Chapter 131 New Use of Film Adaptation Fees

"Is it Li Changhe?"

At this time, an old man sitting on the sofa stood up and asked Li Changhe happily.

"Hello, I'm Li Changhe!"

Li Changhe greeted the other party respectfully.

He didn't know the old man in front of him, but he looked to be at least 60 years old, which would make him a veteran in the Beijing Film Studio.

"I'm Ling Zifeng, a director from the Beijing Film Studio. I came here mainly to talk to you about the adaptation of one of your novels."

"We at the Beijing Film Studio would like to adapt one of your novels. What do you think?"

Ling Zifeng spoke gently to Li Changhe.

Li Changhe nodded: "Adaptation is no problem. I wonder which piece the Beijing Film Studio wants to adapt?"

Li Changhe actually didn't think that the novel could be adapted so soon, because his novel is not really suitable for this era.

Although he wrote about this era, some of his works are actually too spicy. This kind of text is okay to read, but if it were put on the big screen, it would appear deliberate and too explicit.

After all, some of his works last year were trolls just to get paid for their writing.

It was still 78, not after the reform and opening up. Many literary and art workers had just resumed their work and were not sure about the scale and direction.

Besides, the major domestic film studios actually have their own shooting styles.

For example, the Bayi Film Studio mainly produces military films, while the Changchun Film Studio likes to shoot rural revolution and underground themes.

Not to mention the Shanghai Film Studio, the source of Shanghai culture, even its movies have a sense of petty bourgeois sophistication.

Generally speaking, the films produced by Beijing Film Studio are either about Beijing-style life or films with a strong sense of integrity.

Li Changhe is related to the latter, but the problem now is that the wind direction is unclear.

In addition, he learned some time ago that movie scripts are not cheap nowadays. The remuneration for a script can be several thousand yuan, but that is an original script.

For adaptations like his, the original author only gets about 20 to 30 percent, and the rest goes to the adapter.

This price is much more expensive than publishing in a magazine, but for Li Changhe, the extra three or two hundred yuan is nothing.

So he never cared about it.

But now that people have come to him and want to adapt it, Li Changhe will not keep it.

These days, all movies are made by state-owned studios. If they come to you to discuss adaptation, would you dare to say no?
What do you want to do?
Although there is copyright in name, there is actually no right to refute at all.

So Li Changhe is actually very Buddhist about adaptation and will change whatever he wants.

Anyway, he doesn't know these directors very well these days, and he has no idea of ​​their level, so he has no say in how they shoot.

After all, he still has to go to school and can't be a supporting screenwriter.

“It’s this letter.”

“I think it’s really well written and I want to film it.”

Director Ling Zifeng then took out a magazine, which was a magazine of People's Literature, and on it was the article published by Li Changhe.

Li Changhe nodded. He had just written the "Letter" a few months ago. It was the last manuscript he wrote before submitting a long novel to People's Literature.

The novel is probably about letters as the medium, telling the story of an educated youth who went to the countryside to write letters to encourage his white moonlight and write letters to contact his good friends.

Later on, he uses letters to show his life status, for example, his relationship with Bai Yueguang warms up, then Bai Yueguang is recommended to go to school, and later Bai Yueguang stays in the city to get married, and he writes letters crazily to many people.

Finally, I calmed down and took the college entrance examination. I took the college entrance examination and ended up receiving a letter of admission from the university.

But in the end, Li Changhe played a hook at the end, that is, the protagonist received so many letters, but the letter of college admission was the only one taken away by a pair of hands. The final ending was that the protagonist ran to ask if there was a letter for him.

The novel ends here, but Li Changhe did not write a clear ending, leaving an open suspense.

From a plot perspective, Li Changhe's novel is indeed suitable for adaptation. It does not contain too much love story, but it also does not contain sharp and biting satire. It simply shows the life of an educated youth through letters.

There is also the current heat of the college entrance examination in the middle, but I didn’t expect that this director would take a fancy to it.

“True courage is to still love life after recognizing its cruelty.”

"It's so well written!"

"But I'm curious, your ending, was his notice taken away by someone?"

Ling Zifeng asked curiously.

Li Changhe sighed after hearing his words, and then said, "I just heard that there is such a situation. Some people can't go to school after taking the notice."

Li Changhe did not directly write "replacement" because in this era, it is actually quite difficult to replace someone in university.

The most important point here involves the issue of household registration conversion, from agricultural household registration to non-agricultural household registration.

In addition to the university admission letter, you also need to bring your household registration book, food relations, and Youth League relations.

In addition to the local commune and village committee, the departments that are involved also have to go through the procedures of the GA Bureau, grain station, school and other departments. There are too many people responsible for handling this matter.

In cities like Beijing and Shanghai where household registration is extremely difficult, we will review it again with the local GA bureau.

It is impossible for ordinary people to avoid making any mistakes during the entire process.

So Li Changhe did not write about substitution, he just wrote that the admission notice was taken away.

It is difficult to replace someone, but it is easy to prevent someone from going to college. Just take away the admission letter.

"I see. Indeed, this situation exists in some places."

Ling Zifeng nodded.

"By the way, Changhe-san, since you agree to the adaptation, do you have any requirements regarding the adaptation fee?"

Ling Zifeng asked Li Changhe seriously again at this time.

Li Changhe shook his head: "No, just follow the rules of our Beijing Film Studio."

Since the Beijing Film Studio is willing to adapt the film, Li Changhe will not be greedy for the adaptation fee at this time. It is better to leave a good impression, as he will have to share the money with his wife later.

After hearing Li Changhe's words, Ling Zifeng and the comrade who came with him looked at each other, then smiled and nodded.

"Student Li Changhe, in this case, we will follow our plan."

"The company has set a remuneration of 1500 yuan for your novel, but you need to split it with the screenwriter who adapted it."

"You are in school, do you have time to participate in the writing of our movie?"

"No, I just want to take the original author's royalties!"

Li Changhe shook his head.

He doesn't have time to care about the screenwriter now. His next major highlight will be at the Capital Hotel.

Moreover, the issue of film royalties is a pitfall now, because many literary and artistic work has just resumed, and the standards set are based on the previous standards.

However, unlike the remuneration for novels, the remuneration for scripts in the film industry was previously set very high.

Now no one really dares to pay that amount. Li Changhe's script fee of 1500 was given because he was a famous writer writing famous novels.

"In that case, we can only give you a share of the original author's profits, calculated at the top of 450%, so you can get yuan for the adaptation fee, is that ok?"

The middle-aged man next to Ling Zifeng spoke seriously to Li Changhe at this time.

Li Changhe nodded: "All right, I have no objection!"

"Okay, then please sign this agreement."

The middle-aged man took out an agreement from his black briefcase.

Li Changhe took a look and saw that it was an adaptation agreement for his novel "The Letter".

Li Changhe signed decisively and then put his fingerprints on it.

At the same time, the middle-aged man took out a stack of big unity notes from his bag, counted out 45 of them, and handed them to Li Changhe.

There is also a receipt.

"Student Li Changhe, this is your adaptation fee. Just leave your name on our receipt." The Beijing Film Studio was very happy to give the money. This middle-aged man should be the financial staff of the studio, and he actually came out with the money directly.

Li Changhe signed and pressed his fingerprints again, and the cooperation between the two parties was reached.

"Student Changhe, I'll take the novel away. Do you have anything else to tell us?"

Ling Zifeng asked Li Changhe seriously at this time.

In this era, the opinions of the screenwriter or original author are still very important.

It’s not like later generations, where everyone, from the director to the leading actor, can bring their own screenwriter into the crew and change the script at will.

"I haven't been involved in filming this either, so I have no opinion at the moment. I wish the Beijing Film Studio a successful filming."

Li Changhe said with a chuckle.

"Hahahahahaha, then I'll borrow Changhe's auspicious words."

"Teacher Dong, we'll leave first!"

Ling Zifeng and the middle-aged man left satisfied. At this moment, only two teachers and Li Changhe were left in the office.

"Wow, you've earned half a year's salary in just a few moments."

Teacher Dong Wenjun said enviously at this time.

Li Changhe was somewhat helpless: "I don't understand why they suddenly came to me and told me they wanted to adapt it."

"Okay, stop showing off, quickly collect the money and take it home first!"

Dong Wenjun waved at Li Changhe and told him to leave quickly.

The further he looked, the more mentally unbalanced he became.

Li Changhe was originally thinking about whether to invite Teacher Dong to dinner, but then he thought that even if he asked, the two of them might not agree.

Teacher Dong drove him away, but in fact he was giving him a way out.

"goodbye teacher!"

Li Changhe then put the money away and left.

After Li Changhe left, Dong Wenjun said to Teacher Wang with a sigh: "It used to be said that writers make money, but I haven't realized it yet."

"Look today, the fee for adapting a novel is half a year's salary for us."

"Don't be envious, Mr. Dong. I think we should keep this a secret from him. Don't tell anyone about it. It will easily make people jealous."

Teacher Wang followed with emotion.

More than 400 yuan! Some lecturers in their forties at Peking University only earn 50 or 60 yuan a month.

Many non-teaching staff only earn four or five hundred yuan a year.

It can't be compared!
Li Changhe left the office, thought for a while and went straight back to the dormitory.

He was too lazy to take the money home, so he planned to keep it in the dormitory.

"Changhe, you're back. What does Teacher Dong want to talk to you about?"

In the dormitory, Lao Tao saw Li Changhe coming in and asked him curiously.

"Good thing!"

Li Changhe then took out the stack of big unity notes from his pocket.

"What the hell, what is this?"

Lao Tao suddenly sat up from the bed, and the other people in the dormitory also looked at him in surprise.

"The Beijing Film Studio came to me and said they wanted to buy a novel for film adaptation, and then gave me 450 yuan for the adaptation."

"I thought about it and decided not to take the money back home. I'll leave it in our dormitory. If anyone in my class or department runs into trouble and needs money urgently, they can come and get it!"

"Just make a record and pay it back on time!"

Li Changhe said with a smile.

At this moment, everyone in the dormitory looked at Li Changhe in surprise.

"Changhe, are you planning to set up a mutual aid fund?"

Tao Haisu jumped off the bed and asked Li Changhe with a serious expression.

In this era, many factories and units have mutual aid funds. To put it simply, everyone takes out a few dollars from their salary every month and puts it into the union. Then if anyone is in trouble later, they can borrow money from the union.

Many families who are in financial difficulty and need money borrow money from this mutual aid fund. They borrow this month and pay it back next month without paying interest.

"You don't need to help each other, just use this from me, but the usage is the same as the mutual aid fund."

"It's just like the money I put in school. I'll take it out for my own use."

Li Changhe originally planned to put some money in school to avoid having to go home to get money when Shen Juncheng asked him for it.

Then I thought again, it's not safe to hide it in school, and you can't explain if it's lost. It's actually very difficult to detect theft these days.

So instead of putting it away, it is better to take it out openly and put it there.

Anyway, they are all Peking University students, so there will always be people in the dormitory.

Moreover, many students these days are actually in financial difficulties. For someone like Zhang Wenxiang who has a family and two children, Li Changhe estimates that he is often short of money.

I fainted due to hypoglycemia before, probably because I was embarrassed to borrow money. After all, we were all students and not many of us had money.

So Li Changhe simply took out some money as a mutual aid fund to help these classmates.

"Wait a moment, I'll call Liu Wei over and we'll discuss this matter."

“It’s a good thing, but there has to be a system.”

Lao Tao is now the Youth League Secretary and Liu Wei is the class monitor.

Soon, Liu Wei and Lao Tao came to Li Changhe and his friends' dormitory, and Haiwen and his friends also followed.

"Changhe, are you really going to use this money as a mutual aid fund?"

After Liu Wei came, he asked Li Changhe seriously.

For them, more than four hundred yuan is really not a small amount.

"Okay, no need to ask any more questions. For me, this money is unexpected money. It's a gift from the Beijing Film Studio and it doesn't affect my life."

"Besides, I just put it in the dormitory. Even if people borrow it temporarily, it doesn't mean they won't pay it back. I will take the money with me when I graduate."

"Don't worry about it so much. Just come up with a loan system."

Li Changhe said lightly.

Liu Wei nodded: "The system is simple, we can just refer to the union's mutual aid fund model."

"We'll get an iron box and put it in your dormitory. Put the money in it. Lao Tao will keep the key. Haiwen will have the application records. Go to Haiwen to apply and go to Lao Tao to get the money."

"I'll tell the class committee that we'll reconcile our accounts on the first of every month. The scope of application is tentatively limited to our Economics Department. Any student in the department who needs it can come and apply for it at that time."

There is a ready-made union mutual aid fund model, and Liu Wei is very experienced in handling it.

"can!"

Li Changhe nodded. For him, this was just a personal investment.

As long as this mutual aid fund is paid out, Li Changhe will be a timely help to Peking University.

From now on, these Peking University classmates who borrowed money from them will needless to say that they will be indebted to Li Changhe for this favor.

Even if they didn't borrow money and had no daily interactions with him, they would have to give Li Changhe some face in the future.

Of course, the most important thing is that Li Changhe has to improve his own reputation.

The big boss he is waiting for should be here soon.

(End of this chapter)