Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 702 Han Dong's Problem

Li Qiutang has visited Chengdu many times. Apart from not being able to get used to spicy hot pot, he has a great liking for the city, especially for roasted rabbit.

Of course, I came to Chengdu for work.

But you can also relax and unwind after work.

He's currently having tea with Chairman Han in Jinli Ancient Street near Wuhou Temple.

After retiring from China Film Group in 14, Han Dong has almost disappeared from the media spotlight.

Although he said he would still work in the film and television industry when he retired, audiences have not seen any of his productions, productions, or supervisions in the four years since his retirement.

It's not that he didn't want to work. After he retired, he was offered roles as a consultant, producer, or executive producer by numerous production teams, but he didn't accept any of them.

He may be the most powerful head in the history of China Film Group, and one of the most powerful filmmakers in Chinese film history.

He has made indelible and outstanding contributions to Chinese cinema, and of course, he has also been subjected to countless insults.

He hasn't made any films for four years. Audiences may not know the real reason, but some well-informed people in the industry can more or less guess a thing or two.

Of course, we can't describe Mr. Han's retirement life as a complete collapse of his family; he still has many people around him.

At the very least, Li Qiutang should be grateful for Chairman Han's appreciation back then.

Mr. Han leaned back in his chair, smoking a cigarette, and said in a deliberately relaxed manner, "Right now, I don't want anything else but for Jia Nu to get married and have a baby. I'm retired, but I haven't become a grandfather yet."

Li Qiutang said, "How dare you say such a thing in front of a beautiful woman?"

Chairman Han said, "I'm just a retired old man, and I have to listen to her now."

The two drank tea and chatted casually. Han congratulated him on being shortlisted for the Cannes main competition: "I didn't expect you to be such a versatile guy. Your first art film was shortlisted for the Cannes main competition."

"Just lucky." This wasn't modesty. Although he received an invitation from the selectors, he was still a newcomer in the art-house film circle, and Cannes wouldn't give him much face. So after submitting his application, he wasn't confident about the main competition. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to both Venice and Venice, "just to join in the fun."

Chairman Han said, "It's fine to join in the fun; many people want to join but can't."

Li Qiutang refilled Han Dong's cup with water and said, "Are you really just going to enjoy your retirement?"

Li Qiutang was too naive to try and get information out of him. Chairman Han said, "I'm retired. What else can I do but enjoy my retirement?"

"Let's give the newcomers some work as producers or executive producers, and let them warm up before they start working out."

"What else can I possibly do to warm up for the event?" Chairman Han waved his hand, indicating that he still had some things to take care of and was not yet ready to come out.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and talked about things they wouldn't normally discuss. They mentioned the industry's rapid development, with box office numbers easily reaching 3 billion or 4 billion, and "Wolf Warrior 2" even reaching 5 billion.

A prosperous market is what Chairman Han most wants to see.

However, Han Dong also mentioned an industry drawback he observed: the distribution channels are being monopolized by Maoyan and Taopiaopiao.

“In the past, each company had its own methods for distribution. Huayi Brothers, Guangxian, and Bona Film Group were all using their own unique methods. Now, with online ticketing becoming the mainstream, without the participation of Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, your film simply cannot be distributed.”

It seems that Chairman Han is unaware that Maoyan has been acquired by Qiutian Pictures. Li Qiutang is also the chairman of Maoyan; he is that damned monopolistic capitalist.

But there's nothing we can do about it. The internet may not affect production, but it can definitely change distribution.

It's impossible to go back to the days of distributors going from city to city, drinking at each cinema, like they did 10 years ago. Li Qiutang then has to argue: "Our cinema chains are still taking on too many distribution rights." A recurring issue.

“90% of the production company’s revenue comes from the box office, and the cinemas take half of that.” With only a dozen or so cinemas in the fall, Li Qiutang certainly couldn’t speak up for the cinemas. “Now the cost of making films is getting higher and higher, and all the risks are on the production companies, while the cinemas just make money without lifting a finger.”

But Chairman Han still heard about Qiu Tian's achievements in making film and television merchandise.

"We are doing well compared to our domestic counterparts. Hollywood's box office revenue only accounts for one-third of their total revenue, and we are far behind them."

After finishing their tea, Li Qiutang invited Chairman Han to visit Mojing Tianhe to see the production of "The Wandering Earth" and "Ne Zha". He said, "These are our company's biggest projects for the next two years."

The investment in "Ne Zha" was only 6000 million yuan. That's a bit of an exaggeration.

But what Chairman Han didn't know was that his boasting was just that—boasting.

He also expressed his optimism about the future of animated films: "We have invested in about 30 animation companies, and there are more than 20 animated film projects in production or preparation. There is more room for development in animated films." Li Qiutang cited an example of an animation director he admires: "Look at Satoshi Kon's 'Millennium Actress'. Only animation can do that kind of creativity and editing."

Satoshi Kon himself has publicly stated that one of the main reasons he doesn't make live-action films is that live-action films cannot achieve the editing style he wants.

However, a major problem facing animated films is their extremely long production cycle.

Animated films are not filmed; they are purely produced, which means their production cycle is much longer than that of a typical live-action film.

As the cycle lengthens, costs will increase.

The cost mentioned here is not compared to live-action films, but within the animated film industry.

Are you crazy?! Investing 50 or 60 million in an animated film?!
It will take some time to change this view, and it will require a super blockbuster animated film.

Han Dong had been looking at Mo Jing Tian He for a long time. He had only been retired for four years, but he found that he almost didn't recognize Li Qiutang anymore.

In particular, the reform of the Changchun Film Festival was basically led by Li Qiutang, which was a very important and complex task.

Fortunately, Li Qiutang persisted in the film and television industry and continued to make films on the front lines.

"Is the Changchun Film Festival about to start this year?" During dinner, Chairman Han brought up the Changchun Film Festival again.

"Yes. What I care about most is the venture capital conference. We achieved a lot last time, and registration for this year's conference has already started. The scale is at least 50% larger than the year before last."

The box office of "Wrath of Silence" has exceeded 100 million yuan, which is very attractive to some venture capital companies for newcomers - Deer Ventures really gives money, really incubates, and can really produce results!

Li Qiutang also whispered to Chairman Han, "I thought it would be simple if I didn't do it, but I only realized how complicated it is after I started."

"Take your time, you're still young, you have plenty of time."

Li Qiutang still wanted to try to persuade Chairman Han to serve as the producer of her film.

“We are working on two TV series, ‘The Hidden Corner’ and ‘The Silent Truth,’ which are crime and suspense dramas. They have some sensitive content, and they don’t have experience with that. Could you take a look?”

Chairman Han did not immediately refuse, but said, "Let's talk about it later, there's no rush now."

It seemed he still had some unresolved issues, so Li Qiutang didn't bring them up again.

(End of this chapter)