So what if I work with celebrities?

Within two days, the sailors sent a letter agreeing to invest 800,000, with only one condition: that the investment must not lose money.

He didn't demand that Xu Zan achieve a certain box office target, clearly indicating that he wanted to test the waters.

The sailor found his older brother, Grey Duck, that very day to discuss investing in making a movie.

This Grey Duck was originally from Wenshan. Later, because his elder brother from Wenshan was imprisoned, he founded New Wenshan.

At that time, the Four Seas Gang was the dominant force, squeezing out the living space of other gangs. Gradually, these smaller gangs banded together for mutual support.

At that time, the Lianzhu Society had not yet been established; its predecessor was the Zhonghe Society, whose leader had also been imprisoned for murder. The internal strife within Zhonghe was intense until the late 1950s, when Han Yazi and others held a meeting on Zhulin Road in Zhonghe Township.

Grey Duck was also there at the time, and the group jointly established the Lianzhu Society. Therefore, this person was a big figure in the martial arts world, with connections spanning several gangs. He also played a key role in establishing the Loyalty Alliance, which opposed the Four Seas.

"This is a good thing. Don't be afraid of losing money. If it really works out, we'll have another way to make money, which is better than doing shady business every day. And who knows, it might even have other uses..."

The gray duck is a college student, and he can see things much further ahead than a sailor.

"Okay, if Big Brother says it's okay, then let's do it this way!" the sailor said cleanly and decisively.

With the money, Xu Zan began recruiting and building his team. Making a film isn't something that can be done on a whim.

Planning is required in all aspects, and every position needs to be filled. For example, there needs to be someone for the photography team, lighting team, and production assistants.

In addition, there are costumes, props, food, accommodation, transportation, miscellaneous items, and post-production.

Hsu Tsan didn't have any photography equipment, but fortunately, after Li Hanxiang came to the island and vigorously developed the film industry, the island's film industry soared.

In some years, the production of Mandarin films even surpassed that of Hong Kong, and the film industry's profits have been increasing year by year.

Therefore, there are bound to be film-related shops and real estate agencies near some large film studios. Xu Zan actually found several shops renting out equipment near the China Film Studio.

He randomly entered a movie equipment rental company called "Star". The shop was not big, and there were a few pieces of equipment on the shelves behind the counter.

"Welcome, sir. Would you like to be an actor or a photographer?"

"Oh, I'd like to rent equipment for filming. Do you have a price list?" Xu Zan asked.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up. "You've come to the right place. I'm not bragging, but we're the best rental company around here, offering services beyond just equipment rental."

The shopkeeper took out a price list from under the counter, which listed the models and rental prices of various cameras, with additional services listed below.

For example, if you need a cameraman when renting a camera, you can get a 5% discount. If you also need a lighting technician and prop master, the equipment can even be provided for free.

If you go through their company again later, they can also provide free sound effects and background music.

"In addition, I have a cast list here and can help you contact the actors. The prices are very reasonable, and their acting skills are absolutely up to standard."

The boss poured tea for Xu Zan and explained in detail their business scope, as well as some performance results that were hard to distinguish between true and false.

Xu Zan was selecting a photographer and finally found a person named Xu Diwen. This person had worked on "Fist of Fury" and, in addition to filming this movie, also focused on behind-the-scenes work such as dubbing and art direction.

"Mr. Xu, you've come to the right place with our low-budget film."

The boss listed the film's initial budget on a blank sheet of paper.

90分钟的电影，大概要1-1.2万英尺的35mm彩色底片，每英尺底片加工费1-1.5元，后期拷贝5-10份。这基本上占据了投资的30%，也就是18万左右。

The crew's salaries, including those for cinematographers, lighting technicians, etc., are approximately 20 people, with daily wages ranging from 200 to 500 yuan, totaling around 150,000 yuan.

The cost of location shooting, venues, costumes, and props is estimated at 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. Music and recording will cost around 40,000 yuan. Post-production editing, mixing, and special effects will cost around 50,000 yuan.

The actors' fees are around 150,000, while the director's and producer's fees are between 20,000 and 50,000.

Before the film's release, there are also publicity and distribution costs, as well as some costs due to unforeseen circumstances, which will amount to around 80,000 yuan.

Oh, and there's also the novel adaptation fee of 10,000 yuan.

So, all things considered, a basic shoot would cost 400,000, while a more elaborate one would start at 650,000.

Holding the budget sheet, Xu Zan silently calculated that if he could finish filming within a month and strictly control the costs, he estimated that he could actually get the 650,000 yuan.

This saved the organization 150,000, which is not good. It's best to spend all the funds allocated by the higher authorities, otherwise the next allocation will definitely be cut.

"Show me the actors' price list."

Xu Zan hadn't expected actors' salaries to be so low; most were paid monthly, while some were paid daily.

Aside from a few top-tier celebrities who command high prices, such as Brigitte Lin, whose current asking price is NT$250,000. Qin Han has NT$100,000…

Based on his memory, he selected the original cast members, with salaries around 10,000 yuan per episode. The lead actress was Hu Huizhong, who was paid 15,000 yuan per episode, according to the standard rate for non-professional actors. On the contrary, supporting actress Lu Biyun received more than 30,000 yuan, making her the highest-paid actress in the show.

Producer... Xu Zan planned to have the sailor act as producer, which would pay him 30,000 yuan, while he, as the director, would get 20,000 yuan. Other miscellaneous moving work was also handed over to the underworld brothers.

In the drama "Joyful Encounters," there is a character who is the female lead's first love. Hsu Chan plans to play the role herself so that she can earn another 15,000 NTD.

After the contract was signed, the "celebrity" side handled all the arrangements. Xu Zan then had to handle the location shooting and venue selection.

This kind of thing can't be completely handed over to an agency. The location and setting are related to the plot changes and must also conform to the script's timeline. It can't be done carelessly.

The film company's paperwork was handled by the sailors through connections, and they received it in just three days with expedited processing.

A week later, on May 1, 1975, filming officially began for the TV series "Joyful Face".

The plot of this drama is relatively simple: the female lead is an elementary school teacher who has a childhood sweetheart boyfriend. However, her boyfriend dies in an accident while escorting students home because he was teaching in a rural area.

The female protagonist was heartbroken and constantly looked downcast. While singing at a nightclub, she met the male protagonist, a young entrepreneur, and the two gradually developed feelings for each other. However, she discovered she was pregnant with her first love's child. The young entrepreneur, however, didn't care and demanded that she have an abortion.

Finally, the female lead gives birth to her child, and the movie ends abruptly as the male lead is captivated by her singing.

To sum it up in one sentence: A domineering CEO falls in love with me, a singer who is pregnant with her first love's child.

Xu Zan spent two days establishing his authority on the set, identifying and amplifying problems, and winning over these seasoned veterans through drinks and meals.

"Huizhong, memorize these lyrics, and sing them when you sing!"

Hu Huizhong held the manuscript and read it word by word: "Don't ask me where I come from, my hometown is far away, why do I wander, I wander far away."

"Did you write the lyrics?" She smoothed her hair, revealing her youthful jawline. "They're really well written."

"This song was written by the great writer Sanmao. I plan to buy the copyright to it and use it as the theme song for a movie."