These little tricks that Zhou Fang Ikuo made behind his back really caught Wu Studio off guard.
Neither Ning Weimin nor Matsumoto Keiko thought that the crew, which had already been severely reduced, would face greater changes.
Obviously, the actors who should be added have not yet been added, and the issue of the retention of several main actors in the crew has become an unresolved matter.
For example, Sawaguchi Yasuko's sudden resignation has seriously affected the morale of the crew and the confidence of the people behind the scenes.
However, not all scripts are based on what Ikumo Suho planned.
Some people's choices deviated from Shu Fang Yuxiong's plan and produced the kind of results that he was not happy to see.
Just like Ken Utsui and Tomomi Miura, their demands are contrary to those of Yasuko Sawaguchi who wants to resign.
So much so that when they approached Matsumoto Keiko to talk about this matter, Matsumoto Keiko was immediately confused. She was stunned for a while before confirming to them in surprise.
"You...do you all want to terminate your contracts with your respective entertainment agencies? Just...just to stay on the crew?"
And Utsui Ken and Miura were sitting in front of her. Youhe nodded together.
"Yes, we can't agree with the agency's order asking us to resign. It's a mess. We can't do such an unethical thing, and we don't want to be manipulated by some people and become a tool to harm others. It is no longer worthy of our nostalgia to be able to make such unreasonable demands, so it is better to become independent as soon as possible. Moreover, we have always had a happy relationship with your company during the cooperation. We have worked together for so long, so we naturally hope that the crew will be able to work together as soon as possible. Reboot and finish these two TV series.”
Following Ken Utsui’s explanation, Miura Tomokazu also said, “Credit can never be built again if it is ruined!” The order to resign has touched our bottom line. We don't want to do something that we will regret for the rest of our lives, so leaving is the choice that Utsu-san and I made. We also look down on those who manipulate artists and the media. Therefore, we will always stand on your side on this matter. If we need to clarify relevant information to the media, we will be happy to state it truthfully."
To be honest, this is Kei Matsumoto. Zi didn't expect anything.
She originally thought that the two of them came to her because they saw that the situation was not going well, lost confidence in the crew, and wanted to protect themselves wisely.
Who knew they would be so courageous and stand firm on their own side for the sake of morality.
In particular, she also knew very well that making such a choice would put the two of them under great pressure and even suffer considerable financial losses. It was by no means a cost-effective thing.
So she was both grateful and moved, and couldn't help but bow deeply to them.
"Thank you so much for your consideration. I'm really sorry. I didn't expect that this matter would involve you and cause you so much trouble. I'm so sorry."
As for Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu, in addition to each returning a salute, Utsui Ken also responded with a serious expression.
"Don't say that either. The fault in this matter is with the combustion system, not you. In fact, we just did the right thing and did what men should do."
These words were full of heroic spirit, which made his character even more noble.
Matsumoto Keiko couldn’t help but say sincerely.
"No matter what, this kind of thing is not something ordinary people can do. I will always remember the friendship between the two of you. There is nothing I can do to repay you now, and I can only do my best not to let you down. I want to We must try our best to overcome difficulties and complete our works with the best production standards.”
And her gratitude just spoke to Miura Yuka’s heart.
Now that he has made such a decision, the two film and television dramas produced by Fog Studios, especially "Black Leather Notepad" in which he plays the leading role, have become the biggest successes in his career. Count on.
Can he successfully transform this time?
Can I still get a good job in the future?
Are there any advertisements or endorsements?
The future life of the whole family...
Speaking of it, it all depends on this hammer.
How could he be indifferent and not pay attention to the progress of the crew, so he couldn't help but ask about the specific situation through conversation.
"Yes, I am now looking forward to selecting the characters in "Black Leather Notepad" and restarting it. Matsumoto-san, please forgive me for asking, you are sure about this matter. Right? Are there any difficulties now? If you can help me, please don’t hesitate.”
His meaning is very clear, it’s just a matter of casting, if you can’t find anyone. .
He can also introduce a few people to fill in the gap, even if it involves a favor.
Matsumoto Keiko felt relieved again and bowed her head to thank her again.
"Yes, please don't worry. It doesn't matter. We already have specific countermeasures. In a month at most, we should be able to select the characters and start filming again."
"Ah, that's great. . I’m really looking forward to it.”
Hearing this assurance, Miura Yuka’s expression finally became a little happy.
Utsui Kenya looked relaxed.
That’s not all, everyone is mutual, since they are choosing partners to work together.
Just as Ken Utsui and Tomoka Miura are concerned about Matsumoto Keiko's difficulties, in turn, Matsumoto Keiko cannot ignore their current difficulties.
"Sorry, I also want to take the liberty to ask. If you terminate the contract with the firm, you two will probably face considerable financial compensation, right? Have you and the firm negotiated this matter?"< br>
This question is of course very practical.
Because no entertainment agency is a charity.
Especially in Japan, the entertainment industry is basically a monopoly, so it is normal for major companies and platforms to work together to squeeze artists.
In order to restrain artists, the agency will sign a relatively harsh contract with the artist when accepting them.
In particular, the restrictive clause that prevents artists from terminating the contract early is the most important part of the contract.
If the artist wants to run away, or is poached, the liquidated damages are usually very heavy, and they are the kind that will hurt the artist to the core.
As expected, I heard Utsui Takeru say, "We have indeed discussed it with the firm. The contract we signed was a five-year contract, and I have one year and two months left before it expires. The liquidated damages are based on the year. Calculated, I will have to pay about 40 million yen..."
The figure quoted by Miura Yuka is even more terrifying.
"I'm afraid I have to pay 100 million yen to the office. But the good thing is that this matter was agreed upon by Momoe and the old president, Mr. Takeo Hori. After paying the money, I can terminate the contract peacefully. Hori Productions should not Will cause trouble for me..."
Yes, Takeru Utsui is no longer the leading actor in the big movies back then. He is over 50 years old and he only relies on his qualifications to make a living.
So the salary has already dropped from the first-tier to the middle of the second-tier, and his liquidated damages are much less than those of the first-tier actors for the same reason.
But even so, this amount of money is equivalent to half a year's income.
You know, Fog Studios hired him to star in "Crazy Rich Asians" as a supporting actor, and the salary was only 6 million yen.
"Black Leather Notepad" has a more important role, but it only costs one million yen per episode.
After all, the total compensation given to him by the two film and television dramas was only 17 million yen.
And the firm has to take a commission. In his current situation, he can get at most half of the money in hand.
In other words, for his persistence in justice, he decided to stay in acting, and he personally had to lose money. As for Miura Yu and his current career, although it is declining, there are still many media reporters following him all day long.
Moreover, the spokesperson of the Japanese candy giant Glico has always been his and has never been changed.
Based on his accumulation of fans for many years as a niche actor in art films, although he is now over 30, he can still make some money. He is a top-notch actor, so the price he pays will of course be higher than that of Takeru Utsui. Much more.
In comparison, Fog Studios paid him 10 million yen for a supporting role in "Crazy Rich Asians" and another 1.8 million yen per episode for "Black Leather Notepad" 》The male protagonist.
So after calculating it this way, excluding the firm's share, his personal income is at most 15 million yen, but the compensation is as high as 100 million yen. I am afraid that his two or three years of work have been in vain.
In particular, the shutdown of Fog Studio delayed at least more than a month. During this period, both of them were unable to take on other jobs. If you think about it this way, the intangible losses would be even greater. Much more.
So after learning about this incident, Matsumoto Keiko felt even more sorry and couldn't bear it.
"I'm really sorry. I have caused you to lose so much money. If you have any financial inconvenience, I am willing to do my little bit."
Matsumoto Kei Zi is really not being polite. There are currently more than 150 billion yen in her account.
She had never had so much money before, and she felt panicked looking at so much money every day.
Anyway, she is idle. If the other party needs it, she is willing to lend them money, and she will not charge any interest.
However, she didn't expect that the more she feared, the more something she would become afraid of.
“It’s okay, don’t worry about me, I’ve already figured out how to deal with it. I plan to sell a small apartment in Roppongi. In this case, there will be a lot of surplus, enough for me to live for a few years. Live a stable life."
That's what Utsui Takeru said.
"Yes, I also plan to sell the apartment in Takanawa. Momoe said that she hopes to move to Tachikawa City. The current house should be easy to sell. After selling the apartment, there will be no financial problems. "
Needless to say, Matsumoto Keiko was furious when she heard this, "How is this possible? It doesn't have to be like this at all."
Although both of them said it lightly, and said that their decision to terminate the contract with the agency and regain their freedom was also their personal spontaneous act.
But Matsumoto Keiko knew in her heart that if her own studio had not provoked enemies, they would have no reason to do this.
They are the truly innocent people who were accidentally implicated.
So even for the other party's insistence on justice, Matsumoto Keiko hopes to minimize the side effects.
She never wanted to affect the stable lives of two people and bring difficulties to their families because of her own reasons.
So, she didn't care about being rash, and immediately offered to lend money to the two of them, without them actually selling the house to raise funds.
But having said that, even if she means well, others must be willing to do it.
Looking at Ken Utsui and Yuka Miura's personalities, they are the kind of traditional and old-fashioned people who only focus on acting and don't know how to speculate.
Not to mention that neither of them has stock trading, neither of them would have bought a house if they hadn't started a family and had immediate needs.
To put it bluntly, the two of them had a natural aversion to borrowing money, so they both shook their heads and expressed their gratitude to Keiko Matsumoto for her help.
At this time, Matsumoto Keiko became more and more anxious. After thinking silently for a while, she still had no idea. She just felt that the current situation was too overwhelming.
Simply let Utsui Ken and Miura Yuka sit down for a while, and she ran to another room to call Ning Weimin and asked him what she should do.
But this time I asked the right person. With Ning Weimin's mind, there was no problem that could not be solved. He did not hesitate on the phone and gave Matsumoto Keiko an idea.
"Hey, I said, we might as well try another way to solve the problem, for example...can you sign them to your office?"
"What? You asked me to sign them An artist in an office? ”
"Yes, why can't Fog Studio have its own actors? Although the big studio system is collapsing, besides you, Fog Studio should still have a few exclusive core actors. Like this time, We have already suffered a loss in this regard. You see, if they are willing, we will not have to worry about the main characters of any future movies. The key is that the characters of Utsu-san and Miura-san are really reliable. Actors like them are not only experienced and dedicated, but they will not easily get into trouble for the agency. It would be a great deal to have them join. Come and thank Na Zhou Fang Yuxiong. Without him, how would we have a chance to sign them? "
"What you said is really exaggerated. If so, we will pay for them. It’s justifiable to pay the termination fee to the original agency, right?”
“Yeah, it’s only 140 million yen. It’s not much, and it’s not even enough to make a low-cost movie. Help us, let's pay for them. In any case, such good character is worth our investment, so if you can, try to sign with them for a longer period of time. As for the house, try to persuade them not to sell it. They will definitely regret it."
"Okay, I'll try to negotiate. But how to determine the specific conditions for signing them? To be honest, their current career is declining. It’s not good, it seems mean. But if the offer is too good, I’m afraid... I feel a little unsure.”
“Don’t be afraid, just treat them like a top star. . Being able to return a favor to them also shows our sincerity. As for the return issue, don’t worry about it. Judging from their dedication to acting, they just need a good script to become famous again. Sang, there is also a chance to be the protagonist again. And they are very well-known in China. Based on this alone, we will not make a loss. Don’t worry, believe me.”
"Okay. I listen to you."
Matsumoto Keiko did what she said. No one believed in Ning Weimin's judgment more than her.
So when she appeared in front of Utsui Ken and Miura Yuka again, she seemed to be another person.
No worries are gone, but the smile becomes more and more pleasing to the eye.
…………
On this day, both Utsui Ken and Miura Tomokazu experienced a roller coaster of emotions.
After leaving Fog Film Studio, Miura Tomokazu didn't even go to have a drink with Utsui Ken, but returned home quickly.
He was in a very good mood, which was completely different from when he went out in the morning. When he entered the door, he not only shouted "I'm back".
And I also brought back a lot of things I bought on the road for my wife and children.
Western snacks, drinks, and a large piece of wagyu beef.
Momoe, who ran out in an apron and ran out in small steps, was stunned. Seeing these things worth at least hundreds of thousands of yen, she asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
The meaning is very complicated. , I was a little surprised that he came back so early today, I was also surprised that he bought so many luxurious things, and I was even more surprised by the great change in his mood.
Miura Tomokazu understood immediately, so he made a rare move, picked up his wife, and spun around in the entrance hall.
Momohui was almost confused, but she knew it was a good thing based on her feeling.
She hugged her husband's neck in a daze and asked, "What? Things have changed? There is no need to terminate the contract."
"No, no. I have a new firm. I joined the Matsumoto Firm. No, not just me, but also Utsu-san. And the terms of the contract are great."
Miura Tomokazu The more she talked, the happier she became, and she even impulsively kissed Baihui's face.
“You won’t believe that Matsumoto-san is so courageous. She actually intends to transform her personal agency into a commercial agency. We are the first batch of artists she signed. Not only did she pay for our contract termination Jin. And we are all treated as first-line actors, promising to produce no less than two movies and two TV series every year. Matsumoto-san is such a good person. She will not ask me to appear in variety shows, perform and sing, as long as I feel at ease. Acting. And because she knows that you want to move, she will arrange a place for us in Tachikawa City, so we don’t have to sell the house anymore. According to her, it’s too much of a loss to sell it now, so it’s better to collect rent first and use it to live in Tachikawa City. It's a good deal. What do you think?"
"I..." Looking at her smiling husband, Baihui was really moved even though she still didn't understand what happened.
This is the husband she wants to see, this is happiness. (End of chapter)