Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 505, Section 503: Change

In January 2004, the north wind was biting in Beijing, but the atmosphere inside the Jingxin Building, the headquarters of Shengying Media, was one of warmth and tranquility after the overall situation had been settled.

At the beginning of the new year, the grand blueprint set by the senior management seminar has become the guiding principle followed by everyone in the company.

By selling shares during the IPO, Wang Sheng not only gained astronomical sums of money, but more importantly, he secured a deep connection and clear support from the "national team" and a market dominance that was unshakeable for a period of time.

This is no longer the alliances and rivalries of a period of unbridled growth, but rather a shift in the power dynamics of the entire film industry driven by industrial development and market size.

A silent transformation is taking place: the path of "award-winning films," which was once regarded as the gold standard by certain circles and whose unspoken rule was to pander to Western aesthetics and values, has suddenly lost its appeal in the mainstream commercial market.

The failure of Zhang Yimou's "Hero" is not only a failure in commercial competition, but also a sign that the narrative that attempts to replicate the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" model and knock on the door of international awards with spectacular and symbolic "Eastern imagination" is beginning to fail in the face of China's most dynamic consumer group.

Wang Sheng has not publicly criticized any specific director or work, but the Sheng Ying Group, which he built, has clearly outlined another possibility and another "Chinese-language film" that is more popular with local audiences through its cultural confidence output with "Night at the Museum", its localized genre innovation with "Kung Fu", and its realistic warmth with films such as "Lost in Thailand".

He didn't need to fight for the old discourse power; he directly defined the new arena and rules.

Of course, he did not abandon his plans for awards, but instead attempted to restructure the rules.

Directors such as Huo Jianqi and Zhang Yang, along with a group of emerging filmmakers supported by the Sheng Ying system, are being encouraged to conduct artistic explorations based on grounding themselves in reality and delving into the local cultural heritage.

Their works, such as Huo Jianqi's upcoming film focusing on the spiritual dilemmas of contemporary urbanites, and Zhang Yang's epic chronicle of the changes of ethnic minorities in the southwestern border region, no longer start from figuring out "what film festival judges like," but rather from "what we want to express" and "what moving stories exist on this land."

This internally driven creative force aims to force the evaluation system of mainland film awards to focus more on the artistic value and social connection of the works themselves, rather than their function of showcasing "united front value" or "exotic charm" in the international market.

This is a quiet revolution.

Wang Sheng wields power over capital, distribution channels, and content production, subtly influencing the perception of film aesthetics among an entire generation, and even future generations.

For countless young viewers like Lin Xiaoyue and Zhang Heng, a "good movie" must first and foremost be one that touches them and resonates with their lives; it must be technically sound, have a smooth narrative, and be emotionally genuine, rather than those works that are obscure and difficult to understand despite being labeled "artistic," or those that deliberately create a sense of alienation for the sake of external awards.

What he is shaping is a "Chinese-language film subjectivity" based on cultural confidence and market testing.

Beneath the grand narrative, Wang Sheng has once again entered a state of "idleness".

The company's massive machine is operating efficiently according to its established strategy.

His daily tasks mainly consist of strategic decision-making documents, while specific matters are handled by the secretariat led by Li Tingting, which coordinates the various business units.

The secretariat, or rather, the company's employees, are not what they used to be. They have not only borrowed a group of interns from government offices in Beijing, but also from some ministries, or hired several consultants.

From the perspective above, Shengying Media is completely transparent, whether in terms of its wealth, number of employees, or grand scale.

As for Wang Sheng personally, according to the information conveyed by Han Sanping, the shares of Shengying he holds can only be sold to state-owned capital.

The reason for this regulation, besides the special nature of the film and cultural industries, is that the majority of the capital supporting Sheng Ying's dream-like market value is basically state-owned.

In addition to this, Wang Sheng also had two "elite bodyguards" on duty to protect him closely.

……

Time passed slowly.

One early morning in mid-January, the sky over Beijing was just beginning to lighten, and the winter sun had not yet brought much warmth.

The satellite phone on Wang Sheng's bedside table rang; the distinctive ringtone indicated that it was coming from an encrypted overseas line.

He rubbed his temples, glanced at the gray-blue sky outside the window, and calculated the time difference; it should be afternoon in Los Angeles at this moment.

The call connected, and on the other end came the familiar, enthusiastic voice of Kevin Brown, Senior Vice President of New Line Cinema, tinged with barely suppressed excitement. "Wang! Happy New Year! Hope I haven't disturbed your sweet dreams!" Brown spoke quickly, "But I must share this incredible news with you immediately! 'Mr. & Mrs. Spy'! God, it's a box office beast!"

Wang Sheng leaned back against the headboard, his tone still languid from just waking up, but his mind was clear: "Kevin, this sounds like good news. What are the specific numbers?"

"From its release on December 19th to yesterday, it's been exactly one month! Guess how much it grossed in North America? $12 million! A full $1.5 million!"

Brown's voice was almost trembling. "This is not the end! Based on box office trends and audience reviews, we predict that the final North American box office will likely exceed 2 million! Including other regions where it has already been released, the global box office has exceeded 4 million! Wang, we have created another miracle!"

The success of "Spy House" was within Wang Sheng's expectations, but the speed of its release still slightly exceeded them.

The chemistry between Matt Damon and Kate Beckinsale, combined with the mature Hollywood action-comedy narrative and Wang Sheng's subtle Eastern-style portrayal of family relationships, produced a remarkable effect.

“Congratulations, Kevin. This shows that our cooperation model has been validated by the market once again.” Wang Sheng’s tone was calm, revealing little emotion.

"It's more than just a verification! Wang, box office revenue is just the most impressive aspect of the income, you know that!"

Brown excitedly began to list, "The home entertainment (DVD/VHS) market is the real gold mine! At this rate, DVD sales in the first week of release will definitely be annual! And then there are the television broadcasting rights, with cable and terrestrial networks bidding for them, which is another long-term and stable source of revenue."

Merchandise, including T-shirts, hats, and toys featuring the movie logo and characters, is already selling like hotcakes! Not to mention future online streaming, airline licensing, and game adaptations…

God, King, we're raking in the money! The lifespan value of this movie will absolutely far exceed its box office revenue!

Brown's statement is true.

In 2004, the revenue structure of an A-list Hollywood production typically consisted of only about 30%-40% from North American box office, another 30%-40% from overseas box office, and the remaining 20%-40% from the huge post-theatrical market (home entertainment, television licensing, etc.) and merchandise development.

With its family-friendly appeal and distinctive characters, "Spy Kids" has enormous potential in the post-theatrical market.

"So, Kevin, what do you mean?" Wang Sheng asked knowingly.

"A series! We must develop it into a film series!"

Brown didn't hesitate. "We already have several directions for the script. Wang, all of this depends on your leadership! Come back, come back to Hollywood! New Line is willing to offer you the best conditions, giving you the greatest creative freedom and profit sharing! This is the ultimate stage for you to showcase your talent!"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Kevin. But as I've said before, my business is centered in China. Shengying Media has just gone public, and this is a battlefield I must personally oversee and develop."

"We can continue our collaborations with Hollywood, like the 'Spy Kids' series. I can serve as producer, overseeing the direction and core creative ideas. But the directing work can perhaps be handed over to other talented directors."

His voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

Brown was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, clearly disappointed, but also expecting it.

“Alright, Wang, I respect your decision.” Brown composed himself and continued, “So, let’s look forward to how ‘Spy Kids’ performs during the Chinese New Year season? It’s scheduled for release on the first day of the Lunar New Year, right?”

"Yes, the publicity campaign has been fully launched," Wang Sheng replied. "However, I'm probably more looking forward to the performance of another film."

"Oh? Which one?" Brown asked curiously.

""effort"."

Brown: "Absolutely! Kung Fu! Our internal test screenings gave it very high marks. Its unique comedic style and amazing action design are sure to attract a large audience. We are also very much looking forward to its performance."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries about future cooperation arrangements, the two sides concluded the transoceanic call.

(End of this chapter)