These little tricks that Zhou Fang Ikuo made behind his back really caught Wu Studio off guard.
Neither Ning Weimin nor Matsumoto Keiko thought that the already severely reduced crew would face greater changes.
It is clear that the actors who should be added have not yet been added, and the issue of the retention of several main actors in the crew has become an unresolved matter.
For example, Yasuko Sawaguchi's sudden resignation seriously affected the morale of the crew and the confidence of the people behind the scenes.
However, not all scripts are based on what Ikuo Suho planned.
Some people's choices deviated from Shu Fang Ikuo's plan and produced the kind of results that he was not happy to see.
Just like Takeru Utsui and Yu Miura, their demands are contrary to those of Yasuko Sawaguchi who wants to resign.
So much so that when they approached Matsumoto Keiko to talk about this matter, Matsumoto Keiko was immediately confused. She was stunned for a while before confirming to them in surprise.
"You...are you all going to terminate your contracts with your respective entertainment agencies? Just...just to stay on the crew?"
Ken Utsui and Tomokazu Miura, who were sitting in front of her, nodded together.
"Yes, we can't agree with the agency's order asking us to resign. It's an indiscriminate fate. We can't do such an unethical thing, let alone be manipulated by some people and become a tool to harm others.
It is no longer worthy of our nostalgia to be able to make such unreasonable demands, so it is better to become independent as soon as possible. Moreover, we have always been getting along happily with your company during the cooperation. We have worked together for so long, so we naturally hope that the crew will be able to work together as soon as possible.
Restart the machine and complete these two film and television dramas."
Following Ken Utsui's explanation, Miura Tomokazu also said, "Credit can never be built up again once it is ruined! The agency's order forcing us to resign has touched our bottom line. We don't want to make any compromises."
It is something I regret for the rest of my life. So leaving here is the choice Utsu-san and I made. We also look down on those who manipulate artists and the media to engage in bullying, so we will always stand on your side in this matter.
If we need to clarify relevant information to the media, we will be happy to state it truthfully."
To be honest, this was something Keiko Matsumoto didn’t expect.
She originally thought that the two of them came to her because they saw that the situation was not going well, lost confidence in the crew, and wanted to protect themselves wisely.
Who knew they would be so courageous and stand firmly on their own side for the sake of morality?
In particular, she knew very well that making such a choice would put the two of them under great pressure and even suffer considerable financial losses. It was by no means a cost-effective thing.
So she was both grateful and moved, and couldn't help but bow deeply to them.
"Thank you so much for your consideration. I'm really sorry. I didn't expect that this matter would involve you and cause you so much trouble. I'm so sorry."
As for Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu, in addition to each returning a salute, Utsui Ken also responded with a serious expression.
"Don't say that either. It's the burning department that's wrong in this matter, not you. In fact, we just did the right thing and did what men should do."
These words are full of heroic spirit, which makes his character even more noble.
Matsumoto Keiko couldn't help but said sincerely.
"No matter where, this kind of thing is not something ordinary people can do. I will always remember the friendship between the two of you. There is nothing I can do to repay you at the moment. I can only do my best not to let you down, find ways to overcome difficulties, and try my best to
The finest production standards complete our works.”
And her gratitude just touched Miura Yuka's heart.
Now that he has made such a decision, the two film and television dramas produced by Wu Studio, especially "Black Leather Notepad" in which he plays the leading role, have become his biggest career prospects.
Can he successfully transform this time?
Will I be able to get a good job in the future?
Are there any GG and endorsements?
The future life of the whole family...
Speaking of which, it all depends on this hammer.
How could he be indifferent and not pay attention to the progress of the crew, so he couldn't help but ask about the specific situation through conversation.
"Yes, I am now looking forward to selecting the characters in "Black Leather Notepad" and restarting it. Matsumoto-san, may I ask, are you sure about this matter? What else is there now?
Are you having any difficulties? If there is anything you can do to help, please feel free to do so."
What he meant was very clear, it was a matter of casting, if you really couldn't find someone.
He can also introduce a few people to fill in the gap, even if it involves a favor.
Keiko Matsumoto felt relieved again and bowed her head to thank her again.
"Yes, please don't worry. It doesn't matter. We already have specific countermeasures. In a month at most, we should be able to select the characters and start filming again."
"Ah, that's great. I'm really looking forward to it."
After hearing this assurance, Miura Yuka's expression finally became a little happy.
Utsui Ken also looked relaxed.
That's not all, everyone is mutual, since they are choosing partners to work together.
Just as Utsui Ken and Miura Tomoka are concerned about Matsumoto Keiko's difficulties, in turn, Matsumoto Keiko cannot ignore their current difficulties.
"Sorry, I also want to take the liberty to ask. If you terminate the contract with the firm, you two will probably face considerable financial compensation, right? Have you and the firm negotiated this matter?"
This question is of course very practical.
Because no entertainment agency is a charity.
Especially in Japan, the entertainment industry is basically a monopoly, so it is normal for major companies and platforms to work together to squeeze artists.
In order to restrain artists, the agency will sign a relatively harsh contract with the artist when accepting them.
In particular, the restrictive clause that prevents artists from terminating the contract early is the most important part of the contract.
If the artist wants to run away or is poached, the liquidated damages are usually very heavy and will hurt the artist to the core.
As expected, I heard Utsui Takeru say, "We have indeed discussed it with the firm. The contract we signed was a five-year contract, and I still have one year and two months left before it expires. The liquidated damages are calculated based on the year, and I probably have to pay for it."
The compensation is about 40 million yen..."
The figures reported by Miura Yuka are even more frightening.
"I'm afraid I have to pay 130 million yen to the office. But the good thing is that this matter was agreed upon by Momoe and the old president, Mr. Hori Takeo. After paying this money, I can terminate the contract peacefully. In the future, Hori
The production should not give me any trouble..."
Yes, Takeru Utsui is no longer the leading actor in the big movies back then. He is over fifty and is only relying on his qualifications to make a living.
Therefore, the salary has already dropped from the first-tier to the middle of the second-tier, and his liquidated damages are much less than those of the first-tier actors for the same reason.
But even so, this amount of money is equivalent to half a year's income.
You know, Fog Studios hired him to star in "Crazy Rich Asians" as a supporting actor, and the salary was only 6 million yen.
"Black Leather Notepad" has a more important role, but it only costs one million yen per episode.
After all, the total compensation given to him for the two film and television dramas was only 14 million yen.
In other words, for his persistence in justice, he decided to stay in acting, and he personally suffered a huge loss.
As for Miura Yu and his current career, although it is declining, there are still many media reporters following him all day long.
Moreover, the spokesperson of Japanese candy giant Glico has always been his and has never been changed.
Based on his accumulation of fans after years of working in art films, although he is now over 30, he can still make some money, and he is a top-tier actor, so the price he pays will of course be much higher than Ken Utsui's.
In comparison, Fog Studios paid him 12 million yen for "Crazy Rich Asians" and 1.8 million yen per episode for "Black Leather Notepad".
So calculated this way, his personal economic loss was nearly 100 million.
In particular, the shutdown of Fog Studio delayed the production for at least more than a month. During this period, both of them were unable to take on other jobs. Calculating it this way, the invisible losses were even greater.
So after learning about this incident, Matsumoto Keiko felt even more sorry and couldn't bear it.
"I'm really sorry. I have caused you to lose so much money. If you two have any financial inconvenience, I am willing to do my little bit."
Matsumoto Keiko really didn't mean her words politely. She currently has more than 1.5 billion yen in her account.
She had never had so much money before, and she felt panicked when she saw so much money every day.
Anyway, idle time is idle. If the other party needs it, she is willing to lend them money, and she will not charge any interest.
However, she didn't expect that the more she feared, the more something she would become afraid of.
"It's okay, don't worry about me, I've already figured out how to deal with it. I plan to sell a small apartment in Roppongi. In this case, there will still be a lot of surplus, enough for me to live a stable life for a few years."
Utsui Takeru actually said this.
"Yes, I also plan to sell the apartment in Takanawa. Momoe said that she hopes to move to Tachikawa City. The current house should be easy to sell. After selling the apartment, there will be no financial problem."
Needless to say, Matsumoto Keiko was furious when she heard this, "How is this possible? It doesn't have to be like this at all."
Although both of them said it lightly, and said that their decision to terminate the contract with the agency and regain their freedom was also their personal spontaneous act.
But Keiko Matsumoto knew in her heart that if her studio hadn't made enemies, they would have no reason to do this.
They are the truly innocent people who were accidentally implicated.
Therefore, even for the other party's insistence on justice, Matsumoto Keiko hopes to minimize the side effects.
She never wanted to affect the stable life of the two people and bring difficulties to their family because of her own reasons.
So, she didn't care about being rash, and immediately offered to lend money to the two of them, without them actually selling the house to raise funds.
But then again, even if she has good intentions, others have to be willing to do it.
But considering the personalities of Ken Utsui and Tomoka Miura, they are the kind of traditional and old-fashioned people who only focus on acting and do not know how to speculate.
Not to mention that neither of them has stock trading, neither of them would have bought a house if it wasn't for their immediate needs after starting a family.
To put it bluntly, the two of them had a natural aversion to borrowing money, so they both shook their heads and expressed their gratitude to Keiko Matsumoto for her help.
At this time, Matsumoto Keiko became more and more anxious. After thinking silently for a while, she still had no idea. She just felt that the current situation was too overwhelming.
She simply asked Utsui Takeru and Miura Tomokazu to sit for a while while she ran to another room to call Ning Weimin and asked him what she should do.
But this time, he asked the right person. With Ning Weimin's mind, he could solve the problem. He didn't hesitate at all on the phone and gave Matsumoto Keiko an idea.
"Hey, let me say, we might as well try another way to solve the problem. For example...can we sign them into your office?"
"What? You want me to sign them as an artist in the agency?"
"Yeah, why can't Fog Studio have its own actors? Although the big studio system is collapsing, besides you, Fog Studio should still have a few exclusive core actors. Like this time,
We have already suffered a loss in this regard. You see, if they are willing, we will not have to worry about the main characters of any future movies. The key is that the characters of Utsu-san and Miura-san are really reliable.
Actors like them are not only rich in performance experience and dedicated, but they will not easily cause trouble for the agency. There is no need to worry about negative news. It would be a great deal to invite them to join. Even I want to do this
I came to thank Ikuo Ikuo. Without him, how would we have a chance to sign them? What do you think?"
"What you said is really an exaggeration. However, if this is the case, it would be justifiable for us to pay the termination fee for them with the original firm. Right?"
"Yeah, it's less than 200 million yen, which is not enough to make a low-cost movie. Since people take the initiative to help us, let's pay for them. In any case, such a good character is worth our investment. So if we can
, you try to sign the contract with them as long as possible. As for the house, try to persuade them not to sell it, otherwise they will definitely regret it."
"Okay, I'll try to negotiate. However, how should I determine the specific conditions for signing with them? To be honest, their careers are currently declining, and the conditions they offer are not good, which seems mean. But if the conditions they offer are too good,
, I'm just afraid... I feel a little unsure."
"Don't be afraid. Just listen to me and sign them as A-list celebrities. Being able to return a favor to them will also show our sincerity. As for the return issue, don't worry. Judging by their dedication to acting.
It is said that if you want to become famous again, you just need a good script. Even Utsu-san has the opportunity to be the protagonist again. And they are very well-known in China. Based on this alone, we will not make a loss-making business, don't worry
,Believe me."
"Okay. I listen to you."
Keiko Matsumoto did what she said, and no one believed in Ning Weimin's judgment more than her.
So when she appeared in front of Utsui Ken and Miura Yuka again, she seemed to be another person.
All worries are gone, and the smile becomes more and more pleasing to the eye.
…………
On this day, both Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu experienced a roller coaster of emotions.
After leaving Fog Studio, Miura Tomokazu didn't even go out to have a drink with Utsui Ken, and quickly returned home.
He was in a very good mood, which was completely different from when he went out in the morning. When he entered the door, he not only shouted "I'm back" loudly.
He also brought back a lot of things he bought on the road for his wife and children.
Western snacks, drinks, and a large piece of wagyu beef.
So Momoe, who ran out in an apron, was stunned. Seeing these things worth at least hundreds of thousands of yen, she asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
The meaning is very complicated. I am a little surprised that he came back so early today, I am also surprised that he bought so many luxurious things, and I am even more surprised by the great change in his mood.
Miura Tomokazu understood immediately, so he made a rare move, picked up his wife, and spun around in the entrance hall.
Baihui was almost confused, but she knew it was a good thing based on her feeling.
She hugged her husband's neck in a daze and asked, "What? Things have changed? There is no need to terminate the contract."
"No, it's not. It's because I have a new job. I joined the Matsumoto Office. No, it's not just me, but also Utsu-san. And the terms of the contract are great."
The more Miura Yuka talked, the happier he became, and he even impulsively kissed Momoe's face.
"You won't believe it. Fog Production Company paid the settlement fee for us. It also gave us the treatment of first-line actors and promised to produce no less than two movies and two TV series every year. Matsumoto-san is such a good person.
.Because she knew that you wanted to move, she would arrange a place for us in Tachikawa City, so we don’t have to sell the house anymore. According to her, it would be too much of a loss to sell now, so it would be more cost-effective to collect rent first and use it to live in Tachikawa City.
What do you think?"
"I..." Looking at her smiling husband, Baihui was really moved even though she still didn't understand what happened.
This is the husband she wants to see, this is happiness.