After all of them were reborn, who would still be an actor?

Chapter 676 The Melee of Asian Streaming Media
Li Mingyang handed over FBTV to CJ Entertainment, a decision that Wang Changtian and Boss Zhao strongly opposed.

Zhang Wei was furious but dared not speak out.

Li Meijin also opposed this decision.

She did not want CJ Entertainment to take over FBTV.

Because CJ Entertainment doesn't focus on streaming media; cable television is one of its core businesses.

Li Meijin is well aware of the significant impact streaming media has had on television stations.

CJ Entertainment will definitely abandon FBTV.

“I think it’s a good idea to hand it over to CJ Entertainment for management. Everyone has accepted my suggestion. Once FBTV is established, it will inevitably have a huge impact on the three major TV stations. They will definitely try to find ways to develop FBTV. You’ve lost power now. What if you get ruined? Let’s develop it slowly first. Anyway, I’m not in a hurry,” Li Mingyang said.

"But I'm in a hurry..."

"You've already lost power, what's the rush?"

I need money!

Li Meijin put down her coffee cup, waved her hand behind her, and an assistant stepped forward, took a stack of documents from her briefcase, and placed them in front of Li Mingyang.

Li Mingyang looked through the accounts for a while and found that CJ Entertainment had very little money in its accounts, less than 200 million RMB...

CJ Group is also in a mess right now, with multiple accounts frozen due to suspected asset transfers...

"Wow, how come CJ is so poor..."

"Hey, that's how it is when you lose. If you had tried harder back then, I wouldn't have had to grovel before that woman... Groveling doesn't get you forgiveness, so you can only be threatened..."

"She forced you to step down?"

Li Meijin did not hide anything and told the whole story.

We really need to force her to step down.

Ms. Park's goal is none other than to control CJ Entertainment!

"Okay... how much longer can you hold out?"

"I don't want to keep going like this. I need money to go abroad, and FBTV is the best way out."

"But if we launch FBTV now, we'll definitely be targeted... The short-term returns won't be as good as CJ's limited television network."

"If we only consider the Korean market, it would take FBTV at least five years to catch up with CJ Entertainment's revenue. But if we include the Japanese market, it would only take two years! Korean Wave is very popular in Japan, but it has been hampered by the lack of a platform. FBTV will be the best platform for Korean Wave."

There's something I've never had a chance to tell you.

"That's not important. What's important is to develop FBTV. I think Zhang Wei is very suitable. You've basically not been involved in FBTV. She's been in charge of the whole operation. It would be a sin not to make use of such a talented person."

To hell with divine retribution!

You'll get struck by lightning if you use it!

I finally managed to wrest control of FBTV from Zhang Wei, how could I possibly give it back to her!

"Actually... the 'Your Name' animation is a work in progress."

"A half-finished product? They've already released a trailer!"

"The trailer is just a trailer. I never said anything about the movie being released... I feel like if it can be released by the end of the year, we should be burning incense at the temple."

Upon hearing this news, Li Meijin was so shocked that she could hardly accept it and almost couldn't catch her breath.

After a long while, Li Meijin, her face ashen, stared at the ceiling and murmured, "Isn't there any other way?"

"If you need money, you can ask me. I have several hundred million."

"I need money, but I need leverage even more..."

Korean entertainment industry has truly been both made and destroyed by Lee Mi-geum.

The ban on Korean entertainment came in 2016.

The Korean wave, which had made a grand incursion into Dongda University, retreated completely within a few days.

In November 2016, the Korean drama "The Legend of the Blue Sea" had already reached a cooperation agreement with iQiyi, but was blocked from entering the market.

Later, the Korean drama "Hwarang" which aired in South Korea was bought by LeTV for $30 per episode, but in the end, it was all for naught.

The surge in imports of Korean dramas, sparked by shows like "My Love from the Star" and "Descendants of the Sun," was instantly frozen, and no one knows when it will thaw.

Despite the market blockade imposed by China, Li Meijin fully embraced Europe and the United States.

The current Hollywood Big Six—Disney, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., and Fox—don't actually do much harm to Korean entertainment.

But Netflix is ​​different...

Netflix is ​​a behemoth that single-handedly overturned Hollywood! It has risen to become one of the new Big Six Hollywood studios!

The damage is so great that it is a huge blow to the foundation of the traditional film and television industry!

In the end, the Korean entertainment industry was ruined by Netflix's financial power, which then artificially created a film and television winter so they could start reaping the benefits.

Netflix learned this from BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!

In fact, iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video are quite impressive in terms of pricing and operations, but they can't control the celebrities and are also subject to official suppression, so they can't completely form a monopoly...

Netflix can do whatever it wants, they don't care if you live or die.

Netflix is ​​making a killing, while Korean films have suffered an epic blow. All the best talent in the film industry is making TV series, so who's going to make movies anymore...?

Despite Netflix's seemingly high royalty fees, the actual cost is quite low.

Because Netflix buys global rights excluding Tokyo University's copyrights, even though the price seems high, it's actually a one-off package deal.

They can't be sold anywhere else.

In addition, Netflix particularly likes to edit videos. It doesn't play the original episodes, but rather edits them wildly based on big data.

For example, The Legend of Zhen Huan.

The American version of "Empresses in the Palace" was edited down from the original 76 episodes to 6 episodes and released on Netflix, with each episode lasting about 90 minutes.

The story unfolds through the narration and recollections of the elderly Zhen Huan, with each episode having a theme, and Zhen Huan having to defeat multiple enemies in each episode.

Therefore, Sun Li reshot the scenes of the elderly version of Zhen Huan's memories.

This part is not in the original version.

They wouldn't buy it unless they reshot it... and the editing was absolutely terrible, ruining the entire "Empresses in the Palace" series.

Cutting 76 episodes into 6 significantly diminished the richness of the characters and the complexity of their relationships. The pacing was too fast, and many details that greatly contributed to character development were removed.

Viewers exclaimed that they couldn't understand it. The emperor's screen time was comparable to that of Prince Guo, Consort Hua died incredibly quickly, Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong died one after another within 40 minutes, and Zhen Huan only needed one episode to bring down the empress.

In the Chinese version, Zhen Huan is a character who successfully turned her life around, but whose heart is riddled with wounds.

In the American version, she was elevated and portrayed as "a woman who fought against the entire Qing Empire" and "an indomitable soul in the Forbidden City," with a domineering presence comparable to "Empress Wu Zetian of the Qing Dynasty"!
Even at the end, the author didn't forget to clear Zhen Huan's name: "Because it was my only way forward."

Furthermore, those translations are so poorly done that it's not even worth looking at; it's blatant slander, let alone cultural export.

The title was changed to "Empresses in the Palace," which makes it hard to place Zhen Huan; it just feels like the daily life of imperial concubines.

The random editing and translation are already pretty outrageous.

What's even more outrageous about Netflix is ​​that they require actors to reshoot the scenes they want, and then add their own lines and subtitles... so the actors don't even know what they're saying.

Sue?
Netflix reserves the right of final interpretation!
Domestic film and television companies and streaming media companies are not very fond of doing business with Netflix.

The feud between Netflix and the Chinese entertainment industry could fill a book.

Netflix has always wanted to get into the University of Tokyo.

Netflix's first official entry into the Asian market was Japan, followed by South Korea, then Tokyo, and finally Southeast Asia.

Netflix entered the Chinese market at the end of 2016.

Eight years had passed, and the first year of independent entry into China failed.

Without a local partner, Netflix needs to obtain eight different licenses in mainland China, where the regulatory environment is unlike anything Netflix has ever encountered.

These eight licenses include the Internet Audiovisual License, the Internet Television Content License, and the ISP Operation Qualification, and most of them are not open to foreign companies.

In fact, this institutional licensing "firewall" has prevented many multinational companies, including Google, Disney, Apple, Twitter, and Facebook, from benefiting from China's online entertainment business.

In order to break free from the constraints of licensing, Netflix abandoned its hardline stance of "independent entry into China" and instead sought cooperation with Chinese entertainment companies, obtaining comprehensive assistance from these partners in terms of capital, market access, and government relations.

During those years, Netflix was rumored to be involved with companies such as Alibaba and Wanda.

In particular, Wanda, which had not yet established video website resources, was once regarded by industry insiders as a potential partner, and the two sides did indeed make contact.

In 2015, Ye Ning, then vice president of Wanda Cultural Industry Group, revealed at the "China-UK Industry Forum" in London, England, that

Wanda Group has discussed with Netflix about entering the Chinese market. "We believe that Netflix will face fierce and powerful competitors such as Baidu and Tencent when it enters Tokyo, and they need to find a suitable partner."

Why aren't Alibaba among the competitors?

Because at that time, Alibaba was planning to acquire Netflix!

If Alibaba were to acquire Netflix, it would gain a strong brand and global coverage of the streaming market, as Netflix at the time spanned 50 countries!
In June of the same year, Liu Chunming, then president of Alibaba's digital entertainment division, said, "Alibaba Group's mission is to redefine home entertainment. Our goal is to become like HBO and Netflix in the United States."

Not long after he said that, at the end of the year, Alibaba acquired Youku.

Alibaba's massive entertainment empire has been fully launched!

However, rumors about Alibaba and Netflix have never stopped, and they have even collaborated overseas.

In 2017, the two companies joined forces with Uber in the Singapore market to launch a package of streaming services, ride-hailing services, and free shipping on Taobao shopping.

Unable to gain access themselves and unable to find suitable partners, Netflix ultimately compromised.

Netflix and iQiyi reached a content licensing agreement, allowing Netflix to indirectly enter the Tokyo market.

Bypassing licenses and platforms, they have launched in-depth cooperation with mainland film and television companies.

Netflix first tested the content licensing cooperation model in the Tokyo Metropolitan Market in 2013.

At the time, Netflix chose Sohu Video. Netflix's "House of Cards" brought a major victory to Zhang Chaoyang's "high-profile" strategy for American dramas, and also gave Sohu Video, which was trying to return to the top tier, a brief boost of confidence.

However, the good times did not last long.

This highly experimental move to enter China encountered policy setbacks starting in the summer of the following year.

The State Administration of Radio and Television is determined to tighten its control over overseas dramas and strictly enforce the new "review before broadcast" rule. Starting in 2015, all new overseas dramas must wait until the entire season is completed, subtitles are added, and the review is approved before they can be broadcast on the platform.

Unlike the South Korean entertainment industry, which is highly sensitive to the Chinese market, American television entertainment content producers, while acknowledging the potential of the Chinese market, are unwilling to relinquish too much power or make large-scale changes to themselves.

This has led to American TV series being presented in China "on a project-by-project basis," rather than as long-term, blockbuster collaborations.

Netflix's content licensing agreement with iQiyi and its collaboration with local entertainment companies appear to be a victory.

Little did they know that this was the beginning of Netflix's nightmare at Tokyo University.

Gong Yu is truly wicked. He used the guise of cooperation to lure Netflix in... and let Netflix experience the joys of censorship.

Netflix entered the Tokyo Big Sight market for eight years, but none of the shows it produced could pass censorship...

No matter the situation or the subject matter, it won't work.

Hollywood can co-produce with Tokyo University, but they'll do anything to kill Netflix!

Therefore, Netflix is ​​relentlessly targeting iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video overseas...

The biggest challenge for iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video (iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video) going global is being targeted by Netflix...

So in South Korea, a country dominated by Netflix, iQiyi and Tencent didn't go there; only Youku did. Alibaba made a big splash in South Korea and wasn't afraid of Netflix.

iQiyi and Tencent went to Southeast Asia, and it was quite good at first.

Then Netflix resorted to underhanded tactics. Netflix is ​​truly ruthless and forceful in its exploitation. Who would play the game of "all nations paying tribute" with you? Netflix used its supply chain to teach iQiyi and Tencent a lesson.

That's how a large number of anti-China celebrities in the Thai and Korean entertainment industries came about...

How could I dare use iQiyi, Youku, or Tencent Video!

In the global streaming media landscape, mainland China has always been the largest market!

But this market has long been dominated by BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), and overseas streaming media simply cannot enter.

In other business sectors, the authorities turn a blind eye; even movies can be co-produced between China and foreign countries.

However, when it comes to streaming platforms, the approach is to rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!

Can FBTV survive at the University of Tokyo?

FBTV is not Netflix.

Amid the growing trend of Sino-Korean cooperation, the controlling stake is held by Li Mingyang, with Huace and Enlight Media as shareholders, in addition to CJ, which has close ties with China and is focused on the East.

FBTV has the opportunity to enter the University of Tokyo and compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) in a four-way battle for supremacy.

Moreover, Li Mingyang felt... he could probably beat iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video so badly that even their own mothers wouldn't recognize them...

In the streaming media field, all companies are currently feeling their way across the river, but Li Mingyang has already seen through everything. He doesn't need to make mistakes; he only needs to think to find the answer!

But... what good would winning do?
Their core business is streaming media, while iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video are just a small part of the traffic generated by BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent).

Only BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) could afford to burn through the firepower during the Three Kingdoms period.

BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) can keep losing money... as long as there's traffic...

Leaving Li Meijin's estate.

Li Mingyang returned to his mansion in Seongbuk-dong and sat alone on the sofa in the living room, looking out at the courtyard shrouded in darkness through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

All night long.

As dawn broke, spring snow began to fall.

The spring snow continues endlessly, and it's unclear when it will stop.

The phone alarm went off.

Li Mingyang took out his phone; it was eight o'clock in the morning.

He stood up, preparing to go upstairs to change his clothes before heading to the company.

Turning around, I saw Jing Tian asleep on the dining table.

The housekeeper stood behind her and covered her with a blanket.

Li Mingyang didn't ask Jing Tian when she came downstairs; he still had many things to do.

Too many things were mixed up, a tangled mess, and he had to make a decision immediately.

It's about nine o'clock in the morning.

Li Mingyang arrived at the Dongyang Building.

I took the elevator to the twentieth floor and saw Zhang Wei as soon as I got off.

"Director Li, Mr. Wang from Enlight Media would like to invite you to a meeting at the Cloud Meeting Room."

Li Mingyang nodded and walked towards the Cloud Meeting Room, where he also needed to talk to Wang Changtian.

Enlight Media also has a strong hand: Yanzi's "So Young".

This is a romance film set in a youth campus.

Not only did it earn Yanzi the Golden Rooster Award for Best Directorial Debut, but it also won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Director and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Cross-Strait Chinese Film.

It was this film that pioneered the genre of melodramatic youth films in China.

Countless amounts of capital flocked in.

Li Mingyang also makes youth films, but he makes magical youth films, with frighteningly high production costs. Despite low actor salaries, the production cost exceeded 100 million yuan.

The production cost of Your Name exceeded 100 million, while the production and marketing cost of Weathering With You was 200 million.

No one, domestically or internationally, sees "Your Shadow" and "Weathering With You" as teen movies, but rather as special effects blockbusters!

Yanzi's "So Young" is the only true youth film.

Short cycle, quick return on investment! Small investment, big returns!
For a film to achieve box office success, critical acclaim, and awards, it requires perfect timing, favorable circumstances, and the right people – all three are indispensable.

Yanzi herself never expected that her first time directing would result in such high box office returns and excellent reviews.

As for the awards, they've already been arranged.

Yanzi used her connections at the Beijing Film Academy and the support from Alibaba to win awards, so there was no doubt that she would win.

One film won awards at the Golden Rooster Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards, Huabiao Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards, and Golden Horse Awards.

So Young finished filming last July, but it hasn't been released yet because it's waiting for the right time.

Yanzi also asked Li Mingyang for his opinion.

Li Mingyang wanted her to release the film during the summer vacation, but she ultimately backed out.

Because Hollywood blockbusters are coming back for the summer movie season this year.

Pacific Rim, Man of Steel, Fast & Furious 6, and Jurassic Park are all Hollywood blockbusters!
It has to be said that this summer's film season was another disaster for domestic films...

The only films that can compete are Tiny Times and the utterly terrible Switch.

Tiny Times doesn't have Mimi yet, I feel like I'll die...

Li Mingyang arrived at the Cloud Meeting Room; everyone was there.

Wang Changtian, Li Meijin, and Boss Zhao.

Bouquet CJ's three major shareholders.

Before the meeting began, Li Mingyang asked Zhang Wei to leave, but she was stopped by others.

Since today's meeting is about FBTV, it is essential for Zhang Wei, as the main person in charge of FBTV, to stay.

After the meeting started, Li Mingyang drifted off into his own thoughts.

Wang Changtian, Li Meijin, and Boss Zhao were talking about the same thing: having Zhang Wei continue to be in charge of FBTV.

Lee Mei Kim, the biggest obstacle to FBTV's development, also hopes that FBTV can succeed, which is a difficult task.

Just as Li Mingyang was considering whether to force a decision.

Wang Changtian said, "I've already taken care of things in Thailand. All I need to do is find an agency for FBTV to go live in Thailand. It won't make any money, but it won't cost much either."

"Southeast Asia is basically Thailand. Thailand has already given us the green light for tourism. Now FBTV's biggest challenge is the Japanese market. Once we win over the Japanese market, we will basically complete the Asian loop."

"If we capture the entire Asian streaming market, how much revenue will we make from one of our shows?" Li Meijin asked Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei was prepared and produced a profit table that she had calculated overnight through data comparison.

Li Mingyang took the profit statement, glanced at it casually, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.

I know better than you how profitable streaming media is!
(End of this chapter)