America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 196 Eric wants to introduce American TV series to China

“Oh my gosh! They looked so enthusiastic, I thought no one knew us.

In the car, Gadot said in surprise.

Eric laughed and said: "The hardcore fans are probably only the first ten or so people, the others are just watching the fun."

"It's the same all over the world. If you see something lively, you want to join in. If you see a celebrity, you want to sign autographs and take photos."

“Even if they’re not fans, if they waste a few minutes and get some bragging rights, why not?”

Gadot rolled her eyes: "I am immersed in the joy of becoming a big star, dear, please don't hit me."

Hearing her affectionate name, Susan in the passenger seat couldn't help but look back.

But when you think about the big bosses of film and television companies and female celebrities, it’s quite normal.

I had been Charlie Cooper's secretary for so many years, and at the beginning I had the "great ambition" of being a mistress, and then working hard to get a higher position after I succeeded.

It's a pity that after trying to seduce the other party several times, the guy didn't take the bait. He didn't succeed as a mistress, but his ability became stronger with practice.

Later, seeing that this road was dead, Xin Yiheng finally chose to get married.

"You old thing, why don't you learn from your own son? Look at the little guy behind, how good he is."

"Obviously, they are out to promote the movie, but in fact they are taking their little girlfriend on a chic vacation."

"If you were as sensible as him, I'm afraid I would have moved into Beverly Hills long ago, and Eric would have called me 'Mom'."

A series of fantasies flashed through her mind, and an aunt's smile appeared on Susan's face unconsciously.

"What's wrong, Susan?"

Eric asked, sensing something strange about her expression.

Susan quickly corrected her attitude: "No boss, do you want to rest first or work first?"

"It's not yet noon, there's no need to rest. We won't stay here for too long. Let's follow your arrangements."

"Okay, let's go to the factory and take a look first."

The car drove along the highway for more than half an hour, and finally stopped in front of a factory.

Entering the factory, there is a huge stone lion at the entrance, painted yellow, exactly like the MGM logo.

Eric couldn't help but laugh: "Why do you still do this kind of thing?"

Susan made the introduction: "Boss, it was added at the request of the designer. They said it is called doing as the Romans do. The symbol of MGM is the lion, which is exactly in line with the Chinese landscape layout."

"Actually, the designer originally wanted to place lions on both sides of the door, the kind that appear at the door of traditional Chinese buildings, but I felt that the lion was not the same species as the American lion, and it looked very awkward."

"So we asked them to follow our title design. It is said that putting lions in it can drive away ghosts and help business get better and better."

Gadot laughed: "So how is business? Is it really good?"

"It can be said to be very effective. Come on, let's go inside and take a look."

The car continued to move forward, and soon saw several trucks waiting in line to pull goods. Workers in the front truck were busy loading the trucks.

"Boss, according to your instructions, we will give priority to building a factory, and now there are two production lines working inside."

"Look at the ones under construction in the distance. They are factory buildings No. 2, 3 and 4. It is expected to be completed on the 2nd later this month."

"I have communicated with the relevant departments. They will come to inspect and accept it immediately after it is completed. Once it passes the inspection, it will be put into production immediately."

While they were talking, several people got out of the car and walked. They saw a few foreigners coming. The workers took a few glances and stopped paying attention.

Some time ago, Eric transferred a team of 60 people from Double Star Entertainment to provide technical training to China.

They have seen all kinds of foreigners for more than a month, and they have lost all the novelty. Only Eric and Gadot's beautiful appearance can attract more eyes.

Walking around the production line, everyone was busy working, producing one Transformers peripheral after another.

Looking at the familiar faces in front of him, Eric felt deeply. Although he made money by using cheap labor, he also provided them with jobs.

Compared to going to a construction site, at least the safety here is higher and the treatment is better. It can be regarded as some contribution to my hometown.

"Susan, how are their wages compared to other factories?"

"The basic salary is 15% higher than the average salary, and the more you work, the more you get."

"What about other aspects?"

"The accommodation conditions are still relatively crude. The dormitory building is under construction and will take at least two months to be completed. After completion, special treatment will be required to drive away harmful gases."

"So if workers want to move in, they have to wait at least three months."

"But I also make up for it in other ways. Our food treatment is better and the price is lower than other factories."

"In addition, movies or TV series will be screened every night, including American and Chinese dramas, to relax everyone's spirit."

"Now it's still open-air screenings. I'm thinking that maybe we can build a gymnasium in the future for everyone to exercise and watch movies."

Gadot couldn't help but sigh: "Susan, you don't look like an American capitalist at all."

Susan looked at Eric, thinking that it was her boss who asked him to be more tolerant to the workers. She really couldn't understand why he had such feelings for Hua Xia.

Eric nodded with satisfaction: "Well done, and you must pay attention to safety and don't cause any safety accidents."

"Various systems are put in place, such as fire protection, fire extinguishers are always available, there must be water in the fire hydrants, and regular inspections are done."

After turning around, Gadot and the big lion took a photo together, and the group left.

At 12:30 noon, they arrived at Fengzeyuan Hotel, which was still the same place as last time.

Several unique delicacies were prepared for Gadot, allowing her to taste authentic Chinese cuisine.

After eating, I went back to my room to rest. In order to avoid suspicion, I booked two rooms, but I would definitely stay in one room.

"Baby, I have to go to the company to discuss something in the afternoon. Do you want to go together or take a look around Yanjing City?"

"Of course, just for a stroll. I can't go in and listen to what you are talking about. If the secret is leaked, you will have to chase me." Gadot replied without thinking.

Snapped!

A slap was slapped on her butt, which made a crisp sound and caused a wave of buttocks. Her young skin was so good that it bounced back when pressed.

"I see that your courage is getting bigger and bigger. Are you going to let go of your nature when you come out? You like to squeeze on me so much."

"Gee, I treat this promotion as a fun trip anyway. You haven't gone shopping with me for a long time."

Squeezing her cheek, Eric comforted her: "Okay, okay, don't feel wronged, honey. After you finish the activities tomorrow, I will accompany you to climb the Great Wall."

"I will arrange a tour guide for you this afternoon. You can visit the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. I guarantee you will be amazed by the charm of this civilization."

In the afternoon, the car drove into the Science and Technology Port, where Oriental MGM occupied a building.

Since it is a joint venture, it does not charge any rent, which is one of the benefits.

The secretary led Eric and Susan to the sixth floor, opened the door, and saw Han Sanping, Zhou Xiaopeng and a strange middle-aged man sitting inside, puffing away their smoke.

Seeing Eric, Han Sanping suddenly showed joy, lit up his cigarette, stood up, and walked over quickly.

"Eric Cooper, I've been hoping for the stars and the moon, and finally I've got you!"

As he spoke, he opened his arms, and Eric was hugged by him.

"Old Han, what's going on? You are simply more excited than those female celebrities."

Han Sanping patted his back: "I miss you. I think about you day and night. If there weren't too many things to do and the procedures for going abroad are complicated, I would have loved to fly to the United States to find you."

"Female star? I dare say I miss you more than all the female stars!"

Old Han was really impatient. It was almost the Gregorian New Year, and the Spring Festival was not too long away.

But MGM Oriental has been open for several months, and the stove is still cold.

Let alone cooking, the firewood hasn't started burning yet.

He just waited for Eric to put the rice in the pot and the rice started to cook, so that he could pursue progress.

Eric naturally understood what he wanted, and pointed to the briefcase in Susan's hand: "I came here this time to solve your problem, and the answer is in it."

Hearing this, Han Sanping looked at the briefcase excitedly: "Have you already written the script?"

"Well, let's sit down and discuss the feasibility later."

"Okay, okay, with you as the youngest and best screenwriter in history, there will definitely be no problem."

Next to him, Zhou Xiaopeng looked at Han Sanping with a smile: "Old Han, please stop getting excited. Everyone is sitting down. Let's introduce Eric first."

"This is Deputy Director Chen Ou of our General Administration of Optoelectronics. If foreign movies, TV series, variety shows and other programs want to come in, they will be under his control."

"If he gets stuck at the review level, no matter how wonderful his works are, they will be rejected."

Eric shook hands with the other person: "Director Chen, although this is our first meeting, "Transformers" can be released smoothly without any cuts. I must thank you."

Chen Ou smiled: "It's not an overly dramatic scene at first. A bunch of robots fighting is not as bloody and violent as the scene in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in which Hua Xiong was killed by warming wine."

"Other than that, there is nothing to interrogate. Old Han even came here to say hello to me. I am overly worried."

Eric thought to himself, it was 2003 after all, and the atmosphere for cultural creation was still relatively relaxed.

Political dramas, official dramas, and ghost thrillers are all allowed, and the review of violence, pornography, language, etc. is not very strict.

This will not be the case in a few years.

After a few people sat down, Zhou Xiaopeng said: "Susan said you went to the factory to see it and didn't notify me in advance. I'll go over and take a look with you."

"It was a temporary decision. Susan told me. You have helped a lot in running the procedures during this period."

"You also helped us find sales by helping us find sales. Now trucks line up there every day to pick up goods. Thanks to you, I'll give you a toast tonight."

Zhou Xiaopeng waved his hand: "I'm just saying this politely. It's all right. After all, I was the one who initiated the project. Of course, Lao Han also shares the credit."

"I will definitely be concerned about the next thing. If nothing else, the employment issue of thousands of people is not a trivial matter."

"There are also taxes. In short, if you are good, I will be good. If I am good, the leadership will be good. If the leadership is good, everyone will be good."

Ha ha ha ha

We are all acquaintances, we talk behind closed doors, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

Han Sanping wanted to make progress, and Zhou Xiaopeng naturally wanted to make progress too. Everyone had the same idea.

Besides, it’s not without benefits for him to help with matchmaking. It can also benefit his own career. There are not many such good deals.

Susan took out the script of "The Meg" and several people started studying it.

Old Han frowned while reading. After reading, his frown became tighter and he sighed and looked at Eric.

"What does it mean to look at me like that? Just ask if you have any questions. It's all about communication."

Old Han nodded: "Eric, then I'll have something to say. Don't think my words are unpleasant."

"Did I rush it too quickly? You didn't have time to polish the script. This "The Meg" looks a little too rough."

"Both the lines and the plot all seem cliched. There is only one famous movie about sharks, "Jaws". Is it possible to film this?"

"It's indeed a bit old-fashioned." Chen Ou agreed.

"Old Zhou, what do you think?" Eric looked at Zhou Xiaopeng.

"I have a different opinion. The shark theme is not impossible. To be precise, it is different from ordinary shark movies. This should be called a monster theme."

"Look at the setting. A large shark tens of meters tall bites the boat into two sections. Is this a shark? This is just a deep-sea monster covered with a layer of shark skin to make it easier for the audience to understand."

"Movies with this theme are universally applicable. As long as the plot is exciting enough, everyone is an audience."

Eric took a sip of tea and said, "When I was writing the script, I followed Lao Zhou's thinking."

"The vulgarity and cliche you mentioned are common problems in commercial films. The model of commercial films has been fixed. The key is whose leather cover is better and more novel."

"We have to make one point clear first, that is, is MGM Oriental's first movie about making money or winning awards?"

Han Sanping and Chen Ou said in unison: "Make money first!"

"That's alright. It's not a literary film. It doesn't matter if it's cliche or not. I guarantee that this movie will make money. MGM can't use its own money to play around."

Chen Ou hummed: "Chinese literary and artistic films are still somewhat influential in Europe. It would be better to focus on business. The question is whether more Chinese cultural elements can be integrated into them. We pay more attention to this aspect."

Eric thought for a moment: "We can change some of the plot, such as adding a relationship scene and letting the male and female protagonists walk around a certain city in China."

"This is an opportunity to show some beautiful scenery and local customs. In short, the details can be modified."

"I understand that you want to export cultural urgency, but directly exporting values ​​​​is not a good method, because educating the audience has always been the wrong way."

"Hollywood will only influence the audience through plots, rather than directly telling you what you should and shouldn't do."

"According to my experience, a movie that can truly be a global hit must export universal values ​​such as maternal love and the victory of justice."

Several people discussed it for more than an hour and finally finalized the outline of the script, and other aspects can be further discussed and improved.

As for the choice of the heroine, as soon as the word is released, many actresses will go crazy.

It's a pity that Eric was no longer in China at that time, otherwise there would be countless people vying to climb into his bed, and it would be really easy to sleep with whomever they wanted.

After talking about the script, we talked about helping China establish overseas distribution channels.

China Film has established a company in the United States some time ago, and with the help of MGM, it has first opened its stalls in Chinese communities in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

At present, "Heroes of Heaven and Earth" directed by He Ping has been released. Regardless of the results, it has at least opened.

After all, the time is too short, some results can be achieved, and the leaders are satisfied.

After helping them so much, it's time for MGM to ask for some rewards.

"Bureau Chen, Lao Han, I want to establish a stable channel to introduce American movies and TV series to China. What do you think?"