"Let's hear it!" Yesan was intrigued by Ethan's confidence.
Raymond also perked up, wanting to know what kind of cover the photographer had in mind for his album.
Ethan reached for the napkin on the table. Alright, here we go again—another idea sketched on a napkin. It was strange how these creative ideas always seemed to come up in places like this.
But there was nothing...
In fact, the picture Ethan finally received wasn't anything to get overly excited about.
The quality of the phone's camera was poor, and coupled with the dim lighting, Scarlett hadn't exactly taken a thrilling shot. She had simply captured an image of her collarbone.
But even so, Ethan found himself feeling a bit parched.
The crystal-clear water droplets slowly slid down he...
"What are you talking about?" Ethan asked, puzzled.
Jimmy, with a face full of jealousy and frustration, said, "Don't play dumb with me! Scarlett, Scarlett! You're hanging out with a movie star, and you're pretending to know nothing about Hollywood! Listen, she even said she's very satisfied with you! Damn it! How on earth did you pull this off?!"
The others looked equally shocked...
Before being pulled away, Jimmy quietly shared some advice with his good buddy. "Listen, man, do you know how to pick up girls?"
Ethan looked puzzled. "What's so hard about picking up girls?"
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Jimmy quickly raised his hand. "Not just any girls, but those whose heads are full of Hollywood dreams. Do you know how to handle that?"
Ethan noticed t...
Mr. Monaghan entered the studio with the same stern expression as the day before. The scene inside was almost identical to yesterday, except that Dudley's camera was now positioned closer to the backdrop poster.
"Good morning, Mr. Monaghan," Apollo greeted cheerfully, looking in good spirits. A few white girls followed behind him, and he seemed unfazed by the previous day's setbacks, eve...
"Ahem." Jimmy, receiving a hint from Ethan, noticed the silence in the room and couldn't help but clear his throat.
This sound immediately drew Apollyon's attention. "Jimmy, do you have an idea?"
Jimmy instantly straightened his back. Although he wasn't entirely confident, he managed to project an air of certainty. Ethan thought his good buddy could probably sell anything if he b...
Upon hearing these words, Dudley immediately got into work mode and started directing Scarlett's actions: "Move the pizza to the left. No, I didn't mean you should walk left, just turn the pizza slightly."
"Now to the right—no, not the pizza, your body! Show off that denim jacket!"
Ethan and Jimmy stood by watching. In addition to the outdoor advertisement, they also had to shoo...
After a moment, Jimmy suddenly started complaining, "Damn, why didn't you tell me earlier that you were so good? If I'd known, I would've had the director arrange for me to be the cameraman! You and I could control the entire set! Jimmy and Ethan, the Tangji brothers—wow, that would be so cool, wouldn't it?"
Ethan couldn't help but laugh, giving him a light punch on the chest. "Nonsens...
Chapter 5: On the Film Set
Jimmy drove for half an hour before arriving at a large film set in New York with Ethan The buildings there were in a container style, black and white all over, with gaping doorways like giant beasts swallowing the comings and goings of the crew.
Every day, there are at least 800 to 1,000 film crews working simultaneously in New York. The film industry h...
After dinner, the two little ones were watching cartoons in front of the TV, arguing loudly over who the main character was. Their mother, Carmela, sat on the couch with the ledger, calculating the debts. After their cheap father died, he left behind a lot of credit card debt. Every month, they had to pay several bills, or else face the risk of being sued.
Just like the Brown family who ...
"Album cover shoot?" Ethan squinted his eyes, scanning Raymond up and down. "A hip-hop music album?"
"Yeah, that's right, buddy." Raymond felt incredibly lucky to have randomly encountered a photographer who matched his taste. "You know, I've been preparing for this day for eight years—twelve lyrics, each one about my experiences, my family, my brothers around me. Wow, I can't wait for...
"Click!"
The quiet room echoed with the sound of a camera shutter, accompanied by the voice of a man.
"Turn around, lower your hand a bit."
A young Black girl, with a high light brown ponytail, was wearing nothing but a zippered leather bodysuit. The skin at the edges of the outfit was being squeezed so tightly it turned pale. Her legs, clad in high heels, were posed diagon...
2002 New York
"La~la~la, la~la~la~la~la
"You occupy my mind, you just won't leave.
"Boy, I just want your love."
Lying flat on the bed,Ethan Li heard the song "Can't Get You Out of My Head" in his half-conscious state, suddenly waking him up from a deep sleep.
He opened his eyes and slightly lifted his head to check where he was.
He found a beautiful wo...
The party quickly faded from Gilbert's mind, and not long after, Naomi indeed invited him for afternoon tea.
The British have a particular fondness for afternoon tea, although Gilbert wasn't a fan of how they drank it.
Of course, the two of them only had a simple tea and chat, nothing more, at least nothing as quickly progressed as with Cameron.
Following the requests of To...
Naomi Watts comes from an artistic family. Her mother is an antique dealer and fashion designer, while her father was the tour manager and sound engineer for the famous rock band Pink Floyd, though he passed away in 1974. Her brother, Ben Watts, became a photographer working for the BBC.
Given that Gilbert has studied at both the Beijing Film Academy and now the University of Southern Ca...
Since "Far and away" was distributed by Universal Pictures, it was inevitable that Gilbert would run into some of Universal Pictures' senior executives.
Gilbert had a brief chat with Lew Wasserman the Vice President of Universal Pictures, who was particularly interested in the "Final Destination" project.
"Gilbert, to be honest, I never thought Disney would snatch this project fro...
After the birthday, Gilbert continued to focus on his work. He understood well that his career was the foundation; if he did well as a director, everything else would follow.
On the contrary, if his directing career failed, everything would be lost. In that case, not only would Hollywood beauties become distant, but even the currently obedient Cameron Diaz might kick him to the curb.
...
No matter how competitive the external environment may be, the larger a company grows, the more internal factions it tends to have.
During power struggles, each faction generally restrains itself, avoiding actions that would harm the company's interests. Once that boundary is crossed, the company is not far from decline.
Gilbert, clearly unaware of the internal conflicts at Disney...
At Walt Disney, Michael Eisner gathered Disney executives to watch the initial cut of "Final Destination." The executives were full of praise for this imaginative and thrilling horror film, expressing that they had never seen anything quite like it.
Disney's film selection experts also gave the movie high marks, recommending that more theater resources be allocated to its release.
In May, on a bright summer day, this year's Saturn Awards for film and television were held at the Los Angeles Dome Theater, with NBC broadcasting the ceremony live. Unlike the somewhat serious atmosphere of the Oscars, the Saturn Awards have a strong entertainment focus, making them very popular with the audience.
As the awards ceremony kicked off, twelve Terminator T-800s made a co...
While "Final Destination" was being intensely filmed, the North American Saturn Awards, established in 1972, announced this year's nomination list. "The Shallows" was fortunate to receive a nomination for Best Horror Film, and Gwyneth Paltrow also earned a nomination for Best Young Actor.
The Saturn Awards are different from the Oscars; they specifically focus on science fiction, fantasy...
The original "Final Destination" was initially a script intended for the TV series "The X-Files," but was later adapted into a film by the Chinese-American director James Wong. Of course, at this point in time, the "X-Files" project doesn't even exist, let alone the script.
In fact, many Hollywood directors of Chinese descent excel in horror and thriller films. James Wong's achievements ...
After the New Year, 1992 began, and "The Shallows" had finished its North American theatrical run, grossing a total of $41.279 million. This performance placed it just behind MGM's "Thelma & Louise," ranking 29th on the 1991 North American box office chart.
At the same time, "The Shallows" also concluded its overseas theatrical journey, grossing $64.5 million internationally. Combine...
After a night of exercise, young Gilbert felt refreshed.
He then informed his agent, Sheena Boone, to start negotiations with Touchstone Pictures. The discussions began smoothly.
A few days later, Sheena Boone reported that the negotiations with Touchstone Pictures had gone well.
Robert Iger had essentially agreed to a $10 million investment in "Final Destination," and also...
Robert Iger's luxurious villa is located in Malibu, where many wealthy individuals have purchased properties. However, Gilbert couldn't afford a house there yet. He still lived in his previous apartment and occasionally stayed at his old man's place.
When Gilbert arrived, Robert Iger was already waiting outside, showing a sincere gesture.
"Hello, Director Gilbert. Nice to see you ...
After the initial contact with Universal Pictures, Shina Boone headed to Melon Studio in Burbank.
"For now, it's unlikely that Universal Pictures will agree to our demands. I think they might make some concessions regarding the director's fee, but they won't agree to the investment or profit-sharing," Shina Boone explained, having grasped Universal Pictures' bottom line after the negotia...
As time passed, by the end of November, *The Shallows* had earned over $40 million in North America, reaching a total box office of $40.516 million.
The film's box office potential was nearly exhausted, but this result was enough to satisfy Universal Pictures and brought significant attention to director Gilbert.
Gilbert later gave an interview to Sarah from the *Los Angeles Busin...
Typically, art films have their premieres at the Grand Theater in China, while commercial films are premiered at the Dome Theater. Unlike the modest premiere of *The Shallows*, Spielberg's new film had a star-studded event.
The three other major directors—George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola—were all present.
Top directors like Ridley Scott and James Cameron...
After signing the management contract, Gilbert immediately handed Sina Boone a script.
"This is your new project?" Sina Boone asked.
"Yes," Gilbert nodded. *It's Final Destination*,continuing the thriller and horror style of *The Shallows* with an even more intense plot."
At present, the public's impression of him was as a B-grade horror thriller director, and film companie...
The celebration party for *The Shallows* was held at a mansion in Santa Monica.
The guests were mostly prominent figures in Hollywood, many of whom Gilbert had previously had to flatter. It was rare for them to attend a celebration party like this.
Of course, they were only attending out of courtesy. After all, Gilbert had only one successful film, and who knew if it was just a fl...