The Best Entertainment Era

Just before Christmas, Ronan signed a formal financing contract with three entertainment companies on behalf of the Pacific Film Foundation. The three entertainment companies each invested 25 million US dollars in the Pacific Film Foundation, which is a total of 75 million US dollars.

Compared with the long-term credit bank of the island country, the amount of investment is much less.

However, this is the investment amount of the same financing period.

In other words, for the time being, the three entertainment companies have only signed an investment contract with the Pacific Film Foundation for the first phase.

This phase of investment is also for three years, with a fixed rate of return of 12%. The investment is paid in two installments within four months, and the first payment is made after the New Year.

In terms of cash flow, the three entertainment companies are certainly not as good as a financial investment institution such as the Island National Long-term Credit Bank, but the payment of 75 million US dollars can at least allow Sandsea Entertainment to solve the production budget of three low-to-medium-scale film projects.

Ronan is very satisfied with this cooperation. The three entertainment companies have a strong intention to invest in Hollywood and have expressed enough sincerity.

The two parties also agreed that if the cooperation is satisfactory, the South Korean side will continue to cooperate with the Pacific Film Foundation.

In addition, Ronan also talked with them about the North American Internet copyright authorization of Korean film and television works. The heads of the three entertainment companies are willing to act as an intermediary for Netflix to contact Korean film and television production companies.

With these local snakes playing the bridge, Netflix's work of including the copyright of Korean film and television works will be smoother.

Netflix's copyright library needs to be expanded step by step. North America is the most troublesome to talk about, but the copyright of overseas works is much easier.

Only when the volume of copyright increases and the number of optional products increases can it further attract customers.

On the day Ronan led the team to leave Seoul, Kim Youngmin accompanied him to the airport to see him off.

Mr. Anderson. Jin Yingmin shook hands with Ronan vigorously: I hope this is the beginning of our cooperation, and we can become strategic partners in the future.

Ronan smiled and said, I believe that day will come soon.

Jin Yingmin said politely: The time is too tight this time, and there are places where the hospitality is not good, please forgive me.

I am very satisfied with your hospitality. Ronan said politely: I have fully felt your enthusiasm and hospitality.

Jin Yingmin seemed to have misunderstood Ronan's words, lowered his voice slightly, and said, Mr. Anderson will come to Korea next time, and I will arrange it for you.

Ronan said, Thank you. When Mr. Jin arrives in Los Angeles, he must visit me as a guest.

Jin Yingmin said firmly: Definitely.

The two shook hands again, and Ronan followed the negotiating team into the boarding gate.

Kim Young-min watched Ronan's figure go farther and farther, but was a little worried. Jun Ji-hyun and Song Hye-kyo can be said to be top-notch actresses in the local entertainment industry. Next time the other party comes again, can they find a better one?

It really doesn't work, only the quality is not enough, and the quantity is coming together.

SM Entertainment doesn't have many others, but the girl group can come up with a dozen.

Ronan and his party did not stop in East Asia, but took a flight back to Los Angeles directly.

On the one hand, Christmas is coming soon, which is the most important holiday for Americans. After this period of high-intensity overseas work, the team also needs to rest and adjust.

On the other hand, the goal of financing has been fully achieved.

Not counting the financing after the first phase, just counting the first phase of financing of the Pacific Foundation next year, the island country's long-term credit bank and the three major entertainment companies in South Korea, the total financing is as high as 275 million US dollars.

In addition, Ronan has other financing channels.

Even after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it may be more troublesome to raise funds from private sources in Abu Dhabi, but Relativity Entertainment can still raise funds from the Mountain Foundation in Mumbai, India and Koch Films in Germany.

In this way, even if Shahai Entertainment works on multiple medium and large-scale production projects at the same time, the funds are quite sufficient.

Once the financing target is achieved, there is no need for Ronan to go to an indescribable country, after all, there are some huge risks that cannot be described in words.

Especially for large scissors, there is no unified and clear standard, which is really worrying.

After Ronan returned to Los Angeles, he took a short three-day break for Christmas, and quickly returned to work.

He first met with Kazuo Inoue who came to Los Angeles, briefly chatted about the other party's situation after he came to Los Angeles, and then hosted a banquet for Kazuo Inoue and his party.

The specific licensing negotiations were handed over to Mark Randolph of Netflix.

The film and television works of the island country cannot be sold at a high price in North America, and the price of Internet authorization is lower. After Netflix received the capital injection from Relativity Entertainment, the current liquidity is still sufficient, and it is not a problem to obtain the authorization of some film and television works from overseas.

Netflix is ​​following the path of a regular commercial company, not a small street store or a workshop-style operation. Many things that touch the copyright law must be paid attention to.

Before the New Year, Jun Ji-hyun came to Los Angeles from South Korea accompanied by her agent. Ronan was busy with work, so he met her in a hurry and asked Connie to take her to Warner Studios to find Shonda Rhimes. The crew arranged for Jun Ji-hyun to audition.

In the script of Grey's Anatomy, there is an Asian character named Christina Young, who is the second or third supporting actress.

In the beginning, Sanda Rhimes found an actress named Sandra Wu in accordance with Hollywood's consistent aesthetics. Ronan had no objection at first, but after seeing the actress's photo, he directly rejected it. this candidate.

This so-called Asian beauty actress is really incapable of accepting it.

Ronan felt there was a need to redefine the standards of Asian beauty in Hollywood.

It's just right, you can bring Jun Zhixian to try it first.

The only problem is that Jun Ji-hyun is a little too young compared to the role setting of an intern, but fortunately, makeup can solve it.

Ronan is the owner of the investment company and the first producer of the project. Shonda Rhimes doesn't have any money to say no. Jun Ji-hyun passed the audition very smoothly and called Ronan specifically to invite him to dinner to express thanks.

Since there is no time for the time being, Ronan postponed it until later.

Ronan has been staying late at Warner Studios these days, exchanging ideas with director Gore Verbinski on the filming and preparation of Pirates of the Caribbean.

The production budget of this project is as high as 120 million U.S. dollars, plus publicity and distribution costs, the total investment is expected to reach 200 million U.S. dollars.

According to the general situation in Hollywood, the global box office of the first part of Pirates of the Caribbean must reach 600 million US dollars in order to guarantee the return of the box office.

No matter for the investor or the director, the pressure is quite high.

Ronan, I want a definite time.

In the office, Gore Verbinski asked directly: Not counting the filming, there is still a funding gap of 40 million US dollars in the preliminary preparations. When will the funds be in place?

Knowing that Gore Verbinski was under great pressure, Ronan assured him: Don't worry, before January 5th, there will be an extra $20 million on the crew's books, and the remaining $20 million in the budget gap, when you need it , can go to the account of the guarantor of the completion of the film at any time.

The Island National Long-Term Credit Bank has been in touch with the Pacific Film Foundation, and the two parties are negotiating the exchange of funds, and the first financing of US$100 million will arrive soon.

The South Korean side has been very active. On the third day after Ronan returned to Los Angeles, the first financing of up to 35 million US dollars reached the account of the Pacific Foundation.

But the money was not invested in the Pirates of the Caribbean crew, but was used to start the two projects of Taken and Summer of Jeans.

Especially for Taken, the director and two leading actors are all in place, the script has been finalized long ago, and the crew has also been established. After the funds are in place, comprehensive preparations will begin.

Summer of Jeans is still in the stage of script completion, but after the new year, the project will enter a period of rapid operation.

For these three projects, Ronan also contacted Tony Koch. After the new year, Koch Films will apply for tax refunds in Germany according to the existing procedures.

Especially for Pirates of the Caribbean, the production budget is as high as 120 million US dollars. Once the tax refund application is approved, the tax refund amount of 10% of the expected income will be as high as tens of millions of US dollars.

Of course, Ronan couldn't let go of this kind of legal income.

Gore Verbinski discussed the filming plan with Ronan again, and then said: After the $20 million is in place, I will take most of the crew to Rosario, Baja California. The final preparatory work is going on there. When filming, we will also give priority to shooting the scenes there.”

Ronan agreed: Yes. He then instructed: You should communicate with the special effects team in advance.

Yeah, Gore Verbinski said, I've already said hello to them.

Not long after the crew was established, Ronan decided to outsource the special effects production of Pirates of the Caribbean to Industrial Light and Magic, a subsidiary of Lucasfilm. This is the most powerful film feature production company in Hollywood and even the world. High, but the special effects are more guaranteed.

Special effects are one of the selling points of Pirates of the Caribbean, of course the quality must be guaranteed.

Leaving the crew office, Ronan deliberately went to Studio 3 to see the training of the main actors, including Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush and Christian Bale The actors included are undergoing professional sword training suitable for movie shooting.

Movie swordsmanship training is completely different from competitive swordsmanship. The former must ensure that the swordsmanship is beautiful and good-looking on the basis of a certain degree of authenticity.

According to Ronan's request, the action guidance team of the crew removed a lot of things that were too fancy when designing the action.

In the past two years, under the influence of action directors from Hong Kong City, Hollywood action dramas are undergoing tremendous changes. While abandoning the old-fashioned fighting, they have not yet formed a new style, so there will be Charlie's Angels such wonderful dance dramas. piece.

After watching the training for a while, Ronan didn't disturb the actors, and quickly left Studio 3.

He got the good news that Robert Iger is back in Los Angeles.