Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 70 [Treasure Island sets off a wave of veterans watching movies] Please read
"8000 million New Taiwan dollars?"

After hearing this number, Li Yishu was dumbfounded: "Is it true?"

"Haha, Director Li didn't expect it to be so high!"

Qiu Fusheng laughed loudly on the other end of the phone, and seemed very satisfied with the box office results: "Director Li, the movie is still in theaters. I have recently promoted it again. I estimate that it will earn at least 2000 million box office before the New Year."

In 1991, Taiwan’s annual box office record was released. The first place was "Ghost", the second place was "Terminator 2", and the third place was "Dances with Wolves".

The top three are all Hollywood movies, but except for Terminator 2, Ghost and Dances with Wolves can be considered art films.

This shows the taste of the audience in Taiwan. Many people like art films. Unlike Hong Kong, which has been over-entertainment-oriented in recent years, the art film market, which was prosperous back then, is now almost non-existent.

Another 2000 million?
Wouldn’t that mean over 100 million?
Li Yishu quickly asked, "Mr. Qiu, why is the box office so high?"

"It was all thanks to Director Li's advice that we targeted the audience of the film at the time, the veterans and people who came to Taiwan. When the film was released last month, I invited a retired general from Taiwan. He is from Sichuan and was very happy after watching it. He said he had seen his hometown."

"hometown?"

"Yes, it's the village you photographed. He said his hometown used to be in that area. Although the topography has changed a bit, he used to go to that hill with his classmates from private school and he has never forgotten it after all these years. Then I asked about the location where you took the photo, and it really is that place!"

Qiu Fusheng seemed very happy: "After that, the retired general began to call on the Sichuan and Shu veterans who came to Taiwan to watch the movie. Now it has become a trend for veterans to watch the movie, and many veterans often bring their children to watch it together."

hiss~
Li Yishu suddenly thought of the father of a male actor in Taiwan. Could it be him?

Qiu Fusheng asked on the other end of the phone: "Director Li, do you have time to come to Taiwan recently? I plan to hold a celebration banquet when the billion mark is reached."

"I'm afraid I won't have time in the short term. The school holidays are about to start and I have to go home for the New Year. If I really want to go, I'm afraid I'll have to wait until after the New Year."

"It's okay, it's just right after the New Year. There's still some time before it's finished showing. I estimate it will be almost all finished showing after the New Year, so it will be just right to hold a celebration party then."

"Okay, Mr. Qiu, I'll go to Taiwan after this year."

Li Yishu naturally had to go to Taiwan to celebrate such a good event that the box office exceeded 100 million yuan, and if nothing unexpected happened, CCTV would definitely go to interview and report on it.

It is almost 92 years now, and there are only seven or eight months left until the 92 Consensus is released.

Things like this where both parties reach an agreement cannot be accomplished in a few months; it will take at least a year of discussions and negotiations.

The wave of veterans watching movies can easily attract the attention of CCTV and even the Taiwan Affairs Office, simply because such things can promote consensus between the two sides.

The more active the exchanges among the people, the more it reflects the relaxation of the people above.

It is possible that Li Yishu will accept an exclusive interview with CCTV to talk about her hometown and the wave of veterans watching movies in Taiwan...

Wait until I hang up the phone.

Yu Feihong, who was standing in front of him, quickly asked, "Is the box office high? I heard you said you were going to attend the celebration banquet."

"It is very high. The box office is expected to exceed 100 million yuan."

"real!"

Yu Feihong's voice immediately rose.

This also attracted the attention and curiosity of people who came to the telephone office to make calls.

Yu Feihong reacted and quickly grabbed Li Yishu's arm and was about to leave, "Come on, let's go back and talk about it, let's go back and talk about it."

on the way back.

Yu Feihong couldn't wait to ask: "1 million New Taiwan dollars, how much RMB is that?"

"I don't know the exact amount, but the exchange rate should be..."

Li Yishu frowned, thought for a moment and said, "100 Taiwan dollars is about 22 RMB." (This is what I found online, if anyone knows, please let me know and I will change it)

"One hundred million..."

"No need to calculate, it should be around 2200 million."

"Gulong——"

Yu Feihong's family was considered quite well-off, but when he heard the 2200 million, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva: "You, how much can you get?" "It's hard to say, but or million should be enough, right?"

The contract signed between Li Yishu and Qiu Fusheng was for distribution rights.

Originally, Li Yishu was supposed to pay the distribution fee.

However, at that time, Qiu Fusheng said that he would pay for the promotion out of his own pocket and Li Yishu would not need to pay, but he would take 8% of the box office revenue.

Li Yishu did not refuse this. After all, if she wanted to get high box office for the film if it was released in Taiwan, she really had to leave it to Qiu Fusheng.

In fact, it was a good decision to entrust the distribution to Qiu Fusheng. He has connections and can invite retired veterans and advertise on his own TV station.

Li Yishu feels that she has not lost out by taking 8% of the box office revenue.

So if she shares it with Formosa Cinema, Li Yishu can get around 6 to 7 million.

But it’s hard to say, there are various taxes over in Taiwan.

If Li Yishu wants to take the money away from Taiwan, taxes will definitely be deducted.

"Six or seven million~"

Yu Feihong couldn't help but sigh: "Making movies is really profitable."

"It's not about making movies that makes money, it's about making award-winning movies that makes money."

Li Yishu smiled. If the revenue from "That Mountain" alone was added up, it would be at least 1500 million US dollars.

It seems that in the next few years, we have to quickly make a few more excellent art films and reap as much quick money as possible before overseas film festivals and film producers lose interest in domestic art films.

Yu Feihong suddenly asked, "Yishu, have you ever thought about making a commercial film?"

"Yes, but not now."

Li Yishu shook her head and said, "If we really want to shoot it, let's wait until I finish shooting Farewell My Concubine."

Commercial films can make money, but it is difficult to sell copyrights. Over the years, the only region where Hong Kong films have been able to sell overseas copyrights is Asia.

That is, Bruce Lee in the 70s and Jackie Chan a few years later can be sold at high prices.

Other people's movies are difficult to sell at high prices. Most of them are purchased in bulk by overseas film companies to fill their film libraries, release some videotapes, and sell them to Chinese people around the world and some kung fu movie fans.

Compared to the current domestic commercial films that rely too much on box office revenue, Li Yishu would rather make some art films. With his current reputation as a Golden Lion Award-winning director, it is very easy to sell overseas copyrights. It's just a matter of how much profit he can make.

In the next few years, Hong Kong will enter the era of "Shuang Zhou and Yi Cheng". All their movies, no matter how good or not, will sell well at the box office.

But Li Yishu didn't want to spend that much money to hire Shuang Zhou and Yi Cheng.

If she really wants to make a commercial film, Lee Yi-su might as well try her hand in Hollywood.

After the millennium, the domestic film market fully learned the Hollywood film production model.

Li Yishu naturally learned it, and many of the online movies she later shot were shot according to the Hollywood model.

Not to mention that he has a lot of low-cost, high-grossing films in his mind for the future, and except for a very few that are out of place, most of them are suitable for use in the 1990s.

For example, "Saw".

The American horror film market is huge. In 1973, "The Exorcist" earned a huge box office of 4.41 million US dollars.

Later in 1999, the low-cost "The Sixth Sense" also earned $6.72 million at the global box office.

These horror films are not restricted by the historical context.

As long as the quality is good enough, even if the box office is not as good as the original film, but it can reach 70% or 80%, there will definitely be no problem.

　Please read it, collect it, and vote for me!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)