Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Chapter 130 The Guy Who Loves to Act Like a Big Shot

Ren Pingsheng's heart skipped a beat; he recognized which movie Teng Huatao was referring to.

The story of a girl getting over a breakup.

Isn't this the dark horse of the year, "Love is Not Blind," which used a 9 million investment to generate 350 million in box office revenue?

Released on Singles' Day in 2011, it broke through the competition from three Hollywood blockbusters, namely "The Adventures of Tintin," "Real Steel," and "Immortals," creating a box office miracle for a low-budget domestic film.

But wasn't this a perfect shot? What does it mean that Teng Huatao is coming to find me now?

His mind works incredibly fast.

Yes, Perfect World's current focus is probably on that inexplicable "Zhu Xian" (诛仙) project, so this low-budget film has naturally been shelved.

But then I thought about it again and it didn't feel quite right.

Even if Perfect World doesn't invest, does Teng Huatao lack investment given his status in the industry?

Not to mention that his father is Teng Wenji, a fourth-generation director, he himself is also a well-known director who made the TV series "Dwelling Narrowness".

If he just said a word, there would be plenty of people willing to throw money at him. Why would he suddenly approach a web series director who has never even directed a movie?

"Urban romance?" Ren Pingsheng didn't rush to answer. "That's a good theme, it's relatable and easy to relate to, but Director Teng, you're the expert in this kind of subject matter. What help can a short filmmaker like me offer?"

Teng Huatao waved his hand, "Director Ren, don't be modest. Based on the reputation of 'Old Boys' among young people, if you can't help, who can?"

He paused, carefully choosing his words, "To be honest, I've always filmed TV series, so I'm not very familiar with movies. I tried it once before, but the results weren't very good."

Ren Pingsheng added in his mind that it was more than just not ideal.

In 07, Teng Huatao directed his directorial debut, "The Ghost Inside," which featured three big names: Leon Lai, Rene Liu, and Fan Bingbing.

As a result, the film was pulled from theaters in Hong Kong after only one week of screenings, earning less than HK$20,000. The HK$20,000 wasn't even enough to cover the production crew's daily expenses.

Ren Pingsheng also understood why the film flopped. The film's positioning was unclear; it wasn't thrilling enough, nor was it artistic enough. The three big names each had their own requirements, and Teng Huatao, as a newcomer to film, simply couldn't handle the situation. In the end, the film turned out to be a hodgepodge.

He later admitted in an interview that the experience made him realize that hiring too many big names would turn the director into an executor who blends the opinions of all parties.

That's why, in his previous life, when he was filming "Love is Not Blind," he deliberately chose TV drama actors like Wen Zhang and Bai Baihe, who had worked with him before but hadn't made many movies.

"Director Teng wants me to be the executive director?" Ren Pingsheng asked directly.

Teng Huatao laughed, "Director Ren is indeed straightforward."

He took two steps forward, and Ren Pingsheng followed, leaving the crowded area.

"I've been preparing for this project for a while now. I own the copyright, the original author is writing the adapted script, and while we have the general framework, we're still refining the details."

"What about investment?"

"We're still in talks," Teng Huatao paused for a moment. "Originally, one company was quite enthusiastic, but they've been busy lately, so their attitude has become a bit ambiguous."

really.

Ren Pingsheng didn't ask which company it was, but he was already certain in his heart that it was Perfect.

What is the estimated total investment?

"Between eight and ten million," Teng Huatao said. "I want to take a small but exquisite approach, not hire big-name actors, shorten the production cycle, and spend the money on content and promotion."

Ren Pingsheng nodded; this was exactly the same path he had taken in his previous life.

"Have you chosen a specific candidate yet?"

"I want to cast Wen Zhang as the male lead," Teng Huatao said decisively. "I've worked with him before, so we have great chemistry. Plus, his cheeky and irreverent personality is perfect for the role."

article.

Ren Pingsheng's expression remained unchanged, but he had already begun to make plans in his mind.

From a casting perspective, Wen Zhang was indeed key to the film's success.

His portrayal of Wang Xiaojian was the most outstanding performance in the entire film. His sharp tongue, arrogance, and repressed passion brought the urban gay best friend to life, directly popularizing the concept of male gay best friends.

But as for the article itself...

Ren Pingsheng weighed the options in his mind for a few seconds.

There are still more than three years left since it happened in 2014, so it's pointless to dwell on it now.

If this project can be successfully completed, the return rate will be nearly twenty times, and no rational investor would have any reason to refuse it.

Even if he had reservations about the article, he couldn't possibly abandon a highly certain project just because something hadn't even happened yet.

But the key question is, in what capacity did he get involved in this project?

If Teng Huatao values ​​his own marketing skills, then he can simply act as a service provider and earn some service fees.

If you invest behind the scenes, then even if something like that happens, you won't be implicated in the public eye.

But if I were to participate in the production as the executive director, I would have to go head-to-head with this grumpy, diva-like guy.

"What about the female lead?" he then asked.

"It's not decided yet," Teng Huatao shook his head. "The script isn't fully finished yet. I want to wait until the script is finalized before deciding who is suitable."

The female lead in his previous life was also an actress he had worked with on a TV series, and she was no pushover either. With these two brilliant and promising talents together, plus Yu Fan, Yao Di, Zhang Mo, and Zhang Zixuan, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that "the whole cast is villains."

It would be somewhat unpleasant to have one more work removed from my resume because of my past as a disgraced celebrity. After all, I am an officially recognized "righteous person," so I should cherish my reputation.

"Director Teng, I'm quite interested in this project, but I'd like to clarify: are you simply looking for an assistant director to assist you, or are you interested in a deeper level of collaboration?"

Teng Huatao glanced at him; this young man was even more direct than he had imagined.

"We can talk about anything," he said without hiding anything. "My idea is this: the target audience for this film is young people born in the 80s and 90s. I am better at realistic themes, but Director Ren, you understand young people and you know what kind of things can go viral online. I want to bring you in from the early stages of the project and integrate marketing thinking into content creation, just like with 'Old Boys'."

Ren Pingsheng understood.

What Teng Huatao wanted was a co-producer who understood internet communication, a more radical idea than in his previous life.

We need to carefully consider how to cut in.

Cooperation is possible, but the roles must be carefully chosen. Too shallow and it won't be enjoyable; too deep and you'll get tainted.

"Director Teng, could you send me the script so I can take a look? I'll study it and then we can discuss the specifics of our collaboration and the extent of my involvement."

"Of course," Teng Huatao said readily, "I'll send it to your email in a bit."

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The two exchanged contact information, exchanged a few more polite words, and then parted ways.

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