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

The Chinese reporters at the press conference for Chapter 450 were dazzled!
Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Los Angeles.

Sina.com reporter Zhao Ling, along with her assistant Li Defeng and several others, arrived at the press conference venue early in the morning to scout out the location beforehand.

This is standard procedure before press conferences.

The press conference for Universal will be held in this hotel later.

The Waldorf Astoria was also one of the filming locations for "John Wick," making it a long-time collaborator.

The initial investment promotion wasn't particularly successful. Although the filming fees were waived, the Waldorf Astoria recently gained popularity thanks to the hit movie "The Killer" in North America. In the end, Chen Jinfang still lost money.

If Universal were to negotiate this deal, or if "John Wick" were already famous, Universal could change the mainland hotel to another location without a sponsorship fee of several million.

Therefore, after adding Universal to the list of producers for "Hitman 2", the marketing efforts became much more commercial.

The Waldorf obediently handed over its "letter of surrender"!
All it takes is one phone call from Global.

This demonstrates the ability of the six major Hollywood studios to attract investment.

Chen Jin will also be attending today as the Waldorf Astoria's spokesperson for Asia. In addition to the $1000 million annual endorsement fee, they are also prepared to sponsor $2000 million for "Hitman 2" and provide filming locations, giving "Hitman 2" the green light throughout the process.

This is also the power of the world!
Even the most luxurious high-end hotels in the United States need movies and advertisements for promotion.

They benefited from the success of "John Wick".

But if you want to get a second wave, sorry, you still have to pay the protection fee; Chen Jin already got a great deal by giving you free promotion in the first part because of her lack of fame and the fact that the production company wasn't powerful.

The six major Hollywood studios will not tolerate any brands trying to take advantage of them.

When Mengniu wanted to insert an advertisement into "Transformers," they obediently paid 5000 million RMB for just a few seconds of screen time. The Americans are really amazing in this respect; even if it doesn't fit in or look out of place, they can still make it look very commercial.

Is it inappropriate to insert milk ads into Transformers?

Easy, just put those four big characters on the building in a very blunt way—"China Mengniu".

Am I awesome or what?
Therefore, the Waldorf Astoria, a hotel that fits perfectly and was also the main filming location for "John Wick," deserves a price tag of 2000 million without any problem.

This is equivalent to a movie, with 10-20 minutes of footage showing your hotel, so it will definitely cost more.

Compared to this, Mengniu is actually the one who got ripped off.

The perception that Chinese companies are foolish and have too much money has become increasingly prominent in the eyes of Americans in recent years.

……

"Hey, Old Zhao?"

A sudden shout from the side made Zhao Ling, who was chatting with Li Defeng, turn around.

A reporter wearing a Tencent logo on his chest was waving at Zhao Ling.

"Hey, Brother Wang!"

Zhao Ling quickly called out, "This is a veteran in the industry."

"What's going on? Sina, making such a big fuss? Four people came?"

Tencent sent three representatives this time.

"Haha, not bad, there's another one at the hotel, a group of five!"

Zhao Ling spoke with a hint of smugness, and Brother Wang, also known as Wang Jidong, narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to him: "What do you mean?"

The five-person group is really serious, which means there's big news coming, and Sina has gotten wind of it.

"I don't know, the editor-in-chief sent me!"

Zhao Ling really didn't know.

Wang Jidong, however, felt that the guy was just unwilling to talk. Colleagues are enemies. Although reporters from several major portal websites in China often met and seemed to know each other well and got along well in private, they still preferred to go the extra mile for inside information.

"You Sina people are really good at doing things outside. Look at our editor-in-chief, he doesn't even know what's going on!"

"Can you give me a hint? Did Chen Jin land the lead role in 'Fast & Furious 6'?"

It's possible that Hollywood film series will change actors, especially the Fast & Furious series.

Fast & Furious 3 even changed the male lead and second male lead, while the previous Fast & Furious 5 also added Dwayne Johnson and a few others.

Adding lead actors is standard practice in Hollywood, and the Fast & Furious series is a prime example of it.

Therefore, based on their experience as entertainment reporters, what Wang Jidong said is quite possible.

Given the scale of Sina's efforts, it's almost certainly true.

Several reporters who were there to scout the location also perked up their ears.

"Brother Wang, I really didn't know. The editor-in-chief just told me to call a few more people!"

"However, I estimate your deduction is pretty much correct. Everyone in the industry is saying that Chen Jin has probably made it into Hollywood. 'John Wick' did quite well in North America, making around 7000 million, so it was a minor hit!"

"Besides, he might only get a small part of other movies, but he still has a very good chance of getting a role in 'Fast & Furious'!"

"Yes!"

Wang Jidong also agrees with this point.

The Fast & Furious series is indeed very special, as it not only features Asian characters but also previously filmed in Tokyo.

Most importantly, the director is of Chinese descent.

Justin Lin, a Hollywood director born in Taiwan, is more "pure" than Taiwanese directors like Lee An.

Li An is at least a native of Taiwan, which is Chinese; while Lin Yibin's parents changed his nationality to American when he was a child.

Although the directors don't have complete control over Hollywood films, they still wield some degree of influence.

"Haha, if he gets a leading role, won't the domestic entertainment industry be turned upside down?"

Chen Jin has been quite popular lately.

He gained a huge number of fans through "John Wick," and many people say that his current commercial value is probably the highest in the entire Chinese entertainment industry, surpassing actors like Li Bingbing who were already working overseas.

However, commercial value is obviously difficult to estimate.

Achievements are the foundation of an actor's career.

Although "John Wick" was a box office phenomenon and greatly boosted Chen Jin's box office appeal, it's hard to say whether the next film can create such a miracle; moreover, it was only with this film that he began to rise to prominence.

How high it flies depends on its next work.

The online argument is raging, mainly involving Chen Jin's fans and some other fan groups.

And at this point, if he plays the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster, then his achievements... need no further explanation.

Everyone knows that Hollywood movies rarely flop, especially franchise movies.

It's just a matter of how much box office revenue.

Chen Jin's ability to land a role in such a major IP is enough to make any further discussion unnecessary.

This is the true sign of ascension!

This is the definitive conclusion that he is the number one figure in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Actresses like Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, and Li Bingbing clearly cannot access such world-class resources.

"Actually, everyone knows that Chen Jin is already the number one person in the Chinese entertainment industry!"

"Brother Long and Jet Li are getting old; we need young people to step up!"

"However, this guy became famous too quickly, so it's normal that many fans of other celebrities don't acknowledge it!"

"..."

Several reporters were chatting, while photographers were taking pictures.

Soon, more and more reporters arrived to scout the location. Zhao Ling also noticed that something was amiss.

He could imagine that reporters from several domestic media outlets would come, but why were reporters from many other websites also here?

Many reporters came from China, including those from financial news websites and lifestyle websites.

"what's the situation?"

"Why are there so many?"

Wang Jidong also didn't understand.

Keep in mind, this was a press conference for a film company, which should normally be considered entertainment news.

Even when Global Times invites domestic media to participate, they basically only invite entertainment reporters. What the heck are these financial websites?

The problem isn't just with domestic financial news reporters; there are also overseas ones, such as the Wall Street Journal in North America, who are finding it difficult to understand Wang Jidong and his colleagues.

"This venue is also much bigger than Paramount's Transformers 4 press conference a while ago!"

"I estimate there will be more reporters attending than last time!"

"They really see potential in Chen Jin, that's why they invited so many people?"

Zhao Ling figured it out.

Universal's decision to invite so many Chinese media outlets is clearly intended to promote Chen Jin, and it seems that Universal values ​​the promotion of Chinese actors more than Paramount does.

Li Bingbing will definitely play a minor role in "Transformers 4".

You could tell from the press conference that if China Film Group hadn't sent people, they obviously wouldn't have used this actor.

This is considered using connections.

Zhao Ling originally thought Chen Jin was the right person for this project, but it seems that China Film Group did not invest in "Fast & Furious 6" this time.

Universal is unlikely to allow other film studios to get involved, unlike Transformers, which did a really good job at the Chinese box office; Fast & Furious's influence in China, whether in terms of box office or popularity, is still incomparable to Transformers.

This means that if Universal Pictures brings in China Film Group, it may not be able to recoup its investment.

For example, if the investment is the same $3 million and Fast & Furious 6 grosses $8 million worldwide, he can earn $2 million.

With China Film Group investing $1 million, Huaxia Film Distribution could gain up to 5 million RMB in box office revenue. However, the final profit they would receive might be less than 2 million RMB.

Anyone can do the math.

Paramount's decision to allow China Film Group to invest is a win-win situation, and they will be able to earn more money.

A global reach is not necessarily achievable.

"I'm back!"

"see you later!"

Wang Jidong found his seat and a viewpoint. The entire venue had about 500 seats, neatly arranged, and nearly a third of the Chinese journalists had come.

This time, Universal's press conference was definitely a major event, especially considering the scale of it; Chen Jin must have secured top-tier resources for "Fast & Furious 6".

The reporters, having scouted the location, returned to their hotels and began to enter the venue one after another around 9:15 a.m.

Unlike in the morning, the entire venue was already set up.

The first thing that catches the eye is the several huge posters at the entrance of the Waldorf Hotel. In addition to the main cast of "Fast & Furious", there is also a poster on the far right featuring Chen Jin's character image from "John Wick", which is combined with his handsome photos in his daily life.

They stood on the poster, one on the left and one on the right, at the far right.

In the middle is the position of a covered poster, which is also the largest one.

The content that will be released later will be opened simultaneously.

After the press conference, every reporter will see this prominent poster being lowered, which will be used by the reporters who attended the press conference to take photos and keep as news material.

Needless to say, the most important element of this press conference should be found on this poster.

It's very likely that these are promotional photos of Chen Jin with the main cast of "Fast & Furious," used for global promotion.

This is a typical Hollywood marketing strategy.

For example, if an actor participates in a major IP, then the movie promotional poster featuring him with the original main cast will definitely be released globally in advance!
The first wave of publicity was reported by media outlets around the world.

Hollywood has that capability.

The media will also proactively report on it.

Unlike films from mainland China, even those by Zhang Yimou, which are only released domestically at most, even with Christian Bale's involvement, "The Battle of Nanjing" couldn't achieve global distribution.

Only the six major Hollywood studios have the strength and financial resources for global marketing and distribution.

The more marketing and promotional expenses are spent, the higher the box office revenue may be.

This is the apex-of-the-pyramid effect.

Hollywood's century-long accumulation is not so easy to overcome. Replacing them as the mainstream of global culture is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it is a long-term battle.

If Chinese films can be released simultaneously in several Asian countries, Australia, and North America in the future, it would already be a step forward.

Apart from Hollywood films, no other country can actually do this.

China is now the second country outside of Hollywood to have films released almost globally.

Unfortunately, while the country's national strength has increased, the capabilities of its cultural workers have not kept pace, meaning there are no films that can resonate globally.

Things might get better after we have ten aircraft carriers, but cultural workers, such as directors, still need to improve their own capabilities in the same way.

Making bad movies will never get you on stage.

Even if I give you a chance, you won’t be able to use it!
Click! Click!
When Zhao Ling and his group arrived at the press conference venue, they saw many reporters taking pictures. The venue was decorated in a luxurious style. To the surprise of the Chinese reporters, in addition to the dazzling array of "Fast & Furious" posters, there were also "John Wick" posters and several Universal Pictures posters.

"It's possible that it's not just the start of filming for Fast & Furious 6!"

Zhao Ling found her seat and started talking to Li Defeng next to her.

But the moment he sat down and looked up, everyone in the room saw the large themed backdrop behind the main stage of the press conference.

At this time, none of the Universal staff had arrived; only the huge display board was there.

However, the text and images above are quite clear, and are obviously the theme of today's press conference.

Moreover, it has both Chinese and English labels.

"Holy crap, this is big news!"

Zhao Ling jumped up.

The logo and name of the company were prominently displayed, along with a promotional poster for "John Wick 2" on the side.

"Are Global and CETC going to cooperate?"

"Holy crap, is the electric powertrain company involved in Fast & Furious 6?"

"It should be the second John Wick movie, right?"

"Holy crap, if this works out..."

Many of the reporters present dared not even imagine it.

It should be noted that, in the past, Chinese journalists considered Hollywood blockbusters, even those with partner production companies, to be the exclusive domain of China Film Group.

Yes, only China Film Group can cooperate with the six major Hollywood studios.

Moreover, only China Film Group has that qualification.

Other film studios in Hollywood probably wouldn't even give you a second glance.

Seeing the science of film at the press conference was absolutely dazzling, it dazzled all the Chinese journalists present!
(End of this chapter)