Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 103 Is Tian Xiaole a conductor?
The 58th Cannes Film Festival has announced its shortlist on its official website.

Tian Xiaole didn't have any films submitted for the nominations, but she did keep an eye on the shortlist.

"Shanghai Dreams" is the only mainland Chinese film nominated, directed by Wang Xiaoshuai.

The online coverage was overwhelming, no less than the buzz surrounding "The Coffin in the Mountain" when it was nominated.

When Tian Xiaole saw the promotional posters online, Gao Yuanyuan already showed signs of becoming a great beauty.

At this time, she was somewhat naive, lacking the mature and intellectual charm she later possessed, but she was very pleasing to the eye.

There should have been some minor adjustments made afterward, not just the teeth were straightened.

Gao Yuanyuan has a bit of an artsy complex; she likes talented men, but these kinds of men just happen to be scumbags.

Whether you're forced into being the third party or choose to be one.

At least Gao Yuanyuan doesn't think there's anything wrong with her. She's aiming to get married and even wants to have a baby.

At this time, she should be dating Zhang Yadong.

However, judging from the man's personality, the two are unlikely to last.

"Boss, the Shanghai Film Festival has sent an invitation."

The assistant knocked on the door and came in, handing over the invitation.

Tian Xiaole closed the webpage first, glanced at it casually, and wanted to invite [Stone] to participate in the selection.

The Shanghai International Film Festival, despite being recognized as an A-list film festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in 94, has the weakest presence among all A-list film festivals.

In an effort to expand their influence, the organizers and the judging panel began to pull some dirty tricks.

I especially enjoy awarding prizes to foreign films. As long as a foreign film is participating in the selection, the probability of it winning a major award is higher than that of a Chinese film.

Mainland filmmakers are often just there to make up the numbers, which has drawn criticism from many who feel they are being looked down upon by their own people.

"Let's ask Ning Hao if he's willing to go, after all, he's the director."

Tian Xiaole definitely won't go; not only does she have no work to show for it, she might even end up playing a supporting role.

···
On the 22nd day of its release, pirated DVDs of "Crazy Stone" were rampant online and offline, and theaters had no box office revenue.

The total box office reached 6550 million.

As the film distributor, China Film Group has also gained considerable fame, which is mentioned in its work report.

Compared to a film investment of 500 million, it achieved a return of 13 times.

Tian Xiaole, the sole investor, made a fortune.

This made film companies in the industry envious; they had been working hard for a year, but not a single film had yet made a profit.

A celebration banquet is definitely going to be held; Han Sanping is already making the announcements.

Tian Xiaole suggested that it be done discreetly, involving only the main cast and crew of the film and some close collaborating companies.

8 month 25 day.

A celebration banquet for the film "Crazy Stone" was held at the CPPCC Auditorium in Beijing.

On the stage, an ice sculpture of 65500000 has been set up.

Han Sanping stood in the middle, with Tian Xiaole and Ning Hao on his left and right sides.

"Smack your lips!"

The hammer fell, and the ice shattered.

Bang!
Fireworks burst out.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Tian Xiaole took the microphone and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, eat and drink well."

"The boss is very generous, so I won't stand on ceremony with you."

Huang Bo responded with a smile, enlivening the atmosphere from the audience.

After starring in several dramas, he firmly established himself in the entertainment industry. If it weren't for his average looks, he could have competed for the title of leading man.

"Director Tian, ​​I want to try my luck in Shanghai."

Ning Hao approached Tian Xiaole and told her directly that he wanted to go to the Shanghai International Film Festival.

It doesn't matter what the big domestic directors think, but for us, it's an A-list film festival after all, what if we win an award?

"Go if you want to, but you should also be mentally prepared that the chances of winning the grand prize are slim," Tian Xiaole kindly reminded him.

At least the Golden Rooster Awards took care of its own people, but the Shanghai Film Awards didn't even put on a show.

Even Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, and others haven't been there, which shows how biased they are.

These directors can win awards abroad, but they are treated differently in China, so they are unwilling to suffer such humiliation.

"It would be great if there was a prize, but it doesn't matter if there isn't. Just consider it an opportunity to broaden my horizons."

Remembering something, Tian Xiaole suggested:
"Then you should bring the main cast and crew along; they probably want to go too."

He may not care about the Shanghai Film Festival, but Ning Hao can't. He's just starting out, and it's normal for him to want to win a few awards.

Which director doesn't want to win awards? And which actor doesn't want awards to prove themselves? They don't care if the awards are just for show.

When Ning Hao talked to Huang Bo and the others about the film festival, all the main creators smiled and said they would definitely attend.

Fan Binbin, seeing that Tian Xiaole was alone, immediately approached her.

She had overheard part of the conversation between Tian Xiaole and Ning Hao. When it comes to winning awards, is there any director with a higher probability of winning than Tian Xiaole?

They made it into the top three European competitions twice and won awards both times.

"Director Tian, ​​could you reserve a role for me in your next art film?"

"I don't even know what my next project will be, yet I'm leaving you a role. Your expectations are a bit too high."

Fan Binbin had drunk a little wine, and his face was flushed. He playfully patted Tian Xiaole's arm and whispered:
"Your standards are quite high when it comes to wine tasting." Tian Xiaole was stunned for a moment, then became angry and retorted:

"Can that be the same?"

"How is it different? You're always in charge, and I'm just cooperating."

What Fan Binbin said seems to make a lot of sense.

When the director is on set, he has to teach the actors how to act, from every big movement to the smallest details like eye contact and positioning.

When the two were tasting the wine, Tian Xiaole had quite a few requests.

Sometimes it stands, sometimes it lies down, and sometimes it sticks its head up high.

The whole set of movements was quite exhausting.

You can't entirely blame Tian Xiaole. At that time, the big girls were playful, daring, and capable of playing.

I happened to meet Tian Xiaole, who was young, talented, and in good health.

Most importantly, it can bring benefits.

Tian Xiaole gave a perfunctory reply and didn't continue the topic, otherwise she would have really been drawn into Fan Binbin's trap.

···
"Xiao Le, the profits from this movie are almost equal to what Huayi Brothers makes in a year. Next time there's an opportunity like this, let's bring Huayi Brothers along."

Wang Zhonglei said with a smile, his face bearing a formulaic grin.

Huayi Brothers invested in quite a few films this year, but apart from "A World Without Thieves" and "Kung Fu Hustle" which were profitable, the others were just for publicity.

Although it is known as the leader of the mainland film and television industry, it still has a large number of actors and stars under its wing. Their endorsements and film remuneration make its financial results look better.

Now that they've fallen out with Wong Jing-fa, a group of people are determined to follow her and leave.

When that time comes, Huayi's annual revenue will be halved, which will certainly be another major challenge to its pursuit of a listing.

On the other hand, Xiaole Pictures, despite relying entirely on Tian Xiaole and having only a handful of signed actors, is indeed generating considerable revenue.

Moreover, there are Hollywood connections, offering opportunities to earn US dollars.

The two brothers want to forge a deep partnership with Tian Xiaole, at least by including Huayi in any projects they undertake.

"Uncle Wang, Huayi is the number one film and television company in mainland China. It's a huge and powerful company. [Stone]'s achievements shouldn't be worth your attention."

Besides, I've led you through quite a few projects, and I've been pretty generous of you. Huayi has never made money with Xiaole Pictures.

Tian Xiaole's sudden attack caught Wang Zhonglei off guard.

He was just saying it casually, thinking he'd try his luck anyway, but he didn't expect such a big reaction.

Huayi is currently at the center of public opinion. Although Wang Jinghua's contract will not expire until August, Orange Sky Entertainment is already building momentum.

Wu Kebo publicly stated in the media that he was willing to directly delegate power and promise shares to Wang Jinghua as long as she joined.

These days, film and television investment is a high-risk industry; whether or not it will be profitable is unknown.

But it's different for celebrities. Whether it's movies or TV series, actors and stars have to be paid. Product endorsements and appearances at events are all tangible sources of income.

As the top agent in mainland China, Wang Jinghua has a considerable number of actors and stars willing to switch agencies with her, which is equivalent to having a money-printing machine with her at all times.

It's fair to say that if Wong Jinghua joins the company, Orange Sky will very likely become the leading film and television company in mainland China.

Taking advantage of Huayi's precarious situation, Tian Xiaole put pressure on Wang Zhonglei in an attempt to acquire shares.

Listed in 2009, it reached its peak in 2015 with a market value approaching 100 billion yuan, making it the undisputed leading private film and television enterprise in mainland China.

Of course, there's no rush now. It's just to let Wang Zhonglei know that Tian Xiaole owes Huayi nothing, nor does he owe the Wang brothers anything.

It's a favor that I help you make money.

If you don't bring it, no one has the right to say anything.

Wang Zhonglei chuckled awkwardly: "Xiao Le is right. Huayi will be launching projects in the second half of the year. I'll send you a report then."

Compared to Tian Xiaole's projects, Huayi's projects, apart from Feng Xiaogang's, cannot guarantee profitability.

When Wang Zhonglei heard Tian Xiaole mention it, he was also willing to find someone to share the burden.

“Sure, let me take a look and see if there are any projects worth investing in.” Tian Xiaole nodded.

···
The next day, news reports and photos of the celebration party for "Stone" appeared on portal websites.

"The celebration party for 'Crazy Stone' was held in Beijing yesterday, and the film's investor, Tian Xiaole, presented red envelopes to the main creators."

"The release of 'Crazy Stone' broke the embarrassing record of no mainland Chinese films being released in the first half of the year."

While everyone here is having a good time, some people like to come out and seek attention.

The Hong Kong media reports were quite disappointing.

"【Crazy Stone】was released in Hong Kong Island, but only grossed one million Hong Kong dollars."

Tian Xiaole had already made his money, so he didn't care about a small market.

The post-production of "The Thief" is basically complete, except for the special effects.

The release date should also be considered.

With Director Chen's "The Promise" in the Lunar New Year film season, we definitely can't compete with him for market share.

Putting aside whether they could compete, even if two mainland films were released in the same period, Han Sanping would still try to stop it.

Feng Xiaogang clearly established the Lunar New Year film season, from "The Dream Factory" and "Be There or Be Square" in 97 to "A World Without Thieves" last year.

There's no clear release date for the Spring Festival season. Jackie Chan's "Rumble in the Bronx" was released in mainland China in 95, marketed as a Spring Festival film.

Ten years ago, Avatar was released during the Spring Festival, which helped cultivate the habit of watching movies during the Spring Festival among the audience.

The 13 film *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons* marked the first time the concept of a Spring Festival film season was explicitly established.

Tian Xiaole wanted to release "The Thieves" during the Spring Festival to cultivate the audience's habit of watching movies during the Spring Festival.

(End of this chapter)