The entertainment empire began with Liu Yifei's premarital pregnancy.

After discussing the script for "Crazy Stone", Lin Bufan and Ning Hao chatted for a while.

"Senior, how about considering signing with Kyoto Entertainment?"

Lin Bufan looked at Ning Hao and extended an invitation directly.

Ning Hao's directorial ability is beyond doubt. His later works, such as the "Crazy" series and "Breakup Buddies," are considered classic films.

"this……"

Ning Hao hesitated for a moment.

"Senior, no need to rush. Let me explain the terms to you first. As for whether or not you want to sign a contract, you can go back and think about it."

Lin Bufan continued his introduction without waiting for a reply.

Kyoto Entertainment's current directing department has only one director under contract, Shen Ao.

Shen Ao is capable, and he also learned a lot while serving as his assistant director on "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate". Under Lin Bufan's instruction, the directing department signed Shen Ao to a B-level contract.

The director's department only has two types of contracts: an A-level contract and a B-level contract.

The signing fee for a Class A contract is 20 million per year, and for a Class B contract it is 5 million per year.

In terms of resources, the most attractive aspect of an A-level contract is that the company promises to provide Hollywood resources after one year of signing, including at least a Hollywood film with an investment of over 1 million US dollars.

If a film does not lose money at the box office after its release, a Hollywood film with an investment of more than 20 million US dollars will be prepared every two years.

Of course, with such good resources, the signing conditions are also somewhat harsh. First of all, there are restrictions on the signing period, with the minimum being 8 years.

In addition, directors who sign A-level contracts can enjoy 8% of the film's box office revenue.

Directors signed to B-list contracts do receive a share of the box office revenue, but only 5%.

"If I sign with Kyoto Entertainment, will I get an A-class visa?"

Ning Hao's eyes lit up as he looked at Lin Bufan.

Whenever Lin Bufan says "I can get an A-level visa", Ning Hao will agree without the slightest hesitation.

"Won't!"

Lin Bufan shook his head and explained to Ning Hao, "An A-sponsor can only be promoted based on a B-sponsor."

Regardless of the director, once they sign with Kyoto Entertainment, they all start with a B-type contract. To get an A-type contract, they need to be promoted internally. The most important condition is that they must earn more than 5 million yen for the company. There are also award requirements, whether it is the three major domestic film festivals or some second-tier international film festivals, such as the Tokyo International Film Festival for Best Director.

If both of the above conditions are met, you can be promoted from a B visa to an A visa within the company.

There won't be many directors signed to A-level contracts, which is also an incentive for the directors signed to the company by Lin Bufan.

……

Five million? Really?

When Ning Hao returned home, Xing Aina was shocked upon hearing the results, followed by delight.

Originally, the couple thought that they could make the movie with an investment of only three million.

Unexpectedly, Lin Bufan was willing to invest five million. Now with sufficient funds, the film production can be made even more exquisite.

"Of course it's true."

Ning Hao said, sitting down in a chair with a somewhat composed expression.

"Something on your mind?"

Xing Aina looked at Ning Hao, who was frowning, and slowly walked over, squatted down beside him, and asked with concern.

"Is it about investments?"

Aside from investments, Xing Aina couldn't think of anything else that could affect Ning Hao's current mood.

"no!"

Ning Hao shook his head, looked at his wife, and slowly said, "It has nothing to do with the investment, it's about the contract..."

Immediately afterwards, Ning Hao explained that Lin Bufan had offered him a contract, and he also explained both the A and B contract options.

"Do you think I should sign a contract with Kyoto?"

Ning Hao was somewhat undecided, so he didn't immediately agree, nor did he refuse; he simply said he would think about it when he got back.

"What are you thinking? Do you want to continue going solo, or are you planning to sign with an entertainment company in the future?" Xing Aina didn't answer immediately, but looked at Ning Hao and asked.

There are many directors in the industry who go solo, and they do seem to have a lot of freedom. They can make whatever movies they want, and some even start their own companies, such as Lin Bufan, Chen Kaige, and those fifth-generation directors.

The only downside is that each film needs to attract external investment.

If you sign with an entertainment company, you don't need to worry about investment. Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou are prime examples of this.

Feng Xiaogang has become completely tied to Huayi Brothers. He has not only signed a contract with the company, but also holds shares in Huayi, although not a large number of shares.

Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping of New Pictures. The later film "A Simple Noodle Story" was a project led by Zhang Weiping. That's how it is when you sign a contracted director. Sometimes the company arranges a movie for you, and it's hard to refuse unless it's a particularly outrageous situation.

"I haven't decided yet..."

Ning Hao shook his head, looking somewhat lost.

The film "Crazy Stone" required him to seek investment everywhere, and he finally managed to secure a five million investment from Kyoto Entertainment.

If this movie is successful, then at least we won't have to worry about attracting investment in the future.

However, if this movie flops, it will be almost impossible to attract investment again.

"I'm thinking of making a decision after the movie is finished and released."

Ning Hao looked at Xing Aina and shared his thoughts.

I understand your concerns.

Xing Aina looked at Ning Hao with a serious expression: "Are you thinking that if 'Crazy Stone' does well at the box office, you're going to go solo, is that right?"

"yes!"

Ning Hao nodded.

"But what if it flops at the box office?"

"this……"

Faced with Xing Aina's question, Ning Hao opened his mouth.

Without a doubt, the box office will flop. Forget about being a freelance director; even if he gets a contract, there's no guarantee a company will sign him.

"It's even uncertain whether Kyoto Entertainment will sign you at that point."

"So you mean you're suggesting I sign with Kyoto Entertainment?"

"Then it's up to you whether you want to take a gamble."

Xing Aina shook her head. She didn't offer any advice, but simply helped him analyze the pros and cons.

If the gamble pays off, with the movie "Crazy Stone" as a endorsement, there will be no shortage of investment for future films.

But if you lose the bet, that would be terrible. At that point, forget about attracting investors, even signing a contract would become a problem.

"I know what to do."

Ning Hao took a deep breath and, after listening to Xing Aina's analysis, made his final decision.

He himself is not a person with a strong gambling instinct, and moreover, the terms of the contract with Kyoto Entertainment are not very strict. Relatively speaking, he has a lot of freedom and can take on jobs from outside without the company's interference.

Most importantly, the B visa is valid for three years at a time, which is very flexible in terms of the duration of stay.