Ichiro Takagi made a new offer with a cold face, adding 300,000, which was close to the expected limit. Then he looked at Li Qian with disdain, turned to the auction judge and the creditors present at the meeting.
"As we all know, Hollywood's special effects companies are now facing difficulties in their business operations. The biggest problem is the lack of enough business to maintain the company's operations. Sony invests in a large number of movies every year and has enough business to support the digital field, and we have special effects operations
The company’s experience, after the merger of Sony graphics and digital fields, will ensure the work of all employees, we will not lay off anyone!”
"And this Chinese company."
Takagi changed his tone and continued disdainfully, "As far as I know, this company only invests in two or three movies every year, and all of them are low-cost movies, which are completely unable to support daily operations in the digital field.
And I don’t think Chinese films require such high technology in the digital field. If future operations cannot be guaranteed, it is conceivable that today’s auction may be repeated again in two years.”
This is indeed Li Qian's disadvantage. Unless the price of the bankruptcy auction has an overwhelming advantage, the company's future operation plan cannot be ignored.
Nowadays, a large number of unemployed special effects workers in Hollywood are on strike. The industry is stable, which is what the judges need, so they can't help but nod.
Takagi nodded with satisfaction and glanced at Li Qian. He had a natural hostility towards Chinese people, no matter who they were.
However, without even looking at him, he spoke to Judge Shi Shiran, "Mr. Judge, now China's film industry is developing at a rate of 30% per year. My last movie has a box office of 250 million US dollars. In the future,
This number will grow every year. In three to five years, there will be more and more movies with a box office of 200 million US dollars in the Chinese film market, which is not unusual.
This box office can support higher investment, and my film company is already preparing an Eastern adventure blockbuster with an investment of 60 million U.S. dollars, and a science fiction blockbuster with an investment of 100 million U.S. dollars. Most of the expenses will be spent on special effects.
This may not be enough, but I am not the only company in China. In fact, my company is just a small company, only established for a year and a half..."
After bragging for a while, I also brought Huayang, Bernard, and China Film Group along, but that's not the point. It's just an excuse to convince the judge. What's important is money.
"33 million!"
Li Qian offered a price similar to Sony's 30.3 million, and said nothing more, waiting for other people's bids.
Arabic numerals are used all over the world. Although Li Qian didn't say anything, everyone knows what they mean.
The price increase for the dignified Sony was only 300,000 yuan, but for the small company he mentioned, Li Qian directly increased the price by 2.7 million yuan, and 33 million yuan, compared with 30.3 million yuan, made Sony even more stingy.
Ichiro Takagi was also angry. The dignified vice president of Sony Entertainment was despised by a Chinese.
At that time, Japan claimed that it could buy the entire Milijian just for the east longitude, and they did so. They went on a shopping spree in Milijian and bought the entire Empire State Building, which shocked the people of Milijian.
Although he was later taught a lesson by Mi Lijian's father, Takagi looked down upon anyone except his father, let alone the hostile Chinese.
However, just as he was about to speak, someone from the team behind him reminded him that the bottom line had been exceeded by US$3 million.
Although he is the vice president of Sony Entertainment, Sony Entertainment does not belong to him after all. The price has far exceeded the bottom line, which means that the company will not accept this price.
Of course, Sony will not deny its account, but Takagi is in trouble.
In the end, Takagi shut up bitterly.
The core special effects business and special effects studio in the digital field were acquired by Li Qian for US$33 million.
After the auction, Zhong Lifang went to deal with the other party about the follow-up matters, and Li Qian was fine.
Li Ming also came to congratulate Li Qian and left with some helplessness.
"That man is a white glove guy." Zhong Lifang looked at Li Ming's leaving figure and suddenly remembered something.
"Who?" Li Qian was stunned.
"The Chinese guy next to Director Li."
"Oh, forget it, I don't know him either."
Li Qian shook his head indifferently. No wonder Xiao Ma was coming. He also found it strange that Xiao Ma's current business situation was not good and he had a gambling agreement and used the money to make purchases.
It’s not surprising if white gloves are involved.
The so-called white gloves, literally, white means legal, using some legal means to make profits as a middleman.
As for how to operate and make money through the digital field, Li Qian didn't bother to worry about it. It had nothing to do with him anyway. The purposes of both parties were different.
In the future, the digital field will send a group of people to establish branches in China. Li Qian has already acquired a medium-sized special effects company in China.
Keep the top business in North America, and divide the rest back to the mainland. Those who don't want to go will be slowly opened later.
Any guarantee of employment for everyone is nonsense, just find an excuse to resign.
You don’t need too many people to come to China, just a small number will be enough. In terms of special effects at home and abroad, the main difference is not technology, but the gap in concepts and thinking.
In addition, Digital Field's special effects training school in North America, which is an industry owned by Digital Field's parent company, will cooperate with Li Qian in the future and slowly send some people over for training.
...
After leaving the bankruptcy court and meeting in the hotel car, Thomas talked about the "Jaws" series again.
"Director Li, this series still has potential to be tapped. I think a fourth part can still be made."
With a global box office of 60 million, the cost has almost been recovered at the box office. The remaining DVD and other copyrights are almost pure profits. It is no wonder that Thomas does not want to make a fourth film.
"We won't shoot the fourth part. In fact, there is nothing left to shoot. If we continue to shoot, the reputation of this series will be ruined." Li Qian shook his head. How else could he make it? There is no suspense at the end of the third part.
The second and third parts are attractive, largely because of the suspense left at the end of the previous part.
The first part has the best reputation, and the sense of horror was achieved to the extreme, so the appearance of the shark at the end will always be remembered by the audience.
Although the second part is a piece of cake, the main character was killed by Shark's son. Such an exciting thing makes up for it a little bit.
But in the third part, not to mention that there is no suspense at the end, even if you want to, there is nothing you can do, the shark son is already dead.
We can't have a wife who is the son of a shark in the next movie. That would be a repetitive cycle and it would be unplayable.
Thomas thought for a while and said, "How about Director Li giving us the right to adapt "Jaws"?"
"Oh, how much does your company pay?" Li Qianqi was surprised. The last time Hollywood bought the rights to adapt a Chinese-language film was "Infernal Affairs."
"How about 8 million US dollars?" Thomas gave a high price.
"5000!" Li Qian smiled.
Thomas almost choked, and the $50 million was frightening to death.
50 million US dollars is enough to hire two 20 million dollar clubs, but it is just to buy the adaptation rights, which is outrageous.
"$12 million."
"40 million."
"1500 dollars."
"Your company can earn two 35 million US dollars for the third movie. If you continue to use the title and routine of "Jaws" and make three more movies, your company can earn 200 million US dollars, 40 million US dollars!" Li Qian said conscientiously
said.
"18 million, no matter how high it is, it's not up to me anymore." Thomas shook his head.
Li Qian said with a smile, "There is an old saying in our country that if everyone takes a step back, the world will be brighter, so it is better to compromise and get 30 million."
Thomas struggled for a long time before saying with an embarrassed look, "I need to report it to the board of directors."
"Then I'll wait for news from Mr. Thomas."
Just like buying food at the wet market, the adaptation rights of "Jaws" were sold for 30 million US dollars like a child's play.
It’s close to 200 million yuan. If other companies found out, they would be scared to death.
However, the price is not expensive at all, just US$30 million.
"Jaws 3" can generate at least 70 million in profit. After the adaptation, white actors will be replaced, and one movie will be released every two years, and the next two will be bad money.
Earn $30 million for nothing, sometimes money is just that simple.
In fact, it is not simple. Before Tengxun launched WeChat, Li Qian bought some stocks and made more than 100 million without doing anything.
This trip to Hollywood was not bad. In the end, Li Qian wanted to mention the Oscars to Thomas. After all, competing for the Oscars definitely requires marketing, and Warner has experience in this area.
But I still didn’t say anything. After all, the higher-ups haven’t given me an answer yet. It would be bad if I was slapped in the face.
...
After finishing the work, Li Qian flew back to the capital overnight, and there was nothing to stay in Milijian.
On the third day after returning to China, the decision was finally made. "The Truman Show" will represent Chinese-language films at the 2013 Oscar Film Festival.
It’s not too early, September is just over a week away. In order to meet the competition conditions, “The Truman Show” officially started screening at a movie theater with only 23 seats in a VIP hall in the suburbs of Jiangning, where it was filmed.
Without any publicity, the cinema opened early and the show started at 7 o'clock every morning, and even the tickets were bought in advance.
The general audience has no idea that it will be released, and the ticket sales platform cannot see it. They can only buy it on the spot, and not a single ticket has been revealed.
Special arrangements have been made for "audiences" to enter, and ordinary viewers have no idea that such a thing exists.
However, this requirement for commercial screening cannot be concealed. It is called an internal secret screening. It is not a regular commercial screening and must be made public.
Even in suburban movie theaters, where there are movie theaters, they are not too remote, and there are still audiences who go to see them. On the first day, some attentive viewers saw the screening information of "The Truman Show" from the ticket sales information scrolling on the big screen of the theater.
However, when I bought the tickets, I was told that a total of more than 150 tickets for the seven games in the next week have been sold out.
As soon as this news came out, it was a big shock. The movie I had been looking forward to for a long time was thought to be released in a few months, but it was suddenly released. The key is that I couldn't buy tickets!