Chapter 219: Box office revenue sharing hasn't even started yet...
Having obtained this impressive name from Lu Yiting, Li Sishi continued to inquire further, and the ins and outs of the invitation to play the female lead in this movie finally came to light: Strictly speaking, this was not compensation from Rong Sheng, but rather a new film company called "Zhi Jia Partner" that contacted Li Sishi proactively after receiving information that her schedule was temporarily vacant.
The founders of this new film company, named "Perfect Partner," are not newcomers. They are Huang Zheng, the chubby director who has collaborated with Li Sishi many times; Liu Jixiang, a former cinematographer of Zhao's films; and Wang Yunjun, the future chairman of the Golden Film Awards. These three are all very clever people who know how to promote themselves and have innovative ideas.
In Hong Kong, it's extremely rare to find a film company that skirts the edges of Japanese anime or simply buys anime movies to make a heavily modified live-action version. For a film company like "Perfect Partner" to be the first to try something new with its opening film—making a film adapted from a local Hong Kong comic—is something that Li Sishi probably wouldn't have been moved by if she didn't know that they had actually made a fortune through such a gamble.
Although Zhuang Menghua wouldn't mind if Li Sishi took on some popcorn movies to maintain her exposure and filming time, if she encountered a bad movie that was only good for the pay but otherwise useless or even detrimental, it wouldn't fit into Li Sishi's planned acting career.
She's not short of money now. Popcorn movies have simple requirements, and the atmosphere on set is lively and fun. Filming occasionally is just a way for her to relax and unwind, while also satisfying her love for popcorn movies and giving her a boost during the "video arcade era" in mainland China.
Bad movies can really drag down an artist's career in every way—although you can avoid some of them in the future by relying on your past life's memories, bad movies are very random, and you're likely to run into one if you're unlucky, so it's best to be careful.
Whether to be relieved or speechless, Li Sishi really couldn't have imagined that the "People in the Jianghu" series, a blockbuster IP that received mixed reviews, was actually considered by her company to be a "teen idol film with a somewhat cult plot" before the first installment even started, and was even thought to be a bit too much of an art film...
However, upon further reflection, this film, which depicts young people from the lower rungs of society, adds a tortuous and convoluted love story—with a similar type of protagonist and subject matter. There's also Hou Beihua's critically and commercially successful film, "If Heaven Has Feelings," where the scene of him riding a motorcycle with the female lead in a wedding dress has become a classic of beautiful yet heart-wrenching drama.
And "People"
Although the target audience for the original comic book "Jianghu" is primarily teenagers, the plot, being a gang-themed story, inevitably has its ups and downs, and when it needs to be heart-wrenching or brutal, the violence comes at an overwhelming pace...
However, considering the high bar set by Hou Beihua's "If Heaven Has Feelings," the main plot of this sequel, "Man in the Jianghu," doesn't focus on romance, but rather on the male protagonist's "leveling up" and "growth."
Online, and then referring to the comic prototype provided by the comic artist Ma Lao, they decisively put the best movie actress to invite on the agenda first.
After all, for the readership of this comic, the male lead and supporting characters can be considered slightly "secondary," so it's acceptable that Hou Beihua, the real-life inspiration for the character, didn't take the role, Luo Jiasheng, the second choice, didn't come, and Cheng Erjian, the third choice, did come...
But the female protagonist's side is bound to elicit satisfied shouts from the male readers who are the main consumers!
Most importantly, the male lead's character was a gangster youth with a poor persona, and it was common knowledge within the company that big-name male artists were unwilling to take the role. However, the female lead's character was relatively more acceptable, and coincidentally, Li Sishi, the model for the comic book's female lead, had a scheduling conflict due to a sudden change in casting.
So these quick-witted individuals, who knew how to seize opportunities, immediately hit it off. Relying on their connections from their previous work at Jiahe Film Company and Zhao's Film Company, they quickly contacted Lu Yiting and Zhuang Menghua and then promptly offered them the role of the female lead in the film.
As for this seemingly unknown new film company and this group of clever and capable individuals, what actually impressed Zhuang Menghua was not some incredibly brilliant script, but rather the proposed fee for the female lead.
Their "best partner" company directly offered Li Sishi a film fee of HK$300,000 at the negotiating table—yes, the price they offered was half of Li Sishi's current market value.
However, this price cut in half did not anger Zhuang Menghua and Lu Yiting. On the contrary, it made them very satisfied because, in addition to the fixed salary of 300,000 yuan, the best partners offered Li Sishi an additional reward: they were willing to give Li Sishi 5% of the initial box office revenue!
In Hong Kong right now, the only artist who receives a share of the initial box office revenue is Brother Lung Sing. As the most famous box office guarantee in Hong Kong at this time and the only artist who can break into the Hollywood market, Brother Lung Sing's film salary usually starts at 10 million, plus an additional 10%-20% of the box office revenue.
% divided into.
As for female artists, whether it's Xia Yingyun, Liang Zhiying, Pei Yansang, or Shang Lanyu, no matter how many awards they have or how impressive their box office figures are, they simply haven't been able to maintain their success indefinitely or reach the same level as their male counterparts. So far, there hasn't been a single female artist who can actually earn a share of the box office revenue.
The reason for this situation is that the Hong Kong film industry, like the music industry, has maintained a "male-dominated" situation for too long. Even though there are countless beauties with different styles, the ones who can support the box office are still mainly male artists.
And this "early box office revenue sharing" is not the kind of "profit sharing" that you would call it.
But in reality, it's a huge trap where film companies can turn huge profits into huge losses by falsifying their accounts and then make you pay them back. Instead, it's a real share of the total box office revenue that is never deducted from any costs or expenses!
Even strong women as calm and collected as Zhuang Menghua and Lu Yiting couldn't help but be tempted when they heard their best partner offer this condition: the entertainment industry in Hong Kong is actually a bit like the legal industry, and most of the time they will refer to "precedents".
Therefore, if Li Sishi can get a share of the box office revenue from a movie, regardless of the movie's box office performance, it is already a worthwhile attempt. After they have given a brief review of the movie script, barring any unforeseen circumstances, even if the movie doesn't make a lot of money due to its subject matter, it should at least make a small profit.
Especially since this "People in the Jianghu" series already has a strong fan base in Hong Kong, after a little promotion, those comic book readers should come out to support it, so it should be very difficult to lose money...
If she's just a little bit luckier, like with "Mermaid Romance" before, relying on handsome men and beautiful women and a rare subject matter, plus Li Sishi's rumored "box office lucky charm" and a sudden burst of good fortune, she could easily surpass 10 million in box office revenue... Well, as long as Li Sishi doesn't have any major problems in the future, her status as the darling of the new generation of commercial film leading ladies is practically guaranteed.
Although Zhuang Menghua wanted to cultivate Li Sishi into a movie star like Huang Qianyan, who could bring both box office success and critical acclaim, no one would complain about having too much money or too much trouble. Without affecting acting skills and reputation, the higher the box office results, the better.
Zhuang Menghua was very satisfied with this, and Lu Yiting also felt it was worth a try. That's why she talked to Li Sishi in such detail about the movie offer during their phone call, implying that she wanted Li Sishi to agree to take the role.
Such a condition of sharing box office revenue is extremely rare and hard to come by; in other words, the best partnership is a new one.
The company was in its early stages and couldn't invite enough male artists with box office appeal, so they pinned their bets on female artists who were more cost-effective.
Of course, the fact that Li Sishi and Cheng Erjian are not only fellow students but also worked together on a film before, so there was no need for them to adjust to each other, also fits the group of clever people's desire to rush the project and save money...
"How are you feeling?" Lu Yiting asked tentatively over the phone.
Li Sishi thought for a moment about how "The Man in the Jianghu" had a huge opening, grossed over 20 million at the box office, and then had three films in the same series all made it into the top ten of Hong Kong's annual box office within a year. In addition, she heard Lu Yiting say that her best partner was going to give her 5% of the early box office revenue... There was no need to think about it any further. When a pie falls into your mouth, you should grab it and not let go!
Moreover, although the story has received mixed reviews due to its subject matter and other reasons, it had a unique advantage in Hong Kong at that time—once those dark colors seeped into the entertainment industry, without enough power to protect them, they were easily targeted.
Even with Zhuang Menghua protecting him, it's hard to be vigilant enough to guard against thieves for a thousand days straight. If you can't become their "idol" when you encounter those low-level thugs who aren't very bright but are very strong physically, you'll easily become their "target of hatred."
This series of films is a sharp knife aimed at this social class, capable of touching the last soft spot in the hearts of these "gangsters" with the sharpest edge.
Hearing that Li Sishi had verbally agreed to the movie offer without much consideration, Lu Yiting couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Ah, her Ah May is really obedient and sensible. Faced with a problem that requires careful consideration, she didn't hesitate much before following orders and agreeing..."
Where can you find such a well-behaved and sensible artist these days?
She really struck gold this time. No wonder she always taught her to love Li Sishi like her own daughter and to give her the best of everything in the world...
Sensing the silence on the other end of the phone, Li Sishi blinked in confusion: "Sister Ting? Are you still there?"
"Oh, yes, I was just thinking about something else for a moment, so I was silent for a bit while thinking." Lu Yiting came back to her senses, explained briefly, and then began to prepare the publicity plan for "People in the Jianghu". "Don't worry, this is a new attempt and a new challenge for you, I will definitely arrange everything well for you!"
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