Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 607, Section 605: Time Flies

Wang Sheng closed the script for "Lost in Korea," picked up the black pen on the table, and wrote a few concise yet weighty comments on the blank page inside the cover:
"First, the core actors are unshakeable: Wang Baoqiang (Niu Geng/Wang Bao) and Huang Bo (Li Chenggong) are the soul of the series, and the development of sequels must be based on these two.

II. Principles of Joke Design: It's better to bombard the audience with a barrage of "canned jokes" than to force "highbrow humor" into something elitist and inaccessible. There must be a scene every ten minutes that will make the average viewer laugh out loud.

Third, handling cultural differences: Korea's 'sense of unfamiliarity' is the source of comedy, but the ultimate point must be 'humanity' – awkwardness, warmth, and understanding.

IV. Production Cycle: Filming and post-production will be completed within six months to ensure simultaneous release in China and South Korea during the 2006 Spring Festival.

五、演员待遇：按‘星轨S级特殊条款’执行——王保漒基础片酬300万，内地票房达1亿、2亿、3亿时，分别追加票房分红0.5%、1%、1.5%。黄勃基础片酬280万，分红阶梯相同。此待遇仅限《人在囧途》系列。”

After finishing writing, he signed his name and the date at the end: "Wang Sheng, April 30, 2005".

Wang Sheng put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples.

The IP "Lost in Thailand" was once so dazzling in my past life's memories, and yet so regrettable.

The first film, made with a budget of eight million, grossed 120 million at the box office, becoming a model of low-budget comedies. However, the sequels, such as "Lost in Thailand" and "Lost in Hong Kong," directed by Xu Zheng, although achieving higher box office returns, gradually lost the original vitality of the lower-class characters—the grassroots charm of "Niu Geng," played by Wang Baoqiang, which was both reckless and simple and kind.

“It’s not that Xu Zheng acted badly,” Wang Sheng muttered to himself, “it’s just that the ecological niche has changed.”

Comedy needs a "clown," a seemingly clumsy "fool" who often accidentally reveals the truth.

Wang Baoqiang is such an actor—that honest yet cunning face, that natural sense of awkwardness, is something that cannot be trained in academies.

He was a gem discovered by Sheng Ying Film Studio in the TV series "Young Magistrate". From extra to supporting role to lead role, he gradually built up his popularity with the audience.

The goal of the Star Track Project is to firmly bind such "core assets".

Wang Sheng opened the internal documents of the Star Track Project and found the page on "Special Talent Clause".

The document clearly states: "For actors, directors, and screenwriters who are irreplaceable in specific types and IPs, after joint evaluation by the Group's Strategy Department and Artist Management Department, an 'S-level special clause' can be signed, providing a fixed salary higher than the market standard plus tiered box office revenue sharing, and promising priority cooperation in subsequent series of works to form a long-term symbiotic relationship."

He added this clause himself.

Outsiders always say that Sheng Ying is "rich and powerful" and "spends money without batting an eye"—the average red envelope during the Spring Festival is over 10,000 yuan, the annual salary of A-level personnel in the Star Track Project starts at one million yuan, and now they have come up with this kind of actor contract with "guaranteed minimum + profit sharing".

Colleagues privately commented: "Wang Sheng is breaking industry rules by raising actors' expectations too high. How will other companies hire people in the future?"

Wang Sheng just smiled.

They don't understand what "niche locking" means.

Wang Baoqiang's current market salary is only around one million, but Sheng Ying gave him a base salary of three million, plus box office revenue sharing, which on the surface seems like they spent more money.

But this means Wang Baoqiang's future is now deeply tied to the "Lost in Thailand" series—he won't easily accept similar comedic roles from other companies, and he won't be swayed by high offers from other companies.

As long as Wang Baoqiang is in charge, the "Lost in Thailand" IP will maintain its original flavor and can be continued to be made, becoming another "cash cow" for Sheng Ying.

As for Huang Bo, that's a different kind of value. His portrayal of Li Chenggong is a "representative of normal people," a perspective from which the audience can empathize. With him in the role, Wang Baoqiang's "awkwardness" has a frame of reference, preventing it from degenerating into a farce.

“One silly, one clever; one rustic, one modern; one simple, one cunning,” Wang Sheng wrote in his notebook. “That’s the recipe for ‘Lost in Thailand’.”

……

Four months of 2005 have already passed.

Time really flies—just before the new year, I was winning the Golden Bear in Berlin, and in the blink of an eye, I've cut the period dramas, launched the Olympic project team, finalized the Sino-Korean co-production, and inspected business lines across the country... Every day, I open my eyes to meetings, documents, and negotiations, and when I close my eyes, I'm still thinking about which script needs to be revised and which project might go wrong.

The large ship Sheng Ying has already sailed into deep waters.

In the domestic market, as the benefits of China's accession to the WTO continue to be released, people have more money in their pockets, leading to an explosive growth in demand for cultural consumption.

Movie box office revenue is climbing at a rate of over 30% annually, the price of a single episode of a TV series is constantly hitting new highs, and the sponsorship fee for variety shows has risen from several million to tens of millions.

As long as Sheng Ying follows the established procedures and goes with the nation's fortunes, she can get the biggest slice of the pie.

The industrial system has been established, and the Zhongbeisheng Digital Film Base will be completed in June. At that time, for the first time, Chinese films will have technical hardware that is no less than that of Hollywood, from pre-production to post-production.

The cinema chain has expanded at an astonishing speed, covering all first- and second-tier cities and some third-tier cities.

In terms of content production, the company operates on four parallel lines: film, television series, variety shows, and animation, consistently producing more than twenty film and television works each year.

"What remains is simply a management issue," Wang Sheng thought.

Corruption? Sheng Ying's audit department has brought in retired officials from government offices in the capital to form an independent oversight system.

Internal strife? The Star Orbit Project has brought the competition into the open with its transparent rating and compensation system.

Lacking innovation? Sheng Ying sets up a "new talent venture capital fund" with 100 million yuan every year. As long as the script is good, Sheng Ying dares to invest regardless of who the author is.

There is still greater potential in overseas markets.

"Night at the Museum" grossed over $400 million worldwide, the first "Twilight" film grossed nearly $70 million in North America, and "Kung Fu Hustle" has an overseas distribution network covering more than 50 countries and regions.

New Line, Disney, Pathé, Constantine... these partners have brought Sheng Ying's content to the world.

But Wang Sheng knew in his heart that true "cultural export" could not be achieved by producing a few co-produced blockbusters.

That takes time, the accumulation of one or even several generations of creators, and the backing of the country's overall strength.

“Maybe…” a thought suddenly popped into my head, “After the 2008 Olympics are over, I should slowly retire.”

He was startled by his own idea, but then felt it was perfectly reasonable.

He is 29 years old this year, and will only be 32 years old in 2008.

But mental exhaustion can sometimes be heavier than physical exhaustion.

Living every day in the gap between "prophecy" and "reality," knowing which works will be popular, which people will become superstars, and which trends are irreversible... This sense of "control" is exciting at first, but after a while it feels like carrying an invisible cross.

Gao Yuanyuan gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Wang Xian and Wang Ruoruo, who are already two years old.

The total time he spends with his children is probably less than two months.

Li Xiaoran, Fan Xiaopang, Zhang Bozhi... those close female friends were more like "strategic partners" to some extent than lovers.

They need each other and complement each other, but in the quiet of the night, he would ask himself: If one day I am no longer "Wang Sheng" or the chairman of Shengying, will they still stay by my side?
Perhaps retiring is not leaving, but rather existing in a different way.

He delegated day-to-day management to professional managers like Song Xinmin, while he himself only served as chairman, focusing on the overall direction.

Write something, shoot something you really want to shoot, not for box office or awards, but just to express yourself.

"Knock knock." The knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter."

Li Tingting pushed the door open and came in, holding a folder in her hands: "Chairman Wang, is the script feedback ready?"

“Okay.” Wang Sheng handed over the script. “Execute it this way. Tell Wu Yiyi that the jokes can be vulgar, but the emotions must be genuine. Negotiate Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bo’s contracts under S-level terms, and start tomorrow.” “Understood.” Li Tingting took it and quickly wrote it down. “Also, I need you to confirm the important schedules for the next few months.”

She opened the folder:
"May 15: Shengying Media's Q5 2005 financial report press conference (You are required to attend and answer questions from analysts).

May 22: Beijing premiere of the movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (Jackie Chan, director Wu Yiyi and other main creators will be present).

May 28: Opening ceremony for "Lost in Korea" (Seoul, will you attend?).

June 8: Completion ceremony of the first phase of Zhongbeisheng Digital Cinema Base (Chairman Han Sanping invites you to cut the ribbon together).

June 18: The Second Preparatory Meeting for the 6nd SAIFF (Shanghai).

July 1: Initial review of creative proposals for Olympic projects (internal review, chaired by you).

July 15: Press conference for the Japanese release of the film "Havoc in Heaven" (Tokyo, hosted by Shochiku Films, attendance recommended).

August: Berlin 'China Era' Cultural Festival, where you will receive the 'Special Contribution Medal for Sino-German Cultural Exchange' (specific date to be determined).

September: "Seoul Farewell" will be released in German-speaking regions (Germany, Austria, Switzerland; should a European trip be planned?)...

As Wang Sheng listened, he suddenly realized that there really wasn't enough time.

"I won't go to Seoul for the opening ceremony of 'Lost in Thailand'," he said. "Wu Yiyi will be in charge of everything, and you can just send a vice president to represent the company. As for the Japanese press conference, it depends on the situation. If 'The Monkey King' can break 600 million yuan at the domestic box office, I'll go, as a way of giving Shochu face. As for the European trip... we'll talk about it in September, it's too early to decide now."

“Okay.” Li Tingting noted it down. “Also, Chairman Han Sanping called this afternoon to ask for your opinion on the script of ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin.’ The scriptwriting team has revised the third draft based on the suggestions of the historical consultant and said it can be submitted for review this week.”

……

Time flies.

During the May Day holiday, Wang Sheng spent three days in Qiongzhou.

Playing in the sand with my two children, building sandcastles, and listening to them call out "Daddy" in their sweet, childish voices.

Gao Yuanyuan has lost some weight, but her eyes are shining – Star Era Entertainment is doing well; Zhang Hanyun's debut album sold 500,000 copies; Dong Xuan landed a good TV series role; and Hai Qing's stage play performances are always sold out.

"I want to sign two more new talents next year," Gao Yuanyuan said at dinner. "One is a 15-year-old boy who is talented in singing and dancing; the other is a girl who is a junior at the Central Academy of Drama and has exceptional acting skills."

"It's up to you," Wang Sheng said, putting food on her plate. "But remember, quality over quantity. Star Era doesn't win by quantity; it's about 'high-quality products'."

"I know," Gao Yuanyuan smiled. "How about over there? I heard the Olympic project team is really mentally taxing?"

"It's still in the conceptual stage." Wang Sheng didn't elaborate. The Olympics were a highly confidential matter, and even Gao Yuanyuan couldn't reveal the details.

The holiday is over, and I'm back in Beijing, back to non-stop work again.

On May 22, the premiere of "The Hitman's Bodyguard" was held at the Beijing Grand Theatre. Jackie Chan, dressed in a white suit and looking very energetic, introduced Wang Sheng to the media, saying, "This is my brother, and also the 'brain' of this film! Without him, this project wouldn't exist!"

Wang Sheng responded politely, but inwardly he thought: Jackie Chan really goes all out. Even in his fifties, he still performs his own stunts without a stunt double. This dedication is something the younger actors in the Sheng Film Group should learn from.

After its premiere, the film's box office soared. It grossed 80 million in its opening weekend, broke 200 million in ten days, and finally settled at 360 million. Although it did not break the record of "Havoc in Heaven", it was already the highest-grossing domestic action comedy of the year.

The media began to describe this combination as "Jackie Chan + Wang Sheng = box office guarantee".

Wang Sheng didn't care much about these empty titles. What he was more concerned about was the completion progress of the "Zhongbeisheng Digital Cinema Base".

June 8, Huairou.

The early summer sun shines on the brand-new buildings, and the eight characters "Zhongbeisheng Digital Cinema Base" shine brightly in the sunlight.

The base covers an area of ​​800 acres. The first phase of the project includes three international standard film studios (one of which is the largest underwater film studio in Asia), a digital post-production center, a special effects preview and motion capture building, as well as supporting accommodation, catering and training facilities.

Han Sanping and Wang Sheng stood side by side on the red carpet, with leaders from the Film Bureau, senior executives from China Film Group, core members of Shengying Group, and representatives of partners from Hollywood, Europe, Japan and South Korea behind them.

"Do you remember 1996?" Han Sanping said in a low voice, "You were in that dilapidated workshop at the Beijing Film Studio, telling me you wanted to make a wedding movie."

“I remember,” Wang Sheng smiled. “You said back then, ‘Kid, don’t break any of the factory equipment, or I’ll deduct it from your wages.’”

They both laughed.

Nine years ago, who could have imagined that the son of a Beijing Film Studio worker who started out making wedding videos would stand here and participate in building China's most advanced film industry base?
The ribbon-cutting ceremony began.

As the red ribbon fell, thunderous applause erupted.

In his speech, Wang Sheng said, "The Zhongbeisheng Digital Cinema Base is not just a physical space, but also a carrier of the dream of industrializing Chinese cinema. Here, we will cultivate our own technical talents, develop our own core standards, and create Chinese stories that belong to this era."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the young faces below the stage—the second batch of students from Shengying Digital Academy, with an average age of twenty-two.

"Where Chinese cinema will go in the next ten years depends on what seeds we sow today." Wang Sheng's voice carried far through the microphone. "This base is one of those seeds."

After the ceremony, Wang Sheng and Han Sanping visited the post-production center.

In the enormous color grading room, twelve 4K monitors formed a circular wall, where technicians were performing final color corrections for "Havoc in Heaven." In the sound studio, the Dolby Atmos system was being tested, and a clip of Sun Wukong battling heavenly soldiers played, the sound waves almost piercing the chest.

"This equipment is the best in Asia," the base's technical director proudly introduced. "We have everything Hollywood has; and we are developing what Hollywood doesn't have."

Wang Sheng nodded, but thought to himself: Hardware is easy to obtain, but software is hard to find. True industrialization is about building processes, standards, and a talent system. These things require time and patience.

June 28, Seoul, a photography studio in Gangnam-gu.

The filming launch ceremony for "Lost in Korea" was held quietly. There was no grand press conference, only the main creative team and a few invited reporters.

Director Wu Yiyi, dressed in a casual jacket, stood in front of the backdrop, next to Wang Baoqiang, Huang Bo, Kim Hee-sun, and the Korean supporting actors.

Wang Baoqiang still had that same honest and simple look, but there was a hint of confidence in his eyes—he knew he was the "key character" of the play, and the company had given him top-notch treatment, so he had to live up to that trust.

Huang Bo, on the other hand, seemed quite at ease, joking with Kim Hee-sun in broken Korean, making her cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Filming commencement ceremony, begin!" the executive producer announced loudly.

The crowd offered incense, unveiled the red cloth, and took group photos. The process was simple, but the atmosphere was lively.

Wu Yiyi took the microphone: "Thank you, Chairman Wang Sheng, for your trust in us. We will film this drama seriously, make it funny, and make it heartwarming. We want Chinese audiences to see the customs and culture of Korea, and Korean audiences to see the humor and kindness of the Chinese people."

Wang Baoqiang added, "I'm just an ordinary person, playing an ordinary person. I hope everyone will like the character 'Wang Bao'."

Huang Bo was even more direct: "If the box office is good, Chairman Wang will give out red envelopes! Everyone, keep it up!"

There was laughter.

After the opening ceremony, the first scene was filmed—Wang Bao and Li Chenggong accidentally picked up the wrong luggage at Incheon Airport, causing a misunderstanding.

"Action!"

(End of this chapter)