In the black Mercedes-Benz sedan, feeling the car slow down, Zhang Guoshi looked up from a speech he had read many times and realized that he had arrived at the Radio and Television Yamen near Fuxing Gate in the capital.
The driver communicated with the doorman, then the Mercedes-Benz entered the door and quickly stopped in the parking lot.
Zhang Guoshi put the speech into his bag. The driver provided by Jinshu had already diligently opened the door and got out of the car. He had just said polite words to the driver when someone came over to greet him.
"Director Zhang, it's really hard to call you back from Gansu so far away."
Zhang Guoshi recognized that this was the secretary of the chief executive of the yamen. He had met him before. He smiled and shook hands with the other person: "That's right. I happen to be back to do some things."
The two exchanged polite greetings, and Zhang Guoshi followed the chief secretary into an office building.
Today is Wednesday, September 3rd.
In recent days, the most discussed news hot spots in China, in addition to the already numbing financial turmoil in Southeast Asia, is the box office of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" exceeding 100 million in North America.
To be more precise, during the previous weekend of August 29th to August 31st, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was released in its sixth week. With a box office of US$6.65 million in North America over the three days of the weekend, this movie The cumulative North American box office of Chinese-language martial arts movies has officially exceeded the US$100 million mark, reaching US$100.31 million.
After being open for so many years, it is not uncommon for Chinese-language films to win awards in the West. However, it is unprecedented for a pure Chinese-language martial arts film to have a box office of US$100 million in the North American film market, the largest in the world.
The pride of the country.
It happened that the domestic release date of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was gradually approaching. When the news came, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" had been once again detonated by domestic closely watched public opinion since its release in North America. Moreover, this time it started from the above It has reached a national level of popularity.
If it weren't for the special situation of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", there would be no shortage of treatment such as the Korean movie "Parasite" in the original time and space, which won the Oscar and held a special celebration banquet at the Blue House. After all, under the general trend of opening up, in addition to the opening up of the economy, , letting the world see Chinese culture is equally important.
Not to mention some of the deep-seated changes that are being brewed, Radio and Television responded to the call in time this time and specially held a communication meeting today. The name is very long, specifically called "Promote Chinese Culture, Revitalize Chinese Films, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden" "Dragon" phenomenon seminar'.
People with keen intuition will easily find some clues in the title of this meeting.
In general, some of Simon's original ideas are being realized little by little.
Through the super hit global box office of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" with a huge box office of US$1.938 billion, China realized that movies can be so profitable. With Chinese-language films like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" selling well over 100 million at the box office in North America, some people have once again realized that Chinese-language films can actually make money in this way.
Ultimately, it indirectly promotes the accelerated transformation of the Chinese film industry.
After all, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is only expected to have a total box office of about 130 million in North America. When converted, it is almost the same as the estimated annual box office in China in 1997, not to mention the cultural export factors behind this movie.
In the past, the revitalization of Chinese films, the domestic release of "Titanic" in 1998 was one node, the North American hit of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000 was another node, and then, joining the WTO was another node. The three nodes, either actively or passively promoted, ultimately created the prosperity of Chinese films after the new century.
This time, because of Simon, the big butterfly, everything that was supposed to happen was slightly ahead of schedule.
This side of the Radio and Television Yamen.
Zhang Guoshi followed the secretary to a lounge and greeted everyone. Many people arrived one after another. In addition to the senior officials of the yamen, big names in the domestic circle, including Director Chen, Lao Jiang, Director Xie, etc. Among those who were invited are the three main creators who are currently cooperating with the promotion of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in China, director Ang Lee, as well as Fa Ge and Li Youhu.
There was also a heroine who didn't come due to schedule conflicts.
When everyone arrives, the first step is not to hold a meeting immediately, but to watch a movie.
After all, it has not been released to the public, and most people present have not seen the movie.
Everyone came to a screening room in the office building. Whether intentionally or not, Zhang Guoshi found that his seat was arranged next to Director Chen. They were not the focus today. The main creators of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" were. That’s why you can sit next to the leader.
The two of them chatted on the surface and sat down together, but sparks were flying on the inside.
Because one month before the launch of "Hero", in July, "Jing Ke Assassins the King of Qin" was launched ahead of schedule at Jinshu Film and Television City in Suzhou.
Not only that, Zhang Guoshi also recently heard the news that probably stimulated by the overseas box office sales of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", or certainly influenced by the US$30 million budget of "Hero", Chen Da, who has received an investment of 70 million yuan, The director is raising funds while filming, hoping to make it bigger.
I actually read Director Chen's script privately.
Zhang Guoshi only felt that even if he could not compare with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", compared with "Jing Ke Assassins the King of Qin", he was still very stable.
First of all, with Jin Shu as his backing, Director Chen cannot compare with him. Behind Jinshu is Daenerys Entertainment, the owner of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". It can even be said that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Heroes" are brothers.
Zhang Guoshi didn't know if Director Chen had seen the finished film of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in advance. On his side, after "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" became a hit in North America, he only mentioned it briefly and Jinshu sent him a copy. Go to him and observe and refer to it at any time. During this period, Zhang Guoshi did make some adjustments to the shooting plan of "Hero" based on "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
After all, it's $30 million.
Zhang Guoshi does not lack his own ideas, but he has always been a very mellow person and knows how to adapt.
I started watching the movie at 9:30 in the morning and ended at 11:30. I had a pretty good working meal directly at the Yamen. The meeting started at 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
In his speech before the free discussion, Zhang Guoshi once again took out the speech script.
The manuscript was given by Jinshu, which is why he rushed back today. To put it bluntly, it was just a suggestion.
Zhang Guoshi didn't mind speaking up for Jinshu, but he definitely didn't want to be used as a weapon. He read it many times in advance to confirm that there were no principle issues. He also said that if he felt there was anything wrong, he could modify it himself. Since there was no such thing, when it was his turn, he read out the original text directly.
The meaning is probably very simple.
If we want to revitalize Chinese films, we must ensure the good development of the film market. The main suggestions this time are two, accelerating the promotion of the theater chain system and cracking down on piracy.
Simon's trip to China last year prompted some changes in the Chinese film industry. The main gain was that foreign investors can invest in domestic theaters, but they cannot hold more than half of the shares.
Furthermore, China has begun to promote the reform of the theater system.
The former is okay. As for the reform of the cinema chain system, due to various interest entanglements, this year can only be described as procrastination.
As for piracy, it is impossible to eradicate it, even decades later. However, if strict measures are taken, the harm caused by piracy can actually be mitigated.
The manuscript obtained by Zhang Guoshi proposed specific measures to address these two major issues.
For example, domestic theaters are forced to establish or join theater chains within a time limit.
For example, in terms of piracy, special personnel are dispatched to supervise the copies during the movie release period, at least to ensure that there is no piracy for a period of time, so as to give genuine movies room to play.
These are actually measures taken by the Chinese film industry in the past.
Simon told Chen Qing to formulate this proposal and let Zhang Guoshi speak out, also to pave the way for the release of "Hero" in China next year.
It does not mention sensitive topics such as loosening restrictions on filmmakers or increasing opening up to foreign investment, but rather strengthening policies that are already being implemented. Under the general trend created by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", there is a high chance that it will be accepted and implemented by Chinese senior officials. big.
The seminar lasted until four o'clock in the afternoon.
After everyone left the conference room, Zhang Guoshi did not forget to call Li Youhu and chatted about when she would join the team.
Since Gui Zhang was replaced in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the role of Ruyue, the maid with the broken sword in "Hero", naturally fell into the hands of Li Youhu.
This is not the result of Simon's interference. As for Li Youhu, except for the initial arrangement of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", he was let go after that, and there was no such thing as Zhang Guoshi once suggested that International Chapter should not act in TV series.
Unless you pursue the style of an international star and set yourself high, otherwise, purely for career considerations, considering the environment of China's film and television industry in the next ten or twenty years, multi-faceted development is the way to go. Just like the international star in the past, the style may be very high. , but definitely not as much as Fan Xiaopang.
What's more, in the end, it's not just about filming a TV series.
After chatting and saying goodbye, there was still some time in the afternoon, so Zhang Guoshi drove to the Jinshu headquarters south of Beijing Normal University near Xinjiekou.
Chen Qing is here.
After arriving, they waited in a lounge for a while. Chen Qing, Wu Shanlin and two other strange middle-aged women finished a meeting and came over to greet Zhang Guoshi.
From "Speak Well" at the beginning of the year to "Super Girl" and "Kangxi Private Interview" in the summer, two top-level TV series, Jinshu is currently in the limelight. However, Zhang Guoshi also faintly heard some gossip, such as He wasn't worried about being reported or anything like that. There are countless such things in the circle, and they are nothing more than water and soil. With the background of Jinshu, it is impossible for anything to happen.
After some pleasantries, Chen Qing introduced the two middle-aged women to Zhang Guoshi and exchanged their business cards.
The two women, both surnamed Li, established a TV production company called Rong Xinda. This time they came here to talk about injecting capital into the company.
Zhang Guoshi didn't ask for more details. After greeting each other for a while, the two women said goodbye knowingly. Zhang Guoshi talked to Chen Qing and Wu Shanlin about today's seminar and the progress of the filming of the movie in Gansu.
Until get off work.
We have an appointment for dinner tonight.
An official from Sichuan took the opportunity to come to Beijing for a meeting to treat guests on behalf of the provincial government. The guests were Wu Shanlin and other senior Jinshu officials. As it happened, Zhang Guoshi was also present.
Actually it's still about "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
In North America, after the release of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sparked a movie-going craze, it happened to be summer again. During this period, the number of North American tourists who came to China specifically to visit the series of beautiful scenery in the film increased significantly. According to an official newspaper recently According to reports, compared with previous years, the growth rate of North American tourists this summer is conservatively estimated to have at least tripled.
As an important filming location for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the Bamboo Sea in southern Sichuan has become internationally famous this time. In addition to fame, it also has tangible benefits.
A large number of overseas tourists come here to visit, all of which are foreign exchange.
Compared with the general public, interested people can naturally find out the connection between Jinshu and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The Sichuan official hopes to cooperate with Jinshu again to promote many scenic spots in Sichuan Province. Of course, Jinshu cannot promise anything immediately, but if there is an opportunity to establish a good relationship with the local government, it will naturally not be missed.
Chen Qing never misses this opportunity to build connections and also attended.
The dinner lasted until late at night. Chen Qing did not return to Maoer Hutong, but rushed to a mansion on Beichizi Street at the foot of the Forbidden City. Today, a large group of goblins flew to the capital after swimming across the West Lake from Hangzhou, and their boss asked him to take care of it. Once in a while, always show up.
It is impossible to be too caring.
Anyway, some people are interested. After all, they are arriving on a private Boeing 767 for someone who has registered a number. They are also considered a group of small VIPs.
However, it is not difficult to discover the power of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" from these girls.
It’s no wonder that some people in China have taken it so seriously recently.
Zhang Guoshi will fly back to Gansu tomorrow to continue filming "Hero", but regarding this project, because of the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", a lot of people have been asking about it recently, and China Film even helped apply for a subsidy. Compared with the budget of "Heroes", it is not much, only 5 million yuan, but it is enough to show that they are interested in this project.
Next, if "Hero" is successful again, the scenic spots such as Ejina Populus Forest, Guilin Yulong River, and Jiuzhaigou Arrow Bamboo Sea mentioned in the film will definitely become popular destinations for overseas tourists.
At a certain moment, Chen Qing wanted to organize a special travel line for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Heroes".
Of course just thinking about it.
Small money.
There's too much involved, so there's no need to worry about it.
I rushed to the residence where Elizabeth Jagger and a group of girls were staying, expressed concern, said goodbye, and left. It was already past eleven o'clock at night.
Still did not return to Maoer Hutong, but went to another courtyard house on the south bank of Houhai.
Here is also a group of girls who have just moved in recently.
not much.
After careful selection through various channels, only nine were found.
They are all girls with beautiful faces, but this is not the most important thing. The key is still one word, big.
This was my boss's request last time.
Chen Qing swiped through the contestant information of "Super Girl" and couldn't find any matching ones, so she searched through other channels and found nine. She didn't know what the boss's standards were, but according to the boss's big hand size, it was also a hand. The kind that can't be caught.
I just gathered them up and kept them here recently. I plan to train them well before sending them to the boss.
The list information had been sent to North America in advance, and I called my boss to ask for credit, but someone asked me weirdly why there was no one with the surname Liu.
Not sure why.
It was probably some kind of joke that I didn't get, but my boss was obviously very satisfied.
Chen Qing plans to stay here tonight.
Picking two girls to accompany you and secretly using them for personal gain can also be considered as training.