Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 518, Section 516: The Treasure Bowl
With the formal meeting agenda settled, the participants moved to the adjacent rest area, where they entered a more relaxed yet subtly witty exchange session.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and laughter filled the air.

But the invisible focus remained firmly on Wang Sheng.

Sure enough, several executives from local film groups and studios gathered around almost instantly.

The conversation naturally turned to the "Crossing the Guandong Film and Television City," which has become a model of integration between the cultural industry and tourism in recent years.

The head of Liaoning Film Company, who is now an indirect beneficiary of the "Crossing the Guandong Film City" project, wore a proud smile on his face, but said with "trouble": "Chairman Wang, you don't know, our film city in Shenyang has really become a treasure trove!"
According to preliminary calculations last year, direct tourism revenue, plus film crew rentals and related services, actually reached nearly 300 million yuan!

This doesn't even include the surrounding accommodation, catering, and transportation businesses it stimulates—that's a market worth a billion yuan! Our provincial leaders are both happy and worried; happy because of the good economic benefits, but worried because of the heavy workload of hosting guests, haha!

This statement, seemingly a complaint, is actually a boast, and also a way to elicit further discussion.

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man with glasses and a more refined demeanor took over the conversation. He was the head of Changchun Film Group.

Changchun Film Studio, as the eldest son of the Republic's film industry, has a profound cultural heritage, but in recent years it has struggled in the market. It has long been envious of its neighbor Liaoning Province, which has made a name for itself with a film and television city.

“Chairman Wang, Chairman Han,” the Changchun Film Studio representative said with a touch of emotion and sincerity, “In the early days of our film studio alliance, Changchun Film Studio was among the first to respond and fully support the implementation of the alliance’s policies. You two should remember this kindness.”

He looked at Wang Sheng with eager eyes, "Liaoning Province has made a fortune thanks to 'Crossing the Guandong,' but we in Jilin Province can't just keep drinking the soup. What do you think, could we plan a 'Crossing the Guandong 2' in our province as well?"
Our province of Jilin was also an important destination for those who ventured to Northeast China, boasting a wealth of historical material! When the time comes, we can follow suit and create a "Jilin Branch of the 'Venturing to Northeast China Film City'," guaranteed to be just as good as the one in Shenyang!

His words were like lighting a fuse.

The boss from Liaoning Province immediately objected, half-jokingly retorting, "Hey, Lao Li, you're wrong about that. The core story of 'Crossing the Guandong' is set in our Liaoning Province; this IP has roots! If you make 'Crossing the Guandong 2,' aren't you just diverting customers? That's not fair!"

At this moment, the boss of the Heilongjiang Film Company, who hadn't said much until now, also joined the fray. He spoke in a loud voice, with the straightforwardness typical of Northeasterners: "If you ask me, the story of 'Crossing the Guandong' runs through our three northeastern provinces! Liaoning Province is the starting point, Jilin Province is the transit point, and our Heilongjiang Province is the final destination, the core area of ​​the pioneering!"

In fact, it would be perfectly legitimate for Heilongjiang Province to establish an "Ultimate Experience Film City for Exploring Northeast China"! Chairman Wang, please consider Heilongjiang Province; we will fully support you in terms of policies and land!

Seeing that the three northeastern provinces had started to "argue" first, the directors of film studios or the heads of provincial companies from other parts of the country, who had not yet established provincial film groups (at this time, there were only a handful of regional film groups that had been established, mainly including Shanghai Film Group, Xi'an Film Group, Xiaoxiang Film Group, Emei Film Group, etc., and most provinces still mainly had separate film studios and provincial film companies), could not sit still.

The head of Xi'an Film Studio mentioned their rich loess culture and revolutionary history, hinting at the possibility of developing a "Western Stories" or "Revolutionary Holy Land" series; representatives from Hunan Film Studio touted Hunan culture and modern celebrities; even representatives from some Central Plains provinces began exploring their own "Heluo Culture" and "Central Plains Migration" themes, extending invitations to Wang Sheng, hoping to replicate the "Shengying Model" in their territories and create a similar "treasure trove." Suddenly, Wang Sheng seemed like a magician wielding a magic wand, surrounded by a group of eager "lords" who chattered away, offering a plethora of local cultural project ideas, all with one goal—to invite Wang Sheng to their regions to build a phenomenal film city.

Wang Sheng felt utterly overwhelmed.

He listened patiently to the accounts from all sides with a smile, but his mind was perfectly clear.

After the crowd subsided, he raised his hand and said loudly, "Distinguished leaders and colleagues, I understand your feelings very well. Everyone hopes that their hometown can be better and that the cultural industry can be more prosperous."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces of the crowd, his tone becoming steady and earnest: "However, some things really can't be rushed or replicated. The success of Shencheng's 'Crossing the Northeast Film City' is the result of the combined effects of favorable timing, location, and people."

He began to analyze, counting on his fingers, both to explain to everyone and to reiterate the market rules: "First, there's the IP itself. The quality and influence of the TV series 'Crossing the Guandong' combined with its prime-time broadcast on CCTV-1 created a phenomenal level of national popularity. This level of IP is extremely rare."

"Secondly, there is the geographical advantage. Shenyang itself is the largest city in Northeast China, a transportation hub, with a large population base and strong consumption power. Moreover, it is relatively close to Beijing, with a well-developed railway and highway network, which can effectively radiate to the three northeastern provinces, Hebei Province, and even some large and medium-sized cities in Inner Mongolia, ensuring a stable source of customers. These are not conditions that just any place can possess."

"Finally, and most importantly, is management and the environment," Wang Sheng emphasized. "Operating a film studio isn't just about building the buildings. It requires a professional, rigorous, and modern management team to prevent any overcharging, cheating, or forced sales practices."

Furthermore, local governments need to be determined, provide strong support, and severely crack down on all kinds of fraud and deception to create a safe and comfortable consumption environment for tourists. Shenyang has truly put in the effort in this regard, and I believe comrades in Liaoning Province are well aware of this.

The Liaoning provincial governor nodded in agreement.

Wang Sheng concluded: "Therefore, film and television city projects are not simply about imitation and replication. They require top-notch IP content, superior location conditions, professional operation and management, and a favorable policy environment; all four are indispensable. Blindly launching such a project could very well end up with a deserted site and a wasted investment."

Seeing the disappointment on some people's faces, he changed the subject and reassured them: "However, please rest assured. As a member of the industry, Shengying Media has an unshirkable responsibility to promote the common prosperity of Chinese films and even the cultural industry."

In the future, if a suitable project arises in a suitable region, and a ripe opportunity presents itself, I, Wang Sheng, hereby guarantee that I will contact you immediately to discuss the possibility of cooperation! After all, spring is only truly vibrant when all flowers bloom!

His words were reasonable and well-founded, containing both refusal and promises, and his attitude was sincere. Although everyone was slightly disappointed, they could not find any fault with them and could only express their understanding and reiterate their expectation for future cooperation with Shengying.

(End of this chapter)