Chapter 111: The Next Movie
It wasn't that Jake had grand ambitions to make a film suitable for theatrical release; the main issue was that he wasn't sure if streaming films would be included in his dimensional portal.
All of Jake's accessible films to date had been theatrical releases, some older physical media, but those were all legally licensed and had achieved box office success.
Streaming films, on the other hand, were a relatively new format, characterized by their ability to be watched online without theatrical release.
Some might say, "I can watch those blockbusters online too." True, but you're watching pirated copies, even if you have a subscription to a streaming service—you can't contribute to the film's box office.
However, piracy is a global issue, impossible to eradicate.
He spoke casually, but to the young director opposite him, it was a different story.
His already somewhat tense face instantly showed shock.
"How much...how much are you planning to invest?" His throat seemed dry.
"It won't be a huge budget," Jake shook his head. "I just want to test the waters of the film industry; I don't plan to invest too heavily."
But the young director didn't care at all, still staring expectantly at Jake, waiting for him to quote a figure.
Getting a theatrical release isn't a small investment; a few hundred thousand wouldn't even pass through the system!
"How about," Jake pondered for a moment and said, "5 million."
Five million really isn't much. Some indie films cost tens of millions, and some Hollywood blockbusters cost hundreds of millions.
But entrusting this amount of money to a new director shows Jake's willingness to take risks.
In other worlds, he had resources beyond measure, plus the fuel reserves of the Mad Max world, plus valuable materials, etc. He wasn't really short of money.
This price was just something he calculated; he felt it wouldn't be too much or too far off.
"Really?!" The young director excitedly grabbed Jake's hand, shaking it vigorously, his excited expression quite intense.
"Of course," Jake pushed the other person's hand away gently. "But this investment isn't unconditional. Your cousin and I are neighbors, which is why I chose you first. And as you know, there are many young directors these days. I was originally planning to invest with a company, but those directors' films were so formulaic, I couldn't stand it. So I'm going to invest in a new director with vision."
"Thank you, Mr. Jake!" The guy was so excited that all he could say was thank you.
Now that the budget was set, the production team began the urgent process of assembling, casting, and script development.
Jake didn't require famous actors to participate, although the young director wanted to have a celebrity in his first film to boost its profile.
However, Jake was the investor, and this was his decision; if he said no celebrities, then no celebrities.
It wasn't that those popular actors were bad at acting; on the contrary, their acting was often excellent, just more expensive.
He had set a limit on the investment. If too much money was used to hire big names, then the funds for production would be very limited.
Although Jake had substantial resources, a novice director wasn't worth additional investment. His money didn't grow on trees, did it?
Although the young director was reluctant, he had no choice but to agree under Jake's conditions.
He seemed to have forgotten that it was Jake who gave him the opportunity, even investing five million dollars directly. Otherwise, he would probably still be struggling to find funding to shoot a short film, hoping to get noticed.
Jake directly pushed the script issue to the director, only requiring that the script be submitted to him for review in a month and a half.
Jake's requirements were also simple: a standard film structure, with some visual effects, and an engaging plot.
Since the investment was provided by Jake, it seemed that the director would definitely have to handle the script himself; hiring a professional screenwriter would eat into the budget.
Five million dollars was indeed a bit tight for shooting a film with post-production effects. If the actors were students or unknowns, this wouldn't be a problem.
Actually, many leads in independent films are very talented, but the film and entertainment industry has developed too competitively in recent years, and without a special edge, they can't get ahead just by their looks.
After the conversation, Jake returned to his house and settled in, preparing for the next film world.
Sarah visited twice during this period, and was visibly shocked to learn that Jake had invested over a million in one go.
"It's nothing, just some venture capital," he waved his hand, saying it was nothing.
This was his honest opinion; after all, individual power in the real world was limited, and he had no reason to lie. However, these words sounded different to Sarah.
After seeing off the impressed woman and informing her that he would be away for a month, Jake locked the doors and windows, preparing for his next journey through the film worlds.
Filming a movie doesn't take just a few months; it can take seven or eight months, or even a year or two. The Lord of the Rings trilogy took years, even after deducting pre-production time. If calculated precisely, it could take up to a decade!
Jake certainly wouldn't waste that much time, so he didn't plan to immediately make a movie that would benefit him dimensionally. After all, making such a movie would take a year or two, and in that time, he might have already found what he needed in other film worlds.
Long-term planning was paramount.
Activating his dimensional portal, Jake first returned to the world of The Princess Diaries, which, aside from the real world, was the world he had spent the longest time in.
Dr. Simms was still researching parasites, and his progress was improving steadily.
Matilda was at school, and according to the android assistant, her teacher had called many times to say that Matilda brought a black cat to school.
However, Dr. Simms wasn't involved in parenting, and the android assistant hadn't been programmed to handle these issues, so no one had responded to the teacher's calls.
"I'll call the teacher later and tell her I'll make sure Matilda doesn't bring the cat." After all, the black cat was a parasite, and a relatively powerful asset. Jake still planned to bring it with him to certain worlds, as it might be useful.
With the android assistant's help, Jake took two bottles of healing spray, loaded eight magazines, four pistols, and a katana. Gun-fu, also known as gun-based martial arts, incorporated blade-fighting techniques. The movie world Jake was about to visit had very confined spaces, and problems that firearms couldn't solve would have to be solved with close combat skills!
Still dressed in his jet-black suit, casually holding a slightly curved katana in his left hand, Jake activated his dimensional travel ability and entered a new movie world.
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