Extracting skills from movies

After spending more than half an hour admiring the beautiful scenery, Du Sheng sat comfortably on the leather sofa.

Amanda tidied up her messy clothes, then sat down next to him and gave him a gentle massage.

Although Li Yixin looked a little tired, she had to cheer up and began to report on the development status of Lianzhong (LME) Video.

Her voice was a little hoarse, obviously because she was too excited when she was looking at the scenery just now.

“Since the company was founded, it has had 108 million registered users, with a peak daily visit volume of about 296 million.

In addition to Dehua Fund, several other venture capital institutions have shown interest in us.”

She continued:
“The company’s biggest expenses currently lie in servers, bandwidth, team expenses and litigation costs.

According to the style here, the financing conditions are basically consistent.

As for after financing, there are several things that need to be done in advance.

First, support high-quality ecosystems and creators to ensure that the website has continuous high-quality content;

Second, we will strengthen cooperation with traditional media such as North American radio and television stations to expand channel resources;

The third is to expand revenue-generating businesses and find profits as soon as possible..."

The business environment in the beacon country is significantly different from that in China. Although TVING and LME Video are both streaming platforms, the problems they face are different.

For example, selling points, focus areas, service groups, etc.

But what is the same is that both need a lot of content to attract users when they are first started.

Therefore, we have also experienced a stage of editing or unauthorized broadcasting of film and television works.

However, the beacon country has extremely strict intellectual property protection.

Even if these actions are nominally carried out spontaneously by users, as long as they are placed on the platform, they still involve infringement issues.

In addition, foreign users also have a strong sense of rights.

Whenever issues such as copyright, privacy protection, video deletion or whereabouts are involved, many legal disputes often arise.

Therefore, since its establishment, in addition to expenses such as rent, servers, and broadband, the company has also spent a lot of money on legal affairs.

After all, Li Yixin and the Hearst sisters are daughters of famous socialites. They have high vision and are well aware that as the company expands, they can no longer rely on marginalized operating methods.

In order to achieve long-term development, more funds must be raised to support high-quality original works.

On the other hand, we actively seek cooperation with traditional media to obtain entertainment-related content.

This will not only attract more tourists, but also gradually establish stable channels and revenue-generating points.

Du Sheng nodded slightly and said:
“If you want to expand your scale, financing is indeed the only way.

But there is no need to give it to others at the beginning, we can directly use offshore funds or our funds. "

Amanda asked in surprise:
“Didn’t you try to keep a low profile before and not let outsiders know that there was a Dongfang shadow behind the two platforms?

Moreover, we plan to raise 3000 million US dollars for Lianzhong platform in the early stage. Will the withdrawal of so much money affect your other plans? "

3000 million US dollars, which converts to more than 2 million.

This is not something that anyone can just take out.

Du Sheng shook his head slightly and explained:

"This is just an initial investment. I will withdraw it later and make a profit from the difference."

Dehua Fund is waiting to take over, so of course he has to maximize the value.

“As for funding, you don’t need to worry.

I believe that it won’t be long before tens of millions of dollars will come in, which will be more than enough to pay for this financing.”

With the help of Zhang Fan, Du Sheng successfully sold his shares in TVING website at a price that made him quite satisfied.

According to the contract, the money will arrive next month at the latest.

Hearing this news, Amanda's eyes lit up and she said excitedly:

“Will you use this money for other investments? If there is no special purpose, the best option is to give it to Lianzhong (LME) Video for full development.

And subsequent plans can be carried out in advance, no longer limited to steady progress.”

After all, Lianzhong (LME) Video is located overseas and plans to be listed on Dengta in the future. It is impossible for Du Sheng to devote all his attention to it.

So he brought the Hearst sisters and Li Yixin into the game, and he was only responsible for the general direction.

"What are your follow-up plans? Tell me about them for reference.

I originally planned to allocate this money to the animated film, you have to show your sincerity to convince me. "

Amanda misunderstood Du Sheng's meaning, thinking that he had not been liberated just now. She gave him a charming look and slowly squatted down.

Du Sheng smiled in surprise, but did not interrupt her.

After a while, Amanda's voice also became a little hoarse.

Du Sheng patted her shoulder gently and reminded her:

"Tell us in detail about your plans and ideas.

You all know the value of $5 million, especially in New York, a financial center, where every dollar counts.”

"Of course, this money is a large investment for our Hearst Group."

Amanda responded confidently:
“Come to think of it, we have actually studied the companies you founded in the East a long time ago.

For example, Renren.com owes its success largely to its traffic and data sales model.

The basis of this model is to provide basic services for free to attract a wide range of users.

The paid membership system can provide additional value to users who pursue a higher experience..."

Li Yixin took over the topic and added:

“In the beacon country, the characteristics of the market are different from those in the East.

The per capita spending here is higher, and consumers are more willing to pay for high-quality content and services.

My philosophy is 'insist on original protection, optimize personalized recommendations, and open multi-terminal device integration'.

As long as LME Video can continue to provide rich and interesting content, it can effectively attract and retain users.

However, the model of relying solely on advertising revenue is too single and easily affected by external factors, which is not conducive to long-term development..."

She went on to explain her strategy:

“Therefore, I think we should take a diversified development path.

On the one hand, we will continue to optimize our advertising business and maintain existing free services;
On the other hand, it will increase investment in self-produced content, including on-demand and membership privileges, to enhance user stickiness and platform competitiveness.

This dual-track strategy will enable Lianzhong (LME) Video to grow more steadily.”

Du Sheng nodded in agreement:
“You are right. Even with Hearst Group’s newspapers, television, magazines and other content delivery, relying solely on advertising still has risks.

So, how do you plan to use this money?"

Li Yixin explained:

“My plan is to set up a content production company that will focus on producing original films and TV shows.

The content system of Lianzhong (LME) Video will cover self-made, purchased and user-generated parts, all of which require financial support.

Originally I envisioned a gradual expansion, but now with $5 million we can accelerate the process.

We are even considering capital mergers and acquisitions to grow rapidly..."

These young ladies do have some unique insights.

According to their ideas, Lianzhong (LME) Video has integrated some of the experience of iQiyi, Youku and Tencent Video.

It is really possible for it to become a streaming media giant with both strong content production capabilities and a broad user base.

Of course, this not only requires a large amount of capital investment, but also means potential huge returns. If successful, as long as Ourgame (LME) Video maintains good cooperation with Hearst and Sony, it will indeed have the opportunity to become a leader in the streaming media industry in the country and even the world, with a market value expected to exceed hundreds of billions of dollars.

After thinking for a moment, Du Sheng said:
“Then let’s move this money to your side first, and the production of How to Train Your Dragon can be delayed a bit.

But the money will have to be recovered by the year after next at the latest, so you must be fully prepared."

This is not only for investing in animated films, but more importantly, "Wanted" will also start shooting next year, which also requires money.

Besides, the financial crisis is coming again, and this is an opportunity not to be missed!

What Soros could do in his previous life, why can’t he do?

"clear."

Amanda nodded slightly:
"We will fully mobilize the power of funds and capital to ensure that the company completes the angel round of financing before the year after next."

As socialites who are well versed in the business rules of the Beacon Country, they also jointly created a clothing and handbag brand last year and are well aware of the ins and outs of it.

"Oppa, that's settled then."

Li Yixin said excitedly:

"Once the funds from Dehua Fund are in place, we will move forward with the acquisition project."

Du Sheng raised his eyebrows and asked:
"Tell me more specifically, which companies have you chosen?"

Amanda answered first:
“First, I planned to acquire an established media company in New York.

It has rich industry experience and resources and can help Lianzhong (LME) Video quickly improve the efficiency and profitability of its advertising business.

Secondly, I plan to set up a professional production team.

My family owns 18 local TV stations covering 29% of lighthouse households, and has many professional talents who can serve as the backbone.

In addition, after MGM was acquired by you and Sony, some professionals left.”

She also mentioned the copyright planning:

"In addition, I can also sell the copyrights of my TV station's classic films and music at a low price to enrich our content library.

At the same time, we will also focus on the film and television adaptations of games and comics to accumulate IP for future content creation..."

Du Sheng nodded with satisfaction.

This guy is really an example of a person with an outward-looking arm!
As expected of the heir of Hearst Group, he is very skilled in maneuvering.

The reason why Du Sheng invited the Hurst sisters to join the game was because he was optimistic about her ability to poach her own players.

After thinking about it, he decided to expand their thinking:

“I think 3D, special effects, artificial intelligence and other aspects are also worth paying attention to.

For example, Digital Domain, a company on the verge of bankruptcy, is now in deep financial crisis and its founder is interested in selling it.”

The company has been involved in the special effects production of classic films such as "Judgement Day", "The Fifth Element" and "The Matrix".

In terms of ability, he is among the top five in Hollywood.

Seeing that the two girls seemed to be thinking about something, he continued:
“The company lacked effective management and business strategies, resulting in the accumulation of a large amount of debt during blind expansion and cross-border investment.

If we can successfully acquire, restructure and focus on our core business, this company will still be very profitable.”

"According to my estimate, the purchase price is about $1800 million, but we need to assume its existing debt..."

As far as Du Sheng knows, someone will take over the company next year.

Considering that blockbusters such as "Wanted", "John Wick", "Taken" and "How to Train Your Dragon" all require outstanding special effects, we must be prepared in this regard.

Therefore, he had already asked Ye Jingzhi's team to closely monitor the other party's movements.

During this visit to the Lighthouse Country, he even considered contacting the person in charge of this company to discuss the acquisition.

At present, the development speed of the domestic special effects industry has not kept pace with demand.

If the acquisition is successful this time, not only will we be able to acquire a world-class special effects team, but we will also be able to promote exchanges and learning among domestic special effects talents, which is a win-win situation.

Du Sheng also proposed using Lianzhong (LME) Video as the acquirer, which would reduce external resistance.

Amanda's beautiful eyes lit up and she nodded quickly:
"Leave it to me. I have a professional company in this field.
As long as the person in charge of Digital Domain wants to stay in Los Angeles, the debt will definitely be reduced a lot.”

She planned to negotiate with him by claiming to be Hearst's heir, hoping that the other party would not dare to touch her.

Du Sheng gave a few more suggestions:

“Regarding copyright acquisition, you might as well get in touch with the untapped comic copyrights of DC and Marvel.

These are not of high value at the moment, but have great potential in the future.

At the same time, the TV series should meet the tastes of young users of Lianzhong (LME) video, and the subject matter, IP, resources, etc. should be coordinated..."

Li Yixin's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she responded seriously:
“Okay, I’ll take care of these things right away.

With your support and guidance, I believe that Lianzhong (LME) Video will achieve greater development! "

Du Sheng smiled and nodded, becoming more clear about the future plans.

If this succeeds, it will not only inject powerful momentum into LME Video, but also pave the way for his international film career.

Amanda thought for a moment and asked:
"Brother Sheng, which dramas do you think are more suitable for platform promotion?

Also, if you have some free time, could you provide some ideas?"

Du Sheng patted her shoulder gently and said with a smile:
“Although I have achieved certain success in Asia, it does not mean that I understand the preferences of audiences in the beacon country.

Do you trust my taste so much?"

Amanda curled up in Du Sheng's arms with her graceful body and chuckled:
"Of course, in my mind, nothing can stump you.

Moreover, excellent plays have something in common. As long as you are willing to think about it, you will definitely be able to make it fit.

Yi Xin and I are just two of the partners of LME. In fact, you are the boss behind the scenes.

You can't just care about the Asian girls, we need your support too."

Du Sheng smiled.

But he didn't object.

This time when he comes here, in addition to professional guidance, he will of course also focus on career development.

Li Yixin nodded and agreed:

"Oppa, you are our idol. We are all looking forward to you making it big in Hollywood."

For Li Yixin and Amanda, at first they just joined LME for fun.

But as the company grew, their affection for the platform grew.

During this period, he also used his personal connections to facilitate several important and profitable contracts.

Du Sheng smiled slightly and said:

"Of course you can come up with ideas, but how much you can provide depends on your sincerity."

Although he didn't quite remember the classic American TV series he had watched in his previous life, as long as the lottery interface was there, he would have a chance to win them in the future.

Amanda hooked her arms around Du Sheng's neck, with a hint of resentment in her voice:
"We were just dragged by you to enjoy the street view. Why don't we wait for Lydia and Blake to come~"

Although they missed each other a lot after not seeing each other for a while, the opponent's output was getting stronger and stronger, and they couldn't stand it.

Du Sheng patted her shoulder gently and said with a smile:
"Not long ago, which pair of sisters wanted to be my personal secretaries?

This is your responsibility, why are you refusing now?"

Amanda had no choice but to hide in his arms and refused to get up, saying:
"That's no refusal. I'm just waiting for Lydia and Blake to arrive so we can serve you together!"

………(End of chapter)