An explanation
Why is the production budget of "My Own Swordsman" estimated to be at least 200 million? Because in this world, it was made at an S-level from the very beginning. For an S-level production, I don't think such a budget figure is exaggerated.
People think it's exaggerated and outrageous because they've factored in the actual production cost of "My Own Swordsman" from twenty years ago, so they think 200 million is outrageous. But what if this hadn't happened? If everyone looked at a 30-episode period drama from a conventional perspective, with the platform classifying it as an S-level production, would 200 million be considered high or low?
Secondly, the production environment of "My Own Swordsman" was very different back then compared to today's film and television production environment. The directors', actors', and screenwriters' salaries were all significantly lower because they weren't big names. Is the same situation true for "My Own Swordsman" now?
Here are some data points I collected while conducting research:
Before the era of "money-burning" dramas, there was one period comedy I felt was comparable: Ning Caishen's other period comedy, *Longmen Express*. News reports said it cost 40-60 million yuan. Aside from Anita Yuen, none of the main actors were big names at the time; Guo Jingfei only became famous later. It aired in 2013, but production started even earlier. As far as I remember, video platforms weren't as popular then as they are now. In my understanding, without video platforms ushering in the era of "money-burning," and without the outrageous salaries of stars, how could *My Own Swordsman* still be considered a low-to-medium budget drama in the current context?
In a conference call in 2021, iQiyi CEO Gong Yu said: "We have invested a lot of money. Back then, a single episode of a TV series cost about a few thousand yuan. Now, even if we don't rely on copyright purchases, the copyright purchase starts at two million yuan per episode. Basically, any show that everyone can watch costs at least two million yuan. If it's an exclusive broadcast, it might cost six or eight million yuan. So, the cost has increased, and based on the profit requirements, we have to raise prices."
From an industry perspective, a budget of 200 million yuan is reasonable for a 30-episode S+ level historical drama.
Of course, if you still can't accept this, I accept it too. I'm just explaining why I wrote down these numbers; they weren't just something I came up with on a whim.
Are there any period comedies that still have a low production cost in this era?
Yes, one was a low-budget web series produced after the rise of online streaming, titled "The Legend of the Magpie Sword Sect." Its production cost was around 15 million yuan, and it was ultimately rated a B-grade film by Tencent, with a promotional budget of 2 million yuan. Of course, it became a huge hit, far exceeding expectations.
This also shows that a higher investment does not necessarily mean a better drama.
However, given the current environment, many dramas are not like "The Legend of the Magpie Sword Sect," but rather like "My Heroic Husband."
Just like in the novel, Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yanhe: "Yanhe, you don't understand what an S+ level drama means to a platform. Unless you find big stars for the roles of Bai Zhantang and Tong Xiangyu, the platform will definitely face a major challenge in terms of actors. Your screenwriting is indeed a big attraction, but it can't carry the drama."
The platform rated "My Own Swordsman" as S+, aiming for its big-name screenwriters, big production, and big-name actors.
Chen Ziyan said that if Lu Yanhe didn't hire celebrities, the platform wouldn't pay for it—in other words, it wouldn't provide the 200 million yuan production budget.
Of course, that's another matter.
The 200 million yuan production cost and Lu Yanhe's choice of actors for "My Own Swordsman," and the subsequent conflicts between him and the platform, are the hooks I planted in this chapter.
Simply put, there are basic market conditions, and Xiao Lu has his own things to do.
I cannot assume that "My Own Swordsman" can be replicated exactly because of its original production cost.
There are ways to make a TV series, whether it's cheap or expensive.
In many people's eyes, "My Own Swordsman" must be made at a high price because many people have high hopes for it.
For Lu Yanhe, "My Own Swordsman" didn't need to be filmed at such a high cost, because he knew it could still be a hit even without spending so much.
This is another thing to explain.
Another thing I've considered is whether to have Xiao Lu direct a low-to-mid-budget drama like this. After much thought, I feel it doesn't fit his current image. Since the airing of "Friends," various platforms have been vying for him, so he has almost no reasonable motivation to do this kind of drama. Of course, after seeing everyone's feedback, Xiao Lu's fee of 1.5 million per episode does seem a bit high. I'll gather more information and revise it later.
above.
(End of this chapter)
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