Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 659 Salary Increase Wave in the Chinese Entertainment Industry? Yang Mi Protests After "The Message" is Released!
With the release of "The Message" imminent, many procedures need to be followed.

Feng Xiaogang and Chen Guofu, this long-time duo, are active again.

To be honest, for quite a long time before that, Feng Xiaogang was a rather low-key guy.

Yes, this is really unusual. The little cannon isn't firing much anymore, which has left many reporters feeling quite helpless.

After all, his firing of a shot was like breaking big news.

Now that the little cannon has stopped firing, the reporters are really worried.

However, Feng Xiaogang's low profile does have some advantages, namely, he can indeed focus on his work.

Although Feng Xiaogang wasn't the director of "The Message," they brought in Gao Qunshu, the "fat guy," to direct it. But Feng Xiaogang was really invested in the film and followed the crew around the whole time.

The filming location was in Dalian, where the scenery is quite beautiful.

The downside is that it's quite windy.

But none of that matters. What matters is that the film was well-made.

Feng Xiaogang is still very confident.

However, something rather strange happened before the film was released.

That is, Zhang Zhaolai approached Feng Xiaogang and Chen Guofu.

It should be said that everyone here is an old acquaintance. Feng Xiaogang had dealings with Zhang Zhao back when he was running a company with Wang Shuo.

So, there's nothing wrong with people building relationships and getting closer to each other.

However, Zhang Zhao still subtly conveyed a meaning.

That is, Jia Yueting still wanted to recruit Feng Xiaogang into his ranks.

Honestly, this guy's change in attitude made Feng Xiaogang feel a bit bored.

What kind of person is this? Always the same! Who do you think you are?
Feng Xiaogang has quite a temper; he's always been a hothead. If Zhang Zhao weren't someone we all knew well, he would have already started cursing.

However, Chen Guofu's attitude was quite interesting.

"Actually, we don't need to be at odds with money."

"Huh? You mean we should turn back?"

"It's not about turning back, but if he's sincere and puts in some money, then our upcoming film production will be a bit easier."

"Oh."

You know what, Chen Guofu's flexible stance is actually an advantage at this time.

Nowadays, it's rare for a single company to finance a film.

First, we need to understand a concept: when a film is funded by only one entity, it is called an independent production.

When a film is funded and produced by one person, it is called an independent producer.

Don't underestimate this independent production; it's truly an amazing entity.

However, times have changed.

DreamWorks was once the world's largest independent film production company, but in 2005, it was sold to Disney.

This company, DreamWorks, belongs to Spielberg and can be considered the most successful independent production company and producer in human history.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the path of independent filmmaking is a dead end!
Of course, there are many times when independent production is still necessary, for a simple reason: there is no capital to invest in it.

Therefore, Chen Guofu's suggestion to Feng Xiaogang was that they could do co-productions, only they should expand the scope a bit.

In fact, Feng Xiaogang has been working on co-productions until now. However, he used to rely on the Wang brothers, but now he plans to rely on Ma Xun.

In his opinion, Jia Yueting was somewhat unreliable.

But Chen Guofu's suggestion...

"In Huayi's name?"

Upon hearing Feng Xiaogang's words, Chen Guofu smiled and nodded.

These two are up to their own little schemes again.

Fortunately, everything is still normal for the movie "The Message".

……

Ma Xun had already made arrangements in advance.

The TV series "Lurking" propelled the spy genre to a super popular level, and that was the best strategy.

There have been spy dramas and movies before, but none of them have been as popular as "Lurking".

It became incredibly popular.

Its popularity is so great that not only have the main actors become much more famous, but even some previously unknown actors have suddenly risen to prominence.

The most obvious one to rise here is Zu Feng.

He wasn't really famous before, and it's not that he didn't have any works, but he just couldn't become popular. But after this drama, he suddenly became famous.

Li Ya, the Buddha Shrine, is a really interesting character.

Perhaps... well, it was while making the Buddhist shrine that he picked up the spirit of being serious, hardworking, frugal, and persistent, which is why he seemed so out of place.

Another minor supporting actor became famous. He was just an extra, but when they checked later... wow, he was a fugitive.

But actually, Sun Honglei is the most popular, and his rise to fame also brought about a landmark event in our Chinese entertainment industry.

Here's what happened.

Mr. Lu called me not long ago, and he seemed very happy.

"Haha! Mr. Ma, the male lead for our 'Warring States' drama has finally been decided."

Ma Xun probably knows what's going on.

"congratulations!"

That's right, that's exactly what Ma Xun replied.

Mr. Lu was even happier, "Hahaha... You don't know, it was really not easy to negotiate with that guy Sun Honglei."

"Oh, I'd love to hear the details."

"Mr. Ma, as you know, he's the hottest male celebrity right now, so of course we have to find him. This guy's been putting on airs with us..."

Actually, Mr. Lu didn't even need to explain; Mr. Ma had already heard the details of the salary.

After reading the script for "The Warring States", Sun Honglei naturally didn't want to take the role. However, everyone knew about Mr. Lu's background.

The Wanda Group is clearly not to be trifled with, and that's just their outward appearance.

So Sun Honglei didn't directly refuse; instead, he made a softer offer, demanding an incredibly high salary.

You could even call it magical.

There are many details involved in this salary calculation, but Ma Xun heard that it was probably based on the salary calculation methods of some big Hollywood stars.

Let's not talk about the amount of money yet, let's just talk about how the pay is calculated.

That means Sun Honglei doesn't need to go to the film set to film. He just stays at home. From the moment he wakes up, however much time he lingers in the hotel, that time will be counted and you will have to pay for it!
That's right, the biggest problem with this salary isn't actually how much it costs, but rather the way it's calculated.

That was obviously quite rude.

Sun Honglei originally thought that such a low fee would be enough to make the other party let it go, but to his surprise, Mr. Lu agreed immediately! Naturally, Sun Honglei himself was very surprised.

But since they had already agreed to his conditions, he had no choice but to accept the role.

What Mr. Lu said was basically the same as what Ma Xun heard, even the details were the same.

This is normal.

Because this is a landmark event in our entertainment industry!

In fact, there have been two landmark salary increase events in the mainland entertainment industry.

One of them was when Chen Kun filmed that TVB period drama. At the time, it was TVB's first time filming in mainland China, and to show their sincerity, they offered a large contract.

Two million.

This happened around 2005, when two million was already the ceiling for actor salaries in the domestic film and television industry.

Don't assume that celebrities earned a lot back then. Before that, it was considered good if a big star could earn a million for a single project.

Only a handful of people can actually achieve truly impressive figures. Stephen Chow earns around 20 million, while Jackie Chan and Jet Li can earn over 100 million.

Therefore, when a young actor like Chen Kun could earn two million, it directly triggered a wave of salary increases in the Chinese entertainment industry.

To be fair, the salaries of domestic stars at that time were reasonable, and the increase in salaries was not too exaggerated.

That is, it is acceptable to everyone.

Alright, now we're at the start of the second wave of salary increases!

Sun Honglei's incredibly high-priced contract, and the details of the salary calculation stipulated in it, directly triggered an extraordinary pay rise!
That's right, this time the salary increase in the Chinese entertainment industry is a bit excessive.

It's not just ordinary people who can't accept it; even some reputable film and television companies find it hard to accept.

Some people will definitely ask, then why are some companies willing to accept this?
Hehe, things are complicated here.

Simply put, some companies offer high salaries, but most of the money doesn't go to the stars themselves.

Moreover, the issue of high salaries has actually been taken seriously by the higher authorities for some time, and there have been multiple documents issued to restrict them.

However, various factors simply cannot restrict it.

More than a decade later, Ma Xun heard about some methods to limit actors' salaries, but he also heard about many ways to deal with them.

For example, in a certain project, Huang Sanshi was the director, screenwriter, and actor all at the same time... Do you understand?
They didn't receive high salaries; all the money they received was compliant with regulations.

He'd be perfectly capable of directing, and it's perfectly reasonable for him to write a screenplay...

This solution is just a very simple and ordinary one.

There are also financial tools.

For example, Chen Chichi and someone jointly started a company. Not long after, a listed company in the industry acquired the company for 1 million.

And what about this company?

This company has nothing; at most, it just has a name like Chen Chichi.

That's right, this is actually his salary, just presented in a different way.

The methods Ma Xun mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg.

As for other things like dual contracts, there's no need to elaborate.

Later I heard that they were all melons.

Now we're witnessing history!
Sun Honglei and Mr. Lu seem to have opened Pandora's box.

The entertainment industry is about to change again.

However, how did Ma Xun discuss this matter with Mr. Lu?
"It looks like the movie 'The Warring States' is destined to be a huge hit!"

Wow, this guy really knows how to talk.

Anyway, Mr. Lu was very happy.

Ma Xun also had a sense of fun in fooling fools.

Of course, this time they weren't just talking about "The Warring States" or how to deal with Sun Honglei.

They also need to talk about the movie "The Message".

This is what Ma Xun said.

"Wanda's cinema chain is just getting started, so why not use this movie to get off to a good start?"

What does this mean?
So confident!

After hearing this, Mr. Lu immediately laughed and said, "Mr. Ma, since you've said so, then I have nothing more to say."

Wanda will definitely treat this film as their first major production!

Alright, this is the most crucial step in operations, and we've completed it!
Ma Xun had already completed his plan, but some people still hadn't figured it out.

Li Xue is not yet an employee of Enlight Media, but this film, "The Message," stars her sister, so she naturally cannot neglect it.

But now... unable to resist any longer, he simply took the initiative to find Ma Xun.

Okay, let me make a phone call first.

But that's what Ma Xun said on the phone.

"Don't worry, you'll know after it's released."

Would Li Xue be satisfied with these words?
"Then at least you have to show up."

There was a certain flavor to her words.

Ma Xun laughed and said, "Are you itchy?"

Li Xue hung up the phone immediately after hearing this, but in reality, she was blushing.

And so, "The Message" was released.

Just at the tail end of the summer movie season.

And Ma Xun did indeed appear on the day of the premiere.

However, Li Xue had intended to say something to him, but someone beat him to it.

"Uncle! Why did you let him play a supporting role?"

Yang Mi appeared with Ma Xun openly and without any attempt to hide her intentions.

Clearly, she already knew about the "Bad Genius" project.

So, is she here to express her protest?

Ma Xun's answer was very straightforward.

"In terms of film, you're no different from a newcomer."

These words made Xiao Mi blush.

Yes, the mistress came to protest, but not really to protest...

However, after witnessing this scene, Li Xue couldn't help but feel that he had lost.

He lost because of his age...

(End of this chapter)