In the women's volleyball team's friendly match, Long Beach University defeated the University of Southern California 3:1. As expected, the coach of the national team's main attacker is also very strong. When she was in college, she made money by working as a player and coach. It seems that her ability to adapt to American society is also good.
Very strong.
Ronald and Mr. Counselor were sitting at their seats, chatting while watching the game. They seemed to be fans of this sport that is loved by both Chinese and American audiences.
The audience found that they were relatively experienced fans. Not only did they discuss a lot of techniques and tactics on the spot, but they also stood up and applauded many good shots, mixed with some "short, flat and fast", "powerful attack", "lob" and the like.
comment of……
After a banquet for all the team members and guest audiences, Ronald quickly got in the car and went home. Mr. Counselor gave him a message. The superiors were willing to open up the domestic film distribution market, increase quotas, and even negotiate for box office sharing, which is satisfactory to Hollywood producers.
practice.
This is also a friendly gesture and a disruptive measure to deal with the resistance in Congress to China's pursuit of most-favored-nation status.
There are two more important objections in Congress. The first one talks about human rights issues, which there is no way to solve in a short time. The second one talks about China’s trade with America after it became Japan.
The country with the second largest surplus.
Many of the products imported from China are cheap, low-value-added products. The bulk of America's exports, high-tech products, cannot be exported due to controls imposed by the Paris Coordination Committee.
For example, high-performance computers, machinery manufacturing that can be used to manufacture high-precision weapons, precision electronic products, etc. These are America's world-leading and competitive products that cannot be sold.
America's high-end consumer goods have long been beaten by Japan, and it is difficult to sell Japanese products. Just like consumers in America, Chinese people also prefer Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic produced in Japan.
JVC and other products.
After thinking about it, Hollywood movies are a ready option that can increase exports to China without involving the controls of the Batumi Agreement.
And this product also has the benefit of promoting America's values. Those shallow members of Congress may agree with this.
Therefore, compared with high-tech products, an import category that cannot be conquered, movies have become a short-term and fast way that both countries are looking forward to, which can make the export deficit figures look good, and can also give panda lovers in Congress a good reason.
Ronald quickly contacted the president of the MPAA, Jack Valenti. This old friend had once opened up the European film market led by China, and had also taken advantage of the end of the Cold War to organize entry into the Eastern European market.
If this time he can open up the once strongest Chinese market for Hollywood, his outstanding achievements will overshadow all previous presidents and become the number one person in the MPAA.
Jack Valenti tried to enter the Chinese market in the past few years, but he only negotiated some unattractive agreements. Movies that enter there cannot enjoy the current industry-wide split, and can only do it once.
Sex buyout.
Moreover, the application procedures are very complicated, and you often don’t know which link is at the end, which negates the distribution efforts here. After several times, most Hollywood distributors are not willing to go through so much trouble for a mere few hundred thousand dollars. Hollywood
It is true that no one can understand the structure of all the relevant institutions there and how to estimate the costs and possible benefits of issuance in advance.
However, the news passed through private channels this time is that they are planning to relax the accounting method. And the power of approval has been delegated to the film bureau level, which makes commercial calculations possible.
Jack Valenti was very excited when he heard the news. He immediately ran to Ronald's house and inquired about the cooperation in detail.
"Ronald, how true is your news?" What Jack Valenti is most worried about is repeating the previous process, and there will be no follow-up.
"Of course it's very true. Otherwise, how do you think I could film pandas? Have you seen any white people from America filming movies there since The Last Emperor?"
"That's right..." Jack Valenti knew that after The Last Emperor, some standards for literary and artistic standards on the other side of the Taiwan Strait were tightened. Most cooperative film projects were only open to Chinese creators or film projects that reflected Chinese stories.
.
This time in Ronald's Panda Story, except for the panda, the protagonists are all white.
"But how do we know this is not a system accident? They really want to use pandas to gain the favor of the American people, right?" Jack Valenti is experienced in negotiating market access.
This kind of thing may also be a gesture, but if it is really discussed, it will cause all kinds of troubles.
When the last emperor was the last emperor, even the deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture participated in the performance. He thought that the market was not far away, but who knew that it would happen again and again. What is different this time?
"Come, let me show you something..."
Ronald walked into the study with Jack Valenti, who had white hair on his temples.
"This is very precious... I don't tell most people..."
As he spoke, Ronald took out a folder from the drawer, pulled out a copy and fax, and handed it to Jack Valenti.
"What's this?"
Jack Valenti only saw a piece of paper with a lot of Chinese square characters written on it. Above the title, there were several paragraphs of handwriting. The largest line read: "It is conducive to the exchanges between the people of China and the United States, and there are
Things that are conducive to enhancing mutual understanding must be actively promoted.”
Below, there were more people's handwritings. But Jack Valenti couldn't understand them, and he didn't know what Ronald meant.
"My movie can get higher support than The Last Emperor, Mr. Jack Valenti. Did you know that my actors can hug pandas directly. But Bertolucci in The Last Emperor can only go to the Beijing Zoo to see pandas.
.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! It all relies on this piece of paper. This is called an instruction, and it is more useful than anything else. This time the panda can be rented to the San Diego Zoo.
It’s still an exceptional long lease period. Can it be done without this? And the cubs born by the pandas can stay in America for a few more years. Without this... hum..."
"This...can I take it away and take a look?" Jack Valenti didn't know anything about China. If it was really an instruction for the import and distribution of movies, then it would be worth a try.
"No, Mr. Jack Valenti. I am being targeted in Congress. If you want to know, why don't you contact the film bureau over there? If this matter can be negotiated, then the power of approval is in
Directly subordinate to the head office..."
"Very good..." Jack Valenti is such a shrewd person. Ronald understood it as soon as he said it. In fact, the film bureau very much hopes that this thing will be done. If it is done, then all kinds of imported Hollywood movies will
All powers will be concentrated in their hands, which is a great benefit to the department.
"I will contact all the six major Hollywood studios and form a delegation to negotiate this matter there. Do you want to serve as the deputy director?" Jack Valenti was ready to go back to the major studios to discuss the matter.
The studio issued an announcement and everyone rushed over to do business.
"Again, if I am too high-profile, I might be targeted again. Besides, the movies I cooperate with the six major studios will have the same opportunity to be distributed there. So I won't go this time...
…”
"Isn't it a pity?" Jack Valenti thought to himself, you gave up such a great opportunity?
"So, I have a small request. I hope Mr. Valenti can add a clause when negotiating so that small independent production companies like ours can maintain the original buyout distribution method and enter the Chinese market.
Only with small productions can there be entrepreneurial producers to take risks, and only then can there be vitality."
"That's a very insightful view. It seems like you really like your movies to appear there..."
"Isn't that right? This is a good time window and I don't want to waste it. Besides, it is impossible for a small studio to win such a large-scale industry negotiation. Only when the MPAA comes to interview can we take advantage of it, right?
"
"No matter what you really think about, this matter is indeed of great significance to Hollywood. Although China is no longer the huge market it was back then, its population cannot be ignored. When their economic development and measures to prevent piracy improve,
This will still be a great market, and entering now is indeed the time with the lowest cost.
Ronald, by then all the filmmakers in Hollywood will enjoy the benefits you have brought."
"No, no, no, it's the MPAA and you, Mr. Valenti, who brought it. Only by uniting together can we make money."
Jack Valenti got the answer he wanted. He went back to organize the matter and contacted the film bureau through the Trade Representative's Office.
Ronald put away the instruction with a smile. In fact, it was just an instruction on the issue of leasing pandas. Jack Valenti couldn't understand Chinese anyway. After the negotiation was completed, he would not complain, and he would be like
People like Dan Burton can't make excuses. This is my effort so that all children on the West Coast can see pandas.
"Diane..."
"Here...Ronnie..."
Ronald found Diane, and the two ran to the temporary studio to reshoot the statue of the goddess at the beginning of the Columbia film.
This time, the costume department of Daydream specially designed the ancient Greek Heaton sleeveless robe, which was fixed at the shoulders and armpits, and a large scarf made of fine purple silk was wrapped around the shoulders. Diane also took
Holding a plastic torch-shaped lamp, he climbed the double-decker steps with bare feet.
"Click, click", Ronald asked Diane to do many postures, and also compared the shape of ancient Greek sculptures to the hand shape of a classical beauty. The other hand stretched upwards like the Statue of Liberty.
…
"Ah, this is good..."
Peter Gubel saw the enlarged photo developed by Ronald and praised repeatedly. "This is the best version since the goddess was used as a logo in 1924. It is as beautiful as Venus, as powerful and free as Athena."
The goddess is as solemn as a statue..."
"As long as it's not like Coca-Cola..."
"Hahaha……"
Ronald told a joke that only an insider would understand.
During the period from 1981 to 1989 when Coca-Cola owned Columbia Pictures, the figure of the lady on the logo and later redrawing deliberately made the goddess's figure closer to the shape of the Coca-Cola glass bottle.
Although there is an urban legend that Coca-Cola designed the glass bottle to have the same body shape as a woman to win the favor of male consumers. However, no Hollywood female star is willing to become a Coke bottle.
The version shot by Ronald is indeed, as Guber said, mainly based on ancient Greek sculptures, including the folds deliberately left on the clothing material, and a kind of classical beauty is well created.
Coupled with the plastic torch light and the special yellow light emitted from Diane's head, the entire light layout gives the goddess played by Diane a sense of divinity.
"Then I'll ask the special effects department to do the post-production, remove the wires from the torch lights, and then add some light effects..."
Now that Guber is satisfied, Ronald will let the special effects department continue to complete the logo screen for a few seconds.
"Ronald, we are old friends. Are you really not going to China this time?"
After Gubel finished talking about the LOGO, the conversation changed to exploring the Chinese market.
"My going will actually have no effect. This negotiation is mainly about the comparison of strength..."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Ronald had another story about this person.
He told Guber that the main focus of the China Film Bureau is to hope that Hollywood movies can also drive the current weak domestic film market, and that domestic directors can learn from Hollywood's advanced commercial film shooting methods.
More importantly, the Hollywood branch movies they hope to introduce are those with great box office potential.
It is obvious that only those big-budget movies can achieve high box office potential. Of course, it is possible to win big with small in the American market, but in the cross-cultural distribution market, the possibility of box office failure is much smaller.
Because of this, the other party is only interested in negotiating with the seven major studios. They know that in Hollywood, only with the participation of these several distributors can they raise the money for a large production like Terminator 2 worth hundreds of millions.
"So, if we go there, we can gain the other party's recognition and open the door to the market?" Gubel somewhat understood the meaning of this.
"Yes, Jack Valenti of the MPAA told me that the more people who go to the seven major studios and the higher the level, the better the results can be negotiated."
"What do you mean?" Gubel touched his chin.
Ronald glanced left and right, and then pretended to be close to Gubel, "I heard that the film bureau tends to set a quota for the total number of movies introduced through the method of splitting accounts each year. But in the end, the quotas for these movies
, which studios get it depends on whether their respective applications are in line with the other party’s intentions, and..."
"Can I get better treatment if I go?" Gubel answered.
"Yes, judging from my experience, the negotiations there pay more attention to the leadership. We in Colombia have an advantage, that is, we have two distribution labels, Columbia and Tristar Pictures..."
"Stop talking, I will definitely ask Mike Medavoy to go with me. You know, when I was young, I single-handedly got Fidel, the leader of Cuba, to allow me to go there to shoot a documentary. I think it will be the same this time.
the same."
"I remind you, Mike Medavoy was born in Xujiahui, and he can speak Chinese."
Gubel smiled so much that the crow's feet on his face opened up, "Stop talking, I asked my secretary to get ready. This time we must win the most, what is it, face, face..."