National Tide 1980

In addition to speculative business and industrial operations, the prospects gained from personal connections are also worthy of excitement.

There is an old saying: "With all the people in the nest, there is no perfect egg." But in fact, this truth is also true in reverse.

For example, the current bubble economy is rampant, everywhere is full of extravagance, and personal desires have expanded to an unprecedented level.

In a capitalist country like Japan, of course everything is centered on "economic strength."

As long as you have huge wealth and know enough people with status.

Then no matter what this person wants to do, he can get twice the result with half the effort and go smoothly.

The word "success" is absolutely easy for such people.

As long as they are not too stupid or stupid, for the truly rich, no matter what they want to get, it will be as simple as picking something out of a bag.

For example, Ning Weimin, when he was organizing awards for Matsumoto Keiko, he made an impromptu decision and quickly promoted Teresa Teng to the altar of the Japanese music industry.

What does it rely on?

It depends on his wealth and shrewd calculations.

Although the funds used to operate the awards were less than he originally expected, they were still 300 million yen, equivalent to two million US dollars!

To use such a huge sum of money to buy an award for one of its artists would require at least 1.5 million more records to make it back.

In the eyes of most industry insiders, such a high price is obviously a loss-making business!

Not to mention a rising star like Kenyin who laid the foundation for development by discovering super idols like Akina Nakamori.

Even Johnny's, BURNING PRODUCTION, and Stardust Communications, the three most powerful agencies in Japan's entertainment industry with many artists under their banners, may not be able to afford it.

But for Ning Weimin, there is no feeling of physical pain, let alone regret.

If not for anything else, just because his business needs are also diverse.

He is not like those agencies and record companies that only hope to make money back from award-winning singers, and the sooner the better.

The reason why Ning Weimin did this in the first place was not only because he had the original intention of fighting for the Chinese.

The more important wish is to ask Teresa Teng to help find someone to repay her kindness, so that she can impress Kang Shude and consummate her marriage.

However, in fact, he did not suffer even in terms of benefits.

At least he can use this to establish relationships with senior executives in the Japanese entertainment industry, paving the way for his own diversified business development and the career development of Matsumoto Keiko.

Therefore, he would have to spend this huge sum of money sooner or later. Not only did he give it willingly and without any burden, but he also felt that it was a good deal and he took advantage of it.

For him, it is actually equivalent to purchasing in bulk and buying a long-term service contract.

As a result, a very solid foundation for cooperation was quickly established with two senior figures from TBS TV station and the Composers Association.

On January 6, Ning Weimin, who had just returned to Tokyo from Hakone, went to do serious things first.

That morning, I took Keiko Matsumoto to the home of Masahiro Mihara, the executive director of the Composers Association, and fulfilled his promise to formally hand over the artwork.

The Sanprincipal director had already registered the more than 80 paintings he wanted to transfer in advance.

After taking out the catalog and counting the artworks together with Ning Weimin, the paintings were handed over to the professionals hired by Ning Weimin to pack and transport them.

Ning Weimin was also very happy and wrote a check of 80 million yen to the other party on the spot, which was the balance he promised to pay.

After getting the money, the Sanprincipal director was not only satisfied and smiling, he also admired Ning Weimin's move of bringing Matsumoto Keiko to visit from the bottom of his heart, and felt that Ning Weimin was very smart in doing this.

You know, Matsumoto Keiko is a movie star, and singing is just for fun, not to mention that no song won an award in the just-concluded Record Awards.

For Masahiro Mihara, this kind of walking around does not need to avoid others at all, but it can eliminate the suspicion of insider trading.

So he immediately asked Mrs. Mihara to prepare a banquet, and kindly invited Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko to stay for lunch.

And while we were drinking and chatting, Ning Weimin asked for advice and helped him learn about Japanese royalties, and promised to introduce him to some relationships with the Japan Music Production Rights Association.

This association is amazing. It is as powerful as the Japanese Agricultural Association. It is an absolute monopoly organization in the Japanese music industry.

You know, almost all Japanese record discs will have an English logo of "JASRAC", which is the logo of the Music Production Rights Association that collects protection fees.

The Japan Musicians Association, authorized by the government, is responsible for managing all issues related to the copyright of music works.

In other words, everyone who engages in music in Japan will inevitably have to pay taxes to this association.

As long as you join this association, from now on, even if the singer himself sings his own songs, he will have to pay money to this association first, but the money he has paid will come back after a round of transfers.

In this way, if Alibaba and Ning Weimin want to obtain Teresa Teng's copyright, even if they have reached a free trial agreement with Teresa Teng herself, they cannot avoid this association.

You must first pay enough money to the Japan Music Association, otherwise it will be illegal.

But being strict is strict. Having said that, since Japan's copyright system has developed very maturely and has clear ownership, it is one of the best in Asia. There is also good news accordingly.

That is to ensure that Japan's thousands of record companies, large and small, and countless young people pursuing music dreams can have a basic guarantee of food and clothing.

There is no need to coordinate with the record company to record a cover album in Japan. You only need to negotiate with the Music Production Rights Association and then pay some money for the cover.

This technique is similar to the kind of tapes that are popular in the Republic now, such as Su Bing singing Su Rui and Wang Fei singing solo Deng Lijun.

Especially covers of Japanese songs into foreign songs, such as Zhang Qiang's cover of famous disco songs from all over the world.

Perhaps because of its limited ability to supervise and supervise, the Japan Musicians Association also knows that they will not be able to control this issue outside of Japan.

Therefore, based on the principle of better than nothing, according to the relevant regulations of the Music Association, it is enough to pay a one-time buyout fee, and the original author will not participate in the subsequent share sharing.

It can be said to be quite convenient and affordable.

The news he learned from Mihara Zhengheng made Ning Weimin overjoyed.

It is no exaggeration to say that he was willing to pay an extra 100 million yen just for this information that only professionals knew.

Because this means that Ning Weimin can freely choose and cover the works of Shinji Tanimura, Miyuki Nakajima, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Koji Tamaki.

As long as you pay some money to the Japan Music Association, there is no need to worry about copyright legal issues.

Originally, he thought he would have to pay millions of yen if he wanted someone to cover a Japanese song.

Now look at it, it's all unfounded and he's just trying to scare himself.

In fact, he can just go to the supermarket and choose the songs he likes.

It’s not a bad idea to buy more and save it.

Who knows whether the relevant policies of the Japan Musicians Association will change in the future?

Otherwise, why would it be that as soon as the year 2000 passed, even Hong Kong singers who had long been accustomed to using ism and liked to cover Japanese songs, and half of the singers in the circle were supported by the Japanese, began to create original works?

It’s a thankless task that no one wants to do! right?

Of course, it was only then that Ning Weimin suddenly realized why Teresa Teng didn't care so much about the copyright of the songs she became famous in Japan.

Why did he agree to the request in person without hesitation when he heard that he was asking for the copyright of these songs?

Moreover, he also suspected that he had some ill-intentioned thoughts towards her.

Daqing doesn't cost much money in the first place.

To put it bluntly, Ning Weimin made a big mistake out of ignorance and overthinking.

Anyway, let's put it this way, despite the fact that the awards operation of the Record Awards has ended, Sanyuan Zhengheng, the executive director of the Composers Association, has social status, industry qualifications and connections in the music industry, all of which are displayed here.

So whether it’s for Matsumoto Keiko’s future career in music, or for myself to harvest the talents of the Japanese music industry in the future.

Ning Weimin needs a consultant who is well versed in the Japanese music industry to give him advice and introduce him.

This dog-headed strategist seems to be very qualified.

For this reason, Ning Weimin's attitude towards Mihara Masahiro not only did not end with the end of the transaction, but instead became more and more enthusiastic and close to him.

In addition, the old boy Masahiro Mihara's hobby of reselling art belongs to Ning Weimin's old profession, so they can naturally chat.

After the meal, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves. Mrs. Mihara, at the instruction of her husband, gave Keiko Matsumoto a pink pearl necklace as a gift.

Thinking that he would not be rewarded for his efforts, Matsumoto Keiko repeatedly declined.

But in the end there was no other way, and with Ning Weimin's persuasion, he had no choice but to accept it.

It wasn't until the evening that day that Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko were able to say goodbye, otherwise they would have to stay and continue having dinner.

January 7th is the Laba Festival of the lunar calendar, which indicates that the Lunar New Year is coming soon.

During the day, Ning Weimin drove to his warehouse and spent almost a day organizing the purchased paintings. He arranged the storage conditions with great care and did nothing else.

He didn't drive back until evening.

First, he went back to Nishiazabu's apartment to take a shower and change clothes, and then went to Matsumoto Keiko's office to pick her up from get off work. He was as considerate as a model husband.

Then in order to celebrate the festival, the two went to Tan Gong Restaurant for dinner.

Needless to say, of course I have to drink Laba porridge today.

Regarding Chinese customs, Matsumoto Keiko, the Japanese daughter-in-law who is about to marry, not only does not contradict it, but also works hard to learn it.

In terms of attitude, she is far more sincere than Ning Weimin, who often treats Japanese customs in a perfunctory manner.

From this point of view, Ning Weimin seems a bit stingy.

Then another day passed, and it was the day when Ning Weimin went to TBS TV station to visit Shinichiro Kaga.

Of course, Ning Weimin had to bring Keiko Matsumoto with him on this visit, because there were more projects to cooperate with.

In fact, not only did they hit it off, but they also reached a full and positive intention to cooperate on a series of promotion plans such as Matsumoto Keiko's one billion yen film "Li Xianglan" with Huaxia, which required special interviews, participation in variety shows, and advertising.

In addition, they also had full and friendly exchanges and negotiations on the broadcast date, time slot, broadcast fee of the Chinese TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" that was discussed last time, as well as the role selection of the TBS Japanese drama shooting project.

Talking about noon, Mrs. Kaga and former well-known anchor Isako came to the TV station on time to "visit the team" who had made an appointment long ago, so the few of them "dropped in" to the Danmiya Restaurant in Ginza for a meal.

During the meal, the relationship between the several people was more harmonious than when they were talking about business in the morning. This was not only because of the tempting food.

Tan Gong Restaurant's roast duck, peach blossom pan, fish fillets, fish-flavored shredded pork, sea cucumbers braised with green onions, and bird's nests stewed in clear soup with jasmine and rock sugar earned Ning Weimin a lot of face.

These delicious dishes made the Kaga couple feel amazed when they tasted authentic Chinese food for the first time.

At the same time, it was also because Ning Weimin came up with the financial support that Isako had long promised to open a beauty salon - a check of 100 million yen.

And together with Matsumoto Keiko, Yishengyihe made suggestions for the beauty salon that Isako planned to run.

After finishing this meal, not only the Kagami couple's stomachs were satisfied, but their spirits and pockets were also satisfied.

If nothing else, as long as Matsumoto Keiko's "李香兰" is released, the box office will be acceptable.

She will be able to give priority to her favorite scripts and roles among the Japanese drama scripts TBS plans to shoot this year.

Ning Weimin plans to sell "Dream of Red Mansions" to TBS for a price of one million yen for the first episode.

Thirty-six episodes are 36 million yen, which is equivalent to almost 250,000 US dollars.

To be honest, this price cannot keep up with the cost of Ning Weimin buying the overseas copyright from the domestic TV drama production center.

He originally spent 400,000 US dollars to take over it.

Compared with the Japanese businessman who bullied the Chinese people who had never seen money and deliberately picked up bargains, he asked for one thousand US dollars per episode, which was more than ten times higher.

If you add in the post-production in Japan such as translation, lettering, and dubbing, I am afraid that the production cost of each episode of the TV series will increase by US$10,000.

Moreover, Tokyo Broadcasting Station broadcast this TV series, and Ning Weimin did not share in all the advertising expenses. If you look at it this way, Ning Weimin was quite at a loss.

But the problem is, the account cannot be calculated like this, because this is just the premiere.

After the broadcast, if the response is good, Ning Weimin can sell it to other TV stations to continue broadcasting.

You know, in Japan, TV dramas are usually independently invested and filmed by TV stations, and external funds account for a very small proportion.

Outsourcing commissioned production is not unheard of, but it is rare. It is often the case that TV stations do not have enough of their own funds.

Under normal circumstances, the TV station will naturally account for the majority of the copyright revenue. It would be good if 30% of the revenue from a drama can be distributed to the crew and creative team.

And usually TV dramas only have twelve episodes, and a drama worth more than 200 million yen, or less than 400 million yen, is considered a big production.

On average, the filming cost for one episode is 20 to 30 million yen.

If it is not a popular drama, even if there are advertising fees, it is unrealistic to expect to earn back the production costs just once it is broadcast.

then what should we do?

The TV station will sell the drama after the first broadcast to local TV stations or overseas TV stations to recover costs.

Generally, one episode only costs 200,000 to 300,000 yen. If thirty or forty local TV stations broadcast it, the income from one episode would be considerable.

If the premiere ratings are particularly good, it is normal for an episode to sell for 300,000 or 400,000 yen.

Of course, TV dramas are only popular during that season, and the number of broadcasts in the future will be significantly reduced, but it is still a steady stream of income.

This is protected by copyright law for 25 years, so it is not a problem to earn back the production cost.

In addition, you can also sell CDs and video tapes, whether renting or selling them, this is pure profit.

Even if it becomes completely popular and various peripherals are released, it will be really developed, and the profit will be doubled several times or ten times.

It's just that this situation is very rare.

So in fact, for Ning Weimin, this one million yen is already a pretty good price.

Even though Shinichiro Kaga is the director of the station, he only agreed to this price because "Dream of Red Mansions" was well-produced and premiered on the station. In addition, due to the great situation in the current bubble economy, the station's funds are relatively loose.

His expectation is that this "Dream of Red Mansions" can at least challenge the Dahe Drama that NHK has an almost monopoly on. As long as it diverts away some die-hard Dahe Drama fans, the money will be wasted.

Otherwise, if Ning Weimin's TV series comes from overseas, if he is really doing business, first of all, whether it can pass the censorship and whether it can be broadcast is a question.

The second thing is that even if it can be played, the flexibility in price is limited. If you can give an episode of 300,000 to 400,000 yen, that's about it.

If something is not cost-effective and there is not enough advantage to be taken advantage of, why should a foreign TV station give you convenience?

Of course, Ning Weimin himself is also very aware of this point.

He has no way to guarantee the ratings of "Dream of Red Mansions" at all, nor is he sure whether the drama will be liked by Japanese audiences.

After all, China's four great masterpieces sound majestic, but "A Dream of Red Mansions" has the least sense of existence in Japan.

Therefore, in order to prevent his first Chinese TV series introduced to Japan from being buried, he not only asked Sou Ito, who was responsible for translating "A Dream of Red Mansions", to make a short introduction before the TV series was broadcast.

I hope to make a horizontal comparison between "A Dream of Red Mansions" and the Japanese "The Tale of Genji", and try to use a popular introduction to popularize the story to the Japanese audience, without making the cultural connotation appear too profound and euphemistic.

And considering the audience, he also took the initiative to ask the TV station to arrange a time period for him where housewives are the main audience.

After all, women are more patient and tolerant than men. They all like to watch short-lived soap operas, and they probably don't dislike the trivial matters of ancient family life.

The most important thing is that he is definitely inseparable from TBS, a national broadcast platform.

The number of viewers of national TV stations is not comparable to that of local stations.

If TBS TV station doesn't provide a broadcast channel, no matter how good the drama is, it will be useless. He can only hold it in vain, worthless.

So it would be great to get this kind of contract. Ning Weimin actually didn't have too many ideas at all.

What about sharing advertising fees and raising broadcast prices? Don’t be ridiculous, they don’t exist.

Even if TBS's Shinichiro Kaga really shows an embarrassed expression and demands that the show be broadcast only for free, he will agree.

One million yen per episode, this is definitely Director Kaga taking care of him.

This is the benefit of favor, of course he has to be sensible. (End of chapter)