Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 379, Section 377: A Young Man Arrives in California

Los Angeles time, Monday morning, October 29, 2001.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds of the conference room in the New Line Cinema office area, casting dappled shadows on the smooth, long conference table.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee, and a silent, tense atmosphere, like the prelude to a business negotiation.

When Wang Sheng entered the conference room accompanied by Li Tingting, Robert White, and the core negotiation team, the impact of seeing it in person still exceeded expectations, even though Kevin Brown, Senior Vice President of New Line Cinema's International Division, and his team already knew from the materials that this Chinese collaborator was very young.

too young.

Wang Sheng looked even younger than they had expected. Easterners tend to look younger, and his calm and composed demeanor created a peculiar sense of contradiction.

He wore a well-tailored dark suit, without a tie, and casually unbuttoned one button at the collar of his shirt, maintaining the formality of a business occasion while exuding a casualness and confidence that was different from the rigid rules of Hollywood.

Brown, the vice president who had worked at Newline for over fifteen years and was known for his shrewdness, pragmatism, and data-driven approach, showed a fleeting hint of surprise in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by professional scrutiny.

His deputies, including the manager in charge of Asian market analysis, the legal representative, and the head of the distribution department, exchanged glances and all read similar surprise on each other's faces.

However, this surprise did not turn into disdain.

In American society, especially in 2001, when the Silicon Valley tech bubble had burst but its lingering effects remained, and the stories of young tech giants like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were still inspiring, there was a certain degree of admiration for "the prodigy" in the social culture.

Although Hollywood values ​​seniority and connections, the abilities of a young person who starts from scratch and builds an entertainment empire encompassing production, distribution, theaters, and even derivative businesses within just a few years, and who can wield considerable influence in their home market, should not be underestimated.

His youth, ironically, serves as the best evidence of his extraordinary abilities—which implies a keen market sense, exceptional execution, or perhaps even more unfathomable background resources.

Especially as the global economic focus begins to turn to the huge potential of the Chinese market, Wang Sheng's emergence seems more like a signal from the future.

“Mr. Wang, welcome to New Line Cinema.” Brown stood up and extended his hand. His handshake was firm and brief, befitting his efficient and pragmatic style. “I hope the Los Angeles weather didn’t disappoint you after your journey.”

“Thank you, Mr. Brown. The Los Angeles sunshine lives up to its reputation.” Wang Sheng replied with a smile, his English fluent, with a slight accent, but his word choice was precise, and his presence was equally commanding.

The representatives from both sides introduced themselves and took their seats one by one.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and coffee, the atmosphere in the meeting room quickly became formal.

Robert White, acting as the intermediary, began by emphasizing the importance of the meeting for strategic cooperation between the two sides in the future market.

To Wang Sheng's team's surprise, after a brief opening, Brown did not immediately delve into the distribution details of "Shaolin Soccer," but instead steered the conversation toward a grander vision.

“Mr. Wang,” Brown said, placing his hands on the table and leaning slightly forward, “before we discuss the specific film ‘Shaolin Soccer,’ I would like to explore the possibility of a deeper and more strategic cooperation between New Line Cinema and Shengying Media, or rather, between New Line Cinema and the Chinese film market.”

This is a typical "difficult first, easy later" strategy.

By prioritizing a more complex and far-reaching framework for in-depth cooperation, the aim is to test Wang Sheng's bottom line and strategic vision. At the same time, it is hoped that this framework will set a favorable tone for subsequent negotiations on "Kung Fu Soccer".

Wang Sheng's expression remained unchanged; he simply nodded slightly, signaling the other party to continue.

Li Tingting took quick notes, while the legal and financial analysts were fully focused.

"We have noticed that China is joining the WTO, and the film market will be further opened up. The quota for imported revenue-sharing blockbusters will increase."

Brown spoke calmly, with a data-driven composure: "This is a huge opportunity, but it also comes with challenges. How to make New Line Cinema's films reach Chinese audiences more accurately and effectively is an issue we are very concerned about."

He paused, then continued, "We understand that you, your Shengying Media, and 'China Film Shengshi Cinema Circuit' wield significant influence in China, especially in core box office cities and during key release periods. Our envisioned in-depth cooperation can be broken down into several parts:"

"First, market information sharing and joint marketing. We hope to establish a regular communication mechanism to share our analysis of market trends and audience preferences."

For the key films designated by New Line, we hope Sheng Ying can get involved in advance, provide localized marketing advice, and implement joint marketing campaigns in China.

"Secondly, priority scheduling and release date coordination. For key films produced by New Line Cinema that meet the needs of the Chinese market, we hope to obtain priority screening treatment in 'China Film Grand Cinema Circuit' and even in the wider cinema network that you can influence, especially during the golden periods such as Spring Festival, summer vacation and National Day, to ensure sufficient number of screens and prime time slots."

"Third, potential co-production and IP development. Based on both parties' shared understanding of the market, we do not rule out co-producing suitable projects in the future, or jointly developing IPs applicable to the global market."

The core of Brown's framework is "market for market, channel for channel".

New Line hopes to use its global distribution network and production resources as leverage to gain access to the Chinese market and guaranteed screen time from Wang Sheng.

The negotiations then proceeded over the next few hours, focusing on this framework for deeper cooperation.

The two sides engaged in repeated back-and-forth negotiations on issues such as the depth of information sharing, cost sharing of joint marketing, specific definitions of priority screening (e.g., ensuring a screening rate of no less than a certain percentage in the first week), and the leading role of co-production.

Wang Sheng remained calm and patient throughout.

He was not misled by the "global cooperation" blueprint described by the other party, nor did he back down because of the other party's assertiveness.

He clearly articulated his bottom line and principles.

“Mr. Brown, everyone,” at Wang Sheng’s prompting, Li Tingting distributed a carefully prepared summary of the Chinese market data analysis report (with key data in English) to the New Line team. “The Chinese film market has seen a compound annual growth rate of over 50% in the past three years. The number of screens, especially the construction of modern multiplex cinemas, is accelerating.”

According to our model predictions, within five to eight years at the earliest, the box office champion in China could very well surpass $1 million. This would make China the world's second-largest single film market after North America.

This data was a bombshell brought by Wang Sheng.

It visually demonstrated to the New Line team the terrifying growth potential of the Chinese market.

$1 million was a significant sum for any Hollywood company in 2001.

This means that in the future, a film's revenue in China could be comparable to its performance in North America.

The members of the new line team flipped through the data, exchanging opinions in hushed tones, their expressions becoming increasingly serious and interested.

Wang Sheng seized the opportunity: "I understand the importance that New Line attaches to its channels."

I can promise that for new films that I believe are suitable for the Chinese market and have the potential to achieve great success, I will use my influence and resources to ensure they receive ample screening support, even 'customized' release dates. But—"

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming firm: "This 'I think' is crucial."

The power to ultimately decide which films receive this special treatment must be in my hands.

I must make decisions based on my assessment of Chinese audience tastes and the market environment, rather than simply executing the new lineup of films.

This is the foundation of our cooperation and the key to maximizing the interests of both of us.

Wang Sheng's bottom line is clear: he must be the "gatekeeper" and "screener," not simply a channel provider.

He wanted to use his market judgment in exchange for the right to utilize Newline's North American and global distribution channels.

For New Line Cinema, which aims to dump its culture on the Chinese market and cram more Hollywood movies into Chinese cinemas, this is not entirely unacceptable, although it differs from its initial "unconditional priority" concept.

After all, having a partner who understands the local market can reduce their distribution risk through screening alone.

Brown's team was well aware of this. The reason they wanted to "negotiate" was simply to negotiate more favorable terms in the subsequent specific terms, such as the revenue sharing ratio and the guaranteed minimum amount.

Thus, the two sides reached a stalemate on the core issue of "the decision-making power over film scheduling."

The new line attempted to dilute Wang Sheng's autocratic power by introducing a complex joint committee mechanism or setting certain triggering conditions, but Wang Sheng stood firm, emphasizing the necessity of efficiency and professional judgment.

Time flew by amidst the intense yet restrained discussion.

Lunch was a simple sandwich and salad, quickly served in the meeting room, after which the negotiations continued.

As the sunlight outside the window turned from bright to golden and evening fell in Los Angeles, many details about the framework for deep cooperation remained unresolved.

Brown glanced at his watch and finally put the topic aside for the time being.

"Mr. Wang, today's discussion has been very constructive. The data and market insights you provided have filled us with... more specific expectations for China's future."

We need to digest the details of the strategic cooperation internally.

Perhaps tomorrow we can focus on the distribution plan for *Shaolin Soccer*? This might be a good start for our broader collaboration.

He chose to take a step back and discuss more specific projects first, which is a common strategy shift in negotiations.

Wang Sheng knew that the first day of competition had come to an end.

The other party has witnessed his strength and bottom line, and has also been deeply "shocked" by the enormous potential of the Chinese market.

Although in-depth cooperation could not be achieved overnight, the seeds have been sown, and in fertile soil that the other party highly values.

“Of course, Mr. Brown.”

Wang Sheng stood up, still wearing a calm smile, "I also look forward to tomorrow's discussion about 'Shaolin Soccer'."

I believe that the success of this film can serve as the best model for our future collaborations.

The day's negotiations ended without results, but the air was no longer filled with the initial probing and surprise, but with a solemnity and mutual recognition after an equal contest.

The New Line Cinema team clearly realized that this unusually young Chinese man across the conference table was not only a formidable negotiating opponent, but also potentially the key to unlocking the future billion-viewer market.

Given time, will a film in the Chinese film market ever break the $100 million mark at the box office?
Even Kevin Brown, a man who had seen it all, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the thought of this prospect.

That was indeed terrifying.

And the one who holds the shortcut to that market is this young man with an Asian face right in front of us.

(End of this chapter)