Chapter 245 Weighing the Pros and Cons
Indeed, Anson is a man with advanced knowledge and can see higher and farther. He can see a future that neither Sony Columbia nor William Morris can determine.
But at the same time, Anson also has his own knowledge blind spots. His understanding of the film market comes from 2023. All concepts have developed twenty years ahead of time. If you are not paying attention, it is easy to ignore that it is not 2023.
Anson ignored one very important thing:
In 2000, why did box office dividends not become the first choice for actors and agents?
Is it because they don’t want to increase their income? The answer is of course no.
The correct answer is the film market capacity.
Ten years and fifteen years later, the North American film market has entered an era of prosperity. There are many works with US$300 million in North America and one billion US dollars in the world. However, at present, the North American film market is still "100 million US dollars". In the dollar era, a movie with a box office of over 100 million in North America is a huge success.
Considering this background, box office dividends are not so attractive.
First of all, overseas markets were only gradually explored in the second half of the 1990s. Even the seven major Hollywood film companies did not have complete overseas distribution channels. Therefore, when movies are released in overseas markets, they are often distributed with local distributors. If the company cooperates, this part of the box office needs to be distributed as dividends.
Therefore, when actors and producers discuss box office dividends, overseas markets are not included, and only the North American box office is used. It was no exception until later. There were only a few very, very rare cases where film companies were willing to carve out a little bit of the overseas box office cake -
For example, James Cameron.
Secondly, because the size of the North American box office market is still at "100 million US dollars", the box office dividend figures for actors and producers are also clear at a glance.
Even if the basis for box office dividends is North American box office figures rather than box office profits, then the 10% dividend is only a mere US$10 million.
The rest is a math problem:
Should you choose the "20 million club" with a fixed price, or should you choose the final "basic salary plus 10 million US dollars" that takes the risk of huge box office pressure?
The choice is not difficult.
Here, there is another detail. Is the maximum box office dividend for actors and producers 10%?
Generally speaking, this is true.
The reason is also very intuitive. The box office of a movie often needs to be divided into pieces, with the production company 40%, the distribution company 30%, and the theater chain 30%.
Of course, the specific figures and circumstances may fluctuate. Different projects may have different works, and negotiations between the three parties may have many different results, but overall this is generally the case; the seven major Hollywood film companies often take care of both production and distribution, and profit income It will be higher.
Here, the portion of dividends given to directors, actors, screenwriters, and producers is 40% from the production company, which naturally cannot exceed a certain limit.
However, there are exceptions.
Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" series, he refused big-name directors and big-name supporting roles, and acted as the producer himself, ensuring that he was the absolute core of the entire crew, and no one else could share his box office dividends , used this to start negotiations. Although he received basically no salary, he took almost 40% of the box office dividend in the end.
Later, Paramount discovered that by filming, producing and distributing "Mission: Impossible 4", it was not making as much money as Tom Cruise. It was like the film company was working for the actors. Paramount was furious. He immediately shut down the entire project and refused to cooperate with Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise himself also walked out of the project forcefully.
It was not until three years later that Tom Cruise's career fell into a trough. He made four movies in a row, and the box office and reputation were all-round hits. At the same time, Paramount was also in dire straits, with continuous profits and deficits, which prompted the "Disc" "Spy" series was restarted, and the two sides sat at the negotiating table again.
Look back.
Because of this, at this stage, almost no brokerage companies are actively promoting their actors to strive for box office dividends. The "20 million club" is their ultimate goal, including actors, media, and film companies. , industry insiders all use the "20 million club" to measure industry status.
In Edgar's view, he does not think it is possible to obtain 10% of the box office dividend for Anson, or even 5%, and it is not a cost-effective deal.
Not only may the pay figures be low, but you also need to bear risks and pressure.
Anson is a newcomer. It is one thing for Edgar to be optimistic about his prospects. It is another thing for the Hollywood industry to think that Anson still has not proven his box office ability. If they pursue box office dividends, don't say that the movie failed. Even if the movie is successful, it has not exceeded 200 million in North America and has not exceeded expectations. The position of a pink newcomer in the industry will become awkward, and it will be difficult for the follow-up In terms of development, this is not a good thing.
Anson could sense Edgar's worry.
He thought for a moment, especially the key word "two hundred million box office", and immediately realized his blind spot, and couldn't help but laugh.
But Anson can’t tell Edgar: Hey, man, trust me, the movie will be 100% successful——
Like a madman, blindly confident for no reason.
Moreover, Anson and Edgar have just begun to cooperate, and trust needs to be established step by step, otherwise this cooperative relationship will be vulnerable in the face of absolute interests.
After thinking for a while, Anson said, "Captain, we should approach it from a different angle."
"It should not be said that we strive for box office dividends, but that we advance and retreat together with the project. "
"Look, I have full confidence in the project and am 100% committed to the project. I am willing to reduce the salary. Even though it is not much, it can ensure that every penny of the production cost is spent wisely; instead, I will use the box office. The way of dividend sharing is to advance and retreat together with the project, and to bear risks and face difficulties together.”
"I am willing to advance and retreat together with the crew."
With a slight adjustment in purpose and intention, Anson's stance and posture will become completely different.
Whether the movie succeeds or fails, Anson’s image and reputation in Hollywood will be established:
If the movie succeeds, it means Anson has a unique vision; if the movie fails, at least they can operate it, which means Anson Every effort has been made, without reservation, to alleviate Anson's responsibilities as a leading man.
In this case, the whole situation is completely different.
Edgar's eyes lit up, "It's just like John Travolta starring in 'Pulp Fiction'."
Anson nodded lightly.
But... Edgar looked at Anson again, "So, we really don't strive for the salary figure?"
"Anson, in Hollywood, the salary threshold is very important, you Whether it's three million or eight million, the producers and directors look at you completely differently."
"I thought, maybe we should seize this opportunity, even if it's just your first time. If you play the leading role, your position should also be established through the paycheck.”
Agents, after all, have their own considerations.
Anson agreed, but his point of view was slightly different, "As you said, this is the first time that I have taken the leading role alone. Even if we get a salary of five million or even eight million, you What do you think will happen next? "
"If the movie fails, then no matter how high the salary figure is, everything will start from scratch."
"But what if the movie succeeds?"
First update.
(End of this chapter)