In the entertainment industry, everyone has been reborn, but who will be their servant?

Chapter 75 Revitalizing China
Inside the quaint private room, red and gold lantern tassels swayed gently in the air, and a wisp of sandalwood incense drifted from the openwork beast-head mouth.

Qin Xuan and Lao Wang sat facing each other, with dishes laid out on the mahogany table, the steam blurring their vision.

Old Wang held his celadon cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "You young man are too impetuous. You should maintain a proper level of politeness. Competition and cooperation are the rules of the industry today."

This is a comment on what just happened.

"That depends on who made the rule and whether it benefits me. If it doesn't, why should I follow it?" Qin Xuan picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks and savored its smooth texture.

Old Wang is always calm and composed; we'll just wait for him to speak.

"Isn't the rule that once someone has taken the position, they cut off the path for the next person to take it, thus maintaining an advantage forever? If that's the case, how can I not challenge them? You, Mr. Wang, also rose to power through challenges. Did you really have a smooth ride?" Qin Xuan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Old Wang always grinned and chuckled, leaving no room for rebuttal; indeed, he faced challenges wherever he went.

Environmental protectionism is rampant in the domestic business sector.

He put down his teacup and got down to business, saying, "Ye Ning told me about your situation before. What are your thoughts now?"

"I need Wanda to settle the box office payments for the two movies, 'Fame and Fortune' and 'Nightclub,' in advance. These two movies have been off the screens for two or three months, which isn't too early," Qin Xuan said.

"Sure, we'll get married sooner or later," Old Wang agreed.

Qin Xuan originally planned to settle the accounts before the end of the year, but Old Wang dragged it out until March. However, they are now collecting the payments.

This is the downside of making movies in this era: if someone wants to mess with you, they can drag it out for a year or two. If you don't have the capital, you can't do anything for that long.

Just like Qin Xuan now, Lao Wang never gives him money, so he can't make "Nanjing Photo Studio" and "The Nameless".

They can only seek other investments, or wait for the money to come in and shoot one film at a time, and they can't afford to fail along the way. This is how many filmmakers are.

This is also why many filmmakers make only one film every few years; the main reason is a lack of money. Too many films fail to make money and then fade into obscurity.

Later, movies were given financial attributes, and with the addition of the internet model, rapid settlement became possible, taking only ten days, half a month, or even a month.

Old Wang always asks, "Then the next thing is about movies. Do you have any movie projects right now?"

"Yes, I plan to start two projects, one is a modern urban drama, and the other is a major film, a tribute film."

"A tribute film?" Old Wang asked doubtfully.

"Yes, next year is the 60th anniversary, and I want to make a tribute film to unite people's hearts." Qin Xuan didn't hide anything.

"Is this easy to film? Have you gotten the filming permit?" Old Wang knew a bit about the difficulties involved.

"Not yet, but we're already preparing for approval." Qin Xuan paused for a moment before adding, "The budget for this project might be around 60 million."

"Sixty million?" Old Wang pondered for a moment.

“Yes, and another 20 million for modern urban life themes, making a total of 80 million.” Qin Xuan finished speaking and then looked at President Wang.

That is, the budget for "The Unknown" was 20 million, while this movie only had 30 million in its previous form.

Qin Xuan now wants to pay the team more to further solidify morale, expand the team's size, and prepare for signing and retaining high-quality talent; he can't just keep paying lip service.

Old Wang kept his head down, pondering whether the current market size could accommodate a production scale of 60 million.

Sixty million is an absolute blockbuster in this era. Previously, "Assembly" had a production scale of eighty million and grossed more than 2 million at the box office.

This was just the production; the publicity and distribution also cost 10 million, making it 90 million, almost 100 million. Qin Xuan only needed 60 million to film. The reason is that his actors' salaries can be kept infinitely low; he won't hire currently popular actors. Also, passing censorship will bring tax breaks, special funding support, and other benefits.

The 60 million is just their investment; the actual production cost is higher.

"I was even thinking of investing in your new venture, but you've suddenly gone all out." Old Wang hesitated.
He wasn't hesitant about how much the film would cost.

Instead, they hesitated because Qin Xuan was going to play such a big game all at once, and tens of millions of yuan were going to be poured in. They were worried that the new force would be dragged down by the tribute film, which would be a loss.

He's well aware that there are many taboos surrounding tribute films.

"That's what I thought at the time too. I was thinking of making a comedy film step by step. That modern urban drama was like that, and it could make money."

But as you know, next year is a significant year. Since we, the Chinese people, have the ability to participate, we must participate. This is also our way of contributing to the revitalization of China.

As soon as Qin Xuan finished speaking, he saw a glint of light flash in Old Wang's eyes, as if he had hit the nail on the head.

The main point is the phrase "revitalize China".

This was something Qin Xuan said on purpose. In his previous life, he watched a short video where Wang Sicong said that when his father sent him abroad to study, he gave him four words: "Revitalize China!"

After all, he was a soldier, so he still has a patriotic sentiment. It's just that the group made strategic mistakes and misjudged the situation.

To put it bluntly, it just got floaty.

"I've invested in the film, but I won't invest the whole thing. I'll give you 30 million for the tribute film, and you'll have to figure out the other 30 million yourself. Also, what's the name of that slice-of-life film you mentioned earlier?" Old Wang was very straightforward, just for the four words "Revitalize China".

But he can't eat it all, he can't eat it all. This kind of film needs the participation of state-owned enterprises. If you're making a film about Nanjing, you have to cooperate with the local Jiangsu region.

Other tribute films require the participation of China Film Group and Beijing Film Group.

This is for the purpose of full supervision, as well as to provide support and convenience.

"Nanjing Nanjing" and "The Flowers of War" are examples of this, as is the later "Nanjing Photo Studio".

"The Nameless Ones!" Qin Xuan replied.

“Wanda Group has invested in the entire ‘The Unknown’ you mentioned.” Old Wang didn’t even blink. He doesn’t need to blink at investments under 30 million.

"But I can't give you the whole share; I need to keep 30% for my production team."

"No problem," Old Wang said without objection.

According to industry norms, if a project is initiated by someone else, and they handle everything from team building to project development, it's normal for them not to invest or take a share.

Just like big directors such as Feng Xiaogang and Stephen Chow, even if they don't invest, they can still get their salaries and dividends.

This is the resource advantage that the new forces currently possess.

Of course, Wanda still controls this project, since they provided all the funding and hold a 70% stake.

"Regarding the investment in emerging forces you mentioned earlier..."

"Let's talk about this when your tribute film is about to be released! No rush," Old Wang waved his hand.

He's just too shrewd. If "Nanjing Photo Studio" can be released, it will prove that all the obstacles have been overcome, and only then will it be worthwhile for him to invest in New Force.

(End of this chapter)