Hong Kong Entertainment: The King of Kung Fu

Chapter 122 The Second Disciple

Yang Ye was preparing for the opening of the martial arts gym when he heard a piece of news.

Golden Harvest has changed the rental method of the studio, and now stipulates that if the film is confirmed to be released in Golden Harvest Cinema, you can enjoy a [-]% discount when renting their studio for filming.

Otherwise, add [-]%!
Yang Ye looked confused and said: "Can you still play like this?"

Hong Jingbao said: "Shaw Brothers' studios are so busy filming movies and TV series that they are not rented out at all. People don't dare to go to the studios of left-wing film companies. The small and medium-sized film companies in Hong Kong are used to going to Jiahe Studio for filming. , Zou Wenhuai’s approach is indeed effective.”

Yang Ye asked: "Where is the Grand View Studio?"

Hong Jingbao said: "The Grand View Studio is too old and there are not many people there now!"

Daguan Studios was built in 1940 when Daguansheng Film Company purchased and renovated the villa of Lingnan tycoon Liang Renfu in Diamond Mountain.

By 1958, Daguansheng Film Company stopped making movies, and the studio focused on leasing.

Yang Ye thought for a moment and said, "What do you think... I buy the Daguan Studio and expand it into our own studio?"

Hong Jingbao's eyes lit up: "Of course that's good!"

Yang Ye said with a smile: "Daguan Studios is in Diamond Mountain, next door is Ax Mountain where Golden Harvest Studios is located, and behind it is Clear Water Bay where Shaw Brothers Studios is located. It's a good deal."

In Hong Kong, why do you have to go to a studio to make a movie?

This is because the British Hong Kong government has very strict control over the entertainment industry. It not only imposes high entertainment taxes, but also imposes various restrictions on the locations where movies can be shot.

For example, if the crew wants to film in urban Hong Kong, it will be difficult to apply for a filming permit.

That's why Chen Longhong, Jingbao and others have so many kung fu films from the early Republic of China. Because it's difficult to apply for filming in urban areas, it's very troublesome to film modern films.

When shooting a costume film, a lot of investment is made in various sets and costumes.

On the contrary, it was most convenient to shoot a film in the early Republic of China. Just wear a big coat and a pair of cloth shoes, and you didn't even have to do your hairstyle. It was all about convenience and saving money.

By the 80s, everyone was tired of watching Kung Fu movies in the early Republic of China and faced the situation of being eliminated.

Modern dramas were not allowed to be filmed in urban Hong Kong, so Chen Long simply traveled around the world to film in Europe and the United States.

This helpless move inadvertently opened up the pattern of Chen Long's films, making his films very fashionable and international, becoming one of the factors that are widely popular around the world.

The decision was made, Yang Ye, accompanied by Hong Jingbao, went to visit Zhao Shushen, a senior in the film industry.

In 1933, Zhao Shushen founded the Grand View Film Studio in San Francisco, USA, and produced a Cantonese film "Singing Lovers", which caused a sensation in the Chinese areas of North America and Southeast Asia.

In 1935, Zhao Shushen moved the Grand View Film Studio to Hong Kong and was the founder of Hong Kong's color films, stereo films, and wide-screen films.

He later quit the production business when he reached retirement age and his children were unwilling to work in the film industry.

For such a senior in the film industry, Yang Ye was still very considerate. He first asked Hong Jingbao to help contact him, explain his intentions, and see if he could pay a visit.

Zhao Shushen was also very considerate of Yang Ye, an internationally renowned rising star in the film industry. Hearing that Yang Ye wanted to acquire Daguan Studios, he personally invited him to meet at the studio.

Yang Ye and Hong Jingbao drove to Diamond Mountain, parked the car and walked in.

Yang Ye asked: "Sanmao, are there any diamonds here?"

Hong Jingbao smiled and said: "There is a quarry nearby, and diamonds appear every day. It's called Diamond Mountain."

"Damn, it's actually a verb!" Yang Ye couldn't laugh or cry.

Hong Jingbao sighed: "I haven't been here for a long time. I entered the industry when I was 12 years old, which was when I was growing tall. The fast food at the Grand View Studio costs 1 yuan and 2 cents a portion. The rice is enough. I can eat ten portions of rice in one breath. Selling rice Everyone is afraid of me."

Yang Yexin said, "I'm afraid, too, if people like you are like you, I won't be able to do other people's business."

The two walked for a while and arrived at the office area of ​​the set, where Zhao Shushen was already waiting.

Zhao Shushen is over 70 years old. He has gray hair and is in good spirits. He wears a pair of glasses and looks like an intellectual from the old era.

Yang Ye hurriedly stepped forward to shake hands with the old man: "I'd like you to greet him personally!"

Zhao Shushen said with a smile: "Aye, you have won a lot of glory for us Chinese people in the past two years. I have met you a long time ago."

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhao Shushen's Daguan Studio produced a large number of anti-Japanese films. He is a patriot, so he appreciates what Yang Ye has done in the past few years.

If the old man and the young man give each other face, business matters will be easier to discuss.

Both Shaw Brothers and Left Wing have their own studios, but Grand View Studios does not make movies, so its facilities are naturally becoming obsolete.

Nowadays, everyone is used to going to the Ax Mountain Road Studio in Jiahe to film, so the rental business here is not very good.

Since Yang Ye was willing to take over, and Zhao Shushen had a good impression of Yang Ye, the two parties quickly agreed to transfer the Daguan Studio together with the land to Yang Ye for a price of 600 million Hong Kong dollars.

Why doesn't Yang Ye just buy a piece of land and build his own studio?

Because it can't be done!
The purpose of purchasing land must be clearly defined. You can only build a studio if the Hong Kong government approves it.

In the 90s, Jiahe's Ax Mountain Road studio was reclaimed because the government wanted to use the land for other purposes.

Then the Hong Kong government put up a piece of land in Tseung Kwan O for auction, which could be used to build a studio. Golden Harvest was bound to win.Unexpectedly, Wang Jing teamed up with several major film companies to trick Jiahe.

Jiahe lost the studio and sadly quit.

In some Hong Kong entertainment novels, the protagonist likes to go to Tseung Kwan O and buy a piece of land, and then move all the TV stations, studios, record companies, etc. there, and build it into an entertainment empire...

Building a hammer is nonsense.This is impossible!

After Yang Ye got the Grand View Studio, he immediately closed the studio and started renovations. It is expected that it will be open to the public by the end of the year.As for where to film in the past few months?
Yang Ye’s approach is... subsidies!
If those small and medium-sized film companies take their films to Baiyang Cinemas for release, then Baiyang is willing to provide appropriate subsidies based on box office results for the extra rental fees they pay at Jiahe Studios.

In this case, movies that are not scheduled for Golden Harvest will still be released by Baiyang Cinemas.

Anyway, it's just a transition period of a few months, just get through it.

……

As the spiritual leader of the Chinese martial arts community, Yang Ye opened his martial arts gym in a very low-key manner.

"Yang's Guoshu Museum" combines tradition and modernity and divides enrollment into two types.

The first type is Yang Ye's direct disciples, and the enrollment targets are people with a foundation in kung fu.

There is no restriction on men and women, but the prerequisite is to pass a series of tests and gain Yang Ye's approval.

As for how to get Yang Ye's approval... there is no way.

The main thing is a destiny.

If Yang Ye thinks it's okay, then you will be qualified to become a disciple.

After obtaining the qualification, if you are willing, you need to kowtow, serve tea, and worship Yang Ye as your teacher.

Yang Ye does not charge tuition fees, takes care of food and housing, and teaches him real kung fu.

The second type is for people in the society. As long as you have money, you can be called a member without becoming a disciple.

But the fees are very expensive. The annual membership fee starts at [-] Hong Kong dollars, and other expenses are calculated separately. Ordinary people cannot afford to study.

This is mainly because Yang Ye doesn't have the energy to expand too much now, so he just... only makes money from the rich.

However, there are still many wealthy people in Hong Kong, and Yang Ye’s fees are so expensive. Even before it opens, more than 100 people have already happily paid.

This is really good money!
However, the money they paid was not in vain, it was actually a very good deal.

In addition to learning basic martial arts routines and fighting skills.

Yang Ye's martial arts gym is actually more like an alternative gym.

Yang Ye recruited a group of students from universities such as the University of Hong Kong in advance, and after training, gave them a new profession...nutritionists.

Of course, this profession already exists in Europe and the United States, but... Yang Ye's health care philosophy is 50 years ahead of this era and is completely different.

Therefore, when you come to Yang Ye's martial arts gym, learning martial arts is the second most important thing. The key lies in scientific training and scientific health care...

The membership fee is a bit expensive, but it’s definitely worth it!
You must know that training methods are very important. It was difficult for Chinese flying star Su Bingtian to run under ten seconds before. He went to the United States to hire an awesome coach Randy Huntington. After training for a period of time, he dominated Asia.

In sports competitions, various records are constantly being refreshed. The Olympic champion in the 70s might not have even been qualified to compete in the era when Yang Ye originally lived.

why?
Are people 50 years from now better than people 50 years ago?
Of course not, it is because of the accumulation of technology that people have developed new and more reasonable training methods step by step to achieve better results.

And this is where Yang Ye's martial arts hall is more advanced than others.

Anyone who pays membership fees can enjoy some preliminary exercise tutorials and nutritional combinations.

If you want to go further, you need professional coaches and salespeople to provide professional services.

Of course, fees will also go up.

If you want Yang Ye to train you personally, the cost...hehe!
In addition to the above-mentioned personal disciples and martial arts gym members, Yang Ye will also accept some special disciples.

For example... French actress Isabelle Adjani.

When the "Yang Family Martial Arts Hall" opened, Adjani was present in person and stated that she was Yang Ye's disciple.

She also showed off her Wing Chun skills with embroidered fists and legs, which surprised the members present.

Yang Ye will also plan to recruit some such disciples in the future to fill up the facade and show off.

The last thing that happened before the opening of the "Yang Family Martial Arts Hall" was the apprenticeship ceremony of one of Yang Ye's direct disciples.

The old society emphasized that "art should not be passed on lightly" and "it would be better to give a piece of gold as a gift than to pass on a piece of spring."

Hong Kong is a society where everything is based on money. Old traditions and new rules go hand in hand. In fact, there is no longer so much emphasis on it. Opening a tavern and teaching apprentices is, to put it bluntly, just a business. Just give money.

Yang Ye naturally followed the instructions and harvested rich people without mercy. As for recruiting the so-called direct disciples, he had another purpose.

To put it bluntly, it is to recall those promising people to my subordinates in advance and determine the status of master and apprentice so that they can be used by me.

Moreover, when he first accepted Zong Yougui as his disciple, he didn't take it seriously at all.

Now that he has established his own business and taught apprentices, the only closed disciple is a Japanese girl. This is really unreasonable.

No matter what, you have to accept a Chinese girl, right?

So Yang Ye found Hui Yinghong, who had filmed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with her, and asked her if she would like to become his teacher.

How could Hui Yinghong not be willing to do this kind of pie-in-the-sky thing?

So, after going through the process of apprenticeship in the old society, Yang Ye sat on the Taishi chair, and Hui Yinghong kowtowed three times respectfully.

When Yang Ye drinks Hui Ying Hongjing's tea, the master-disciple relationship between the two is finalized.

(End of this chapter)