Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 100, Section 99: 'Accepting Amnesty'

In mid-November, a chilly wind began to blow in Beijing, swirling the last few withered leaves in the courtyard of the Beijing Film Studio, bringing with it a somber atmosphere.

Just as the videotape of "Harmony Brings Prosperity" was being taken back to all parts of the country by various deputy factory directors, the alliance's distribution machine was just beginning to quietly start running.

A storm, which was expected yet arrived swiftly, finally descended.

That morning, Han Sanping had just finished presiding over a factory meeting when his secretary knocked on the door nervously and whispered a few words in his ear.

The ease on Han Sanping's face vanished instantly, replaced by a complex expression that mixed solemnity and determination.

He waved for his secretary to leave and sat alone in his office for a moment.

The call came directly from the General Office of the Ministry, informing him to attend a meeting at 2:30 pm in the conference room of the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television. The topic was just five words: "Film Studio Alliance".

The announcement was delivered in a calm tone, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"What was bound to happen has finally happened."

Han Sanping took a deep breath and muttered to himself.

He had anticipated this; such a large-scale operation by more than thirty film studios would have far-reaching consequences and would inevitably attract attention from higher authorities.

I just didn't expect the ministry's response to be so swift and direct.

……

At 2:20 p.m., Han Sanping arrived ahead of schedule at the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television building located on Fuxingmenwai Street.

This solemn and majestic building, in his eyes at this moment, seemed like a lurking giant beast.

Guided by staff, he entered a medium-sized conference room.

The meeting room was already quite full, filled with smoke, and the atmosphere was somber.

Han Sanping glanced at the scene and his heart sank.

The caliber of the attendees was higher than he had anticipated.

The meeting was chaired by a vice minister in charge of film and television development, whose serious expression exuded authority.

Seated next to him were several key department-level leaders, including the director of the editorial office, the director of the film administration bureau, and the director of the television department.

In addition, there were several deputy directors and section chiefs from relevant departments, as well as a deputy director of Beijing TV Station who made Han Sanping's eyes narrow slightly, and Director You of Beijing TV Art Center, whose expression was not very pleasant.

The Beijing TV station and the Beijing Television Art Center had no idea about the film studio alliance. Because they got involved in the "Family Harmony Brings Prosperity" project, they were also called in for training, or rather, called in to confront Han Sanping.

Han Sanping understood immediately. This lineup encompassed almost all the key departments related to film and television production, censorship, and broadcasting. Clearly, this meeting was far from a simple "information gathering."

"Comrade Sanping is here, please have a seat." The deputy minister raised his eyelids and gestured for Han Sanping to sit down in an empty seat near the end.

At the start of the meeting, the vice minister got straight to the point: "The main reason I invited Comrade Sanping here today is to learn about the so-called 'alliance' recently formed by the Beijing Film Studio, which has united 30 film studios across the country to enter the television drama distribution field."

This matter has caused quite a stir and discussion within the system. Comrade Sanping, as the main initiator, could you please explain the specifics?

Han Sanping was well-prepared. He calmly and respectfully explained the background and original intention of the alliance's establishment, as well as the current operational model being tested with "Harmony Brings Prosperity".

The report highlighted the survival difficulties faced by various film studios, the current situation of idle equipment and personnel, and the alliance's good intentions to "revitalize existing resources," "support film production through film production," and "preserve the flame of the film industry."

He had barely finished speaking when the director of the Film Bureau frowned and spoke up, his tone skeptical: "Director Sanping, your initial intentions may be understandable. However, for more than thirty film studios to unite and uniformly produce and distribute television dramas..."

Isn't this scale a bit too large?

Could this create a de facto monopoly? Would it create unfair competition for the existing television drama market, especially for professional television drama production companies?

Film studios possess state-invested equipment and factory resources. Once united, their production and potential distribution capabilities would indeed put enormous pressure on any existing 'private' or other state-run television drama production units in the market.

The Director of the Television Department followed up by raising another crucial question: "There is also the issue of distribution channels. There is nothing wrong with film studios using their historical relationships with local television stations for distribution."

Is it appropriate for such a large-scale, organized, and coordinated action to bypass existing official or semi-official trading platforms such as TV festivals and TV weeks?
Will this disrupt the existing television drama trading system, which is recognized and supported by the ministry?

This touches on the red line of whether or not to challenge the existing industry management order and established interest structure.

The deputy director of Beijing TV also chimed in at the opportune moment, his tone subtle: "Director Han, I heard that your film 'Harmony Brings Prosperity' is positioned as 'the first New Year's TV movie in the country,' and you even suggested that the station broadcast it as a 'special program' on New Year's Eve? That's a very novel positioning."

However, television stations have their own rules and considerations when it comes to program scheduling and procurement.

Will this alliance approach put...unnecessary pressure on the station's procurement work?

The criticism is directed at any possible interference with the television station's autonomy in its normal operations.

The discussion gradually heated up, with voices of doubt and concern gaining the upper hand.

Just then, Director You from the Beijing Television Art Center pointed the finger at a specific person with a somewhat sharp tone: "Director Han, I've heard that the recent sweeping reforms at Beijing Film Studio, as well as the idea of ​​this alliance, seem to be closely related to a young man named Wang Sheng."

As far as we know, this Comrade Wang Sheng is not a formal employee of Beijing Film Studio, but the head of a private company called "Shengying Media".

Is it appropriate for a young person outside the system to have such a significant influence on the decision-making of the Beijing Film Studio and even the entire film system? What role did his company play in this alliance operation? Is there any suspicion of using state-owned resources to profit a private company?

This series of questions was extremely sharp, directly targeting Wang Sheng. The subtext was an accusation that Han Sanping's decisions were improperly influenced by people outside the system, and might even involve the transfer of benefits.

All eyes in the conference room immediately focused on Han Sanping's face.

Han Sanping's face darkened.

He can accept criticism of the league itself, but he absolutely cannot tolerate the mudslinging against Wang Sheng.

He abruptly raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over the arts center representative, his voice loud and firm, carrying an undeniable authority:
"Comrade! Please watch your words! The formation of this alliance and our foray into the television drama field is a decision I, Han Sanping, as the director of Beijing Film Studio, made after careful consideration by the studio's leadership, based on the actual difficulties faced by the entire studio and even most film studios across the country! I will bear all the responsibility! It has absolutely nothing to do with Wang Sheng personally!"

He paused, his tone softening slightly, but still firm: "Comrade Wang Sheng is indeed young and promising. He just won the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award, which is the organization's recognition of him."

His company, Shengying Media, achieved success in market expansion and also relieved the Beijing Film Studio of its urgent needs.

We cooperate with him because we value his abilities and market acumen. It is a normal business transaction that aligns with the spirit of reform and opening up and revitalizing the economy!

As for your claim that state-owned resources are being used to profit private companies, that's utter nonsense!

Shengying Media's cooperation with Beijing Film Studio is based on formal contracts, with clear accounts that can withstand any organizational scrutiny!

Please refrain from irresponsible speculation and attacks without evidence!

Han Sanping's strong rebuttal brought a brief silence to the conference room.

The "Interim Provisions on the Management of Film and Television Production and Operation Institutions" and the "Provisions on the Management of Television Drama Production Licenses" issued last year, although not explicitly prohibiting private companies from participating in television drama production, pointed out that as long as certain conditions are met, they can apply for a "Temporary Television Drama Production License".

From this perspective, what Han Sanping said is indeed correct.

Shengying Media has certain conditions; if others opened this door, why can't Wang Sheng open it too!
The art center representative opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but under Han Sanping's piercing gaze and the deputy minister's slightly furrowed brows, he ultimately swallowed his words.

Seeing that the atmosphere of the meeting was becoming somewhat tense, and even deviating from the discussion of the alliance itself into personal attacks, the vice minister who was chairing the meeting gently tapped the table.

"Alright." The deputy minister's voice was not loud, but it instantly suppressed the noise in the room: "Today we are discussing the film studio alliance. Let's stick to the matter at hand and not involve irrelevant people in the specific issues."

He looked at Han Sanping, his tone calm but pressured: "Comrade Sanping, putting aside other factors, what is your core idea in insisting on forming this alliance? Is it just to find some work for the film studios and make some money?"

Han Sanping knew this was a crucial moment. He took a deep breath and laid out his carefully considered thoughts, his tone sincere yet tinged with a sense of tragic resolve: "Minister Tian, ​​esteemed leaders, the reason I, Han Sanping, established this alliance, boils down to one word—'survival'!"
"This isn't just for the survival of my Beijing Film Studio, but for the survival of dozens of film studios across the country, tens of thousands of film studio employees, and their families!"

"The film market is sluggish, the studios are short of money, the equipment is aging, and the talent pool is shrinking! If this continues, many studios will have to close down in a few years! Those precious pieces of equipment will become scrap metal, and those master craftsmen with superb skills will be forced to change careers! The foundation of China's film industry will truly be shaken!"

Han Sanping quoted Wang Sheng's argument: "When we make TV dramas, it's not because we're neglecting our duties! It's because we're using the most professional resources our film studio has to produce content that the market needs! This is called 'trading space for time'!"
We'll use the money earned from TV dramas to support our teams, upgrade our equipment, train talent, and wait for the film market to recover! If we, these old film studios, can't even survive, what future do we have? How can we promote the mainstream ideology? How can we build a socialist cultural power?

He mentioned that "Beijing Film Studio possesses the television drama production qualification granted by the Ministry," emphasizing that the actions were within the scope permitted by policy and that it was a legitimate use of its own resources to solve difficulties.

Regarding the issue of seizing space from television drama production companies, Han Sanping argued: "Market competition leads to survival of the fittest. Film studios have a quality advantage when producing television dramas; this is a market choice."

Furthermore, our alliance welcomes collaborations with capable production companies; we don't work in isolation. The key is to create works that the public enjoys!

The deputy minister listened quietly, his fingers lightly tapping on his notebook, his expression unreadable.

After Han Sanping finished speaking, he looked around at the others present and asked, "Does anyone have any further opinions on Comrade Sanping's statement?"

Although the debate continued and recurred, the basic tone had been set.

The existence and necessity of the alliance seem to have gained some understanding thanks to Han Sanping's strong argument.

However, the potential risks of monopoly and the fear of being out of control remain key concerns for the ministry's leadership.

Finally, after some discussion, the vice minister delivered a concluding speech, making the final decision:
"The Ministry is aware of the difficulties faced by the film studios. Comrade Sanping and the various film studios are commendable for their spirit of actively exploring solutions. However, such a large-scale organized action must be brought into the framework of standardized management."

"In principle, we agree to your pilot project, 'Harmony Brings Prosperity.' However, this 'alliance' cannot be a disorderly or spontaneous union. It must be conducted under the leadership of the Ministry."

How should the framework be defined?

Han Sanping immediately pressed for details, as this was the key point.

After a moment's thought, the vice minister gave the ministry's initial supervisory opinions:

"First, a temporary 'Film Studio and Television Drama Production Collaboration Guidance Group' will be established, led by the Film Bureau, with the participation of the Television Department and the Editorial Office, and Comrade Han Sanping will serve as the deputy group leader."

Major matters concerning the alliance, particularly issuance strategies and price coordination, must be reported to the steering group for record-keeping and, where necessary, require approval.

"Second, the alliance's issuance activities must strictly adhere to market price rules. It must not use its combined advantages to engage in low-price dumping or high-price monopoly. Once discovered, it will be dealt with seriously."

"Third, we should strengthen cooperation with existing television festivals, television weeks and other platforms, and encourage alliance works to be promoted and traded through these formal channels, rather than starting from scratch."

"Fourth, regarding Comrade Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media," the Vice Minister glanced at Han Sanping, "we can continue to participate in the cooperation, but the cooperation must be standardized and transparent to ensure the preservation and appreciation of state-owned assets and prevent the transfer of benefits. The Beijing Film Studio must submit the specific cooperation plan to the Film Bureau for record-keeping."

This framework is like putting reins on a wild horse.

The alliance was "incorporated" by the authorities. Although it lost some autonomy, it gained the legal status of a "pilot program," thus avoiding being directly shut down.

Han Sanping felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Although the process was tortuous, his goal had been basically achieved.

He immediately stated, "We will resolutely obey the Ministry's decision! We will definitely operate in a standardized manner and do a good job in the pilot program under the leadership of the guidance group!"

(End of this chapter)