Hollywood Pictures, Distribution Department Reception Room.
A bald, middle-aged man with glasses put down the documents he was holding, gathered them and smiled. "Mr. Davenport, your project's shooting plan is very detailed, and the scene design drawings are quite exquisite."
"Your approval is a great honour," Michael responded appropriately.
He patiently waited for the next part; he knew this vice supervisor of the distribution department would have a twist.
Sure enough, the bald, middle-aged man continued, "But your film isn't finished yet, is it?"
"No," Michael replied truthfully. "About a third of the shooting is completed."
The bald, middle-aged man suddenly asked, "Is it true that this project has a $1.1 million budget?"
Michael smiled. "To be honest, that's for promotional purposes. The real investment in the film is around $300,000."
Professionals in the industry could easily see through the $1.1 million budget claim, but a bit of truth with some embellishment could be effective.
"A $300,000 low-budget horror film..." The bald, middle-aged man flipped through the script again. "That scale of investment and production is not small."
Looking across the North American film industry, a $300,000 investment in a movie is not considered small.
Michael highlighted the most influential person in the cast: "The film's director, James Wong, has directed 'The X-Files.'"
The bald, middle-aged man nodded slightly. "I think I've heard someone from Fox's TV production department mention him." He put down the script and said, "How about this, Mr. Davenport? Let's talk in detail once your film is completed, okay?"
"Sure," Michael had already achieved his purpose. "I'll send over a copy as soon as it's finished. I hope we can work together."
The bald, middle-aged man stood up and shook hands with Michael. "As long as the film is good enough, distribution won't be a problem."
The prerequisites were clearly stated.
Michael shook his hand firmly. "This will be an outstanding horror film."
Mary, who had been silent beside Michael, observed his expressions and words. She couldn't help but nod internally. Michael, after his previous setbacks, was not the same person as before.
When promoting "Survival Instinct," Mary accompanied Michael to several distribution companies. Back then, he was young and impulsive, always boasting about how great his movie was, how many exciting ideas it contained, and how his talent would surely captivate audiences and achieve box office success.
When distribution companies expressed dissatisfaction with the film, he would shout that they would regret missing out!
Looking at Michael now, it was as if he had become a different person: mature, steady, and well-mannered. His words were a mix of truth and embellishment, easy to believe, and even the lies were convincing to those in the know.
This was how a producer and a business elite should be.
More importantly, she had seen Michael seize every spare moment to study and improve himself, resulting in noticeable improvements in various abilities.
Michael left behind a copy of the materials as he exited Hollywood Pictures, having basically achieved his purpose.
With an unknown cast and limited investment, expecting a distribution company to sign on without seeing the finished film was unrealistic.
This was just laying the groundwork for the future.
After getting into the parking lot, Michael got into Mary's car. As she started the engine, she asked, "Where to next?"
"New Line Cinema," Michael directed.
Mary glanced at Michael and offered some comfort. "Don't lose heart; we'll find the right distributor."
Michael fastened his seatbelt and smiled. "Don't worry, it's okay. I can handle failure; besides, they haven't outright rejected us."
Mary smiled back at Michael and drove towards New Line Cinema without further words.
Leaning back in the passenger seat, Michael opened the documents he was holding and reviewed New Line Cinema's recent status and profiles of the key figures in their distribution department.
With memories from his predecessor, Michael was quite familiar with New Line Cinema.
His previous film, "Survival Instinct," was distributed by New Line Cinema.
Like Hollywood Pictures, which belonged to Disney, New Line Cinema was not an independent film company but a subsidiary acquired by Warner Bros. However, Robert Shaye and other management still retained relatively independent operational control.
Strictly speaking, neither Sony Pictures Releasing nor Hollywood Pictures had rejected Michael outright. They also hadn't expressed a desire to distribute "The Purge." They had reviewed the various materials Michael brought and mostly adopted the same stance: wait until the film was completed and then assess its quality.
Hollywood produces thousands of films each year, but only five or six hundred make it to theatres. Many films vie for theatrical release, and distribution companies aren't short of small productions coming to them.
Michael's claim of an $11 million budget for "The Purge" might fool outsiders and even some insiders, but it was impossible to deceive professional experts at these companies.
These experts were not amateurs. Just by looking at the cast, script, scene setups, and shooting plans, they could roughly estimate the real investment in a film.
Without providing these materials or a completed film, distribution companies wouldn't even bother to discuss it.
The managers who met with Michael at Sony Pictures Releasing and Hollywood Pictures did so only because "The Purge" had generated some buzz recently.
Michael never expected to find a distributor on the first try. The main goal was to attract attention from some distribution companies so Seashore Entertainment could have more options when the film was actually completed.
Arriving at New Line Cinema, Michael smoothly met with a distribution department supervisor, thanks to a prior appointment.
"Mr. DeLonge, we meet again." Michael shook hands with a blond man in his thirties.
Michael's previous film, "Survival Instinct," had also been negotiated with this person.
DeLonge frowned at Michael and asked, "What brings you here? Are you bringing another copyright income for 'Survival Instinct' to share with New Line?"
Michael gestured to Mary, who handed him a file folder. He gave it to DeLonge and said, "This is my new film. Take a look."
DeLonge, looking annoyed, opened the folder and started reading. "You want New Line to distribute it?"
"Yes," Michael was straightforward. "We've worked together before and know each other."
DeLonge's expression darkened further. "Your 'Survival Instinct' brought no profit."
Michael smiled. "As far as I know, your company didn't incur a loss either."
Most of that film's $80,000 box office revenue went to New Line Cinema, with them also getting a share of some of the later surrounding copyright revenue.
New Line Cinema's total investment was definitely low.
It's common in Hollywood for a production company to lose a lot on a film while the distribution company barely breaks even.
"You've already screwed up one film," DeLonge said, flipping through the materials quickly before setting them aside. "To be honest, Michael, unless you're willing to sign a forty percent distribution agreement, it's unlikely the company will distribute your film again."
That was a very high demand, almost beyond outrageous.
Knowing it wouldn't help in business negotiations, Michael didn't get angry. Keeping a calm smile, he said, "Don't be so quick to refuse. How about we decide after seeing the finished film? This film is directed by James Wong, who has directed 'The X-Files.'"
That's one reason to hire a director with some credentials.
DeLonge pondered briefly before saying, "Alright, bring it over when it's done, and we'll talk."
Michael took his leave and shook hands with DeLonge. "I hope we have the chance to work together again."
DeLonge, still scowling, said nothing.
Over the next ten days, Michael visited every big and small film distribution company in Los Angeles, leaving materials even with the Big Six companies.
As a newcomer to theatrical films, casting a wide net was the only way to catch a fish.
He even planned to try his luck with DreamWorks despite it being controlled by Jewish interests.