Chapter 387 Is there a future for Southeast Asian films?
In 2017, the total box office of the National Day was 2.9 billion, up 82% year-on-year.
In 2018, the total box office of the film market was 3.5 billion, up 20%
year-on-year, setting a new record for the total box office of the National Day. Although the increase has dropped significantly, it is still rising. Therefore, both the official announcement and the reports of the industry media are full of joy, celebrating the new schedule record.
However, unlike the excitement outside, few people in the film industry can be happy about this achievement. The reason is very simple. Among the total box office of 3.5 billion, 2 billion is supported by the movie "Detective Chinatown 2".
In other words, the box office of all the other 13 movies released during the entire National Day this year is not as high as this one.
If "Detective Chinatown 2" is excluded, the total box office of the entire schedule is only 1.5 billion, which is not even as high as the box office record in 2016.
Obviously, the impact of the film and television winter has begun to show.
But what makes colleagues most jealous is that this impact seems to have no effect on "Detective Chinatown 2". Even after the National Day holiday, the single-day box office of the movie is still strong above 100 million yuan, and we can only watch others soaring towards 3 billion.
Although our own failure is regrettable, the success of our peers is even more distressing.
The only thing that the audience criticized was that the quality of the plot of the second part had declined a bit. In particular, the murderer's ultimate motivation for "cultivating immortality" and the puzzle method of "five elements killing" were obviously borrowed from the "Double Pupils" of that year.
Many fans of the "Green Ivy Series" couldn't help but comment online, questioning whether Meng Bai's level had declined or he was not cutting leeks with his heart.
But soon other fans came out to explain that the chief screenwriter of this movie was not Meng Bai. Including the column of screenwriter positions for the movie, the first place was also director Chen Sicheng.
[It is said that Arc Light separated the movie version and the web drama version of the "Tang Detective" series. The movie version continues to be led by Chen Sicheng, and Meng Bai is mainly responsible for the web drama part. 】
【That's no wonder. I was wondering why the online drama version was much better than the movie version when they were aired at about the same time. It seems that the screenwriter was changed. 】
【Indeed, the quality of this plot would be a bit too poor if it was written by Meng Bai, but it seems very reasonable to change it to Chen Sicheng. 】
【So, although movies are the art of directors, the script really can't be saved, especially for commercial feature films with suspense themes. 】
【Needless to say, look at Zhang Guoshi next door. Since the top screenwriters such as Lu Wei and Zhao Dongling were gone, the texture of the movie has not changed, but the plot has declined sharply. 】
【……】
To be honest, if you take the plot of "Detective Chinatown 2" out alone, it is still acceptable as a suspense comedy. At least the logic before and after is smooth, and there are no flaws.
At the same time, there are enough jokes. Except for a little more advertisements, it is still good overall.
But there is no way. As a sequel, the audience will inevitably compare it with the first one. It is obvious that the plot of "Detective Chinatown 1" is obviously better than that of "Detective Chinatown 2".
When the first part was released, many viewers were discussing who was more important to the movie, Meng Bai or Chen Sicheng. After all, Arclight had not produced any film projects at that time, and there was a lack of reference standards.
But now that the second part has been released, almost all viewers who have seen the previous work can feel the obvious contrast in the plot, and the answer is naturally self-evident.
[As the director of the film, Chen Sicheng gave the "Detective Chinatown" movie flesh and blood. But the screenwriter Meng Bai really gave this series a soul. ]
This is the comment with the highest number of likes in the comment area, which is considered a consensus among the audience.
"Tsk tsk, Mr. Meng is awesome. This person has not even appeared on the stage and can still get such a high evaluation."
In the reception room of Arclight, Chen Sicheng said half-jokingly and half-emotionally.
He has been happy and depressed recently. What makes him happy is naturally the booming box office performance of the new movie, and as for depression, it is naturally the bad reviews of the plot.
Chen Sicheng's personality is very similar to the "Chengcai" he played in "Soldier Assault". He is ambitious, clever, and eager to be recognized.
After the release of "Detective Chinatown 1", he was somewhat dissatisfied with the audience's high evaluation of the plot. Therefore, when the second part was being prepared, when he learned that Meng Bai would not be fully responsible for the script like the first part, he held his breath and wanted to prove himself.
Unfortunately, this enthusiasm was only halfway lost when he watched the finished film. When it was officially released and saw the audience's evaluation, the remaining half was gone.
I have to admit that in terms of plot logic, I am indeed a step behind.
So now facing Meng Bai again, although he can't be said to be inferior, he is indeed convinced.
Hearing Chen Sicheng's words, Meng Bai said indifferently: "Ha, you are too polite. No matter how the audience praises you, it's just that. If you really want to mention your reputation, it's still you, the director with a '3 billion box office'... Oh, by the way, it will soon be 4 billion."
Up to now, Chen Sicheng has made a total of three movies. "Beijing Love Story" had a box office of 420 million, "Detective Chinatown" had a box office of 1.14 billion, and this time "Detective Chinatown 2" is expected to reach 3 billion, his total box office has exceeded 4 billion.
This result has surpassed Zhang Yimou and ranked fifth among Chinese film directors. Ahead of him, only Li An, Wu Yusen, Wu Jing and Zhou Xingchi are left.
Of course, this is mainly due to the development of the times and the market. After all, the box office value ten or twenty years ago cannot be directly compared with today.
But no matter what, at least among this group of directors who have transformed from actors, he is one of the first-line ones.
Meng Bai was naturally very happy to see this. He and Chen Sicheng were now in a cooperative model, one gained fame and the other profited, which could be said to complement each other.
"I say, you two grown men should stop bragging about each other in business." Chen Zhixi, who was sitting on the side, looked at the two of them and pretended to be dissatisfied.
What? She was a beauty after all, and she had been sitting here for a long time, but neither of them paid any attention to her.
Shaking his head, Chen Zhixi looked at Meng Bai: "I heard that you have been busy with official cooperation recently. How is it going now?"
"Sister Xi, what you are asking is that I am just a person who cooperates with the higher-ups to promote their products. They don't have to report to me about the progress of their investigation." Meng Bai said.
Chen Zhixi rolled his eyes at him: "Come on, everyone knows that your company is now the 'Kung Fu leader' in the film and television industry. I can't hide this news from anyone but you."
Although Ruyi's business is mainly in movies, it also makes TV series, so it is also very familiar with the recent hot events in the film and television industry.
"Oh, that's an exaggeration. I am at most an agent." Meng Bai smiled and said: "In fact, the higher-ups have already conducted an investigation in this regard. It's just that because this time it involves a wider range of people, it took a lot of effort."
"Rating fraud" is just an entry point for the relevant departments to investigate. What the higher-ups really want to do is to conduct an investigation and reform of the entire industry. As for the profit leaders hidden behind the black industries in the industry, they are just dealt with by the way.
"Yes, the film and television industry has been advancing rapidly and chaotic in recent years, and it really needs to be rectified." Chen Zhixi sighed: "And the previous contract issue, I guess the tax issue should also be resolved." "
Why, do you have any tax issues at Ruyi?"
"Well, everyone has been doing tax evasion in the past few years, and who doesn't have some non-compliant areas." Chen Zhixi spread his hands.
Chen Sicheng on the side also smiled. In order to evade taxes, Chengya Film and Television, which he cooperated with Wanda, also went to Horgos to register a company a few years ago. This time, this company is one of the co-producers of "Detective Chinatown 2".
However, looking at the trend in the future, I'm afraid he will have to talk to Wanda and hurry up to solve the accounting problems and cancel the cancellations.
"Don't worry so much." Meng Bai comforted the two: "The higher-ups want to control, not to overturn the table. Unless they are right in the crosshairs, they will definitely give them a chance. I guess they will issue a notice in a while, so that they can make up for what they should make up."
The primary goal of the government is stability, followed by "correctness" and the like. If the situation becomes more chaotic in order to force "correctness", then it would be putting the cart before the horse.
In fact, Chen Zhixi and the others had the same idea, but they were relieved after listening to Meng Bai's words.
Just like she said before, if you ask which company in the circle is the safest and most informed, it must be Arclight Films.
After talking about the industry situation, Chen Sicheng finally turned the topic back to business.
"I was thinking about making a new movie a few days ago."
"Why, you're not directing "Detective Chinatown 3"?" Meng Bai asked in confusion.
"I didn't say that, I just wanted to take it easy."
Chen Sicheng sighed: "We can joke about it, but the quality of the second part has indeed declined a lot, mainly because of the script on my side. So if you don't make the next one, I'll have to brew it more, so as not to let the reputation of this series continue to collapse."
"It's not that serious. Our Arclight's current screenwriter department is still very powerful, so you can use it." Meng Bai said: "Including the overall planning of the next stage of the 'Green Ivy Series', they are also responsible for it, I just give them a direction."
"Okay, I'll come to your place more often later. You should explain it to them first, so as not to deny me access when the time comes."
Chen Sicheng smiled and continued: "But it's a bit boring to always shoot the same series. While I'm writing the script, I plan to shoot something else to see if there are any new inspirations."
"Then what do you plan to shoot?" Meng Bai asked.
"I just haven't thought about it yet, so I came to you." Chen Sicheng said bluntly: "See if there are any unused scripts, I can help you share some of the burden."
"Fuck, you are quite thoughtful." Meng Bai curled his lips speechlessly: "Of course there is a script, but you must have a direction, right?"
"I've thought about it, and I still plan to use Southeast Asia as the background of the story, so that there will be fewer restrictions on censorship. The subject matter is still suspense, which can be regarded as opening up a new series." Chen Sicheng said: "I plan to call it the 'Southeast Asian Crime Series', what do you think?"
"Southeast Asia, crime, suspense..."
Meng Bai pondered for a while and felt that this is indeed a good story background and type.
Arclight started out as a suspense drama and is most familiar with this subject matter. It's just that the film market is much more mature and strict than that of online dramas, and it is difficult to be as free as "Forensic Qin Ming" and "White Night Chase".
This can be felt when he was filming "Psychological Crime: City Lights".
Therefore, if we want to continue to play the advantages of Arclight in the film field, it is really good to put the story background in Southeast Asia, which is very close to China but more flexible.
Especially in Vietnam and Laos, inspired by Thailand in recent years, they have also given many preferential policies to domestic film and television drama projects and crews.
Except for the poor safety due to the surrounding wars and deteriorating public security, the cost of filming abroad is not much higher than in China.
After thinking for a while, Meng Bai nodded and said, "It's no problem to start a new series, but this time Arclight needs to be the main controller. Of course, you can choose the project first."
In other words, Meng Bai has the final say on what projects to shoot in this entire series, but Chen Sicheng can freely decide which one he wants to shoot, or whether to shoot it.
"No problem, you decide." Chen Sicheng said without hesitation: "Just share the investment amount when the time comes."
Chen Zhixi on the side also became interested: "If you say so, then it's also our part of Ruyi, just give us some soup and water, we are not picky."
In today's film market, "Meng Bai + Chen Sicheng" has become a new hit combination, and its influence is no less than that of "Ning Hao Iron Triangle" or "Shen Ma Comedy". This kind of low-risk, high-return project must be mixed with a hand.
Meng Bai will naturally not refuse. For something like a movie, a slightly larger production is not something that a company can handle on its own. Not to mention the issue of risk, funds, distribution channels, and theater scheduling all require cooperation.
Anyway, it's enough to ensure that Arc Light can get the lion's share in the end.
The cooperation has been decided, but the specific project has to wait for Meng Bai to prepare. As for the creative ideas, let alone the fragments of inspiration, the accumulated creative experience over the years is enough for him to use.
After Chen Sicheng finished talking about the new series plan, Chen Zhixi mentioned another thing.
"I heard that Mr. Meng has quite a bit of money on hand now. Have you ever considered investing in Ruyi? We can also strengthen our cooperation." Chen Zhixi's beautiful face showed a bright smile.
Meng Bai raised his eyebrows: "Why, are you guys all here to attract investment?"
"Alas, there is no way, it's a small business and I'm short of money." Chen Zhixi sighed.
Speaking of which, although Ruyi has been investing smoothly in film and television projects in recent years, its luck in the capital market is a bit bad.
Since the entry of Internet capital, the film and television industry has become a new investment outlet. Especially in 2014 and 2015, all walks of life such as real estate, textiles, shipping, finance, etc. wanted to get a share of the film and television market.
In 2014, Ruyi planned to sell itself to the "Zhongji Group" and offered 1.5 billion yuan to "indirectly land" on the A-share market. Unfortunately, because the premium was too high, the acquisition plan was rejected by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the first capital operation failed.
Then in the second year, as the film and television market became more and more popular, Ruyi's valuation also rose. After a series of communications, 49% of the shares were finally sold to Tianshen Entertainment for 1.2 billion. Unfortunately, the deal only lasted for a year before it was sold by Tianshen Entertainment, and the second capital operation failed again.
The new investor who took over Ruyi was Hou Yang Zaihong, who is also one of Ruyi's current shareholders. This time, the holding period was a little longer, but with the weakening of the film and television market and tight funds this year, Hou Yang Zaihong also intended to sell his shares. It
has been changed hands three times in four years, and anyone would be depressed. However, it also calmed down Ruyi's boss Ke Liming. After introducing the new CEO Chen Zhixi, the two discussed and decided that next time they would look for a cooperative investor, either looking for giants such as Tencent and Sunac, or looking for partners in the industry.
The former can sell at a good price, and the latter can cooperate with each other in business, so as not to continue to be sold.
But now anyone can see that the "winter" of the film and television industry is coming, and each company is tightening investment, and it is really difficult to find someone willing to take over.
At this time, it was rumored that Arc Light had a large amount of funds and was interested in expanding its influence in the industry. Chen Zhixi and Meng Bai had worked together many times and were quite familiar with each other, so she planned to ask him if he had any thoughts on taking over Ruyi shares.
In fact, she had planned to come over and talk some time ago, but Meng Bai was busy dealing with the "scandal incident" at that time and had no energy, so she had delayed it until now.
"Invest in Ruyi?"
Meng Bai thought about it and felt that it seemed that there was a way out.
Although there have been some failures in the development of the capital market, Ruyi's own strength is actually not weak. And because of "many sales", it has cooperated with Guangguang, Wanda, etc., and it can be said that it has a wide network of contacts.
What Meng Bai thinks is more important is actually Chen Zhixi. Of course, the "value" here is not the relationship between men and women, but her vision.
It has to be said that his senior sister has a bit of talent for blockbuster. From the beginning of discovering Xu Zheng, betting on "Lost in Thailand". Later, she participated in Deng Chao's "Breakup Master", controlled Dapeng's "Pancake Man", as well as the "Detective Chinatown" series and this year's May Day "Animal World".
It can be said that almost all the blockbuster movies in the domestic film market in recent years have her presence.
It has been rumored that Mr. Meng of Arc Light has a unique vision and always has blockbuster movies. But most of his projects are his own, while Chen Zhixi's are other people's projects.
To be honest, this hit rate is a bit like a time traveler.
Ruyi also started to get in touch with Wanda after Chen Zhixi joined. Although Wanda has been in a state of capital shortage for various reasons in the past two years, Wanda Film and its affiliated cinema chains are still powerful players in the domestic film market.
So if the total value of Ruyi is one hundred, then Meng Bai, the senior sister, can account for at least forty.
It's just that although it is important, it is unrealistic for Meng Bai to agree directly.
This is different from previous investments. Even if the valuation has dropped in the current film and television winter, such a large investment is at least more than 1 billion.
Arclight certainly can't come up with this money, but Qiming Venture Partners can.
However, for such a large investment project, he can't decide on it on the spur of the moment. He must discuss it with Gu Fei and others, and at the same time, he must investigate whether the investment is appropriate and how cost-effective it is.
Chen Zhixi also knew that such a large-scale investment could not be decided easily, and he would not be in a hurry. He just said that he welcomes President Meng to come to talk at any time.
(End of this chapter)
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