Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 691 Must Keep an Eye on Ursula

What Li Qiutang said could be described as solving the problem at its root, or as being a rogue.

When someone comes to you for advice or suggestions, the premise is that the project needs to be kept going. But you, instead of offering to help, directly ask them to take their money. What's the point of even talking about that?

Could a seasoned veteran like Song Ge in the film and television industry not have thought of this trick?
That's why they couldn't use that approach, and Yanjing Culture lacked experience in managing blockbuster films, which is why they came to Li Qiutang for advice.

Song Ge recounted in detail the difficulties he encountered with "Fengshen," and finally said, "Everyone says your company has an advanced production management system. Tell me, what would you do if you encountered this kind of problem?"

Over the years, Autumn Pictures has sent many people, especially producers and management, to Hollywood for study and observation, for periods ranging from ten days to half a month to a year.

We have learned a lot of advanced experience, but it is not realistic to apply it completely. After all, the environments of the two countries are different. Over the years, we have stumbled and explored our own management methods.

Seeing that Song Ge was genuinely seeking advice, Li Qiutang said, "Let's talk about this privately. A trilogy for 30 billion is a great gimmick, but anyone who actually spends 30 billion is a fool." He was saying 30 billion, but if he could actually spend 25 billion, Song Ge would be considered generous.

Song Ge didn't mind being spoken to like that; people don't mince words, especially when it comes to Li Qiutang.

"Since you don't want him to do any amateur auditions, your team first needs to assess how much each film will cost and give a rough range. For example, for the first film's production and marketing, give him 700 million, which is already very high. The first film needs to make a name for itself, so giving him a higher budget is no problem. Then divide the budget, for example, 550 million for production and 150 million for marketing. Marketing can be put aside for now. Then divide the production budget again, how much for actors' salaries, how much for filming, how much for post-production. The more detailed the budget, the better. Each part of the funds should be used for its designated purpose and managed by different production and finance teams."

"Another trick is to sign a guarantee with the director's team. The director can't just spend money without taking any risks. It's such a big project. Agree on when filming must start, when filming must wrap up, and when production must be completed. Set all the deadlines for him. If he doesn't meet the deadlines, the director will be punished. If you don't set a deadline for him, he can do whatever he wants. If he spends three or five years selecting and training actors, will your company still be able to stay in business?"

"Furthermore, appoint a strong supervisor and producer to help you manage the production's progress. You can't let the entire crew be his people." Of course, Li Qiutang's crew was entirely his people, and no one could control him.

This last point struck a chord with Song Ge, and he quickly said, "Why don't you be the producer for me?"

Li Qiutang was taken aback. Good heavens, skilled hunters really do disguise themselves as prey.

“You don’t need to pay anything, and I’ll even give you a share of the profits,” Song Ge added. He must have taken into account Li Qiutang’s schedule. With “The Wandering Earth” finished filming and Zhang Zhao managing the company, Li Qiutang probably wouldn’t be making any films for the next year or two, so it would be perfect for him to be the producer.

Li Qiutang laughed and said, "I really can't do it. I'm busy with the post-production of 'The Wandering Earth,' and the company also has a project that needs me to produce."

Song Ge then offered a compromise: "Then give me Chen Zhixi. She's the most renowned gold-medal producer in the industry, and she'll definitely be able to manage Wuershan well."

“Zhixi won’t do either.” Li Qiutang rejected Song Ge again. “I still need her to oversee the post-production coordination of ‘The Wandering Earth,’ and she is also in charge of the Chinese coordination for ‘Mulan.’ I would feel bad for her if I added more burden to her.”

Liu Yifei added, "Zhixi even complained to me that she doesn't even have time to see her husband."

“Look, if I give her another job, she’ll definitely tear my house down.”

However, Li Qiutang was not a heartless person. He gave Song Ge an idea: "Why don't you ask Teacher Huang Jianxin to be your producer? No matter how big a name he is, would he dare to act arrogantly in front of Teacher Huang?"

This producer must be genuinely involved in the production and management of the crew, not just a figurehead. Huang Jianxin hasn't been very busy these past two years, so if we talk it out properly, he should be able to help Song Ge with this.

However, Song Ge still received a promise from Li Qiutang: Li Qiutang would send the company's production management manager to the "Fengshen" production team to help out and share his experience. Song Ge also revealed that the "Fengshen" acting training camp had already started before the Lunar New Year, and more than 30 actors were undergoing intensive training at the China Film Group base in Huairou.

"You don't know who will play whom until the very last moment of filming. You might train for months and then be told that you've been eliminated."

Li Qiutang really likes the acting training camp format, which may be one of the few contributions of "Investiture of the Gods".

"If you have time, come visit me and give some lessons to the young people."

This isn't difficult; Li Qiutang promised to go and take a look.

But Li Qiutang sensed something was off about this training camp and asked, "This proton group is really strange."

"Why is it weird?"

Li Qiutang said, "I had this feeling when I heard you talk about the script of 'Investiture of the Gods' just now."

"It's alright, just tell me if you have any questions."

“A hostage is a person held by a feudal lord and kept by the king. How can you let a hostage lead troops into battle? If the hostage dies on the battlefield, how can you control the feudal lords? Not to mention, you are letting the hostage fight against his own father. Blood is thicker than water. It is already unfair for him to be a hostage in your hands. What if he turns against you in the face of battle? What will you do then?”
"If this problem is not solved, it will greatly affect the movie viewing experience."

Song Ge hadn't really considered this issue before. Of course he understood film, but he wasn't a top-tier creator, and he wasn't more professional than anyone else when it came to screenwriting.

Li Qiutang continued speaking to Song Ge:
“There were indeed hostage legions in history, but the hostages during the Shang and Zhou dynasties were definitely not hostage legions. I don’t know why your script emphasizes this hostage group so much. Of course, it is an innovation, but I can’t say how effective it will be.”

Song Ge thought for a while and said, "This meal today was really worthwhile. I learned a lot. As they say, an outsider's perspective is often clearer. Sometimes you really have to listen to the opinions of a third party."

That's what they said, but Li Qiutang couldn't really tell how much Song Ge had taken to heart.

After the dinner, Li Qiutang had a few drinks and Liu Yifei drove her.

The cold wind cleared Li Qiutang's head considerably. Sitting in the car, she slapped her thigh and said, "I shouldn't have said so much just now. Their project is progressing so well. Why did I act like such a big shot and say so much, criticizing their project as if I were some kind of genius?"

But Liu Yifei doesn't think so: "We have no vested interest in his project. Telling him about the problems is to help the project move forward better. Since he came to us for advice, we've done our duty as friends. Whether he listens or makes changes is his business."

Li Qiutang thought about it and realized it was true. Liu Yifei then asked, "Why didn't you vote for 'Investiture of the Gods'? I think he still wants to recruit you."

"This project isn't very interesting, not as good as 'The Wandering Earth.' I told him before that he wanted me to invest, and it wouldn't be a big deal for me to throw in five or ten million to take a share. But he wanted the company to provide resources, and the company has its own production schedule. We couldn't reach an agreement. Hey, let's stop at the gas station up ahead and I need to use the restroom."

(End of this chapter)