Although the two French film production companies that Ning Weimin favors are both established studios with long experience and rich history, this also means that the procedures are cumbersome and the structure is bloated.
Therefore, with such a large amount of money and a complete buyout clause involved, even the presidents of the two production companies were not able to make a decision easily.
In order to avoid criticism and blame afterwards, they believe that the outcome of this matter must be discussed by the board of directors and approved by the majority of directors.
Even when the two parties formally start contact and enter the negotiation process, it is not that simple.
You know, when faced with the sudden appearance of a young man from the East who wanted to do business worth hundreds of millions of francs, no one at the top of the two French film production companies dared to believe it.
What's more, it's during the special season of the Cannes Film Festival.
Don’t forget, originally Ning Weimin just came to Cannes to sell movie copies.
Why did he suddenly turn into someone who wanted to buy a copy as he was talking?
This is too magical, things shouldn’t work like this!
Especially in the European film industry, no one or company has dared to propose such a large deal, which makes this matter inevitably suspicious.
What's the use of having so many copies of old movies?
Going to Asia to promote?
Just kidding.
Why do so many audiences like these old movies?
Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult for new movies to attract audiences, let alone these old-fashioned stories.
The most important thing is that Fog Film Studio's reputation is not obvious.
It's not even popular in Japan, and no one in Europe has heard of it.
Such a studio has no goodwill at all.
Therefore, from a French perspective, it is easy to regard Ning Weimin as an industry liar who talks a lot and is intent on playing tricks.
In fact, after the news spread, some people speculated that Ning Weimin might want to use the reputation of the two production companies to release the news about the film library purchase to hype his movie.
real purpose.
Needless to say, no one wants to spend too much time and energy on something that has no results, and no one wants to be taken advantage of by others and deceived like a fool.
Therefore, there needs to be a prerequisite for contact on this matter, and the boards of directors of the two French studios must first confirm that Ning Weimin is indeed sincere and really wants to complete this deal.
And he also has to prove that he is indeed rich and has the ability to complete the deal he proposed.
Although Alain Delon has been acting as an introducer, this is not enough. The key is to get Ning Weimin to present a letter of credit worth at least 50 million US dollars.
Of course, if Ning Weimin really has the sincerity and strength to complete the transaction, then he must prevent the news from leaking and causing others to disrupt the situation.
After all, everyone's movie copies are thrown away in the warehouse, and it is enough for two companies to compare prices with each other.
So the feedback information sent back by the two French studios told Ning Weimin their two requirements.
First, this matter must be kept confidential before formal discussions and cannot be publicized to the outside world.
If the media finds out, the matter will be dropped and they will not admit it.
Second, Ning Weimin must provide a letter of credit of US$50 million or a certificate of monetary assets equivalent to 400 million francs as soon as possible to advance this matter, otherwise there will be no discussion.
Of course, these two items are not a problem for Ning Weimin.
Confidentiality is a must.
In fact, Ning Weimin also just wanted to negotiate the deal safely.
As the saying goes, he has no intention of getting more film production companies to join the bidding.
He didn't have much money and didn't have much time.
Proof of assets is no longer a problem.
Almost all of his overseas assets are held in accounts with Credit Agricole Suez, a bank whose headquarters is in France.
Therefore, for the requirements of the two studios, he only needs the head office of Credit Suez Bank to issue a financial guarantee for himself, which can be confirmed by phone and fax.
In fact, what really embarrassed him was another issue - a transaction involving such a huge amount of money, and involving long-term interests in the future, he needed a trustworthy lawyer to help him sign a flawless agreement.
The biggest trouble he currently faces is legal red tape and possible traps in the contract. What should he do in a foreign country where he is unfamiliar?
Of course, you can only rely on the help of trustworthy friends.
So as expected, Ning Weimin spoke to Alain Delon again.
I hope he can recommend me a good lawyer who is good at dealing with film companies and has a good level of experience.
Alain Delon directly recommended his lawyer to Ning Weimin, saying that his lawyer was most familiar with film-related terms and had dealt with both French studios, so he should be able to meet his conditions.
And in order to show sincerity, Alain Delon also took the initiative to suggest that Ning Weimin could use this person to draft the general terms first, and then use the legal counsel of Pierre Cardon Corporation to review the final agreement, and it would be foolproof.
But even so, Alain Delon also bluntly expressed his opposition from a personal point of view, repeatedly admonishing Ning Weimin not to make this loss-making transaction.
In front of two studio representatives, he couldn't say anything.
But after the people from the studio left, and when he was alone with Ning Weimin, Alain Delon couldn't help complaining about Ning Weimin's "stupidity" in order to stop him from the brink.
"First of all, listen to what I understand, right? You are willing to spend hundreds of millions of francs to buy those movie copies that are about to be buried in the dust in the film libraries of those two production companies. And you only ask them to use three million to buy the copies you want.
A movie that sold in Cannes?”
"That's almost it, but you have forgotten that they also have to ensure that it will be shown in the five major cities in France for three consecutive weeks..."
"Who cares!"
Regarding Ning Weimin's addition, Alain Delon said angrily that the more he saw Ning Weimin's calm attitude, the angrier he became.
"I really can't believe that you have so much money at your age! What I can't believe even more is that you actually waste it like throwing it into the sea. My friend! You have to spend hundreds of millions.
Francs. Not to mention your country, you can live a luxurious life even in France. Why would you spend such a huge sum of money to replace thousands of old copies that are of little use? I always thought
You are a smart man, but I really don’t understand why you would do this kind of transaction that is destined to lose money!”
Alain Delon's tone became sharp due to his emotional fluctuations, but what Ning Weimin felt was Alain Delon's concern.
He didn't feel dissatisfied at all and still smiled.
"How can you say it is useless? Film is an art. What I bought are works of art created by many art masters. There should be many of them works by you and Catherine. You will never deny yourself
Movies, right? Of course, maybe these things don't have much value in Europe, but it's different when I get it in Asia. People in many countries haven't seen it yet. Who knows how big the potential market is? If nothing else, at least
The development of my motherland's film industry requires watching a large number of films. Europe is the origin of film, and France is a powerful film country in Europe. I believe I will not..."
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However, his compliments were in vain.
Instead of being convinced, Alain Delon lost his patience. He interrupted decisively and criticized him bluntly.
"Don't think so beautiful! You are still too young! And you don't seem to know much about the movie industry!"
Then, he listed the various disadvantages he thought.
"Did you know that film copies are difficult to preserve? If the warehouse is dry, the film will easily ignite spontaneously. If the warehouse is humid, the film will not be well preserved and will easily become moldy and deteriorate. Therefore, any professional studio must use constant temperature and humidity.
We need to use a film library to preserve it, and the storage cost alone will cost a lot of money every year.”
"For this reason, when the film industry was in recession a few years ago, European film companies once destroyed old films on a large scale to recycle the silver ions in the film. Why do you spend such a large sum of money to buy other people's troubles?
Let's go. The money you paid is enough for them to finance at least several years of filming. But once these copies get into your hands, it will be your problem."
"How do you monetize it? Even if the size of the Japanese movie market is okay, how many tickets can you sell if you get it to be replayed in cinemas? Even for my movie, the original "Zorro" was not enough to be released in Japan.
The box office is 5 billion yen. If you just sell these old movies on video tapes and sublease them to TV stations for broadcast, you won't be able to recoup the cost even if it takes a hundred years."
"Of course, for you, there may be a Chinese film market. I have to say that the market is indeed very large. But the ticket price is too low. Especially for my films, most of them have been licensed to China for free by the French government. You can reflect that.
Where is the profit at all? Not to mention that China’s censorship system is so rigid that most French films cannot pass..."
Ning Weimin seriously lacks common sense related to the film industry. This is a fact.
When Alain Delon told him about the difficulty of preserving film copies, he was shocked. This was a security risk that he had never thought of.
Moreover, Alain Delon was indeed a big brother who cared deeply about him and almost thought of all the disadvantages for him.
Ning Weimin sincerely appreciates it. When it comes to the meaning of friendship, Alain Delon has done a great job.
However, even so, he was grateful, but he could not reveal to Alain Delon the real reason why he wanted this deal to be concluded.
After all, his idea is too advanced. This Internet is not old enough, and there is no way to explain clearly what streaming media is, let alone prove its feasibility.
In addition, the interests contained in the film copyright and derivatives industries are too great. He strictly keeps secrets, not only for fear of affecting his other future transactions, but also for his own safety.
So he could only play the emotional card and try to explain his motives from another angle and with part of the reasons.
"I do it for my wife."
Ning Weimin paused, deliberately showing his deep love for Qingzi.
"You probably don't know my wife's current status. Now she is not only a movie star in Japan. Last year, she also bought a production company and became the boss of the movie company. The movie we brought is her
The first film independently produced after buying Fog Studios."
"However, although the movie was a big hit, and the video tape and soundtrack album also gained a lot. But in the Japanese film industry, my wife still cannot get the respect that matches her new status. This is because Japan values boys.
Because she is a woman, but also because Fog Studios has too little background. After all, she is the only woman to become the boss of a film company, and her studio has only produced one movie."
"In fact, my wife's Fog Studio not only does not have its own film library, it lacks scripts, it lacks manpower, and it lacks almost everything. It is difficult for Japanese film colleagues to take her seriously and believe that she can be one of the leading figures in Japanese films for a long time.
Among them. So it would be great if we could buy some movies in France. Once we have these movies, we can not only effectively expand the business scope of Fog Studios, but also strengthen cooperation with film companies, TV stations and some independent theaters. Even
We can also use some of the excellent films in these libraries to remake some new films that suit Asian tastes. So these copies are very useful for my wife to establish her position in the Japanese film industry."
"I finally understand." Alain Delon said, "So... you didn't do it impulsively. You did it for your wife?"
"Of course, when my wife married me, we both did property justice and signed an agreement. She didn't ask for a penny from me. Even if we divorce in the future, she will not divide the property.
But I have always been a little sorry for this, and always felt that I owed my wife. Therefore, I have decided to buy these copies with my own money, and plan to give them to my wife as gifts. I think, with these copies, I can finally
Giving my wife a little extra income, although the realization speed is slower, is better in the long run, and it can always reduce her operational and financial pressure. Isn't this what a husband should do? I can only help her so much.
"
Ning Weimin plays sensational in front of the best actor, this is definitely a trick.
But the good thing is that what he said is true, especially Alain Delon is also a lover, and he has also been hurt by love.
After hearing what he said, Alain Delon actually fell silent, and it took him a long time to mumble something.
"True love comes first, right? I really envy you, you are the winner in love and life. Well, it seems that you really don't care about being taken advantage of. I now know that my words are completely redundant. Young man, if you
If you think about it, then go ahead and do it. I wish you good luck and wish you love each other forever..."
"Don't say that. I'm very grateful for your advice. So, how about that thing we talked about? "Crazy Rich Asians," the movie we are about to start shooting, how are you thinking about it?"
Ning Weimin saw that Alain Delon was a little uninterested. Knowing that he was emotionally moved by the scene, he was probably thinking of some past events, so he deliberately changed the subject to tease him.
"I'm very willing to help, but in terms of time... I just need to show up? Is it only for a few minutes? That's fine."
"As a consultant, we need to understand the living habits of wealthy people in Europe, so at least during the filming phase in France, we need you to accompany us on site to provide guidance. The filming cycle should last about a week."
"Okay then, it's settled. Ask your people to send me the contract later..."
"Okay, what about the reward, half a million dollars?"
"What? Oh my god! Am I crazy, or are you crazy! Do you want me to play the leading role? My friend, I really suspect that you are out of your mind! You don't take drugs anymore, do you? You pay me ten
Ten thousand dollars is enough..."
"Haha, no, no, you are a big star. You should have the price of a big star. Just five hundred thousand! As you said, things are different when there is emotion involved. Aren't we friends? I have to be worthy.
Oh my friend."
"You guy, why are you more of a swinger than me? I think your wife's studio will really have problems with you as her husband. Let's not talk about the remuneration for now. Let's see if you buy the film library.
How much money do you have to pay?"
"Ha, can't you have some confidence in me? Besides, these are two different things. I am aiming for the Cannes Award for this film. I plan to do a good job at the Cannes Film Festival next year..."