Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 58 Super Web Drama Project
It can be seen that Leshi.com really values Meng Bai. Less than a week after he submitted the planning proposal and setting set of the "Green Ivy Series", Liu Jun told him that the board of directors had approved it.

"Mr. Meng, you don't know that when I told them your plan, the people at the website and the strategic department thought I was crazy. They said it was the first time they heard that an online drama could have a 'series universe'. Those who opposed it looked like they wanted to send me away directly." On the phone, Liu Jun told Meng Bai about the hardships he had gone through to get this series approved.

"Really?" Meng Bai flattered enthusiastically, "Then I have to thank Mr. Liu for his righteous words, otherwise I think it would be difficult for this plan to be approved so quickly. So, I'll treat you tonight, and after dinner, I'll go for a massage to relieve your fatigue."

"Hey, Mr. Meng, you're too polite. This is a mutually beneficial thing. I'm responsible for the production of the website's entertainment content. The better your performance, the better my life will be." Liu Jun said a few polite words, then set a time with Meng Bai in the evening.

After the pleasantries, Liu Jun instructed Meng Bai: "Although the board of directors has approved your series, there are also requirements. The website will set a benchmark data indicator at that time. Only after the performance of the previous series meets this minimum standard will they continue to cooperate on the next series. Of course, we can negotiate the specific standard."

"Okay, this condition is fair." Meng Bai said.

He had never thought that Leshi.com would agree to all his requests without reservation, and he had anticipated some of the other party's conditions. The current method was relatively more in line with the common interests of both parties.

However, Meng Bai immediately added, "Mr. Liu, I would like to add one more condition. If Leshi.com does not fulfill the subsequent contract due to unilateral reasons, then Arclight Films will take back the copyright of all works in the series."

"This..." Liu Jun was surprised and asked, "Why, Brother Meng, are you still worried that our Leshi.com might go back on its word?"

"No, I still have great trust in our Leshi." Meng Bai said, "But you also know that my Arclight Films is just a small 'shell company', so I always have to leave some way out for myself."

Liu Jun pondered for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense. Let's discuss it again. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"Okay, Brother Liu, I'm counting on you." Meng Bai said, "Then we'll see you tonight."

"it is good."
-
After the planning of the "Green Ivy Series" was approved, Meng Bai quickly completed the script for the first work in this series, "Psychological Crime".

Compared with "Soul Ferry", in addition to the different subject matter, "Psychological Crime" will have comprehensive improvements in plot content, scene size, crew size, number of actors and production accuracy.

What followed was a significant increase in investment budget.

"Twenty-five million. To achieve the quality of a 'TV series' as you said, a budget of at least twenty-five million is needed."

In the office of Arclight Films, Wu Bai looked at the script plan in his hand and gave Meng Bai an estimated number.

Although they were "teamed up halfway", Wu Bai and Meng Bai worked very well together during the filming of "Soul Ferry", and the final effect of the film also proved the level of this middle-aged director.

In line with the principle of "go for the familiar rather than the new", Meng Bai, the director of "Psychological Crime" this time, still chose Wu Bai.

Besides, this big brother, like Meng Bai, originally made crime-themed films, and now he can be considered to be returning to his original career.

Wu Bai did not hesitate to accept the invitation after reading the script. Then, he received Meng Bai's first request, that the quality of the play should be up to the standard of a TV series.

"Budget is not a problem." Meng Bai said: "This time Leshi.com has made a big investment, and the budget funds have been allocated to this amount."

As he said this, he made a "two" gesture.

"Twenty million?" Wu Bai guessed doubtfully.

"Two million."

"..."Wu Bai looked at Meng Bai speechlessly, with an expression that said "Are you kidding me?"

"Two million per episode." Meng Bai added.

Wu Bai's eyes suddenly widened. Two million per episode, according to the volume of the script of twenty-four episodes, that would be forty-eight million!
"Is Leshi.com crazy?" Wu Bai blurted out.

It's no wonder that he was shocked. No one could imagine why a web drama was made at a cost of nearly 50 million yuan.

Meng Bai guessed that he would have this reaction, and said with a smile: "It's hard to say whether it's crazy or not, but Leshi.com is so generous, mainly for their recently proposed 'Super Web Drama Project'."

"Super web series?" Wu Bai was puzzled. "You can think of it as a high-quality web series with big investment and high standards, comparable to TV series." Meng Bai explained.

Wu Bai was still confused: "But what is the benefit of doing this?"

"Of course it's for the stock price." Meng Bai said incisively.

As a well-known "PPT God of War" and "King of Cross-Track Competition", Boss Jia has always emphasized a concept to the investors of Leshi.com, called "Internet Intelligent Entertainment Ecological Chain".

What it roughly means is that Leshi.com wants to create a complete "entertainment industry" closed loop from content incubation, platform dissemination, network promotion to smart terminals.

All along, Leshi.com has been developing along the route planned by Boss Jia, including websites, sports programs, film companies, smart TVs... There are even rumors that Leshi wants to make mobile phones and electric cars in the future.

Anyway, for anything related to Internet entertainment, Boss Jia has to put out a whole PPT and shout out to the investors in the primary and secondary markets.

In the past, Leshi.com has always been at a disadvantage in content incubation. Most of the platform content, similar to that of several other companies, was achieved through "buying, buying and buying".

However, with the gradual increase of copyright awareness among the domestic public and the improvement of relevant national laws and regulations, the prices of various IP copyrights have also risen sharply in the past two years. When these costs are reflected in Leshi's financial reports, they will reduce corporate profits.

In addition, there is another point, that is, they are all bought, so what is the difference between Leshi.com and other video websites? If we really talk about wealth, Penguin Video and Youku are much richer than Leshi.

It was not until Meng Bai's "Soul Ferry" was launched that Leshi finally had a good content incubation case. And during the broadcast period around the Spring Festival, Leshi's stock price also rose sharply following the popularity of "Soul Ferry".

The stock market, especially the secondary market, is full of rumors. No matter whether a stock goes up or down, there will always be a reason for it.

Therefore, no matter how much "Soul Ferry" helped the rise in Leshi.com's stock price, investors believed this statement anyway.

This is exactly what Boss Jia wants. Since you like this reason, I will give you more.

It happened that Meng Bai proposed the idea of the "Green Ivy Series" at this time, so after a discussion at Leshi.com, he proposed the plan of this "super web drama".

The first work planned is Meng Bai’s new drama "Psychological Crime".

With an investment of nearly 50 million, it is indeed worthy of the title of "super web drama".

Of course, there is a lot of "water" in this money, and not all of it will be invested in the production of the series.

For example, the operating expenses of Leshi.com, the platform's publicity and promotion expenses, and subsequent publicity and promotion expenses, etc. will all be included.

To put it bluntly, Leshi.com is just transferring money from one hand to the other, bragging to fool the market. The actual production funds that can be calculated are only about 30 million.

In fact, an investment of 30 million is not small for an online drama, and the money is not all paid by Leshi.com itself.

Meng Bai's Arc Light Films invested five million yuan - it wasn't a lot of money, but he finally managed to become an investor.

Next are Leshi.com and Leshi Pictures, which together received about 15 million.

The remaining share was divided among two other financial companies specializing in film and television venture capital.

In the film and television industry, unless it is a small investment like the previous "Soul Ferry", any project of any scale will usually involve multiple investors.

This is done to share the risk and also to avoid eating alone.

In this business, those who eat alone will not go far.

　Thanks to “天下虽大” for the reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)