At the Los Angeles Country Club, a black Cadillac SLS drove smoothly past the white gates of the clubhouse and parked on the side of the flowery road.

The camera follows the slide rail to the driver's seat, Martin opens the door and gets out of the car, dressed in a formal suit, with a luxury car and a clubhouse background, showing the style of success.

Director Joseph spoke from behind the monitor: "Card, this is over. ”

A driver went over to drive and drove the car to the door of the clubhouse.

The crew also moved to the door, where they were ready for filming.

Martin went to the trailer to change his clothes and came back to continue filming.

Not just videos, but also print ads.

Cadillac, although it is a luxury car brand in the United States, is not as high-end focused as Brioni, and asked for the ad to be shot as soon as possible in time for the Super Bowl ad in early February.

The advertising film starring Martin and the car will appear on the Spring Festival Gala in the United States.

It's also excellent publicity for Martin itself.

took Cadillac's 10 million annual endorsement fee, Martin fully cooperated, and posed for various POSS according to the photographer's requirements.

After filming here, I touched up my makeup again.

The Cadillac SLS was parked in front of the clubhouse.

Martin took a key and entered the clubhouse foyer.

Director Joseph reminds to move: "Pay attention to the camera and the key. ”

Martin held up the key.

The crew was ready, Joseph gave an order, and filming began again.

Martin came out of the clubhouse, took out the key and pressed it against the car, and the car lights flashed.

The videographer who followed the shot captured a close-up.

Joseph shouted, "This is over, go back, do it again." ”

Taking money to do things, the most basic work ethic, Martin is not bored, and this one has been filmed eight times in a row.

At about half past four in the afternoon, the advertising footage and flat pictures were all filmed, Martin removed his makeup and changed clothes, got into a Cadillac SLS, and went straight to Burbank.

This is one of several new cars sent by Cadillac.

In addition to being used by Martin in public, it can also be given to relatives and friends.

Thomas, the agent, was waiting in the car.

Martin took out a car key and handed it to Thomas: "The car is in the Cadillac shop, you go pick it up yourself." ”

Thomas asked, "The car was given to me?" ”

Martin said: "You get the endorsement contract, and you should have a car. ”

The gains from this agent's commission make Thomas feel a little warm, compared to those stars who need to be coaxed and deceived after becoming famous, Martin is really a rare good customer.

Thomas put away the car keys.

Bruce also has one that belongs exclusively to him.

In addition, Martin also kept one for Mene, but Uncle Mene is filming in the field and will not return to Los Angeles for the time being.

Thomas glanced at his watch and said, "The test screening is over." ”

Today was the theater manager and media preview of "Neverending", and Martin had to attend an evening reception party because of the Cadillac commercial to be filmed.

The car enters Burbank and Bruce turns onto the road to the Burbank Hotel.

Martin opened the cooler in the car, took out a box of pizza from it, opened the armrest in the middle of the back seat, picked up a piece, and said, "It's too late to eat dinner, drinking is indispensable at the party, eat a little first, don't drink on an empty stomach." ”

"You're so thoughtful." Thomas picked up the pizza and took a big bite to eat.

Martin ate the pizza and rinsed his mouth with mineral water, then sprayed a breath freshener and tidied up his clothes slightly in front of the mirror.

When dealing with nitpicking critics, pay attention to every detail.

Many critics have bigger eyes than the eye of a needle, and if they feel that people do not respect them, they can use the pen to beat black people for a lifetime.

Martin may not care about them in the future, but now he needs these guys to use opinion pieces to charge forward and attract more attention.

The car stopped in front of the hotel, Martin and Thomas got out of the car, and as soon as they entered the hotel lobby, they met Louise.

Dressed in a women's suit and black-rimmed glasses, she saw Martin come in and beckoned gently.

Martin went over there and asked, "How was the response to the test screening?" ”

Louise didn't joke about this kind of serious thing, and said, "The response is good. ”

She grabbed Martin's arm: "Go to the banquet hall and talk as you go." ”

Martin went to the elevator unhurriedly.

Louise said: "The 38 journalists who participated in the test screening gave an average of 84 points. Cinema managers have a better business rating, with an average score of 94. ”

The latter scoring is not purely based on the quality of the film, but more from the perspective of the market, and the score is directly related to the support of the theater when the distribution company negotiates with the theater.

In the past ten years, good films have not done well at the box office, and examples of bad movies selling well have emerged one after another.

Martin asked again, "What about the fans?" ”

This question actually put Louise in a good mood, and she said, "A+! ”

"That's great news." Martin laughed too.

As for the critics, he didn't ask, and Louise didn't say.

Heading upstairs and into the hotel ballroom, Martin immediately adjusted his mind, maneuvering between reporters and critics, occasionally raising a glass with others.

As in the past, he has great respect for the critics who participated in the test screenings, and he always listens to their opinions and discusses lofty artistic topics with them.

Before the New Year, the Oscar nomination ballot has been distributed, and Martin still needs these people to help him continue to wave the flag.

Martin reached out to Kenneth Turan, the chief film critic of the Los Angeles Times.

"I just watched the preview screening, and your acting skills are as good as ever." Compared with the film, Turan cares more about Martin and the role he plays: "You played the transition from despair to success very well. ”

"Thank you for the compliment, it may be my own experience that has made me more aware of this transformation," Martin said. ”

He has never been stingy with boasting: "This change in mental state is a big challenge, and I think I handled it well." ”

Turan had just watched the film and was impressed by Martin's character: "It's no worse than your role in The Departed, and if this film doesn't have a sci-fi flavor and has less commercial elements, it's entirely possible to hit the next awards season." ”

"In such a commercial society, it is too difficult to avoid business." Martin's face was full of helplessness: "Brokerage companies, investment companies, and the collaborators around me, etc., I need to think about it, I need to balance, I can't decide the finished film, but I have been trying to use my performance to make the balance between business and art better." ”

Critics are also a group of commercial writers, and around these industries related to films, to put it bluntly, it is all business, and Turan does not find Martin's words problematic, as if a teacher taught students: "Don't get lost in business, never forget to hone your acting skills." ”

Martin nodded heavily, and said deliberately: "When the reader finishes the film, I hope you can participate in the test screening as soon as possible, your comments have given me a lot of guidance, and the results I have honed under the guidance also need to get your follow-up guidance." ”

These words made Kenneth Turan feel comfortable from the bottom of his heart, and said, "Remember to call me. ”

Martin knows what the gang likes, and at this stage he needs them to shout 666.

He asked for a drink from the waiter and had a drink with Kenneth Turan.

On the other hand, Aniston ended her chat with a newspaper deputy editor-in-chief, waited a little, and saw that Martin had no one around, so she looked for him.

She was emotional: "The response to the film is very good. ”

Martin is also confident: "It's not a problem for the box office to recoup costs. ”

Aniston leaned closer and whispered, "Have you seen the news lately?" ”

Martin didn't understand: "What news? ”

"Griffith Observatory." "A lot of couples like to go there for a stargazing tryst at night," Aniston said. ”

Martin has been to this place when he was in a relationship with Anne Hathaway.

Aniston continued: "Last night, someone attacked the stargazing platform near the planetarium with fireworks, and many couples were scared to the point of running for their lives. ”

She pulled out her phone: "Someone took a picture of the scene. ”

Martin only glanced at it, and was sure that the fireworks were set off was Gatlin: "Leo and Jack, two bastards!" ”

Aniston said: "Luckily, there are no trees at the observatory. ”

Martin, however, understands the style of these two bastards: "It must have been carefully chosen. ”

After the party, Martin called Leonardo.

Sure enough, it was the two bastards who attacked the Griffith Observatory at night.

They proposed to wait for Valentine's Day to make a night raid on Venice Beach, which is said to be another famous field site in Los Angeles.

In the following week, Martin devoted himself to his work, running the promotion of the new film, and did not forget to continue to promote the Oscars.

The results of the various association awards and outpost awards have been announced one after another during the awards season, and Martin has made the nomination for the Best Supporting Actor award.

But eighty percent of the awards fell into the hands of Alan Arkin.

During this time, he attended the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

The entire crew of "The Departed" came back defeated, not only Martin and Leonardo, who were nominated for the acting award, did not win, but even the best feature film and best director awards were snatched away by "Babel".

But no one cares, because the judges of the Golden Globes and the judges of the Oscars have basically zero overlap.

At the subsequent Directors Guild Awards, Martin Scorsese took the Best Director crown.

At the Producers Guild Awards, "The Departed" topped!

The Hollywood practitioners' association awards are the real weather vane.

Of the two awards, Martin made the nomination list, but the best supporting actor was Alan Arkin of "Little Sunshine Beauty".

Robert De Niro, the supporting actor of "Neverending", has worked hard in Hollywood for decades and has an extensive network, and he leaked some news to Martin.

Last year's critically acclaimed "Little Miss Sunshine", the premier PR award of the production and distribution company Fox was the best supporting actor for Alan Arkin.

Alan Akin is not under De Niro in terms of seniority, not to mention the personal relationships accumulated over decades, and also sold two Manhattan properties he invested in in his early years for public relations.

This old man has played a major supporting role in hundreds of film and television dramas, and he is still a Jew, now over 70 years old.

For Best Supporting Actor, the advantage is too great.

Oscar is famous for his nostalgia for the elderly.

Martin can see it, after all, his goal is to be nominated for an Oscar.

He has more connections than him, an old Jew in his 70s versus a 25-year-old non-Jew, more than 40 years of experience VS three years of seniority.

On top of that, Alan Arkin threw in no less PR than he did.

Even De Niro, the old man, left the first place in the nomination vote to Alan Akin.

Among the judges of the college, old men over 60 years old accounted for more than half.

Just arrived in mid-January, the most important weather vane of the Oscars, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, announced the results.

Leonardo, who aspired to the Oscar for Best Actor, did not win the Best Actor award and lost to black actor Forlistt Whitaker.

In terms of Best Supporting Actor, Alan Arkin won the award unsurprisingly.

However, both Martin and Leonardo were named to the list of five nominees for their respective awards.

With almost no guarantee of an Oscar nomination, Martin's energy turned to the promotion of "Neverending".

In the last half month before the release, he changed cities one day at a time, repeating the pattern of planes, hotels and announcements, from the West Coast to the East Coast, and even went to the United Kingdom and Germany, which opened paintings in North America at the same time.

Whether it is the Internet or other media, the publicity has been full.

Because of the good reputation of the test screening, the distributor Warner Bros. won nearly 3,300 theaters for the film.

(End of chapter)