Life in the Light and Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food!

"Boss, what do you think about adapting the TV series into a movie?"

Chen Sicheng was slightly drunk, but his eyes were clear.

"Two ways to cook one fish? That's a good idea, it has potential!"

Up to now, Wu Yang has only had one drink and remains sober, so he nodded in agreement.

Chen Sicheng started by directing TV series, then adapted them into movies, and only after all of them were successful did he completely switch to behind-the-scenes work, thus becoming a future director with billions in revenue!

So Wu Yang was not surprised at all by Chen Sicheng's idea and supported it. Who would turn down money?

"It's settled then. I'll go back and coordinate the budget. I'll invest some this time, and the remaining amount will be covered by the boss's investment."

Although Chen Sicheng stuttered due to the alcohol, he spoke fluently, indicating that he had been brewing this idea in his mind for a long time.

"Judging from the TV series' ratings, adapting it into a movie would conservatively yield 2 million yuan at the box office. As long as the cost is kept below 6000 million yuan, it's a sure thing to make a profit. It's hard to say if it exceeds that figure. You can take the lead in planning. As for the investment, you can come to us first, and I'll cover the shortfall!"

Wu Yang recalled that the film version of "Beijing Love Story" grossed over 400 million yuan. The reason for giving it a 50% discount was because the investors changed.

After all, the movie "Beijing Love Story" was Chen Si's pledge of allegiance to Yida Cinemas and also Yida Cinemas' stepping stone into the entertainment industry.

During its theatrical run, it had a higher daily screening rate than many domestic and international blockbusters, so its high box office was an exception.

Thanks to the arrival of Wu Yang, this little butterfly, the entertainment industry has now changed its historical trajectory.

Although Yida has established its own cinema chain, it is also actively contacting professionals in the entertainment industry.

Unfortunately, without a leader, it's almost impossible for it to develop as it was in my memory.

Just like Chen Sicheng today, after the success of the TV series, he also received Wu Yang's promise.

As long as the costs are well controlled, Chen Sicheng, as a second-generation rich kid, would definitely blindly follow suit and invest in this kind of sure-fire business.

Wu Yang will be responsible for the remaining investment shortfall, at most allocating some shares to China Film Group and Enlight Media. External capital will not get a share, let alone any meat.

The practice of giving screenwriters a 10% cut of film profits is not Wu Yang's invention; Hollywood has had this tradition for a long time.

The reason why the domestic entertainment industry has not followed suit is simply because investors are unwilling to provide funding.

China is an ancient civilization with a well-ordered cultural tradition. Everyone is exposed to it from a young age, and as adults, they all have a certain ability to appreciate literature.

In addition to the demographic dividend and the foundation laid by nine years of compulsory education, the number of college graduates each year is greater than the birth rate of some countries.

Even if only a small percentage of graduates who love literature choose to work as screenwriters.

Every graduation season brings a constant influx of fresh talent.

Therefore, screenwriting is not highly regarded in the entertainment industry, and sometimes it is not even as prestigious as a celebrity's assistant.

Especially in the future era of internet traffic, any celebrity with a bit of fame will have the power to rewrite the script.

Most celebrities above the second tier bring their own scriptwriters with them to the set. They change anything that's unsuitable or that might negatively impact their public image.

A good script was eventually altered beyond recognition, resulting in a terrible film.

When bad movies are released and they corrupt the population, someone has to take the blame.

Popular celebrities don't want to take the blame, directors refuse to take the blame, leaving only screenwriters with no status to take the blame.

Then capital put the blame on the screenwriters, because celebrities are commodities, and directors are the production line for those commodities, while screenwriters are plentiful and cheap!

Countless scripts are mailed in every day; at worst, we can just pick one from them.

Instead of reflecting on its mistakes, capital is using a "breeding ground for trouble" approach, first investing a small sum of money.

Then a large group of screenwriters and writers are gathered together, and they are asked to write on the same theme, which is called a "writing contest". Finally, the best one is selected.

By offering small rewards, one can take the selected works and adapt them to generate greater profits.

To put it bluntly, there's an overabundance of professional talent, so buyers don't value them!

The reason why Americans value screenwriters' rights is simply because their history is too short and they lack cultural depth.

Therefore, they value cultural figures and want excellent works. If they don't give them a share of the profits, who would bother to rack their brains to write a script?

The script, the script, is the foundation of a play!

How can you produce an excellent film without a good script?

Even Chen Shiren, with his strong directing skills, could only make a film called "A Bloodbath Caused by a Steamed Bun" without the help of a good script.

Wu Yang, who also made a living through writing before his time travel, naturally sympathized with the screenwriter's predicament.

Having inherited everything from the original body, he also entered the entertainment industry and became a member of the investors.

To surpass major film and entertainment companies, we must at least avoid being hampered by others, which requires having our own team.

Finding a behind-the-scenes team is easy, and finding professional actors isn't difficult either, but finding a "good screenwriter" is a rare resource!

That's why there's the profit sharing for buying horse bones for a thousand gold pieces. Since it's a profit sharing, then you need to know how to get this share.

The first thing to do is to make a profit, just like a salesperson in a sales company who gets a commission of 10% of the net profit.

No profit, no profit sharing—simple, straightforward, and risk-sharing!

He succeeded by using the script he remembered, and then, with the halo of success, attracted outstanding talents to join him.

Whether it's Tian Yusheng, Bao Jingjing, Chen Sicheng, or Wu Jing, they are all top creators in the future entertainment industry.

Wu Yang has neither a system nor the protagonist's halo that makes one's body tremble and all directions come to pay homage.

To win people's hearts, you not only need to be sincere in return for sincerity, but you also need to be more willing to give than any other resources!

Without giving up something, how can you gain something?

This is Wu Yang's brilliance, and also the origin of his anti-capitalist approach.

Of course, when Wu Yang chooses to invest, he not only looks at the project, but also at the person.

Chen Sicheng and Li Zi are similar types of people; although they are womanizers, they are very loyal.

The difference between the two can be seen from Wang Baoqiang's decision to abandon Xu Guangtou and follow Chen Sicheng in filming and investing in several "Detective Chinatown" movies.

Xu Guangtou still harbors a capitalist mentality: he takes all the meat and at most gives you a little soup.

Chen Sicheng was clever enough to let you eat meat and drink soup at the same time!

Wu Yang was only a few years ahead of schedule; at least now, Tian Yusheng and Bao Jingjing are both working steadily.

They ignore high-salary offers from outsiders, because no matter how high the salary is, it can't compare to the profit sharing!

Although Tian Yusheng only received 400 million yuan in profit sharing from "Lost in Thailand," it was far less than Bao Jingjing's 1800 million yuan profit sharing from "Love is Not Blind."

"Love is Not Blind" might get a few sequels at most, but the "Lost in..." series could keep making films until he retires!

Even if each film only generates 400 million in profit, it would still be a huge fortune by the time he retires!