30 Will He Make a Second Movie? (2/2)
Having read the article, Wang Yang joked about it with Rachel over the phone. ”He's right, I'll give him that. I've got it made now. All I have to do is sit back and let the money roll right in. Life is sweet.” Rachel laughed and said, ”Yeah, it fits right into your retirement plan.” Wang Yang, laughing with her, said, ”No, I've changed my mind. I don't want to retire. I want to make a second movie—a musical. You know that.” Rachel asked, ”So you've decided?” Wang Yang nodded and said seriously, ”Yes, I have.”
The living room in the apartment now looked different. The sofas that were riddled with holes had been replaced with new wicker couches. His computer was no longer in his bedroom; it now sat on a new desk, which was located in the living room and burdened with several books, a model of a movie camera, and a pot of daffodil.
Wang Yang sat in front of his desk, staring at a blank document on the computer screen with a frown of attention. He pondered what his next movie was going to be.
The '70s saw the decline of musicals. But in the '90s, there were a few good musicals. One of them was Disney's ”Sound of the Desert”, which was a big hit, but it was an animated movie. As far as live-action musicals went, Evita was considered one of the more successful ones, but it merely broke even. Besides, it had Madonna as its lead actress.
The only musicals that made any money were the ”fake musicals” like Sound of the Desert.
Musicals had come a long way since the golden era. Musicals at the time were a very different animal compared to the musicals of yesteryear. There was more emphasis on the plot. Gone were the days of straight stories, where actors and actresses sang and danced from the beginning of the movie until the end. The future of musicals lay at the intersection of plot and theatrics. It was by delighting the audiences with both songs and stories that the musical genre would be revived. The music should serve to enhance the plot, not stand alongside it as a distinct and equal element.
How exactly would the musical genre be revived? In 2000, Dancer in the Dark would take the world by storm in plain dark-horse fashion. In 2001, Nicole Kidman would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Moulin Rouge! Then, in the following year, Chicago would knock it out of the park at box offices as well as award ceremonies, winning countless accolades, including the 75th Academy Award for Best Picture (2002-2003). Then, further into the future, there was Black Swan.
Those movies were not musicals in the traditional sense. What endeared them to the audience were their unforgettable plots and their captivating dialogues. For example, Chicago and Black Swan both centered around themes of love and human desire. The music and the songs were just an accompaniment.
Musicals like these relied heavily on artistic talent and big budgets. The key was a star-studded female cast; anything short of Oscar-level talent simply would not do. Given his situation, he might be able to fork out 20 million dollars for his movie. But even then, no award-winning actress would be willing to act for him. They did not need the money. They did not need the work. They would not risk their reputations to act in a movie that might have received a Rotten Tomatoes' award for ”worst movie of the year”.
Wang Yang crossed the idea from his mind. That left him with the second alternative, which was musicals centered around youth culture and schools. Musicals like these were nothing new. Examples included classics like Grease from 1978 and Flashdance from 1983. Their themes were lighthearted, fun, and simple, and they captured the zeitgeist of the youths of their respective eras: the pursuit of dreams, love, and passion.
If done properly, the movie would stir a cinematic craze the likes of which the world had never seen, capturing the hearts and imagination of students across the globe.
The next wave would come later in 2006 when a television film called High School Musical took the world by storm. Incidentally, Step Up would also be released that year. Musicals centered around youth culture and schools would see a renaissance. Film companies would churn out several more hits, such as Camp Rock and Bring It On, opening the floodgates to hundreds more. Finally, the market would be filled with similar titles produced by people of varying caliber.
”High School Musical?” Wang Yang muttered to himself. It was no doubt an excellent movie. It perfectly captured the essence of a musical in a high school setting. It was fresh, spunky, and upbeat. It had a positive message that everybody could relate to. It had music and choreography that resonated with youths at the time. Its cast was physically attractive and had great appeal to its target audience. It had all the right ingredients. It was bound to be a big hit among students.
Wang Yang considered carefully how difficult it would be for him to produce High School Musical. The setting was no problem; the musical would be shot mostly in a high school, an environment he was familiar with. The technicality was no problem; the movie did not call for complicated shots, fancy stunts, or special effects. The casting was no problem either; Jessica, Rachel, and Zachary were all fine candidates. And despite the scarcity of big-name actors in Hollywood, there was no shortage of young talent who had the skills and the looks to do the job.
The only problem in producing a musical was orchestrating the choreography and writing the songs. But he could hire professional choreographers and songwriters to take care of it. So they were hardly an issue.
However, it was 1998. Was it the right time to introduce High School Musical? Would the market respond positively? Wang Yang rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows as he thought about it, careful not to let his personal biases cloud his judgment.
As a young man himself, he knew he would be the first in line at the cinemas if there was a high school musical that was popular at the time. The reason was simple—he loved music and he loved to dance and he was not alone. Dance floors at pubs were always filled with people. Dancing would never go out of style. No matter which era it was, young people had an innate desire to shake their bodies and lose themselves in the music.
But that reason alone was not enough to justify the movie. After all, if one could go to pubs and get his fix at the dancefloor, why should he go to the theaters and watch a movie about dancing? Therefore, the movie should not just be about the dances. It should fulfill some other needs of the audience.
Wang Yang introspected again. He missed life in high school. He'd been spunky and ambitious back then, and he would have wanted to see a movie that reflected his attitude in life. He would go for a movie like High School Musical, but that was just the opinion of a college dropout. But even if he were a high school student, he would still go for it. He would go for the story, as it offered a high school experience that was far more extraordinary and eventful than his own. He could see himself escaping into that world and sharing in the lives and adventures of the protagonists as they sang, danced, loved, and reached for the stars.
Besides, if all his friends had seen it, he would be an outcast not to.
That was the reason why High School Musical had been such a huge success in the future. That was the reason why Grease had grossed nearly 400 million in box offices worldwide with only a budget of six million dollars. They resonated with the target audience on a fundamental level. They embodied the ideals of youths in all their angst and desires, hopes and dreams, and drive and optimism.
In truth, there was always a market for high-school-themed musicals, no matter which era it was. And at that time, the market was particularly ripe for such a movie. The younger generation was practically begging for their very own Grease.
And although High School Musical was produced in 2006, its content, style, and cinematography would not seem out of place in 1998.
It should be noted that High School Musical had its roots as a television film. At first, it had aired on the Disney Channel. At that time, Disney was only testing the waters, and they did not invest a lot of money into advertising the show. But in the end, the series started a musical craze in high schools across America and subsequently the whole world, attracting over 170 million viewers. The show had reintroduced musicals to the younger generation, who went wild over it. The series turned out to be a greater success than Disney had anticipated, so they came up with High School Musical 2, which was also aired on television. The franchise's overwhelming popularity continued with the sequel, and when High School Musical 3 reached the silver screen, it grossed over 252 million dollars in box offices worldwide.
But would High School Musical 1 be as successful if it were released on the big screen instead of television? Wang Yang was uncertain. But he thought the odds were in his favor. Amongst the trilogy, High School Musical 1 was the most well-received. High School Musical 2 took some unnecessary risks by changing the story's setting to a holiday villa and making the plot more convoluted than it should have been. While it still managed to break rating records, movie fans expressed their disappointment, and many decided to forgo watching the movie. In consequence, High School Musical 3 took the story back to high school and streamlined its plot. Nevertheless, it was deemed by movie critics and fans as a cash grab movie.
In other words, the last two movies of the trilogy were largely riding on the wave of the first movie's popularity; their sole purpose was to monetize the brand. The situation was best described by saying, ”first time's the promise, second time's the shrug, third time's the charm” but with the opposite meaning. Besides, who would want to pay to watch the third movie if they got to see the first two on television for free? If the first movie was released on the big screen, this would not be a problem. That said, High School Musical 3 still grossed over 252 million dollars in the box office, which was a considerable sum.
Besides, the impressive television ratings and the 252-million-dollar box office gross were just the cherries on top of the High School Musical cake of success. There were also the phenomenal DVD sales, the best-selling movie soundtracks, the packed ”on-stage” performances, and many more… all thanks to the popularity and fanbase generated by High School Musical 1. With the right promotional strategy, High School Musical 1 might very well be the next Grease when it hits the silver screen.
Of course, many modifications had to be made, especially with regards to shooting. Television films were shot with a small television screen in mind. Compared to shooting a movie, there was a definite difference in production methods, from the way the actors performed to the way the set was arranged. These were the inherent peculiarities of producing a television show; they were not budget constraints. If High School Musical was to be screened in the cinemas, it had to be tweaked; it had to conform to the styles and quirks of the silver screen.
Wang Yang ruminated silently on the alterations that would have to be made with the movie. Suddenly, his cell phone buzzed. He shook his head, scattering his thoughts, and reached across the desk for his cell phone. By the caller ID, he knew it was Jessica. He pressed the button that answered the call, and looking at the pot of daffodils, he spoke. ”Hi, Jessica. What can I do for you?”
”Hi, Yang,” said Jessica in her delightfully sweet voice, ”I'm fine. I'm just calling to have a chat with you.””Oh! Are you busy? Did I catch you at a bad time?” she said apologetically.
”No, I'm just thinking about some stuff,” Wang Yang said and laughed casually. Then, he asked without preamble, ”Jessica, can you dance?” He knew Jessica would later star in a youth-targeted dance film called Honey in 2002. She was fabulous in that movie, but she would have a dance coach. Wang Yang wondered if she knew how to dance presently.
Jessica stood silent a minute then said ”oh”. She did not understand why Wang Yang had asked her that question. She thought maybe he wanted to ask her out to a dance, and her heart lurched. ”No, I can't dance. I've never learned how to,” she said embarrassedly, shaking her head. ”Oh, I see…” Wang Yang said in a disappointed tone that made Jessica's eyebrows knit. ”Yang, are you going out to dance?” she probed, sounding deeply concerned.
”Oh no, not now,” Wang Yang said with a smile. ”I'm thinking of making a high-school themed musical,” he explained.
The news struck Jessica, and her heart skipped a beat. Surprised and thrilled, she cried, ”Oh, my God! Are you serious? You're going to make a high school musical?” And at that moment, she suddenly realized why Wang Yang had asked her if she knew how to dance; he obviously wanted to cast her. ”Oh, snap! What have I done? Oh, God!” she thought to herself regretfully and hit her head with the heel of her hand.
”I see,” Wang Yang said. Fiddling with the model of a movie camera on his desk, he told her smilingly, ”You know how much I love making movies. Besides, I have the means to do it now as I've just received a lot of money. I'm leaning toward making a high school musical for now. I estimate it'll cost a few million dollars. Self-financed, of course.”
”Oh, my God! A high school musical. But I can't dance…” Jessica thought to herself. She did not know what to say. She felt sorry for herself and for Wang Yang. ”Yang, is there a role I can play?” she asked with a frown.
”I haven't written the script yet, but it's going to be set in a high school. I'm sure there'll be a role for you.” Wang Yang stood up and started for the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. ”But I need someone who can dance—” As soon as Wang Yang began to speak, he was overridden by Jessica. ”Yang, I can learn to dance!” she said swiftly and eagerly.