Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 570, 568: I am a fake Wang family member!
April 27, 2004, Shanghai.

Autumn sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows into a stylish café located near the Bund.

Wang Jiawei wore his signature sunglasses, never taking them off even when sitting indoors, as if they were a necessary filter between him and this overly straightforward world.

He elegantly picked up a cup of espresso, while the fingertips of his other hand unconsciously twirled the entertainment section of the "Shenjiang Service Guide" spread out on the table.

The newspaper headline prominently featured the triumphant news that "New Police Story" had raked in 1.02 million yuan at the box office in its opening weekend.

"Humph."

A barely audible hum came from behind the sunglasses.

Wang Jiawei put down his coffee cup and said to his assistant sitting opposite him in his characteristic slow and lingering tone, "1.02 million... Just because a lot of people watch it doesn't mean it's good. Jackie Chan, it's the same old thing, jumping off buildings, fighting, grinning... The audience just wants to watch the show."

He paused, tapped his finger on the article, focusing on the words "Shengying Media", "S-level publicity and distribution", and "guaranteed film scheduling".

"This Wang Sheng... his Shengying Group is getting more and more complicated." Wang Jiawei's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible anger and even more sarcasm. "It's like if you don't follow their rules, you can't make a movie or get it in theaters. Movies are art, not canned goods from an assembly line."

The reason he is so bothered by this is because his new film "2046," which he has meticulously crafted over several years and features a star-studded cast including Liang Chaowei, Zhang Ziyi, and Wang Fei, is scheduled to be released nationwide tomorrow, September 28.

He poured a lot of effort into this film, continuing his consistent auteur style, with interwoven time and space and hazy imagery, aiming to explore time, memory and emotion.

To ensure the smooth filming and release of this movie in mainland China, his company, Jet Tone Films, put in a lot of effort and established a cooperative relationship with Shanghai Film Group.

Shanghai Film Studio not only provided venues with distinctive contemporary features, such as the Dongfeng Hotel on the Bund in Shanghai and the Longhua Airport Film and Television Base, but also assisted in communication during the script submission process, leveraging its extensive network and experience to ensure a relatively smooth process.

Under the umbrella of Shanghai Film Group, Wang Jiawei originally thought that at least in terms of scheduling, there wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Shanghai Film Group owns its own cinema chain and has a strong foothold in Shanghai, which should guarantee the basic audience for "2046".

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

Apart from Shanghai, the core area of ​​Shanghai Film Group's influence, where local cinemas gave it some face by arranging some prime-time screenings, the nationwide distribution of "2046" was dismal, especially in the vast market controlled by "China Film Shengshi" cinema chain and its allies.

It's not that they don't give us any slots at all, but rather that almost all of them are crammed into "ghost times" like morning or late-night sessions on weekdays.

With this kind of scheduling, let alone recouping costs, finding enough viewers to actually go to the cinema will be an impossible task.

Even in some of Shanghai Film Group's own cinemas, the number of screenings for "2046" was far lower than he expected, and could not compare to the overwhelming presence of "New Police Story".

Wang Jiawei was initially confused and even somewhat resentful.

His name, Wang Jiawei, is well-known in the international film industry; his films are submitted for competition at Cannes and Berlin!

Why are we treated so disrespectfully when we arrive in mainland China?
Is it simply because his film didn't feature actors heavily promoted by Shengying Group? Or because it didn't follow the so-called "Shengying rules"?
He later vaguely heard that Shanghai Film Group seemed to have reached a deep partnership with Wang Sheng's Shengying Media on an overseas collaborative project, which seemed to be an international version of a movie called "The Pursuit of Happyness." It was said that Shanghai Film Group would receive a lot of US dollars.

He didn't understand the specifics of capital operations and was too lazy to delve into them.

In his opinion, this was utterly absurd!
For that little bit of money, Shanghai Film Studio has to be subservient to Sheng Film Studio, and even the Wang family's fake films have to be sacrificed?
"Wang Sheng is powerful, but Sheng Ying Group is a behemoth."

Wang Jiawei addressed his assistant, his tone a mix of artistic arrogance and frustration, "But this is my film! It's '2046'! Do they even understand what cinematic art is? Are they going to make all cinemas in China only show Jackie Chan jumping off buildings, only show their Sheng Ying popcorn movies from now on?"

He felt as if he and "2046" had been "banned" by an invisible hand.

This feeling of being marginalized by market rules was a painful experience for him, who had always focused on artistic expression.

He may not care about the empty title of box office champion, but he cannot ignore the returns from investors. This time, "2046" had a huge investment; if it flops at the box office, how will he convince investors to support him in making those capricious works that require time and money to polish next time?
"This is outrageous! This is outrageous!" Wang Jiawei was holding his breath, but had nowhere to vent his anger. This sense of powerlessness, crushed by massive capital and channels, formed a sharp contrast with the detached and ethereal emotions in his films.

……

However, during this National Day holiday, Wang Jiawei is not the only director who will face a heavy blow from the "Shengying Group".

While Wang Jiawei was secretly fuming in a coffee shop in Shanghai, another storm was quietly brewing in Beijing.

Lu Chuan, the young director who rose to prominence with "Looking for a Gun," has a highly anticipated new film, "Kekexili," scheduled for nationwide release on October 1st.

Based on a true story of anti-poaching efforts in Hoh Xil, this film was made with great difficulty and has a rough, documentary style, making it a strong contender for awards.

But on the eve of the film's release, a sudden lawsuit caught Lu Chuan and the production team off guard.

In an inconspicuous office building near the North Fourth Ring Road in Beijing, a company called "Hanhai Public Opinion and Management Consulting" operates quietly.

On the surface, this company's business is public opinion monitoring and public relations consulting. In reality, it is a "white glove" on the periphery of Shengying Media Group, specializing in handling some "special" matters that are inconvenient for Shengying Group to handle directly. Its actual control is firmly in the hands of several core senior executives of Shengying Group's public relations department.

It is one of the henchmen that Sheng Ying Group puts in the public eye.

At this moment, in the company's conference room, the person in charge, a middle-aged man known as "General Manager Wu," was shaking hands with Liu Xinyu, a director with a dark complexion and the marks of the high-altitude weather, with a warm smile on his face.

Liu Xinyu is a documentary director who has long been rooted in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. His film "Me and the Tibetan Antelope - The Glacier Flows Here" won industry awards and recorded the hardships and sacrifices of the early anti-poaching struggle in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve.

"Director Liu, you've worked hard. We understand your situation." General Manager Wu said sincerely, gesturing to his secretary to pour tea for Liu Xinyu. "At Hanhai Consulting, we pay close attention to the protection of original copyrights. Especially for artists like you who use their lives and sweat to record reality and leave valuable images for society, their achievements should not be stolen by plagiarists."

Liu Xinyu seemed a little flustered, yet also a little excited: "Mr. Wu, do you really think... that Director Lu Chuan's 'Kekexili' plagiarized my documentary?"

"It's not just a belief, it's almost certain." Mr. Wu stated firmly, pulling out several comparative materials from his folder. "Look here, the character settings, the composition and atmosphere of several key scenes, even the way some plot points are developed... all show a high degree of similarity. This isn't just simple borrowing of inspiration; it's blatant plagiarism!"

He pointed to the details in the materials, analyzing them one by one, his tone gradually becoming more forceful: "Director Lu Chuan and his team have clearly studied your work and drawn 'inspiration' from it, yet they haven't given you the credit and respect you deserve. This is a disregard for your hard work and a trampling on industry rules!"

Looking at the comparison photos, Liu Xinyu recalled the days when his hands and feet were chapped from the cold on the plateau and he risked his life to film the patrol team, and his eyes reddened.

He had a vague feeling that the trailer and promotional materials for "Kekexili" looked familiar, but he didn't dare to say anything because the other party was a well-known director and a big company.

“But… Director Lu Chuan and his associates have very powerful connections, I…” Liu Xinyu hesitated, his voice filled with worry.

"Director Liu, don't worry!" President Wu interrupted him, leaning forward and lowering his voice, but with an undeniable force. "Since we at Hanhai have approached you, we've decided to see this through to the end! We will assemble the strongest legal team for you and cover all litigation costs."

All you need to do is step forward and, as the original author, file a lawsuit against the production company of "Kekexili," accusing them of infringing on your copyright.

Seeing the struggle and hope flickering in Liu Xinyu's eyes, he pressed on, throwing out the most crucial information: "Don't worry about not being able to defeat them. When the time comes, a... well, a 'colossus' will naturally enter the fray and stand on our side. You must believe that justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent. Especially when we have solid evidence and strong backing."

Mr. Wu did not explicitly state who the "giant" was, but the implication in his words and the looming capital power behind the company made Liu Xinyu feel that this might be his only, and most hopeful, chance to seek justice for himself.

Thinking of his comrades and Tibetan antelopes who had perished in the icy plains, a surge of patriotic fervor welled up within him. Liu Xinyu abruptly raised his head, his eyes hardening: "Alright! Mr. Wu, I'll listen to you! I'll fight this lawsuit!"

A satisfied smile spread across Mr. Wu's face as he gripped Liu Xinyu's hand tightly once more: "Director Liu, you made the right choice. We will show everyone that the rights of original creators are inviolable!"

After seeing Liu Xin off, General Manager Wu returned to his office, dialed an internal number, and reported respectfully: "The bait has been laid, and the fish have taken the bait. We expect to release the news on the day 'Kekexili' is released, or on the opening weekend... Hmm, I understand. We will manage the public opinion carefully and make sure Director Lu Chuan and his investors have a good time."

(End of this chapter)