National Tide 1980.

After the meeting on September 9, the "Gathering of Famous Actors" plan planned by Ning Weimin was officially implemented.

The people who attended the production meeting are all veterans of the Japanese film industry. The power of their network cannot be underestimated when they act as a group.

Japan is also a society based on personal connections. Since everyone is working in the same industry, it is inevitable that everyone has three or five friends. It is an unspoken rule that friends take care of each other under the same conditions.

Although this does not mean that they will be able to get things done if they come forward, and will successfully persuade the big-name actors decided at the meeting to agree to star in the show.

However, they can use their personal connections to pass on the information in a timely manner, or directly meet with the person in person on behalf of Mist Studio to have a face-to-face talk and ask about the other party's intentions and schedule, so there is no problem.

This is already a remarkable convenience, and can be considered a privilege that comes with seniority.

You know, most people have trouble even contacting these famous actors, let alone contacting them like this.

Just like Ning Weimin, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get in touch with the Guo family, the "Sugar King of Asia", because he was not well-known in the business world and was just a nobody.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many disputes now.

As for Keiko Matsumoto, as the owner of Mist Studios, of course she has to make full use of her personal connections.

She immediately went to meet with Ning Weimin to meet with President Sakomoto of Shochiku Film and proposed to use Shochiku's stars to shoot a TV series.

The specific negotiation process is also very interesting.

Because their request far exceeded the other party's expectations, when they submitted a role requirement, even President Poben, as the head of one of the "Big Five", was so shocked that his eyeballs almost fell to the ground after just a glance.

"What? These are the actors you requested? You specifically asked Atsumi Kiyoshi and Baisho Chieko to star in Kiri Studio's TV series?"

"Yes, please help me, President." Matsumoto Keiko nodded in thanks with a smile on her face.

"But, you let them play supporting roles, but let them play villains? This... is not good, right? I'm afraid it will affect their image."

Facing President Sakamoto's questioning, Matsumoto Keiko tilted her head and smiled.

"I'm not happy when you say that. I've played enough villain roles. Why didn't you consider my image at the beginning?"

These words really make the president feel uncomfortable.

"You are different from them. Their roles are almost stereotyped, but your acting skills are enough to enable you to play any character."

"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. But don't you think it would be more interesting to let them try roles that are quite different from their stereotypes occasionally? I think the audience, who are used to seeing them always playing Sakura and Torajiro, would look forward to that occasionally."

Matsumoto Keiko's words made President Sakamoto smile bitterly. Sometimes he really had no way to deal with this "daughter" in his business.

However, what he didn't expect was that Matsumoto Keiko then told him a piece of news that shocked him even more.

"To be honest, there are really no good people in this drama. Even my character is a 'villain' who is unscrupulous, greedy and cunning. And I don't just want to invite them to play the villains. According to our idea, the famous actors Mikuni Rentaro, Sugawara Bunta and Fuji Junko are also people we want to invite. They will also play the villains. Don't you think it's not possible?"

"What?" President Hakomoto was stunned.

Of course, he was familiar with these names. Each of them was a mainstay of the "Big Five" in the past. Some were movie queens or movie kings, and some had their own series of classic films.

Each of them has left his name in Japanese film history and can take on the box office responsibility of a movie.

"But... but using them... your production costs... I'm afraid it will be quite a burden. Have you considered this? Are you talking in your sleep?"

President Hakomoto looked at Keiko Matsumoto with suspicion, waiting for her confirmation.

It's not that he doesn't want to believe it. The key is how much a drama costs to produce and how much it sells to TV stations, which is something everyone in the industry knows.

As a production company, it is difficult to make a profit from television, let alone when she spares no expense on the cast.

This kind of economic cost is totally irrational. Letting them act in the same TV series is an unprecedented luxury and is like burning money with fire.

Although the crew of "Black Leather Notebook" cannot start filming without the actors.

He also didn't think that Matsumoto Keiko had to take this step unless she could produce a phenomenal work in one fell swoop.

  But how easy is that?

However, Keiko Matsumoto insisted on her attitude.

"Yes, I have already thought about this. For this TV series, I will organize the most gorgeous cast just like I do for a movie. Of course, I will not make it difficult for you to pay the film. I leave everything to you. We really hope that our two good friends Shochiku will join us. I believe that with their superb acting skills and fame, they will bring more attractions to the show."

"What? You're too optimistic. In my opinion, putting together a bunch of good actors doesn't necessarily make for a good drama. It still depends on the reaction of the performance and the degree of compatibility between them. Anyway, we don't need them to play the leading role. Why don't you consider the ordinary actors under Shochiku..."

President Hakomoto couldn't believe his ears and continued to persuade him.

Ning Weimin of course knew that he meant well, so he helped to provide additional explanations.

"President Pomoto, your opinions are all based on experience. Thank you very much for your kindness. However, we have our own considerations for our current situation. You should know that we are being targeted by the Burning Entertainment Agency, right? So what we need now is not to make a profitable drama, but to let everyone know that Mist Studio has real strength and can definitely complete the works we want to shoot. It is definitely not something that can be banned by an entertainment agency. In the Japanese entertainment industry, no one can use artists to coerce us."

This made sense. President Poben was stunned for a moment and then sighed.

"I understand your feelings. In fact, we at Shochiku have long been dissatisfied with these new entertainment agencies. Whether from the perspective of our cooperative relationship or from the perspective of being a traditional actor, I should support you. I also hope that you can succeed and make those who look down on our studio look good. But the problem is that this method, whether it succeeds or fails, will definitely cost a huge financial price. Do you think it's really worth it?"

What President Hakomoto said is also what is in his heart.

You know, compared to records and movies, which are the main sources of income for traditional singers and actors, television has a huge advantage in attracting audiences.

Music carried on records has a certain lag and can only be heard after it is broadcast on radio or television.

However, the film's visuals are insufficient and the duration is too short.

There is no doubt that from any perspective, as long as you are a member of the studio, you should hate those new agencies that rely on idols and almost monopolize the TV screen. It is they who snatched the audience that originally belonged to the film studio from the cinema, and the life of the studio is so difficult.

But the problem is that nowadays new agencies are more prosperous than traditional studios. To a certain extent, even TV stations have been kidnapped by them.

In President Hakomoto's opinion, Kirito Studios doesn't stand much chance of winning this confrontation.

His hesitation was simply due to his genuine concern for the financial situation of Fog Studios.

But it doesn’t matter if he has no confidence, because Ning Weimin has more to come.

"President, allow me to say a few more words. You don't have to worry too much about the economy. Frankly speaking, although the cost of this drama has greatly exceeded the budget, we also think it is worth the money. After all, being able to bring so many stars together is naturally good for the ratings."

"In addition, we also have a response strategy. We will not rely on the Japanese market alone. Overseas markets are also a channel for recovering costs, especially in China. I am certain that I can send this drama to be broadcast. Although due to institutional reasons, broadcasting in the Republic will not generate much direct revenue. But I also have ways to exchange interests in other aspects, and I will definitely not suffer any loss. Please rest assured on this point."

"If you still think it's not enough, then I have a better suggestion, such as we can further increase business cooperation and make more money together. To be honest, I recently brought back a few copies of Chinese movies from the Republic, one of which was a candidate for the Tokyo Film Festival. And Keiko also brought back a few copies from France. Although they are all old movies, they all have commercial selling points, almost all of which are starred by big stars, and there are also cartoons. I think if Shochiku is willing to set aside two or three small halls in multi-hall theaters to play these movies, it will effectively make up for the current shortage of film sources. As for our losses from filming the drama, they can also be compensated by profits."

That’s not all, Matsumoto Keiko added later.

"President, the videotape market is actually worth looking forward to. I think the videotape craze is just beginning, and this type of home entertainment will become more popular in the future. It may be difficult for us to recover our costs right now, but we will be able to make a profit sooner or later. So for now, we are more focused on the influence of this drama. After all, this is the first time that Mist Studio has tried to shoot a TV series. It must be successful, otherwise we will never be able to shoot a TV series again in the future."

So President Ben stopped talking again.

He lowered his head and thought about it. Now he understood the necessity of their action even more.

I really admire their courage. I didn't expect that they thought it through so thoroughly.

Indeed, China has a market with as many as one billion viewers.

For Chinese people like Ning Weimin, if the broadcasting channels can be opened up, the benefits that will come from it will be countless and should be enough to make up for the production costs in Japan.

  Moreover, the films that Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko brought back are indeed a way for theaters to increase their profits. It is at least worth a try. It doesn't increase any costs for him anyway, so why not do it?

As for the future of the videotape market, he is not so optimistic, but Matsumoto Keiko's perspective on the issue is not wrong.

The first TV series really cannot fail, otherwise it will damage its credibility.

If the TV series produced by Fog Studios fails this time, not only will the current good cooperative relationship with TBS end, but other TV stations will also lose their basic trust in them.

What's more, the fact that Mist Studio was able to think of this solution and did not ask for help in terms of filming funds at least proves that they have sufficient financial capabilities to meet their filming needs.

Come to think of it, it seems that every work they produced since their inception has been a large-scale production of super standards.

Now it seems that "Li Xianglan" may have become the lowest-budget movie, which is incredible.

In short, he is increasingly looking forward to having an ally who can come up with billions of yen to make a film and a partner who can also get him to import film sources.

At least it's a good thing for Shochiku, as they can screen big-budget movies without having to invest their own money.

So he really had nothing to suggest. "Well, since you have given it enough thought, I have nothing to say. As for the movie screening we just mentioned, let's discuss this first and then talk about other things."

"Thank you for your kindness, President." Seeing that her goal was finally achieved, Matsumoto Keiko finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, President Hakomoto did not agree so quickly. "Don't thank me so soon. If you need someone right away, I can't do anything. We still have to discuss some details. For example, the schedule and shooting time. Do you have any requirements?"

These words were understandable, and Matsumoto Keiko immediately showed understanding.

"How can I force them to do something? Of course, I'll stick to Shochiku's schedule. I also know they are filming a new movie called 'The Pain of Men'. If possible, can we invite them to our crew after the movie is finished? As for the shooting time, considering their roles, thirty days should be enough."

"Well, that's no problem. You're lucky. The 39th episode of the "Men's Suffering" series, which is being filmed in the second half of this year, is progressing smoothly. Director Yamada is expected to wrap up filming a month ahead of schedule, which means it will be finished around early October and can start the editing process. How about waiting another 20 days? They should be able to report to your crew."

"Thank you so much!" Matsumoto Keiko nodded again, feeling relatively stable this time.

At the same time, she also anticipated that if the other party suddenly became more talkative, there would probably be some additional conditions. After all, that's how it works in the industry, and a good deal is one where both parties complement each other.

Sure enough, just as she smiled politely, President Hakomoto also spoke.

"I also have a request, would you please consider it?"

"Please tell me."

"Since you have invited Torajiro and Sakura from Shochiku, can you arrange for a female lead for this play? She is Akiyoshi Kumiko, who may join Shochiku soon. Her fame and acting skills are both acceptable. She is also very beautiful. I want to cultivate her, it shouldn't be difficult."

Keiko Matsumoto didn't expect this to be a request.

Judging from President Sakamoto's tone, his attitude has clearly changed.

From the initial hesitation and resistance, now they want to use the back door to get people into the crew and actively take the express train.

The obvious reason was that the huge investment of Fog Studio and its practice of recruiting many famous actors made him see a prospect worth looking forward to.

She thought about it and didn't feel embarrassed.

The female characters currently pending in the production crew include a maid named Chengjiang, a public relations girl named Bozi who is jealous of the heroine, and a house nanny who gathers information for the heroine.

No matter what, we should be able to find a role suitable for Kumiko Akiyoshi.

So I agreed without hesitation.

In addition to this, she also had a more optimistic outlook on the announcement of the news.

Since even President Sakomoto was so surprised, I'm sure this news will be like a bomb that explodes and shocks the entire Japanese entertainment industry! (End of this chapter)