Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 129, Section 128: Multiple Blooms

A few days passed.

Monday, March 31, 1997.

In the conference room of the Beijing Film Studio's administration building, the warm spring sun shone through the windows, casting beams of light amidst the lingering haze.

The weekly factory meeting is held on time every Monday, with the heads of various departments and workshops sitting around the long conference table.

Factory director Han Sanping sat upright in the main seat, his face ruddy. He looked around the room, gently tapped the table, and the noisy chatter immediately subsided.

"Comrades, let's start the meeting." Han Sanping's voice was loud and clear, and he got straight to the point: "Today's meeting topic is to summarize the achievements of March, which is the first full month after our 'Film Studio Alliance's' television and film business was fully launched, and to discuss future development strategies."

He picked up a thick report, but instead of reading the numbers aloud immediately, his gaze swept over everyone present, finally lingering briefly on Wang Sheng's face.

"Let's start with the results." Han Sanping's voice carried an undeniable force. "From the opening of 'Crazy Lottery' on March 15th to the end of 'Left-Behind Sisters' last weekend on March 30th, our 'Eight Swords of the New Year' have successfully unleashed six of them in three weekends!"

He read out the film titles one by one: "Crazy Lottery, Wedding Dress, Sleepless Night in Beijing, The Chess King Returns, Spring in the Laboratory, and Left-Behind Sisters!"
Besides the two shows that just aired last weekend, and the feedback data is still being tallied, the first four shows, especially "Lottery" and "Wedding Dress" which aired on the first weekend, have generated a much stronger response nationwide than expected!

Local television stations, broadcasting departments, and other relevant agencies are receiving so many calls of praise, letters of thanks, and even banners of commendation that they're practically overwhelming their departments!

A low chuckle filled the conference room, and everyone's face beamed with pride.

"more importantly."

Han Sanping paused for a moment, then presented the most crucial data: "These six TV movies that have already completed their first run and the two TV movies that have not yet been broadcast have, on average, brought in about six million yuan in revenue per film for the 'Production Center' jointly established by Beijing Film Studio and Shengying Media!"

"Eight films, totaling approximately 48 million yuan in revenue!"

Han Sanping's voice suddenly rose, "According to the agreement that our Beijing Film Studio takes 60% and Shengying Media takes 40%, the studio's revenue from television and film alone this month exceeds 28 million!"

Despite being mentally prepared, the announcement of this exact number still elicited gasps of surprise in the conference room, followed by a heated discussion.

"Twenty-eight million! In one month!"

"My God, this is equivalent to the factory's total revenue for a whole year in the past!"

"The key is a short cycle and quick results! With control of the distribution channels, the profits are substantial!"

"Executive Wang has really chosen the right path!"

Everyone was deeply moved, and their gazes once again focused on Wang Sheng, filled with admiration and respect.

Controlling the distribution channels, bypassing layers of exploitation, and firmly grasping the lion's share of the profits—this exhilarating feeling is unimaginable when relying on the traditional distribution system.

Han Sanping raised his hand to quell the discussion and continued, "The results are encouraging, but we cannot afford to be complacent. Next, I'd like to talk about the follow-up developments."

He looked at Wang Sheng, then scanned the crowd: "Based on feedback from various film studios within the alliance, and our further analysis of the needs of television stations, the market is far from saturated."

"Of the next batch of eight films, four have entered post-production or are nearing completion, while the other four are currently in the midst of filming. But that's not enough."

Han Sanping's tone turned serious: "The demand from television stations is enormous! Besides the prime-time 'weekend cinema' slots on Saturday and Sunday evenings, they have a lot of spare time during weekdays and non-prime time slots that need to be filled with content! Although the unit purchase price for these slots is slightly lower than that for weekend slots, the total volume is staggering!"

He looked intently at Wang Sheng, and then at everyone present: "Should we take a bite out of this huge market? How should we do it? Let's discuss it together."

Almost simultaneously, everyone turned their attention back to Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng remained calm despite the gazes of the crowd.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Director Han, leaders, this market is indeed huge, and we cannot give it up."

However, directly applying the existing model may not be appropriate.

For our weekend lineup, we emphasize the concepts of 'cinematic quality' and 'high-quality dramas,' and the prices are relatively higher.

Weekday programming requires content that is closer to the broadcasting habits of television stations, has controllable costs, and can generate sustained appeal.

He paused for a moment, then offered his idea: "I suggest that we develop a series of TV movies for weekday slots."

"A TV movie series?" Everyone looked interested.

“Yes.” Wang Sheng explained, “For example, producing detective series, urban romance series, family ethics series, and so on.”

Each film is relatively independent, but the characters or backgrounds are related, creating a brand effect. This not only meets the needs of television stations to fill time slots, but also cultivates viewers' viewing habits through series, reducing the promotion costs of individual works.

In terms of production, more emphasis can be placed on storytelling and pacing, while further optimizing costs and timelines while ensuring basic quality.

"Great idea!" Shi Dongming, director of the Arts Office, was the first to applaud, "The series model has successful precedents both domestically and internationally! It can both absorb production capacity and create a long-lasting intellectual property!"

"Yes, yes! Just like the old-fashioned serialized storytelling, keeping the audience in suspense!" Qian Qianjin excitedly chimed in.

"Executive Director Wang's idea is brilliant! Those screenwriters from other factories are just looking for work. Making a series is a perfect opportunity for them to work on an assembly line and make the most of their skills!" Another deputy factory director also agreed.

The meeting room was immediately filled with an optimistic atmosphere.

The concept of a series seems to have opened a new door, allowing everyone to see a broader scope for imagination in the television and film industry.

Han Sanping nodded in satisfaction, his gaze settling on Wang Sheng again: "Shengzi, it seems everyone agrees. You'll have to take the lead in getting this done. You'll be in charge of the overall direction of the script, production standards, and cost control. You'll also be in charge of coordinating the scripts sent by various factories and producing several series of plans and the first batch of scripts as soon as possible."

Wang Sheng nodded and said, "Since the factory trusts me, I'll give it a try. I'll organize the manpower and come up with a plan as soon as possible."

"Alright!" Han Sanping slammed his hand on the table. "Let's proceed with the TV and film project as Wang Sheng suggested. Now, let's talk about something else."

His expression became slightly more serious: "The Forbidden City Film Company, which was officially established last December, is now fully operational after preliminary preparations. I serve as the vice president, mainly responsible for production. After initial discussions by the board of directors, we plan to produce a real movie, not a TV movie, but a movie for theatrical release. We plan to release it at the end of the year as a New Year's film, primarily testing the waters in Beijing first."

Traditional films...

It doesn't seem to be making any money.

For the third time, everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Sheng.

Even Han Sanping looked at him with a questioning expression.

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Director Han, once this movie is made, what's the revenue-sharing model with the theaters?"

This is the key issue.

Han Sanping, clearly prepared, explained: "We've had a preliminary discussion, and based on the current revenue-sharing practices for imported films, we'll first deduct 5% from the box office revenue to the National Film Industry Development Special Fund, and approximately 3.3% to business tax."

The remaining net box office revenue is split roughly 40/60 between the production company and the distributor, with the production company taking about 40%.

Of course, if it's our own screening unit or a partner with whom we have a particularly good relationship, this percentage can be discussed further, but this is the general framework.

After hearing this, Wang Sheng silently did some mental calculations.

For a movie that grosses ten million, the production company may only receive a little over three million, or even less.

Compared to the model of television movies, which almost directly monetize broadcasting rights, film investment risks and market uncertainties are indeed much greater.

But he also knew that film was the foundation of the film studio and the ultimate embodiment of its brand and influence.

The accumulation of television films will eventually give back to the big screen.

"The film industry is a must-enter."

Wang Sheng said firmly, "If we're going to give it a try, we have to be sincere. I'll direct this Lunar New Year film. I'll also take the lead in developing the script."

His words caused a moment of silence in the conference room, followed by an even louder chorus of approval.

"Executive Wang will personally take charge? Then there's definitely no problem!"

"Exactly! With Shengzi on the scene, one of them is worth two!"

"We trust him with the Lunar New Year films!"

Han Sanping smiled with satisfaction; this was exactly the attitude Wang Sheng wanted.

He surveyed the room and announced loudly, "Alright! Since Comrade Wang Sheng has volunteered, then he will be fully responsible for the Forbidden City Film Company's first New Year's film project, serving as the director and script coordinator! Those who agree, raise your hands!"

"Shh!"

Without any hesitation, a whole bunch of arms shot up in the meeting room once again, and it was unanimously approved.

(End of this chapter)