Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 105 is a system that cannibalize people.

Media reports indicate that Leyu.com's user registrations surpassed those of several established websites through this talent show.

Tian Xiaole has already boarded the plane bound for Los Angeles.

Since James joined Pangu Pictures, he has been keeping an eye on the progress of The Shallows.

The special effects for the Great White Shark have been completed, and Dead Silence is already selecting a release date and preparing for its theatrical release.

That's the Hollywood filming speed. Even for big-budget projects, the shooting time isn't too long. At most, post-production takes up more time.

Films like "The Shallows" and "Dead Silence" are low-budget films, which Lionsgate excels at producing B-movies with small investments, short production cycles, and quick releases to rake in box office revenue.

The fundamental reason Lionsgate has been able to establish itself in Hollywood is its penchant for high-risk, high-reward strategies, and it has truly succeeded in doing so.

Compared to the release of "Dead Silence," Tian Xiaole is more concerned about "The Shallows," which is his first battle in Hollywood, and its box office performance is crucial to whether he can gain a foothold in the industry.

James picked him up when he landed at Los Angeles International Airport.

Compared to his previous outfits, this one was much more flamboyant, with hair wax applied to his head so much that it made his hair stand up.

"Dear boss, welcome to Hollywood. This land needs you."

James spread his arms and spoke in broken Chinese. Many curious travelers around them turned to look.

There were also a few Asian girls who covered their mouths and giggled.

Tian Xiaole held her forehead, pretending not to recognize him, and quickly walked past him.

"Boss, your reaction really hurt me. I even hired a Chinese tutor to teach me."

James looked hurt.

Once in the car, Tian Xiaole said irritably, "I suggest you change your teacher; this one is too childish."

On the way to the hotel, James kindly suggested:
“Boss, you should buy a property here. Staying in hotels every time is not in line with your status.”

"Property? I will buy, but not now."

With three years until the financial crisis, Tian Xiaole needs to take advantage of this time to develop rapidly and then make a big splash.

At least those well-known companies, you can buy a portion of their shares at a low price, but not too much, otherwise they could easily disappear without a trace.

He came to Hollywood this time because Lionsgate notified him to come and see the finished film of "The Shallows".

It also needs him, a Cannes jury winner and Berlin Silver Bear-winning director, to promote "Dead Silence".

The scripts written by screenwriters with these two titles are quite gimmicky.

When I arrived at Lionsgate headquarters again, the treatment was much better than last time; there were people specifically assigned to greet me.

"Please follow me. Director Mike and director James Wan are already waiting."

A blonde, blue-eyed girl led the way, her swaying hips making James stare wide-eyed.

At the same meeting, besides Mike Burns and James Wan, there were four blond, blue-eyed white men.

"Welcome back to Hollywood, Tian."

Thank you, and good afternoon everyone.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone took their seats.

Mike handed a form to Tian Xiaole and said:

"This is the production process of [Dead Silence], as well as the various expenses incurred, totaling three and a half million US dollars, not including advertising costs."

Tian Xiaole nodded in approval when he saw the price.

According to the timeline, Lionsgate, in a moment of folly due to the huge success of "Saw," increased the production cost of "Dead Silence" to $20 million. However, the film's box office performance did not meet expectations, leading to the cancellation of the sequel.

But things are different now. Tian Xiaole's script requires controlling production costs and releasing the film as soon as possible while the horror genre is still popular.

Unlike other films, horror films don't require roadshows or offline promotions.

At most, we can do some online advertising and put up posters in the cinema; it won't cost much.

In total, the production cost of "Dead Silence" was at most around four million US dollars.

Tian Xiaole didn't care about that; what he wanted to see was the finished film of "The Shallows".

The group arrived at the screening room, the staff inserted the film copy, and the film began to play.

The 90-minute film primarily features sexy women and stunning scenery of blue sea and sky in the first ten minutes.

The style changed drastically when the shark appeared.

A sexy woman repeatedly escapes danger from attacks by a violent and ferocious great white shark.

The plot is tense and exciting, with a fast pace. Every time a shark appears, you'll feel a chill for the female lead.

Such a sexy and hot beauty, it's such a pity that she fell into the mouth of a great white shark.

This is the effect Tian Xiaole wanted to see. Beautiful things always have a protective heart, especially since Blake Lively was in her prime at this time.

A pair of long, straight legs, almost breathtaking.

"We've already seen the finished film once, and even after watching it again, I'm still very worried about whether our female lead can escape from the jaws of the great white shark."

Mike said with a smile, "You can tell he's very optimistic about this movie."

"How should we schedule the release dates for the two movies?" Tian Xiaole asked. He personally hoped that "Dead Silence" would be released first, since horror films have a fixed audience, and he wanted to build up his reputation first.

"Dead Silence will have a pilot screening this Friday. After the box office and word-of-mouth results for the first three days, it will be expanded to the entire United States, and then to other countries around the world..."

Low-budget horror films are like this: they won't be released in theaters all over the US right away. Sometimes, the cost of the prints is even higher than the cost of the film itself.

If the preview screenings don't perform well, it's possible to cut losses in time.

"As for the release date of 'The Shallows,' it is scheduled for the end of June, during the summer vacation for college students."

Based on this calculation, after the release of "Dead Silence," "The Shallows" will follow closely behind, meaning Tian Xiaole will have to stay in Hollywood for a month.

···
The promotion of horror movies is indeed simple: Lionsgate announces the release on its official website, buys a few ad slots on major websites, and doesn't allow promotional videos to be posted, otherwise parents will complain.

Movie posters are displayed at the entrance of the cinema, which is considered the completion of the pre-release publicity work.

The issuance system in the United States is different from that in China.

In the mid-20th century, the eight major Hollywood studios, such as Paramount and Warner Bros....

By vertically monopolizing and controlling the upstream and downstream industrial chains of film production, distribution, and cinemas, a market monopoly is formed.

Under the Paramount Act of 1948, studios were required to divest their theatrical operations, and production and distribution had to be separated.

If you produce a film, you can't distribute it; if you distribute a film, you can't produce it. Even if you acquire a subsidiary, it must be an independent brand with a different board of directors.

This is to prevent the formation of a monopoly again.

Disney also tested this line aggressively, later establishing Buena Vista Pictures to handle distribution and acquiring Fox to expand its distribution network, but still avoiding direct control of theaters.

Lionsgate can produce and distribute films independently because it is an independent production company and is not subject to the Paramount Act.

It was only after the policies were gradually relaxed that film production and distribution were able to coexist, but they did not get involved in controlling the cinemas.

Hollywood's box office revenue sharing ratio is also different from that in China.

The revenue sharing between domestic film producers and theaters is fixed. It was increased twice from "Hero" to "House of Flying Daggers", and now the producers can get 40%.

Hollywood is different; box office revenue sharing is very flexible. Films with local film companies as investors can receive at least 25% of the profits.

Of course, the profits depend on how the publisher operates, and the later "Harry Potter" series taught us a lesson.

For sequels to hit movies or IPs, the revenue sharing ratio can be negotiated directly with theaters during the first week of theatrical release, with the highest possible ratio being 9:1.

However, this is limited to powerful companies such as Disney and Warner.

Cinemas don't make money through revenue sharing; they make money from the crowds that movies bring in.

A bucket of popcorn costs a few cents, but it can sell for 3-5 US dollars in a movie theater.

There are also film and television merchandise and fast-moving consumer goods, which are all highly profitable, and there's no need to share the profits.

This percentage will gradually decrease as the film's theatrical run lengthens.

Because the film cannot attract a large audience, theaters may adjust the ratio to 6:4 or 5:5 in order to maintain costs.

Domestic cinemas are very domineering in this regard, relying on squeezing the profits of film producers to obtain revenue.

This indirectly suppressed the rise of the domestic film industry.

Producers invest money in a film, but whether they will profit is still unknown. Regardless of how much box office revenue it receives, most of it is taken away first, and only the production company and distributor get a share of the rest.

Investors who lose money will naturally stop investing in films, which is one of the reasons why there are so few directors in China – the industry is just too corrupt.

Of course, American theater chains aren't shady, but the distributors are.

Typically, the publisher will take 15% to 50% of the revenue; otherwise, why would they allow you to distribute it globally?

The big Hollywood gangsters may demand a percentage of 30% to 70%.

All of these can be discussed with theaters as long as the production company has confidence in the film.

Another fixed revenue-sharing ratio is where the production company and the theaters agree on a 50/50 or 40/60 split. This is suitable for low- to medium-budget films and art-house films.

The revenue sharing for "Dead Silence" will be based on a tiered system. Given the success of "Saw," they certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to discuss a fixed revenue sharing model.

···
With the news of the upcoming release of "Dead Silence" reaching China, the entire mainland entertainment industry has been drawn to it.

As everyone knows, this is Tian Xiaole's first battle in Hollywood.

Because he provided the script and also participated in the film's investment.

Then a photo of Tian Xiaole and Wen Ziren chatting was posted on the website. The two looked like they were very familiar with each other.

Well-informed media outlets are already providing explanations.

Standing next to Tian Xiaole is Lionsgate director Mike Burns, and the Chinese man he's chatting with is the director of "Saw".

This has caused an uproar among female celebrities in the entertainment industry!
Are they that close to Lionsgate?
What a jerk! You can't trust men's words. He even talked about a normal business relationship. How can you believe that?
It can only be said that women have a very strong ability to fill in the blanks.

Netizens were even more excited, as this was the first director from mainland China to go abroad. He wasn't as utilitarian as the entertainment industry, and they just hoped that a Chinese person could make it in Hollywood.

I was inevitably disappointed to learn that Dead Silence is a horror film and will not be released in China.

"Let's hope the person upstairs is still looking forward to 'The Shallows.' The movie is directed by Tian himself, and judging from the title, it doesn't seem like a horror movie. It will most likely be imported to China."

Someone reminded them, and netizens then recalled the reports from a few months ago, and began to look forward to the release of "The Shallows".

(End of this chapter)