Kazier Gray had filmed three movies so far, changing three crews during that time.
Most of his crew were industry semi-professionals; they weren't incapable of filming, but their resumes were too thin to get into legitimate film crews.
After all, in the fame-and-fortune arena of Hollywood, connections were far more important than anything else.
Here, to get into a crew and seize an opportunity, you either had to willingly take less money or work for free; otherwise, no one would be willing to work with you.
Wasn't Kazir himself the same? When he first entered the industry, he also started with odd jobs, first carrying heavy equipment for the camera crew, exploring and moving forward step by step.
"Hey, Kazir, are you really sure?" Reiner Hector frowned, looking at Kazir with a serious expression.
"Reiner, we both know this is a rare opportunity for us. We can't really just muddle along and wait to die our whole lives, can we? Oh, and this time we're not shooting a horror film; we're doing a comedy."
Reiner Hector was a cameraman, excellent at handling cameras, and he dreamed of joining a professional crew and becoming a director of photography.
He loved filming from the bottom of his heart and knew that his most suitable job was to operate the camera; he didn't want to consider anything else.
"Seriously, you've lost a lot of weight! Look at all those muscles, you're like a strongman now!" Reiner scrutinized Kazir up and down, teasing him with a smile.
Kazir smiled and didn't respond.
Seven years ago, the two met on a film set. At that time, Reiner had just graduated from school, stepping into Hollywood with endless aspirations for film; Kazir, on the other hand, had just run away from home, determined to carve out his own world in this place full of opportunities and challenges.
As a result, both of them ended up battered and bruised, disheartened by the cruel reality.
The three films they shot were, without exception, all B-grade horror films.
These films were of mediocre quality, none of them made it to the big screen, and could only be released directly on video, circulating quietly in the market.
In fact, both of them hoped that one day they could see their own works in a movie theater.
"Trust me, Reiner, this time it'll be different." Kazir patted Reiner's shoulder, his eyes full of confidence.
"Oh, come on, the first three films we shot were all B-grade horror films, and none of them were successful." Reiner shook his head helplessly, a hint of disappointment in his tone.
However, the copyrights for those three films did sell for several million.
To be honest, selling at that price was quite good, considering the quality of the films.
"Let me ask something first." Reiner narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Kazir, a hint of suspicion on his face.
"Go ahead." Kazir looked at Reiner, vaguely guessing what he was about to ask.
"Where did the money come from? Five hundred thousand! The last time we made a movie, it only cost us one hundred thousand." Reiner's voice carried a hint of urgency and confusion.
"Uh... I got my brother to invest." Kazir rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed.
"Really? I thought you had a falling out with your family?" Reiner looked surprised, clearly a bit taken aback by the answer.
"Not my brother, it was my dad. My dad has always been against me coming to Hollywood, thinking I wouldn't amount to anything here." Kazir sighed helplessly, explaining.
"I see. Alright, I'm in. Staying at the shop is too boring, facing a pile of film reels every day, it's sickening." Reiner thought for a moment, then finally nodded.
Reiner's uncle owned a camera rental shop, and perhaps it was there that he gradually fell in love with photography.
But Reiner knew in his heart that he didn't want to be a director; his dream was to carry a camera and shoot things.
So, he had no objections whatsoever to Kazir being a director.
They had known each other for seven years, and that much trust existed between them.
"What about Jane and Harold?" Kazir asked about the core members of the previous crew.
"They all agreed. They're working as waiters at a restaurant and are already sick of it. They're just waiting for your command, and we'll start a new venture!" Reiner said with a smile.
Kazir's last crew had fifteen people, and he hoped to bring as many of them back as possible, as they had worked together before, knew each other well, and respected his authority.
In a film crew, the director's authority is crucial; if the crew doesn't respect you and doesn't follow instructions, even the best ideas can't be implemented, and then wouldn't you just become a Joker?
Of course, authority isn't conjured from thin air; it must be earned through one's own true abilities.
Kazir was determined to prove himself to everyone.
"I'm going to Idaho." Kazir suddenly said.
"That far? You're going there to film?" Reiner's eyes widened, and he asked with a surprised expression.
"Yes, I have a particularly suitable place in mind." Kazir nodded, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
The filming locations for napoleon dynamite were Preston High School and several places in Franklin County. It is said that some of the plot points in the film were adapted by director Jared Hess from his own high school experiences. However, it is now 1997, and Jared is only fifteen years old, not yet an adult, and there are still many years until he films that movie.
Speaking of "plagiarism," wasn't Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook "borrowed" from a classmate's idea? For this, there was a lawsuit for several years, ultimately resulting in paying those three classmates sixty-five million.
What was the result? Facebook's market value in its previous life was nearly two trillion. This is the style of those business magnates.
Do you think plagiarism is unethical? It certainly is. But most of those billionaires probably don't care what others think. In the face of immense wealth, morality and public opinion seem to become insignificant.
Perhaps they are now like Jeffrey Epstein, enjoying themselves with young models!
However, Kazir wasn't worried about these things.
He had registered the script with the Writers Guild last year, and also registered several original scripts he wanted to film, precisely to prevent others from plagiarizing or himself inadvertently infringing.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Reiner asked.
"No need, I'm just going to scout locations, I'll be back in a few days, and then we'll officially start work." Kazir waved his hand, saying.
Kazir planned to contact Preston High School and try to get their permission to film on school grounds.
He thought to himself, 'It should be fine. I'm shooting a comedy, not a horror film, so I won't tarnish the school's image. Besides, this is like free advertising for them, so the school should be happy.'
So, he first called the school.
Initially, they thought it was a prank and didn't believe him at all. Kazir talked and talked, spending a lot of effort to explain his intentions clearly.
Sure enough, the principal said he wanted to meet him and discuss the specifics in person.
While Reiner and the others were busy preparing the necessary equipment and props for filming, Kazir flew alone to Idaho.
He found the principal of Preston High School, showed his identification, and even showed two-thirds of the script to the principal, proving that he wasn't there to cause trouble but genuinely wanted to film at the school.
Ultimately, the school agreed to their filming request, but on the condition that it would not disrupt students' classes.
"Don't worry, Principal, we plan to start filming in July, which will be during summer vacation, so it definitely won't affect the students' studies." Kazir quickly assured him.
"Then that's fine." The principal smiled and nodded.
The two shook hands, reaching an agreement on cooperation.
The school didn't charge a location fee, only made a small request—they hoped the film crew could help promote the school.
"This place is good."
Kazir stood in the school's foyer, made a camera gesture with his hand, carefully observed the surroundings, and his mind was already conceiving shots.