During the making of "Run Lola Run," Kyle also took the opportunity to consult a law firm and paid them to create a tax avoidance strategy for him.
Indeed, tax avoidance!
It has been almost six months since Kyle travelled back in time. With the information provided by the system and his hard work, he has accumulated almost 30 million US dollars in assets from investments in projects like Netscape and Pixar stocks, along with "Toy Story" merchandise.
One could say the outcomes are quite impressive!
However, every year from late February to April is a nightmare for all American citizens due to tax payments!
"If I don't establish a tax avoidance strategy, how much money will slip away from me?" Kyle internally cursed the tax authority.
"Mr. Page, please rest assured that our firm will develop an excellent tax avoidance plan for you shortly," the confident middle-aged attorney assured him.
He's a middle-aged man, his name is Paul Goodman, similar to another famous lawyer.
"Excellent. By the way, I have another request for you."
"Please proceed."
"It's not a significant matter. It's just regarding the copyright registration for a cartoon and a series of educational films for infants and toddlers."
"What details do you have? What is the intended scope? Is it limited to North America, or does it also cover Europe and Asia?"
....
Kyle's purpose for visiting today, aside from tax avoidance, is to apply for copyright registration.
The cartoon he aims to register the copyright for is titled: SpongeBob SquarePants, Ben 10 and Oggy and the Cockroaches.
The educational series for infants and toddlers he's seeking to register for is called: Teletubbies.
I must admit, Kyle is rather clever.
For these stories, Kyle has all the information needed, so applying for copyright registration should be straightforward, but for Teletubbies, how could he acquire the detailed information?
Although Kyle didn't recall the specific details of Teletubbies, he had viewed it multiple times in his previous life.
There's no need to be excessively detailed, as long as the registration content, including the main character's image, title, theme, story outline, etc., is entirely legal from a legal standpoint. In other words, as long as the application can be submitted, then the highly influential work "Teletubbies" will belong to the Page family from this point onward!
In reality, the series "Teletubbies" is only appropriate for children below 8 years old. Well, it may be quite silly, but it is profitable!
How could we not generate revenue by selling copyrights to numerous countries?
"Kyle, you are such a clever lad!" Kyle secretly commended himself.
....
Early February 1996.
Page Films.
"Boss, all the preparations before filming have been finalised."
"The primary objective now is to select the leading actors for the cast. After thorough discussions between the casting director and me, we believe two male actors are best suited for the role of the protagonist 'Manny'."
As the CEO of Page Pictures, Victor Jones has been performing admirably of late. He has successfully stabilised the morale and productivity of long-standing employees, efficiently managing the company.
His performance has exceeded Kyle's expectations.
He acquired the movie "A Man Named Mickey" from the New York Film Festival, spending only $120,000 to secure all the rights. After its release in the VHS and DVD markets, it recouped $50,000 in just two weeks. By the year's end, it is projected to generate a net profit of $150,000 for Kyle.
Don't dismiss the significance of $150,000, remembering that it's merely from a single film.
Many lesser-known Hollywood production companies only make a few million annually, with some just exceeding $300,000. After all, they aren't producing films for theatres, and their profits are just a fraction of what they could be.
"Boss, here is the information on two male actors." Victor passed the documents to Kyle.
"Oh, I'll need to examine this more closely."
[Actor: Mark Damon]
Born in 1970, he entered the film industry in 1988 with his debut in "A Modern Cinderella". In 1993, he landed a leading role in the feature film "Gernimo: An American Legend," marking his first major part.
"Hiss! He's someone I know!"
The term "someone I know" really referred to Kyle from his past life. He was familiar with him, although Damon had no way of knowing Kyle.
While Mark Damon may not reach the fame of Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks in the future, he is still widely recognised internationally.
The Jason Bourne series he featured in is considered a classic among many spy aficionados; the film Potatoes on Mars... I mean, The Martian, is also viewed as a classic in the realm of science fiction. Of course, he also acted in Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall, but let's not dwell on that; Kyle only remembers Da Tiantian in that movie.
"Victor, is Mark Damon keen on playing the role in this film?" Kyleor inquired without delay.
"Boss, I've been in touch with his representative, and he shows interest in taking the part," Victor replied.
"What is his asking price for the role?"
Kyleor tends to favour Mark Damon. Aside from his future potential as a movie star, his acting talents make him worth pursuing, but the crucial factor remains his salary. After all, Run Lola Run is a budget-conscious production.
"Since he is still relatively new, his asking price isn't high—$150,000 should suffice, but…"
"But what?"
Before Victor could complete his thought, Kylee interrupted him.
Victor continued, "Boss, Mark Damon's agency is CAA, and they have a stipulation that requires you to accept their packaging service and recommend an actress for the lead role."
CAA agency?
Any individual involved in the American entertainment business is aware of CAA's reputation. It is a major agency in Hollywood, representing stars like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, CAA's packaging service addressed numerous film preparation issues for various small to medium-sized businesses. Although they took a 10% commission from the box office revenue and retained all copyright profits, their service was highly sought after.
However.
As they gained more success, they became increasingly overbearing.
They completely disregarded all the major studios in Hollywood!
Can you imagine a mid-level agent from CAA boldly bursting into the office of the president of 20th Century Fox, one of the major players in Hollywood, and yelling at Barry Meyer while pounding the table?
"Bang!"
Kyle was furious and struck the table, exclaiming, "Damn it, these irritating bastards! If they want Mark Damon to star, they have to agree to their all-in-one packaging service? They also want to suggest a female lead—what's that about? Am I expected to cast who they dictate as the director?"
After catching his breath, he kept venting: "Victor, tell those jerks from CAA to leave here immediately, or I'll personally kick him in the balls, slather them in chilli oil, and shove them where the sun doesn't shine!"
The boss is certainly intimidating! (voice cracking)
"Understood, boss. If it weren't for Mark Damon's promising career, I would have dealt with them already!" Victor quickly concurred.
It took Kyle over ten minutes to regain his composure.
Moving on to the next actor's details.
[Actor: James McAvoy]
Born in 1979, he made his on-screen debut in 1995 as a high school student in "The Next Room," where he played the third supporting role.
James McAvoy?
Kyle hadn't heard of this name before.
"Isn't he too young at just 17?" Kyle questioned with scepticism.
"Boss, you'll see once you look at his photo. Although he's young, he has a mature appearance that makes him look like he's in his 20s," Victor pointed out while showing the profile.
Upon seeing the picture, Kyle realised that he indeed looked mature and didn't seem like a typical 17-year-old.
"Huh? He looks somewhat familiar."
Suddenly, Kyle was struck by a sense of recognition when he glanced at James McAvoy's photo, despite knowing he had never met him.
A light bulb went off in his head.
I remember now!
Isn't he Professor X?
Indeed, he is the younger, hairier Professor X from "X-Men: First Class," along with its sequels, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "X-Men: Apocalypse."
"Boss, even though this actor is a newcomer, quite young, and his acting skills are just average, he meets our criteria for the leading role, especially since we're making a low-budget film."
Victor, being astute, added, "Of course, his salary isn't high, around $50,000."
$50,000 for a film?
Haha, Kyle finds that completely acceptable.
"Alright, it's settled. But let's negotiate a lower salary. Go ahead and finalise the contract quickly; we'll commence formal filming next Wednesday," Kyle concluded decisively.
Wouldn't lower pay be better? Kyle was now embracing the role of a businessman.
...
On February 7, 1996.
That day marked when Kyle's crew for "Run Lola Run" moved into the studio rented from Time Warner Group and officially began shooting the film.