Chapter 40

The completion of a movie's filming does not mean everything is okay. The subsequent editing is the most crucial part of post-production. Different editing techniques can even determine the quality of a movie. The combination of shots, the selection of shot durations, and every step can result in completely different outcomes.

Therefore, the "final cut" is a critical right that Hollywood companies firmly control, with only a few major directors enjoying this right.

In terms of editing, although Chen Tian has the original work as a reference, he still has to leave this task to professional film editors. Professional editors, if they can understand the director's intentions, can better grasp the rhythm of the entire film, far surpassing Chen Tian, who only has the original work for comparison but lacks editing skills.

DreamWorks selected a top-notch editor in the industry, who started work after discussing with Chen Tian.

In Chen Tian's mind, an excellent editor is not necessarily the one with the highest skill level, but the one who best understands the director's intentions. The more an editor understands the director's intentions, the better the editor is. After all, the director is the soul of a movie, and no one understands a movie's needs better than the director. Therefore, even a bad director should have the editor follow his requirements and the director's understanding of the movie to complete the editing. Otherwise, no matter how skilled the editor is, if they do not match the director, the result will still be a bad movie.

However, nothing can be perfect, and sometimes a choice must be made between the movie's editing and box office success.

Many American film companies have the capability to release movies globally, and to cater to different regions, some editing to please local audiences is necessary. Inevitably, some people will not see the complete movie. In such cases, DVDs might help.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Some master editors can, through intercutting, transform a mediocre movie into a classic cut. However, this is rare, and "The Sixth Sense" is not one of them.

On the first day of post-production editing for "The Sixth Sense," problems arose.

The editor worked for a while and then directly approached Katzenberg, "Are you kidding me? This has already been edited, and you want me to handle the second round?"

Katzenberg slapped his forehead, thinking, "As expected." After further explanation, he told the editor that this was the original film stock, unedited. The editor remained skeptical until Chen Tian arrived and carefully examined the film stock with him, which finally dispelled his doubts. However, the limited amount of film stock still left him stunned. He had been in the editing business for many years but had never encountered such an unusual director.

Post-production work is tedious, involving editing, music, and more. Chen Tian, not trusting others to tamper with his movie, tirelessly visited DreamWorks every day. Despite having little say in these matters and often facing criticism, he persisted.

Under the roof, he naturally faced many dismissive attitudes, but for the sake of his ideals, he remained calm.

After a period of intense work, he finally breathed a sigh of relief after the Oscars.

During this time, "Titanic" still dominated.

At the Oscars, when Cameron loudly proclaimed, "I am the king of the world," it was indeed a moving moment. However, the American media then exploded, with some praising him and more criticizing him.

But it didn't matter; Cameron didn't care. His achievements were unmatched, and the movie continued to create miracles. Facts speak louder than words, and even those who despised or resented him would not challenge him at this time.

However, given that "Titanic" had shown signs of fatigue after surpassing $500 million in box office, DreamWorks decided not to change the release date, and "Saving Private Ryan" would continue to be released in May.

There were many reasons for this, but the biggest reason was Spielberg. "Everyone can change their release dates, but not him."

Van Diesel also successfully landed a new role in a movie called "The Iron Giant." He was gradually making a name for himself and no longer had to return to his days as a bodyguard or salesman.

On this day, several top executives of DreamWorks entered the company's screening room to preview a movie.

Spielberg sat in the center, being the most knowledgeable about filmmaking in the entire DreamWorks, and naturally had the final say in the evaluation. Chen Tian quietly sat in a corner, watching the story unfold on the big screen.

His "The Sixth Sense" differed significantly from the original, as the lead actors were changed, and the performances were different. However, the essence of the movie remained unchanged, and in some aspects, it was even more refined.

Charlize Theron and Kate Beckinsale, both top beauties, along with Chen Tian, made for a visually pleasing combination.

The movie ended, and during the screening, there seemed to be a cold air flowing through the room. The smooth rhythm, suspenseful scenes, and warm moments kept everyone glued to the screen.

The mystery was revealed only at the end, bringing a sense of joy as the fog cleared and the sun shone. In the last five minutes, when the audience saw that Dr. Malcolm was actually a ghost, it gave first-time viewers goosebumps.

The unexpected ending of the movie, even with the executives' trained eyes, was flawless.

However, after the movie ended, there was no reaction in the screening room.

Van Diesel thought the movie was good and was about to clap but was affected by the strange atmosphere in the room and awkwardly put his hands down. He wondered, "Is it not good?"

"Clap, clap, clap."

At that moment, a few claps suddenly came from the front, and it was Spielberg who led the applause, followed by the other executives.

Van Diesel, who was sitting with Chen Tian, finally breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Chen Tian, "Congratulations, buddy, you succeeded. It's a very good movie."

"Thanks, you also contributed, buddy," Chen Tian smiled.

...

When he walked out of the DreamWorks building again, the pressure on his shoulders suddenly lifted. His face was full of smiles, and he found everyone pleasing. Passing by a street dancer, he even gave him $100.

The street dancer's reaction was not good. He grabbed the bill, widened his eyes to check its authenticity, and finally looked back and forth between the bill and Chen Tian in disbelief.

Chen Tian did not mind at all, took large steps forward, and walked with his head held high.

If there were a BGM at this moment, he felt that Beyond's "Boundless Sky" would be perfect.

"How many times, facing cold eyes and ridicule, I never gave up my ideals... Forgive me for my life of unrestrained freedom, I also fear the day I might fall, abandoned by ideals, anyone can, but I fear the day it's just you and me, still free and true, always singing my song, walking a thousand miles..."

When he got home, he immediately told Kate the news and shared it with her.

"You're not boasting, those big shots really all clapped for the movie?" Kate was still skeptical.

"Hey!" Chen Tian said, dissatisfied: "Van also went with me. If you don't believe me, you can ask him."

Kate laughed and kissed him, "How could I not believe you? I'm just too surprised. That's great, dear. Since everyone says the movie is good, they will definitely pay more attention to it. By the way, have you sent your movie to the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) for review? What rating did it get? It's not NC-17, is it?"

NC-17 is the rating that prohibits viewers under 17, the highest warning level, and most film companies do not want their movies to get this rating, as it means losing the youth and children market.

Horror movies mostly hover between this level and the slightly lower R rating.

Chen Tian smiled mysteriously, "You won't believe it, it's PG-13, even children can go to the cinema."

Kate was stunned for a moment before letting out a cheer. She was happy for him and then thought of something, feeling regretful, "Oh, what a pity. Haley is not yet 13, so she can't go to the cinema. I have to tell her." She then went to make a call.

"He can watch the video," Chen Tian said lazily, and then called Kong Yiji to share the good news, but received a lukewarm response, "Oh, keep dreaming. When you're done there, come back early to help me with the company."

...

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