would be hard to get even one... So, no matter what, this project needs Focus's involvement."

After hearing their opinions, Willis was silent, deep in thought. Finally, he made a decision: "We should give Ye Wei a meeting, a chance to convince us."

A meeting? Lowy didn't take it seriously but didn't oppose it; Rifkin found it interesting and nodded in agreement.

On the evening of January 2nd, Ye Wei suddenly received a call from Willis, asking him to come to the Chayen Enterprises headquarters early the next morning for a meeting!

The 3rd was a Saturday, but in the film industry, meetings could be held anytime, with no fixed holidays. After all, big shots could be on holiday or working at any time, and getting them all together for a meeting was not easy.

"Kid, you better be prepared for this meeting. We'll discuss the feasibility of our collaboration, especially your role as producer and director. I'm very interested in starring in 'Little Miss Sunshine,' but we still have many doubts. This is your chance; if you have the ability, seize it."

"Yes, sir, I will be there on time!"

"Focus Features will also send representatives. If this project is made, we need their distribution capabilities. I heard you have some issues with them, is that okay?"

"It's fine, I know the big picture is important. I have no problems with them, hehe."

"Good, see you tomorrow morning."

After hanging up, Ye Wei was still very excited. Although he was annoyed by Focus's involvement, who cared? As long as he could produce and direct, Focus's strong distribution channels would only benefit him! Calming down, he immediately prepared for the crucial meeting, determined not to let anything go wrong!

The tense night passed quickly, and the morning of January 3rd arrived.

With the expectations and blessings of his family and friends, Ye Wei, carrying a box of prepared materials, headed to Santa Monica, his destination: the Chayen Enterprises headquarters!