Chapter 352 Bullet Turns
Under Timo's eager gaze, Li An had to suppress his thoughts.
Nod again to confirm.

As long as Du Sheng really has an idea, he will always be able to get a mortgage loan using the rising value of Kung Fu Pai and Star Media.

Not to mention the money I 'picked up' last night.

Timo's face suddenly blossomed with joy, and he happily held Du Sheng's hand:

"Du, please follow me, let's talk about this project in detail!"

There are too many people around who are eyeing him covetously, and he doesn't want to be a scapegoat.

"Brother An, Sister Qiong, thank you very much."

Du Sheng smiled and nodded at the two of them, and came to a private room with Timo and Bradt.

Yang Ziqiong and Li An looked at each other, still a little bit unbelievable.

After a moment of silence, Yang Ziqiong sighed:
“I thought that in Hollywood, everyone was competing for acting opportunities.

I didn’t expect that they would just use money to open up a path and play a high-end game.”

She has seen many ups and downs over the years, and although the scene before her was a little bizarre, she was able to remain relaxed.

Seeing that Li An remained silent, she guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile:

"Brother An, when it comes to Chinese directing ability, you are top notch!"

Li An no longer had the mentality to show off, he smiled bitterly and waved his hands:

“The Yangtze River’s waves behind push the waves ahead. This is not something that can be said.”

After all, Wu Yusen’s box office achievements in the past were much more impressive than his, but after his last film flopped, he can only return home in disgrace.

And with Du Sheng's development momentum, who dares to say that he can't be surpassed in the future?

Yang Ziqiong laughed and changed the subject:
"Mr. Xu has always wanted to promote a project. If he knew that a big money sponsor worth 6000 million was right in front of him, he would definitely have some ideas."

Li An watched her leave and gradually calmed down.

His next film, Brokeback Mountain, has already received investment. Although he has no shortage of financiers, it is still necessary for him to make friends with people like Du Sheng.

In the elegant room, Du Sheng and a few others sat on one side, chatting and laughing.

"The concept of 'bullet turning' is really great!"

Du Sheng exclaimed in admiration after reading the script.

"Mr. Du, some scenes must be built in real scenes, such as the huge 'Destiny Loom', the textile factory, the assassin training ground, and the car chase scene. These all require a lot of money..."

"Teemo is right, and there is also the slow motion in 'bullet time'.
Traditional filming techniques cannot be used to complete this, and a '3D digital scanning technology' is required, which is to use a D photocopier to generate a D model of the actor..."

The two took turns explaining to Du Sheng how the 6000 million investment would be allocated and used.

Du Sheng did not object after hearing this.

In fact, he believes that the expenses on both building real scenes and the "bullet time" special effects are reasonable.

Because it is the investment in these areas that can truly improve the quality of the film.

"In terms of actors, at least Hollywood A-list stars must join the cast to ensure box office returns."

Du Sheng smiled and said nothing.

In Hollywood, an actor's pay is closely tied to his or her status.
You will get corresponding pay depending on your level.
Therefore, when planning the budget for a film, the actors' salaries can be roughly included in the budget.

Du Sheng asked the same question again:
“I have another question, how long is the license for the comic adaptation of Wanted? Is there any priority lease provision after it expires?
I don’t want to get in trouble for something like this.”

"Mr. Du, you don't need to worry about this.

The comic adaptation is licensed separately, and there are still about two years, which is enough time to complete the filming."

Bradt patted his chest and assured:

"In addition, if the project is not completed within the agreed period, we also have the priority to renew the contract!"

Du Sheng nodded with satisfaction.

"Mr. Du, is everything generally OK? When will the funds be in place?"

Bradt also asked the key question:

"You know, if you want to start the project as soon as possible, you need financial support, such as hiring actors and setting up the scenery."

Du Sheng thought for a moment and said:

"We have an old saying in the East: 'First the villain, then the gentleman'. There are some things that need to be sorted out clearly.

If I inject capital here, what will the subsequent benefits be?"

Bradt narrowed his eyes slightly, kept smiling and said:
"Mr. Du, in addition to the box office share, you can also get brand sponsorship, advertising income, international market expansion, etc."

His tone was frank.

At first glance, it seems reasonable, as Du Sheng accounts for the majority of the money earned from the movie.

But anyone who knows a little bit about the business knows that a movie's profit comes not only from the box office, but also from diversified income such as copyright sales, derivatives, international distribution, and disc sales.

Bradt said nothing about it.

After hearing this, Du Sheng's smile faded and he said calmly:
"Mr. Bradt, I know Hollywood likes to cheat 'big dog owners' and set up 'pig killing schemes'.

But I have a media company and my own production team, and I am familiar with the entire film process.

If you treat me like a 'piglet', then I won't cooperate with this project."

Twenty years ago, Japan poured a lot of hot money into Hollywood, including German funds in recent years, and almost half of the investments have been lost.

Even if it is a blockbuster movie, the Big Eight Film Studios and theater chains can use profit distribution, contract terms, cost overruns and other means to turn it into a loss-making movie.

Even if you have connections, you can avoid these pitfalls.

But there is one thing that cannot be avoided.

That's xenophobia.

Once this movie becomes a hit, Hollywood will find ways to squeeze out outside investors and monopolize subsequent IP development.

For example, the Twilight series. Summit Entertainment was not optimistic about it at first, but an English investor was interested in investing, so the two sides hit it off.

Unexpectedly, the box office exploded, and Summit Entertainment quickly set aside the other party and invested and developed the sequel on its own.

In order to avoid these pitfalls, Du Sheng must own the copyright.
We also need to take control of derivative products, international distribution, disc sales, etc.
How is it possible to be satisfied with just the box office share?
However, Timo and Bradt did not intend to give in:
"Mr. Du, no matter how many media and companies you have in the East, you have no connections or channels in Hollywood. Once you get here, you have to abide by Hollywood's rules."

It is obvious that the other party most likely regards Du Sheng as an outsider and still regards him as a "rich man" who can be manipulated at will.

These days, many wealthy people who are passionate about movies have invested in Hollywood, but regardless of whether the movie is a hit or not, most of the profits ultimately go into the pockets of production and distribution companies, and their efforts are basically in vain.

Du Sheng's face turned cold and he said:

“Hollywood rules?

It is worthless in my eyes.

To put it bluntly, if I don’t invest, you won’t get any funding for this project!"

Bradt also raised his voice and said:
"This is Hollywood, there's a lot of money pouring in, and there's never a shortage of money to raise!"

Du Sheng had a hint of sarcasm on his face:
"You have been busy for two years, what have you prepared?
In Hollywood, no film studio would pay for a high-cost, unpopular comic book adaptation.

Asia has not yet emerged from the financial crisis, and no one can easily come up with 6 million US dollars.

Europe's tax incentives do attract many people to invest in Hollywood movies, but this is limited to the eight major film studios.

As for the Lighthouse country, it is now the key to bargain hunting the Internet...

Who do you think would be so foolish as to take the risk of investing in such a high-risk, low-return project?"

At this point, Du Sheng stood up calmly:

"How many 'weirdos' like me who are interested in the comic adaptation of Wanted do you think there are in the world?
If these interests are not guaranteed, then you can just wait and see. "

In fact, it’s not that there is no hot money flowing into Hollywood, but it is true that no one will invest in the comic adaptation of "Wanted".

The reason is that since the release of "The Matrix", there have been too many films about super-powered gun battles.

But only a handful of them succeed.

What’s more, it is a big production costing 6000 million US dollars.

There is one thing Du Sheng said correctly. In the previous life, this movie would not be released until several years later.

So, he is not in a hurry at all.

Moreover, even if he had the money, he would not invest so early.

The main focus now is just to occupy a spot.

Bradt's cheeks twitched, regretting that he had been too talkative when he first talked to Timo.

Otherwise, you can use the intentions of other film companies as bargaining chips.

He also knew that Du Sheng was right.

We really don't have the channels to raise such a large sum of money.

To be frank, even he himself is not sure whether this script can be successfully adapted into a comic book.

In Hollywood, there is an unspoken rule among people in the industry: never use your own money to make a movie.

In this case, there is really no solution.

The atmosphere was at a stalemate for a moment.

If the other party was one of the eight major film studios in Hollywood, Du Sheng would not be interested in this project at all.

Because there is not much room for maneuver.

Although those Hollywood giants have a high opinion of themselves, they have the power, will not act hastily, and their processes are rigorous and standardized.

It doesn't matter if the script is left there gathering dust, I will never let outsiders take advantage of it.

But at this moment, there is only a foreign director + a universal screenwriter in front of him.

What Du Sheng was betting on was their anxiety and impatience.

After a moment of silence, Teemo spoke to break the deadlock:

"Bradett, Du Sheng is an outstanding person in the circle and has also won the title of Chinese boxing champion.

I think we shouldn't be too hard on him and there's no need to be too hung up on some rules."

Unlike Bradt who has a universal background, Timo is just a director, and he comes from the country of Rakshasa which was excluded by the Lighthouse.

Therefore, his wish is to successfully adapt "Wanted" into a comic as soon as possible and then change his identity and status.

As for the income from copyrights, discs, etc., he is not greedy.

He also knew that Du Sheng was not like the nouveau riche in Japan, and he would not give in easily.

Instead of haggling over it, it's better to keep talking.

After all, if you miss this opportunity, you will never find it again.

Bradt walked down the stairs, his tone softening:
"Timo is right. Since we are all in the industry, some Hollywood rules cannot be applied mechanically."

Du Sheng sneered inwardly, can't we just apply it mechanically?
It's nothing more than that they are attracted by his unique investment.

But now that he has become the financial sponsor, he naturally has to take back the right to speak:

"Then let's discuss a cooperation plan based on our respective needs.

There is no doubt that everyone hopes that the comic adaptation of "Wanted" will be successful.

It can also be made clear that Mr. Timothy wants to be the director.

As long as you don't change the script or increase expenses unnecessarily, I guarantee your creative rights."

Timo nodded after hearing this. This was his most important interest.

.........

(End of this chapter)