Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 264, Section 262: Little Star Wars

time flies.

On the first day of November, the morning air in Shenyang was already thick with the smell of breath turning into mist.

In the conference room of the Shencheng Hotel, which symbolizes the highest level of accommodations, the heavy curtains were drawn back, and sunlight streamed through the huge glass windows, gilding the interior with a pale gold hue.

On the long conference table, covered with a dark green velvet tablecloth, three beautifully bound cooperation agreements were laid out, with pens representing the rights and responsibilities of each party placed beside them.

Han Sanping, vice chairman of China Film Group, Wang Sheng, general manager of Shengying Media, and Mayor Xu of Shenyang, as representatives of the three parties, sat in the main seats.

Behind them, key members of their respective teams—including Han Sanping's assistant, the project manager of Shengying Media, and heads of various relevant departments in Shenyang—gathered together in a solemn yet slightly tense atmosphere.

Without much small talk, the signing ceremony officially began in the presence of lawyers and notaries.

Han Sanping was the first to pick up his pen and sign his name in the China Film Group section, his handwriting steady and powerful. He represented the national team's entry and endorsement.

Next up is Wang Sheng.

He picked up the heavy pen and glanced at the key clauses in the contract: the total investment for the project was initially set at 100 million yuan.

Among them, Shengying Media, as the main investor and operator, invested 50 million yuan; Shenyang contributed land, some infrastructure construction and policy support, valued at 30 million yuan, as its equity investment; China Film Group invested 20 million yuan in cash and also held a certain number of shares with its brand and channel resources.

The project company is established and led by Shengying Media, with China Film Group and Shenyang Film Group appointing directors according to their shareholding ratios, who enjoy supervisory rights and voting rights on major matters.

The shareholding ratio is 34% for Shengying Media, 33% for Shencheng, and 33% for China Film Group.

The pen tip glides across the paper, making a soft rustling sound.

The unveiling of the name "Wang Sheng" signifies that Shengying Media has taken a crucial and bold step in its layout of physical industries.

The project, which Wang Sheng internally referred to as the "Northeast Film and Television Cultural Tourism Base," was ultimately located near the Qipanshan Scenic Area in Shenyang.

The area boasts abundant natural resources and is conveniently located near the city center. It offers ample space for large-scale development and is well-suited for connecting with tourist flows in the future, aligning with Wang Sheng's long-term vision of a "filming base + cultural tourism" destination.

The core of the first phase of the project is to restore typical villages, inns, wharves, and some forest farm scenes from the "Crossing the Guandong" period. It is expected that construction will begin next spring after the land leveling and planning details are finalized.

Finally, Mayor Xu solemnly signed his name on behalf of Shenyang, his face beaming with satisfaction at achieving his goal.

For Shenyang, this is not only a cultural industry project with an investment of over 100 million yuan, but also a shining name card that can enhance the city's cultural taste, boost employment, and promote the future tourism economy.

Exchange files and shake hands again.

This handshake was firmer and carried more weight than any before.

The flashbulbs went off again, capturing this historic moment.

Thus, a seed was planted for the film and television culture industry, which could potentially radiate throughout Northeast Asia in the future.

The celebration banquet that evening was more lively and relaxed than ever before.

Having reached a major cooperation agreement, they are now "comrades-in-arms." Over drinks, there was less hesitation and more enthusiasm.

Zhao Benshan was naturally present. Holding a wine glass, he said in a loud voice, "I knew it! When President Wang comes here, it's like a dragon crossing the river... no, it's like a phoenix perching on a parasol tree! From now on, even this remote place can produce blockbusters!" This drew laughter from the whole room.

Wang Sheng remained restrained, but he drank a few more glasses than in the previous days in response to the enthusiastic toasts from all sides.

He could feel the great sincerity shown by Shenyang, which stemmed not only from the project itself but also from their high regard for him personally and the resource network behind him.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Wang Sheng and Han Sanping arrived at Shenyang Taoxian Airport.

In the late autumn, passengers hurried through the airport.

While waiting to check in at the terminal, Wang Sheng's eyes were drawn to a huge lightbox advertisement in the distance.

The advertisement is refreshing and touching—Gao Yuanyuan, wearing a dowdy school uniform, braces, and with dark skin, contrasts sharply with her later appearance in white, smiling radiantly. Next to her is the eye-catching movie title "A Little Thing Called First Love" and the release date "November 5th, nationwide release".

This is a "reciprocation" from Liaoning Provincial Film Distribution and Projection Company, and even Liaoning Province, for his investment and establishment here.

Liaoning Province not only arranged screenings for "A Little Thing Called First Love" in several economically developed cities, such as Bincheng and Gangcheng, far exceeding the usual number of screenings for domestic romance films, but also gave it preferential treatment in terms of local publicity resources in Shenyang.

This kind of tacit local support is something that market-driven behavior alone cannot achieve.

Meanwhile, in traditional strongholds such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Jiangsu Province, the publicity campaign led by Shengying Media has been fully launched.

Newspaper articles, radio song requests, university screenings, street posters... the topics of "universal crushes" and "ugly duckling transformation" continue to gain traction.

This is a meticulously planned multi-location collaboration, aiming to pave a path for this refreshing film during the early November release period.

Han Sanping also noticed the advertisement.

He strolled over to Wang Sheng, followed his gaze, and then, as if remembering something, said in a tone that was both serious and tentative: "Shengzi, seeing this reminded me of something. I received a notice that the imported films... are coming back."

November 5th, the same day as your film "First Love," is also the release date of a major Hollywood film—"Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." That's a formidable challenge, are you feeling the pressure?

He deliberately emphasized "on the same day" and "Hollywood blockbusters" to gauge Wang Sheng's reaction. The lifting of the ban on imported films means the market will once again compete with Hollywood blockbusters, which will be a huge test for any domestic film.

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng's face did not show the tension or solemnity that Han Sanping had expected. He didn't even immediately answer the question about Star Wars, but instead asked, "Uncle Han, what was the final resolution of 'The Birth of a Nation'?"

Han Sanping paused for a moment, then his face lit up with a mixture of pride and excitement, and his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels: "As of October 29th, the box office has reached 10 million! This is the first domestic film to break 1.3 million since detailed box office statistics began! Moreover,"

He paused deliberately, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of sharing a secret: "According to our internal sampling survey and analysis, of these 130 million, only about 30% were group screenings organized by work units. The remaining 70% were all moviegoers who paid for their own tickets!"

Wang Sheng nodded, not surprised by the data.

The success of "The Birth of a Warrior" follows a similar path to next year's "Life and Death Choice," which achieved box office miracles through company-organized screenings—both capitalized on the momentum of the times. However, there is a fundamental difference: the majority of viewers for "The Birth of a Warrior" were spontaneous members of the public.

Wang Sheng replied casually, "The box office of 1.3 million yuan shows that the public's enthusiasm for supporting domestic films is still strong and the momentum is still strong. Little Star Wars is nothing to be afraid of."

Han Sanping patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, you're really exuding domineering aura."

(End of this chapter)