Chapter 683: Chapter 684: Differences


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    [Chapter 684: Differences]


    Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart not only coincidentally received the same Golden Globe nominations, but their simrities were also numerous. Both were epic films with profound themes, remarkable war scenes, and even the scoresposed by two of Hollywood''s leading musicians, John Williams and James Horner. As a result, both films attracted significant attention during awards season, and recently, supporters of Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart were engaged in heated debates in the media.


    If Firefly Productions and Fox were just straightforwardpetitors, this awards season -- both publicly and privately -- would see bothpanies fiercely vying for several major film awards. This situation would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary expenses for both parties regarding public rtions budgets, and the final results may not even favor either side. However, due to the rtionship between Eric and Elisabeth, there was already some unspoken understanding between the two parties long ago.


    "Eric," Harvey Weinstein analyzed seriously, "from the current situation, separating Best Picture and Best Director is the most advantageous strategy for both ourpanies. Saving Private Ryan''s global release ising to an end, and it was released on video in North America two months ago. Therefore, I believe the most suitable award for this film would be Best Director. Although the film exudes a strong masculine essence, Kathryn is a woman. In Oscar''s sixty-plus-year history, while there have been a few female directors nominated, no woman has ever won Best Director. So if Saving Private Ryan wins Best Director, the impact would be just as significant as winning Best Picture. After all, the Oscars have crowned sixty- six Best Pictures, yet there hasn''t been a single Best Female Director''s film. And for decades toe, Kathryn could be the only Best Female Director. If Saving Private Ryan wins Best Director, this film will maintain enduring influence for many years."


    Eric nodded. Although Harvey Weinstein didn''t mention anything rted to box office profits, his words clearly analyzed the award''s pros and cons from a business perspective. Once Kathryn became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director, Saving Private Ryan would hold a very unique position in film history, making it singr until a second female director won an Oscar. Whenever someone thought of the Oscar for Best Director, they''d quickly think of the only female recipient, followed by recognition of this film. This also meant that Saving Private Ryan would generate profits for Firefly far exceeding those from any other Best Director-winning film through its video, DVD, and rted channels in the years to


    come.


    Noticing Eric''s agreement, Harvey Weinstein continued, "Braveheart is still in its release phase, so the title of Best Picture is more important for us. If we both handle PR independently, with both films demonstrating equal strength, the final results could be unpredictable. Personally, I believe the oue may very well be the opposite of what we hope for. Saving Private Ryan is an American patriotic war film, andpared to the historical narrative of Braveheart, it undoubtedly has a higher chance of winning Best Picture. The Director''s Guild hardly has many women; most members are old-school men who tend to lean toward male directors. In this respect, Mel Gibson has a much greater chance than Kathryn. If we want the results to align with our expectations, we have to reach mutual understanding on our PR strategies after the Oscar nominations."


    While Braveheart, which was set to release by year-end, had many advantagespared to Saving Private Ryan -- which had long been out of theaters in North America -- it could create maximum media impact during awards season. But if one carefully analyzed the Oscar potential of both films, Saving Private Ryan possessed two significant advantages: its American patriotic themes and extreme political correctness. If both sides acted independently in the uing Oscar PR strategies, the oues could indeed be uncertain. After Harvey finished speaking, Eric nodded and said, "Alright, Harvey. I''ll call Katzenberg tonight and have the Head of PR for Firefly''s awards strategy contact you tomorrow. You two can discuss things privately."


    Harvey Weinstein''s presence was partly to hear Eric''s promise of cooperation. After all, a joyful consensus on splitting the ''cake'' would be the best win-win scenario. Otherwise, the final result could end up being exactly the opposite of what both parties were hoping for, or one side could end up utterly defeated -- something neitherpany wanted to see.


    Once they identified the main issue, Harvey Weinstein casually began discussing some details, "Eric, Kathryn Bigelow was also a major producer of Saving Private Ryan, but I heard she hasn''t been very involved in the Golden Globe PR activities. The Golden Globes don''t matter much, but if Saving Private Ryan aims for the Oscar for Best Director, she should make more public appearances. Even if she doesn''t attend many private PR parties, I think she should do a few more interviews with the media."


    The primary steps for award campaigning include both media blitzes and private outreach to the judges, ultimately mirroring an election campaign by swaying various influences to secure votes from the awardmittees.


    Harvey''s suggestion was certainly well-founded. Eric agreed, but still chuckled, "Harvey, you might not know, but Kathryn is somewhat... well, idealistic. She doesn''t particrly enjoy these activities, and I can''t force her."


    Harvey Weinstein paused for a moment. If managed correctly, Saving Private Ryan''ster video and TV licensing could continue to Firefly hundreds of millions in profits. Such a significant business opportunity shouldn''t be overlooked just because of the director''s whimsical idealism.


    However, Harvey quickly recalled some private rumors, envisioning Kathryn''s agelessly beautiful face, and chuckled to himself, choosing not to pursue the matter further.


    Elisabeth, who had been quietly listening to their discussion, suddenly chimed in with a tinge of bitterness, "In her forties and still an idealist -- does she think she''s a little girl?"


    Eric almost sputtered his coffee as he hurriedly ced the cup on the table and shot a surprised re at the unexpectedly jealous Elisabeth, only to receive an unapologetic re in return.


    Harvey Weinstein sensed that the atmosphere was starting to shift. Recognizing the tension, he discreetly excused himself to leave. With Eric''s confirmed promise, the uing details of the award campaign wouldn''t require his direct involvement; Harvey would handle themunication with Firefly''s relevant personnel.


    As Eric escorted Harvey out, he and Elisabeth sat back down together.


    With just the two of them remaining, Elisabeth realized that her earlier outburst was somewhat unwarranted, yet she was unwilling to apologize. Avoiding Eric''s gaze, she lost herself in looking far away, as if counting the hills and mansions in the distance.


    Eric called over the waiter to bring them a fresh pot of coffee, also gazing into the distance alongside Elisabeth.


    After a moment of silence, Elisabeth suddenly became a bit irritated again and red at Eric, "Julia was right -- you''re such a jerk,pletely clueless about how to cater to us."


    Eric felt a bit bewildered. "Your Highness, what did I do wrong?"


    "You should have spoken up first just now instead of making me break the silence."


    Eric found it amusing, "I thought you were reflecting on life and didn''t want to interrupt your deep thoughts. Besides, you''re not a little girl -- why are you fretting over this?"


    "Why do some people in their forties still get to act like little girls while I can''t?"


    Eric could only concede, "Alright, you keep your little girl mentality. Who knows, by the time you''re as old as Kathryn, you might be just as beautiful as she is."


    "Yeah," Elisabeth suddenly felt a bit smug, "wait until I''m forty -- just imagine what she''ll look like by then."


    Eric could already picture it, because he had seen it: more than a decadeter, Kathryn would look just as she did now.


    If this woman could live her life like an enchanting fairy, it wouldn''t be a waste of her time on


    this earth.


    Noticing Eric''s smile amidst his thoughts, Elisabeth pretended to shiver with distaste and remarked, "You''re actually imagining that and smiling? That''s pretty twisted-- no wonder people say you have that fixation."


    Eric wasn''t inclined to discuss Kathryn any further. He quickly shifted the topic, "I saw Mel Gibson got nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes. His performance seems barely deserving of that nomination. You''re not thinking of setting him up for an Oscar nomination,


    are you?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eric hadn''t even mentioned any PR issues rted to the Golden Globes with Harvey. He


    mainly felt the Golden Globes didn''t matter much to Saving Private Ryan. The influence of the Golden Globes typically peaked around their ceremony before rapidly yielding to the Oscars'' greater significance. For films currently in release, Golden Globe visibility might boost box office receipts, but the impact on films already inte-stage operations wasn''t that


    substantial.


    For Saving Private Ryan, the Oscars were key. After all, whenever the film''s news appeared in the media, it would be recognized as an Oscar contender. When selling overseas video or TV broadcasting rights, buyers primarily cared about Oscar nominations. Often, even just being nominated for an Oscar held far more weight than a Golden Globe. This disparity was even more pronounced when it came to acting awards, as seen with Leonardo DiCaprio, who struggled for years for an Oscar. Many people weren''t even aware that he had already won a Golden Globe for Best Actor a decade prior to finally winning the Oscar. Elisabeth, upon hearing Eric change the topic, astutely decided not to pursue the matter further and said, "Speaking of that, Mel Gibson actually got into a bit of a fight with Harvey


    over that nomination."


    *****


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