Perfection of Rebirth

Chapter 670

Just as Ford felt the crisis and began to slim down and sell engine technology, more other companies in the United States also began to feel the chill.

Throughout August, so far, whether it is Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, the stocks of major companies have experienced a round of sharp declines.

What's worse is that this decline seems to have no end.

In this context, even film production companies like Columbia Pictures have begun to be cautious about large-scale investments.

The thrilling degree of any Hollywood blockbuster cannot be compared with the process of seeking financial support from the film industry giants.

The release of a blockbuster film is often accompanied by intrigue between the film company and foreign investors, marathon negotiations with private equity funds, and "dividing the spoils" among producers, directors, and main creators.

And Columbia Pictures, as a Hollywood film giant controlled by Sony in the island country, the intrigue in this regard is even more intense.

In 1989, Sony's acquisition of Columbia for $34 billion once caused a sensation in the United States.

On the cover of "Newsweek" in the United States, Columbia Pictures' registered trademark, the Statue of Liberty in the United States, was replaced by an island geisha wearing a kimono with a lewd smile on her face.

There is no doubt that Americans are full of anger at the acquisition of Columbia, which symbolizes the spirit of American film and television culture. In their view, such investment by the islanders is like an invasion. In the near future, Hollywood will be full of samurai swords, kimonos and half-baked tea ceremony.

Although the owner has changed, the workers below are still Americans, and various disputes and struggles are inevitable.

In fact, this acquisition is also a nightmare for Sony.

When Columbia was acquired, it had a debt of US$14 billion. The elite talents in the company had already left, and the creative productivity was extremely poor. By 1994, the debt was as high as US$27 billion.

Fortunately, Columbia, which has changed its owner, still plays the American spirit card in a high-profile manner, and Sony, which has been dragged into a financial crisis, gritted its teeth and survived the most difficult moment.

In 1995, after major internal adjustments, Columbia Pictures launched the blockbusters "Air Force One" and "Spider-Man", which was able to turn around the decline.

In 2004, "Spider-Man 2", which was re-produced, was impressive with a global box office of 6.75 million US dollars.

However, although Columbia Pictures has survived, the situation of its owner Sony is getting worse year after year.

In the two fiscal years of 2001 and 2002, Sony was already on the verge of losing money.

Although the operating income of the enterprise reached 73 trillion and 75 trillion yen respectively, the consolidated net profit of the entire group was only 1.6 million and 1.5 million yen respectively.

What is this concept?
It is equivalent to the entire Sony Group, which only earns more than 1000 million RMB a year.

It is estimated that this data is still made.

Jiang Hui remembers very well that when he was in middle school, there was a Sony Walkman, which was absolutely tall.

All kinds of Sony's solid-state transistor radios, solid-state transistor TVs, color TVs, video tape technology, video cameras, music CDs and other fields have occupied a leading position, and have brought many good memories and excellent product experience to consumers.

In China, there may not be many urban families who have not used Sony-related electronic products.

In fact, as someone who has experienced it, Jiang Hui knows that this round of decline of the island country's enterprises is only the beginning, and it will only get worse and worse in the future.

For example, Sanyo, a Panasonic subsidiary and a well-known white goods company, sold its washing machine, refrigerator and other white goods business to Haier Group in 2011.

In 2011, Lenovo and NEC established the NEC Lenovo Island Group. Lenovo holds 51% of the new company's shares, while NEC will hold 49% and operate the PC business.

Suning, a Chinese retailer, also acquired LOAX, a well-known home appliance and consumer electronics retailer in the island nation, in 2009.

……

Of course, this does not mean that all island companies are dead.

In terms of semiconductor machinery and precision manufacturing, we still have to admit that the gap between China and the island countries is relatively large.

In the case of the sharp decline in Sony Group's overall business, Columbia Pictures, as a subsidiary, will inevitably have its business development affected.

……

"President, Director Roland Emmerich would like to invite you to meet tomorrow to discuss film investment." The secretary to the president of Columbia Pictures was reporting the schedule to the boss, Finnland.

Roland Emmerich is known as the "Master of Disaster Films". Almost all of his disaster films were considered blockbuster masterpieces at the time. In Roland Emmerich's films, objects can be seen crashing into the camera , There are also close-ups of the eyes of big monsters such as "Godzilla" when they are dying. The camera is often zoomed in, and the audience sees the guy's huge pupils begin to expand.

The most well-known films he shot are "The Day After Tomorrow" and the future "2012".

"It's discussing "2012" again? Didn't I tell him that the company's funds are relatively tight, and the filming of this film will be postponed until next year?"

If history has not changed, due to the relatively tight funding of Columbia Pictures in 2007, the film "2012" was postponed until 2008 and released in 2009.

"2012" has an investment plan of 2 million US dollars, which is the most expensive film directed by Roland Emmerich.

If the Sony Group does not hold back, based on the performance of Columbia Pictures in the past two years, it can barely come up with 2 million US dollars.

However, last year, the Sony Group was not profitable, and it took a sum of money from Columbia Pictures to return to the island country. As a result, Columbia Pictures' funds became tight.

In addition, the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States is intensifying now, and various funds have been hit and lost, and they don't want to easily invest a lot of money to shoot high-cost Hollywood blockbusters.

"I have already explained to him, but he said that there is a new situation to communicate with you."

"Did he say what to communicate specifically?"

"No, but he mentioned that he found an interested investor."

"Is there anyone who is willing to invest in "2012" now? Then arrange a meeting, and I'll see which company Roland found."

……

"Roland, didn't the company arrange for you to shoot "1 Years Before History" with a relatively small investment first? Why do you still want to shoot "2012"?" Finland said to Roland with a bit of resentment as soon as they met.

"I'm not particularly optimistic about "1 Years Before History". Although its investment is less than one-third of that of "2012", in fact, sometimes, spending more money is actually saving money."

Big stars listen to the scenery among ordinary people, but they are good children in front of the director, and the director has to let go of his figure in front of investment and be a person who can stretch and bend.

That is to say, a well-known director like Roland who has made successful blockbuster films still has a bit of confidence when meeting investors or the boss of a film company.

"You know the company's situation, and it's really impossible to take out [-] million US dollars to take risks at once."

"I have already found an investor, and they are willing to contribute half, or even more, to invest in "2012"."

"Which fund? Wall Street itself is in a state of distress."

"It's not a fund company, it's Guanghui Film and Television."

(End of this chapter)