Chapter 234 Two TV Series

Before the project of "2012" was announced to the public, Xingchen Film and Television Company issued casting requirements for the company's TV series through Weibo.

Not one, but two films were shot simultaneously.

"Parents' Love" is adapted from the novel of the same name and tells the life story of Jiang Defu and An Jie in the 60s.

Due to the lack of TV drama directors, Gu Wei could only adopt the model of the company providing the script, providing filming funds, and inviting directors in the industry to direct.

In September this year, director Kong Sheng, who had just completed filming the movie "Life and Death Line", was invited by Xingchen Film and Television.

No well-known screenwriter was hired to adapt the script. Instead, a few young screenwriters in the company adapted it into a qualified TV script.

Anyway, as long as it's not too outrageous and doesn't have shocking lines like "My grandfather was killed by the Japanese when he was nine years old" or "Eight hundred miles away, I killed a Japanese machine gunner with one shot", there won't be any major problems in other aspects.

But it can't be too realistic. To be honest, the current audience may not have seen too many shocking plots, and their recognition of some TV dramas that are shot in a particularly realistic way is not very high.

There are many typical examples, the most recent one being "The Ming Dynasty 07" filmed in 1566. After its premiere, the drama received relatively low attention and was even shelved for 10 years. Later, with the passage of time, the drama gradually gained widespread recognition and praise.

As far back as this there was Ma Yue's version of "The Zhenguan Reign" filmed in 2000. This TV series can be said to be a very realistic adaptation.

The plot of the TV series is very respectful of history, and the characters chosen also have a visual effect that is extremely consistent with historical figures. For example, Ma Yue, who plays Emperor Taizong of Tang, looks like he walked out of a painting of Emperor Taizong of Tang, a living, real-life version of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

However, compared with another adapted TV series "The Long Song of Zhenguan", this is a TV series that does not cater to the audience and the market, and its ratings were also low when it was broadcast.

Therefore, the collapse of some TV drama companies in the circle is really because they respect history too much, and the TV dramas they produced are too in line with the times, and they are eliminated by the market.

Another one is "Ode to Joy". This script is adapted from the novel of the same name by A Nai. It tells the story of five girls from different families and with different personalities who live on the 22nd floor of the Ode to Joy community, from strangers to familiarity and then to mutual understanding, mutual help and common growth.

Like "Parents' Love", Wang Chen invited Jian Chuanzhi to direct and be responsible for the specific filming, and the company also sent two young directors to learn from him.

Together with Kang Honglei's "Capital Love Story", it is equivalent to filming three TV series at the same time.

At this point, the next stage of work goals of Xingchen Film and Television have been officially determined. Including the films of Lu Yang and Gu Wei, the industry is once again shocked by the financial strength of Xingchen Film and Television.

TV series are the best tool for actors to attract fans and increase their popularity. Actors like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, who started out by making movies instead of acting in TV series, are absolutely rare in the entertainment industry.

Even Liu Yifei had to act in several TV series before she entered the big screen.

...

The investment in the three TV series was nearly 100 million yuan. Once the news spread, it instantly caused a sensation in the industry.

Many people called and advised Gu Wei to invest cautiously.

"Director Gu, after the filming is finished, Guangguang can help negotiate with the broadcasting platform."

As for other companies, they used a tone of flattery, and they started by saying that Director Gu was "awesome" and "mighty", and asked if he could take care of our company's artists and let them audition or something.

In the office, Song Ge came to Gu Wei with a smile on his face.

"Director Gu, Eighteen has agreed and is willing to sell 51% of the shares."

Perhaps he was jealous of Gu Wei's generosity, or perhaps Wang Jinghua was considering the artists under her, but he finally accepted this result.

"Haha, okay, hurry up and sign the contract."

After dealing with Wang Jinghua, I no longer have to spend effort setting up the company's brokerage business, which saves me a lot of trouble.

"But the other party has a request, hoping to be able to participate in the movies and TV series produced by the company."

This was not unexpected to Gu Wei, after all, this was what the other party was interested in.

"Yes, but there is a prerequisite. The company does not accept actors with bad records, and they must sign a contract before joining the crew. If something happens to the actor in the future, they will have to bear the corresponding responsibilities."

After listening, Song Ge nodded slightly to show that he understood.

Doing so can also help avoid risks in advance. For artists, it can also be considered as adding a shackle. Even if some people do not listen to advice, they will not go too far.

If something really goes wrong, the company will not be under too much pressure from public opinion once it shows the contract.

The publicity for "Three Guns" was very strong, and Zhang Weiping put a lot of effort into it.

News has spread online that the film has been submitted for the Berlin Film Festival, and it is in the main competition unit.

As for whether he could be shortlisted, most people had no doubts. After all, Zhang Yimou's international status is there, and there are still many people who give him face.

...

In North America, the premiere of "Avatar" was the same as that of "Inception". Cameron held premiere ceremonies in London and New York.

Cameron also invited Gu Wei to the New York premiere, but considering the time, Gu Wei had to decline. At the same time, the domestic release date was also set for January 1.

14 years in the making, $3 million in investment, and four years of meticulous production, it was praised by the film industry as a masterpiece that will "revolutionize film history."

On Weibo, netizens continue to post and express their anticipation.

"The Twilight Saga 1" has been a huge hit since it was released in North America last November, with box office revenue exceeding $11 million, despite an investment of only $2 million.

The film's male and female protagonists Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have become popular idols in Hollywood.

In late November, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" officially landed in major theaters in North America, with a premiere box office of approximately $11 million, sparking a vampire-themed craze in Hollywood.

Even Ryder called, considering whether the company should follow suit and make a similar movie.

"Forget it. This kind of subject matter is usually adapted from best-selling novels. Even if we shoot something similar, there won't be many fans."

Gu Wei thought about it and decided to refuse. This type of movie was not suitable for his style, and the box office of the first Twilight Saga was average after it was introduced into China.

This is also due to the differences in regional culture. Vampire movies are not very popular with domestic audiences. You can try a zombie-themed movie instead.

Furthermore, just like these two "Twilight" movies, the film is adapted from the best-selling novel by American female writer Stephen Meyer, telling the story of a taboo-crossing love between a handsome and kind vampire and a human girl.

With a naturally large mass base, success is not surprising, but it is not so easy to replicate the success.

As of late November, Inception had been released worldwide for four months.

According to Hollywood media reports, the global box office reached 8.23 million U.S. dollars, which is undoubtedly a huge profit compared to the investment of 1.6 million U.S. dollars.

In today's Hollywood, Nolan has become one of the few "god-level" directors who can balance box office and reputation while maintaining a distinctive personal style.

Movie fans call Nolan "the Kubrick of the new millennium", and even Spielberg gave Nolan the highest evaluation of "the last film auteur in Hollywood".

This year, Hollywood's Entertainment Weekly held an event to select the 50 greatest directors of our time. Nolan ranked fourth, with Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Martin Scorsese in the top three.

It is worth mentioning that Gu Wei is also on the list, ranking after Nolan.

To this end, media reporters also made detailed introductions to the major directors on the list, and Gu Wei was also the youngest one.

After the news spread back to China, it instantly made headlines on major portals.

"As the only internationally renowned director in China, Director Gu has a lot of prestige."

"It's just the box office ranking. In terms of awards, Directors Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou are not bad either."

"Come on, Director Zhang is okay, after all, the Olympics are there, and Director Chen can only make art films, not commercial films."

In addition to discussions among netizens, Han Sanping and others also made special phone calls, intending to have domestic media report on the film in order to increase the popularity of the new film.

In terms of advertising placement in Love Is Not Blind, Gu Wei’s name embodies corresponding value, because he is the producer, so the mobile phones, computers, cars and the like in the film are placed there.

The total sponsorship fees exceeded 10 million, and the clothes of the male and female protagonists also earned a lot of advertising fees.

It was that simple, the movie had already made a profit before it was even released, and it was pure profit after it was released. Gu Wei was very happy when he heard this, and he also enjoyed the happiness of Huayi Company.

"That's ridiculous. If Director Gu chose to include product placement in every movie, then he wouldn't have to spend his own money on filming."

"It's OK for a low-budget film, but if you really want to invest hundreds of millions or even millions of dollars in a movie, where can you find such generous advertisers?"

.........

At the Capital Airport, Mike, the head of Reid and Warner, just got off the plane.

It has been five years since Warner Bros. withdrew from the mainland market. Although China Film Warner Hengdian Film and Television Company, established in 5, is still operating normally, it is basically involved in matters related to film import.

This time, in order to determine the investment share of "2012", Mike had to come here in person.

"What a fascinating country this is, Mike. It's been eight years since I last came here."

Listening to Reid's sigh, Mike smiled slightly. This guy has been very popular in Hollywood recently, and many people are asking him about the new movie roles of Tomorrow's Star Film and Television Company.

"Ryder, put away your emotions, let's get down to business first."

Arriving at the exit, Mike looked around and spoke directly.

"The boss sent someone over. Let's go directly to the company to meet him."

After saying that, the two of them walked straight to the door.

(End of this chapter)