1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 618 A Good Era

There is a consensus in later generations that Hong Kong films have declined.

Why did Hong Kong films, which were once so successful, suddenly decline?
Well, ultimately, we need to start by talking about the emergence of this new cinema chain.

In the past, when Golden Harvest, Golden Princess, and D&B Films were the three major players in the Hong Kong film industry, the development of Hong Kong cinema was in dire need of investment, so hot money poured into Hong Kong to invest in Hong Kong film production.

While this approach carries some risks, the benefits are obvious in two aspects:
Firstly, it allows them to share in the box office profits from the Hong Kong market.

Secondly, it facilitates obtaining film copyrights and reclaiming their own territories for screening.

For example, there are many local distributors in the province, and the competition among them to buy Hong Kong films is very fierce.

However, if you invest in a film at the beginning of its production, you can basically secure the film's copyright.

It can be said that the returns from investing in Hong Kong film production far outweigh the risks.

However, such a good investment opportunity was not easy to obtain. Under the influence of Golden Harvest, Golden Princess and D&B Films, foreign investment in Hong Kong films has always been lukewarm.

The emergence of Xinbao Cinema Line at the beginning of this year disrupted this balance.

Compared to the previous three cinema chains, Xinbao basically does not invest in film production itself, but acts as an intermediary, connecting the hot money flowing into Hong Kong with independent production companies to make films.

In this way, the finished product can not only allow investors to easily acquire the copyright and release it in their own territories, but it can also be screened in prime time at New Century Cinemas, thus obtaining a share of the Hong Kong box office revenue.

This is a win-win situation for both investors and Xinbao.

Moreover, because Sinpo did not invest with its own money, it offered very generous terms to production companies, which directly attracted many talented Hong Kong filmmakers to join Sinpo.

For example, FBB's "Damn it!" and Sammo Hung, a general of Golden Harvest.

Sammo Hung founded Bo Ho in 80. Those who frequently watch Lam Ching-ying's films should be familiar with it. The "Mr. Vampire" series was produced by Sammo Hung's Bo Ho, which is also the largest satellite company of Golden Harvest.

For a long time, 80% of the films released by Golden Harvest were produced by Bo Ho.

However, it was precisely because Bo Ho produced so many films that a backlog of movies was created, forcing Sammo Hung to compete with other sister companies of Golden Harvest for prime-time slots.

At that time, Xinbao Cinemas had just been established, so there were plenty of prime time slots available, which they could take at will.

Therefore, Sammo Hung did not hesitate to join Sunpo's side.

However, he did not completely sever ties with Golden Harvest. Bo Ho Films remained a satellite company of Golden Harvest. Although Sammo Hung no longer managed the company much, he still kept his brothers, such as Lam Ching-ying, with him to continue making films like "Mr. Vampire" and "The Taoist Priest" at Bo Ho.

Sammo Hung, on the other hand, no longer cared about Golden Harvest. He collaborated with New Century Cinemas under the name "Po Sheung Films," focusing most of his energy on that.

Besides him, another key figure at Golden Harvest, Michael Hui, also defected to the company because of the generous terms offered by New Treasure.

Another one is Win's Entertainment, owned by Hua Qiang, the father of Xiang Zuo.

Compared to Sammo Hung and Michael Hui, Jacky Heung's father was more independent and free; he could freely choose between Sunpo and Golden Harvest for the films he produced.

For example, movies like "Tricky Master" and "Fight Back to School" were shown at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi.

Meanwhile, films like "The Deer and the Cauldron" and "King of Beggars" were released in Golden Harvest theaters.

In summary, the founding of Sunpo completely broke the old pattern of the Hong Kong film and television industry. As the saying goes, there is no construction without destruction. The emergence of Sunpo also greatly stimulated the creative ability of Hong Kong filmmakers.

It is said that the number of Hong Kong films released that year increased to 115, a significant increase compared to previous years.

In terms of box office revenue, Xinbao also performed very well. In the first few years after its establishment, its annual box office revenue reached about 200 million yuan.

This number has far surpassed that of established cinema chains D&B and Golden Princess, and is only slightly behind the most powerful Golden Harvest.

Moreover, the films produced by Sunpo not only sell well in Hong Kong, but also receive positive feedback abroad.

For example, Tsui Hark's "Swordsman" series.

The one starring Sam Hui, Cecilia Yip, Jacky Cheung, and Sharla Cheung.

This is a joint investment by Xinbao and Jin Gongzhu.

Although the first film did not perform well at the box office, they still persisted and made a sequel, "Swordsman II," which unexpectedly became a market hit.

This film not only grossed over HK$3 million in Hong Kong, but also achieved unexpected box office success in the province and in the South Korean market.

This directly stimulated overseas markets, making foreign hot money investment even more frantic, with people trying every means to participate in Hong Kong film production.

At this point, the other three cinema chains weren't stupid either. Seeing that Xinbao was making a fortune, they quickly followed suit and naturally began to receive overseas funds, expand production, or invest in and produce their own films.

But at this time, a phenomenon called "selling trailers" emerged, which means selling overseas distribution rights before filming begins.

Selling the provincial distribution rights for a few million and the Southeast Asian distribution rights for a few million more will basically cover the film's production costs. The copyright fees from the Japanese and Korean markets and the revenue from Hong Kong will be pure profit.

In this way, all the Hong Kong production companies have to do is provide a good idea and promise to use famous directors and actors. In layman's terms, they can make a fortune with just a PowerPoint presentation, which is a sure-fire way to make money.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense can understand the enormous profits involved. And as the saying goes:
Capital becomes bold when there is a suitable profit. With a 10% profit, it will be used everywhere; with a 20% profit, it becomes active; with a 50% profit, it will take risks; for a 100% profit, it will dare to trample on all human laws; with a 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime, even risking being hanged.

The lucrative business of Hong Kong films immediately inspired countless Hong Kong filmmakers.

As a result, many filmmakers started production companies, bypassing the major cinema chains and contacting provincial and Southeast Asian film distributors directly.

For example, Andy Lau founded "Teamwork Films", Jeffrey Lau and Wong Kar-wai founded "Jet Tone Films", and Eric Tsang, Peter Chan, and others founded "UFO".
The companies owned by these filmmakers all thrived thanks to the "selling trailers" system.

Because the largest market for Hong Kong films at that time was the provincial market, with nearly 30% of the box office coming from the provincial market, by the 1990s, the main investors in Hong Kong films were no longer established cinema chains like Golden Harvest and Golden Princess.

Who is it?
The eight famous film companies in Taiwan:
The first major figure is Xu Ligong, the deputy general manager of the Central Film Company. He owns the screening rights for several leading cinemas in the province, such as New World Cinema. Films like Ang Lee's "Pushing Hands," "The Wedding Banquet," and "Eat Drink Man Woman" were all promoted by him. In the Hong Kong film industry, he also invested in a series of classic Hong Kong films such as "New Dragon Gate Inn" and "Once Upon a Time in China II".

The second largest was Qiu Fusheng, the deputy manager of Era International Company. His "University Company" controlled the scheduling rights of many mandatory cinemas in the province. He invested in Hong Kong films such as "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and also invested in many mainland films, such as Zhang Yimou's "Raise the Red Lantern" and "To Live".

The third is Cai Songlin, chairman of "Scholar Company," who owns the filming rights for the Great World and Golden Horse Cinemas. He invested in Andy Lau's "Legend of the Warrior," the ending of which is little known, resulting in huge losses for him. He is also a behind-the-scenes financier for Jet Tone Films, produced by Jeffrey Lau and Wong Kar-wai, and invested in films such as "Ashes of Time" and "The Eagle Shooting Heroes." The fourth is Wu Dun, manager of Changhong Film Company. He is also the chief protector of the Bamboo Union gang, mainly investing in production but not in distribution. He has participated in the investment and production of films such as "New Meteor Butterfly Sword," "Twelve Young Masters of Temple Street," "Chasing Boys," and "The Mad Swordsman and the Flying Cat."

The fifth person, like Wu Dun, also came from a gang. He was Yang Dengkui of the Northwest Gang. He was behind the scenes supporting Zhengdong Films, founded by Li Lianjie. Therefore, the copyrights of Li Lianjie's "Fang Shiyu" and "Tai Chi Master" were sold directly to Yang Dengkui's Judeng Entertainment Company at a low price.

The sixth is Wang Yingxiang of Longxiang Film Industry, who mainly collaborates with Tsui Hark, Clifton Ko, and Raymond Wong in Hong Kong. He has invested in films such as "Swordsman II", "Iron Monkey" and "92 Call Girl".

The seventh is Jiang Wenxiong, chairman of Xiongwei Film Company, who mostly invests in Hong Kong films shot in mainland China, such as "The Legendary Tycoon" and "The Swordsman".

The last of the eight major film distributors is Xu Anjin, who is engaged in the distribution of American VIP movie videotapes and the operation of domestic film cinemas. His film sources generally come from companies such as Win's Entertainment, Entertainment Group, and Metropolitan Film Company in Hong Kong.

These eight major film studios are all financially strong, providing a continuous stream of funding to Hong Kong. As a result, the Hong Kong film industry is thriving, with the number of films produced increasing year after year, local box office revenue growing steadily, and international box office revenue also performing well.

However, as the saying goes, the moon wanes when it is full, and water overflows when it is full. Beneath the seemingly prosperous surface of Hong Kong films, there were actually many hidden crises, namely the later coup by the eight major film studios, but I won't go into details about that.

Jiang Xian inquired about Xinbao from Fu Qi because he knew that the establishment of Xinbao would usher in a new era for Hong Kong cinema.

He needs to get a share of the profits.

This is truly riding the wave of opportunity; even pigs can make money.

You can shoot anything!
Even if it's just following someone and filming them!

The most popular trend in Hong Kong films is to follow trends. Hong Kong filmmakers love to ride the wave of popular movies and will flock to imitate any successful film.

For example, Tsui Hark's "Once Upon a Time in China" series became a huge hit, so others followed suit and made their own "Once Upon a Time in China" films. In 1993 alone, eight "Once Upon a Time in China" movies were released.

Other blockbuster films also couldn't escape the fate of being piggybacked on.

For example, the success of "Fight Back to School" led to the release of "Fight Back to School Heroes" and "Fight Back to School Side Story".

The success of "Justice, My Foot!" led to the release of "Justice, My Foot!".

The success of "The Deer and the Cauldron" led to the creation of "The Real Wei Xiaobao." Of course, "The Deer and the Cauldron" itself was a copycat work, but it wasn't a copycat IP; rather, it was a copycat subject matter.

“I want you to go to Hong Kong.” After returning home, Jiang Xian pulled Zhu Lin aside to discuss it.

Zhu Lin was cooking when she heard Jiang Xian say this. She knew he must have something important to say, so she took off her apron and sat down next to him.

"what happened?"

“There’s no rush for specifics right now. You should go there first and get used to the environment. Fu Qi and I have discussed it and are thinking of having you take on a few film roles in Hong Kong first. That’s why we’re asking for your opinion,” Jiang Xian said.

"Go to Hong Kong"

Zhu Lin's expression was somewhat complicated.

Jiang Xian understood her concerns. "I have flexible hours and can come and see you whenever I want. If you can't bear to part with Nian Nian, you can take her to Hong Kong. The teachers and teaching conditions there are indeed better than in Beijing."

".no."

Zhu Lin shook her head, "Niannian will still stay by your side. She doesn't know anyone in Hong Kong, but at least her parents can help take care of her in Beijing."

"It's okay if you don't want to go."

Jiang Xian grasped Zhu Lin's hand and said, "To be frank, I don't lack anything from Hong Kong. The film industry in the United States is developing very well today. Sending you there is just to open up a channel for entering Hong Kong."

"I don't not want to, and I'm willing to go."

Zhu Lin looked conflicted. "I just can't bear to part with you and Niannian. I'm afraid that if I'm always busy with these things outside, I won't be a good wife or a good mother."

"It's ok."

Jiang Xian held her hand and said very seriously, "You know I've always supported you in pursuing your life goals. As for Niannian, with me here, nothing will happen. Besides, she'll definitely be proud to have such a mother, right, our little Your Majesty?"

As he spoke, he pulled Jiang Niannian into his arms and rubbed his stubble against her delicate face, making her giggle and spin around in his arms.

"Really."

As Zhu Lin watched this sweet scene between the father and daughter, her almond-shaped eyes softened and became gentle as water.

"Come."

Jiang Xian stretched out his other arm towards her. Zhu Lin hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she was half-heartedly pulled into Jiang Xian's arms.

With his daughter in one arm and his wife in the other, Jiang Xian felt incredibly happy, closing his eyes to enjoy the harmonious moment with his family.

Unfortunately, this scene didn't last long, as a phone call shattered the family's peace.

This is Jiang Xian's home phone number.

They installed a telephone in their home.

Although there are relatively few people who install telephones these days, there are still some. For example, back in 84, a farmer spent 2000 yuan to install a telephone at his own expense. He was the first farmer to install a telephone.

This farmer is a well-known expert in mushroom cultivation in the suburbs of Beijing.

Installing a telephone is not easy either. Jiang Xian's telephone had actually been in the queue for installation for a long time, and it took almost a year to finally get it installed.

He's considered fast. There's another family in the same building, also from Tuanjiehu, who registered for installation even earlier than Jiang Xian, but they still haven't heard anything from them.

This was the common situation in those days. After paying the initial installation fee, it was often a matter of waiting at least six months, or even one or two years, before the phone was actually installed.

Jiang Xian released the mother and daughter, got up, and went to the telephone to answer the receiver:

"Hey?"

(End of this chapter)