China Entertainment Mythology 2004

Chapter 234 Star You, 1.58 Billion Breaks the Price Ceiling of Chinese Dramas
The global box office of "Source Code" reached 4.26 million U.S. dollars in two weeks after its release. Who is most excited to see this result?In addition to the related main creators, I am afraid that Yang Mi will definitely be among the best.

The films produced by Huashang Media are divided into two types for the domestic market and the global market, such as "33 Days of Broken Love" and "Cohabitation Beyond Time and Space".

As a result, both films were box-office hits in the domestic market, but were quite mediocre in the international market.

Films like Gravity, Inception, or The Martian were clearly intended for the global market from the start, and they turned out exactly as expected, with all of these films being in the global market without exception. shine.

"Source Code" is a work for the global market, and it is a rare work for the global market with a small investment scale. In the end, it was still a global hit, with a total box office of more than 4.26 million US dollars in two weeks.

So now there is a film that is very similar to "Source Code" being produced. It was also defined by Huashang Media as a work for the global market at the beginning of the project, and the investment scale is not as large as "Source Code". , what is the name of this film?

"Shark Beach"!
It's the one she's shooting right now—and she, Yang Mi, is the heroine of this movie!
Then:

"Will I be 'International Yang' after the film is released? No, no, international Yang doesn't sound good, it should be 'International Honey'!"

"Yang Mi, please be sober! How can "Shark Beach" compare with "Source Code"? "Source Code" has Andy Lau, Zhou Xingchi, Yang Ziqiong, Song Jia, "Shark Beach" is only you, let's not dream OK?!"

"But who can say for sure? "Taken 3" is based on the popularity of the first two films. There is Brother Cheng Long and Liu Yifei. As a result, the global box office is 5.2 million US dollars. What about "The Hunger Games 1"? Only Liu Yifei herself , the result is a global box office of 9.1 million U.S. dollars!"

……

"You said why did he give me such a good opportunity? Does he also have some interest in me?"

"Attention everyone, everyone who has nothing to do with it will leave the venue immediately, and the filming will start immediately, Yang Mi, where is Yang Mi?" At this moment, the assistant director suddenly shouted.

"Here comes the director!"

Yang Mi put away her miscellaneous thoughts, stood up and patted the sand off her buttocks, and ran to the shooting site in a bikini.

In early January 2012, on a certain day.

Secretary Liang Bing told Li Mu that the leader of Mango TV wanted to ask him out for a meal. Li Mu thought about it and finally agreed.

In fact, it goes without saying that Li Mu also knew the meaning of Mango TV. They were interested in the copyright of "You Who Came from the Star".

Li Mu can go to eat. Since people have this request, it is really not good if Li Mu doesn't even see each other, but he estimates that [-]% of Mango TV will not be able to eat "You Who Came from the Stars".

Mango has always insisted on the strategy of exclusive dramas, which has given it certain advantages, but also put a heavy shackle on it.

Both "Scary Step by Step" and "Gong Suo Xin Yu" are very optimistic on Mango TV. Their vision is indeed not bad, but so what?Zhejiang TV and other four satellite TVs did not insist on broadcasting exclusively, and bought the two dramas of Huashang at a price of 60 each. In this way, the total price of the first round was 240 million for a single episode, and the four satellite TVs jointly produced 240 million. For one episode, each family is only 60 yuan, so the pressure is not too great. You asked a satellite TV to come up with this offer?Let's put it this way, the rich and powerful CCTV doesn't have the confidence.

At present, the highest quotation offered by Mango TV for a single work should be around 120 million for a single episode, which is only half of the total price of the four TV stations in the first half of the year for Huashang dramas. Even if Li Mu wanted to cooperate with Mango TV, he did not directly give Come up with a reason for cutting yourself!
Li Mu went to eat the meal. As Li Mu expected, the leader of Mango TV really took a fancy to the copyright of "You Who Came from the Star". To Li Mu's surprise, the other party deliberately paid 240 million yuan per episode. Bought the copyright of the first round and wanted to broadcast it exclusively.

Seeing Li Mu's surprise, the other party explained that the price of 240 million per episode was indeed a bit of a break from the previous practice in the station, but the total number of episodes of "You Who Came from the Star" was only 22 episodes. According to this quotation, the total is 5200 million. The set is indeed over, but the total price is not yet.

Indeed, there are a total of 21 episodes in the original time and space, and 22 episodes in this time and space. Compared with the big dramas that often have forty or fifty episodes, "You Who Came from the Star" is indeed relatively short.

However, although Mango Satellite TV is very courageous this time, Li Mu still did not agree to the other party easily. The reason is very simple, and several other satellite TVs are also staring at this drama.

Moreover, it was several satellite TV stations such as Zhejiang Province. They had already greeted Li Mu this time, saying that they didn't even need to watch the demos of the 240 million single episodes.

Most of the time, TV stations don't need to watch the complete episodes from beginning to end when buying dramas. How can they have the energy?And for really hot dramas, everyone places an order directly after seeing the production team’s starring lineup. In many cases, the TV drama has not even started, and the contract has already been signed. Decided to buy or not?That is simply overthinking!If you are so hesitant and cautious, how can a hot drama get your turn!

Even if it wasn't a hot drama, most of the leaders of the TV station's drama purchasing department were middle-aged women. The producer found a few fresh meat to accompany the leaders, and the contract was signed.

Li Mu's suggestion is that everyone should watch the samples before making a decision. He has confidence in his own drama, and of course he is not afraid that the other party will watch it first and then buy it.

In the end, Huashang listed several satellite TVs that were interested in buying the drama, including Zhejiang, Suzhou, Dongfang, Jinmen, Chongqing, Beijing, etc., or Mango Channel, as well as several video websites, including Youku, Tudou, iQi, etc. Representatives from Billion, Tencent, Souhua, etc. all invited Huashang to sit together and watch the first few episodes together. As for who wants to buy it and how much they are willing to pay, let’s talk about it after watching the first few episodes.

Of course, the big leaders of these satellite TVs or websites did not come, so Li Mu himself did not accompany them. Later, Liu Siying and Li Mu said that they had decided to watch the first four episodes first, but after the first four episodes were all played, each The representatives of Home Satellite TV and the video website unanimously requested to broadcast a few more episodes, and Huashang certainly would not refuse, so that in the end a total of eleven episodes were broadcast, which is half of the whole drama.

Then, it is said that the representatives of various satellite TVs and video sites almost unanimously strongly demanded that they must eat this show after returning home. The TV station’s first round of quotations, the ceiling of the exclusive broadcast is about 120 million per episode, and the ceiling of the four-star simulcast is 240. Around Wandan episodes, "Scary Step by Step" became popular in the first half of the year, and the first round of quotations for "Gong Suo Xin Jade" did not rise.

But this time it went up. In the end, four satellite TVs including Beijing, Zhejiang, Suzhou, and Dongfang bought the first-round copyright at a price of 75 an episode each. In this way, the ceiling of China's first-round copyright was once again covered by Huashang. Give it a break, reaching a brand new 300 million episodes.

The total price of the first round is 6600 million. Mango Taiwan has more than enough heart but not enough energy. Although it is extremely optimistic about this new drama, it has no choice but to give up in the end.

At present, the unit price ceiling of video websites is 200 million yuan per episode. This price was first created by Huashang Media's "Gongsuo Xinyu", and was soon equaled by "The Secret History of Princess Taiping" co-produced by Great Wall Film and Mango Channel.

When "Gong Suo Xin Jade" was sold for 200 million episodes on the explosive video site, the entire Chinese-speaking Internet world was shocked. In 2010, the ceiling of TV drama online copyright was still 35 episodes, and it soared in mid-2011 Up to 200 million episodes?
What an international joke? !

This kind of play can't last!Sooner or later, the online copyright of TV series will return to the rational level of 40 million an episode. It is impossible for a second 200 million-episode drama to appear on the market!
As a result, only a few months later, the second TV series with an online copyright price of 200 million yuan per episode appeared, that is, "The Secret History of Princess Taiping", and Aiqiyi was the one who was taken advantage of.

The market is like this. Everyone sees that you made money by buying "Gongsuo Xinyu" for 200 million yuan per episode, and you think that you can also make money by buying other dramas for 200 million yuan per episode.

As for whether it can make money, who knows except Li Mu before the broadcast?

Not to mention, this time Li Mu really knew the follow-up of "The Secret History of Princess Taiping" recorded in "Gong Suo Xin Yu". The price of online copyrights for domestic TV dramas has been drastically reduced!

The online copyright sold 200 million episodes of a big drama, which created a new low in the ratings of Mango TV for the whole year. Aiqi lost billions to liver pain. At present, there are many dramas with an online copyright of more than 100 million episodes on the market. Waiting for "Taiping After the broadcast of "The Secret History of the Princess", the dramas with more than 100 million episodes on the market disappeared immediately. The dramas that could sell 100 million episodes a year ago will no one care about 30 episodes in the next year!

I remember that in the previous life, when the media commented on the overturn of the video website, they said: "The world is turned upside down and generous, and the world has been changed."

A few days later, Liu Siying reported to Li Mu that the quotations given by iQiyi and Soufang were 200 yuan per episode, and Tencent quoted 220 million yuan per episode.

Li Mu thought for a while, and said to Liu Siying, "This time we offer 300 million yuan per episode."

Liu Siying was shocked when she heard the words, and said to herself: "300 million an episode? Oh my god, there is no such price in the market?!"

Li Mu said to her: "Your expression is right, because the highest price on the market is currently 200 million an episode, so several video sites will only increase the price a little bit on the basis of 200 million an episode, then we We have to tell them clearly that this drama is worth 300 million an episode in our minds, and we must first break their psychological expectations this time."

"But..." Liu Siying said.

Li Mudao: "Did you say that the online copyright of "The Secret History of Princess Taiping" is worth 200 million episodes? Judging from the public information, I can't see any reason why this drama can sell 200 million episodes, but our "Gongsuo Xinyu "raised the ceiling to 200 million, and "The Secret History of Princess Taiping" borrowed our east wind, we are the breakers of the ceiling, if there is no east wind to borrow, then we should borrow our own east wind."

Liu Siying said: "That's what I said, but I guess none of these websites will accept this offer."

Li Mudao: "The more confident we are in our works, the more confident they will be in our works. What do they know about a good drama? Is it sure to be a hit? I don't think they will think they know better than us, because they all know We have failed, but we have not. We are not so confident in every drama produced under our banner. When we believe that this drama is worth 300 million episodes, they have to consider us Huashang and me. Li Mu, why are you so confident in this drama this time, is this drama really that special!"

Liu Siying nodded and said, "I'll go talk to some of them."

Li Mu nodded: "It doesn't matter if you can't sell at this price. At the last moment, you can make appropriate concessions and try to get the price of 60 million in the end. If it really doesn't work—then put aside the network copyright first, and wait for the TV station to broadcast a few episodes later." Keep talking."

Liu Siying nodded: "I understand."

After Liu Siying left, Li Mu said to himself: "How can "You Who Came from the Stars" have the same price as "The Secret History of Princess Taiping", which caused the online copyright collapse of domestic TV dramas? No, we must stimulate these video sites."

……

"Two million episodes?"

iQiyi Headquarters.

A vice president in charge of negotiations reported the situation to Gong Yu, causing Gong Yu's blood pressure to rise.

"Is Hua Shang crazy this time? In 11, the highest single episode was more than 30, and it's only been a year, and it has increased by 10 times?"

The vice president said: "Hua Shang said that they don't just quote like this for every one. They also said that it's fine if it's other dramas. This "You Who Came from the Star" must be special."

Gong Yu laughed and said, "Special? What's so special about this show? If Li Mu and his girlfriend Liu Yifei were to act in this show, it wouldn't be impossible to talk about 300 million episodes, and there would be no possibility for others!"

The vice president said: "Hua Shang said that this drama is special, because their president Li Mu is very optimistic about this drama, more optimistic than all other dramas!"

"He is optimistic... he is optimistic about 200 million episodes?" Gong Yu took a deep breath and thought, "He, Li Mu, is very optimistic, he - very optimistic!"

In the end, he turned his head and said to the vice president in charge: "Continue to communicate, pay close attention to the movements of the other companies, and see if we can negotiate the price down a bit. If it can be reduced to 240 million——no, it can be reduced to 260 million." In about one episode, let’s—in short, let’s talk about it first.”

The vice president nodded.

……

Liu Chunsuo, head of Tencent's online video department, had the same reaction as Gong Yu of iQiyi after learning the price Huashang Media hoped for.The subordinates even bluntly said that if you buy a TV series at this price, you will basically lose money if you buy it. If you buy a 6600-episode TV series for 22 million, it is almost impossible to recover the cost from advertising revenue.

Liu Chunxuan nodded first, then shook his head and said, "It's true that you will lose money if you buy it, but we are now in a critical period of staking the market."

He didn't say much later, Liu Chunsuo just pointed to the end, but everyone understood what he meant.

"Then keep in touch!"

Several other video sites gave up directly after seeing Huashang Media's offer.

To be honest, they would find it difficult to pay 200 million for a single episode, let alone 300 million.To Li Mu's surprise, Deng Hua, the CEO of Souhua Video, is very courageous. If he proposes 230 million episodes, Soufang will consider it.

If it is 230 million per episode, the total price is about 5000 million. At present, the search arc video is also in contact with the producer of "Inner Art", and the other party's asking price is also about 5000 million. However, "Inner Art" has 36 episodes, but "You Who Came from the Star" only 22 episodes.

In the case of the same price, choose one of the two, should you buy the one with more episodes or the one with fewer episodes?Deng Hua still prefers to buy Huashang dramas with fewer episodes this time. If the unit price is higher, the search arc video will be really powerless.

……

Li Mu handed over the matter of copyright negotiation to Liu Siying, while he himself continued to work on the release of "Non-囧", and also kept an eye on the box office of "Source Code".

As of January 1, the cumulative box office of the film in North America was 13 million US dollars, the overseas box office outside North America was 9320 million US dollars, and the cumulative domestic market in China was 2.087 billion yuan.

If all converted into US dollars, the cumulative box office just exceeded the 5 million US dollar mark.

Huashang Media internally predicts that the final box office performance of the film should be between US$5.4 million and US$5.6 million.

As a film with an investment of only 3000 million US dollars, the return on investment of "Source Code" is already quite amazing.

Surprisingly, several domestic film and television companies wanted to increase their investment in the "Hunger Games 2" project.

In fact, Huashang did not lack the funds to film "The Hunger Games 2", but finally accepted the investment of many domestic and foreign film and television companies.In recent years, Huashang Media has been too popular, and Huashang's works account for too much of the total annual box office in the domestic film market. No.

Why was "Quick Chase" given the green light by the domestic review?Could it just rely on Li Mu's status in the film and television industry?
Certainly not!
After all, there are enough people who can make money from Li Mu!

But since the film is invested by many companies, Li Mu will not be polite in other aspects.

For example, the salary offered to Liu Yifei.

After "The Hunger Games 1" hit the box office, Liu Yifei's salary in Hollywood directly rose to around 800 million US dollars. The script Li Mu approached him had never heard of it in his previous life, but it was not new. The backlog of scripts in Hollywood is a huge number. Excluding the script that should have been ashes in the original time and space, someone in this time and space thought it was suitable for Liu Yifei, so they dug it out.

But in the end, Li Mu still suggested that Liu Yifei refused. Warner Bros. even offered to discuss the remuneration after hearing Liu Yifei's refusal. It seems that 800 million US dollars is not the upper limit of Liu Yifei's Hollywood remuneration.

So this time Li Mu directly increased her remuneration to $2 million for the filming of "The Hunger Games 900".

It stands to reason that the Hollywood salary of Chinese movie stars has to be lowered when they come to China, otherwise the mainland companies will not be able to afford it at all, but Liu Yifei has not lowered it. Not only did it not decrease, Li Mu even raised it for her.

Firstly, Liu Yifei played the leading role in the "Hunger Games" series, and she deserves the most credit; secondly, since so many companies of yours are begging me to participate in this project, then no one has any objection to sharing the higher salary of the heroine together, right?
In fact, those who have opinions may not vote.

The crux of the matter is does it matter if the lead actress gets paid $900 million or $1000 million?

Whether the movie can sell well at the box office is the most important thing.

At present, it seems that everyone still chooses to believe in Li Mu.

……

In mid-January, which is the root of the twelfth lunar month, the negotiations between Huashang Media and several video sites finally came to fruition. Liu Siying reported to Li Mu with a happy face, saying that Tencent Video finally accepted the offer of 300 million yuan per episode.

Li Mu was a little surprised.

"They—didn't bargain?"

"Of course I did. Aiqiyi first talked about the 260 million episode, Tencent followed up with the 265 million episode, and then..." Liu Siying said with a smile, "Then several companies started to turn around and add back, and finally Tencent was willing to spend, but iQIYI heard that after buying "The Secret History of Princess Taiping", the financial pressure was a bit heavy, so it finally gave up."

Li Mu nodded. It's understandable. In the stage of land enclosure, and iQiyi invested a lot of money in "The Secret History of Princess Taiping", he should cry after it airs next year, right?
Speaking of which, this time Huashang is redefining the sky-high price of online copyright. The problem is that this sky-high price Li Mu will not make money, but other dramas will. In the future, it will not be new if a single episode exceeds 1000 million, and they will still be of average quality.

A few days later, the relevant information was disclosed by the media, which immediately detonated the entire public opinion field.

It is currently known that Huashang’s new drama "You Who Came from the Star" sold 300 million episodes in the first round, the second and third rounds of four satellite TVs plus eleven ground stations totaled 120 million episodes, and then Tencent Video sold for 300 million Buying the exclusive online rights for one episode—in this way, the first round, the second round and the third round, plus the online rights, the cumulative price of a single episode of "You Who Came from the Star" reached 720 million per episode.

There are a total of 22 episodes of the TV series, and the total copyright price is 1.584 million yuan.

Huashang Media's new drama has once again broken the copyright price ceiling of the Chinese TV drama market, whether it is a single episode price ceiling or a total price ceiling!
(End of this chapter)