Chapter 208 A fruitful 2014 and the release of the film (asking for monthly tickets)
The next morning, Gu Wei took Nazha, Li Xian, Meng Ziyi and their small team and boarded the plane back to Beijing.
After a short flight of more than 2 hours, the plane landed at Beijing International Airport.
Coming out of the VIP channel, Gu Wei and several others got into different cars.
After more than two months of filming, everyone went home to rest after returning to Beijing, while Gu Wei went directly to the company.
Being a boss means a lot of things to do. There's no way around it. If you want to earn the money, you have to worry about it.
After returning to the company, Gu Wei took a brief rest in his office.
Sitting in the boss's chair, he looked at the various reports of the company this year sent by his assistant.
2014 was a fruitful year for Gu Wei Company.
"Detective Chinatown" was released on December 11, 2013, and as of January 12, 2014, it had grossed a total of 1.023 billion yuan.
[Wei Ming Tian Xia] is the main controlling company of the film, with an investment share of 70%.
The production cost of this film was 70 million yuan, and Gu Wei's company invested 49 million yuan.
The producer's share of the box office revenue, after deducting the production costs, brought the company a net profit of more than 200 million yuan.
The phenomenal web drama "Go Princess Go" was released on Tencent Video in March. Due to the proportional profit-sharing agreement signed with the video platform, by the end of the year, the company received 130 million yuan in profit-sharing from Tencent Video.
The production cost of this drama was only a few million at the time.
After "The Princess Weiyoung", the web drama "Yu Zui" produced by the company was also a big hit.
However, this time all video platforms were unwilling to purchase the drama in the form of profit sharing. In the end, LeTV Video bought out the online broadcasting rights at a high price. The total profit of this web drama was 57 million.
In addition to the film and television dramas produced by his own company.
The company also had an investment share in the two hit TV series "Swords of Legends" and "My Sunshine" starring Gu Wei that were released in 2014.
【Gu Jian】Because it is a costume fantasy drama, the production cost is over 100 million yuan. When filming in 2013, Gu Wei did not have much money, so the investment accounted for 12% at that time.
【My Sunshine】 was a low-budget TV series that Juku didn’t think highly of. When Gu Wei entered the market, he acquired a 25% stake at a premium of 10 million.
The first round of exclusive satellite TV and online broadcasting rights for "Gu Jian Qi Tan" were sold for a total of 224 million yuan, and the second and third rounds of subsequent TV station broadcasting rights were also successfully sold.
The first round of exclusive satellite TV broadcasting rights and online broadcasting rights of "My Sunshine" were sold for slightly less, totaling 148 million yuan.
The first broadcast has just ended, and the second round has been successfully sold out, and the broadcasting rights to foreign TV stations have also been sold.
According to the investment ratio, the two popular TV series brought a total of more than 80 million in net income to Gu Wei's company.
These are basically all the income and profits of [Wei Ming Tian Xia Film and Television Company] in 2014.
Gu Wei's personal endorsement income in 2014 was approximately 100 million yuan. He endorsed 11 products for one year, endorsed Pepsi for two years, and was the brand ambassador of Louis Vuitton for one year.
Among them, the endorsements of 11 product manufacturers including Colgate, Semir, Joyoung Soymilk Maker, Liushen, Rejoice, Lays Potato Chips, and Extra Gum will expire this month. The manufacturers are now actively negotiating with Gu Wei's agency on contract renewal matters.
Judging from everyone's attitude, they all hope that Gu Wei can continue to be the spokesperson. With the broadcast of two hit TV series in 2014, Gu Wei's popularity soared, and his number of fans and national recognition increased sharply.
Thanks to Gu Wei, these manufacturers have seen significant growth in their sales figures this year.
Under such circumstances, they certainly want to continue cooperating with Gu Wei.
However, there are still some differences between the two parties regarding the endorsement fee, and the negotiations are still ongoing.
The two-year endorsement of Pepsi Cola is still due to end soon, and the brand ambassadorship of Louis Vuitton expires in May this year. Whether to continue the cooperation at that time still needs to be communicated with LV.
In addition to endorsement fees, another major source of income for Gu Wei is his film salary. When he was filming "Nirvana in Fire" at the beginning of the year, his salary was still low. The whole series had 54 episodes, and his salary was only a few million.
Although he received a top salary of 20 million for the film "Left Ear" shot in the second half of the year, Gu Wei converted the salary into the investment of the film in order to obtain greater benefits in the future.
I just finished filming "Love O2O" and since it was a drama produced by my own company, I only received a symbolic salary.
Only for the film "Monster Hunt" which is about to start shooting, Gu Wei actually received a salary of 30 million.
In addition to endorsements and film remuneration, Gu Wei also has some income from commercial activities and music. These personal incomes are all accounted for by his [agency] and are separate from his [film and television company].
"Boss, Director Tian Xiaopeng is here."
Gu Wei was still looking at the company's various reports when his assistant knocked on the door and said.
Put down the documents in your hand and walk out of the office.
In the reception room, Tian Xiaopeng was wearing a black pullover sweater with a shirt collar and gray casual pants. His hair was neatly combed and he looked more energetic than before.
"Director Tian, sorry to have kept you waiting."
Pushing the door open, Gu Wei walked up to Tian Xiaopeng, stretched out his hand to shake hands with him, and said with a smile.
"I just arrived too, Mr. Gu."
Tian Xiaopeng also had a smile on his face.
Gu Wei looked at him for a few seconds.
"It seems that now that the film is finished, Director Tian, your mental state has improved."
“To be honest, this animated film took me eight years from planning to completion.
Now that the production is complete, it feels like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders, and I feel incredibly relaxed these days."
Tian Xiaopeng said.
After hearing this, Gu Wei reached out and patted his shoulder gently.
"Your efforts will not be in vain, and soon it will be time to reap the fruits of victory.
I called you here today to fill in the last gap in our movie.
Did you bring the finished film with you?"
“I brought it all as you requested.
Mr. Gu, what shortcomings are you referring to?"
Tian Xiaopeng was a little confused.
"Don't worry, you'll know in a moment."
Seeing that Gu Wei didn't say anything, Tian Xiaopeng didn't ask any further questions.
Although he was a little confused about what Gu Wei said, he had always accepted Gu Wei's help and subconsciously believed what Gu Wei said.
Gu Wei chatted with Tian Xiaopeng in the conference room for a while and asked him some questions about the filming of animated films. Tian Xiaopeng patiently answered Gu Wei's questions one by one, and the two had a very pleasant chat.
After a while, the assistant knocked on the door and came in.
"Mr. Gu, Mr. Tian and Mr. Zhang are here."
"Director Tian, the person who can make up for the shortcomings is here."
Gu Wei laughed and took Tian Xiaopeng out of the reception room.
"Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhang, thank you for taking the time to come despite your busy schedules."
Those who came to the company were Wang Changtian from Light Media and Zhang Genming, the CEO of Wanda Media.
"Mr. Gu, you're welcome. I'm also one of the investors in 'The Monkey King: Hero is Back'. Now that the movie is about to be released, it's natural for me to do my part."
Wang Changtian said with a smile.
He and Gu Wei had already communicated about this. As the second largest investor in "The Return of the Great Sage", Light Media naturally had to contribute to the promotion of the film now that it was released.
As for Mr. Zhang from Wanda, Gu Wei had discussed with him about introducing another distributor. In this way, the two companies, Light Media and Wanda, could work together to ensure that there would be no shortcomings in publicity and scheduling after the film was released.
“Since Mr. Gu invited me, of course I have to come.
Besides, my brother is here too."
Mr. Zhang from Wanda said with a smile.
Gu Wei had already explained everything to him before inviting him.
To be honest, he actually had little interest in releasing an animated film, but he had to give Gu Wei face.
After all, "Detective Chinatown" made Wanda a lot of money, and seeing that the second part is about to be prepared, he also wants to maintain a good relationship with Gu Wei so that he can get the investment share of the second part later. This is a piece of "fat meat" that everyone in the circle is drooling over.
Tian Xiaopeng and Wang Changtian were old acquaintances, so Gu Wei only brought him to Zhang Genming.
"Mr. Zhang, let me introduce you. This is Director Tian Xiaopeng, the director of Journey to the West: Hero is Back, whom I mentioned earlier.
This is Mr. Zhang from Wanda Media."
"Hello, Mr. Zhang, nice to meet you."
Tian Xiaopeng's attitude is very humble.
Wanda Media is definitely a giant in the film and television industry, and Zhang Genming is naturally a giant-like figure.
"Hello, Director Tian."
Mr. Zhang shook hands with Tian Xiaopeng and said with a smile.
He didn't seem very enthusiastic, but he maintained basic politeness.
"I have known Director Tian for many years. He is a very talented animation film director."
Wang Changtian on the side also praised Tian Xiaopeng.
"Oh? I love working with talented people. Director Tian, I guess we need to get closer in the future."
Hearing Wang Changtian say this, Zhang Genming began to look at this unprepossessing animation director with a new respect. It seemed that he had some talent in him to be recognized by both Gu Wei and Wang Changtian.
"Mr. Wang, thank you for your compliment~"
Tian Xiaopeng said a little embarrassedly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the few people were led by Gu Wei to the company's screening room.
The finished film of "The Return of the Great Sage" had already been handed over to the company's staff by Tian Xiaopeng.
The four of them spent more than 90 minutes watching the cartoon.
The suggestions previously raised by Gu Wei and Tian Xiaopeng were all adopted. The picture quality of the animation is better than the original, and the final battle is very exciting and thrilling to watch. It does not end abruptly after the climax like the films in the original time and space.
The whole film is very well done.
The ending music started playing and the lights in the screening room came on.
"Mr. Zhang, what do you think of this animated film?"
Gu Wei asked.
Tian Xiaopeng waited for Zhang Genming's answer nervously.
"The movie is a good one, I never thought that our domestic animated films could reach this level.
It seems that what Mr. Wang said just now is very right. Director Tian is really very talented."
After thinking for a while, Zhang Genming smiled and said.
"Mr. Zhang, you are too kind."
Zhang Genming's words mean that Wanda Media has agreed to become one of the distributors of this film.
"When do you plan to release this movie?"
Zhang Genming asked.
Gu Wei and Wang Changtian looked at each other.
"Mr. Zhang, what do you think about February 13th, a week before the Spring Festival?
"We can avoid the fierce competition during the Spring Festival period and have a week to harvest the box office. Once the movie's reputation is established, we can take advantage of the few days of the Spring Festival holiday to continue to increase the box office."
Zhang Genming lowered his head and thought for a while.
“The time is no problem.
I just have to say one thing up front: this is an animated film after all, so the distribution fees Wanda will pay won't be too much. Mr. Gu, you have to understand this."
After hearing Zhang Genming's words, Wang Changtian, one of the publishers, nodded in understanding.
Although he is very optimistic about this cartoon and has a good relationship with Tian Xiaopeng, business is business. According to the previous box office records of domestic animated films, a box office of 200 million yuan would be a remarkable success.
Although distributors generally do not lose money, they will not spend too much on distribution fees if they know that the box office will not be too high.
The distribution of domestic films is generally divided into three types: ordinary split-account distribution, buyout distribution, and guaranteed distribution.
Leaving aside the latter two, most movies nowadays are usually released using the ordinary profit-sharing distribution method.
Gu Wei’s two previous films, “The Blade of the Assassin” and “Detective Chinatown 3,” were both released in this way.
During the promotion and marketing, the distributor will advance the promotion and marketing expenses. When the box office revenue is collected, the distributor will first deduct this part of the advance payment + the share of the box office revenue it should have received, and then return the rest to the producer.
When it comes to a blockbuster movie like "Detective Chinatown", the distributor is willing to advance 100 million yuan in publicity and promotion costs.
However, if a movie is not expected to perform well at the box office, the initial publicity and promotion costs are often relatively low.
Gu Wei listened to Wang Genming's words, thought for a moment and said:
"Well, it just so happens that Mr. Wang and Director Tian are here today. The production cost of 'The Monkey King: Hero is Back' is 68 million yuan, and I'm willing to contribute another 32 million yuan, making it a total of 100 million yuan.
This money will be used as the publicity and promotion expenses for the film.
In this way, Light Media and Wanda do not have to advance the publicity and promotion costs, and can do their best to promote the film based on this amount.
Mr. Wang, Director Tian, what do you think? "
"Mr. Gu, you're so courageous! I was right to introduce Director Tian to you!"
Wang Changtian certainly had no objection to this. He was unwilling to continue investing money in this animated film, but of course he couldn't stop others from investing money.
He just marveled at Gu Wei's generosity and was a little puzzled as to why he was so optimistic about this animated film.
"Mr. Gu, thank you so much!
I don't know what to say. If you need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask for help! "
Compared with Wang Changtian, Tian Xiaopeng was a little more excited.
Although he believes that his animated film is the best, at this time, both domestic audiences and related practitioners have little confidence in our own animated films.
It is an objective fact that people are generally pessimistic about domestic animation.
The animated film "The Return of the Great Sage" embodies his years of hard work and is like his child.
He sincerely hopes that this movie will be a box office hit and become a hit.
Unfortunately, the reality is that the highest-grossing domestic animated film at the moment is Boonie Bears: Rescue Bears, which was released in January 2014, with a box office of 247 million yuan.
Among the remaining animated films released, very few have grossed over 100 million yuan.
Gu Wei's successive investments increased the cost of "The Monkey King: Hero is Back" to 100 million yuan. If the box office does not reach more than 300 million yuan in the end, he will definitely lose money.
No matter who you look at it from, Gu Wei's investment is extremely risky.
Tian Xiaopeng felt grateful from the bottom of his heart for Gu Wei's appreciation of him.
"Director Tian, you don't have to be so polite. I believe in your ability and talent, and I also believe in my own vision.
It’s just normal investing.”
Gu Wei said lightly with a smile.
After this wave of investment, his share has reached 60% of the film's total investment. I believe that after the film is released, it will make hundreds of millions in net profit. In addition to making money, he will also receive the director's gratitude. It is a win-win situation.
The original "Monkey King: Hero is Back" was a billion-level movie, but because the distribution was not done well when it was released, coupled with the general pessimism of the industry towards domestic animated films, the film's screening rate on the first day of its release was only 7.8%.
It wasn't until a week after the film's release that its excellent quality attracted countless "tap water" to promote the film for free. The theaters also gradually increased the number of films they shot due to the film's extremely high attendance rate, and the film eventually earned a box office of 956 million yuan.
Now, thanks to Gu Wei, the early stage of "The Monkey King: Hero is Back" has sufficient funds to make up for the shortcomings of the original content. In terms of publicity and promotion, there is sufficient funds and the support of Light Media and Wanda. It can be said that it is in good condition from the beginning. I believe that it will not be difficult to surpass the original box office in the end. It remains to be seen where it will end up.
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(End of this chapter)
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