After the meeting on September 17, the "Gathering of Famous Actors" plan planned by Ning Weimin was officially implemented.
These people participating in the production meeting are all veterans in the Japanese film industry. They work together as a group, and the power of the network cannot be underestimated.
Japan is also a human society. Since everyone works hard in the same industry, it is inevitable that each other will have three or five friends. Under the same conditions, it is an unspoken rule for friends to take care of each other.
Although this does not mean that if they come forward, they will definitely be able to get things done, and they will successfully persuade the big-name actors selected at the meeting to agree to star in this drama.
However, if they can pass on the information in time through some of their personal relationships, or directly meet with me on behalf of Fog Studio to talk in person and ask about the other party's intentions and schedule, it will not be a problem. .
This is already a great convenience, and it can also be regarded as a privilege brought by seniority.
You know, most people are worried about even contacting these famous actors, let alone contacting them like this.
Just like Ning Weimin, he couldn't contact the "Asian Sugar King" Guo family no matter how hard he tried. It was not because he was not well-known in the business world and was just a little transparent.
Otherwise, how could there be so much right and wrong now.
As for Keiko Matsumoto, as the owner of Fog Studio, of course she must make full use of her network resources.
She immediately went with Ning Weimin to meet the president of Shochiku Pictures, Omoto, and made a request to use Shochiku's stars to make a TV series.
The specific negotiation process is also very interesting.
Because their request far exceeded the other party's expectations, when they submitted a role request, President Rao Shiqimoto, as one of the leaders of the "Big Five", glanced at it and was shocked. His eyes almost dropped to the ground.
"What? Is this the actor you requested? You named Atsumi Kiyo and Beisho Chieko to star in the TV series of Fog Studio?"
"Yes, also. President, please do it." Keiko Matsumoto nodded with a smile on her face.
"But, you just let them play supporting roles, but they are still villains? This... is not good? I'm afraid it will affect their image."
Faced with President Omoto's doubts, Matsumoto Keiko twisted Head tilted and smiling.
"I'm not happy when you say such a thing. I haven't played enough negative roles. Why didn't you consider my image in the first place?"
This is a very annoying statement. This president is really sad.
"You are different from them. Their roles are almost stereotyped, but your acting skills are enough to make you qualified for any role."
"Thank you, then I'll take it as a good word. However, don't you think it would be more interesting to let them try roles that are quite different from their original images occasionally. I think the audience who are used to seeing them always Sakura and Torajiro, occasionally You should look forward to it.”
Matsumoto Keiko’s words made President Omoto smile bitterly. He sometimes really has no choice about his career “daughter”.
However, what was even more unexpected was that Matsumoto Keiko next told him a piece of news that shocked him even more.
"To tell you the truth, there are really no good people in this TV series. Even my character is an unscrupulous, greedy and cunning 'evil woman'. And I don't just want to invite them to play the bad guys. , according to our ideas, the famous actors Mikuni Rentaro and Sugawara Bunta and Tomiji Junko are also people we want to invite. Do you still think this is not possible?" >
“What?” President Omoto was dumbfounded.
Of course, he knew these names. Each one of them had been a pillar in the "Big Five", either a movie queen or a movie king, and they all had their own series of classic films.
Everyone has left his name in Japanese film history and can play a role in the box office of a movie.
"But... but using them to star... your production costs... I'm afraid you will have to bear a lot of pressure. Have you considered this? Are you talking to me in my sleep?"
President Omoto looked at Matsumoto Keiko with suspicion, waiting for her confirmation.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to believe it, the key is how much a drama costs to produce and how much it costs to sell to a TV station, which is something everyone in the industry knows.
As a production company, it is difficult to make money from television sets, let alone the fact that she does not care about the cost of the cast.
This kind of economic cost is not rational at all. Letting them star in the same TV series is simply an unprecedented luxury, and it is like burning banknotes on fire.
Although the crew of "Black Leather Notepad" cannot start filming without actors.
Then he doesn’t think Keiko Matsumoto has to take this step unless she shoots a phenomenal work in one fell swoop.
But how easy is that?
However, Keiko Matsumoto insisted on her attitude.
"Yes, I have already thought about this. For this TV series, I will also organize the most gorgeous cast like a movie. Of course, the salary will not make it difficult for you. . It’s all up to you. We really hope that the two friends, Songzhu, will bring more attractions to the show with their superb acting skills and fame.”
“ What? You are too optimistic. If you ask me, good actors may not necessarily produce a good drama. It still depends on the reaction of the performance and the compatibility between them. You might as well consider it. Those ordinary actors under Shochiku..."
President Omoto couldn't believe his ears and continued to persuade him.
Of course Ning Weimin knew that he meant well, so he helped to provide additional explanations.
"President Akimoto, your opinions are based on experience. Thank you very much for your kindness. However, we also have our own considerations for our current situation. You should know that we are being targeted by the burning entertainment agency, right? So we are now What is needed more is actually not to produce profitable dramas, but to let everyone know that Wu Studio has hard power, and the works it wants to make can definitely be completed, and it is by no means a mere entertainment agency. It can be banned. In the Japanese entertainment industry, no one can use artists to coerce us."
This is reasonable. President Omoto was stunned for a moment, and then sighed.
"I can understand your feelings. In fact, we at Songzhu have long been dissatisfied with these new entertainment agencies. No matter from the perspective of our cooperative relationship or the standpoint of being both traditional actors, I should support you. I also hope that you can succeed and make those who underestimate our studio look good. But the problem is that whether this method succeeds or fails, it will definitely cost a lot of money. "
President Omoto said what he meant.
You must know that compared to records and movies, which traditional singers and actors mainly rely on, television has a huge advantage in attracting audiences.
The music carried by records has a certain lag, and you can only listen to it after it is played by radio and television.
The movie's images are not sufficient and the time is too short.
There is no doubt that from any angle, as long as you are a member of the studio, you should hate those new companies that rely on idols and almost dominate the TV screen. It was they who took the audience that originally belonged to the film studio away from the cinema, and that made the studio's life so difficult.
But the problem is that nowadays, new types of studios are more prosperous than traditional studios. To some extent, even TV stations have been kidnapped by them.
In this kind of confrontation, in the opinion of President Omoto, Fog Studio really doesn’t have much chance of winning.
And his hesitation was just because he was really worried about the financial situation of Fog Studios.
But it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have confidence, because Ning Weimin has more to say.
"President, let me say a few more words. In terms of finance, you don't have to worry about it. Frankly speaking, although the cost of this drama has greatly exceeded the budget, we also think it is worth the money. After all, it can bring so much The gathering of celebrities is naturally good for ratings. "In addition, we also have strategies. We will not rely on the Japanese market alone as a channel for cost recovery." , I am certain that I can send this drama to be broadcast. Although due to the system, it will not generate much direct income, but I also have ways to exchange interests in other aspects, and I will definitely not suffer any loss. Please be assured of this.”
"If you still think it's not enough, then I have a better proposal. For example, we can further increase business cooperation and make more money together. To be honest, I recently brought back several copies of Chinese movies from the Republic. , one of them was selected for the Tokyo Film Festival, and Keiko also got a few copies from France. Although they are all old movies, they are almost all starring big stars. There are cartoon movies. I think if Shochiku is willing to use two or three small halls of multiplex theaters to play these movies, it will effectively make up for the current lack of film sources. As for our losses in filming, we can also make up for it through profits. "
That's not all, Matsumoto Keiko also added later.
“President, in fact, the video tape market is also worth looking forward to. I think the video tape craze has just begun, and this home entertainment model will become more popular in the future. It may be difficult for us to directly recover the cost now, but sooner or later we will be able to Realize profits. So at present, we are more focused on the influence of this drama. After all, it is Fog Studio’s first attempt to shoot a TV series. Otherwise, we will never be able to shoot a TV series again.”
So President Ben stopped talking again.
He lowered his head and thought about it, and now he understood the necessity of their move better.
I really admire their courage, I didn’t expect them to be quite thoughtful.
Indeed, China is a market with as many as one billion viewers.
For Chinese people like Ning Weimin, if the broadcast channels are really opened up, there will be countless benefits, which should be enough to make up for the production costs in Japan.
And the film sources brought back by Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko are indeed a way for theaters to increase profits. It is at least worth trying. It doesn’t cost him much anyway, so why not do it? ?
As for the future of the video tape market, he is not so optimistic, but Matsumoto Keiko's perspective on the problem is not wrong.
The first TV series really cannot fail, otherwise it will damage the credibility too much.
If Fog Studio’s TV series fails this time, not to mention ending the current good cooperative relationship with TBS, other TV stations will also lose their basic sense of trust in them.
What's more, Fog Studio could think of this method and didn't ask for help in terms of filming funds. At least it proved that they had enough financial ability to meet the filming needs.
Think about it, it seems that since the beginning of their establishment, every work they have produced has been a large-scale production that exceeds specifications.
Now it seems that "Li Xianglan" may have become the lowest-cost movie, which is incredible.
In short, he is really looking forward to an alliance that can spend billions of yen to make movies, as well as a partner who can import film sources.
At least it’s a good thing for Shochiku. It doesn’t have to invest its own money to have big-budget movies to screen.
So he really had nothing to suggest, "Okay, now that you have given it full consideration, I have nothing to say. As for the movie screening just mentioned, let's first Let’s talk about this matter before we talk about anything else.”
“Thank you, President, for your support.” Seeing that his goal was finally achieved, Matsumoto Keiko finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, President Okumoto was not so quick to agree, "Don't thank me so early. If you need someone right away, I can't help it. We still have to discuss some details. For example, schedule and shooting It’s a matter of time. Do you have any requirements?”
These words were as they should be, and Matsumoto Keiko immediately made a considerate gesture.
“How can I force others to make things difficult? Of course, it’s mainly based on Shochiku’s schedule. I also know that they are filming the new movie "The Pain of Men". If possible, we can invite them to join our crew when the movie is finished. As for the filming time, judging from their scenes, thirty days should be enough.” The thirty-ninth episode of the "Bitterness" series is progressing smoothly. Director Yamada is expected to finish filming one month in advance, which means that the filming will be completed around the beginning of October and the editing process will begin. How about waiting another twenty days? They should be able to report to your crew."
"Thank you so much!" Matsumoto Keiko nodded again, feeling more confident this time.
At the same time, she also expected that if the other party suddenly became easy to talk to, he would probably have some additional conditions. After all, this is how it is in the industry. A good deal is to make each other successful.
Sure enough, just as she smiled politely, President Omoto also spoke.
"I also have a request, would you please consider it?"
"Please tell me."
"Since you have invited Torajiro and Sakura from Shochiku away, , can you also arrange a heroine for this drama? She is Kumiko Akiyoshi, who may have joined Shochiku recently. Her reputation and acting skills are decent? I want to cultivate her, so it shouldn’t be difficult. . ”
Matsumoto Keiko did not expect such a request.
Judging from President Omoto's tone, his attitude has obviously changed.
From the initial hesitation and resistance, now I want to go through the back door to squeeze people into the crew and actively take the express train.
The reason is obviously because of Wu Studio’s large investment and its approach of recruiting famous actors, which allowed him to see a promising future worth looking forward to.
She thought about it and found that it was not difficult.
The female characters currently to be determined by the crew include the waitress Chengjiang, the female publicist Bozi who is jealous of the heroine, and the home nanny who inquires for the heroine.
No matter what, I should be able to find a suitable role for Akiyoshi Kumiko.
So I agreed without hesitation.
And in addition, she also has more optimistic expectations for the announcement of this matter.
Because even the president was surprised like this, this news must be as frightening as an exploding bomb for the Japanese entertainment industry as a whole! (End of this chapter)