Huayu: From an ordinary person to a happy director

Chapter 77 Signing a Contract
Shi Lei flipped through the script and compared its contents with the film from his previous life. Although there were some differences, they were consistent overall.

Some differences are correct, and different directors may even make two different movies with the same script.

This is why movies are sometimes storyboarded.

Shi Lei put the script down, his mind racing. "When Happiness Comes to the Front Door" is a universal inspirational film with a global box office of $3.07 million. It fits Will Smith's identity and also fits his identity. To sum it up, it can be filmed in three words.

"I can do it, how much is the pay?"

Will Smith extended his hand and said happily: "Shi, it's a pleasure to work with you."

Saying we're happy to work together before we've even finalized the deal? Shi Lei hesitated for a moment, but still extended his hand and shook it, saying, "Happy working together."

"The investment in this film is not high, only 5500 million US dollars, so our pay can't be too high..." Will Smith said while carefully looking at Shi Lei's expression. In fact, the cost of this movie should not be so high, but his joining made the cost of this film higher.

His salary started from 02's "Ali", which was 2000 million US dollars. Until now, his salary has been at the top of Hollywood, 2000 million US dollars + box office share.

His presence alone caused the cost of "The Pursuit of Happyness" to soar. If the star director Shi Lei was also involved, the film would not have to be made, so the pay of both of them had to be reduced at the same time.

After Will confirmed that Shi Lei showed no signs of getting angry, he continued, "This movie is an art film, I will lower my salary, my salary is 1200 million US dollars + box office share;

Your salary is also lower, $800 million, and you will also have a share of the box office revenue, and the specific share ratio can be negotiated. "

"Is it a share of the global box office revenue or a share of the box office profits?" Shi Lei did not agree immediately, but asked further.

"Shi, you are such a smart man, but it's not the share of the global box office, it's just the share of the North American box office." Will replied with a smile.

When Shi Lei asked this question, Will knew that Shi Lei knew everything.

Box office profits and the like are really deceptive. There are so many twists and turns involved that even the world's top accounting firms can't figure it out.

Only the box office share is real.

"Very good. I'll take it. The people from Shuimi Tao will help me negotiate the specific profit-sharing ratio."

Shi Lei stretched out his hand and high-fived Will Smith.

Will did not leave immediately, but stayed to greet Shi Lei. The two told each other some interesting stories about the crew, but mostly Will was talking and Shi Lei was listening.

The two were chatting happily when Liu Yan came out wearing a professional secretary outfit.

Will took a casual look and immediately made an exaggerated expression, "Shi, you have really good taste. This secretary is really big!"

"I have a bigger one. Should I introduce it to you?"

Liu Yan felt a little unhappy, but he didn't show it. Instead, he gave a professional smile.

If it were in private, Shi Lei might have joked with Will, but in front of Liu Yan, he didn't want to talk about this topic.

"That's not necessary. I prefer Asian ones... I'm going out to dinner with my secretary. Do you want to join us, Will?"

"Oh, it's my fault. I forgot you haven't eaten yet." Will then remembered that it was he who woke Shi Lei up with a phone call.

"I won't go to dinner with you. I guess you don't want me to be there."

"Let's go, I'll see you off."

Shi Lei sent Will out of the villa.

Before Will got in the car, he said to Shi Lei again: "Shi, I have a bigger one here. I'll send it to you via text message."

"Go away!" Shi Lei waved his hand.

The car starts and leaves.

Shi Lei's smile also slowly disappeared. Sometimes foreigners have no sense of boundaries and tell dirty jokes regardless of the occasion. However, considering that Will helped him make money, he was willing to give him a few smiles. You make fun of me, and I use you to make money. It's reasonable!

As for whether Will Smith can win the Oscar for Best Actor, he won't guarantee it!

He also did not make any improvements to the film and planned to shoot it exactly according to the content of his previous life.

Will Smith was very efficient. The next day, someone from Columbia came to Peach Company to discuss the share of the North American box office.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" was produced by Columbia with a total investment of 5500 million US dollars.

At Shi Lei's suggestion, a tiered profit-sharing agreement was reached. If the North American box office exceeded $1 million (a fixed profit-sharing model for award-winning films, with the producer getting 55%), Shi Lei would get 3% of the North American box office share; if the North American box office exceeded $1.5 million, the share would be 6%; if it exceeded $2 million, the share would be 9%; and if it was $2.5 million, the share would be 12%.

Columbia still likes this kind of tiered profit-sharing contract. If the box office is high, the company will earn more, and they don't mind giving Shi Lei a bigger share.

Even if Shi Lei gets the final 12%, they won't care. To get the full 12%, the North American box office must be 2.5 million, and the global box office must be over 5 million. Columbia will make a lot of money, okay?
A few days later, Warner Bros. also sent someone to discuss cooperation with Shi Lei on "300".

Perhaps having heard some rumors, Warner also proposed a North American box office sharing plan.

In the end, the two parties signed two contracts. One was an investment contract. The total investment in "300" was 6500 million US dollars. Peach Company invested 1950 million US dollars in "300", accounting for 30% of the investment amount. Peach did not participate in the network broadcasting rights, TV on-demand, and disc market share, but only participated in the producer's share of the global total box office.

Shuimitao was at a disadvantage in the investment contract. In order to win over and compensate Shi Lei, Warner made great concessions in the director's contract.

In the director's contract, Shi Lei received a salary of 1000 million US dollars, plus a tiered share of the North American box office. If the North American box office exceeds 1.5 million US dollars, Shi Lei can get 3% of the North American box office share; if the North American box office exceeds 2 million US dollars, the share will be increased to 8%; if it exceeds 2.5 million US dollars, the share will be increased to 13%; if it exceeds 3 million US dollars, the share will be increased to 18%.

Warner Bros. and Shi Lei were both satisfied with the two contracts combined. He knew the box office performance of "300" and he would not lose money.

The director contract signed by Shi Lei was not signed by himself, but in the name of the studio, which is called North American Shi Lei Director Studio, in order to avoid personal income tax.

Now is the stage where money makes money, so there is no need to transfer it to personal accounts.

Since then, Peach Film and Television Production Company has had $3000 million (after tax) in its account.

There is 1800 million US dollars (before tax) in the account of Shi Lei's North American director studio.

There will be no shortage of money because the box office revenue from "Insidious", "The Purge" and "Million Dollar Baby" will gradually arrive.

The three films also have the rights for online broadcasting, on-demand TV, and disc markets.

After the matter was settled, Shi Lei flew back to China with Liu Yan.

As soon as I got off the plane, I met a lot of reporters.

In fact, there were domestic reporters waiting outside the Shuimitao Company, but their number was too small and they were stopped outside by Shi Lei's bodyguards, so they were unable to interview Shi Lei himself.

The reporters did not dare to confront the bodyguards too much as the risk was too great.

In China, all you have to do is squeeze in!
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PS: There are three box office sharing models in North America. The first is a fixed ratio sharing, usually 45~55%. How much you can get depends on the strength of the company.

The second is the buyout model, where the producer sells the film to theaters.

The third is a tiered profit-sharing model, in which about 80% of the box office in the first week belongs to the producer and 20% to the theaters; in the second and third weeks, about 60% goes to the producer and 40% to the theaters; in the fourth week, about 20% goes to the producer and 80% to the theaters.

Big Hollywood companies generally adopt the third profit-sharing model, which allows producers to quickly recover their production costs.

Award-winning films adopt the long-term screening model and generally choose the first profit-sharing model.

[In the first week, the film company will take 70%-80% of the total box office, and the maximum will not exceed 85%. Disney movies can take 80%-90%, and the highest in the first week can reach 95%. As time goes by, the proportion will gradually decrease, and after the fourth week, it usually drops to 25%-45%. Disney movies usually do not fall below 40% in the first four weeks, and only reduce this proportion in the fifth week or later. ]

(End of this chapter)