China Entertainment 1997

In early January 2014, a big event happened in the entertainment industry.

Mr. Shao, a Hong Kong media tycoon, one of the founders of Shaw Brothers Pictures and TVB, and a famous philanthropist, passed away due to illness at the age of 107.

This man, who is respectfully called [Uncle Six] by numerous big names in Hong Kong, can be said to be one of the founders of the rise of Hong Kong.

The Shaw Brothers Pictures founded by him has always been an important component of Hong Kong movies from the 1950s to the 1970s, and even dominated the Hong Kong film industry for a time.

In the 1980s, with the rise of other film companies such as Golden Harvest and New Arts City, Shaw Brothers would continue to reduce production and even package and sell its own theater chains, putting all its energy into the wireless TV stations it controlled.

It was also at this time that TVB became the first line in Hong Kong and even Asia's television field, led by TVB Hong Kong dramas. It has become another outstanding business card of Xiangjiang.

In addition to producing countless classic works, TVB is most famous for its own performing arts training classes, which have produced countless big-name Hong Kong stars.

Fa Ge, Sing Yeh, Tat Shu, Leung Chiu Wai, Leung Ka Fai, Liu Tianwang, Guo Tianwang, Liu Qingyun, Ng Zhenyu, Yam Dahua, Wu Junru, Lu Liangwei, Ouyang Zhenhua, Liu Jialing, Cheng Ekin, Lam Jiadong, Zhen Zizi (auditor), Principal Gu ( Audition)…………

The talent of actors who have come out is even better than that of Nortel. It can almost be said that they single-handedly support most of the entire Hong Kong film industry.

The death of such a big boss is a shock to the Chinese entertainment industry, especially the Hong Kong series.

Cao Xuan has met this person a few times, but they are not very familiar with him. After all, they have no business dealings and have no contact with each other in private.

Even though Fanxing almost entered the situation when Wireless shares changed in 2011, Uncle Shao Liu had already withdrawn from Wireless management at that time and was not very involved in the matter.

Fanxing also failed to win Wireless due to some local protection policies and Cao Xuan's lack of interest.

As a veteran in the industry, Cao Xuan still respected Uncle Shao Liu very much, and what made him admire him even more was his enthusiasm for charity.

The charitable funds invested or raised by it have donated more than HK$5 billion to education in mainland China, and various social welfare and charity affairs have accumulated more than HK$10 billion.

Many people call Cao Xuan the most charitable person in China. However, although the money he donated is only a few billion, it is still inferior to this old gentleman.

Although many conspiracy theories speculate that the old man has other motives, the tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars in donations are not fake.

Even if it's all fundraising, it's still a lot of hard work, not to mention that people actually paid a considerable amount of real money.

There is a saying that one should not care about one's heart but one's deeds. Charity can really be said to have immeasurable merit.

Normally, Cao Xuan hardly joins in the fun when these strangers die, but this time he sent someone to send wreaths and elegiac couplets to show his respect.

At a time when the entertainment industry was dominated by the death of Mr. Shao, the crew of "Dear" was also quietly finishing production in Shenzhen.

………

"Happy finalization."

Cao Xuan bumped into Xia Yu, who plays a lawyer in the movie. As he approaches retirement, Cao Xuan is not so strict about some taboos. At least at such special moments, he will occasionally choose to have a few drinks.

"I just wanted to ask you something these past two days."

Xia Yu rubbed her hands and looked at Cao Xuan. Cao Xuan put a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs in his mouth and couldn't help chewing it.

"If you have something to say, you have to fart."

The movie is finished, and his good days are over. Starting tomorrow, he will resume his "normal" diet as an artist.

Today's wedding banquet should be a rare feast for him in recent times. If he wants to be so unscrupulous after that, he will have to wait until the New Year's Eve dinner at the end of the month.

"hey-hey."

Xia Yu and Cao Xuan had been friends for more than ten years, so they didn't mind what Cao Xuan said and got down to business.

"Director Wu Ershan of the company, please tell me what the approach is."

"What's wrong?"

Cao Xuan spit out the bones, then thought of something, and raised his eyebrows: "Did he ask you to play "Ghost Blowing the Lamp"?"

The "Ghost Blowing Lamp" and "Tomb Raiders Notes" series have long been in Fanxing's hands.

In particular, "Ghost Blowing the Lantern" is a previously planned movie universe series, and the copyright of "Tomb Raiders" was specially transferred to Penguin Star Video, which specializes in creating web series.

In the second half of last year, preparations for the web series "Tomb Raiders" began.

Wu Xie is scheduled to play the role of Wu Xie, a popular star of Fanxing. Zhang Qiling is played by a newcomer from Fanxing (), Fatty Wang is Jiang Chao, who played Li Dazui in "Wulin Gaiden", and Aning is played by Song Tie.

Judging from the lineup, the most capable player is definitely Chen Yao, which is also one of the core promotions of the drama "Tomb Robbers".

At present, the filming of the first season of "Tomb Raiders" has been completed and is being broadcast at a selected date.

As for "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", Fanxing has not been in a hurry, but has been building momentum for the work, planning to take advantage of the popularity of the "Tomb Raiders" web series to release a movie.

In fact, regarding the filming of "Ghost Blowing Out the Lantern", Fanxing has been quite entangled internally.

There are too many plots in the original work, and a lot of details would have to be cut out just to make a movie. But if you make a web series, this IP will be wasted. Some people plan to [movie + drama] walk on two legs, but how to balance the two sides is a big problem. .

But no matter what, most people still maintain the same opinion and give priority to movies.

The reason is that the movie cap is high and you can make a lot of money...

Old Weird Xu is not very interested in this subject matter, Lao Mouzi has no interest in it, and other directors also have their own problems.

In fact, the main reason is that although the "Ghost Blowing Lantern" project is highly valued by Fanxing, it takes a long time and is difficult to operate.

Although capable people like Xu Laoguai, Lao Mouzi and Ning Hao are interested, they have too many projects at hand and are afraid of being tied to death. The following directors are eager to try, but most of them lack the ability and Fanxing is not at ease.

So we were picky and picky, and Fanxing finally hired Wu Ershan, a rising star director who had recently joined Fanxing.

Wu Ershan, a native of Mongolia Province, passed the Central American Academy of Fine Arts, but later chose to drop out of school in his sophomore year due to disagreements with his ideas, and then re-entered the Nortel Directing Department. He is a 94-year-old student in the same class as Jiang Qinqin and Fu Dalong.

Like most professional directors, he also started his career as an advertising director after graduation. He directed a film for the first time in 2004, and his famous work was 2011's "Swordsman Sees Laughter."

This film, hailed as a pioneering martial arts comedy, only grossed just over 20 million at the box office, and its reputation was polarizing, but its unique style left a deep impression on many people.

In the original time and space, this man was appreciated by Huayi and became famous for directing "Painted Skin 2". He became Huayi's leading director in the post-Feng Xiaogang era, until he was completely stumbled by the Fengshen Trilogy.

At present, Huayi's scale and power are far inferior to those of Yuan Shikong, and it does not have much capital to trust and train new directors.

Therefore, Wu Ershan joined Fanxing under the recommendation of Ning Hao, who had a good relationship with him.

This time, the director of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" was still undecided, so Cao Xuan simply gave him a push.

Penguin Star's "Tomb Raiders" web series was given to him to direct as a test. After seeing that the finished product was good, Wu Ershan officially took over as director and one of the persons in charge of the "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series.

The name of the "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series of movies is relatively well-known in the industry.

Currently, the first part plans to invest 120 to 150 million, and the main creative team has signed a 1+2 contract.

This approach is easy to understand. After all, it is a new project and a commercial film. Even if it is taken seriously, the future cannot be guaranteed, and Fanxing cannot sign a long-term contract in one go.

So this kind of [1+2] contract is very necessary.

Everyone signs a film contract first. If the first film is not good at the box office, the project is basically finished, and there will be no follow-up. If the box office is strong, the project will continue to be developed. The crew has the priority to sign the film contract with the actors.

This is a common clause used by film series producers to protect their own interests, and the actors are not at a disadvantage.

After all, the salary for the first film is stable, and subsequent contracts usually provide a certain increase.

Moreover, projects are booming, film contracts are increasing, and money is rising, which is a good thing for most actors and artists.

The original work of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" was originally very influential. Although the investment is not a huge production nowadays, it is still quite good.

Not to mention the star-studded brand and the aura of a cinematic universe.

Everyone can see how popular Marvel's movies are. Even if "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" is not as good as Marvel's, it is enough to be tempting if it has some of its effectiveness.

Putting aside the small number of actors who have artistic pursuits or other concerns, the vast majority of those who are qualified to compete for the lead role of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" do not want to let this good opportunity pass.

Xia Yu is now under Wang Jinhua's banner, and can be regarded as one of Fanxing's own. The first to get closer to the water is to the moon, and he has already been in contact with Wu Ershan.

"What did this person say..."

Cao Xuan pondered for a moment, thinking of the nearly 40-page "essay" he saw, which was full of analysis and assumptions about "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" and even the entire tomb robbing theme, as well as specific shooting and follow-up plans.

"This criminal director is very thoughtful, never prepares for anything, and is very good at spending money."

For so many years since Cao Xuan debuted, the number of directors he has collaborated with or invested in has ranged from dozens to more than three digits.

Only Wuershan's budget report and implementation plan are detailed and specific, comprehensive and appropriate, and have miraculous effects.

To put it more simply, every money can be spent in the right place, so that you can see the results most intuitively.

This is a very difficult thing!

Film and television directors are not businessmen, nor are they accountants who make accounts. Investors can control the total cost, but it is up to the director himself to decide how to spend it.

Film and television can be regarded as artistic creations. If the word "art" is used in it, it will be relatively vague.

Sometimes money is just money, and sometimes money is like water, disappearing in a flash, and people will tell you that it is reasonable and evidence-based, proving that the money must be spent.

Therefore, this industry is most prone to gray areas and has too many doorways.

Without the guidance of industry insiders, outsiders enter the industry, and there is no one who fails to pay tuition. Even if they are drunk with blood, they still come in ignorantly and go out confused, and they can't figure out why they lost the money.

Of course, this is not to say that all directors are playing tricks, but like Wu Ershan, who has clear accounts and spends every pen on the tip of a knife, an investment of 1 million can achieve the effect of 2 million, 5 million, or even 10 million. It is really It's rare.

Maybe ordinary people don't realize it, but for bosses like Cao Xuan or high-level executives of film and television companies.

Wu Ershan's ability to "know how to spend money" can definitely make him stand out from other directors.

I believe that in the original time and space, Wu Ershan took over the hit movie sequel "Painted Skin 2" from "The Sword Sees Laughter" with an investment of several million, then "The Secret of the Dragon" with an investment of more than 200 million, and finally Fengfei, which claimed to have invested more than 3 billion. The God Trilogy, one big step at a time, and the ability of [being able to spend money] helps a lot.

Even now, Wu Ershan has finally been able to win the director of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" and come up with a detailed and thorough plan that has moved the balance of many Fanxing executives.

But this is not what Xia Yu cares about, and it is not spending his money anyway.

He was more concerned about Wu Ershan's abilities, whether he was easy to get along with, and Fanxing's expectations and importance for this project.

"I haven't had much contact with people, and it's hard to tell you, but the company is quite optimistic about the prospects of this movie."

"That's fine."

This is what Xia Yu wants. They, the old friends who have watched Cao Xuan rise, have a mysterious trust in Cao Xuan himself.

As long as Cao Xuan nods, it will definitely work!

Xia Yu geared up and asked a little embarrassedly: "I heard that Hu Bayi wanted to find you, but you didn't respond."

This matter is basically known to the outside world and spread widely. After all, if Cao Xuan wants to play Hu Bayi, others don't have to think about it.

"Well, I don't lack this role."

Facing Xia Yu, Cao Xuan didn't make any excuses and explained the situation directly, and Xia Yu understood it very well.

For others, Hu Bayi may be an extremely rare resource, but for Cao Xuan, he may not necessarily like the male protagonist of this purely Chinese-language commercial film series.

If it's just one film, that's it. If it's a long series, Cao Xuan would just pass it.

But soon, Cao Xuan came to his senses and was a little surprised when he looked at the somewhat wretched Xia Yu.

"You want to play Hu Bayi."

"How fresh."

Xia Yu was annoyed: "If we don't play Hu Bayi, we can't play Fatty Wang and Shirley Yang."

Only then did Cao Xuan realize that he had made an mistake. Hearing that Xia Yu acted in "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", he instinctively cast him into the role of Da Jinya. But in fact, Xia Yu, as a representative of the Mesozoic actor, is still qualified to compete. It’s Hu Bayi’s.

But the probability is very low.

The core of the casting for the "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series is the Iron Triangle, and Fatty Wang is the only one who has been chosen, played by Chen Minghao from the 96th Class of the Chinese Opera Class.

Fatty Wang, who actually acted in "Sand Sea" in the original time and space, has a good reputation and is a native of the capital. He is born with that carefree energy, and finally defeated Jiang Chao and became the best candidate in Wu Ershan's heart.

Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang are still competing fiercely.

Cao Xuan actually didn't pay much attention during this period, but he had the impression that all the famous people from the mainland and even Hong Kong and Taiwan were here.

Under such circumstances, it was really difficult for Xia Yu to win Hu Bayi.

If he settles for the next best thing and focuses on attacking Da Jinya, with his fame and strength and his relationship with Cao Xuan, he will definitely be able to control him.

However, Cao Xuan didn't say much about this. Xia Yu was determined to rise to the top, and he would not deny him a chance, but he also couldn't interfere too much. Whether he could succeed or not depended on his own ability and destiny.

"Why are you so active this time? Are you short of money?"

Xia Yu has never been very career-minded. It can be seen from his many hobbies that acting is just his job and does not play a high role in his life.

Otherwise, based on his relationship with Cao Xuan, not to mention soaring to the sky, at least he can get a few good resources and stay on the front line, and not be as tepid as it is now.

"I have a child, so I need to save some money."

Xia Yu's face showed the heaviness and happiness of an old father. It was obvious that his daughter had given him a certain motivation to strive for his career.

He and Yuan Quan's income is not low, but due to their popularity, their resources are not conspicuous. In comparison, they are far inferior to many first-line artists.

You may not have thought before that after becoming parents, you want to give your children the best material conditions, and the financial situation has become an issue for the couple to consider.

While the momentum is still there, it's better to film more movies, increase your fame, earn more, and pave the way for your daughter.

"Don't tell me anymore. I want Haha to be my daughter-in-law. I'll take care of all the food, drinks, entertainment, food, clothing, housing and transportation. I'll give you the highest betrothal gift, so you two can save worry and effort."

Xia Yu said nothing and returned Cao Xuan with an international gesture.

His daughter Xia Haha was born in March 2010 and is now 4 years old. Cao Xuan's baby son Cao Yang was born at the end of 2010 and is a few months younger than Xia Haha.

So Cao Xuan often claimed to be Xia Yu's in-laws and regarded Xia Haha as his daughter-in-law.

However, Xia Yu refused to recognize him alive, and even felt itchy at the sight of Cao Yang, secretly wishing that the child he gave birth to was not a son, otherwise he would be able to take advantage of the Cao family's cabbage.

But this idea is obviously too much.

Cao Xuan is a very double standard guy. He will not refuse his daughter-in-law. He even makes a few jokes when he sees a pretty girl of about the same age. But if others want to miss his daughter, he will have to blow her up. The other party is a loser.

"Seriously, if you don't mind, you can take Haha to play "Where's Dad?"

After making a few jokes, Cao Xuan also made a few remarks. Xia Haha's daughter-in-law didn't take it seriously, but she was indeed his wife's goddaughter. Cao Xuan also thought of her when good things happened.

At the end of last year, the new variety show "Where Are We Going, Dad" prepared by Fanxing was successfully launched.

Five groups of cute babies and cute dads, led by village chief Hua Shao, launched a three-day and two-night parent-child reality show across the country.

The guests in the first season of "Where Are We Going, Dad" are not much different from the original version, with only one change.

Actor Guo Tao and his son Shitou, immortal god Lin Zhiying and his son, Olympic champion Tian Liang and his daughter Sendie, international model Zhang Liang and his daughter Tiantian, and Huang Sanshi and his daughter Duoduo.

The original "Where Are We Going, Dad", as the first real reality show in China, caused a sensation as soon as it was launched.

Nowadays, with programs such as "Sisters Over Flowers" and "Run" being launched first, the sensation is not as intense as in the original time and space.

However, the longevity of cute baby and parent-child variety shows shows that there is a broad market for this genre, coupled with the sophisticated production of the already mature Star Variety Show Department.

Even though it didn't have the hit point of the first reality show, it still aroused a lot of popularity, starting from the phenomenal variety show at the end of last year.

Many cute babies have become popular, and several father characters have also become popular one by one, and their popularity has skyrocketed.

Especially Zhang Liang, although he still has some reputation in the modeling industry, he is almost a pure amateur to the public. Now he has become a celebrity comparable to the first-tier.

Rumor has it that the entire variety show has increased Zhang Liang's appearance and advertising fees more than a hundred times.

Several others also made huge profits, their net worth increased, and they obtained various resources.

The commercial value of even a few children is immeasurable. Currently, they are crazy about parent-child and children-related fields and have won many endorsements.

It is no exaggeration to say that the current business profits of these children are comparable to those of ordinary first-line workers, or even better than them.

Currently, the Fanxing Variety Show Department has started preparing to produce the second season. Xia Haha is of the right age and Xia Yu is famous and has enough qualifications. If he is interested in participating, it is only a matter of Cao Xuan saying hello.

Xia Yu's face was a little moved, even though Cao Xuan just said hello, it was just a matter of effort.

But "Where Are We Going, Dad" is now very popular, and the benefits are exciting. The children will become famous, and the father will become famous. Who wouldn't want to encounter such good things.

Even though there are not many people who meet the requirements, the program team does not want much, and the competition for the remaining ones is fierce. Even Xia Yu is not confident that he can be selected as he wishes.

"You go back and discuss it with Yuan Quan. There are advantages and disadvantages to this matter. Money is still a small matter. The key may bring a future to the child, but it will also bring some unnecessary attention."

Cao Xuan, my family member, spoke very carefully and did not ask Xia Yu to reply to him immediately. Anyway, he was not in a hurry. He thought carefully before speaking.

In Cao Xuan's view, the program "Where Are We Going, Dad" has many benefits. It can make a lot of money in a short time in terms of business. In the long run, it is also beneficial for children to become famous early.

Zhang Ailing once said that you should become famous as early as possible. The original meaning is that the sooner you become famous, the more you will enjoy.

Nowadays, with the development of information, becoming famous at a young age has a positive impact on children's growth in all aspects. Especially in later generations, realizing fame is definitely one of the best shortcuts to success.

Even if your child does not become an artist or celebrity in the future, some fame is not a bad thing.

At least for children who don’t have so many resources, the competitive environment faced by those born after 2005 is unprecedentedly fierce, and the more cards in their hands, the better.

Of course, the disadvantage is that it may cause some controversy and fall into a whirlpool of public opinion, such as Huang Duoduo from the original time and space.

But in any case, this is a good thing. If done well, it will be easy to add two houses in the capital to Xia Haha's dowry. Xia Yu and the child will also get many other benefits.

Xia Yu knew this well, and regardless of whether she agreed or not, she accepted the sentiment and raised her wine glass to give a solemn toast to Cao Xuan.

"I'm seeing you, Lao Xia."

Cao Xuan didn't take this matter to heart, but when he turned around Zeng Li saw that he was tired and didn't want to wash his feet, so he personally brought him water to wash his feet, which really made him feel flattered and even shocked.

"I'm a little tired today. Let's take it easy. Can I do it three times at most? I'll make up for it when I get home."

"go."

Empress Xigong rolled her eyes at him and put away the foot washing water angrily: "What are you thinking about every day? I'm doing this for my daughter, thank you."

"Scared me."

Cao Xuan wiped away his sweat. He cared about his daughter more than anyone else, and Zeng Li had nothing to ask for from him. On the contrary, he did her a favor by fucking her, which was a rare compliment.

Before Cao Xuan could breathe a sigh of relief, Zeng Li took off his socks and pressed his feet into the basin with a cold voice.

"Let's keep talking and make up for it when we go home."

Cao Xuan's face turned pale. He was a desperate lady in the East Palace, and with debts to pay, he was going to attend the Grammys at the end of the month. Don't leave without a support...