Extracting skills from movies

For the company, this is actually a good thing.

As copyright prices rise, smaller websites will struggle to compete, leading to a shakeout where better performers emerge, making TVING's advantages even more apparent.

Market share can still be boosted again.

Lin Jiayi had just finished speaking when Liu Xiaoli continued:

"The animated film 'Painting Rivers and Lakes' is scheduled for release on New Year's Day next year. The theatrical release schedule has been finalized, but we still need the cooperation of various departments in promotion."

The advertising flyer and cooperation details have been sent via email. Please reply to me tomorrow.

Those in the know understand that the best time to release animated films is during the summer holidays, when there are more children and the box office potential is huge.

However, this summer's release coincided with two Hollywood blockbusters, and fearing it would be overshadowed, "Painting Rivers and Lakes" had to be rescheduled.

Coincidentally, "How to Train Your Dragon" became a box office hit on New Year's Day last year, creating a box office miracle.

"Painting Rivers and Lakes" also wanted to ride the wave of good fortune, so it simply chose the same release date, hoping to replicate the success.

The current Liu Xiaoli is no longer the agent behind Liu Yifei back then. She speaks fluently and logically, exuding the aura of a strong woman.

The group's monthly meetings have been held for so many years that the process is very familiar and the efficiency is extremely high.

In less than two hours, everything was discussed, and the meeting ended at just past four o'clock.

Du Sheng returned to his office and said to Tong Liya:
"Once the meeting assistant has compiled this month's briefing, I'll print a copy and show it to Mr. Zhong."

Tong Liya responded, walked behind him, and gently massaged his shoulders with her slender fingers, her voice soft:
"Brother Sheng... I want a baby too."

Tong Liya is 25 years old this year, so it's normal for her to have this idea.

I didn't mention it before because I still have two dramas to film, and I'm very career-oriented, so I wanted to sort out my work first.

Now that filming is almost finished, and with her good friend Fan Bingbing having just given birth to a daughter, she's also tempted.

Du Sheng glanced at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then his gaze swept downwards:

"That depends on how well you perform."

Tong Liya wore a dark-colored business suit today. The pencil skirt accentuated her long, straight legs, and paired with her exotic beauty, she looked incredibly alluring.

She immediately understood, her face flushed, and her voice was so sweet it could melt your heart:

"I brought body oil... can..."

Before she finished speaking, she took off her shoes, lifted her skirt, applied lotion, and obediently leaned closer...

Over the next few days, Du Sheng basically shuttled between the company and promoting her new film.

It looks busy, but it's actually not tiring at all.

At the company level, he only focuses on the big picture.

For example, how to allocate the game promotion budget and which copyrights TVING should purchase are all handled by subordinates.

The production team had it much easier. Huang Deli took charge of the overall situation, and directors Ye Weixin, Ning Hao, Ju Jueliang, and Li Dachao helped out. The process went very smoothly, and he didn't have to worry about anything.

Take the post-production of "Agent 3" for example. He would occasionally go to the editing room to take a look, offer some suggestions, and leave the rest to the professional team.

Meanwhile, on the game side, Huang Guanzhong would occasionally send test feedback on "Dou Zhan Shen," and Du Sheng would reply with a few words whenever he had a spare moment.

For example, suggestions include strengthening guild wars and optimizing the new player guide.

After all, he had been through similar experiences in his previous life, so he knew exactly where the pitfalls were.

.........

That day, Du Sheng had just finished recording a promotional program for "Inception" on Phoenix TV.

I was packing my things to fly abroad to join the film crew when a message popped up on my phone.

It was sent by the World Cup organizing committee.

He was invited to be the presenter for the "World Footballer of the Year" award.

He glanced at the time, shook his head, and smiled.

It just so happened to coincide with the global promotional period for "Inception," so how could he have time to join in the fun?

The promotional campaign for "Inception" has been underway for a long time. After touring the domestic market, they have to fly abroad to meet with the film crew. Every minute of their schedule is packed.

The presenter had no choice but to reluctantly decline the award.

When the weekend arrived, Du Sheng flew to New York.

As soon as I exited the airport, I saw Elizabeth, Taylor, and Ma Yaowei waiting for me.

Upon meeting, Du Sheng first hugged and kissed Elizabeth and Taylor one by one for a while, then turned to Ma Yaowei and asked with a smile:
"Where's the Christmas present I asked you to prepare?"

Ma Yaowei immediately pulled a box out of the trunk, opened it, and took a look.

The latest Miracle phone, limited edition bags, and a bunch of exquisitely carved jade stones.

Among them are Buddha statues, small animals, and even a few sculpted in the likeness of beautiful women, all incredibly lifelike.

Taylor, being quite knowledgeable, picked up a piece of jade and examined it from all angles, his face full of curiosity:
"Is this Hetian jade?"
This carving...it looks a bit like me.

"That's right, several of them were made in your style. Take a look and see which one you like."

Du Sheng explained with a smile.

Elizabeth and Taylor's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

They quickly crowded around to look through it, laughing and exclaiming in amazement, just like opening a blind box.

When they returned to their lodgings, Hades pulled Du Sheng aside.

I have important business to discuss privately.

Elizabeth was so clever; she immediately pulled Taylor away to look at other gifts.

Du Sheng led Hades into the study, and Hades went straight to the point:

"Mr. Du, Miracle Pictures has always been eyeing the copyrights to novels and comics, hasn't it?"

Gillian Flynn's new book, *The Dark Place*, recently topped the bestseller list, but it turns out we contacted her first, and she immediately signed with Warner Bros., who also acquired the adaptation rights.

Du Sheng nodded, his face calm:
"It's her freedom to choose to work with Warner, and I have no objection."

Haders then asked:
"But how did the news spread so fast? Warner's reaction was too quick."

Du Sheng disagreed:

"There are many people on the crew, and many of them have dealt with Warner Bros., so it's normal for information to leak out."

Haders then changed the subject:
"There's one more thing."

Warner Bros. just acquired Underwriters Pictures, adding another subsidiary to its portfolio.

Du Sheng understood immediately and asked directly:
"You mean, Warner is trying to use this tactic to pressure me into giving up my MGM shares?"

"These are all superficial."

Haders continued:
"Warner Bros. also officially sent a letter to CAA stating that the revenue sharing for 'The Departed' and 'Taken' would be delayed due to 'overseas channel integration' and 'bank verification issues'."

Du Sheng raised an eyebrow.

The peak revenue period for "The Departed" has long passed, and the remaining revenue from peripheral merchandise is not a major impact.

But Taken is different.

Warner also participated in the joint distribution, and there will be additional revenue from DVDs and online streaming, which will account for a significant portion of the total revenue.

More importantly, Inception was also co-produced with Warner Bros., and the collaboration is deeply intertwined and cannot be severed in the short term.

"How long do they plan to drag this out?" Du Sheng asked.

"It can take anywhere from a few months to a year."

Haders replied:

"Warner's meaning is very clear: all revenue sharing involving Miracle Pictures and MGM will only be paid on the last possible date."

He paused, then added:
"They haven't defaulted on their contract, yet they've managed to cut off our cash flow. They've got a pretty clever plan."

It's important to understand that Hollywood's payment terms are inherently flexible. In the past, thanks to his connections with Hearst and his own prestigious reputation, Warner Bros. would usually transfer the money midway through the payment period, never delaying it like this.

With a major reshuffle at the top, favoritism and closeness will naturally prevail.

Du Sheng asked again:

"Are they only targeting Miracle Pictures and MGM?"

"Not at all."

Haders shook his head:
"It's mainly aimed at partners who are not part of the Warner Music Group."

Du Sheng chuckled softly:
"It seems that Warner has been making great strides lately."

Haders' tone was somewhat helpless:
"In recent years, their performance has been disastrous globally. The new management is ambitious and believes that they will still have the final say in Hollywood for the next few decades."

Du Sheng stood up and paced around the study, mentally calculating:
"Miracle Pictures still owes Warner Bros. at least tens of millions of dollars in revenue sharing. If it drags on for another six months, the interest alone will be a huge sum."

Ma Yaowei, who hadn't spoken until now, interjected:

"We don't need Warner Bros. Let's treat 'Inception' as our last collaboration and strengthen our partnership with Sony and MGM."

Du Sheng nodded and turned to Hades:
"Go back and coordinate with Sony to see if we can settle a portion of the overseas revenue share for the Agent series ahead of schedule."

MGM is also working hard to advance its collaborative projects with other companies, lest Warner control its operations.

Haders immediately agreed:
"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

At this point, he couldn't help but say:
"Ultimately, in Hollywood right now, when it comes to distribution capabilities, Warner Bros. is still the most powerful, and few can compare."

Du Sheng raised an eyebrow and said slowly:

"But there's another one that's surging ahead, and it's doing really fast."

Haders immediately realized:
"You mean... Walt Disney?"

"Yes, that's it."

Du Sheng nodded:
"First they swallowed Pixar, then they took over Marvel. I just got the news."

Their next step is to acquire Lucasfilm as well.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yaowei's eyes lit up:
"Does that mean another big-budget sci-fi production is coming out soon?"

Du Sheng didn't respond to that, and continued her analysis with Haders:
"More importantly, Disney not only brought Hollywood studios and Touchstone Pictures together as a cohesive unit, but also managed its own distribution channels very well."

Hades remembered something and said:
"By the way, Amanda had a conversation with Warner Bros. about a follow-up project for 'Agent 3' a couple of days ago, but the talks fell through."

Warner Bros. took its cut of the distribution rights and extended the payment terms, leaving no room for negotiation.

Du Sheng had anticipated this.

If Warner Music were to loosen its stance so soon after establishing new rules, wouldn't that be a joke?
Not only were the subordinates dissatisfied, but even the senior management lost face.

After this series of suffocating actions, he basically lost all hope in Warner.

But Warner still remembered him, Haders continued:
"The Warner CEO contacted me and asked you to meet him at the Warner Bros. Studios building as soon as you arrive in Los Angeles."

Ma Yaowei chuckled upon hearing this:
"Why does it sound like you're giving a command?"

Haders came prepared, opening an audio file:
“You can’t make that decision. Once Du Sheng arrives in Los Angeles, have him come to Warner to see me.”

The tone was as if he were calling on a subordinate to report on their work.

Du Sheng wasn't angry after hearing this; he simply said:

"Let's talk about it after we finish things here."

In addition to deepening its cooperation with Sony, Miracle Pictures is also in talks with Disney.

Go back and help Amanda and the others, and move the negotiations forward a bit.

Haders nodded immediately:
"Okay, I'll go back tomorrow."

The study fell silent for a moment, and all three of them knew what was going on.

They've drifted further and further away from Warner.

This reshuffle at Warner's top management is like throwing a stone into water, causing the entire industry chain to shake.

In Hollywood, it's always been a matter of "following whoever is the strongest."

As Haders said, even though Warner takes a high cut and has long payment terms, most partners still choose to continue working with them.

After all, they've been at the top of the performance rankings for several consecutive years; their reputation is strong enough, which is more effective than anything else.

……

After finishing her business in New York, Du Sheng flew to Los Angeles.

Taylor had to shoot an advertisement for Chanel, and Elizabeth had to rush to film "Searching," so they each had their own plans.

Du Sheng wanted to finish things as soon as possible and finalize the distribution channels before filming his new movie "John Wick" started next year.

However, due to the need to coordinate with the promotion of "Inception", "John Wick" will not be able to start filming until after the Chinese New Year.

Early that morning, Du Sheng went to MGM and called the Hearst sisters and Hudders over to ask about the progress of negotiations with Disney.

Upon learning that the situation was still at a stalemate, he directly called Sony President Howard Schlinger.

Howard has always had a pleasant working relationship with Du Sheng, so he directly revealed his hand:
Sony takes a cut of the distribution revenue, 27% in North America after box office revenue sharing, and no more than 40% overseas. The exact amount is negotiable, and the contract also includes a guarantee clause.

The decision will not change within three years.

The sincerity is enough, but Du Sheng wants the duration to be doubled.

However, compared to Warner's direct increase to a 26% cut in North America, Sony's terms are already quite reasonable.

I had just hung up with Howard when another call came in.

The caller was Oliver, the head of West Coast Studios, who had previously served as a producer on "The Departed".

He knew that Du Sheng had come all the way from China and wanted to schedule a time to talk with Jones Dick from Warner.

Du Sheng set the date for noon.

After hanging up the phone, Ma Yaowei leaned over:
"Warner held a press conference yesterday, hosted by CEO Jones Dick himself, and even brought Gillian Flynn to the event. It seems they really value the novel adaptation."

Du Sheng smiled:
“It seems Jones Dick considers this a great achievement.”

"But that IP was originally targeted by Miracle Pictures first."

Ma Yaowei was a little unhappy:
"Just watch someone snatch the project away and do nothing?"

If Leonardo DiCaprio knew, he'd probably laugh himself to death.

Upon hearing this, Du Sheng suddenly found it quite interesting.

He stroked his chin and said with a smile:
"We can add some ingredients, it just depends on whether the other party takes the bait."

Warner is so arrogant now, he doesn't need to be polite.

If they don't do anything, it makes it seem like Chinese companies are easy to manipulate.

Ma Yaowei chuckled:
"It doesn't matter if they don't fall for it; it's just for fun."

Adding ingredients isn't something you can just do on a whim; you need the right tools.

Oliver is coming over now, and time is tight, so we can only do simple and straightforward work.

Just like Ma Yaowei said, it's okay if the other party doesn't follow the rules; just consider it a little trouble for them to pass the time.

While pondering this, Du Sheng casually asked:

"What kind of Hollywood movies are currently the most expensive to make, so expensive that they make people's wallets ache?"

Ma Yaowei can just spout off like that:
"Needless to say? Special effects blockbusters, superhero movies, action-explosive films—aren't they all money-devouring beasts?"

He paused, then seemed to remember something:
"Oh, and there are those epic fantasy movies, which are incredibly expensive in every way."

Warner Bros. has always wanted to make these kinds of animated films; the budget alone is terrifying.

…(End of this chapter)