America: My Time

Chapter 492 Cooperation
Chapter 492 Cooperation

A sound system is the guarantee of everything. Without a sound system, there will be no rapid development of enterprises. In particular, the crazy situation in the Hong Kong film market is even more worrying. The influx of more and more quick money will accelerate the development of the industry, but it will also make the market more chaotic and produce more bad films. Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too often, it will only cause the entire market to collapse.

Is John the only one who sees the state of Hong Kong's film market? No, John is not the only one who sees it. Many industry professionals understand this, but they are powerless to change it. The root cause of all this is the Hong Kong government's problem, because behind these quick money are powerful forces, and no one wants to be targeted by them.

With the influx of quick money, it's not just the film market that's affected; actors without strong enough backing are also threatened. John is well aware of all this, but he lacks the ability to resolve it; at most, he can only ensure the safety of the artists under his management.

As a multinational media giant, no one would dare to provoke Phoenix Group, as the consequences would be unbearable. Therefore, the current consolidation of Phoenix Group has made many realize just how terrifyingly powerful it is. Although the emergence of Phoenix Group's new systems and the improvement of Phoenix Pictures have been met with some misunderstanding and even difficulty in acceptance, they have no choice but to accept it. This formalization has allowed Phoenix Pictures to gradually get on the right track.

"Many people are complaining about the company's changes and the excessive number of rules. Will this sudden change have an unnecessary impact on the company? If this continues, it may affect the company's operation!"

"Yes, I've heard a lot of complaints too. Many people think that such changes will affect the director's creative freedom!"

When John heard what Cherie Chung and Sally Yeh said, he smiled calmly and said, "It seems that many people find it hard to accept the changes at Phoenix Group. You've heard all these complaints. However, the company's decision will not change. The short-term impact is within an acceptable range. Only after experiencing short-term pain can the company get back on track. Although Hong Kong's film industry is very strong, it lacks a sound system, which is the biggest problem. It may have a golden age of more than ten years, but in the long run, this is not the right path. Phoenix Pictures aims to avoid all of this and transform into the Hollywood production model. Only when a company has a sound system can it achieve better development. You don't need to worry about this. If anyone is unwilling to accept it, then they can leave."

John is uncompromising when it comes to the rules. He had told Huang Xizhao this long ago: no matter who it is or how capable they are, anyone who doesn't accept the company's rules can leave. The rules are the guarantee of everything. The reason these guys are complaining now isn't entirely because it affects their performance, but more because it affects their interests.

Without a sound system, there will naturally be more problems during filming and a lot of expenses. From now on, Phoenix Pictures will prevent all of this from happening. Everything will be done in accordance with the company's system, from the script to the project initiation, to filming and release, there will be a complete process to minimize the company's losses.

"I don't want to pay attention to it, but I can't help it because of social obligations!" Ye Qianwen said with a troubled look. Unlike Chung Chuh-hung, she has not retired from the entertainment industry. She is developing her career in both music and film, so she is naturally affected by social obligations.

"No one's opinion matters. Everything will be done according to company rules. Don't do anything rash. Although you are a contracted artist with the company, your record contract is with Universal Music, not Phoenix Media. You are not part of the company's management, so don't express any opinions, understand?" To prevent any unexpected situations from occurring, John still gave him some instructions.

Personal relationships cannot influence company policy, especially core decisions. No one can make such decisions, not even Ye Qianwen, who is their woman. They can discuss anything regarding actors, but there can be absolutely no compromise on policy matters. This process is the foundation for the company's best development.

Other film companies in Hong Kong disagreed with the changes at Phoenix Pictures, believing it to be a mistake. They argued that while Hollywood was powerful, Hong Kong had its own filming methods. However, no matter what these companies thought or how they viewed it, they couldn't change Phoenix Group's decision. Despite their doubts, Phoenix Pictures resolutely implemented its own rules and regulations!
“I know, I’m just worried. But the Xiang brothers want to meet with you.”

Hong Kong is too small, and those who follow John naturally know Ye Qianwen's identity. Compared to her, she is easier to reach, while it is more difficult for Chung Chuh-hung, who has retired from the entertainment industry. At this time, the Heung brothers met with him through Ye Qianwen's connections, perhaps for the sake of the movie. Win's Entertainment may be about to be launched ahead of schedule.

“Have them come to the company tomorrow. I’ll wait for them at Phoenix Group headquarters.” John had some guesses about the Xiang brothers’ plans, but it involved cooperation between actors and theater chains. After all, there were only so many theater chains in Hong Kong, and the largest was Phoenix Theater Chain. The most important thing was to reach an agreement with Phoenix Theater Chain so that they could directly distribute films throughout Asia. The next day, John met the Xiang brothers at Phoenix Group headquarters. After a brief conversation, they got to the point. John smiled calmly and said, “I can somewhat guess why you two are here. It’s about actors and theater chains. However, film companies are not that simple. Don’t think they only make money. There are many more films that lose money, and many don’t even get a chance to be released. Be prepared; it might not be more profitable than your current business.”

“Mr. John is right. I understand all of this. We are doing this to change ourselves and have a legitimate business so that we won’t be looked down upon!”

The Xiang family rose to power through the Sun Yee On triad, committing numerous misdeeds. Today, they operate in various sectors including real estate, restaurants, and entertainment. However, they understand that if they continue on their current path, no matter how hard they try, they can never transform themselves like the Ma family. With the Hong Kong film industry booming, they are keen to enter the film market, and they possess considerable experience in this area. The recent transformation of Phoenix Group has made them feel that the time is ripe.

Setting up a shell company in Hong Kong is easy, but establishing a real film company and carving out a share of the Hong Kong film market is not an easy task. The three giants, Phoenix, Golden Harvest, and Cinema City, stand side by side, keeping many people out, especially regarding the cinema chain. Now, both Shaw Brothers and the cinema chain have been acquired by Phoenix Group, allowing Phoenix Group to take another step forward in Hong Kong. Most importantly, the sheer size of Phoenix Group's strength is astonishing.

Without a cinema chain, your film won't even have a chance to be released. Distribution is crucial for a film to make money, and Phoenix Cinema is undoubtedly the best choice. However, it's not easy to cooperate with Phoenix Cinema. Many people have wanted to cooperate before, but they have all been turned away. Not many films can actually be released on Phoenix Cinema.

Now that the Heung brothers want to enter the film industry, they can't do without the support of cinemas. Instead of cooperating with Golden Harvest and Cinema City, they might as well choose Phoenix Group directly, which led to today's meeting.

“In principle, I have no problem with you, nor do I care about your identities. However, you should also be aware of the situation of Phoenix Cinemas. What conditions can you offer?” John nodded slightly, accepting the explanation.

Soon, the Xiang brothers handed John the documents they had prepared. After carefully reading them, John was impressed by the sincerity of the Xiang brothers. Their documents contained detailed information about the company, showing that it was not a shell company but one that truly intended to make a difference.

In fact, before the Xiang brothers came to meet John, they already knew about the situation of such a multinational giant. They understood that cooperating with such a giant was not a small-scale affair. It was not something that would make them willing to cooperate with you just because you made one or two good films. It was a long-term cooperative relationship. Without a detailed understanding of the company's development, the so-called cooperation would not last long.

This document clearly states that Phoenix Group artists will be given priority in casting, and that their fees are negotiable and will not be lower than those of other companies. Although this is not very important to Phoenix Group now, it is better than many shell companies that simply do not have this concept.

“You two are very sincere, and there are no problems with the cooperation. However, I hope that no one in Hong Kong will harass the artists of Phoenix Group. This requires your help!” John was well aware that the situation in Hong Kong would become increasingly chaotic. Using the Xiang brothers to warn other forces was a good option, since chaos would bring considerable trouble to Phoenix Group.

In Hong Kong, would anyone dare to provoke HSBC and Standard Chartered? No. As the owner of Standard Chartered Bank, he is also the owner of Phoenix Media Group. Would anyone be foolish enough to provoke an artist signed with Phoenix Media Group? Believe it or not, there really are. Those big powers wouldn't dare to do it, but there are always some reckless fools who are not afraid and will do some crazy things. So this arrangement is also the best way to protect their own artists.

The Xiang brothers naturally understood John's intention and readily agreed. The exchange was thus successfully completed, with both sides getting what they wanted, making it a win-win situation.

(End of this chapter)