In a small restaurant in Chaoyang District, Wu Jianye, Han Heping, Huang Jianxin, three teachers and students, and two other unexpected friends, Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie!
At this time, Huang Jianxin was raising a glass to express his gratitude to Wu Jianye.
Wu Jianye picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "That's a big deal!"
The reason why Huang Jianxin expressed his gratitude to Wu Jianye was actually because of the film Samsara, which he directed. The film was produced by Chang'an Film Studio. However, during the filming of the film, Huang Jianxin lost all his money.
Wu Tianming, on the other hand, could not come up with more funds.
In the end, Huang Jianxin had no choice but to ask for help from his former teacher Wu Jianye. Wu Jianye was not polite and invested another 100,000 in Huang Jianxin in the name of Tangting Culture, thus supporting Huang Jianxin to complete the film Reincarnation.
In the late 1900s, some commentators said that Chinese films in the new era were making great progress in art, but they continued to decline in the film market.
In fact, this is indeed the case. Last year, China Film Company lost more than 2 million yuan in the distribution of domestic films, and about one-third of the country's distribution companies suffered losses.
In fact, this year major film studios are having an even tougher time. Someone once counted that 45 films have released less than 60 copies.
Even the once most well-known Yan Film Studio in China began to suffer losses last year, and now major film studios have begun to borrow money to survive.
By next year, Shanghai Film Studio had borrowed money and its debt amounted to 20.05 million yuan, and Xi Film Studio had borrowed more than 20 million yuan. However, the production cost of the film had increased from 5.72 million yuan in 1955 to 1.01 million yuan in 1999.
While the entire film industry is in decline, the number of moviegoers is still declining at a rate of 1 billion per year.
China's film industry has entered a cold winter.
Even if Wu Tianming is determined to reform Xiying Studio, it cannot withstand the general trend. It can be said that playing movies in China now is just like playing football in China in the early 20th century. It can make you lose money and you can't even find your parents.
arrive.
Different from the cold winter of the domestic film industry, the domestic TV drama industry has ushered in its own blowout period at this time. This can be seen from the cultural companies established in Yanjing. Now fewer and fewer cultural companies dare to invest in movies.
More and more people are focusing on the development of TV series.
In fact, even Tangting Culture is currently following this development path. This year's filming plan for Tangting Culture is also centered on TV series, and there are no new movies to be launched.
Huang Jianxin sighed: "Well, it's getting harder and harder to make movies nowadays."
Wu Jianye smiled and said: "Just think of these few years as the darkness before dawn!"
Han Heping said from the side: "Mr. Wu, you have the capital to say so. Now, except for your films that can make profits through overseas distribution, other directors across the country are focusing on this three-acre land in China.
I’m afraid it won’t be easy to survive this cold winter!”
Wu Jianye said: "I watched the movie Unsinkable Horizon. It was well made. I heard that the cost was recovered. Why are you worried?"
Han Heping said with a wry smile: "What's the use of my success alone? Only when the entire industry prospers can more directors succeed!"
Huang Jianxin laughed and said: "Yes, your level is still high!"
Han Heping didn't care about Huang Jianxin's ridicule, and said sincerely: "I really hope that the domestic film industry can develop."
Wu Jianye nodded: "I trust you in this."
After taking a bite of food, Wu Jianye said to Huang Jianxin: "Are you interested in coming to Tangting Culture?"
Huang Jianxin was stunned by Wu Jianye's suggestion. He did not expect that Wu Jianye would suddenly invite him to join Tangting Culture.
Wu Jianye continued: "This year, Tangting Culture will be divided into two, establishing a film department and a TV drama department. There is still a lack of a head in the film department. If you are interested, you can consider it. I will give you this position.
You keep it!”
As soon as Wu Jianye's words came out, Han Heping showed no expression. After all, his mind was not on the private cultural company. Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie next to him showed envious expressions.
There are many reasons why Tangting Culture stands out in the country and has a special status. One is because of Wu Jianye's status as the most powerful director in the country, which in itself is a living brand.
But what really makes domestic studios and cultural companies envious is Tangting Culture’s relationship with overseas countries and major TV stations.
Everyone knows that among domestic directors, only Wu Jianye's works can go out of the country unimpeded and compete with directors from other countries in overseas box office.
Now Wu Jianye has appointed Huang Jianxin as the head of the Tangting Culture Film Department, which means that Huang Jianxin will control the overseas distribution network, and Huang Jianxin will become a figure with the right to speak in the domestic film industry.
Wu Jianye actually wanted to recruit Huang Jianxin because of this consideration. In the future when New Dragon Inn is released, Wu Jianye will definitely find a middleman between Fengge Cinema and domestic films, and Huang Jianxin is the best candidate.
In fact, it can be seen from Huang Jianxin's subsequent career that after serving as the director of several films, he gave up the career of director and turned to become a producer. Later, when domestic theaters were established,
Huang Jianxin was also the first person to connect Hong Kong filmmakers with the domestic film industry.
"Why me?" Huang Jianxin's expression began to calm down after being a little dazed at first.
He must admit that if he becomes the manager of the Tangting Culture Film Department, his original future plans will undergo earth-shaking changes. Judging from the current domestic film development situation, this decision may be a good one, but in the future
Woolen cloth?
"Because I believe in you!" Wu Jianye then explained: "You and Heping were my most promising students in the class, so I won't talk about Heping's thoughts."
"Hehe." Han Heping laughed awkwardly.
"In the following years, the films produced by Tangting Culture will focus more on overseas markets. But now we have very few domestic film types, and even fewer types of films that can really go overseas. I need
To open up such a genre for the domestic film market, martial arts films and historical dramas are the two most important genres, especially martial arts films."
"But there are still very few martial arts film directors in China. I need you to discover such directors and better martial arts films. The company will allocate five million to you every year specifically to discover domestic martial arts films.
Film Directors and Film.”
"Before that, you need to go to Xiangjiang and stay for a while to learn about the business operations there and the shooting conditions of martial arts films. Of course, I am not asking you to copy the routines in Xiangjiang. What I hope is that you will learn about the martial arts movies in Xiangjiang.
Basically, we need to find the right director to make a martial arts film that can be loved by both overseas audiences and our domestic audiences!"
Gulu!
Zhang Guoli didn't understand what Wu Jianye meant, but he heard a number, that was five million!
Five million a year is given to Huang Jianxin to find a domestic martial arts film director. What is the annual profit of the large domestic studios now?
Zhang Guoli recalled it, and it seems that most of them suffered losses, let alone profits.
Huang Jianxin pondered for a moment, and then showed a wry smile: "Teacher Wu, you are just trying to catch up. You already trust me so much. If I refuse anymore, it will look ungrateful."
"Haha, don't worry, I won't ask you to make a profit within three years, as long as you can help me discover a few talents!" Wu Jianye laughed.
In terms of TV dramas, Li Xiaowan has joined the film department, and now Huang Jianxin has joined the film department. At this time, Tangting Culture has truly established its own team.
Han Heping said with a smile: "I guess Director Wu is going to have a disagreement with you, Teacher Wu. Director Wu used to poach people, but now Teacher Wu has poached a corner!"
Wu Jianye waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll call Director Wu personally."
Wu Jianye was happy to be able to recruit Huang Jianxin into his team. As for Wu Tianming, Wu Jianye was confident that he could easily handle him.
It is extremely difficult for Chinese films to go abroad in this era. Except for the art films of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and others, which can sell some money in the European art film market, other types of films are completely self-produced and sold.
Traveling around the country, the Shaolin Temple supported the facade in the first two years.
But nowadays, Shaolin Temple, a type of martial arts film with a hard edge and a hard horse, has long been ruined by domestic studios, and it is basically impossible to make any breakthroughs.
"Teacher Wu, if you want to be the director of a martial arts film, I have a candidate!" Huang Jianxin has now decided to join Tangting Culture and immediately started making suggestions for Wu Jianye.
"Which one?" Wu Jianye asked immediately.
"He is also from our West Film Studio, called PN!" Huang Jianxin explained: "He has now begun to direct his first movie We Are the World, and he was one of the assistant directors for the Dongling Bandit that was previously filmed by West Film Studio
, I talked with him, and he still has some ideas of his own about martial arts movies!"
Han Heping laughed loudly: "Old Huang, you are handing in a certificate of surrender to Teacher Wu!"
Wu Jianye has already recruited Huang Jianxin to Tangting Culture, and now he has helped Tangting Culture recruit a director from Xiying Film Studio. What is it if it's not a job title?
Huang Jianxin glanced at Han Heping: "You are talking nonsense, I am responsible for my own work!"
"Okay, I'll leave it to you to contact the pn person." Wu Jianye nodded.
Naturally, Wu Jianye also knew about PN, but he never thought of the director, because in the era when Wu Jianye was reborn, PN basically didn't come out much anymore.
Wu Jianye remembers that the last work directed by PN that he watched was Heroes of Heaven and Earth starring Jiang Xi and Zhao Wei!
This was already a big production at the time, but the box office was a bit disastrous. In fact, from Wu Jianye's point of view, this movie still has a lot of commendable features, but it was PNed in the end.
It's all different, especially if it's suspected of being a bad job
The crime of bad ending is unforgivable!
In the 1990s, PN also produced martial arts movies like The Swordsman of Two Flags.
It's just that nowadays domestic film directors always hope to add the habit of exploring human nature in their films. This is not to say that it is bad, but it is just a bit excessive.
Not every movie needs to tap into human nature.
What's more, in a country without a sound film market to rely on, simply making literary films would be a devastating blow to the entire country's film market.
The French film industry is a prime example.
After they finished talking about business, Han Heping told Wu Jianye about the intention of bringing Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie today.
At this time, Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie had just finished working together in Dead Water Wei Lan. In this TV series, the two gradually fell in love, and Zhang Guoli also decided to divorce his wife in order to be able to be with Deng Jie.
Both of them are actors from Sichuan Province. In order to gain influence, they have already agreed to come to Yanjing to develop.
When they were in Sichuan Province, Zhang Guoli and Han Heping had been old friends for many years. It happened that Han Heping was coming to Yanjing for business, so they came together. When they heard that Wu Jianye was going to pick up the pieces for Han Heping, Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie also followed.
coming.
Wu Jianye smiled and said: "I told Guoli before that if you come to Yanjing in the future, you can come to Tangting Culture, not to mention Deng Jie. If you two want to come, the door of our Tangting Culture is ready for you at any time.
Open up!”
There is no need for Wu Jianye to recall Zhang Guoli's achievements in later generations. Even when Wu Jianye was reborn, Zhang Guoli was still the top boss in the domestic entertainment industry.
There is a short story that illustrates Zhang Guoli’s true influence in China.
After 2000, people in the Xiangjiang film industry moved northward to develop their careers. At that time, Cheng Long naturally began to shift his development focus towards China.
Later, Cheng Long's son also settled in Yanjing all year round.
At that time, he was called the Dragon Prince. Coupled with Cheng Long's influence, it can be said that the future of the Dragon Prince was bright at that time.
But Zhang Guoli's son said at that time that he was far better than Prince Long when it came to connections.
Although this has the meaning of being young and frivolous, it can also be explained from another aspect that Zhang Guoli's influence in the country at that time was definitely no worse than that of Cheng Long.
If Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie can sign a contract with Tangting Culture, then Wu Jianye can consider bringing out the TV series Prime Minister Liu Luoguo to meet the audience in advance.
This TV series can be said to have pioneered another interpretation of historical dramas in China.
Zhang Guoli and Deng Jie were very happy when they heard what Wu Jianye said. They actually had this idea when they came here this time. They wanted to establish a foothold in Yanjing first, and Tangting Culture was the best place for them.
The most important thing is that Tangting Culture has money, and Zhang Guoli needs money now