Huayu: From an ordinary person to a happy director

Chapter 98 Deception
Shi Lei looked at Wang Zhonglei without saying anything. He wanted to complain but didn't know how to do it.

No wonder Huayi Brothers came to an end in their previous life. When the two started the company, they distributed the films themselves, which was quite hard work. However, the final result was very good, and Huayi became the first distribution company in mainland China.

He then crossed the river by feeling the stones, making movies, TV series, and acting as an artist agent. By supporting Feng Dapao, he gradually expanded the company and made steady progress, eventually becoming the first listed film and television company in the mainland.

Despite the influence of Taolin Film and Television in this life, Huayi is still moving forward steadily and thriving.

However, when the two brothers became rich, they somewhat forgot their original intentions. They became greedy for pleasure and their lives became extravagant. The atmosphere in Huayi was also not good, with drinking culture prevalent and a love of all kinds of public relations.

They took the company public, not to raise funds to make the company bigger and stronger, but to make money by selling stocks. They even proposed the idea of ​​de-filming and investing in real estate instead.

There was nothing wrong with investing in real estate at that time, as it was very easy to make money in real estate. However, the two should not have used the money from Huayi, a film and television company, to invest in real estate, and they should not have claimed to be the domestic Disney and spent a lot of money to build an amusement park.

It seems a bit odd for a film and television company that doesn't make animated films to build an amusement park.

Shi Lei shook his head. The most important thing for a film and television company is to produce movies, TV series, and animations, and to ensure the quality of the films. Public relations can be done, but it cannot be the focus.

Now Wang Zhonglei’s trip to North America is clearly more about public relations than production.

The production is not good now, and the public relations in North America are in vain. Hollywood companies in North America are very realistic. Personal relationships are personal relationships, and business is business. Sometimes it is not excessive to stab a brother in the back for the sake of business, let alone Wang Zhonglei, a Chinese.

After Wang Zhonglei cursed for a while, he turned to Shi Lei and asked, "Boss Shi, can I just delete the close-up of my internal organs? Will those white people be willing to distribute my film?"

"As long as you make the changes according to my suggestions, there won't be any problem. If it still doesn't work, come back to me." With his status in Hollywood, it should be possible for him to find someone to distribute a horror film.

If you are afraid of losing money, you can release it in small quantities, for example, limit the number of exhibition venues to around 500, so that the loss will not be too much.

Although low-budget horror films don’t require much investment in publicity, copies still cost money, and five hundred venues would cost hundreds of thousands.

"I feel relieved after hearing what Mr. Shi said." Wang Zhonglei smiled with satisfaction, and then asked, "Mr. Shi, I want to invest in some movies of your North American Peach Company. I wonder if you can give me some investment."

Shi Lei refused without thinking too much: "I'm afraid not. Shuimitao Films produces low-budget films. The investment is too small to accept outside investment."

"If Peach produces a movie worth more than $3000 million in the future, I will definitely notify you."

If he gives Huayi investment to a Hollywood movie with a cost of several million, other Hollywood companies will swarm around it like sharks smelling fish, and it is hard to say how much of the investment amount Shuimitao can retain in the end.

Peaches is a low-budget horror film, so it's hard for the big Hollywood studios to push too hard, but if you take the initiative to open up the door, it would be strange if they don't come.

The corner of Wang Zhonglei's mouth twitched. He knew that Peaches were low-budget horror films and it would be difficult for him to invest in them, but how could he be willing to do so without giving it a try?

Now that he was really rejected by Shi Lei, he still felt a little uncomfortable.

in the country, he was used to being sought after, and now he couldn't help himself when he was rejected by Shi Lei.

"Director Shi, Shui Mi Tao Company doesn't have any scripts suitable for Huayi North America. Can you sell us a few scripts?"

Shi Lei shook his head and said firmly: "No, Shuimi Tao Company is also short of scripts!"

"Peaches has been buying up scripts in large quantities. They are buying comics, novels, and real-life stories. You can also learn from them."

Of course he has scripts, and quite a few of them, but he will never give Huayi a script that makes money, and he will not give Huayi a script that does not make money either.

Even though Wang Zhonglei is begging him for the script now, if he really gives it to him, it won't be a thankless task regardless of success or failure.

If you succeed, you will be cultivating competitors for yourself. If you fail, Huayi will blame you. It is better not to give it to you.

"Is it necessary to buy so many copyrights?" Wang Zhonglei was a little skeptical. In China, people usually buy copyrights for film adaptations only when they want to make a movie. It's a waste of money to buy copyrights that you don't know whether they will be made or not. In North America, even the cheapest script costs tens of thousands of dollars. Buying ten scripts would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. What a waste!

Shi Lei showed a serious look and explained: "If you want to develop in Hollywood, purchasing copyrights is a must. Large Hollywood companies have a department dedicated to purchasing copyrights. This department is responsible for purchasing copyrights everywhere."

Of course, his words are exaggerated. Even big Hollywood companies are cautious when purchasing copyrights.

"Forget it, I don't have Director Shi's vision." Wang Zhonglei believed Shi Lei's words, but Huayi's working capital was not enough for him to squander.

"If you really want to invest in movies, you can ask Columbia or Warner directly. These two companies attach great importance to the domestic market. If you contact them, they may give you investment." Shi Lei suggested.

As for whether the project is a high-quality project or a big pit, he doesn't know.

In Hollywood, high-quality projects will not be given investment amounts randomly, and high-risk projects will find people to share the risks, but high-risk movies may also have high box office!

So what seems like a pitfall to Hollywood companies may actually turn out to be a huge profit.

Of course, this situation is rare. Hollywood has a mature system and the error rate is not high.

"Are they willing to accept Huayi's investment?" Wang Zhonglei was a little skeptical.

"Just ask! It won't cost you anything." Shi Lei encouraged.

Wang Zhonglei also thought it made sense when he heard it, "Okay, I'll ask someone."

The two continued chatting for a while, mainly Wang Zhonglei asking questions and Shi Lei answering.

Wang Zhonglei mainly asked about Hollywood, and he asked very comprehensively, almost asking, "Tell me how to make money in Hollywood."

Shi Lei was somewhat disgusted by this kind of in-depth conversation, but he still answered it anyway.

At the beginning he was talking about some practical stuff, but as the questions increased, his words became just empty talk.

In the end, he was surprised to find that Wang Zhonglei preferred to listen to Da Bing.

Shi Lei couldn't help but look down on him even more.

This is something I have talked about many times, and I believe that it can be achieved.

Since Wang Zhonglei liked to listen, Shi Lei gradually started to brag.

……

An hour later, Shi Lei saw Wang Zhonglei off.

But just as Wang Zhonglei left, Yinghuang’s men arrived.

The request was even more outrageous than Huayi's. They asked Shi Lei to send several Hong Kong stars to Hollywood.

Yes, not just one, but several.

The excuse given is to cast a wide net and just have one success.

(End of this chapter)