Hollywood Director 1992

In the morning, after delivering four pizzas, Link rode his bike to the movie theater at the Grove shopping center in Hollywood to check things out.

In North America and Europe, the first quarter is considered the off-season for the film market.

During this time, there aren't many commercial blockbusters being released; most theaters are showing low-budget, art-house, and independent films, which are more niche.

Although the box office revenue for these types of films is unstable, they have a long distribution cycle, and when negotiating with distribution companies, theaters can get a larger share of the box office revenue compared to commercial films.

Therefore, in the first quarter in North America, niche films become the market mainstream.

Recently released films include Paramount Pictures' comedy film "Wayne's World."

Walt Disney Pictures' animated film "Beauty and the Beast" and thriller film "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle."

Universal Pictures' "Fried Green Tomatoes," Columbia-TriStar Pictures' fantasy adventure film "Hook," and Miramax Films' black comedy film "Reservoir Dogs," among others.

Among them, commercial films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Hook" were released at the end of last year and have continued to run until now.

In terms of box office revenue, the current annual box office for Hollywood films is relatively average.

Last year, only 6 films grossed over $100 million in North America, and the total North American box office was only $4.3 billion.

This is unlike twenty years later, with high inflation rates, where thirty or forty films break $100 million in North America each year, and the total box office is over $10 billion.

Among the films currently being shown, only "Beauty and the Beast," "Wayne's World," and "Hook" have grossed over $100 million.

The box office performance of niche films is mostly in the $100,000 to $2 million range, with independent films exceeding $2 million being rare.

Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" has grossed $946,000 in North America in two weeks, and about $1.8 million including overseas territories.

Compared to the production cost of $1.2 million, this figure is considered average among independent films.

However, this film type is relatively novel and has been called an 'aesthetic violence film' by the media, the best 'B-movie' of the year, ushering in a new era of aesthetic violence revolution films in Hollywood.

After the film's release, filmmakers in the industry gave it high praise, and director Quentin Tarantino also became a famous young director in Hollywood because of it.

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"Welcome!"

Arriving at the movie theater in the Grove shopping center.

As soon as he walked into the lobby, a movie poster for "Reservoir Dogs" caught his eye.

On the poster, five men wearing sunglasses, black suits, and slender black ties are walking forward side by side, namely Mr. Blue, Mr. Gold, Mr. Pink, etc. from the movie.

Today is a weekday, and there are not many people coming and going in the theater lobby.

"Good afternoon, buddy, is your manager here? I'm a director, and I have something I want to talk to your manager about."

Link stood in front of the ticket counter and asked the staff who was selling tickets.

"A director? What do you want to talk to our manager about? Okay, he is here, but I'm not sure if he has time to see you."

"Buddy, you just need to contact him for me and tell your manager that a reliable-looking person has a way to increase the theater's attendance rate and hopes to meet with him to chat."

Link pushed a $10 bill in front of the staff.

"You have a way to increase the theater's attendance rate?"

"Of course. I never lie."

Link shrugged casually.

The staff took the tip, picked up the phone on the counter, and called the person in charge of the theater.

Link tapped his fingers on the counter, staring at the staff, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the other person nod and say okay, and that he would take him up in ten minutes.

Ten minutes later, Link was led by the staff to the office on the upper floor of the theater.

The corridor was dimly lit, and the sound of his shoes hitting the floor echoed, making Link nervous.

He used to be a purely technical director and was not good at dealing with investors and theater people, let alone how to please wealthy women.

This also led to him not having many opportunities to direct commercial blockbusters in the past.

However, the main reason for this was that he lacked confidence in his own strength and did not have an accurate grasp of market trends.

He was worried that the movie would lose a lot of money at the box office and that he would not be able to explain it to the investors. He was also worried that the movie would lose too much money, which would affect his personal career and reputation.

Now that he has the movie box office subsidy system, he has enough confidence in the box office and is also more confident in the quality of the movie, which also leads to him being more confident and motivated in doing things.

Arriving at the general manager's office, the staff knocked on the door and heard a response from inside, 'Come in.'

Link followed the staff into the office.

The office was brightly lit, and a solid wood desk was placed horizontally near the floor-to-ceiling window, similar to the one Link had steamy encounters with Nicole Kidman in his dreams.

The theater manager was sitting behind the desk looking at documents, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, making it easy to see his appearance.

This was a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties, wearing a coffee-colored shirt, with an Al Pacino-style slicked-back hairstyle, and a relatively thick head of hair, which was a rare anomaly among middle-aged European and American men.

Before coming, Link had learned that the manager's name was Jerome Preston, a relatively English surname.

Seeing the two of them come in, Jerome Preston put down the documents in his hand, glanced at the staff first, and then focused his gaze on Link.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Preston, my name is Link, I am a director, and I am very happy to meet you!"

Link greeted politely.

"Mr. Link, I heard that you have a brilliant plan to increase the theater's attendance rate? I hope this is not a joke."

Jerome Preston pointed to the chair opposite him.

"Of course, Mr. Preston, I am here to seek cooperation with you, a joke will not do me any good."

Link smiled and sat down calmly.

The staff retreated and closed the door.

"Mr. Link, what is your method? Sorry, I have a lot of work to do, and I hope our conversation can get straight to the point."

"That's also the style I like. Mr. Preston, regarding how to increase the theater's attendance rate, I have two methods, one is to help the theater increase the attendance rate in the short term, which will take effect within a month. The other is a long-term method, which requires several months or years of planning. I don't know which one you want to hear."

Link took out a folder, put it on the desk, and opened it.

Seeing that he took out a folder and a pen, Jerome Preston's attitude became serious.

"How about the short term?"

"The short term is very simple, I am a director, and I have a movie that has not been released yet. If the theater is willing to release my movie, I guarantee that the theater's attendance rate will definitely be improved in the short term."

Link said with a serious expression.

Hearing his words, Jerome Preston's expression became even more serious, even gloomy.

Getting the message from the staff that someone had offered a plan to help increase the theater's attendance rate, he didn't quite believe it was true, because a marketing expert with this kind of ability wouldn't need to use this method to see him, the manager.

Out of curiosity and boredom, he chose to meet the other party.

After meeting and seeing that Link was a young man who still had the smell of milk on him, he became even more certain of his previous view.

However, seeing that Link's expression was calm and composed, and that he directly proposed two methods after sitting down, long-term and short-term, and also took out a folder, it was obvious that he had come prepared.

This also made him a little curious about Link's method.

When he looked at Link with anticipation, wanting to hear his brilliant plan, Link said to show his movie in the theater and guarantee that it would increase the theater's attendance rate in the short term.

Damn it, what kind of crazy idea is this.

Since the 1940s, in order to prevent industry monopolies, the American film industry has implemented a three-line separation system for brokerage companies, film production and distribution companies, and theaters. Directors no longer directly contact theaters and do not need to personally find theaters to release their films. Instead, the film distribution company contacts the theaters.

Now Link, this guy who claims to be a director, directly skipped the distribution company, found him, the theater manager, and shamelessly said that as long as his movie is shown, it will definitely increase the theater's attendance rate.

In Hollywood, even big directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone, and George Lucas would not dare to guarantee this.

For example, director Steven Spielberg's new movie "Hook," which was released this year, lost thirty to forty million at the box office.

What makes Link, an unknown Asian director, so confident?

Jerome Preston felt like he was being fooled, and he leaned back in his office chair with a gloomy face.

"Buddy, if this is your idea, then please leave immediately. I don't have time to listen to your jokes here."

"Mr. Preston, what I said about the short-term plan is true. It's a pity that you don't believe me, but time will prove that I am an honest person. Also, this is my long-term plan. I believe that Mr. Preston will definitely be interested after reading it."

Link's expression did not change, and he pushed the folder to the middle of the desk.

Jerome Preston looked at him, then looked at the folder on the desk, hesitated for a few seconds, and used a pen to pry open the folder.