Chapter 95

From regaining Ye Wei's trust and learning that Tom Hanks had decided to invest in him, Lawyer Salton felt as if he were living in a dream, his heart surging with excitement from time to time, even breaking into laughter.

On Tuesday, the 3rd, Lawyer Salton wore a brand new black suit, polished leather shoes, a red and black striped tie, and a brown briefcase, exuding the air of a successful person. He drove a semi-new, semi-old Chevrolet and set out!

Ye Wei, who soon sat in the car, wore a Manchester United red team jacket, jeans, and sports shoes, and put on a pair of sunglasses, looking like a young and spirited high school student.

This odd pair arrived at the headquarters of Preton Company on the fifth street of Santa Monica. Both were in high spirits, walking in together with large strides.

Although Preton was much more successful than Chayen Enterprises, its headquarters was much smaller, just a two-story office building attached to a toy gift shop called "Acorn Store." There were not many office staff, and the decoration could be described as simple.

The production meeting room was no exception, with a not-so-large rectangular conference table in the middle and eight non-rotating cheap chairs around it.

Even the television used for playing video materials was just an old bulky model with a small screen, making one doubt whether it could still be turned on, or if it would suddenly show a snowy screen with buzzing noise while playing.

However, it was here that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was produced, and this low-key company had created one success after another!

Although there were no movie posters on the walls, a professional atmosphere could be felt everywhere. Ye Wei respected this place more than the luxurious meeting room of Chayen Enterprises.

The attendees from Preton today included Tom Hanks, company partner Gary Gozeman, and Hanks' agent Brian Spurrier and public relations spokesperson Leslie Dart would join the meeting by phone when needed.

These two were also big figures in the industry: one was a top agent and senior executive at CAA, and the other was the founder and chair of the famous PR firm "Dart Team," with clients like Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep!

This lineup was very strong, but compared to the serious and urgent atmosphere of the Willis team, the meeting room now felt relaxed and natural.

"Wei, I have to say it again, well done! Steven really admires you, saying he sees his past in you."

As soon as he sat down, Hanks praised Ye Wei, his kind middle-aged face beaming with joy.

"I am very grateful. Mr. Spielberg is a true pioneer, there's nothing he doesn't believe in, including me."

Ye Wei was already talking and laughing naturally, while Lawyer Salton was still savoring the handshake, feeling as if he were sitting next to John Lennon and Forrest Gump, truly a wondrous experience. Despite this, he still calmed himself down to fight for Wei's best interests, a top lawyer!

"Tom, Gary, I have a budget plan." After the pleasantries, Ye Wei looked at the two and began to speak seriously: "My production budget target for 'Little Miss Sunshine' is $5 million, using digital shooting. Preton will contribute $3 million, Dream Alliance will contribute $1 million including the script, and the remaining $1 million, I want to find DreamWorks to invest. Is that okay?"

"This is a great idea." Hanks was very willing, "Steven will be interested, he would love to be the main investor."

Gary Gozeman nodded: "If DreamWorks participates in the investment, the distribution will be easier. DreamWorks can distribute it, or we can hand it over to Paramount and other companies."

Actually, he had always thought this high-risk investment was unnecessary. The potential gains seemed small, but the potential losses could be embarrassing. However, now that even Spielberg had approved, he had to doubt his own judgment. Perhaps this young man really had great potential.

"I think so too."

At that moment, both sides were chatting about the details in a casual manner, as there was a clear intention, and with the cooperation plan between Ye Wei and the Willis team already in place, many aspects could be directly extended and used, making the discussion even easier.

The same production budget, the same share distribution, the shooting location in Toronto, only Chayen Enterprises was replaced by Preton.

The difference was that Ye Wei would be explicitly named as the first producer and first director in the contract, and unless he resigned or was unable to complete the project due to some irresistible force, no one could replace him.

Soon, Brian and Leslie joined the meeting by phone, both clearly stating that Ye Wei should become a nationally known "prodigy"!

Whether it was the fame of the "Little Miss Sunshine" project, Ye Wei's own fame, or the public's expectations before Hanks' investment in young filmmakers, the image-building plan needed to continue.

Ye Wei did not object to this. He knew it was inevitable. No matter who invested in him, they would have this requirement. Apart from admiration and trust, the big figures also recognized his commercial value. The benefits brought by "prodigy Ye Wei" could earn back the $3 million, and the first step was to build the image.

He had to become a star, sooner or later.

"Actually, the reason Lowitt and others have this plan is entirely my suggestion, a dream that makes all of America crazy, a prodigy boy who is adored! So there's no problem, but I have one request: don't use romantic hype as a marketing strategy."

Brian already knew Ye Wei's attitude and did not intend to force him. Professional words came from the conference phone on the table:

"Undoubtedly, romantic hype is the easiest way to achieve results, but it doesn't mean there are no other methods. Since you don't like it, we won't use it. But once you become a star, the media won't let go of your love life. To maintain your fame, writing a column is a feasible method, and we will make other arrangements in the future."

"Let's build the image of a talented young man first and see how far it can go." Another conference phone transmitted Leslie's gentle voice.

Speaking of which, Woody Allen's public relations advisor was also Leslie. To manage the image of a talented young filmmaker, she was one of the most experienced and capable PR professionals.

Ye Wei, of course, despised Woody Allen, but it would be ridiculous to hate the house because of the crow. Meryl Streep was also in the room! Kate Blanchett, Hanks, and many others. Lowitt was right; not only in the film industry, but in every industry, there are few people at the top of the pyramid. There are only so many top PR professionals.

Sometimes, work is just work. Hanks was also a CAA client, as was Spielberg, and he might soon be one too. CAA is actually a "resource-rich market" with many different stalls that collaborate, compete, and even have conflicts.

So this is not like the Avengers and the Justice League, but more like John Williams, who is a Harvard-Westlake student, and he is too.

He thought, in any industry, any organization, nothing is 100% perfect. One can only do their best, and that's human society.

However, the Hanks team's stall was very different from the Willis team.

At least the difference in the image-building philosophy made Ye Wei very happy: "Thank you for understanding."

"Wei, I heard you mentioned you were remaking your family's 'The Wedding Date.' How is it going?" Hanks suddenly asked.

"It has been on hold recently. I am making major revisions to the script, more than 50%. In the future, I can even put my name in the writing credits."

Ye Wei smiled, suddenly understanding Hanks' meaning. If the remake was successful, he would be the writer, editor, and producer, and this would be a work of "prodigy Ye Wei"! He opened his eyes and said, "You mean..."

"If the quality is good, isn't this a great opportunity to showcase your talent?" Hanks' tone was full of interest. Brian asked, "What's going on?"

Ye Wei briefly explained the background to everyone, and both Brian and Leslie were quite surprised.

Brian said, "This is absolutely a great opportunity. As long as the quality is good and there are highlights, we can even arrange a few theaters for a screening."

Leslie also felt that Ye Wei's image-building space had suddenly become much broader. She said, "I can invite a few film critics to support it. If they give good reviews, your image as a young prodigy will be more solid."

"It sounds great." Ye Wei was greatly moved, but he was more concerned about another aspect: re-release!

If "The Wedding Date" remake could be screened in a few theaters, and then dozens or even hundreds of theaters... combined with DVD sales, there was hope to recover the costs within the year, and the family's debts could be paid off within the year... that would be a dream come true!

Thinking about these things, he said confidently, "I think there will be many highlights..." and then explained the remake concept to everyone, adding, "I will personally dub 'The Wedding God'!"

"Parodying and complaining about wedding movies, interesting." Hanks couldn't help but laugh, and Gary Gozeman also smiled. They were the ones who had pushed the trend of wedding movies.

Ye Wei smiled, "We can also collaborate on this project. If I can use a few shots from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' the movie will be even funnier."

Everyone laughed again, finding it quite interesting just to hear about it.

"Just dubbing isn't enough. You should also shoot some additional scenes to showcase your directing talent. The best would be if you could appear on screen yourself!" Brian was excited by these ideas. "You don't need much, just a brief appearance to leave a deep impression."

"No problem." Ye Wei didn't need to think about it. Previously, he didn't shoot additional scenes not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't have the money. If there was a professional distribution opportunity, spending $100,000 to $200,000 on additional shooting would not be a loss, and with additional shooting, there would be more room for changes, and the quality would be higher.

As the discussion became more and more enthusiastic, the plan was set.

The remake of "The Wedding Date" would be a major showcase of Ye Wei's talent. If there were no unexpected events, he would first enter the public eye with "Angel's Dance" and some talent actions, and after gaining fame, he would release this movie to make his fame even greater and more solid.

The main goal was DVD, video, and rental sales. If the quality was good enough, they would spend money to arrange screenings in about three theaters, as the previous publicity effect would attract some fans to consume.

Then, they would announce Ye Wei's collaboration with Preton, producing and directing his true debut, "Little Miss Sunshine."

The production budget for the remake was $200,000, with Weiduo Image contributing $100,000 and Preton contributing $100,000, and providing some unused shots from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

"Wei, do your best with this remake. If you need any help, just say so. This is a very interesting idea." Hanks encouraged him.

"Yes, you need to understand its importance. No matter how good a short film is, it doesn't have the power of a feature film. So 'Angel's Dance' will make people recognize you, 'The Wedding Date' will make people remember you, and 'Little Miss Sunshine' will make you successful." Brian said.

"I know, I know how important it is!"

Ye Wei was full of fighting spirit, in fact, the most serious and ambitious person in the entire meeting room. From a big flop, there was a chance to turn things around and create a miracle. How could he be slack? Screenings in three theaters? He was thinking of 300 theaters!

Just to pay off the family's debts, he had to work hard for this goal. Maybe after that, he could even buy a nice car as a reward for himself! How about a Ferrari? Cool enough? Go for it!

After discussing this topic, the conversation at the meeting table returned to the production of "Little Miss Sunshine."

Ye Wei's eyes shone as he asked a question many people were concerned about: "Tom, I wonder if you have any interest in playing 'Richard'?"

<anodetype="reportChapterBtn"uuid="107"href="javascript:;"class="gray2">Report This Chapter

Previous Page AD Start

Previous Page AD End