Better way
Looking at the calm smile on his son's face, which is entirely different from the anxiety and frenzy that a suicidal person should have, and thinking of the changing expression of his son he saw at the door just now, Adam is also full of hope for his son in his heart. He didn't know whether his son was really healed or had gone crazy, though.
"Don't lie to me. I know what a tempered kid you are." Adam looked at him and said, "Nick, I know you are a proud kid, but no matter how proud you are, you must understand what you want to do. What kind of career do you want? I understand how you feel right now. The first movie you made failed considerably, which is a big blow to any young man who wants to make a name for himself—but you should remember that you are still young. You are only 23 years old. In the film industry, this is a baby's age! All the talented people who won the Oscars are not young. Yes, Spielberg, Lucas, and Coppola all succeeded in their thirties and forties, and you are just in your early twenties. Do you need to prove your greatness by dying? It's not surprising that you can't shoot good works. Young people in their early twenties should be in the era of self-accumulation and enriching their social experience. You don't need to be frustrated by a failure."
"I said I won't die." Levi shrugged, "I'm serious. I suddenly understood that talent is more important than temperament for an artist. An artist can only be considered good if he can produce good works. Otherwise, what kind of artist is an artist? Even if I die now, I can't prove that I am a qualified artist. Without proven works, the artist's temperament is nothing."
Levi's words surprised Adam: 'when did my son change?'
Seeing his gaze, little Levi said directly, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not talking nonsense. When a person commits suicide, he has seen life and death, which will qualitatively improve his vision and philosophy. After committing suicide once, I suddenly understood a lot of things. I now have a different view on the issue of life and death, and many of my perspectives have changed. Why are you so careful to encourage me again and again? I really changed my mind."
"Encouraging his son is what a father should do," Adam said.
"I'm not a child. After committing suicide, I suddenly understood that failure is nothing before death. I failed to shoot a movie this time, which hit me hard. But what is it compared to death? Yes, the movies we shot are bad, but this at least proves that some of my ideas are not advisable. With experience, I still have a future and can make money again. I can also make new attempts. If it fails once, what failed is just one of my ideas. A person can have countless ideas. If you fail once, it's nothing. If you choose suicide, what you fail is my whole life. Failure is not worth trading your life for."
"It really surprises me that you can say such a thing." Sitting opposite him, Adam looked at his son for a while before speaking.
'What's the surprise? Your son is like a flower in a greenhouse. He thrives under the care of a big man like you. Naturally, he cannot bear the slightest blow. But I am different from your son. In my previous life, I was a person who had worked in the domestic entertainment industry for ten years, and I had always been a fighting person. I was just an advertising director. How could I gain a foothold there if I couldn't bear failure? Survive? People with connections can rely on the care of others to grow up, but without connections like me, what should I do if I don't have a bit of indomitable will? Is it worth committing suicide if you screw up a film? Some people never have the chance to make a movie in their lifetime!' When recalling the thoughts of the former owner of this body in the ward just now, Levi had already despised him. The new Levi is not the old Levi. Maybe he is still the body of the former Levi, but his soul is different. 'How could something like suicide happen to me? What are you kidding? I should leave this room and go out into the world! I have to continue to pursue my unfinished pursuit in the previous life in this life!'
"After you recover and leave the hospital, I will help you make arrangements." While Levi was still thinking wildly, Adam pondered for a while and then spoke. His son's change was unexpected, but this did not prevent him from following his thinking about it, giving Levi some help. "Since you want to shoot movies, I will help you but don't be in a hurry. You don't have enough life experience to shoot anything. The film was not shot well this time, so it will be hard to get new opportunities. Although it is a blow, it is also good to make you realize the reality. Don't make a film for now. You can acclimate some life experience for now. It will be beneficial for future development."
It means that the things shot are terrible! Levi didn't say a word. Since his cheap father is a top film critic in Hollywood, he doesn't need to question his vision. Besides, there is no need to say anything about a movie that hit the street that he didn't shoot.
On the contrary, his father's attitude is fascinating: he didn't support his film creation before, but after he committed suicide once, he quickly changed his mind. Unexpectedly, he handed the connections to himself.
Levi also understood Adam's thoughts and painstaking efforts. He had been exposed to top-level education since childhood in this new life. And the previous Levi is very familiar with various shooting techniques and has money in hand. There are neither technical nor financial problems, but the first film was a big failure. It may be that, as Adam said, this was caused by the lack of film accumulation. It is not surprising that a young man in his twenties who lacks social experience but still wants to shoot a profound movie with depth and connotation is thrown into the street.
Anyway, it's all in the past. Why should he care so much? Now, what he is looking forward to the most is, what kind of opportunities Adam will provide for himself.
Levi looked at Adam with some interest. He didn't regard old Adam as his father as soon as he met: his own memory was still preserved, and he knew who his real father was. However, he will never refuse the help of a person who regards himself as a son and is willing to help. After being in society for so long, Levi is very clear: many people don't have the opportunities his father's connections will bring him. He has the opportunity now. There is no need to push his father out.
Levi is well aware of a famous critic's enormous prestige and wants to know what kind of help he can get from his cheap dad.
"Although your filming is not very good, you still have talent." Seeing that he was silent, Adam thought he had followed his advice, so he continued, "Your ability is excellent. Yes, NYU is a good place to cultivate talents. As a director, you are well-behaved and have a good foundation. You need to accumulate life experience. I want to help you, but you are too young and have just experienced failure. If you fail, I won't be able to attract investment, especially if you shoot an independent film. It is just February, and the Sundance Film Festival has just passed. I don't recommend you touch independent film releases from other channels. In my opinion, if it is possible, you should not touch the independent film. You are my son. If you go to play those low-budget, shoddy independent films, not only you be looked down on, but I will also be looked down upon."
The point is that shooting a shoddy movie will affect your reputation as a film critic! Levi guessed something in his heart, but he would never refute this - he himself didn't want to touch independent films.
Adam said that independent films are looked down upon, and Levi is also very clear about this. The circle of independent cinema is relatively chaotic—even in Hollywood, which has always been known for its chaos, the group of independent films is unique. Because independent films have low investment and few requirements, anyone can step in and have fun, which makes independent films have a low threshold and complex components. Although many people have lofty ideals in the independent film circle, there are more drug addicts, money swindlers, and women swindlers. Because of the confusion, independent films have always had a bad reputation. It is said that in Hollywood, the most important thing agents tell actors is that they should never audition for an independent film alone. For an actor, it is hazardous to meet the director of an independent movie alone.
Of course, Levi also wants to be at a respectful distance from such a circle.
However, although the circle of independent films is chaotic, it is still the easiest and fastest path for directors who want to get ahead. As a director, if you strictly follow the professional road, it may take a long time to accumulate before you can have the opportunity to direct a movie. In contrast, the lower threshold requirements for independent films are a more direct channel for those who want to become famous quickly. What Levi had imagined in the house just now was to follow this path.
And now, Adam tells him not to touch indie films, speaking condescendingly, as if indie films are something that attracts flies.
Such an attitude is too crazy. However, looking back, it seems he has the capital to be crazy; His father is a top Hollywood film critic and a senior Academy member. And if his memory is correct and his father is not bragging, it seems his grandfather is also a big shot in Hollywood. In this way, the glory of this family can date back to the golden age of Hollywood. Familiar with this circle, Levi finds such a background and status terrifying.
Unexpectedly, his current identity is actually a second generation.
Levi raised his head and looked at the ceiling. In his previous life, he had struggled in the country for a long time, but he knew very well how much influence a good enough network and way would have on people in this circle. Not to mention anything else, when filming a movie and going bankrupt, others would have to commit suicide when they encountered it. But for little Levi, it was only a matter of his father's help to solve it. Throughout his past life, he has always complained that although he has talent, there is no room for it to be displayed. But in this life, his identity is now different. He is no longer that little character struggling in the circle, and now he is entirely different from before!
Adam said he would not allow himself to make independent films, so he must have found a better path, right? Now, he can accomplish a lot. If he can't escape the previous failure with this identity, the last ten years of his previous life can be regarded as wasted. The next question is how he can utilize this new opportunity.
"Independent films, don't think about it now. If you want me to recommend you to a big company to make a movie, I can only recommend you after achieving something. Moreover, especially when you have a suicide scandal, those film companies, I'm afraid, are even more unwilling to use you. What you need is to accumulate life. I think I will find you a chance to let you do something. It's not filming, but it's also similar related work."
Not filming Movies, but similar to it can also accumulate contacts. Thinking this is still February and the Sundance Film Festival has just passed, Levi immediately thought of something.
"You said that the major TV networks are about to start producing new dramas?" Levi immediately thought of the meaning of Adam's words, but his tone was a little hesitant, "TV dramas? You didn't make a mistake, did you? Let's go film a TV series?"
"You're smart to think of it so quickly," Adam nodded. "I'm unlikely to recommend you for a big-budget film—nor can you make one—but TV is different. I have a few friends working at ABC. As you know, ABC just changed owners, and Disney bought them. My friend also mentioned that ABC wanted some new TV series a few days ago. If you are willing, I can recommend you To ABC. Write a script first, and let them see if you can do a TV series. How about it? Shall I recommend you or not?"
TV series? Is this road suitable for me? Levi pondered.
*****
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