Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 247, Section 245: The Counterattack of the Central Film Group

Wu Yi took the folder, accepted the order, and left. The office door was gently closed, shutting out the noise outside.

Just as Wang Sheng was considering the various possible scenarios for the afternoon audition, his phone, which was on the table, suddenly vibrated, emitting a dull "buzzing" sound.

I glanced at the caller ID; it was Han Sanping.

Wang Sheng immediately composed himself, picked up his phone, pressed the answer button, and asked with just the right amount of respect, "Uncle Han?"

"Shengzi, are you busy?" Han Sanping skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"I just finished, please go ahead."

"Hmm." Han Sanping responded, paused briefly as if organizing his thoughts, and then said, "Some people are getting restless; the China Film Group is starting to fight back."

Wang Sheng's eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously sat up a little straighter.

After the establishment of China Film Group, internal integration was far from complete. The open and covert struggles between the "Beijing Film Group" centered on Beijing Film Studio and the "China Film Group" centered on the original China Film Corporation never stopped.

Han Sanping, relying on his previous performance and reformist spirit, temporarily gained the upper hand, taking charge of film production and temporarily managing the distribution of domestic films. This undoubtedly threatened the interests of some people in the former China Film Group Corporation.

"What exactly happened?" Wang Sheng asked in a deep voice.

"The group's Monday routine meeting just concluded."

Han Sanping spoke slowly, but every word carried weight: "A former director from China Film Group spoke eloquently at the meeting, saying that 'revitalizing domestic films cannot rely solely on the efforts of one family or clan. Although Sheng Ying Media is good, it needs a diverse range of productions to truly reflect the inclusive spirit and vision of China Film Group.' He proposed introducing more powerful and dynamic social production companies to jointly contribute to the prosperity of domestic films."

Wang Sheng listened quietly.

These words sound grand and morally sound, standing on the moral and professional high ground, making them difficult to refute directly, but behind them lies nothing more than self-interest.

Introducing external forces can both counterbalance the burgeoning Beijing Film Group and provide the China Film Group with new stakeholders and partners.

Han Sanping continued, "I felt there was something more to this suggestion, and sure enough, he immediately recommended the Beijing Television Art Center, saying that they had extensive experience in producing TV dramas and films, had a precise grasp of audience tastes, and a mature team, making them a completely trustworthy partner."

Beijing Television Art Center?

An old rival I haven't heard of in a long time.

"I had someone investigate carefully after the meeting," Han Sanping said in a lower voice, with a hint of sarcasm. "To be precise, it's not just the Beijing Television Art Center that's being brought in. There are two other 'outsiders' following behind."

"Oh?" Wang Sheng expressed his question at the opportune moment.

"One is Beijing Huayi Yalian Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd."

Han Sanping explained, "The boss of this company is named Dong Ping. He's a shrewd and resourceful person. He used to be in international trade, and later got involved in film and television investment. He participated in several projects, including 'The Emperor's Shadow' and 'Keep Cool.' Although he wasn't the main person in charge, the fact that he was able to get involved in such big productions shows that he has exceptional connections and money-making abilities. In addition, he is good at capital operations, has a sharp eye, and likes to speculate."

Wang Sheng nodded silently.

Han Sanping's intelligence was very accurate.

Dong Ping was known for his skill in capital operations in his original historical trajectory.

His most glorious achievement was that, more than a decade later, he successfully transformed a Hong Kong-listed company that originally mainly dealt in cement into a film and television company through a series of dazzling capital operations, and finally sold it to the internet giant Alibaba, which became Alibaba Pictures.

Later, he founded Huanxi Media, which recruited a group of great directors such as Ning Hao, Xu Zheng, and Peter Chan, enjoying unparalleled success.

In addition, Dong Ping once almost won the operating rights of Qiongzhou Tourism Channel. Although he failed in the end, it is enough to show his power and ambition.

This is an extremely shrewd speculator with a keen sense of opportunity, always able to ride the wave of opportunity.

"The other one is Beijing Huayi Brothers Advertising Co., Ltd."

Han Sanping continued, "This business is run by two brothers, Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei, and their backer is..."

These two brothers started out making their fortune in advertising, where they thrived and earned a lot of money. In recent years, they've ventured into film and television, investing in and producing several TV series, such as "Psychological Clinic," and their momentum is quite strong. As for the Huayi Brothers, that goes without saying.

On the original timeline, for the next two decades, it would have been one of the undisputed giants among China's private film and television companies, leading the trend in star-making ability and commercial film operation model.

"The three of them have joined forces," Han Sanping summarized. "The director they've chosen is Feng Xiaogang. The project has already been approved, and it's a comedy film targeting the year-end holiday season. The script outline is said to have been approved, and they're currently working on it."

Feng Xiaogang...

Wang Sheng wasn't too surprised to hear the name.

The inertia of history is indeed powerful.

He didn't copy Feng Xiaogang's representative New Year's films like "The Dream Factory," "Be There or Be Square," and "Endless Love." So these projects, or similar projects, will naturally emerge due to market demand and the director's own characteristics, just with different names or perhaps different investors.

Feng Xiaogang has the foundation; his grasp of Beijing-style humor and everyday life, as well as his insight into the tastes of ordinary viewers honed through years of television and film, will naturally attract capital seeking to make money in the film and television industry.

The emergence of Dong Ping and Huayi Brothers is merely a recurrence of this historical process.

"The 'Trial Measures for the Production License of Single-Film Story Films' from the end of 97..." Han Sanping reminded him.

“I know, Uncle Han.”

Wang Sheng calmly replied, "It broke the monopoly on production rights and gave private capital the right to produce films independently. With the threshold lowered, the industry naturally flourished."

Wang Sheng was not surprised by the emergence of competitors; in fact, he believed it was inevitable.

In the first two years, the market was not hot enough and the mechanism was not mature enough. He and Beijing Film Studio (now the Beijing Film Group of China Film Group) seized the opportunity and got the biggest piece of the pie.

This year, with the suspension of imported films, Han Sanping and his team have personally raised the banner of supporting domestic films, and policies and resources are tilting towards this field, with market enthusiasm visibly rising.

It's perfectly normal for shrewd and capital-rich "barbarians" like the Dong Ping and Wang brothers to want a piece of the pie.

Unexpectedly, the first person they approached was Feng Xiaogang, who had been lying low for a long time, and they directly targeted the Lunar New Year film season, which is the most symbolic and commercially valuable.

This is both a challenge and, from another perspective, proves that the path Wang Sheng pioneered is correct and full of potential.

"They're up to no good." Han Sanping sighed softly on the other end of the phone: "Dong Ping is a master at capital, Huayi Brothers has a strong foundation in advertising, marketing and on-the-ground promotion, Zheng Xiaolong's art center is a shareholder of Forbidden City Film Industry, and can secure a good number of screenings in Beijing, plus Feng Xiaogang who is eager to prove himself... This combination is not to be underestimated."

Wang Sheng could sense a hint of worry in Han Sanping's words.

This concern is not out of fear of battle, but rather stems from a consideration of the overall situation.

While the introduction of external forces by China Film Group may have been intended to undermine Beijing Film Group and Wang Sheng, it also objectively aligns with the policy direction of "expanding the pie."

As the group's vice chairman, Han Sanping is in charge of film production and temporarily oversees domestic film distribution. He must view this issue from a higher perspective, protecting his own interests while avoiding openly suppressing competition that complies with policies.

"Uncle Han, I understand what you mean." Wang Sheng said in a relaxed tone, "The market is dynamic because of competition. One flower does not make a spring, but a hundred flowers blooming make a garden full of spring. If they want to come, then let them come."

He paused, then said with certainty and confidence, "The Lunar New Year film market is big enough, but audiences are also more discerning. Ultimately, it comes down to the quality of the work. Let's see who prevails in the market."

Upon hearing Wang Sheng's statement, Han Sanping showed neither panic nor resentment, but rather a calm and even expectant attitude in the face of the challenge. After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Han Sanping's slightly gratified voice came through: "Good! That's the kind of spirit I'm looking for! As long as you know what you're doing."

His tone shifted, becoming resolute again: "Don't worry, I'll handle the distribution. As long as the film is of high quality, you won't be shortchanged on screenings and promotional resources because of any non-market factors! I want to see how effective their combined strategy really is!"

"Thank you, Uncle Han."

hang up the phone.

Wang Sheng wondered if he should take Han Jianu out for some time, but then thought, "Never mind, I'll wait until winter break."

(End of this chapter)