Walking through the long hallway, Holt pushed open the door and walked in, straight onto the balcony, where he saw his biggest patron, the bespectacled Roger? Albert was sitting behind the small round table drinking afternoon tea, first making a gesture to him to be seated, and then picking up the teapot and pouring him a cup.

"Invited?" Albert asked the agent.

Like Hollywood, the summer season and the Thanksgiving Christmas file, which is closely linked to the awards season, are also the peak income seasons for professional film critics, although the influence of professional film critics in the summer is far weaker than that of the awards season, but the commercial blockbusters of film companies often need to borrow their names to wave the flag and build momentum for the film.

Especially for big-budget commercial blockbusters, which are more expensive to promote and touted by top critics, producers and distributors can sometimes even offer seven-figure PR budgets.

The income of professional film critics seems to be columns, contributions and books, and some of the top ones, as well as TV programs invited by TV stations, which are enough to guarantee a lot of income every year.

However, this is only the income on the surface, last year, Roger? Albert's columns and TV shows only brought in more than $800,000 in compensation, but in one summer, he made seven figures privately!

Despite the ostensible criticism of Hollywood's increased investment in commercial production and the clamor for independent films, in reality it is only a demonstration of their non-vulgar and popular attitude, and it has taken two decades or more for these top film critics to get to where they are now. Where do you not understand that only a commercial system with a sufficiently high investment amount will have a .whore that brings in large incomes.

Since last year, Roger? Albert got a list of possible films to be released this summer, and set his sights on huge investment projects such as "The Lion King", "Independence Day" and "True Lies". As is customary in previous years, the producer and distributor will definitely invite him to attend the preview screening.

The dollar is depreciating, Roger? Albert had long planned to raise prices, and Walt Disney was also on the road, and he got a check for $300,000 for just "The Lion King".

Collecting money to do things is the most basic principle of the industry. Roger? Albert is still very professional, and he not only gave "The Lion King" a high score of 9. also gave a thumbs up, the film's super high reputation and hot box office seem to prove his vision, and even make him feel his own film reviews. It's like once saving "Male and Female Thieves", which played a key role.

Film reviews are difficult to quantify with box office figures, and in the last two years, maybe it's really a unique vision, or maybe it's luck enough, Roger? Albert's thumbs up, such as "Terminator 2", "The Silence of the Lambs", "Death Island", "The Lion King" and other films were all big hits, which can easily create the illusion that his film reviews have a directing effect on the entire film market.

Even Roger? An industry leader like Albert also has the feelings of ordinary people, who can be proud, delusional, overestimate themselves and greedy.

The income from "The Lion King" has been firmly in hand. Roger? Albert has been waiting for the invitation to "Independence Day", and if the time is counted, the preview screening should also be held, after all, it is mid-June. It's only been half a month since the film was released.

Of course he's seen the commercials and the two trailers that have been released one after another, and there is no suspense, Duke? Rosenberg, as he expected, could not control his own desire for destruction, and finally embarked on a crooked path, and the trailer was not only inferior to sensationalism, but also a series of explosions. If the whole film is at this pace, it will definitely be a bad movie!

I want him to say good things about such a bad movie. The other party must pay a sufficient price!

"I got a couple of offers."

Putting down the teaglass, Holt understood what Albert meant, and said directly, "There is no invitation to "Independence Day". ”

"I remember their test screening was about to take place, right?" Albert's eyebrows, hidden behind his glasses, furrowed slowly.

"The day after tomorrow."

Hear from the agent, Roger? Albert's fingers flicked lightly on the table, "They didn't invite me?" ”

"It's not." Holt shook his head, "Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox didn't invite any critics!" ”

“what？” Roger? Albert looked up at the agent.

Holt was very sure, "The producers invited fans, media and theaters, but they didn't invite any professional critics to participate. ”

Roger? Albert's face gradually became stern, "What do they want to do?" ”

Since the sixties and seventies, the film critics have reached a tacit understanding with Hollywood film companies that as long as the film is tested, professional film critics are an indispensable link, and this kind of rule that is not a rule has fundamentally reversed the dilemma of low income of film critics.

Although over the years, there have been a number of blockbuster films that have been favored by critics but failed at the box office, and films such as "Star Wars" that have been reviled by critics but have been super-hits, the situation in which film critics can profoundly influence the film industry has not changed, and professional film critics are most of the time the target of movie stars, directors and production companies need to curry favor.

Today, professional film critics and the film industry are inextricably linked.

At least, from Roger? From Albert's point of view, it is true that professional film critics have had a profound impact on the entire film industry in the past, present and future.

Pick up the teacup and slowly sip the black tea, Roger? Albert pondered, if it was normal to say that he was not invited, but now that no critics were invited, could it be that Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox did not have enough budget for publicity?

Certainly not, the film is so hyped that funding won't be an issue.

While I can't think of a reason why Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox did this, Roger? Albert thought about it for a few minutes and suddenly found another problem that could affect the entire film critic community.

If there were no critics to play a role in it, and "Independence Day" was released and it was a big hit, how would Hollywood as a whole view the film critics community? Will it affect the status and income of film critics in the future in the test screening of commercial blockbusters?

Suddenly, Roger? Albert found that the matter was not only about himself, but perhaps even for the entire film critic industry.

Moving interests are like cutting flesh from people, and Duke's propaganda proposal, which is more in line with the actual situation, may touch the interests of the film critic industry.

But he doesn't care, as long as he can drive the income of the film and bring benefits to himself, even if he stands up and confronts the critics, it is not a big deal.

The most influential place for film critics is the awards season, especially the academic awards represented by the Oscars, for Duke, who first positioned himself as a commercial director, the awards are of course good, and they will not be pursued too deliberately.

Of so many directors in Hollywood history who have won Best Director Statuette, how many are more influential than Hitchcock, who never won an award? Leaving a greater reputation?

Of course, he wants to win the Oscar, but he will not deliberately flatter it, let alone make a special award-winning film.

Of course, Chongjiang films will not adopt the publicity and distribution method of "Independence Day", and the theater side will not attach so much importance to it, and the chief film viewing team of their respective companies will be sent at today's preview screening.

Sitting in the front row of the theater, Duke was in a very calm mood, far less nervous than during the first two test screenings, and the representatives of the theater line were sitting behind him.

While Duke was thinking about this, Sophia? Coppola walked in from the outside, searched slightly, and sat down next to him.

"Just got a number jù." She whispered to Duke.

"Something to do with us?" Duke turned his head to look at her, and Sophia nodded, "Competitor news, "Night Interview with the Vampire" has basically been removed from the world, with a global box office of $221.57 million. ”

"Not bad." Duke laughed, "Profitability shouldn't be a problem, presumably CAA still has a chance to make a product on a commercial blockbuster, Tom?" Cruise's appeal is still impressive. ”

"If only you understood." Sophia crossed her legs, "Even Michael? Ovitz left office this year, and the CAA remains a behemoth. ”

CAA will only get bigger, Duke knows this, even if CAA's packaging services are completely defeated in terms of commercial production, but it continues to attract new stars to its portfolio, and will occupy half or more of the Hollywood actor market in the future. Cruise, although he lost in the battle for the market, shows no signs of slowing down his path to superstardom.

"And ......," Sophia added, "I just got word from Warners that 'The Shawshank Redemption,' which was released a week after us, received a massive 9.8 in last year's Critics' Show. ”

She looked at Duke, "I know that you have always paid little attention to film critics, thinking that their influence in the summer season is very low, but you don't forget that the people who can stand at the top of the film criticism industry have worked hard for decades and have many supporters, and it is difficult to say that their high ratings will not bring a sensation to "The Shawshank Redemption", which will have an impact on the box office of our second weekend." ”

"Don't worry, Sophia." Duke still looked indifferent, "Instead of worrying about "The Shawshank Redemption", we should worry about whether the residual heat of "The Lion King" and "Forrest Gump" will affect us." ”

"The Shawshank Redemption"? Even if God comes in person, he can't redeem this film in theaters.

Seeing that Duke didn't care at all, Sophia didn't say anything anymore, and turned her energy to the big screen that was gradually lighting up. (To be continued)

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