Ning Weimin's words were like throwing a bomb in the conference room. All the participants could not restrain their excitement, and the "explosion" blossomed.
No one could have imagined that Ning Weimin would adopt such a simple and crude way to solve the problem of casting.
Yes, the major entertainment agencies are not willing to get involved in the dispute between the Burning Department and Fog Production because they are afraid that their artists' futures will be targeted, but what should those big-name stars who have already become famous be afraid?
Some celebrities even have many big names as friends behind them.
Just like Takakura Ken and Misora Hibari, not only do they have political backers, but they also had a close friendship with Kazuo Daoka, the third generation of the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Even though Ikuo Shubo was closely related to the Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest violent organization in Japan, there was definitely no way to compare with these two in terms of friendship or status. There was a huge gap.
What's more, these famous actors have acting skills, are popular, and many of them have won awards, so they have the ability.
If, as Ning Weimin said, each of the more than a dozen primary and secondary characters in the drama could be chosen based on their compatibility, actors who best fit the characteristics of the characters would be how gorgeous this drama would become.
!
This is a feat that has never been achieved since Japan had its own TV series.
Just like that "Crazy Rich Asians" movie, if the news is released to the media, it will cause a sensation throughout Japan and bring unimaginable influence.
Not to mention the gimmick of Seicho Matsumoto, the original author, personally "designating the role".
And as long as this drama is successfully completed and sent to TV stations for broadcast, the ratings will not be low at the beginning, at least 25% or more.
For such a TV series with an unprecedented cast of actors in Japan, I am afraid TBS will also feel the pressure.
Even if Shu Fang Ikuo is causing trouble, so what?
I'm afraid TBS wouldn't dare not give it a prime time slot, otherwise it would be scolded by the Japanese people, and it would offend all the famous actors who spoke out in this drama.
In short, if you do not consider the huge costs involved, this method does have countless benefits.
As a result, almost all of the participants present "burned" after just thinking about it for a moment.
"President Ning, it's really impressive that you and Matsumoto-san have such courage. I personally admire your decision so much, and I will try my best to make suggestions. However, there is one thing that you have considered.
Schedule may be an issue..."
Of course Ning Weimin understood what he meant. Since he is a famous star, he must have no worries about work.
It's easy to get one or two people together, but it would be more difficult if there are as many as seven, eight or even a dozen people.
"It doesn't matter, let's draw up the list first, and then we will work hard to coordinate according to the best plan. Anyway, if we want to talk, we will talk about the main characters first. As long as the core characters and the few villains in the drama are decided,
Like Big Boss President Hasegawa, Medical School Director Hashida, and the nightclub’s female publicist Bozi, and the financial backer behind her, the professional shareholder Takahashi Katsuo. The rest are easy to mention. And don’t forget, we are not affiliated
The TV station's production crew has to rush to finish within one month or two months. The crew sometimes even shoots and broadcasts at the same time. We have more flexibility in terms of time to coordinate. And we also have ample funds.
What we are pursuing now is just the quality of the finished film. At most, we can shoot whatever we can. I believe Director Nomura will also do a good job in scheduling the content."
As soon as he spoke, Okamoto suddenly became enlightened.
Yoshitaro Nomura was also very satisfied with Ning Weimin's attitude of not sparing money and time to produce high-quality dramas, and he also nodded frequently.
However, Mitsuru Watanabe, who is in charge of finance, is impatient. What he is most afraid of hearing now is the words "don't care about money."
If the bosses of this crew really have no scruples and spend money as they please, then he will still have to bear the burden of the accounts in the end.
So he interrupted almost in a pleading manner, "President Ning, I'm very sorry. Although you said it first, I still have to say something. If your plan is really implemented, the amount of money it will cost is incalculable. Big stars.
Their salary is high, and they don’t like to play villains and supporting roles. If we make further requests for schedules and let them play supporting roles, God knows what price we have to offer to impress them. And the most taboo thing for the crew is waiting. There are so many
People, waiting for one more day is a waste of one day. So..."
Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, Matsumoto Keiko became unhappy.
"Watabe-kun, these matters are not within your scope of authority, and we have already given them enough consideration. You don't need to say anything more. You just need to cash the check as required."
The rare serious tone really didn't save Mitsuru Watanabe's face, so he blocked his mouth with just one sentence.
From this we can completely see how superstitious Matsumoto Keiko is towards Ning Weimin.
It can be said that although the current Fog Film Factory is a company solely under the name of Matsumoto Keiko, Ning Weimin is actually in charge.
Therefore, those present all took Mitsuru Watanabe as a warning and secretly kept this observation in mind.
However, Ning Weimin was very aware of Watanabe Mitsuru's concern and loyalty.
He really didn't want this confidant to be unable to come to Taiwan.
So out of consideration, he patiently explained to Mitsuru Watanabe and sang the red face perfectly.
"Watabe-kun, as a member of the Financial Supervisory Committee, you are a little worried about financial expenditures, and I can understand that. But please believe that given our current situation, these financial expenditures are absolutely necessary. And we also have certain measures to solve your problem.
problem."
"For example, we can first choose stars from Shochiku Arts. From the perspective of multi-faceted cooperation, Shochiku will be willing to cooperate with us, right? President Omotomoto is a decent person and will not ask for high prices from our ally. There are other things
Bao Yineng's stars can also be considered, not only because we are both studios, but also because we have not asked for liquidated damages from them. If we are still willing to continue to use their stars, Dongbao will probably keep this favor in mind and understand
Why come back?"
"In this case, once a few main characters are actually confirmed, other roles will be easy to handle. Because by then we will announce the lineup of several main characters again, which will definitely shock the entire Japanese entertainment industry. Think about it
Look, will no one be willing to play other roles? As long as we are not stingy with remuneration, I am afraid it is not us who beg those stars to participate in this drama, but those stars who have no chance to participate in this drama will feel regretful, even
It’s embarrassing.”
"Besides that, the biggest advantage we have with these big-name stars is the stability of the crew. If they break the contract, they will not only have to pay huge amounts of compensation, but they will also suffer greater losses to their personal reputation. No one will quit the crew easily. We
This time, no matter how small the role, the contract must be signed more strictly. We can’t let those people take advantage of it, interfere with our filming, and ruin our finished film.”
What Ning Weimin said is indeed clear and logical.
In this way, Watanabe Mitsuru couldn't say anything more, and even admired him for being so thoughtful.
Then, things really got on track. No one at the meeting expressed doubts about the plan. Instead, they all actively brainstormed, began to seriously discuss the roles, and put forward their favorite candidates.
Director Yoshitaro Nomura was the first to speak, "Let's first identify the biggest villain, President Hasegawa. Although this role does not run through the entire season and plays mainly in the second half, the style is very demanding and can be said to be quite important.
Well, I personally feel that older men, with a gloomy temperament and a magnetic voice are better. If we consider Shochiku or Toho, how about Toho's Kobayashi Katsura?"
The Keiki Kobayashi he was talking about was a film actor of the same era as Toshiro Mifune, who was active in the Showa and Heisei periods.
His representative works include "The Great Battle of the Sea of Japan", "Hakkoda Mountain", "Ghost Story Snow Girl", etc.
He has appeared in hundreds of movies so far. Although he mostly plays supporting roles as he gets older, he is still a prime supporting role.
He has won Best Actor three times and Best Supporting Actor once.
But even with such qualifications, Shinobu Hashimoto still raised objections.
"His acting skills are very mature, but he has played too many roles and seems to have no personality..."
Youtarou Nomura didn't mind either. He knew that Shinobu Hashimoto was just talking about the matter, so he still patiently expressed his opinion.
"Yes, usually, a good actor needs a strong personality, but there is also a drawback. That will limit the roles he can play. Keishu Kobayashi looks very ordinary, but he can play any role. You also admit his
His acting skills are excellent, I believe he can play this kind of role well."
Shinobu Hashimoto thought about it and seemed to hesitate. Maybe he wanted to give the director some face, and he rejected the first choice directly because it was not easy.
"I'm temporarily convinced by you, so let's list him as a candidate first."
Then he turned to Matsumoto Seicho, "Ms. Matsumoto, you are the original author. Since Chairman Ning has advocated that your candidate should be the main choice for this production meeting, can you also propose one? Maybe you can help us activate our ideas.
"
Matsumoto Seicho laughed loudly and said unceremoniously, "Well, if you ask me to say it, I will say it. The candidate I like is Mikuni Rentaro."
As soon as this name came out, everyone immediately became commotion, not for any other reason, because this is a big shot in Japanese film acting.
Mikuni Rentaro was also a famous actor active in the Showa period.
His main works include "Bloodline of Death", "Red's Fate", "Hakkoda Mountain", etc.
In particular, he has a rich acting career, first in Shochiku, then in Toho, and later in Nikkatsu, where he won numerous awards.
Now he basically no longer works as an actor, but has become a famous director.
Coincidentally, his film "Shinluan Baidao" won the Special Examiner's Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
While in France, Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko chatted with the director and famous actor for a while at the official dinner.
More importantly, his political stance is anti-war and pro-China. The Japanese star of the Sino-Japanese co-produced movie "An Unfinished Game of Chess" is him.
So this time Ning Weimin responded first, "This candidate is a good candidate. I think he can be the first candidate to fight for. Of course, you can continue to recommend. We have to prepare at least three candidates in case of inconvenience."
In this case, the deputy director also made suggestions, "In my opinion, President Hasegawa is the kind of insidious and domineering person. It is best to have the sense of vicissitudes that has experienced many things, and can not be angry at oneself."
It's so powerful. If you ask me, just based on the image, it always reminds me of director Akira Kurosawa."
As a result, the audience burst into laughter.
No one expected that he actually recommended this great director.
"I said, your choice is too funny. Director Akira Kurosawa has never participated in a movie."
"That's right. A famous director may not be a famous actor. How could he be invited to play such an important role?"
"I said, you are bold enough. If such words reach the ears of Director Akira Kurosawa, you will suffer the consequences..."
Everyone couldn't help but have different opinions, and they all accused the assistant director of unreliable candidates.
However, Ning Weimin didn't think so. He immediately stopped the commotion at the meeting, "No, no, don't deny it completely. Of course it's impossible for director Akira Kurosawa to play such an important villain. But this is a good idea, this idea
We have a clue. Then how about we try to ask Director Akira Kurosawa to appear in this drama? It would be best to play the director himself, maybe a guest that the heroine has received in the nightclub. What can I say to Director Akira Kurosawa?
That’s right, but it’s just about the price. I’m sorry to be too stingy. Do you think the director would be tempted by five million yen for such a scene and a few scenes?”
As soon as this was said, no one was happy anymore. Instead, everyone gasped, shocked by Ning Weimin's heroic act of spending so much money.
I don’t know how many people think this, but there’s no need to ask.
Being a director is not a very high-paying job, and the salary is much lower than that of the leading actor and actress in a play.
Especially director Akira Kurosawa, if he hadn't sold his personal studio not long ago and used the money to speculate in stocks, he might be burdened with debts that he still hasn't paid off.
How could he not be tempted by such a simple thing and earning such a large amount of money in one day?
So many people's ideas were completely opened up because of Ning Weimin's idea.
Next, it is equivalent to Ning Weimin setting a tone for everyone. Everyone is no longer polite in recommending candidates based on the role. That is really not considering the price.
But having said that, the positive effects are also tangible and visible, even if the cast of these actors only temporarily exists in verbal discussions.
But as creators, everyone was extremely excited. Not to mention the two male actors Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu, even Matsumoto Keiko herself, as the heroine, felt an unprecedented excitement.
If she could really get together with these famous actors and act opposite each other, she would have the urge to compete and prove her acting skills.
To put it bluntly, if all these people come together, the four major awards in the Japanese film industry will be meaningless.
Winning Best Actor or Best Actress once is the minimum basic requirement.
As a director, Yoshitaro Nomura is of course even more excited. Even though he has been a director all his life, he never dreamed that he would direct such a TV series in which almost all the actors are famous actors.
Of course, because of this, he also feels a great responsibility.
You must know that these famous actors are almost all veteran actors. If the supporting roles are not done well, the protagonists will be suppressed and lack luster.
So how can he achieve the correct effect in the roles played by these famous actors? The most serious problem he faces will be to prevent the low-key role from overpowering the original outstanding role. Can he not be serious when selecting the role?
Just wait.
The only person who could remain calm on set was Seicho Matsumoto, although as usual, every character should express his opinion first.
But every time he spoke, he only mentioned the names of the recommended candidates, but never participated in the actual discussion. He just looked down at what looked like a script in front of him.
This made the crew members both grateful and admired.
Many people couldn't help but admire secretly in their hearts.
Look at Mr. Matsumoto, he is truly a master, neither pretentious nor arrogant.
You know how to measure yourself, how low-key you are, and what a humble attitude you have.
No wonder he always publishes excellent works and becomes the first person in the social reasoning school.
Actually, to be honest, it was a joke for these people at the scene to think so.
Because it is not what they think, it is purely made up by their own minds.
You know, the reason why Matsumoto Seicho came to this muddy water this time to stand up for Ning Weimin was not for nothing.
Ning Weimin also gave this master certain benefits.
Of course, it's definitely not cash or any valuable gold, silver, or jewelry.
Ning Weimin is not that vulgar, and Matsumoto Seicho is not that philistine.
To be honest, this gift was not worth mentioning to Ning Weimin, but it was something that the master could not refuse.
Because what Ning Weimin used to reward Matsumoto Seicho was none other than the synopsis of a suspense drama that was popular around the world that he had watched in his previous life - "The Squid Game".
He wrote it and offered it to Matsumoto Seicho as creative inspiration. As a result, in this era where even the movie "Battle Royale" has not yet appeared.
The excitement and setting of this story immediately fascinated this master of social reasoning, allowing him to experience an unprecedented brainstorm.
So the two agreed that the novel written by Matsumoto Seicho based on this story could be signed and published as his personal literary work, and all the royalties would belong to him.
However, the distribution rights of this novel in the Chinese-speaking region belong to Ning Weimin.
The film and television adaptation rights also belong to Fog Studios for free.
No, so even during the meeting, Matsumoto Seicho was too lazy to pay attention to other things.
He is now focused on studying the plot in his hands.
I have to say that from this point of view, we can know that there is really no need for Watabe Mitsuru to worry about his financial health.
Because of Ning Weimin, he can even invite great masters without spending a penny. Who has this ability?
