Chapter 36

Occasionally, when Spielberg had some free time, he would ask Katzenberg about the progress of "The Sixth Sense," but Katzenberg would shake his head, finding it hard to describe: "His shooting method is very peculiar. There aren't many Christmas scenes, and he doesn't like to shoot a bunch of experimental shots like some directors do."

"He's very strange. The number of shots is just right, not too many or too few. It's as if he has already played the entire movie in his mind. Moreover, he shoots the scenes in the order of the plot, not by location. I understand that this method can help actors get into their roles better, but... it's just too strange. I even predict that the editor will have a hard time in the end because his shots require almost no editing. There will be very few shots, almost like a rough cut of the movie. I don't know if this is good or bad."

"..."

Spielberg was also confused about what he was trying to say. Was there really a director who shot movies like that? His brain capacity must be enormous.

"Isn't this way of shooting much cheaper?"

Katzenberg replied, "Yes, with his method, the movie won't cost ten million dollars. But the thirty million he asked for is completely unnecessary for this movie. Do you know how he explained it?"

"Tell me."

"He said he knew from the beginning that it wouldn't cost ten million, and the remaining twenty million is all for the movie's promotion! Oh my God, a horror movie with a promotion budget twice the production cost. I don't know what he's thinking. We shouldn't have signed that contract."

Spielberg, however, laughed, "At least it shows he hasn't lost his mind and still knows the importance of promotion."

"I hope so."

Katzenberg shook his head, disagreeing, and continued, "It's not just that. The art director has complained to me several times that none of his suggestions have been adopted. And including the set design, props, and artistic atmosphere, Christmas is the one making all the decisions. The style of the movie keeps changing, and there are obvious shifts in color tone in the middle sections. I almost want to stop him from continuing to shoot."

At this point, he didn't want to continue.

This investment was approved by Spielberg, and he was now starting to doubt whether this decision was correct.

Spielberg also frowned. Even at the Oscars, the art direction is a very important award, and Americans place great emphasis on the artistic atmosphere of a movie. If the style of a movie keeps changing, it's one thing, but if the overall artistic atmosphere is wrong, it's another.

For example, if a horror movie makes people laugh in the middle, it won't be a classic, even if it's not a bad movie.

"Have you talked to him about it? What did he say?"

Katzenberg replied, "Yes, I did. He explained that the style of the movie will change a few more times... OK, Christmas is here. Let him explain it to you."

"..."

Chen Tian's mood was a bit heavy, but he didn't show it. He had already gotten used to the intense discussions every day. "Hello, Director Spielberg."

"Hello, Christmas."

Spielberg's familiar voice came through, "We are very concerned about your movie. But Jeffery seems to have some doubts, and I have the same doubts. Can you explain it to me?"

"Of course."

Chen Tian calmed down, organized his thoughts, and explained, "To be precise, it's not that the style of the movie will change; the style remains consistent. What I want to change is the genre of the movie."

Spielberg was puzzled, "What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference."

Chen Tian said, "You've read the script. The story starts as a thriller, then it will shift. The early part will have a suspenseful feel, then it will turn into a family drama about a strange child who won't tell his mother the truth, highlighting the communication gap. In the middle, ghosts appear, and Cole is repeatedly frightened by ghosts, even getting injured, which worries his mother a lot, but what hurts her most is that Cole won't tell her anything. This part will become more terrifying, and then the later part will suddenly shift to a warm family drama, culminating in the final five minutes of the climax, where the mystery is revealed."

"From the beginning, I didn't just want to make a simple ghost movie, but a movie about family issues. The supernatural elements, the ability to see ghosts, are just the packaging. In my story, adults not believing that children can see ghosts is the same as adults not listening to what children say. Mutual listening is the key to communication between generations, and that's what I want to express."

Katzenberg was somewhat enlightened, "I hope you can achieve what you say. You should know that having so many style changes in a movie is very risky."

"At least there haven't been any problems so far, right? Mr. Katzenberg, would you rather listen to more complaints from the art director than give me more creative freedom? I am the one who understands the entire story the most and has the ability to shoot it."

Chen Tian defended, "As for the art director, I think he doesn't understand my vision. He gave me a style that is entirely suspenseful and oppressive, which is not what I want. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I hope you will continue to support me."

Spielberg was silent for a long time after hearing this.

...

After finishing the day's work, Chen Tian, Kate, Vin Diesel, and Charlize Theron came to a nearby bar for a drink.

"How was it? Did you argue with the producer again?" Kate asked with concern.

The crew was small, and some things couldn't be hidden.

Chen Tian shook his head and smiled faintly, "No, I won't anymore. I convinced them."

He had very little experience with the position of art director before. In China, such a role was almost non-existent, and the director usually made all the decisions. But in Hollywood, it was a very important position with significant influence. Despite his seemingly relaxed demeanor, the pressure on his shoulders was immense, and the shooting was very stressful. As a new director, he had many discomforts. If not for the strong legal contract in this country, which backed him up, there might have been a director change halfway through.

"Hey, don't think about it. Come, have a drink." Vin Diesel handed him a glass of wine.

Charlize said, "Christmas, I think you're doing a great job. You focus a lot on bringing out the actors' performances, which is very helpful for them. No matter how this movie turns out, remember to give me a chance in your next one."

She leaned in close, looking at Chen Tian intently, with some indescribable emotion in her eyes. Kate narrowed her eyes and picked up her glass, pretending not to notice.

"Next one? Haven't thought that far ahead."

Chen Tian leaned back slightly to avoid her, resting against the chair and squinting his eyes, looking very relaxed.

Being able to access future entertainment information was his greatest asset. Even if he couldn't see the entire movie, his head was filled with many future movie details and the unactivated features on his phone, which would undoubtedly be major events in the future IT industry. Each of these could easily make him a top person.

They say the first step in any industry is the hardest, and that's true. But by relying on the script, he had successfully connected with DreamWorks and was directing a thirty million dollar movie, taking the most solid first step in his life. In the future, he was destined to be a top person.

In an instant, his demeanor seemed to change, and both Kate and Charlize, who had been observing him, noticed it. It was undeniable that young and talented men were always particularly popular, even in the film industry. The indescribable emotion in Charlize's eyes seemed to deepen, but she hid it well, taking a sip of beer and pretending not to care. Kate gave her a dangerous look.

Chen Tian seemed to mock himself, "How the next one goes depends on how this one performs. If it doesn't do well, I might disappear from Hollywood."

Though his words lacked confidence, his face was full of self-assurance.

(Please click, collect, and recommend. The new book has been uploaded for half a month and hasn't made it to the homepage yet. Currently, it's 14th on the new book list. I estimate it will take another two weeks to get a recommendation. The editor is on a seven-day holiday, which has delayed many things, directly affecting the golden growth period of the book. Please help me get to the homepage, thank you very much %>%_<%)