Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Even so, none of them complained about the low pay. Zhao Xiaoding was grateful for the opportunity to make a movie, while Cheng Er, Lin Mu, and others said that the remuneration was set too high.

In short, the behind-the-scenes staff's remuneration is roughly 7% of what it was before, which is 35.

The budget for actor salaries remains at 20, since we haven't hired any actors yet.

Yang Che watched as Wu Shixian, the most agreeable person, finished signing last, then winked at Cheng Er.

Cheng Er understood, coughed, and said, "Everyone, we will be in work mode starting from August 1st. Except for the director team and the art team leader who will be waiting outside the studio, the rest of the teams must be available at any time. Of course, we will contact you in advance."

The tentative start date for filming is September 5th, so in the meantime, the casting, location scouting, storyboarding, costumes, props, and equipment all need to be completed. The preparation time is limited, so please put in your best effort.

"Okay, Director Cheng."

"receive."

"Understood, Director."

"....."

Hearing the various ways people addressed him, Cheng Er could barely suppress a smile.

The filming date was set for September 5th, not only because of the hot weather and the need for preparations, but also because of the beautiful scenery of late summer and early autumn.

Autumn is the most beautiful season in Beijing. It would be a shame not to take some photos of the red leaves in Fragrant Hills, since the visual tone of this film is to be beautiful, clear, and sharp.

Yang Che tapped the table and continued, "The agreements are all signed, so I'll say something that our own people can hear. Maybe some of you still think 'My Sassy Girl' isn't artistic, that it's just scatological humor. The reason you signed this agreement was just to make some money and gain some seniority."

It doesn't matter to me, as long as you do your jobs responsibly.

Most of your fees are on the high side, and you should all be aware of that. I suspect some might argue that it's too high in some way, not even reaching the market rate. I can offer you the market rate, even if most of you are "intern," as long as you complete the planned one-month shooting schedule.

This was the first time everyone had heard Yang Che speak so seriously. Although he was talking about giving out "bonuses," everyone was quiet and looked at Yang Che like obedient children.

Yang Che suddenly said irritably, "Damn it, brothers, it's a bonus! A huge bonus! I'm saying this in front of so many people, so clap your hands! Do you think I'm talking nonsense or that the conditions are too harsh...?"

The word "accomplished" in "cannot be completed" was not uttered before it was drowned out by the applause of the crowd.

Xing Jianwei, who was in the corner, jumped up and raised his right hand high: "Brother Che is awesome! Brother Che is mighty!"

Wang Baoqiang, standing next to him, raised both hands high and clapped, all that was missing was the background music of "You Came from Dandong..."

The rest of the people at the conference table either smiled or grinned, while some looked a little awkward, such as lighting technician Dong Dabao and camera assistant Cao Yu. Of course, they soon clapped and looked at Yang Che with eyes full of conviction.

"You're from Dandong..."

Yang Che sneered inwardly. What art or arrogance? Just throw money at it, and all the problems will disappear.

After raising his hand to quiet everyone down, Yang Che looked around at everyone again and grinned, saying, "Three months after this movie is released, we'll all be well-known figures in the industry."

The meeting room suddenly became noisy, and the atmosphere reached its climax.

Ning Hao subconsciously looked at Cheng Er, and coincidentally, Cheng Er was also looking at him.

Others might think Yang Che was talking nonsense, but those who had been in contact with him for four or five days understood that Yang Che was speaking from the bottom of his heart.

The implication is that the movie "My Sassy Girl" will be a must-see on everyone's resume.

It wasn't just the two of them who realized this; Zhao Xiaoding, Lin Mu, and Wu Shixian also understood it.

They had all read the script and heard Yang Che explain the specific filming requirements.

Although the plot was nonsensical and somewhat far-fetched, they had a feeling that this script was really different, and they would laugh when they saw certain scenes.

Hearing Yang Che's words now, their feeling was even stronger, which meant they were even more convinced that this book was really amazing and would truly become their masterpiece.

In fact, this is the effect of authoritative suggestion and the herd effect.

Logically, in a meeting, harsh words should be said last so that participants will take them seriously.

But Yang Che did the opposite. After all, this was the first major meeting, and emphasizing authority and unifying thought was the most important thing.

He had to convince these people that "My Sassy Girl" was a good script so they would take initiative, rather than just doing it for money or for their resumes.

If everyone is doing things for money, resumes, job opportunities, or his appreciation, then Yang Che will have a very tiring time making this film, because he made this film for money and resumes. Yes, that's exactly it.

Yang Che doesn't feel any sense of accomplishment in his creative work, at least not now.

But he finds joy in what he does, and spending time with a group of people in their early twenties really makes him feel younger. He really enjoys his current life.

"Alright, alright, everyone, go with Ning Hao to collect your money. Those who didn't come today, please inform your group leaders to come this afternoon. Cheng Er, Wu Shixian, Zhao Xiaoding, come here."

Upon hearing this, Ning Hao picked up his briefcase high, grinned, and patted it: "Let's do it in order, sign."

The three people whose names were called followed Yang Che out of the conference room, and Qin Lan quickly followed after them. Yang Che glanced at her, said nothing, and then, after smoking a cigarette by the window at the end of the corridor, said, "Brother Ding, I'm thinking of product placement for GG in the movie. Do you think the brand would be interested?"

Zhao Xiaoding was taken aback at first, then laughed, and looked at Cheng Er and Wu Shixian who were still in a daze.

"I was planning to talk to you about this too. Yesterday, an old acquaintance from GG Entertainment told me that GG Entertainment received 1500 million yuan for sponsoring Feng Xiaogang's film 'Endless Love.' Of course, we can do that. Can you give me a list of potential sponsors and I'll help you inquire about it?"

Yang Che's first reaction was that Zhao Xiaoding must have known about this long ago, not just yesterday. But he didn't want to cause trouble, after all, he was a big shot in the GG circle. Before "Endless," no mainland Chinese movie had ever had GG product placement, so this was a big deal.

As for why he's offering to help now, the main reason is that he asked, and secondly, Zhao Xiaoding has become more friendly and trusting towards him after the meeting.

"Now that you say that, I feel more at ease."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Er exhaled a long puff of smoke: "If adding GG is too obvious, it will break the audience's immersion, but if it's not obvious, the brand will not be satisfied."