The Best Director

Chapter 143: Forward

Robert, why can’t you just listen to me?” Wang Yang shouted “cut” loudly and looked at Downey in the ruined set, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Downey sat on the ground shirtless, holding his phone. The makeup artist had worked on him, making his shoulders and chest look peeling and deformed, exposing an insect-like carapace. Hearing Wang Yang’s words, he shrugged with an “I don’t agree” look on his face.

Hospital,

Over a month had passed since the filming of “District 9” began, and the crew was still in Vancouver. Most of the work during this time was carried out in the studio, including scenes like “MNU Headquarters Office,” “Hospital,” “Home,” and such. Most of these scenes weren’t special effects shots, but the scenes involving Wikus and Christopher Foersten storming in and out of MNU headquarters were enough for the animators to work on.

Some of these special effects shots required small-scale live explosive effects. With the professional help of the stunt team, Wang Yang smoothly completed the warm-up and tried shooting explosion scenes on a small scale. However, the shooting wasn’t always smooth sailing; when design met reality, many of the storyboards needed to be corrected on the spot, including shooting techniques, and more… Another issue was that he and Downey had many disagreements.

The problem wasn’t acting; every actor in the crew could play their role well. It was about shaping Wikus’ character, the emotions he felt in certain scenes. The two had some differences of opinion, which weren’t really about right or wrong, just different understandings of the character. For instance, in the current scene, Wikus was supposed to call his wife, only to find she didn’t trust him, leaving him in extreme pain.

Director, trust me! I completely understand Wikus’ pain right now,” Downey said as he stood up, pointing at himself and speaking calmly, “Because I’ve been through it, everyone knows what for, and it’s awful—regret, loneliness… He shook his head while everyone on set kept silent.

That’s exactly the problem,” Wang Yang frowned, told everyone to “take a break” and pulled Downey aside, saying, “Robert, you often confuse yourself with Wikus. Some emotions are universal.” This was one of the main reasons he had chosen Downey for the lead role, and in fact, Downey had delivered an Oscar-worthy performance.

As he spoke, he ripped off another piece of fake skin from Downey’s body and shook it, saying, “See? Some things are different; you took drugs by choice, he transformed against his will.” Downey interrupted him with a grimace, saying, “I didn’t take drugs by choice, but once you get that stuff inside you, there’s a devil that forces you to keep doing it…”

OK, anyway, just make sure you don’t touch it again!” Wang Yang interrupted him, returning to the main point, explaining, “The difference between the two is that there’s an extra ‘reluctance’ in there. You were abandoned by Sara, by your wife, and you knew you deserved it, so you felt regret.” Downey moved his mouth as if chewing gum and said, “Did I?”

Wang Yang ignored his interruption and continued, “But when Wikus is abandoned, he doesn’t think he deserves it! Robert, that’s a huge difference! He patted Downey’s shoulder and repeated his requirements: “Let Wikus show some anger, not at his wife, but confusion, rage, reluctance… You have to make him look more pitiful! He’s struggling, not just crying without expression.”

Hmm…” Downey furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, but still shook his head and said, “Yang, I’m not saying he’s not struggling, but that definitely wouldn’t be his first reaction! When you place all your hope in your wife, thinking that even if the entire world abandons you, she wouldn’t, but then she immediately does!” He sighed deeply, as if returning to the moment he was abandoned, and said, “Wikus should be numb, heartbroken, and in despair, almost wanting to die… It’s a very serious blow.”

Wang Yang silently met his gaze, thinking about how to resolve the issue. Disagreements between a director and a leading actor are common on set, but he hadn’t experienced such disputes while filming “Paranormal Activity” or “High School Musical,” and during “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Will Smith could be said to have played the role naturally, with occasional disagreements that were easily resolved; Natalie’s perfect portrayal in “Juno” was a relief for him. However, the usually jesting Downey actually had a very stubborn and tough personality, not easily persuaded.

He thought for a moment, an idea forming in his mind. He smiled and said, “Buddy, what’s there to fight about? Let’s just shoot both versions.” Downey chuckled, with a look that said “I see right through you,” and replied, “I bet when it comes to editing, you’ll definitely use the one you want, right?” Wang Yang rolled his eyes noncommittally, and Downey spread his hands, saying, “Yang, it’s not that I don’t want to perform it the way you said, I just can’t! I can’t get into character with that approach, how do you want me to perform?

Robert, will you perform or not?” Wang Yang took a deep breath, and a surge of anger inexplicably rose within him. Downey also became serious and said, “No, even if you kill me, I won’t.” Wang Yang frowned and said, “You can’t make jokes like that.” Downey also realized he had misspoken and apologized, “Sorry.”

Making light-hearted jokes about killing was now frowned upon, not because of the intense Afghan war, but because a bloody incident had recently occurred in the movie industry, where long-standing conflicts erupted and the producer of “Fire Dancer,” Nathan Powell, brutally murdered the director Javier Vasel. This shocked the entire Hollywood, and no one wanted such a thing to happen again, so the disputes between producers and directors, directors and actors, all temporarily subsided.

I think I was influenced by Wikus’s emotions,” Downey said, shrugging helplessly before sighing, “Back when I did ‘Passion Below Zero,’ my drug addiction got worse after filming—damn method acting!”

Wang Yang couldn’t help but nod in agreement, as he had recently been “too deep in character” himself, and his temper had grown. Reflecting on this, the anger that had flared up inside him faded, and he calmed down, thinking, “Am I being a bit selfish? Robert has his reasons. Wikus is heartbroken, desperate, and then…”

After a moment of thought, he suddenly asked in confusion, “Why do we have to persuade each other until the end? Isn’t this issue non-confrontational? Can’t we merge them together? I think the answer is yes!” Downey blinked and asked, “How do we merge it?”

Well, you start by clutching the phone tightly, quietly crying, looking very desperate and pitiful. But then, you violently throw the phone away,” Wang Yang visualized the scene as he spoke, “You start to curse, to cry, to struggle in agony, going completely mad!” Downey nodded eagerly, his face showing interest, and said, “Sounds good, the effect we want is all there, let’s give it a try!”

Wang Yang smiled and walked back with Downey to the film crew, saying, “Buddy, next time we’ll continue with this mindset, first consider the possibility of merging, no need to fight all the time!” Downey laughed out loud, complimenting him, “MAN, I’m glad to see you’re not one of those dictatorial autocrat directors or a ticking bomb! Good on you, young man, LOVE-YOU!” Wang Yang flipped him off in response, “FUCK-YOU!”

Soon, a satisfied “CUT! That’s a wrap, on to the next shot!” resonated on the set.

As Vancouver’s azure sky was replaced by a scenic twilight, the crew wrapped up their day’s work, but Wang Yang’s job was not done yet. After having dinner back at the hotel, he began to review the day’s footage, instructing his assistants to send the satisfactory special effects shots to the image engine the next morning. Later, he discussed the next day’s shots with Valerie Feist and others; by the time he returned to his room, it was very late, and he was exhausted.

After a hot shower, Wang Yang, wearing his bathrobe, sat at the desk, turned on his computer, and updated his blog, attaching a work photo from the set. Of course, this photo was the kind that didn’t reveal much, just a group shot with the crew.

After 9/11, Blogger suddenly captivated people’s attention. Anyone could easily set up their own personal website and share information with friends and strangers… This feature made it highly popular during the 9/11 events. Together with an effective promotional strategy, a beautifully redesigned interface, and other factors, the number of registered users steadily climbed, now exceeding 3 million users, with more and more people joining the blogosphere.

The first viral marketing website for “District 9,” called “Mysterious Visitors, had been launched in mid-October. The site’s campaign aimed to collect 50,000 blog posts from all around the world, each mentioning “District 9.

Once the goal was reached, the website would reveal a batch of “very important images that unravel the content of the movie.” Now, just a few hundred short of 50,000, it seemed certain the target would be met within a few days.

After updating his own blog, Wang Yang browsed his friends’ updates. Jessica hadn’t posted anything new; her latest was still the one from a few days ago, “Sweetheart has wrapped up shooting!” During this time, he would return to Los Angeles every week or so to supervise for a day. His main job was to review, once a week, the storyboards that Annie Fletcher prepared for the next week’s shoot and provide some feedback.

Now that “Sweetheart” had finished shooting, it had moved to post-production. Once Annie Fletcher and the editor, Margaret Goodspeed, had completed the rough cut, he would also review and supervise it.

What a rotten day I’ve had!” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh out loud as he read Natalie’s latest blog entry updated that evening. As she explained, she had taken a fall on the way to school in the morning and had twisted her left ankle; as if that wasn’t bad enough, she somehow twisted her right ankle while going up the stairs to her dorm at night, nearly tumbling down…

Is this for real, or is she making it up?” Wang Yang chuckled to himself. If Jessica had written this post, he would believe it 100%; but Natalie too… He laughed again and sent her a message, “Be careful when you walk.” He then started reading the latest blog post from Tom Wilton: “Great news! In January next year, Jamie and I are getting married…”

After finishing with the blogs, he read some current news before going to bed and calling it a day.

Two days later, the Blogger goal for “District 9” of 50,000 posts was met amid joyous cheers from the movie buffs. Reacting immediately, the “Mysterious Visitors” website released a dozen images. Fans were excited and amazed to find that these pictures all featured 3D monsters, or more accurately… aliens!

So “District 9” really was a science fiction movie! And it even featured these aliens! What kind of science fiction could it be? Was the story set on Earth or another planet?

The success of cracking the first viral marketing website invigorated the film fanatics, and every participant felt a sense of accomplishment looking at the dozen or so pictures of aliens. This also greatly sparked their interest, both in “District 9” and its promotional campaign. However, facing the second viral marketing website launched by Flame Movies, they knew the real challenge had just begun.

The direct sequel to the “Mysterious Visitors” website was the “Alien Research Center” site. This website offered rewards for uncovering some information and characteristics about this alien species, including their names and temperaments, which would reveal the roles the aliens played in the movie! Even more images were promised!

This time, however, the target became much harder. Participants had to dress up as how they envisioned the aliens, which could mean wearing an unusual outfit with a Christmas hat or simply smearing their faces green or blue. They then had to take a photo at a local landmark and upload it to the website. The goal would be met if the participants reached over 15 countries and regions, with a total participation of 1 million people.

And as long as you left your real address when uploading the picture, no matter where you were on Earth, you would receive an “internal document from the United Nations Secret Organization for Alien Research,” called “Top Secret Files,” which also contained some information about this alien species. Plus, there were secrets about phenomena like crop circles and events like Roswell!

This is a tremendous challenge!” Flame Films issued this slogan to excite film enthusiasts even more, giving them a friendly reminder that they can invite friends and family to join in: “Let’s work together to create a miracle!”

At the same time, a Blogger created by the alien Christopher Foersten was launched, but now it only contains one mysterious post: “Hello, Earthlings, I want to share some secrets with you…”

If you want Christopher to update his Blogger, you’ll have to pass a few puzzle games on another viral marketing website called “The Alien’s Secret”; there’s also another game that extends into the real world.

Flame Films had already hidden over 60 English letters in a particular order in colleges and high schools across major cities in America. The content formed by these letters is Christopher’s biggest secret and will also be a major clue for “District 9”! So follow the clues provided on the website to search for them. Each letter’s hiding place is unique, it might be tucked inside a book at the library, or it could be in the toilet tank of the washroom…

The distribution departments of many movie companies have been watching how Flame Films and Wang Yang will market this “100 million production cost” film that’s “going against the market trends,” and they are all quite surprised to see these novel viral marketing strategies!

The power of viral marketing is unquestionable; it has been proven many times, and if done well, its impact can be even greater than a Super Bowl trailer. However, apart from Flame Films, other companies mostly end up botching it with no successful examples, so a film’s promotional package still relies on hard advertising, television programs, and some real-life activities.

But now “District 9” extends the reach of viral marketing right out of the internet and into reality, a million people taking photos, nationwide campus searches for letters… it’s fucking insane! The question is, will anyone participate? What effects will such marketing methods have? Movie companies are watching, and some like 20th Century Fox are even hoping to see a big flop from Flame Films and Wang Yang, like “District 9” not making back its cost.

The fact that “District 9” turned out to be a sci-fi movie has also caught the media’s attention and coverage. Cult + sci-fi, bizarre + big production… What kind of film would it have to be to get an Oscar nomination? Unbelievable. Yahoo Movies bluntly commented: “Magnificent Yang always brings us surprises and miracles, but this time, the Oscar chocolate is probably not even in the box.”

As days passed by, it was suddenly Thanksgiving, and with the completion of the studio and indoor scene shootings in Vancouver, the “District 9” crew also announced a temporary disbandment, planning to regroup after the Thanksgiving holiday to head to South Africa.

On the streets of Beverly Hills, both sides of the shops were filled with decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wang Yang and Jessica walked with smiles on their faces toward the cinema, ready to watch a movie. Today was their three-year anniversary, and on this joyous day, they both felt especially sweet.

Wang Yang glanced at her, thinking that in just a few days, they would be apart for a month, he couldn’t help but sigh, “We’re off to Africa soon.” Jessica hummed in response, but her brows slightly furrowed as she said, “Yang, actually, I don’t want you to go…” She stopped, turned to look at him, smiled, and said, “It’s nothing, nothing! You didn’t hear what I said just now, did you?

Sweetheart,” Wang Yang said with a laugh as he embraced her, comforting her as they walked, “You really don’t need to worry. You know, our crew has almost more bodyguards than staff members, and…” he made a whooshing motion with his fist, laughing, “don’t forget, I know Kung Fu!” Jessica laughed, nodded, and said, “I’m not worried, I just don’t want to let you go, that’s all.”