Kazir sat at the table, meticulously listing every low-budget, high-grossing film one by one.
As more names appeared on the list, his brow furrowed, and the more he looked, the more uneasy he felt, sensing vaguely that something was amiss.
"Why are most of them horror films?" he muttered, staring intently at the list, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the titles, his voice tinged with confusion and helplessness.
The list included films like "The Last Exorcism," "paranormal activity," and "the blair witch project," all well-known and highly profitable movies that had caused quite a stir in the film industry.
Of course, there were also a few comedies, such as "napoleon dynamite" and "The Full Monty," which brought a lot of joy to audiences with their unique humorous styles.
Kazir tapped his finger lightly on the table, lost in deep thought.
Choosing a film was no small matter; he had to weigh the pros and cons and couldn't just decide on a whim.
"Let's cross out 'the blair witch project' first!"
His pen paused, then he drew a heavy line through the title "the blair witch project."
"That film became popular entirely due to its overwhelming promotion and viral marketing, coupled with the nascent internet at the time, which allowed information to spread rapidly and chaotically, deceiving North America audiences into believing something mysterious and terrifying was actually happening. Everyone was drawn in by its promotional gimmick."
"the blair witch project" had a production cost of only 50,000, which was negligible in film production, yet its promotional budget was over 10 million. Such a huge promotional investment was like a big gamble. Although it became a hit through this deceptive tactic and achieved great box office success, Kazir clearly understood that this model couldn't be replicated now.
After all, it was 1995, and the internet hadn't yet taken off; the speed and scope of information dissemination were limited, making it impossible to create a rapid buzz like during "the blair witch project" era.
Furthermore, in his previous life, the film had a terrible reputation, with audiences widely criticizing it, feeling deceived. Kazir didn't want to incur audience resentment just as he was starting his film career; that would be counterproductive.
"What about the rest...?"
Kazir's gaze swept over the list again, pondering silently.
To be honest, he was very familiar with both horror and comedy films.
When he was a small-time director, he mostly made these two types of films, accumulating a lot of experience in this area, so it shouldn't have been difficult to choose.
But strangely, none of the horror films he made were any good; every one of them performed poorly, which left him feeling a bit disappointed and helpless.
"If I really have to choose... 'paranormal activity' or 'napoleon dynamite'!" Kazir weighed the pros and cons of these two films in his mind.
"napoleon dynamite" was incredibly popular in North America; its unique humor and the image of its endearing, goofy protagonist were deeply loved by audiences, but it fell flat in the international market.
Firstly, it was released too late, five months after its North America premiere, so the audience's novelty had already worn off; secondly, its humor was too localized, with many comedic elements based on North America culture and life, which foreigners simply didn't "get," like playing a lute to a cow, unable to resonate.
"But 'paranormal activity' is different..." Kazir stroked his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes, "Not only did it popularize the found-footage format, giving audiences a sense of immersive reality, but its box office was also fierce, like a dark horse charging through the film market."
"No," he suddenly shook his head, rejecting his own idea, "The promotional strategy for 'paranormal activity' is too similar to 'the blair witch project,' both relying on rumors and social media to generate buzz, using audience curiosity and herd mentality to attract attention. But social media hasn't developed yet, so this promotional method simply won't work, just like trying to send information via email in an era without the internet; it's impossible."
Kazir's gaze shifted to other films, and he continued to ponder: "What about'Saw'?"
This film was famous for its bloody torture plots; the tense, thrilling atmosphere and terrifying visuals made many viewers both love and fear it.
Kazir was confident he could make it, as he had some experience in horror films, but the budget was a bit tricky.
"'Saw' costs over a million, so if I want to make it, I'll have to find investors. But I'm an unknown now; where would I find someone willing to invest in me? And even if I found investors, I'd have to discuss various details with them, and they might even interfere with the film's creative process."
"The Devil's Due" was similar, with a comparable budget, also facing issues of funding and investment.
"'The Last Exorcism' is even more expensive, 1.8 million..."
Kazir sighed, a helpless expression on his face.
Choosing a film had to be done with extreme caution; one wrong step, and everything would be lost. Since he was gambling, he had to maximize his chances of winning and couldn't take blind risks.
"'The Gallows'? But critics slammed that film..."
Kazir looked at the title "The Gallows," feeling some hesitation.
Among the list, "The Gallows" and "paranormal activity" had the lowest costs; "paranormal activity" was 300,000, and "The Gallows" was only 100,000. With his current finances, choosing "The Gallows" would be much less stressful, as he wouldn't have to worry about funding issues.
However, the critics' reviews made him a bit concerned, as their opinions could, to some extent, affect the film's reputation and box office.
Suddenly, Kazir threw down his pen and slapped the table with a "smack," the crisp sound echoing in the Room.
He stood up, his eyes revealing determination and decisiveness: "What am I overthinking? The answer is obvious... It's 'napoleon dynamite'!"
Compared to other films, he liked this one from the bottom of his heart.
Especially the scene where Napoleon dances at the end, those funny and adorable moves, just thinking about it was exciting—perhaps this was the real reason he chose it, that irresistible affection welling up from deep within him.
In his previous life, he had made too many flop horror films; in fact, he preferred comedies.
Horror films always made him anxious; every horror film production encountered various problems, and each one he made failed, almost driving him to depression. But comedy films were different; he couldn't help but laugh while writing them, feeling completely at ease.
That's it then, "napoleon dynamite"!
"The found-footage style looks fresh, but its common flaws are too obvious—the camera shakes terribly, and audiences are guaranteed to get a headache after watching for a while, like being in a bumpy car, making people dizzy. Moreover, that filming technique sometimes undermines the overall aesthetic of the film, preventing audiences from fully immersing themselves in the plot."
Kazir analyzed the shortcomings of the found-footage format, his choice becoming even firmer.
The director was still a novice; for him to make the film popular was pure dumb luck, achieving success through a coincidence of various factors. Kazir felt he had enough experience and ability to make "napoleon dynamite" even better.
Kazir composed himself, sat back at the table, and began writing the script.
He had to hurry with this; after writing it, he needed to register it with the Writers Guild to protect his creative work.
He immersed himself completely in scriptwriting—the plot, the protagonist, the supporting characters... that goofy protagonist and his goofy friends gradually came alive under his pen, and the more he wrote, the more he felt engaged, as if he had already entered the world of the film.
"Phew~ Perfect."
After a long while, Kazir put down his pen, looking at the pages filled with writing on the table, a satisfied smile on his face.
He wanted to completely bid farewell to the past; making horror films was out of the question. He was going to embark on a new journey of comedy films.
"Honestly, what I really want to make are action films; that's my biggest dream in this life. Unfortunately, action films often have budgets in the tens of millions, and for an unknown like me, it's not even worth thinking about."
Anyway, first things first, let's get "napoleon dynamite" going!