Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 186 Yan Li: Not a master of hype, I'm a prince of truth.

In May, "Railway Guerrilla" began promoting itself on terrestrial channels, with a planned broadcast on satellite TV during the summer season.

Currently, Shandong TV and Henan TV have basically confirmed their purchase, and Inner Mongolia TV is also interested, but due to insufficient funds and a low asking price, it is likely to be moved to the second round.

Based on the contracts already finalized and those under negotiation, Yi'an made a rough estimate.

The total box office revenue for "Railway Guerrilla" is estimated to be between 2200 million and 2600 million.

Of course, this is just a rough estimate, and the actual outcome will depend on the broadcast and subsequent actions.

However, considering the limitations of the red theme, as well as the cost of the TV series and the current situation, unless the ratings explode, the possibility of reaching 3000 million is extremely low. However, the lower limit is guaranteed, basically guaranteeing 2000 million.

The TV series "Railway Guerrilla" was said to have cost 1800 million yuan to produce, but the actual cost was less than 1500 million yuan.

Because of the subject matter, they were able to receive a lot of related subsidies and support, so the actual investment from each production company was less than 1000 million.

This is why some small and medium-sized companies like to produce films with patriotic themes.

If you can secure a subsidy, and if you handle it well, you can film the series for only a small amount of money, and then sell it to make a profit.

Even worse, some don't even sell, and simply make money off the subsidies.

First, set up a project, try to get a few million in subsidies, then find a few investors to raise some money, or find investors first and then try to get subsidies. It depends on the specific situation; it's all about fooling both sides.

In the end, half of it was used for filming, and the other half went into pocket. If the TV series could be sold, they would be sold; if not, they would just sit in the warehouse collecting dust.

Therefore, although the revenue of "Railway Guerrilla" was not much, after deducting subsidies, the profits of each production company were actually quite considerable.

Yi An obtained a 30% share of the drama by releasing it for free with over 300 million views.

However, the distribution was mainly handled by Shandong Film & Television, with Yi An only participating and not contributing much.

Therefore, the main method is still profit sharing based on shareholding, with a return of about 600 to 800 million, which is more than double the initial investment, so it's not bad.

Yan Li didn't just invest in this script to make money.

Compared to the millions in revenue, the greater benefit is that Yi An now has an excellent revolutionary-themed work under her name, and through this, she has strengthened her ties with Shandong Province, Shandong TV, and her hometown of Zaozhuang City.

Taking this opportunity, he could go back and find the media to praise Yan Li's deep affection for his hometown and his spirit of carrying on the tradition, and then donate some money.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Yan Li should be able to win several awards from his hometown of Shandong Province and Zaozhuang City this year.

For example, honors such as "Outstanding Youth of the Province or City", "Outstanding Literary and Art Worker", "Person of the Year with Influence", and "Charity Role Model".

Given Yan Li's current level, national-level honors are not easy to obtain, and the competition in Beijing is fierce, so honors and titles from his hometown are extremely cost-effective.

It's hard to say how much support these titles and honors will garner, but they're certainly impressive enough.

Whether it's the underworld or the legitimate world, they'll at least give you some face; it's better than nothing.

This also serves as a prelude, making it easier for Yan Li to further strengthen his relationship with his hometown in the future, and to continue striving for national-level honors.

There's "Railway Guerrilla," followed by "Bright Sword," and this year Yi An also released several projects with patriotic themes.

Yan Li felt he was already quite "famous," and with the company's rapid development and some plans for next year, he estimated he would soon be "entering the inner circle" (a euphemism for gaining official recognition).

...

Besides "Railway Guerrilla" which has been broadcast and is preparing to be broadcast on satellite TV, "Happy Seven Fairies" and "Chinese Paladin" are both airing.

The former needs no introduction; it was one of the most popular dramas at the beginning of the year. Although it wasn't as popular as the initial broadcast, its influence has remained considerable.

The story is further complicated by the conflict between two soldiers and Dong Xuan, the "ex-girlfriend," making it a highly gossipy tale that has been widely circulated.

Actresses like Jiang Xin, Yang Xue, and Huo Siyan, whose fame is less than that of others or whose representative roles are not particularly prominent, are now being given titles or prefixes such as "Fourth Fairy," "Sixth Fairy," and "Seventh Fairy."

Including Dong Xuan and Li Lin, they also took turns being the eldest, third fairy, goddess dragon, and Du Bingyan.

Unfortunately, if an actor isn't that famous individually, then using a role in a hit drama to gain wider recognition is a viable strategy.

Fan Xiaopang now gives a cold shoulder when Jin Suo is mentioned, but back then he did quite a bit of freelancing for "My Fair Princess".

Even now, when many people mention her, their first impression is still that little maid.

Among the actresses who played the Seven Fairies, Huo Siyan was the one who danced the most enthusiastically and was tied up the deepest.

On the one hand, she is the female lead and is indeed one of the biggest beneficiaries of the show. On the other hand, she is ostracized by Dong and Fan and cannot get any follow-up resources for Yan Li, so she can only rely on "Happy Seven Fairies".

Although the various pairings and excessive exposure have caused some controversy, it must be said that Huo Siyan's fame is now second only to Shuang Bing and Dong Xuan.

If Dong Xuan hadn't been exposed as Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend" and gotten caught up in the scandal, which boosted her fame, Huo might have made it into the top three.

While Huo may not be considered a rising star now, she is certainly a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

Although the latter, "Chinese Paladin," did not achieve phenomenal ratings when it aired on satellite TV, it still performed remarkably well thanks to Yi An's distribution efforts.

With its intense broadcast on television stations in major cities and regions, as well as its high popularity online, it became one of the hottest TV dramas in the first half of 2005.

The male and female leads, Hu Ge and Liu Tianxian, have seen their fame skyrocket.

Hu Ge has almost transformed from a newcomer into a rising star, while Liu Yifei is the leader of the new generation of actresses. With her pleasing image and positioning, she enjoys immense popularity.

It is said that he is planning to sign with Sony and enter the music industry, and will also go to Japan for training.

Yan Li didn't quite understand this line of thinking. There's nothing wrong with developing multiple careers in film, television, and music; everyone does it. But when you're at the peak of your career, there's no need to stop filming and go abroad for training.

There might be other plans, plus there's a Zhang Dahuzi version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" that hasn't aired yet, so they have the confidence to be capricious.

Other supporting actors in "Chinese Paladin" such as Eddie Peng and Ady An have also gained widespread recognition.

At the media open day for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" a few days ago, the number of reporters interviewing Ady An was almost catching up with Jiang Xin and Yang Xue, who also became famous through "Happy Seven Fairies" and the Spring Festival Gala.

However, because it cannot be broadcast on satellite TV for the time being, the revenue can only be obtained through terrestrial channels, and Yi An has not yet recouped the costs from this drama.

However, there are also many hidden benefits.

Yi An appeared in two blockbuster films in the first half of this year: "Happy Seven Fairies" and "Chinese Paladin".

Yan Li's reputation as a "genius producer" is growing, which has led to increased attention on his involvement in "Investiture of the Gods" and "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng".

Another work that contributed to Yan Li's reputation was "The Migrant Workers' Survival".

Yan Li suffered a minor setback in this drama.

Apart from "Chinese Paladin" which failed to be broadcast on satellite TV due to policy reasons, this drama is the only "normal TV series" in his career that did not successfully get broadcast on satellite TV.

There's nothing we can do; the subject matter is too sensitive, and the media keeps stirring up trouble. It's a miracle it hasn't been banned yet.

Yan Li plans to lay low for a while, then change his name next year or the year after, and see if he can get his work broadcast on a satellite TV channel.

Putting aside the sensitive issue, the show's ratings are quite good, and its reputation is exceptionally good, receiving much praise. Given the relatively low public pressure, it's likely that a TV station will buy it.

Although it wasn't broadcast on a major television network, the show had a small budget and received positive reviews, generating considerable buzz.

Local channels and city/county stations don't have as many concerns, and some are still willing to buy them. Breaking even shouldn't be a problem, and they might even make a small profit of one or two million.

Yan Li had these plans in mind beforehand, and he would be satisfied if he could break even.

The key is its high reputation, which gives Yi'an another brand. It's a pity that the subject matter is not good enough, otherwise she might have won some awards.

"Conquest", "Detective Dee", "Happy Seven Fairies", "Chinese Paladin", "Migrant Workers' Survival"

The dramas produced or co-produced by Yi An have achieved great success, popularity, and critical acclaim.

It has shed its former makeshift nature and transformed into a well-known company in the industry.

In other words, film and television companies currently lack capital involvement, valuations, and IPOs.

Otherwise, Yi'an Films would at least be valued at over 100 million yuan, and Boss Yan's "net worth" could increase even further.

...

Yi'an Film & Television is developing rapidly, and its boss, Yan Li, is a prominent figure, naturally attracting much attention and discussion. The most straightforward and intriguing question is—how much money does Yan Li have?
Two years ago, when Yan Li first started his career with "Conquest", he revealed that he was worth tens of millions.

Now his company is producing a series of excellent works and has been operating several projects worth tens of millions. He also gifted Fan Xiaopang a luxury car worth millions, which is definitely more than ten or twenty million.

Conservative estimates put Yan Li's net worth at least 5000 million.

Some people speculate that it's worth hundreds of millions, but opinions are divided.

These days, money is still very valuable. A million can make you feel moderately wealthy, ten million can make you a millionaire, and a hundred million is a figure that most people can hardly imagine.

However, when a reporter came to the set to interview him and asked about this, Yan Li did not deny the speculation, but gave an ambiguous answer.

"more or less."

These four words have caused quite a stir outside. A 24-year-old billionaire, who started from scratch, is incredibly wealthy.

Wealth can be blinding, and some have praised him as a business legend of the post-80s generation, turning his previously negative image around.

Even Fan Xiaopang was exonerated. Stealing a man makes one a mistress, but stealing a super-rich bachelor is bravely pursuing love, which is reasonable and understandable.

Of course, there are also many who believe that Yan Li is deliberately hyping things up.

The public isn't stupid; there are plenty of smart people out there. The battle between the two soldiers and the battle between the phoenix and the eagle showed many signs of hype, and some people online have already called Yan Li a "hype master."

Therefore, it is suspected that he is marketing himself as a billionaire to increase attention and attract investment for his project or company.

That's absolutely right. Yan Li's flaunting of wealth is just a publicity stunt and a way to promote himself.

Contrary to popular belief, he is indeed a billionaire; it's both hype and fact.

Thinking about it this way, Yan Li felt a little wronged. He shouldn't be called a hype master, but rather a little prince of truth.

The hype surrounding the rivalry between the two soldiers actually involved sleeping with both of them.

He's hyped up as a billionaire, but he really does have that much money.

Regardless of who wins or loses in this hype about the battle between Phoenix and Eagle, at least they're genuinely prepared to fight.

The external disturbances also affected the production teams of "Investiture of the Gods" and "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" to some extent.

When Yan Li sometimes passed by the film set, he always felt that some women looked at him with particularly intense eyes, and a very small number of men did the same.

Therefore, he now always has several people with him to prevent anyone from ambush or kidnapping him.

The women he was involved with also had varying emotions.

Wang Ou's eyes lit up every day, Wu Jiani was shy and timid, and Qin Lan had mixed feelings, both happy and conflicted.

Even a fortune of tens of millions is hard to defend against; now that he's become a billionaire, the enemy has to go from a reinforced platoon to a reinforced company or even a reinforced battalion.

How could she possibly hold them off alone?!

Fan Xiaopang was relatively the calmest, after all, he had witnessed Yan Li's extravagant spending firsthand.

At that time, she suspected that this scoundrel was richer than the outside world thought, and that his willingness to sign Yi An was also due to his trust in Yan Li's ability and financial resources.

However, she was still slightly shocked when she learned that Yan Li admitted to being worth hundreds of millions.

Compared to his immense wealth, what's most striking about Yan Li is his young age and the short time it took him to amass his fortune.

She's not even 25 years old yet, and it's only been two years since she rose to fame with "Conquest." She's grown from a recent graduate to this level so quickly. If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she probably would have suspected it was all a publicity stunt.

The thought of her mother calling specifically to inquire about her and Yan Li's situation made Fan Xiaopang feel a little irritated.

She should seize the opportunity; this bastard is both a womanizer and heartless, can she really handle him?!
After finishing work, Fan Xiaopang returned to the hotel with a sullen face and carrying her small bag. She ran into Wang Ou and Wu Jiani coming back from outside. Wang Ou couldn't help but glance at her, and she immediately retorted.

"Why are you looking at me? Who gave you permission to look?"

"Hey!"

Even if Wang Ou didn't want to clash with Fan Xiaopang, he couldn't stand her domineering attitude.

"You own this hotel all by yourself, I can't even take a peek when I pass by."

"No, I won't let you see it."

Fearing the two would fight, Wu Jiani quickly pulled Wang Ou away, saying, "Don't provoke her, she's in a bad mood right now."

"As if I'm in a good mood."

Wang Ou's face was very ugly; she knew why Fan Xiaopang was like a powder keg right now.

Although Yan Li kept quiet, there were still some rumors circulating in the production crew that Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang had a conflict while filming.

Moreover, judging from Yan Li's attitude afterward, Fan Xiaopang lost this dispute.

Wang Ou was initially very gloating, thinking that the guy surnamed Fan had bullied her, and now he was being bullied himself. But later she couldn't laugh anymore.

Although Fan Xiaopang often monopolized Yan Li before, it wasn't to the point that Yan Li had to stay with her all the time. At least Wang Ou could still get some soup.

Now that Qin Lan has arrived, let alone soup, she can't even see the bones.

To prevent any sneak attacks, Qin Lan even encouraged Yan Li to move out of the current hotel and switch places with him. In addition, since she had fewer roles and wouldn't be tied up with filming, she could spend both day and night with Yan Li.

Fan Xiaopang went from heaven to hell, and she fell from hell to the eighteenth level of hell.

Without Yan Li's mediation and support, resentment grew, and Fan Xiaopang became a powder keg. Wang Ou was also filled with anger.

Wang Ou disliked Fan Xiaopang, but now he dislikes Qin Lan even more.

On the surface, she is gentle and kind, always smiling at everyone, but in reality, she is ruthless and vicious. Fan Xiaopang was absolutely right; she is a living Zhihua.

The boss was also confused, actually being blinded by this kind of woman.

Wang Ou suffered repeated blows and lost his composure, so he couldn't help but look at Wu Jiani again.

She couldn't hesitate any longer; if things continued like this, she would be kicked out sooner or later. She had to increase her leverage.

Meanwhile, Fan Xiaopang angrily returned to his room, about to vent his anger on a pillow, when his phone suddenly rang.

Upon hearing the familiar caller ID, Fan Xiaopang's face lit up with joy; he knew that this scoundrel couldn't resist.

Just as I was about to answer the call, I thought for a moment, silently counted to twenty or so seconds, and then answered the phone with a cold tone.

"Hey."

Yan Li's voice came through: "The company has secured a new endorsement for you. Go through with Sister Hua and make sure there are no disputes later."

"Oh, is there anything else?"

"That's all. I'll have someone talk to your team about the rest. There's a lot of filming going on these days, so you can rest."

"..."

Hearing the busy tone of the call being disconnected, Fan Xiaopang was somewhat taken aback, then hugged his pillow and started punching it again.

Yan Li hung up the phone, glanced at Qin Lan who was pretending to watch TV on the sofa, shook his head, and raised his voice.

"What, you want me to come to your place?"

Qin Lan sat up abruptly, looking at him intently. Yan Li hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't have time; I have to spend time with my wife."

Qin Lan was satisfied and came over to hug and kiss Yan Li as a reward. Yan Li took the opportunity to make his demands.

While having many women can be troublesome, introducing competition can also bring significant benefits.

Qin Lan has put in a lot of effort to keep Yan Li by her side these past few days…

(End of this chapter)