Chapter 432 Successful, Boating on the River
This lesson left Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi in awe.
The two of them prided themselves on being eloquent, but compared to Chen Ziyan, their skills were like children playing house.
Chen Ziyan quickly and effortlessly persuaded the person to stay, chatted with her, and convinced her to come back.
Chen Ziyan said to the two stunned people, "You two should leave first. I don't think she can relax while you're here."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe asked, "Why can't she relax when we're here?"
He thought to himself, "They're both so young."
What is it that Zhang's mother is not letting go of?
“Zhang Ruozhi’s family situation is a bit special. She might not dare to let her guard down in front of you. After all, you are celebrities, public figures. Not many ordinary people can relax when they see public figures,” Chen Ziyan said. “You probably don’t know that Zhang Ruozhi’s father passed away when she was young, and her mother raised her alone. You can’t understand how much hardship a woman has to endure raising a child independently. With you here, she will definitely have to keep a straight face and not let her emotions show beyond her strength.”
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi both opened their mouths at the same time, but hesitated to speak.
This was something they hadn't known before.
However, they definitely believed Chen Ziyan's judgment.
So they left.
Chen Ziyan stayed alone in the coffee shop, waiting for Zhang's mother to return.
-
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi left the coffee shop and walked out, but to avoid running into Zhang's mother, they walked in opposite directions.
"I was quite startled when Zhang Ruozhi's mother suddenly appeared," Chen Siqi said.
Lu Yanhe nodded, "I was startled too."
Chen Siqi: "Do you think Sister Ziyan can persuade her mother?"
"I don't know, but if even Sister Ziyan can't convince her, we're definitely out of options," Lu Yanhe sighed.
"You deserve it for yourself, who told you to have your eye on a high school girl."
"That sounds a bit strange."
"You're thinking dirty thoughts, aren't you? What are you thinking?" Chen Siqi shot her a sharp glare.
Lu Yanhe protested, "Didn't you say that?"
"I'm right, but you're the one who's thinking the wrong thing," Chen Siqi said confidently.
Lu Yanhe decided to give up arguing with Chen Siqi and honestly admit his mistake and apologize.
"I misunderstood."
Chen Siqi gave a soft snort.
They had no destination in mind, so they wandered around aimlessly.
Chen Siqi asked, "For the movie 'Love Letter,' you invited so many friends to help you. You didn't let them help for nothing, did you?"
"Of course not, they've already paid us," Lu Yanhe said. "The contracts are all signed, and the down payment has been made."
Even though it's a favor, you still have to give back what you owe.
It's not like they're so poor they can't afford to pay. Lu Yanhe wouldn't do something as unethical as taking advantage of someone when he could clearly pay them.
How much box office do you expect for the movie "Love Letter"?
"I dare not predict," Lu Yanhe said. "There is absolutely no pattern to the box office performance of films in China. I can only set a minimum guarantee for myself, and then decide how much to spend on the production of the film based on that. I can't risk losing money."
"So what's the minimum standard you set for 'Love Letter'?"
"With Bi Ge and me starring, the budget shouldn't be less than 50 million, right? That's my thought, without any basis, just a feeling," Lu Yanhe said. "Therefore, my expectation for the production budget of this film is no more than 20 million."
"How much is it expected to cost now?"
“I starred in and wrote the script myself, and I got a million-yuan salary, with the rest going to profit sharing. Bige got two million, and then we got a share of the box office revenue,” Lu Yanhe said. “By keeping our salaries to a minimum, the production budget was a little more generous. Including Director Luo, Liu Bige, Sister Zixing and their entire production team, the labor costs alone were about eight million. Then, we added in the costs of locations, set design, transportation, accommodation and other logistical support. So far, Sister Zixing has calculated that making this movie will cost at least fifteen million.”
“That’s still quite a lot,” Chen Siqi said.
"Well, mainly the cinematography, lighting, costumes, props, and so on. I didn't want to cut corners on these areas, so I used Director Luo and Liu Bige's connections to bring in top-notch teams in the industry, which was very expensive." Lu Yanhe sighed, "Making a movie really is quite expensive."
“But think about it, given your and Chen Bige’s status, even if ‘Love Letter’ isn’t a commercial film and doesn’t offer you the market price, you should still be able to earn at least several million in salary, not just what you are now. You’ve already saved a lot,” Chen Siqi said. “Based on this production cost, and considering the subsequent marketing and distribution expenses, ‘Love Letter’ isn’t under much pressure to break even.”
"Well, because the investment in this movie was basically all from myself and a few people around me. I didn't want to take any risks," Lu Yanhe said. "Including Sister Bige, she didn't get a single penny of her two million yuan salary; she gave it all to me to make this movie."
"Actually, I think if the movie 'Love Letter' can resonate with the audience, its box office performance should be quite good."
"Yeah?"
“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded. “You have to understand, especially female viewers, almost every girl has had or fantasized about such a boy in her heart during her youth.”
Lu Yanhe laughed.
He is someone who has truly experienced how much resonance the film "Love Letter" evoked. Even two or three decades after its release, it remains a classic in the hearts of audiences, which shows how powerful it is as a film about unrequited love and regret.
"I hope so, that's why we're in a hurry to start filming so that it can be released in time for Valentine's Day next year."
"Do you plan to submit this film to a film festival?"
"Send it to a film festival? I don't know how to do that either," Lu Yanhe said.
A problem immediately emerged.
The production team for this film consists entirely of Lu Yanhe and his associates; no formal company is involved. How it will be released in theaters and how it will be promoted are still unknown.
Chen Siqi thought for a moment, "Since Sister Zixing is the producer, she must have thought it through long ago."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Chen Siqi said, "Maybe once your film is almost finished, she will start looking for a distributor."
Film production and distribution are often not the same thing. Of course, in China, they are basically integrated. In fact, many films are made by small companies, and after completion, large companies will come to see them. If they like a film, they will buy the distribution rights. Finding buyers is also one of the important purposes of many films participating in film festivals and exhibitions.
Often, movies don't start making money from the moment they're released. Some movies have product placements during filming, and advertisers have to pay upfront. Some movies sell their distribution rights halfway through filming, which also generates revenue. In some cases, the stock price of related companies rises as soon as a movie is released, and the positive market outlook allows film companies to earn more money in the stock market than the movie ultimately makes.
Beyond these basic and widespread approaches, there are many more ways to play the capital game.
Lu Yanhe's "Love Letter" certainly doesn't play those games.
He's just honestly making a movie.
"Actually, to be honest with you," Lu Yanhe suddenly said, a little embarrassed, "Although I told you that my minimum box office guarantee is 50 million, I really hope it will reach 200 to 300 million, and I also believe that it has the ability to achieve that box office."
You should know that he came up with the idea for the movie "Love Letter" in order to make a movie that would do well at the box office.
When Lu Yanhe was choosing between "Love Letter" and "You Are the Apple of My Eye," the quality of the films was one aspect, but box office performance was also a primary concern.
Chen Siqi: "Yes, I will also help you design a publicity plan to strive to achieve this goal in the opening weekend."
Chen Siqi wasn't exaggerating.
But that's really how the film market is now.
A good movie can get 100 or 200 million or even more in its opening weekend box office.
Even though it didn't sell well, it took a month for the film to barely break 100 million yuan, which still shows that there were people watching it.
The box office is not shaped like a pyramid at all.
It's either a great box office result or a complete flop.
Movies that gross between 200 million and 400 million are very rare.
-
Chen Siqi said, "We're about to launch the short film project you proposed earlier."
"Short film project?"
"It's about holding a competition, inviting aspiring directors to choose stories from our 'Jump Up' IP library, shoot a ten-minute clip, and compete against each other. The winner will receive production funding from us to make a full-length feature film," Chen Siqi said.
Lu Yanhe remembered.
Chen Siqi: "We have reached an agreement with Aurora Video and Icefield Video to jointly organize this competition."
Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Are they willing to join in?"
“Yes, and they will provide sponsorships,” Chen Siqi said. “They believe that the competition, and the short videos shot by these participants, can also bring attention and traffic to their platform.”
“That’s for sure.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
Chen Siqi said, "Moreover, the key point is that we were planning to provide production funding for the top three to help them shoot feature films, right? The sponsorship funds for the Northern Lights Video and Icefield Video are for these three people, but on the condition that these three feature films are finally released on their two video platforms, and the settlement will be made with us and the production company according to the revenue sharing model."
Lu Yanhe said, "This is good."
"Yes, that's great," Chen Siqi said. "Are you planning to sign these directors?"
"Sign these directors?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.
Chen Siqi said, "When we were preparing for this, we suddenly realized that if we could discover some very talented directors, it would be a pity not to sign them."
“But if you want to sign them, you need to have the resources to help them make the films they want to make, right?” Lu Yanhe said. “Where do I have that kind of capability right now?”
Chen Siqi said, "Making a movie doesn't mean you have to pay for everything yourself. It's more reliable for us to help them find investors than for them to find investors on their own. We also need to have a channel."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated, as if Chen Siqi could solve any problem.
"This is a big deal, and I'm really not confident about it. I think I need to discuss it with Sister Ziyan," Lu Yanhe said.
“If you don’t sign, I will,” Chen Siqi said, clearly determined to do so. “If we have a few directors who can consistently adapt some of our novels from ‘Jump Up’ into film and television dramas and release them continuously, our Jump Up Theater can be launched directly.”
Lu Yanhe had completely forgotten that his girlfriend was even more career-driven than him.
They act decisively and without fear.
Lu Yanhe had no reason to say no.
-
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Ziyan contacted them and said that she had won over Zhang's mother, and Zhang Ruozhi would join the crew to film this movie during her summer and winter vacations this year.
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief and said to Chen Siqi, "See, I told you that for this kind of thing, we still need to ask a professional to handle it."
They met at a river fish restaurant by the river.
Chen Siqi asked Chen Ziyan curiously how she managed to win over Zhang's mother.
Chen Ziyan said, "Just figure out why she doesn't want Zhang Ruozhi to act in the movie, and then resolve this matter."
It sounds like it's very simple.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
Chen Ziyan said, "It's actually very simple. Zhang Ruozhi's mother wanted her to focus on the college entrance examination so that her daughter could have a stable future. She always felt that she had suffered because she didn't study and didn't want her daughter to be like her. I made it very clear that I was willing to sign Zhang Ruozhi. Before the college entrance examination, Zhang Ruozhi would only film this one movie, and I would help her refuse any other offers. If Zhang Ruozhi's grades declined after filming and she didn't perform well in the college entrance examination, we would help Zhang Ruozhi contact high schools in Jiangguang so that she could repeat a year and get better educational resources."
"Is that all?" Chen Siqi was somewhat incredulous, feeling that this was a bit too simple and plain.
Chen Ziyan laughed and said, "You guys don't know what mothers are thinking. Don't you think about it? An opportunity to act in a movie with Lu Yanhe, and even play the female lead, is something no parent would refuse so decisively unless they deeply hate the entertainment industry. Especially since Zhang Ruozhi's mother is a mother who really wants her daughter to have a good life. She's not afraid that her daughter will become an actress, but she's afraid that if she doesn't act well, the acting career will be blocked, and she'll lose the chance to get into a good university."
Lu Yanhe suddenly understood and nodded.
Chen Ziyan was essentially giving Zhang's mother a backup option.
If Zhang Ruozhi could both act and get into a good university, her mother would be absolutely willing.
Chen Ziyan was giving Zhang's mother this kind of choice.
-
Chen Ziyan rushed over, covered in dust, and the matter was settled.
She didn't rush to leave, but waited for her assistant to fly over with the contract the next day so that she could finalize the matter with Zhang Ruozhi's mother in writing.
So, that evening, Chen Ziyan was able to relax and go boating on the river with Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi.
"This place is truly beautiful, but it's so hard to get here." Chen Ziyan lay in the canopy of the small boat, with only her upper body exposed to the starry sky, the sound of flowing water in her ears. "It's rare to be able to feel the movement of oars here, instead of the engine-powered antique boats."
Lu Yanhe said, "If this place were easy to get to, it wouldn't be as beautiful as a paradise."
"Too."
Chen Siqi and Lu Yanhe leaned against each other, sitting at the bow of the boat.
The bustling streets on both sides of the river are sometimes secluded and quiet, hidden by trees, while at other times they are bustling with noise and dazzling light and shadow.
Regardless of the situation on the shore, they remained quietly nestled together on the boat.
As Chen Ziyan watched the two of them sitting close together, a gentle light welled up in her eyes, mingling with the shattered moonlight on the water's surface.
Naturally, in this leisurely night, shrouded in mist, no one knows, nor does anyone need to know.
(End of this chapter)
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