One massive project after another—only the battle-tested Gilbert team could shoulder such heavy responsibilities.
Considering that the members of Gilbert's team are themselves elite professionals in the industry, it is only natural that their value matches their status.
The Hollywood Reporter once conducted a survey and found that even an ordinary production assistant on Gilbert's crew earns over twenty percent more than those in the same position on other film crews.
More importantly, because Gilbert never misses when making films, team members are usually able to receive substantial bonuses from every project.
These bonuses are often even higher than their salaries, so although many members have been poached by other crews over the years, the core of Gilbert's team has remained intact.
It is precisely because of this reliable team that Gilbert can produce almost one big-budget film every year without encountering major problems.
With the signing of the memorandum, the proportion of Hollywood imported films in the Chinese market began to increase, and some Hollywood blockbusters even started considering holding their premieres in China.
There are enthusiastic movie fans there, and top Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise also enjoy considerable popularity in that market.
Perhaps sensing the opportunities brought about by this cultural exchange and collision in cinema, a documentary production team from that side wanted to go deep into Hollywood for frontline interviews, to understand how Hollywood film sets operate.
Through the introduction of the already-retired Old Tian, and with Gilbert acting as the bridge, they came to Hollywood to shoot.
The documentary was titled The Magic Behind the Hollywood Myth, and its first stop was Melon Studio and Disney.
The documentary's director was named Xia Yu—don't misunderstand, he has nothing to do with the actor Xia Yu, and he doesn't look like him either.
Xia Yu first came to visit Gilbert, who offered him some guidance.
"Mr. Xia, may I ask where you plan to start this time?" Gilbert asked.
Xia Yu replied, "We plan to interview Hollywood directors, producers, and screenwriters. If possible, it would be even better to interview a major director like you."
Gilbert shook his finger and said, "That won't do. A documentary made that way would only scratch the surface and wouldn't truly touch the core of Hollywood.
"You should interview more behind-the-scenes professionals, such as cinematographers, lighting crews, set designers, stunt coordinators, and other industry personnel.
"Then go to actual Hollywood film sets and see how a crew really operates.
"Only then will the documentary feel authentic and credible."
Xia Yu was overjoyed. "Thank you for your advice. We will definitely follow your suggestions."
After receiving Gilbert's advice, the documentary team went deep behind the scenes to interview Hollywood crew members.
This included interviews with Gilbert's cinematographer John Schwartzman, production designer Selena Haifey, and others.
This turned out to be a novel angle, because people from across the strait usually focus their attention on Hollywood's famous directors and star actors, rarely paying attention to the behind-the-scenes professionals who truly make up Hollywood.
During the documentary interviews, Gilbert once again emphasized to the production team, "If you interview Spielberg or Ridley Scott, you won't get much substance.
"You must go behind the scenes and interview those crew members to understand why Hollywood films truly dominate the world."
Because Gilbert gave them the green light, the documentary team encountered no obstacles at Disney. Apart from the most sensitive core departments, they were able to tour and film almost everything else.
Of course, this kind of thing was bound to bring some trouble for Gilbert. Soon, some media outlets began hyping it up, claiming that Gilbert had once again become a spy for the other side.
It was even local California media. The Sacramento Bee harshly criticized Gilbert, saying that he was selling out North American interests and suggested that the FBI investigate him.
Considering that California is the stronghold of the blue camp's California faction, and that Gilbert had recently been frequently testing the limits of the California faction's power while also forming an alliance with Arnold Schwarzenegger, those who can receive elite education may be playboys, or even outright criminals, but they are certainly not fools. What Gilbert was trying to do was immediately clear to the California faction.
Simply put, Gilbert wanted to create another California faction to replace the existing one.
It was now the second year since that donkey entered Washington. His power was firmly consolidated, and his approval rating was not low. But in North America, the relationship between the states and the federal government also gave Gilbert an opportunity to exploit.
That black donkey's rise to power was naturally inseparable from the support of the California faction. After all, California has the largest number of electoral votes. Without the backing of the California faction, the black donkey would never have made it to Washington.
In addition, behind the black donkey stood the medical capital conglomerates, so after taking office he launched healthcare reform. On the surface it looked like a good thing, but in reality it only enriched the medical capital groups.
Because the medical center project jointly run by Gilbert and Steve Jobs did not share profits with the medical capital groups, conflicts between the two sides began to accumulate.
Over the years, Gilbert had also been integrating the power of California's local media for his own use. However, California itself is a place where global media conglomerates are concentrated, so complete control was never easy.
The Sacramento Bee was an influential media outlet controlled by the California faction, and accusations raised by such a media organization against Gilbert were highly damaging.
However, compared with the Red Army, the Blue Army had one advantage: the Blue Army was the main force promoting globalization. In recent years, other Hollywood companies had also carried out considerable exchanges with the other side of the ocean.
Gilbert quickly took control of media outlets that belonged to him and began listing his contributions over the years to Sino–American film and cultural exchanges.
The Los Angeles Business Journal stated: "In the 1990s, the other side was still a vast desert of film culture. But Gilbert possessed far-sighted vision and began laying out plans as early as the 1990s, cultivating a large group of loyal Hollywood movie fans.
Now that the fruits are finally about to be harvested, Gilbert is instead being branded a traitor. For a major contributor to the globalization of Hollywood, this is unfair."
Variety magazine commented: "After entering the twenty-first century, we can see that the market on the other side is developing rapidly.
Last year, two films each achieved box office revenues of over one hundred million dollars in that market. For Hollywood, it has already become an indispensable market."
The San Francisco Chronicle criticized those who lacked ambition: "If you're worried that the other side's film technology will surpass your own, then why wait in place instead of improving yourselves?
You must understand that Hollywood's global popularity has never relied on conservatism, but on freedom, inclusiveness, and openness."
A large number of media outlets voiced support for Gilbert. Soon, other media also joined the battlefield—supportive, neutral, and opposed—arguing endlessly.
Some more radical media even suggested stripping Gilbert of his citizenship and deporting him.
That really stirred things up. Media from all over the world became involved. After all, given Gilbert's current status, he had long since become a calling card for Hollywood and North American popular culture.
If the final outcome for such a calling card were deportation, it would undoubtedly be an earthquake.
...
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