Lyman dragged his suitcase into a hotel and checked in before arriving at the door of another room.
"Ding dong, ding dong..." He gently pressed the doorbell.
Soon, the door opened, revealing the face of agent John Brandon. He smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Lyman."
After exchanging simple greetings with his client, John quickly stepped aside and let Lyman in. The two sat down on the couch, and Johnson skillfully brewed a cup of coffee.
"How are things going?" Lyman asked.
Just yesterday, John called and said there had been significant progress in the negotiations. That's why he came to Paris from Cannes.
In response to Lyman's question, John took out a contract-style document from the drawer and handed it to him, saying, "These are the conditions we discussed yesterday. Take a look."
Lyman took it and carefully read through it.
"A $6M investment stake and proportional share in the film's earnings. These are the terms EuropaCorp released for your participation. What do you think?" Johnson asked with a smile.
Lyman genuinely praised, "You did well, John."
"Also, you need to note that although EuropaCorp agreed to your participation, it doesn't include the earnings after the film's release for three years."
"I understand," Lyman nodded, indicating his understanding. He hadn't even thought about long-term rights to the film's earnings.
Typically, in the film industry, if he were to make the movie, the rights would remain with the production company, in this case, EuropaCorp. It would be impossible for him to share in the long-term earnings that come after three years of the film's release.
Afterward, they discussed some cooperation conditions and requirements to be cautious of when dealing with EuropaCorp. John was enthusiastic and passionate about this. After all, no one could remain calm in front of ye olde Franklin.
Seeing that the collaboration was about to be finalized, he would soon receive a 10% commission from Lyman's remuneration, in addition to a 1% share of the returns from the Mann Studios' investment. He couldn't afford to be careless.
After extensive discussions for the rest of the afternoon, Lyman returned to his room.
On the following day, Lyman, John, and a trusted lawyer arrived early at EuropaCorp's headquarters, as agreed upon by both parties. The one who received them was Luc Besson.
"Lyman, we meet again," he said with a smile, extending his right hand in a friendly manner. This gesture undoubtedly gave Lyman a lot of face.
"M. Besson, I'm glad to see you," Lyman replied politely. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they entered a meeting room one after the other.
As everyone took their seats, Luc Besson no longer beat around the bush. He took the script and project plan report that Lyman had submitted earlier and said with a smile, "EuropaCorp is very interested in this new project and wants to continue working with you."
Lyman humbly replied, "It's my honor, and I'm very willing to collaborate with EuropaCorp."
"Well, let's talk about the conditions then."
They had already had many discussions before, and the corresponding offers and requirements were clear. They quickly delved into the detailed agreement for this meeting, which was to finalize the cooperation.
Time passed from noon until around 4 pm. Under the witness of both lawyers, Lyman officially signed the project cooperation agreement for "Fury".
With two copies signed, each bearing their own signatures, Lyman exchanged contracts with EuropaCorp.
"A pleasant collaboration."
"A pleasant collaboration!"
They shook hands again to show friendliness. Finally, Lyman got what he wanted.
Subsequently, EuropaCorp became the production and distribution company for the "Fury" project. They would provide most of the film's production budget through financing, while the $6M investment would be provided by Mann Studios as desired. Of course, the film's rights remained entirely with EuropaCorp, and there was nothing to argue about regarding this.
Next came the issue of Lyman's personal compensation as the director. He would receive $2.7M, and as part of the screenwriting, $500,000 (mostly René's contribution). In total, it amounted to $3.2M, to be paid in two installments. The first installment of $1M would be received upon signing the contract, and the remaining amount would be received after the completion of post-production.
This was a normal pricing and payment method in line with market standards, partly to mitigate risks. If he didn't take the investment stake, his fee would be higher, but Lyman had no intention of doing so. Being a boss is always better than working as an employee; you have to take the first step.
As requested by Lyman, as long as the personnel matters of the crew were within reasonable bounds, EuropaCorp would respect his opinions. Therefore, the behind-the-scenes crew was mostly composed of people Lyman had worked with before, those he is relatively familiar with. The director of photography, art director, set designers, lighting technicians, and makeup artists were selected from the team that worked on "3 Idiots". Additionally, he also brought in Thomas, George, and René - correspondingly, the cinematographer, producer, and René took on multiple roles. René, in particular, served as the production manager, and coordinator, and was credited as a producer.
Lyman had always wanted René to become a producer, but he still lacked relevant experience and was learning alongside George. There was no doubt about the personal abilities of these people; they were all familiar faces within EuropaCorp. Producer George was no exception; he was trustworthy. EuropaCorp was delighted to agree.
Furthermore, although the signing process went smoothly, there was one point that had to be mentioned. Luc Besson told that Paramount Pictures would also be involved in this project. They would be responsible for part of the filming budget and handle the film's promotion in the North American region. Luc Besson didn't disclose the exact amount, and although Lyman didn't understand how Paramount Pictures got involved, he didn't inquire further. As long as he could ensure his own earnings, he didn't care about the rest.
In addition, a third-party guarantee from the Allianz insurance company was hired to ensure the smooth completion and release of the film.
Frankly speaking, Lyman didn't like the introduction of third-party guarantees because it meant that many aspects of the production would need to undergo the other party's review before he could proceed with filming. This was undoubtedly very inconvenient. However, this was specifically requested by Paramount Pictures, one of the film's investors. As an investor, they had these requirements that needed to be met.
This was also a common film production system in Hollywood. Lyman had encountered it before, but it was with small, local insurance companies that didn't interfere much. It was different now.
Allianz was the largest insurance company globally and had deep connections with Hollywood. They had established a complex and comprehensive filming review system, specializing in ensuring the smooth completion of films. As such, they were very familiar with the process of filmmaking and could monitor the filming process of various scenes to supervise and control financial conditions.
It could be imagined that this system was far from comfortable for directors, but it provided great protection for investors like Paramount Pictures. This was the key point behind the emergence of third-party insurance systems. After all, why should those investors who invested a huge sum of money believe that the film would definitely be completed and released? If the film's production were to be abandoned halfway or if the budget ran out, wouldn't they suffer a complete loss?
However, with the involvement of a third-party insurance company, the situation would be different. Even if the project couldn't be completed, the third-party guarantee company that took on the business would have to find a way to complete it or compensate for the corresponding losses. The film industry in Hollywood has grown and thrived precisely because of this industry system that protects the interests of various investors.
Lastly, there were various procedural matters and location arrangements related to filming. These administrative tasks were very troublesome, but fortunately, EuropaCorp was there to assist, and Lyman only needed to give his opinions.
For example, the selection of shooting locations, support for battles and World War II military equipment in the film, and the need for professional tank advisors. These needed to be prepared in advance.
The selection of shooting locations was simple, and they were also taking advantage of the tax benefits for filming in Australia. All related shooting scenes were scheduled to be filmed there. This part saved a considerable amount of money, undoubtedly facilitating budget control during filming.
The selection of experts knowledgeable about tanks, battle design, and deployment was also straightforward. A professor from the History Department of the Sorbonne was hired as the military advisor for the film "Fury".
The troublesome part was the support for tanks and World War II military equipment in the film. If they relied solely on models, it would undoubtedly be too rigid and fake, which was not within Lyman's consideration. Therefore, they had to start with the government...