I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 353 Trying to get something from a tiger!

"Boss, I think you're still too optimistic!"

"In principle, 'Heroes of Nanjing' and 'City of Life and Death' are the same type of film!"

"Let's acknowledge Yi Mou's international influence for now, but his recognition in North America is not high. Ultimately, it depends on the quality of the film itself..."

Tim was speaking very rationally.

Even if he and Tom Quinn establish Neon Films in the future, one will focus on internal operations while the other focuses on external operations.

Tom Quinn was primarily in charge of public relations, while the acquisition and control of the films were reviewed by Tim's department and team. This man has a very sharp eye and can see the potential commercial and artistic aspects of many films.

"Perhaps you are right, the failure of 'A Simple Noodle Story' is one of the reasons why I question Yimou!"

"But 'Heroes of Nanjing' has Christian Bale, and both its production and team are at the level of a commercial blockbuster!"

"I feel that it's irrational to so hastily abandon a potentially profitable film..."

Harvey Weinstein seemed to be persuaded by Tim.

However, this guy is an opportunist.

With a dish that could potentially become a feast placed in front of him, he had no reason not to take a bite.

just in case!

What if this movie becomes a hit?
Speculators always dream of getting rich overnight, especially since Harvey made nearly $1 million in profit from Zhang Yimou.

Unfortunately, the lion's share of that money went to those lousy Disney companies.

Therefore, with Zhang Yimou having a new film now released, Harvey Weinstein must have a gambler's mentality.

"Take a look at the film review report that Defoe sent!"

Defoe was the Weinstein Company's Chinese buyer who attended the screening of "The Battle of Jinling"!

"Okay, I'll contact him and do a full assessment!"

"But I still stand by my principles!"

"The Heroes of Nanjing is not a good project; Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures have said so before!"

"And also, boss..."

Tim calmly replied, "The director of 'City of Life and Death' is no nobody. The film won the top prize at the 57th San Sebastián International Film Festival, but even so, its box office performance in Europe was not satisfactory!"

Although the San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain is not as prestigious as it used to be, it is still one of the 14 A-list international film festivals in the world.

In its early days, it was a film festival on par with the three major European film festivals, ranking fourth or fifth globally in terms of both prestige and popularity. Although it still holds a certain ranking now, its influence and viewership are far from comparable to the three major festivals.

"Nanjing! Nanjing!" won the 57th San Ann Golden Shell Award, which is similar to the Golden Bear and Golden Lion.

This is definitely due to the efforts of public relations.

Public relations for the three major film festivals is notoriously strict and challenging, while other film festivals are relatively much easier.

Especially for Chinese filmmakers who need to enhance their credentials, everyone knows that people in this country who make movies are foolish and rich, so the practice of buying awards with money is practically out in the open.

The world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit; the world is in turmoil, all for the sake of profit!

The three major film festivals have multiple ways to make money, while other A-list festivals, especially those in many smaller countries such as San Ángel in Spain, Locarno in Switzerland, and Warsaw in Poland, are increasingly declining and can only make a living by selling awards.

Of course, not everyone can buy prizes.

You need to be famous, your film needs to be of good quality, and at least you need to be "worthy" of the awards.

Just like Feng Xiaogang, who has always been obsessed with the three major awards and always felt that he could compete with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, he was single-mindedly focused on winning awards and made several art films. In the end, he failed to be nominated for the three major awards, so Huayi helped him get a Golden Shell from St. Anne's for his film "I Am Not Madame Bovary".

By the way, I also got Bingbing a Best Actress award at St. Anne's.

Such practices were still very common in later generations.

Many Category A companies have become like a playground for the Chinese people who are foolish and rich, operating as if the entertainment industry is their backyard.

This kind of patronage isn't limited to the domestic film industry; the food industry, foreign trade, and many others also take pride in foreign awards. This worship of foreign things has probably reached its peak in the last two years.

Many projects, once they win a gold award in a certain country, can boast about it extensively in China, release press releases to gain traffic and make a lot of money.

Why not fleece domestic audiences and exploit their fans?
"Could it be... really not working?"

Harvey was starting to question the meaning of life.

He had just heard his subordinate's report and was excitedly notifying the two generals to discuss the purchase, but he was unexpectedly given a cold shower.

He hasn't been out of the public eye for a long time. After being a hands-off manager for so long, buying and watching movies are all things his subordinates do; he's only responsible for making decisions.

But wasting a potentially lucrative film isn't Harvey's style.

After all, once you've made too many bargains, it's hard to give up the thrill of getting rich overnight.

"Tom, you must have heard everything Tim just said!"

"Although he is not optimistic about this project, it is still worth a try if we can buy the European and American distribution rights for this film at a reasonable price!"

Harvey spoke to Tom Quinn, who had remained silent.

Now, apart from the three Harveys who personally handle the buying of films at the three major film festivals, Tom is in charge of buying all the other films.

Harvey showed considerable trust and delegated authority to this subordinate.

Tom, clearly aware of his boss's penchant, smiled after hearing Harvey's words and said, "Of course, never missing a good movie in the world is the consistent principle of The Weinstein Company!"

"Haha, you're right, Tom!"

"This is why Weinstein Company has become the most successful independent film company in the world!"

"Never miss a potential film!"

"Go ahead, contact that guy named Chen, and ask him what price he'd give us for the distribution rights to 'Heroes of Jinling'!"

"Understood, boss!"

Tom Quinn smiled slightly, glanced at Tim beside him, and got up, obviously to contact Chen Jin.

Tim shrugged, a hint of relaxation appearing on his usually serious face for the first time: "If the price is right, 'Heroes of Nanjing' is worth buying, after all, there are more and more Chinese people in North America!"

"That's right!"

"Price is the key, isn't it, Tim?"

Weinstein was very satisfied with Tim's quick thinking and had always appreciated his meticulous analysis, which was exactly what he needed to negotiate a lower price with his opponent.

In short, he called two people in, not to discuss it further.

He had already made up his mind, and listening to the two talk about how to reasonably acquire the property was just to discuss a plan.

***
On the other side, Chen Jin had just finished filming her scenes for the day.

The entire cast and crew gave it a warm round of applause.

Chen Jin's action scenes made everyone in the crew, including not only the action director but also David Leitch and others, abandon their initial concerns.

If they were worried before that the movie wouldn't be good, now they only have one thought!
Released!

Release it as soon as possible.

This kind of movie is destined to make Chen Jin a star overseas and make her another Chinese action movie star after Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

They have been involved in action films for many years and have this kind of confidence.

At the same time, the quality of the film is also related to their careers, so looking forward to the film's release is their most pressing concern.

Buzz!
Having just removed her makeup, Chen Jin was about to call Wu Jing and the others to go out for a meal when her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

Chen Jin guessed that it was Miramax, Harvey's side, making the call.

After all, this guy is like a hyena; he loves dealing with Chinese directors and buying their film distribution rights because it's profitable.

Doing business with this company is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

It was also thanks to Chen Jin's research on Weinstein's numerous news articles a few days prior that she had conducted the most thorough investigation into his character.

When dealing with Chinese people, this guy often uses the trick of buying up movies at high prices!

For example, how much does one of your films cost, $800 million?
Okay, North American rights, then I'll buy it!
Then this guy started announcing the deal to buy the film, making it known to everyone.

Then all the other companies that wanted to buy the distribution rights gave up, because everyone knew that Harvey had bought them.

Many people know what kind of person he is in private.

However, due to his immense connections in Hollywood, many film studios were reluctant to continue pursuing projects that Harvey had his eye on, partly for fear of alienating him and partly because they knew Weinstein's distribution capabilities.

The strength of this company is beyond doubt.

After all, he has connections; he has people in all six major Hollywood studios.

But buying and selling movies is highly unethical.

Because this guy claims to have bought a certain movie, but only pays you a deposit.

Even with the contract in place, Harvey isn't afraid.

He kept saying he bought a movie for 800 million, but in reality he may have only paid 20.

Then, after all the other buyers have left, he will say after a while that he doesn't want it anymore and that he is willing to sacrifice the $20.

What if you're a filmmaker?
Other film companies find it difficult to take over projects that others have abandoned because there is no market forecast.

That leaves only one option: talk to Weinstein.

Let him continue buying.

He would say, "Okay, okay, how about this, $500 million, deal?"

This is Harvey!
He was once a producer in Asia, and countless people regarded him as a savior!

Later, when many people mentioned Harvey, they would say, "Oh, that big liar!"
It's just so realistic.

There's a reason why everyone kicks him when he's down. There are so many producers in Hollywood who engage in unspoken rules, so why was he the one exposed as world-famous? It's because his behavior was so blatant that he offended many people in the industry.

He has ruined the careers of Chen Kaige's "The Promise" and Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet".

In particular, he bought "The Promise" and then resold it to Warner Bros., making a profit as a middleman, which almost drove Chen Kaige crazy.

It was originally scheduled for a simultaneous global release, but it was ultimately canceled.

Not only did Warner Bros. stand Chen Kaige up, but they also profited handsomely, with Weinstein becoming the only one who made money.

As for Feng Xiaogang, needless to say.

Huayi is a victim of the deposit system.

Zhang Weiping was first tricked, and then he was directly tricked in return.

Therefore, Zhang Yimou's relationship with him is fairly good.

……

"Hello, Chan!"

Chen Jin answered the phone and heard a very authentic American accent: "I'm Tom Quinn from The Weinstein Company, head of distribution!"

"Who?"

Chen Jin had just stepped out of the lounge when she heard this and immediately walked to the side: "Tom Quinn?"

Founder of Future Neon Films?
"You know me?"

"No, no, I'm sorry, but I have a friend in North America with the same name!"

Chen Jin quickly spoke up.

But in her mind, she was trying to figure out how to approach this guy.

If Tom Quinn can be befriended, it will be key to the future global reach of film science.

This person is someone I should get to know better.

A public relations talent capable of winning five Palme d'Or awards in six years at Cannes is exactly what the film industry needs most.

"That is indeed a very common name!"

Tom Quinn chuckled and immediately picked up the conversation: "Do you have time to meet, or would you like to talk on the phone? You should know why I'm calling!"

"Of course, I've heard about 'Heroes of Nanjing' from your Chinese film buyers!"

"However, I'm currently filming in New York, so I might have to trouble you to make the trip yourself!"

"If you feel you can clarify things over the phone, I don't mind..."

Chen Jin spoke subconsciously, but Tom Quinn nodded: "I understand. Forgive me for checking your information, esteemed Venice Film Festival Best Actor!"

"Haha, you're too kind!"

"I'll take the next available flight, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be on the set of 'Killer: Dragon' tomorrow!"

Tom Quinn still has a touch of dry humor.

The two agreed on a time and then hung up the phone.

Chen Jin had to admit that this guy could create a unique field of art films in the future. Just from the preparation and investigation before the phone call, it was clear how meticulous he was in doing things.

Although this is a basic skill for publishers, and anyone could do it, the efficiency, competence, and the way he speaks reveal that this person is not simple.

"Neon Pictures...should it be launched ahead of schedule?"

Chen Jin is filming in Hollywood, and according to the film regulations there, she is required to register a company.

Generally, a short-term company is established for each film; yes, each film requires registration.

The fiscal year for such companies is 11 months, and their main function is to mitigate risk.

Even if the movie fails, it will not affect the investors' foundation. Moreover, it is convenient to carry out tax avoidance and profit adjustment in the new company in the accounting sense, making it easier for Hollywood capital to reap the benefits of grassroots workers.

For example, if the contract signed by you as a director is for 5% of the film’s net profit, the film company will make the net profit a negative number.

Because these film companies are usually not only investors but also distributors, the film distribution costs are like transferring money from one hand to the other, making accounting very convenient.

Although Chen Jin wouldn't do that, he did have Gong Ge open an overseas branch of the electronics company.

He then formed a short-term company for Killer Dragon.

Besides accounting and estimating filming costs, this company mainly works to connect with insurance companies, guarantors, and various film associations.

It now seems that we can recruit some overseas film talent to prepare for the global rollout of "Killer Dragon".

Many of the talented individuals from the original timeline could indeed be recruited.

Moreover, following Weinstein is not a long-term solution. Tom Quinn is capable now, but he certainly won't be the same as he will be ten years from now. Bringing him on board now is undoubtedly a great opportunity.

Even Harvey, that old pervert, probably never expected that when he asked his men to consult Chen Jin about buying films, Chen Jin was actually trying to poach his company's employees!
This is something Harvey would never have imagined in his life!

(End of this chapter)