Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 332 Flowing water doesn't compete for the first place, it competes for an endless flow.

Since the beginning of December, the entertainment industry has been quite lively.

Annie Yi's hand-holding scandal caused quite a stir. She is a well-known female star who has been developing her career in mainland China in recent years and has a certain influence in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

More importantly, Yi herself previously cultivated an image of a virtuous wife and loving mother. This time, not only has her image collapsed, but her husband, the popular singer Yu Chengqing, has also been dragged into the mess.

The female celebrity's affair also involved marital breakdowns and conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. In addition to the hand-holding scandal, Annie Yi was also exposed to have problems with Wang Xiaozong of Huayi Brothers, making it a highly talked-about event and a major drama at the end of 2008.

Another major drama involves Vivian Chow and her fiancé.

The latter was photographed kissing another woman, and Vivian Chow generously forgave him, stating that the wedding date would remain unchanged, which drew indignation and ridicule from netizens.

In addition, there are numerous related inventory reports to keep up with.

For example, Weibo created a comprehensive review of entertainment power, directly bringing out various companies for discussion and comparison.

The main competitors are Huayi Brothers and Yi'an.

Although Weibo and Yi An are owned by the same company, their comments are quite sharp, and they even criticize and tease Yan Li.

The focus was on the impact of the blog scandal and yacht scandal on him personally and his company.

Furthermore, there are doubts about whether the merged Yi'an can overcome various hidden dangers and streamline and integrate its production and distribution business and cinema business, rather than just having an empty shell or even being dragged down by the capital-consuming cinema business.

Honestly, at first glance, outsiders might think that Sina Weibo has planted an undercover agent to mock and belittle its own allies, as if it doesn't want to survive.

In fact, if you read the whole article, you'll know that it's all ostensibly derogatory but actually praising.

He pointed out several mistakes, even criticizing the boss Yan Li, which gave the impression of being very objective and truthful.

But then the tone shifted, and they began to review Yi'an's achievements over the past year. In short, Yi'an had a very successful year.

Then, simplify the previous errors.

It gives the impression that as long as Yi'an makes amends or pays attention to some risks, he can completely avoid these problems and have a smooth path ahead, dominating all sides.

Conversely, articles targeting Huayi Brothers are ostensibly praising but actually criticizing.

First, praise Huayi Brothers, showcasing its achievements and momentum over the past year. Then, introduce a "but," pointing out Huayi Brothers' various shortcomings and potential risks.

The impression given is that Huayi Brothers is just a hot potato, looking very powerful, but one wrong step and it could fall into an abyss.

Therefore, journalism is not simple; it has many intricacies and uses various subtle methods to subtly manipulate people.

It must be said that with Weibo, Yi'an has gained an overwhelming advantage in terms of manipulating public opinion.

Other entertainment companies might try to stir up trouble, either through the media or by hiring online trolls.

Yi An, however, owns a platform with nearly 100 million users that focuses on information and social networking. If Yan Li wants to wage a war of public opinion, he can ruin the other party's reputation in a short period of time, leaving them with almost no power to fight back.

Let alone cooperating with other platforms, given Weibo's current speed and immediacy of information dissemination, most platforms simply cannot compete with it.

By the time they realized what was happening and launched an effective counterattack through their own platform mechanisms, the situation had already been completely muddied, and the overall situation was beyond saving.

However, due to various reasons, Yan Li usually only arranges to fuel the flames and does not recklessly display such extreme methods of public opinion control.

Aside from gossip and year-end reviews, the most anticipated event is undoubtedly the Lunar New Year film season.

There are quite a few movies in this year's Lunar New Year film season.

Among the films released in December of this year, the ones that have garnered the most attention from the outside world and the industry are Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One" and director Chen Da's "Mei Lanfang".

Although last year's "Assembly" was affected and pulled from theaters halfway through, its actual box office was still quite impressive, and Feng Xiaogang's reputation remained undiminished.

This time, he is returning to Feng Xiaogang's signature style of comedy, and with his old partner Ge You joining the cast, the industry is very optimistic. It is certain that the film will gross over 100 million yuan, and the probability of it grossing over 200 million yuan is not low.

Clearly, the release of several films this year, including "Red Cliff Part I," "The Warlords," "Painted Skin," and "CJ7," which grossed over 200 million yuan, has raised the ceiling for the film market.

Breaking 100 million is still a pretty good result, but for a hot movie project, the target has already been set at 200 million or more.

Compared to Feng Xiaogang's steady rise, it's harder to say about Director Chen.

The film "The Promise" was a huge flop, causing director Chen to fall from grace and continue to be ridiculed to this day.

The new film "Mei Lanfang" is another biographical film. The lead actors, Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi, are famous, but their box office appeal is mediocre.

Therefore, people's expectations for this movie are rather ambiguous, which made Director Chen a little unhappy, and he complained a bit during the promotion.

But as it turns out, the public's judgment was indeed accurate.

The lack of appeal of "Mei Lanfang" and the fact that director Chen's reputation is not as good as before resulted in unsatisfactory box office performance.

At the beginning, it grossed nearly 30 million in three days, which was a decent start. However, the box office trend subsequently plummeted, and judging from this trend, it is questionable whether it will even break 100 million.

This is due to two main reasons: the film itself lacks appeal, and the arrival of a strong competitor.

Ip Man has been released!

Both "Mei Lanfang" and "Ip Man" are biographical films, one about an artist and the other about a martial artist, one a scholar and the other a warrior. They were released close together and are considered direct competitors.

Prior to this, the vast majority of people were more optimistic about "Mei Lanfang".

Even if Director Chan pulls a lot, he's still more famous than Wilson Yip, the director of "Ip Man." And the combination of Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi is much better than Donnie Yen carrying the entire film alone.

However, after the movie was released, everyone realized they were wrong.

"Mei Lanfang" tells a story about the times, art, and love, with a style that leans more towards art.

Most people don't appreciate Peking Opera elements, the love between famous performers is both realistic and fantastical, and a movie that tells an entire life story is too fast and too abrupt.

"Ip Man" is a purely commercial film about martial arts and national identity.

Martial arts are easy for everyone to understand, the visual effects are great, and the plot is simple. The beginning sets up the story, and then the fight against the Japanese devils begins. One person fights ten. Except for a few plot points, it's almost entirely enjoyable with no dull moments.

Opinions vary on which has better quality, but most ordinary viewers vote with their feet when it comes to which is more entertaining.

On the first day of its release, "Ip Man" had a relatively stable box office performance. On the second day, it surpassed "Forever Enthralled," and on the third day, it began to compete for screenings, which greatly affected the box office performance of "Forever Enthralled."

Meanwhile, seeing that "Ip Man" became a dark horse in the Lunar New Year film season, Yi An began to increase its publicity and distribution efforts.

With a full-scale effort across Weibo, offline promotions, and distribution, the box office of "Ip Man" has been steadily increasing. Although it is not as popular as "Painted Skin," it is still poised to break the 100 million mark.

That’s very good!
Despite Yi An's enthusiastic pronouncements, she actually only participated in the production of one film that grossed over 100 million yuan: "Painted Skin".

If "Ip Man" surpasses 100 million views, it will be Yi An's second film, which is why even Yan Li was alarmed and personally attended the "Ip Man" roadshow in Hangzhou, praising Donnie Yen as a kung fu superstar.

Yes, the ones who make money for him are superstars.

However, Donnie Yen has always held a respectable position in the industry, with considerable fame and influence. In the past two years, he has developed rapidly and is gradually becoming a new flag bearer for action actors after Ching and Lee.

Times have changed, and it will be very difficult for Donnie Yen to break into Hollywood; he may never reach the level of Cheng Li.

But if he can secure his position as the third person and smoothly take over after Cheng and Li get older, he will become the new generation of kung fu superstar.

Donnie Yen had a good track record of honors and achievements in the past, but he never had a blockbuster hit that carried the show.

"Flash Point" and "SPL" received good reviews and achieved good results, but they were not considered blockbusters.

If "Ip Man" surpasses 100 million yuan in box office revenue and receives positive reviews, it can completely make up for this shortcoming. While "superstar" might be an exaggeration, it will definitely be among the top movie stars, and there will be more and more opportunities for it to carry a film on its own in the future.

The entertainment industry has always been realistic and mercenary.

Wu Jing previously gained some popularity for his role as Pang Yong in "Painted Skin" and was regarded as a potential new generation of kung fu superstar.

As a result, his self-directed and self-acted film "Wolf Warrior" became cannon fodder during the Lunar New Year season, with box office prospects of barely reaching 500 million. In the past two months, praise has turned into ridicule.

Similarly, when "An Empress and the Warriors" flopped at the beginning of the year, Donnie Yen was also viewed negatively by many. Before, when Wu Jing became popular, a lot of people criticized him. Now that "Ip Man" is a hit, Donnie Yen is being praised to the skies again.

Even industry veteran Yan Li couldn't resist the trend and took the initiative to invite him to the Weibo Night at the end of the year, and they even talked about Zhen's next work.

Bodyguards and Assassins

This is also a project in which Yi An Investment participated. Originally, the production company was considering Deng Chao as the male lead, or at least Yi An supported Deng Chao.

Donnie Yen is currently very popular and has a strong appeal. His salary is also more cost-effective compared to other big names in Hong Kong. Boss Yan is going with the flow and has expressed his determination to support his rise to the top.

Besides "Bodyguards and Assassins", there is also "Ip Man 2".

Donnie Yen's contract with Oriental Films ended with "Ip Man," and there were no plans to make a sequel at the beginning of the film, so the plot ended with Ip Man leaving the world to live in seclusion.

But now that the movie is a hit, things are different; a sequel is definitely worth considering.

Hong Kong isn't a good place to fight the Japanese, but it's a good place to fight gangsters and the British. Master Ip is in his prime, so there's always a chance for him to use his skills.

As for the expiration of the film contract, it can be renewed, or payment can be made on a per-project basis.

Yi An is a major player in mainland China, and Dongfang also has considerable influence in Hong Kong. It's impossible for Zhen Zidan not to cooperate.

Besides, he can make money and gain fame by making a sequel to "Ip Man", so why not cooperate?

"Bullet, the mainland market is booming, and Yi'an is also expanding its territory. We are eager to find talent. In the future, we may have more opportunities to cooperate. You provide manpower and effort, and we provide funds and resources. We will cooperate for mutual benefit."

Yan Li loves using mainland artists, but he never excludes using Hong Kong and Taiwan artists.

Donnie Yen is not a saint; she has many flaws. But how many saints are there in the entertainment industry?
If a business partner is trustworthy, has no major ethical issues, is reputable, and can make money, then they are a good business partner.

In the current market, Hong Kong and Taiwan artists still have considerable appeal.

However, most of them are controlled by Hong Kong capital groups, who use them to get a share of the pie. A few big names have independent studios, and their prices are shockingly high.

Donnie Yen is currently a rising star who has just broken away from her powerful backer but is not yet fully independent.

The momentum is strong, and in the short term, their salaries cannot catch up with those of established big names.

Well, maybe he can catch up, but he won't ask Yi An for such a high price.

Film companies treat people differently based on their status, and the same applies to artists.

Yi An's family is large and powerful, and there are many "favors" involved.

Donnie Yen was in a period of rapid growth at this time and had a certain degree of autonomy, but her resources and connections were still inferior to those of established big names.

By collaborating with Yi An, he could ask for less pay, and Yi An would provide him with protection, resources, and support to help him through the development phase.

If you want to capitalize on your current popularity and make more money, you can collaborate with Yi An while also seeking partnerships with smaller companies or wealthy individuals.

These people have money but lack resources, and their projects aren't attractive enough, so they can only rely on throwing money at celebrities, which is why many so-called sky-high salaries come from this. Of course, there are many scammers and tricks involved, and it's common to be scammed or have your payments delayed.

Large companies like Yi'an may offer less money, but they are relatively safe and trustworthy; it's up to the individual to choose.

In short, Zhen Zidan has just taken office and needs someone to protect him, while Yi An needs cheap and easy-to-use generals from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Both sides get what they need. I dare not say more, but we can cooperate closely within two or three years.

Donnie Yen has managed to get to where he is today; he's definitely a shrewd person. (Raise a glass in respect to Yan.)

"Yan Sheng, I am a rough man. Thank you for your guidance. From now on, I will follow your instructions."

Fan Shaolong, Shi Xingyu, and other members of the "Ip Man" cast who were accompanying the guests looked on with envy, truly showing that different people have different fates.

Both of them came from martial arts backgrounds, but they could only play supporting roles, while Donnie Yen became a huge star and had many benefactors.

Initially, he was promoted by Yuen Woo-ping, then he met Raymond Wong, and now he has reached a new level by getting in touch with a powerful figure in the mainland film industry.

Honestly, if Yan Li wanted to take people in, he could have them kneeling down, offering tea, and even acknowledging him as their godfather with just a word.

Sadly, even if I wanted to acknowledge it, I didn't have the chance.

If someone's career hasn't reached a certain level or they don't meet your expectations, Yan Li may be polite, but he won't offer any support or promotion.

After dinner, Yan Li made a special phone call to Huang Baiming of Oriental Films to talk about Donnie Yen, so as not to make the Huang family think that he was poaching her.

Donnie Yen is about to become a huge star, and the resources of Oriental Films alone are not enough for him. Other companies will probably try to poach him, and the Huang family can neither keep him nor stop him.

Rather than letting others benefit, it would be better for Yi'an to step in and cover the costs. When the project is developed based on Zhen Zidan's skills, the Huang family can get a share, and everyone can achieve a win-win situation through cooperation.

It was unclear whether Huang Baiming had any objections, but he knew he couldn't refuse.

Zhen Zidan and Dongfang are no longer related, and Yi An is too powerful, so he has no way to deal with Yan Li and Zhen Zidan.

Yan Li is particular, so at least he's still willing to play with him.

Yan Li was unconventional and directly pulled Zhen Zidan to start a new project, leaving Zhen to watch helplessly.

Forget about the copyright of "Ip Man". There was no sequel contract, and Ip Man doesn't belong to their family. If they can get the Ip family on board, they can make a "Legend of Wing Chun" starring Donnie Yen, and plenty of people will still buy it.

Thinking about it this way, Yan Li's approach was already a good outcome. Huang Baiming suppressed his inner turmoil and replied cheerfully.

"This is a good thing. Yan Sheng is leading us to get rich. We are so happy."

"Not at all, I still need to rely on General Manager Huang. You are experienced and have a wide network of connections, which is a great help to us."

"..."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Yan Li hung up the phone, chuckled, and thought he would have to say more, but the old fox was quick-witted.

As expected of a figure who once held sway in Cinema City, he was astute and decisive in judging the situation.

If it weren't for Yi An's strong capabilities, powerful reputation, and dominant position in the mainland market, this matter would likely have taken a long time to resolve.

Yan Li pondered for a moment and decided to try again later.

If the Wong family is sensible, they can offer some incentives in other projects. The Hong Kong entertainment circle still has considerable influence and a solid foundation. Having a spokesperson would make things much easier in many situations.

...

The momentum of "Ip Man" only began to wane with the release of "If You Are the One".

Based on the current trend, it's almost certain to break 100 million, and 120-140 million is also possible, depending on the performance of other films in the Lunar New Year season.

However, Yan Li is not optimistic about the future of "Ip Man". Even with Yi An's help, it would be good if it could reach 1.2 million.

There's nothing we can do; it just happened to run into "If You Are the One."

Feng Xiaogang has really gotten going this time. "If You Are the One" is gaining momentum. It easily broke 100 million yuan in less than a week and was heading towards 200 million yuan in ten days. Judging from this momentum, it once had the potential to compete with "Red Cliff Part I".

It's worth noting that the film's budget was less than 5000 million yuan, and a portion of that budget was wiped out by product placement.

If the box office reaches 3 million+, Huayi Brothers will make a fortune.

Moreover, this only represents box office revenue. Holding a film project worth over 3 million yuan is of great significance to a film company that wants to go public.

This year, with Orange Sky acquiring Golden Harvest and Yi An merging with a blockbuster film, Huayi Brothers hasn't had many good news, and its limelight has been stolen.

As the year drew to a close, the Wang brothers finally had a chance to shine.

Wang Zhonglei was probably extremely frustrated, and in an interview he even said: "...it proves that Huayi Brothers is the most successful film company in mainland China, and it's a private company."

This statement was seen as a challenge from Huayi Brothers to Yi An and Orange World.

Because in January 2009, Orange Sky will release "Red Cliff II", and Yi An also has a major production, "Crazy Racer".

In the battle for the Lunar New Year film season among the three giants, Huayi Brothers now holds an absolute advantage.

Yi An didn't respond. Huayi Brothers was riding high, and no matter how she responded, it wouldn't be right. Orange Sky, however, was confident in the influence of "Red Cliff" and wasn't afraid of Huayi Brothers.

In an interview, the CEO of Orange Sky Entertainment believed that the box office of "Red Cliff II" would definitely surpass that of the first film, and claimed to be extremely confident in becoming the champion of the Lunar New Year film season.

Just as the Wang brothers were about to get their faces slapped, Cheng Tian jumped out and immediately launched into a verbal attack.

Feng Kuzi was even more eager to be the first.

Having suffered a great loss at Yan Li's hands last time, even though rumors circulated that Yan Li's business was in trouble and his own family had reached its peak, he dared not provoke him easily for a while. But he was not afraid of Cheng Tian. Wang Jinghua couldn't even handle him; he was a complete waste.

Therefore, Feng Xiaogang decisively launched an attack, criticizing some blockbusters for being big for the sake of being big, for not understanding history, for being nonsensical, and for being harmful to the market.

Ignoring the fact that he also directed "The Banquet," what he said actually makes a lot of sense.

Orange Sky isn't someone to be trifled with. If they can't handle the guy surnamed Yan, they can certainly handle you, you old codger.

As a result, some film critics began to attack "If You Are the One," saying it was empty, pretentious, and spreads bad values; that it had too many advertisements and was more of an advertisement than a commercial film, blah blah blah.

Anyone can label someone!
No movie is perfect; there's always an angle to criticize and smear it.

Orange Sky and Huayi Brothers already had old grudges, and this year they've added a lot of new ones. Now they're going head-to-head during the Lunar New Year film season, and neither of them will back down.

The two companies were embroiled in a dispute, and Yi'an couldn't remain uninvolved either; its scale was too large to hide.

At the Weibo Night event, Yan Li was approached by the media who asked him about his views on the competition for the Lunar New Year film season, and whether Yi An had any ideas about winning the Lunar New Year film season championship.

"The flowing water does not compete to be first, but to flow endlessly; the towering mountain does not compete to be high, but to stretch for thousands of miles."

"A short-term victory or defeat in a single period does not determine anything; long-term and stable development is what a mature company should possess."

"The Chinese film market is huge and has a long future. We might as well look further ahead and wait three, ten, or even twenty years from now to see who is making waves and who is stagnating."

In short, I don't have time to argue with you guys about these minor gains and losses. I'm looking at the big picture, at the future trends of the industry.

The media snapped photos and recorded the event.

Tsk tsk, he's a self-made tycoon after all. Every word he utters is a gem. Moreover, his vision, perspective, and magnanimity are beyond reproach, making Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky look like clowns in comparison.

Yan Li walked calmly from the red carpet into the venue, where Fan Xiaopang, who had arrived earlier, saw Yan Li's interview through the broadcast cameras.

"Where did you copy these words from? They have a really good feel to them."

"I forgot, I just glimpsed it while browsing the forum and used it on a whim."

Fan Xiaopang was speechless: "So you're just showing off on purpose, not really thinking that way."

"nonsense."

Yan Li spread his hands: "Both of these companies are aiming for 3 million in box office revenue. The odds of winning are too small. I can't back down, so this is the only reply I can give."

Nonsense, all talk and no action. If you can't beat someone, you just keep talking. If you can, you can just overwhelm them with one wave.

If Yi An wins the Lunar New Year film championship this year, Yan Li's famous quote will be either "When you reach the top, you will see all the mountains below" or "If you're bad, practice more."

Fan Xiaopang: "..."

She was curious about how the Wang brothers and Mr. Wu, the owner of Orange Sky, would feel upon seeing this sentence.

Of course, I was disgusted to the core!

The Weibo Night event was a huge event, not only broadcast live but also highly interactive on Weibo. Wang Zhonglei, who considers Yan Li his biggest rival, naturally paid attention to it. Then he saw Yan Li's interview and netizens' comments, which almost made him furious.

"The flowing water doesn't compete for the lead, but for its endless flow. That's so well said. I'm going to change my QQ signature now."

Temporary setbacks are not true setbacks; ultimate victory is true victory. Yan Li saw through the essence of the matter; Huayi Brothers' vision is far inferior.

[Yi An has become an industry giant in just a few years, and the establishment of Weibo and investment in Tudou.com not only demonstrate Yan Li's outstanding abilities, but also his high level of thinking.]

[Yes, they're not even in the same league. While Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky were still scrambling over a single release date, Yan Li was thinking about the future, about the company ten or even twenty years from now.]

Looking back ten years from now, Yi An will definitely crush Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky Entertainment.

【…】

Yan Li has a broad perspective?! Yan Li doesn't strive to be first?! He's incredibly petty and competitive!!!
Wang Zhonglei was furious. These netizens have no brains at all; they actually believe such nonsense.

What's most infuriating is that shameless Yan Li. If he can't beat them, he can't beat them. He could have just played dead. Instead, he pulled this stunt to put them down and belittle Orange Sky.

Moreover, Yan Li's tone was too high, making it difficult to refute him. They were even a little afraid that he would use them as an excuse to show off.

Even if you lose, you still win, right?!
Wang Zhonglei was frustrated, and what frustrated him even more was that a bunch of Huayi Brothers artists appeared at the Weibo Night event.

Not to mention undercover traitors like Li Bingbing and Huo Siyan, there are also Huang Xiaoming, Hu Jing, An Yixuan, Ren Quan, Wang Baoqiang, and Zhang Liangying.

There's no way around it; Boss Yan's influence is too great. Even if Huayi artists don't rely on Yi An for their livelihood, once they realize the benefits of Weibo, they still have to give her some face.

If you sell and I sell, we'll all sell together.

In the end, only the more famous ones showed up; those with only third or fourth-tier fame probably didn't even receive an invitation.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Everything will be fine once Huayi Brothers goes public."

Wang Zhonglei tried to calm himself down and convince himself, but in less than three minutes, he accidentally broke a teacup, a pen holder, and a mouse...

　(7000 / 189000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)