China Entertainment: Been working as a director since 03

Chapter 593 Natural Advantages
"I don't want to make bad movies, I have to support people. So many people depend on me for their livelihood, if I don't work, what will they eat?
I don’t have the talent you have, Director Li. It’s great if I can spend a few years honing my skills to make a good work.

It’s really hard to maintain high production and high quality at the same time, and for me it’s impossible.”

Wang Jing admitted his shortcomings very frankly.

"With the speed at which you produce films, no one can maintain the high quality of each one." Li Yu shook his head and said.

Wang Jing produces new works much faster than him. It is common for this guy to release three or four movies a year.

Note that the three or four films he releases in a year are not his entire output for the year.

He also serves as a screenwriter or producer in other crews. He is really as productive as a sow.

"Twenty or thirty years ago, the Hong Kong film industry was popular throughout East Asia and was known as the Hollywood of the East. But now it has to rely on continuously producing bad films to support its employees. Sigh..."

Li Yu sighed. He didn't know how to comment.

Wang Jing was very sad. In the 1980s, Hong Kong films were really flourishing, with zombie films, police and gangster films, martial arts films, and comedies appearing one after another.

It is impossible for a director like Wang Jing who has experienced that time not to miss the golden age of Hong Kong films.

Unfortunately, I can't go back.

“The so-called Oriental Hollywood is nothing but a way of flattering oneself. Hong Kong movies can never compete head-on with Hollywood blockbusters.

How big is their market? How big is Hong Kong Island's market? Their market can support the profits of blockbusters with investments of several hundred million.

It’s not that Hong Kong’s film companies haven’t tried, but most of those films with big investments ended up losing money.

What’s even more terrible is that Hollywood is not only strong, but is also gradually eroding the living space of Hong Kong films.

Taiwan used to be a very important box office for Hong Kong films.

After Hollywood blockbusters entered the Taiwanese film market, Hong Kong films were defeated step by step and did not even have the ability to fight back.

Some film practitioners in Hong Kong are very short-sighted. Once a gambling film becomes popular, a few months later all the films are gambling films, and most of them are shoddy and bad films. Audiences are even less interested in watching Hong Kong films.

The decline of Hong Kong films is not only due to the loss of votes from Taiwan and Southeast Asia, but also has a lot to do with the people of Hong Kong Island themselves. "

Wang Jing felt somewhat disappointed when he recounted these old stories.

Li Yu could understand everything Wang Jing said.

It is really difficult to make a blockbuster by relying on a small market with only a few million people.

What is the scale of Hollywood? During its peak period, there were 200,000 to 300,000 employees, while Hong Kong Island had only 20,000 during its peak period. Their size can crush people.

"Okay, stop talking about your bad movies and the past of Hong Kong films. The past is the past, and no matter how much you regret it, you can't change the facts that have already happened. Why don't you think about how to make a good movie to restore its reputation? I have a project here." Li Yu said.

"Detective Chinatown 3?" Wang Jing's brows raised and the smile on his face deepened.

He had long wanted to urge Li Yu to write the script for "Detective Chinatown 3" for him as soon as possible, but Li Yu just refused to write it, and he couldn't do anything about it.

He couldn't go to Li Yu with bullets and money like the Hong Kong gangs did 20 or 30 years ago and force Li Yu to choose between the two.

"No, it's a TV series, similar to 'Kuang Da'. If you can shoot it well, it won't be worse than 'Kuang Da'." Li Yu said again.

It was not "Detective Chinatown 3". The moment Wang Jing learned about it, a brief flash of disappointment passed through his mind.

When he heard that it was compared with "Storm", his interest was piqued again.

In just a few seconds, his mood went through ups and downs, which was more exciting than riding a roller coaster.

Wang Jing has personally witnessed how popular "Storm" is. It is the TV work with the highest ratings in recent years.

What made him even more envious was the profitability of "Kuang Biao". He heard that Li Yu and the investors were counting money until their hands were tired.

"What kind of work? Is there a script? It's so good, it can even be compared with "Kuang Biao"." Wang Jing couldn't believe it. It was good enough for a hit drama like "Kuang Biao" to come out once every two years.

"Of course there is a script. Would I dare to call you here when you are busy making money through roadshows without a script?" Li Yu handed the optimized version of "The King of Thieves of the Century" to Wang Jing.

The prototype of Brother Hao himself was nicknamed the Thief King of the Century. The amount of money he extorted was so huge that it was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.

So Li Yu simply used his nickname as the title of the film, which is simple and easy to understand.

As a native of Hong Kong Island, it is impossible for Wang Jing not to have heard of Brother Hao's story.

I think that generation of people in Hong Kong Island have more or less heard of Brother Hao’s story.

When Wang Jing saw the four large Song-style characters "Century Thief King" written on the cover, he had already guessed who the protagonist was.

When he opened the first page, the protagonist's name was exactly what he had guessed.

There's no need to read this script.

Haoge's story is legendary enough, and the script is written by Li Yu. Is there any need to watch it? Even without watching it, you know that he has the potential to be a big hit.

The story of Gao Qiqiang climbing up step by step from a fishmonger to the underground emperor of Jinghai is exciting enough.

Compared with Brother Hao, it is still a little inferior.

"Can this be filmed?" Wang Jing was only worried about this question now.

"Why can't it be filmed? If it was possible to film it more than ten years ago, there's no reason why it can't be filmed." Li Yu didn't even need to use his connections to get the script approved easily.

Because the big villain rose to power in Hong Kong Island, where he was lawless and did whatever he wanted, and was only caught when he arrived in the mainland.

This is also the reason why "Escape from the Past" has been rebroadcast more than 200 times.

In a sense, this is a propaganda film.

Movies like "Rampage" and "In the Name" definitely haven't been replayed that many times.

Especially "In the Name", this drama can only be watched on online video platforms and has never been rebroadcast on TV stations.

"Director Wang, I feel like you're somewhat disrespectful to me. Are you questioning a guy who was able to make a horror movie in the early 2000s?
If I dare you to shoot, you will definitely be able to shoot. Whether you can shoot or not is not your concern, you should be concerned about how to shoot this script well.

Let me tell you, someone filmed this story more than ten years ago and it has become a classic.

Even if we can’t replicate the classics, we can’t fall too far short of them, or we’ll be embarrassed.”

Li Yu said seriously.

This is probably one of the reasons why no one has remade it over the years.

“I’m not exaggerating, if you ask me to shoot science fiction or military movies, I may not be able to do it well.

Shooting this kind of crime and police films is the specialty of our Hong Kong directors. I have heard the story in the script myself in Hong Kong before.

I have also seen real gangs and real gangsters like Hao Ge.

I have a natural advantage over mainland directors when it comes to shooting this type of film.”

Wang Jing is very confident.

"Okay, as long as you have confidence, this matter is settled. Tiantian and I have invested part of the money, and you can make up the rest," said Li Yu.

If you want Wang Jing to put in his best effort to make this drama, you have to give up some of your interests.

The better the filming, the more money he can earn, and Wang Jing is more motivated.

(End of this chapter)