Who is Daenerys?
When Simon heard this question, he immediately thought of the Mother of Dragons' long list of imposing titles.
Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons.
It's just...
He couldn't say any of that. He was afraid would scare them off if he did.
Casually flipping through the documents in his hand, Simon calmly shook his head and said, "I forgot where I saw this name. I thought it was interesting, so I used it".
Sandra noticed Simon's nonchalant demeanour when he said this and could tell he was making up an excuse. However, after glancing at George Norman and Jennifer Raybould across from them, Sandra didn't expose him, only smiling in agreement.
Jennifer Raybould, holding a coffee cup, also remained silent, a smile playing on her lips.
George Norman, however, didn't think much of it. Once Simon had roughly reviewed the registration documents for the two companies, he began to explain some important considerations to him.
After more than an hour, and confirming that Simon had no further questions, George Norman and Jennifer Raybould stood up to leave.
Simon and Sandra walked them out of the villa.
They said their goodbyes again. As they were about to get into the car, Jennifer Raybould finally mustered the courage to ask Simon, "So, Simon, are you planning to produce a movie yourself?"
Simon smiled and nodded, "I am".
Feeling the boy's gaze on her, Jennifer suddenly didn't know what to say. She smiled shyly and said, "Well, I look forward to seeing it in the future".
"If you're interested," Simon replied, "you can come to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival next year".
Jennifer looked puzzled: "Sundance?"
The girl's reaction wasn't surprising; the Sundance Film Festival, initiated by Robert Redford, had only started last year, and next year would only be its third edition. In fact, the Sundance Film Festival didn't begin to attract widespread attention until more than ten years later.
Simon patiently explained, "This is a film festival supporting independent films, initiated by Robert Redford, held in mid-January. Actually, even if you're not interested in movies, going to Park City in January is a great choice. Their ski resort is fantastic".
Jennifer naturally knew Robert Redford. Hearing Simon's words, she smiled and nodded, "Okay, if I can make time, I'll definitely go".
After chatting for a few more minutes, Jennifer got into the car waiting by the roadside.
With funds in place and the company registered, Bill Locke, the production assistant Simon hired, subsequently created the budget for 'Run Lola Run'.
According to the production specifications Simon provided, the entire film was expected to cost $650,000.
Based on this, Janette's check alone was already sufficient.
However, since he had given up on the collaboration with Orion, Simon also wanted to invest some of his own funds.
Before Janette produced the check, Simon had already sent his contract with Fox to several banks for mortgage appraisal. The clauses in this contract regarding video and TV broadcast rights were very valuable.
After review, Wells Fargo was willing to offer Simon a maximum mortgage loan of $100,000. The terms were better than those of the other banks, and Simon accepted without hesitation.
The federal tax filing deadline is April 15th each year, and a six-month extension can be requested, so Simon was not currently considering the issue of withholding taxes.
Therefore, from the $200,000 basic remuneration in the contract, after deducting agent commissions and daily expenses, Simon could still come up with $150,000. Including the Wells Fargo loan, he managed to raise a total of $250,000.
After some negotiation, Simon invested $250,000 and Janet invested $400,000. The profits from the film would be distributed strictly according to the investment ratio, with Simon taking 38.5% and Janet taking 61.5%.
In addition, Simon completely waived his personal salaries as director, screenwriter, etc. Janet's initial check for $680,000, with its odd amount, clearly emptied her pockets. Simon was very grateful for this and had no intention of seeking more benefits for himself.
Having resolved the most crucial funding issue, Simon also completed the script revision for 'The Butterfly Effect' around August 15th, and then immediately began to immerse himself in the production of 'Run Lola Run'.
Then, Simon once again deeply realized the truth that connections are just as important as ones ability in Hollywood.
With the help and guidance of Jonathan Friedman, David Giler, Brian De Palma, and others, the crew assembly went much smoother than Simon had imagined.
Santa Monica.
Amidst the busy work, time unconsciously slipped into September.
The headquarters of Daenerys Pictures was located in an office building on 16th Street in Midtown.
Simon rented three offices in this five-story office building at the end of August.
Through David Giler's introduction, Simon had recently hired a producer named Ron McMillan.
Ron McMillan was a somewhat gaunt white man in his forties. He was said to have worked as a set decorator on Martin Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' back in the day, and this was his first time serving as a producer.
David Giler's reason for introducing him was that he was very skilled at coordinating the shooting of outdoor scenes, which was clearly what 'Run Lola Run' needed most.
However, having worked on Martin Scorsese's set a decade ago and still being relatively unknown after all these years, Simon was initially somewhat sceptical of his abilities. Ron McMillan evidently also felt that a young man like Simon, perhaps only around twenty years old, wanting to make a film was quite unreliable.
Therefore, it took a full week of working together for them to mutually acknowledge each other.
In terms of salary, Ron McMillan was also quite direct, asking for $1,000 per week.
The crew budget was not generous, and Simon suggested signing a contract with a base salary plus profit sharing, but Ron McMillan refused. The middle-aged man clearly did not have high hopes for the prospects of 'Run Lola Run'.
After some bargaining, Ron McMillan's weekly salary was finally set at $850.
The shooting schedule for 'Run Lola Run' had been basically set at six weeks, and the pre-production preparations would likely take an equal amount of time. This meant that Ron McMillan would receive about $10,000 for twelve weeks of work.
Compared to those mainstream commercial films, this remuneration was clearly very meagre, but for 'Run Lola Run', Ron McMillan was definitely the highest-paid behind-the-scenes crew member.
Fortunately, after signing the employment contract, Ron McMillan also demonstrated sufficient professional competence.
As September began, the crew's main task was to cast actors for the various roles in 'Run Lola Run'. Simon also had to work on 'The Butterfly Effect' for another week at the end of September, so the casting for 'Run Lola Run' had to be completed within three weeks.
According to the plan, Simon would make the final revisions to 'The Butterfly Effect' script, and Ron McMillan would take over from Simon in selecting the behind-the-scenes crew, such as lighting, set design, and props.
If all went well, 'Run Lola Run' might begin filming in early October, just like 'The Butterfly Effect'.
Inside the office, temporarily set up as an audition room.
Four people sat behind the audition table: Simon and Ron McMillan in the middle, Sandra Bullock next to Simon. As the female lead, she was there today to help with scene readings with potential male leads. Next to Ron McMillan was a woman in her early thirties named Linda Vargas. She was the casting director for 'Run Lola Run' and was also introduced by David Giler.
After interviewing another young man auditioning for Lola's boyfriend, and once he had left, Ron McMillan once again brought up another matter: "Simon, no matter what, I still recommend you hire a professional cinematographer. If you want to learn photography, you can practice privately. It's too reckless to use this film as practice".
Simon jotted down a few notes on the previous actor's material and then said to Ron McMillan, "Ron, do you think this film requires a highly skilled cinematographer?"
Ron McMillan nodded and said, "Of course. There are so many shots that require speed changes, and many very complex camera movements. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't keep bringing this up to you."
Simon said, "Well, Ron, our production budget is only $650,000. No matter what, we can't afford a truly outstanding cinematographer. Rather than having a mediocre person in that position, I might as well do it myself. I've already shown you many of my ideas for shooting various scenes. So, let's drop this topic and get back to auditioning actors as quickly as possible".
As he spoke, Simon turned a page of the documents in his hand, glanced at the name on the page, and his expression was a little strange, but he still instructed Susan Landis, Daenerys Pictures' first official employee, whom he had recently hired, to call in the next auditionee.
Seeing that the two were no longer arguing, Sandra Bullock and Linda Vargas, on either side of them, both refocused their attention on the list in front of them.
As another young man walked through the door, everyone looked over.
This was a tall, handsome young man, dressed in a casual T-shirt and jeans, with long hair and a layer of stubble. However, the young man clearly had a slight outward splay to his feet when he walked.
Simon recalled 'Run Lola Run' in his mind and realized that Manni, Lola's boyfriend in the original version, also seemed to walk with a slight outward splay.
Was this a coincidence?
Moreover...
When Simon had casually sent out this audition invitation, he hadn't really expected this guy to show up for the audition.
Linda Vargas, sitting next to Ron McMillan, waited for the young man to stand still, then glanced at Simon and Ron, and finally spoke: "So, Mr. Keanu Reeves, could you please introduce yourself first?"