Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 106, page 105: The Window of History

Monday, January 6, 1997.

In the first week of the new year, Beijing was still freezing cold, but the office of Han Sanping, the director of Beijing Film Studio, was warm and even a little hot because of a report that had just been delivered.

Han Sanping's fingers trembled slightly as he gripped the thin piece of paper, his eyes fixed on the number on it: Three Million One Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand Yuan.

This is the first revenue share from the distribution of a TV movie that Shengying Media and Beijing Film Studio have just received in their joint "Production Center" company account.

The funds from 30 affiliated film studios, excluding Beijing Film Studio, have been pooled together today, ultimately forming this heart-pounding figure.

This money is the net profit that the production company, the Beijing Film Studio and Sheng Ying Media consortium, received after the broadcast of "Family Harmony Brings Prosperity" on more than 600 TV stations across the country, deducted the 10% distribution fee given to each film studio, and then split 50/50.

"More than 600 television stations..."

Han Sanping muttered to himself, his voice hoarse with disbelief: "On average, it only costs... ten thousand or so yuan per station?"

He quickly did some mental calculations, then shook his head.

That's not how it works. The purchase prices vary greatly from place to place. Some stations give a token amount, while others price it based on quality.

But in any case, the fact that he was able to bring together the strength of thirty film studios to simultaneously broadcast a TV series on so many screens across the country, creating a scale effect and ultimately reaping a net profit of more than three million yuan, was something that had never happened since he took charge of the Beijing Film Studio, and something that no other film studio director in the country had ever done!

Wang Shengjia and I teamed up and went on a rampage!

Compared to the exorbitant profits of "custom-made" wedding movies, which can reach hundreds of thousands per order but rely on top-tier wealthy individuals and are unreplicable, the current three million yuan, though not much when averaged across each TV station, has a completely different significance.

This means that a sustainable channel capable of generating stable cash flow has been opened up!

This is the right way to truly sustain a factory and an entire system!

Han Sanping calmed his breathing, gently placed the report on the desk, and looked up at Wang Sheng, who was sitting in the chair opposite him, leisurely sipping tea.

"Shengzi." Han Sanping's voice returned to its usual calm, but the excitement in his eyes was still hard to hide: "The money has arrived. Three million one hundred and fifty-five thousand. We've taken this first step steadily."

Wang Sheng put down his teacup, a knowing smile appearing on his face: "Uncle Han, this is just the beginning. The power of the alliance lies in its ability to aggregate scattered orders and turn small amounts of money into large sums. As more projects come along, this path will only become wider and wider."

"Yes."

Han Sanping nodded with a sigh, then leaned forward, staring intently at Wang Sheng. "So, what's the next step? This money can't just sit in the account; it needs to be used to generate more revenue. Production of the TV series must keep up!"

Instead of directly answering the question about the TV series, Wang Sheng changed the subject: "Uncle Han, do you remember the Aido VCD I mentioned to you last time?"

"Remember, what?"

Han Sanping raised an eyebrow.

"On November 8th last year, at the prime-time advertising bidding conference held at the Media Center of CCTV, Aido VCD spent 82 million yuan to win the first place in the electronics category, with BBK coming in second. Although it was overshadowed by Qinchi Winery's 320 million yuan bid, it still made quite a splash."

Wang Sheng explained in detail: "The key point is that Aido secured a 5-second advertising slot after the weather forecast, and the advertising effect in that position is terrifying."

Add to that the countless no-name VCD factories that have sprung up across the country in the past two months… Uncle Han, I estimate that the current domestic VCD player inventory may have already exceeded… three million units, or even more. And it's growing at an astonishing rate every month.”

Three million units?

Han Sanping gasped.

This number far exceeded his previous estimates.

This means that a huge family movie-watching market, which is in dire need of content, has begun to take shape.

In the videotape era, due to the high cost of the machines and the high cost of the tapes, the adoption rate was not as fast as it is now.

The low cost of VCD players and discs perfectly matched the purchasing power of Chinese families at that time.

"It will only increase, not decrease."

Wang Sheng affirmed, "Therefore, my previous suggestion to stockpile movie and TV series VCD rights is now coming in handy. We can contact the film studios in the alliance and use their connections and channels in various regions to help distribute the VCD discs we publish. This will be the second important monetization channel after television distribution."

Han Sanping nodded: "I've already asked the head of the Beijing Film Studio's audio-visual company to push this forward. We've already stockpiled a batch of movie DVDs, including Hong Kong films and some domestic films and television works, which is a good opportunity to test the market response."

Wang Sheng advised, "First, promote it in provincial capitals or major cities, and see where the VCD player manufacturers have distributed their products."

"it is good."

Wang Sheng continued, "However, Uncle Han, what I want to focus on today is content production itself."

Long-running dramas, like 20-30 episode series, have long investment cycles, large capital commitments, and relatively high risks. For our current stage where we need to quickly recoup funds, train our team, and seize market share, this is not the optimal choice.

"What do you mean?" Han Sanping sat up a little straighter.

"We will continue to focus our efforts on the 'television film' field."

Wang Sheng stated unequivocally, "The production cycle is short, usually completed in a month; the cost is controllable, a decent film can be made for a few hundred thousand yuan; it's highly flexible, allowing for a variety of subjects. Most importantly, it enables high-volume, low-margin production!"

"Small profits but quick turnover..." Han Sanping repeated this phrase, lost in thought.

"Correct!"

Wang Sheng further elaborated on his plan: "First, we can take the initiative and ask each film studio and their local TV station to discuss whether they can set up a fixed program on the general channel or their film, television, arts and culture sub-channels, such as 'Weekend Cinema' or 'Movie Appointment'."

We promise to provide this program with two to three newly produced TV movies every week.

Based on this calculation, there is a stable demand of at least 8 movies per month, and nearly 100 movies per year!
For television stations, the cost of purchasing a single TV movie is far lower than that of purchasing a long-running series, yet it can reliably fill prime-time slots; for us, with a stable broadcasting platform and expected revenue, we can freely scale up production.

There's another point Wang Sheng couldn't mention: this August, over 900 terrestrial television stations will be "reduced in quantity and improved in quality," shrinking to just over 300. Wang Sheng had actually considered this approach last year, but unfortunately, his influence was limited, and without tangible results, he couldn't convince Han Sanping to take the risk and establish a distribution alliance.

The window of opportunity in history is closing quickly, so we must act fast and make a big push.

Han Sanping nodded repeatedly: "That's a great idea! Break it down into smaller parts and let it flow slowly! It's more reliable and creates a more lasting impact than selling an entire series all at once!"

"second,"

Wang Sheng continued, "Based on the first point, we can now start 'going all out' with TV movies."

Even if some films cannot generate revenue through television purchases for the time being, we still have the VCD market to fall back on.

As long as the film is of high quality and the story is engaging, it can always recoup costs and even generate profit in the VCD market. This gives us greater room for experimentation and creative freedom.

"We need to adopt a two-pronged approach: television distribution and VCD sales should complement and promote each other!"

Han Sanping's face lit up with excitement: "Shengzi, do it your way! Do it right away! I'll arrange it right away and negotiate program collaborations with various TV stations as soon as possible. At the same time, the production center must immediately launch the mass production plan for TV movies!"

……

That afternoon, the conference room at the Beijing Film Studio was packed.

The studio's internal screenwriters who had been notified, the peripheral screenwriters who had close ties with the Beijing Film Studio, and the directors that the studio could mobilize gathered together.

The air was filled with curiosity, anticipation, and a hint of restlessness.

Everyone had heard about the success of "Harmony Brings Prosperity" and knew that something big was about to be announced.

Wang Sheng and Han Sanping walked into the conference room together, and the originally noisy room immediately quieted down.

Han Sanping first gave a brief mobilization speech, affirming the achievements of "Harmony Brings Prosperity" and thanking everyone for their contributions. He then directly proposed the plan of "mass-producing TV movies" and the dual guarantee of establishing a regular TV program and expanding the VCD market.

A burst of excited discussion immediately arose from the audience.

For many screenwriters and directors struggling to find projects, this is undoubtedly a godsend.

Although the investment in a single project may not be as large as that of a movie or even a long TV series, there are more opportunities, the cycle is faster, the results are more obvious, and it is more conducive to honing one's skills.

Then, Wang Sheng stepped forward and took over the speaking position.

He didn't waste any time with small talk and went straight to the practical aspects.

"After discussions with Director Han, we have decided to immediately reorganize our resources and initially establish four television and film production teams."

Wang Sheng's clear voice echoed throughout the meeting hall: "These four groups will be the first batch of main forces, starting work simultaneously, and striving to have the first batch of finished products ready after the Spring Festival!"

He glanced across the audience: "The production team leaders are as follows:"
The first group is directed by Huo Jianqi. Director Huo has just completed co-directing "Harmony Brings Prosperity," and with his rich experience, he's a natural fit.

Huo Jianqi nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"The second group is led by director Wu Yiyi. Director Wu has been honing his skills for more than four months and has rich experience in on-site execution. He is good at completing filming tasks efficiently."

Wu Yiyi's face lit up with excitement, and she nodded vigorously.

“The third group,” Wang Sheng paused, looking at a male director in his fifties, “is led by Director Huo Zhuang.”

Huo Zhuang is a veteran director from Beijing Film Studio. He graduated from the acting department and has directed works of various styles, including "The Nameless Three Heroes" and "The Love Between a Foolish Man and a Mad Woman Through Two Lifetimes." He is a skilled and efficient director.

"Group Four."

Wang Sheng looked at another director who embodied the three labels of formal training, second-generation successor, and young generation: "Director Zhang Yang will be in charge."

Zhang Yang's father is the famous director Zhang Huaxun, who directed classic films such as "The Mysterious Buddha" and "The Legend of the Martial Arts".

In 1986, Zhang Yang was admitted to the Chinese Department of Sun Yat-sen University, but later transferred to the Directing Department of the Central Academy of Drama because the Central Academy of Drama recruited transfer students. After graduating in 1992, he was assigned to the Beijing Film Academy as a director.

Zhang Yang was originally working on his debut film, "Spicy Love Soup," but Han Sanping talked to his father and promised that as long as Zhang Yang performed well, the factory would support him in making a proper film. Zhang Yang thought about it and realized that TV movies were still movies, so he could practice his skills and took on the job.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the 3% commission on total revenue!
After announcing the director's appointment, Wang Sheng looked at the screenwriters' area: "Next, the most important thing is the script. We need it to be 'fast,' but it absolutely cannot be 'shoddy.'"

The subject matter can be broad, but the story must be solid, close to real life, and contain genuine emotions, or possess a unique appeal within its genre.

He called out a few names: "Teacher Su Xiaowei... and all the screenwriters present here. I hope everyone can bring out your best skills or novel ideas."

Wang Sheng then roughly divided his creative work into several directions:
"First, realistic themes: focus on the joys and sorrows of ordinary people today, including family, workplace, and emotions. They should be down-to-earth and resonate with the audience."

This is the mainstream, and also the foundation.

2. Light comedy/heartwarming comedy: Continuing the success of "Harmony Brings Prosperity", it creates joy and is suitable for family viewing.

Third, experiment with different genres: It is appropriate to explore genres such as suspense and urban romance to enrich the film library and attract audiences with different tastes.

However, costs must be strictly controlled.

IV. Adaptations of Classic Works or Historical Anecdotes: Select classic excerpts or historical anecdotes suitable for short presentation, ensuring both literary merit and entertainment value.

"The plot should be tight, the characters should be vivid, the conflicts should be focused, and the narrative length should be 90-120 minutes."

Wang Sheng emphasized: "Dear screenwriters, we will now have group discussions. You can start working on any mature ideas or concepts you have now. What we need are mass-producible, highbrow stories, not niche, unappealing ones."

(End of this chapter)