The literary era since 1979

The closing ceremony of the symposium was held on time in the conference room of the Film Bureau.

The number of people and companies attending the event was not as many as Fangyan had imagined. They were basically film and television companies in Beijing, such as the Beijing Film Studio, the Bayi Film Studio, and the China Film Group.

At this moment, pairs of eyes would occasionally shift between Wu Yigong and Xu Ke, and occasionally shift to themselves.

Co-produced movies with Hong Kong companies and built a film and television base in Chedun...

How come all the good things happen to Shanghai Film Studio? !

Amidst gazes of envy, jealousy, confusion, and desire, Shi Fangyu ended his speech.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa."

Applause broke out, and Fangyan followed suit, then followed the crowd and prepared to leave.

Just at this moment, my shoulder was tapped and a familiar voice came from behind:

"Stay, Teacher Fang! Stay!"

"Director Wang?"

Fangyan looked back and was surprised.

Wang Yang asked: "Can I take up a few minutes of your time?"

Fang Yan half-jokingly said, "Director Wang, are you planning to adapt one of my works like Shanghai Film Studio did?"

"If Mr. Fang is willing, Beijing Film Studio would be more than happy to have him. Which film studio would want to miss the opportunity to cooperate with Hong Kong films?"

Wang Yang changed the subject, "But unfortunately, this time I was asked by someone else to come. The one who really invited you was Director Shi."

Fang Yan followed his gaze and saw Shi Fangyu and other leaders of the Film Bureau standing at the door of the small room, as if waiting for his arrival.

"Did something happen?"

"It may have something to do with the box office revenue sharing of Once Upon a Time in China."

"Box office revenue sharing?!"

The problem was indeed as Wang Yang said. Fangyan was shocked at first, but he soon understood the root of the problem.

Although Hong Kong films are booming at the box office these days, the Hong Kong film market is ultimately too small.

A large amount of box office revenue actually comes from Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the most important Taiwan market. However, "Once Upon a Time in China" is a co-production between the mainland and Hong Kong, which means saying goodbye to the Taiwan market, which is equivalent to losing a huge box office.

Therefore, Xu Ke, on behalf of Princess Golden and Cinema City, proposed to allocate a certain proportion of the mainland box office.

"I'm sure you know that we have never had a precedent of 'box office revenue sharing'."

Shi Fangyu looked serious.

Fangyan asked: "So, do the bureau and Shanghai Film Studio agree to this revenue-sharing model?"

Shi Fangyu said bluntly that as long as the proportion was fair and the plan was appropriate, they naturally had no reason to object.

After all, now is a critical period for negotiations between China and Britain. "Once Upon a Time in China" is a representative work of film and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland. Relevant departments such as culture and publicity have already paid attention to it. The Film Bureau can set a precedent for profit sharing for this co-production.

Moreover, Princess Jin and Xu Ke Studio were going to help Shanghai Film Studio build a film studio complex in Chedun.

"That's easy. We can do two rounds of settlement based on the specific issuance income."

Fangyan held up a finger and gave an example: "The first round of revenue sharing for the first four months after the premiere of "Huang Feihong" in the mainland was 4% of the total revenue from Shanghai Film Studio and 80% from Golden Princess." Then he held up a second finger and said, "The second round was 20% from the first four months to the end of the premiere, and the specific proportions were left to the negotiation between the bureau and the studio, so I won't embarrass myself."

"modesty!"

“Too modest!”

Everyone followed his line of thought and started discussing it. Although they could not reach a consensus for the time being, they all had to admit that it was a good suggestion. "I have another suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it or not?" Fang Yan said.

Shi Fangyu said with expectation in his tone: "Just tell me!"

Fangyan said that if you have to make concessions during the negotiation process, you can make up for it in other ways.

For example, as the behind-the-scenes boss of Cinema City, Princess Golden can let China Film buy out the movies in Cinema City's film library.

"Buyout?"

Everyone was hearing these new words for the first time and eagerly asked Teacher Fang to translate what "buy out" and "wholesale production" meant.

To put it simply in dialect, batch film distribution means that the film company buys out the screening rights of a film at a fixed price.

Even if they suffered a loss in the revenue share of "Once Upon a Time in China", they could still make a profit in disguise by introducing and screening Hong Kong films produced by Cinema City.

Anyway, smuggled VCRs and private video halls spread throughout the country, constantly impacting offline cinema chains, so the Film Bureau simply opened the door for excellent Hong Kong films, and the money was earned by China Film and cinemas across the country.

When these words were spoken, even the leaders who were used to big scenes were taken aback.

"Isn't this too bold?"

“Shocking and unprecedented.”

"..."

Facing the doubts, Shi Fangyu raised his hand and said, "It's bold, but it's a good idea, isn't it!"

Fangyan smiled and did not argue further. "Buying out batches of films" and "sharing the box office revenue" were huge steps for the state-owned cinema chains that were responsible for purchasing and selling films, and they affected the entire cinema.

Shi Fangyu couldn't help but sigh, "Teacher Fang, since you are so knowledgeable about movies, have you ever thought about transferring to the Film Bureau?"

Fangyan declined politely, saying that he was still on secondment, so how could he be seconded to the Film Bureau?
"You don't have to be a full-time employee, you can work part-time as well."

"part time?"

"To be honest, the bureau is now preparing to organize a film review committee to be responsible for film review work."

Shi Fangyu told the truth that after every movie is finished, it needs to be approved by the Film Censorship Committee to decide whether it can be released.

The members of the committee hold the power of life and death over films, and they come from all walks of life. Some are from the academic world, such as the presidents of Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama, some are from government agencies, such as the heads of the Youth League Committee, the Women's Federation, the Public Security Bureau, and even the military.

“I may not have that much time and energy to review the film.”

Fangyan was tempted at first, but then he thought again and felt it was inappropriate.

“It is not necessary for all members to be present during the film review, as long as the majority are present.”

Shi Fangyu said without hesitation that he would concurrently serve as the first director of the Film Censorship Committee, while he would concurrently serve as the deputy director of the committee.

Fangyan's eyes suddenly lit up. Could it be possible to use the name of this film censorship committee to introduce a rating mechanism for Chinese-language films?

Shi Fangyu was confused, "Grading?"

Fang Yan said: "It is to provide a reference for our audience, so that they can better choose movies suitable for their age group. For example, "Once Upon a Time in China" is suitable for people of all ages to watch, but when it comes to "The Ring", children should not watch it alone and must be accompanied by their parents. There are also some movies that are strictly prohibited for children, even teenagers..."

Listening to these wonderful ideas, Shi Fangyu patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Just because of your ideas, you have no choice but to join the Film Censorship Committee!"

"It's my duty, Director Shi!"

Fangyan grinned, maybe this is a small step forward for himself, but it is indeed a big step forward for Chinese-language films. (End of this chapter)