Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

Recently, Milon hadn't been sleeping well. Thanks to Judy's curiosity, the two of them had been keeping up with the latest developments of the Puzzle Killer on Horror Pumpkin Head every day.

Visibly, the number of people discussing this matter around him was increasing.

What had initially been a topic of discussion in small circles had now spread to ordinary university forums, with many students participating. Even if Milon didn't want to hear about it, news about the Puzzle Killer still reached him from all sides.

Even in the video store he frequented, the owner, Dival, along with a pair of comedians—one tall, one short—had all heard of the infamous Puzzle Killer.

However, a more popular nickname for him was Jigsaw.

The rapid spread of this phenomenon could largely be attributed to the statements Jigsaw had written on his website, which resonated widely. Many young people, still in their rebellious phase, believed the world was fundamentally flawed, outdated, and that many people didn't deserve the lives they had. Jigsaw's words aligned with these sentiments.

They believed Jigsaw turned to crime to punish those who didn't cherish their lives. This brand of individualistic heroism was deeply inspiring to them.

Thus, the cult following emerged. On forums, many even formed a new religion: Jigsawism, with the crucifix-like contraptions regarded as "holy relics."

Their mission was to express their discontent with the world and their determination to change it.

Milon found this absurd, but in America, anything seemed possible. Idolizing serial killers was hardly a new phenomenon. Jigsaw's rise to prominence was largely due to a mysterious video and his enigmatic identity.

No one knew where Jigsaw came from, nor how many people he had killed.

However, based on the messages left on his website, it seemed likely that Jigsaw had used similar contraptions before. Perhaps there were more of his punishment videos online that had yet to be discovered.

But as this strange urban legend about a serial killer continued spreading across the United States, Ethan, the creator of the film, and James Wan, the father of Jigsaw, were sitting at the MGM studio, negotiating a distribution deal.

The movie had officially wrapped. This film wasn't particularly difficult to shoot. The original movie had been completed in 18 days; even with an increased budget and a more refined approach, they only extended the shooting schedule by seven days.

During those seven days, James Wan's attitude shifted from observing Ethan as a peer to regarding him as a mentor. Every day after filming, he would ask Ethan a series of questions, taking out his notebook to record Ethan's answers and transform them into his own knowledge.

He realized that Ethan's expertise in camera work and visual storytelling far exceeded his expectations.

This left him deeply impressed by his peer and eager to emulate Ethan's techniques on set.

Of course, this was easier said than done. James Wan admitted he still had a lot to learn.

After the movie wrapped, Ethan formally signed a contract with James Wan to direct the sequel. Yes, even before the first movie's release, Ethan had already decided to proceed with a sequel.

This further demonstrated Ethan's decisiveness and made James Wan all the more grateful that his movie had been sold to him rather than someone else.

But such discussions were premature. Their immediate goal was to convince MGM's distribution department to sign the film's distribution rights and get it released to secure box office returns.

Once the box office figures came in, Ethan could finally rest easy.

As everyone settled in the office, James Wan handed over the DVD to the executives.

"All right, let's take a look at this horror film." David, the head of the distribution department, crossed his legs on the sofa and got comfortable as he and his team began watching the film Saw on a projector.

Ethan and James Wan sat to the side. They had already seen the movie countless times, so during the screening, they focused more on the reactions of the others.

When Jigsaw's voice first played from the tape recorder, David raised an eyebrow, intrigued. In most slasher films, the killer was a silent figure, wielding a chainsaw without much dialogue.

But this film's killer was expressive, full of opinions and perspectives that deviated sharply from the norm. His recordings even seemed oddly reasonable.

When the first unfortunate victim met their demise through a mechanical contraption David's eyelids twitched, and his mouth felt dry.

It was a bizarre punishment. The killer could have simply ended the victim's life, yet he gave them hope, forcing them to struggle and escape their predicament.

David had to admit, the peculiar contraptions in the film were indeed imaginative. While the execution scenes were gruesome, fans of horror films relished this kind of visceral thrill.

David didn't need to watch the entire movie to conclude that it would be a box-office hit. It was a novel type of horror film. Although he wasn't sure how the audience would receive it, it was safe to assume a million-dollar gross was achievable.

During the latter half of the film, Polk's mind was occupied with thoughts about signing the deal and arranging the release schedule. When the film ended, he immediately turned to Ethan and James Wan.

"Let's talk about distribution," he said.

"Go ahead," Ethan replied, placing his hands on his knees, waiting for David's response.

"I believe this film should be released during the Halloween season. That's the ideal window for horror movies. This year's summer box office competition is fierce. If Saw is released during the summer, securing wide distribution would be nearly impossible."

David was right. This summer's lineup was packed with blockbusters.

There was X-Men 2, a highly anticipated sequel, as well as Universal's Hulk and Bruce Almighty, and Disney's Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean.

These films were all aiming for billion-dollar grosses, and the competition for theater screens had already reached a fever pitch.

In Hollywood, screen allocation was always dictated by profitability. Trying to carve out a space amid these blockbusters would be an uphill battle.

So David suggested Ethan abandon the idea of a summer release and wait for the Halloween season.

Halloween, being an off-season, had plenty of available screens. Combined with the holiday atmosphere, even horror films could secure decent screen counts.

"MGM's distribution strength is undeniable. If you entrust this film to us, I can promise to secure wide theatrical release."

David's promise of a wide theatrical release referred to one of the many distribution levels in Hollywood.

The levels ranged from limited release to general release, wide release, major release, and ultra-wide release, based on the number of theaters showing the film.

A wide release, as Polk mentioned, meant 2,500 to 3,000 theaters.

For a horror film, this was an excellent number, ensuring that most potential audiences could find a screening nearby.

"What about the revenue split?" Ethan asked the core question. The typical revenue split was 40:40:20, divided among the production company, theaters, and distributor. Ethan wasn't sure if MGM would be content with 20%.

Hearing this, Polk smiled.

Thirty minutes later, sitting in the car, James Wan couldn't help but complain to Ethan: "MGM's so greedy, demanding a 30% cut… and we don't even need their marketing."

Ethan shrugged as Tom started the car: "That's just the greed of these big Hollywood studios. After all, we're just an unknown small company, and our film doesn't have any name recognition. If we want to secure 3,000 screens at once, we have to agree to the 30% cut. Alternatively, we can opt for a 20% cut but start with a limited release."

"What's our next step, then?" It was already May, and without a confirmed release date, arranging the schedule and promotions would be challenging.

"I've already sent Carl and the team to pitch the film to other distribution companies. We'll decide our next move once they return."

Ethan wasn't about to put all his eggs in one basket. MGM was just one of several options.

However, the next day, the feedback from Carl's team only made MGM's offer seem more appealing.

Other companies were greedier, promising fewer screens and refusing to lower their revenue cut.

As for not needing their marketing, they simply retorted:

"Do you even know how to market a film?"

"Do you have any experience in film promotion?"

"If your lack of promotion tanks the box office, will you take responsibility?"

"Damn it!" In the office, Carl cursed. He had gone to Universal but had been dismissed by a junior staff member.

"Now it seems MGM's offer is the best we have. What do you think, Ethan?" Jimmy asked, frustrated. He hadn't expected that, after completing the film, distribution would become the next hurdle.

Looking at Hollywood's reality, it was easy to see why so many talented screenwriters and small independent producers struggled.

A fitting description would be: If you don't write, someone else will. If you don't make films, someone else will.

This was the stark reality of Hollywood. Ethan, having only been involved in production before, hadn't experienced the complexities of distribution firsthand.

But these negotiations over the past few days had shown him what it meant to be at someone else's mercy.

Without a distribution arm of his own, he would always be constrained.

However, building distribution capabilities is not something that can be accomplished easily. The major Hollywood distribution companies have all gone through various battles and mergers to become what they are today. For Norton's Eye to rival them in the short term is simply a pipe dream.

So the most important thing at the moment is to find a reliable distributor and finalize the film's release schedule.

Seeing that Ethan wasn't speaking, Jimmy glanced at Carl, who was sipping tea nearby, then at Kane and James Wan in the distance. He pursed his lips and also fell silent.

However, after a dozen seconds, Ethan suddenly clapped his hands forcefully, as if he had figured something out.

"What's wrong, Ethan? Do you have an idea?" Everyone turned their gaze toward Ethan. In their hearts, Ethan could always come up with the most suitable plan. To be honest, this kind of confidence was a bit blind, but it was built up bit by bit.

Looking at everyone's gaze, Ethan spoke, "In fact, we have another choice."

"What choice?" James Wan asked curiously.

"Do you know the largest independent production company in Hollywood? They release a large number of horror films every year. When it comes to experience in distributing horror films, even the major Hollywood companies can't compare to them."

Hearing "independent production" and "horror films," Carl immediately had an epiphany: "You mean the distributor of The Blair Witch Project, Lionsgate?"

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