Life in the Light and Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

In this era of the Chinese entertainment industry, top-tier celebrities have a lot of freedom, as do obscure celebrities below the 18th tier.

The former refers to the fact that management companies will make concessions to these big stars, piling up all kinds of resources, for fear that the big stars will switch companies.

The latter is in a state of being left to its own devices, meaning the contract has not yet expired, and it is in a state where keeping it is useless, but it is a pity to abandon it.

Second- and third-tier actors and artists, who are in the middle class, belong to the category of those who are not free, either because they are forced to accept various invitations by capital.

Either people are fighting for fame and fortune, or the entertainment industry is a dog-eat-dog world, full of fighting over billing order, smear campaigns, and dirty tricks.

Resources are limited; if you fall, someone else will take your place, especially actors and artists of the same type, who fight tooth and nail for them, creating a scene of utter carnage.

Liu Yifei was in the way of too many people back then, which is why, led by Tangren and Huayi, the whole internet was criticizing her.

Ninety percent of the trolls are paid trolls hired by their peers, while the remaining ten percent are keyboard warriors who believe everything they hear and have no independent judgment.

Even if real viewers don't like someone, they don't have that much time and energy to find someone to criticize.

Moreover, although Liu Yifei has only starred in a few TV dramas, they have all caused a ratings frenzy.

This also helped her build a large fan base. Before "The Forbidden Kingdom", Liu Yifei had only acted in 3 movies, and 2 of them were not released in mainland China.

So, labels like "poor acting skills," "expressionless," "resource-backed," and "marrying a rich guy" are, frankly, all attached by the two major film and television companies.

The combination of following the crowd and Huayi Brothers' ban made it difficult for Liu Yifei to make a living in mainland China.

The year-long online uproar following "The Forbidden Kingdom" marked the beginning of Liu Yifei's transformation.

Since I met Wu Yang in 2009, I have filmed four movies directed by Wu Yang.

From "A Little Thing Called First Love" which grossed over 100 million yuan on its own, to "Love is Not Blind" which grossed 590 million yuan on its own.

Aside from Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, Liu Yifei is already the highest-paid actress among mainland Chinese female stars.

Furthermore, Liu Yifei also delivered a memorable scene in the currently showing film "Lost in Thailand," which attracted many people who follow Liu Yifei to go to the cinema to watch it.

We haven't yet entered the era of games and short videos, and the era of live streaming and traffic is still in its infancy.

Therefore, the audience's entertainment options are not diverse, and many people are still more accustomed to watching television.

Occasionally, I would go to the cinema to watch movies. Two years later, when the mobile game Honor of Kings was released, along with the launch of Douyin and Kuaishou short video platforms, the era of live streaming and traffic began.

That was the era of great contention, the age of warlordism, and of course, the most chaotic time.

Soaring actor salaries, a surge in internet celebrities, and the involvement of capital have created a complete mess!

These sixteen characters perfectly encapsulate the microcosm of the entertainment industry from 2015 to 2025!

Since returning to China with honors, Wu Yang's career path has been characterized by each film being produced by China Film Group or Guangxian or Huayi Brothers.

The majority of the profits are taken by the partners, making Wu Yang, the creator and leader, seem like a high-level employee.

In fact, it was all to pave the way for the chaotic era of 2015. As a time traveler, I am well aware of the future development trend.

They naturally knew that in China, simply being rich was not safe; one could easily become a fat pig and be slaughtered.

If it weren't for Master Han's protection, Wu Yang wouldn't have had such a smooth life these past few years.

Because of China Film Group's backing, Huayi Brothers and Guangxian are just alternative partners.

The initial collaboration with Huayi was partly to lift the ban on Liu Yifei, and partly because it was profitable.

Although their departure from Huayi was undignified, it brought Wu Yang and Liu Yifei a large amount of cash.

The amount of cash raised from the stock market has far exceeded the profits from the films in which Huayi Brothers participated.

The reason for cooperating with Guangxian now is still because it is profitable; the initial investment of 2 million yuan was used to purchase 1000 million shares.

It is now worth 10 billion yuan. Keep in mind that this was only in two years, and it has brought Wu Yang and Liu Yifei 8 million yuan in revenue.

What was given up was only a portion of the profits from the three films; if we include Huayi's stock market gains, that would be different.

This means that Wu Yang earned an investment return of over 09 billion yuan in just four years, from 13 to 10.

If we also include the profit share Wu Yang received from each film, the total profit has reached approximately 12 billion yuan.

Of course, Liu Yifei also benefits from this.

Don't forget that Wu Yang also used the money he earned over the past few years to first buy a detached villa. The original purchase price was 3500 million yuan, and now, with the increase in housing prices, the market price has reached around 5500 million yuan.

The estate jointly owned by Liu Yifei and Liu Yifei is currently valued at around 5 million yuan.

In addition to this, Wu Yang also owns a 300-acre film and television theme park.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Shunyi Fenju didn't spend a single penny; it acquired a 49% stake simply by contributing land.

Actually, there was a clause in the cooperation agreement that was signed.

When the investment amount exceeds 4 million, Shunyi Fenju will automatically reduce its shares by 20%.

When the investment amount exceeds 8 million, Shunyi Fenju will automatically reduce its shares by 20%.

Wu Yang first used funds from an American's account to invest 1 million yuan as start-up capital.

They also obtained a 6 million yuan construction loan from the bank through Shunyi Fenju, and will invest another 1 million yuan in operating funds later.

The total investment was exactly 8 million, and I directly got back 40% of the shares, which Shunyi Fenju also agreed to.

As for the remaining 9% of shares, Wu Yang can exchange them for 500 jobs.

Of course, even if this is written into the contract, it's at most a verbal agreement.

Both that Director Ju and Master Han will retire in 2016.

It is now 2013, and Wu Yang has less than 3 years left.

You know, a new emperor brings a new court, and this was before Master Han and that Director Ju retired.

To reclaim all shares and gain sufficient funds to rival the three major internet companies in the future.

This is the blueprint for the future entertainment empire that Wu Yang began planning after returning to China.

After the three major internet companies entered the entertainment industry, they brought huge amounts of money to the industry.

While it may seem like a great deed that has caused the entire industry to surge in revenue, it is actually due to short-sightedness and the excessive cultivation of traffic stars.

This led to a flood of bad films, which backfired on audiences and almost ruined the film market.

Fortunately, by then the Chinese people had awakened and stopped blindly idolizing Hollywood blockbusters, and the number of sheepdogs also decreased relatively.

This prevented the domestic film market from becoming Hollywood's backyard, like Europe and some other regions.

As for competing with the three major internet conglomerates, even if Wu Yang were a time traveler, he wouldn't have that much ability!

Wu Yang's only pursuit is to avoid being constrained by the three major powers or coerced by capital in the future.

If it's a collaboration, we need to secure enough say. Wu Yang doesn't want to be bossed around while filming!

If you can't make decisions about the actors, the script, or the editing, are you still a director?

No matter how much they offer, Wu Yang will not compromise!