Hollywood New Century

The film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" produced by Simon Pike, Warner Bros. and Paramount, directed by David Fincher, and the actor Brad Pitt, has a budget of $150 million and is based on the famous American literature of the twentieth century. Home Based on the Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald novels.

Since the announcement, it has had a great influence. The highest budget of the film developed by Xinghai Film Industry was also the $65 million of "Spartan 300 Warriors"!

And this time, the "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has a budget of $150 million.

In the conference room of Xinghai Pictures, several producers and directors of the film are having a meeting, Jim Davidson from Warner Bros., Marig Paul from Paramount, representatives of Legendary Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures, etc.

David Fincher said with a black-framed eye: "Now about Benjamin Button's childhood scene, I'm going to use a small actor to play the childhood Button, and then use a two-dimensional composite method to make Brad. Pitt's makeup face 'projected' onto the diminutive actor's face."

Simon thought about it for a while, but asked, "The special effects company is the leading company in the digital field, right?"

"Yes, their technology is exactly what we want!" David Fincher nodded.

Simon continued: "But there is always a difference between the actor's head movement and Brad Pitt's movement, and this projection is difficult to synthesize between the two."

"So, another approach can be taken by the digital realm, where they make a separate computer-animated CG head, 'map' Brad Pitt's expression onto the CG head, and then put the CG head on the On the neck of the short actor who played childhood Benjamin Button so that the head movement was Brad Pitt's expression!"

"This is indeed more realistic and unified," Jim Davidson is still relatively familiar with special effects.

"David, I think this is better!"

David Fincher thought about it, touched his beard, and said with a smile: "Simon, it seems that I'm really behind in the special effects. Your idea is much more perfect!"

For David Fincher, who strives for film excellence, to add to the quality of the film, that would be great.

"About the heroine candidate, Simon, do you have any opinion?" Marig Paul asked. After all, the heroine also has a lot of roles, and her acting skills should be good.

"David, what do you think of Cate Blanchett? She also worked with Brad Pitt on "Babel" before!" Simon looked at the candidates on the list, and indeed Cate Blanchett was a good fit, Inexpensive and good acting.

And Nicole Kidman, who doesn't have a schedule, is filming "Australia", and other Julia Roberts, etc., too expensive.

"The heroine Daisy's journey from young to old needs someone with good acting skills. Let Cate Blanchett audition first. Her acting skills are good!" David Fincher said.

"The rest of the roles, David, you pick as soon as possible, the film will start shooting in March next year," Simon said, then looked at Nina Jacobson.

Nina Jacobson said: "We chose the New Orleans area for the filming location, where the discount is the greatest. We will build the scene in New Orleans first!"

The New Orleans area, which has been through the hurricane not long ago, does have a great deal, which is something that the studio has to consider, and it will be fully coordinated with the filming there.

There are many things to discuss in the production of a movie, especially for such a large-scale production, the main creators of the movie often need to discuss.

However, after the shooting starts, the director will control the set. David Fincher is still very capable. If you find him to direct, the movie will definitely be his style.

After the meeting, Simon returned to his office, where agent Susan White had gotten his contract.

Advance: $2.2 million

Box office revenue share: 7.5%

DVD revenue share: 7.5%

$300 million at the global box office, which is twice the budget, and $500,000 in prize money!

TV media are none.

The movie revenue reaches the balance point, and the excess part will add 2 points. This will basically not appear, unless the movie is a big hit, unless the net profit of the film company becomes a positive number!

The box office revenue share is of course deducted from the cinema and distribution commissions. Due to the differences between North America and overseas, 40% of the global box office is used as the base, and 15% of the distribution commission is used. The base of Simon's box office is 25% of the global box office. After all, the distribution department of a film company charges a minimum of 15% of the distribution commission for its own film.

DVD revenue share, Simon's revenue share is 25% of the total revenue as the base, of course, the home entertainment department of the film company takes the big part, and the home entertainment department of the movie group generally takes 65%-80% as the cost, and the rest is only It is the share base of each director, producer, and actor. Of course, the real cost is estimated to be about 30% of the total income.

After all, DVD revenue is now the largest revenue from movies, and it is also the main force in the home entertainment market. After 2010, the main force in the home entertainment market will become the digital TV streaming media. The winter of DVD!

Of course, the majority of Hollywood movies has always been the entire home entertainment market. Since the advent of video tapes and VCDs, theater revenue has never exceeded the home entertainment market.

Of course, the vast majority of people who are eligible to take DVD revenue share are based on 20%. Because Simon is a producer and screenwriter, he now has a certain reputation, and he has a certain amount of confidence when negotiating.

"Hey, it seems that I am not famous enough. If it is a top producer, the advance payment is estimated to be 3 million US dollars, and the proportion of the share is more than 10%!" Simon looked at the salary contract with more than 20 pages in his hand. said disappointedly.

After all, for top filmmakers, the box office share is 40% of the box office, not deducting the distribution commission; the DVD share can also be discussed at 35%, like Tom Cruise's DVD share in the Mission: Impossible series. But based on 40%, and his revenue share in "Mission Impossible 3" is 30%, "Mission Impossible 1" and "Mission Impossible 2" are not so high, but he has both There are more than 10 million US dollars in advance, "Mission Impossible 3" he has no advance payment, directly divided!

"Simon, that's not bad. Actors earn the highest income. Not many directors and producers earn more than 10 million yuan per movie. Most of them are the creators of sequels," Susan White felt quite satisfied, Simon said. A contract is already a contract for a first-class producer.

Simon nodded, in fact, it is possible to talk about the 10% ratio, as long as Simon gives up overseas markets, as long as the North American market is divided into revenue.

Simon calculated, according to the film's global box office of 350 million US dollars in memory, Simon can get 350 million * 25% * 7.5% = 6.56 million US dollars!

The DVD revenue of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in the next few years is almost 150 million US dollars, and Simon can receive 15,000*25%*7.5%=2.81 million US dollars!

Simon could earn more than $12 million from the film over the next few years.