National Tide 1980

Ning Weimin's words were like a bomb dropped in the conference room. All the participants could not hold back their excitement and "exploded".

No one could have imagined that Ning Weimin would take such a simple and crude way to solve the problem of casting.

Yes, the major entertainment agencies are unwilling to get involved in the dispute between Burning and Fog Productions because they are afraid that their artists' future paths will be targeted, but what are those big-name stars who have already become famous afraid of?

Some stars even have many big figures as friends behind them.

Just like Ken Takakura and Hibari Misora, not only do they have backers in the political world, but they also had a close relationship with the third generation of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Kazuo Taoka.

Although Ikuo Suho also has a close relationship with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest violent organization in Japan, he certainly cannot compare with these two in terms of friendship or status. There is a huge gap.

Moreover, these famous actors have acting skills and popularity, and many of them have won awards. They are all capable.

If it is really possible as Ning Weimin said, each of the dozen or so main and secondary roles in the whole drama can choose the famous actors who best suit the character's characteristics based on the degree of fit, then how gorgeous this drama will become!

This is a feat that has never been achieved since Japan had its own TV series.

Just like the "Crazy Rich Asians", as long as the news is released to the media, it will surely cause a sensation throughout Japan and bring unimaginable influence.

Not to mention the gimmick that the original author Matsumoto Seicho personally "designated the role".

And as long as the drama is successfully completed and sent to the TV station for broadcast, the ratings will not be low at the beginning, at least more than 25%.

For such a TV series with an unprecedented luxurious lineup of actors in Japan, I am afraid that TBS TV will also feel pressure.

Even if Suho Ikuo is playing tricks, what can he do?

I am afraid that TBS TV will not dare not give it a prime time, otherwise it will be scolded to death by the Japanese people, and it will offend all the famous actors who spoke in this drama.

In short, if we don't consider the huge cost, this method does have countless benefits.

So almost all the participants present were "burned" after just a little thought.

"President Ning, you and Matsumoto-san are so courageous that it is really admirable. I admire your decision so much, and I will do my best to make suggestions. However, there is one thing I don't know if you have considered, the schedules of these famous actors may be a problem..."

Ning Weimin certainly understood what he meant. Since they are famous stars, they must not worry about work.

If one or two people get together, it's easy, but if there are as many as seven or eight people or even more than a dozen people, it will be more difficult.

"It doesn't matter. Let's draw up a list first, and then we will try to coordinate according to the best plan. Anyway, we have to talk about it, and we will start with the most important characters. As long as the core characters, the villains in the play, are determined, such as the big boss President Hasegawa, the medical school director Hashida, and the nightclub female public relations Nami, and her financial backer and professional shareholder Takahashi Katsuo. The rest will be easy to talk about. Besides, don't forget that we are not a production crew affiliated with the TV station, and we need to rush to complete it within a month or two. Sometimes those crews even shoot and broadcast at the same time. We have more flexibility in time to coordinate. And the funds are sufficient. What we pursue now is the quality of the film. At worst, we can shoot whatever can be shot first. I believe that Director Nomura will also make good arrangements for the content."

The words immediately enlightened Akira Okamoto.

Nomura Yoshitaro was also very satisfied with Ning Weimin's attitude of not sparing money and time to shoot a high-quality drama, and nodded frequently.

However, Watanabe Mitsuru, who was in charge of finance, was furious. What he feared the most was "don't care about money".

If the crew members really didn't care and spent money as they pleased, wouldn't he still have to bear the pressure on the accounts in the end?

So he interrupted almost in a pleading manner, "Chairman Ning, I'm very sorry. Although you said so before, I still have to say something. If your plan is really implemented, the money spent is incalculable. The pay of big-name stars is high, and they don't like to play villains and supporting roles. If we put forward the schedule request and let them play supporting roles, God knows what price we have to offer to impress them. And the most taboo thing for the crew is waiting. With so many people, waiting one more day is a day of consumption. So..."

Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, Matsumoto Keiko was unhappy.

"Mr. Watanabe, these things are not within your authority, and we have already made sufficient considerations, so you don't need to say anything more. You just need to cash the check as required."

The rare serious tone really didn't give Watanabe Mitsuru face, and he shut him up with one sentence.

From this, it can be seen how superstitious Matsumoto Keiko is about Ning Weimin.

It can be said that although the current Mist Studio is a company under the name of Matsumoto Keiko, it is actually Ning Weimin who is in charge.

So all the people present took Watanabe Mitsuru as a warning and secretly kept this observation in mind.

However, Ning Weimin was very clear about Watanabe Mitsuru's worries and loyalty.

He really didn't want to embarrass this confidant.

So out of consideration, he patiently explained to Watanabe Mitsuru and played the red face well.

"Watabe-kun, as a member of the Financial Supervisory Board, you are a little worried about financial expenditures, and I can understand that. But please believe that given our current situation, these financial expenditures are absolutely necessary. And we also have certain measures to solve your problem. question."

"For example, we can first choose stars from Shochiku Arts. From the perspective of multi-faceted cooperation, Shochiku will be willing to cooperate with us, right? President Omotomoto is a decent person and will not ask for high prices from our ally. There is also Dong Baoyineng’s stars can also be considered, not only because we are both studios, but also because we have not asked for liquidated damages from them. If we are still willing to continue to use their stars, Dongbao will probably keep this favor in mind and understand Why come back?"

"In this case, once a few main characters are actually confirmed, the other characters will be easy to handle. Because by then we will announce the lineup of several main characters again, which will definitely shock the entire Japanese entertainment industry. Think about it Look, will there be no one willing to play other roles? As long as we don't stingy with the remuneration, I'm afraid it's not us who beg those stars to participate in this drama, but those stars who don't have the opportunity to participate in this drama will feel regretful, even It's a shame."

"Besides that, the biggest advantage we have with these big-name stars is the stability of the crew. Not only will they have to pay huge amounts of compensation for breach of contract, but they will also suffer greater losses to their personal reputations. No one will quit the crew easily again. We This time, no matter how small the role, the contract must be signed more strictly. We can’t let those people take advantage of it and interfere with our filming and ruin our film.”

What Ning Weimin said is indeed clear and logical.

In this way, Watanabe Mitsuru couldn't say anything more, and even admired him for being so thoughtful.

Then, things will really get on track. No one at the meeting expressed doubts about the plan. Instead, they all actively brainstormed, began to seriously discuss the roles, and put forward their favorite candidates.

Director Yoshitaro Nomura was the first to speak, "Let's first identify the biggest villain, President Hasegawa. Although this role does not run through the entire season and plays mainly in the second half, the style is very demanding and can be said to be quite important. Well, I personally feel that older men, with a gloomy temperament and a magnetic voice are better. If you consider Shochiku or Toho, how about Toho’s Kobayashi Katsuki?”

The Keishu Kobayashi he was talking about was a film actor of the same era as Toshiro Mifune, who was active in the Showa and Heisei periods.

His representative works include "The Great Battle of the Sea of ​​Japan", "Hakkoda Mountain", "Ghost Story Snow Girl", etc.

He has appeared in hundreds of movies so far. Although he mostly plays supporting roles as he gets older, he is still a prime supporting role.

He has won Best Actor three times and Best Supporting Actor once.

But even with such qualifications, Shinobu Hashimoto still raised objections.

"His acting skills are very mature, but he has played too many roles and seems to have no personality..."

Youtaro Nomura didn't mind either. He knew that Shinobu Hashimoto was just talking about the matter, so he still patiently expressed his opinion.

"Yes, usually, a good actor needs a strong personality, but there is also a drawback. That will limit the roles he can play. Keishu Kobayashi looks very ordinary, but he can play any role. You also admit his His acting skills are excellent, I believe he can play this kind of role well.”

Shinobu Hashimoto thought about it and seemed to hesitate. Maybe he wanted to give the director some face, and he rejected the first choice directly because it was not easy.

"I'm temporarily convinced by you, so let's list him as a candidate first."

Then he turned to Matsumoto Seicho, "Ms. Matsumoto, you are the original author. Since Chairman Ning has advocated that your selection should be the main choice for this production meeting, can you also propose one? Maybe you can help us activate our ideas. "

Matsumoto Seicho laughed loudly and said unceremoniously, "Well, if you ask me to say it, I will say it. The candidate I like is Mikuni Rentaro."

As soon as this name came out, everyone immediately became commotion, not for any other reason, because this is a big shot in Japanese film acting.

Mikuni Rentaro was also a famous actor active in the Showa period.

His main works include "Bloodline of Death", "Red's Fate", "Hakkoda Mountain", etc.

In particular, he has a rich acting career, first in Shochiku, then in Toho, and later in Nikkatsu, where he won numerous awards.

Now he is basically no longer an actor, but has become a famous director.

Coincidentally, his film "Jinluan Baidao" won the Special Examiner's Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

While in France, Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko chatted with the director and actor for a while at the official dinner.

More importantly, his political stance is anti-war and pro-China, and he starred in the Japanese film "An Unfinished Game of Chess" co-produced by China.

So this time Ning Weimin responded first, "This candidate is good, I think he can be the first target. Of course, you can continue to recommend, we have to prepare at least three candidates, just in case of inconvenience."

In this case, the deputy director also made suggestions, "In my opinion, President Hasegawa is the kind of insidious and domineering person. It is best to have the sense of vicissitudes that has experienced many things, and can not be angry at oneself." It's awesome. If you ask me, just based on the image, it always reminds me of director Akira Kurosawa."

As a result, the scene burst into laughter.

No one expected that he actually recommended this great director.

"I said, your choice is too funny. Director Akira Kurosawa has never participated in a movie."

"That's right. A famous director may not be a famous actor. How could he be invited to play such an important role?"

"I said, you are bold enough. If such words reach the ears of Director Akira Kurosawa, you will suffer the consequences..."

Everyone couldn't help but have different opinions, and they all accused the assistant director of unreliable candidates.

However, Ning Weimin didn't think so. He immediately stopped the commotion at the meeting, "No, no, don't deny it completely. It is of course impossible for director Akira Kurosawa to play such an important villain. But this idea is good, this idea There's a clue. How about we ask Director Akira Kurosawa to appear in this drama? It would be best if he plays the role of the director himself. I can tell Director Akira Kurosawa. That’s right, but it’s just the price. I’m sorry to be too stingy. Do you think the director will be tempted by a scene like this for five million yen?”

As soon as this was said, no one was happy anymore. Instead, everyone gasped, shocked by Ning Weimin's heroic act of spending so much money.

I don’t know how many people think this, but there’s no need to ask.

Being a director is not a very high-paying job, and the salary is much lower than that of the leading actor and actress in a play.

Especially director Akira Kurosawa, if he hadn't sold his personal studio not long ago and used the money to speculate in stocks, he would probably be burdened with debts that he still hasn't paid off.

How could he not be tempted by such a simple thing that could earn such a large amount of money in one day?

So many people's ideas were completely opened up because of Ning Weimin's idea.

Next, it is equivalent to Ning Weimin setting a tone for everyone. Everyone is no longer polite in recommending candidates based on the role. That is really not considering the price.

But having said that, the positive effects are also visible and tangible, not to mention that the cast of these actors only temporarily exists in verbal discussions.

But as creators, everyone was extremely excited, not to mention the two male actors Utsui Takeru and Miura Tomokazu. Even Matsumoto Keiko herself, as the heroine, felt an unprecedented excitement.

If she could really get together with these famous actors and act opposite each other, she would have the urge to compete and prove her acting skills.

To put it bluntly, if all these people come together, the four major awards in the Japanese film industry will be meaningless.

Winning Best Actor or Best Actress once is the minimum basic requirement.

As a director, Yoshitaro Nomura is of course even more excited. Even though he has been a director all his life, he never dreamed that he would direct such a TV series in which almost all the actors are famous actors.

Of course, because of this, he also feels a great responsibility.

You must know that almost all of these famous actors are veteran actors. If the supporting roles are not handled well, the protagonists will be suppressed and lack luster.

So how can he achieve the correct effect in the roles played by these famous actors? The most serious problem he faces will be to prevent the low-key characters from overpowering the outstanding ones. Can he not be serious about the roles he chooses? Just wait.

The only one who could remain calm on set was Seicho Matsumoto, although as usual, every character should express his opinion first.

But every time he opened his mouth, he only mentioned the name of the recommended candidate, but never participated in the actual discussion. He only looked down at what looked like a script in front of him.

This made the crew members both grateful and admired.

Many people couldn't help but admire secretly in their hearts.

Look at Mr. Matsumoto, he is truly a master, neither pretentious nor arrogant.

How sensible, how low-key, and so humble.

No wonder he always publishes excellent works and becomes the first person in the social reasoning school.

Actually, to be honest, it was a joke for these people at the scene to think so.

Because this is not what they think, it is purely made up by their own minds.

You know, the reason why Matsumoto Seicho came to this muddy water to stand up for Ning Weimin was not in vain.

Ning Weimin also gave this master certain benefits.

Of course, it's definitely not cash or any valuable gold, silver, or jewelry.

Ning Weimin is not that vulgar, and Matsumoto Seicho is not that philistine.

To be honest, this gift was not worth mentioning to Ning Weimin, but it was something that the master could not refuse.

Because what Ning Weimin used to reward Matsumoto Seicho was none other than the synopsis of a suspense drama that was popular around the world - "The Squid Game" that he had watched in his previous life.

He wrote it and offered it to Matsumoto Seicho as creative inspiration. As a result, in this era where the movie "Battle Royale" has not even appeared yet.

The excitement and setting of this story immediately fascinated this master of social reasoning, allowing him to experience an unprecedented brainstorm.

So the two agreed that the novel written by Matsumoto Seicho based on this story could be signed and published as his personal literary work, and all the royalties would belong to him.

However, the distribution rights of this novel in the Chinese-speaking region belong to Ning Weimin.

The film and television adaptation rights also belong to Fog Studios for free.

No, so even during the meeting, Matsumoto Seicho was too lazy to pay attention to other things.

He is now focused on studying the plot in his hands.

It has to be said that from this point of view, it is really unnecessary for Watanabe Mitsuru to worry about financial health.

Because Ning Weimin, this guy, can even invite a great god without spending a penny. Who has this ability?