Chapter 1028 The Big Bombing
Although Akira Okamoto and Mitsuru Watanabe followed Matsumoto Keiko for a slightly shorter time.
In fact, Keiko Matsumoto’s personal office has only been established for a few years.
But they also accompanied Matsumoto Keiko through the 1982 Japan-China joint filming of "An Unfinished Game of Chess", a major event in the film industry.
Matsumoto Keiko also played a supporting role in this movie.
Moreover, in 1984 there was another film "Qiu Jin" jointly produced by Japan and China, which was also released in Japan.
So as industry insiders, the two of them still have a good understanding of the situation of Japanese and Chinese joint film production.
At least they know very well that based on the current honeymoon period of the relationship between Japan and China, this kind of anti-war biographical film with historical themes will suffer from both countries from the day it is announced. Media attention, gaining extra attention.
After the film is completed, the intensity of publicity will be different from the treatment received in theaters. All parties will definitely be given the face they deserve.
Many audiences will come here and spend money to buy tickets to watch.
After all, the generation that has experienced the war between the two countries is now at the age of retirement.
They were deeply touched by the disaster of war, but they were still very concerned about this anti-war historical theme.
Many Japanese people even spend money to buy tickets to watch this kind of movie as an act of reminiscing about the past and maintaining peace.
This is a very advantageous thing.
Compared with shooting other movies, shooting a movie like this will save a lot of effort and a lot of publicity funds.
Critics say the same thing, even if the film's script isn't great and its final quality is mediocre.
But out of political correctness and concern for the reputation of the filmmakers from the two countries, even if it is terrible, criticism will be much more tactful.
Even if I rack my brains, I will try my best to give a few compliments.
If coupled with the charm bonus of Keiko Matsumoto as the "number one beauty", the bonus of movie fans as a movie queen, and the influence of Yamaguchi Yoshiko herself who has become a member of Congress.
If these statistics are taken into account, the guaranteed box office red line of this film can be as high as 700 million yen.
This number is a minimum guarantee, not an unrealistically optimistic wish.
But the most important thing is that this character fits so well with Keiko Matsumoto herself.
Objectively speaking, no matter in terms of appearance, temperament, experience and fame, it seems that Matsumoto Keiko and Li Xianglan are compatible, and the two people have perfect similarities.
So for Keiko Matsumoto, this role is no less tailor-made than Sadao Kawakami in the big river drama "The Waves of Spring". It can even be said to be better.
After all, when filming "Shanghai Life" the year before last, Keiko Matsumoto had received special training in singing and dancing for a long time.
The singing and dancing skills that have been cultivated with great difficulty are now used in the role of Li Xianglan. There is simply nothing more suitable than this.
It can definitely fully demonstrate her musical talent and enhance her personal charm.
If it looks like this...
Maybe there is a higher possibility of making a classic movie that is expected to be recorded in the history of Japanese and Chinese films!
It’s hard to say how high the final box office will be, but it will indeed be a lot easier to win the prize.
A conservative estimate is that it will at least be nominated for an Academy Award in Japan.
Then in three other Japanese film awards, it was up to one for Best Actress.
Of course it will be easier for China to win the prize, and it is almost certain that the prize will be taken lightly.
The box office is also worth looking forward to. The goal of one billion yen should be relatively high.
So if you can really break into the top ten box office in Japan that year with this independently produced film, how will it feel then?
Even if we really lose a little money, we can still consider it a success, because we still have income from video tapes and overseas copies to make up for it.
If you think about it carefully, this level of investment risk is not unbearable.
Besides, if this movie is a joint production, Matsumoto Keiko will be paid.
If she can earn a generous salary from it, even if the film investment is tied, it will not be in vain.
What's the difference compared to when she was in glory in the past?
On the contrary, because they are an investment producer, they can ask for a higher remuneration price, and they will also receive considerable courtesy, so they don't have to accept it.
Taken together, it is still a good deal.
Of course, there are also disadvantages.
It is well known in the industry that biographical films with historical themes like this are most likely to become clichéd and boring.
Innately not attractive to the audience.
So from the perspective of box office, the ceiling is limited, and it cannot be compared to purely commercial entertainment movies with the same investment.
Otherwise, if you don’t even have this regret, it would be a sweet deal with no loss and no loss.
"Ning Sang, with all due respect, is it really possible to do joint filming? Is there any definite news from China so soon? If this matter cannot be determined yet If so, then why do you think you are so sure?”
Okamoto Akira was already greatly moved, and what he asked was the question he was most concerned about at this time.
To put it bluntly, the premise of everything is whether the Japanese-Chinese joint production of this movie can be confirmed.
Otherwise, the film would not be actionable.
But to be honest, Akira Okamoto actually feels like there is little hope in his heart.
After all, Keiko Matsumoto had just bought the rights to adapt Yamaguchi Yoshiko’s memoirs.
How could there be any substantial progress in such a short period of time?
Not to mention that Ning Weimin is so young.
A hairless mouth means a weak workmanship. This is a true Chinese proverb, but Japan also has a similar concept.
So in Akira Okamoto's opinion, it is very likely that the "joint shooting" was purely Ning Weimin's imagination, which was just used by this young man to brag.
But this time he was really mistaken. Ning Weimin gave him an answer that moved him.
“My plan should be to jointly shoot with Changchun Studio, Jingcheng Studio and Shanghai-Hai Studio Three in Mainland China. Because East BJ City and Shanghai are where Ms. Li Xianglan spent the first half of her life. If there are local studios to cooperate, of course many shooting issues will be easier to coordinate.”
“As for the current specific progress, since I have many actor friends in Beijing, It is most convenient to contact the Beijing studio. The day before yesterday, I had a phone call with the leaders there. Their director was very interested and agreed in principle, but he still needed to ask for instructions from his superiors. This is a foreign-related cooperation project. necessary procedures.”
"Also by coincidence, Qingzi and I have a common friend. She is the actor who played Cixi in "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" - Liu Xiaoqin. She is currently filming a movie under director Xie Jin of Shanghai Studio. So this We have entrusted her to contact us on our behalf. It may take a few days for a reply, but judging from the feedback from the intermediary director Xie Jin, it seems that there is no big problem with the Changchun Film Studio. I still have to find a way to contact you. If there are no special circumstances, it should be smooth."
"In addition, I can also make a promise that no matter which studio is in mainland China, We will definitely be able to provide the best directors, actors, and crew to cooperate with us. If this movie is shot, at least in terms of the Chinese cast, it will be the most gorgeous in history, and all the participants will be experienced and good actors. If combined with the real scenes of the time, sophisticated props, and high-level makeup, it is very possible for us to shoot a biographical film that is closest to the true appearance of history."
"I am also concerned about this. To tell you the truth, it is mainly due to the underdeveloped economy in mainland China. The current prices in China are still very low, which is equivalent to reducing the production cost of this film and increasing our budget. It is no exaggeration to say that it is because of the two. If we make good use of this one billion yen budget, we may be able to produce a film with effects that cost 2 billion yen in Japan. I believe that in a few years, mainland China's economy will further grow. But I can’t afford to pay so many actors. I won’t have such an advantage anymore.”
The cakes drawn by Ning Weimin became more and more exciting, making Okamoto’s mouth dry.
"So...if this movie is shot! Not only will the quality be quite guaranteed, but it will also be a real big scene and a big production! It's really incredible!"
He even couldn't help but become suspicious because of Ning Weimin's sophistication, so he asked another question while sighing with emotion. "Ning Sang, you...were you also engaged in the film industry when you were in China?"
Ning Weimin spoke very modestly, but it was revealed invisibly Money ability is the most hurtful.
"No, no, please don't get me wrong. I don't know much about the film industry. I have only invested in a few film and television dramas. Didn't I just say that China's economy is underdeveloped? So since I am personally concerned about money. If you have some ability, you will be willing to pay to help your friends. You should, you should. "
Look at this calm Versailles.
Akira Okamoto's fragile self-esteem was hit hard again.
Facts have proved that the old saying is true, people are more likely to die than others.
His life in a developed city like Tokyo is in vain.
His career achievements are actually not as good as those of a young man from the third world?
Where is the reasoning?
But when it comes to money, it's Mitsuru Watanabe's turn to raise questions.
After all, he is engaged in financial work, and what he fears most is "making a living without rice."
"Ning Sang, please tell me, if we have signed cooperation intentions with several studios, will China also bear the corresponding amount of funds for the film? If so, our economic pressure will be It's much smaller..."
Ning Weimin interrupted him before he finished speaking.
"No, no, what China lacks the most is funds. So they are only responsible for support in terms of personnel and equipment, as well as local coordination. As for the funding issues, we are entirely responsible for it. But don't worry. This In fact, it is the easiest problem for us to solve. Just leave it to me.”
Ning Weimin's original intention in making such a decision was to take care of his fellow villagers, in order to support China's film industry and benefit several studios.
Although according to convention, films produced by Japan and China are basically funded according to the principle of reciprocity.
But the hero protects the three villages. Now that he has the ability to safeguard the interests of his hometown elders, he cannot let the Japanese take advantage.
How many actors will China need to produce this drama?
Is it possible that just because China’s labor is cheap, one Japanese actor can be as good as a hundred?
There is no such reason.
However, Ning Weimin thought very well and spoke easily, but Mitsuru Watanabe was not so easy to dismiss.
The problem of money is not a matter of finance, let alone a gap of one billion yen.
After being stunned for a while, Mitsuru Watanabe still showed his professional nature as a financial officer who desperately wanted money, and kept pestering him to get to the bottom of it.
He was worried that Ning Weimin was talking nonsense.
"Ningsang, I will be embarrassed if you say that? At least you have to tell me the specific method of raising funds, right? Start-up funds are unavoidable, and they need hundreds of millions of yen. Also, if you plan to have a relationship with Matsumoto If Sang jointly invests, the proportion must be clearly divided first. "
Unexpectedly, what Ning Weimin said almost made Watanabe angry. .
"Ah, that's it. I originally raised a sum of money, but unfortunately I just spent most of it. So this matter has to be found in the firm's accounts. As far as I'm concerned As far as I know, Keiko entrusted you to mortgage a villa in her name last year and obtained a loan of 360 million yen for the company's operations, right? Watanabe-san, can you tell me how much money there is in the firm's accounts? Funds? "
"What? What? Are you going to use the funds in the company's account to make this film? How can you use this money? What will happen to Matsumoto-san's loan? "
Watabe was really angry now, thinking that this guy had finally exposed his true nature.
He doesn't want to spend a penny, but instead cares about our funds. Isn't this a liar?
Matsumoto-san too, why are you not wary of this man at all for such an important matter?
Unexpectedly, how can this be considered shameless?
Ning Weimin is not an ordinary person, his true intention is ruthless.
“Don’t worry, Qingzi’s villa has doubled in price now, right? So what I mean is that we can talk to the lending bank first and see if they are willing to increase the loan. If we can, we can borrow another 4 to 5 million yen. If they don’t want to, then we can just use the money to make up the hole and repay the loan, and then find another bank to get a new mortgage loan.”
This is really like a toad yawning, what a loud tone!
When Watanabe Man heard Ning Weimin's inhumane plan, he immediately broke through the defense.
In an instant, he became furious and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can we agree to such a crazy thing? What are your intentions?"
Then he protested to Matsumoto Keiko with righteous indignation.
"Matsumoto-san, absolutely don't nod in this matter! There is something wrong with this man. Please don't believe his words anymore. He wants to harm you."
Akira Okamoto, who had already been educated by Ning Weimin, was dumbfounded by his remarks.
At this time, I couldn't help but change my attitude again, and once again doubted whether Ning Weimin was trustworthy.
"What? You want to use Matsumoto-san's house to increase the loan, as a desperate move. This...how is this allowed? Ning-san, President Ning, are you really thinking about Matsumoto-san? If If you only use this method to raise funds, then I can’t agree.”
It’s a pity, as the old saying goes, there is no closeness.
No matter how loyal my subordinates are, they cannot compare to the feelings of the couple.
How about it actually?
It was completely unexpected to Mitsuru Watanabe and Akira Okamoto.
It’s already this time, Ning Weimin’s bad intentions have been exposed, but Matsumoto Keiko remains unmoved.
As if there was no such thing, he insisted on letting Watanabe Mitsuru do what Ning Weimin wanted.
Watabe Mitsuru was completely confused. He suddenly felt that the world was really crazy and he could no longer understand it at all.
Akira Okamoto was not much better than him, and he couldn't help but secretly sigh that women will become stupid if they use their feelings too deeply.
But at this moment, the situation that was already clear between right and wrong was reversed again.
Matsumoto Keiko then stated the reason for supporting Ning Weimin, which directly caused the two of them to be instantly slapped in the face, and the psychological shock they received was simply unique.
It was like a hundred planes flew over their hearts, dropping all the bombs.
"Watanabe-san, Okamoto-san, you have misunderstood. My fiancé will not cheat on me. What Amin said is true. Originally, he raised 700 million yen for this film. As for the film’s operating funds, we wanted to be more prepared in terms of copyright, so as not to lose sight of Ms. Yamaguchi Yoshiko, we also visited the mystery novelist Matsumoto Seicho during the holidays. When my husband learned that our shooting plan had a high budget, he insisted on bundling the copyrights of all his novels with his Fog Production Company and selling them to us. Later... Amin paid 670 million yen. We reached a deal with Matsumoto-san at a reasonable price. And the studio he bought is still in my name. So... now... we not only own the film and television adaptation rights of all Mr. Matsumoto's works. It’s an official studio. Look, I have the property deed, the certificate, and the copyright authorization letter..."
Six...670 million yen!
Such a large sum of assets was given away for nothing!
How could there be such a generous person!
Looking at the series of documents Keiko Matsumoto took out, Mitsuru Watanabe and Akira Okamoto couldn't help but not believe it.
Of course, when they look at Ning Weimin at this time, he will definitely not look like a liar, but like a love saint!
But it's not over yet.
They heard Matsumoto Keiko talking.
"Amin, should I change the title of the studio to your name? I always feel that this is not good. Such a studio is of too high value, how can it be just used as a gift?"< br>
I didn’t expect Ning Weimin to answer like this.
“Nothing bad. Listen to me, I have made too much profit on my assets this year. If I do any transactions, I will pay the highest tax rate. But you are different, your debt can help you lower your tax rate . It’s actually much more cost-effective for the studio to give it to you than to get it myself. Besides, I’ve wanted to give you something decent for a long time..."
Akira Okamoto and Mitsuru Watanabe were completely speechless after being force-fed a mouthful of dog food.
Invisible 13 is the most hurtful thing. Today they really encountered a master who mistook money for money.
(End of this chapter)