Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 495 Different Thoughts

Fu Yibai picked up his phone and turned off the speakerphone.

"Mr. Zhang, I understand what you mean."

Chenxi can participate in the production company alliance.

Zhang Weiping's voice immediately rose an octave.

"That's great! With Mr. Fu saying that—"

"However, there's one condition."

Fu Yibai interrupted him.

"The dawn only borrows the name, it doesn't charge forward."

New Pictures will take the lead in deciding how to negotiate with theaters.

Dawn will not stand up for New Vision at the negotiating table.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Can."

Zhang Weiping's voice regained its enthusiasm.

"Once Chenxi joins, negotiations with the other companies will be much easier."

After hanging up the phone, Fu Yibai tossed it back onto the table.

Yang Rong just came in, carrying a cup of hot jujube tea.

"Whose call was that? It sounds like they wanted to recruit you."

Zhang Weiping.

He wanted to form a production alliance to challenge the theater chains, and he wanted me to endorse him.

"You agreed?"

"I agreed, but only to borrow the name."

Whether I succeed or not, I won't lose anything.

If he's willing to charge, let him charge.

Do you think he can succeed?

"Of course not. Negotiating revenue sharing with cinemas should be a long-term, gradual industry negotiation process, but he insists on turning it into a blitzkrieg."

Other companies weren't even prepared.

"So you still agree?"

"Just joining in the fun."

On November 15, the first meeting of the production alliance was held in the conference room of New Pictures Pictures.

Eight companies were present: New Pictures, Huayi Brothers, China Film Group, Juli Films, Enlight Media, Sugarman Films, Little Horse Galloping, and Rongxingda.

Wang Peng represented Chenxi Media; Fu Yibai himself did not attend.

Zhang Weiping sat at the head of the conference table and looked around at the CEOs present.

Thank you all for coming today.

I have already explained the situation in the invitation letter. Today's meeting will mainly discuss two things.

First, has the alliance of production companies been formally established?

Second, what are the bottom lines for the negotiations between the alliance and the theaters?

Wang Zhongjun was the first to speak.

"The alliance can be established, and the revenue sharing ratio should indeed be adjusted."

But I'd like to ask Mr. Zhang a question first.

In this negotiation, what methods does New Pictures intend to use to pressure the cinemas?

"Joint boycott."

If theaters do not accept the new revenue-sharing ratio, all films under the alliance will be withdrawn from theaters simultaneously.

The Lunar New Year film season, the Spring Festival film season, and the May Day film season next year are all empty.

Even the most powerful theater chains need films to show; without content, their screens are just pieces of scrap metal.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Wang Changtian put down his coffee cup.

"Mr. Zhang, your plan has a fatal flaw."

Of the eight companies in the alliance, New Pictures only has one film, "The Flowers of War," scheduled for the Lunar New Year release.

Other companies' films are scheduled for different periods throughout the year.

If you get all the companies to withdraw their applications with you, how will the losses be calculated?

Will the new production team offer compensation?

"Mr. Wang is right."

"This isn't an alliance; it's making everyone shield the new visuals from bullets," echoed Cai Yinong of Sugar Man Films.

Zhang Weiping's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Everyone has misunderstood."

The alliance's negotiation goal is not only the revenue sharing of "The Flowers of War", but also the standard adjustment of the revenue sharing ratio for the entire industry.

If this agreement can be reached, all future productions will be executed according to the new standard.

In the short term, there may be some losses, but in the long term, the benefits are enormous.

"Long-term gains are not visible now, but short-term losses are very real."

Li Ming, riding a galloping horse, leaned back in his chair.

"I have two films scheduled for release during the Spring Festival. Withdrawing them would mean all the pre-release publicity costs would go down the drain, and I would also have to pay the theaters a penalty for breach of contract."

This is a risk that Bentley Motors cannot afford.

Zhang Weiping turned to look at Wang Peng.

"Mr. Wang, what does Mr. Fu from Chenxi mean?"

Wang Peng put down his notebook.

"What Mr. Fu means is that Chenxi supports the establishment of the production alliance and agrees that the revenue sharing ratio should be adjusted appropriately."

But regarding the specifics of negotiating with theaters, New Pictures took the lead, with Dawn following along.

Zhang Weiping's lips twitched slightly after hearing this.

Wang Peng's statement translates to:

We'll just stand there, not actually put in the effort; you can decide what to do.

The representative from China Film Group also spoke, using similar wording to Wang Peng.

Support the alliance, but don't take the lead.

Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers was even more ambiguous, emphasizing the importance of negotiation from beginning to end, while remaining noncommittal about the proposal to withdraw the film and exert pressure.

Wang Changtian of Fiber Optics was the most direct, saying that withdrawing the film was fine, but New Pictures had to come up with real money to compensate the other companies for their losses.

The meeting lasted for nearly four hours, and the only consensus reached was that the production alliance was formally established, and the eight companies jointly issued an open letter to the eight major cinema chains, demanding a renegotiation of the box office revenue sharing ratio.

The wording of the open letter was carefully considered, removing all the harsh and threatening language from Zhang Weiping's initial draft, and turning it into a milder proposal.

At the end of the meeting, Zhang Weiping stood at the door of the conference room and shook hands with each of the CEOs, his face beaming with smiles, but he knew very well that this alliance had been a disorganized mess from the very beginning.

But he had no way out.