New Age Artists

Chapter 609: New and Old, Two Different Feelings

A club in BJ, with rockery, clear pool, pavilions, towers, blue bricks and black tiles.

Behind the rosewood carved screen, there are many famous figures in the cultural and business fields sitting.

In addition to the big and small Wang of Huayi, there is another important figure in the film and television industry.

Dong Ping is active in the cultural and entertainment field as a producer and investor.

Dong Ping is not well-known, but he has significant influence in film investment, production and capital operation.

In his early years, he was involved in the advertising and film and television industries. In 96, he founded Huayi Film and Television. In 00, by integrating the cultural assets of Baoli Group with its own film and television resources, it quickly became a leading company in the industry and participated in the investment of films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Devils on the Doorstep".

In 05, the reverse takeover was carried out to merge Baoli Huayi with Hong Kong-listed Huayi New Media, completing the backdoor listing and opening up access to the capital market.

In 09, the company was renamed China Culture Communication Group, and its business covers film and television, advertising, publishing and other fields.

In 10, Penguin was introduced as a strategic investor and 20% of the shares were sold for HK$2.5 million, achieving capital expansion and resource integration.

Through additional financing, we acquired equity in several film and television companies to expand content production and copyright reserves.

At the same time, it binds top resources and signs long-term cooperation agreements with directors such as Stephen Chow, Wong Kar-wai, and Chen Kesin to lock in high-quality IP and enhance the company's valuation.

Dong Ping can be said to be the "godfather" of private films and a master of capital.

However, as a celebrity in the BJ literary and art circle, Dong Ping has not disclosed much information publicly and has acted very low-key, but his network of relationships is very strong, especially at the official level.

At this time, a group of big names in culture and business gathered together. Some of them did not have particularly good relationships and had grudges in the past, but because of the squeeze from Santong Entertainment, they gradually had a basis for cooperation.

Today's gathering was proposed by Wang Zhongjun, and his network of connections also helped make it happen.

Huayi chose the easiest way to make money, but never imagined that the film industry could be so profitable.

When Huayi went public in 09, Wang Zhongjun, relying on his extensive network of contacts and relationship with Ma Yun, keenly and strongly realized that Huayi should not just make movies.

It happened that China's PC Internet was reaching its peak, Ali was celebrating its 10th anniversary, Eachnet was losing ground and its relationship with eBay was in jeopardy, Alipay, which was complained by users for its poor user experience, was getting better and better, and Penguin's market value hit new highs with its outstanding performance in QQ and games.
Wang Zhongjun felt that a new era was about to come. The huge wave of mobile Internet had not yet appeared in front of the world, but he could smell the sea breeze blowing towards him.

So we are pushing for de-monopolization of the film industry and betting on real estate and the Internet.

Huayi began to regard film and television entertainment, brand licensing and real-life entertainment, and Internet entertainment as Huayi's new three pillars.

In the Internet field, Wang Zhongjun invested in Shanda Games, investing 1.485 million yuan of his own funds in Shanda Games and acquiring 22% of the shares of Shanda Games. He also spent 2.66 million yuan to acquire 51% of the shares of the online ticketing platform Maizuo.com.

The strategy cannot be said to be wrong, but the market value of Santong Entertainment has exceeded 100 billion yuan, relying on movies.

Wang Zhongjun could no longer remain calm.

If Huayi continues its momentum before and after its listing, even if it cannot become Santong Entertainment, it can at least be the second one.

It’s not like now, even the title of second in the industry is in jeopardy.

Watching Santong Entertainment make money is more painful than losing money yourself.

You can still earn this money yourself, but if you miss it for various reasons, it will be extremely painful.

After the Spring Festival, Wang Zhongjun was both greedy and crying.

This piece of meat is too big. During the Spring Festival, the domestic box office once ranked first in the global single film market, and Santong Entertainment made a lot of money.

Huayi's Spring Festival movie "Reverse War" was jointly produced by Yinghuang and filmed in Jordan, the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and other places. The production cost was more than 200 million as advertised, but it was more than 100 million.

The combination of Zhou Jielun and Xie Tingfeng was unable to get a share of the hot Spring Festival box office.

According to the box office forecast given by the cinema chain, the two films of Santong Entertainment could rake in 4 billion yuan, draining the market.

Some people live to allow others to live better, while some people live to prevent others from living.

The existence of Santong Entertainment has monopolized the largest time slot, the Spring Festival, and it is obvious that it is not allowing others to survive.

Those who work hard do not get the rewards they deserve.

Seeing that the small talk was almost over, Wang Zhongjun got to the point: "Everyone, Shen Santong is now at the table, and the reason he is at the table is that he has sold us all out."

"Everyone here today is either working in the cultural industry, or is concerned about the cultural industry and hopes for the healthy development of culture."

"We need to see that Santong Entertainment is selling out the interests of the local cultural industry, inviting wolves into the house, and letting Hollywood in with big strides."

"The changes in the entire cultural industry in the past year have been more dramatic than in the past decade. The cultural industry can be said to be rapidly out of control and on the verge of collapse."

Wang Zhongjun picked up the tea and said word by word, "I am not exaggerating, but it has really come to this. Shen Santong wants to let the monsters and demons occupy the ecological niche of normal practitioners."

Someone immediately responded: "I am not good at talking, I just work honestly, but I also know that Shen Santong has ruined our jobs."

Another person said: "The tricks are also shameful. Seeking personal gain, ganging up on others, and excluding dissidents are all bad tricks. Although this is the norm in human society, it doesn't mean it should be promoted, right?"

"His movies can make money no matter when they are released, so why does he want to occupy the most valuable Spring Festival time slot?"

"Yes, he is capable and he wants to show off. Why doesn't he do something that foreigners like and promote our culture? Instead of just bullying around here!"

"Look at the current film industry. It's not just the monopoly of Santong Entertainment. Even the sheep-themed cartoon called "Year of the Dragon" has taken so much box office. Is it still film art?"

Those present quickly reached a consensus.

They wanted to deal with Shen Santong and Santong Entertainment, under the pretext of pulling them back from the brink of loss of control.

Dong Ping agreed, but his eyes were calm.

He knew that the direct cause of the current situation was that Santong Entertainment made people jealous and at the same time created a harsh voice, squeezing out the original beneficiaries.

In addition, there are some deeper factors.

There is a line in China.

The government continues to suppress capital expansion and uses various measures to promote a round of reforms every five or ten years, forcing the industry to make progress.

And they want to free themselves as much as possible and get rid of the chains that bind them.

This contradiction has a long history.

Wang Zhongjun’s circle wants to change the status quo.

No one wants to be eliminated in five or ten years, and they need more sense of security.

Dong Ping supports this approach, and he will also benefit from the relaxation.

Shen Santong took a different path. He did not think it was a shackle and even sang a different tune. This can be seen from his views on review and grading, as well as his historical views.

Dong Ping also knew that some people had tried more than once to get Shen Santong to join.

With the cultural influence of Santong Entertainment, its joining will be a great boost and will play a role far beyond Huayi.

However, all kinds of temptations and solicitations, whether overt or covert, were rejected.

As Hollywood entered the picture, the relationship between the two sides deteriorated and broke down, almost to the point of a falling out.

Seeing that everyone was discussing it heatedly, Dong Ping revealed the news: "Han Sanping should make a move."

Someone joked, "Where to move? On the ground or in the sky?"

Others did not laugh, especially Wang Zhongjun: "Are you sure?"

Dong Ping nodded: "Han Sanping's mission has been completed."

"Being able to participate in the economic forum is a signal. The specifications of this forum include negotiations between the two sides. The movie is just a bonus. This bonus has been the same since we wanted to join the WTO."

"Before, the movie couldn't be served, but now Santong Entertainment can compete with Hollywood movies in China by relying on its local advantages. At least it has a chance to participate in the forum exchange."

"And I've also heard that the cultural propaganda field will tend to use people related to the industry in the future."

There is no need to explain it clearly, it is clear at one glance.

There are no fools here. If Han Sanping makes a move, it will not be 14 years, but 17 years, or even 19 years.

The main thing is that if this path is opened up, it will not just be for one person, the importance of Santong Entertainment will be further enhanced.

Is there any connection with Shen Santong?

No and not needed.

Santong Entertainment is Shen Santong’s biggest background.

Being able to compete with Hollywood in the domestic film market requires personal connections, which cannot be replaced by money or connections.

Wang Zhongjun felt complicated, Huayi had a similar meaning back then.

In the early days of promoting the commercialization of the film industry, we made commercial films and reaped the benefits that have continued to this day.

Cutting off someone's wealth is like killing one's parents.

Hindering others' progress and grudges are even more terrible.

Especially in the film industry, which is relatively marginal in itself, it is hard to make progress, but if you don't let others make progress, whoever stands in the way will definitely suffer the consequences.

Someone said, "Shen Santong is not bad. He did some work."

"Yes, you are young, and you may wake up in the future."

"It would be better to regulate cartoons, which, like games, are harmful to young people."

"This is easy. Just send it to a specific leader and let him take a look. As long as you send it to the right person and create some momentum, the problem will be solved."

The animated film is a shitty movie!
If we can’t cure Shen Santong, we can’t cure animation?
Dong Ping suggested: "In fact, we don't have to do it, just play a supporting role." Wang Zhonglei saw his brother gave him a look, and he understood and asked: "Brother Dong, don't keep us in suspense."

Dong Ping shook his head and laughed: "This tea is really good."

At most he could just give a reminder. If this gets out, he would be hated.

As the old saying goes, young and strong people are more feared in combat. Shen Santong is no stranger to him. They had worked together in "Let the Bullets Fly" and he fooled Jiang Wen so much that he was at a loss.

He has a strong character and gets dirty when necessary. No one wants to deal with such a person.

Especially in this circle, there are more or less some problems.

After eating, drinking and having fun, Wang Zhongjun left Dong Ping alone.

Privately, Dong Ping did not hide her feelings: "There are many people who hate Shen Santong, including Li An, Zhang Weiping, Chen Kexin, and Wu Yusen."

"Not to mention Hollywood. With the signing of the agreement and the finalization of the market share, Santong Entertainment will become the biggest stumbling block for Hollywood to capture the domestic market."

Wang Zhongjun agreed: "I have a good relationship with Hollywood, and we can also play a role at critical moments."

"But it may be difficult to rely solely on the under-the-table approach. At least we have to make some achievements."

Dong Ping was a little surprised. Wang Zhongjun had been a bit dim in the past two years, but he didn't expect that he still had the ability. So he asked, "What do you mean?"

Wang Zhongjun said: "I think we should try it out during the Spring Festival. Guo Zijian's Journey to the West movie should be named after Zhou Xingchi. It will be released during the Spring Festival next year. Then we can find someone to mediate and force Santong Entertainment to give up its spot."

Dong Ping couldn't help but frown. He also invested in Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, which concerns his interests. "Will it not collide with the already scheduled release of The Monkey King: Hero is Back? The Monkey King: Hero is Back has been in the works for several years, and is also about Journey to the West."

The same subject matter and the same period make people think of "Red Cliff" a few years ago.

It's too awful.

"Zhou Xingchi is definitely capable of fighting." Wang Zhongjun said confidently, "And you also said that we are not the only ones who dislike him. By that time, the right time, right place, and right people will all be on our side. What does it matter if the movie is good?"

The flight to Los Angeles has been flying for ten hours and is still going on.

Shen Santong took a nap and when he woke up he found that Han Sanping had woken up early. Older people tend to sleep lightly.

Thousands of miles high in the sky, the two dazed people imagined the future of movies.

The main reason is that Shen Santong said: "The future will belong to good movies. Good movies can break everything."

Han Sanping shook his head: "It's not that simple."

Shen Santong said: "It's that simple. Our cultural treasure trove is rich enough to support a large number of excellent stories."

Chinese culture can stand the test of time, while foreign cultures cannot stand the test of time.

For example, the history of foreign countries is like a novel story.

It's not a novel either, because novels must have a certain logic.

I would not dare to write about flood agriculture when writing novels. The Yellow River floodplain is good. Every year there are floods, and a lot of silt is washed up, forming fertile land, forming a unique flood agriculture, and feeding many people.

Purely retarded.

In reality, there are people who seriously boast that the magical Nile River can even form an ancient civilization.

Shen Santong felt that in the future it would just be a matter of patching up the small details; a big building had already been built.

At least with Santong Entertainment, there will be fewer troubles in the film industry in the future, and there will be no situation where "Man Jiang Hong" steps on "The Wandering Earth 2".

As can be seen from "Nezha 2", "The Wandering Earth 2" is a blatant robbery.

If "The Wandering Earth 2" sets the trend, the first movie to break 60 billion will be "The Wandering Earth 2".

In that case, "Man Jiang Hong" would only make 20 to 30 billion.

As a result, Man Jiang Hong was constantly being criticized, and relying on vote-rigging and fan control of comments, "The Wandering Earth 2" became a stepping stone for "Man Jiang Hong".

I don’t know what advantages “Man Jiang Hong” has, but you can tell by the fact that its box office is higher than “The Wandering Earth 2”.

This is a movie that opened the door to science fiction films. The second part is of the same quality as the first. The fact that "Man Jiang Hong" can hold the top spot at the box office must have its merits.

Ridiculous or not?
But it really was done.

So what if we win the first day championship?
I drag you and lie on you so that you can't get rid of me.

The number of fans of Si Zi is not inferior to that of Xiao Zhan. The 23 "Man Jiang Hong" is an enhanced version of the 25 "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". The model of big director + big IP + big traffic is exactly the same.

It’s just that Zhang Yimou is slightly better than Xu Ke, Yue Fei is slightly better than Jin Yong’s novel in terms of IP, the traffic had not yet reached the point of being rotten or smelly at that time, and the four-character reputation is slightly better than Xiao Zhan.

Moreover, the operation is better than "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". It does not buy side projects, but only books night shows and works together with the film company.

On the first day of the new year, Little Broken Ball ranked first at the box office. On the second day of the new year, fans and the film company took action together.

It can be seen from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" that this group of fans can achieve good results, at least in the first few days.

The best-selling period during the Spring Festival is before the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. The box office of the first three days is boosted by relying on "The Wandering Earth 2" to get through the first three days. After that, the cost of selling tickets is lower.

As I said, it doesn’t matter if “Man Jiang Hong” doesn’t have any value, as long as “The Wandering Earth 2” has some.

Therefore, everything is afraid of comparison.

In comparison, Chen Sicheng is both talented and virtuous, and a real man.

It’s true that Chengcai has some little thoughts, but he is also a real man.

In "Soldier Assault", he and Xu Sanduo were a contradictory combination, but in real life, the two of them are now working together very well.

He has both business expertise and passion, and is a qualified director.

In the second and third year of the Chinese New Year, if "Detective Chinatown 1900" wants to increase the strength of Nezha, it can be done. As a predecessor, Zhang Yimou's "Man Jiang Hong" has already written the path.

Fortunately, "Detective Chinatown" was designed to bring the entire series to life, without relying on large traffic.

If "Detective Chinatown" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" were combined into one, Nezha might really be in trouble.

At least in terms of storytelling, "Detective Chinatown 1900" can tell many more stories than "Man Jiang Hong".

The third film set a record in film history on its first day, grossing over 2.5 billion in the first three days. Plus, the fourth film also has a national narrative, so isn’t it normal that it can surpass Nezha?

At least it is more reasonable than "Man Jiang Hong" and "The Wandering Earth 2", right?

But if it happens again, the film industry will be screwed.

The box office performance of "Nezha 2" tells it all.

It’s not that the audience is unwilling to go to the cinema to watch movies, but the quality of the films produced today is so poor that the audience has no interest in going to the cinema to watch movies.

At the same time, the audience was also afraid and cautious, fearing that they might encounter a movie assassin.

After the disappointment of "Hot as Hell" and "Red River", the audience's consumption habits have to change. They have to wait and see, and will only join the movie-watching craze when they are sure that the movie is real and not a marketing trick.

I'm really afraid of being force-fed shit again.

This is also the reason for the magical trend of "Nezha 2". After watching it, I found that it is indeed a good thing, so I watched it with peace of mind.

Similarly, it also shows that the audience has sharp eyes.

Shen Santong is full of hope for the future. Santong Entertainment will use authentic and popular works to achieve the dual mission of cultural heritage and commercial value.

Using film as a medium, through a grand layout that integrates commerce and art, we strive to create a trillion-level film market while exploring the cultural heritage of China's "long history".

Drive out short-sighted, profit-seeking films with distorted values, combine industrial processes with the core of Eastern culture, and promote the upgrading of China's film industry.

Let the world see too that Chinese filmmakers are not just about films like "Nanjing Nanjing" and "The Flowers of War". They are the backbone of Chinese films and will not kneel down and watch others reach the top!
The blood of Chinese films has never cooled!
Use the long-lasting love and pride engraved in the bones and blood, the true and authentic history forged in the blood, the eternal fire of civilization for thousands of years, and the light and heat of idealism to warm the reality.

Chinese culture is not a cold, stereotyped machine defined by others. It is flesh and blood, a living breath. It is the gaze of our ancestors across time and space. It is a thousand-year romance shared by 1.4 billion people!
It is not about "the west wind prevailing over the east wind", but about letting the roots of the East be rooted in steel and concrete, and letting a thorny rose bloom in the garden of the industrial age.

Shen Santong lay on the chair and described the future for Han Sanping.

"The track for the film industry has been laid, Hollywood has entered the market, and we just need to face the market and leave it to the market."

“People working in the cultural industry must be cultured, film directors must be able to make films, screenwriters must be able to write stories, film funds must be spent on films, movie tickets must be sold to moviegoers, actors must be able to act and speak lines, trailers must be relevant to the content of the film, audience reviews must be written by the audience, and there must be audiences when buying tickets at the cinema.”

"A bright future is just around the corner. As long as we filmmakers work together and do the basics, big changes will happen in a few years, because we are on the right track and it will get easier as we go along."

Chinese films have already laid an invincible foundation. Shen Santong believes that even if Santong Entertainment falls behind, there will be others who will catch up.

The future is bright!
Han Sanping couldn't help but complain in his heart that Shen Santong, who wanted to be on the Spring Festival Gala, was being conservative again. Especially since Shen Santong was a filmmaker, he was not good enough.

The kid is really bold.

Considering that he has eaten more salt than Shen Santong has eaten rice, once the movie quota is finalized, the water will boil.

The Long March is just the first step. Culture is always soft power and glory cannot be achieved easily.

However, Han Sanping did not say anything discouraging. He just wanted to make Shen Santong happy first: "I look forward to that day."

Landing.

The sun was hanging in the sky in the distance, and its endless rays of sunlight penetrated the clouds, illuminating the entire sky. The light enveloped the plane, passed through the window, and also shone on Shen Santong, allowing him to bathe in the warm sunshine.

"Yes." Shen Santong said firmly.

(End of this chapter)