There were four people at the dinner table, and everyone except Li Mu was shocked.
The shock that Li Mu's words brought to the three of them is indeed indescribable. Li Mu was actually willing to take out the Muying ticketing system, give 20% of the shares for free, invest, and give a guarantee to ensure that the other party would not lose money, leaving all risks to himself. , and all of this is just to let the partners come to China to make movies!
Not to mention the two American guests who were stunned, even Senior Brother Liu was speechless in surprise.
He knew Li Mu. He knew that Li Mu had an extraordinary sense of mission for the country and the nation. This could be seen from his performance of holding the national flag at Harvard and from his impassioned speech. However, he did not expect that Li Mu was actually willing to sacrifice the most fundamental goal of a businessman: profit for the sake of China's image and influence around the world and the rapid development of China's film and television industry.
It seems that the only thing that allows Li Mu to completely sacrifice profits is 3321. However, what Li Mu just said is not only sacrificing profits, but also investing more costs while giving up profits. From this point of view, it can be seen that Li Mu attaches great importance to the fact that Hollywood comes to China to make movies.
Spielberg couldn't help but ask Li Mu: "Mr. Li, do you hope that Hollywood can stimulate the entire Chinese film industry? If so, we can definitely cooperate with Makino Imaging to make some movies in the future. This is totally fine. of."
Li Mu nodded: "Pushing is necessary. China's film and television industry has too many problems. It will take at least ten years to rely on internal adjustments and improvements alone. But if they are driven by outstanding industry players, they will definitely catch up. Otherwise, we will be eliminated by the rapidly developing industry and the rapidly developing audience.”
Speaking, Li Mu added: "Of course, the other aspect I just mentioned is also very important, because unlike Western ideologies, Western media often demonizes and propagandizes us. I don't understand politics, and I don't want to touch it. , but as a Chinese, I very much hope that the world can take off the colored glasses imposed on them by the media, and truly see this country, this nation, and these people for what they are, or understand this country and this nation for thousands of years. Come to the ancient culture bred on this land, and the best solution I can think of is movies."
Spielberg was also particularly touched. Although he is an American, he is also a Jew. He understands Li Mu’s sense of national belonging. That feeling transcends the limitations of territory and country. It cannot be simply said by saying patriotism. Summary.
Spielberg once made a movie related to the Holocaust of Jews. This movie is called "Schindler's List". It tells the story of a German businessman named Schindler who helped more than a thousand people during World War II. The true story of a Jew who escaped the Holocaust. As a Jew, Spielberg was unwilling to shake hands with the German actors throughout the filming process. Although it seemed rude, this was what he felt deep in his heart. This is due to the sense of national belonging.
Whether it was out of a Jew's deep identification with national belonging or out of a businessman's pursuit of profits, Spielberg could not refuse Li Mu's cooperation plan. He nodded lightly and said seriously: "Mr. Li, I am willing to accept your cooperation plan. In the next ten years, I will personally or let my team be deeply involved in a film related to China every year, and it will even be led by me and my team."
At this point, Spielberg paused and asked Li Mu: "Mr. Li, regarding the cooperation of Muying Ticketing System in North America, we also hope to increase our shareholding by investing in shares. Do you think it is feasible?"
Li Mu said: "It is feasible, but the range does not exceed 10%. In other words, if we set up a company in North America together, if you don't invest, I will hold 80% and you will hold 20%. If you want to invest, I will give you 20%." You have 10% room to increase your holdings, but when you increase your holdings, the company’s valuation will be US$200 million.”
With a valuation of US$200 million, 10% of the shares is US$20 million. Although this is not a huge sum of money for Spielberg and his company, it is still a large expenditure. A valuation of US$200 million for a company with nothing sounds a bit unbelievable, but based on Muying’s ticketing system, its influence in the YY ecosystem, and its market space, US$200 million is already worth it.
This is as if Tengxun suddenly announced that one day he would make a new product under the framework of WeChat. Even if he didn't invest a penny, its valuation would be astronomical just because of the WeChat ecosystem.
Spielberg only thought about it briefly and said to Li Mu: "Mr. Li, I accept your conditions and am willing to increase my shareholding by 10%."
"Okay." Li Mu nodded: "I don't have any other requirements here. My requirements are all about the movie. I will briefly mention a few points: First, the script, casting and budget of the movie that you have agreed to shoot in China. I have a veto power. If I don’t like your story, I can pass the movie directly; if I don’t like an actor in it, I can directly exclude him from the movie; if I have any concerns about the budget, If you have any opinions, I will make appropriate increases or decreases based on the original ones.”
Spielberg said without hesitation: "That makes sense. I don't have a problem with it."
Li Mu was also relieved. What he was most worried about was that Spielberg and his team would fool him, so he had to control the script of each movie and give his nod before it could be shot.
In fact, Li Mu has always been very dissatisfied with China's film and television industry. Even if the Hollywood film and television industry is vanity fair, degenerate and rotten internally, the professionalism of the entire circle in making movies has always been maintained and implemented. A Hollywood actor He or she may be a scumbag, a drug addict, a mistress, or a loser, but as long as he or she steps in front of the camera, he or she is a professional actor and gives a professional performance.
But looking back at the Chinese film and television industry, the acting skills of a large number of actors with professional backgrounds are disastrous. The entire industry's poor production level, eager pursuit of money and fame, and low requirements for art itself are simply beyond description in words.
Many times when Li Mu watches domestic film and television dramas, he will be extremely embarrassed to find that even the protagonist can’t fucking act, let alone the extras.
Sometimes, a film and television drama finally has several movies with online acting skills, but the extras are all so bad that they jump from scene to scene every minute, making the viewing experience extremely poor;
Sometimes, for the sake of traffic and income, film and television dramas hire a lot of so-called popular young talents. Each frame of the entire drama is as beautiful as a magazine blockbuster. When they are strung together and matched with the plot, it will make people laugh. It makes me want to vomit;
Sometimes, the props and special effects in a movie are so fake that a three-year-old child can't bear to look at them.
Moreover, Li Mu is most uncomfortable with post-recording of film and television dramas. As long as the lip syncs are not right, the fakeness will be unbearable. However, most domestic film and television drama directors and actors, in order to save time and effort during filming, all use post-dubbing methods, so that only A "number lady" will appear on the set and count numbers...
Some old actors are also unwilling to make progress. They have not made breakthroughs in their acting skills for more than ten years. They have played the same roles for more than ten years, but every one of them makes people feel embarrassed.
To break down the corruption in the Chinese film and television industry, Li Mu, an outsider, could criticize it word for word for three days and three nights. It’s not that he worships foreigners. Simply looking at it from the perspective of an audience, there is no way that Chinese film and television dramas and American film and television dramas can be helped. To compare, here is the simplest example: It is rare to find extras in American dramas whose acting skills are not online. Sometimes the acting skills of the extras are amazing. Even if most American dramas are not good to watch, it will not be because of the actors. Poor acting skills make people act out, but in China, the extras are really extras who don't know how to act at all. There are not many directors who can stick to their artistic pursuits and really invite a bunch of supporting actors who can act to make the whole movie. The play becomes more fleshed out.
It is precisely because of these original sins that people feel that iron cannot be made into steel, Li Mucai is full of pessimism about the independent development of China's film and television industry.
In my previous life, although Hollywood penetrated into the Chinese film and television market in large quantities in the later period, and even had a lot of cooperation with actors, directors, and screenwriters in the Chinese film and television industry, the Chinese market at that time had already risen, the industry had gone astray, and the audience had also been led astray. , so much so that Hollywood content has to bow its head when it comes to China, and so-called domestic actors with no acting skills have to be used for the sake of box office. It has not brought any improvement to domestic films, but has been led astray by the domestic film market.
If the Chinese film and television industry continues to follow this path in this life, then Li Mu will definitely disband Makino Image and never touch film and television again, because he is unwilling to mix with so many low-level people, even if it is just in the same industry. He couldn't afford to lose that person.
Spielberg asked Li Mu very proactively: "Mr. Li, if we successfully sign the contract, what kind of movie would you like us to make in 2003 that is related to China?"
Li Mulian thought for a while and said: "It's about war! Whether it's "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers", they are both war-themed film and television dramas that I like very much. During World War II, China fought to resist the Japanese invaders and for the world. Peace has paid a huge price and made great contributions to the people of the world, but Hollywood has never made a film about China’s resistance to the Japanese invaders during World War II. You have made almost all the World War II battles that Americans participated in into movies. You yourself I also made a movie about the massacre of Jews by the German army during World War II. If you personally directed a movie about China during World War II, I think it would be very meaningful."
Spielberg understood Li Mu’s sense of national belonging very well. Even though Li Mu had previously promised him to invest and even provide a guaranteed box office, out of professionalism, he still reminded Li Mu in a friendly way: “Mr. Li, a real war movie costs a lot of money. It’s huge and the cost is very high. Saving Private Ryan invested US$70 million four years ago, and Band of Brothers also invested US$120 million. The cost is very high, and you want to make a movie that reflects China’s World War II. Movies with this theme may not have a high box office performance in North America and other parts of the world, so the possibility of recovering the cost is not high... "
Li Mu said categorically: "It doesn't matter. I'll invest in the subject matter you want. I personally can't afford it. My company can't afford it. My company can't afford it. My shareholders will invest. Money is not the problem. The problem is to have good works." China has a population of 1.3 billion. I don’t believe that no one will watch a good movie!”
(End of chapter)