Chapter 383: Business negotiation is almost the same as negotiating a bride price
After seeing Huang Xiaoming off, Zhang Chen was getting ready to go to bed. Before going to bed, he glanced at his phone and found that there were missed calls.
The missed call was from Diane. Zhang Chen called back and was answered quickly.
"Thank God, Zhang, I thought you were already asleep?"
Zhang Chen knew that Diane always paid attention to the time difference when calling him. This time, she should call him at this time. It's urgent.
"It's okay. I haven't slept yet. Something happened at night. I didn't hear the phone vibrating. What's the matter with you?"
"It's like this. We cut out a version of "Hold Your Breath" and want you to see it. If there is no problem, I want to release it as soon as possible~"
"Breathless" is Cube's first work, and Diane is anxious to see the money back as soon as possible.
“When do you want it to be released?”
“If possible, I hope it will be this month.”
"So anxious? Is it okay?"
"Don't worry, the audience for our type of movies is very fixed, and we don't need such a long promotion period like other movies. I want to release it as soon as possible. Let’s see how the response is, and if it’s good, we’ll start the sequel immediately~”
Diane is a professional in this field, and since she said it’s okay, it should be okay.
Zhang Chen believed in her judgment.
“OK, I will take a look and get back to you as soon as possible~”
After hanging up the phone call from Diane, Zhang Chen checked his mailbox and found a video material sent to him.
The video is not big, and Diane has obviously processed the format, otherwise the original format would not have been sent via email.
The Internet speed in 2006 was really a snail's pace. Zhang Chen fell asleep while the download task was running, and wanted to download for at least a few hours.
When I woke up in the morning, the video was indeed downloaded.
After making a phone call and asking the hotel to deliver breakfast to the room, Zhang Chen watched the video while having breakfast.
Breakfast in Yinchuan is similar to that in Xi'an, with national favorites such as soy milk and fried dough sticks and steamed buns, plus local specialties such as mutton soaked buns and steamed buns.
Zhang Chen was not used to eating so hard breakfast, so he simply ordered soy milk and fried dough sticks.
This version of "Hold Your Breath" is 81 minutes in total.
This kind of film actually sells story ideas, but the requirements for the film itself are not that high.
As long as the rhythm of the film is right, it doesn’t matter who shoots it.
Long before filming started, Zhang Chen had read Fede Alvarez's shot scripts and storyboards. As long as Alvarez followed these shots, the quality of the film would not be much worse.
The movie starts to play, and it opens with three thieves discussing how to steal the blind veteran.
Getting into the plot quickly.
This is also one of the characteristics of this type of film, which is the fast pace.
Other types of movies with large investment may have a slower pace and usually start in reverse order, putting a fight or a big scene in the front to attract the audience, and then recount the origin of the story.
But low-budget horror films generally don't do this. They just follow the normal order of the story, but the pace is fast.
But the purpose is the same, which is to attract the audience to continue watching.
The veteran is blind and looks weak.
The three broke the window into the room and placed the drug. Then they found that the basement door was locked and violently broke the lock.
Unexpectedly, the veteran who was supposed to be unconscious suddenly appeared. Then the blind veteran transformed into a god of death and easily killed Xiao Hei with a gun. The female snitch next to him was so frightened that he did not dare to say anything.
The veteran thought there was only one thief. After killing him, he disposed of the body and sealed all the doors and windows.
During the process, they discovered the shoes of the snitches and learned that there were other people in the house.
The chase begins.
This story is very interesting. The one who should have been the weak one turned out to be too strong. The Snitches, who had many people and weapons, were the ones being hunted instead.
The details inside are also well set. Because he is blind, the blind veteran is very familiar with his home. He only needs to step on the broken glass to know that the other party came in through the window on the second floor.
Because he is blind, his sense of smell is more acute, and he smells the smelly shoes, which further promotes the development of the story.
The most interesting thing is that there are no protagonists and villains in the strict sense in this story.
Neither the chasing party nor the hunted party are good people.
Zhang Chen read it from beginning to end and felt that there was no problem.
Alvarez did not make the same mistakes as new directors. Of course, it may be that Diane was strict and all his shooting content was based on the previous storyboard.
There’s nothing wrong with the pacing.
Zhang Chen called Diane back, "There is no problem with the movie."
"Okay, then I will start discussing the release of it with the people at the theater chain. ”
It is conceivable that Cube, as a company that is not well-known and does not have any successful works, will definitely not get very good resources at the beginning.
But as he said, the audience for this type of film is very fixed and does not even require special publicity.
As long as the quality of the film is acceptable, the box office should have a basic line.
But these are not things Zhang Chen needs to worry about, Diane can take care of everything.
After breakfast, the people below have almost gathered.
Every morning, after everyone had breakfast, they were pulled to the set by a large sedan.
Zhang Chen appeared and everyone said hello:
"Director Zhang~"
"Hello, Director Zhang~"
"Good morning, Director Zhang~"
Zhang Chen waved his hands one by one.
Get in the car and sit in his special seat. Before sitting down, he glanced at Huang Xiaoming and Qin Lan behind him. Well, they were radiant~
When we arrived at the set, the prop team had already arranged everything.
The props team is quite tired. Before shooting starts every day, they have to come to the scene earlier than others to arrange it.
After the day's filming is finished, they still need to pack up props and other things, and they are often the last ones to leave.
The shooting begins.
After a few days of running in, everyone gradually adapted to other people's styles, and they became more and more understanding of each other, and the shooting speed increased.
Today's filming went particularly smoothly. Many scenes could be completed in one or two takes.
After calling 'click' in another scene, the assistant trotted over and handed over Zhang Chen's mobile phone: "Director, Mr. Chen Xi just called and said that you can call him back when you are free~"
Because "Painted Skin" uses live radio, everyone's mobile phones are strictly muted during filming.
Zhang Chen’s cell phone has been kept by the assistant.
While preparing for the next scene, Zhang Chen called Chen Xi back. Chen Xi's voice came from the other end: "People from CJ Entertainment are here. They are from a business unit of the Korean headquarters. The head of the company and the head of the domestic branch..."
Zhang Chen glanced at the busy studio: "Then you entertain them first and finish work at noon. I'll go see them~"
"Okay."
The movie only needs When filming starts, the drama will definitely be the biggest, and everything else will have to take a back seat.
Not to mention the inconsequential Xijie, even if Han Sanping comes, we can't stop work just because of this.
The shooting continued until almost noon, and Zhang Chen finished shooting the last shot:
"Hey, call it a day, take a two-hour break at noon, and continue in the afternoon~"
After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he threw the director's horn to Wu Shixian next to him, and at the same time ordered, "If I don't come back by then, you and Cheng Er will Let’s film first~”
As the two agreed, Zhang Chen walked towards the car outside the set.
A bread truck had been waiting for a long time. Zhang Chen got on the car and the car pulled him towards the hotel.
Not long after, he returned to the hotel, and then met Chen Xi and people from CJ Entertainment in the hotel cafe.
According to Chen Xi's description, there were two people from CJ Entertainment, one was a senior executive from the Korean headquarters and the other was the head of the domestic branch.
Seeing Zhang Chen's arrival, the three people who were sitting and chatting stood up. Zhang Chen could roughly guess who was the senior executive of the Korean headquarters just from their positions.
Chen Xi said with a smile: "Director Zhang, you are here. Let me introduce to you. This is the director Zhang Chen you are looking for. This is the executive director of CJ Entertainment Zheng Changsheng. The other one is Manager Zheng Xiuhe of CJ China Branch”
Judging from their names, both of them are actually Korean.
Zhang Chen nodded. Zheng Changsheng, who was opposite him, first extended his hand and said, "Hello, Director Zhang Chen. I have long admired your name~"
Hey, you actually speak Chinese?
Although I still have a little accent, I am already fluent. Zhang Chen was a little surprised and shook hands with the other party: "Hello, Executive Director Zheng speaks Chinese very well."
Zheng Changsheng laughed and said: "When I was young, I used to work in I’m studying in your country, so basic communication is fine.”
“Please sit down, let’s sit down and talk~”
Zhang Chen invited everyone to take a seat, ordered himself a cup of cappuccino, and then looked at the two people opposite.
He originally thought that the other party would get straight to the point right away, but he didn't expect Zheng Changsheng to pretend to be chatting and keep rambling.
One moment I talked about CJ Entertainment's status in South Korea, and the other moment I talked about CJ Entertainment's cooperation with New Line. They are currently working on the post-production of "A Quiet Place", and CJ Entertainment is responsible for the distribution in South Korea.
Of course Zhang Chen knows that CJ Entertainment occupies half of the Korean entertainment industry and owns one-third of the theater resources in Korea. It is a real giant.
It is said that he is also one of the shareholders of Hollywood DreamWorks.
Compared with others, his Xingchen Entertainment is a complete loser.
But he was not willing to listen to the guy opposite bragging all the time.
Although the other party's tone was respectful, he still showed a sense of superiority unintentionally.
Zhang Chen suddenly remembered a joke: Koreans generally don’t seem to like Chinese people very much. Why?
Because Chinese people don’t eat watermelon rind~
Because instant noodles are junk food in China~
Because their state banquets are just condiments in China~
Whenever Koreans brag on the stage about how great their nation is and how excellent their history is, The Chinese will bite a watermelon next to them, and then throw away the skin after eating it to break their defense.
Zhang Chen shook his head, threw away irrelevant thoughts, and looked at Chen Xi. The latter shook his head slightly, indicating that no serious matters had been discussed in the previous contact.
Zhang Chen really didn’t want to continue arguing with the other party, so he deliberately looked at his watch, and then said: "I have to film in the afternoon, let’s get down to business. I don’t know why Executive Director Zheng came here this time. What?”
Zheng Changsheng was stunned for a moment, then immediately showed a smile on his face: "Sorry, sorry, I'm just used to it. I can't stop talking about things I'm interested in~"
Zhang Chen nodded with a smile: "It's okay. Human nature is understandable~"
Zheng Changsheng showed a slight smile Laughing, leaning back on the sofa, Zheng Xiuhe said: "Director Zhang Chen, we are here mainly for the remake rights of "Seeing the Devil"~"
See you The person who came to speak became Zhang Xiuhe, and Zhang Chen understood that this was probably a strategy of the other party.
Zheng Xiuhe will negotiate the matter. If the negotiation fails, if Zheng Changsheng comes forward again, there is still room for change.
If Zheng Changsheng is the one who comes up first, if he and Zhang Chen fail to reach an agreement, whoever backs off will look a little embarrassed.
This thing is actually similar to talking about a bride price.
If the parents of both parties sit together to talk from the very beginning, if the woman's request exceeds the man's expectations, it is likely to reach a deadlock.
So when talking about betrothal gifts, young couples talk to each other in private first:
How much does your family want?
Isn’t that a bit much?
I’m afraid my family can’t afford so much?
Can it be less?
Of course there will be tensions in the middle:
Will all the bride price be given to you as private money, or will it be withheld by your family~
Button it down? For your brother? Isn't this inappropriate?
Every step of the young couple’s feedback is actually discussed with the family, but letting the young couple talk about it themselves will not hurt the face of the two families.
When the young couple communicates well, in fact, the two families have communicated well.
For the rest, even if both parents find a time to meet together, then the conversation will be just a formality.
As for the negotiated betrothal gift, temporarily increasing the price during the wedding ceremony is completely stupid behavior.
Zheng Changsheng introduced Zheng Xiuhe, and Zhang Chen naturally retreated behind the scenes, with Chen Xi taking the lead.
So in the current scene, Zheng Changsheng and Zhang Chen are the parents, Zheng Xiuhe and Chen Xi are the young lovers, and the two parties are the main parties in the negotiation.
"How much are you prepared to pay for the Korean remake rights of "I Saw the Devil"?"
"$600,000 for the rights to remake the film within five years." Zheng Xiuhe reported his price .
At this price, Chen Xi refused without even looking at Zhang Chen.
Shaking his head: "I'm afraid this won't work. If you really want it, please show your sincerity~"
Zheng Xiuhe had obviously anticipated this situation: "I don't know your psychology. What’s the price? If the difference is not big, we can still negotiate~”
Chen Xi shook his head again: "If CJ Entertainment wants to remake "See the Devil", then the price should refer to the normal market price. I don't think I need to remind you in this regard, there are already many mature examples..."
< br>Zheng Xiuhe wanted Chen Xi to bid, but Chen Xi would not comply with his wish.
He and Zhang Chen communicated in advance about this.
In the past two years, Hollywood has bought the remake rights of many scripts from Asia, including Hong Kong's "Hell" and "Infernal Affairs", and Japan's "The Ring".
He couldn't remember how much "The Ring" sold, but he still knew that "Hell" sold for US$1.2 million and "Infernal Affairs" for US$1.75 million.
If CJ Entertainment wants to buy the remake rights of "I Saw the Devil", it should at least take these into consideration.
I want to win 600,000 US dollars, but I want to eat it~
Zheng Xiuhe sees that Chen Xi is not a Kaizi who knows nothing, and knows that her little tricks may not succeed. Look He glanced at Zheng Changsheng next to him, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "How about one million dollars? This is our greatest sincerity."
The greatest sincerity means the highest offer.
Chen Xi shook his head again.
Zheng Xiuhe was a little anxious: "Ms. Chen Xi, this price is already very high. As far as I know, "Hell" only sold for 1.2 million US dollars, but it was a work that should have proven successful. " "I Saw the Devil" hasn't been released yet. If you want the same price, I'm afraid it's not appropriate~"
What the other party said seems to be reasonable. It makes sense, but Chen Xi laughed and said: "Then I suggest that you wait until "I Saw the Devil" is released before considering the remake. If the box office is not satisfactory, you can stop the loss in time~"
Chen Xi's words It was like poking the opponent's lung tube directly. Zheng Xiuhe suddenly didn't know how to talk, and looked at Zheng Changsheng beside him as if asking for help.
Zheng Changsheng also frowned and pondered without speaking.
Chen Xi continued: "One more thing I need to remind Manager Zheng is that "Seeing the Devil" is not a mainland film project, but a Hollywood one. It is the product of the cooperation between New Line and director Zhang Chen, so strictly speaking He said that what CJ purchased was not the remake rights of mainland film projects, but the remake rights of Hollywood movies. I think you still understand the difference~"
Chen Xi still knows how to deal with sticks. Once anything is involved When it comes to American Dad, things are immediately different.
Chen Xi was nominally talking about Zheng Xiuhe, but his eyes were looking at Zheng Changsheng.
Zheng Changsheng frowned and said nothing, obviously weighing in his mind.
When they came this time, their psychological price was actually 1 million US dollars. The 600,000 they quoted at the beginning was just a test to see if Zhang Chen understood the market.
But I didn’t expect that $1 million would not satisfy the other party’s appetite.
Zhang Chen looked at his watch again, he was a little impatient.
I simply passed Chen Xi and said directly to Zheng Changsheng: "Manager Zheng, let me tell you the truth, I actually don't want to sell the remake rights of "Seeing the Devil". For me, selling the remake rights and selling the distribution In fact, the equity income is not much different, only It is because of the cooperation between us on "A Quiet Place" that we are willing to talk, but if your psychological price is this, I think we don't need to talk..."
Zhang Chen came forward. , naturally Zheng Xiuhe no longer had the opportunity to speak.
Zheng Changsheng said: "I don't know what Director Zhang's price is. To be honest, the quotation this time did exceed our expectations..."
"Two million US dollars."
Zhang Chen reported his price, which he had considered repeatedly.
For a film like "I Saw the Devil", it is generally unrealistic for South Korea to share the distribution, and the copyright will most likely be sold out.
Generally, the price of selling off the copyright is about 3 million US dollars.
Zhang Chen quoted US$2 million, and the other party still made a profit.
"Sorry, Director Zhang Chen, I need to ask the headquarters for instructions on this price~"
Zheng Changsheng did not make a decision immediately, but said that he could not make the decision.
Zhang Chen didn’t know if he really couldn’t make the decision, or if it was another negotiation strategy, but he didn’t bother to pay attention to it.
“Okay, Executive Zheng, think about it slowly, I have to film in the afternoon, so I’ll excuse you~”
With that said, he got up and left with Chen Xi.
It wasn't until the two of them left the hotel and got into the car that Chen Xi dared to ask: "Aren't you afraid of scaring them away by offering such a high price?"
Zhang Chen left He curled his lips and said, "If you can't accept it, then at worst we won't cooperate. I didn't want to sell the adaptation rights~"
As he said this, he suddenly thought of something in his heart.
"Seeing the Devil" was originally a Korean script. After he changed it into a Hollywood script, it was still noticed by South Korea.
This is not because history is being revised silently, but because South Korea likes this tone.
This reminded him.
Why doesn’t he sell the original Korean scripts back to them? There are still a lot of good scripts for Korean movies, and many of them are very extreme. They can only be filmed in Korea, so they can be filmed elsewhere. The results may not be outstanding.
The more Zhang Chen thought about it, the more he realized it was feasible. South Korea has the second largest vote base in Asia, second only to Japan.
Isn’t it good for him to earn Korean money?
Of course, it would be a no-brainer to set up a branch in South Korea and shoot directly. Without resources and theaters, would they allow you to enter the venue and eat meat?
Not to mention eating meat, even drinking soup.
The Bangzi entertainment industry is the back garden of chaebols. Will you, a foreigner, be allowed to penetrate it?
But it’s not enough to be alone. You can cooperate with them~
Find a leading party and distribute the movie in the name of a Korean film company. You will only be an investor. That should be fine.
The more Zhang Chen thought about it, the more feasible it became. He suddenly turned around and said, "Chen Xi, are you willing to go to South Korea?"
(End of this chapter)