"Okay, stop staring at each other. Guo Fan, tell us about the project and Xia Yu."
Wu Jing noticed the situation on their side and took the initiative to speak.
"Teacher Wu Jing is right. I already know it's a science fiction movie. Director Guo, please tell me more about it."
Xia Yu also put down his chopsticks and said.
"Well, specifically, this is the story. The project is an adaptation of Liu Cixin's The Wandering Earth. We started planning in 2015, started filming at Blue Island in May of last year, and wrapped up at the end of the year. It was originally slated for this summer's release, but plans can't keep up, so the project got delayed. Now it's slated for next year's Spring Festival."
While Guo Fan was introducing the process, he took out some information from his bag. His movements were so skillful that it was obvious that he had done it more than once and it had become an instinct.
"The Wandering Earth? I've only read The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. I read the rest on Qidian. There's less hard science fiction there, and infinite science fiction and American comics are more famous."
Xia Yu said as he looked through the information.
The information is very detailed, including the final version of the script, the setting of the film's world view, the logs during filming, and the recent work progress. It is so detailed that it doesn't seem like a scam.
Guo Fan is certainly not a liar, it’s just that the crew is having a hard time, making the director feel like he’s running a pyramid scheme.
"Yes, we want to do hard science fiction. For soft science fiction themes like infinite flow and American comics, we need to secure copyright before we can start the project. Only great directors like Cameron and Spielberg can handle this kind of problem."
What Guo Fan was actually talking about was "Ready Player One" which was released in the first half of the year. Without Spielberg's face, it would have been impossible to get the copyright.
“Is there an original film?”
Xia Yu closed the information and asked.
"Yes, but only some of the special effects shots have been integrated for now, so it looks fake."
Guo Fan took out his computer again, turned it on and played a movie.
Wu Jing had seen it before, and now he watched it again at double speed with Xia Yu.
The three of them ate and watched the movie, occasionally clinking glasses and asking questions about the movie.
The degree of completion of the "original film" in the computer is not very high, but Xia Yu feels it is great. The hard science fiction flavor in his impression has been produced, and the overall style of the movie is that of a Soviet industrial style. Chinese people should feel very different after watching it!
Thinking of this, Xia Yu had an idea in his mind that he would definitely make money this time.
Before seeing the finished film, he couldn't say whether it would make money or lose money, but now that he has seen it, it would be a miracle if such a sincere work didn't make money. He basically got a bargain.
Or maybe it was the system that helped him find the loophole. If he didn't know Wu Jing, he wouldn't know Guo Fan, and they wouldn't be sitting at the same table for dinner like they are now, and there would be no investment opportunity this time.
"Director Guo, how much is the current funding gap?"
Xia Yu pressed the space bar to pause the playback and asked, looking into Guo Fan's eyes.
"Five thousand, no, thirty million will be enough."
An additional investment of 50 million can make "The Wandering Earth" great and meet his ideal requirements for exquisiteness, but 30 million is enough. He proactively lowered the price because he was not sure about Xia Yu's thoughts and was afraid that it would be too high and scare people away.
Will the super rich be scared away? They will just think it is too little.
"How about this, I'll give you 80 million. If we do it, we'll do it to the best of our ability. We'll use the money to improve the quality!"
Xia Yu said in a calm tone.
The most arrogant words were said in the most calm tone, and not only Guo Fan, but even Wu Jing felt his breathing quicken.
He had previously thought that Xia Yu would invest at most 20 or 30 million, but he never expected that it would be 80 million.
If all this money is spent, just as Xia Yu said, the quality of special effects can be pushed to a new level.
In fact, Xia Yu could take out 200 million yuan of the more than 600 million yuan bonus for completing the task, but he had to consider other investors.
Since it is determined that this project can make money, the subsequent profit sharing will definitely be divided according to the investment ratio of each company. Xia Yu is a latecomer, and his contribution is between providing timely assistance and adding icing on the cake. Investing too much means taking away more profits.
In addition to improving the post-production quality, 80 million is more than enough, and Guo Fan would not take any more.
After comprehensive consideration, he quoted this price, which not only met the project requirements, but also did not cause too much trouble with other investors, and he could also make a small profit. It was a win-win situation.
"That's great, thank you, thank you so much, Mr. Xia."
Grabbing Xia Yu's hand, Guo Fan said excitedly.
It is said that a gentleman will die for his confidant. No one will be calm if he finds someone who recognizes him.
If, just if, he could have met Xia Yu earlier, wouldn’t he have had to suffer so much?
Maybe that's the case, but Guo Fan is still grateful for the hardships because he was determined to make a good movie.
"You're welcome. I trust Teacher Wu Jing, and I trust you, Director Guo. Let's drink!"
Xia Yu raised his glass as he spoke.
"Yes, drink!"
The two men also raised their glasses, clinked them together, and drank them all in one gulp.
The spicy wine flowed down the esophagus into the stomach, making the heart feel warm. The three of them continued to talk about movies.
Xia Yu also talked about his plan to practice by making a spy film. Guo Fan and Wu Jing helped to give advice. They talked a lot about who is an expert in this field and who is a scumbag who hides bombs in the crotch of his pants. They also helped Xia Yu to eliminate a lot of risks.
As expected, it is easier to get things done if you have connections. If you plunge into something without knowing anything, not only will you get cheated by others, you will also make many mistakes yourself.
"Mr. Xia, even if you shoot 50 episodes of a spy film without hiring big names or high-profile actors, 100 million is too high. I estimate 40 to 50 million will be enough."
Guo Fan counted for Xia Yu by counting on his fingers.
In the production of TV dramas, the actors' pay is always the biggest part. If you cut this part, the cost is actually very cheap.
However, this drama is still on paper, and Xia Yu may change his mind. He may invite more veteran actors to play supporting roles, and he will also invite a talented actor to play the male lead. After all, amateurs don't have much talent.
"Director Guo, you're right. We were a bit hasty in our previous considerations, so this can only be considered a practice. We can't expect to make money from it."
Xia Yu also humbly admitted it.
He is just a newcomer in the film and television circle, and Guo Fan has several works to his credit.
"How about I contact Director Jiang Wei for you? He's an expert in this area."
Guo Fan said again, and Xia Yu's eyes lit up.
"Jiang Wei? Is that the director Jiang from 'Insidious'?"
"That's him. He's my senior and also from the same hometown. He's now an associate professor at the Beijing Film Academy. I used to drink with him all the time. He's very knowledgeable about spy films."
Seeing that Xia Yu knew Jiang Wei, Guo Fan also talked about his current situation.
"Then I'll trouble you, Director Guo. I also want to consult an expert on some issues!"
Xia Yu asked for help. After all, it was the company's first play and he cared about it very much. However, he could only take care of the project establishment, and the seniors would have to do it themselves from then on.
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