New Age Artists

Chapter 611: Don't Pamper Hollywood

Shen Santong ignored Anne Hathaway's flirtatious gestures and had a pleasant conversation with Robert Egger who was accompanying him.

Recognize the other party's efforts to complete a series of strategic IP integration initiatives by acquiring leading content brands and building a diversified IP ecosystem.

These acquisitions are not blind expansion, but precise acquisitions of top IPs, such as Pixar and Marvel, and each one is great.

Shen Santong also knew that Lucasfilm should be in negotiations and would complete the acquisition this year, and in a few years, it would also acquire 20th Century Fox.

Focusing on the core positioning of "family entertainment", we select IPs with a mature worldview, a long-term fan base, and cross-media development potential.

Pixar made up for the creative shortcomings of Disney animation and consolidated its dominance in the animation field;

Marvel acquired the superhero IP library and started the "movie universe" model, covering the youth and adult markets;

Star Wars activates classic science fiction IP and opens up monetization channels such as derivatives and theme parks;

Fox acquired IPs such as "Avatar" and "X-Men" and strengthened its streaming content library, such as control over Hulu.

After some communication, Robert Egger felt like he had met a close friend.

Shen Santong doesn't need to please him. Recognition at the same level has much greater emotional value than the flattery provided by his subordinates.

Even though there were unpleasantness between him and Shen Santong and the other party was a stumbling block in Hollywood, Robert Egger was still very excited.

"We develop Disney IP throughout the entire industry chain, maximize the flywheel effect model of commercial value, start with movies, and monetize through derivatives, theme parks, streaming media, games, publications and other channels to form a closed loop."

Shen Santong agreed: "Your market development is very complete. The value of IP is awakened through movies, and then the theme park increases the stickiness of tourists. With a good story, the sales of derivative products will also increase accordingly."

"Having all channels in hand, we can achieve a closed loop for the entire industry, and restart and incubate new and old IPs. In the future, we must also have control over online media channels, right?"

Disney is worth three-way entertainment learning.

Shen Santong had no expectations for Hollywood because he was well aware of the United States' strict ideological defenses.

What he hated was the other party's pervasive conceptual manipulation, not opposing for the sake of opposing.

As a mature market, major Hollywood companies have a complete system.

China is still in its emerging stage and can definitely follow the lead of Hollywood.

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Robert Egger was deeply wary because what Shen Santong said was indeed his idea.

Robert Iger changed the subject: "Shen, we can cooperate. Disney has both globalization and localization strategies, and customizes content for different markets."

"For example, we can shoot a live-action version of Mulan for you. We will fully cooperate. Disney has a global distribution network, which will also help your company go global."

"Okay, but the final story will be decided by Santong Entertainment. We have our own advantages in historical themes." Shen Santong didn't care about exposing his shortcomings and said directly: "Your culture is very strong, and you will unscrupulously add what you think. And a group of us old filmmakers like to seek your approval."

Shen Santong's frankness made Robert Iger feel a little uncomfortable. He turned to look at Anne Hathaway next to him and said, "Is the Batman trilogy finished?"

Anne Hathaway was secretly anxious that she couldn't interrupt their conversation.

After much difficulty, she got a topic, but it was difficult to pick up. She had a confidentiality agreement, not to mention that Disney and Warner were in direct competition in superheroes: "Yes, Director Nolan will contribute a classic."

Robert Iger joked to Shen Santong: "You and Nolan are unhappy, right?"

Shen Santong was blunt: "He plagiarized my idea for Inception. He is a patchwork freak, a creative thief, and a movie businessman under the guise of art."

Anne Hathaway couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Robert Iger laughed: "He revitalized the DC Superman hero universe, and his dark realistic style is praised by many people."

"Robert, you are dishonest." The group went up to the top floor. Robert Egger opened a bottle of wine. After Shen Santong took it, he said bluntly, "I'm afraid you are going to laugh out loud, right?"

Robert Iger asked in return: “Oh, why?”

Anne Hathaway standing by held her breath.

She was quite dissatisfied about being called here for the business, after all, she was an actress of a certain status.

But in Hollywood, there are some people you can't refuse.

The entertainment emperor from the East is also a good candidate for trying new things.

She also showed great professionalism when facing Shen Santong, and she went all out.

It's just that the other party obviously had no interest in her, and instead was happily chatting with the Emperor of Disney.

Anne Hathaway was secretly complaining at first, but now she pricked up her ears.

Because even for her, if it weren't for this opportunity, it would be difficult to get a glimpse of this level of conversation, let alone come to the office of the Disney Emperor and let him open his collection of fine wines.

Shen Santong said: "The core spirit of superhero characters is more inclined towards hope and light, while the Batman trilogy is known for its dark, serious and realistic style. Audiences and film critics boasted that Nolan redefined superhero movies, but in fact, he completely ruined Warner DC's superhero layout."

“Unless Warner has strong execution capabilities and knows how to make choices in future works, it will not blindly imitate Nolan’s narrative rhythm and avoid imbalance in character depth.”

Shen Santong asked him back: "Can a loose Warner do these?"

Robert Egger shook his head and laughed. Shen Santong's intuition was too sharp.

The problem with Warner's DC Universe can be seen at a glance. Nolan's Batman is an independent and closed story.

As Shen Santong said, Nolan is a film businessman who sells literary and artistic feelings and can achieve a balance between depth and entertainment in Batman movies.

But it also left a big hole.

If they try to imitate this "serious philosophy" and weaken the script, it will lead to a weak plot and hasty character creation, and Warner's market positioning on DC will be completely messed up.

As a youth reading material, superheroes are supposed to have a "family-friendly" atmosphere, and the dark style is totally incompatible.

It can be said that the more successful Nolan is, the more Warner fails.

Because it is difficult to give up the reputation created by Nolan and it is difficult to avoid falling into dependence on the creative path, Nolan's path is a poisonous wine for the superhero theme.

Robert Iger was just going to keep Shen company for a while, but he chatted with Shen Santong for more than an hour. After his secretary reminded him, he was still not satisfied and asked other staff to accompany Shen Santong to visit Disney Studios.

On the road.

Anne Hathaway's lavender-scented breath suddenly came close to her ear: "Mr. Shen, what do you think of Hollywood?"

Without waiting for Shen Santong's answer, he said to himself: "This is the truly wonderful side of Hollywood. Maybe you should give it a try?"

Shen Santong looked at her delicately made-up face, her legs gently crossed and then opened, and her bright red lips, which seemed like some kind of invitation to surrender.

But the fine lines at the corners of the eyes are particularly clear in the sunlight, like carefully repaired cracks in blue and white porcelain.

Shen Santong: "Hollywood belongs to the ambitious and powerful people who can use everything as a weapon, but it does not belong to me, and I do not belong to Hollywood."

Anne Hathaway said: "Are you worried? You don't have to worry, we have our own rules of the game, and I'm not as cheap as you think."

"Forget it." Shen Santong shook his head: "Just be your guide, that's enough."

He had no doubt that as long as he nodded, Anne Hathaway would lower her head on the spot.

In an atmosphere like Hollywood, these are basic skills for stars to succeed.

But Shen Santong was not so hungry that he would do anything.

We visited Disney Studios and investigated the filming process of Disney movies. This was all arranged in advance, and Anne Hathaway was allowed to leave first in the afternoon.

Shen Santong withstood the test.

His appearance is a bit ruined, and you can't look at it closely. In addition, his behavior has a direct purpose. Shen Santong is not stupid, and he does have some self-control.

In the evening, Shen Santong attended a party dinner hosted by Disney.

Robert Iger said: "Shen, you need to relax and enjoy life."

At the banquet, Shen Santong felt like he had fallen into the devil's cave and became Tang Sanzang.

Many Disney female stars had gleaming eyes and wanted to eat him up.

Forget about female stars, Shen Santong is also eager to try when he sees male stars.

It's so scary.

Shen Santong attended the first half but did not attend the second half of the party.

As the black convoy drove away from the manor, Shen Santong took out a stack of lipstick-stained business cards and napkins with contact information written on them.

Wipe the lipstick marks off the back of your hand.

He has deeply experienced the enthusiasm of Hollywood.

This is where a group of the purest fame-seeking and money-seeking people gather, who can use everything they have as bargaining chips just to climb up.

Putting aside other things, each of them is very spirited and outgoing, and those who can't let go can't go on.

Chen Chexi looked at this scene and said teasingly, "It seems that the PR department doesn't need to prepare a press release. Anne Hathaway, there are still many people here today. You should be able to take them away. Why don't you take someone who comes to your door?"

No matter how much you tease, Chen Chexi's worldview has collapsed. After his concept of film art collapsed, his filter about Hollywood has also collapsed today.

I've heard a lot about the shit that goes on in Hollywood, but seeing it with my own eyes was still an eye-opener.

I used to think that the domestic atmosphere was very bad, but compared with Hollywood, it’s actually not bad.

At least we have to keep domestic unrest secret from others.

"You underestimated me." Shen Santong glared at her.

Is he the kind of person who can't stand the test?
Back to the hotel.

As the representative of the producers, Chen Chexi and Shen Santong summarized what they saw and heard today.

After taking a quick look at Disney's film production process, she said solemnly: "Hollywood is at least five years ahead of us."

Shen Santong said without blinking: "To be conservative, it has been ten years."

Seeing Chen Chexi's surprised look, Shen Santong said, "If there is a gap, then admit it. Commercial films and blockbuster films can be said to be born in Hollywood. Isn't it normal that they have a leading production process?"

Shen Santong is not a brainless person who just wins, wins, wins.

If there was no Santong Entertainment in the past, Chinese-language films would have suffered a collective failure in 12.

There was not a single piece of meat for domestic films during the summer vacation, forcing China Film Corporation to stage a unique show in the world film market: Garfield and Spider-Man versus Bale and Batman.

If there was any other way, I wouldn't use this trick.

Shen Santong is very clear: "From a creative perspective, in the next few years, domestic films will definitely be on the defensive when facing Hollywood in the local market, and at most they will fight back."

Chen Chexi said: "We can make some small but beautiful movies. We can't compete with them in special effects and production for now, but we can compete in story. This is the best thing to do."

Shen Santong nodded and shook his head: "We still have to launch a big production. Han Sanping's big film strategy is fine in the general direction, but relying solely on small productions will always be a defensive measure."

“It is better to take the long and difficult road than the easy and shortcut one.”

Just like Warner's wrong decision in the DC Universe, because of Marvel's success, they were in a hurry to catch up, but the more anxious they were, the worse they did. In addition, there were internal struggles within the company, so even though they had a good IP, they couldn't make a good story.

There are too many similar lessons, and many people use good ingredients to make a bad meal.

Shen Santong added: "Don't mythify Hollywood. It's true that their production is mature, but they have passed their peak and are on the decline. It's a good thing to improve the process at this time."

Chen Chexi reminded: "There are messy voices in the country saying that you are very important to the negotiations."

Shen Santong didn't feel so good about himself: "It's just about what we eat outside and what we eat inside. Don't worry about it. We just do our own thing."

The next few days.

Shen Santong also visited Warner, Universal and other companies to visit and learn.

On February 2, a joint statement was issued.

The visit and study session came to an end, and Chen Chexi's three views were completely shattered.

"Have they discussed it?"

It's really eye-opening to see Blake Lively, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone and other young Hollywood stars playing with us.

Shen Santong sighed: "The enemy's attack was fierce, but fortunately I held on firmly."

Chen Chexi is really numb. If he tells others about this, no one in China will believe him. He is too proactive.

Seeing Shen Santong looking calm and composed, he couldn't help but be curious: "Don't you have any expectations for it to be released in North America?"

No matter who he communicates with or which company he inspects, Shen Santong always communicates normally and is very relaxed. Whether it is business or personal matters, he always adheres to the principle of being strong without desire.

"It's very difficult, almost impossible." Shen Santong said.

His films are not ordinary narratives, but completely local narratives.

To give an example, Hong Kong films are mixed-race, Zhang Yimou's films are bastards, the fifth-generation directors are Western bastards, the new generation of films are hybrids, and Shen Santong's are purebreds.

He doesn't even need top-level distribution, he just wants to screen the film in Chinese society first, and then roll it out little by little, but he can't satisfy even that.

Shen Santong also had to experience it personally to realize how tight the ideological strings of the United States were and how defensive it was against the Chinese.

Not a crack at all.

2 month 15 day.

Shen Santong accepted the media interview for the first time after coming to the United States.

An interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

There were also invitations for exclusive interviews with higher-level newspapers, but Shen Santong preferred to stay on the professional level.

Moreover, negotiations were also conducted regarding the interviewer.

The Hollywood Reporter wanted to use Rebecca Sun, who often writes about the representation of Asian Americans and minorities in the entertainment industry, but Shen's team disagreed.

In the end, it became the white woman Tatiana Siegel, who has long been concerned about diversity and gender equality in Hollywood.

The interview was broadcast live. Tatiana crossed her legs and made Shen Santong unable to hold back at the beginning: "Are you a cultural rebel at Dongda?"

Shen Santong also crossed his legs: "My movies have attracted hundreds of millions of viewers."

"Having a large number of people doesn't mean anything." Tatiana examined him, "So you are against The Flowers of War and are launching a boycott. Can I take it that you are against Zhang Yimou's freedom of speech?"

Shen Santong did not explain, but said: "I am quoting the film review of The Hollywood Reporter, which is your report: You may think that only the most inferior Hollywood producers can think of adding a love scene to such a tragic subject as the Nanjing Massacre, but this is exactly the main plot of The Flowers of War."

Tatiana did not feel embarrassed at all and continued, "Does China's restriction on the number of imported films violate free trade?"

Shen Santong: "Last year, Transformers took in nearly $200 million, and Avatar took in nearly $300 million. Your good films always have the same screening schedule as ours, and my films..."

Tatiana interrupted: "But your censorship."

Shen Santong continued: "My film did not receive basic fair treatment."

Tatiana said: "You are cultural protectionism."

Shen Santong smiled and said, "I should be the one saying this."

Tatiana said, “Are you fighting my interview?”

Shen Santong shook his head: "You are judging me. This is not a friendly interview."

Tatiana said, “So you turned down an interview invitation from another colleague of mine because she understands your culture better?”

Shen Santong sighed, "I know you. When an Asian comes to interview me, she has to prove her loyalty. After all, you elementary school students have to swear allegiance to the United States every morning. It's hard to believe that this is a country that claims to be free."

Tatiana immediately changed the subject: "There are a lot of controversies about you, about your disrespect for women."

Shen Santong did not deny it: "It's not as good as the red sofa in Hollywood."

"Ha." Tatiana felt that Shen Santong was a difficult person. The man in front of her had an extraordinary demeanor, was confident, determined, and had an aggressiveness that was rare among Chinese people.

Shen Santong pointed out the window and said, "Last year, your young people held up signs that said 'We are the 99%'. I think instead of worrying about 'Why doesn't China allow more American films to enter', it's better to care about the lives of your young people."

Tatiana smiled unnaturally: "This has nothing to do with the movie."

Shen Santong said: "Last year, China imported more than 20 Hollywood movies, and you took away nearly billion US dollars. How many did the United States import, and how much was the box office?"

Shen Santong continued: "Who is building the cultural Berlin Wall?"

"When Hollywood added bizarre imagination to the China special edition, you called it business wisdom; but when I made a film that reflected the facts of how some of you plundered third world countries, I was criticized by the New York Times in a series of articles."

Tatiana put her foot down, not quite able to smile: "You broke your promise not to export red."

Shen Santong interrupted, too lazy to explain. Since the other party lacked basic manners, he didn't need to have any either.

He kept saying what he wanted to say: "Your Hollywood has made up so many fairy tales, but is unwilling to pay attention to the lower-class communities in Chicago and Detroit, and the sewers in New York, and not let the world see their lives and their stories!"

"You have money to support our director to find fault with us, why not leave it to you to see a doctor."

Tatiana interrupted again: "Let's talk about your censorship. You support censorship."

Shen Santong interrupted her again, showing no respect at all. He didn't have to respect the other party either, as the other party was the one who went off topic first.

"At this moment, the bankers who created the subprime mortgage crisis are still drinking champagne on the top floor, and you want me to explain 'Chinese film censorship'?"

"When your media uses sophisticated journalism to build an information cocoon for every American, what qualifications do you have to criticize our efforts in cultural ecological diversity?"

"Cut it off, cut off the live broadcast." the producer suddenly shouted.

The live broadcast was suddenly cut off, and the last image was Shen Santong raising his middle finger to the camera.

Don't spoil it!

(End of this chapter)