Volume 1 Chapter 130: The Son of a Bitch Spielberg

  Inside Paramount Pictures, Hollywood.

  Yi Feiyang met CEO Mr. Raymond. As soon as Mr. Raymond saw Yi Feiyang, he smiled and said: "I've been waiting for you for a long time, come on, I'll introduce someone to you."

  As they spoke, Mr. Raymond introduced a tall white man with a big beard to Yi Feiyang: "This is the person in charge of DreamWorks, Mr. Steven Spielberg!"

  Looking at the unkempt big beard in front of him, Yifei Yang's first reaction was that one cannot judge a person by appearance.

  Who would have thought that this guy, who looks like a frail and weak schoolteacher at first glance, is actually one of the most renowned directors in America? He has created classics such as "Jaws", "E.T.", and "Schindler's List" under his direction, and has won two Oscars for Best Director. He is also the highest-grossing film director of all time worldwide.

  Spielberg can perfectly combine the profound thoughtfulness of a film with commercial elements, allowing audiences to experience stunning visual effects while feeling the deep connotations conveyed in his films, leaving a lasting impression. This is extremely rare in the entire American film industry and even globally. In the future, Forbes magazine estimated that Spielberg's net worth would be around $3 billion. Premiere ranked him as the most powerful and influential person in the global film industry. He was listed on Time Magazine's "100 Greatest People of the Century" list and was named by Life Magazine as the most influential person of his time at the end of the 20th century.

  Now, the super awesome person in that time and space is standing right in front of Yi Fei Yang, but what he gives Yi Fei Yang is not an overbearing aura or an extraordinary momentum, nor does it make Yi Fei Yang feel that kind of master-level tiger-like quality. It's completely a sloppy uncle appearance.

  "Hello, I'm Yì Fēi Yáng. You can call me Chinese Yi, or just Yi." Yì Fēi Yáng said politely, extending his hand.

  "I, I... I am Steven Spielberg!" The other person finally managed to say this one sentence.

  Let Yi Feiyang be shocked again, it turns out that our movie master also has a mild stutter.

  "Alright, I brought you all here today to introduce you to the script outline provided by China Film Group. Steven has also taken a look and thinks it's very interesting, but he also had some opinions... Hmm, Steven, what did you say again?" Raymond turned to ask Steven Spielberg.

  Spielberg smiled, "I mean, this little snail image is quite cute, but from Mr. Yi's painting patterns, it's still too straightforward and pale, especially the flat painting, lacking a sense of three-dimensionality. If it were 3D, it would be better."

  As soon as this was said, Yi Feiyang was shocked. Indeed, the master had a keen eye and immediately pointed out the shortcomings of his own side. It's true that the snail friends made from flat graphics are not as cute as 3D ones, but the problem is that the cost of producing 3D animations is simply too high, it's unaffordable with his current abilities.

  If things go on like this, Yi Feiyang is really afraid that Raymond will be moved by Stephen and shoot the play in 3D production. In that case, he himself will be pulled into the mud pit and may not be able to turn over for a lifetime.

  "Mr. Stefan is right." Yifei Yang said hastily. "The structure of this snail is a bit too thin, originally I wanted to make it 3D, but after careful consideration, I gave up on the idea..."

  Yi Feiyang finished saying this sentence and deliberately paused for a moment in order to arouse Raymond's curiosity.

  "Really?" Raymond asked in pursuit, "Oh, why? Is 3D no good?"

  "It's not bad, it's just too good." Yi Feiyang's words made even Stefan curious.

  Yi Feiyang continued: "I roughly calculated that if this animation is made into 3D, it will inevitably require additional investment. Even a professional animation studio like DreamWorks would need to spend at least one or two years creating such a long animation. The cost would increase from our initial $6 million investment to $60 million, which means the investment amount would increase tenfold!"

  Yi Feiyang's string of numbers made Raymond somewhat worried, as the president of a film company, every penny invested must be cautious and cautious, after all, making movies is not charity, it's about selling tickets and making profits.

  As Raymund seemed hesitant, Yifei Yang directly asked Steven Spielberg, "Mr. Spielberg is an expert in animation production, I wonder if my calculation is correct?"

  Stephen pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and nodded, "What you said is roughly correct. If we were to design this animation as a 90-minute 3D animation, it would be very troublesome to produce, taking one or two years, or even longer. As for the investment amount... around 60 million is also possible. However, what I want to say is, since we have such a good story, why should we be so concerned about the return on investment? We should look at the bigger picture. This film could become one of the best animations in years for you, me, and Paramount! I have reason to believe that if we do this film well, it can even surpass Disney!"

  Stephen is really very disappointing!

  Yi Feiyang didn't expect this old guy to be so stubborn, and even more unexpected was his boldness... 600 million US dollars in investment, spoken out without even a gasp... However, Yi Feiyang quickly understood that compared to himself, a low-cost professional, Spielberg is a master of big productions, what with "Saving Private Ryan" and "Jurassic Park", each invested with hundreds of millions, 60 million was probably just a drizzle in his mind.

  Grandma's bear, if I had known earlier, I would have said 600 million, wouldn't that have scared the pants off you, old man?!

  This remark struck a chord in Paramount CEO Raymond's heart, who had been eager to make some big moves since taking over the company to showcase his unparalleled wisdom and leadership skills. Investing in "Titanic" was the best proof, only to find that the film almost sank like the giant ship in it. Fortunately, the box office rebounded successfully later on, and Mr. Raymond also gained glory and respect, but some people who were jealous of him still whispered behind his back that he had just been lucky.

  Now, hearing Stephen say that he can make this animation a classic, he couldn't help but feel moved again.

  Yi Feiyang did not expect that this Raymond was so unable to resist temptation. Who doesn't want to make this play a classic? But the problem is, classics require a price to be paid! According to Yi Feiyang's knowledge, the return on investment for this animated film in its previous life was not high, but it had a very good reputation.

  "Haha, Mr. Stefan said it very well." Yi Feiyang habitually affirmed the other's words again, "However..." He made another turn, "But now, animation production doesn't necessarily have to cost a lot of money to become a classic. What is a classic? It's something that endures for a long time, and people praise it after watching... Therefore, even if we only invested 6 million, we can still make a classic animation masterpiece, a 6-million-dollar classic, and a 60-million-dollar classic, I think there won't be too much difference between them, right?"

  Yi Feiyang's words of persuasion directly moved Chairman Raymond again. If 6 million can produce a classic, then why bother spending an extra 60 million? It's not like he's stupid...

  After some deliberation, CEO Raymond made a decision. "Alright, what you've said is all correct, but considering the current situation, China Easy's decision is more stable. After all, we are business people and doing business requires consideration of investment returns. If this film really invests 600 million and the box office doesn't meet expectations, then no matter how classic it is, it's useless. Because our board of directors' shareholders don't care about these things, they want green bills and exciting box office numbers... Alas, this is the sadness of us filmmakers, our will is always controlled by interests!"

  With Ray having said that, Steven could only shrug his shoulders in acceptance. As the person in charge of DreamWorks, Steven demanded that this film be made into a 3D classic, but in reality, he had another idea - that his company could collect more production fees, especially for computer-generated 3D special effects, which was a lucrative industry.

  Yi Feiyang didn't expect President Raymond to be so straightforward, directly supporting his intentions. He immediately slapped the board and said, "Don't worry, this time our cooperation will definitely achieve even greater success."

  "I hope so, dear Yi, I'm counting on you!" President Raymond said with a smile.

  ……

  "Hey, I'm really sorry," Yifei Yang said as he left the office of President Raymond.

  "Ah, what?" Stephen was somewhat puzzled. "Are you apologizing for the argument earlier? Haha, buddy, you're thinking too much, I'm not that petty either." Stephen laughed.

  Yi Feiyang somewhat liked the old man, but still said: "No, I was apologizing to you for another matter... You know, my filming of 'Saving Private Rachel' took up a lot of your spotlight."

  "Ah, so that's what it was. You're thinking too much, buddy. My Saving Private Ryan isn't some treasure either. On the contrary, your erotic film is actually quite well-made, I've seen it too, at a midnight screening, of course, without my wife knowing..."

  "Unexpectedly, this Stephen is so humorous, Yi Feiyang smiled, and then very solemnly stretched out his hand, "Really, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stephen, I think that in the days to come, I will definitely be able to learn a lot from you."

  Stephen was stunned for a moment, then shook hands with Yi Feiyang and smiled: "We Jews have a saying that there are always many truths in jokes. So, your play is really good."

  Two people shook hands and exchanged a smile.