After watching all nine episodes of Tom and Jerry amidst laughter, even Li Weiya had to admit that this children's animation was indeed excellent.
Both the voice acting and the story content are very different from the animations currently broadcast on television. It's hard to believe that such an excellent animated work was created by a recent high school graduate.
"Teacher Li, what do you think?" Jiang Xia asked.
Li Weiya smiled wryly: "It's much better than I imagined, even better than many works produced by professional animation companies. I admit, I've come to like that quirky little mouse."
Jiang Xia was not surprised to receive this evaluation. Even in his previous life, Tom and Jerry was a classic masterpiece in the field of children's animation that no one has been able to surpass to this day.
Now, all he lacks is a stepping stone to bring his masterpiece back to life.
Whether we can soar to new heights depends on this one move.
"So, Mr. Li, in your opinion, how should Tom and Jerry be operated?" Jiang Xia asked sincerely.
"Do you really have to air it on TV?" Li Weiya frowned. "With the quality of Tom and Jerry, airing it on TV isn't difficult, but it doesn't necessarily make money."
"Please continue, Teacher Li."
"You should know that animation is measured in frames, and the cost structure is more complex, including employee salaries, equipment investment, company daily expenses, and publicity costs. However, if you sell the animation to a TV station, they will calculate the price per minute, and the price will not be too high."
Jiang Xia nodded; as someone also in the industry, this was no secret to him.
Furthermore, television stations are also divided into different tiers, with the largest being CCTV Children's Channel, which naturally commands the highest prices for acquiring animation content.
In those days, the purchase price for animated films was generally between 500 and 1,000 yuan per minute, and the purchase price from local TV stations was even lower, with some even offering as low as a dozen yuan per minute.
If we consider the standards of modern animation, where each episode costs hundreds of thousands of RMB, selling it to a TV station would be a stroke of luck if it didn't lose money. Want to make a profit? Dream on!
"Why don't you try partnering with the video website that has the largest traffic right now? You might get better returns than selling to a TV station," Li Weiya suggested.
Jiang Xia smiled. If it were in the highly developed internet environment of later generations, he would not hesitate to become a content creator (UP) and then monetize it through a membership system.
However, at that time, many websites in China had not yet found the right way to monetize traffic. It should be noted that even the later famous Bilibili started by relying on piracy and did not start buying anime to join the site until 14 years later.
He doesn't have the resources to generate revenue for love; right now, the only thing that can bring him substantial profits immediately is the television station.
Although the TV station didn't pay much, averaging only one or two thousand yuan per episode, this was only for the first round of broadcasting rights.
If the viewership continues to rise during the anime's airing time, the TV station might buy the rights to a second and third season at an even higher price.
Once local television stations see the effect, they will immediately follow suit. If dozens of television stations broadcast the show across the country at the same time, the revenue will be considerable.
Once Tom and Jerry becomes a huge hit, many businesses will follow suit, such as selling toys, DVDs, games, and merchandise. This part of the revenue will be the main source of income.
“Teacher Li, there is no doubt that online streaming is the future trend, but now is not the time. In our country, television is still the main medium for obtaining information from the outside world,” Jiang Xia said calmly.
Li Weiya was slightly surprised, not expecting him to see the problem so clearly. After all, even her company had only just begun to research how to monetize videos online, and they didn't even have a clue yet.
"So you've decided to sell Tom and Jerry to the TV station after all?"
Jiang Xia nodded: "Yes, in the end, the target audience of Tom and Jerry is children. As long as you can win over the children, you can win over the adults."
“You’re absolutely right. As long as the kids like it, the ratings won’t be low.” Li Weiya strongly agreed with this view.
"So, Mr. Li, which TV station do you think I should contact first to discuss cooperation? And what price should I set?" He asked, revealing his true purpose for the day.
"The first choice is definitely CCTV Children's Channel," Li Weiya said without hesitation. "The Children's Channel is rich and powerful, and they'll offer the highest price. If Tom and Jerry becomes popular on the Children's Channel, it won't be long before it becomes a nationwide hit. But..."
“But the competition for CCTV Children’s Channel is extremely fierce. Countless animation companies are scrambling to get in, and even if you sign a contract, you’ll most likely still have to wait in line based on scheduling,” Jiang Xia continued.
That's right.
Li Weiya nodded with a look of satisfaction. It was clear that Jiang Xia's decision to start an animation company was not impulsive; he had done his homework beforehand.
For a company owner, having vision is a sufficient condition for a company to survive in the long run.
“The second choice is local TV stations,” she continued. “Although the acquisition price per episode may not be high, the local government has relevant support and preferential policies for local businesses, so the combination of the two is not bad, and it is also easier to get broadcast on TV.”
After hearing the suggestion, Jiang Xia's eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten about the national animation subsidy policy?
I remember an insider in my past life revealing that many unscrupulous animation companies, unable to produce excellent animations themselves, simply produce low-quality ones and "sell" them to TV stations at extremely low prices or even at their own expense, relying on government subsidies to survive. Even so, they can still make a fortune.
"In my opinion, if you want to sell to the Chongqing TV station, a price of 300 yuan per minute would be very good. If the negotiation goes well, 500 yuan is not impossible."
Li Weiya looked at him with a half-smile: "Speaking of which, the cost of making Tom and Jerry for you shouldn't have been high, right?"
A small studio with only a few people managed to create original artworks through hard work during their school years, which were then edited into a film by Jiang Xia alone. The cost was practically zero.
Jiang Xia smiled awkwardly: "Yes, it's not high. To be honest, A-Ming's salary currently only meets the minimum wage level in Chongqing. Even after he becomes a full-time employee, his salary will only be 2,500."
Li Weiya didn't care. In her opinion, it was a good thing that her son could start a business with a visionary young boss. Such an experience was something that money couldn't buy.
Moreover, the current salary of 2500 does not mean it will remain at 2500 in the future. Once the company grows larger, the salary and benefits will increase exponentially.
She had a feeling that once Tom and Jerry appeared on television, they would become a nationwide sensation in the shortest amount of time.
...
(There will be another chapter in a little while, I'll try to finish it before 12 o'clock)
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