The Best Entertainment Era

DreamWorks headquarters in Glendale, Los Angeles.

Spielberg has been very busy these days, and the projects under DreamWorks have problems one after another.

How's the investigation going? Spielberg asked the assistant.

Robert Rayford had already verbally agreed to be the director of the Return to Glory project. The assistant quickly said: This time, the sudden repentance was after people from Disney had contact with him. Robert Rayford talked about something, but Disney should have sent him an invitation.

Spielberg took off the disc glasses and wiped them, and said, Why did the MPAA get stuck in the rating review of our two films for so long?

The assistant replied: The MPAA said some scenes and lines were too large to meet the requirements of PG-13.

The MPAA is controlled by the Big Six, and DreamWorks has no right to speak. Spielberg is also very helpless, saying: Withdraw and revise quickly according to the requirements of the MPAA.

Things are not going well at DreamWorks recently, and it seems that someone is targeting DreamWorks.

As Spielberg, who picks up the camera as a director and puts down the camera as a standard businessman, he can feel this.

Any more bad news? Spielberg asked.

The assistant said cautiously: The theater said that the test screening of Gladiator did not perform well, and the opening scale of the film should be reduced...

I see. Spielberg had the urge to curse.

But the good self-cultivation that the old man had cultivated over the years made him endure it.

Spielberg put on the disc glasses and asked, David, what do you think of all that has happened recently?

The assistant thought for a while and replied, Someone is specifically targeting DreamWorks.

Big Six. Spielberg said the answer: They don't like a powerful DreamWorks.

In fact, since two or three years ago, the six major companies have often caused some troubles for DreamWorks, but this time, the troubles appeared too concentrated.

It seems that the Big Six companies can no longer stand DreamWorks.

Spielberg couldn't figure out why for a while. DreamWorks had already made a lot of compromises in front of the Big Six. Expansion capacity.

Could it be that DreamWorks was developing so fast that the Big Six felt threatened?

It's not right, DreamWorks is just getting on the right track at best.

I will deal with these matters myself. Spielberg attached great importance to it, and said, You can call and make an appointment with Director Robert Rayford for me first.

Just as the assistant was about to leave, Spielberg asked again, Is there any news from Albert?

not yet……

Before the assistant finished speaking, the phone on the desk rang. Spielberg answered the phone. After saying a few words, his face became more serious. He hung up the phone and said to the assistant: Book me tomorrow. Japan's air tickets, these Japanese people are too dishonest!

I'm going right now.

The assistant didn't understand what happened, but the boss didn't say anything, and it was hard to ask.

Spielberg said again: You also come with me, prepare some materials, related to Midnight Ring.

The assistant didn't ask much, and said, Yes.

Spielberg first called director Robert Rayford, and made an appointment to meet in the afternoon, and then told the production department to deal with the troubles of the MPAA, and the distribution department went to wrangling with several major theater chain companies, and then thought about Japan. people's business.

Originally, Japan's ACE Corporation had reached an agreement with DreamWorks to sell the rights to the remake of Midnight Ring to DreamWorks. Recently, Sony Entertainment suddenly stepped in, and ACE seemed to want to change its mind.

This is a project that Spielberg is very optimistic about and will not give up easily.

This day was busy with work until late at night, and Spielberg was all dealing with the troubles encountered by DreamWorks. He rushed to the airport early the next morning and flew to Japan.

Not only Spielberg, but most of the management of DreamWorks' live-action film department are busy fighting the fire and have no time to care about him.

Ronan, who is far away in Manchester, England, also got a lot of relevant information from Chris.

It is very obvious that the Big Three of DreamWorks have been operating in the North American entertainment industry for many years. The Big Six cannot prevent them from establishing distribution channels in North America, but they do not want DreamWorks to jump out of the channels of the Big Six and have an independent overseas distribution channel.

Compared to DreamWorks, small companies like Relativity Entertainment are not in the eyes of the Big Six.

Ronan has also heard some news about the relationship between DreamWorks and the six major companies. It is said that as early as two or three years ago, the executives of the six major companies met and reached an agreement on certain things. Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney, Sony Columbia, and Twentieth Century Fox are cooperating and competing at the same time, but they will never allow new companies other than traditional forces to join them. The largest piece of cake is shared among the ranks.

In this regard, the six major companies, including the declining MGM, naturally stand together.

Steven Spielberg is one of the most popular directors in Hollywood, but DreamWorks is not just Spielberg's DreamWorks, and even if it is Spielberg's DreamWorks, major companies will not Relentless suppression.

This time, led by Sony Entertainment, even Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures, which have the closest cooperation with Spielberg, joined in.

The six major companies would rather have Polygram's overseas distribution channels fall into the hands of Relativity Entertainment, which has no threat at all, than DreamWorks.

Even, Chris told Ronan on the phone that Universal Pictures has considered not laying off some employees of Polygram Pictures in a short time.

Fortunately, this is the last choice of Universal Pictures, and Universal Pictures does not want to bear too much labor cost.

Polygram has a huge number of employees, and any company that takes over will have a headache. Fortunately, Ronan only needs the distribution department.

DreamWorks has not been in touch for a long time. People from Red Bus Films in the UK have been to Manchester, but the scale of Red Bus Films is not even comparable to that of Polygram Films. The mentality of people going to high places is common. , plus Ronan's lobbying, Alan Albert and Danny Donald didn't consider the Red Bus Company at all.

On Christmas Day, Ronan and the two finally came to an agreement.

After Christmas, the group returned to London. Alan Albert and Danny Donald quickly completed the formalities from Polygram Films, which was preparing to dismiss the staff. Witnessed by the lawyers of both parties, Ronan represented the Embassy Films Signed a formal employment contract with them.

After more than ten days of hard work, these two people were finally settled.

Welcome to Embassy Pictures. Ronan shook hands with Alan Albert and Danny Donald one by one: From now on, we are a family.

Alan Albert made a choice, so he stopped hesitating and said: It is my honor to join Embassy Pictures.

Danny Donald said politely: I believe this is the beginning of success.

In the face of high-end talents with capital, recruitment is a two-way choice, and Ronan is also very satisfied that the two finally entered the embassy film industry.

In this contract, the salary conditions are the same as what Ronan said before, and like the executives of many film companies in the circle, the non-compete clause is also noted.

In addition, the overseas distribution department of Embassy Pictures is listed separately and will not be merged into Thomas' theatrical distribution department.

This is also Ronan's promise to them.

Of course, as long as the timing is right, Ronan will definitely transfer a large number of new people to overseas distribution channels, so that Embassy Pictures can truly master overseas distribution channels.

The contract was signed, and the work was just beginning. After Ronan had an in-depth conversation with Alan Albert and Danny Donald, Alan Albert began to contact the previous publishing team members one by one, and Danny Donald went to Polygram Pictures, with scattered personnel, handles the follow-up matters.

A group of employees who were about to be dismissed heard the department leader say that there was a better choice, and most of them chose to follow. Of the nearly fifty key members of overseas distribution channels stationed around the world, forty-five chose Join Embassy Pictures.

This group of people quickly returned to London, completed various procedures with Polygram Films, and then signed a contract with Embassy Films.

Ronan, accompanied by Alan Albert and Danny Donald, interviewed these people one by one to reassure them.

Generous salary, perfect benefits, friendly boss, and world-renowned Blair Witch and Death Comes, plus the prestige of Alan Albert and Danny Donald, let alone To dispel the doubts of these people, at least it will allow them to work with peace of mind temporarily.

After being busy until after the New Year, Ronan simply finished handling these things.

Alan Albert and Danny Donald need to go to Los Angeles to work. Both of them are bachelors and come and go more freely.

Most of the other people are located in various branches overseas, and the influence is not very great.

These people have separated from Polygram Pictures, so they naturally need a new office location, and they are planning to build overseas offices of Embassy Pictures in various places.

Ronan has set aside nearly 30 million US dollars in funds for the establishment of overseas offices.

At present, the embassy film industry and relativity entertainment are limited in scale. After they develop and grow in the future, it will be more convenient to establish overseas branches based on these overseas offices.

Borrowing the meeting room of the Hilton Hotel, held a meeting of the Overseas Distribution Department. Ronan gave these people a few days off, and asked them to rush to the Embassy Films headquarters in Burbank, Los Angeles after a week, and then go to various places.

For things like this kind of channel, it is necessary to properly delegate power to the person in charge of the channel, do a good job of monitoring, and also need sound rules and regulations. The Big Six and some distribution companies have long formed a successful general model, basically there are not many The difference, as long as appropriate modifications are made according to the actual situation of the embassy film industry, it can be used completely.

Although there were many twists and turns in this trip to London, it fully achieved its purpose.