It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 52 The real intention is not investment, but—recruitment!
"Brother Rui, you're amazing! The rights to the new film sold for $673 million? That's over 5000 million RMB! Good heavens! I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a number!"

"The movie broke even before it was released, that's amazing!"

Upon returning to his school dormitory from China Film Group, Lü Rui was showered with compliments from Zhao Peng and Shen Ao.

He smiled slightly, but didn't reply. He looked the two of them up and down carefully.

Zhao Peng has been learning from him on set since the filming of "Gone Girl". He also participated in the filming of "Mystic River" and "Daydreamer". His directing skills have improved by leaps and bounds, leaving his classmates far behind!
Shen Ao only started learning from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". Although he has not yet fully shown his talent, his potential should not be underestimated.

Undoubtedly, both of them are extremely talented.

Zhao Peng, in particular, has shown amazing talent in photographing women!

This might explain why he was able to quickly rise to fame in the AV industry after entering the business in his previous life, and why he was even invited to film in the Holy Valley at a high price.

"Rui...Brother Rui? What's wrong with me? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Zhao Peng felt uneasy under Lü Rui's meaningful gaze, his mind racing as he tried to recall if he had caused any trouble recently.

Thinking about it carefully, it was just taking some 'artistic photos' for the female students in the performing arts department. It was just a little hobby of his. Could it be because of that?

Shen Ao, standing next to him, also looked puzzled, wondering to himself if he had said something wrong.
Just as the two were feeling uneasy, Lü Rui suddenly spoke up: "How's the graduation project coming along?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Peng immediately lowered his head, his face full of bitterness: "Don't even mention it. I still haven't passed two make-up exams. If all else fails, I'll just find someone from the literature department to write a short film script and fudge it as a paper. Anyway, no one will check it."

CNKI was launched in 99, but it's not yet in its "first year of existence," so papers are indeed not being thoroughly checked.

This is also why many graduates are able to pass the test smoothly.

"Never thought about directing a film independently?"

Lu Rui's question caused the air to freeze.

Zhao Peng gave a self-deprecating smile: "Brother Rui, you must be joking. I don't have a father like Lu Tianming, how could I possibly be destined to make movies?"

This is the current state of directing programs.

Unless you have a good father who can get into a certain circle, ordinary graduates only have the qualifications to make short films.

By piecing together 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, one can manage to graduate without much effort.

Lu Rui changed the subject, his tone becoming calm: "I do have a commercial film script here, with a project budget of over ten million, a comedy-romance genre."

I'm too busy, so I'm looking for a director. Would you like to give it a try? Of course, you have to sign with my company first.

Even close brothers need to keep clear accounts; he has no intention of being a merciful spendthrift.

As soon as he finished speaking, a deathly silence instantly enveloped the dormitory!
Shen Ao was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth. Zhao Peng jumped up from his stool, his eyes shining: "Sign! I'll sign! I'll sign for a hundred years!"

Although he wasn't from a poor family, he came from an ordinary background, far worse off than the privileged kids in his class.

If it weren't for Lü Rui's willingness to mentor him, he would have been prepared to work odd jobs in Hengdian after graduation.

I never expected that a multi-million dollar project would suddenly fall into my lap; it's like a godsend!

Shen Ao, who was standing next to him, reacted quickly, his face turning red with anxiety: "Brother Rui! I want to sign too..."

Zhao Peng stepped forward and grabbed Lü Rui's wrist, saying earnestly, "Brother Rui, from today onwards, if you point east, I'll never go west!"

"Me...me too!" Shen Ao was so anxious that his tongue was tied in knots.

Zhao Peng was so sincere that he even raised his hand and swore, "Brother Rui, from now on I will serve you like a slave, even unto death!"

Shen Ao exclaimed urgently, "Me too!"

"If I disobey, may I be struck by lightning and sent to the eighteenth level of hell!"

"me too!"

Shen Ao's face turned bright red. This stubborn guy, why can't he say anything at the crucial moment?
Lu Rui was both annoyed and amused, and kicked each of them: "Stop talking nonsense. Come to the company tomorrow to discuss the details. One of you will be the director, and the other will be the executive director. I will be the producer to ensure the quality of the film."

"Okay, Brother Rui!"

The two exchanged a glance, unable to hide their excitement.

In the current film and television industry, the mainstream model is still the director signing a contract with a company.

Unlike later, when everyone was chasing the independent studio trend.

The following day, Zhao Peng and Shen Ao arrived at Ruishijie on time and signed a six-year contract.

According to the agreement, they can receive a fixed base salary from the company every month.

If there are projects to direct, they can also receive an additional director's fee.

As for box office revenue sharing, they are not qualified to get involved with it given their current qualifications.

At the same time, if they have high-quality projects, the company will also participate in the investment based on the actual situation.

Signatures and fingerprints were affixed, and the contract was successfully signed.

Subsequently, Lü Rui immediately threw himself into the preparation work for "The Pursuit of Happyness".

He was confident that the script would pass censorship, since there were no sensitive metaphorical elements in the story, and there was absolutely no possibility that it would fail to pass censorship.

Since I've decided to operate independently, I naturally have to do everything myself and build the team from scratch.

In a short time, the company's staff began to expand rapidly, from the front stage to behind the scenes, and even the entire project execution team, all of which were carefully assembled by Lü Rui.

At the project mobilization meeting, he methodically issued various instructions: "Finance, deposit 100 million into the project account first; one group will go to Shenzhen to scout locations; the other group will be responsible for preparing the equipment and personnel needed for filming..."

Most of the team members are from Beijing Film Academy, including alumni who graduated many years ago and current students, so the collaboration goes very smoothly.

This made Lü Rui increasingly appreciate the benefits of having a powerful backer.

However, as the team rapidly expanded, the existing office space became increasingly inadequate.

Every time a project mobilization meeting is held, not only is the office packed with people, but the corridors are also full of attendees.

Looking at the somewhat cramped scene, Lü Rui secretly pondered: "Once this busy period is over, I must find a larger office space as soon as possible."

On September 20th, at his invitation, several investors came to Ruishijie to discuss the investment ratio for "Hitch".

The two projects will proceed simultaneously. Preparations for "The Pursuit of Happyness" have already begun, so this project naturally cannot be delayed either.

"Director Lü is truly a promising young man!"

The agreed meeting time was 10 o'clock, but to Lü Rui's surprise, the people from Shanghai Film Studio arrived just after 9 o'clock.

The person who arrived was none other than Ren Zhonglun, the head of Shanghai Film Group!
"Chairman Ren." Lu Rui greeted him politely with a handshake and instructed the receptionist to pour tea.

Enter the office and close the door.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ren Zhonglun's words piqued Lü Rui's interest.

"Shanghai Film Group may not be as good as China Film Group in some aspects, and its policy support is also slightly inferior, but we have an absolute advantage - financial strength!"
No matter the size or production scale of the project, we are confident in our ability to handle it entirely. We could even independently create a blockbuster on the scale of "Hero"!

These words carried the unique confidence of Shanghai as a financial center.

As they talked, Lü Rui gradually figured out Ren Zhonglun's true intentions. This man's early visit wasn't really about investment; he was there to recruit him!
As Hollywood blockbusters flood the market, domestic policies are gradually shifting towards commercial films.

However, at present, only Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang, and Zhang Yimou can carry the banner of commercial blockbusters.

As for the others, most of them are still working in the art-house film market.

However, each of these three individuals also has their own affiliation.

Feng Xiaogang is based at Huayi Brothers, Zhang Yimou is the top star at New Pictures, and Chen Kaige has close ties with China Film Group.

In contrast, Lü Rui, despite his frequent collaborations with China Film Group, has always maintained an open attitude.

He has collaborated with companies such as Enlight Media, Huayi Brothers, and Bona Film Group.

It was precisely this "open-minded" attitude that made Ren Zhonglun see the possibility of bringing it into the Shanghai Film Group camp.

If he could leverage the resources of Shanghai and join forces with Lü Rui, he was confident that he could open up a new chapter in the commercial film market!

"Director Lü, if you have any big production plans in the future, just let me know. Shanghai Film Group will definitely provide financial support!" Ren Zhonglun promised, patting his chest.

However, before he could finish speaking, a sneer suddenly came from outside the door: "As if China Film Group is short of a few dollars."

Han Sanping pushed open the door and entered, followed by Wang Changtian, Yu Dong, Dong Ping, and the head of the Youth Film Studio (Beijing Film Academy).

Upon seeing him, Ren Zhonglun immediately turned away, his face turning away.

The Shanghai Film Group and China Film Group are currently locked in a fierce battle over the "right to import foreign films."

China Film Group (CFG) firmly holds the exclusive import rights in China. Shanghai Film Group (SFF) has repeatedly tried to obtain authorization but failed, believing that CFG is deliberately creating a monopoly, which has led to deep resentment between the two sides.

This is precisely why Han Sanping reminded Lü Rui to invite Shanghai Film Studio.

The film "Hitch" is scheduled to be filmed in Shanghai, and China Film Group is also involved in the production. Shanghai Film Group might try to sabotage it.

However, bringing Shanghai Film Group into the project, even if it means taking a portion of the investment, would be a wise move to ensure the project's smooth progress.

In a sense, this is a unique way of paying "protection fees" in the film and television industry.

Lü Rui didn't seem to mind at all.

After all, for him, making many friends and building a network of connections is the most important thing right now.

With everyone present, the distribution of portions began immediately.

After several days of planning and calculation, Lü Rui finally settled on an investment amount of 1500 million for this project.

As the main controlling party, Ruishijie and China Film Group together occupy 70% of the core share, while the remaining 30% will be allocated.

Nortel remains at 5%, no more, no less.

Wang Changtian, Yu Dong, Dong Ping, and Ren Zhonglun felt a tremor in their hearts, and their eyes flashed with an urgent desire to gain more market share.

However, at this moment, Lü Rui took the initiative to speak up: "President Yu, President Ren, President Dong, you each take 5%. Guangxian contributed a lot to 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' last time, so take a bigger share this time, the remaining 10%."

As the controlling party, Lü Rui naturally has the right to say such things, after all, this is his project, and he can decide who gets how much and how much.

"Thank you so much, Director Lü!" Wang Changtian couldn't hide his joy.

The all-or-nothing gamble on "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has now yielded an extraordinary return, not only in terms of monetary gains, but also by opening the door to a long-term partnership with Lü Rui!
Although Yu Dong and Dong Ping looked envious, they instantly understood the deeper meaning behind it.

To get a bigger share of Lü Rui's project, you have to make contributions.

“Shanghai Film Group has no objections!” Ren Zhonglun readily agreed.

For him, this investment share was more like a ticket to board Lü Rui's ship.

Once a cooperative relationship can be established, there will naturally be broader opportunities for cooperation in the future.

He has enough patience to wait for an opportunity.

Once the share allocation was determined, everyone immediately signed the relevant contracts without wasting any time.

As for the "The Pursuit of Happyness" project, Lü Rui didn't hide it, explaining that it was his graduation project, which he planned to work on independently, using it to find inspiration for his thesis.

Although everyone found it a bit strange, they didn't ask too many questions because of the cover provided by "Hitch".

The day after the contract was signed, the official announcement of the "Everybody's Rival" project was made:

"The comedy/romance film 'Hitch,' which is mainly controlled by Ruishijie, China Film Group, Enlight Media, Bona Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media, and Shanghai Film Group, has been officially approved for production today."

"The film has an investment of up to 1500 million! It is positioned as a commercial film."

"Casting has commenced as scheduled. We welcome all talent agencies to submit their resumes..."

Influenced by the high copyright fees and product placements of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," coupled with current policies favoring commercial films, the news was immediately spread by major news websites and media outlets.

Although the director's name was unfamiliar, the industry immediately understood when the information that Lü Rui was the producer and supervisor was released.

It's like "The Missing Gun," which is nominally directed by Lu Chuan, but everyone knows what's going on.

Huayi, inside the general manager's office.

Wang Zhonglei looked at the news and his expression turned somewhat grim.

He truly hadn't expected that from the time "Everybody's Rival" was submitted for review to its official approval, Lü Rui hadn't even made a single phone call to him.

"So what if you didn't vote for 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'? Is it necessary to be so heartless? Not even a word of advice?"

However, although he was complaining, he knew in his heart that it would not be so easy for Hua Yi to get back on the ship after jumping off.

However, there are other opportunities.

The film "Hitch" will hold open auditions, and the largest actor agency in China is none other than Taihe Culture, which was jointly created by Huayi Brothers and Wong Jing-hua.

As long as we can squeeze our own actors in, it's not too bad.

Thinking of this, he immediately called Wang Jinghua.

"I'm already working on it. I've sent over the resumes of all the actors who meet the role requirements."

"Okay." Wang Zhonglei responded with satisfaction, and then instructed, "Try to get all the main roles in our hands."

The reply on the other end of the phone was, "Yes, I will do my best!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jinghua looked down at the cast list in her hand.

Chen Daoming, Hu Jun, Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, Ren Quan, You Yong...

She sent the resumes of all the artists under her management to Ruishijie.

In her view, as long as one artist is selected, the company won't lose money; if two are selected, it'll be a huge profit! And if they all get selected, it'll be an absolute windfall!

However, what she didn't know was that while the public auditions were taking place, Lü Rui was also conducting internal auditions through several friends...

A long chapter of 4000 words, please vote with monthly tickets! (￣▽￣～)~
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(End of this chapter)