Actor: Thank you.

Zhang Yuan looked at Zheng Xiaolong, who was completely bewildered when he heard that he wanted to "pay more money".

A 2000 million yuan set design is a huge sum of money, let alone for filming a TV series or even a movie.

You still think that's not enough?
He had his ideas, and Zhang Yuan had his own considerations.

Most investors are afraid of investing too much upfront and not being able to recoup their investment later.

Unless the purpose is to transfer assets or launder money from the outset, budget control for film and television productions is a major challenge.

But Zhang Yuan wasn't afraid of not recouping his investment, so he wasn't afraid of spending money.

There are several other reasons why he is not afraid.

First of all, the process of setting up a film set is similar to building a house.

It doesn't mean that once it's built, you can only live in it yourself.

You can also rent it out!

In Hengdian, large film crews don't have to pay rent when using his land.

So how does Hengdian Group make money?
The fact that there's no rent to pay is the first thing that attracts people.

With more film crews, there will be more people and jobs.

The surrounding service industry, medical care, and real estate can all flourish, and Hengdian Group has ventured into these areas.

Secondly, hotels.

You're here to film a movie, so you'll need to stay at a hotel, right?
You can't exactly set up a deck chair and sleep on set.

Okay, I own all the hotels nearby.

If the film crew isn't staying at a hotel under the Hengdian Group, surely I can stay somewhere else.

It's possible, but it's also not.

Because Hengdian World Studios is first and foremost a film and television city, and at the same time, it is also a tourist attraction.

Whether you're a film crew or a tourist, you have to buy a ticket to get in.

If you book a hotel room with Hengdian Group, you'll get a pass for the number of days you book.

If you're not staying at my shop, you'll have to buy a ticket to get in.

Or if you buy my property, the property management will give you a long-term pass.

That's how you make money by binding your account.

This is a way to make money on the sidelines.

How do you retrieve it once you get to the filming location?

The land is free; you can come here to build your scenery.

The sets, costing millions or even tens of millions, have been built and used up.

Elsewhere, it's disposable; you take it apart after use.

Hengdian is different; it has a plan.

If you say you want to film a Qing Dynasty drama, then build the sets in the Ming and Qing Palace area.

The Tang Dynasty had its own regions, and different opera genres had their own regions.

If they are all built together, they can quickly form a cluster.

Before filming begins, people from Hengdian will come to us.

It would be a waste to dismantle it after use, so why not cooperate with us?

After you've finished filming, hand it over to us and we'll rent it out.

We'll split the rent 50/50, and we'll handle the maintenance.

The production team of "Empresses in the Palace" had the budget to build their own sets.

The crew of the TV series "Fake Palace" next door didn't have enough money, so they had to rent a place.

How much does an empty room cost? How much does a furnished room cost? How much does a fully decorated room with all kinds of props cost?

M.

In this way, even after a large film crew finishes shooting, they can still have continuous rental income, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of yuan per year.

Small film crews have existing sets to use.

And Hengdian can therefore attract more people.

Because of this win-win planning, Hengdian has become the number one film and television city in China.

As per Zheng Xiaolong's requirements, his location is absolutely top-tier, among the best in the TV series, and the rent will be quite expensive in the future.

A small master bedroom costs 500 to 1000 per day.

Zheng Xiaolong is going to build a whole area of ​​houses, how many rooms?

Moreover, Zhang Yuan knew that as soon as "The Legend of Zhen Huan" appeared, there would be a lot of copycat works, and there would be no shortage of film crews renting sets.

This is still the visible long-term benefit.

This is all that Zheng Xiaolong and his wife can see.

But for Zhang Yuan, there are also hidden benefits.

Both Tangren and Yu Zheng are going to film Qing Dynasty dramas!

"Palace," "Scarlet Heart," and a whole host of other works...

My scene is reusable!

Even with well-arranged schedules, several film crews can work together at the same time.

Wouldn't the cost be lower if it were spread out like this?
Chen Kaige can make a fortune by building cities.

My "self-production and self-sales" is also quite reasonable.

Zhang Yuan's current advantage is that he is qualified to industrialize it.

Because he has many businesses.

Otherwise, going it alone would definitely be more costly.

"Don't worry, let's build it, let's build it for the best!" Zhang Yuan waved his hand.

"As long as it's not a case of spending money to produce diarrhea, or wasting money without getting anything out of it."

"If you can really put money into the set design and props, then no amount of money is a problem."

The Yu Zheng and Sugar Man families are weak in terms of scene props, so they can benefit from Zheng Xiaolong's success this time.

Moreover, the bigger the set, the better. When I talk to Hengdian Group, the more bargaining chips I have, the better their attitude will be.

That was his plan.

By leveraging its size advantage, it can achieve a better cluster effect in both the creative and collaborative aspects, and even in the future sales aspects.

Just like making mobile phones, what's important is not only R&D capabilities, but also the ability to integrate the industry.

If you are large enough, you will have an absolute negotiating advantage on both the production and sales sides.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that he had finally caught up with this day.

The main reason we couldn't do it before was because we didn't have enough money.

Money gives a man courage; without money, he becomes timid.

Things are different now. He's no longer so short of money, so he can make full use of his advantages.

All those years of spending money weren't just a waste of investment.

There is another advantage to "The Legend of Zhen Huan".

That means the actor's salary can be reduced.

Because as a famous director, Zheng Xiaolong, actors are willing to accept roles at lower prices simply by having his face associated with him.

Rumors circulated online that Sun Li earned 100 million yuan per episode for filming "Empresses in the Palace".

With a total of 80 episodes, she's asking for 8000 million yuan in salary?
This is treating her like Li Lianjie.

However, it's not like no one has offered that price.

"Zhang Yuan, I have something I'd like to talk to you about." Zheng Xiaolong took a couple of bites of cold beef salad and then drank some wine.

Zhang Yuan asked his aunt to make him a bowl of hot noodle soup to warm his stomach.

"You're familiar with Fan Bingbing, right?"

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that they couldn't be any closer than that.

You know the keyhole structure by heart.

Director Zheng asked her about it because of the role of Consort Hua.

Nian Shilan, or perhaps she should be called Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu.

The character of Nian Gengyao's sister has different designs in different dramas.

In the TV series "Yongzheng Dynasty", the character is named Nian Xiejia Qiuyue.

In the TV series "Empresses in the Palace", she is called Nian Shilan. This is because the character in the original novel is called Murong Shilan, and the name sounds very much like a female-oriented drama.

In the original work, this character has only two distinctive features.

Exquisitely beautiful, yet domineering.

She was stunningly beautiful, yet spoiled, arrogant, and narrow-minded.

So Zheng Xiaolong's first reaction was that if he were to play her, she had to be beautiful.

Secondly, we also need to consider that she can't be the kind of woman who is gentle and tender; she has to have a bit of a strong, independent woman's aura.

So Fan Bingbing immediately came to mind.

Because they had not only seen each other's films but also dined together, Fan Bingbing's everyday demeanor was even more magnanimous than her on-screen persona.

Moreover, Fan Bingbing's strength lies in her versatility; when she truly settles down and dons formal attire, she exudes a very sophisticated and dignified aura.

That maid from back then is now an imperial concubine.

But Fan Bingbing is very busy and has great ambitions.

Zheng Xiaolong is indeed capable, but he only cast her as villains, and even supporting roles.

Fan Bingbing doesn't care much about her salary; if the acting is good, she can pay very little.

But now she herself is always the lead actress in the TV dramas she produces, so she finds it meaningless.

So they offered Zheng Xiaolong an exorbitant price of 100 million yuan per episode.

Actually, I just wanted to discourage the other party.

Zheng Xiaolong still wanted to use her, so he wanted Zhang Yuan to persuade her.

“I think she’s famous, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a good fit.” Zhang Yuan listened but didn’t offer any advice.

"You only need to think about one thing."

"If Fan Bingbing is playing a supporting role, what kind of leading lady could possibly outshine her?"

Who?
Who among her peers can outdo her?
Zhang Ziyi?

Can someone like Zhang Ziyi (International Zhang) act in period dramas?
Even if they brought back their former "masters," Zhao Wei and Lin Xinru, they might not be able to suppress her now.

Zheng Xiaolong scratched his head; there was some truth to that.

With Fan Bingbing's appearance, it's become difficult to choose a female lead.

And the female lead is also a problem.

This story has to do with Liulianzi.

The success of the TV series "Empresses in the Palace" owes 7% of its credit to Wang Xiaoping for the script.

The original work was just a prototype; the actual implementation depended entirely on Wang Xiaoping. If it had been adapted from Liulian Zi's work, it would have been a disaster.

Because she liked "Meteor Garden," she kept nagging and wanted Zhou Yuming to play Prince Guo.

If we really bring him in, will this show still be watchable?

Zheng Xiaolong strongly opposed it, but fortunately, he was senior enough to keep the situation under control and was not affected.

But his wife, Wang Xiaoping, felt it was inappropriate to have a falling out with the original author.

Because Liu Lianzi is always causing trouble, after the show was confirmed to be filmed, she started creating all sorts of buzz and publicity on online platforms.

What kind of person is she?
When I went for a teacher interview, I simply threw a copy of the novel "Empresses in the Palace" in front of the interviewer.

This behavior is not normal. You can just say you wrote it, why do you have to publish it as a book? Isn't it just to show off?

She can't stand not showing off!
So Zheng Xiaolong listened to her advice and went to see Ada Choi.

The character Zhen Huan was written based on Ada Choi's performance.

The name is taken from the TV series "The Goddess of Luo River" in which she starred.

The two female leads in the film are named Zhen Mi and Guo Huan. Combining one character from each of their names gives the name Zhen Huan.

But Ada Choi faced a dilemma because the role of Zhen Huan required her to portray the character from her teenage years.

She's already in her late 30s, almost 40, and feels she can no longer play teenage girls.

If the other person isn't suitable, there's not much to say about lingering around Zi; we can only look for someone else.

However, they still arranged for Ada Choi to play the role of the Empress.

This can be considered a fulfillment of the original author's fans' dreams.

After they had talked for a while, Zhang Yuan asked Zheng Xiaolong to give him a complete script so he could take a look at it too.

And he was told to come up with a budget as soon as possible.

He then called Jiang Xin home.

"What do you want?" She rushed into the house: "I've been busy lately."

"I want to earn more money before the Lunar New Year so I can buy a house for my parents."

"Director Zheng Xiaolong has a new script, take a look."

"Director Zheng!" Upon hearing this name, Jiang Xin knew who was better and stepped forward with a smile to accept the greeting.

Two days later, she called back.

"I think the script is very good; among the ones I've seen, it's one of the best."

"The role of Zhen Huan is also very challenging..."

“Who said you were going to play Zhen Huan?” Zhang Yuan retorted.

If we're talking about who acted well in "Empresses in the Palace," actually all the main actors were quite good.

That's the skill of a director—the ability to recognize and train people. Zheng Xiaolong, as a renowned director, certainly has a knack for it.

Even newcomers, or those with mediocre acting skills, can still fit the role perfectly.

This is why he had such a headache over that "investor's friend".

An unsuitable actor can ruin a show.

The novel "Da Ru Zhuan," which also features Liu Lian Zi, is an example.

Aside from Sun Li, the best actress is actually Jiang Xin.

She was even better than Sun Li in the performance.

In Zhang Yuan's heart, anyone could be replaced, but she was the one person he couldn't replace.

That eye-rolling, smirking way she does it, no one else has it like that.

On the crazy, splashy track, Jiang Xin is invincible.

"I'll let you play Nian Shilan."

"I won't play a supporting role." The woman was still unhappy.

After all, she played Cui Ping and even won an award, so she's putting on airs now.

Are you going to act or not?

“No performance, no challenge.”

“I’m telling you, if you don’t act, I’ll find someone else.”

"But don't regret it after this show airs and becomes a hit."

"And if you ever want a role again, don't come to me for help," Zhang Yuan said to her very seriously.

"Fine, don't help if you don't want to!"

"Even if you're the boss, there's no reason to force someone into a situation like this!"

"I've been offered leading roles in so many productions, but I haven't taken any of them."

"You want me to play a supporting role."

"Fine, fine, if you're so capable, come up here and I'll have a proper discussion with you."

"Come on, come on!"

After I hung up the phone, this person came to my door.

"Human!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to have a discussion with me?"

He pushed open the courtyard gate and barged inside.

"Xin".

They couldn't find Zhang Yuan, but they could hear Cheng Hao's voice coming from the other end of the corridor.

A good man doesn't fight with a woman; I'll find someone who can handle you.

Cheng Hao, of course, wouldn't resort to force like him; she would have to hug him and persuade him gently.

Teacher Chen then began to do ideological work.

Jiang Xin isn't a jerk, he just doesn't respond well to gentle persuasion and has a stubborn temper.

With Zhang Yuan's previous forceful approach, Cheng Hao's current softness seemed all the more apparent.

Of course, Zhang Yuan wasn't absent either.

He and Zheng Xiaolong are having tea in the tea room.

"Is this the person you were talking about?"

Jiang Xin and Zheng Xiaolong knew each other, but they hadn't worked together much.

My impression of her is that she has big eyes, a sweet smile, and is a very innocent girl.

That was indeed her on-screen image a few years ago.

So Zhang Yuan suggested that she come. Zheng Xiaolong thought to himself, "You don't let people with connections who bring funds come, just so you can bring your own people with connections, right?"
Then he asked him.

"The character of Nian Shilan is going to be domineering."

Is she domineering?

Zhang Yuan: When she gets angry, she even yells at me.

Zheng Xiaolong: That's very arrogant.

I saw her imposing manner and loud voice when she came in.

That's so powerful!

Moreover, besides being domineering and beautiful, Nian Shilan's character also has another flaw: she lacks intelligence and emotional intelligence.

People who are overbearing on the surface are unlikely to have high emotional and intellectual intelligence.

Someone who kicks down their boss's door seems to have some issues with their emotional intelligence and IQ.

That's just right.

"Alright, let her try... She won't hit me, will she?" Zheng Xiaolong was a little scared.

"No, she can still tell the difference between good and bad."

Jiang Xin isn't stupid; she knows that as long as she's in the right, Zhang Yuan won't get angry no matter how much she argues with him, which is why she's letting her true nature show.

However, they are still very respectful when there are outsiders present.

Cheng Hao's advice to her was simply that playing a supporting role in a good play is better than playing the lead role in a bad play.

In "Pink Lady", her character, Wanrenmi, is not the female lead; she only needs to be out of character.

Besides, you're now playing the female lead, isn't it all thanks to him that you got promoted?

If Zhang Yuan hadn't given you the role of Cuiping, you wouldn't have the leading lady status you have today.

A little persuasion will do the trick; this woman's temper flares up quickly but subsides just as fast.

He came over to greet Zheng Xiaolong shortly after.

"Cherish this opportunity." Zhang Yuan glanced at her.

"This is a TV series with a total budget of nearly 9000 million!"

"Huh?" Jiang Xin was startled when she heard the number.

This budget is considered a large investment even for making a movie.

"Now you know, this is a big production, Director Zheng treats it like a career."

"Go and study the characters carefully."

Zheng Xiaolong asked his underlings to work through the night to organize the budget.

Based on Zhang Yuan's high-standard set design, plus his salary, it really would be close to 9000 million!
This is no joke. Ever since the old TV series adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels, which were made without regard to cost, disappeared, we have basically never seen a TV series project of this caliber.

They could have made a movie with that kind of money.

But "Empresses in the Palace" is such a groundbreaking work.

And it just sounds like the budget is high.

In fact, Zhao Yanzi's "Moment in Peking" from a few years ago cost 40 million yuan, and that show only had about 4000 episodes.

The recently completed "New Three Kingdoms" has achieved a historic feat with a production cost of over 1.6 million yuan per episode, despite having fewer than 100 episodes and a total cost exceeding 150 million yuan.

The cost of each episode of "Empresses in the Palace" was only a little over 100 million.

Comparing the two, especially the benefits... Zheng Xiaolong is totally worth it.

"Are you sure you're going to pay for everything?" Director Zheng was apprehensive when he saw the figure after doing the math.

If he loses money, Zhang Yuan will probably go bankrupt.

Although Director Zheng has never lost money.

Of course, Zhang Yuan will not go bankrupt.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it all," Zhang Yuan patted his chest.

I'm a seasoned all-in player. All-in is a kind of wisdom, and I'm just that kind of wise person. It's nothing to me.

"Okay." Seeing his determination, Zheng Xiaolong said no more.

“Now that investor has contacted me again, so I’ve decided to arrange for you to come along.”

"Okay, I'll explain things clearly."

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that he should meet this person.

Because this major investor who was praising his "friend" was none other than Wang Shi, the renowned CEO of Vanke Group... (End of Chapter)