Muxuxing did not spend too long on Xu An's animation work.
In fact, long before Xu An, Huaying had set up a special investment project review team, which was responsible for conducting a unified review and evaluation of all animation scripts submitted to Huaying. Huaying would also decide whether to invest and the specific investment amount based on the team's evaluation results.
Therefore, at this moment, Mu Suxing only roughly looked through the animation script brought by Xu An. After confirming that there was no problem, he handed over all the subsequent specific matters to the Huaying review team.
After seeing Xu An off, Mu Suxing no longer had the intention to return to the tennis court. He sat by the window in the conference room, looking out the window aimlessly, a little absent-minded for a moment.
"Everyone has left, why are you still looking so bitter and unhappy?" Qin Sheng appeared behind him at some point, and pulled a chair over and sat down. As if thinking of something, he frowned and said, "Or did the other party ask for too much?"
The location of Huaying's headquarters is not far from Tengkong. Because the two sides have cooperated in games and animation, employees from both sides often visit each other. For this reason, when seeing Qin Sheng coming over, Mu Suxing was not surprised. He just shook his head and said, "No, Xu An did not make any additional requests."
It would be more accurate to say that the opposite was true—Xu An had no objection to the various terms and conditions in the painting and filming contract and agreed to them without hesitation.
Although Huaying's contract itself was relatively reasonable, Xu An's performance did seem a bit overly cautious.
Hearing that the other party was not pushing his luck further, Qin Sheng relaxed his frown and looked at Mu Suxing in confusion: "Since there is no problem, what are you worried about?"
He thought about Huaying's recent situation.
Everything is going well and there is nothing for Mu Xiuxing to worry about.
Mu Xuxing did not speak immediately.
He turned and looked out the window.
Looking out from this height, you can just see the tennis court not far from the office building. Employees are sitting in groups of three or four on the lawn beside the tennis court, chatting and laughing, and from time to time someone gets up to stretch their muscles. Maybe it's near noon, Fang Lian even brought a lot of food from Xingping Hotel and had a picnic nearby with great interest.
A scene that looks relaxing and happy - as if the daily life of animators should be so comfortable.
But Muxuxing knew that this was not the case.
There are only a few animation companies like Huaying that can enjoy no worries about salary and quality projects. Most animation companies take on outsourced animation projects. They do not have the funds to produce their own animations, nor can they afford the risk of failure. If they encounter a demanding client, sometimes the modification of a shot may delay the company's capital chain.
Some netizens wrote a couplet to make fun of the suffering:
One night, two clients kept asking for the drawings in the middle of the night, so I had to work overtime on Friday until Saturday morning. I finished the drawings at 7 o'clock, uploaded them at 8 o'clock, and went to bed at 9 o'clock. It was very painful; it was only 9 minutes past 10 o'clock, and the client sent eight text messages and seven phone calls, requiring six adjustments, five drawings, and three documents to be submitted in four hours. I only slept for one hour over the two days and weekend.
If there is anything more tragic than the description in this couplet, it is probably the horizontal banner written by another netizen: Use the original one.
Everyone says: making animation is a dead end.
The words sound joking, but I'm afraid only those who say such words jokingly know how difficult this road is.
Muxuxing was silent for a while, and then he said: "I was just wondering if I could do something for this industry."
"Indeed, Huaying is now completely on the right track. Unless there is force majeure, it is almost impossible for anything to cause Huaying to collapse. However—"
"But the plight of the animation industry has not improved at all." Qin Sheng added.
Noticing Mu Suxing's slightly surprised look, Qin Sheng smiled lightly and explained, "Animation and games are closely related after all. Tengkong also has a dedicated animation department, which recruits more than a dozen animation personnel every year. I have some understanding of this."
What is the crisis facing animation practitioners
As of now, although computer technology can partially replace manual work, animation production still relies on hand-drawing. Inversely proportional to such a high-intensity workload is the pitiful labor remuneration of animation practitioners.
The government's protection of animation copyrights has indeed increased the industry's revenue, but it has also brought in countless foreign capital. However, after the capital carnival, what it brought was not an industrial chain that benefited the entire industry, but a lot of devastation. The price of a single episode has not increased, but labor costs and the requirements of the client have become higher and higher.
"That's not all." Muxuxing said, "Haven't you noticed? The problem of talent shortage in this industry is getting more and more serious."
Qin Sheng was slightly stunned, but soon understood what Mu Suxing meant. He shook his head, his expression showing helplessness, but more of a calmness: "There is nothing we can do about it."
Low salary and high workload naturally result in high turnover rate and low career satisfaction.
In fact, the average age of practitioners in the entire animation industry, not just painting and filming, is only 33 years old.
In other words, the majority of people working in the animation industry are young people, and the number of people with 10 to 20 years of experience, who should be the backbone of the industry, is very small. In other words, what supports this industry today is the passion and enthusiasm of young people for animation.
However, those experienced animation practitioners have to leave the animation industry because of low wages.
In fact, there is a serious gap in technical talent in the entire animation industry.
"This problem is not a problem of Huaying, but a problem of the entire animation industry," Qin Sheng looked at him, "If we want to change this situation, it is not something that can be solved by one person or one company..." He paused, and suddenly, a vague and almost delusional idea flashed through his mind:
"Wait, you don't mean to—"
"That's right," Muxuxing admitted readily, "I want to run a school."
Qin Sheng was really surprised this time.
To be honest, since he founded Tengkong Entertainment, he has been a man who has seen a lot of ups and downs and has remained calm. Even if something happens in Tengkong Entertainment, most of them are within his expectations. On the contrary, Mu Xuxing's various ideas often make him feel absurd and self-evident.
Absurdity is this whimsical idea.
It stands to reason because the person who said this was called Mu Suxing.
Qin Sheng looked at him.
Mu Xuxing looked back at him naturally, without any evasion in his eyes.
Qin Sheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something to persuade him, but he didn't know what to say.
Running a school is different from starting a business. It not only requires huge capital as start-up capital, but also requires extensive connections in the animation-related industry. Most importantly, be mentally prepared to not be able to recover the cost for at least ten years.
Even if you want to enhance Huaying's reputation, consolidate Huaying's position, and further develop Huaying, this is not the way to go.
Is this a business plan? It's more like charity.
The two had known each other for such a long time that Qin Sheng thought he knew Mu Suxing quite well. Even if Mu Suxing occasionally had some strange ideas, he had the confidence to follow his thinking. However, building a school...
Is it necessary to go to this extent
"Okay." Qin Sheng sighed and stood up from his seat. His expression was very serious, and his previous careless look was completely gone. Now he was no longer chatting with Mu Suxing as a friend, but as a collaborator, seriously judging the possibilities.
"Now that you've made up your mind, let's talk about practical matters now."
Qin Sheng took two steps toward the stage and pulled up the multimedia screen in the conference room, leaving only a blank blackboard. The president of Tengkong Entertainment quickly entered the working state, picked up a piece of chalk from the table, and wrote the word "funds" on the blackboard.
"First of all, there is the issue of funds. Normally, the starting capital for running a private university is at least 1 billion. In the following years, additional investment will be required based on the specific situation of the school. Let's not talk about this for now," Qin Sheng said, looking down at Mu Suxing: "Huaying does not have 1 billion in liquid funds right now."
Mu Suxing looked at him with a hint of smile in his eyes. He asked in return, "Who said Huaying's liquidity is less than 1 billion?"
He spoke so confidently that Qin Sheng became a little unsure.
"When did Huaying's working capital reach 1 billion?" Although he had never seen Huaying Animation's annual report, many things could be roughly calculated based on Huaying's movements in the past few years. According to his estimate, Huaying's current working capital should be just over 800 million.
Muxuxing said affirmatively: "It didn't exist before, but it will be available soon."
This was said with confidence, and Qin Sheng did not think there was anything wrong with it. Instead, he nodded in agreement. Indeed, although Huaying has spent a lot of money in various aspects in the past two years, its ability to make money is also amazing. Not to mention the peripheral industries closely related to animation, the animation IP adaptation games alone are enough to make money.
"Indeed, I misunderstood this point," Qin Sheng pondered, "With your ability, if you want to raise 1 billion, probably one excellent animation work will be enough."
This sentence is a declarative sentence.
Mu Suxing smiled slightly, did not answer, but did not refute either.
He acted too confident and took it for granted. Qin Sheng couldn't help but look at him more. Then he looked away and continued, "Okay, even if you have no problem with the funds, what about the teacher?"
"The professors with rich experience in the animation industry have basically been taken up by first-tier universities. You can't let Huaying's employees give lectures, right? Have you ever thought about how to solve the problem of teachers? Also, if you are running a school now, you can only run a third-tier university at the beginning. Even if there is a Huaying brand, are you sure that those students who want to study animation will give up the first-tier universities and choose your third-tier university?"
"I have no intention of linking college entrance examination scores with people's abilities, but if the university you run only admits people who failed the college entrance examination, are you sure that the talents you cultivate are the talents needed by the painting industry, or in other words, the industry?"
Qin Sheng raised many questions, but every one of them made sense and was not aimless.
Muxiuxing did not answer these questions immediately.
Seeing Mu Suxing remained silent, Qin Sheng thought that the other party was hit by him, so he softened his tone and said, "I am not denying your decision, nor do I think there is anything wrong with what you did. I just think that it is not easy for both Huaying and you to get to where you are now. There is nothing wrong with this idea itself, but I don't want you to put yourself and Huaying in danger for this. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I just think," Mu Xiuxing paused for a moment, then said slowly, "Someone has to do these things."
If everyone just sits back and enjoys the fruits of their labor, this industry will never be able to truly prosper.
Moreover, compared to other people who have a lower tolerance for error and will be doomed if they make a mistake, it is no exaggeration for him to say that he has a life-saving talisman. If even he is timid and hesitant, when will the dawn that all animators are looking forward to come
And what is the significance of his rebirth
Qin Sheng's heart moved slightly, and he subconsciously looked up at him.
Muxuxing said this naturally, without any awe or pretense - he really thought so in his heart, so he made a decision and said it out loud. The afterglow of the setting sun reflected on the young man's smiling face, which looked gentle and sharp.
It was a very strange feeling - as if some strange emotions were silently surging in his heart, and like a breeze blowing very lightly across the wheat fields. This made Qin Sheng pause unconsciously, as if he was afraid of disturbing something, and he instinctively looked away.
Instead, it was Mu Suxing, the person involved, who reacted first. Seeing Qin Sheng suddenly fall silent, he felt somewhat uncomfortable: "I'm sorry, that sounds a bit childish... I'm sorry to have made you laugh."
"No."
Muxuxing: "Hmm?"
Qin Sheng did not take up the topic, but naturally led the topic back to the main business at the beginning: "As for funding, if the school can add game majors in addition to animation majors, Tengkong Entertainment can invest in it."
The topic change was a bit abrupt and Mu Suxing didn't react for a moment. Hadn't he just been trying his best to persuade him not to be impulsive
But Qin Sheng didn't seem to notice the surprise in his expression at all. His expression was no different from the way he did business. He lowered his eyelids and thought: "As for the teachers, we can ask Huaying's capable employees to give lectures occasionally. If you have time, you'd better go and give a class once a month. You can also emphasize to the outside world that the school focuses on practical teaching."
Muxiuxing: …
He just proposed an idea, how come the other party had already thought of the marketing direction for him in the blink of an eye
Without waiting for Mu Suxing to respond, Qin Sheng thought for a moment and said, "But these alone are definitely not enough. Although it is too early to think about these things now, the school must eventually strive to upgrade to a first-class university. In addition to inviting talented animators in the industry, it is also necessary to invite some respected old artists to take charge."
"That shouldn't be a problem for you. I think the judges of the Eleanor Awards have a good impression of you. I have a good relationship with several professors in the gaming field. I'll introduce you to them later."
Qin Sheng wanted to continue talking, but when his eyes touched Mu Suxing who was temporarily out of his mind, he stopped. He thought that he had interfered too much, so he immediately explained: "Of course, I am just making some suggestions. It is up to you to decide how to do it."
Mu Suxing said sincerely: "It's nothing, I think what you said is very good." It's just that the other party suddenly became so easy to talk to that he was a little overwhelmed.
"Is the initial funding sufficient? Will it affect Huaying's subsequent business plans?" Qin Sheng asked, "I remember that the cost of Harry Potter 2 seemed quite high?"
Muxuxing didn't care: "It doesn't matter, funding is not a problem, a TV animation is enough to make back the profit."
"oh?"
Muxiuxing asked: "What is the most popular sport among young people nowadays?"
If you were to ask what the most popular sport in the world is, then the answer would undoubtedly be football, but what is the most popular sport among young people
Qin Sheng thought for a moment and said, "It should be basketball."
"Very good," Muxuxing nodded in satisfaction and announced bluntly, "Then in the next two years, the most popular sport will be tennis."