sovbooks Chapter 66 Changing the Male Lead of "The Story of Minglan"
Chapter 66 Changing the Male Lead of "The Story of Minglan"
Li Feng immediately understood that the boss wanted an admission ticket. Since he had spent extra money, he couldn't afford to lose out later.
In fact, Han Ziming knew very well that there were many wealthy companies in the entertainment industry. Mozi Films was not yet gaining momentum, and it was already good enough if it could get projects invested in. The film industry was too complicated.
However, Li Feng still looked at him with a hint of resentment, feeling somewhat helpless.
"Boss, thankfully 'The Beginning' is expected to generate good revenue, otherwise we wouldn't even have enough cash flow!"
Han Ziming laughed and said, "Alright, you guys definitely won't miss out on the year-end bonus. By the way, what's the situation with the animated film?"
Li Feng organized his thoughts and said:
"Guangxian is currently producing an animated film about Nezha, with a budget of around 60 million. However, Guangxian says they don't need any investment. I've spoken with the director, Jiaozi, and he has other ideas."
We hope to increase funding so that we can improve the picture quality. Currently, fiber optic companies are strictly controlling funding, which results in less than ideal film quality.
Upon hearing this, Han Ziming
His smile stretched wide.
Disagreements create opportunities!
This is the perfect time to get involved.
Li Feng looked at the boss's smile and thought it was strange.
What's wrong?
Han Ziming remembered that in his previous life, everyone had different opinions about the cost of "Ne Zha". Some said 400 million, some said 200 million, and some said 100 million was used for production and 100 million for promotion.
But how much money was actually invested?
There has never been a definitive answer.
However, he knew in his heart that the production quality of "Ne Zha" was much better than that of "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" and "Green Snake." Even disregarding the cost of silver coins, he estimated the production budget would be at least seventy million.
But the budget and the actual amount are two different things. The script and the team will each get at least 30%, so he estimates the cash cost to be more than 40 million.
He waved his hand at Li Feng, who looked completely bewildered, and said...
"Contact Jiaozi and tell him we're investing 30 million. Have him persuade fiber optic companies to invest some money as well. You understand the situation!"
Li Feng asked, his eyes wide.
"Boss, why are you so optimistic about animated films? We have a good relationship with fiber optics, why don't you just talk to General Manager Wang directly?"
Han Ziming rolled his eyes.
"This is like a forced sale; who would be happy about that? My intervention is useless! Let Jiaozi (the company name) propose increased investment. Once fiber optics can't come up with the money, won't they have to agree to our joining?"
Having worked in high-level positions for so many years, Li Feng immediately understood the intricacies of the matter. It was simply a case of "no one cultivates barren land, but once cultivated, everyone fights over it!"
"Understood, I'll focus on these two projects!"
Han Ziming laughed: "Not just these two, how's the negotiation for 'The Story of Minglan' going? Who's been cast as the male lead?"
Li Feng organized his thoughts and said, "Noon Sunshine is preparing the costumes needed for the production team and has also arranged auditions. They plan to cast Feng Shaofeng as the male lead, and I heard they are currently negotiating his salary."
Han Ziming was stunned when he heard this.
What the heck is this? Didn't Zhao Yingbao listen to me last time?
Li Feng sensed his dissatisfaction and probed in a low voice, "Boss, I heard he came to recommend himself and was even willing to lower his fee. I guess he's after Zhao Yingbao!"
Han Ziming said irritably.
"If you ask me, I'd rather choose Hu Jintao!"
Li Feng sighed helplessly, "Boss, you need to reconsider the costs! Two hundred million isn't enough for Zhao Yingbao and Brother Hu combined!"
"The male lead doesn't have many scenes to begin with, so how much could it cost?"
Han Ziming was so angry he laughed. He didn't blame Li Feng, after all, he had initially raised the budget for "The Story of Minglan" too high, and then it was cut by iQiyi and Noon Sunshine.
He initially viewed the production cost of this drama from the perspective of his past life, since the production costs of TV dramas in the future would be frighteningly high, with many costing tens of millions per episode.
Looking back now, I guess that's why Gong Yu was so frightened.
Seeing this, Li Feng said, "Boss, let me call General Manager Gong and see if we can discuss this?"
Han Ziming thought for a moment: "Don't call them. You have President Gong and President Hou of Noon on WeChat, right? Send them a message saying I'm looking for them, create a group chat, and we can video chat!"
Li Feng quickly sent messages to Gong Yu and Hou Hongliang, and after receiving their consent, he created a WeChat group for the four of them.
Han Ziming initiated a video call.
Not long after,
Gong Yu and Hou Hongliang then connected.
Gong Yu said jokingly, "Boss Han, you're such a busy man! Aren't you busy making movies? The TV series investment is even larger than the movie, you can't just ignore it!"
Han Ziming waved his hand: "President Gong, it's just that my business is too small, I have to keep an eye on everything!"
Gong Yu retorted, "Come on! I heard you guys invested in several movies!"
Han Ziming smiled and said, "These are all projects that haven't yielded results yet, they're not worth mentioning! Speaking of which, I haven't even met President Hou in person yet, and our first chat is on WeChat, I feel a bit embarrassed!"
Seeing that Han Ziming was young and polite, Hou Hongliang's tone softened: "Boss Han, you're too kind! I heard that you specifically requested us to collaborate on 'The Story of Minglan'."
And they even specifically requested our company's director to direct "The Beginning," thank you so much for your support!
He understood in his heart,
To be able to get such a good project,
It's not just about partnering with kiwifruit.
Han Ziming said modestly, "Don't mention it! I don't have much experience either, I relied entirely on everyone's help. Of course, we'll make money together!"
Gong Yu laughed heartily: "Boss Han is too modest, but I like hearing that!"
Han Ziming got straight to the point.
"Let's get back to 'The Story of Minglan,' who's been cast as the male lead?"
Hou Hongliang continued, "The female lead is Zhao Yingbao. She is currently filming a movie with Feng Shaofeng, and they are working well together. Moreover, Feng Shaofeng is willing to lower his salary."
I think he has feelings for Zhao Yingbao. If they get together, this drama will definitely generate a lot of buzz.
Han Ziming rubbed his forehead.
"Do you really think these two are a good match?"
Gong Yu was a seasoned veteran; she immediately understood his meaning: "Do you have a suitable candidate to recommend?"
Han Ziming said directly, "How about Brother Hu? President Hou, you've worked with Brother Hu many times, so he should be fine playing the role of Gu Tingye, right?"
Hou Hongliang asked doubtfully, "Brother Hu is indeed capable, but I heard privately that he's going abroad to study next year, isn't he?"
Han Ziming raised an eyebrow and said directly:
"President Gong, President Hou, let me be frank! If Brother Hu really wants to be a director, why not learn from Chen Sicheng and Wang Baoqiang and find an assistant director to help with the filming?"
Practice is the best teacher. You can learn the same way in China. There is no need to go abroad. Besides, without him, the loss would be considerable.
"If we could get Hu Ge to join us, with both Zhao Yingbao and Hu Ge, two big names in television dramas, on the set of 'The Story of Ming Lan,' we could probably break even just from the sponsorship alone!"
Although Hu Ge's movies aren't great, his TV dramas are quite successful, and he should be able to increase sales and investment by 2-3 million yuan without any problem.
Gong Yu considered the prospects of attracting investment and felt that Han Ziming's words made a lot of sense.
If major brands heard this news, wouldn't they go crazy and scramble to spend money to secure top spots?