Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It was a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles. A tall, steely Chicago-style building loomed in front of Wang Yang. Looking up at it, he braced himself and strode forth.
It’d been a few days since he’d put the finishing touches to Paranormal Activity, including the editing and other post-production work. The entire movie ended up being 98 minutes long. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d made an absolute thriller capable of sending anyone into a cold sweat. His notion was further reinforced by Joshua and Jessica, whom he’d invited to his apartment to view his movie on the day of its completion. Despite knowing the plot well beforehand, their faces had turned pale with fright by the end of the screening.
Wang Yang didn’t fare any better either, having to dwell in the nightmare of his own making—the very apartment where the film was shot. As fear crept in, imagination ran wild. Sleep proved to be difficult, for even the slightest murmur of wind would cause him to wake up in cold terror. Perhaps shooting the horror film had taken a toll on his psyche.
After he’d edited the film, Wang Yang advanced impetuously to the next order of business, which was the publication of the movie. Negotiations had to take place between the publisher and the theater chains before a movie could reach the silver screen, as the theater chain would need to arrange for the screenings in its cinemas. Wang Yang’s main point of contact in all of this was the publisher.
There were innumerable film companies in America, particularly in California. The most well-known, of course, were the eight “majors”, which were the biggest companies ever to emerge in Hollywood. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Paramount, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Universal Picture, United Artists, 20th Century Fox, and Disney. However, the industry had changed dramatically. Following the decision of the “Paramount case” and the enforcement of antitrust laws, which prohibited the ownership of cinemas and theater chains by film companies, the eight majors were but shadows of their former selves, vestiges of the studio era—a time once past but long forgotten.
They’d either become members of the media, such as Paramount, which was acquired by Viacom or remained independent in the cut-throat business of film, where bankruptcy was commonplace, as was the case for MGM. Nevertheless, they were still giants in Hollywood’s film industry and the undisputed creators of big blockbusters.
Among those companies, some even had subsidiaries that specialized in publishing independent films that weren’t produced by their parent companies or themselves. An example would be 20th Century Fox’s publishing company, Searchlight Pictures. The company had already published over ten independent films and profited handsomely from them.
However, all the films endorsed by Searchlight Pictures had budgets ranging from millions to tens of millions of dollars, not to mention they were all shot on traditional film. There hadn’t been a movie released anywhere in the world that was shot with a home DV camcorder. After all, it had only been a few months since digital video was introduced.
Though Wang Yang was fairly certain that a big company like Searchlight Pictures wouldn’t take his movie seriously, he still picked up the phone and contacted them. It was a shot in the dark, but he took it anyway. What did he have to lose?
He didn’t even get to meet them. Upon hearing that his film was shot on a home DV camcorder, the Vice President of Acquisition at Searchlight laughed and turned him down over the phone. The VP even thought that it was a prank call. Was he serious? A film shot on a home DV camcorder? He knew about digital video, as well as its limitations in picture quality. Could he even show it on the big screen? Who’d ever want to watch something like that? What if Wang Yang was just some kid who had bought a DV camcorder, fiddled around with it, and called his home video a movie?
Above all, it was because Searchlight Pictures saw no reason to take a risk on what seemed like a potential disaster. They were making good money with their existing business model and were quite content to maintain the status quo.
Wang Yang expected no less from them. He didn’t pursue them any further, for he knew it would do him no good. The big companies were used to big productions. To them, a 10-thousand-dollar movie was but a joke. What kind of movie could someone possibly make with 10 thousand dollars? They scoffed at the idea, and not for the lack of foresight. It was because a DV movie had never been done before. Investing in such an avant-garde and subversive project took guts. And fear was a barrier as profound and old as man itself. It was said that the first person to eat crab did so out of courage, not foresight.
So, without any luck with the major companies, Wang Yang proceeded to contact the medium and small-sized firms. Some of those companies produced their own low-budget movies, while others concentrated on endorsing and publishing other people’s work. New Line Cinema and Dimension Films were examples of the latter.
Unfortunately, they were no less skeptical compared to the big firms, who viewed Wang Yang’s proposal as a prank. But unlike the big firms like Searchlight Pictures, some didn’t outright reject Wang Yang on the phone. Out of curiosity, they’d agreed to meet with Wang Yang face-to-face on the off chance that his movie might turn out to be something really good.
Over the past few days, Wang Yang had been visiting those companies with DVD copies of Paranormal Activity. At first, he went to New Line, Dimension Films, and other similar firms. But their reactions were uncannily unanimous. As soon as the movie played, and the poor picture quality and the shaky camera work became apparent, they shook their heads and said, “I think we’ve seen enough.”
Wang Yang had run into a wall. Despite his relentless pitching, his attempts at painting the shaky camera as a charm of the DV format, and his evangelical advocacy of mockumentaries as a story-telling medium, the response was always a polite smile followed by a firm “no”. Their reasons mirrored those of Searchlight’s: they had no faith in DV movies. They thought DV movies were a joke. They didn’t think the audience would accept it.
Then again, when movies with sound, known as “talkies”, were first introduced, most of the companies were worried it might not suit their audience’s tastes. There was even a dogmatic belief among some people that silent films would never be replaced. From this perspective, it was hardly surprising that none of the companies were interested in DV movies.
It seemed no matter how hard Wang Yang tried, he was doomed to fail. With everyone doubting his idea, what could he possibly do?
But today, the company that he was about to visit was different. Wang Yang was hopeful, confident, and peppy. Because he knew that the company, called Artisan Entertainment, would later publish a DV film called The Blair Witch Project and shock the world with its sales. If anyone had the guts to take the plunge and eat the crab that was DV movie, they were it.
Artisan Entertainment was a very small organization that specialized in publishing independent films. They didn’t have their own office building. Instead, their headquarters were located on the twelfth floor of the commercial building.
Wang Yang was decked out in a black suit that day. Holding a briefcase loaded with scripts and DVD copies of his movie, he stood at the main door of Artisan Entertainment. He glanced at the company’s logo, took a deep breath, and walked in.
“Hi, welcome to Artisan Entertainment!” a girl at the front desk greeted with a smile. She was an African American girl in her twenties. While her smile likely came from a place of etiquette and professionalism, it made Wang Yang feel welcomed nonetheless.
From her name tag, Wang Yang could see that her name was Nicole Vanwormer. With a genial smile, he said, “Hello Ms. Vanwormer, I’m Wang Yang. I’m here for an appointment with the Vice President of Acquisition, Ms. Thomas.”
“All right, please hold on,” said Nicole, nodding her head. After a few clicks on her computer, she looked up at him and said with a friendly smile, “Oh, here it is. Yes, you have a meeting at 3:00 pm. It’s 2:42 pm now. Why don’t you have a seat first?”
Wang Yang smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” He walked to the row of seats opposite the front desk and sat down. Fiddling with his briefcase, he looked around the office, feeling nervous. He couldn’t help taking a deep, quiet breath.
Just then, Nicole Vanwormer, the receptionist, looked at him curiously and prompted, “Mr. Wang, I understand you have an appointment with Mr. Thomas to discuss publishing your film. May I ask if you’re the producer?” Wang Yang nodded and said, “Yes. I guess you can say that. I’m the producer and the director.” Nicole accepted his reply with an astonished smile and said, “My, you look so young. What a surprise.”
Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and said smilingly, “That’s why they call me Yang.” Nicole chuckled. Seeing as she was starting to warm up to him, Wang Yang asked, “By the way, do you get many people like me who come here and pitch their movies?”
Nicole Vanwormer shook her head at once. “No, I wouldn’t say so. We don’t get many independent filmmakers here. Besides, with so many film companies out there. It’s quite rare to see someone coming here, actually.” Oblivious to the fact that Wang Yang’s movie was shot on a DV camcorder, she smiled and said, “To tell you the truth, we take a proactive approach most of the time and scout around for good movies at film festivals. Just this year, we’ve acquired a few movies at the Sundance Film Festival.”
Wang Yang nodded pensively, absorbing the information. The Sundance Film Festival was the most acclaimed independent film festival in the world. Its main purpose was to provide a platform for low-budget, independent films and fresh, young directors to showcase their talent. Each year, at the end of January, the Sundance Film Festival would be held at a city in Utah, where hordes of independent filmmakers would bring and present their movies, hoping to catch an investor’s eye. On the other hand, film companies, large and small, would flock to the film festival in search of hidden gems.
There were many other film festivals like Sundance, from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, to the Screamfest Horror Film Festival, which was dedicated to horror movies.
Wang Yang regarded film festivals as his last resort. If he couldn’t somehow get his movie published through theaters, DVD, or cable television, he would join the ranks of independent filmmakers in the festivals. Unfortunately, the influential ones, such as Sundance Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival, were all held in January. That meant he’d have to wait until next year if he wanted to attend them.
Before he could finish his thought, it was already 3:00 pm. Nicole Vanwormer, the receptionist, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and asked, “Mr. Thomas, Mr. Wang is here to see you. He’s booked an appointment with you to discuss publishing his film. Yes, okay.” She flashed a smile at Wang Yang, stood up, and said, “Mr, Wang, please, come with me.”
“All right.” Wang Yang rose promptly. Following behind her with his briefcase clutched firmly in his hand, he finally entered Artisan Entertainment’s office. Despite the small number of employees, the office was abuzz with activity. Everybody there seemed to be hard at work, on their way to something important with something in their hands or talking on the phone. Somewhere in the chaos, a voice was saying, “Hey, we need an advertisement for the 8:00 pm slot. Yes. Oh come on, why is so expensive?”
Nicole Vanwormer brought him to a private office room. She knocked on the door. “Come in,” said a voice in the room. Then, she eased the door open and said with a smile, “Mr. Thomas, Mr. Wang is here to see you.” With that, she left them alone and returned to the front desk.
Stephen Thomas was a striking, middle-aged, white male in his forties with a slightly bald patch above his forehead. He wore a grey suit matched with a black tie. He was sitting at his desk, writing when he saw them coming in. He put down his pen, got up from his seat, and approached Wang Yang with a smile. “Mr. Wang, nice to meet you,” he said, stretching out a hand.
“Mr. Thomas, nice to meet you.” Wang Yang shook his hand with a quick, eager smile and continued politely, “Thank you for this opportunity. It’s an honor.”
“Haha, think nothing of it. It’s my job. Please, have a seat.” Smiling, Thomas pulled out a chair in front of his desk before making his way back to his own chair. He looked across the table as Wang Yang seated himself and asked, “Mr. Wang, you look rather young. Pardon my curiosity, but may I ask how old you are?”
Wang Yang laughed a little. He knew why Thomas had asked him that question. It was an ice breaker, a little nicety to which he was supposed to entertain by introducing himself or handing out a copy of his resume. But experience had taught him to leave his resume at home. Previously, he’d been rejected by another film company, who, upon reading his resume, learned that he’d studied at the University of Southern California. That naturally led them to the fact that he’d been expelled, and subsequently, the reason for his expulsion. He was asked to leave before he even had the chance to present his movie.
Without a resume, he could paint himself in the best light possible, as long as it was within reason. Wang Yang smiled and replied, “Yes. I was born in 1980. I guess you could say I’m quite young.”
Thomas knitted his eyebrows in a disconcerted manner. Sizing up Wang Yang, he made an “ah” sound while an engaging smile took over from the skepticism on his face. “You’re very young for a director. An 18-year-old director? Wow. But shouldn’t you be in college?” he remarked.
College? Here it comes, here it comes… All of a sudden, Wang Yang’s fears loomed up. He forced out a laugh, shrugged his shoulders, and tried to gloss over the subject. “Surely, you’d know, not everyone chooses the path of education. Besides, to me, the merit of a film lies in the film itself, not the age of its director.”
“Yes. Well said.” Thomas was smiling. Then, much to Wang Yang’s relief, he finally got down to business. “So, why don’t you start by showing me your script? I hope for your sake that this isn’t a farce.” He rolled his eyes, threw up his hands, and said, “No offense, it’s just that a DV movie and an 18-year-old director… this is a first for me.”
“None taken. I completely understand.” Wang Yang produced a copy of the script from his briefcase. It was a version that had been rewritten to faithfully reflect the movie in its final form. He handed the script across the table to Thomas and said, “Please, have a look.”
Thomas took the script, leaned back in his chair, and began to read it. As he leafed through it, he nodded his head and said, “The plot is simple, but the script appears to be properly written and not at all like a prank.” He rose, gave Wang Yang a probing look, and made his way out of the office. “Okay, let’s go to the viewing room and watch that movie of yours.” Upon entering the common office area, he shouted among the busy staff, “Hey Sam, come with me. We’re going to watch a movie.”
A white man in his thirties answered. He dropped everything he was working on and came to Wang Yang to shake his hand, beaming. “My name is Sam Paul,” he said.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Paul.” Wang Yang smiled back at him.
Thomas led them to the viewing room. On the way, he introduced jovially, “Sam is our top sales executive. He’s got an eye for these things. All our winners were chosen by him. One of these days, he’s going to take my job.” Sam guffawed and said, “Oh come on, Thomas!” Wang Yang was noncommittal, but at least he was laughing.
Once at the viewing room, Wang Yang produced a DVD on which he’d burned his movie and handed it to Sam. After Sam inserted the DVD into the player, the three of them sat down in their respective chairs and fixed their gaze on the small projector screen in front of them.
Thomas pressed “play” on the remote control. A dark image appeared on the small projector screen, followed by a flicker, and then a man, who appeared to be filming himself. That man was Zachary. Grimacing at the camera, he said sunnily, “Hi everyone, I’m Kevin! And this is our new home!” The next scene was him touring the apartment with his camera, visiting the kitchen, the bedroom, and other places, cheerily making introductions. As the character moved back and forth, the shot wobbled vigorously. Together with the grainy quality of the camcorder, it made for an extremely blurry experience on screen. Every frame was a mess.
“Wow, this…” Thomas paused the movie and looked at Wang Yang. “Mr. Wang, is this really a movie? Are you sure it’s not your home video?” he asked.
That was the same response from New Line Cinema, who turned off the video player and told him “no” just a few minutes into the movie. With his back to the wall, Wang Yang gave them a song and dance about his movie, which he’d rehearsed earlier, “Of course, it doesn’t matter if it’s called a ‘first-person movie’, or a ‘mockumentary’. What you’re seeing here is a new concept, whereby the story is shot by the main character, in the style of a documentary.” He said with a straight face, “Believe me, Mr. Thomas, this is a movie. Please bear with me, and you’ll see.”
“Okay.” Thomas nodded his head after some hesitation and resumed the movie.
On-screen, Kevin had just concluded the house tour and was pointing the camera at himself. He said laughingly, “It feels great to have bought a DV camera!” At that moment, there was a sound that might have been a door opening. He brightened up and said, “I think my girlfriend, Mae, is home!” With that, he rushed to the door with the DV camcorder in his hand, and the screen was once again a blur. Scenes went by in dizzying streaks as the camera jostled and spun and jittered and swayed.
When the camera stabilized, it was pointing downwards at nothing, but Kevin’s voice could still be heard. “Honey, welcome home. Check this out… look what I’ve got!”
The frame jerked sharply and Mae, portrayed by Rachel, appeared on the screen. She was holding a bag. She looked at the camera aghast, and said in a tone of disbelief, “What? Did you buy a DV camcorder? Oh, my God! How could you do that? This is way out of our budget!”
At that moment, Thomas turned toward Wang Yang with his left hand across his chest and his right under his chin and commented with a cheeky grin, “Say, that girl is pretty sweet.”
“I think so, too,” Wang Yang said with a smile. As he looked at Rachel’s face so vividly projected on the screen, he couldn’t help but miss her. Ever since Rachel had gone back to Toronto, he’d only spoken to her once over the phone, right after he’d finished editing his film. To save cost, he’d cut the conversation short. Nothing beyond a simple reminder of his incoming copy of DVD and a courteous inquiry about her mother’s health was said. Moreover, his lack of home internet had only made the gap between them wider. It’d been a while since he’d logged on to MSN.
As the movie progressed, Thomas and Sam went off on fewer tangents and concentrated more and more on the film itself. However, when it came to the middle part where Kevin and Mae were following a mysterious apparition in the middle of the night, the shot began to shake vigorously again, this time intensified by fear and terror. For Thomas, it was a dizzying, frustrating, mind-numbing ordeal. He was forced to pause the movie again as he tried to keep his lunch down.
“Oh, God… Oh…” Thomas retched and quaked uncontrollably. On his left, Sam didn’t fare any better, judging by his nauseated expression. It took quite a while for Thomas to recover. He allowed himself a wry smile, shook his head, and told Wang Yang, “Oh dear, sorry about that. Please excuse me.”
Wang Yang didn’t know how to respond but to smile and say, “It’s all right, it’s all right. A perfectly normal reaction, I understand.”
“Mr. Wang, your movie is… how should I put it…” The way Thomas furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to come up with the right words made Wang Yang very nervous. Then, he said, “It’s provocative. It’s fresh. But it’s a little hard to swallow.” Smiling in a self-deprecating manner, he carried on. “I’ve never seen this style of film-making before.” Sam nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s definitely a crazy style, all right.”
Of course, it came as no surprise that they hadn’t seen anything like it. Handheld digital video cameras had only been brought to market a few months ago, and DV movie was still an uncharted, virgin ground, waiting to be inscribed by adventurous men.
Fresh, but hard to swallow? Wang Yang couldn’t quite grasp their meaning. Besides, they were only halfway through the movie. The scary bits were yet to come. “Mr. Thomas, shall we continue? It gets better, I promise,” he said.
“No, no, no. I don’t think I can handle it anymore.” Thomas shook his head and smiled politely. “I think I’ve seen enough to know what the movie is about.” He ruminated for a second, then said, “Mr. Wang, it is a movie, I admit, and one that is jam-packed with surprises. But…”
As soon as Wang Yang heard the word “but”, he knew something bad was coming. As expected, Thomas threw his hands up and said, “This movie is too innovative. You can call it a mockumentary all you want, but I’m just not sure if the crude picture quality, the blurry images, and the incessantly shaky camera are cinema worthy. To be honest, I don’t know what to make of it.” He looked sidelong at Sam and said, “Sam, what do you think?”
Sam shook his head, smiling in a way that conveyed “I don’t know what to make it either”, and said, “I don’t know. I can’t tell if there’s a market for this film or not. I’ve never seen anything quite like this. It’s really a tough call.” He paused a minute and added, “Personally, I find the movie quite interesting, but I can’t speak for the market. You know, a lot of movies that I liked turned out to be dogs that lost money. Liking it is one thing, commercializing it is another.”
Wang Yang’s heart sank. Although that was the kindest and the most respectful feedback he’d received out of all the companies he’d visited, he was starting to find it difficult to keep a smile on his face. He was so close to being rejected by Artisan Entertainment he could almost smell it. His eyes flicked from Thomas’ face to Sam’s and back to Thomas’ again before he suggested, “I understand. Predicting the market is not easy. Perhaps we could try a limited release. Test screen the movie in tens… no, ten theaters first, and see how the market responds?”
All he needed was that first step into the silver screen. He was confident that by using The Blair Witch Project’s promotional strategy, a limited release would soon turn into a wide release, and tens of theater screenings would transpire into thousands!
Thomas wrestled with the idea. He turned to Sam and muttered something under his breath. Then, they deliberated in brisk, muffled whispers. In the end, they nodded and turned toward Wang Yang, ready to announce their decision.
At that moment, Wang Yang’s heart suddenly lurched. Subtly, he put his fists, which had clenched up into tight little balls, into his pocket. His palms sweltered profusely.
“Mr. Wang,” Thomas looked at him and started to speak in steady, weighty words, “Our primary concern is the market. Although your movie has a low budget, and its promotion expense can be minimized, we can’t afford to take any losses. More importantly, we can’t afford to put our company’s reputation on the line. We’re a small company. Half of our business comes from hardcore fans who keep us afloat. They won’t be happy if we release a bad film. And God forbid we disappoint them and lose their loyalty.”
Wang Yang nodded silently. He felt terrible, but under the circumstances, there was nothing else he could’ve said.
“I don’t mean to say that your movie is terrible. It’s just that releasing a DV movie is too big of a risk. We can’t just do it willy-nilly.” Thomas stood up from his chair and said, “How about this, Mr. Wang: we’ll discuss the feasibility of this project internally and I’ll get back to you if there’s any further update. How does that sound?” With that, he reached for a handshake.
Wang Yang rose reluctantly and shook his hand. “All right, then. I look forward to hearing from you,” he said with a nod.
Wang Yang walked out of Artisan Entertainment’s office with his head down, brooding at the road. The sounds of tires grinding, exhaust chugging, and horns beeping only aggravated his frustration. Seeking refuge from the madness, he looked up at the azure sky, took a deep breath, and gritted his teeth. Even Artisan Entertainment, the company that would release the first DV movie in the world, The Blair Witch Project, had rejected him. While the rejection wasn’t ultimate, he knew at that point he had very little chance with them. After all, Thomas didn’t even finish watching the movie. Their stance was clear: they’d never alienate their fans or take unnecessary risks.
How many film companies were left? Wang Yang let out a sigh. While he knew well and early that the path to publication would be fraught with obstacles, facing it, in reality, was quite another thing. Frustration was only natural. He made a fist and swung it in the air. “I’ll never give up! I can be destroyed but not defeated!”
If that film company rejected him, there were always others. If all the film companies turned him down, there were always companies that specialized in DVD publishing. And if that didn’t work out, there was always cable television… there was always hope as long as he kept going.
Casting away all the negativity in his head, he felt an urge to talk to a friend. He took out his cell phone and called Jessica. As soon as she picked up the call, he smiled and said, “Hi, Jessica. I’ve failed again. Artisan Entertainment asked me to go home and wait for their call, but the way I see it, I’ll never hear from them again.”
“Oh, God…” Jessica couldn’t help lamenting. Even in those two words, her disappointment and worry were apparent. But she switched abruptly to a more positive tone and said, “Yang, it’ll be all right, trust me. This is only the beginning. You’re just starting out.”
Wang Yang smiled and said, “Yeah, I’m okay. There’s no need to worry about me, Jessica. Thank you.” Feeling more lighthearted, he said, “You know, just now, when the managers at Artisan Entertainment saw my movie, they almost puked! Haha! Is my movie really that bad?”
“Haha! No, it’s not even close to being bad.” Jessica’s laughter was as pure and beautiful as everything else about her, and just listening to it made Wang Yang feel so much more blissful. “Where are you now? Shall we go out for dinner? I’m planning to watch a movie at the cinema tonight,” she said smilingly.
“Thanks, but no thanks.” Wang Yang declined Jessica’s invitation cordially. Making his way to a nearby bus stop, he explained to her, “Jessica, I’ve found a part-time night shift job at a McDonald’s. I’m on my way to work now. Sorry that I can’t hang out with you tonight.”
On the other end, Jessica stood silent for a minute and said, “Okay, Yang. But be careful not to tire yourself out.” Then, she added, “By the way, um… you know, my birthday is in two days. My family is going to throw a little party for me at night. Yang, can you make it?”
So that’s what it was about. Jessica’s birthday was on the 28th, just a few days from then… Wang Yang replied to her without hesitation. “Of course. It’s your birthday party. I’d be very happy to come. I’ll just need to take a leave.” He paused and smiled. “But be warned, my present might be a little cheap.” He laughed.
“Ha, forget about presents.” Overjoyed to hear that he’d be coming to her party, Jessica smiled and said, “My agent, Madam Miranda, will be coming, too. Yang, she knows a lot of famous directors and higher-ups in film companies. I can introduce her to you at the party. Hopefully, she’ll be able to help you…”
“Thanks, Jessica,” Wang Yang said brightly. “Another reason for me to look forward to your party.” Although meeting Madam Miranda didn’t sound all that exciting to Wang Yang, it was still an opportunity, wasn’t it? Not to mention a well-meaning and heart-warming gesture on Jessica’s part.
After a few minutes of chit-chat, Wang Yang had reached the bus stop. He ended the call, let out a sigh, and took the bus to his new, part-time workplace at McDonald’s.