China Entertainment Mythology 2004

Chapter 6 Boss
After reading the script, the senior executives of Xiying Film Studio were unanimously optimistic about the project, but they heard that Liu Xiaowu would be in charge of the final cut, and everyone had their opinions.

Such a high-quality project that has not been encountered in more than ten years, such an important right of final cut, how can it be casually agreed to a grassroots employee who does not have a strong sense of presence in the group?
No matter how you rank seniority, you can't rank Liu Xiaowu!

There is also a quota for assistant directors. There are so many excellent directors in the factory, let’s just say that today is sitting here. Aren’t there just a few well-known domestic directors?Of course, it's not necessarily uncommon for a well-known director to be an assistant director, but for someone who has never heard of the name, who is not even a director, to be an assistant director, isn't this nonsense?
What do people outside think about Xiying Studio?

Is Xiying Studio empty?
In the end, it was Yan Yiyun, the director of the factory, who made the final decision: "This matter is settled like this. Liu Xiaowu is an employee of Xiying Studio, but his nephew is not. They can find Xiying Studio or not. Domestic units that are interested in this project Our family will not be the only one. Since we are optimistic about this project, we must agree to their terms."

In the evening, Liu Xiaowu went to his sister's house for dinner with a flushed face, and began to praise himself as soon as he entered the door.

"Sister, brother-in-law, Xiao Mu, the factory has basically agreed, and we will discuss everything according to our requirements. Xiao Mu will be an assistant director, and she will be paid 50 yuan, all of which will be invested in the movie. As for me...hehe, I will continue to do my old job. , editing, and final editing rights are written into the contract."

Liu Xiaohui was pleasantly surprised: "Xiaowu, your factory manager has all agreed?"

Liu Xiaowu smiled and said, "I agreed, and I agreed very happily."

"Wait, 50?"

The three of them reacted suddenly, looked at each other, and then Li Mu asked: "Old man, the salary is 30, right? Where did you get 50?"

At this moment, Liu Xiaowu put a serious face on his face, looked at Li Mu and said, "Xiao Mu, why did you tell my uncle yesterday? Tsinghua University and Peking University are not as courageous as they are, and Harvard and Yale are not as good as daring to break into them. The old man Uncle sees that you are just talking on paper, and the actual operation still depends on the old uncle. How can you not have the assistant director's fee when you name it as an assistant director? The old uncle told Director Yan for you, and Director Yan also agreed, and the assistant director's labor fee 20, isn't it exactly 50 when added together with the screenwriter's fee?"

Li Mu gave a thumbs up: "Old uncle is still your best!"

Li Yuansheng pondered for a moment, then said to Li Mu: "I'll go to see Cheng Long at night and tell him that your uncle is an editor at Xiying Studio, and that your script is not only shown to Cheng Long, but also to Xiying The factory looked at it, and it happened that Xiying Film Studio was also very interested in the project, so let's see when the two will meet up and talk."

Li Mu nodded in agreement.

So would Cheng Long agree?

Hong Kong films have been on the decline since the mid-90s, and have declined to this day. The annual box office has dropped from billions at the peak to only 4 billion yuan now.

The number of films produced each year has dropped from a few hundred at its peak to less than fifty now. The Hong Kong film industry is now facing an unprecedented tragedy.

Where is the outlet for Hong Kong films?

There are many reasons for the decline of Hong Kong films, but the shrinking overseas market is undoubtedly one of the main reasons.

The rise of its own films in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, the capture of Hollywood films all over the world, and the decline of the largest film market in Hong Kong—the Taiwan film market—all these have greatly impacted Hong Kong films.

After all, Hong Kong only has a population of 700 million. With such a small population, it is impossible to support the prosperity of Hong Kong films on its own market. When it comes to the market, where is the largest market for Hong Kong films?

Today's Xiangjiang filmmakers have gradually realized that the mainland is the largest market for Xiangjiang films.

This is why Cheng Long, Zhou Xingchi, Wang Jing and other Xiangjiang filmmakers have gone north to make films.

In June 2003, the mainland and Xiangjiang signed the CEPA agreement.

According to the policies and regulations of CEPA: co-productions between Hong Kong and the mainland can be treated as domestic films; Hong Kong films will no longer enter the mainland film market as imported films, that is, they will no longer occupy the quota of imported films.

In other words, even if Li Mubula West Film Studio enters the game, Cheng Longfang will probably have to find a mainland partner to co-produce a movie in order to get the treatment of a domestic film.

Since in the end it is going to be co-produced with a mainland company, why can't we find Xiying Studio?
How to say the West Film Studio is also a well-known unit with a glorious history, even the director Zhang Yimou came out of the West Film Studio.

Li Mu's guess was right. Cheng Long only showed some surprise when he heard the news, other than that, he didn't show any rejection.

Three days later, Ying Huang's boss, Yang Shoucheng, even flew to Xijing to participate in the negotiations.

In 2001, Cheng Long chose to part ways with Jiahe. Ying Huang’s boss, Yang Shoucheng, was able to win over Cheng Long. He spent 3 million yuan to film a "Flying Dragon Rebirth" for Jackie Chan. Although the film did not perform well after its release, it still made Jackie Chan Choose to join Emperor Ying's camp.

The production company of the movie "Mythology" is Cheng Long Yinghuang Film Co., Ltd., and this company was co-founded by Cheng Long and Yang Shoucheng of Yinghuang. The company's first work is "New Police Story".

Cheng Long intends to invest in "Hurricane Rescue", so he will discuss it with his friend and partner Yang Shoucheng immediately. Yang Shoucheng heard Cheng Long's praise of the script on the phone, so he naturally attaches great importance to it. I heard that Xiying Studio is interested. After the co-production, he even flew to Xijing for negotiations immediately.

Yang Shoucheng didn't see the script when he came. What he valued was not the project, but Cheng Long.

For example, the movie "Mythology" project invested 1.6 million yuan. How much box office will it take to recover the investment?You must know that the current domestic box office champion is "Hero" released by director Zhang Yimou in 2002. "Hero" opened the era of mainland blockbusters, and the mainland box office is only 2.5 million.

The box office champion in 2003 was "Mobile Phone" directed by Feng Xiaogang. The box office was far lower than that of "Hero", only 5300 million, but this was already the box office champion in 03. "Mythology" only invested 1.6 million yuan, and it would be hell if it could make money, but Yang Shoucheng was optimistic about Cheng Long, so he invested.

The same goes for Jiang Wen. When Jiang Wen filmed "The Sun Also Rises", his investment was quickly spent by him, and the crew couldn't make it. Later, Yang Shucheng saw the script and thought it was not bad, so he also cast .

Jiang Wen told Yang Shoucheng that there is a high probability that this film will lose money. After hearing this, Yang Shoucheng replied straightforwardly: "I am a person who wants to save face. If I promise to invest in you, I won't care about money."

Later, when Jiang Wen had a good script, he would show it to Yang Shoucheng first, and later "Let the Bullets Fly" became a hit at the box office, making Yang Shoucheng a fortune. Jiang Wen sent a red envelope, but Jiang Wen in turn sent Yang Shoucheng an 800 million red envelope.

After learning that Yinghuang's boss, Yang Shoucheng, had come to Xijing, Li Mu immediately found Cheng Long and Yang Shoucheng.

What he wants to talk about is of course the ownership of the final cutting rights.

In a sense, whoever owns the right to final cut in the film industry has the right to speak. Since Cheng Long and Yang Shoucheng are optimistic about this project, they will naturally not give up the right to final cut easily.

What Li Mu has to do is to convince them.

In fact, Li Mu didn't intend to hide Cheng Long and Yang Shoucheng's private agreement with Xiying Film Studio. The most indispensable thing in the world is smart people. His small tricks can't hide anyone, let alone impossible. It doesn't take long to hide it, and it doesn't take long to hide it.

What he relied on was actually the approval of the script by Cheng Long and Xiying Studio.

If both parties think that the script has potential, then cooperate, if both parties think that the script has little potential, then break up, Li Mu will do his best.

After all, Li Mu didn't regard any of Cheng Long, Xiying Factory, Yang Shucheng, etc. as a big boss who could decide his own destiny.

Boss is right, it takes too much to decide fate.

That's right, Xiying Film Studio has a glorious history, and Cheng Long is a kung fu superstar with important influence all over the world.

It is true that these three parties are big bosses. Li Mu must be extremely humble when facing them, but from the heart, he does not have any admiration for the three parties.

In his heart, he is equal to Xiying Studio, Cheng Long, and Yinghuang Yang Shoucheng. He did not wait for these three parties to give him a chance to succeed. He is trying to create a chance for the three parties to win three times.

That's why he used Cheng Long's reputation to impress Xiying Studio, and then used Xiying Studio's influence and financial strength to persuade Cheng Long. Everyone is an equal business partner. Of course, business partners have cooperation and competition. There is honesty and intrigue.

Li Mu, who has been in the entertainment industry for decades in his previous life, would not easily worship anyone, no matter how big a boss he is, no matter how influential a star he is.

　There is something wrong with Chapter 7, and it will take 48 hours to continue to modify it. I will update Chapter 8 tomorrow. Chapter 7 is about cooperation with Yang and Cheng. Sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)