Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 2, Section 02: Personalized Customization (Revised)

After seeing Chen Liang off.

Wang Sheng turned around and found the draft of his money-making plan that he had written over the past few days.

His motivation for making money, besides retaliating and regaining face for himself and his parents, also stemmed from the fact that Wang Sheng didn't want to give up.

A person should leave something behind in their lifetime.

Originally, Wang Sheng planned to ask his parents, relatives and friends to collect gold coins to raise the start-up capital needed for his money-making plan.

After hearing from Chen Liang that the factory encouraged employees' children to take initiative and find their own way to make a living, Wang Sheng immediately changed his mind and decided to go to the factory to get some gold coins.

Even if Beijing Film Studio is in decline, it is still the leading state-owned film studio. Even if it can't generate hundreds of thousands of yuan, it can still generate tens of thousands of yuan.

Wang Sheng flipped through the draft in his hand, silently pondering which factory leader he should approach to get the gold coins.

After much thought, he decided to go find the factory manager surnamed Han.

……

As the sun sets, it casts a dim golden edge on the rooftops of the haphazardly arranged buildings in the Beijing Film Studio's residential area.

Wang Sheng stood downstairs in a relatively new apartment building, his gaze sweeping over the enclosed balconies and aluminum alloy windows.

This place seems like a completely different world from the tenement building where his family lives. It's quiet, clean, and exudes a sense of order that makes it difficult to approach.

Based on the information he had pieced together from his parents' and neighbors' casual conversations over the past few days, Han Sanping, the director of the Beijing Film Studio, lived in one of the apartments in this building.

Wang Sheng held a rather simple folder in his hand, inside which was a "money-making draft" that he had spent several days putting together, combining his past life experiences with the current reality.

He took a deep breath of the cool evening air, suppressing the slight dizziness in his head caused by the incomplete healing of his wounds, and waited patiently while mentally reviewing the lines he had rehearsed all day.

Time passed by, and the flow of people leaving get off work gradually returned.

Finally, a familiar figure appeared at the intersection; it was Han Sanping.

He was wearing a gray jacket, carrying a briefcase, and looking tired. He was looking down, deep in thought, as he walked towards the building entrance.

Wang Sheng seized the opportunity and quickly went to meet him.

"Director Han."

Han Sanping looked up at the sound and saw the young man blocking his way, as well as the conspicuous white netting around his head. His brows furrowed subconsciously.

He vaguely remembered this young man; it seemed to be the one who had led the last disturbance and was "dealt with" by the security department, ending up with a bloody head.

"Who are you?" Han Sanping stopped in his tracks, his steady tone tinged with caution.

"Hello, factory manager. My name is Wang Sheng. I am the son of Wang Baoguo from the transportation workshop, and I am also a student who just graduated from the Beijing Film Academy's photography training program."

Facing this important figure who would one day lead the reform of China's film industry, Wang Sheng introduced himself with neither arrogance nor servility, while deliberately tilting his head slightly so that the other party could see the injury on his head more clearly.

Han Sanping's gaze lingered on Wang Sheng's injury for a second, then his tone softened: "Wang Sheng... I know you. Is your injury better?"

"The stitches will be removed tomorrow. Thank you for your concern, factory manager."

Wang Sheng seized the opportunity and immediately continued, "Factory Director, I'm not here to cause trouble about what happened last time. I wanted to report to you on some specific ideas about how to give full play to the 'subjective initiative' of us employees' children. I hope I can take up a few minutes of your time."

Han Sanping was somewhat surprised.

He had just proposed at the meeting that employees' children should find their own way out, and that evening someone blocked his door saying they wanted to report their thoughts. Moreover, this person was a troublemaker who had just caused trouble.

This piqued the interest of Han Sanping, who had always been a troublemaker since childhood.

"Oh? What's your idea?" He glanced at his watch. "I'll give you ten minutes."

Wang Sheng was secretly pleased, but his tone remained calm as he said, "Factory Director, it's not convenient to discuss this here. It involves aspects that might require the factory's support, and we're also worried about being overheard. What do you think..."

Han Sanping sized up Wang Sheng and saw that his eyes were clear and his attitude was serious. He didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble again. After a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "Come up with me."

Upon entering Han Sanping's home, Wang Sheng quickly glanced around.

The room was simply and neatly furnished with a sofa, coffee table, and bookshelf, exuding a sense of life while also conveying the orderly feel unique to a cadre's family.

Han Sanping gestured for Wang Sheng to sit on the sofa, poured himself a glass of water, and sat opposite him: "So, what project draft are you referring to?"

Wang Sheng opened the folder and deftly handed over a few pages of handwritten manuscript, saying, "Factory Director, my idea is to create a truly high-end, even luxurious, private customized wedding film service, specifically for those who have become rich first in the capital, as well as foreign company executives, returned overseas Chinese, and those successful directors and stars in our industry."

"Wedding movie?"

Han Sanping took the manuscript paper; the relatively new term piqued his interest slightly.

"Yes, it's definitely not one of those wedding videos that cost three or four hundred yuan and just follow the wedding day like a diary."

Wang Sheng leaned forward, his tone becoming more fervent: "What kind of place is our Beijing Film Studio? The elder brother of Chinese cinema! We have the most professional cinematographers. Although we only came from training courses, in terms of skill, we are far superior to those self-taught individuals from wedding companies; we have the most professional equipment. Although it may be a bit old, the image quality and effects produced are incomparable to ordinary VHS cameras; we also have directors, screenwriters, makeup artists, costume designers, prop masters... a whole set of resources!"

I know the factory is facing difficulties right now, with many resources sitting idle, but with just a little consolidation—even just using some older Betacam SP cameras, lighting, and even the occasional spare editing table and recording studio—we'd have a nuclear weapon to annihilate the wedding industry!

As Han Sanping listened, he unconsciously tapped his knee with his fingers, signaling him to continue.

Encouraged, Wang Sheng explained in detail: "I plan to offer three tiers of service. The lowest tier is called 'Golden Jubilee Collection,' priced at 9999 yuan. This tier is aimed at wealthy families who pursue prestige and quality. It provides dual-camera Betacam SP shooting with professional lighting throughout, ensuring image quality far exceeding that of home VHS. The best cameraman from our training course will be in charge of the shooting."

The final 60-minute video undergoes rigorous post-production editing, utilizing our factory's professional linear editing equipment for color grading and music selection. The opening and closing credits feature special effects subtitles and the couple's names and logos. The finished product is a high-quality professional videotape, packaged in a luxurious gift box. The focus is on 'professionalism' and 'prestige'.

"The second tier, called 'Platinum Image,' is priced at 19999 yuan. This tier emphasizes 'cinematic feel' and 'personal narrative.' In addition to including all the services in the first tier, we will add a 'wedding director' who will communicate with the couple in advance to explore their love story and design a unique shooting script and narrative. On the wedding day, it's not just about recording, but also 'directing,' arranging some simple reenactments or artistic posing."

The equipment will use idle 16mm film cameras or high-end digital cameras from the factory, along with more complex lighting setups and simple tracks, to create real cinematic lighting and motion shots.

Post-production upgrades include a possible use of film-like effects for the opening sequence, and the soundtrack could be a simple original composition or a selection of copyrighted music created by the studio's recording team. In addition to videotapes, a limited number of DVDs will be produced for home theater playback. The focus is on 'customization' and 'cinematic storytelling'.

“The highest grade…” Wang Sheng took a deep breath and said firmly, “I call it the ‘Private Customization’ series. The price will vary depending on the situation, with no upper limit. It will be customized according to the client’s needs.”

"Factory manager, at this level, we primarily serve a tiny elite group. We want to tell them that their wedding is like an exclusive romantic movie screening."

"The services include setting up a dedicated project team, equipping it with senior photography instructors, and inviting retired photographers from the factory to serve as consultants, which can also alleviate some of the pressure on the factory to provide for its own staff."

In terms of equipment, I envision shooting the entire wedding from a single point of view using film cameras, accompanied by a complete lighting and sound crew. We'll have a dedicated 'wedding film director' who will conduct in-depth pre-wedding interviews and write detailed storyboards, making the wedding day feel like a miniature film crew.

Newcomers can even choose to imitate the style of a classic film, such as "Roman Holiday" or "Ghost".

Post-production editing is done in the factory's editing room, including fine-tuning and color grading. For music, students or teachers from the Central Conservatory of Music can be invited to compose custom-made melodies, or live instrument recordings can be done in the factory's recording studio.

We offer professional advice and even customized services for makeup and costumes, and can leverage the resources of the factory's costume and makeup departments. The finished product will be a 'wedding love movie' that is over 90 minutes long, exported to the highest quality Betacam SP master tape, and packaged in a highly collectible movie copy box, including a movie poster, clapperboard souvenir, and archives of all original footage.

We're not selling a video; we're selling a unique work of art, a 'secret memory' to be passed down through generations.

After Wang Sheng finished speaking, he stared intently at Han Sanping.

The dismissive look on Han Sanping's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by deep contemplation.

He tapped the draft document lightly with his fingers. It contained not only service details, but also Wang Sheng's rough cost estimates, profit analysis, and market feasibility predictions.

"The idea is bold, even a bit... crazy." Han Sanping slowly began, "9999 yuan, 19999 yuan, is equivalent to a year's, or even two years' salary for an ordinary worker. Do you really think anyone would pay for it?"

"Factory Director..."

Wang Sheng answered affirmatively: "There are many people who make a fortune doing business outside now, and it is common to see wedding banquets with dozens of tables of Moutai and Zhonghua liquor."

For them, money is not the issue; the issue is whether they can buy something unique that reflects their status and taste.

What we offer is this kind of 'luxury' that transcends ordinary weddings and allows them to gain immense prestige in their social circles.

The Beijing Film Studio's background and professionalism are our strongest selling points. Even if we don't advertise it publicly, people in the industry can naturally find out where our equipment and personnel come from.

Han Sanping leaned back, scrutinizing Wang Sheng: "So, you want to use the Beijing Film Studio's name? Let me tell you, even if the Beijing Film Studio is down on its luck, it's still a national-level film production studio. It's not so bad that it has to make a living by producing wedding videos. This name can't be easily lent to you to mess around with."

“Director, it’s not about borrowing a name, it’s about integrating resources for mutual benefit and win-win results,” Wang Sheng corrected. “We don’t need to tell the outside world that this is run by Beijing Film Studio, but we can say that it was created by a team with a professional background in film studios, or we can say that it was created by a team with a professional background in Oriental Hollywood.”

We simply rent idle equipment and space from the factory and pay rent to revitalize the assets.

If we succeed, we can solve employment problems, generate profits, and bring honor to the factory; even if we fail, it will be just the antics of a few young people like us, and will have nothing to do with the factory.

What we need to borrow are tangible professional equipment, technical expertise, and a bit of connections, not the prestigious brand name itself.

He then put forward specific requirements: "Director, we need an unused office or warehouse in the Beijing Film Studio as a base. When clients come and see that we are working in the Beijing Film Studio, they can also believe in our capabilities."

Regarding equipment, we would like to rent two Betacam SP cameras, lights, and tripods at a discounted price. If someone purchases a higher-end service, we would also like the factory to lend us 16mm or 35mm cameras, payable per use.

In addition, we need 100,000 yuan in start-up capital for initial marketing, material costs, transportation, and emergency expenses. This can be considered a loan, with an agreement to pay interest.

Finally, and most importantly, we hope the factory can help us connect with the advertising department of our subsidiary, Beijing Film Studio's audio-visual company, to use their channels to place advertisements for a period of time on specific channels of local Beijing television stations, such as arts and culture channels and lifestyle channels, during non-prime time slots but with good viewership, at the lowest cost we can afford. This will promote our "high-end personalized wedding film service."

Han Sanping fell silent again, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup.

He was making a fierce decision in his mind.

Wang Sheng's project is not a "small-scale operation," but rather has extremely high operational potential and a huge profit margin.

If successful, it could not only solve the employment problem for a number of people, but could also become an unexpected profit growth point for the factory, or at least a good supplement to its cash flow.

In addition, renting out the dormant equipment in the factory by the time or by project and charging higher rent is more cost-effective than simply leaving it idle or renting it out at a low price, and it also better reflects the value of the resources.

Wang Sheng was also clever, emphasizing not to use the factory name directly, thus reducing the factory's reputational risk. The project's high-end positioning also made it less "cheap," and to some extent, it showcased the technical strength of the Beijing Film Studio, which could be promoted internally and externally as an "innovation in the revitalization and utilization of resources."

More importantly, this can be seen as a highly market-oriented pilot project, exploring how to transform film expertise into commercial value outside the planned economy, which aligns with the general direction of reform.

Finally, this project also has a calming effect, giving the children of the Beijing Film Studio who led the disturbance a highly challenging but also highly rewarding opportunity. Success would be a win-win situation, while failure would leave them speechless, which would help stabilize the emotions of the families and appease people.

After thinking for a long time, Han Sanping raised his head and looked at Wang Sheng with a deep gaze: "The idea is interesting and worth a try. However, the conditions need to be changed."

"We can provide you with an office space rent-free, and we can rent you a set of equipment, including a Betacam SP camera and basic lighting, at market depreciation rates. However, 16mm or 35mm film cameras are absolutely out of the question! You can't afford those right now; the wear and tear and the cost of the film are too high for you."

Unless a future 'custom-made' client confirms an order and prepays sufficient funds, in which case special approval can be granted for experienced factory workers to operate the equipment, with you learning alongside them. Rental fees and wear and tear will be charged separately; this is the bottom line!

"100,000 yuan is too much start-up capital, and the risk is uncontrollable. At most, it's 50,000 yuan, which will be a loan from the factory to your 'project team,' but it requires your parents and at least two other family members of regular employees to jointly guarantee the loan, sign a loan contract, and agree on the repayment period and interest."

"Regarding the advertising, I can arrange a meeting between you and someone from Beijing Film Studio. You can negotiate the price yourselves and see if you can get an internal discount. The factory won't pay any advertising fees for you."

"Finally, and most importantly," Han Sanping said in an extremely serious tone, "all external publicity is strictly prohibited from using phrases such as 'sponsored or undertaken by Beijing Film Studio.' Only vague statements like 'the core team comes from a professional film production company' or similar phrases are allowed. If I find you skirting the rules or abusing the studio's name, the project will be terminated immediately, the equipment will be recalled, and the loan will be recovered immediately! Understand?"

Wang Sheng quickly made a mental calculation.

The use of the most critical high-end equipment was strictly restricted, start-up capital was halved, and advertising support was reduced to a minimum.

The conditions were much more stringent, but the basic framework remained: an office space, basic equipment, initial funding, and an opportunity to access advertising channels.

"Understood! Factory Manager, we accept these conditions!"

Wang Sheng continued, "We will strictly abide by the regulations, make good use of this money and equipment, and produce results for you as soon as possible!"

"Okay, let the injury heal completely first. Then, have your father and guarantor come to me with a detailed budget and plan to sign the agreement." Han Sanping stood up, his intention to see the guest out was clear.

"Factory manager, I'll head back now."

Wang Sheng respectfully took his leave and departed.

(End of this chapter)