Chapter 1280 Swinger
It is really not easy to make such a big deal.
Although the two French film production companies that Ning Weimin favors are both established studios with long experience and rich history, this also means that the procedures are cumbersome and the structure is bloated.
So with such a large amount involved and the terms of a complete buyout, even the presidents of the two production companies were not able to make an easy decision.
In order to avoid criticism and blame afterwards, they believe that the outcome of this matter must be discussed by the board of directors and approved by the majority of directors.
Even when the two parties formally start contact and enter the negotiation process, it is not that simple.
You know, no one at the top of the two French film production companies dared to believe that a young man from the East suddenly appeared and wanted to do business worth hundreds of millions of francs.
Not to mention it is during the special season of the Cannes Film Festival.
Don’t forget, originally Ning Weimin just came to Cannes to sell movie copies.
Why did he suddenly turn into someone who wanted to buy a copy as he was talking?
This is too magical, things shouldn’t work like this!
Especially in the European film industry, no one or company has dared to propose such a large deal, which makes this matter inevitably suspicious.
What is the use of having so many copies of old movies?
Going to Asia to promote?
Just kidding.
Why do so many audiences like these old movies?
Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult for new movies to attract audiences, let alone these old-fashioned stories.
The most important thing is that Fog Film Factory’s reputation is not obvious.
It’s not even popular in Japan, and no one in Europe has heard of it.
A studio like this has no goodwill at all.
Therefore, from a French perspective, it is easy to regard Ning Weimin as an industry liar who talks a lot and intends to play some tricks.
In fact, after the news spread, some people speculated that Ning Weimin might want to use the fame of the two production companies to release the news about the purchase of the film library to hype up the screening of his own film Movies, this is his real purpose.
Needless to say, no one wants to spend too much time and energy on something that has no results, and no one wants to be used by others and deceived like a fool.
Therefore, there needs to be a prerequisite before contacting about this matter. The boards of directors of the two French studios must first confirm that Ning Weimin is indeed sincere and really wants to complete this deal.
And he has to prove that he is indeed rich and has the ability to complete the deal he proposed.
Although Alain Delon has been acting as an introducer, this is not enough. The key is to have Ning Weimin present a letter of credit worth at least 50 million US dollars.
Of course, if Ning Weimin really has the sincerity and strength to complete the transaction, then he must prevent the news from leaking and causing others to disrupt the situation.
After all, everyone’s movie copies are thrown away in the warehouse. It is enough for two companies to compare prices with each other.
So the feedback from the two French studios told Ning Weimin their two requirements.
First, this matter must be kept confidential before formal discussions and cannot be publicized.
If the media finds out, the matter will be dropped and they will not admit it.
Two, Ning Weimin must provide a letter of credit of 50 million U.S. dollars as soon as possible, or a certificate of monetary assets equivalent to 400 million francs to advance this matter, otherwise there will be no discussion.
Of course these two items are not a problem for Ning Weimin.
Confidentiality is the right thing to do.
In fact, Ning Weimin also just wants to negotiate the deal safely.
As the saying goes, the night is long and the dream is long, and he has no intention of getting more film production companies to join the bidding.
He doesn’t have that little money, and he doesn’t have much time.
Proof of assets is no longer a problem.
Almost all of his overseas assets are in accounts at Suez Bank Crédit Agricole, and France is exactly where this bank is headquartered.
So for the requirements of the two studios, he only needs the head office of Credit Agricole Suez to issue a financial guarantee for himself, which can be confirmed by phone and fax.
In fact, what really embarrassed him was another issue - a transaction involving such a huge amount of money, and involving long-term interests in the future, he needed a trustworthy lawyer to help him sign a flawless agreement.
The biggest trouble he currently faces is the legal red tape and the traps that may be hidden in the contract. What should he do in a foreign country where he is unfamiliar?
Of course you can only rely on the help of trustworthy friends.
So as expected, Ning Weimin spoke to Alain Delon again.
I hope he can recommend me a good lawyer who is good at dealing with film companies and has a good level of experience.
Alain Delon directly recommended his lawyer to Ning Weimin, saying that his lawyer was most familiar with film-related terms and had dealt with both French studios, so he should be able to meet his conditions.
And in order to show sincerity, Alain Delon also took the initiative to suggest that Ning Weimin could use this person to draft the general terms first, and then use the legal advisor of Pierre Cardon Head Office to review the final agreement, so that it would be foolproof. .
But even so, Alain Delon also bluntly expressed his opposition from a personal point of view, repeatedly admonishing Ning Weimin not to make this loss-making transaction.
In front of two studio representatives, it was hard for him to say anything.
But after the people from the studio left, and when he was alone with Ning Weimin, in order to stop him from the brink, Alain Delon couldn't help but complain about Ning Weimin's "stupidity" .
"First of all, listen to what I understand, right? You are willing to spend hundreds of millions of francs to buy those movie copies that are about to be buried in the dust in the film libraries of those two production companies. And you only ask them to use three million to buy the copies you want. A movie sold in Cannes? ""It's almost like that, but you also forgot that they have to ensure that it will be shown in five major cities in France for three consecutive weeks..."
"Who? Don't care about this!"
As for Ning Weimin's addition, Alain Delon said angrily, the more he saw Ning Weimin's calm attitude, the more angry he became.
"I really can't believe that you have so much money at your age! What I can't believe even more is that you actually want to waste it like throwing it into the sea. My friend! You want to It costs hundreds of millions of francs. Not to mention your country, you can live a luxurious life in France. Why would you spend such a huge sum of money to replace thousands of old cars that are of little use? Where is the copy? I always thought you were a smart person, but I really can’t figure out why you would do this kind of transaction that is bound to lose money!”
Alain Delon's tone became sharp due to his emotional fluctuations, but what Ning Weimin felt was Alain Delon's concern.
He didn't feel dissatisfied at all, still smiling.
"What can you say is useless? Film is an art. What I bought are works of art created by many art masters. Many of them should be the works of you and Catherine. You wouldn't deny your movies, right? Of course, these things may not have much value in Europe, but it's different when I get it in Asia. People in many countries haven't seen it yet. Who knows how big the potential market is? If nothing else, at least the development of my motherland's film industry requires watching a large number of films. Europe is the origin of film, and France is a powerful film country in Europe. I believe I will not..."
However, his Compliments are useless.
Alain Delon was not convinced, but lost his patience. He interrupted categorically and criticized bluntly.
"Don't think so beautifully! You're still too young! And you don't seem to know much about the movie industry!"
Following that, he listed the various shortcomings he thought.
“Did you know that film copies are difficult to preserve! If the warehouse is dry, the film will easily ignite spontaneously. If the warehouse is humid, the film will not be well preserved and will easily become moldy and deteriorate. So any professional studio They have to be stored in a film library with constant temperature and humidity, and the storage cost alone will cost a lot of money every year.”
“For this reason, when the film industry was in recession a few years ago, European film companies used to pay for it. Destroy old films on a large scale to recover the silver ions in the films. Why would you spend such a large sum of money to buy away other people's troubles? The money you paid is enough for them to finance at least several years of filming. But once these copies are in your hands, it’s your problem.”
“How do you cash in? Even if the Japanese film market is okay, how many copies can you sell if you get it to be replayed in theaters? A ticket? Even for my movie, the box office of "Zorro" was only 500 million yen when it was released in Japan. Now, if you just release the video tape and sublease it to the TV station, it will take a hundred years. You can’t recoup the cost.”
"Of course, for you, there may be China's film market. I have to say that the market is indeed very large. But the ticket price is too low. Especially for my films, most of them have been licensed to China for free by the French government. You can reflect that. Where is the profit at all? Not to mention that China’s censorship system is so rigid that most French films cannot pass..."
It is a fact that Ning Weimin seriously lacks common sense related to the film industry.
When Alain Delon told him about the difficulty of preserving film copies, he was shocked. This was a security risk that he had never thought of.
And Alain Delon was indeed a big brother who cared deeply about him, almost thinking of all the disadvantages for him.
Ning Weimin is sincerely grateful. When it comes to the meaning of friends, Alain Delon has done a great job.
However, even so, he was grateful, but he could not reveal the real reason why he wanted this deal to be concluded to Alain Delon.
After all, his idea is too advanced. The Internet is not even old, and there is no way to explain clearly what streaming media is, let alone prove its feasibility.
Also, the interests contained in the film copyright and derivatives industries are too great. He strictly keeps secrets, not only for fear of affecting his other future transactions, but also for his own safety.
So he could only play the emotional card and try to explain his motives with part of the reasons from another angle.
“I do it for my wife.”
Ning Weimin paused, deliberately showing his deep love for Qingzi.
"You probably don't know my wife's current status. Now she is not only a movie star in Japan, she also bought a production company last year and became the boss of the movie company. We brought This movie was the first movie she produced independently after buying Fog Studios. "
"However, although the movie was a big hit, the video tape and soundtrack album also gained a lot. But in the Japanese film industry, my wife still cannot get the respect that matches her new status. This is not only because Japan favors boys over girls, but also because the foundation of Fog Studio is too small. After all, she is the only one. Such a woman became the boss of a film company, and her studio only produced one movie.”
“In fact, my wife’s Fog Studio not only does not have its own film library, it also lacks. She lacks scripts, lacks manpower, and lacks almost everything. It is difficult for Japanese film colleagues to take her seriously. I believe she can be among the leaders of Japanese films for a long time. So it would be great if we could buy some French films. With these films, we can not only effectively expand the business scope of Fog Studios, but also strengthen cooperation with film companies, TV stations and some independent theaters. We can even remake some of the excellent films in these libraries to create new ones that suit Asian tastes. Movie. So these copies are very useful for my wife to establish her position in the Japanese film industry."
"I finally understand," Alain Delon said, "So... You didn’t act impulsively, but you did it for your wife?”
"Of course, when my wife married me, we both did property justice and signed an agreement. She didn't ask for a penny from me. Even if we divorce in the future, she will not divide the property. But I have always been a little sorry for this, and I always feel that I owe my wife. Therefore, I have decided to buy these copies at my own expense, and plan to give them to my wife as a gift. I think that with these copies, I can finally do it. Giving my wife a little extra income, although it will be realized more slowly, will always reduce her operational and financial pressure. Isn’t this what a husband should do? I can only help her so much. ”
Ning Weimin is sensationalizing in front of the best actor. This is definitely a trick.
But the good thing is that what he said is true, especially Alain Delon is also a lover, and he has also been hurt by love.
After hearing what he said, Alain Delon actually fell silent, and it took him a long time to mumble something.
“True love comes first, right? I really envy you, you are the winner in love and life. Well, it seems that you really don’t care about being taken advantage of. I now know that my words are completely redundant. . Young man, if you think about it, then go ahead and do it. I wish you good luck and love forever..."
"Don't say that. I'm very grateful for your advice. So, how about that thing we talked about? "Crazy Rich Asians," the movie we are about to start shooting, how are you thinking about it?"
Ning Weimin saw that Alain Delon was a little uninterested. Knowing that he was emotionally moved by the scene, he might have remembered some things from the past, so he deliberately changed the subject to tease him.
"I'm willing to help, but in terms of time... I just need to show up? Only for a few minutes? That's fine."
"I also want to be a consultant. , we need to understand the living habits of wealthy people in Europe, so at least during the shooting stage in France, we need you to accompany us on site and give guidance. The shooting period should be about a week."
"Okay, that's it. It’s settled. Go back and ask your people to send me the contract..."
"Okay, what about the remuneration, half a million dollars?"
"What? Oh my god! Am I crazy, or are you crazy! Do you want me to play the leading role? My friend, I really suspect that you are out of your mind! You can't take drugs, right? Just pay me a hundred thousand dollars..."
"Haha, no, you are a big star. It’s the price of a big star. Just five hundred thousand! As you said, it’s different if there’s emotion involved. Aren’t we friends?”
“You guys. , why are you more of a swinger than me? I think your wife’s studio will really have problems with you as her husband. Let’s not talk about the remuneration for now. Let’s see how much you have to pay for buying the film library. Right!"
"Ha, can't you have some confidence in me? Besides, this is a different story. I plan to do a good job at the Cannes Film Festival next year..." br>