Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 138: Getting Rich, Top 2005 TV Ratings in 50

Yan Li acted even faster than Jiang Xueruo expected, and the contract was negotiated in less than four days.

The first round broadcasting rights of "Water Moon Cave" were jointly won by Sichuan Satellite TV and Guizhou Satellite TV at a price of 60 per episode, totaling 1800 million.

Of course, there is an additional treaty here, which is that the ratings of "Shuiyuedongtian" must reach a certain standard.

In other words, it's a small bet.

If the performance meets the requirements, the salary will be 1800 million. If the performance does not meet the requirements, the price will be lower than the original 55 per episode, about 1500 million.

The total cost is 300 million. The TV station can save money by broadcasting lower prices and make money by broadcasting higher prices. There is nothing wrong with that.

Zhou Yi was more hesitant and preferred to take the money and run, but was persuaded by Yan Li.

The gambling contract signed by Yan Li and the TV station does not have such high requirements, and involves many terms such as replay, so the probability of reaching an agreement is still quite high.

Zhouyi is not a new company. Many of its dramas are hits, so it is still confident in its own projects and is finally willing to take a gamble.

This is also related to the current industry trends.

TV dramas are becoming more and more expensive, the quality varies greatly, and there is fierce competition among TV stations. It is common to lose money when buying dramas.

Not to mention that in addition to the market, there are also human factors.

Last year, a CCTV executive received a ten-year-old sewing machine as a bribe.

At the beginning of this year, the former producer of "Yongzheng Dynasty" and the main person in charge of CCTV's film purchasing department followed suit. It is said that he received gifts from the producer many times.

This scandal, coupled with the market environment, has further prompted TV stations to be more cautious and "utilitarian" in purchasing dramas.

Many TV stations are intentionally linking the price of purchasing dramas with ratings.

In particular, CCTV, which is caught in the vortex, is said to have clearly started relevant reforms and plans to launch the "on-demand drama purchase" program.

To put it bluntly, the drama is broadcast first, and then the money is calculated based on the performance.

For example, if the ratings are 1% or below, the broadcast will have 30 viewers per episode; if the ratings are 3%, the broadcast will have 40 viewers per episode; and if the ratings are X% or above (capped), the broadcast will have 50 viewers per episode.

Doing so can greatly protect the interests of TV stations while also improving the quality of prime time.

But this will put the producers in trouble.

No one can guarantee that their drama will be a hit, and there are many cases where good dramas have poor performance, bad dramas have high ratings, and some dramas become popular by reruns. This approach is too risky.

But now is a buyer's market. TV stations, especially CCTV, are extremely powerful. If you don't sell, there are plenty of people who will.

Once CCTV takes the lead, it is estimated that other TV stations will follow suit and jointly suppress the interests of producers.

When Yan Li released "Water Moon Cave" before, he also had a chat with people from Sichuan Satellite TV.

The other party half-jokingly said that the next time a similar bet is signed, the treaty may be much more stringent.

Yan Li was very calm because he didn't believe that the TV station could remain consistent.

The competition among TV stations is actually more intense than that among producers.

CCTV takes the lead, and some TV stations may follow suit, but some TV stations will also stab CCTV in the back and grab high-quality projects.

If CCTV [purchases dramas on a demand basis], other TV stations will still follow the previous approach, and it goes without saying which one the producers are willing to choose.

Everything has two sides!
In the past, CCTV was the most powerful platform. It selected all the good dramas, and then local satellite TV stations would choose.

Now that the "buy dramas by order" policy has been implemented, the crews are voting with their feet. It may become the case that the local satellite TV stations will divide up the good dramas, and then go to CCTV for the rest.

Which is more serious: losing money on purchasing dramas + internal corruption, or a significant reduction in high-quality projects that directly affects the overall income of the TV station?
Yan Li was nervous at first, but after collecting and analyzing intelligence through the system, he became much calmer.

Although the situation will not deteriorate so drastically, it may become the norm in the future for TV stations to require ratings when purchasing dramas, or even to place corresponding bets.

Maybe in the future it will force producers to "buy ratings" to satisfy TV stations and reach a bet.

Many old friends said that Yan Li had changed when they saw him, and the change was very rapid.

Every time Yan Li smiled on the surface, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He was immersed in the dye vat of society every day, dealing with old-fashioned people who were willing to eat people without leaving any bones.

It remains unchanged. Even with the help of the system, it cannot escape being devoured by calculations.

So they have to change, become more oily, darker and more ruthless, and then use the system to protect their own interests, and even snatch the meat from those old foxes.

...

Although there are some additional conditions, the contract of 60 per episode for "Water Moon Cave" is real.

Yan Li showed off his ability to grab meat, and naturally his partners came rushing over after hearing the news.

Not only are there people seeking cooperation, but there are also people who want to recruit him.

For example, Liu Yanming of Hairun wanted him to bring Yi An to join Hairun and set up a separate company to be responsible for Hairun's distribution business.

Not only Hairun, but Huayi also sent a message through someone, saying that they could have a chat.

This is also a classic operation in the film and television industry or in business.

Huayi and Hairun have both done this before. When they wanted to develop artist management, they directly poached Wang Jinghua and Chang Jihong, and acquired them along with their teams and resources.

One party provides the platform and funds, the other party provides technology and connections, mutually beneficial, and the two sides become bigger and stronger.

The same goes for Yan Li. He is good at distribution and has connections with TV stations. Both Hairun and Huayi need such talents. Yan Li has the support of a large company, so he is guaranteed in all aspects and has great room for advancement.

Of course, this is what they thought. Yan Li did not think that his room for advancement would be lower than joining Hairun or Huayi.

He enjoys being his own small boss and is full of energy, and doesn't want to work for others.

Even if it was a part-time job, Yan Li would not go to private companies like Huayi and Hairun, but rather to giants like CCTV or China Film.

Maybe after a few years, he will join the ministry...

Yan Li declined the offers from Hairun and Huayi, but was much more enthusiastic about cooperating with other companies.

Hengdian Film and Television Base
Under the guidance of Cai Yinong, Yan Li came to a white three-story building.

"This is a base of our Tangren in Hengdian. It can store props, makeup, and editing. Before filming begins, we will gather some actors here for martial arts training. They practice during the day and stay at night."

Yan Li looked at this place called "Little White Building" by Cai Yinong with great interest.

I thought to myself that if Yi'an Film and Television shoots more movies, they can also set up a small base in Hengdian.

The crew doesn't just have the set and the hotel. The dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, conference rooms, props and costume storage, etc. all have to be rented specially. Having an exclusive base is indeed convenient, comfortable and safe.

Compared to Zhouyi, which already has some hits, the current Tangren is actually much inferior.

Although there are some dramas that have achieved good results, many of them are co-produced with other people.

The only relatively famous dramas produced by Tangren are the "Legend of Heaven and Earth" series, "The Book and the Sword", "The Heroines of the Yang Family" and so on.

Compared with film and television production, Tangren is more praised in the industry for its artist management.

Li Yapeng had previously signed with Tangren, and through this he starred in "Love is Not Blind" and "Swordsman", one of the four most popular young actors in mainland China.

There are also Hong Kong's Guan Yonghe and Guo Jinan, who have accumulated considerable fame in the mainland.

Sun Li, the current top actress of Tangren, was brought up by Tangren. She can be considered a popular young actress and is also in a relationship with another popular young actor, Huang Sanshi.

In comparison, Yan Li was somewhat puzzled by Zhou Yi's insistence on the so-called "Three Treasures of Zhou Yi".

Yu Bo is fine, but the other two, apart from being good at martial arts, have really bad images, so Yan Li thinks they are of little value anyway.

I guess Zhou Yi doesn't care much about this kind of business.

Nowadays, artists have limited ability to make money, and many companies promote them not for the purpose of making money for the artists themselves, but to use celebrities as a signboard to raise the prices of film and television dramas. At the same time, they can save money by having famous artists from their own companies star in their own dramas, by lowering their pay.

Because of a certain billionaire, Yan Li does not underestimate the experience of artists, and is more in favor of Tangren's approach of combining stars with film and television.

To be honest, when he met Cai Yinong this time, Yan Li found that he could get along well with her.

As for Zhou Yi and Jiang Xueruo, although the two parties first cooperated, it was just a simple cooperative relationship. Both their personalities and business ideas were not compatible.

He wanted to complain when talking about Zhou Yi's costumes and makeup, but he did share some of Tang Ren's ideas with him.

After walking around the Little White Building, Yan Li and Cai Yinong came to the conference room on the second floor to talk about cooperation.

Tangren currently has few dramas on hand, only one called "Dandelion", starring its top actress Sun Li and a newcomer from Tangren named Hu Ge.

After taking a look at Hu Ge's photo, Yan Li couldn't help but glance at Cai Yinong.

Yan Li admitted that he had a crush on someone. How could he not think too much when an unknown newcomer directly played the male lead in a drama and the boss was a female one?

Zhou Yi's Jiang Xueruo strongly supports Yu Bo. Anyway, there have always been various rumors. Even so, she is not the boss, but the boss's wife.

But this has nothing to do with Yan Li. After a brief gossip, he focused on the main business.

He looked at the script of "Dandelion" and then read a condensed version, his brows furrowed slightly.

Sisters turn against each other to fight for a man, and there is also an amnesia plot.

Tsk, it doesn't matter if it's a melodrama, the key is that I don't feel there are any highlights or selling points.

Sun Li is famous, but the impact she can bring to the sales of a drama is limited. Guan Ying, Hu Ge, and the second male lead, Yuan Hong, are all newcomers and will definitely lag behind.

"Mr. Cai, to be honest, the chances of this show getting a TV broadcast are slim, and there's not much profit to be made."

Yan Li was somewhat reluctant to take this business.

Distribution is a win-win business, and you can’t just make a name for yourself among film and television companies. The most valuable reputation still comes from TV stations.

The seller's market must be maintained, and the buyer's market must be maintained even more.

The most successful distribution is when the TV station, the producer, and he as the middleman all make money together.

Most of the TV series he handles become hits or perform well, ensuring that the TV station makes money, and thus gaining the recognition and trust of the TV station.

Later on, he didn't have to look for TV stations one by one, as the TV stations specifically cooperated with him on a long-term basis.

Yi'an's drama selection is trustworthy!

Therefore, Yan Li also has requirements for the projects to be issued.

Especially after he had established a certain reputation, he would not accept any project, as he had to be responsible for the reputation of the TV station and Yi An. However, as a man in the world, he could not help himself. Yan Li intended to win over the big client Tangren, and he had his eyes on the project "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" that Tangren was preparing.

Then, it is inevitable to show sincerity appropriately.

Yan Li first said that it was too difficult to broadcast on satellite, which made Cai Yinong emotionally unstable. Then he changed his tone and expressed his willingness to help with the terrestrial channel.

"I did a rough calculation. This is a modern drama, with mostly newcomers and not many episodes, so the cost shouldn't be high. If Mr. Cai trusts me, I'll do my best to break even for you."

However, Cai Yinong was not a rookie either. Although he was influenced by Yan Li, he remained calm.

"Although our drama has some shortcomings, the quality is still acceptable. Besides, the more so, the more we need to find a distribution expert like Mr. Yan to help."

Yan Li didn't respond. He drank his water silently and looked at Cai Yinong: "What is Mr. Cai's request?"

"On the star, 1000 million in the first round."

Yan Li put down the cup and stood up: "Thank you for your hospitality, I'll be leaving now."

Cai Yinong didn't expect Yan Li to be single, so she quickly grabbed Yan Li and said, "Boss Yan, don't worry. I didn't say we can't date."

Only after Cai Yinong's comfort and persuasion did Yan Li sit back down.

After figuring out Cai Yinong's attitude and taking the initiative, Yan Li spoke in a more assertive tone.

"Mr. Cai, let me be clear. I came here for Tangren and the New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. This Dandelion was just something I did on the side."

"I can help you distribute this drama. I can't guarantee it will be broadcast on satellite TV, but it shouldn't be a problem to break even. However, how much profit you can make depends on the market and the strength of the drama itself."

Cai Yinong was still unwilling, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

Both parties are willing to cooperate, but Yan Li has more initiative. The latter does not have Tangren and has other companies to cooperate with, but Tangren needs Yan Li's distribution capabilities.

After reaching an agreement on "Dandelion", the two sides finally started to discuss serious cooperation, namely "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio".

This drama is Tangren's current highlight, and it has also attracted investment from Shanghai Film Group. The estimated cost is 1800 million to 2500 million yuan, and the proposed cast is also quite good.

There are Lin Zhiying, who became famous for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", and Huang Xiaoming, who is quite popular nowadays. The list also includes Sun Li, Huang Sanshi, Zhou Gongzi, Li Bingbing, Ren Quan and others.

However, the proposed invitation list is inflated.

When "The Seven Fairies" was first cast through online voting, they said they would get all four of the most beautiful actresses. It would be great if Tangren could get half of the above-mentioned stars.

Yan Li is still very optimistic about this project. The cast is worth looking forward to. "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" is very famous, and Tangren's production level is also good.

Not to mention just a risk-free issuance, Yan Li is willing to pay even for investment.

"Mr. Cai, you really don't want to invest?"

Yan Li wanted to get a piece of the pie, but Cai Yinong was also optimistic about the prospects of "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio", and since he had already secured cooperation with Shanghai Film Group, he was unwilling to give up any more shares.

Seeing this, Yan Li had no choice but to give up and made another request. He wanted to squeeze in two actors.

Cai Yinong did not refuse this, but she tactfully said that she would have to go through an interview and that the role she would play would be decided by Tang Ren, but they would try their best to take care of her.

Yan Li was not very satisfied, but it was understandable. After all, it was a free job. If the role was not good, he could just refuse it.

Cai Yinong looked at Yan Li's expression and suddenly took out a document from the desk.

"If Mr. Yan wants to invest, he can take a look at our project."

"The Legend of Sword and Fairy?"

Yan Li opened the file and glanced at it, frowning: "A TV series adapted from a game? Can a game be made into a TV series?"

This is not the first time that Cai Yinong has heard similar words, and many film and television practitioners find it difficult to accept this.

"Isn't Hollywood's Resident Evil adapted from a game? With more and more game fans now, it's a new breeding ground for our film and television industry."

"makes sense."

Yan Li nodded. Compared to those older film and television practitioners, he was younger and more willing to accept new things.

However, Yan Li did not comment on what Cai Yinong said about game fans. As he was planning to open an Internet cafe, he was quite familiar with this group of people. Liking to play games and liking to watch TV series were two different things.

"...about 2000 million investment?"

Yan Li almost closed the document. How much investment was made in "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio"? Such a drama costs 2000 million?
Moreover, he looked at the cast, and found that they were almost all newcomers with limited fame. He thought they were trying to trick some fools into helping Tangren promote newcomers.

Forget about investing, he doesn’t even want to take on the distribution!
Yan Li glanced at it briefly and smiled politely. "Investment is a matter of great importance. I'll take it back and study it, then get back to Mr. Cai."

Cai Yinong saw Yan Li's perfunctory attitude and felt a little disappointed.

She originally had high expectations for the drama "Chinese Paladin", but ended up being met with a lot of cold reception. There were even rumors that a certain organization was going to stop the online game show.

The investment in "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" is not small, so Cai Yinong is a little hesitant and is considering bringing in a company to share the risk.

After trying a few companies, I got a cold response from them all.

……

Yan Li and Cai Yinong had a meal and then left Hengdian and headed to Wu City Film and Television City.

"The Seven Fairies" is about to be completed, and he, as the producer, cannot be absent.

When he arrived at the crew, they were shooting a night scene. Seeing that everyone was tired and depressed, Yan Li counted out a dozen bills and asked Wu Maowen to ask a few people to buy some midnight snacks to boost the morale of the crew.

Then Yan Li stayed behind the director's monitor, watching several actors filming, and chatted with Wang Decai who had arrived about the progress.

More than half an hour later, Wu Maowen and others came over with several large boxes, which were all midnight snacks they bought.

It was late and time was tight, but luckily there were many nighttime restaurants in the film and television city, so a few people didn't care and bought a lot of goods.

After telling the director, the crew took a break, and Wu Maowen and others, along with the stagehands, distributed midnight snacks to everyone.

One assistant director even shouted, "Boss Yan saw how hard everyone worked and bought everyone a midnight snack as a reward."

Some sensible people started to take the lead and shout something: "Thank you, Mr. Yan."

Even a few actors joined in the fun: "Boss Yan is so generous."

Yan Li took a bite of the pie and said, "Stop calling me Yan Ba Pi."

"Yan is exposing his skin? Who is scolding him? Stand up. Boss Yan has been so good to us. He has no conscience at all."

Fan Xiaopang was so indignant that he jumped out to speak up for Yan Li, but Yan Li watched him coldly.

Who else could it be? You, little girl, are the one who curses the most.

The system has reported it five times. Twice I complained in private, twice I cursed in my heart, and once I cursed in my dream. Wait, sooner or later I will let you know what real skinning is.

After having a midnight snack, they continued filming. Yan Li did not leave either, but continued to support them and browse the intelligence that was triggered in the early morning.

Today happens to be April 4st, and all the monthly intelligence is triggered.

Yan Li is also crazy now. Apart from burning incense and praying for the annual intelligence, the monthly intelligence depends entirely on his mood.

But maybe today was a midnight snack for us, and Yan Li was lucky enough to give us eight pieces of information.

[Monthly Intelligence ①: In August 2007, Li Bingbing won the Huabiao Best Actress award for her performance in the film "The Legend of Yun Shui"]

Yan Li memorized the three words "Yun Shui Yao" and then looked at the next one.

Monthly News ②: The renowned martial arts drama "Number One Under Heaven" began filming at the Wu City Film and Television Base in April 2004. The cast includes Roger Kwok, Li Yapeng, Gao Yuanyuan... and Huang Shengyi...

Yan Li was originally a little confused about how this information was triggered, but when he saw the time, he connected it with Wu City Film and Television City and Huang Shengyi.

Good god, this little girl won’t come to “The Seven Fairies” to find him, will she?

As for the popularity of "Number One Under Heaven", Yan Li is not surprised. Fatty Wang has the aura of a famous director, and this drama has long attracted attention from the industry.

Yan Li was a little envious of this project, but had no choice but to participate.

Well, it doesn't seem impossible.

It depends on whether there are people who understand in the crew. Many crews, including some TV stations, do not understand that co-produced dramas cannot be broadcast on satellite TV. If they are reported, they will be suspended and removed from the air.
The intelligence system had given Yan Li a list of many taboos and precautions for TV drama distribution, including this one.

"Number One Under Heaven" is based in Hong Kong, so it's not certain that they understand the rules in mainland China. If they fall into a trap...

Monthly Tip 3: Actor Hu Ge quickly became a popular young actor thanks to the hit drama "Chinese Paladin"...

?

Yan Li read the information for half a minute, took out his mobile phone and sent a text message to his secretary Hu Ya, asking her to collect information about the game "Chinese Paladin".

【…】

Daily Intelligence ⑧: Top 2005 TV Ratings of 50 - #: Moment in Peking, #: The Bright Sword, #: The Emperor of Han Wu... #: The Inspector General of Song Dynasty... #: The Little Fish and the Flowerless... #: The Chinese Paladin... #: Number One Under Heaven...

Yan Li opened his eyes slightly. If he could get half of the distribution rights for the top 50 TV shows next year, he would immediately become a guest of honor on all the major TV stations.

But soon, Yan Li calmed down. He couldn't get the distribution rights just by wanting to, so he could only try his best to fight for it.

Moreover, Yan Li thought that this information might not be accurate.

For example, "Bright Sword" had a monthly intelligence report clearly stating that it was the ratings champion in 2005.

The system triggers a lot of intelligence every month, and Yan Li has also figured out some routines.

The future information of intelligence does not mean it is completely correct. Due to many factors such as different angles, brief information or direct quotations of future information, some intelligence may be inaccurate or one-sided.

For example, there are several statistical methods for audience ratings, and the results calculated by different statistical methods are completely different.

The ratings rankings for national, regional, CCTV and local satellite TV stations are varied and sometimes they are ranked differently.

Therefore, many times, Yan Li can only use this information as a reference. If he blindly follows orders, he may be killed.

"Garbage system."

However, despite all the complaints, this piece of information is still very valuable. Yan Li even feels that it is comparable to the annual intelligence.

There are fifty dramas, even if some of the ranking data is inaccurate, it cannot be ranked randomly. It takes some ability to be on the list.

If Yan Li can get a few films, either participating in the production or being responsible for the distribution, it will be enough to make Yi'an Films shine brightly next year...

(End of this chapter)