Chapter 380: Neglecting Proper Business

Chapter 380: Chapter 380: Neglecting Proper Business

In Malibu on January 27, 2004, the morning mist had not yet fully dispersed.

The greenery in the courtyard was hung with glistening dewdrops, and the air was filled with the faint scent of grass.

Irene was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.

She rolled over, rubbed her sleepy eyes, picked up the phone by her pillow, and checked the time: 7:30 AM.

In the news pop-up pushed to her screen, the headline "The 76th Oscar Nominations Officially Announced" was particularly eye-catching.

This year, she had focused her main energy on the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest, the acquisition of Marvel shares, and the project planning for Saw and Little Miss Sunshine.

She had not personally directed any new films that were released, so naturally, she faced no pressure from competing for individual awards.

However, Sophia’s Lost in Translation had set off a wave of arthouse film enthusiasm in Hollywood and was considered a hot candidate for the Oscars, so presumably, she was already paying attention to the list at this moment.

Irene got up slowly, finished washing up, and went downstairs.

Just as she walked into the living room, she saw Sophia sitting on the sofa, holding a tablet computer, with a complex expression on her face.

Eleanor walked over carrying breakfast and said with a smile, "The nomination list is out, right, Sophia? How did it go?"

Sophia looked up, a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"Lost in Translation got five nominations! Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography."

After she finished, she let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Finally, I have not let down the efforts of this period, nor have I let down the contributions of everyone on the crew."

"That is great!" Eleanor clapped happily. "Five nominations! This is huge news! Our Coppola family is going to show our faces on the Oscar stage again this year."

Irene walked over and sat down, picked up a slice of toast, and smiled to congratulate Sophia.

"Sister, congratulations! Five nominations, and they are all important awards; that is already a very outstanding achievement."

"Thank you for the compliment." Sophia shook her head with a smile and swiped her finger across the screen. "By the way, your Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl also received quite a few nominations, though they are all technical awards: Best Sound, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects, and Best Costume Design—a total of four nominations. And Little Miss Sunshine, produced by your company, seems to have also received an acting nomination. That is not a bad haul either."

Sophia still had an impression of Little Miss Sunshine.

This film had been exhibited at the Venice Film Festival along with her Lost in Translation and had received some attention.

It was released around Thanksgiving.

Although its momentum could not compare at all with Saw, compared to other films released in the same period, its overall performance was acceptable, its box office growth rate was relatively steady, and it should be able to bring Irene quite a bit of revenue again.

Irene was not surprised.

As a commercial fantasy blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean had always found it difficult to gain recognition for acting or core awards at the Oscars.

Being able to get technical nominations was already an affirmation of the film’s production standard.

As for Little Miss Sunshine, it was just another one of her experiments in winning big with a small budget.

"As expected." She shrugged. "The core advantages of these two films are not particularly favorable at the Oscars. Being able to get nominations is already a significant gain. After all, this year we ran into The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Mentioning The Lord of the Rings 3, Sophia also nodded in agreement.

"Yes, the final Chapter of The Lord of the Rings trilogy reached its peak in terms of production scale, artistic achievement, and audience acclaim. The Oscars have always had a tradition of ’finale bonuses.’ This installment is clearly aimed at a grand slam. Having accumulated three years of popularity and reputation, it is finally going to explode all at once. Although our Lost in Translation is good, in front of it, it really does not have much competitiveness."

Irene remembered this time last year, when she competed for the Oscars with Million Dollar Baby.

During that time, she was shuttling between various cocktail parties, victory banquets, and voting public relations events almost every day, so busy that her feet barely touched the ground.

She looked at Sophia.

"Sister, since you have gotten five nominations, the upcoming public relations activities will definitely be unavoidable. I accumulated quite a bit of experience last year. I might be able to give you some targeted advice on which events are truly valuable and which are just a waste of time. For example, the Directors Guild dinner and the Writers Guild cocktail party, which the Academy judges value, you must attend. But some parties sponsored by commercial brands are purely for clout-chasing and do not have much significance."

Eleanor also echoed, "Yes, Sophia, this is a critical moment for competing for Best Director; you cannot lower your guard. Although The Lord of the Rings has strong momentum, anything can happen. It is always good to be more prepared."

However, Sophia shook her head and said in a calm tone, "My plan for the next step is the Milan Fashion Week in half a month."

"Milan Fashion Week?" Irene and Eleanor were stunned at the same time and said in unison.

Irene’s face was full of surprise, even a bit confused.

"Sister, what time is it now? It is only a little over a month until the Oscar awards ceremony, which is the critical stage of the public relations sprint. Why would you think about going to fashion week? Is that not a bit too ’neglecting proper business’?"

In her view, Sophia being able to get a Best Director nomination was already a huge breakthrough for an arthouse film director.

Although The Lord of the Rings 3 was strong, she should not give up completely.

She hoped Sophia could win the Best Director award that she herself had not won.

Moreover, Oscar voting is full of variables.

Appropriate public relations activities might be able to win more swing votes.

Even if she did not win in the end, it could still increase the exposure of her and the film.

Sophia saw their confusion and explained with a smile.

"I am not going to Milan just to watch the show. When I was filming Lost in Translation before, I reached a preliminary cooperation intention with Miuccia Prada, the creative director of Prada. They want to use the film aesthetics of Lost in Translation as inspiration to launch a co-branded series, covering women’s wear, accessories, and perfume. This time at Milan Fashion Week, Prada will hold an exclusive press conference to officially announce this co-branded series and invite me as a special guest to participate in the global launch ceremony of the series."

She paused and added, "Also, a portion of the proceeds from this co-branded series will be used to support an independent film creation fund, which is something I have always wanted to do. In addition, I have also made appointments with several old friends in the fashion circle whose brands are interested in investing in my next film. Going to Milan this time is a perfect opportunity to discuss the details of the cooperation. You also know that financing for independent films is never easy. Being able to secure support from fashion brands will be a huge help to my future work."

Irene suddenly realized.

She knew that before Sophia officially became a Hollywood director, she had interned in the fashion circle and worked as a fashion editor, and she had always had good connections in the fashion circle.

She did not expect that the success of Lost in Translation would also facilitate a co-branded cooperation with a top luxury brand like Prada.

This was indeed an opportunity that could not be missed.

"So that is it." Irene nodded, the confusion in her heart gradually dissipating, but she was still a little worried. "But the competition for Best Director..."