Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 222 The Path of Plagiarism: Let Light "Copy," the Diamond Bachelor
Beijing, Yi'an Film and Television

After a period of research and exploration, Yan Li personally presided over the reorganization and division of the company's internal departments.

The flagship department, the Film and Television Department, is divided into the Film Department and the Television Department. The Television Department is responsible for television drama production, while the Film Department is responsible for film investment and production.

Another key department, the Marketing Department, was reorganized into the Distribution Department, which is internally divided into two sections, responsible for the distribution of television and film respectively.

The original marketing department had some advertising and business-related work, which was all moved out and combined with the artist management department's related business to form the [Advertising Department].

In addition to the largely unchanged Artist Management Department, these are some of Yi An Film & Television's main business departments.

Meanwhile, there have also been some minor changes at the top.

For example, Xiao Guan, the former marketing director, was promoted to vice president, responsible for distribution and advertising.

Jia Qian, the former director of the artist management department, has been promoted to vice president, but still retains her old position, in charge of artist management business.

The original head of the film and television department was also supposed to be promoted, but Yan Li felt that his abilities were not good enough and was considering letting him go. The successor to the television department was Wang Decai, an old acquaintance. The film department was newly established and was temporarily managed by the deputy director.

Meanwhile, Yan Li's secretary, Hu Ya, has finally become the director of the newly established "President's Office."

In fact, there had been signs of this in the president's office long ago, with Hu Ya and others in charge of Yan Li's various company and related personal affairs.

However, things were a bit vague before, and there wasn't a specific department. For example, Yan Li's secretaries and assistants were all grouped together, and some were simply helped by the administration department.

Strictly speaking, Hu Ya herself wasn't the leader of these people. However, she was senior and Yan Li's most trusted secretary. Some of them were even trained by her, so they all listened to her.

The establishment of the president's office now gives Hu Ya and her group a formal title.

The meeting lasted all morning, and it was a mixed bag of emotions, with some people happy and others worried.
Some people got promoted, while others didn't, but their power increased, so naturally they were happy.

Some people stagnate, have their authority reduced, or are even sidelined. They may have to consider finding another job, but they certainly won't be in a good mood.

Yan Li saw all this, but didn't pay much attention to it.

Since its inception, Yi'an has grown from a small operation with only a handful of employees to nearly 300, and it continues to recruit.

Moreover, Yi'an is just one of Yan Li's companies.

Yanye Capital, which is responsible for investments, has a small number of employees, but it's not something that can be managed by just a handful of people.

Furthermore, many of Yan Li's investment companies and projects are actually supervised and managed by Yan Ye.

For example, Yi'an Media, which holds a large number of copyrights, is more like a shell company due to its limited business, and is directly affiliated with Yanye Capital.

Therefore, Yanye and its related company team together have dozens of employees.

The company with the largest number of employees is Yi'an Cinema Line.

Since the cinema chain involves physical cinemas, and they are directly operated, the number of employees is definitely not small.

A single directly operated cinema has a number of employees, ranging from a dozen to several dozen, including front desk staff, stagehands, projectionists, cleaners, equipment managers, administrators, and marketers.

Even though Yi'an Cinema is still under construction, many employees have already begun recruitment and preparation.

The total number of employees, including those from the head office of the cinema chain, the initial staff of various cinemas, and the employees of the acquired cinema chains, exceeds the number of employees at Yi'an.

In addition, there are small side businesses like Yi'an Internet Cafe, which combines full-time and part-time work and also employs some staff.

Roughly speaking, those who rely on Yan Li for their livelihood, even if they haven't broken the four-figure mark, are not far off.

With so many employees, Yan Li couldn't possibly cater to the feelings of every single one of them.

There are only so many positions and real power; some rise while others fall, some are happy while others are resentful.

With very few exceptions, Yan Li remained calm. If people really couldn't get along, they could choose to leave, and he respected and offered his blessings.

Compared to the feelings of individual employees, Yan Li values ​​the coordination between various departments more.

The departure or retention of a single employee may not have a significant impact, but conflicts and disputes between departments can easily lead to damage to the company's interests.

Yan Li hesitated for a time when reorganizing the marketing and film and television departments.

Even now, the film business is packaged together or divided into a distribution department and a film department.

Yan Li was still unsure which of the two options was better, as each had its advantages and disadvantages.

However, the reason Yan Li still divided the business into a film department and a distribution department was because the film business was too weak, and he had to draw some resources from the two strong departments.

Especially in film distribution, the distribution department is indispensable in terms of personnel, channels, and resources.

Dividing it into two departments, one strong and one weak, can lead to numerous lawsuits.

Therefore, Yan Li separated the film distribution business and, once the film distribution business has developed to a certain extent, will consider whether to merge it with the film business in light of reality.

Just like the advertising department, which was originally a small group in the marketing department, Yan Li pulled it out and established it as a separate advertising department after it grew big by leveraging company resources and artists.

Company development is not static, but changes as the focus of business shifts.

This reorganization is not a done deal; if anything goes wrong, we can make further modifications or even start over from scratch.

A powerful boss like Yan Li, who single-handedly developed the company and holds absolute control, is by no means lacking in similar courage and authority.

...

After the main meeting, smaller meetings were held, sometimes even one-on-one conversations between Yan Li and the relevant personnel.

The distribution department was the one Yan Li talked to the longest, mainly about the upcoming film distribution work and the internal team balancing. There were things to do both internally and externally, so Yan Li couldn't help but worry about them.

Xiao Guan, the vice president in charge of distribution, and the newly appointed director of the distribution department, explained the work of the distribution department to Yan Li.

Last year, Yi'an made a name for itself in distribution, becoming a leading company in TV drama distribution, attracting many production teams.

On the TV station side, because Yi An's distribution projects have performed steadily, they have accumulated a lot of trust and have also gained many long-term partners.

The distribution team has also matured and many key personnel have emerged. Many projects no longer require Yan Li's involvement.

Of course, without Yan Li personally overseeing things, some projects might be less efficient and less profitable, but that's a necessary sacrifice for the company to grow.

Yan Li is the boss; he can't be on the front lines every day.

In the future, Yan Li will be personally responsible for less and less of the distribution business, and at a certain point, he will no longer be in charge of any particular project.

But the empire built by the box office king will not fall. The various channels and resources that Yi'an has accumulated will be Yi'an's biggest reliance for future distribution.

At that time, Yi'an Publishing may not have been as magical and glorious as Yan Li's team, but it was still stable and strong.

Of course, that's a matter for the future.

It's not time for Yan Li, the king of film sales, to retire yet. He will still personally oversee key projects, but he will place greater emphasis on team building and channel development to pave the way for relinquishing control of the distribution business in the future.

Yi'an has established a fixed and successful operating model for TV series distribution, but it is still exploring film distribution.

"For the ground promotion business, don't be afraid of the trouble or the losses. The company can afford to pay the salaries of a hundred or eighty people. Spread out an offline network in first- and second-tier cities across the country..."

Yan Lizheng had seriously studied the ground promotion and distribution strategy, and although it was "clumsy," it was indeed effective.

The internet is currently in its early stages of development, and there are only a few established methods for movie promotion and distribution.

The creative team didn't appear on many shows, did media interviews, held press conferences/premieres, or even do many roadshows.

The scheduling of films in theaters is highly autonomous, and film production teams and distributors not only don't interfere, but often don't even know the details, only having a rough idea of ​​the data.

However, if the film distribution network can be set up offline, targeting specific groups in each city, then it will be a different story.

Taking a certain city as an example, local sales representatives can cultivate good relationships with local cinemas and persuade them to increase the number of screenings or adjust the number of theaters.

In terms of data, it's all about one screen and one movie, but the size and comfort of the theater, as well as whether it's prime viewing time, can directly affect box office performance.

A movie was showing at 3 p.m. in a small, secluded theater with no air conditioning and only 30 or 40 seats.

Another movie was scheduled for 7 or 8 pm in a large hall with over a hundred seats, where air conditioning and sanitation were fully in place.

It goes without saying which one has a higher box office!
In addition to communicating with cinemas, you can also directly reach offline audiences and promote your products through posters, display stands, and offline events.

The two went to the movie theater, where three movies were showing, and they didn't know which one to choose.

At this time, the poster in the middle is the largest and most prominent, and there are staff members introducing and promoting it. If you happen to be there for an event, you can also get some small gifts. The audience may be influenced by this.

Some viewers may have come specifically for another movie, but after being influenced by the publicity, they might change their minds or watch the other movie first before coming to support it.

In addition to the cinema itself, you can also promote your products in places with a large potential audience, such as universities, shopping malls, and office buildings.

On a weekend, it's a great choice for couples or groups of friends to go out and watch a movie. If the promotion is effective, a single poster can attract hundreds of couples to buy tickets.

In addition, you can also start with local media and radio stations. Don't underestimate these media outlets. Although they may not be large or well-known, they still have a lot of influence in the local area.

Some talk shows promote a movie as a local hit, claiming everyone is watching it and many people will go to see it for the spectacle.

There are also group ticket discounts from companies and organizations, and coupons from partner stores, etc.

All of these may seem like small things, but they can indeed influence people's choices.

One or two people may seem insignificant, and one or two cities may not seem like much either, but when these small things accumulate, the combined effect of dozens of cities across the country becomes quite substantial.

According to annual intelligence reports, Enlight Media, which has heavily invested in on-the-ground promotion and marketing, can sometimes boost a film's box office by up to 30% by leveraging media resources.

And the cost isn't high. With one or two ground promoters in each city, and the ability to recruit part-time college students when needed, a lot can be accomplished.

Even with the addition of event and publicity expenses, compared to exorbitant premiere costs and massive media spending, the cost is relatively low, or even extremely low.

"Local distribution, a large-scale manpower strategy, a combination of localization and precision, Mr. Yan, your distribution strategy is truly brilliant."

The deputy director of the distribution department, who was in charge of film distribution, gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

She was originally from China Film Group, familiar with major cinema chains and related industry operations, and was recruited by Yan Li to work at Yi An.

At first, he put on a bit of the airs of a film distribution expert, wanting to teach Yi An and his group of novices a lesson, but he was immediately outmaneuvered by Yi An's plan.

Compared to Yan Li's distribution plan, China Film's approach can only be described as "rough," as if they're not even in the same industry. "No need to praise me, I'm just copying what others have said."

Yan Li wasn't being modest; the ground promotion business wasn't invented by Enlight Media. It's been around for a long time, with similar operations in Hollywood and Hong Kong.

Moreover, it's not just movies; various industries are involved in on-the-ground promotions, including real estate, education, gaming, and the integration of the internet with offline activities, all employing different levels of on-the-ground promotion methods.

"No, no, no, we do have on-the-ground promotion, but I've never seen a film distribution plan as detailed and precise as yours before."

The deputy director expressed his disapproval, but Yan Li didn't argue with him this time.

Of course, he had never seen it before, because this plan was created by Yan Li based on the experience of Hong Kong and Hollywood, combined with the current mainland film market, and added many of Enlight Media's strategies and system-triggered techniques for later distribution. He then refined and improved upon these techniques, maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses.

Even if you didn't see this deputy director before, they would be dumbfounded if you showed him to Lao Wang and the senior management of Guangxian.

After all, Enlight Media is just starting out in the film and television business and is still exploring and learning in all aspects.

Yan Li, on the other hand, directly used the successful path that Guangmang had summarized after many years of trial and error and countless lessons learned, and added some excellent distribution techniques from later generations.

It's like one person feeling their way across a river in the dark, while the other is standing on the shoulders of a giant, carrying a super searchlight.

However, Yan Li did not underestimate the power of light.

He can copy light, and light can also "copy" him.

Even if some key elements are uncertain, with the channels, resources, and teams that Enlight Media has accumulated over the years in producing TV dramas, it can catch up and make up for the gap as much as possible.

Therefore, seizing the initiative does not mean that Yan Li can easily suppress and replace the light.

In the future film distribution market, companies like Yi An, Enlight Media, and Bona Film Group will inevitably clash sooner or later.

Of course, it could also be cooperation.

As I said before, business competition isn't about life or death; the real key is to share resources and make money together.

Yan Li personally oversaw the construction of the ground promotion network, aiming to complete it as soon as possible, with the first battle being the release of "Crazy Stone" in June.

In the publishing industry, a well-known name is essential.

Yan Li intends to use this "dark horse" revealed by the intelligence to open up the distribution situation for Yi An Film.

After the afternoon meeting ended, it was past the end of the workday. Yan Li didn't have any social engagements today, so he invited a few senior executives from the company to dinner.

Strengthen relationships with old subordinates and build closer ties with new subordinates.

This is also a must-learn lesson for bosses. They need to do team building activities with some trusted subordinates from time to time, especially for startups and companies in their growth stage. In addition to compensation, emotional bonds and winning people over are essential.

If you offer both emotional support and financial incentives, people will be loyal and united around you, working hard for you and the company.

The gathering was held at South Beauty, a popular mid-to-high-end restaurant. Yan Li had been there twice before for business purposes and was satisfied with the food, ambiance, and service. This time, he brought his subordinates to try it as well.

When they get together privately, Yan Li has made it clear beforehand that they won't talk about work; they'll just eat, chat, and gossip.

Those who want to drink can have a small sip, but please don't engage in toasting or drinking contests.

Leaving aside Yan Li himself, the guys in the distribution department are all heavy drinkers; they can get other departments to carry them out after drinking.

While they were eating, there was a knock on the door of the private room. A deputy director went to open the door, and there were two men at the door. Most people recognized Yi An, who was in the lead position.

Deng Chao!

Having gained some fame from "Young Emperor", he co-starred with Sun Li in "Happiness and Flowers" last year, which was quite successful. He also participated in "Young Justice Bao 3", reaping the last benefits of the series.

With several hit dramas airing one after another, Deng Chao's popularity has skyrocketed, and he can now be considered a rising star.

Deng Chao did not rush in, but asked if it was convenient for him, or rather, whether Yan Li agreed, before entering to offer a toast.

"Mr. Yan, I saw you here earlier and was thinking of saying hello. Please forgive my intrusion."

Offering a toast in someone's private room is not something to be done casually. If you're not familiar with them, there's no proper etiquette involved, and it would be considered disturbing their meal.

However, although Deng Chao was not familiar with Yan Li, they had dealt with each other before.

When casting for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng", Deng Chao was once one of the top choices for the main characters.

Although the collaboration did not materialize, there was contact between them. Deng Chao made a special trip to toast Yan Li, citing "thanks to President Yan for his care and regret that we did not collaborate last time."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Deng Chao downed the liquor in his glass in one gulp, and Yan Li also got up to drink with him.

Deng Chao was flattered and felt very honored, so he introduced the man next to him.

He was Deng Chao's teacher at the Central Academy of Drama. His name was Tian Youliang. In addition to teaching, he also worked as a stage director and had several well-received stage plays.

Yan Li had never heard of the other person's name before, but he was still very polite.

He generally doesn't treat acquaintances coldly, especially those with whom he has no conflict of interest. Giving them a smile is effortless, and there's no need to risk a bad reputation by being arrogant.

Deng and Chao didn't linger. After toasting and exchanging a few pleasantries, they left.

Yan Li didn't take it seriously and let it go, continuing to eat with his subordinates. However, back in his private room, Deng Chao and Tian Youliang kept talking about Yan Li.

"This one is not arrogant at all."

Tian Youliang sighed. Many people in the industry smile in front of the camera, but once the camera is off, they won't even look at you. There are also those who have short tempers and start mocking and cursing.

Yan Li was a precocious child, and his image in the media was quite flamboyant because of his verbal sparring with Zhang Da Hu Zi.

Therefore, Tian Youliang portrayed Yan Li as a proud, aloof, or domineering person, but unexpectedly, he found him to be quite easy to get along with in private.

"It's not that they aren't arrogant, it's that they don't show it on their face, and they certainly don't act arrogantly towards people like us."

Deng Chao knows more people in the entertainment industry and understands Yan Li better than Tian Youliang.

How could a big shot who has a reputation in the industry at such a young age not be arrogant? It's just that they don't care about Yan Li, so they don't need to bother with him.

Who has the time to act cool and put on a sour face with stray cats and dogs on the street...?

Tian Youliang nodded, agreeing with Deng Chao's point, and then smacked his lips.

"You know what, he's humble on the outside but arrogant on the inside, and full of confidence. He's a bit like Meng Hao from 'The Difficult Life of a Diamond Bachelor'."

"Still talking."

Although they were teacher and student, the age difference between them was not particularly large, and they knew each other well, so they were more like friends and brothers. After hearing what Tian Youliang said, Deng Chao couldn't help but complain.

"Young, with a net worth of hundreds of millions, handsome, domineering and devoted, except for the last one, every aspect of him matches Yan Li. If the novel hadn't been published a long time ago, I would have thought it was based on him."

As they were talking, Deng Chao suddenly realized, "What do you mean? Didn't we agree that I would act? Teacher Tian, ​​I'm your top disciple."

"Who said the actor was changed? Besides, even if I wanted to change him, would he be able to act?"

Deng Chao thought about it and agreed. He knew he was no match for Yan Li when it came to playing a business elite; Yan Li was just playing himself.

But Yan Li is unlikely to have the time or the interest to watch this kind of drama.

Only those who have never been in that position are willing to play it. For example, Deng Chao really wanted to play a spirited young tycoon, but Yan Li himself is one, so what's the point of playing yourself?

"You know what, after meeting President Yan just now, I actually felt a bit like I found that feeling again."

Deng Chao recalled the way Yan Li had sat and exchanged pleasantries with him, then stood up and toasted him, and imitated it for Tian Youliang.

"How is it, does it look like?"

"Not quite like it."

Tian Youliang shook his head. If he only saw Deng Chao's version, he might think it had a certain charm.

However, when compared to Yan Li, the difference becomes apparent; he lacks confidence and doesn't have Yan Li's aura.

"If I had that aura, I'd be a big shot."

Deng Chao said irritably, "No matter how well an actor performs, it can't compare to the real thing. If they can capture even a fraction of the spirit, that's already quite good."

Combined with the plot, editing, atmosphere, costumes, props, and so on, it might even seem like a real big shot to many viewers.

Tian Youliang didn't argue with him, but instead thought about something else: "Do you think Yi'an might be interested in this notebook?"

The proposal was already in hand, but whether anyone would invest was another matter. Tian Youliang was unwilling to let go, and although he had talked to several investors before, nothing came of it.

He had discussed the script with Deng Chao a few times before, but they don't talk about it much anymore.

Today, encountering Yan Li evoked these feelings, which also made Tian Youliang think of Yi An.

"Hey, I think we can give it a try."

Deng Chao's eyes lit up. He had heard that Yi An had money and connections, but her content creation was relatively weak. She had previously gathered a lot of screenwriters and scripts, but she hadn't seen many projects come to fruition.

He was quite confident in Tian Youliang's script, and thought it might win Yan Li's favor.

"How about I recommend myself later?"

Tian Youliang was eager to try, but Deng Chao stopped him: "That seems too opportunistic. Let's take it slow. If all else fails, I'll shamelessly call President Yan to recommend you."

Deng Chao wasn't shameless; he was afraid of losing the role, so he actively made connections to gain attention.

In addition, the agency he's currently with has a year left on its contract.

Frankly speaking, the company is not providing him with enough resources right now, or rather, not enough to help him advance further. Deng Chao has already started considering changing jobs.

There are only a handful of companies that are suitable for Deng Chao to switch to.

Although Yi An wasn't Deng Chao's first choice, she was still on the list, and he wanted to use this opportunity to build a relationship and probe Yi An's background...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I can't finish writing 10,000 words in one go, so there's one more chapter to

(End of this chapter)