The director starts by learning from the abilities of renowned directors.

Chapter 148 A Great Victory

Wanda Cinemas, Southern New Line, China Film Stellar, and Sichuan Pacific Cinemas have successively signed contracts with Magic Films, China Film, and Enlight Media, increasing the film's revenue share to 46%.

As for the remaining cinemas, some have chosen to lie low and let others sign contracts however they want. Anyway, I'll stick to my old rule of 43% – no previews, just wait for the official release.

Some have already begun planning to secure a preview screening of "The Great Wall".

"The Great Wall" is Shen Qing's most expensive and most socially acclaimed work to date, with a total investment of $15 million. If it can't beat "Lost in Thailand," how can that be reasonable? But if we're talking about beating "Lost in Thailand," then "Lost in Thailand" has a box office of 1.5 billion!

I won't fight for the preview screening of "Taken 3". If I'm going to fight for something, I'll fight for something bigger. If I'm going to fight for something, I'll fight for the preview screening of "The Great Wall"!

Many cinema chains think this way.

The manager of the Shanghai United Cinema chain calmly called Chen Zhixi to arrange a preview screening of "The Great Wall".

The release date for "The Great Wall" is still undecided, and it may not be released until next year. Talking about it in advance at this time means being one step ahead of everyone else.

"Mr. Chen, has the release date for 'The Great Wall' been set? Will it also be released in large-scale previews? Our Shanghai United can cooperate with your company, and the revenue sharing ratio will be as you suggested, at 46%."

"Mr. Li, our company's films 'City of Rock', 'Breakup Buddies', and 'The Great Wall' will all adopt this large-scale preview screening method. When selecting partners, we will prioritize choosing from the cinema chains that have already signed contracts with our company and increased their revenue sharing ratio. Only when a cinema chain withdraws will we invite a new partner to fill the gap."

Upon hearing this, Manager Li of Shanghai United was terrified. According to Chen Zhixi, the opportunity for preview screenings was given to several cinema chains, including Wanda Cinemas, Southern New Line, China Film Stellar, and Sichuan Pacific Cinemas. From now on, for any of Director Shen Qing's works, as long as these cinema chains do not voluntarily withdraw, other cinema chains will never have a chance.

That won't do!

Shen Qing's movies frequently break 1 billion or even 15 billion yuan at the box office. His company's films can easily earn 300 to 400 million yuan. Many cinemas rely on Shen Qing's movies to make money. Large-scale preview screenings are essentially allowing some cinemas to release films ahead of schedule. Even though Magic Films is demanding a 46% revenue share, most cinemas are still eager to comply. The only difference is that some cinema managers choose to act decisively, while others think they should wait and see.

"Mr. Chen, our Shanghai United is willing to join the large-scale preview screening plan for 'Taken 3'."

"Mr. Li, let's let it go this time and talk about it next time."

The manager of Shanghai United was completely dumbfounded.

Wasn't he here today to discuss the next preview screening collaboration (of "The Great Wall")? But you just said that the next collaboration partner will be selected from the theaters that collaborated this time.

Does not participating in the preview screenings of "Taken 3" mean permanently losing the eligibility to participate in Shen Qing's film preview screenings? Isn't that a bit too high a price to pay?

"Mr. Chen, our cooperation with Shanghai United is truly sincere."

"Mr. Li, the partners for the preview screenings of 'The Great Wall' will be selected from those partners in this round, unless someone voluntarily withdraws."

What if no one quits?

A few days later, after an emergency consultation within the Shanghai Union, it was finally decided to increase the revenue share of "Taken 3" to 46%. Chen Zhixi reminded them that the list of candidates for the preview screenings had already been finalized, and increasing the revenue share now might not allow them to be included in the large-scale preview screenings of "Taken 3".

"Mr. Chen, what about 'The Great Wall'? Are we, the Shanghai Joint Cinema Circuit, now eligible to join its large-scale preview screening program?"

"certainly."

Shanghai United Cinemas became the first cinema chain that neither obtained the qualification for large-scale preview screenings of "Taken 3" nor increased Shen Qingfang's share of the profits.

That's an absolute rip-off.

The results of it?

Following suit, a series of cinema chains, including Beijing New Film Union, Guangzhou Jinyi Pearl River Cinema Line, Zhejiang Times, Guangdong Dadi Cinema Line, Shanghai Daguangming Cinema, and Jiangsu Oriental Film Industry, followed the example of Shanghai Union and increased Shen Qingfang's share of the profits.

More and more cinema chains have joined in.

"Most of the top-ranked cinema chains have increased their revenue share, even if they can't participate in the large-scale preview screenings of 'Taken 3.' Some cinema chains are still sticking to the 43% share. All things considered, our revenue share should be around 45%," Chen Zhixi said. "Out of 100 yuan in box office revenue, 91.7 yuan is shareable. At a 45% share, that leaves 41.26 yuan. After deducting China Film Digital's share, we have a little over 40 yuan left. After deducting the 5% distribution fee, we have 38 yuan left."

Chen Zhixi said excitedly, "In the past, our movies could only recoup about 35% of the revenue, but without us even realizing it, it has risen to 38%."

Most film distributors receive about one-third of the revenue, or 33%. Shen Qing's film receives a slightly higher return, around 35%, because China Film Group and Enlight Media only charge him 5% of the distribution fee. The same companies, China Film Group and Enlight Media, might charge other films 15% of the distribution fee.

"Reports indicate that Shen Qing emerged victorious in a comprehensive power struggle with cinemas, with major cinema chains nationwide increasing their revenue-sharing percentage for Shen Qing's films to 46%."

"The strong set the rules, and Shen Qing is exposed for breaking the unspoken rules of profit sharing."

"The ten major cinema chains have collectively surrendered to Shen Qing, and Shen Qing has completely defeated the cinema chains."

"The Revenue Sharing Dispute: The Battle for Box Office Success in China!"

The entire Chinese film and television industry was stunned at this moment. Everyone knew how difficult it was to increase this revenue sharing ratio. It meant directly putting money into someone else's pocket, taking money out of their own pocket, which was bound to encounter fierce resistance.

Zhang Weiping had tried many times to increase the film company's share of the profits, each time causing a huge uproar. This shows just how difficult it was. But now, Shen Qing has quietly accomplished it, and by increasing it by 3 percentage points in one go.

Zhang Weiping hasn't done anything else during this period; he's basically been studying and monitoring the progress of the incident every day. He has forced the cinemas to make concessions on several occasions and knows just how difficult it is to get them to concede.

To put it simply, before the release of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" and "A Simple Noodle Story," Zhang Weiping never mentioned "increasing revenue sharing" even once, because he was self-aware.

But "The Flowers of War" is different. The crew had more than 600 people, and with post-production staff, the number exceeded 1000. The daily expenses were several million, and the filming lasted for eight months, costing a total of 600 million yuan. This time, he had the confidence to negotiate with the theaters.

When news spread that cinemas were increasing Shen Qing's share of film revenue to 46%, Zhang Weiping immediately accepted media interviews.

"Originally, I planned to put pressure on the theaters a month before the release of 'The Flowers of War.' Now that Shen Qing has stepped forward, we can't just stand by and do nothing. Now all filmmakers should work together to fix the 46% revenue share in one go."

"This may be the last chance. If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another chance. The current profit-sharing ratio must be adjusted."

"From investment and filming to publicity and distribution, the investors bear all the costs, but the production company gets the smallest share, only 43%. This ratio must be adjusted."

"If Shen Qing can succeed, others can succeed too. My confidence comes from 'The Flowers of War,' a film with an investment of 6 million yuan, which is equivalent to the total investment of 'Hero,' 'House of Flying Daggers,' and 'Curse of the Golden Flower.' How much box office did those three films generate? 8 million yuan! The number of screens now is more than double what it was with 'Hero.' Is it really too much to say that 'The Flowers of War' will start at 10 billion yuan or even 15 billion yuan?"

Seeing Zhang Weiping's interview sent chills down the spines of cinemas.

Over the years, Shen Qing has undoubtedly been the person who has made the most money for cinemas. People are less resistant to increasing the revenue share for Shen Qing's films, but the real concern is that other film companies might follow suit!

And here comes Zhang Weiping, starting to yell again.

"No announcements or gigs for the past few days?"

Fan Bingbing's studio is right next to Shenqi Film and Television. She had been very busy for a while, but after noticing today that she had no work for the next few days, Fan Bingbing was quite surprised.

"It was supposed to be, but I postponed it."

Yang Tianzhen sat opposite Fan Bingbing, responding to him while operating her laptop.

"Postponed?"

Fan Bingbing looked at her agent with a puzzled expression.

"Don't you feel like you've spent too little time with Shen Qing these past six months?"

"It's a bit less, but there's nothing we can do about it; that's just how our job is."

"So sometimes you have to put some work aside. Look at Liu Yifei, she's spent the most time with Shen Qing these past few years, and as a result, 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons' made her a 10 billion yuan leading lady, and now she's even got the $1.5 million blockbuster 'The Great Wall.' What's the point of working so hard? Is it worth it compared to the resources she gets from spending a couple more nights with Shen Qing?"

Fan Bingbing clearly took it to heart and moved into Shen Qing's house that very night.

The movie "Lucy" is about to start filming. The female lead has a roommate and best friend, who is not a very important role. The casting for the role has not yet been decided, but Fan Bingbing directly recommended Wan Qian.

"Wan Qian is suitable, but it seems unnecessary. She's just a minor character; anyone could be chosen, and she might not even be interested."

"I spoke to her personally."

Shen Qing sensed something was off and asked, "Why did you insist on having Wan Qian play that best friend? You don't seem to be up to anything good."

Fan Bingbing leaned close to Shen Qing's ear and said, "Because during filming, the two of us can keep you company, the three of us can spend time together, have you forgotten?"

Those past scenes flashed through Shen Qing's mind, and she said, "I can't forget them, I'll never forget them in this lifetime."

"How about we call Wan Qian over tomorrow to review it again?"

Filming for "Lucy" will begin after the release of "Taken 3". The original Lucy is American and lives and works in Taiwan. The movie's plot mainly takes place in Taiwan and France, since the director of the film, Luc Besson, is French.

The female lead, Lu Qian, in Shen Qing's version of "Lucy" is from mainland China and works in Hong Kong. The movie's plot mainly takes place in Hong Kong and the United States.

The film is primarily aimed at a global audience, so it will feature a large number of foreign actors, such as Morgan Freeman, who plays Professor Norman.

Filming abroad and using foreign actors means the production budget won't be too low.

$3000 million should be about right.

After "Lucy", Shen Qing will be filming "The Martian".

The idea of ​​growing potatoes on Mars—Shen Qing felt that only Chinese people would be suitable to make this movie!

Shen Qing had previously considered handing over films like "Goodbye Mr. Loser" and "Hello Mr. Billionaire" to other directors, with Shen Teng still playing the male lead. However, after deciding to work on Maoyan Movies, Shen Qing changed his mind.

The success or failure of Maoyan Movies depends heavily on its preview screenings, and for a preview screening to be attractive enough from the start, the lead actor must be a big star.

Currently, no one in China is more famous than Shen Qing.

This would mean he'd snatched several of Shen Teng's works; perhaps we could give him "Never Say Die" instead?

If Shen Teng stars in it, it should be stronger than the original Allen version?

Another example is "The Killer Is Not Calm," where the male lead, Wei Xiang, is replaced by Shen Teng, resulting in a completely new comedy film.

On July 8th, the movie "Mysterious Island" was released, and Shen Qing specially dragged Yang Mi to the cinema to watch it.

For Shen Qing, a time traveler, every movie shown in theaters was an old movie, most of which he had seen before, so there was nothing new about them.

However, Far Cry is an exception.

The movie "Original Timeline" stars Yang Mi, and with enthusiastic support from her fans, it ultimately grossed nearly 500 million yuan at the box office with a budget of only 9000 million yuan.

The reason Shen Qing said that "Mysterious Island" was an exception was because Yang Mi did not take the role in this timeline. In fact, the production company did not even approach Yang Mi. In this timeline, Yang Mi became famous earlier and was more successful. The production company had limited funds and did not even dare to invite Yang Mi. The female lead in this timeline was changed to Liu Yan.

"It's a terrible movie."

In the back row, both of them were wearing masks and baseball caps. Yang Mi leaned on Shen Qing's shoulder and said.

"Didn't you realize that this movie actually suits you quite well?"

"Is that a good place for me?"

They're all the same size.

"What's the same size?" Yang Mi looked down at her chest, quickly realized what was happening, and secretly pinched Shen Qing.

With filming about to begin for "Let's Get Married," the role of Lan Weiwei, a supporting female character, has not yet been cast, so Shen Qing recommended Liu Yan.

Chen Zhixi said that many GG (Google/Google) companies want to invest in product placement in this drama, and director Liu Jiang and Chen Zhixi are still screening them.

"If we choose carefully, inserting a male lead worth 20 to 30 million shouldn't be a problem. It shouldn't affect the viewing experience too much. Inserting male leads into modern dramas is quite easy," Liu Jiang said.

Shen Qing shook his head and said, "Let's keep the cost of inserting the GG (Girl's Name) into the plot below 1000 million. Choose carefully and make sure it doesn't feel too abrupt."

With over 8 million yuan in the company's accounts, Shen Qing now has the confidence to earn less money for the sake of the quality of the series.

Another question is whether "Empresses in the Palace" will still be filmed.

The copyright to the novel is in Shen Qing's hands, but Shen Qing definitely doesn't have time to film it himself, so why not collaborate with Zheng Xiaolong?

Will Zheng Xiaolong cooperate?

The original casting was very successful, so was there any need to make changes?

Replacing Prince Guo shouldn't be a big problem; we can just use our own artist, Chen Xiao.

Lan Xi's portrayal of Shen Meizhuang was also very successful, but Shen Qing still wanted to give the role to Liu Shishi.

Liu Shishi's temperament is actually quite suitable for Shen Meizhuang, but her acting skills are definitely not as good as Lan Xi's. However, she also has her own advantages, namely, her popularity is definitely stronger than Lan Xi's.

Liu Shishi is currently enjoying immense popularity, incredibly famous, and her fan base is extremely powerful.

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