Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 248 Xu Wawa Reappears

Hang up the video conference.

Xu Ming immediately called Bell.

"Hey, Xu, good morning."

“Bell, it’s pitch black here, and I’m not getting any sleep.”

“I forgot, you’re in China, and there’s a time difference between us. Good evening,” Bell said.

Listening to Bell's pleasantries, Xu Ming decided to interrupt and get straight to the point: "Is it true that some production companies are interested in my script?"

“Of course, I gave your script to my agency, CAA. They went to great lengths to find you a good buyer,” Bell said with a smile.

In fact, a script that comes with its own investment will attract the attention of many companies, not to mention the added benefit of connections and resources in the Chinese film market.

Since "The Unknown" broke the billion mark, it has attracted the attention of many Hollywood companies.

After all, the fact that a domestic film can compete with "Transformers 4" at the box office shows how rapidly the domestic film industry is developing.

The latter's box office success of nearly one billion dollars has also tempted these Hollywood companies to get involved.

Especially after the release of global voter data last year, which showed that mainland China had become the world's second largest voter market, it has attracted even more attention.

Furthermore, the script was certified as excellent by CAA internally, so naturally, they put a lot of effort into it.

"What's the price?"

Xu Ming's voice was calm: "What's the price for helping?"

"You're very smart, Xu."

Bell exclaimed in admiration. He was just considering how to bring it up when the other party took the initiative to speak, "One is that the project staff are packaged and handed over to CAA. They are very professional and will give you a discount on the fees. The other is that we hope you can join CAA."

"However, I'm only responsible for relaying messages. The specifics will require you to discuss them yourselves. To be honest, I really admire your script."

CAA's support for "The American Fraud" stemmed not only from its high regard for the initiator, Xu Ming, but also largely from his personal desires.

"The Dark Knight Rises" is set to be released this year and will be the final installment in Nolan's Batman series. This film is expected to further boost Bale's commercial value.

"I can give a clear answer to the first request right now: no problem. As for the second one, please tell CAA that we can only discuss it if the screenwriter has a certain degree of control over the project," Xu Ming said in a deep voice.

He knew very well that in this day and age, he had almost no chance of entering Hollywood like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Local powers will not welcome outsiders to share the spoils.

But if he approaches it from the perspective of screenwriting, he will encounter much less backlash. He doesn't expect to become one of Hollywood's own people, but at least he can understand how the rules work.

We can't afford to cause any trouble domestically for now, so how about we have some fun overseas?

What if things really go wrong?

Given the domestic desire to export its culture abroad, perhaps it can be disguised as a form of cultural exchange.

He took a roundabout way to protect himself; no one could have guessed his intentions.

Some people might have thought of this, but they would just think it's impractical.

……

1 month 12 day.

The sequel to "Palace," titled "Palace 2," premiered on Hunan TV.

This drama was sold to Hunan TV under the name of Yu Zheng Studio a long time ago, but people in the industry know that Qi Ming is the one behind it.

The female lead was changed from Yang Mi to Tang Yan, and the male lead was changed from Huo Jianhua to Sun Yizhou.

Despite a complete overhaul of the cast, the premiere still achieved a viewership rating of over 2%.

Instead of collapsing as its sphere of influence shrank, Qiming's reputation shone even brighter.

Five days later.

Xu Ming arrived in New York.

As he walked towards the car that CAA was picking him up, he asked Xiao Juan, "What noteworthy news is there in the industry lately?"

"Two days ago, Fan Bingbing officially announced that she had signed a contract as the spokesperson for L'Oréal Asia, and the spokesperson fee is said to be 1200 million yuan per year."

Xiao Juan paused for a moment, then added, "Also, your master announced his withdrawal from the 2012 Spring Festival Gala, saying that he was not feeling well."

Xu Ming wasn't surprised by the previous news.

The rise of the Chinese market will inevitably lead to a rapid increase in the commercial value of Chinese celebrities.

Since last year, Fan Bingbing has been developing her career in the international fashion industry, and she has really made a name for herself in it.

Being a brand ambassador in Greater China is relatively easy, but securing an ambassadorship for an international brand in Asia is much more difficult.

He figured that with Fan's example, other domestic artists would probably follow suit and each use their own unique talents.

This is good news for him; the more money these people are willing to throw into the international market, the easier it is for him to make his fortune overseas.

After all, most foreigners wouldn't recognize Fan Bingbing or Li Bingbing; to them, they are all synonymous with Chinese artists.

Among Chinese artists, he is undoubtedly the most outstanding person in the film industry recently.

Therefore, the greater the reputation of his domestic counterparts, the more his reputation will rise accordingly.

As for the second news item...

Xu Ming's expression shifted, implying that Qi Ming and Benshan Media's situation was about to become even more awkward.

Before the announcement, people could still hold onto a sliver of hope.

After the announcement, the signal it sent was crystal clear.

Fortunately, he had been mentally prepared for this, and he had always planned the worst-case scenario for the company's arrangements.

At this moment, I felt a sense of relief, as if my boots had finally hit the ground.

Sometimes people would rather fall into the worst situation than be suspended in mid-air, neither up nor down.

"Have 'The Voice of China' and 'Where Are We Going, Dad?' started filming yet?" Xu Ming asked in turn.

"The Voice of China has already started recording, and Director Li has just passed the preliminary selection stage. Where Are We Going, Dad?" Xiao Juan reported in detail.

"Yes, tell Mr. Tang that these two variety shows are the company's next focus, and we need to seize this new opportunity in outdoor variety shows."

"And Xiaoyuan, tell her to make good use of her position as an investor in the company to manage the two variety shows. If there are suitable talents, sign them; if not, sell them promotional packages," Xu Ming said in a deep voice.

Xiao Juan felt a chill run down her spine; it seemed her boss had high hopes for these two projects.

He nodded in agreement.

Qiming Film and Television projects are all in a state of retreat. In Xu Ming's eyes, the only breakthrough in China is outdoor variety shows.

It's very simple; whether it's a TV series or a movie, there are many competitors.

Most platforms are hesitant to collaborate with Qiming in the short term to avoid risks, but variety shows are a different story.

Large investments carry large risks and returns.

Companies in the industry that dare to enter this field are neither as professional nor as financially strong as Qiming, and companies that are more professional and financially strong than Qiming wouldn't bother with such a high-risk business.

After all, the film and television industries are currently experiencing a period of prosperity.

However, due to the restrictions on advertising, the platform had to shift its focus to variety shows, which gave Qiming an opportunity.

Of course, the most important thing is to sign the contract in advance.

These two families had already boarded the pirate ship, and after Xu Ming indicated they could disembark at will, they decided to bury their heads in the sand and continue on their way. As they spoke, the two met CAA's airport pickup personnel.

"Mr. Xu, I am the CAA staff member specifically assigned to receive you this time. You can call me Pani."

Pani was not like the Americans Xu Ming had in mind. She didn't look rugged at all; she was thin and weak, and wore glasses.

Surprisingly, he gives off a frail and delicate impression.

"Uh, Pani, has anyone ever told you that you look like you're good at math?" Xu Ming asked tactfully.

“Hehe, when I was in middle school, some people called me a white Chinese. I made a few Chinese friends, and they did help me a lot with math,” Pani laughed.

"What business are you responsible for at CAA?" Xu Ming asked casually.

His first impression of Pani was okay; he felt relatively safe with her.

Yes, this sense of security refers to the security that he can beat the opponent.

“I’m currently an intern agent. The director instructed me to take care of you during your stay in America. You’ll need a driver, translator, tour guide, etc., and I can handle all of those,” Pani explained.

Xu Ming suddenly realized that CAA had sent an assistant over.

His eyes then turned strange. Why did he send a male assistant?

He considers himself a relatively unknown playboy in China, so does he not even qualify to be a target of a honey trap in CAA's eyes?

That's incredibly disrespectful.

It wasn't that he was thirsty; he could refuse to accept this thing, but he couldn't refuse to give it away.

If he doesn't give any gifts, how can he appear virtuous and noble?
The prerequisite for becoming a paragon of virtue is having a beautiful woman in your lap.

As a successor to socialism, he also wanted to be tested by the sugar-coated bullets of capitalism.

It should be noted that he had already mastered Tongbei Quan, which means he no longer needed to observe the rules.

Pani seemed to understand Xu Ming's look and said, "The other trainee agents in the company all have their own target clients right now, I'm the only one who's free..."

"Was my reception level at your company relatively low?" Xu Ming asked directly.

"The company treats all customers equally..." Pani's official response was.

“Pani, we’ll be spending a lot of time together in the future, and I’m also very interested in the international entertainment business. Let’s be honest with each other so we can have a chance to become friends, right?” Xu Ming interrupted.

"Ahem, your personal level isn't low, but the cooperation conditions you proposed are a bit harsh for the company."

Pani carefully chose her words, "Many people might think that you're mostly just trying it out."

In other words, since there's nothing to be gained from him, and he's considered just a hobbyist, the value of any collaboration with him naturally decreases.

If it weren't for the obvious rise of the Chinese film market, there probably wouldn't even be a receptionist on this trip.

In fact, Xu Ming underestimated the appeal of the Chinese market to Hollywood. Without the market potential factor, CAA would never have reached a cooperation agreement with them.

"Yes, that's good. Honesty is a prerequisite for becoming friends."

Xu Ming patted Pani on the shoulder, "Keep this attitude. This time, my first choice for communication with CAA will only be you, not that director."

"When I open a company here, I'll invite you to be the president. The president of my company in China was similar to you from the beginning, and now he's a well-known CEO in the industry."

He skillfully painted a rosy picture for Pani, while also subtly offering her some sweeteners.

Since CAA doesn't value him, he doesn't need to deal with the director anymore. He can directly deal with Pani, the intern agent, and receive more attentive service.

Moreover, most of the services provided by CAA are irrelevant to him; all he needs is the CAA platform, which he can also utilize through Pani.

Who knows, we might actually be able to poach that kid.

Xiao Juan, standing to the side, kept her eyes downcast and seemed to be lost in thought, suggesting that CAA still didn't understand its own boss and that it should be replaced by a domestic company.

The moment you see your employer, you must be vigilant to prevent your employees from being poached.

Do you really think the nickname "Xu the Digger" is a joke?

However, she didn't think there was anything wrong with what her employer said.

Tang Sheng, Xiao Yuan Jie, and other senior executives in the company were indeed discovered and cultivated by the company itself.

Compared to outsiders like Zhuo Wei, who are actually slightly less capable, the fact that he can still hold onto his position shows that the boss values ​​old relationships.

Pani's eyes lit up. He hadn't taken the reception seriously, thinking it was just another time he'd been asked to do odd jobs.

He was already used to this kind of covert workplace bullying.

Unexpectedly, meeting Xu Ming brought about a turning point.

He didn't take the other party's offer to be the president of their future company to heart at all. But if he could really secure this client and achieve some success, he might be able to shed his "internship" label.

“Mr. Xu, let’s get in the car first. I’ll give you some background information on the other party in the meeting later,” Pani said respectfully.

Xu Ming nodded appreciatively.

He believed that even without his earlier attempt to win them over, the other party would still have made an introduction, but he didn't expect them to be so enthusiastic.

After getting in the car, Pani started the engine and began to introduce the car.

"The other party in the meeting was an independent film company that was only established last year. Although it has a short history, its background is quite remarkable."

"The founder is Megan Ellison."

After Pani finished speaking, she glanced at the rearview mirror, as if anticipating Xu Ming's reaction.

However, he was disappointed.

Xu Ming and Xiao Juan both looked completely bewildered.

Megan and the others didn't know him, but Shagan did.

"Ahem, you should know Oracle, the software company, right?"

Pani didn't pause this time and answered her own question: "Its president is Larry Ellison, fifth on the global rich list. Megan is his daughter, which means that as a young independent film company, it is actually very wealthy and ambitious."

"That's why this company was interested in 'The American Fraud'."

Xu Ming raised an eyebrow; this information was of paramount importance to him.

Knowing the identity of the negotiating partner will undoubtedly bring many conveniences to the subsequent meeting.

Clearly, his previous efforts to win them over were beginning to pay off.

"Wait, from what you're saying, it seems like 'The American Hustle' isn't very popular with film companies?" Xu Ming asked, puzzled.

“To be precise, it’s not popular with independent studios because it’s a medium-sized film, which means a high production cost and a high risk of loss,” Pani replied.

Xu Ming nodded thoughtfully.

This principle applies to the global film market, and the same is true in China.

They're either low-budget or big-budget; medium-sized films are rare.

Pani's talent far exceeded his expectations.

It seems that the reason the other party was relegated to receiving me at the company is not because of a lack of professional skills, but perhaps because they are too skilled.

"In that case, our two companies are not a perfect match. After all, I am backed by China Capital, while the other party represents technology capital, but Hollywood's distribution channels are very weak."

As Xu Ming spoke, a sudden inspiration struck him.

This should be exactly what CAA was looking for; both sides have money, but both need the assistance of professionals like them.

(End of this chapter)